The Lioness and the Black Widow 10

The man writhed around on the floor while the monitor tore chunks of flesh away from his body. Anna walked over to where I stood and placed one hand on the wall next to my head, she placed her other hand on my throat. Medea got up from the table and stood facing me. She said, “The Duchess believes you were chosen by the Goddess to serve the Keepers of the Altar. If you are ‘chosen’, then I guess you graduate from being a pawn to a bishop in Lavinia’s game. However, chosen or not, you need at least three Matriarchs to say you’re chosen in order to be recognized as such by the other Matriarchs. Personally, I don’t care if you’re ‘chosen’ or not. Lavinia is asking me to approve of you as one of Kali’s chosen when I take over as Matriarch of this house. I will do that as favor for your Matriarch. Now…here is what I want. I want to enjoy the full benefits of having the Kastelics’ and Sevasts’ as allies, meaning I want the full backing of both of houses in the upcoming coup, as well the extermination of a hostile faction that exists within my house. Lavinia and The Duchess also want me to take part in the plot to overthrow The Old Ladies. I will participate. However, when it’s all said and done, and Lavinia sets up a council to replace The Old Ladies; I expect nothing less than a Second-Chair position on that council and I will only sit Second-Chair behind Lavinia. And last but not least, I want to know how Lavinia raises the dead.”

I replied, “Lavinia will honor your requests, but she expects your full involvement in the current conflict with The Great Sathanas.”

“My ‘full involvement’ means The Great Sathanas will be dead in 24-hours, consider it done.”

I asked, “Will you take me back to my house? The Duchess is holding me as collateral?”

“That’s between Lavinia and The Duchess.”

“With all due respect Medea, if your plan is to sit Second-Chair behind Lavinia on a ruling council, you should establish yourself in that position right out the gate. Anything that is just ‘between Lavinia and The Duchess’ is to your disadvantage. If you are to be Second-Chair on a ruling council behind Lavinia, all matters regarding that council should be between you and Lavinia first and foremost. Otherwise, you’re essentially giving the position to The Duchess, who you know is striving for it.”

Anna’s grip tightened on my throat. She looked over at Medea and said, “I thought this guy was supposed to submissive to all Keepers of the Altar? This guy’s submissive like a courtier. That‘s not good.”

Medea replied, “I got him. Clarence, we just met and you’re already trying to twist me up in your plots. Do you feel that The Duchess is a danger to you?”

“In my house, I don’t have to worry about being hit by friendly fire or stray bullets. I don’t have to worry about getting pulled over in a bullet-ridden car. The Duchess is reckless and she is an extremist. She killed a member of her own house, her best friend, just show how ruthless she can be. She wiped out The Fallen Angel’s house just because she didn’t approve of her as a Matriarch. She believes that the only road to the crown is murder and that these houses couldn’t exist if that wasn’t the case. While she is a good ally to have during times of war, she shouldn’t sit Second-Chair on a ruling council. She takes far too much risk to be reliable and she is philosophically opposed to peace and unity. Some degree of peace and unity are required if we want a larger alliance.”

Medea stared at me for what seemed like hours, then she said, “Alright, I’ll take you back to Lavinia. I hope you know what you’re doing. The Duchess is not going to be happy about this and if Lavinia just sends you back to her…you may wind up with an unsatisfactory result. Regardless, I‘m doing you a favor, I have to take risk to do you that favor. You WILL be called on to return that favor in the future.”

Anna took her hand off my neck, looked me in the eyes and said, “You just made a deal with my house ‘Slick’. If I find out that you’re playing these little courtier games with other Matriarchs to our disadvantage, I’m going to take that as a betrayal. Lavinia’s love only gives you so much protection.”

Medea added, “I want you looking out for my best interests the way you are looking out for Lavinia’s.”

I said, “I look out for Lavinia’s interests first and foremost. I can’t make any commitments…”

Medea interrupted, “You WILL make another commitment. You WILL make that commitment right now. AFTER Lavinia, you look out for MY interests. Immediately after you think, ‘How can I make this work to Lavinia’s benefit,’ you are to think ‘How can I make this work to Medea’s benefit as well’. And you are NOT allowed to make a similar commitment to anyone else. You serve Lavinia first, me second and nobody else. Understand?”

“I was designed to serve the Keepers of the Altar, I have no choice in the matter.”

“Yes you do. I will take care of the other Matriarchs. They are not to engage you without mine or Lavinia’s permission. If another Matriarch does engage you without our permission, I will kill her and exterminate her entire house.”

“What about The Duchess?”

“She already has you engaged. As I said before, if I take you back to Lavinia and she returns you to The Duchess, that’s the way it will be. I now have an investment in you Clarence. I will work to keep you safe as long as you honor your commitment to me. The Duchess is part of our alliance. I won’t kill her unless it is absolutely necessary. But I feel confident in saying that I will be able to convince Lavinia not to allow you to be returned to The Duchess’ house. Now let‘s go see Lavinia.”
I followed Medea and Anna up the stairs. Suzanne followed closely behind me. When we got to the living-room, four cloaked and veiled figures stood at attention by the door. They followed us out the front door to The Duchess’ Lincoln. She stepped out the car, Antigone and the twins jumped out the Cutlass and rushed to her side. The Duchess looked at the group in front of her, laughed and said, “So this is the legendary house of the Amazons?”

Medea replied with a straight face and humorless voice, “This is one of three factions within my house.”

The Duchess lit a cigarette and said, “Yeah I’ve heard about you ladies’ affinity for factions. They say you can’t put two Amazons in a room together without coming up with three factions.”

Medea walked up to The Duchess, took the cigarette from between her lips, placed it between her own and took a long, deep drag. She slowly blew out the smoke as she passed the cigarette back to The Duchess. Medea said, “You have your entire house riding around in two cars that look like slices Swiss Cheese. All it takes is a set of blue and red lights in your rearview and you’re all sunk.”

“Yeah? Well a ‘risk-free’ lifestyle is for those who don’t deserve to live.”

“I’m taking Clarence back to Lavinia.”

“I know. I’ve been inside the viking bitches head.”

Anna stepped into the street, “What’d you just say?”

Medea looked over her shoulder and said, “Anna, let it go.” She turned back to The Duchess, “Let’s go see Lavinia and work this out.”

The Duchess replied, “I don’t need anyone to settle my problems for me. There is four of us and seven of you, plus you got five more inside. You really need to go run to get Lavinia’s support? I hold court in the street Medea. We happen to be standing in my courthouse right now.”

“Do you see those women with veils? They have AK-47s under their cloaks. We can end your existence right now if that’s what you want.”

“I’ve never seen someone in the ’ending people’s existence’ business do so much goddamn talking. I don’t know if you’re threatening me or trying to sell me fucking insurance. If you’re gonna do something, do it.”

