The Lioness and the Black Widow 8

We all waited in the living-room while Lavinia worked her magic upstairs. Antigone and the twins stood with their backs to wall on one side of the room. Damijana, Black Sally and I did the same on the opposite side. The Duchess removed her Chinchilla and tossed it on the couch. The German Shepherd on Sally’s leash growled and bared his teeth at The Duchess. Damijana gripped her machete, gently tapping the tip of the blade against the wall behind her. The Duchess sat down and said, “You know, even barbarians believe in hospitality.”

Sally replied, “If the savages and barbarians hadn’t believed in hospitality, the world would still belong to the savages and barbarians.”

The Duchess tilted her head to the side and smiled, “I’m glad that’s not the case. I wouldn’t want to live this way if everyone else was doing it. I’ll remember to pack my own refreshments next time because the Kastelics are too hardcore to offer their guests a cup of coffee and something sweet.”

Ira entered without being noticeably summoned. Damijana said, “Bring us some coffee and cake.” Ira nodded her head and returned to the kitchen. The Duchess rubbed her hands together excitedly and said, “I’ll be surprised if we get to Sathanas before one of his associates kills him. We haven’t even got started yet and he’s already willing to pay us to leave him alone. After tonight, he’ll be isolated.”

Damijana asked, “Why did you go after The Fallen Angel? You know that we‘re not supposed to attack other Matriarchs without a very good reason.”

The Duchess said, “Why? Is it so we can create a community of telepathics and protect each other? Since I’ve been in this, it’s never been about creating and protecting communities. When I came in, the older women in the house taught me to realize my power through my own suffering and to strengthen myself through the suffering of others. They sent me out to hunt, torture and kill. In my house, if you haven’t done those things, then you’re not a member of ANY house. The Fallen Angel tried to call herself a Matriarch without having any blood on her hands, without bringing any sacrifices to the altar, without consuming the meat.”

Damijana stepped away from the wall, took a seat across from The Duchess and asked, “How did your house find you?” Ira returned with a silver tray loaded with coffee and cake. She set it on the coffee table between Damijana and The Duchess.

The Duchess poured herself a cup coffee and said, “I was a runaway. They found me on the street. An old lady came along offering me food and a safe place. She looked wealthy. I figured that I’d eat her food, warm-up and rob her later that night. When I got the house, the women beat me to the floor as soon I walked in the door. They tore my clothes off and tied me to a pole. Then they brought in a girl I knew from the street. She was about my age. They tortured her right in front of me. I remember the hot piss running down my thigh, when I saw them cut her open and remove her liver. They passed it around, eating it raw. Then the Matriarch shoved a handful of the meat into my mouth, held it shut and forced me to swallow. I don’t know how long I was tied to the pole. It could have been a day. It could have been a month. I was too busy screaming to worry about the time. They stuck needles in me, they burned me, they whipped me, they pulled out four of my teeth. They tore off my fingernails and toenails. They cut off my hair. They untied my ankles and held my legs spread apart, then they fucked me with baseball-bats until they had to pull me down and sew me up to stop the bleeding. Then they put me in a coffin and buried me alive behind the house. I had the opportunity to do a lot of soul-searching while I was in that coffin, staring into a darkness that a person who hasn’t experienced it could never comprehend. I thought I was suffering through my last hours of existence. I prayed for it to end, for death to just come quickly. Death didn’t come. The members of the house dug me up and healed me. Here I am resurrected.”

Damijana said, “You got your revenge though, didn’t you?”

“That’s not revenge, just like Lavinia killing Antonija was not revenge. That’s just the way this game is played.”

“So you expect to be murdered by your predecessor?”

The Duchess looked over at Antigone, “You don’t become a Matriarch by getting elected. The title doesn’t go to the prettiest, smartest or most graceful. This isn’t a fucking beauty pageant. There is only one road leading to the crown, murder. When that changes, all of these houses will fall.”

