Sybil

The slender girl was shivering. Standing up, she was tethered to a chain with metal manacles in front of the wall in the abandoned part of the house. Her arms forced up over her head, but not so high, that she would be hanging in them. She would only be doing that if she could not stand on her feet. There was blood in her black hair from the blow that had made her unconscious and had made it possible for the man in the room to shackle her and attach her to the chain.

Erethel shivered. The manacles reminded her of those who had given her scars on her wrists, those from years prior.

“Stand still or it would be even worse for you,” said a stern voice behind her.

The man, all dressed in black, took a step closer to Erethel and produced a knife from his coat. “Stand still or the blade will cut you... And it makes no difference to me!”

Erethel made an effort to stand still as the knife cut through the fabric of her jacket, her tunic and her pants. Leaving her naked and with a few droplets of blood where the knife, despite her effort to stand still, never the less, had broken the skin.

“I told you!” said the voice.

Now the knife moved up and stopped at her throat, where sweat was glittering in the dim light. She did not dare to breathe while the man removed her clothes and shoes.

The man behind her couldn’t help but admire her body. With clothes on, she seemed almost starving, but without the disguise, her body type was revealed – athletic – like a dancer.

“I had enough of your whims, your insane behavior and the way you always seem to be in my way. I am finally fed up with all of your... I’ve made a list of everything you did that annoyed me, irritated me and drove me insane – and I am going to punish you for every single one of them! Do you understand? “

“Yes, Alkah” whispered Erethel.

And that earned her the first lash from the whip.

She took a breath through her nose and exhaled slowly. This was not the first time, nor the last. She was used to it.

“It is either “master” or “sir”! Is that understood? “Shouted Alkah almost barking the words out.

“Yes, sir!” She did not know that he hated her that much. And that made it impossible for her to make any resistance... she couldn’t help thinking that she deserved it.

“Count every stroke I give you!”

“Yes, sir”

Then Alkah began to whip Erethel’s back, her buttocks and her upper thighs, each time mentioning a thing from his list. That damn list.

Erethel was a bit surprised at how fast the ten lashes passed and how empty she felt, not feeling the pain. This is how she grew, this is all she knew: obey the masters of the house, or get punished.

It was a hollow pain, nothing that she cannot endure. But after fifty, her body started weakening.

“Ask for permission to sit, sir!” Erethel was afraid that she might faint at any moment and dislocate her shoulders.

“Granted, you pathetic weak little slut” was the reply, but there was a noise running down and a clicking sound. Erethel finally felt the chain be slacked and she was now able to kneel with her arms bent at the elbows and resting against the wall. She could sense that blood was running down her back – and her buttocks. She could easily imagine how her back looked like, but somehow she knew it wasn’t over yet. She had a glimpse of Alkah’s list and it was long!

“I...fail to see the purpose of this, Alkah...Sir! I can understand why you want to punish me, but this is going to kill me, sir! I am sorry... but doesn’t it count that you need me?”

As she was not rewarded with another lash, she continued: “I allowed myself to be slandered for you; I am obeying all your commands and do more than anyone. Doesn’t it count at all, sir?”

“Pathetic lies... you did it all because of your vanity. I wish I’ve never met you – you have ruined my plans!”

And it was the truth, Erethel knew it.

Alkah gave her and her brother a new life after their mother discarded them on the streets. They were saved by him, fed and even given jobs as servants in his house. If only he could see and understand that what she did, all she did was for his sake. She was saving him!

However, his pride was far greater than she expected.

Erethel nearly didn’t feel the lashes when they began again, only a small sting of pain and then just the dull throbbing. It was strange.

After she kneeled, Alkah hadn’t insisted on her counting, so Erethel was just grunting now with every lash... and swaying, eyes closed and when she mumbled something, Alkah stopped.

“You are definitely going to kill me, sir! You better be sure this is what you want.”

And despite her feelings of being floating, she dared “And you better be damn sure that you hide my body so my brother can’t find it or you’ll be a corpse, too”

Alkah started laughing, and she heard some footsteps together with the tap-tap of something and then Elyon’s voice: “Oh you little whore, threatening with your big brother. Disgusting! I too have had enough of you, Erethel! All your peculiarities, your addictions, your bad modes. Who do you think told them everything you planned? “

Erethel bowed her head in shame. When Elyon said it, it must be the truth, but Erethel never thought that her brother hated her this much.

Now she understood what did not work, knew that this was a fail from the beginning.

Alkah threw the whip away and came close to the almost unconscious girl, grappled her hair and moved the knife to Erethel’s neck.

“No one will know, no one will cry for you!”