W03Z - The Ophelia Gallery

The morning is busy. I help the other girls as they get ready for the Ophelia Gallery. I add rouge on their cheeks, fix their shifts, decorate them with flowers and ribbons.
A Chaser holds scissors and every time I need to cut a thread I have to go to him, and every time I'm afraid he will cut my fingers, just because he can.

A girl asks me if she looks like Ophelia. I shrug my shoulders. "I was never much of a reader, I'm sorry... My sister read...", I stop suddenly and swallow the sentence.
"You look beautiful!", I assure her, nodding seriously. I don't know if it's a good thing or not, but at least the doctors will be satisfied, I hope. If it saves the girls from beating, it is enough for me.

I don't have time for tea or bread, but I know I will be cleaning up after the girls are taken, and maybe I can snatch some leftovers.

When I go to the pale girl form yesterday, W05W, I notice the bloody ribbon around her arm, and offer her a new white one. "How are you feeling?", I ask quietly from her.

I smile at W02X and reply, "I'll be alright. Just a bit nauseous is all."

Then she helps me to carefully peel off the blood soaked ribbon, exposing a long angry gash on my inner arm. This is the first I've seen it and it makes me light headed. It is red and swollen, and burns even with her delicate touch. I wince and look away as she rewraps it with a clean silk ribbon, tying it tightly.

When she is done I take a deep, steadying breath. "Thank you." I say, holding her hand. She must know how much she has helped me. I don't know what might have happened were she not there yesterday during my treatment.

A chaser then begins herding us toward the door and I am forced to go, leaving poor W02X to clean after us. Seeing me hesitate, W03Z takes my hand, squeezing it gently and leading me towards the door. She tells me we will endure this together and I feel a new sense of resolve. For her, and my other sisters
I will endure anything.

We are taken to the same cages as before and to my delight W11L is assigned to ours, probably because it is one of the larger cages in the tent and can hold more of us. There are two swings and someone has strewn fresh flowers over the floor this morning. The tent smells of lavender and jasmine.

In the early morning light the white walls have a subtle glow. It is quite enchanting. I overhear the Chasers talking, apparently the show is to begin in an hour. They are adding final touches to the room, shoving girls into cages, and putting on their new overcoats, to appear more gentlemanly. I nearly laugh out loud for they look as natural in a fine suit as would a gorilla.

The cool morning air feels nice, and helps with my nausea, so I sit and lean against the bars of the cage, watching the girls and Chasers mill about in anticipation of another day at the Ophelia Gallery.

As the tent fills and the girls start the show I pull myself up and take a deep breath. It isn't hard for me to fit this part, sorrow and sighs are second nature, and the crowd loves every agonizing second of it.

I am leaning dejectedly on the bars when W03Z approaches me, her voice shaking, and tells me her zookeeper is here. I pull her close, seeing her legs give way beneath her. My mind is racing as the ugly man draws closer. I pull my darling W03Z towards the back of the cage where a group of young ladies is standing, transfixed. I lower her to the ground, gently, to lay in the flowers. The ladies watch, eyes wide, as I place more flowers in her hair and kiss her fair cheek.

Then I stand and run to the front of the cage, just as the keeper arrives.

I crouch and catch his eye, and I put on a show.
"Hamlet!? Hamlet my love?!" I gasp, reaching for him through the bars.

He looks confused, and then laughs, obviously entertained by my perceived madness. He approaches and takes my hand.

"Hamlet, my love, where have you been? Why have you left me here?," His hand is rough and he draws his face close, his foul breath wafting over me. I suppress the urge to pull away, and instead draw him closer.

"You have put me in this cage, my love. You who know so many cages, you who know only animals and men. What of the other young Ophelia's you have tortured? Along with your animals?" His eyes are wide now, and he tries to pull away but I keep my grip on him.

"Heed my words, love, you think yourself above us but you are lower than the worms that will devour us in the graves you send us to. You, with your rough hands and whips and chains, I have seen it. I know your crimes. You will hear us, all the animals you have tortured, every Ophelia you have personally seen the ruin of, we will haunt your every moment. And when the time comes for you to die, and I pray it comes soon, as you will too when you cannot bear to hear us scream any longer, at that moment you will see a wolf. And she will rip out your pathetic throat and drink of your blood until she has replaced all that you have spilled at the feet of woman and beast. Only then will you be met with blessed silence." All this I whisper, he is frozen in place, not sure what to think of this mad girl who obviously knows far more than she should. When I finish my speech I pull him hard, till his face is pressed against the bars, and I kiss him, reveling in the terror shining from his eyes.

Raising my voice once more I release him, "Go, my love! Go now, and remember, all of which I have said in truth. You may run, but you will hear us. You will hear us!" He backs away, pale and shaking, then turns to rush out of the tent. The chasers look confused, but didn't hear me, or see any disturbance, so they ignore the strange spectacle. The crowd, too, unaware of my soft spoken words is thrilled at the little performance. I smile and sigh and give them flowers. I know only one here with hearing sharp enough to know what I said, and I smile as I continue with my show.

I caress W03Zs cheek as she nuzzles my hand, smiling.

"Facing him was my pleasure, and I dare him to return! The Chasers are too drunk to notice whispered words and besides, their actions cannot break the strength I have gained today. I think that man is just the first to run! After today I would love to see husband come in here, that I might whisper sweet nothings to him as well, and watch him flee in terror from the monster he has created."

I embraced my darling wolfie, and turned to bare my teeth at the Chaser, imitating her as best I could. He rolled his eyes and walked away, muttering about how the madness spreads.

I laughed and returned to flower tossing, paying particular attention to the ladies, dragged here as accessories to look pretty on the arms of their "gentlemen".

The evening sun made the pale tents glow and cast soft shadows through the bars and ivy. This was our stage, and we were magical.

We file back into the Asylum obediently, ready to relax for another evening without treatment or hard floors. I feel guilty for all the girls who cannot be here while we live in luxury. We wash our faces with warm water and brush the flowers out of our hair. I sit beside W03Z, settling in for the evening. Sun still comes in the windows, dinner should come soon. The Chasers stand at the door, leering at us. I wonder how long the gallery is to last? It has only been a few days...

I eat with the other girls. I guess the Chasers were happy enough with me cleaning up while the others were in the tent. I hear them talking about it, and the cages, flowers, swings and visitors. I try to get a grasp of what's happening outside this room, in this "Gallery". It sounds twisted.

After I've finished eating, I hide some of the bread for later and start to fix gowns, and get ready to help the other girls with anything. Some of them seem a lot more carefree and relaxed today. Still we are live in constant uncertainty.