1. *Life in the Cage*
There were certainly worse prisons than those that held the three surrounding them in black and crimson, with nightmarish cubistic visages of abstract torture staring into their raw, pained hearts at all times. They were treated well. They were allowed breaks so that their spines did not bend, were fed well so they remained pretty, and were washed and bathed for the same reason. But the world thought them dead, and they had grown terribly pale from lack of any light at all and were slowly going insane after nearly five years of imprisonment at Jude’s hand behind the cold, black iron of their velvet cage.
Ewan put a hand to his forehead feeling weary and sad. He felt his psyche slowly twisting as though some invisible hand was pulling the strings of his sanity. He could think of nothing but terrible newspaper stories, and the faded newsprint pictures, each face stretched in horrific gore. He would hate Picasso for the rest of his life as he looked across to the black and white painting of fractured light. A woman with her arms upraised burning to death, and another face upturned as she held her dead baby screaming in terror. A horse was wounded with his rider stretched out below taking his last gasps of air before a painful death. Jude really was a sadistic little bastard he thought to himself. When he closed his eyes he saw luminous bubbles of blood glimmering behind his eyes.
He looked over at Jonny who was fast asleep. He rarely woke. When he did he would crawl frantically over to him, and make love to him like an animal sobbing and weeping, then would crawl back to his place and fall back to sleep. Jonny needed to remind himself what it was like to feel like a human; but in the end only ended up feeling emptier and more desperate. Ewan had to keep him from cutting himself, and hurting himself other ways. Jonny was starved for sensations. Rudolph though seemed cheerful as ever and would sometimes race around the bed barking and yapping annoying his two depressed cellmates on a very deep level. They envied his joy for life despite what had happened. Besides, it was simply alarming and didn’t help their insanity at all having a grown man racing around the bed on all fours barking.
Ewan then looked at Duane missing him terribly. He was also angry with his dearest, spotted little pigeon whom had befriended Jude since he was the one who fed him. He muttered under his breath quietly “Ah! The treachery of bird.”
Jonny blinked his eyes, then flung them open wildly and bloodshot, “You said something Ewan.”
“I muttered.”
“What about?”
“It’s no big deal.”
Jonny slammed his wrist down on the bed,” Yes it is! What did you say!?”
“That birds are treacherous beings!” Ewan screamed crying alarming Rudolph who had been curled up in thecorner peacefully sleeping.
“So is man! So is woman! There is nothing in this world but treachery! Be it animal, man, mineral, or vegetable…there is treachery Ewan! Have you only now learned this!”
Rudolph slinked over with his head hung and gently licked each hand, “Please don’t fight.”
The both turned glowering at Rudolph. The force of their spiteful glares was enough to deter the lonely little poodle from any more comment.
This was life for them everyday until a certain visitor.
2.*Thank God for Lesser Know Brothers*
They all perked their hungry ears when they heard the black stairs creak and the soft thud of a closing door. They watched the two shadows that seemed luminous on the black wood descend the staircase. One was Jude, and the other was unknown to them. His hair was as black as the velvet they laid their nude bodies on, and his eyes were a pale green like large peridots cut and set in opal with inlays of ebony. His flesh was like ivory, and he had unnatural, sharp, mystical features that pierced the darkness. By full light he might have seemed hideous, but this lightlessness suited him and made him like the angelof death.
He had a low voice that shivered in the air, “Are these the men you were telling me of?”
“Yep Paul. I want to trade them in for some new ones.”
“And since I am your younger, lesser known brother, I get your hand-me-downs.”
“Precisely. See the one with the longish, reddish hair and the blue eyes? That’s Ewan…my unfaithful ex-boyfriend. And the one with the long, very dark hair is his lover, Jonny. And the one with the dog collar, and the short brown hair is a dog I stole from my other neighbors.”
Paul looked over at his brother, “He’s hardly a dog,he’s beautiful.”
Jude laughed nervously, “No! That’s not what I meant.He really is a dog!”
Paul looked down at him condescendingly and patted him on the head; “May I take a look at them?”
Jude nodded and went forward to open the cage. He called Ewan to the cage and Paul took his face in his hands.
Ewan shivered at the touch of the mysterious brother’s touch as the man stroked his face and opened his mouth inspecting his molars. “Hmmm…” Pual said, “Very beautiful, good clear eyes, molars in excellent condition. The others are also more beautiful than I had expected. Are they in as good condition as this one?”
“Oh yes. They are both very healthy.”Paul nodded, “I’ll take them.”
Jude smiled, ‘oh good. Because I just took another set prisoners, and I need this cage.” His eyes widened, “Oh! Could you also take this dumb bird? The Scottish one won’t be happy without it.”
Paul looked over at Ewan; “Will you take care of it my little Scottish darling?”
Ewan nodded carefully and silently wondering if everyone had suddenly forgotten that he had a name.The deal was made.
3.*The Happy Ending*
Once Paul had gotten outside with his new gifts he turned around to them looking sadly at each beautiful face regretting having to let go any one of them. Even the pigeon he found strangely alluring. Yet he knew in his heart that he must do this and free these lovely creatures. His brother’s evil nature had effected them so badly, and these bright intelligent things needed their liberty and indeed, deserved it. He had resolved though, to certainly return later to ask for some sortof award for his kindness.
“My lovely little Scottish one, My darling Irish boy, and my most treasured canine, I have liberated you from my older, more well-known brother Jude’s grips; and now, to be fair as a human being, I free you from my control.”
He was pleased to see the very silent trio smile and blink at eachother in amazement. The sweet Irish boy ran up to him and threw his arms around him thanking him while the poodle-boy ran up to lick his paw. The sweet spotted pigeon flew up onto his head and made soft appreciateive coos while the Scottish one grabbed one arm and kissed his cheek muttering thankyou and forcing affectionate nuzzles into his neck. Paul shivered having the attention and gratitude of these three, but heroically and nobly waved them away.
‘Now go before I change my mind. I must go too now, I have a plane to crash…but I will return later to ask for my reward.”
They pulled away disappointed at the loss of this chance to sleep with their striking liberator and watched him as he walked off down the center of Primrose with his long black hair shimmering in the sunlight and his tall, noble gait cutting shadows on the sunlit street.
When they could no longer see him, they turned and following Ewan went two houses down the street, and returned home for the evening.
*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&* That was officially the end of this series!!!!!!Yay! Yay!
