There was a forest ahead, it was visible just though the fog. Jacob walked closer hearing the damp ground squelch under his boots. The fog was thick but he could see the trees though it, they were defiantly there.
Then a noise, a sound, a broken branch. Then another, they were footsteps. Those foot steps must belong to someone, surely?
As he got closer to the edge of the forest the trees stood tall defining a clear line. Then the noise again but this time a figure. There was a person walking into the forest though the trees.
“Hey who goes out there?” He called to no reply. He began to chase into the woods. The fog was still thick in the air so little was visible. Jacob got closer to see the figure was a young girl. She leaned her head over her shoulder and giggled. There was a cheerful looking young woman who wore a pretty dress.
“This way” she called as she skipped down a beaten track thru the trees.
Jacob caught up with her then continued along the path, traveling deeper.
Then the path opened up and there were tents surrounding a camp fire. It was a camp but it was deserted. The girl skipped as if she had just heard the best news in the world towards the camp fire. She lifted the lid on the pot there and closed it again. She turned back to Jacob “I would offer you some food good sir but we have none. Not all of us are granted the right to farm lands”
“You can’t farm” Jacob replied.
“No. No farming or fishing. So sometime we have to take things to eat or we die”
“But… I don’t understand”
She stepped forward to Jacob “But you do understand don’t you Jacob?”
He stepped back with shock “How do you know who I am? I’ve never meet you”
“O but you have met me O great dispenser of justice”
The girl’s happy face turned as she adopted a frown. She undid the string at the front of her dress then let it fall to the ground. Her hair was red and there were lash marks all over her. Down her body there was blood between her legs and leaking from each nipple. She put her arms out strait then slowly turned around.
“Are you sure we have never met?”
He did not know what to say.
She stepped closer with an evil grin. She then glided her index finger on her right hand across one of her nipples so there was blood on her finger. She moved her hand with the blood coated finger towards Jacob. “Here good sir I still have a little blood left if you want more of it. Since you took so much blood from me I thought you would like a little more. You did take my blood but you only took it slowly before. I needed to feel each drop leave me didn’t I?”
He just mumbled “Urrrr, urrr”
The red crimson liquid dripped from her fingers as she smiled at him.
“Don’t you want my blood anymore? Is it not the same unless I show pain as you take it? The fire is still hot would you like to put me in pain good sir?”
She looked down running her hands over her body “I am sure there are some clean patches of skin that you haven’t whipped or burned yet. If we find some then you can hurt me some more”
She turned around and Jacob recoiled at the sight of blood pouring from the lash marks on her back. He tried but could not look away.
“I think we have a small patch here good sir. Luckily you are here to cause me pain. Just like I needed to suffer for all those hours on your platform”
“But… You committed a crime”
Now angry and shouting back the naked woman replied “A crime? The crime of taking food from those who will not allow us to make our own? O but luckily you good sir were they to save the day. Just like the hero in a children’s tale”
She pushed her face up close to his “Tell me. As you tortured me, as you inflicted maximum pain, as I cried in agony. O how I cried, hours of just wanting it to end………Tell me, did you feel like the hero in that story?”
“No Charlotte I didn’t. I’m sorry”
She stepped back seeing him look uncomfortable “Should an artist not admire his work?”
“I’m sorry Charlotte”
“Maybe you are. I got a taste of hell but you, good sir, Will spend eternity there”
Jacob jerked up on his bed. Breathing heavily and covered in cold sweat he started forward taking deep breaths. Still in panic he reached to the table to pick up a goblet of water that was next to him. He gulped it down yet still needed more.
A beam of moonlight shone through the window providing just enough lamination to make out the contours of the room. Clumsily he got out of bed, still wearing his clothes from the dinner he made his way to the door.
Opening it he wandered into the hall way then made his way to the kitchen to find some water. Hearing this a door opened and a young maid walked out. She wore a simple gown and had a pleasant smile.
“Sir is there anything I could get for you? If there is anything you would like I could get it for you sir” Said the girl eager to perform her duties.
He walked past her not making eye contact “You don’t want to even be near me. I assure you of that”
“It’s quite alright sir I stay awake all night in case needed. I could keep you company if you are unable to sleep”
He turned back to her “Did you not see the last girl I spent time with? Did you not hear how she cried out? Now leave me”
She went back into her room and closed the door not responding to him. Jacob made his way to the kitchen to quench his thirst before returning to bed. From then until sun up he did not sleep instead he tossed and turned. His thoughts gripped by a blood covered girl skipping though a forest.