“I am. We’re taking Clarence back to Lavinia. I’m closing this war with Sathanas. That means the war is over. There is no reason for you to hold Clarence as collateral.”
“His Matriarch has not made good on her promise to me.”

“Then you can take that up with his Matriarch when you see her shortly. I am returning Clarence to Lavinia. If you want to settle this in a way that is beneficial to all, meet us at Lavinia’s. If this is an ’over dead body’ situation, then I guess you’re right, this isn’t a time for words. It’s up to you Duchess.”

“What-the-fuck-ever!” The Duchess brushed past Medea, got in her Lincoln and peeled out, her tires screeching as she sped away. Antigone and the twins got in the Cutlass and did the same.

Medea looked at me, shook her head and smiled, “Let’s go Clarence. I’m parked in the garage.” Anna pointed at me, “HEY FRIEND! You better come with some pretty outstanding benefits because I am not amused. I’m putting this on your tab Clarence. You don’t have the same protection from us as you do The Duchess. You just entered into a relationship with our house. And stuff like this…us fighting with other Matriarchs over you…this is all coming out your ass!”

The Lioness and the Black Widow 9

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Kali's Altar 22

The Duchess showered while I waited in the den with the twins. Not a word was spoken. The Duchess returned, her red hair dripping wet, she wore a grey sweat-suit. She grabbed her mink and looked at me, “How long does this process take?” Her question was answered by the sound of heavy footsteps coming down the stairs. We all got up and went out in the hall to see Roger.

He was a monstrosity. His head looked like a blood-caked thumb with teeth. When he got to the bottom of the stairs, he stopped and stood motionless. Lavinia appeared at the top in her wheelchair. Her voice said, “Here’s your Roger. I want Clarence back as soon as The Great Sathanas is dead.”

The Duchess nodded her head, then she motioned for me to follow her, “Let’s go Clarence. The twins will transport Roger.”

I looked up at Lavinia as I walked out the door. I thought, “I love you.” Her voice replied, “This isn’t good-bye. I’ll be with you the whole time. Don’t worry about anything. There is much for you to learn from The Duchess.”

The twins put Roger in the trunk of an old beat up Cutlass. The Duchess led me to a black Lincoln Town Car with tinted windows. She threw her mink in the trunk and got in the drivers seat. I got in the passenger seat beside her. Anguish filled my heart. I didn’t want to leave Lavinia. I worried that I would never see her again.

When we got on the highway, The Duchess asked, “So how long have you been a member of that house?”

“I don’t know. A little over a week.”

“Ahhhh. That’s why you’re all fucked up. How do you like your new life?”

“It’s good.”

“Oh, will be speaking in ‘liar-ese’ during your time in my house?” She looked at me, her full lips grinned slightly.

“It’s been challenging.”

“I see. That’s a nice way of saying ‘it’s been fucked up’, right?” I turned my head and stared out the window. The sun was beginning to rise. The Duchess continued, “To be honest, I’m surprised you’re still among the living. You hang out with a pretty rough crowd.” I thought of The Duchess smearing blood all over her body and wondered how long I would remain ‘among the living’.

The Duchess continued, “What a lucky guy, huh? You get to spend all your time surrounded by women.”

“Yeah well, I haven’t felt all that ‘lucky’ recently. Can we please talk about something else?” The Duchess pulled the car over to the side of the road and turned the car off. All that could be heard was the sound of passing cars speeding by. She stared into my eyes, “No, we can’t talk about ‘something else‘. We’re going to finish this conversation.” She lit a cigarette and continued, “I want to know why you are loyal to the people who are hurting you so badly. Is it because they’re women? Are you one of those types that is willing to take any abuse a woman is willing to give, as long as she is giving you attention?”

“You know that the torture is used for a higher purpose…”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

I yelled out in frustration, “I DON’T KNOW THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION!”

The Duchess smiled, turned the car back on and merged back into traffic. She said, “Finally, an honest answer.”

I asked, “Do you know the answer?”

She blew out smoke, “Actually, I do know the answer. I also know why you’re still alive. I mean ’why you’, right? You must wonder what makes you so special.”

“I don’t feel special when I locked in box. I don’t feel special when I’m being held down and forced to drink piss…”

“Yes you do. Otherwise you wouldn’t be willing to endure it.”

“NO I DO NOT!”

“So why then Clarence? Why go through all of that when you can just walk away.”

“You know that I can’t just walk away.”

“Yes, you can. If you weren’t there willingly, you would be dead.” I let her words sink in. She was right. There never was a point where I was being held against my will. I never tried to escape and I had several opportunities. The Duchess went on, “Do you want to know the answer to the question? I’ll tell you. You are definitely not willing to take abuse from any woman who shows you attention. You fit into your house like a piece to a jigsaw puzzle. They need you and you need them. You were built for this.”

“Built for what? To be a crash test dummy? A human sacrifice?”

“I doubt you’ll be sacrifice; killed maybe, but not sacrificed. Did you hear the ‘They need you’ part? Why do you think you’re alive? Love? You are alive because you were chosen by the Goddess. That’s who you serve whether you realize it or not. That’s why they gave you a seat at their table. If Lavinia is a dagger in the Goddess’ hand, you are the stone She uses to sharpen that dagger. Do you understand the importance of that role? Look at it this way. If you are a sword designed by the Goddess, what does that say about the woman who wields that sword? Or, you can look at it another way. Brianna made a living making men kneel in front of her. You didn’t bow before Brianna, you tore her apart. Yet I could stop the car and make you kneel before me right there on the side of the road. I could even make you strip first. I could hop on the hood of my car, remove my shoes and have you lick my toes clean. And you would do it. Do have nay doubts about that?”

I remained silent.

The Duchess continued, “But let me fall out of the Goddess’ favor, and you would immediately end my existence. This isn’t about your love for Lavinia. That’s a small part of a big picture.”

“My loyalty is to Lavinia…”

“Your loyalty is to the Goddess and you go wherever she sends you. Now, she has sent you to me and I’m letting you know upfront that I intend to make full use of you. I am the dagger, you are the sharpening stone. This has nothing to do with our wants or desires. This is about the Will of the Goddess. Believe me, you’re not the only man I could get to kneel before me nude on the roadside. But you are one of the only one’s specifically designed to serve me. When I tell you to do something, you have no choice; you’ll do it. And you will do it no matter how repulsive, painful or frightening it is. I could tell you to shit in your hand and eat it. You would do it. Would you like to test that in order to find out if I’m bluffing?”

“No. I still don’t understand…”

“Yes you do. You just don’t like the truth. As long as my will is line with the Goddess’ Will, I own you just the same as Lavinia does. The moment my will is not in line with Her’s, you will try to destroy me. She designed you to be a blessing to the women who serve Her, and a curse to the ones that don’t. That’s an important part of the equation Clarence. As long as I am completely loyal and obedient to the Goddess, you will be completely loyal and obedient to me. I am the dagger, you are the stone.”