Heavy footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs. We all went out into the hallway. The three zombies stood motionless at the bottom of the stairs. All three stared at the ground. Chris foamed at the mouth. We placed Chris and the young woman in the trunk of the Cutlass. We put the man who had been tied to the cross in the trunk of The Duchess’ car. I looked at the house before getting in the passenger seat of the Lincoln. I focused on Lavinia and thought, “I love you.”

Lavinia’s voice came into my mind like a cool, refreshing breeze on a stifling summer day, “Clarence, your love is of tremendous value to me. I love you as much as you love me, if not more. I didn’t have to force, or manipulate, you into loving me or giving me your loyalty and obedience. You have given all of this to me out of your own free will. I’m not used to that. When I was crippled and disfigured, your loyalty increased rather than decreasing. That is devotion. I do not take your devotion for granted. Now go, you have work to do.” I felt a pair of soft, full lips kiss my cheek, but there was nobody at my side. Anguish filled my heart as I wondered what it must be like to exist behind that mask, without the ability to press your lips against the flesh of the one you love; without the ability to receive a kiss on the lips in return.

The Duchess yelled, “LET’S GO!” I hopped in the car. We drove into the city, followed by Antigone and the twins in the Cutlass. The streetlights had just come on as the last remaining light in the sky faded away. We pulled into the parking lot of a large apartment complex. As we slowed down to go over the speed-bumps, I looked out the window at the groups of young men hanging out in front of the buildings. Some were drinking, some were smoking; some laughed, while others fought. A heavy-set man with coal black skin and dreadlocks threw a gang sign at us. The Duchess stopped several feet away from the man. A group of young men came to his side and began yelling at our car. One of the young men lifted his shirt to show us the pistol he had tucked in pants. Antigone’s Cutlass came to a stop behind us. The Duchess said, “These guys right here, these are the guys The Great Sathanas uses as muscle. They’re getting ready to come looking for us. I figured we’d save them the drive.”

The heavy-set man approached the car. He raised his arms and yelled at me, “Wassup punk? You lookin’ for something?” The Duchess popped the trunk. When the heavy-set man saw the zombie climb out of the trunk, I saw him mouth the words, “WHAT THE FUCK” but no sound came out of his mouth. The man reached under his shirt. Before he could pull his weapon, the zombie was on top of him, tearing away the flesh of the man’s face with his teeth. Antigone let the other two zombies out. Gunfire erupted.

The Duchess ducked, opened her car door, grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the car with her, as she threw herself to the ground. She fell in a puddle of oil and water, soiling her Chinchilla. She sat up and looked at the stained arms and front of her coat. Bullets ricocheted off a dumpster behind her. She screamed, “LOOK AT THIS SHIT!” She stared at me wide-eyed while pointing at her soiled coat. I laid on the ground, curled up in the fetal position, my arms covering my head. Gunshots and screams filled the night air.

Antigone rushed to The Duchess side and asked, “What happened? Are you okay?” The Duchess replied, “Am I okay?” She pointed at her coat, “Do I look okay to you?” She stood up, pulled off her coat and threw it on the ground in front of the dumpster. Antigone yelled, “GET DOWN!” The Duchess continued her tirade as she walked to the trunk of her car, bullets whizzing past her head, “PUNK-MOTHER-FUCKERS!” She pulled an assault rifle from the trunk and opened fire. I couldn’t see what she was shooting at, or if she was hitting it. All I saw was the empty shells bouncing off the asphalt.

Antigone shouted, “DUCHESS! WE HAVE TO GO!” Then she scrambled back to the bullet-riddled Cutlass and climbed in the driver’s seat. The Duchess slammed another clip into her rifle and yelled at me, “CLARENCE! GET BACK IN THE CAR!” Then she opened fire again. When her second clip was empty, all the gunfire had stopped. I jumped to my feet and climbed over the driver’s seat into the passenger side. When I looked out the window, I saw all the fallen young men, their white shirts soaked in blood, the zombies tearing away and consuming their flesh. The night had gone silent except for the sounds of screams and distant sirens.

