Unforgivable Read online

  Unforgivable

  Part Four

  Captive Innocence

  The road worn carriage pulled up to the side of the mansion just as the first few stars dusted the night sky. The grimy driver and his bodyguard jumped down to the cobblestone and waved to the man standing guard by a barred stairwell just off the side of the impressive home.

  “You’re late Tyler,” the guard grumbled, walking over to the carriage.

  “Bleh, I know, Mitch, we had to replace a wheel two towns back or else we wouldn’t have made it much further,” Tyler explained with a yawn.

  “It took that much longer?” Mitch questioned, irritation clear in his tone at having to wait for them.

  “Ya well it ain’t like we could just go to a blacksmith and have a new one put on and all. I had to send Douglas to fetch one while I waited outside the town. Don’t need our cargo trying to call for help while we were stopped in a town and draw suspicious looks,” Tyler replied, walking to the locked carriage door.

  “She cause you any trouble?” Mitch eyed the door tentatively.

  “She cried for most of the way, banged on the side for a while, but nothing important,” Douglas replied.

  “Good, now let’s get the little bitch out of there so I can go to bed, finally.”

  Tyler unlocked the carriage door and pulled it open. The dim light from the half moon and the few burning torches in the side courtyard did little to illuminate the inside - the three men moved closer to see the small frightened figure huddled in the back.

  “Time to get out, girlie,” Tyler called in, to the whimpering figure.

  “Come on, girl, I don’t want to be out here all bloody night!” Mitch barked.

  Still, the terrified figure made no move to comply with either man.

  “I’ve had enough of this crap - get out of the damn way, I’ll get her,” Douglas said, moving to the doorway and reaching in, grabbing the girl’s arm. “Come here, you little whelp. You had better learn to listen better then thi…” Before he could pull her out, he howled in pain and fell from the carriage to the hard cobblestone.

  “What the hell happened?” Tyler asked in surprise, helping Douglas back to his feet.

  “Little bitch damn well bit me!” Douglas cursed angrily. “Now we do this the hard way!” He climbed back in and grabbed a handful of her long blonde hair and pulled her out, roughly ignoring her pleading cries.

  “Damn it, Douglas!” Mitch bellowed. “Be careful with her!”

  Douglas heaved the small girl out and let her fall to the cobblestone. “Look at my damn hand!” He barked, nearly shoving his hand in Mitch’s face. “Little whelp made me bleed! I should return the favor.” He raised his hand as if he meant to strike her.

  “She is not to be harmed, stupid,” Tyler told him, stepping in the way. “The boss will have the flesh whipped from your back if there’s a mark on her.”

  “Bleh!” Douglas scoffed. “Kids are tough creatures and mend quickly.”

  “Let’s just get her in her cell and be done with her,” Mitch went and unlocked the bar gate to the stairwell.

  “Lord Carter, your new guest has arrived,” A manservant informed him from the doorway of the grand office, his tone showing slight unease.

  Carter lifting his attention from his stack of paperwork, “Were there any problems?”

  “No, my Lord, none as far as I was informed.”

  “Good, I hate problems,” Carter replied, taking a sip of red wine from his crystal goblet, looking at the tattered doll upon his desk and smirking at the passing memory. “Where is she now?”

  “In the holding cells below where you wanted her, my Lord.”

  Carter mused over this for a moment, swirling the dark burgundy liquid around, his other hand caressing the fabric cheek of the doll. “Make ready one of the upper rooms near my own, Josiah. Make sure it is secure - I want the only way in or out of it to be the main doorway. Also, make sure there is nothing that can be used as a dangerous weapon. I wouldn’t want our guest growing too bold now, or having an easy way out.”

  “Yes, my Lord,” Josiah replied, his tone placid. “When the room is ready, do you want the girl transported up to it?”

  “No, not right away, Let her get a taste for the holding cell so when she is brought to the room she has more appreciation for it. When the time is right I will go to her and bring her to the room myself,” he mused - a fresh idea forming in his mind from his original course of action.

