Brujah Lesson #43 Clearing the Table (A Little Gory)
Nov 25, 2013 0:08:12 GMT -8
Ross and Katie Hester like this
Post by Carmen Masters on Nov 25, 2013 0:08:12 GMT -8
Seattle 11/23/13
Carmen beat Silas home and was grateful for it. She didn't want to explain anything, she'd just tell him she was fine and that time would help her collect herself. He'd still be curious, but he wouldn't push. He never did, it made this place safe for her. She parked her bike and made a bee line for her room. It wasn't until she shut the door and tossed her journal on the bed that she collapsed against her door and slid to the floor cradling her head. She had already cried enough tonight, she thought, but still more tears came.
"Stop it, this is bullshit, you don't have to remember, put it away Carmen, come on, you can do this, you can deal!"
With a shake of her head she got up and started to get undressed. She tossed her clothes into the garbage and walked into her bathroom to start the shower. In moments she had a lollypop in her mouth and felt a little better. She could put some thoughts together and the feeling of the warm water raining down her made her feel so much better. Moving to one wall she pressed her forehead against the cool tile.
"Fucking monsters." She turns her face up towards the water and lets it wash away the tears. Then settling herself into a seated position she wraps her arms around her knees under the water. "Can't forget, never forget." As she sat there her thoughts drifted away to a darker time and place. Where everyday was a new horror and unforgettable.
.....................................................................................................................
Bristol England 1940
The mirror took her back. She sat there brushing her hair and her thoughts took her away to a place that felt like home. The night would welcome her awake in her own room and she would dress and begin her process of organizing the staff for the work to come. Together, her and the other ghouls would joke and chit chat as they processed reports and put plans together for travel, finances, and anticipated assistance projects around the world. She was back there when the world made sense and her life had meaning. Her memory showed her at a time with light in her eyes and an easy smile on her lips. And there was Silas, the patriarch always guiding, teaching, and together working towards her destiny...what was supposed to be her....
The knock came at the door, the light that was flickering in her eyes died away from her reflection as Carmen came out of her stupor. She turned her head mechanically towards the door as it opened. "your sire wants you in the dining hall right now." She nodded, set the brush down, and with heavy feet carried herself to her destination.
"Aww Carmen, my dear childe, you have a task to complete for me." He greeted her as she walked in. The large dining table was set up in the middle of the large room. Iron rings lined the middle of the table and two sets of shackles came off each ring. Under the table a similar set of shackles were attached. At each place was a stool and a large comfy chair in front of each stool. As she was taking all this in Hadrian explained, "Tonight you are going to learn about cleaning up after feeding, I think it best that you get that down fairly quickly, so you will be cleaning up after the dinner party I'll be hosting."
While she realized the terror of the night to come, the other ghouls began to bring in the people. They were mostly soldiers, not all from the same side either, but there were a couple of nurses, and one paper boy. They were undressed except for the hats from their uniforms and under garments. She closed her eyes not wanting to look. The next thing she knew she was knocked back as Hadrian back handed her. "Are you not grateful for the extent I go to to teach you these things you need to know?! Get down there and shackle them!"
She shook her head, "I can't do that, those are innocent people...and he's...he's just a boy...Hadrian..please..!" With a twisted smile on his face he reaches down and grabs her hair and tosses her across the room in front of the victims.
"I have guests arriving soon, make sure their meals are ready or I'll have you go get more while I kill these ones." He leaves the room and Carmen turns to look at the ghouls holding the leashes to the people. With tears in her eyes she goes over to the boy. She sobbed the hardest for him. He begged and pleaded for his mother as she took him to the space on the table with the smallest shackles.
"shhh, you'll..you'll be in a better place soon...whats your name?" His name was Thomas and she promised herself she would never forget him as she went about gathering everyone else and shackling them to the table. Some tried to fight her, but she was already too strong for them and she tried to console them, but what could she really say.