The Duchess threw her rifle in the trunk, slammed it shut and she hopped in the car. Antigone turned her car around in the parking lot and pulled out. We followed right behind. I looked at The Duchess and asked, “What about the zombies? What will the police do when they find them?”

The Duchess answered, “The zombies will be laid out like the dead when the police get there. They’ll take them to the morgue with the other dead people.”

“Did we get all of Sathanas’ guys?”

The Duchess laughed, “What do you mean ‘we’? You were on the ground curled up in a ball. But to answer question, we got enough of them. Those gangsters weren’t loyal to Sathanas, they were loyal to the money he paid them. After this…after the survivors go tell their friends about seeing people being eaten by fucking zombies…there is no gang on the face of this earth that is going to connect themselves to Sathanas. He’s done. What you need to be worried about is your meeting with Medea. You’re not out of danger yet Clarence. The night is still young.”

I asked, “How come I’m meeting with the Second-Chair of this house and not the Matriarch.”

“You should know by now that the Second-Chair has four functions; they enforce discipline in the house, they see that the Matriarch’s orders are carried out by the members of the house, they deal with minor problems so the Matriarch doesn’t have to worry about them and most importantly, they plot to murder the Matriarch and take her crown. That’s what Second-Chair does. So when you’re meeting with a Second-Chair, you’re usually meeting the next Matriarch of that house. Medea comes from one of the largest and most bellicose houses in existence. When they’re not at war with outsiders, they’re warring with another house. When they’re not warring with another house, they go to war with each other. Usually, they’re doing a combination of those things all at once. Their roots go back to the kingdom of Dahomey. They used women as warriors. An exceptionally vicious and brutal cult grew out of that practice. That cult still lives on in the shadows today. That’s who we’re on our way to see.”

“Is there anything I need to know before I meet her?”

“What’s there for you to know? They say Medea can tear man’s heart with her bare hands. If I was you, I wouldn’t assume they mean that figuratively. She places no value on human life, none whatsoever. Rumor has it that she murdered her own parents and siblings. I suggest that you maintain a degree of distance from her, don’t be ashamed to hide behind your Matriarch. You DO NOT want to be present at one Medea’s rituals and whatever you do, whatever she does, DON’T FUCK HER! If she fucks a man, she kills him. And from I understand, she likes to fuck a lot.”

“Wait a minute…you said that I will naturally serve the Keepers of the Altar. If she tells me to do something…”

The Duchess interrupted, “You belong to Lavinia. While that may not be generally approved of, it’s known. Even Medea doesn’t want problems with Lavinia, not if she can avoid it. She won’t force you to fuck her. But if you if spend too much time with her, she will be tempted. She’ll seek to seduce rather than force. That way she can lay the blame on you; when she fucks you, tears your heart out and eats it.”

I turned my head and stared out the window. Lavinia’s voice entered my mind, “Don’t be afraid of Medea. She is a woman who believes in honor. She has heard of your loyalty and respects it. She will tempt you and she will test you. If you fall to temptation or fail her tests, she will kill you. It‘s your responsibility not to fall or fail.”

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The Lioness and the Black Widow 7

When Roger had chewed his way down to the neck, he dropped Cecile and walked out the room. Antigone asked The Duchess, “What about the old man and Theresa?” The Duchess answered, “I’m not taking them to be raised. The old man is already falling apart. As for Theresa, you just don’t do that to a friend. Alright, I‘m gonna have Roger carry the geezer and Ms. Peacock up to the attic. I want the cars pulled into the garage and the girl on the sofa thrown in the trunk of your car. Then bring down Chris and the guy on the cross.”

