Luciens Reign: A Novel (DeSai Trilogy) Spawn of Satan

by RWK Clark

  Lucien cleared his throat and used his most innocent voice. “Hi, Mrs. Gilliam. It’s Lucien. Is Isabella able to come to the phone?”

  “Sure, Lucien, just a minute.” The phone went silent, and a few seconds later Isabella came on the line.

  “Hey, how are you today,” Lucien began. He wanted to be sure Rose hung up the other extension.

  Isabella giggled. “I’m good. I’m excited to visit tomorrow. Are you?”

  “More than you know. Are you on the main phone, or in your room?”

  Isabella answered. “Main.”

  “Is your mom by you?”

  “No,” the girl replied. “She’s in the kitchen. We’re safe.”

  Lucien breathed a sigh of relief. “Make sure you bring a pack. Fill it with toys or books or whatever, but in the bottom you need to bring clothes to wear during our ‘playtime’. Make sure they won’t be missed by your mom, okay?”

  “No problem. I know just the ones,” she said. Lucien could hear the eagerness in her voice.

  “Are you sure you want to do this, Isabella?” He would not force her; he wanted her to participate on her own free will.

  “Yes,” she said. “You know I do. I love you, Lucien.”

  He waved off the comment mentally. Neither of them knew what love was, but she was his best friend, and he couldn’t be more appreciative to have someone to share his secrets with.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow after lunch then,” he said. “I’m excited too, Isabella.”

  They said their goodbyes and Lucien hung up the phone softly. He then went into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. There were a couple pieces of wood and grass in his hair and on his jacket. He brushed his hair and took his jacket off. Then he went down to the family room with Martin Lamb. He wanted to pass the time until supper.

  “Martin, do you want to play a game with me?”

  The man turned to him, a look of sheer surprise on his face. “I’m afraid I’m not very adept at video games, Lucien,” he said with a chuckle.

  “Well, we could play cards, or dominoes, or something,” he replied. “I just don’t want to hand around here all bored, and I’m caught up on all my lessons.”

  Martin smiled, looking pleased. “Sure, kiddo.” Lucien got the cards from the hall table and the two sat cross-legged on the floor. “What do you want to play?” Martin asked.

  “How about poker?” Lucien suggested.

  “Ha! Now there’s a game I have a chance of winning.” The two laughed as Lucien shuffled, stacking the deck as he did.

  Foolish man.

  ∞

  Supper consisted of Lucien’s favorite: chili dogs and French fries with cheese sauce. Martin ate with him. Even though Lucien had beat the man, winning a dollar-fifty in pennies from the penny jar, the man was pleased to be in his company.

  They ate together telling jokes and laughing. Lucien knew that if he wanted to remain on his mother’s good side it was important to behave with everyone. The day would come when he would wipe the woman off the face of the Earth, if he had his way, but for now he had to play the game. He had figured that out well.

  After supper Lucien let Martin know that he was going out to the courtyard for some fresh air. He had a book in his hand and the syringe in his jacket. At first it looked like Martin might suggest joining him, but when he saw the book he got the hint: the boy wanted some alone time.

  So, he left the house humming the same tune he had hummed when he came home from the park. He crossed the courtyard glancing behind him all the way. No Martin following him or watching him. Good.

  He entered the wooded area and immediately heard Phillip’s moaning. It was weak, and there was no movement from the bushes, but the man was indeed awake. Lucien’s timing had turned out to be perfect.

  He moved the branches of the bushes aside until he could see the man. He was no longer on his back; now he was on his side, and his clothes were covered in dirt. He had obviously been rolling around out here for a bit. This meant that Lucien would have to come out a few times in the night. He sighed. Oh well, better safe than sorry.

  He remained silent as he removed the syringe from his jacket and uncapped it. He then stood and watched as Phillip began to moan and squirm with more strength. He was coming around better now, but Lucien could not help but take a moment to revel in the sight of him struggling. It brought happiness to his soul.

