I listened on as they spoke; he with a low growl type voice, hers a mere whisper.
I wanted to look away, but judging by the exchanged intensity between them, this I felt required my full attention.
The barn was lit only with white candles from rafter to rafter, every bale of hay illuminated with mason jars glowing from the small, flickering flames.
It was beautiful.
He withdrew a small, folded, aged photograph from his jeans pocket and handed it to the woman.
By her expression I could see that she felt overwhelmed. It was a picture of a small girl being held by an older boy with great security.
I crossed my legs, leaned back against the wooden wall and listened intently.
The woman whispered “This is us yeah?”
He nodded. “In the beginning. Knew I loved you even then.”
“And now?”
“To a depth that I never imagined possible.”
She methodically wiped the tears from her face, he toyed with the strands of blond hair that had fallen from the French braid framing her face.
He lowered his gaze to her neckline…this must’ve caused her to become uncomfortable because she stepped back a step.
A smirk crossed his lips.
“You belong to me. How we come to this isn’t a question; it’s a probability. When have you ever denied me?”
She knew. She had always known him based on the photograph exchanged.
“Ethan…I’m afraid.”
“Obviously. You’re trembling.”
He tugged her closer forcing her to feel his massive chest.
She ran her hand across his worn shirt, memories flooding her senses.
From my vantage point I could feel the tension growing at an expediential rate. Ethan was slowing his breathing, measuring his words and more than that- he was seducing.
I wished he’d say her name, I felt as though if I could hear him utter it perhaps I’d discover more…carry this with me after tonight-
Write about it later?
He placed his hands around her neck.
She pleaded with her eyes for him to stop.
I wanted to cry out “No!” but I had to see…
Had to know what Ethan was about to do.
She never reached up to end the advance, instead, she gently raised her hand to his face and traced his lips with her finger tips.
He responded “Unbutton your blouse for me baby girl.”
She shook her head no.
I thought he’d squeeze; tighten his grip around her neck…
Ethan did no such thing…just leaned down and kissed her forehead.
“I need you to submit. You have to obey.”
She unbuttoned 3 of the top closures, unwilling to go further.
“I’m too afraid. I want you Ethan, I do, but I can’t seem to move, succumb.”
“Do you want me to tell it again?”
She nodded weakly, he postured himself to further intimidate, refusing to release his hold on her.
“I came for you first and foremost as your friend. I stood in front of you, in the beginning, as your protector. It was from birth. I came to protect you, care for you and later guide.
Its truth that I should’ve been more vocal, explain life to you. (his eyes searched hers in earnest) but you were to learn it from me alone and so it went. You lived for me; I for you. When the changes came, they came for me first. I merely followed what my father did, his father before him and so forth. Who and what I became, wasn’t intentional in the sense that I set out to be this type of man…
I had no idea what turmoil plagued your daily, what caused the nightmares…..
Sawyer, all that I knew is that it healed you and so I became.
Later, you were brought to me.
Psychologically I can only imagine the ramifications it placed upon the both of us.
We are here, as we are now because of this correct?”
Sawyer nodded in affirmation.
I placed my hand to my neck, wondering how that must’ve felt, for her…the trust between the pair must be immense.
“I think that I’d rather not know how it ends.”
“We’ve married. It’s not enough. You understood when we exchanged vows that it would not be enough.
Not between you and I.
There is only one way to seal ourselves together.”
“I have your name. It’s enough.”
“It would’ve been, were not for extenuating circumstances. Un do your blouse baby girl.”
Reluctantly she did as she was told.
Ethan released her neck, pulled his own black tee shirt up and over his head and casually tossed it aside onto the floor.
“Help me with my jeans.”
Sawyer nervously unbuttoned, unzipped his jeans. Ethan followed suit by removing hers, then his own. I thought, at this point, to look away.
I was knowingly intruding…
Yet I remained; intrigued by the oddity of it all…
I watched as Ethan’s blonde hair shimmered in the candle lit room, how is eyes danced with elation that he’d finally receive whatever it was that he sought; hungered for.
He motioned for Sawyer to let her hair down, she declined, he took it down for her. Amber eyes if you looked closely, Sawyers eyes danced in delight as well. The more dominance he wielded, the more intense the exchange…
Ethan took her by the shoulders and turned her around. “I’m going to make you topless.”
“It’s unnecessary for this.”
He grinned broadly.
