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6- A Moment of Despair: Difficult choices
“Run Kat!” Eugene shouted at Katarina as the “guards” came plowing through the lower market of the city. These guards were nothing more than deputized drunkards who could be trusted to show up at some point during the day to be paid for a shift of work, chasing down pick-pockets & bread-thieves who weren’t good enough to not be caught.
He bolted down a side alley while she moved past & down to another, opposite. A common tactic to split the chasers, or make them choose one or the other if only one on their trail. And of course, should it get to the point of blows, less at a time to handle.
After scrambling up a wall and down a sewage culvert, he was confident he’d lost his pursuer, and doubled back to the rendezvous point he & Katarina had agreed upon.
She wasn’t there.
But that was fine, both of them had encountered more tenacious members of the city’s police force, requiring prolonged routes, meandering through the lower city streets.
Hours passed, and she still did not show.
It began to get dark, and, as they agreed, should that happen, they would then meet at the Church of Fate, to wait out the night in it’s relative sanctuary.
She did not show, all night.
The next day, he went about his usual routine, simply for a sense of normalcy, as they’d never agreed on such an eventuality.
When he finally took a break for the day and made his way back to the attic above the cobbler’s home where he & Katarina slept. Despondent, as he dropped from the eaves onto the ledge in front of the roof access door that led into the dark refuge, he did not even notice the light pouring from the hatch that led into the building proper.
He didn’t even yelp as the truncheon came down on his head & blackness swam over him.
When he awoke, it was in a dark, dank place. That day, he learned the two kids who ran the city streets did not exist anymore. He would answer to Dany & she was than known as Loti, and they served The Master of the House with unquestioning obedience, or the other would be punished.
It wasn’t all forced servitude & dehumanization, they were educated by experts in the fields in all manner of arts, entertainment, and letters, as the furniture should be able to entertain any guest in any number of ways, at any time.
Eventually came a day, during an extremely late night party, The Master was in a cruel mood, and too much debauchery led to him gambling away Loti to another like himself.
Dany cried, openly at this, and could not restrain the tears.
This was explicitly forbidden. The furniture did not have feelings, especially in front of guests.
Loti was whipped as punishment for Dany’s outburst, as the two Master’s agreed on many things, such as how to handle insolence.
Dany’s Master, in some fit of whimsy, held a blade against Dany’s throat, laughing, asked, “would you rather die? You are old and have served your purpose. I can replace you easily, if you wish to expire rather than see her leave your side.”
“Now now, ol’ chap. No need to be so dramatic. I’ll take the boy too. I’ll even pay full price. I can always use more playthings” the other Master slurred, already taking full advantage of his new property.
Dany knew the other Master was much more cruel & aggressive with his toys. So was his despair that much more amplified.
“ Would you like that Dany?” the first Master chuckled, light spittle flecking on Dany’s cheek, mixing with the drying tears.
Dany suffered, dragging his eyes to Loti’s, past the form of the other Master, trying not to see that which was visible to all in the room.
Loti blinked thrice in rapid succession. Their shorthand for “no”.
Dany continued his eye movement to the wall, to hide the communication, in a show of heavy contemplation.
He could not stand to leave Loti. He would die a second time. But nor could he go against her wishes. And so Dany would cease to be as well, in short order, after this night.
“I serve you, Master”, he choked out, feeling the love he held deep in his heart compact further, turning to a burning ember in his gut.
It was weeks later when the opportunity arose. The Master was slain in bed, by one of the pieces of furniture.
Several days later, a dashing young man, one Giacomo D’Alegrerre, came to visit a certain, respectable gentleman. They laughed & dined, and passed the night away. But the gentleman had lived a long and boisterous life, so it was not surprise when he passed on at some point in the early hours, Giacomo, summoning the staff to assist & try to save the man. It was for naught.
Later that same day, Giacomo asked to question the staff, to see if any knew of the gentleman’s next of kin, or friends.
The visitor seemed quite upset after the interviews, and implored if there were any other staff, or had any left the house in the last months.
They spoke of one young girl, who came recently, but, supposedly killed herself only days later by jumping from the top of the estate. Though it was obvious many of the waitstaff did not entirely believe this.
After exhausting what he must have felt was his responsibilities as a guest in the house, the man called D’Alegrerre left, chuckling, walking quietly along the path. Those who noted the chuckle would also mention, it was not a friendly sound and sent chills down their spine.
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