Flying Without Wings

A loud buzzer sounded and the heavy metal gate swung open, Zenasia shuffled into the colossal prison block feeling small and alone. The walls, roof and floor were mirrored and Zenasia tried desperately to avoid her own exposed reflection. Her rings, necklaces, earrings, bag, cape, stockings, shoes and lipstick had been taken away from her, they were the armor that made her feel strong. She awkwardly hobbled across the baron yard in a pair of prison off-white woolen socks, cringing at the sight of her own uncovered arms and legs. Her skin was as pale as milk and looked as if the warm sun had never laid a ray on it, maybe that was why her heart was so cold. Without her tall pointed heels she limped along like an arthritis riddled old lady, the arches of her feet ached from being forced flat on the cold hard ground. Zenasia hadn’t seen Dr Salem for almost 10 years, not since he was first sent to this prison, dressed in fluffy socks and robbed of her protective covering was not the way she wanted him to see her now, or ever. But she had to see him, for her own sake.

At the end of the long mirrored corridor a guard built like a chest of drawers stood. His stocky arms held a cross arrow made entirely of clear glass. “Any metal?” He grunted breathing his putrid breath on her.

“No I have been stripped of all my possessions.” Zenasia snapped hating the feeling of being exposed in front of this stinking henchman.

“What are those buttons made of?” He sneered staring at her blouse and licking his thin, dry lips.

“What, do you want me to remove my bra too? Open the dam door.” She glared at him cringing at his smile. He starred at her for a few moments his black eyes were trying to focus, it was clear his small mind was slowly ticking over about what to say next, but he simply stepped aside.

“It’s not my fault if he uses it against you, I’m not coming in to save you.” He pressed his fat thumb against a pale blue scanner by the side of the door and the reflective door swung open. Zenasia hesitated the room was black, an all-consuming, and suffocating black. “You want in or not?” the guard jeered exposing yellowed broken teeth. Glaring at the putrid man Zenasia stepped into the darkness. The heavy door slammed shut behind her and a bright light snapped on, blinding her. It was an eerie bright white with an artificial glow that illuminated the room. In the center of the round cell a man sat with his back to her. He was dressed in a bright white that was as garish as the light. Zenasia hadn’t seen Dr Salem for years but she knew it was him, and that he had aged badly. His once thick black hair was a dark dull grey and thinning, his once strong posture was hunched making him look small and eagle like, his head twitched to the side as Zenasia stood there, unsure of what to do. She could almost see his over sized ear listening to her breathe. She was sure he would be able to hear her heart too, it was pounding so hard that she could feel it beating in her thin milky chest.

“Zenasia” his voice rasped. “What news do you bring me?” With baited breath Zenasia hobbled her way around him to the other side of the room. The table Dr Salem hunched over was clear plastic and bolted to the ground with plastic screws as were the chairs. Through the Perspex she could see that his wrinkled hands and bare feet were shackled. The shackles were clear and plastic too, no metal, she thought. Buy why? He had always been the master of potions, not metal. He had taught Kent everything he knew about vials of smoke that would paralyze, maim or kill anyone they encase. He had taught him until he had hated him and then thrown him out onto the cold streets of Cullen. Even so Kent had always worked for the ZS, he believed in the cause, believed in the evil. Zenasia felt Dr Salem looking at her, analyzing every inch of her with his piercing blue eyes. His small round spectacles were a clear plastic like everything else in the room and sat low on his thin nose. “It’s about that Kent isn’t it.” He rasped again, the drawn out words almost sounded like a low hiss. “That boy was always stupid, he has gotten himself killed hasn’t he? Why else would you have come here, now.” He laughed a dry laugh. Zenasia's skin crawled at how he could laugh at the death of his only son.

“Yes,” she said slowly “one of the Angha Soldiers killed him this morning.” She slowly sat on the clear, cold chair and played with her black nails. She felt like a small child being thrashed for stealing biscuits.

“An Angha Soldier? Are they rising up again?” Dr Salem sounded almost impressed, “when I was locked up in here, they were almost extinct, seems like they are like cockroaches, they just won’t be killed.” Zenasia nodded, the bright white of the room was hurting her eyes. “Have you been doing what I assigned you?” Dr Salem looked down at Zenasia like she too was a cockroach that he would rather like to squash. She nodded again feeling small. “What’s wrong with you woman don’t you speak?” he spat.

“Y, yes…” she stammered. “I’ve been doing what you asked; we have barrels and barrels of Angha cries.

“Good at least you have brought me some good news, I think it is time for me to leave this place. An uprising from the Angha Soldiers has not be planned for, I will need to speed things up. I want you to wait for me outside this block tomorrow, just you, understood?” Zenasia nodded again feeling helpless, her voice really had left her. Dr Salem’s blue eyes traveled over every inch of her and rested on her hair. “I am going to need that bobby pin before you go.” he hissed. Zenasia rose slowly and put her sharp nails into her stiff hair and pretended to scratch her head, she undid a tight curl and let the metal pin fall to the floor. None of the guards had checked her hair and now she wished they had. Slowly she walked back towards the door, wishing she had never entered this mirrored hellhole. “Good girl, there is use for you yet. 7 pm tomorrow, do not be late.”

