Demon In Disguise

Ropes and Fangs I

Unknown surroundings. No windows to be seen−or anything else. Everlasting dark. Possibly a shed or a basement of an old building. Complete silence, like one would find on a cemetery. Only a weak cry of the second abducted. Staleness mingled with the obnoxious smell of rotten fish. Fish... Surroundings possibly detected−the fish market? Or a ship, maybe? No, no ship, because of the tranquility.

Footsteps above; tiny squeak on the right, definitely a basement. So, I'm being held in the basement of Billingsgate Fish Market.

Also, I'm experiencing the most disgusting and humiliating thing ever: a filthy sock is crammed into my mouth and occluded with a piece of fabric tied behind my head. Will I survive this grotesque comedy?

However, here comes the tricky part: I must find a way to liberate myself. My hands and ankles are firmly tied with ropes and there is no chance for me to undo it. You've shown knowledge worthy of Sherlock, but now Victoria −be Houdini.

   ***

Elizabeth stepped down gracefully from the carriage saying goodbye to her mother who wasn't so interested in participating this meeting. However, Francis Midford ordered her daughter to be at home at eight o'clock sharp−before dark. Which was well received by Elizabeth since there was plenty of time to spend with Miss Wolfe. After the carriage had disappeared at the horizon of Green Park, young Miss Midford gathered her courage to meet Victoria.

Victoria was sitting on a bench together with the bird, astonished by the beautiful sight: the sun was glorious, all rosy and  pink. Together with the clouds, it spilled light all over the land, so the whole landscape was bathed in the warm glow of the sun well past its zenith. It was odd for England to have such pleasant and benevolent weather.

From time to time Victoria spoke to the bird consoling with it. She apparently found some similarities regarding their lives: both were synonyms for misfortune−a sinister bird and the unlucky girl. Most of all, she noticed that she had been followed by it since the arrival in the City of London. The young Countess wasn't superstitious, in fact she was raised Catholic, but that bird made her uneasy, and that didn't happen often.

Preoccupied with her thoughts, Victoria didn't notice four suspicious men approaching her. They were all unshaven, dressed in rags, and with messy hair. Those were no people of honor. One, most likely the boss of the gang, had a cigar stuck in his mouth. 

Having her unobtrusively surrounded together with the other men, the leader spoke,"You're Victoria Wolfe?" 

The girl raised her head, finally finished with her isolated gaze fixed into the distance. She was slightly surprised by this unexpected company, but the calmness soon after regained her face, "Yes, who's asking?"

 The man grinned at her which revealed a lack of few teeth and a scar wide extended from the corner of the upper lip to the bottom of the chin. "You will soon find out, now come with us. Remember, we can always make you." said the man smirking together with his companions.

 "Oh well, if I must," Victoria answered in a bored tone. Then she got up, paced to the leader and boldly said, "Shall we?"

Everything observed the young Lady Midford, who then decided to interfere. She went to the gang hoping that they would leave Miss Wolfe alone, and that everything was one big misunderstanding. But the naive girl didn't even imagine what would happen next: they grabbed her along with Miss Wolfe and put a cloth soaked with chloroform on their faces, so they passed out. Before passing out, Victoria begged her kidnapers to leave the girl be, but that couldn't happen for she was a witness. And now, not only her life was in danger- it was also the life of that innocent, stupid girl.