“So what does that mean for me?”

“Don’t worry. I’m not going to make you eat shit or suck toes. There is no reason for me to be cruel to you. You will have enough to deal with already. I don’t think you fully appreciate the position you’re in. You are the dividing line that separates the women who ‘are’ from those who ‘are not’. You can expect a future full of politics, manipulation and meetings with Matriarchs, along with all the would-bes and the wanna-bes.”

We pulled into the parking lot of large apartment complex. The Duchess parked in spot marked “Guest”. I saw the twins’ empty Cutlass parked a few spaces away. The Duchess got out of the car and walked toward the building. I followed right behind her. We entered, went up a flight of stairs and stopped in front of a door marked C109. One of the twins opened the door. When I entered the apartment I saw two men bound and gagged on the floor. A third man laid lifeless and limp at Roger’s feet. The bound looked familiar. I approached them to get a closer look. Then I recognized them, they were two of the menh from my dream. The one’s who slipped in Alexandria’s slider and raped her.

The Duchess asked, “What? Are these guys friends of yours?” I shook my head. She said, “That’s good. These guys are first degree fucking assholes. They kidnap women, gang-rape them, then take them to The Great Sathanas to be forced into prostitution.”

I nodded solemnly, “I know.”

“So what do you think Clarence? Should we just execute them here? Or should we take them with us and have little fun?”

I thought for a moment and wondered how many women those men had brought to The Great Sathanas. The image of a wall full of “Missing” posters came into my mind. I looked at The Duchess, “These two should definitely come with us.”

Kali's Altar 10

I heard voices coming from the den as I walked down the hall. When I looked in, I saw Brianna sitting with Lillith and Octavia. Brianna spoke with an air of authority. When she noticed me she said, “Clarence, come in. I’m telling the newbies what will be expected of them.” I entered the room and sat down. Lilith looked straight ahead, Octavia stared at the floor. I heard Brianna’s voice in my mind, “We’re gonna run these bitches Clarence.” She stood up and ordered the women to get on their knees.

Lilith and Octavia both kneeled on the floor. I focused on Brianna and thought, “This isn’t a good idea.”

Brianna’s voice said, “We’ve got enough pussy in this house already Clarence. Lavinia wants daily realization and strengthening exercises.”

“We’ve already had our daily exercises.”

“What the fuck is going on with you? You sure the fuck weren’t like this last night in the bathroom.”

“You don’t make chairs fly through air when you get hurt. If you traumatize Octavia too much in one…”

“Oh get the fuck out of here. You’re not gonna give her special treatment because she’s Black. I believe she is here to realize her power. You won’t help her by going easy on her. You took my eye, my nipples, you tore off my clit with a fucking pair of pliers. I want to see them treated the same way.”

Octavia and Lilith looked around nervously, wondering what all the silence was about. I thought, “If she can flip tables, burn out lights and throw chairs, she can probably make your heart stop beating. Have you thought about that? For all you know, that woman could have the ability to make you burst into flames. She’s from the rural South, her Grandmother was a feared telepathic. You can do what you want, but I’m not fucking with her until I know what she can do.”

“Do you think she knows all that Voodoo shit?”

“What does it matter? She doesn’t need Voodoo to kill you, she can use her mind.”

“We can’t just let her off. She has to suffer like everybody else.”

I focused on Lavinia. I saw her image in my mind. She was sitting behind her desk wearing her black and red mask with her blood-red gown. Her voice said, “Why are you disturbing me?”

“What do you want done with Octavia and Lilith?”

“Damijana has plans for them. Have Brianna get us another sacrifice.”

I told Octavia and Lilith to stand up and leave. Brianna spoke out loud, “What the fuck?”

I spoke with my mouth, “Never mind fucking around with those two. We need another sacrifice.”

“Another one? She still has one in her cage.”

“The one in the cage is her business. She wants another sacrifice.”

“Is the one in the cage ‘her business’ or is it soon to be ‘your business’? I know you can’t wait to get your hands on that woman.”

“Do you know another easy mark or not?”

“Maybe. I haven’t seen any phones here.”

I focused on Black Sally, “We need a phone and a ride to get another sacrifice.”

Black Sally’s voice said, “I’ll be down there in about 20 minutes.”

The ease of communication was both titillating and frightening. A strong telepathic, like Lavinia, just had to look at a person once and she could break into their thoughts. The common ones could only communicate with others who had the ability, and they could usually only focus on one person at a time. Lavinia was able to communicate with multiple people simultaneously. She could get into another person’s head and see what they see, hear what they hear and feel what they feel. It was as if the ability was specifically designed for groups of human’s who hunt other humans.

I spoke out loud to Brianna, “Sally will take us in about 20 minutes. The police will eventually come looking for you if too many of your clients come up missing. You need to be careful who you select.”

The words that came out of Brianna’s mouth were: “I already thought about that. I figure we can get away with three or four more. I’ll pick the ones who won’t be missed.”

However, her thoughts said, “POLICE! I’ll find a way to get to the police.”

I said out loud, “You’ve made yourself into an asset. You can bring in the meat and that’s what is most important. maybe the skills you acquired in your previous line of work will push you to the top in this house.”

“I know how to survive in a situation like this. Damijana and Sally can play their little games all they want. Their jealous of me. I‘m what they pretend to be.”
“No Brianna. I won’t play along with that. You spent your life pretending to have the power and freedom that they possess. Now that you are on the verge of actually having that power and freedom, your falling back on your superficial ’pretender’ self. If you had allowed your heart to speak, and listened to it, your true self probably would have led you through this.”

“What the fuck are you talking about Clarence?”

“Your ’pretender’ self got you killed. A person can’t properly assess their situation if they are in a state of denial. You refuse to see the reality of your situation.”

Her chest began to heave and all the color left her face. I focused on her and thought, “POLICE!”

Her mind said, “I need to get to the police! No…no…that’s not what I’m thinking. I would never do that. Someone else put that thought in my head. I am loyal to this family.”

I smiled and said out loud, “You were dead the moment the thought came into your mind.”

She feinted, collapsing to the floor. Black Sally entered the room. Her voice said, “She started planning to contact the cops last night. Her plan was to call them the next time we took her out, and have them there when we picked up the sacrifice.”

“What do you want to do with her?”

“We’re going to carry her upstairs to Lavinia’s office. Since we don’t want anyone entertaining those kinds of ideas again, Brianna will spend a long time wishing she was dead. How did you knock her out?”

“I didn’t, she just collapsed.”

“Lavinia put her to sleep. She didn’t used to be able to do that.”

