Chapter 6!

Ok, I am still waiting for a certain somebody to put her pictures from Musicale on my computer so I can do a post about it...in the meantime....

Ready to read?

Good! 'Cause here is chapter 6! 

This is a really long chapter...and I have tried and tried to make it shorter or to split it, but there is really no place where I can do that................give me some suggestions!  This chapter skips ahead to two years after she became...a slave basically...so she has been doing that for two years, so Ella is now 17 years old....hehe! 

Enjoy!

Chapter Six

Two Years later......

As much as she tried, Ella could not get used to the rocking wagon she was hidden in. Yes, her body now moved with the jerks and bumps, but she never liked it. And she was never as happy at Eria and her twin Lily. Those two were always excited about going to new towns and showing off their flexible and lithe bodies to the fascinated crowds.
Of course, she had a good reason to hate moving from town to town. She was not free to move around and be active like the tall twins. She was seventeen years old, labeled a freak of nature, and trapped in a cage like a good-for-nothing-dog. She had been here for two years. Her Luniath friend, Etiran, had been there for four years. They were both trying to find any possible way to get out of their iron confines.
Ella had expanded her powers as a mindspeaker and foreteller. She had also discovered a few other things about herself in her boredom.
She was able to move dirt around. She could wiggle her fingers and the dust that floated into her cage would swiftly scurry out. She kept hers and Eteeran’s spaces virtually clean.
They were both on the verge of going mad. Etiran’s dragon heart and soul longed to be free from her confines. Ella’s Roshem mind longed to expand its horizons. They longed to be treated like people. Normal people. Without one thing wrong with them. Without one thing to label them as inhuman.
Ella sighed, Et, are you awake?
“Yes,” she heard Et sigh, “I hate this.”
Me too.
“Just one more town to marvel at how weird, ugly, and..and what? What’s that other word they call us?”
Um..they call me hideous. And you? They call you ‘dragon girl’ but that’s not that bad.
“Oh yes! They called me the ‘Winged Monster’ I wish I could break out of here! I want to fly again, with no boundaries! See the sun and the stars while flying towards them!”
Easy, Et. I do too. Only, I really can’t fly, but I would like to very much.
“I know that you would like it.”
I think I would like it too. Just breathe. I am sure that we will get out of here somehow, someday. Ella sighed again and arched her back. Mary had decided to get mad at her the other day and gave her a good beating. Her back was sore, but he had beat her with a stick, thank goodness, and not a whip. Etiran had told her that her back was black and blue. She was sore enough to believe it.
“How’s your back?”
Good. Well, not really, but better than yesterday.
“Good.”
They both grunted as the cart rolled over a big rock and jostled the cages. Ella winced. If she had to endure one more week of this, she would break the bars of her cage and run around like a madman. That is, of course, if Mary didn’t beat her again. She wondered why he thought that beating his “employees” made them more docile. If anything, the more he did it, the more she felt like she could conquer the world. She knew that she would not get out until that scar came and then she would be with Yeusem again.
She smiled. Yeusem. Her visions about that day were getting more and more clear with each passing week. She knew that when her vision was as clear as life itself, the day would come. She had a strong feeling that Mary would create the cut across her face very soon. In a way, she was almost anxious about getting the scar on her face. She knew it would hurt, but at the same time the pain would come with relief. She would know that her time here was not to be much longer.
In the two years that Ella had been trapped here, in this cage, she had grown and matured, in mind and body. Her point of view about life was now a lot more serious. Her eyes did not have laugh lines as they once did. Her eyes were bluer, sharper, and filled with more intelligence and wisdom than a person four times her age. Some people had looked into her eyes and felt like she was looking straight into their hearts and souls. She had grown into a shapely young woman. Of course, as she was in a cage most of the time, only allowed out when Mary wanted to beat her, she really wasn’t in the right place to figure that out. Her blonde hair was now down to her hips. Eria gave her and Et a brush now and again in secret so they could keep their hair somewhat decent looking.
The cart lurched again, knocking Ella and her winged friend flat on their faces. Dirt was smudged on Et’s face and Ella blew it away with a wave of her hand.
Et grinned.“You’re a handy friend when it comes to staying clean.”
