Mireille
Really Experienced
- Joined
- Nov 6, 2008
- Posts
- 199
Delaney heard the angry voice in her head just as her hand was reaching towards the candle on her desk.
"Don't. if you do, you'll be dead, and i'll be back in that cage."
trying not to show how startled she was, she quickly pulled her hand back, clutching the document she was about to give to the flames, and turned to face the circus master.
"I think this concludes our business, Master Popovich. I'll have my men show you safely back to your camp". Not out of courtesy, of course, the man made her hackles rise and her flesh cringe. She just wanted to make sure he didn't linger on her premises, snooping around where she didn't belong. For a human, he smelled wrong, like stale wine, cheap opium and a vile, repulsive scent she could only associate with gone-off garbage. Popovich inclined his head and turned to leave. At the door, before she could even react, he aimed a swift kick at the battered mass of flesh curled up on the floor.
"I don't think you'll get much use out of this garbage", he sneered, leeringly emphasizing the word "use". "But it's all yours".
Alone in the dim-lit room, she carefully crouched down before the bundle of rags, careful not to make any sudden movements or noise. The bundle hadn't made a sound all that time, but she could definitely see a small trickle of fresh blood seep out from where the "Master's" steel-toed boot had aimed its kick. Covered in his torn, bloodied rags, a meager protection from the stormy night, the being was emanating a rage and hatred you could almost taste.
"εάν με αγγίξετε θα σας σκοτώσω"
"if you touch me, i'll kill you", the creature snarled under its breath in Greek.Its voice was ragged and hoarse, like he hadn't used words in a very long time and its throat was finding it hard to remember the movements.
Delaney straightened up and left the room. Minutes later, she returned with a bowl of warm stew. The bundle hadn't made any movement from under its cowl. She placed the bowl on the floor beside it, and turned to leave.
"I will leave you to eat in peace. Please", she added softly, walking away, when the bundle still didn't move.
She veered suddenly to her right, just as the bowl whizzed past her, smearing stew all over the hem of her silk robes. "I will bring you another one", she said, walking out the door without turning.
When she returned, the bundle was lapping greedily at the pieces of meat on the floor, juice coating its hands and dribbling down its chest.
She wanted to cry for the poor creature, and she wanted to run after the circus master and slit its throat right there in the middle of the street. Seeing the thunderous look on her face, the creature scampered back a few paces on the floor, and covered its head with his arms, pulling a few bits of ragged sleeve over it.
She sat down on the floor beside him, and handed him another bowl. when he made no move towards it, she picked up a spoonful and offered it to him.
"I'm not a dog to eat out of your hand", came another snarl. She picked up her own bowl, right there on the floor beside him, and started eating. He eventually pulled his food closer to him, and, hiding it under his sleeve, began to devour it. She handed him a goblet of water, then another, and sat there in silence with him, until the candle sputtered and died its last flicker of light. Then she stretched out beside him on the cold stone, closed her eyes, and slowed down her breathing.
She woke up to a sliver of light filtering through the window. The creature was sitting against the wall, couched under its rags, staring at her with hatred and mistrust. When he saw her looking at her, he averted his eyes, and pulled the rags over his head again.
"Good, you're still here. Time to get cleaned up", she said softly, approaching him. "Come". He gave no sign that he's even heard, let alone understood what she meant. She crouched down beside him again, and tried to pull his hand down. He snarled and pushed her hand out of the way, and then covered himself again, as if he expected to be kicked.
She locked her fingers on his wrist, pulled him to his feet, and nearly dragged him behind her. He wasn't fighting her off, although she knew having seen him earlier that he could have easily gotten himself free. In fact, she was shocked that he was still there, that he hadn't tried to escape last night. At the door, she saw her two loyal guards with their spears, and she realised that he obviously mustn't have found his chance yet. She wasn't yet ready to let him free. The thought shocked her, and she thought to herself she was becoming no better than the circus master.
She made her way to her room, and left him sitting on the mattress she'd had put there the night before. he looked furious and out of place, as if he didn't know what to do with the object he was lying on. A few minutes later, she was back carrying a bowl of fresh water, and a handful of silken cloths and ointments. She tried pulling the soiled rags from him, but he snarled and clutched at his cloak as if it was his only armour.
"Fine, i'll let you do it yourself." She put a bunch of clothes on the floor in front of him, the water and cloths, and silently left the room."i'm not a dog", she heard his coarse voice echoing in her mind. "no, you are not", she replied the same way, and heard him pull in a startled breath. "I'll bring you some food".
When she returned, he was on the floor, hair dripping wet, dressed in only the pants she'd left him. beside him, the bowl of now muddied water, and the filthy rags he'd had on before. She watched him scoff down his food in silence, and then pulled him to his feet and sat him down on the mattress again.
"όχι. Don't!", he spat between clenched teeth as she took his hand in hers. She ignored him and started rubbing ointment with a cloth on his raw knuckles, and wrist.
"Master will kill you", he ground out. "he will get me back, after a day or two, when he deems you have finished with me. he always does.I am the Zviera, and i am his best."