We placed the young woman in the trunk of the Cutlass. The Duchess and Antigone came down with the two men, both men had their hands cuffed in front of them. The Duchess grabbed Chris by the hair and said, “You’re going in the trunk of my car. If you make any noise back there, I’m gonna open the trunk, pour gasoline all over you and set you on fire. Do you understand?” Chris muttered, “Yes.” She shoved Chris in the trunk and slammed it shut. She pointed at the other man, “That motherfucker can ride in the trunk with the dead body.”

As I rode in the passenger seat of The Duchess’ Lincoln, I stared out the window watching a world a I could no longer be a part of pass me by. Green lawns, gardening seniors, people bustling, hustling to and fro; people going about their daily business. People I could never be like, people I would never know. I was no longer a part of ‘humanity’.

The Duchess turned the music up, enthusiastically singing along to Esther Phillips’ “No Headstone on My Grave” at the top of her lungs. When her song was over, she turned off the music and said, “After we go see Lavinia, we’ll go visit some more of The Great Sathanas’ people. After that, I have another meeting set-up that you’ll need to attend.”

I asked, “Another Matriarch?”

“Not yet, she’s Second-Chair in her house.”

“Is it to see how I’ll react again?”

“No. I already know how you’re gonna react, just like I knew the last time. This time it’s about she reacts to you. I need her on board.”

“Don’t you worry that more of Theresa’s friends will show up?”

“I already anticipate that happening. I’m burning the house tonight.”

“Why was she connected to so many outsiders?”

“She wanted a normal life. I told her that she could live as she chose. Theresa could have just walked away from all this with her slave. Instead, she tried to have the best of both worlds. There is no gray area here. You are either on one side of the threshold or the other. Fence-riders get torn on half. That’s what happened to my friend Theresa.”

We arrived at the house, Lilith opened the door for us. Her cheeks were still bandaged and she had dark circles under her eyes. She was tired, but her will wasn’t broken. Her immense suffering made her stronger. I helped the twins carry the body of the young woman upstairs to Lavinia’s office. When we got there, Lavinia was seated behind her desk, Sally and Damijana stood at her side; just like I saw them in the vision.

The Duchess entered the office and stood in front of Lavinia’s desk smiling. She said, “I’ve got two more bodies for you to raise and a replacement for Alfred.”

Lavinia replied, “Alfred was one of a kind. There can be no replacement.”

“Yeah well, this fuck-up right here,” she pointed at Chris, “got my best friend killed. You know what happened. You can see everything through Clarence.”

“I did. I also saw all the unnecessary killing. Why did you attack The Fallen Angel?”

“She was faking the crown.”

“She was faking the crown? Are you sure it isn’t because of some slight that occurred a long time ago?”

“You know what? Fuck The Fallen Angel. She got what she deserved. I just helped her find her destiny a little quicker. What’s with the morality lessons?”

“You are killing innocent people for no reason whatsoever.”

“Innocent? I’ve never even heard of the term. What the fuck is that supposed to mean? And who are you to lecture me? Your house kills more people than we do.”

“There has to be a reason for me to kill someone.”

“Oh, you need a reason. So, when you kill someone for your own sick sexual satisfaction, you call that a reason?”

“Yes.”

The Duchess shook her head and lit a cigarette, “Whatever you say Lavinia. If you’re not gonna use Chris, we may as well kill him and raise him. Is that a good enough reason to kill?”

“Bring him forward.” Antigone shoved Chris toward Lavinia’s desk. Chris stood quivering, staring wide-eyed at the black and red mask in front of him. Lavinia said, “We are discussing whether you should live or die. Do you have anything to say in regard to that matter.”

Chris shook his lowered head.

Lavinia asked, “Do you prefer death?”

Chris shook his head and muttered, “N-no.”

“So why should I keep you alive. What can you do for me?”

“I-I…I will serve you…”

Lavinia interrupted, “Serve me? Do think that I would allow a horde of roaches into my house, as long as they promised to serve me? How could you possibly serve me?”