  “Yes, of course, my Lord.” Josiah quickly ran off to see to Carter’s wishes.

  Lord Carter smiled devilishly, taking another long drink of his expensive wine as his thoughts swarmed with the coming possibilities. It had been nearly the only thought within his mind the last few days. This time he would try things differently from the others. His eyes went back to the doll, his fingers sliding beneath the folds of its ripped yellow dress. A pleasurable sigh escaped his lips as he relived the memory of the doll’s previous owner.

  “Get out of my way, you insolent fool!” Carter’s voice reigned absolute in the dank under lit corridor. The bulky guard shuffled out of the way quickly, knowing better than to make his lord wait. “What is a matter with you? Open this door at once!” Carter commanded.

  “Yes, my Lord, right away,” the guard replied, fumbling with the iron key ring until he found the one that would open the iron-enforced door.

  Inside, the stone cell was barely tall enough for a grown man to stand in and maybe twice as long and wide as a man was tall. The air inside the cell was putrid with the stench of human waste and rotting gore. With no other source of light other than the small, barred window in the top of the door - the cell was near an empty void of obscured gloom.

  Lord Carter grabbed the torch from Josiah beside him and pushed it into the cell, forcing the murky darkness back to the furthest corners of the stone to reveal the filthy, terrified figured curled up in the corner. “Oh, dear sweet heavens, what have you done!” Carter bellowed angrily as he entered the cell. “It’s okay, my sweet child,” he cooed, slowly moving toward her, making sure not to go too fast and frighten her further. “I am not going to hurt you - I am here to help you, I swear it true. I am going to take you away from this vile dark place.” He reached the shaking figure and placed his hand lightly upon her shoulder. “It’s okay, I promise you child,” he whispered as she flinched away from his touch. “By the gods, she is freezing - get me a blanket damn it! What is a matter with all of you?” He hissed.

  A woolen blanket was quickly provided and he wrapped her in it. He helped Sofia to her feet and led her from the cell and up the stone stairs to the side courtyard of the mansion. She was greeted by the warmth of the sun and fresh, clean air. Lord Carter looked down at her; she was filthy from head to feet. Her cheeks were stained with crusted, muddy tears, her hair matted with filth and dirt, and she smelled nearly as bad as the cell she had resided in for the last two days.

  “Josiah, take her to one of the guest rooms. Have her bathed and bring her plenty of food and fresh water,” Carter ordered his manservant.

  “Yes, my Lord,” Josiah replied, taking the child from him. “Come along, Miss, and we will get you cleaned up and some food in you, you poor dear.”

  “And you!” Lord Carter barked angrily at the guard. “How dare you place a child within one of those vile cells. I will have the flesh whipped from your bones for such a thing!” The rant went on for several moments longer until the girl was out of hearing range and within the walls of the estate. “Good work, Tyler,” Carter told him with a grin.

  “Of course, my Lord, just doing my job.” Tyler replied.

  “You have yet to disappoint,” Carter replied as he began to walk away. “Keep it that way Tyler and good things will come your way.”

  Lord Carter stood outside the heavy oak door to the altered guest room where his new ‘guest’ resided. Josiah had informed him that the girl, Sofia, had been bathed and fresh food brought to her. Apparently, she had not
tried to fight him much, simply obeyed him, and had not said a single word - making the process easier than Carter would have expected.

  Carter knocked on the thick door and waited for a moment before entering. The room was not nearly as impressive as its normal glory as much of the décor had been removed for safety reasons. Anyone of higher stature would be able to notice, but he doubt the girl had a clue as this was still finer than anything she had ever likely seen before.

  He scanned the room, looking for his fragile blonde haired beauty, but she was nowhere to be seen. He walked over into the bathroom and still she was not there. His heart began to pound franticly at the thought that she had escaped him somehow, before he had tasted that sweet young flesh. He was about to storm out of the room in a fit of rage and have his servant Josiah whipped to death when the fractured sound of sobbing came from beneath the large bed. Carter went to his hands and knees and lifted the beds silken skirt to find a pair of green, puffy, tear filled eyes staring back at him.

