Every Day: Part I

The screech that marked the morning snapped him from his depressive trance. The screeches that ensued were worse than the night before. Some prisoners seemed to have some renewed sense of hope that they would find their silver today, other screamed because of the pain the “bell” cause on their ears, others screamed because their neighbors were screaming. He moved quickly across the main hall. He grabbed the chain from the wall just outside of holding-hallway’s arch. Almost all of the prisoners stood with their arms stretched out toward him as though he had not abandoned them in their cells the night before, leaving them with only the darkness to keep them company. He walked to the end of the hall, his ears numb from the screaming and began to unlock one cell door, clap the chain around the prisoner’s ankle, and then move on to the next cell. The chain grew gradually longer as he clapped it around each prisoner.

Losing count of the cells, he came to one without a door. He was confused for only a moment, but the moment was long enough. The skeleton figure flew at him, clawing at him through the gates. He tried to step back, but the thin hand had grabbed his wrist and it pulled him over with all its strength. Reaching under his black cloak, it tore at his bleeding wings. In a flash of silver and blue, the figure was thrown to the back wall of the cell and he, his eyes burning with blue fire, was continuing down the hallway, unlocking, locking, unlocking, and locking again. The prisoners were wild from the excitement; He was just the opposite. He clapped the prisoners into his chain with more ferocity than before, his blood boiling.

Finally finishing, he pulled the chain. The prisoners began their trek out of the hallway and into the main hall. Once the final prisoner was through the door, he yanked the chain. With a loud snap the chain broke free from all of the prisoners, they all cried in pain, and then they began to run towards the small door that led to the “silver” mines. He stood in silence and watched as the prisoners shoved their way through the small door. They were mining for gold and silver that did not exist. Their greed kept them going. They did not question the words of their lord, who was so kind to release them from their cells so they could dig for their key to freedom. After they were all inside, working towards a nonexistent goal, he turned away and walked, slowly as ever, bypassing his throne, to his small, hidden room, where he would wait for the second screech signifying the end of their “work.”