The Duchess said, “Theresa was pleased with him.”

Lavinia replied, “Theresa loved this man. I don’t. Theresa sought partners she could lose herself in, hoping to forget who she really was. I’m not. Most importantly, Theresa was into a different form of slavery. Chris was her slave because that was his choice. He could walk away at any time. I take slaves because I choose to. I take who I want, when I want, how I want. My slaves have no choices. None. I’m as similar to Theresa as a Palestinian suicide bomber is to our local congressman. Both are in the business of politics. But their methods are drastically different. The Palestinian woman who straps a bomb to herself, she has no use for the Congressman‘s books, rules, rhetoric and pomp. Just like I have no use for Chris. Kill him.”

Antigone pulled a length of rope from her pocket, wrapped it around Chris’s neck and strangled him. She pulled him down to the floor as he kicked his legs and struggled for air. Eventually, his legs stopped kicking and jerking. His body went still. Chris was dead.

Lavinia said, “I’m going to say this one time. We aren’t playing cowboys and Indians here. The stakes are high for us. If we don’t win, we will be destroyed. Dominating the other houses and Matriarchs, killing anyone who gets in our way or threatens to thwart our will; these things are necessities. We don’t do it because we think it would be ’cool’ to dominate the other Matriarchs and kill people, we do it because it is necessary for our survival. This is how we live, this is what we do. You’re out there killing Elvira-wannabes and aggressive housewives for no good reason. While that may be entertaining to you, to me it is a waste of time. I don’t have any time to waste. You endangered us all by allowing Theresa to form relationships with outsiders.”

“How I run my house is my business.”

“It is your business. But you know as well as I do that we can’t mix and mingle with outsiders as if we had something in common with them.”
“Theresa was looking for a way to live, grow and be happy without having to torture and kill people all the time…”

Lavinia slammed her fist on the desk, “There is no other way for us. My sister sought the same thing. That’s how we found Clarence. The bottom line is this, a square is a square. I don’t give a fuck what they call themselves, what kind of relationship they have with their spouses, how kinky their sex lives are or how anti-social they act or dress. They are outsiders and do not live the same way we do. From now on, nobody in either of our houses is allowed to form relationships with outsiders.”

The Duchess looked at Damijana and asked, “You found Clarence at one those places Theresa was going to? What brought you there?”

Damijana answered, “The same thing that brought Theresa. I was under the illusion that there was a place for me in this world other than here.”

The Duchess laughed, “Clarence, you were just hanging out looking for something kinky to get into, and Damijana found you? A black guy hanging out in places like that? You would have had a better chance finding a woman at a klan rally. You’re lucky Damijana found you.”

I replied, “I am lucky. I am also very aware of the difference between us and them. We shouldn’t have had to kill those three people this afternoon.”

The Duchess exclaimed, “Whatever Clarence. Lavinia would have killed that loud mouth bitch too, and you know it. She was offensive. I could look right inside her and see her fears, insecurities and envy. Ms. Peacock was a weak bitch and a bad actress. I‘m just surprised someone didn‘t off her belligerent ass a long time ago, probably because she surrounded herself with people who were either weaker than her, or infatuated with her.”

Lavinia said, “You’re right. I would have killed her. But that’s not the point. Clarence belongs here, we found him and brought him home. Shit like this,” She pointed to Chris’s body on the floor, “does not belong here. Theresa had no business getting involved with that man. And she definitely had no business confusing the steps we take to insure our survival with a fucking relationship model for squares. This isn’t the goddamn Brady Bunch and we are not normal people. I strongly suggest you make sure that all members of your house are completely clear about this in the future.”

“I got it Lavinia. Squares are off limits.”

“Good, because we can’t murder an entire subculture just because a few women can’t keep their fingers out of it. By tomorrow you‘ll have a dozen people pounding on your door looking for their friends, the cops will come shortly thereafter.”

