I sat there, in a big cushy chair wrapped up like a babe in a thick wool blanket. I looked about me as fast as my stiff neck would allow at my surroundings. It all seemed rather familiar in a way but I wasn't sure how. Maybe it just reminded me of something I once knew. I hoped it was related to something I once knew because it could possibly unlock the agrivating block in my brain. I frown and let my frustrating thoughts overcome me. She was sitting on the floor in front of me, staring, examining me.
'What is wrong?' The lovely lady asked.
'Mmmmmghhhh...' Speak damn it! I tried again. 'Mmmmaaaaagghh.'
A deep, horrible sound oozed out of my mouth. It was like something out of a horror novel. I felt it better to just keep my lips together and not utter a word, or in my case try to. I didn't want to scare the only thing that would be willing to help such a man as myself.
Much to my suprise the angel didn't flinch. My moans and groans didn't frighten her or cause her to faint. I thought all women were weak hearted and couldn't handle such situations. I was amazed that such a strong woman could exist. I was intrigued even more.
'You must have gone through a lot! You are covered in cuts and bruises...' I nodded in response. If only I could tell her what I had just went through. Maybe she could tell me why it had happened, where I was, and what was to become of me. She reached for my arm, startled I jumped in my seat. After a few seconds I realized what had happened and relaxed my arm once more. I looked into her eyes and smiled in apology. She smiled back at me and reached for my arm once more. This time I held still. Her touch was soft like silk and I wanted to melt into a puddle of water right there. She stroked my arm, running her fingers over the various wounds. I couldn't believe she would touch a stranger that way, a discolored and wounded stranger that way. She must have had a stomach of iron. I could barely look at my skin without getting sick.
'You don't look human. I've never seen anyone of your skin color.' Of course I was human. I have two arms and legs, two of everything... Almost. I chuckled to myself, some things I wish I had two of. I paused my thoughts for a moment. What a horrible thought! I shouldn't have been thinking that way around a lady. Women have telepathic abilities and can read into any man's thoughts. I needed to think of somethign else, anything! The beautiful young woman smiled and batted her long lashes at me. She slowly removed her hands from my arm and pushed herself upwards off the floor. She motioned for me to follow her. How could I resist?
I struggled to lift myself from the seat beneath me but I could not get up. I felt old and decreppit. I was moving as speedily and smoothly as a grandmother, not getting anywhere. I became angered at my body and my loss of joint movement. It shouldn't be this hard to move around. I looked up at the object of my affection looking for some help and guidance. She grinned a sad grin and outstretch her arm for me to take. I pulled on her arm as much as I could, trying not to hurt her and remove myself of the chair at the same time. After some great struggle I was standing, somewhat.
She took both of my hands in hers and proceeded to walk backwards, occasionally looking behind her to make sure we weren't headed into disaster. She kept looking at me with a very serious face. Was something wrong? I couldn't help wonder if all of a sudden my appearance disgusted her. I wanted to know what she was thinking. I... We fell to the floor with great force. The young woman first, then my self halfway on top of her. The upper part of her body shot up as she was still planted on the floor. She turned towards me.
'What a klutz I am! I am so sorry!' She continued to apologize. She felt terrible and I could see it. I'd never heard anyone apologize so much! I'd never heard the word sorry spoken so many times in one setting. It was enough to make a person feel guilty about being hurt by her.
The angel checked my body for any more damage than what was there when she came to me. This was a very enjoyable task. Soon she let out a big sigh and sat back on her haunches.
'Sorry, again.' She said it one final time. 'Are you ready to try it again or do you just want to camp out here for the night?' We both laughed a bit as she got up. She grabbed my hand and we struggled onward.
It became apparent soon after our ordeal that she was taking me to the bathing room. I was a terrible mess and needed a good scrubbing. Maybe that would help the discoloration in my skin and the cuts on my body. I was looking forward to a nice warm bath. I felt like I hadn't taken one in at least a hundred years!
I must have soaked for hours thinking endlessly about my situation. I had no idea who I was or where I had come from. I was completely puzzled and could not think up one reasonable answer. Not only could I not understand myself, I couldn't understand the full charity I was receiving from my hostess. It did seem a little odd that she would be so attentive without some sort of fear of me. She did not know who I was, or what I was... Or did she?
*****
Ma always talked about the coming of a monster. She said he wouldn't be angry or evil, just lost. She said that it was our duty to watch over it and help it along. I was never told the whole story of what was to become of my family and the monster. All I was made aware of is that it'd be here some day soon and to prepare myself for it. I was going to be told the story of our family and the connection we had with the beast, but my mother died before I was old enough to understand.
I would always try to find out things that would possibly help me prepare for what was to come but my father would try to keep me from the truth, what I thought was the truth. He would always tell me they were old wives fairy tales passed down from generation to generation on my ma's side of the family. He would go on to say that they were all a bit loony, including my mother. That is partly what attracted him in the first place. He liked a woman with a bit of an edge. I guess it kept things exciting.
After mom passed away, dad would try his best to keep me from the attic. He tried everything to keep me from that room upstairs, telling me ghosts lived up there , the boogyman would come get me and take me away if I went snooping, and many other things. Being a curious child and intrigued by the unknown I was very persistant in my ventures up there. One day he decided being nice just wouldn't work and forbid me angrily never to go up there again. I was more scared by him than I ever could be of the boogyman or some troublesome ghosts. I stayed away since then, even after he passed away.
I did hold on to one object thought. There was a picture I had found on the floor one evening in the attic a long time ago. It was my first venture up there and it was just laying there in plain sight. Even though I wasn't of age I still knew how to appriciate a handsome face when I saw one.
The photo was old and faded. It looked to be of the nineteenth century. The young man in the picture appeared to be in uniform, at least from what I could see of his clothing. He was undeniably beautiful. I would spend many nights with my eyes fixated on that picture thinking about what it would have been like to be back there in that time with him. I would create stories in my mind of him being the hero and saving me from some awful fate. He would ride up on a dark horse, like a knight in shining armor to rescue me. I was infatuated and I loved it.
It came to a point where I would do nothing but think about him. I would pretend to go outside to play but end up in some overgrown field somewhere, laying hidden in the grass with his picture. Sometime I could sware my dreams were so vivid and he almost could have been there with me. What an imagination I had as a young female. I had so much fun back then.
The strange looking man I had taken in a few moments earlier looked strangely familiar. Through the deformities on his face I could see the similarities in features between him and the man in the faded photo. I wondered if it could possibly be him? Maybe his being here and the photograph had something to do with each other. Maybe the answers were up in the attic that my dad forbade me to go.
*****
'You doing okay in there?' I heard her little voice somewhat muffled by the door between us. ' I'm just making sure you haven't died! You've been in there forever!'
I grunted a little in reply and attempted to lift myself from the murky water. She slowly opened the door with her eyes tightly shut. With her faced turned away she presented me with a large towel to wrap around myself. I was thoroughly clean and glad to be so, but my mind would not stop running. It would continue to do so for the rest of the night.