We carried Brianna to the Matriarch’s office. She sat behind her desk wearing a black and red mask. She wore her blood-red gown, just like I’d seen her in the vision. We laid Brianna on the floor. Lavinia’s voice said, “This is what happens when you let a domesticated animal out in the wild. They apply the only rules they’ve ever known, the rules of domestic life, to a world where those rules do not apply.”

Black Sally’s voice said, “Then they get their stupid asses killed.”

“She won’t be dying anytime soon,” Lavinia’s voice said. “Brianna may even live longer than Alfred did. In fact, tie her to the wall in Alfred’s old room. For the first three or four years, I’ll let her keep her legs. But her arms are coming off tonight.”

Kali's Altar 7

The doctor entered Lavinia’s office. He looked like he was in his 50’s and he dressed like he worked at a hardware store, not a doctor’s office. Most people wouldn’t have trusted him with their dogs, let alone their lives. Octavia came out the bathroom. Lavinia’s voice said, “Octavia, sit down and let the doctor look at your hand. Clarence, there is a meeting you are required to attend downstairs.”

When I got downstairs, the Gothic Girl, Black Sally and Brianna were standing by the foyer. Sally held her pistol in her hand. Brianna had rope. The Gothic Girl’s voice came into my mind, “Come stand by me. When they come in, we’ll force them to the floor and tie them.”

“How many?”

“Two. They’ll be easy.”

The doorbell rang. Ira came down the hall and passed between us as if we weren’t even there. She answered the door, greeted the visitors and let them in. I didn’t see them women until they were already on the floor and Brianna was tying their hands behind their backs. It was two women. One was older and heavyset; she had shoulder length brown hair streaked with gray. The other woman was younger, she looked 19 or 20. She was slender and had long brown hair pulled back in a ponytail. They were both dressed conservatively in light-colored blouses and brown slacks. The religious pamphlets they carried were scattered all over the floor. Jehovah’s Witnesses.

We stood the women up. The younger one looked terrified. The older woman asked, “What do you want from us?” Brianna pulled a strip of duct tape from the roll, tore it off and covered the woman’s mouth. She did the same to the younger woman. They both trembled and cried.

The Gothic Girl said, “We’re taking them to Lavinia.”

We brought the women to Lavinia’s room. It was completely different from when I saw it last. The bed had been removed. The floors and walls were covered with large sheets of plastic. A steel cage had been placed in one corner of the room. The cage was small for a human, about four feet high, three feet wide and four feet long. There was a large black trunk pushed up against the wall. Candles and incense burned on the altar. Lavinia sat in her armchair. Again, I got the feeling that Lavinia had another person under her control who was not known to the house. Who carried the bed out?

The women’s muffled sobs and cries were the only sounds that could be heard. Black Sally went to the trunk, grabbed four pairs of scissors and passed them out. We took the women shoes off and cut off all their clothes. The younger stood shaking and shivering; the Gothic Girl put her in the cage.

The doctor came in the room. Brianna gave him a look that stated what I felt, ‘What the hell is he doing here?’ The doctor set his bag on the floor, never taking his eyes off the naked and terrified woman shivering in front of him. Sally held her gun to the woman’s head and forced her to her knees. The doctor undid his pants and stood in front of the woman, his cock inches from her face. Sally took the tape off the woman’s mouth. She cried, “Please, please…”

Sally demanded, “Open your mouth! OPEN YOUR MOUTH NOW BITCH!” She smacked her across the face. I looked over at the caged woman. She knelt in the cage crying. Her face was red and soaked with tears. Snot dripped from her nose to the duct tape covering her mouth.

The older woman opened her mouth; the doctor grabbed her by the back of her head, he rubbed the head of his cock over her lips, then she shoved it in her mouth. He fucked her face deep and held it there, his balls pressed against her chin. He pulled his cock out and the woman vomited. He shoved his dick back in her mouth before she could even catch her breath.

There was a strange tension in the room. Brianna paced back and forth. The Gothic Girl looked like she didn’t approve of what was going on. I guessed that the doctor was enjoying the benefits of being employed by the family. However, I couldn’t help sense that I wasn’t the only one disturbed by the sight of an outsider taking liberties in our house.

The doctor pushed the woman on her back, she laid on her bound hands. The doctor forced himself between her legs and started fucking her. I saw Lavinia’s blank, bandaged face looking at me, out of the corner of my eye. I heard her voice in my head, “Go in my chest, there is a bat in there. Get it and knock out the doctor.”

I went to the chest. It was full of weapons, tools and wicked instruments of torture. I grabbed the wooden baseball bat and bashed the doctor in the side of the head. He fell to his side and laid there twitching. The bound woman on the floor looked up at me like a frightened deer. Brianna turned the doctor over on his stomach and tied his hands and ankles. His clothes were cut and torn away.

Lavinia climbed off the chair using just her arms. The she used her arms to move of herself close to the doctor. She sat beside him, her black gown was fanned out on the floor around her. Brianna flipped the man back over. Lavinia’s voice said, “Get me the torch.” I dropped the bat back into the chest, pulled out the handheld blowtorch and gave it to her. She lit up the torch, it had a self-igniting head.

Lavinia pulled the Doctor out of his unconscious state by burning off his right nipple. He woke up screaming, he tried to get up. The Gothic Girl kicked him in the face and held his head to floor under her boot. Brianna sat on his legs.

Lavinia grabbed the head of the man’s dick between her fingers. The doctor was no longer turned on, his dick was limp as a wet noodle. She pulled up on his cock and held it stretched. Then she took the torch and began searing the flesh on the man’s cock. Smoke rose from his genitals, the smell of burnt flesh hung in the air. The doctor screamed like an upset infant. His voice went hoarse, his screams were reduced to a series of gravelly grunts and hums. When all the skin on his dick was burnt black, with cracks and lines of red, Lavinia moved on and began blackening his balls. Lavinia’s voice said. “Go get the hammer and nails.”

I went to the chest, found the hammer and a box of three inch nails. Lavinia’s voice said, “Kneel down beside him. Good. Feel the top of his shoulder with your hand. Do you feel the spot where his arm meets his body? Start hammering your nails in there.”

I pressed the tip of the nail against his flesh and pounded it into his shoulder. The man struggled in vain. His voice returned momentarily, the room was filled with his high-pitched screams. I picked up another nail and tried to hammer it into his collarbone. The nail went in but the bone snapped under the pressure.

Lavinia turned off the torch and set it on the floor. A blade flashed in her hand. She sliced open the man’s scrotum and pulled one of the long, steel hairpins from her bun. Then she reached her fingers into the man’s scrotum and pulled out one of his testicles. She impaled the testicle with her hair-pin. Then she set the exposed testicle, still attached to the body, on the man’s thigh. She repeated the process with the other nut.

