Living in Darkness (Bloodbreeders) (23 page)

“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 would 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 length, 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.

“No, no, you misunderstand my words. Eunuch, it means he has no use of
his... um, how do I say this? He cannot make his manhood work,” he said, with
his eyes widening, as he tilted his head in a downward direction.

“Oh,” I said in recognition, my eyes widening as well. “Then, why...”

“He brings her to us this night. We take her for your comfort, but you
mustn’t say a word,” he explained, looking around nervously, tapping the side
of his head lightly. “They think he is sick in other ways.”

We walked up the stairs, and I was still unsure if I could trust what
he told me or not. After all, these people weren’t the most reliable in my
book. I looked behind us before we entered our room, and my mind was completely
set at ease. Coming up the stairs was the body guard, cradling
Tanda
in his arms like an infant. She had a smile from ear
to ear.

“That little turkey,” I said, smiling, turning to Isa. “She knew all
along, didn’t she?” He didn’t have to answer. The smile that was already
plastered on his face told me that she did.