• tab “Normal” is a human word. One that once described me, but now it is just a memory that has long since faded. My life is over, the humane part that is. Now all I am left with is the names that the humans, those “normal” people, have dubbed me. “Freak,” “monster,” what did I ever do to them to hate me so much? Not once did I ever harm one of them. I’ll admit I am a god among these mere mortals. Therefore they should treat me like one, but no, they lock me in this tower. This tower has a single glassless window in the shape of an arch; it is made of bricks that are dark and covered with mildew. Through my window I can see what looks like what I believe to be more bricks, which allows me to theorize that my tower is attached to a castle. I can also see the night sky, so I have a clear view of the moon and the stars. To reach my tower you must saunter up a spiraling staircase. When they do, they do it in a slow unwanting manner, dreading what lies beyond the door. Ah, but they are fools to think this can hold me prisoner, for I have my charm and people can be so naïve to fall for the easiest of tricks. Listen do you hear that? It is the soft tapping of foot steps. A man slams the door to my prison; it is made of solid metal with bars on the top so as to see who is on either side of it and it is always locked. The man face is clearly hidden beneath a cloak, so I can not see his face.

    tab “Step back foul beast. I shall not fall for your trickery. Now eat your food!” He says in a gravely voice. He throws down a tray with a bowl, but I can only guess what is in it, bread, and a container of what I hope is water. He walks out the door and slams it close. He begins stomping away, when I put on my most innocent of acts.

    tab I say to him, “G-g-g-good s-sir m-may I know why I am here?” Damn my infernal stutter. I hate it. He spins on the heel of his right foot, runs over to me and begins to yell at me. tab

    tab “WHY ARE YOU HERE? LET ME SEE MAYBE BECAUSE YOU ARE A FREAK!” He walks in a furious temper stomping the whole way, much like a child who just threw a fit. I pick up tray and take it over to my bed.

    tab My bed is a moth eaten mattress that has many holes and stains. Some of these stains are blood; the others are from youth, as I’ve been here my whole life.

    tab My meal consists of a broth that is meant to be soup, yet it is cold as the winter’s night. I guessed right. Stale bread that is at least few weeks old and hard as the bricks that form my prison. Yes, my hopes were answered, I got water though I dare not know what they have done to it. It is the same meal I have every night. I eat it quickly, dipping the bread in the broth, thus making the bread softer. I dare not complain about the food I am served, for I have learned my lesson from the last time. Last time I was beaten and starved that night.

    tab As I lay here, trying to fall asleep upon my time beaten mattress I start to shiver, for the cold air flowing through my window is colder than the soup I am served for dinner. I grab my blanket which is frayed and has many holes in it, but the thought of having a blanket helps keep me warm. My pillow isn’t in much better condition. I listen to the sounds of my surroundings and they help put my mind to ease. The sounds of the owl hooting, crickets chirping, and frogs croaking, this my symphony that takes me far from here, a symphony to a world that is not miserable like this place. I feel a presence unfamiliar to me. It’s dressed in the same familiar hood as the hooded man with the gravelly voice, but this figure gives off a different aura. The man with the gravelly voice gives off an aura of pure hatred, but this figure gives an aura of love and beauty. As I looked closer I also noticed a difference of height between this figure and the other. This figure approaches me, but steps back when it sees the moonlight coming through my window. For the first time it speaks.

    tab “Hello.” It sounds feminine and has the most beautiful voice I have ever heard.

    tab “Hi,” I stammer out, “who a-a-a-are you?” Damn this stutter.

    tab “Who I am is of little importance,” she said as I put a puzzled look upon my face. “Why I am here is important. We do not have much time so listen carefully.” There is a deafening silence in my tower now, even my symphony remains silent. She goes on talking, “In a fortnight’s time the moon will be hidden from our view.” As she talks I listen, taking everything in for such a beautiful voice should never be forgotten. “That is the night you will be able escape from this accursed tower forever.”

    tab “I d-d-d-don’t understand, why are you helping me?”

    tab “I am truly sorry I cannot tell you, my reasons are my own. I shall be back tomorrow night at this time.” I simply nod, trying to take all this in. This woman is my salvation away from this living hell, but why? What have I ever done to deserve help? No one has helped me before, why is she not calling me a freak or a monster?