I kept hammering nails into the man’s shoulders, arms, chest and stomach. The Gothic Girl pulled a container of table salt from the chest, walked over to the doctor and poured the salt on his tortured genitals. The doctor bit through his lip. He had completely lost his voice; he just let out a non-stop raspy growl. I saw his eyes, the man had given up and was just hoping death would hurry up and take him. Lavinia scraped and sliced the cooked flesh off the doctor’s penis. The Gothic Girl dumped salt on it. The man’s face was a horrific mask of agony and excruciating pain. His face bothered me. His lips were pulled back in a teeth-baring sneer. I hit him in the mouth with the hammer, busting his lips and shattering his front teeth.

Lavinia took her a dagger and sliced away the doctor’s dick and balls. It was like someone had turned on a blood fountain in his groin. Blood squirted all over the bandages that covered Lavinia’s face. She held his severed, burnt and mutilated gentials in the air, then she shoved the handful of gore in the doctor’s mouth. He struggled. The Gothic Girl got on her knees and held his head. He tried to spit out the remains of his genitals. Lavinia’s voice said, “Shove that shit back in his mouth and hold it there. Plug his nose.”

Lavinia laid her head on the doctors chest and slid her hand underneath her gown. She masturbated while the doctor choked to death on his own dick and balls. All the while, the older woman laid frozen on the floor. Both her, and her younger companion, watched it all. I wondered what was going through their minds. Lavinia cut the doctor open; she removed his heart and liver. The plastic sheets collected the blood into a pool. Black Sally came over and sat down beside us in the pool of blood. We all began removing our clothes. I looked at woman bound on the floor and said, “Now the real fun is about to start.”

She screamed.

Kali's Altar 6

At breakfast, I looked at all the faces around the table. Everyone was battered and exhausted except for the Gothic Girl and Black Sally. Lilith sat with her head down, it was the first time I had seen her without ropes or restraints. Octavia’s hands and wrists were shackled. She didn’t say anything, she just looked from one of us to the next; she looked scared, but she hadn’t been broken. Brianna sat sulking in her chair. Every once in awhile I would look up and catch her giving me the evil eye. I laughed to myself at the thought, the evil eye was the only eye Brianna had left. I heard her voice in my head, “You think that’s funny, huh Clarence. You just wait.” All the women at the table wore their uniforms. I wore the paramilitary-style shirt and pants version.

The Gothic Girl asked Octavia, “When did you become aware of your power?”

Octavia replied, “When I was 13.”

“What happened?”

“This boy did something to me. When he was doing it, stuff started falling off the walls.”

“What did your Grandmother tell you about your ability?”

“She said I’d find out all about it someday, and that she didn’t want to be the one to tell me what’s wrong with me. She said I have to find out on my own.”

“What have you been able to figure out on your own?”

“I can push a silverware across the table sometimes, but it takes a lot of effort and concentration. Other than that, it only comes out when something bad happens.”

“You’re sitting there in shackles, isn’t that bad enough? The shackles shouldn‘t be able to stop you, but they do. It‘s your mind that’s held in bondage Octavia. Once the shackles come off your mind, no cage or chain will be able to hold you. However, in order to break you out of your mental bondage, some bad things will have to happen to you.”

Lillith raised her head and said, “Like seeing your husband killed right in front of you? Like being kidnapped, tortured and raped? Was that so you can free my mind?”

The Gothic Girl looked at her for moment before speaking, “Yes, we are liberating you Lilith. You don’t feel like a weight has been lifted?”

Lilith shook her head and pressed her lips together in rage.

The Gothic Girl said, “Clarence, after breakfast I want you to take Lilith and Octavia to Lavinia’s office. There a few things that I want these two to learn about themselves before we go on.”

I led the two women to Lavinia’s office and knocked on the door. I heard Lavinia’s voice in my head, “Bring them in.”

When we entered the office, the two women stopped and stared and Lavinia. She sat at her desk in her black Victorian-style dress, her hair was held in a bun by two long steel hairpins. Fresh bandages covered her face. Two chairs were placed in front her desk facing each other. Lavinia motioned with her hand toward the chairs. I nudged Octavia, she took her seat and Lilith followed. I leaned against the wall by the door and watched.

Lavinia’s voice could be heard clearly, though I knew she was still unable to speak with her mouth. Octavia and Lilith had no idea that the voice they were hearing wasn’t coming through their ears, Lavinia was talking directly to their minds. She said, “I figured we’d start with little game, kind of an icebreaker so we can all get to know each other. It’s sort of like truth or dare, but there is no ‘truth’ option. You each take turns issuing each other dares. You cannot refuse a dare and if you issue a dare that I think is boring, apprehensive or lame; you lose your turn and have to take a dare issued by me. Do you understand?”

Octavia asked, “What happens if we don’t do the dare.”

“You will be tortured until you die or change your mind. Lilith, you go first.”

Lilith hesitated and said, “I don’t know what you want me to do.”

“That’s a foul for being apprehensive,” Lavinia replied, “now you must take a dare issued by me. Lilith, I dare you to spit in Octavia’s face.”

Lilith stood up slowly and made a feeble attempt at spitting toward Octavia. Lilith screamed and fell to the floor. Lavinia’s voice said, “Hurts doesn’t it. It gets much worse. Now complete your dare!’

Lilith got to her feet and gave Lavinia a bewildered look. Then she gathered up the saliva in her mouth and spit straight in Octavia’s face. Mucous and spittle dripped from her nose. She wiped her face on her sleeve, grimaced and said, “Okay that’s just foul.”

Lavinia’s voice said, “It’s your turn Octavia. This isn’t a talk show.”

Octavia sat up straight in her chair, “I dare you to just sit there while I smack you in the mouth.” Octavia looked to Lavinia. Lavinia nodded toward Lilith. Octavia stood up, stood to the side of Lilith’s chair and smacked her square in the mouth. The bandage on Lilith’s cheek flew off revealing a crude stitch job, blood trickled from her mouth. Octavia sat back down.

Lilith touched her hand to her mouth and looked at the blood. She glared at Octavia, “I dare you to get down on your hands and knees and lick my boots.”

Lavinia’s voice interrupted, “Foul. That’s boring Lilith. Lilith, I dare you to get your hands and knees, and stick your tongue in Octavia’s ass.” Octavia’s eyes widened, she shook her head, “I can’t…I’ve never even…” Lavinia opened her desk drawer and pulled out a small box. She pushed it across the table toward Octavia, “Open it.”

Octavia picked up the box and took off the lid. Her face crinkled up in look of shock and terror. She dropped the box. A nose, a pair lips, ears and eyeballs fell out on the floor. Octavia threw up. Lavinia’s voice said, “Now stand up and bend over my desk. Lilith get on your knees behind her.”