Zenasia quickly knocked on the door for the guard to let her out. She hesitated before leaving and turned back to Dr Salem’s hunched back. “Matilda my Angha, she was hidden in the house, I thought she was dead all this time. Did you know she was there?” Zenasia was scared to know the answer.

“No…” Dr Salem said wryly a cruel smile breaking across his face. “I didn’t know that Matilda and Mavis were under the floor, it was certainly not my doing. I’ve been locked in here remember. 7 tomorrow Zenasia.” Zenasia stepped out of the gaudy room with her heart in her throat. She felt powerless and confused. Had Dr Salem put Matilda in the floor all those years ago? He couldn’t have, Matilda and Mavis had seemed happy and healthy. They were not in the floor for 10 years. Someone was hiding them, but caring for them as well. Who? Did Kent put them there? Whoever did, Dr Salem certainly knew about it.

“Have fun?” the guard taunted looking at her gaunt face.

“Shut up.” she snapped and quickly walked down the cruelly reflective hallway. She wanted to escape this prison and get as far away from Dr Salem as she could. He had always been a brilliant man, but the look in his eyes made her want to run and hide. The thing was she had no one to run to. Most of the Zimrugh Saviors had been killed in the cave explosion or fled when the Angha Soldiers had started to rise. Bear had left her, Audrey hated her, Gomez was never really on her side, either was Kent but he was dead now too. She suddenly felt very alone, and she was angry about it. She had joined the ZS to become a part of something and feel in control, but since Bastian and Bea had come into her life that feeling had been stolen from her. The rage sitting inside her started to bubble up. She felt she was losing control which was not a feeling she worked well with. There was a car waiting for her as she left the prison. A Zimrugh Savior sat inside, but not one she had met before. “Who are you” she growled putting her armor back on one ring at a time.

“I was sent by Dr S.” The man said keeping his eyes on the road. “He has assigned me to keep an eye on you and to make sure you don’t do anything stupid.” Zenasia didn’t say anything else on the ride back to house number 36 of Hyacinth Street. She had always assumed Dr Salem had eyes and ears throughout Cullen, he was powerful but how he got a message outside of a locked room in the middle of the prison before she had even walked outside made her very afraid. She wondered if he had always been watching her, watching her gather the Angha, throw parties and bottle howls. Luckily she wasn’t a traitor like Gomez, had he known Gomez was a traitor this whole time and not told her? She had so many questions and no one to ask. The car pulled up to number 36 and the Zimrugh Savior got out. He walked around to her door and opened it for her. “Ma’am” he said holding it ajar. She didn’t like being called Ma’am, that’s what Kent had called her. She slipped out of the car and walked up the steps to the house that no longer felt like her home but at least Matilda would be in there and she was glad to be in her heals again. The front door had been repaired and the bronze lion face stared at her like he had never moved. She glance at the soldier by her side. “It’s like nothing happened.” He grunted, pushing her forward with the butt of his black gun. Zenasia swallowed and pushed the door open - what had she gotten herself in to? The great hall was once again clean and everything was in its rightful place, music was flowing from the Secret Garden Room alongside the chatter of new victims. Zenasia clicked across the room quickly, mainly to escape the pushy guard. She placed her pale hands against the dark wood pushed open the great double doors and walked inside. As the noise told, a party was in full swing. People she didn’t know were eating the enticing spread and drinking colored drinks being served by Zimrugh Saviors she had never seen before. The Zimrugh Saviors that were killed had all been replaced and evidently so had Kent, a lot of the guests seemed more inebriated then a few glasses of champagne would provide. She was glad to see she at least hadn’t been replaced. There was no obvious host of the party.

“You should really clean yourself up before you come in here.” A guard with silver hair hissed. “Don’t want our guests getting nervous.”

“Right.” Zenasia said feeling all the power she had just regained drain from her.

“Dr Salem has had a dress laid out on your bed for you.” He pointed upstairs, like she didn’t know where her own room was. Zenasia slowly turned and left the Secret Garden Party room her mind was racing and she felt like a helpless puppet. She just wanted to climb into bed and cry, but was now sure Dr Salem would have a Savior watching her and reporting back. She threw back her curls and climbed the metallic black stair case. Pull yourself together, this is your house, this is what you wanted, she tried to tell herself. Zenasia took a key from her bosom and opened the door to her room. Matilda happily flew at her from the bed. Her soft wet nose nuzzled her neck, at least she had one good thing back in her life. Zenasia clasped Matilda with her bony hands and felt a rush of love. The sort of love she had never felt for anyone or anything else. It’s like Matilda was the only happiness in her life, the only happiness in her soul. She had never had never been in love and had always felt an outcast from her own perfect family. Even when she had found Matilda her family had never accepted her as one of their own, Audrey already had Mavis, and the excitement of having an Angha is the family was used up on her.

After finally putting Matilda down Zenasia took off her own dress and looked to the black ball gown which had been laid carefully on her bed. The gown was covered with thousands of black tear shaped pearls and cinched in at the waist. She picked the heavy garment up and slipped it over her head, it fitted like a glove, of course Dr Salem new her exact size. On her chest of drawers, beautiful gold chains and rings were arranged. She adorned them and looked at herself in the mirror. Her makeup was smudged and her curls were a little flat. Come on Aurora, she thought as she fixed her face, there really is no turning back now.