Chapter 7: A Colony of Wasps
After knowing he had gone for certain, the darkness unnerved me more than I anticipated. I swallowed and exhaled deep breaths knowing that this was the reaction he wanted from me. I wouldn't give him what he wanted. Not now, not ever.
So I sunk back, the bars of my cage being the only indicator of where I was. I stared blankly at nothing, thinking back to what could have been only a couple days ago. When I was free to go into the town square, free to pick berries from the farmers market so that I could make berry cream for the cakes. I wanted to feel my muscles tire from kneading and flipping dough the whole day, I ached to feel the soft flour and hear the crack of an egg. All simplicities that I would possibly never get back.
I longed to hug Locky and Ma. Tell them to savor each day and not to fight over the little things. I wanted to sit down and hear all about the medicinal value in different sap trees from my sister. Perchance, go to the theater at least once with Ma. Wear our best dress and corset, pretend for one day that all was well in the Calvert's house and money was not an issue.
I didn't know I was sobbing. In fact, my own whimpers brought me back. Over the past couple of days, I found that I disassociated often, my brain giving me little peace from the present.
"C'mon, you cock-eyed nimrod" I heard a voice come from out the door. Someone was coming in from the halls. I straightened my back and tried listening, praying that they weren't coming for me. The voice did not belong to devil that now held me captive, it was a different voice. It was the voice from earlier in the storage house... Egerton!
"She's in here," Egerton said to whomever was walking with him. "I'll take her and the rest of them to the bath houses, Link. You go and tell the fat arse to get something cooking in the slaves quarters."
"Radella's arse is about as small as your brain. You'd be wise to keep your mouth down as well. These walls have ears and you and I both know all it takes is one Waitstill and we'd be packing our bags." The second voice, supposedly Link replied sneering.
The door to the bedroom opened and a round shaped man walked in with a candle holder in hand. He looked around the room and once he found me lumped in the corner, a glint of pity fled his eyes. He put his large candle holder down on the high shelf and grabbed the key that lay there.
Hope.
It flooded into me like rainfall in the Sahara. I crawled to the opening of the cage and watched as he knelt down and put the key into the lock. My heart increased to sky high and I looked up at the burly man. His mustache had bits of food on the corners and his eyes drooped down showing reasonable age.
I swallowed and opened my mouth, "Sir, please." My voice came out husky and deep from not using it. The man tutted and shook his head as if everything and anything I was going to say would be useless.
"Love, I aint the person you should beg. In fact, I wouldn't waste my voice. Not one of yous have ever got out of here." The key fit in perfectly and the click indicated the first set of unlocked orders. As he moved to turn the key once more, I thought about how hard it would be to take this one man. Sure, he was stronger and rounder. But I bet I was faster, and if I played my time right I could outrun him and look for the nearest window and escape through that.
I looked around the room for a feasible object that could be a make-shift weapon in case I needed it, but the only thing I could come to was hitting the man with a large book. I heard the lock click and I was running out of time, my shackles rung as I moved closer and the door of the cage opened.
Then the man reached into his shoe and took out a knife. I gasped and backed away from the blade.
"Nah nah, dove. I'm not going to use this until and unless you give me reason to. Understand?" Egerton asked with pellucid eyes. I nodded as fast as I could showing a resemblance of willingness. He walked around and unclasped the lead that conjoined to my shackles from the wall. He wrapped it around his wrist twice before he motioned for me to come out the cage.
I crawled on all fours until the cage door was slammed shut behind me and I got up and stood straight. My back ached from having to be knelt down for such a long period of time, and my bones clicked from the sudden change of posture.
He guided me with my chain and my only chance of escape was burned to the ground when he held the knife in one hand and the candle holder in the other. Closing the bedroom behind him he lead me on and I followed like the weak person I told myself I wouldn't become.
