THE WOLF'S DEN

The night before "Ann.....Ann" Miriam called, walking into the room. Ann was sprawled on her bed crying. A sob. A silent sob. "Oh Ann" Miriam went to her side. "What's the matter with you?h". She rubbed her gently on the shoulder. Ann turned to face her. Her eyes were laden with tears. " I can't do this" she sobbed, "I can't do it". "Can't do what?" Miriam lowered her head to meet Ann's face. "I can't marry him. I do not love him." "Ann" Miriam called soothingly. She knew what her friend faced. She knew the turmoil and pain that must be tearing through her. "You know you can't change this. It has been planned already"Ann looked up again. "What kind of father would forcefully give up his only daughter to marry against her wish?" She asked rhetorically. Of course, her father was that type of father. She had always hated him, but the stern man had always procured respect and fear -mostly fear - from whomever he came across. And she was not an exception. "You just have to accept things the way they are" Miriam stroked her hair. "Maybe it will be easier to deal with trauma once you subject yourself to fate." Ann lowered her head back to the bed. Subject herself to fate? That was just like telling her to subject herself to the control of others. Telling her to be feeble. To bend to the will of others. But that was what she had been doing all her life. Being feeble. Because what else was she good at? "I would give anything to be you right now" she bemoaned. She lived luxuriously, quite alright. But what was the luxury if you had to be sad all your life? Miriam chuckled lightly. "You would like to be a maid?" She asked, "Be my guest". "Isn't that better than having to be with someone whom you don't love? For a lifetime". A lifetime! A lifetime! The thought of having to be married to someone she had never met before. A stranger. For a lifetime! She felt shivers run down her spine. Tears started to build behind her eyes again. Tingling and making her eyes sore. She blinked and it dropped slowly onto her cheeks. "Ann, come on" Miriam subtly scolded, "you just have to be courageous. Accept the inevitable. That's the best you can do." "The inevitable" Ann whispered to herself. Of course, it was inevitable. And that made it worse. Having no control. No say as to what goes on in her own life. Having her life dictated to her. All she did, all she had ever done, and all she would ever do, had to follow a standard, Her father's. "I wish Mom were here. She would at least have done something. She would at least have tried to. I miss her so much" She went back to weeping. "You know crying is not going to solve any of your problems," Miriam said, getting to her feet. She started towards the door. "I'll make you some sandwiches". When Miriam left, Ann stood on the bed. She could hear male voices echo in her room. They were happily arguing over something. She could hear her father's voice. Roaring with laughter. She smiled wryly at how ironic it was. Her sorrows were a wellspring for their happiness. " To your happy wedded life," she heard her father say. Then the clink of glass cups. For the torture she would be going through. The inhumanity of it all. Tears welled up again. Her vision grew blurry. She walked over to the table in her room and shoved it forcefully. It fell over, and the glassware toppled with it. Crashing to the tiled floor and breaking on impact, the noise died down. She rushed to pick up the broken shards. The noise had proceeded. "What happened?" Miriam asked, hurrying back to the room with a tray. Ann didn't respond. She just went to stand by the window, resuming her sulking. Miriam placed the tray on the bed. She sat down and patted the bed lightly. Ann came to sit beside her. She lowered to rest her head on Miriam's lap. "Listen to them, laughing and making toasts" she sniffled. "You know, you haven't seen the man you are going to marry. He could be excellent, he could be handsome." "Or he could be an ogre. He could be a serial killer!" She cried out. "Now!!??," Miriam said, chewing on a sandwich." Let's not make those kinds of assumptions. “Your father may be stern, but he is not reckless." "I don't care what he is", Ann pronounced firmly. "I won't marry him". "So what would you rather do?" Miriam asked. Ann didn't answer. What could she do? Then a thought flashed through her head. She looked up at Miriam. Then she quickly wiped off the tears on her face. She sat up. "What?" Miriam asked, noticing the quick change in countenance. "I would run from home. I'm going to escape". Ann sounded ecstatic. "Are you out of your mind?" Miriam was shocked." trying to escape? I think you must have had blood running up to your head while lying down. " "Miriam" Ann held onto both her hands, "I need your help with this. " "Do you know what you're doing?" Miriam asked, lowering her voice in apprehension "Where would you run to? What if you get caught?" "Miriam, I can't go to this wedding, I just can't," Ann sobbed. "The wedding is tomorrow, Ann!". Ann went back to her depression. She had just thought up a plan. And it was already too late. Too late to change her fate. But she wouldn't lose hope. Not yet. Not so soon. "We can still do it " she voiced out. "We can still do this." "We?" Miriam asked "If we get caught. You're probably going to be locked up and on house arrest for the rest of your life. But I. I just don't want to think of what could befall me. And please, Ann, take this foolish thought out of your head" "Miriam, please you have to help me" Ann squeezed her hand firmly." please, I would either escape or take my own life". Miriam's eyes widened in utter shock. "I mean it," Ann said. She looked tearfully at Miriam. She was as shocked as her maid. How her sorrow had turned into a headstrong determination. She would fuel this determination lest it slip away from her, because at the moment it was all she had. All she could grasp from the broken pieces of herself. "Ann," Miriam said, partly sorrowful. She shook her head softly. "So how do you plan on doing this? What are your plans?" Ann forced a smile. She was happy that her friend had decided to help her. Her grief had been alleviated. She picked one of the sandwiches and started eating. Munching quietly. Just then, her father walked in. Miriam quickly got to her feet, curtseying. Ann wiped her face with the back of her palm. "Father, you are here?" she said, getting to her feet too.