“I happen to get great enjoyment out of this,” she explained as she walked closer. “Besides, I haven’t forgotten the last time you played good girl.”
Annabel watched as Garvin tightened the straps, and then slapped him hard upside the back of the head.
“Strap her head back, must I tell you everything? It’s no wonder you’re still a slave down here. You are too stupid to do anything else,” she said turning, and walked away.
When he was finished, I was grateful it had been he, and not Enrique that had restrained me or my head would have been pounding because of the pressure. I made no attempt to struggle this time. When the tube started down my throat, I began to gag involuntarily.
“Oh, now don’t you start this,” Annabel scolded. “If you throw this up, I’ll do more than ram this down your throat.” She gave the tube one final shove. “Do you understand me?” All I could do was blink my watery eyes to show that I understood.
She began to pour the viscous blood, and it wanted to come back up as soon as it hit my stomach. I did my best to relax, and concentrate on keeping down what I had just been given. I gave one hard gag when she removed the long plastic tub and nothing when she took out the metal piece, and was grateful not to have to go through the ordeal a second time
I kept it down, and after a few moments, my body started to tingle, as it craved more. I could feel the precious fluid nourish my badly starved body, and even though I was strapped down from head to foot, I felt rejuvenated. My hearing and eyesight became sharper almost instantly, and I swear I could feel the energy literally pulsing its way through every part of my body. I hadn’t until now really grasped the idea that blood was a necessity, no matter how appalling it was to my mind.
When Annabel had removed all the hardware from my mouth, and I still hadn’t thrown up, she seemed disappointed that she wasn’t going to have more fun than what she was having with me.
“The Mistress has received a request for you by a man from the middle east. He likes to sample the merchandise before he buys. I tell you now, if you do one thing to embarrass Mistress Yvette, I will remove your stinking hide inch by bloody inch, then I will throw you back in that black pit to rot.” She removed the strap from my head, and then took my hand in hers. “Here is a little incentive to show you that I mean what I say.” Then she snapped back the same little finger she had broken before. I cried out, but didn’t say a word. I laid my head back against the chair, and closed my eyes, waiting for the worst of the fresh pain to pass.
“I see we understand each other,” she said leaning so close to my face that I could feel her cold breath against my skin. “And if you ever try to fool me again, I’ll give you your wish. I will kill you. I’ll kill you, very slowly, very painfully. Right now you only think you know what pain is.”
She instructed Garvin to put me in a dry cell, and to offer me food every three days. “We need her in top shape. This client only buys the best,” she added looking at me in disgust. “And use soap next time. She reeks of that shit-hole she just crawled out of.” She laughed as she gathered a few things, before she left walked over to Garvin, who was untying the rest of my restraints. “Did I forget to mention that Tanda has been requested?” she asked with an evil smirk, obviously knowing the answer to her question. “Make sure she’s ready. The guests arrive in two weeks.” With that, she turned and left the room, continuing her evil little chuckle.
I could tell from the expression on his face and his sluggish movement that Garvin was devastated. I wasn’t sure what to say. He had to be dying inside, knowing what they would do to his baby sister. I decided to take advantage of his raw emotions, in hopes that his vulnerability might open his mind a little.
“This is why you have to help me. I’ll find others who will come back and help me put a stop to this,” I pleaded.
“What you don’t understand is that there is no one out there to find,” he adamantly replied as tears streamed down his face.
“How do you know, has anyone tried? Or is it just something that you’ve been told?” I asked.
“It breaks something inside of her every time I tell her she has been chosen.” He began to wring his hand together, looking down at the floor. “And that she must do as her buyer says. She gets more fear in her eyes than I have ever seen. She’s weak but what good am I if I can’t protect her from these animals and their perversion?”
He kneeled on the floor and put his face in his hands, crying silently. I placed my hand on his head, and soothingly stroked his hair. I gave him a moment before I continued on.
“There is something you can do, Garvin,” I said delicately. “Help me. Show me how the other slave got away. I give you my word to bring back help, no matter how long it takes.” He just lowered his head away from my touch, and shook it.
“We better get you to your cell, before others hear us,” he said lowly.
I wanted to be angry with him, but I couldn’t. I knew that everyone on this lower level had had the fear beaten into them. After the hell I had been through since I got here, I truly understood. God only knows how long these two have been here.
As soon as he had me in my cell, he asked, “May I help you with your hand? I know you’ve reset it before, but it’s much easier to look away while someone else does it.” I barely heard him. I was looking into his eyes, my mind someplace else, and after a few seconds, he turned to leave.
“Wait,” I called. “I’m sorry. Yes please, I would love the help.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, thank you, Garvin.” He came back over to me. “Come with me,” I suddenly added, “You and Tanda both. Let’s all get out of here, the three of us.”
He just looked at me, and I wasn’t sure if he was going to respond. Finally, he did.
“One slave, they would miss... but if they thought you were in the hole...” his voice trailed off. “But three?” He shook his head. “They would track us and have us in an hour’s time.”