  “What are you doing under here dear, child?” Carter asked as gently as he could - Sofia turned her head away from him. “Come now, darling, you do not need to fear me; I am not going to hurt you. I am your friend,” He cooed softly.

  Hesitantly she turned her head back to him; she eyed him for several long moments as if sizing him up. “You… you are the… the one who got me out of the dark scary place?” Sofia stuttered out.

  “Yes, yes that was me,” Carter boasted with a friendly smile. “I had no idea you were down there or I would have gotten you out sooner.”

  “Are you gonna let me go home?” Sofia asked, doing her best to stifle her tears.

  “How about you come out from under there and sit on the bed where we can talk better,” Carter told her. “I am getting old and my back doesn’t like being at this angle for too long,” he explained and after a few tentative moments, she slowly crawled out from under the bed. “There, isn’t that better? You don’t have to hide here, not with me, I promise.”

  Her eyes stayed focused on the carpeted floor, almost afraid to look up at him. “Are you going to let me go home now?” She whimpered as she fidgeted with her hands.

  “I wish I could, sweet child,” Carter replied. “I wish I could, but that just isn’t a possibility anymore.”

  Sofia began sobbing softly once more. “But why? I just want to go home.”

  Carter sighed deeply. “Well, my child your…” he considered his words for a moment, “your parents were in a horrible accident and are with the gods now. If you were to go back to your home you’d be all alone and who knows what would happen to you then.”

  Sofia blubbered for several moments. “Bad men came and… and killed them,” she said with an almost eerie calm, as memories flashed within her mind.

  “Yes, I know bad men came and did really bad things to them. That is why you were brought here - because you needed a new home and I wanted to help you.” He grinned to himself.

  Sofia looked up at him, her eyes full of confusion, fear and wonder as she struggled for words, and he smoothed the smile into a respectful, sorrow-filled frown.

  “What is it, sweet child?” Carter asked softly, seeing her dilemma, her big round eyes playing to his desirers.

  “One of the bad men who hurt my family,” she paused trying to slow her jarring sobs, “brought me here.”

  “What? Are you sure?” Carter exclaimed, trying to sound shocked. “Who? Who was it, dear child? I will have no such person within my household!”

  “The man guarding the iron door when you came and saved me from the dark place,” she whispered meekly.

  Carter fought back a sneer and was about to end this venture and just take the girl, when her last words sunk in, ‘you came and saved me’. So she believed him, which meant she would come to trust him because of it. He smiled inwardly - he only had to fully ensure that trust, and he knew just how he could do that. “This can’t be, one of my very own men?” He stood from the bed dramatically. “I will need you to identify the culprit and I will have him punished for his crimes against your family!” Carter went to the door and called for Josiah.

  “Yes, my Lord, what is it?” Josiah asked fretfully.

  “Find Tyler immediately and have him brought to the courtyard below!”

  “It is okay, my child,” Carter cooed, his hand eagerly wanting to touch her milky soft skin. “Just look over the balcony and tell me if that is the bad man that was at your house and hurt your family.”

  Sofia slowly inched her way closer to the banister of the stone balcony attached to her room. She peered over the top and looked down into the courtyard below. Tyler stood in the center of the yard looking angry and confused, three guards surrounding him, keeping him in place.

  “What the hell is the meaning of this, Carter?” Tyler yelled up to him.

  “Is that one of the bad men?” Carter asked the frightened girl.

  Sofia quickly pulled away from the balcony and buried her face into Carters pant leg. “That is him.” She cried out. “That is one of the bad men that killed my family!”

  “All right, my dear, I will take care of it, I promise,” Carter whispered down to her, running his hands through her soft blonde hair, doing his best to suppress his growing arousal. “Morris, Tyler has been identified as one of the murderers of this girl’s family in Ever-Dale. We do not harbor killers here. He is to be hanged immediately!” Carter ordered down to the commander of the guard.

