Read Online Feather Bound by Sarah Raughley - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sarah Raughley
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Iâm just cleaning myself up. I tried to say it, but my voice shriveled. I sat on the tiled floor, broken, with my hair in the toilet and a cape of feathers pooling on the ground. And even then I still didnât want to believe it. Still tried to stop the truth from sinking in.
âIâm Deanna Davis,â I whispered.
I was also a swan.
A TALE
Â
The witch plots to kill the kingâs children. The witch plots to kill them all.
Cut out their little throats, my lady, and let their necks grin red.
Pluck out their little eyes, my lady, and hear them plead for light before the end.
Rip out their little tongues, my lady, and watch them feast on their own blood.
No, death is too kind, she says, secret whispers seething with hate. Death is too kind. What shall I do?
She transforms them instead â the children. Their backs turn to feathers. Their noses to beaks. Their castle becomes a lake.
They curse the night-star and wait for death.
7
ESCAPE
Â
My tears dripped onto Antonâs toilet seat; I didnât even have the will to lift my cheek off it. âPlease.â I bit my lip. My body ached. âI donât want this. Please, somebody⦠take this awayâ¦â
âHey! Dee, you in there?â Ade again.
This time I answered, âIâm fine! Iâm just cleaning myself up,â like Iâd meant to before. âThese sure are some awful bruises I got myself here,â I added, and almost immediately grimaced. I was aiming for âBanged up but Still Cheerful and Thus OK,â but somehow gave her âLittle House on the Goddamn Prairieâ instead.
âYou sure youâre OK?â Ade asked before someone slammed into the door. It was the shock I needed to snap out of my stupor. My heart leapt into my throat. I could hear the gasps of the scandalized rich from here.
âYou think you can do whatever you fucking want?â Anton. âHuh? Like you can take everything, like none it of fucking matters?â
My guess was that Hydeâs body was the one currently twitching in pain against the door. One more hit like that and it would bust open.
And then theyâd find me.
Quickly but silently, I boosted myself off the toilet and tucked my cape of feathers into my underwear. They tickled my skin.
âAnton stop!â someone cried. I heard yelling, swearing, grunts of pain. Anton and Hyde were really fighting. I had to get out of there soon.
The feathers made my skirt bulge in the back. If I walked out of here right now, would they notice? Would feathers fall out? Would they see them? Take them? And then would they own me?
My stomach clenched. I could be owned.
I placed a hand against my chest to stop it from heaving, tried to shut the tears in and scoured the floor for feathers, scooping up every one I found and flushing them down the toilet.
My phone! I rushed to my purse on the sink counter and rummaged through it for my cell phone. If the world were fair, Iâd be able to sneak out of the bathroom while everyone was distracted and get away cleanly. But the world wasnât fair. I needed an escape route, and out of everyone in Antonâs penthouse there was only one person I could trust.
I started hitting the keypad.
I Need U!! PlZ get me long jacket. Dusnt Matter Whose. Tell me when u have it! Plz!
I sent the text to Ade and prayed. Two minutes later, my phone vibrated.
Have It. What now?
Iâll open the dor. Come in quick.
Hyde and Antonâs fight had moved further down the hallway. Their voices sounded more distant, and the door wasnât rattling anymore. Sucking in a breath, I opened the door just a crack. Ade came in fast and locked the door after her. A feather fluttered out from my skirt. The look on her face said it all, but I just didnât have time for words. I grabbed the feminine, asymmetrical trench coat from her hands.
âI need to get out of here,â I said, my eyes bulging and wet.
âIâm Deanna Davis,â I whispered.
I was also a swan.
A TALE
Â
The witch plots to kill the kingâs children. The witch plots to kill them all.
Cut out their little throats, my lady, and let their necks grin red.
Pluck out their little eyes, my lady, and hear them plead for light before the end.
Rip out their little tongues, my lady, and watch them feast on their own blood.
No, death is too kind, she says, secret whispers seething with hate. Death is too kind. What shall I do?
She transforms them instead â the children. Their backs turn to feathers. Their noses to beaks. Their castle becomes a lake.
They curse the night-star and wait for death.
7
ESCAPE
Â
My tears dripped onto Antonâs toilet seat; I didnât even have the will to lift my cheek off it. âPlease.â I bit my lip. My body ached. âI donât want this. Please, somebody⦠take this awayâ¦â
âHey! Dee, you in there?â Ade again.
This time I answered, âIâm fine! Iâm just cleaning myself up,â like Iâd meant to before. âThese sure are some awful bruises I got myself here,â I added, and almost immediately grimaced. I was aiming for âBanged up but Still Cheerful and Thus OK,â but somehow gave her âLittle House on the Goddamn Prairieâ instead.
âYou sure youâre OK?â Ade asked before someone slammed into the door. It was the shock I needed to snap out of my stupor. My heart leapt into my throat. I could hear the gasps of the scandalized rich from here.
âYou think you can do whatever you fucking want?â Anton. âHuh? Like you can take everything, like none it of fucking matters?â
My guess was that Hydeâs body was the one currently twitching in pain against the door. One more hit like that and it would bust open.
And then theyâd find me.
Quickly but silently, I boosted myself off the toilet and tucked my cape of feathers into my underwear. They tickled my skin.
âAnton stop!â someone cried. I heard yelling, swearing, grunts of pain. Anton and Hyde were really fighting. I had to get out of there soon.
The feathers made my skirt bulge in the back. If I walked out of here right now, would they notice? Would feathers fall out? Would they see them? Take them? And then would they own me?
My stomach clenched. I could be owned.
I placed a hand against my chest to stop it from heaving, tried to shut the tears in and scoured the floor for feathers, scooping up every one I found and flushing them down the toilet.
My phone! I rushed to my purse on the sink counter and rummaged through it for my cell phone. If the world were fair, Iâd be able to sneak out of the bathroom while everyone was distracted and get away cleanly. But the world wasnât fair. I needed an escape route, and out of everyone in Antonâs penthouse there was only one person I could trust.
I started hitting the keypad.
I Need U!! PlZ get me long jacket. Dusnt Matter Whose. Tell me when u have it! Plz!
I sent the text to Ade and prayed. Two minutes later, my phone vibrated.
Have It. What now?
Iâll open the dor. Come in quick.
Hyde and Antonâs fight had moved further down the hallway. Their voices sounded more distant, and the door wasnât rattling anymore. Sucking in a breath, I opened the door just a crack. Ade came in fast and locked the door after her. A feather fluttered out from my skirt. The look on her face said it all, but I just didnât have time for words. I grabbed the feminine, asymmetrical trench coat from her hands.
âI need to get out of here,â I said, my eyes bulging and wet.
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