“I know it.” Ella grinned back, “And you are going to be handy when the time comes for us to get out.”
Et leaned forward eagerly, “I think we should switch to mental speech.”
I couldn’t agree more.
“What do you mean? Are we going to get out?”
Um...I didn’t mean to let that slip. Ella admitted with a twinge of guilt.
“Well, now you have, so you may as well confess.”
I guess I should, but maybe later. You know, the time may not come for a while. I don’t want you to waste yourself or make yourself sick with waiting and anticipation.
“I don’t really care, I just want to get out of here! And you said something about getting out! Tell me or I really will go mad! How would I help? When, how, TELL ME!”
Ella sighed, With you around I really can’t argue. Good thing you are not one of your friends that breathes fire.
“Be very glad, my Roshem friend.”
Ella chuckled inwardly, I guess I should be. But I really don’t want to tell what has been running through my mind, what I have been seeing, these past years.
“Have you been having visions?” Et’s voice sounded eager. And Ella could see her trembling with excitement in the cage next to her.
I won’t say a word. Even if I have or haven’t, I wont say a word until I am sure. The time and how is still sketchy. I need you to trust me. Please, Et, trust me.
“Does that also mean to wait?”
Yup.
She heard Et growl in the cage beside her, and she chuckled.
“Okay. I’ll wait. I’ll wait ‘til the sky falls or ‘til I die!”
Hopefully it won’t come to that. Chances are, that won’t happen. I just want you to promise me something.
“What?”
That you be ready to fly when the time comes.
“You got it.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ella and Et felt the cart slowly jerk to a stop. They could tell by the way that birds sang and chirruped that they were near to either a wood or a meadow. Footsteps ruffled grass as people jumped off their wagons and carts to get ready to set up camp and the circus tent. Someone opened the flap that covered their cages and the duo blinked their eyes with the sudden light. There stood James, the legendary giant and strongman of the show. He was usually the one in charge of moving their cages around. He smiled sheepishly as he always did when he looked at the strange girls. He could just never get over the way they looked.
“You know the routine,” he had done this every week. Yes, they knew the routine.
They both knew that James did not like to see them caged up. Whenever he came by their cages, he had a look that said he wanted to set them free. He was one of the people that was also in the freak show, but he was free to walk around. Probably because he could break the cage doors if he wanted to.
Ella had also tapped into his mind. Yes, he wanted to free them. He wanted to bash in Mary’s head whenever he beat one of them, or whenever James himself was made to beat one of them, whenever he called them names. For some reason, he had a soft spot for those girls. Ella had seen something in his past about a young girl in his life that would be about their age. She thought she may have been his daughter, but it was shadowy, so she could not be sure.
The gentle giant looked around for Mary, but they all knew he was drunk in his own cart that was also his personal courters. If he knew what went on between James and the freak girls, he would...Well..He really couldn’t do anything to the seven-foot-tall-strong-man. James did not want to see the girls get weak from lack of exercise. And Et’s wings were to grand and magnificent not to use. He opened the cages with his set of keys and let them crawl out. Et stretched out her wings and arms, flexing her muscles. Ella stretched as a person would when he gets out of bed. With a few beats of her wings, Et was in the air.
She had been warned be James to only fly above the camp. If she tried to escape, James would be in charge of punishing them. And he told her:
“Don’t give Mary a reason to make me be the one to hurt you. I like you and Ella. If you know what is good for you and your friend, please don’t fly away.”
Ella knew it took a great deal of self-control from Etiran to not fly away, but she would fly for maybe five minutes then come back down, always a bit happier then when her feet had first left the ground.
Ella stretched her arms up and jumped around. Yes! She could stand up without crouching. With a surge of energy, she dashed around the traveling cart and did a cartwheel. She felt like a little girl again.
Eria came cantering up, a huge smile on her face. Wrapping her arms around James’ waist, she gave him a huge squeeze and she gazed up at the sky. Etiran was doing flips and dives. She would almost hit the ground, then she would spread her wings out and lift herself back into the blue sky. Ella ran up to her and grinned up into her friend’s faces.
“Thank you both for allowing us out!” she said.
“Think nothing of it,” James replied, “Eria here always makes sure that Mary has hadplenty of ale. She risks her own neck to help you two.”
“And Sholeim bless you for it!” 