    tab When I look up from my thoughts she is gone as quickly as she came. Now as I try to fall asleep it is even harder. Sleep used to be my only time for me to be happy. For I would have amazing dreams of escaping from here and getting far away from here, now my dreams were becoming reality. As I lie here my heart is racing and for the first time in my life I am smiling. I finally fall asleep about an hour later, but within that time there are many questions running through my mind. My last thoughts are, who is she and why is she helping me?

    tab I awake to the sound of my door being opened and I pray for it to be the hooded woman. Sadly, my hopes are crushed when the hooded man stomps through the door. I quickly hide my smile so he suspects nothing. He greats me with his usual morning grunt and I great him with my usual icy stare of pure hatred. He slams down the usual morning breakfast.

    tab This consists of a poor excuse for oatmeal and the foul tasting water. This is the same meal I have every morning. As he leaves he makes sure to slam the door especially loud this morning, for reasons I know not. I am quite used to this feeble attempt at food and rude behavior, but today the food tastes like I am dining on a long overdue feast. Maybe it is the happiness surging through my body or maybe it is something else entirely. Whatever it is it feels amazing and I never want it to leave.

    tab Typically when I am done eating I lie in bed. Today however I found myself looking out the window trying to take in everything that surrounds my tower. As I do this I think to myself, in a fortnight’s time I will be seeing through the other side of this window.

    tab After looking for so long I grow weary I walk over to my bed and lie down. Who knew that this accursed tower could have such a beautiful view? I must show the hooded woman; surely she who has such a beautiful voice would love to see the beauty that surrounds us.

    tab When finally the sun sets I can hardly contain my smile. So much so that when the hooded man enters my room with dinner I must act like I am sleep so he cannot see my smile. This time however he slams the food down harder than usual so out of the corner of my eye I see some of the soup almost spills out of the bowl. Then, like this morning, he slams the door extra hard. Perhaps in attempt to rouse me from my sleep.

    tab When I hear that it is safe to raise my head, I listen to his muttering and stomping until he is out of earshot I grab my food. Also like this morning the food tastes much better. The soup tastes different, the bread is much softer, and for the first time I can actually see through the water. The water I am used to is a murky substance. This time I take my time savoring each bite and sip as if it were my last meal.

    tab When I am finished my meal I lie in my bed waiting for the hooded woman to arrive. After about hour she arrives. Quick as a mouse escaping a hungry cat, she sneaks into my room without a sound until the door is fully shut. When she begins talk her voice is like a whisper so I have to strain my hearing just to hear the angelic voice that belongs to her.

    tab “If I am to help you escape, you must promise me that no matter how much you want to you will not go on a personal vendetta against those that have you wronged you over these many years. Do we have an agreement?” She says the last part with emphasis on the word vendetta.

    tab What choice do I have? This woman is my only chance at ever escaping. “Y-yes, I w-w-will d-d-do n-n-no harm to any of those who have d-d-d-done a-a-any harm to me.”

    tab “Very well then, now we begin the planning of your escape,” she says in her voice after sitting on my bed. However, I sill can not see her face for she hides it well and sits in a corner of the bed that lies in the shadows.

    tab As we sit her planning I cannot help but smile. She gives off a warm feeling that makes my heart race ten times faster than its normal rate. All the while we sit here disusing I get odd sensation that I have known her my whole life, yet I have no memory of her in my past. Two hours pass but now she must leave.

    tab “I am sorry but I must go. If I am discovered talking to you the consequences could be disastrous.” She said in a truly saddened tone.

    tab “I u-u-understand,” even though my heart and mind are both screaming please don’t go. I enjoy her company and feel so much better than the man with gravely voice. “M-m-may h-h-have one last request?” I say and hating my stutter more and more.

    tab “What is it?” her voice has a questioning tone in it.

    tab “W-w-would I be a-a-able to s-see y-y-you here the night of my escape?” I say with a hint of hope in my voice.

    tab “Yes, but I must hide in the shadows. If I am to be seen making any contact I could lose something very valuable to me.” She doesn’t say anything more than that. She walks out of my tower, locking the door behind her. I listen to her soft patter of footsteps as she walks down the spiraling stairs until I can no longer hear them.

    tab As I rest my head upon my pillow, my symphony starts playing and I drift of with my last thought is thirteen days until leave this place forever.

    tab The days start to dwindle down until it is the eve of my escape. The hooded woman has come to visit me every evening and we discuss the plan. We have decided on a simple yet effective plan. Tonight we are making sure I know it down to the very last detail, we cannot fault on the smallest of detail. I recite the plan word for word every night before bed and when I first wake up in the morning. I AM READY!

