The Rise and Fall of the Red Whore

Chapter 19

Past, 1900s

Madness woke to his face throbbing in intense pain and the taste of old blood in his mouth.

He lifted his head while trying to spit out the bloody phlegm, but the throbbing only intensified, making him drop his head forward again in an attempt to alleviate the pain. The action made him realize that not only his face was hurting, but his shoulders as well.

They felt like they were about to pop out of place at any moment.

"He's awake," a raspy voice that sounded like it had not had water in years spoke.

Eyes slowly peeling open, Madness ignored all his pains and lifted his head again, only to find Jacques staring at him with an indifferent expression.

Standing with his shoulders rounded forward while his head was slightly tilted so his dark, greasy hair covered his eyes, Madness knew there was hatred within them beyond his careless expression. He did not need a clear view of those brown eyes to see it.

A grin slowly worked its way onto Madness' face.

"Ha! I had forgotten you were alive. What was your name again?" He taunted.

Jacques did not react, making Madness exhale through his smiling mouth in disappointment.

Instead, while in his hunched over position, he moved his head to look at something over Madness' shoulder.

The indifferent expression changed to dedication and submission almost instantly.

Curious, Madness made an attempt to look over his shoulder, but his neck and shoulders refused to cooperate.

That was when he realized he was strung up by his hands, with only the balls of his feet touching the ground.

Like a piece of meat.

The thought made Madness snort through his nearly clogged nose.

If I had known about such a setup, this would have been used for different things, he thought as he looked over the hanging chains and cuffs, lustily imagining certain things.

Though he knew about the set that chained you to the ground, like he did with Jacques, but not a hanging set.

Now that has so much potential.

Little sounds of bare feet on the hard floor brought him back to his current predicament.

In front of him, Cordelia stood with a stunned expression.

The smile he wore turned into an angry scowl as he examined her.

She was still completely naked, but looked like she had been through hell and back. Her dark hair was a complete mess with knots everywhere and random hairs out of place. Her skin was covered in little wounds, dirt and dry blood, making her look especially disheveled. Her face appeared to be tear streaked and her eyes red and swollen, letting him know she had been crying mercilessly for a while before he arrived.

Jacques' seemed to take over Madness' smile as Cordelia looked back at him.

"Did I not tell you I would bring him?" He asked in a cocky tone.

Cordelia narrowed her eyes.

"You cannot blame me for thinking you would not keep your word," she snapped.

Placing a hand over his heart, Jacques' face took on a grieving look.

"That was a long time ago. I have paid my dues...," he stepped closer while reaching for Cordelia's hand.