The Life Of Lizzy Red

Chapter 1:

       That was until my Mother and Father died. When I was about 15 years old, I had gotten the message that changed my life. My mother and father and 17 of my close relatives died in a horrible accident in The Lexington Manor. I had been out with a friend of mine, Anabelle, a simple picnic in the private park under a shady oak tree, where my Father had suggested we go with the lunch my Mother and Aunt Rudy had packed us.

Supposedly the downstairs boiler had leaked a bit of gas from the faulty piping we had just re-done. It caused a massive explosion and killed or severely injured everyone in the Manor. It was not as though I were very far from the Manor either. In fact, I was only about  a mile from it. I know because I can still remember the heat that was emitted from the flames which slowly spread throughout the large structure before me.
I barely had time to think, and really understand the terrible event that had taken place, and Anabelle had already been screaming as soon as the blast sounded.
All I could do was hold my hat on my head and watch. The bright red and orange flames spread and spread until the Manor I had once called my home engulfed in unforgiving fire.

I watched the scene unfold, a crowd of on-lookers gathered at a safe distance to watch the burning home. I had eventually found myself again, and ran to the scene. Pushing people out of the way, screaming and yelling at anyone who resisted my efforts to get closer, once the fire department shut the fire down and police began controlling crowds of people. Who just seemed to pile on one another. I had gotten to the very front, just in time to watch my charred parents be pulled from the front door and onto the grass.

I lost control then, I began to grow hysterical and scream, the very sight of them had caused me to feel as if my whole soul left my body along with theirs. Leaving nothing but a hollow shell.

Needless to say, nobody survived...

I cried, but only for a little bit. After that I cried no more, but returned to my hollow empty shell feeling for the next year. I left my town, lost my name and found myself in a large and very rich town to say the least by the name of Marlborough.
Unfortunately for myself, I ended up in the 'gutter rat' regions of town. Where it was dark and lanterns didn't swing and factories lied. It was hard living in Marlborough, I could not survive without going into prostitution. I was only 16 but they accepted me into their house willingly.
It was really non stop work, besides closing hours, which was 3 a.m.

It was lots of money however, I was not dissatisfied at all really, but the child in me that had lived and wished for only the best was now long gone. I was an empty woman. Of course over time I did have fun, me and the other sisters I lived with were all fairly close and would often times stand outside our bordello and raise our petticoat to reveal our boots or smooth legs beneath. We would do our hair nice and neat and walk around town, as many of the peasant  men would gawk, holler and whistle like children. We loved the attention, and strived for more attention. More men and more money.

I had seen many in my years of being there. We used to refer to them as 'dirty dogs' behind their backs and giggle about it. Every now and then when a new girl would request to join, we would groom her up and give her a pretty satin ensemble, we loved seeing their faces when they'd get money from their customers and talk about buying something wonderful for themselves.

Everyone in the bordello had their own name, we all knew it was not their real names, because we had to keep names that sounded more attractive to men. Because nobody wanted to 'Dip the stinger in the honey' with a girl named 'Bessie Berkman'.
My name was known as 'Lizzy Red' I wore only red satin dresses and white lace, and every man admired me for my long red locks.

"Lizzy, Your sheets are ready. Can you go retrieve them from the backyard?" Sister Mary said while opening my creaky wood door.
I had just finished untying my black knee boots on a stool beside my vanity as she had walked in.
"Of course. Thank you Sister." I bowed with my hands pressed together at my chest, in a teasing way.
She chuckled at me and walked back downstairs. I followed her out the door and stood at the top of the long stairs that gave me a view of the action that went on downstairs. It was 9 at night and men were starting to pile in, women in their multi colored clothing pranced about seductively and sat in the laps of grown men, laughing and giggling with every word they said.

I walked by everyone, men looking at me as I strolled along. I continued to the back door onto the yard. Two lanterns swung on each side of the door which lit up only a section of the grass that I could see, evidently, where my white sheets hung on a clothes line. I stepped out onto the grass to pick them down and fold them up over my arm to carry back inside.

As I took them down, I looked to see an old woman rush her child into the house that was across from our Bordello. She took one look at me in disgust, holding onto the door knob of her home. "Whores!" She yelled in an unfamiliar accent I had never heard before.
I opened my mouth to yell back, but was stopped by the slamming of her door.
Just then I heard clicking foot steps of boots run towards me from behind. "Ay me! What was that?" Mary cried out to me.
"A peasant woman rushing her child away from I like I carry a disease." I said without turning to face her, but continuing to fold up my bed sheets.

"I'd love to talk to her for a moment." I huffed.
"No Lizzy, it's not even worth 'yer time. What has she got that you can't git?" She ran after me and took hold of my arm.

I stopped in my tracks and snapped. I knew she was right, I needed to act like a lady not an animal.
"C'mon now, I'll help you put the sheets on the bed." She said as she led me back inside.

* * * *

"More drinks?" I smiled as I bent down to hand a scotch to a man lounging in a chair, surrounded by many of our sisters. Some on his knee, next to his head and by his feet. That man was in paradise.

"Are you married sir?" A sister with blonde hair asked him.
He smiled a drunken smile. "Engaged. I came here for one last visit to enjoy the non-wed life." He explained.

"So you'll be leaving us?"
" 'Fraid so ladies."
"Awww". They all booed sadly.

"I'm out for the night, I'm feeling more tired than usual, is that alright with you?" I stood shoulder to shoulder with Sister Anne.
"Oh of course dear," She lightly tapped my shoulder and turned to face me. "Go, go, get your rest, there's many of us awake tonight to finish up." She waved me away to the stairs and pecked my cheek quickly goodnight.

I slowly ascended up the carpeted stairs to my room, holding up my dress above my knees to keep from tripping. I took one last look at the party that went on downstairs, and shut my door. It was dark, besides the light that shone in from the moon and the few candles that were lit. I let out. sigh, and removed every article of clothing I had on, and slipped a white Plume night gown over me. It covered me as a short would a man.

I took the clips from my hair and set them down onto my vanity, letting my long hair slip down to my waist. Then finally, I blew out the candles and laid in my bed. The smell of candle smoke filling my nostrils until it faded away, my vision along with it until I had fallen into a slumber...