  After watching him for a bit he finally walked toward him, kneeling down in the dirt beside him. He stared for only a minute longer, then he drove the needle into the man’s thigh and pushed the plunger. Phillip immediately began to weaken once again.

  “When you wake up next time, keep it quiet. I’m watching you, and if you don’t you will pay for it sooner rather than later,” Lucien said. He recapped the needle and watched as the man fell back into a drugged haze.

  Now he knelt back down and ran his fingers over the duct tape that covered Phillip’s eyes and mouth. He traced the eyes and the lips with amusement, then stroked the skin on his face.

  “Don’t worry, Phillip,” Lucien told him softly. “It will only last as long as we want it to.”

  He giggled at his own joke, then took his book and headed to the gazebo. It wouldn’t do for Martin to look out the window and not see him reading his book. He had to keep up appearances.

  After another twenty minutes in the courtyard Lucien went back to the house, still humming. The night was going to be falling, and the lights in the family room were already shining brightly out into the early evening. Lucien could see his mother standing with Martin Lamb. He was probably filling her in on Lucien’s day.

  Good, the boy thought. It had been an extraordinary one.

  ∞

  Lucien visited Phillip at eleven, and the man had been just beginning to stir. He gave him another injection and left him. He didn’t visit him again until nearly four. He knew he would have to prolong the time period between shots, and he would have to sneak out before he and mother held classes in the morning. He took care of that at seven using the back entrance quietly. The man had still been sleeping, but he was still alive.

  Classes went surprisingly fast for Lucien that Wednesday. Even though he was looking forward to a lot, he seemed to be able to focus quite well on his work, and even enjoyed doing it. His mother laughed with him and cracked a couple of silly jokes, and this told him that Martin had given her a glowing report on his behavior. He was pleased.

  After his lessons he went down for lunch, and he ended up eating alone. Rasia had yet another meeting in town. This happened often, but he had never paid so much attention before, and he found himself resenting her. How did a woman like her come to lead people, anyway?

  Yes, Lucien knew they were not normal ‘people’, not the kind he read about in books anyway. No one on the planet was, but he was just starting to really pay attention to this fact. What really interested him lately was ‘why’. With patience and determination he would figure it all out.

  But today he had other plans.

  He ate quickly and went to the family room. Isabella would be here within the hour. He would not give the man another shot. He would rather have him awake for the coming ordeal, or at least a little conscious.

  Martin Lamb entered the room. “Lucien, I have an engagement in town myself. If you need anything just have one of the servants tend to your need. Isabella should be here soon, so you should be fine.”

  “Yes, Martin,” Lucien replied. “Have a good meeting. See you later.”

  The man smiled at him and nodded before leaving. Oh, things were getting better all the time.

  He picked up a magazine from the table in front of him and began to read. He couldn’t focus on the content, but it was best to not look too excited, at least in his opinion. After about fifteen minutes he finally heard the bell from the back entrance, and it took all the strength he had in him to remain where he was and wait for the servant to bring his guest to him.

  Isabella appeared at th
e door to the family room, a big smile on her face and her pack on her back. Rose and Patrick were both with her, and though they were smiling as well, their eyes betrayed their nervousness. Did they not want to leave Isabella because his mother and Martin were away? Did they even know?

  “Hello, Lucien,” Patrick began. “You are looking well. How is your day going?”

  Lucien stood and tossed the magazine back onto the table. “I’m good, Mr. Gilliam. Glad to see Isabella!” With that the girl walked all the way into the room and dropped her pack on the floor next to the desk.

  She turned to her parents. “We’ll be fine, guys.” She was obviously aware of their apprehension.

  Rose spoke. “Your mother told me she would be in conference today, and that Mr. Lamb is away as well. Do you need us to do anything before we leave?”

  “No,” Lucien replied. “We have the servants. We are just going to play. Probably video games and hang out in the courtyard, if that’s okay with you.”

  Both the Gilliams nodded and their faces relaxed. Lucien wanted them to have no qualms about leaving Isabella there. The sooner they left the better.

