Madam's House of Horrors

"You will sleep in the Blue Room with the other new girls. You'll have to find one that's been here longer to help you with your wardrobe." Madam motioned to a room off to their left. She tipped her head to the side in thought, "I suggest Laura. She's one of the best. She can give you some guidance so your clients aren't entirely aware of how inexperienced you are." Neda could only nod as the Madam went on. This was to be her life now, whether she liked it or not. She tried not to think about if she liked it or not as she followed her new boss further down the hallway.

"I am not entirely inexperienced in the ways of men." Neda had never admitted that before, she had never felt safe doing so. It wasn't proper for a young lady, even one of her low status to know anything about sex, let alone have participated in the act. She knew no one was going to judge her here, in a brothel.

"That's a shame really," the Madam paused, "many men are willing to pay quite a bit more than the usual rate for a virgin." No judgement, just a simple statement of fact. "Separating men from their coin is an art, and you are to become a master. That is if you wish to keep your employment." Neda considered this. This brothel was her last hope. She hadn't considered the possibility of losing this too. "And you better learn fast, I do not have room for girls that do not pull their weigh."

"Are you sure I'll be safe here?" It came out as barely more than a whisper, they were passing what looked like another shared bedroom, and she didn't want to seem weak in front of the other girls. She almost wished the Madam hadn't heard it.

"What on Earth do you mean girl? Speak up, the men like it when you're loud, makes the feel like they're kings." There was a clip to the Madam's voice that hadn't been there a moment before, as if she expected what Neda was about to say.

"Well, the villagers speak of things," Neda hesitated.

"Out with it girl!" The Madam commanded her, making Neda want to shrink down to nothing. She knew she should have just kept her mouth shut, regardless of what she had heard.

"There is talk in the village," Neda stumbled over each word. "There is talk that there are some who enter this house, and are never seen again," again, her voice was a whisper, and she was ever so slightly shivering. The people in the village were notorious gossips. When people started disappearing, their imaginations went crazy. Terrible, unspeakable things were said about what befell some of the men that entered this house. Part of her wanted to know exactly what was going on. There were other parts of her that didn't want to shatter the illusion of safety this house provided. "And," she continued, her voice finally finding strength, "it is said that there are some that do not come back out, or those that do come back out, but they're different. Their minds have been changed." Neda looked at the ground, her bare feet were sinking into the plush carpet, the trail of dirt she was leaving down the hallway already being cleaned by some of the girls.

"Nonsense," it seemed that the Madam had regained her composure, but there were cracks in the façade. Her smile was more forced, and it no longer reached her eyes. "Now," she continued, "meals are served twice daily here," she motioned to a room to their left filled with tables. A few girls were lounging around, eating what was left over from breakfast. "We let you sleep in because mornings are so slow, and you'll be up late most nights anyway." The Madam tried to lighten the mood with a wink. "Breakfast is at ten, dinner is at five. Be sure you eat on time. The last thing you want is to get caught with your mouth full of biscuit when you're first caller of the night shows up." She went on to explain the daily chores expected of Neda, and how a portion of her earnings would be given to the Madam. She looked down at the girl, "Do you understand?"

"Yes, Madam," was Neda's only retort. She tried to bite her tongue, but finding a last bit of courage, and before she could talk herself out of it, she blurted out, "Are you sure there is nothing to fear in this house? There's just so much talk, and they've put up missing persons posters all over the town square."

"Nothing is going on in this house!" The Madam wasn't quite yelling for fear of alarming any guests the other girls may have been entertaining, but as their conversation went on, her voice got more and more strained. Neda worried she would be kicked out before she even got the chance to prove herself here. "Nothing is going on," The Madam repeated, "except for parting men from their coin, and that is why you are here, is it not?" The last three words were clipped, a challenge.

Neda considered her next words. That was why she was here. She had no other options, nowhere else to go. "I'll give up more of my earnings if it will mean my protection," Neda pleaded. She remembered the stories that were so casually thrown about on the streets. It hadn't seemed like such a big deal when she was on the outside. It's easy to play things off as silly ghosts stories when you're not staring it in the face. Monsters, demons, and even the Madam as a witch were all popular plot lines. The people that visited this place were not exactly royalty, no one was sending out search parties to investigate when they didn't come home. No one would miss Neda either.

"Shut your mouth you silly, little, hysterical, girl! If you don't I will shut it for you." The Madam fumed. "There is nothing out of the ordinary going on in this house that you need to concern yourself with."

"I'm sorry Madam, I will not bring it up again." Neda was shaking again, unsure of herself.

"You'll do well to remember; we took you in when no one else would. Without us, you would not have a home, you would be back out on the street. You would be completely at the mercy of what ever found you. Let me assure you, you would find a much more miserable death out there than whatever you fear lurks in these halls," it all came out with a hiss, and then the Madam was silent. She turned her back on Neda and continued walking down the hall, motioning for the girl to follow. After a few steps the Madam turned, her face calm now, and said to Neda, "Let's get you cleaned up, no one will want you with straw in your hair."