Comforting Darkness

Chapter 22: The Tutor, Ghostly

Sebastian slowly opened his eyes and lifted his head in the same manner, leaving a hurt grunt in the process, as any human would do after getting hit by a metal rod on the head. His hands were stretched at his sides, chained to the wall, while his body heavily slumped forward and his knees buckled a little, his vest and shirt open exposing his chest. Now he pulled himself upwards and straightened his body. He could sense other presences around and some movement; he blinked a few times to clear his vision from blood and then focused on the moving figure. Even he was not prepared for what he saw.

If he found disgusting and vulgar the way Grell declared her perversion and distorted femininity, then he should think again. Bates was walking around the candlelight basement of the cabin – as Sebastian realized with a quick look at the windowless, earthly walls supported by wooden beams – but not wearing his usual male clothes. A long floral dress embraced his podgy figure in a most graceless way, reminding Sebastian a sack filled with potatoes, a curly ashen blonde wig on his head, his face smudged with the most hideous make up that no woman or even crazy, effeminate reaper would choose. A necklace and bracelet of pearls along with heavy, big rings completed the horrendous ensemble.

"Oh, how nice! Our little beastie is back with us... or actually just stopped pretending he was unconscious." The man said in a shrieking voice, trying to mimic a woman's and giggled. "Excellent, so we can proceed!" He obviously was excited for something and Sebastian could smell his disgusting arousal heavy in the air.

Bates moved and revealed a metal table on a small circular platform, which turned as he was walking so that it would be horizontal to Sebastian's eyes, giving him a clear view of what was on it. Selina was chained on its surface, her wrists next to her head and her ankles at the two ends of the table spreading her legs open, her body covered only by her drawers and chemise. Sebastian felt a hot anger filling him and the heart of his human form beating furiously. He growled threateningly towards the man and pulled his bonds ready to break them, but... found he could not, no matter the strength and effort he put. At that moment Selina sighed, waking up from her drugged slumber, her head turned to Sebastian as she was opening her eyes.

"Sebastian?!" Was the first word that escaped her lips and instantly her eyes took a worried look as she saw the demon struggling against the chains, eyes fully demonic and teeth sharp.

Bates clapped pleased. "Now our little demon's whore is also awake. We will have so much fun, my dear!" He said in the woman's voice. "Yes, mother. We will get to play with both of them." He also responded in his usual male voice.

That was more than enough for both demon and witch to fully realize the situation. Herman Bates was not just an insane voyeur, preying on his customers to satisfy his utterly perverted sexual desires; he was a really distorted man, who felt at a loss when his mother died and in an effort to protect himself, as he thought, created a second personality in his damaged mind, that of his obviously despotic mother. Selina was looking at him with eyes wide open, not daring to think how much worse the case would be if the man had managed to keep his mother's soul in his own body, like he did to his victims, both brides and elder women.

"You have got to be kidding me!" She whispered only to receive a hysterical laugh from Bates.

"Surprised, little witch? What did you expect? Would I ever let my poor boy alone among all these disgusting couples, fornicating like animals while speaking falsely of love that would last forever?" He laughed again.

"What? That was your criterion for choosing your victims? That they were actually in love?" Selina asked not believing her ears.

"Wrong! The men were fooling the women, making them think they loved them, only to satisfy their sinful desires on their bodies, whereas my dear boy is such a tender lover, looking after them, keeping them close to him... always."