“I know. It’s for my pleasure entirely.”
Ethan’s hand traced over the words inscribed onto her back. “These are my words…you can do this honey…for me, for us.”
He unhooked her brassiere, letting it fall. “I love that you did this for me…” Ethan traced the tattoo yet again.
By his facial expression, the foreign words held great meaning to him.
To be remembered daily in such a manner…
I thought how pleasurable that must be. Would anyone go to that length for me in my lifetime?
As he turned, I felt my stomach drop. It was as though he had gathered a glimpse of my hiding spot- Ethan had paused, seemingly looking directly at me.
I sat there, ridiculously frozen, paralyzed with fear.
He laughed!
He continued.
“Sawyer…no crying. No screams. Nothing, you got it?”
“Yes. But you go first.”
“Because you want to see if I’ll waffle.”
She smiled brilliantly. “Yes.”
Ethan reached over to one of the bales of hay, picked up and handed her an iron brand. I couldn’t see what type of brand it was, but I was certain.
She moved away from him, brand in hand and walked over to a small, coal fire graying with ash in an old steel drum. Sawyer placed it in until it was red, glowing and readied.
Ethan lowered his head, said nothing and waited patiently for her.
She approached him from behind and pressed the iron into the flesh of his right shoulder.
If he was in pain, Ethan never even winced. He stood stoically; charging the pain to cease and reinvent itself as sexual tension.
Never before had I witnessed such a terse look in a mans eyes before…
Ethan grabbed the iron from her hand and, through gritted teeth instructed Sawyer to lie down and afford him access.
She complied.
Surprised me a great deal having smelled the burnt flesh emitting from his shoulder that she must have known as well…
“I want you to hurt for me baby girl, as I’ve done the same for you…(she nodded yes) and now I have to ask of you…will you obey? Do you give yourself completely to me, no reservation, no trepidation?”
“You’re my king.”
Ethan kneeled between her legs and branded her with no hesitation.
I cringed. The inside of her thigh was crimson with his family’s crest now etched in.
Sawyer’s eyes welled up with tears but she only allowed them to stream down her cheeks.
He set the iron down carefully in a nearby pail to avoid starting a fire then afforded his full body weight to press down upon the already incapacitated woman.
Ethan wiped the tears from her face.
“I’m not sorry…this has to be completed. We are nothing like the others. I have to get you past your fears…do you submit?”
Sawyer waited for quite some time before answering the man. This obviously was a life altering decision…
In my mind I placed myself in her position.
Would I place my life into a mans hands? In this day and age?
Ethan was correct.
This pair was like no one that I knew.
Medieval if I had to place time to it…
Sawyer whispered her response. “I submit.”
They consummated their union with both veracity and passion.
I didn’t feel comfortable baring witnessing at this point, yet to look away…I just couldn’t.
I merely wanted to observe- copulation in its purest form.
She had capitulated and relinquished their life into his capable hands.
Ethan helped her dress, dressed himself and asked that she wait outside.
Sawyer promptly left, leaving me alone with the muscular man.
His blue eyes searched the open space as he began extinguishing each and every candle.
When he came to the last he turned in my direction and spoke aloud “I’ve loved Sawyer a life time. She was born for me as I her. There exist but one way for soul mates to merge; after a lifetime of denying ourselves it was up to me to bring her home. By branding her I replace life’s scars with the knowledge that she will always belong. Write about us if you will but know this: destiny has been scribed permanently here today. Her back tells the story, my shoulder, her thigh the beginning and our hearts ceasing to beat the end. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen for at least 50 years. May you find the love that we know.”
With that said Ethan, the mysterious man who had mesmerized my attention for what seemed to be hours blew the last flame into closure for the evening and left.
I would have never seen the pair again were it not for the novels that they began writing together.
Page after page I read the inferences to that fateful night.
While others felt deepened sadness upon the news of their death;
I felt elation with the realization that after 40 years they died peacefully in one another’s arms.
I’m grateful having lived a life with his words resonating…
While I didn’t follow their example, I did however enjoy growing up knowing that love of that magnitude not only existed, but persevered.
Their remains were laid to rest abroad, some non descript village where their ancestors had both originated from. It must have been a compromise…
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
Hoping that your week was a wonderful one and that you seize the moment.
Time is short, uncertain and magical- when we open our eyes and see it as we once did.
From my hand to yours,
Sawyer
Saint Andrews