    tab It is the day of my escape and so far everything is going according to plan. The hooded man with the gravelly voice enters my room in his typical ill-mannered nature suspecting nothing. I go through my new daily routine. I eat my breakfast slowly and relish the taste. For some odd reason each day that passes it seems to taste better. Maybe it is what those “normal” people meant by the, “sweet taste of freedom.” Once I am done my meal I look out my window taking everything in see for the last time. By the time suns sets it is only a few hours left until I can put the plan into action.

    tab It’s dinnertime and I couldn’t be happier. I hear the hooded man stomping louder than usual. He is only a few feet until he reaches my tower. I quickly hide behind the door with my tray from earlier. The hooded man enters my room like usual but he can not find me. Frantically he begins looking for me and as soon as his head is out the window I strike. I take my tray and hit him in the back of the head to knock him unconscious. He is out cold with the first blow to the head. With the moon as my shadow I take off his hood, once I have taken it off the moon provides a momentary burst of light to reveal the most repulsive face I have ever seen. I would much like to end this man’s life as a revenge for all those years he locked me in this tower. But no I remember the woman with the beautiful voice’s words, “…you must promise me that no matter how much you want to you will not go on a personal vendetta against those that have you wronged you over these many years.”

    tab “No,” I say to myself. “He kept me alive all these years; if I kill him I am no better than anyone else.” I grab his hood and put it over my head. I then walk out the door and lock him so I can have a head start on getting out of here. I run down the spiraling staircase two steps at a time. I face another door this one made of solid oak. I push it open it reveals a long corridor that has many doors. I look left, I look right; at first I cannot see the woman of the angelic voice. Then I see her, she is standing in a corner waiting for me. Her head is down looking at the marble tiles. I still can not see her face, for it is hidden behind yet another hood. She is holding a lit torch and looks up when she hears me approaching.

    tab “I can only take you as far as the front door, beyond that you are on you own,” she says in her angelic voice.

    tab “W-w-will I ever s-see you a-a-again?” Damn stutter, even when I have escaped my prison.

    tab “No, I must return to where I came from. Once you have escaped you must never return here nor may you go looking for me. Do you understand?” She says questioningly.

    tab “Y-y-yes I u-u-understand.” I say in a solemn voice.

    tab “Good. Now let’s hurry.” She says and takes e by the hand; her hands are covered by gloves so I can not see them. She leads me down a narrow massage. Then she stops a few feet short of a giant oak door, extinguishes the flame and then proceeds.

    tab After reaching the door, she stops and says, “This is where I leave you. Goodbye.”

    tab “G-g-g-goodbye a-a-and thank y-y-you.” This damned stutter is a curse that I would not wish on anyone, including my captor.

    tab She opens the door and waits for me to leave. As I do so I try to catch glimpse of her face, but it’s hidden too well. I run out the door never looking behind me, only forward towards my future. Thus I am turning my back on this wretched castle forever. While I am running I trip over the root of a tree I didn’t see. I look down and see a puddle of water; I have never seen my own reflection before, peering into the water I see myself for the first time. At first I am taken aback by what I see for I do not see a monster but rather the most gorgeous face I have ever seen. I get up and keep on running.

    tab Several years later…Good to my word with the woman with the angelic voice I have never returned to my prison or go looking for her. However, I have heard tales of why I was there. Though, the story teller knows not that he is speaking of me.

    tab The stories state that my birth was an unusual one. There once was a man with a gravelly voice and a hideous face fell in love with a woman who had the most beautiful voice in all the world. Her voice was that of angles. He was given permission to have her hand in marriage, which he greedily took. They were my parents and when I was born I was the most beautiful child anyone had ever seen. The town’s people grew jealous of my beauty and demanded I be put to death. The town’s people were ugly because they had committed evil thus it turning them ugly. I was thought to be pure and innocent by my parents, so they staged my death in front of the whole town. Instead they locked me in the tower. My father often felt horrible about doing so but what was he to do? His violent nature was only an act, just to protect me, his only son. He preformed the ultimate sacrifice, suppressing his love for me so that I could live. So my mother developed the idea to help me escape and she did so without my father knowing. A mother love knows no bounds, though she knew she would have to wait until I was old enough to survive on my own.

    tab After my escape I found a new town far away from the tower, which had kept prisoner for so long. I settled down in this new town. I am now happily married with two children. My stutter has faded down to a mild case. I have heard through various sources that my parents are finally at peace. It makes me happy to know this.







    THE END