“All the cops will find when they get there is ash and embers. I’m burning the house tonight.”

“Good. Are you set to meet Medea tonight?”

“I am. All we need is her house on our side and we can go confront the Old Ladies. I look forward to fucking up their tea party.”

“The days of drinking tea, formalities and mutual masturbation are over. The Old Ladies belong in a museum. This is a different era and the old ways are no longer relevant. Once they’re out of the way, we’ll unite the houses we favor and destroy the ones we don’t. We’ll rule over all the other Matriarchs.”

The Duchess smiled, “I like the way you think.”

Lavinia replied, “I know that you’re on your way to hit The Great Sathanas again. I’ll raise the woman, Chris and the live one right there.” Lavinia pointed at the man who had been tied to the cross. He no longer spoke or looked around. He just stared at the floor. After seeing his friend tortured and killed in front of him; after having his friends severed genitals shoved in his mouth as The Duchess had orgasm from witnessing his suffering, the man had lost his mind.

The Duchess asked, “Do you want us to take care of him before we go.”

Lavinia answered, “No. You’re people are too brutal and lack finesse.” The man immediately fell to floor and began having seizure. His eyes rolled back in his head and he foamed at the mouth. Lavinia continued, “Everyone needs to go downstairs. I’ll send them down as I raise them.”

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 21

Roger writhed around the floor in a growing pool of blood. I placed his severed genitals on Lavinia’s desk and said, “The Duchess asked for a cup of coffee.” Lavinia’s voice said, “I’ll have Ira bring her some.” The Duchess smiled, politely said, “Thank you.” She gazed down at the suffering man. My eyes were fixed on The Duchess, and her long curly red hair. Her breasts heaved as her breathing became heavier. The look in her eyes changed. The she tore open her burgundy blouse, one of her buttons bounced off my black shirt and fell to the floor. My heart raced. A mixture of terror and desire swept over me with the heat and intensity of a wildfire. I recognized what she was and hoped I would be able to stay away from her.

The Duchess reached her hand out toward me and stared me in the eyes. I handed her the dagger. She straddled the man’s waist, his blood soaking into her white pants. She said, “I want him to look scary after you raise him.” She grabbed the man’s upper lip, pulled it taut, then she sliced it off with the dagger and threw it aside. The man flung his head back and forth. The Duchess seized the man’s face by the chin and repeated the process with the man’s lower lip. One of the twins picked the lips up off the floor and stood over the man’s head mocking him with his severed lips, “Hi I’m Roger. Some would say I’m a ladies man.” The twins laughed in unison while The Duchess cut off Roger’s nose, followed by his ears.

The Duchess then grabbed a handful of Roger’s hair and scalped him. Roger no longer screamed. He just repeatedly opened and closed his lipless mouth without making any noise. The Duchess put down the dagger and moved her hips back and forth against the spot where Roger’s cock and balls once were. She put her hands in the pool of blood and began rubbing it into the flesh of her stomach and face. She looked at me and said, “Remove my blouse.” I looked to Lavinia, she nodded her head. After I removed The Duchess’ blouse she commanded, “Now unhook my bra.”

I slipped my fingers between her pale flesh and the black strap of her braseirre. Then I stepped away and circled around to the front to admire her cruel beauty. She continued soaking her hands in the blood, then rubbing it into her breasts, neck, face and arms; her hands gliding smoothly over her lubricated skin as if she was applying an oil or lotion. The only part of her that wasn’t red, were the whites of her eyes and her pearly white smile. She undid her blood steeped slacks, reached into her black lace panties and started masturbating. She leaned back, leaning on one arm. She turned her face toward the ceiling and opened her mouth in a toothy grimace. Then her body convulsed and she let out a deafening, primal roar. The twins tried to quiet their giggles.