___________
The bath houses were laid out so that there were multiple pools of fresh water that the slaves and helpers would come and cleanse themselves with
The bath houses were laid out so that there were multiple pools of fresh water that the slaves and helpers would come and cleanse themselves with. A block of fruit soap in a dozen or more holders being the only thing that could scrub any dirt and filth on your body and hair. When I walked in with Egerton hooking me onto a iron ring next to the bathing pool, I saw that many slaves and pets were helping each other. A woman was trimming a male pets beard and on the side with the steamers and benches, many were grooming others pubic hair.
I looked around and saw that a couple girls from my initial capture were here. Egerton unshackled me and looked at me straight in the eyes challenging me to try him. Foolish man, I thought. This was not the time nor place for escape.
He guided me to an empty pool where 5 pets gathered around looking as frightened as I felt. I saw that the she-boy was here too, looking dismally at the water and trailing a long finger across the surface of it. I coughed hoping I could catch his attention but he looked on at the water in a trance.
"You must bathe and go to the changers where your clothes will be waiting for you. After you cloth yourselves, our cook will escort you to the slaves quarters where an early supper will be provided as there is a formal dinner function tonight. All of you must attend to your masters. Speak only when spoken too and if I hear even a small complaint on the way you breathe, I shall ensure that you will starve until you learn your lesson." Egerton said calmly before retreating and exiting the bath house.
Almost in a docile trance, the three female slaves and the two male slaves started undressing their chiffon drapes and stepping into the steaming bath. One woman hissed as the hot water touched her cuts and scars, showing that she was owned by an unkind master.
I looked toward the she-boy who stood next to a male slave who looked to be older than both of us and had skin the color of dark chocolate. I walked toward them, trying to shy my eyes away from their body as they undressed.
"You were in the glass box with me?" I asked the she-boy, turning to see the male slave had a look of confusion on his face.
"They kept you with the girl slaves?" he asked.
The she-boy looked at me with sad eyes and then back at the male slave who was now fully naked, not once cowering to hide his girth.
"My name's Brinley," the she-boy looked at me and once his pale drape fell, the other slave gasped under his breath seeing soft small peaks for breasts and a shaved pussy. Brinley looked at the other slave, "Yes Belly, they put me with them because I came out my mothers cunny with a cunny of my own."
I had assumed that Brinley was a molly-boy from the start. The forced roughness to his voice, all the while keeping his softer than normal masculinity showed that he was cross-gendered.
"I'm Cinesra," I said reaching for the material on my shoulder and gently pushing it down my arm, feeling it slide and fall at my feet. "And I don't care what your body looked like when you were born, just tell me how I should address you and I shall"
Brinley looked up at me, and for the first time since waking up in that hell ridden glass box - I found comfort in a smile. A friend was something I was grateful to have, it would make the days go faster and a partner to plot how both of us would get home.
All three of us stepped into the bathing pool and Brinley introduced me to Beldon, who insisted I call him Belly, because his Ma and Pa do so. We met Aderyn who was another girl slave that came the same day we did and she said she had yet to meet her master, but she prayed that he was kind.
"How old are you, Brinley?" I asked as I washed his hair with the fruit soap. Both of us took turns scrubbing the putrid feeling of rot from multiple touches on each other. I learnt that Brinley lived a desolate life with his mother who preached God's word for a few shillings. Before his capture, a man had given him multiple whippings for coming home with a boy from a tavern. I apologized and he told me he was used to it.
"Sixteen till my name-day this spring" he replied and I could hear a tilt to his accent that came from learning to speak on the streets. It reminded me of home and I clung to the ease that this boy gave.
"My sister, Hemlock - she's your age. She would've liked you." I murmured before bringing a bowl into the pool and reaching up to pour the water on Brinley's head. I felt oddly protective of him, his age meant innocence to an extent and although I was only a couple years older; this place was meant for no soul.