By the time Hadrian came back into the room Carmen was seated at a smaller table, her head buried into her arms crying quiet tears. "Well done Carmen, the guests will be pleased, but now you must set the place holders and napkins." She rose her head as a ghoul brought out a basket filled with, a table clothe, sheets and small lacy napkins. "Then when your done with that I've left something for you to wear in our chambers, go put it on and return, there will be no crying while in the presence of my guests, do you understand? It'll be the box for you again, understand?" She nodded and he left again.
She grabbed the table clothe and the ghouls helped her cover the shackles on the table. They set out bowls, for hot water later, and the napkins. When Carmen unfolded a sheet she discovered they were not sheets at all, but robes with no sleeves. One by one the victims were clothed in these robes. In the bottom of the basket were gags. She finished putting the last gag on Thomas when Hadrian walked back in.
"Lovely, just lovely, now we'll get the band set up while you go change, off with you childe."
She practically ran from the room, though part of her wishes she hadn't, because when she got back to the room there was a dark blood red dress in the latest fashion with an pencil skirt style bottom with off the shoulder arm sleeves. Beside it lay a red apron with a white lacy edge. This all meant a bloody evening and she was desperately trying to not think of Thomas and how in some ways he resembled her late son. Before she could get up the gumption to put the dress on there were hands at her back unbuttoning her dress and she just stood there still while Hadrian undressed her. He had that gentle look on his face again, the one that made her wonder if there was something redeemable in him after all. "Raise your arms," with the red dress in his hands he walked up to her and starts slipping it over her head. "Its not going to be that bad you know, you have to know how to clean up after such messes, we all make mistakes in our feeding, and the masquerade must be preserved, you know this right?" She nods, "good, then you know that this is in your best interest. We are vampires after all and there will be a lot of hard lessons to learn, but this will benefit you greatly." He'd finished zipping her up and tying the apron around her. He cupped her face with his hands and looked into her eyes. "Do this right and you will be well on your way to making something of yourself, I'll make you a great Brujah yet." His smile was supposed to be reassuring, but to her it seemed so full of poison and empty promises. "Lets go greet our guests." He wraps his arm around her and guides her out of the room and back into the dining hall.
As they walked in all the chairs except two had someone standing by them. Fear in her heart she realized Thomas was shackled to the left of the head of the table and the chair behind him was one that was empty. Her heart sank as Hadrian guided her towards the chair and she fought with all her might to hold back the tears. "Welcome my fellow Brujah, thank you for attending the annual Brujah Great Feast dinner party! It is in the spirit of this event that I wish to celebrate our wealth, prowess, and with the war going on plenty of food to go around! We control one of the great borders, boons flow in, and my childe Carmen here is now on her way to becoming a Brujah under my great name! There is a lot to celebrate and I've invited each of you to join me in that as we have all benefited from this low hanging fruit. Tonight there will be no cleanup for us, you are all joining me in helping Carmen understand how to clean up after a good feed! So without further ado," He grabs the head of the man in front of him and exposes his neck, "TO THE BRUJAH!" and he begins to feed. Everyone else joins in and she stares in horror at Thomas and then back to Hadrian. Hadrian catches her eyes, his eyes were cruel, and cold, he drew his mouth away and mouthed, "BOX" to her before getting back to eating.
She closes her eyes tight as she sits at the table and places a hand on the boy's cheek. She pulls him into a hug, kisses his cheek, and whispers, "I'm so sorry, this will be over soon, just dream and that's where you'll be." Apparently she took too long because Hadrian reaches out and grabs the boy's wrist breaking it. Thomas screams and she holds him tighter daring to glance at her sire. His face had a vicious snarl to it and he starts to reach for the boy's elbow, clearly meaning to cause hims as much pain as possible until she complied. She looked at Hadrian as she bit into the boys neck and started drinking. The bite had the spell binding effect as usual and after a moment he seemed to be asleep. She finished quickly and sat there cradling him whispering a lullaby. When Hadrian and the others finished cleaning themselves with the warm water in the bowls and the napkins, he stood up. Ignoring her he addresses the room, "Now gentlemen, lets retire to the game room, while Carmen cleans up!" He motions to the other side of the room where two ghouls have opened the doors and they all start filing out.