The Duchess rose to her feet, breathing heavily. She said, “He’s almost dead.” Lavinia’s voice said, “Clarence, strangle him.” The Duchess still stood, straddling Roger as I approached to finish him. She didn’t move. I said, “I need to strangle him.” She motioned toward Roger and replied, “Go ahead. Nothing’s stopping you.” A chill ran over my body as I entered her space. As I stood straddling Roger, I could feel the energy emanating from her, as she stood right behind me. Her breasts brushed against my back. Her breath tickled my neck.

I sat on Roger’s chest, wrapped my hands around his neck and strangled him. All the while, I felt the heat of The Duchess’ body as she stood over me. When I was done, I stood and turned to face her. She looked like red a demon standing before me. Lavinia’s voice said, “Clarence, Octavia is across the hall. Go get her.” The Duchess looked me in the eyes and smiled. I couldn’t move away from her. I was like a magnet stuck to a refrigerator. The Duchess backed away from me. Lavinia’s voice asked, “Clarence, would like to spend the weekend in the box?”

I replied with my thoughts, “No. I’m sorry. I don’t know what it is. She’s doing something to me.”

“I’M going to do something to you Clarence, if you don’t take your eyes off her and go get Octavia NOW!!!”

I quickly left the office and entered the room across the hall. I turned the light on, the room was empty. I thought, “Octavia’s gone!” Lavinia’s voice replied, “She’s in the closet.” When I opened the closet door I found Octavia. She was on the floor of the closet, under the shelves where Lavinia kept her collection of jars. I knelt down by Octavia, sadness filled my heart as I looked at her. She had been bound up in the fetal postion with layers of black tape. The only part of her body that could be seen was her nose and mouth. Lavinia’s voice said, “There are handles taped to her feet. Drag her in here.”

When I brought Octavia into the office, Lavinia came from behind her desk and guided her wheelchair to the center of the room. I placed Octavia at her feet. Her voice commanded, “EVERYONE OUT!” The Duchess argued, “What do you mean ‘out’? The deal is that you teach me to raise the dead.”

Lavinia replied, “I’ll raise them for you until the war is over. After the war, I’ll teach you how.”

“Raise them for me? Did I just fall off the fucking banana truck? If you raise them, you maintain control over them.”

“I can turn control over to you.”

“Yes, but you can regain control at any time.”

“Look, I don’t trust you anymore than you trust me. You cannot expect me to give you the whole package before the war is over. You haven’t even become actively involved in it yet.”

“That will change tomorrow morning provided that I don’t have to spend the night arguing with you over petty details.”

“I’m not arguing anything. I’m telling you that I will raise the dead for you until the war is over, then I’ll teach you how.”

“I wonder why you send your sister or Sally to handle diplomacy. I want more than just a house full of fucking zombies that you could turn against me at anytime. You’re asking me to put my entire house on the line to come fight this war that YOU started. You’re offering me a rare and special power in return. But you don’t trust me, so I can’t have that power until after the war, right? Yet I’m supposed to trust you and risk everything RIGHT NOW and wait for you to fulfill you’re promise. Fine. Have it your way. I want some collateral to make me feel better about this leap of fucking faith you’re asking me to take.”

“What?”

“Something you care about.” The Duchess looked at me.

Lavinia said, “No.”

“Then our business is done Lavinia. You can go to war on your own. You should think about this. If you want alliances, you’re going to have to negotiate. This is the last time I offer, I’ll fight right by your side and use all the resources at my disposal. But you either have to show me how to raise the dead right now, or let me take Clarence as collateral until you do.”

Lavinia’s voice said, “I’m holding you personally responsible for his well-being and neither you, nor anybody in your house, is allowed to enter his head.”

“I will see to him personally and protect him in the same way that I would protect a member of my own house.”

I thought, “I can’t go through this shit again in another house. I’m asking you, please don’t send me with her.”

Lavinia’s voice said to me, “Enough. It’s done. You will be fine.”

Lavinia’s voice said out loud, “Now everyone out! You all can wait downstairs. I’ll send Roger down shortly.”