Chapter 9- A Jealous Angel
Time passed at an alarming and the weather grew worse as their tempers grew shorter. They begun to move on from being unsure whether they felt dislike or tolerance towards the other to their pure denial of love and insistence of hate, in between their joint acts of savageness- whether they be in the name of fun or fights. Scarlett spent her time attempting to overturn Nathan’s hold over her but his mental and physical strength usually resulted in her defeat unless she managed to strike the right chord. But even then he would not allow her to win; he would merely withdraw until the next battle, which would usually be bloodier.
Nathan kept to his word and stubbornly hoarded one side of his bed each night, the two would fall asleep hissing curses at one another and awake in a similar fashion. Whilst Nathan slept alongside Scarlett she did feel safe and calm, though he infected her with vicious nightmares which made and tears seep from her eyes each time she awoke. If these roused her then the two would huddle together, sweet talking one another with false promises of forever. During late October, the weather calmed- and the two were in high spirits with tangled hair and bright eyes from running wild in even wilder surroundings- a much more effective haunting came in Scarlett’s sleep.
This one was of a much darker nature than those she had had before. It felt as though she had awaken, and a face stared down at her, like Nathans had near forty nights prior, again fair with a half starved complexion. However this time the creature was female, her eyes gaunt and lifeless as firelight danced off them making them appear as glass dolls eyes whilst casting her face into more demonic shadows. Her expression had begun soft as she put a finger gently to Scarlett’s lips to motion that she should not speak. She remained peaceful for a while- long enough to have a lengthy stare and evaluate Scarlett’s appearance at least- though when her mouth finally moved Scarlett could not help but wish that it never had.
‘Scarlett?’ The voice was full of sadness and beauty. Scarlett nodded slowly, hypnotised by this inhuman being that was so lacking in spirit and personality. ‘How could you torture an angel?’ She shrieked though raw pain emitted from the thing it had no spirit still, no belief in the words falling from her lips (and to Scarlett this was the most lingering thing of all). ‘Not just by loving my husband but by hating him too! Harlot! You deny your emotions, but you shall cause injury to each other soon enough! I loved him all!’ she moaned ‘Yet here you lie! Next to him like his whore! Though he treats you like a lover and an enemy!’ Scarlett heard a baby begin to wail somewhere and through tears of guilt and self pity she tried to see around Marie after the child in question. ‘Rosalind… shhh’ Marie tried desperately as its screams grew loader. ‘Scarlett you will suffer! The lord could never forgive you! You have sinned too far! But you cannot stop!’ Marie cried now, the baby was too hysterical and rain begun to batter the windows as Scarlett was thrown from this alternative hell into Nathans shaking arms.
‘Scarlett! Wake up and stop screaming!’ He hissed still shaking her shoulders roughly and then she started to sob.
‘Nathan! Oh Nathan! I am a sinner!’ He pulled her against him and held her there as she sobbed.
‘Indeed you are, it is a relief to know that you realise that you have gone wrong! Maybe you might salvage yourself after all!’ She shook her head.
‘I would not be bribed into heaven by any promises from even god himself! I would want to walk the earth with you rather than wait with sorrow for friends less gilded who will never come! I would never be an angel or resident of that holy purgatory!’
‘Scarlett? How could this edition of nightmare affect you so? Drive you to such demonic thoughts! I would have thought you would have grown immune to them by now!’ She smiled weakly at him and tried to settle back against the pillows but he sat upright and held her firmly in place. ‘What was it this time?’
‘Nothing Nathan, just the house filtering its curses into my head. Do not worry so.’ He raised an eyebrow, though it was hard to see in the dull light supplied by the fireplace.
‘Do not worry so.’ He echoed spitefully. ‘That is all I ever do! It is the last part of human nature left with me! So do not you dare take it away!’ He pulled Scarlett closer to him and her head fell against his broad chest, she listened to the silence of the cavern. No heartbeat, no rush of blood, he was just an empty shell. He sighed and put a hand to his forehead after she did not retaliate. ‘I am sorry, I shall not fight you tonight.’
‘Why?’
‘Why?’ he asked taken aback. ‘Can’t you just take my kindness as an honour and leave it there? Why must you probe into every detail?’
‘Because Nathan Heath, I know your nature! You are wild and irksome! You find little more pleasure than poking fur or fighting with others! Especially ones you can control.’ She ended her miniature speech in a dark voice as he couldn’t help but laugh in the same sinister tone. He ran a few fingers through her long chestnut hair before kissing the top of her head.
‘My dear Scarlett, sometimes I think I love you more than I hate you. I always hold you so dear to me and through my own egocentricity I feel that I should always keep you here. No matter whether you wish it or not.’ She smirked and put her arms round his neck as he leaned down and brushed his lips against hers.
‘Yet you will never kiss me properly.’
‘When you act properly I shall kiss you properly.’ He played with the frilled cuff of her graceful white nightdress.
‘What is acting properly then? Define it for me and let me understand so I may decide whether or not I wish to behave accordingly.’ unruliness is my true nature, I shall not be bent back to order and compliance by anyone! She thought scornfully, however determination cannot always help a girl who is so insecure yet fickle with emotion and all.
‘Decide?’ He laughed. ‘Scarlett you have no choice in anything!’ She sighed and pushed him away.
‘Find me a new name! For I am sick of Scarlett! I hear it a thousand times a day being shrieked in aguish by thirty different people!’ she muttered whilst Nathan tried to seize an opportunity to tease and annoy.
‘Letty then!’ his voice was still full of amusement and anticipating a shove or impending argument.
‘Nate then!’ She relied, not bending to his will, his mouth opened then closed it again, a pretty sight of confusion as Scarlett blinked her crystal eyes with innocence and sweetness.
‘Hark! Pet names! How neat, how disturbing! We act closer than our allotted ranks allow!’ His sudden laughter melted as quickly as it had been built and he pulled the sheets around them and declared ‘Letty! Let us hence to bed! For it is late and tomorrow night there are plenty more points to prove. Night Letty, night.’