Hadrian places some knives and instructions on the table in front of her and leans down next to her ear, "get this cleaned up quickly and you won't have to spend that much time in the box tomorrow night." After he leaves she stands and rests Thomas in the chair. She then numbly she unshackles everyone and lines them up on the floor. The instructions showed her out to mutilate a neck to hide bite marks not licked clean and to explain the blood loss. She was to burn the robes and the ghouls had already set a large fire in the hearth. Since the bodies were all lined up on the floor she closed her eyes as she went down the line with the knife cutting into each of their throats. Despite not looking she could still tell when she reached Thomas and she just sat there kneeling next to him.
Not sure how long she sat there, but at one point a ghoul came over, "hurry miss, he will not pleased you took this long, you'll be punished."
She nods, "and I deserve it," was all she could say. The ghouls takes the knife out of her hand and finishes up with Thomas. He goes to get the other ghouls from earlier with wheel barrows and start loading the bodies.
After the table clothe and robes had finished burning the ghoul helped her up and got her walking. After a moment she realized she was walking on her own. Her feet took her out of that horrible room, down the horrible hall way, to the retched door, and the retched man behind it. She opened the door and walked in to start cleaning up. Hadrian was sitting in the bed reading when she walked in. "That took too long Carmen, I'm disappointed." He put the book down on the table, "now you need to make it up to me and spend some more time in the box tomorrow."
She doesn't even look at him as she just stands there and nods, aimlessly fumbling with the tie on her apron.
"So?" He is met with silence. "SO!?"
The ghoul in the hall shuts the door as Carmen pays for her insolence.
....................................................................................................................
Seattle 11/23/13
The Steam from the shower cleared and there were her eyes meeting her in the mirror. "I'm so sorry Thomas, no forgetting," one last tear rolls down her cheek and with a rag she washes it away. Wrapped in her robe she walks to her bed and grabs up her journal and pen. She writes, "A horrible night...a monster again who I thought could have been a friend............Lottie gives the best advice, take a risk, try to trust, she says...............perhaps the start of something new, scary..............and what the hell is happening to this city..............................."
Carmen beat Silas home and was grateful for it. She didn't want to explain anything, she'd just tell him she was fine and that time would help her collect herself. He'd still be curious, but he wouldn't push. He never did, it made this place safe for her. She parked her bike and made a bee line for her room. It wasn't until she shut the door and tossed her journal on the bed that she collapsed against her door and slid to the floor cradling her head. She had already cried enough tonight, she thought, but still more tears came.
"Stop it, this is bullshit, you don't have to remember, put it away Carmen, come on, you can do this, you can deal!"
With a shake of her head she got up and started to get undressed. She tossed her clothes into the garbage and walked into her bathroom to start the shower. In moments she had a lollypop in her mouth and felt a little better. She could put some thoughts together and the feeling of the warm water raining down her made her feel so much better. Moving to one wall she pressed her forehead against the cool tile.
"Fucking monsters." She turns her face up towards the water and lets it wash away the tears. Then settling herself into a seated position she wraps her arms around her knees under the water. "Can't forget, never forget." As she sat there her thoughts drifted away to a darker time and place. Where everyday was a new horror and unforgettable.
.....................................................................................................................
Bristol England 1940
The mirror took her back. She sat there brushing her hair and her thoughts took her away to a place that felt like home. The night would welcome her awake in her own room and she would dress and begin her process of organizing the staff for the work to come. Together, her and the other ghouls would joke and chit chat as they processed reports and put plans together for travel, finances, and anticipated assistance projects around the world. She was back there when the world made sense and her life had meaning. Her memory showed her at a time with light in her eyes and an easy smile on her lips. And there was Silas, the patriarch always guiding, teaching, and together working towards her destiny...what was supposed to be her....
The knock came at the door, the light that was flickering in her eyes died away from her reflection as Carmen came out of her stupor. She turned her head mechanically towards the door as it opened. "your sire wants you in the dining hall right now." She nodded, set the brush down, and with heavy feet carried herself to her destination.
