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Lady and The Trap Door

The Down Below

By Blue DymondPublished 2 years ago 11 min read
3
Lady and The Trap Door
Photo by Bogdan Kupriets on Unsplash

I ran through the open field chasing the butterflies as they flew through the flowers. It was a nice warm day and Mama had finally agreed to let me from my room. I'd been cooped up in there for a while now and was happy to stretch my legs.

"A few more minutes Lady" Mama called from her favorite chair.

I ran faster knowing that it could be a long time before I was allowed out again. Raising my arms above my head I spun in circles until I was too dizzy to stay upright. Falling onto my back in the soft grass I let the bright sun warm my dark chocolate skin.

Mama usually only allowed me out in the dark. When the moon was high in the sky and the night was quiet. We'd hear an occasional hoot of a barn owl or the howl of a coyote but mostly it was just the sound of the leaves whispering in the wind.

When mama had come down to my room to let me know that I would be able to come out I didn't think to ask any questions. I crawled from my bed, made of quilts and animal furs, to where she stood on the 3 steps that would take me to my short-lived freedom.

Now that it was time to go back, I didn't feel that the short time was worth it. My room was always worse the first moment back in. I hated hearing the movements of mama and papa above me since I couldn't move freely with them. I would hear mamas chair creaking as she rocked and my sister’s giggles as papa would pick her up off the wood flooring and spin her in circles. I would see his feet moving in circles through the cracks in the wood and I would cry because I wanted her to laugh with me and him to twirl me like he used to do when I was a young child.

A shadow casted over me where the suns brightness had just been, and I opened my eyes staring up at Mama.

"Child, I know you heard me yellin’ for you" she smiled with her hands on her hips. The sun fell over her ivory skin perfectly making her blue eyes seem bluer than the sky itself.

"Can’t I stay out just a lil' longer?"

"No Lady, Papa and Ana will be back before supper and if everything went well we’ll be going where you won’t have to stay below anymore. Now come and get something in your stomach before you go back down"

I did what I was told happy at the possibility that the danger was over and that I’d finally be able to laugh and dance with mama, papa, and my sister again.

We walked back towards our small hut while mama smoothed back my kinky coils on my head. She always kept it plaited in two braids to keep it from tangling. Papa always said that he'd rather have my kinky curls then their straight hair any day, but I didn’t agree. Mama and Ana had the most beautiful red hair I’d ever seen. It was always soft and shiny as it rested around their shoulders.

Walking inside she grabbed me some warm biscuits and a piece of sausage. Wrapping it in a cloth she handed it to me before making her way over to the crib Papa had made for my sister Ana. Moving it to the side she pulled the hidden rope and lifted the 5 floor boards up. I stared down into the dark space with the sinking feeling I always got when I was about to go under.

“Its only until papa gets home lady.” Mama said in a soothing voice. Only thing was I knew better. Papa was coming home later and later, and each night was a different story of how the surrounding farmers were angrier and angrier. Papa was only out to spread the word that he needed a nurse to help with Ana. Then he had to sit through farmers trying to make a deal with him on their best one. Accordin’ to mama it built us an alibi for when we went to the safe place.

“Mama, can’t I just stay hidden behind the shelves like I used to. I promise I won’t make a sound” I begged looking over at the shelves that held me and my sister’s dolly’s and wood figurines that papa had made. The shelf was taller than papa himself and the back side was hollow. Before papa had made the room below, it was where I hid when the farmers came knockin’. Mama would put a bucket, some food, and toys behind there with me before they pressed it against the wall. I used to complain about that space too but that was before I had to go down below. Now, I would live behind that shelf forever if that meant that I didn’t have to go below ever again.

When Ana was born, she was never hidden away. They always kept her next to them. I would have to hide behind the shelf while all the farmers wives came and made a fuss over her. They’d talk about how beautiful she was, how creamy white her skin was, and especially about her red hair like mamas. It was almost a full year before I was able to stay out for more than a day or two at a time.

“Lady, you know that we can’t- “

We both looked towards the open door as we heard the sounds of hooves getting closer and closer.

“Lady down now” Mama whispered urgently.

Clutching the food to my chest I jumped into the hole ignoring the steps. Crouching down I looked up as Mama closed the opening and I heard the tale sound of the crib being pushed back into its place. I watched mamas shadow through the cracks as she walked to her chair and seconds later the creaking sound of her rocking filled my ears.

“Stay as quiet as sin lady, you hear!” she whispered hurriedly as the sounds of hooves disappeared and the whinnying of horses sounded. I knew better to answer her back so I sat in my crouched position looking up at the dark boards as if I could see everything going on up top.

“Good day, Mrs. Alrose”

“Good day to you too Mr. Riley. What can I do you for?”