I couldn’t quite believe what I was hearing. He sounded as if he was thinking about helping me. I could tell not only from his words, but the way he lowered his voice as he spoke. I swear , I told myself, I swear on my little brother Johnny, that I will return to save these two, even if I have to make my own army to do it . At this point, all I could do was hope.
“You are very wise for your age,” I sat there silent for a moment longer. “May I ask how old you are?”
“I was nineteen when I was turned. They took Tanda the next night. She was sixteen,” he said, looking down at my hand. “We better fix that finger. You start to heal faster when you have fed well.”
I only nodded. I already knew it was going to hurt like hell. About that time, he pulled the finger into place, so fast I didn’t have time to react before I felt the pain of it.
“Damn,” I said breathlessly. “Does the pain ever not hurt our kind?” I smiled through gritted teeth.
“I am afraid not,” he smiled back. “I believe that just like all of our other senses are increased, so is our ability to feel pain. Most of our heightened abilities aren’t bad.”
“Yeah, but what good are they if the ones doing this have the same abilities...”
“Not all have the same,” he interrupted. “The old ones have gained a great deal through their years. That is why they have so much power over the young ones.” He looked behind him at the door. “I better get going. They will wonder what is taking so long.” As he stood to leave, I took him by the hand, and gave one final plea.
“Help me, and I promise I will do my best to make sure they all pay for what they have done to you and your sister.” He didn’t reply, but looked at me for a moment before locking the cell, then left.
I wasn’t absolutely certain whether or not I had gotten through to him, but at least I had tried. And I would keep trying until I got out, or I was dead, whichever came first. Now I was left to sit here, and think about what might happen to me in two weeks. It doesn’t matter, I’ll fight. I w
ould rather deal with being in the hole, than with some pervert like the last one, I thought to myself. Yeah, great plan, then how will I ever find a way out? I guess I’d just have to wait and see when the time came. I am my father’s daughter, and I definitely inherited Sam Crocker’s temper. Even now, I can hear my mother telling me, “Better check that temper, young lady, ‘fore I check it for ya.” The thought alone brought tears to my eyes. I knew that I better take that advice to heart this time. My very life depended on it.
Chapter 18
The two weeks went by faster than I would have liked, and even though I saw Garvin frequently during that time, I didn’t mention our last conversation. I was too afraid if I pushed the issue, he would flat out refuse, so I decided to bide my time in hopes that he was at least thinking over what I’d said.
By the end of the two weeks, I was back to my old self. My feet had healed completely, my skin was softer than ever, and my hair was like silk. The past two weeks felt like heaven compared to the rest of the time I’d spent here. The only two people that I had even seen during that entire time were Garvin and Tanda, which pleased me just fine. Garvin kept me fed, and Tanda and I helped each other bathe. We were both told to prepare for our buyers in the same way look your best, smell your best, and beyond all else, behave your best. Not having to do it alone helped make the dread a little less.
Now the time had arrived. Tanda and I sat on my bunk, waiting side by side. We were both wearing stupid looking dresses, which resembled the same ball gown that I had been wearing the night I was first placed in the lower levels of this fine estate. Our hair was pinned up with curls hanging loosely around our faces, and painted up more than any Jezebel that I’d ever seen. Other than rouge, I had never worn makeup before, period, so I felt more than a little out of my element.
“You are lucky tonight, Miss Renee,” Tanda said in a voice almost too low to hear. “You have been chosen by a very gentle man. He wouldn’t even touch me once he learned my age.” She didn’t look up from her hands as she spoke, but I didn’t have to see her face to know she was scared.
“Are you going to be okay, honey?” I asked. She didn’t speak, but nodded her head a little. “If I could stop this for you tonight, I would.”
“I know. Garvin said you are the bravest woman he has ever known,” she said.
“Did he tell you everything we talked about?”
“Most of it, I think,” she said. She glanced toward the door as if to make sure we were still alone before she continued, and even then she whispered low. “He said to tell you he knows the way out. He said if you do not fear the pain, do something tonight to get put back into the hole.”
“Does that mean he will show me the way out?” I asked, already knowing the answer, but having to be sure.
“Yes, but only after you have healed enough from punishment that you will receive before they put you back.” I pulled Tanda close to me, giving her the biggest hug I could manage, then followed it with a kiss on the cheek.
“Garvin said you were going to come back and free us. Is it true?” she asked, her voice full of hope.
“No matter how long it takes, I swear to you, sweetheart, I will come back for you,” I said, staring her in the eye. “And when I do these monsters will pay for every last thing they have ever done… I swear.” This time, she hugged me, and then gave me a kiss of her own.
“I will be waiting,” she said with a smile. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure honey, anything.”
“Can we live with you?” she asked sheepishly. “After being here for nearly fifty years, I am fairly certain that our parents have died by now. They already weren’t doing so well when we were taken.”
Fifty years? I thought. My God, how did they survive that long?
“In the words of my Pa, you can live with me until pigs fly, and if that’s still not long enough, then you can stay until the cows come home.”
We both got to laughing, but were soon startled out of it by an unexpected voice.
“Ah, now isn’t this sweet? You two have become lovers.” It was Annabel.
“Not that it matters, but she was just wishing me a happy birthday,” I lied.