“What is up with that girl and her God?” Eria whispered to James. James shrugged. He wanted to know what made the “half-faced” girl so happy in spite of her conditions. If her God was the reason, he wanted that too.
Ella was running around, laughing, her arms spread wide. The cool air made her pale cheeks turn a healthy rosy color. Hairs from her braid came loose. James and Eria smiled at the two. One in the air, one on the ground, both laughing with their temporary freedom. Everyone had stopped their work to watch Et spinning in the air. Her agility and strength with those wings of hers was awesome. She always made sure to conjure something up to make them say “wow” to. But this time, because of her increasing anxiety about getting out, she had to keep them occupied with the usual stuff. But she did her usual, hair-raising dives that took her within a few feet of the ground.
As their happy display went on, a certain someone crawled drunkenly out of his wagon and took in the sight. At first, he smiled, thinking that that was a marvelous thing that could do those kind of things in the air. But then, he saw Ella running around, out of her cage, laughing, happy, free. And he realized that his freaks were on the loose with the rest of the circus cast looking on with smiles.
“What are you doing?!” He screamed, stumbling around, flaying his fists on anyone who was near. “Those freaks are going to run away! Get them back in their cages! I am going to kill the person who let them out!”
James stood protectively in front of Eria and Ella, who was hiding behind her.
Et! Get away! Only heaven knows what he would do to you of you came back.
“I don’t want him to give all the beating to you! I’m coming down!”
No! GO AWAY! she commanded in a voice that she hardly recognized as her own. She looked up, Et was flying away, waving as she flew with all the speed she had. Thankfully, Mary was to busy beating his fists on everyone else to notice that Et had taken flight.
I know I haven’t heard your voice in a long time, Sholeim, but please keep Et safe. I know she is capable to keep hidden, but shield her from evil eyes. Please don’t let her be found. Please!
Mary strode up to James and glared at him. James glared back, unwavering.
“Step aside,” Mary ordered, a growl rising in his throat.
“No.” James was taking a stand. Mary grinned menacingly, then with speed they thought was not possible for one so drunk and fat, he swerved around James and clutched Eria by her hair. He pulled her to her knees and a knife was at her throat.
“But look! I got around you anyways,” he snarled. James was now standing protectively in front of Ella. His normally kind and gentle face was twisted into a frown. Ella heard a low growl growing inside of him. His anger was about to burst.
“Get away from miss half-face,” Mary pricked the point of the knife against Eria’s neck, “or she dies.” Blood trickled down her long neck
Ella touched James’ thick arm. Her mind reached into his. It was time he knew about her secret.
James. she prodded gently. He looked at her with shock, I know, this is strange. But you must let Mary have me. It is not worth Eria’s life for me to remain unscathed. I am willing to endure the pain so long as I have the satisfaction of knowing that Et and Eria are not hurt. Trust me. Do as I say. Step aside and let him do with me as he will.
James looked first as Eria then to Ella. Ella smiled gently and squeezed his arm reassuringly.
I know it is going to be alright.
“Okay.”
James sighed, then stepped sideways. Ella began walking over to Mary. He released Eria who ran over to Ella and hugged her, whispering in her ear, “You must get away! Somehow, someway. By the time this week is at an end, you will be free.”
“Everything will work out, Eria. Believe me.” Ella whispered back. She looked away from her friend’s tearful face and straight into Mary’s eyes. He grinned, getting straightened up with a slight sway. The knife was still in his hand. He held it up, and with it he beckoned her to come to him.
He swiped down with the knife upon her face. She let the blow come. She screamed as the blade sliced her from the top of her ear to her chin. Blood gushed and she held her hands against her face to staunch the flow. Her world became gray, then began to spin. She swayed, then fell to the ground, as her world went from gray to black.
“I will not hurt you until after the closing of the show. I do not want your looks to be spoiled by blood.” Mary said, waving his blade around like the drunk man he was. “But after that! You will get the beating of your life.” He pointed the knife at James, “And our strong man will do the honors.”
James’ face filled with horror. And he backed away, shaking his head, “I will not do it!”
“Oh? Either that or you will find Plumeria dead in the morning! Which is it?”
James, you will have to.
“I hate doing anything that would hurt either you or Eria. I don’t want to.”