Lilith did what she was told. She pushed Octavia’s skirt up to her hips and pulled her panties down to her knees. The sight of Octavia’s plump, round ass made my dick start to stiffen in my pants. Lilith spread Octavia’s cheeks apart and slid her tongue into her asshole.

Lavinia’s voice said, “Keep doing it. Run the tip around the rim then shove it in and wriggle it around.”

I could hear Octavia moan. My dick got harder. I imagined myself pushing my cock between her cheeks and into her ass. Lavinia’s voice said, “That’s enough.”

Octavia sat down, “I dare you to lick my pussy.” She slouched down in her chair, pulled her skirt up and parted her thighs. Lilith buried her face in her pussy. Octavia closed her eyes, threw head her back and squeezed her large breasts through her shirt.

Lavinia’s voice ordered, “Stop! Lilith, get back in your chair, it’s your turn.”

“Octavia, I dare you to lick my clit and…”

Lavinia slammed her hand on the desk, “FOUL!” She pulled a meat cleaver from her desk. Octavia tensed, her face showed fear. “Clarence, get some towels from the bathroom.” When I returned with the towels Lavinia’s voice said, “Set those on my desk and hold Octavia down. Lilith, I dare you to chop off one of Octavia’s fingers.”

I got behind Octavia, wrapped my arms around her and held her tight. Lilith didn’t move from her chair. Lavinia picked up the cleaver, “Take this and chop her finger off or I’ll have Clarence chop off both your feet.” Her blank bandaged face turned to Octavia, “Pick a finger and place it on the arm of chair. If you don’t hold it still, I’ll make Lilith chop off your whole hand.”

I could feel Octavia’s heavy breathing. Lilith grabbed the cleaver. She raised it in the air and brought it down, there was a sound like a carrot being chopped in half on a cutting board. Octavia screamed and jerked around in her chair. Her pinky fell to the floor. I wrapped her hand with one of the towels. Lavinia’s voice said, “It’s your turn Octavia.”

Octavia just clutched her hand to her chest and took fast, deep breaths. She pleaded, “I can’t do this anymore…”

Lavinia’s voice interjected, “OCTAVIA! IT’S YOUR TURN!”

Octavia shook her head, tears streamed from her eyes. Lavinia’s voice said, “Clarence cut her face.” I picked up the pen knife and grabbed Octavia’s chin. She yelled, “ALRIGHT! STOP! I’ll play. Lilith I dare you to take the cleaver…”

“FOUL!” Octavia began to sob. Lavinia’s voice said, “Octavia, I dare you to rip open Lilith’s shirt and bite off one of her nipples.”

I whispered to Octavia, “Just do it. Don’t think about it. Just get up and do it!” Octavia stood up and went to Lilith. She had to struggle to rip open Lilith’s shirt because of the shackles. When she finally got open, she stopped and gazed at Lilith’s medium-sized breasts and light pink nipples. She licked her full lips, grabbed Lilith’s left breast and bit into the flesh around her nipple. Lilith yelled out, “FUCK! FUCK! YOU FUCKING BITCH! YOU FUCKING BITCH!” Octavia jerked her head back. Lilith screamed and started swinging at her. I held Lilith down. Octavia spit the nipple out on the floor and sat down.

Lilith snarled, “Octavia I dare you to…”

“FOUL!”

‘WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN FOUL?” I stuck the penknife in her nose, pierced her septum and pushed the blade down, slicing through the septum toward her upper lip. She put hands over her nose and wailed. I punched her in the face, “Shut the fuck up and play the game.”

Lavinia pulled a bottle of lighter fluid and a lighter from one of her desk drawers, “Lilith, I dare you to douse Octavia’s hair with this lighter fluid and set it on fire.”

Octavia started shaking like she was having convulsions, her eyes got wide as saucers. She stared at the floor and mumbled, “No, no, no, no, no.”

Lilith took the lighter fluid and poured it all over Octavia’s head. The flammable liquid streamed down her face, soaking her shirt collar. Octavia looked like she was having an epileptic seizure in her chair. Lilith hesitated. “DO IT! PICK UP THE LIGHTER!” Lavinia’s voice yelled.

Lilith picked up the lighter and approached Octavia. Then, everything came flying off Lavina’s desk. Lilith’s chair flew across the room and bounced off the wall. I felt like I had just been hit by a strong gust of wind, it almost knocked me off my feet. The desk began to shake and the overhead light exploded. Lilith looked to Lavinia. Lavinia’s voice said, “Put the lighter down and go back to your room.”

Eventually, Octavia stopped convulsing and sat up in her chair with a confused and anguished look on her face. Lavinia tossed me a key, “Take her shackles off and show her where she can wash the lighter fluid out of her hair.”

Kali's Altar 1

The Gothic Girl led the woman to the den. I hadn’t seen her since she was thrown in the trunk of a car a few days earlier. She didn’t look like she had suffered any physical injuries. She was clean and freshly bathed; covered with a white robe, her hair still wet. Brianna rose from her chair and approached the woman. She ordered the woman to take off her robe. The woman looked to the Gothic Girl. Brianna grabbed the woman by the hair and attempted to force her to the floor. The woman fought back. Her robe was pulled open during the struggle. Her breasts bounced up and down as she threw a flurry of wild punches at Brianna.

The Gothic Girl laughed and said, “Clarence, your comrade is getting her ass whooped.” Brianna tripped over a footstool as she tried to evade the blows and fell to the floor. The woman grabbed a poker from a rack by the fireplace and began beating on Brianna’s back and legs. I punched the woman in the jaw. She fell to one knee. Brianna got to her feet, grabbed a heavy ashtray from the end table and smashed the woman in the head with it. The woman fell to the floor.

I stripped the woman’s robe from her body, removed the belt and tied her wrists to a leg of the coffee table. She laid face-down on the floor crying. Her cries turned to screams when Brianna shoved the handle of the poker up the woman’s ass. Brianna pulled a knife from her pocket and hacked off the woman’s hair.

The Gothic Girl held a pair of hooks. A short, thin piece of rope was attached to each hook. She knelt by the woman, reached her hand under her chin, jerked her head up and ran the stainless-steel hook through the woman’s cheek. The woman shrieked and tried get up. The Gothic Girl placed her knee between the woman’s shoulder blades and slammed her head into the coffee table leaving a large gash across the woman’s forehead. The woman’s face was instantly painted with blood. The Gothic Girl hooked the woman’s other cheek and handed me the rope. She held the length of rope attached to the other hook. I pulled from the left-side and the Gothic Girl pulled from the right. The woman’s yells and screams came out of her mouth like some strange mating call. Brianna returned to fucking the woman’s ass with the handle of the fire poker. The Gothic Girl and I each took a step away from the woman as we stretched her face farther and farther.