"Aww Carmen, my dear childe, you have a task to complete for me." He greeted her as she walked in. The large dining table was set up in the middle of the large room. Iron rings lined the middle of the table and two sets of shackles came off each ring. Under the table a similar set of shackles were attached. At each place was a stool and a large comfy chair in front of each stool. As she was taking all this in Hadrian explained, "Tonight you are going to learn about cleaning up after feeding, I think it best that you get that down fairly quickly, so you will be cleaning up after the dinner party I'll be hosting."
While she realized the terror of the night to come, the other ghouls began to bring in the people. They were mostly soldiers, not all from the same side either, but there were a couple of nurses, and one paper boy. They were undressed except for the hats from their uniforms and under garments. She closed her eyes not wanting to look. The next thing she knew she was knocked back as Hadrian back handed her. "Are you not grateful for the extent I go to to teach you these things you need to know?! Get down there and shackle them!"
She shook her head, "I can't do that, those are innocent people...and he's...he's just a boy...Hadrian..please..!" With a twisted smile on his face he reaches down and grabs her hair and tosses her across the room in front of the victims.
"I have guests arriving soon, make sure their meals are ready or I'll have you go get more while I kill these ones." He leaves the room and Carmen turns to look at the ghouls holding the leashes to the people. With tears in her eyes she goes over to the boy. She sobbed the hardest for him. He begged and pleaded for his mother as she took him to the space on the table with the smallest shackles.
"shhh, you'll..you'll be in a better place soon...whats your name?" His name was Thomas and she promised herself she would never forget him as she went about gathering everyone else and shackling them to the table. Some tried to fight her, but she was already too strong for them and she tried to console them, but what could she really say.
By the time Hadrian came back into the room Carmen was seated at a smaller table, her head buried into her arms crying quiet tears. "Well done Carmen, the guests will be pleased, but now you must set the place holders and napkins." She rose her head as a ghoul brought out a basket filled with, a table clothe, sheets and small lacy napkins. "Then when your done with that I've left something for you to wear in our chambers, go put it on and return, there will be no crying while in the presence of my guests, do you understand? It'll be the box for you again, understand?" She nodded and he left again.
She grabbed the table clothe and the ghouls helped her cover the shackles on the table. They set out bowls, for hot water later, and the napkins. When Carmen unfolded a sheet she discovered they were not sheets at all, but robes with no sleeves. One by one the victims were clothed in these robes. In the bottom of the basket were gags. She finished putting the last gag on Thomas when Hadrian walked back in.
"Lovely, just lovely, now we'll get the band set up while you go change, off with you childe."
She practically ran from the room, though part of her wishes she hadn't, because when she got back to the room there was a dark blood red dress in the latest fashion with an pencil skirt style bottom with off the shoulder arm sleeves. Beside it lay a red apron with a white lacy edge. This all meant a bloody evening and she was desperately trying to not think of Thomas and how in some ways he resembled her late son. Before she could get up the gumption to put the dress on there were hands at her back unbuttoning her dress and she just stood there still while Hadrian undressed her. He had that gentle look on his face again, the one that made her wonder if there was something redeemable in him after all. "Raise your arms," with the red dress in his hands he walked up to her and starts slipping it over her head. "Its not going to be that bad you know, you have to know how to clean up after such messes, we all make mistakes in our feeding, and the masquerade must be preserved, you know this right?" She nods, "good, then you know that this is in your best interest. We are vampires after all and there will be a lot of hard lessons to learn, but this will benefit you greatly." He'd finished zipping her up and tying the apron around her. He cupped her face with his hands and looked into her eyes. "Do this right and you will be well on your way to making something of yourself, I'll make you a great Brujah yet." His smile was supposed to be reassuring, but to her it seemed so full of poison and empty promises. "Lets go greet our guests." He wraps his arm around her and guides her out of the room and back into the dining hall.