Do what he says in order to save Eria’s life. Don’t you see? He knows your attachment with Eria. You must do what he says! Do it!
“I will...” he hesitated, “do what you say. Tonight after the show, you will see me with the whip next to Ella’s cage.”
Mary grinned with satisfaction, “I will be looked forward to it. Oh, and James. I will have Plumeria with me to make sure that you fall through with it. Understand?”
“Yessir.”
“Good. Put our half face and her winged friend in their cages now, off you go!”
Ella began to talk towards the cage, then stopped when Mary cried, “Wait! Where is that girl?” He stumbled around, looking everywhere his eyes could reach for Etiran. Ella could tell that Et was far away, and still flying. There was no way that they would be able to find her. She was almost beyond Ella’s mind to reach. A few more miles and Ella would not be able to locate her. Next thing she knew, Mary was upon her, grabbing her wrist and twisting it, “Where is she?!” he snarled.
She squirmed and cried out in pain as he twisted harder.
“Did she get away? Which way did she go? Tell me!” He was so close that Ella could smell the alcohol on his breath, and she tried to move her face away so she could breathe. He twisted her wrist even more, making her fairly scream in anguish. Ella saw James begin to run towards them, his face filled with an rage that she knew had been rising for years, and was now seeping out.
“STOP!” she screamed, not just to James, who froze in his tracks, but to everyone near her. Mary dropped her wrist like it was a snake. All eyes were on her, mouths agape.
Gasping, Ella put her hand over her mouth, Did that come from me?
Mary looked at her, his face twisted in confusion. She could hear his thoughts like her own, What in the world? How did she get us all to obey her? I feel like I can’t move a muscle! Even his thoughts sounded like they belonged to a drunk man. He swayed, moving his head around, as if trying to see if he could move at all, but they swaying was from his drunkenness. Ella always thought it was amazing how he could drink so much and still function.
He swayed even more, and Ella reached out to steady him, and that set things back in motion. As her skin made contact with his, his eyes blazed, and Ella could see the blood rising behind them. Quick as lightening the knife was out.
He swiped down with the knife upon her face. She let the blow come. She screamed as the blade sliced her face from the top of her ear to her chin. Blood gushed and she held her hands against her face to staunch the flow. Her world became gray, then began to spin. She swayed, then fell to the ground, as her world went from gray to black.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Mary!” James cried out as Ella collapsed in a heap. He rushed to her side, and held his hands against her face, the blood seeping through his fingers. “How could you?”
“What did you call me?” Mr. Merriman snarled.
“What does it matter what I called you? We have all been under your orders for years, and I for one am sick of it.” He rose to his feet as Eria took charge of Ella’s wound.
“And what are you going to do, leave?” Mary sneered, “You know you can’t do that, for I will have you hunted down until you are dead.”
James smiled as he looked beyond Mary for a split second, to fast for his master’s drunken eyes to follow. “And who are you going to get to do it for you?” He indicated for Mary to turn around, which he did immediately. There was something new in James’ tone; it held new authority.
What Mary saw next was his entire band of circus people, all of them glaring with eyes that would freeze the ocean, and walking towards him. Then the world went black for him, as something large slammed into the top of his head.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Ella, wake up girl.” a crooning voice called to her, “Come on! Wake up!” Something cold and wet bathed her face and she opened her eyes. Eria grinned at her, “There you are!”
She winced as she tried to smile, so she had to settle with looking at Eria. Suddenly, she came aware that she was lying in a bed with pillows propped up behind her. She was in a room, not in a trailer, and most definitely not in her cage. She knitted her eyebrows together and looked around her. She knew that she would not be able to speak.
Eria laughed at her, “Well, I am glad that you are not trying to speak, that would likely tear open your wound again. Do you want to know where you are and why you are here?”
Ella nodded.
“Well, after you collapsed, we all... I guess you could say rebelled. Mary is now in the cage that held you, and we are trying to get authorities to take him away. You are in an inn in the village that we were going to show in. The circus is no more. We all kind of hated it anyways. It would have been nice, if it weren’t for the man that ran it. But none of us have the desire to get it up and running again. So, here you are. Do want me to let James in? He has been worried about you.”