Eventually, my hook cut through the woman’s cheek. The Gothic Girl placed the sole of her boot on the woman’s shoulder and jerked up on the hook. It ripped through woman’s cheek. Her body heaved rapidly, in rhythm with her sobs. Brianna pulled the poker from the woman’s ass and hammered the woman’s buttocks and thighs with the shit-covered handle.

Lavinia’s voice came into my mind, “I want you to fuck her. Fuck her ass until she bleeds.”

I pushed Brianna aside and dropped to my knees between the woman’s legs. My good hand smacked and squeezed her ass. I undid my pants with the fingers on my bandaged hand. I eased my finger into her ass and wriggled it around. The woman whimpered and trembled. My cock stood erect and rock-hard. I spit on my hand and spread the saliva over the head of my dick, then I plunged it balls deep into her ass. The woman raised her head and let out a guttural shout. I fucked her ass savagely and mercilessly; the way that Isabel, Lenore and Atrese had brutalized me. I heard Lavinia’s voice in my head, “Watch this!”

Brianna knelt down by the woman’s head and grabbed onto her hands. I couldn’t see exactly what she was doing. The woman screamed and her body went stiff, then I heard a sharp “CRACK!” Brianna was breaking fingers. The woman struggled to rise to her feet. I laid down flat on top of her, slowly moving my cock deep around inside her. My hips pumped up and down faster and harder. “CRACK!” I came deep in her ass while she wriggled around squealing and weeping underneath me.

Lavinia’s voice said, “Tell her I said ‘Welcome to the family.’”

The doctor stitched up the woman’s face when he came by to check on Lavinia. The Gothic Girl and I carried Lavinia upstairs to her room and placed her in bed. It was the first time I had seen her room. The walls, ceiling and carpets were all crimson, as was the bedding and drapes. A queen-sized bed sat in the center of the room. A mahogany altar sat to its left. The altar was adorned with candles, flowers, jewels and daggers; a three foot statue stood in the center. The statue depicted a naked woman with coal black skin and eight arms. It depicted the image I’d seen in my visions and dreams.

The Gothic Girl spoke without moving her lips, “We need to go back into the city tonight.”

“Why?”

“We need to hunt. We need members and meat.”

“I’ll be ready.”

“She wants you to stay. I’ll see you at the table.” She kissed me, then abruptly exited the room.

Lavinia’s voice said, “Slave, look under the bed. There is a platter. Get it.”

I got on my hands and knees and looked under the bed. I pulled out the silver platter. On the platter sat a boiled, brown chunk of meat. Lavinia’s voice said, “Chew it up. Chew it up good. Swish it around in your mouth until it’s like soup, then spit it into my mouth. You will take one bite for yourself. It will increase your power. It’s Antonija.”

I chewed the Matriarch’s meat and fed it to her. It felt like the meat I consumed instantly lit a fire inside me. I was filled with the urge to consume more, to hurt more, to fuck more, to kill more.

Lavinia sat up and turned her bandaged face toward me. I couldn’t see her eyes. I couldn’t hear her speak, yet she communicated clearly, “Tonight you will bring the sacrifice to my bed. We will torture together and consume the meat together. We will consume it raw, like in times past. We will continue to grow stronger.”

At lunch, the woman sat at the table tied to a chair. Her forehead and cheeks were bandaged. She appeared heavily sedated. I asked the Gothic Girl, “What do we call her?”

She said, “Lilith. We’ll call her Lilith.”

“Why is she still tied up? We should kill her if we can’t control her.”

The Gothic Gothic slapped me across the face. “Do you think that because you’ve become Lavinia’s concubine, that gives you authority over me? Who are you to question me? Stand up! STAND UP AND TAKE OFF YOUR SHIRT!”

I pushed my chair out, stood and removed my shirt. The Gothic Girl yelled, “DROP YOUR PANTS AND PUT YOUR HANDS ON THE FUCKING TABLE! LOOK STRAIGHT AHEAD!”

I heard chains jingling behind me, then the sound of something slicing through the air. The pain almost knocked me off my feet. I gripped the table, my muscles tensed; cold steel tore across my back again. She was whipping me with a long thin chain. Again and again, the lashes came down across my back. I felt blood trickling down my buttocks and thighs. I thought of Lavinia and of the immense suffering I had seen her endure. I refused to scream.

She wrapped the chain around my neck and pulled me to the floor. She yelled, “LAY ON YOUR BACK!” She hiked up her skirt, squatted and pissed all over my face. She said, “Now get up and go back to your seat BITCH!”

Brutality 6

After carrying out the gruesome task, we made our way back to the house. I would be haunted by nightmares and horrific visions from then on. The screams, the blood, Lavinia masturbating as she watched the man die, the dismemberment. Selene, Isabel and Atrese stopped at the backdoor and began removing their bloody boots and coveralls. I did the same, my eyes locked onto Isabel; her long black hair, her smooth brown skin, her long slender legs. Selene stepped in front of Isabel. Blood splatter freckled her face, her nipples stood erect, her thighs were thick and muscular. I feared her, but I was fascinated by her beauty and brutality. She said, “You can shower with the hose over there Clarence.” She went inside followed by Isabel and Atrese. The sight of Atrese’s naked body increased my fear. Her short, stocky body was covered with scars, her right breast was missing the nipple, her left foot was missing two toes. My entire nervous system seemed to react to the sight.

I found the hose, turned on the cold water and began washing the blood off my hands, arms and face. My body shivered and my teeth clattered as I doused myself with the cold water. I heard a voice, “Do you have a thing for bathing outside?” Black Sally stood by the back door smoking. I turned my back to her hoping to hide my nakedness, I looked over my shoulder and replied, “No.” She said, “Turn around and face me.” I turned toward her, embarrassed because the cold had shriveled my cock. She sized me up, blew out smoke and smiled, “Who told you to wash yourself with the hose?” I didn’t answer. She said, “Ok, let me put this way. Did Lavinia or Antonija tell you that you had to wash out here?” I shook my head. “Then you don’t have to stand out here naked washing yourself with cold water like an animal. Turn the water off and come with me.”

I followed her inside. She led me into the kitchen, past Ira who was slamming the lid on a boiling pot and to a door on the opposite side of the kitchen from the stove. The heat of the kitchen felt like a warm blanket wrapped around my cold body. I was nauseated and disturbed by the smell of whatever Ira was cooking. Black Sally opened the door, I followed her into a large, well-stocked pantry. I began to get very concerned as I knew nothing of her, except that “Black” was supposed to be a reference to her heart, and that she lured men to the house to be tortured and killed. She said, “Turn around.” I turned around, my anxiety grew. It sounded like a cardboard box was slid across the floor behind me. She said, “Come on.” I turned to see an opening in the wall, a hidden door that led to staircase. I followed her up the stairs.