When we finished and got dressed, the cook came and lead us into a conjoined small hub called the slaves quarters. Aderyn had to go to her master's bedroom as per word from Egerton, and I wondered if she would get a meal like the rest of us. It seemed to be external from the main manor and only when I stepped foot in it, did I see the extent of how many people were enslaved here. Be it from the house help, to personal pets. Whoever the "Waitstill's" were came from nothing but silver money.
We sat down in the kitchen and were served chicken broth with a slice of bread each. The bread looked nothing like what I made at home, and I wondered where they stocked their rolls from. I tried searching the crust for an indication as to which bakery it came from so that I could know where I was situated and how far I was from home, but the slices were cut too thin.
As everyone gouged on their meals, my appetite was lost. I didn't want to eat, nor did I want to even entertain the idea that I would be here for long. Eating meant just that.
"Don't be stubborn, Cinesra," Brinley said from infront of me "Heaven knows when we'll be fed next."
I looked up and saw a look of understanding in his eyes. He was smart for a lad his age and I knew I needed to start being smarter. If I was going to do this, If I was going to get the hell out of here - I would need to survive.
I picked up my spoon and began scooping soupy broth into my mouth. My stomach grumbled and I groaned softly at the warmth that passed through me. I hadn't eaten for days, and every spoonful I swallowed - my mouth salivated in thanks.
A loud clamor stopped me from taking my first bite of stale bread and I looked up and saw a dark haired man come into the kitchen with Aderyn by his side. She looked down in embarrassment and her flush cheeks made me look for bruises. Nothing had been ruffled save for her pride. From what? I wondered. In fact the boy that brought her in looked more distraught that she was, thus I assumed he was her new master.
"Where the hell is Egerton?" the boy asked the chefs that were cooking the next batch of food. He was dressed properly with a blouse and a waist coat. Yet, the only thing that caught my eye was the ring. The same "W" twined ring that I had seen earlier.
Egerton came bustling down the stairs from the upstairs dining hall and locked eyes with the boy. "Young master Finn," he sounded shocked "What on earth are you doing here? Please go upstairs, I'll join you there at once"
He spoke like we were rats and not people. Finn looked across to where Egerton was standing but stopped short when he saw Brinley. He was the only one unfazed by the whole pandemonium, still having his soup as if not even an earthquake could rattle his bones. Finn looked at Brinley with a strange look passing his face. Silence cloaked the area before Egerton travelled his gaze.
"You," Egerton said to Brinley. He didn't hear him so I kicked him under the table and he looked up, lips wet with the spoon still in his mouth. Brinley looked to where I nudged my head and he stood up when Egerton told him to.
"N- No," Finn said still looking at Brinley, forgetting his earlier rage at whatever it was caused by. He shook off the trance like stupor and focused his attention on Egerton. "I already told Father, I don't want a pet"
"But Master Finn, you father insists that you keep one for training."
Finn gently moved Aderyn forward, who still looked shocked at the whole ordeal. "Then give this one to my brother. Theo would enjoy her more than I ever will, I assure you."
"We've procured a male slave for your brother as him and your sister will share." I already knew, not knowing how, but I knew they spoke of Belly. A shudder passed through me, this family shared siblings and slaves. Nothing about this place was right.
"I have no use for her. It shall be a waste. I don't fancy the tribulations that comes with keeping a pet and I have already expressed this to you, Egerton"
Finn dragged his gaze back to where Brinley was standing, he looked at him like he couldn't quite understand his own fascination. Like he was fighting inner turmoil with not wanting something and needing it at the same time. "Where are you going to?" He spoke softly and directly to Brinely and Egerton replied in Brinley's stead. "He's a molly-boy, sir. We were going to put him in one of the brothels, but your Uncle asked him to be here instead. Perhaps the stables?"
Brinley finally looked at Finn directly and I saw his breath hitch at the shared contact. I would have been happy under different circumstances. Finn looked unsettled by the stare and he so he broke it and looked at Egerton. "S-send him to my table during dinner"
As Finn pulled his eyes away from Brinley, he turned and exited the kitchen with flushed cheeks and knotted brows.
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