  “As you wish, my Lord,” Morris replied and turned back to Tyler, motioning for his men to seize Tyler though it was plain he did not want to.

  “What?” Tyler howled out. “What is the meaning of this, Carter? I was doing what you told me too! Let go of me! Damn it, Carter wait!”

  Carter watched at Tyler was pulled away. It was a shame - Tyler had always done as he was paid to do, but he was expendable for Carter’s lustful desires, they all were. He looked down to Sofia who still held onto his leg, sobbing softly and smiled. She was more beautiful than all the others had been, her skin softer, her hair more silken. His body quivered with perversion, he could wait, he would wait and when the time came, it would be all the sweeter.

  Unforgiveable

  Part Five

  The Drunken Mule

  Jamus had sat in the aged pine chair for what seemed like an entirety, a silent war raging within him. Conflicting thoughts battled within; his pride, his wit and heart, all with their own reasons, all with their own truths, all with their own motives. He wanted to scream out in anger, anguish and defeat all in one - but he knew the effort would be moot. His family was dead, there was no bringing them back. Only Sofia was still alive, but the likelihood of him ever finding her again seemed nearly impossible. He cursed to himself, it would have been better if he had died with them. He cursed himself again - how could he say that - Sofia was still alive, his daughter, his own flesh and blood. There was still a faint light of hope that he would see her again.

  Jamus pushed himself from the chair and went for the pitcher of water sitting atop the counter. He poured the room temperature water into one of the wooden cups and emptied it in nearly a single swallow, trying his hardest to ignore the pain that erupted through his mouth. He placed the cup down and was about to return to the cot when he glimpsed his reflection off the blade of a kitchen knife. He stopped in horror as he lifted the blade near his face to ensure he was truly seeing what he had glimpsed. The knife began to shake in his hand as he stared wide-eyed at the monster that was looking back at him. His face was ruined; burnt and blistered flesh riddled his features. Had it not been for his eyes he would not have even recognized himself. The blade slipped from his hand and fell to the floor, he made no move to retrieve it. He was a monster. His features nearly matched the hate and pain that consumed him. He nearly laughed aloud at the cruel irony of it.

  Jamus grabbed his tattered red cloak that hung by the doorway. He left the small cottage - the cool air stinging his wounds but he didn’t care, he need
ed fresh air, he needed to do something. He pulled the hood of his cloak over his head, the shadow hiding the monster beneath.

  He walked the night without purpose - there was no haste within his steps, no true direction, he just walked the town aimlessly - trying his best to empty his mind. He was glad no one was about at this late hour; he enjoyed the silence and solitude that blanketed him. He had lived in Ever-Dale for more than a decade and he was sure he could count the times he had come to Milton on one hand, even though it was only an hour ride away. He had only ever come here when work brought him here, but his boss Marcus had seen to most of those things. Jamus had been simply a hired hand for labor work in the fields. It had been something he had been good at - the days were long and hard and the pay was low, but Jamus was not a smart man, but he had a strong back and knew his place in the world. It had served him well enough, he had the means to feed and clothe his family and that had been enough for them. They had been happy and content.

  The sound of piano music and drunken laughter pulled him from his thoughts and he looked up to see that The Drunken Mule tavern stood before him. The smell of tobacco smoke and cheap ale hung in the air. Jamus had never been one to drink, but he knew many of men who drowned their sorrows with ale. He wondered if it really helped.

  He crested the stairs and pushed open the thick door with the elk antlered handle and entered the smoky tavern. The musky smell of unwashed bodies and stale vomit were added to the smells that assaulted his nose. He stood in the doorway surveying the room, not many people were left within the shabby establishment. A few drunken patrons littered the tables and bar sipping their various drinks, already well into a stupor. A man sat playing the piano on the far side of the room, taking requests for coin or drinks, while two barmaids walked the floor taking orders, collection coin and cleaning tables.