Heartbeat

Prologue

The streets of Ketterdamn were quickly flooding from an onslaught of heavy rain. The water poured towards the canals and drenched anyone brave enough to face the storm within seconds. Rain was common in Ketterdam, but a furious storm ensured that even the most desperate patrons stayed inside. Regardless, two individuals are walking in heavy coats. Hoods were pulled over both their heads. The two jog as quickly as they can without slipping on the streets. Both individuals kept to the alleyways. The taller and heavier set than the other continuously took out a soggy piece of paper and checked it, checking door addresses. Finally, they turned down a street, passing a large building on the corner of the Lid and Warehouse district. They walked along the old structure until they reached the back and found a heavy, rusted metal door. The taller individual put their arm around the other and knocked on the door with their free hand. The smaller individual leaned into their companion. The door opened a crack, and an older woman emerged behind it. Her eyes roved over the two individuals for a long minute. Water poured into the room where she stood. She waved the two in. They quickly shuffled in, removing their coats rapidly. The first individual was a large, stout woman with her red hair tied up in a high, tight bun. She wore a traditional and conservative dress with an apron tied around her, still covered in black streaks. The second individual was a young girl, no older than 14, with unbound, wild red hair that hung far down her back. It was wet and matted, with a face full of freckles and pale green eyes filled with tears. She wore drab, olive clothing and kept her face staring determinedly at the floor.

The older woman, who had allowed them inside, examined the girl up and down and muttered, "Likely to bring lice..." under her breath.

The two newly arrived women stood awkwardly, holding their dripping coats. The older of the two began looking around their surroundings.

They were in a small makeshift office with a gas stove, a large sink with a running faucet, four wooden chairs and a round table. On the stove was a pot and a metal cupboard up above. Not a single thing adorned the walls, no view to the outside, but another door was just as substantial as the one they had come in through. There was a crack in the ceiling where water steadily dripped into a pot on the floor.

"So....we heard that this was the place we obtained a special service," the woman said, trying to clean off her apron as she noticed its black streaks. The older woman clicked her tongue in response and waved her hand, dismissing her comment. Her age was undetectable, her hair was ghostly white, with a severely wrinkled neck, but her face was very smooth and young looking. She had thin lips painted bright red with lipstick. She was dressed in bright, richly woven clothing and looked entirely out of place in the decrepit room.

"Yes, yes, take a seat, please. I'm guessing it's for the girl and not for you?" She nodded towards the young girl, silently crying, tears wetting her cheeks. She blindly reached for a chair and sat in it, the older woman sitting beside her.

"Yes, I'm her Aunt Leore, and this is Georgiana. I promise she's at least 16 years of age-"Leore was cut off by the old, elegantly dressed woman.

"Oh, my dears. There's no need to discuss that just yet. You must be freezing from the rain and the cold." She knocked on the door they had not entered. In a swift motion, the door opened wide, and two girls were seen. One looked the same age as Georgiana, and the other appeared much younger. Possibly less than ten. The younger girl had jet-black hair, dark olive skin, a more prominent nose, and dark eyes. Her face was unreadable in its expression, and she wore a brown dress with a large, similarly brown apron overtop. The older girl was almost her opposite, with dirty blonde hair tied in two buns on the top of her head, dark blue eyes, pale skin, and a large bright smile. She was wearing a sleeveless light blue top and trousers. She took a glance at Leore and Georgiana and waved, smiling brightly. She motioned to speak, but the older woman cut her off abruptly.