Brutality 18

We took our seats at the table. The Gothic Girl sat to Lavinia’s right. Black Sally glared at me as she sat down. The seat to my right was empty. Lenore’s absence increased my fear. Antonija looked around the table and sighed. She turned her attention to me: “Clarence, when I was a young girl, I lived with my mother, father and two brothers. One summer a new family moved in across the street. At first, they didn’t pay any attention to me. But I paid attention to them. This particular family caught my attention because they always talked very loud and we lived in a quiet neighborhood. I would be out playing in the front yard and hear them talking inside their house. I didn’t just hear the sounds of their voices. I heard every word they were saying. I would lay in my bed at night tossing and turning because I could hear their loud talking all through the night. I never said anything to anyone about it. I just assumed they could hear it too and it wasn‘t a big deal.

“One day when I was in the front yard, I heard them talking about me. They were making fun of my clothes and criticizing my parents for not buying me clothes that fit. I looked at the house across the street and saw two people watching me from the window. I heard one of them ask, “Why is she staring over here?” Another answered, “I think she’s retarded.” Enraged, I picked up a rock, crossed the street and threw it through the window. A man and woman stood staring at me through the broken glass. I remember that I was looking directly at the woman’s face. Her lips never moved but I heard her say, “You shouldn’t have let us know you can hear us.” That woman’s name was Dolores. Later that summer, they took me away; they snatched me right out of the front yard. Then they brought me here, to this house.

“I was subjected to torture, humiliation, confinement; the complete break-down of my will and dissolution of my identity. The more I suffered, the more I realized my telepathic ability. Through the suffering of others, the sacrifice and consumption; my ability grew stronger. Clarence, there is nothing you have suffered that I have not suffered many times before. There is no wound that you’ve inflicted that I have not inflicted many times before. Maybe you feel like a prisoner in this house. I’ve felt that way for 42 years. But you see, there is no world out there for people like us. So we must carve out a world of our own together.”

She looked around at everyone at the table, “Your immaturity and lack of control threatens to destroy everything that so many of our brothers and sisters sacrificed their lives to build. I want to welcome back Damijana, it’s too bad that your stay coincides with this house being in a state of disarray. We are all aware of the concerns Sally wants to bring before the table. I’m getting too goddamned old to sit around listening to you all bicker and backbite like a bunch of teenage girls.”

Ira entered the room carrying a large pot. She placed it in front of Antonija and removed the lid. Antonija pulled Lenore’s head from the pot and placed it on the table. Ira snatched the pot from the table and quickly exited the room. Antonija rested her left hand on the top of Lenore’s head. She said, “Lavinia, you have earned a very important position at this table. I am disappointed that you’ve chosen to use that position to further your personal agenda at the expense of the people that sustain you. You must bring Selene out of confinement immediately, release Clarence and hand over your seat to Damijana.”

Lavinia replied, “Fuck that, I’ll prove my seat.”

Antonija gave her a concerned look, “Lavinia, it isn’t that serious. You’ll have the right-hand seat to your sister. You’ll still be in line to regain your position at some point in the future.”

“Antonija, I would not have sat down in this seat if I wasn’t willing to prove that I’m worthy of it if called upon. I will not admit to wrongdoing as nothing I do can be wrong. I will not step down from my seat without an opportunity to prove it.”

“You are vital to this table Lavinia. I’m asking you not to take this route. You may not survive. If you do survive, you may be crippled to point where you can’t sit at the table at all.”

“I will prove my seat and remain in it.”

“You will still have to allow Damijana to take over your seat while you recover; that is, if you recover and if you don‘t give in. You will all meet in the basement at 2 o’clock.”

Black Sally asked, “What about Clarence?”

Lavinia stated, “Clarence is not my slave. Even if he was, I would release him because we need him at the table. We have far too many empty seats. Speaking of empty seats, you will need to drop any claims you have on Brianna so that she can be brought to the table.”

“I agree,” Antonija said, “Clarence will remain in his seat, Brianna will be brought to the table and Lavinia will release Selene from confinement.”

