Novels


113: The Caged Bird, Part 1


[Introduction: Daphne's life grinds to a halt when a second eclipse leaves her powerless and devestated; trapped in a place she never wished to return.]

[Caption: Lawrence, Kansas. Present day.]

Daphne Narrating: I always feared I'd be here again. Clipped wings and tied feet. The caged bird.

[Caption: 25 years earlier]

Daphne Narrating: My earliest memory is of walking with my mom through our cornfield, carrying her medal.

Daphne Narrating: She'd won it in high school and people always said I'd be a runner just like her. But you can't trust anyone. And when I was three, my legs betrayed me.

[Caption: 24 years later]

Daphne Narrating: Mom was convinced there was someway to beat the disease. Wouldn't shut up about it.

Mrs. Millbrook: You have to do your stretches! It's not up for discussion. I read about a--

Daphne Narrating: But she stopped talking when doctors told her she had cancer. She only had a few weeks left.

Doctor: I'm afraid it's spread to eighty percent of your lymph nodes.

Daphne Narrating: I wish I could say I made the time as easy as possible. But I can't. It's not the only thing I regret in my life. But it is the most painful.

Daphne: Why don't you get out of bed and make me clean it?!

Mr. Millbrook: Daphne Millbrook -- go to your room right now!

Daphne Narrating: They were the last words I said to to her.

[Caption: October 1, 2006]

(At the funeral, and coming eclipse looms in the background.)

Daphne Narrating: At the funeral, people werre everywhere. All with something lame to say.

Funeral Attendee #1: She's with God now.

Funeral Attendee #2: Running beside the angels.

Daphne Narrating: I wanted to slap them. If I didn't get away, I was going to lose it.

(Daphne gets up from sitting at the bench, and begins to use her braces to walk off)

Daphne Narrating: I wanted to slap them. If I didn't get away, I was going to lose it.

Funeral Attendee #1: Oh, dear, let us --

Funeral Attendee #2: You poor thing.

Daphne: Don't touch me -- I'm fine!

Funeral Attendee #3: (commenting in the background) Look, the eclipse!

Mr. Millbrook: Daphne! They were just trying to help.

Daphne: I don't want help -- I wanna be left alone!

Mr. Millbrook: Come back here!

(As the eclipse fully engages, Daphne is laying down out in the cornfield by herself.)

Daphne Narrating: I needed to scream but couldn't. I wanted out of my yard and my town. I wanted to walk the seine river in Paris. Travel the world. Run. Most of all, I wanted to run.

Mrs. Millbrook: Daphne.

Daphne: Mom?

Mrs. Millbrook: My sweet bird, it's time to stop living like you'll never amount to anything.

Daphne Narrating: It was a conversation we'd had so many times.

Daphne: I'm a cripple, remember? I'll never be what you were --

Mrs. Millbrook: You're wrong. You're special.

Daphne: I'm not.

Mrs. Millbrook: Don't let those braces hold you back. You'll leave this cage and never look back. STAND UP!

Daphne Narrating: Memories. The past. Only this time, I actually heard her words. Because I was tired of the cage. I wanted to feel the wind on my face. So I dropped the braces. I ran towards a new life.

Daphne: Oh. My. God.

Daphne Narrating: And I don't ever regret that.

Daphne: Woooo! (She runs through the cornfield with super speed, back to the house. A darksuited Company agent is seen through a window at the house.)

Daphne Narrating: But I do regret what happened that night.

Mr. Millbrook: Where've ya been the last four hours? I can't lose you, Daphne. You're all I have left.

Daphne: I can explain. Dad, please. Turn around. I can walk. Run even. I don't know how, but...Aren't you going to say anything?

Mr. Millbrook: I wish your mother were here to see this.

(Knock Knock)

Daphne Narrating: I should have grabbed him righ then and run.

Company agent: Hi folks, I'm sorry to bother you.

Mr. Millbrook: Yes, what is it?

Daphne Narrating: But how was I to know what would happen?

Company agent: I was here earlier for your wife's services. I'm terribly sorry for your loss.

Daphne Narrating: It was only later I learned. Trust no one.

Company agent: The name's Thompson. I'd like to talk to you about your daughter.

(To Be Continued...)