Delaney woke up with a start, face down on the mattress, as the sound of the mobile phone beside her intruded into her dreams.
"Don't. if you do, you'll be dead, and i'll be back in that cage."
trying not to show how startled she was, she quickly pulled her hand back, clutching the document she was about to give to the flames, and turned to face the circus master.
"I think this concludes our business, Master Popovich. I'll have my men show you safely back to your camp". Not out of courtesy, of course, the man made her hackles rise and her flesh cringe. She just wanted to make sure he didn't linger on her premises, snooping around where she didn't belong. For a human, he smelled wrong, like stale wine, cheap opium and a vile, repulsive scent she could only associate with gone-off garbage. Popovich inclined his head and turned to leave. At the door, before she could even react, he aimed a swift kick at the battered mass of flesh curled up on the floor.
"I don't think you'll get much use out of this garbage", he sneered, leeringly emphasizing the word "use". "But it's all yours".
Alone in the dim-lit room, she carefully crouched down before the bundle of rags, careful not to make any sudden movements or noise. The bundle hadn't made a sound all that time, but she could definitely see a small trickle of fresh blood seep out from where the "Master's" steel-toed boot had aimed its kick. Covered in his torn, bloodied rags, a meager protection from the stormy night, the being was emanating a rage and hatred you could almost taste.
"εάν με αγγίξετε θα σας σκοτώσω"
"if you touch me, i'll kill you", the creature snarled under its breath in Greek.Its voice was ragged and hoarse, like he hadn't used words in a very long time and its throat was finding it hard to remember the movements.
Delaney straightened up and left the room. Minutes later, she returned with a bowl of warm stew. The bundle hadn't made any movement from under its cowl. She placed the bowl on the floor beside it, and turned to leave.
"I will leave you to eat in peace. Please", she added softly, walking away, when the bundle still didn't move.
She veered suddenly to her right, just as the bowl whizzed past her, smearing stew all over the hem of her silk robes. "I will bring you another one", she said, walking out the door without turning.
When she returned, the bundle was lapping greedily at the pieces of meat on the floor, juice coating its hands and dribbling down its chest.
She wanted to cry for the poor creature, and she wanted to run after the circus master and slit its throat right there in the middle of the street. Seeing the thunderous look on her face, the creature scampered back a few paces on the floor, and covered its head with his arms, pulling a few bits of ragged sleeve over it.
She sat down on the floor beside him, and handed him another bowl. when he made no move towards it, she picked up a spoonful and offered it to him.
"I'm not a dog to eat out of your hand", came another snarl. She picked up her own bowl, right there on the floor beside him, and started eating. He eventually pulled his food closer to him, and, hiding it under his sleeve, began to devour it. She handed him a goblet of water, then another, and sat there in silence with him, until the candle sputtered and died its last flicker of light. Then she stretched out beside him on the cold stone, closed her eyes, and slowed down her breathing.
She woke up to a sliver of light filtering through the window. The creature was sitting against the wall, couched under its rags, staring at her with hatred and mistrust. When he saw her looking at her, he averted his eyes, and pulled the rags over his head again.
"Good, you're still here. Time to get cleaned up", she said softly, approaching him. "Come". He gave no sign that he's even heard, let alone understood what she meant. She crouched down beside him again, and tried to pull his hand down. He snarled and pushed her hand out of the way, and then covered himself again, as if he expected to be kicked.
She locked her fingers on his wrist, pulled him to his feet, and nearly dragged him behind her. He wasn't fighting her off, although she knew having seen him earlier that he could have easily gotten himself free. In fact, she was shocked that he was still there, that he hadn't tried to escape last night. At the door, she saw her two loyal guards with their spears, and she realised that he obviously mustn't have found his chance yet. She wasn't yet ready to let him free. The thought shocked her, and she thought to herself she was becoming no better than the circus master.
She made her way to her room, and left him sitting on the mattress she'd had put there the night before. he looked furious and out of place, as if he didn't know what to do with the object he was lying on. A few minutes later, she was back carrying a bowl of fresh water, and a handful of silken cloths and ointments. She tried pulling the soiled rags from him, but he snarled and clutched at his cloak as if it was his only armour.
"Fine, i'll let you do it yourself." She put a bunch of clothes on the floor in front of him, the water and cloths, and silently left the room."i'm not a dog", she heard his coarse voice echoing in her mind. "no, you are not", she replied the same way, and heard him pull in a startled breath. "I'll bring you some food".
When she returned, he was on the floor, hair dripping wet, dressed in only the pants she'd left him. beside him, the bowl of now muddied water, and the filthy rags he'd had on before. She watched him scoff down his food in silence, and then pulled him to his feet and sat him down on the mattress again.
"όχι. Don't!", he spat between clenched teeth as she took his hand in hers. She ignored him and started rubbing ointment with a cloth on his raw knuckles, and wrist.
"Master will kill you", he ground out. "he will get me back, after a day or two, when he deems you have finished with me. he always does.I am the Zviera, and i am his best."
Delaney woke up with a start, face down on the mattress, as the sound of the mobile phone beside her intruded into her dreams.