Another eager nod.
Eria rose and walked to the door. Opening it, she called out, “James! She is awake and would like to see you!” The big man came into the room with a huge smile, and Ella wished she could smile back, so she held her hand out to him. He took it and sat beside the bed.
“I am so glad to see that you have come to. I don’t even know why you collapsed, do you?”
Ella shook her head and shrugged.
“Well, I guess it shall be a mystery. Did Eria tell you the good news?”
“I told her about Mary, James, but not the other good news.” Eria answered for her.
Ella furrowed her eyebrows together again, what other good news?
James wrapped his arm around Eria’s waist, and they smiled at each other. “Eria and I are going to get married and live here in this town to raise a family.”
Ella went into their minds to speak to them, I am so happy for you! I was hoping that you two would do that someday! Oh! I wish I could really speak to you both!
James simply smiled, but Eria’s lovely face looked shocked.
“Didn’t you know, dear?” James asked his fiance, “Ella can mindspeak.”
It was Eria’s turn to shake her head. She looked at Ella, studying her face. Ella laughed merrily in her mind, I know I kept this from you, my dear friend, but it was necessary. I did not want to many to know. Please, if you ever visit Mary in prison, never tell him of my gift.
“Go to visit Mary? Are you joking?” Eria wrinkled her nose in distaste, “I could never visit the old ogre. Don’t you worry, my friend, you secret is safe with us.”
James laughed, “So you are happy for us then?”
Nod.
“Good! We have been wanting to do it for years, but we knew that we would not want our children to live with the circus life, for it is not life at all. Slavery is more the word. And you know more of it than anyone, Ella. You and Et.”
By the way, have any of you seen her?
“Not since she flew away. But if you go and search for her, she will likely show up. Are you able to figure out where she went? Maybe we can start looking as soon as you are well.”
That sounds like a good idea, James. I would like very much to find my dear friend again. I remember that she went west, and before Mary cut me, she was almost beyond my mind to reach. Our minds have been connected, so if she is close, I should be able to pinpoint her exact location. I don’t think she even knew that we shared a connection like that.
“Well, in a few days you should be able to speak again,” James pointed out cheerfully, “So you can use more than your mental voice to call to her. By the way, do you know what you did that made us all do as you told?”
“You know, Ella, when you screamed for us to stop and we all froze in our tracks?” Eria put in, “You yourself seemed shocked. And your voice hardly seemed your own, either. It was a different voice that came out of your mouth. Do you know how you did that?”
Ella went into both their minds to communicate with them at the same time, I have no idea how, it just welled up in me and came out. All I know is that I too felt the power behind it. I don’t know how on this earth that voice came out of me.
“Well, you were definitely shocked, my good friend.” Eria sighed and stretched her arms up, “You are welcome to get up. Your face is the only thing wrong with you. We shall leave you for a while, simply call us with your mind and we shall come running.” Eria reached over and caressed Ella’s face, the side where the cut was. It was ever so gentle and soothing feeling. She closed her eyes and sighed deeply, indicating that she would like to sleep for a while. James and Eria took the hint and quietly vacated the room. The gentle breeze that blew from the window felt like another caress on her marked and now scared face. One side was “distorted” and the other had what would develop into a huge scar. She lightly touched with her fingertips the scab that ran from where her ear connected with her head to her chin below her mouth. It ran the whole length of her jaw on the right side of her face, another reason for people to call her hideous.
But now, she was free. She now was able to truly know the wonderful feeling of freedom. She realized with a great leap of her heart that she would not longer be held in a cage against her will. Yes, she had acted as willing as a lamb to go back into her prison, but in her heart she had always wanted to run. Run away and never look back to her life there. And now, she could! She would! She was free! Not noticing how much her face hurt with the effort, she managed a one-sided smile and gave another deep sigh of contentment before she drifted off into a sleep as contented as a rock.

There ya go, everyone! Chapter 6...I told you it was long! haha! I love you all so much! 

Jenna

Ps, dont forget to tell me things that you would like to change! I love your imput!