  “If there are any problems at all I will be sure either me or Isabella calls you right away,” he promised.

  Rose smiled. “I appreciate that. Now you two be good.” She turned to Patrick. “Well, I guess we should get going then.”

  Isabella gave both of her parents the obligatory hug and kiss, and they finally turned to go. She and Lucien immediately headed to the video game console and turned it on. He looked at her knowingly; it would be better if they played with it for a half-hour or so, just until they knew they were in the clear.

  The two kids began playing a racing game together, and they even lost track of the time for a bit. Nearly an hour passed of uninterrupted play before Lucien said, ‘Look, it’s almost two. I think we’re safe.” He flipped the power off on the game and they both sat still, listening. The house was quiet except for the normal sounds coming from the direction of the kitchen.

  “What time are your parents planning to pick you back up?” he asked.

  She smiled. “Not until seven. When will your mom be back?”

  “Later tonight,” he said. “Come up to my room. I need to grab my bag, then I will take you and introduce you to our new friend.”

  A curious look crossed her face. Of course she couldn’t know the details of what he had planned. He did not intend to force anything on her, but she wanted to watch, and he wasn’t about to do this thing halfway. He just hoped she could stomach the ride.

  They took the stairs two at a time, and once Lucien had retrieved his backpack he dug around in it. He took a fresh needle and filled it with the tranquilizer before capping it and tucking it into the outer pocket of the bag.

  “What’s that for?” Isabella asked, her eyebrows raised in curiosity.

  Lucien smiled. “This will keep our friend quiet if he starts to act up.” He watched her face, trying to read her for any negative reaction, but she displayed none. She simply smiled and nodded.

  “It wouldn’t do to get caught,” she said.

  He nodded. “No, it wouldn’t.”

  Also in the backpack were a straight razor, a paring knife from the kitchen, a couple of towels, and a cigarette package with two cigarettes in it. He also produced a disposable lighter. These weren’t for smoking; they were for fun. Isabella didn’t even ask him about them.

  Lucien flung the pack onto his shoulder and the two went back to the family room, where Isabella retrieved her own bag. “What should I do with this?”

  “Okay, did you bring different clothes?” he asked.

  She nodded in response.

  “Take them up and change into them now. The one’s you have on will have to be clean for you to wear home, and the others I will have to get rid of for you. Just change. I will wait for you right here.”

  Isabella flounced off toward the stairs once again, and Lucien paced back and forth waiting on his friend.

  In only about ten minutes she returned, free of her bag. She was wearing a pair of mid-thigh cut-offs and a raggedy old play land t-shirt.

  “When did you go to play land?” he asked her.

  She smiled. “I didn’t. It was a gift from my mother’s sister. I do my chores in it sometimes.”

  Satisfied with her clothes, Lucien took her by the hand and together they made their way out to the courtyard.

  ∞

  As the two neared the woods the sound of Phillip moaning and groaning grew. Isabella turned to Lucien. “Is it a man?”

  Lucien simply nodded and continued to lead her to the large bush behind which Phillip was hidden. He moved the branches for her so she could reach the man, then followed her lead. Phillip was lying on his back once again. He was wet with sweat and his face and hair were matted with dirt.

  “Who is he?” Isabella asked softly as she stared at the sight of the bound man with wonder.

  “Just someone I came across at the park,” Lucien replied.

  The two watched as he began to struggle even more at the sound of their voices. Finally Lucien broke his reverie and placed his bag on the ground. He opened it and began to take all the items out one at a time, lining them up neatly on the ground.

  “Isabella, you do not have to do anything if you don’t want,” he told her. “If you want to just watch I’m okay with that, but you promise you will never tell anyone about me?”

  She nodded vigorously. “Of course. It is our secret, Lucien.”

  She backed up a bit and took a seat on a large flat rock next to the tree trunk. Her eyes were wide with wonder. She knew that what she was about to see could never be unseen, and something inside of her cringed at that fact. But there was also something else inside of her that was hungry for what was about to happen, and that thing was much stronger than the first.