“Now that is the dumbest thing I have ever heard,” Annabel said throwing her head back, and letting out a bark of a laugh.
“What’s the dumbest thing?” I heard Enrique ask as he walked up behind her.
“It’s Martin’s little whore’s birthday,” she told him, and they both started laughing again. What is so funny about that? I thought to myself.
“You died to that world, you stupid bitch,” Enrique said, approaching the bars. “Didn’t your master teach you that?”
“He didn’t have much time, remember?” I said, glaring at him.
“Enough of this, it’s time for their fun to begin,” Annabel said with a smart ass grin plastered across her face.
Enrique opened the cell door. As Tanda and I stood, I took her hand in mine, and gave her a little wink. She gave my hand a squeeze, and then dropped it from hers. The love I felt for this child was already starting to grow beyond words. Child? I guess it was hardly a fitting title for the sixty-six year old being that stood beside me, but all I could see was the sixteen year old little girl that was in the most desperate need of rescuing I had ever known. I found myself humbled by the sight of her. I felt the slap before I even knew I was getting one.
“Stop daydreaming, did you even hear what I said?” Annabel yelled in my face.
I had no idea what she was talking about. I really must have zoned out for a minute.
“No, I’m sorry, I’m just really scared about tonight,” I said, thinking fast. “I just can’t stop worrying about it.”
“Well, you better listen up, and listen good,” she said, looking back and forth between me and Tanda. “You both better be on your best behavior, because if not, you will have me to answer to. I already have many things picked out that I’d love to do to you.” She got very close to my face, “Especially you.”
“I know you won’t believe me, but I will behave,” I told her.
She looked as if she would have liked to slap me one more time for good measure. Instead, she turned to Enrique.
“Get them out of my face. They both make me sick,” she said.
Enrique snatched us each by the arm, and walked us up the stairs. I smelled fresh air as we passed the large open door, the same one that I had made my attempted escape from, a couple of months back. We kept walking until we reached the large room that I had been brought to, for the “auction“. This time, there was no party going on. The room was completely empty except for two middle aged men. From what I could tell, the shorter man was not wearing any type of clothing that I’d ever seen, but was instead wrapped in what looked to me like bed sheets. He had a pile of them on top of his head, held together by a brown colored rope. His eyes were a deep, dark brown, and his face was covered in a thick black beard. If it had been white, it would have reminded me of Santa Claus. He looked nice enough, but knowing this place, I was convinced that he wasn’t.
The other was a black man, younger than the other, but not like the blacks from my neck of the woods. He was enormous. His arms looked like tree trunks, and his legs were even bigger. The oddest thing about him though, was his wardrobe. He wore bright blue baggy pants that I would have sworn were ladies bloomers. They were puffed out all the way to his bare feet. On his top, he wore a vest that had to be at least three sizes too small and the same color as his pants. Maybe he can’t find clothes that fit, I thought. His hair was just as odd. There was a long braid coming from the top back part of his head, that hung down to about his waist, but that was it. The rest of his head was completely bald. Holy mackerel! I hope that one isn’t mine. One glance at Tanda, and I was hoping that it was.
Annabel walked in, dressed for the occasion. Her hair was pulled into a tight braid, so slick that from the front you would have sworn her head had been shaved. She wore a full len
gth, black leather gown that flowed behind her, similar to the train of a fancy wedding dress. The top fit so snug that I expected one, or both, of her breasts to come bouncing out with each step she took. She reminded me of those saloon girls you hear about,-. The ones that will do more than just drink with you if the price is right. Thinking about Annabel, the saloon queen, made me have to stifle a smile.
“Gentlemen, welcome,” she said, bowing slightly before them. She looked toward Tanda and I, and said, “Renee Vigee-Lebrun, come forward.”
I began walking toward them, never taking my eyes off of Annabel. I knew that she meant for me just to step out so that the men could distinguish which young lady I was, but just to spite Annabel, I kept walking. I didn’t stop until she ordered me to.
“Stop” she shouted, as I got very close to where they stood. Her command was so loud, that it caused me to jump hard enough to hear my shoes clank on the shiny floor. She glared at me for a moment before continuing on. “Mr. Akhtar,” she said, addressing the small man in the sheets. “I hope she is to your liking. I must warn you, watch her carefully. She is not one to be trusted.” She looked to me and snapped her fingers, and I stepped closer.
“Here you are. Do with it as you please.”
He nodded to Annabel, and then turned to me.
“Please, call me Isa,” he said, taking my hand, bringing it to his lips, kissing it softly. I did my best not to cringe. “I have come a long way to meet the chosen one of Martin. Shall we retire?”
As he led me out of the room, I turned back to check on Tanda one last time. She looked utterly terrified. I pulled back, trying to get back in the room with her, but Isa held tight.
“Do not worry about your friend. She will come with my body guard, he is also eunuch,” he said, referring to the giant black man.
“No, he’ll hurt her,” I shook my head, and kept trying to pull back. “He’s... he’s... too big for her.” At this, he laughed. “What is so funny, you sick son of a bitch?” I asked angrily, careful to keep Annabel from hearing.
Living in Darkness (Bloodbreeders) Page 16