Mama sounded sweet as peaches as she continued rocking in her chair like she didn’t have a care at all. Papa said that’s why they were able to keep me hidden so long. He said there was no way anyone would accuse someone as nice as mama of committing such a crime. Although, he never revealed what the crime was.

“Ted and the boys are gonna watch your land this evenin’ and make sure that you and Al are okay through the night. We’ve had some more escape. The dogs led us to your farm, and we think some of em’ might still be hiding around here.”

“Mr. Riley, that’s mighty fine of you and your boys to want to come and look after us but my husband and I will be just fine. Our property will only lead them into the city and if they’re runnin’ that won’t do them any good. I’m sure the dogs just smelled a possum. Plus, you and Mrs. Riley are right at the edge of the forest I would be happier to know you and your boys were there protecting her and the children.”

My stomach tightened as I waited for his response. I knew that his answer determined if I was coming out once Papa returned. He said that we’ll all be safe as soon as the farmers stopped coming around.

“You just might be right about that Mrs. Alrose. At least come by the house tomorrow and have supper with us. The wife’s making some of her famous peppered pig. We’d love to have you, little Ana, And Al over”

“How kind of you Mr. Riley. I’ll run it by my husband when he arrives.”

“Well good day to ya’ tell Al to at least make sure his shot is ready in case y’all see something ya’ hear?”

“I will, thank you” mama answered as I heard them moving back outside. The hooves started again, and it was a while before mama came back in closing the door behind her. Remembering the food in my hand I placed it on my blankets and sat against the wood beam that was right in the middle of where I slept.

I didn’t realize I’d fallen asleep until I heard the scraping of the crib moving above me. It was nighttime now since there was no light creeping through the floorboards.

“Lady come quickly,” Papa whispered above me as he pulled the opening up. I crawled to the steps and ran up. Mama was holding a sleeping Ana in her arms and looking around frantically.

“What’s going on Papa,” I asked afraid.

“You know that game that you, mama, and sister and I play where you’re her nurse and you take care of her. We are going to play that game ok?”

He rushed my arms through a coat and wrapped a blanket around my shoulders. I didn’t know what was going on, but I knew they were afraid which only made me shiver in fear as well. I looked around in shock at how empty our place was. Mamas chair, Ana's crib, and even the shelf papa had built was gone.

“And, you can’t call us mama and papa Lady. Only ma’am and sir like we played remember?” Mama asked clutching Ana to her tighter as she kneeled in front of me.

“Yes ma’am,” I answered trying to do as I was told.

I knew our game meant we were going to the safe place. The place where papa said we would be free to walk around, where I could call them mama and papa, and play with other people who looked like me.

Id only heard of other people like me outside the door at night when papa was helping them hide from the farmers just like he’d always hid me. My fear turned into excitement as we made our way out the door and into the carriage that waited. I smiled at the thought of being able to twirl with papa again and lay with mama as she rocked us in her chair.

"Does this mean I don’t have to go down below anymore?” I asked as the carriage pulled forward.

Mama smiled as she placed Ana in my lap. “Hold her tightly. I gave her some Valerian Root so she should sleep through most of our journey.”

We moved along for quite some time while mama and papa talked of all the people they'd helped escape in the past week. Papa felt that the farmers were going to start getting suspicious soon if we stayed in the area and it wouldnt have been long before they discovered me one night.

All of a sudden the carriage slowed and mama looked at me in warning. There was loud yelling and stomping just as the curtain slid back and a pale faced man surfaced.

“Where are y’all headed this time of night. I thought that Mr. Riley and his boys were watching out for y’all at your farm.”

Before, they could reply he turned to me and squinted his eyes in anger. Id never felt such hatred comin’ off anyone before. Clutching Ana tighter in my arms I looked down in fear.

“Sherriff Jack, we’re just taking Ana back to Dr. Lundy. She’s been running a fever something fierce since yesterday and we’re afraid it’ll only get worse if the doc doesn’t check her out. We borrowed this here nurse for a few nights to help us through the night. Isn’t that right girl?”

“Yes sir” I didn’t look up as I answered papa. I still felt that man’s angry eyes on me and it made my skin crawl.

It was quiet for some time before the man spoke again.

“Y’all have a goodnight”

I heard the curtain close and collectively we breathed a sigh of relief. The carriage pushed forward again and this time when I looked up mama and papa didn’t have fear on their face. They were smiling from ear to ear.

“We're safe Lady this means you don’t have to go down below anymore” Mama whispered closing her eyes and exhaling loudly as she leaned back.

Short Story
3

About the Creator

Blue Dymond

A little bit of everything from Psyche, to fiction, to poems. Come take a look around, we're all friends here!

Instagram: @thatgirlbluedymond

Facebook: Blue Dymond

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