  The children could smell the fear and confusion that were emanating off of the man’s sweaty, filthy body. It gave them both goosebumps of excitement. Deep inside Isabella could hardly wait.

  Lucien sat cross-legged in the dirt next to the man’s squirming body. He held the straight razor firmly in his hand, and he looked at the gleaming steel of the blade. After a short moment he began to cut the denim jeans off of Phillip, cutting the legs length-wise from top to bottom, until they simply fell to the ground around his legs.

  Lucien had cut the flesh on his legs in a couple of spots, and this had spurned the man to put up a much stronger fight, so the boy took the syringe and administered a fraction of the drug into his leg, just enough to settle him down without knocking him out. Phillip relaxed quite a bit, but his moaning continued. Lucien looked at Isabella. Her eyes were glassed over, and she was smiling.

  Phillip was wearing white brief underwear. If he were alone, Lucien would have removed them, but he did not want Isabella to see this man naked. He would leave them on him. He turned his attention to the blue button-down shirt. He simply laid down the razor and took the shirt in his hands, ripping it open. It gave easily.

  Phillip’s hands were bound in the front, so Lucien was forced to use the razor to remove the shirt completely, but it took only a few seconds. Now Phillip’s breathing was a bit labored; he was panicked and confused all at the same time. This pleased Lucien to no end.

  “Do you know what is happening to you, Phillip?” he asked the sweaty, dirty man.

  Phillip shook his head furiously.

  “Do you remember me?” Lucien asked.

  Phillip nodded very slowly.

  “The biggest mistake of your life was to offer to escort me home,” he told Phillip. “For the next hour or so your will find yourself regretting that decision more than ever.”

  The man began to shake violently as he lay there. Lucien watched him, smiling eagerly. He glanced at Isabella, half expecting to see her turning a little green around the gills, but she was holding her own. She did not even notice him looking at her; she was too busy watching this man, who was clothed in
nothing but fear and underwear.

  Next, Lucien took the straight razor and ran its blade across the man’s forehead, cutting a deep straight line. Phillip began to scream against the duct tape, but it was too muffled to draw any attention. The two children laughed out loud as the blood oozed from the wound.

  The blood began to flow freely, and that was when both Lucien and Isabella took notice of its scent. It was strong and sweet, like a dessert that beckoned as it baked. Its aroma was so delicious-smelling that it was almost unbearable.

  To Lucien, this was very interesting. He had hurt only animals during his ‘play times’ before. When he had stabbed the nanny he had not been in the presence of the body long enough to notice this scent, and none of the animals’ blood smelled so sweet. He looked at Isabella, and she looked to be in a trance. A bit of spittle was pooling up on her bottom lip. Her mouth was watering, as was Lucien’s.

  Now he took the razor and ran the blade deep into the flesh of Phillip’s upper right arm. Blood spurted out, then dripped grotesquely to the ground. Lucien did the same to his left arm. Both of the children were hypnotized by the sight and smell of the man’s freshly spilled blood.

  “Do you smell that?” Lucien asked Isabella.

  She nodded. “It is the best thing I have ever smelled before. Who knew that people smelled like that inside?”

  Phillip sounded like he was crying now, but the tears were not escaping the seal of the duct tape. The two kids watched him as his chest heaved with his sobs, and they were both entertained by his grief and panic. Both of them found it to be invigorating.

  Next came Phillip’s legs. Lucien dragged the razor over the flesh of his thighs, over his knees, and down the firm bone of his calves, one at a time; when he was cutting Phillip’s thighs he let the blade go deep into the flesh and muscles. The man tried to scream in pain, but to no avail. Lucien was half done with the second leg when Phillip’s body went limp; he had passed out cold.

  Now the smell of the blood pouring from the body before them was almost unbearable to Lucien. Isabella didn’t move, but she was licking her lips feverishly, and she seemed to be in a trance. To Lucien, the blood was calling to him, and it seemed to be doing so out loud. It was all he could do just to resist the urge to… taste it.