The stairs led to small dark landing. I heard the sound of a door being unlocked. She pulled me across the threshold and slammed the door behind me. The room was pitch black. I heard her whisper to me, “I can smell your fear.” A large, bright overhead light illuminated the room. I was in her living quarters. It was a large studio apartment with a kitchenette, queen-sized bed, dining area and bathroom. A big wooden desk sat in front a floor-to-ceiling bookcase. She said, “Go in the bathroom and take a real shower.”

The hot water stung my wounds. I scrubbed my hands and arms till they were raw, hoping to wash away the memory of the evil work my had hands participated in. I emerged from the shower refreshed, my mind was Black Sally. She appeared in the doorway and tossed me a towel, “There are clothes on the bed for you.” After thanking her, I dried off and walked out the bathroom nude. She stood at the stove with her back turned to me. There was a black paramilitary-style outfit, identical to the one she wore, laid out on the bed. I got dressed and anxiously awaited the unveiling of her intentions. She poured hot water into two cups, I could smell the instant coffee. Then she brought the steaming cups to the table and told me to sit down.

I sat across from her. She stared at me for several minutes with cold blue eyes. She took a sip of her coffee and spoke, “You’re not here to serve Selene. Yes…she can, and will, use you as a toy, a plaything. You can’t stop that. But that’s not all she’s after. You need to make sure that you don’t fall under her spell. That would have a very negative impact on your future Clarence. I’ve known the woman that brought you here for a long time. I assume you know her well enough to know that she won’t be happy if she returns to find that you’ve switched you’re allegiance to Selene. What you don’t know Clarence, is what kind of history she has with Selene. I do. And I can tell you that she would be extremely upset if Selene were to take possession of you. Not to mention, you would be committing a capital offense in this house by switching your loyalties. Selene won’t be able to protect you. Of course, she is going to tell you different. Selene sits on the other side of the table. She is Lavinia’s right hand and hopes to eventually move into Lavinia’s seat. Her only rivals for that seat are me and the woman that brought you here. She should be seated to Antonija’s right, placing her next in line for ascension. However, she has been absent, leaving me to take her seat until she returns. If Selene takes possession of you, it will cause discord on our side of the table and reflect very badly on the woman who brought you here. Then, when Lavinia ascends to Antonija’s seat, she will have a justification for placing Selene at the other end of the table. If Lavinia and Selene become the heads of the table, they will turn this into a house full of servants and slaves. They won‘t be able to do that without neutralizing or eradicating everyone on our side of the table . That’s the situation here Clarence, and it‘s very important that you understand whose side you‘re on, and why.”

She placed two cigarettes in her mouth, lit them both and passed me one. I took a long drag off the cigarette, contemplating her words. I was only certain about one thing, I couldn’t trust any of the women in that house. It was quickly becoming clear that they all had designs and hidden agendas. She finished her coffee and said, “There are boots for you by the door over there. It’s almost time for us to go downstairs.” I took two large swigs of coffee and two quick pulls off my smoke, then I sat down on the floor and pulled my new boots on.

Black Sally took me downstairs and to the dining-room. Everyone else was already seated at the table. As soon as I sat down, I felt Selene’s eyes on me. I looked at her and nodded my head slightly, her eyes looked like they were about shoot fire at me. Apparently she was aware that I had been alone with Black Sally and was not amused. Covered plates sat in front of everyone. Antonija’s angelic voice seemed to cause all noise, movement, and even time itself, to stop. She said, “Let’s take a moment of silence to remember those who came before us and our brothers and sisters who have fallen.” Everyone lowered their heads. After a few moments, Antonija spoke again, “We eat this meal in remembrance of Oyori, our original Matriarch from ancient times. Once a mere slave-girl, she gained her freedom by killing her master. She came to power by consuming him. Every time another tyrant sought to seize control of the tribe, Oyori seduced him, killed him and consumed him. Her power grew steadily, she was placed at the head of the tribe. Under her leadership, nobody was ever in want. No one felt hunger and none were made slaves to another. Eventually she sought tyrants who ruled neighboring kingdoms. One after another, she seduced them, killed them and consumed them. She found that the bloodier the death, the more the tyrant suffered; the more power was transmitted to her through his suffering. Eventually, she passed away like all mortal beings. But the tribe carried on her tradition and continued to thrive, until the new tyrants came with their guns and their ships and their armies. Where we weren’t completely exterminated, we were pushed into the shadows, forced underground; hunted down, tortured and murdered in the very beds we slept in. But some of us survived and kept Oyori’s traditions alive. As you eat your meal, meditate on Oyori, the power that grows inside you, your commitment to each other and your commitment to Oyori.”

Everyone removed the lids from their plates. I looked at the small thin piece of boiled meat on my plate. I fought the urge to vomit. Black Sally took a water pitcher from the center of the table and poured me glass. She whispered, “Don’t think about it, just eat it. “ I cut the piece of meat into two pieces and shoved one of the halves in my mouth. I chewed and swallowed quickly, then gulped down half my glass of water. I took the other bite, finished my water and sat back in my chair concentrating as hard as I could on not vomiting in the middle of the ritual. I looked around the table, everyone had finished and sat quietly. A wave of euphoria swept over me. My nausea went away. I suddenly experienced a strong feeling of confidence and self-awareness. My anxiety and fear subsided. I had just consumed a piece of a human liver, and the only emotion I felt at that time was…exhilaration.

Antonija rose without speaking and exited the room. Once she was gone, Black Sally looked at Selene and said, “I’m taking Clarence this afternoon.’

Selene replied, “The fuck you are, Clarence needs to clean shit in the dog kennels.”

“Clarence was not sent here to learn to clean shit. I’m taking Clarence to teach him something useful.”

“Oh yeah. What are you gonna teach him, how to lick your pussy? Fuck that, Clarence is cleaning shit.”

“Selene, I know that in your perfect vision of the world, you would be queen and everyone else would be groveling shit cleaners. What title should we bestow your Royal Highness? I know, since your dominion will be comprised solely of shit cleaners, and that implies an overabundance of feces…we’ll call you ‘Selene, Queen of Shit!”

Lavinia interjected, “Enough! Clarence will be spending the afternoon with me!”

Terror…absolute terror is what I felt after hearing that I would be spending the afternoon alone with Lavinia. I feared Selene and Black Sally. I was terrified of Lavinia. Who wouldn’t be after witnessing her performance earlier that morning? In addition, Selene would calling for me later in the evening. My mind was filled with images of Lavinia in her blood red dress, dancing around the room spinning that chain as she flayed her helpless victim. The woman who became so aroused at the sight of the man’s blood and suffering that she hiked her dress up and masturbated right there on the spot as she watched him die. That’s who I would be spending the afternoon alone with. And I had no idea what to expect.