Reactions and reflections

***

Psalm 25:6-7

Remember, Lord,

your compassion and mercy

which you showed long ago.

Do not recall the sins and failings of my youth.

In your mercy remember me, lord,

because of your goodness.

***

-Oops.

-Watch where you’re driving! This is literally the third hole you’ve went through. – Ave shouted.

-Rich boy wanted to drive. - snickered Georgio from the back, mocking him which made Leo sulk.

-Well, I am the only one who knows the way there…- he mumbled. – We are close anyway, bear with it. - He announced.

-Thank God… -Ave retorted back, looking out of the window.

It really was not long before they saw the massive factory. Since it was surrounded by all the greenery, almost hidden within the woods, it was hard to spot. For now, Leo’s driving was excused.

The looks of the building was not really pleasing. The walls were a sad shade of grey, the windows were big but shaded so they wouldn’t let much sunlight in and the front door was rusted.

-Looks awful, honestly. – Ave commented and Georgio smirked.

-Stop complaining already! The facility does the job perfectly. - Leo retorted back angrily. Ave waved her wrist still looking out of the window. He was fun to mock.

-Aren’t we going? – Georgio asked leaving the car. Ave sighed. It must be dirty. A chill traveled along her spine, so disgusting. Even so, checking the facility and the staff was a must. Leo asked them to evaluate and asset them as well. Did she really have an option as not to come?

-Ta-da! – Leo exclaimed opening the front doors. They were sure massive… 5 meters maybe?

-There is nothing here. – Ave grumbled. It sure had nothing in the vast room of the factory. It only stored a few enormous wooden boxes. Perhaps they were empty.

-Well, yeah. – Leo said as if it was obvious to why. Ave was getting annoyed at this point. – Wouldn’t be good if every person whom opened the doors saw some random staff producing alcohol for smuggling, right? – He explained himself, pointing a finger in the air all-knowingly.

-Where have you moved it then? – It was Georgio’s turn to question his friend’s logic.

-In the back, of course. – Leo answered raising an eyebrow with such an innocent face; it pissed both of his companions. However, Ave kept silent and Georgio kept on smiling. So, Leo led the way to the back where there was a door indeed and it led to a staircase.

-From down here. – Leo informed.

When they stepped past the last step there it was – the staff, the machinery, the ready bottles filled with alcohol lined up in the corner. It was a bit odd, no one was working. They were all standing around something – surrounding it. It seemed like it was not planned since Leo was surprised as well. He shoved the staff to the side getting to what they were all looking at. He froze.

-Sir, we were waiting for you –

-When? – He asked interrupting the worker that tried to explain.

-Last night, when we were changing shifts. That’s when he must have snuck in. – Another worker explained.

-So? Did he say anything? – Leo inquired. At that time Ave and Georgio had already moved by his side.

-He won’t talk, so we decided to wait for you, sir. – The same worker went on.

-You ain’t doing it the right way... – Ave mumbled and started walking around shoving things. No one paid attention, though.

-Move. – She ordered once she was done. No one took a step. – Move, I said. – She spoke up again. A worker was about to protest but Leo blocked their way with his hand and gave them a sign to stay quiet.

-Go home. – He ordered. Everyone listened. Leo was a man and an assertive one at that.

Ave put down a table with tools covered in clothes on it, in front of the man.

-Let’s see, wanna play a game?  - She asked softly, tidying them. The man just looked at her so she kept on talking. – Choose one of those. If you don’t, I gladly will. – She smiled so warmly one would say it is a friends reunion. Her eyes were truly sparkling, was it excitement that they called it? Maybe.

-The second one from the left. – The man said hesitantly. Ave smiled widely.

-Fascinating, so you chose feather? – She whispered in amusement. Oh, she was anticipating.

He grabbed the tool along with the cloth and kicked the table to the side.  The man was petrified. Who would smile in such a situation? Ave did. Was it not fun? Having one’s life in your hands to toy with? Yes, oh, how amusing people were when put on the edge of life like this. They would sing so her ears would ring with joy. She removed the cloth from the tool – a sheepsfoot knife.

Leo kept his distance and he instructed Georgio to do the same with just a glance. What was about to come… it was going to be terrifying – and that would still be an understatement.

-Lucky you! This one seems fun. – She exclaimed. – Now, question time. Let’s see how many you’ll get right. Hmmmm… Who do you work for, for starters? – She asked gazing at the knife.

-I won’t tell… - he said. Was he underestimating her? How foolish… truly… she said nothing but her eyes did get a shade or two darker. She crouched down and started unlacing his shoes, painfully slowly. Removed his socks, folded them and put them in each shoe, finally putting them away near the table. The man was shivering and waiting for what she’d do next. But nothing much happened. She sat down, legs crossed. Was she waiting for something? Yes, for her prey to calm down. 1…2…3…4…5…6…7…8…9…10. He was ready. She stabbed his foot cutting his toe off. He squealed in pain.

-I think I was not clear back then… - She kept on looking down, the knife in hand. – I did say I would ask you questions and see whether you get them right, but forgot to mention that there will be punishment when you get them WRONG. – She talked slowly, waited patiently.  He gulped. – Want to try again? C’mon, I know you know this one. – She looked up. He knew she wasn’t asking. It was a demand, an order, she was expecting him to answer it and no other option would cut it.

-I don’t know… - he spoke, a lump in his throat. She sighed…?

-People really are dumb after all. – She cut off two toes this time. – You give them a ticket to life and they throw themselves at the gates of Hell… If so, let me show you hell. – She got up swinging, a little dizzy from the sudden movement her body made. She placed her palm on her face trying to come back to her senses. And she smiled down at him. Now her face had a few spurts of blood on it. The wide, curled up smile, her sparkling eyes...that was the nightmare. “What a sadist….” The man thought, he was now utterly terrified to the bone. Funnily, he felt like crying.

-Look at the mess you made. –she looked down where his blood was spilling, mixing up with the dirt on the floor, coloring his feet and the cut toes. Now, she looked bored…? She took the cloth that she used to cover the knife with and gathered some of the spilled blood and toes in it and twisted it gently. She smirked a little and forced his jaw open, forcing the cloth in his mouth tying it up at the back of his head.

-Hope you choke on your own blood. – She purred in his ear. He shouldn’t have come. No, no. They told him that if he were caught the prince would let go him since he had a heart of gold, but who was she? He was scared… Was he going to die? He didn’t want to die. Great, now he can’t see… it stings. His eyes are burning.

-Heh... – Ave giggled audibly, looking extremely uninterested. She used a smaller cloth dipped in alcohol. It sure was painful. His screams were muffled by the cloth and they took turns with his coughs since he was constantly choking on the blood soaked cloth.

“Amazing…” Georgio thought. On the outside he at least tried to look less amazed, more like indifferent but his eyes were glistering with amusement. Beside him Leo looked a little concerned. He never liked Ave’s violent approach. But he also never stopped her, he knew it always did the job.