Don't Mutter
CH 2
I was finally able to open my eyes, white and gold...curtains? Above me? My arms felt cool, I sat up abruptly. It made my head spin. Once I focused again I realized I was in a bed. It was a canopy bed of all things, with tacky yet fancy white drapery with gold embellishments. I looked down, the bedding matched the drapery surrounding me. I wasn’t really in a room, it was a cell. No walls, just bars. Panic started to trickle in me. I looked to my left and noticed two cells with beds just like the one I’m in. I looked across, three more cells lined the wall with beds too. Something stirred in the bed in the cell directly across from mine. A confused woman rose from the blankets, she had long black curls and ivory skin. It took her a moment to notice her surroundings, before I could say anything to her she immediately jumped from the bed frantic.
“HELP!” she screamed “Help! Help! Somebody help! Somebody please help me!” she started screaming louder. I didn’t know how to react, whether to console or join her. Her frantic rant continued “LET ME OUT PLEASE! I won’t go to the police, just please let me go. I’ll do anything you want.” she started to cry. I couldn’t believe my eyes, was her hair...turning grey? I knew I was sitting at least twenty or so feet away but I could see her physically aging before me.
I looked at my own hands, nothing seemed to be happening to me. I felt my face, smooth as ever. The woman came to the edge of her cell looking directly at me. I just stared at her.
“Two men, they attacked you too?” she pressed. I couldn’t answer, only stare. A clump of hair fell from her head. She isn’t noticing what’s happening to her at all. “Hey,” she grabbed my attention again “I know you’re scared, I’m scared too. You were attacked too weren’t you?” her voice echoed at me with a stutter.
I nodded my head. Suddenly her face was stricken, she looked at her hands. They shook furiously, then she pulled at her face and hair. Her eyes widened at her nearly white hair. Just as I was about to say something the metal door leading to the cells unlatched. She quivered back into the bed. I pulled the blankets up to my chest, as if that would do anything. It was for comfort. A figure stepped through the door. It was hooded, with a long cloak. I remember it from last night. They looked to the woman in the cell, then at me.
“Who are you? What do you want with us?!” the woman in the cell screamed at the figure. Or rather painfully muddled, her voice cracked at her rapidly growing age, she looked as old as my grandmother now, if not older.
“Running those lips...they’ll give you trouble.” the cloaked figure beckoned with a womanly voice.
“What are you doing to me!?!” the old woman croaked, she fell out of the bed onto the hard floor. My hands covered my mouth. The cloaked figure walked up to the cell bars of the old woman.
“You’re doing this to yourself. If only you stayed quiet, being a fighter doesn’t necessarily mean you’re bright.”
“Please…” the old woman pleaded. She went limp without saying another word. Her eyes stared blankly. My whole body was shaking. The figure turned to look at me. I could see nearly everything but her eyes hidden under the hood. Her lipstick was dark, she had a sharp nose, and blonde curls fell at the sides of her neck.
“We have a rule here, I expect you to follow it. Unfortunately for her,” the hooded woman nodded to the other cell “she ended up breaking the rule, I suggest you don’t break it either. Nod your head if you understand.”
I found myself nodding.
“Now, as you can see, she’s dead now. Do you know why?” she asked me. I shook my head. “Open your mouth to speak, a year is shaved off your life for each word. You’ll be smart enough to keep it closed, yes? Handwriting words will yield the same result, with new found technology, writing words out in type will yield the same result. Pointing out words to communicate will shave years from you as well. Words are strictly prohibited for you. Do you understand?” she asked me.
I didn’t want to nod. What kind of sick hell is this? This has got to be a dream. It’s a horrible nightmare. Wake up! Wake up!
“Now, get your rest. You’ll be having supper this evening with my brother and I. You will behave yourself for him, if he deems you fit for himself. You will be happily wedded. My brother prides himself with a wife whose body, words, and life belongs only to him. The perfect wife.”
“HELP!” she screamed “Help! Help! Somebody help! Somebody please help me!” she started screaming louder. I didn’t know how to react, whether to console or join her. Her frantic rant continued “LET ME OUT PLEASE! I won’t go to the police, just please let me go. I’ll do anything you want.” she started to cry. I couldn’t believe my eyes, was her hair...turning grey? I knew I was sitting at least twenty or so feet away but I could see her physically aging before me.
I looked at my own hands, nothing seemed to be happening to me. I felt my face, smooth as ever. The woman came to the edge of her cell looking directly at me. I just stared at her.
“Two men, they attacked you too?” she pressed. I couldn’t answer, only stare. A clump of hair fell from her head. She isn’t noticing what’s happening to her at all. “Hey,” she grabbed my attention again “I know you’re scared, I’m scared too. You were attacked too weren’t you?” her voice echoed at me with a stutter.
I nodded my head. Suddenly her face was stricken, she looked at her hands. They shook furiously, then she pulled at her face and hair. Her eyes widened at her nearly white hair. Just as I was about to say something the metal door leading to the cells unlatched. She quivered back into the bed. I pulled the blankets up to my chest, as if that would do anything. It was for comfort. A figure stepped through the door. It was hooded, with a long cloak. I remember it from last night. They looked to the woman in the cell, then at me.
“Who are you? What do you want with us?!” the woman in the cell screamed at the figure. Or rather painfully muddled, her voice cracked at her rapidly growing age, she looked as old as my grandmother now, if not older.
“Running those lips...they’ll give you trouble.” the cloaked figure beckoned with a womanly voice.
“What are you doing to me!?!” the old woman croaked, she fell out of the bed onto the hard floor. My hands covered my mouth. The cloaked figure walked up to the cell bars of the old woman.
“You’re doing this to yourself. If only you stayed quiet, being a fighter doesn’t necessarily mean you’re bright.”
“Please…” the old woman pleaded. She went limp without saying another word. Her eyes stared blankly. My whole body was shaking. The figure turned to look at me. I could see nearly everything but her eyes hidden under the hood. Her lipstick was dark, she had a sharp nose, and blonde curls fell at the sides of her neck.
“We have a rule here, I expect you to follow it. Unfortunately for her,” the hooded woman nodded to the other cell “she ended up breaking the rule, I suggest you don’t break it either. Nod your head if you understand.”
I found myself nodding.
“Now, as you can see, she’s dead now. Do you know why?” she asked me. I shook my head. “Open your mouth to speak, a year is shaved off your life for each word. You’ll be smart enough to keep it closed, yes? Handwriting words will yield the same result, with new found technology, writing words out in type will yield the same result. Pointing out words to communicate will shave years from you as well. Words are strictly prohibited for you. Do you understand?” she asked me.
I didn’t want to nod. What kind of sick hell is this? This has got to be a dream. It’s a horrible nightmare. Wake up! Wake up!
“Now, get your rest. You’ll be having supper this evening with my brother and I. You will behave yourself for him, if he deems you fit for himself. You will be happily wedded. My brother prides himself with a wife whose body, words, and life belongs only to him. The perfect wife.”