The Gothic Girl looked at me, “Clarence, you will now sit to my right.” I got up and moved to the other side of the table. She said, “Sally, you and Isabel will stay out of Clarence’s head until he learns to defend himself.”

“That’s fine,” replied Sally, “but if he starts talking to me again, I’m going to answer him. I want Isabel seated to my right and Selene on the other side of Isabel when she returns. Brianna can sit over there.”

After lunch, the Gothic Girl led me outside. We stood by the dog kennels. The dogs barked at us, showed their teeth and growled. I asked, “Your real name is Damijana?”

She nodded her head.

“What does Lavinia have to do to prove her seat?”

“She has to withstand being tortured by Antonija.”

“For how long?”

“Until Antonija gets tired or Lavinia dies.”

At 2 o’clock, everyone stood crowded around the torture-table in the basement. Lavinia maintained a stoic look as she laid down naked on the table and allowed her hands and wrists to be restrained. Antonija stood at the foot of the table, “You can stop this whenever you want Lavinia. It just takes two words, ’I quit’ and it will all be over.”

Antonija held out her hand and said, “Loppers”. Black Sally handed her a pair of loppers. Antonija cut off Lavinia’s little toe. Lavinia closed her eyes and clenched her jaw. “SNAP! SNAP!” Antonija clipped off two more toes. Lavinia arched her back and clenched her fists. She didn’t make a sound as the toes on both of her feet were chopped off one by one.

Antonija reached under the table and pulled out a Tupperware container full of rock salt. She rubbed handfuls of rocksalt into the bleeding holes and stumps where Lavinia’s toes had once been. Lavinia yelled and cursed. Antonija asked, ”Are you ready to quit Lavinia? Now is a good time. I’m sure you can handle the pain. But will you be able to handle being crippled? Your toes are gone. You’ll never walk the same again. C’mon girl, you’re a beautiful, healthy woman. Any changes that I make will be permanent. Do you you want to quit?” Lavinia shook her head.

Antonija set the rock salt to the side, reached her hand out toward Sally and said “Mallet”. Black Sally handed her a meat mallet. She used the meat mallet to pulverize Lavinia’s shins. Blood was flung to the ceiling each time Antonija raised the mallet in the air. Lavinia bit her lip and slammed the back of her head into the table. Her face was a deep shade of red and twisted up in an agonized grimace. Antonija grabbed more rock salt and rubbed it into to Lavinia’s battered and mutilated shins. Lavinia screamed, her body tensed and jerked. Anotnija said, “Are you ready to quit?” Lavinia shook her head.

Antonija turned to Sally and said, “Drill”. A drill was placed in her hand. Lavinia’s screams were deafening and sickening. I had to turn my head as Antonija drilled holes into Lavinia’s knees. I felt the Gothic Girl shaking beside me. I could feel her energy and her anger. Antonija set the drill aside and said, “Scalpel”.

She stood over Lavinia with the scalpel. She said, “Lavinia, cut your losses and quit now.” Lavinia shook her head. Antonija took the scalpel and began slicing Lavinia’s right breast away. When she was done, she held the severed breast in front of Lavinia‘s face, she rubbed the nipple against her lips. She grabbed another handful of rocksalt and packed it into the hole in Lavinia’s chest. Lavinia screamed “NO! NO! NO!” and broke into heart-wrenching sobs. Antonija yelled, “Just say it ‘I quit’ just say those two words Lavinia and I’ll let you keep your pretty face.” Lavinia roared, ‘FUCK YOU!”

Antonija set the scalpel aside and retrieved the meat mallet. She stood at the head of the torture table and smashed Lavinia in the face with the mallet. She hit her again and again and again. The mallet kept coming down on Lavinia’s face with horrific meaty thuds. You could hear the bones in her face being crushed and her teeth being broken. When Antonija stopped swinging the mallet, Lavinia had stopped screaming and sobbing. She just laid there twitching and coughing up teeth and blood. Antonija said, “Alright Lavinia, you’ve proven your seat.”