As they walked in all the chairs except two had someone standing by them. Fear in her heart she realized Thomas was shackled to the left of the head of the table and the chair behind him was one that was empty. Her heart sank as Hadrian guided her towards the chair and she fought with all her might to hold back the tears. "Welcome my fellow Brujah, thank you for attending the annual Brujah Great Feast dinner party! It is in the spirit of this event that I wish to celebrate our wealth, prowess, and with the war going on plenty of food to go around! We control one of the great borders, boons flow in, and my childe Carmen here is now on her way to becoming a Brujah under my great name! There is a lot to celebrate and I've invited each of you to join me in that as we have all benefited from this low hanging fruit. Tonight there will be no cleanup for us, you are all joining me in helping Carmen understand how to clean up after a good feed! So without further ado," He grabs the head of the man in front of him and exposes his neck, "TO THE BRUJAH!" and he begins to feed. Everyone else joins in and she stares in horror at Thomas and then back to Hadrian. Hadrian catches her eyes, his eyes were cruel, and cold, he drew his mouth away and mouthed, "BOX" to her before getting back to eating.
She closes her eyes tight as she sits at the table and places a hand on the boy's cheek. She pulls him into a hug, kisses his cheek, and whispers, "I'm so sorry, this will be over soon, just dream and that's where you'll be." Apparently she took too long because Hadrian reaches out and grabs the boy's wrist breaking it. Thomas screams and she holds him tighter daring to glance at her sire. His face had a vicious snarl to it and he starts to reach for the boy's elbow, clearly meaning to cause hims as much pain as possible until she complied. She looked at Hadrian as she bit into the boys neck and started drinking. The bite had the spell binding effect as usual and after a moment he seemed to be asleep. She finished quickly and sat there cradling him whispering a lullaby. When Hadrian and the others finished cleaning themselves with the warm water in the bowls and the napkins, he stood up. Ignoring her he addresses the room, "Now gentlemen, lets retire to the game room, while Carmen cleans up!" He motions to the other side of the room where two ghouls have opened the doors and they all start filing out.
Hadrian places some knives and instructions on the table in front of her and leans down next to her ear, "get this cleaned up quickly and you won't have to spend that much time in the box tomorrow night." After he leaves she stands and rests Thomas in the chair. She then numbly she unshackles everyone and lines them up on the floor. The instructions showed her out to mutilate a neck to hide bite marks not licked clean and to explain the blood loss. She was to burn the robes and the ghouls had already set a large fire in the hearth. Since the bodies were all lined up on the floor she closed her eyes as she went down the line with the knife cutting into each of their throats. Despite not looking she could still tell when she reached Thomas and she just sat there kneeling next to him.
Not sure how long she sat there, but at one point a ghoul came over, "hurry miss, he will not pleased you took this long, you'll be punished."
She nods, "and I deserve it," was all she could say. The ghouls takes the knife out of her hand and finishes up with Thomas. He goes to get the other ghouls from earlier with wheel barrows and start loading the bodies.
After the table clothe and robes had finished burning the ghoul helped her up and got her walking. After a moment she realized she was walking on her own. Her feet took her out of that horrible room, down the horrible hall way, to the retched door, and the retched man behind it. She opened the door and walked in to start cleaning up. Hadrian was sitting in the bed reading when she walked in. "That took too long Carmen, I'm disappointed." He put the book down on the table, "now you need to make it up to me and spend some more time in the box tomorrow."
She doesn't even look at him as she just stands there and nods, aimlessly fumbling with the tie on her apron.
"So?" He is met with silence. "SO!?"
The ghoul in the hall shuts the door as Carmen pays for her insolence.
....................................................................................................................
Seattle 11/23/13
The Steam from the shower cleared and there were her eyes meeting her in the mirror. "I'm so sorry Thomas, no forgetting," one last tear rolls down her cheek and with a rag she washes it away. Wrapped in her robe she walks to her bed and grabs up her journal and pen. She writes, "A horrible night...a monster again who I thought could have been a friend............Lottie gives the best advice, take a risk, try to trust, she says...............perhaps the start of something new, scary..............and what the hell is happening to this city..............................."
