The Catacombs

Chapter 1: The Skinner

Fermin’s lifeless body slid to the ground devoid of its skin.
“Dispose of him,” Mistress ordered. Lauren peeled Fermin’s body out of
its shell tears of blood staining her pearly white skin. “Good,” Mistress
cackled as she pulled the skin from the ground with her gloved hands
and set it t tan.
Lauren carried the skinless lifeless body to the furnace and
tossed it in watching the flames consume the body as if it were no
more than a piece of dry wood. She slowly walked to the bathroom to
scrub the stains from her body and soul.
“GRADY, JOHN,” Mistress screamed her shrill voice carrying
through the tunnels.
“Yes Mistress,” John said calmly from beside her.
Mistress started slightly hearing the voice from so close beside
her. “Fetch someone that will make good dark leather,” Mistress said
covering her surprise.
“Yes Mistress,” John replied calmly.
“Is that all you ever say,” Mistress questioned imperiously.
“No Mistress,” John said as he turned away. John and Grady
slowly climbed through the tunnels toward the surface finally emerging
into the grimy darkness of the abandoned subway station.
Lauren walked towards her bedroom through tunnels so old they
had been forgotten by the world above. As she neared her room she
walked faster looking forward to a good nights sleep. If that were
possible in a place of sorrow and death. Lauren closed the door behind
her with a snap. She turned to the bed stripping off her white leather
tunic to slip under the leather covers.
“Lauren wake up the Mistress requires your presence,” John
whispered in Laurens ear.
 Lauren bolted upright clinging the sheet to her chest but John
had already left the room. She quickly rose putting on her sandals and
donning her tunic. She rushed out of the room. Running towards the
Mistress’ personal chambers. As she ran she heard screams of agony
echoing through the tunnels.
Lauren sprinted into the cavern taking in the situation with one
sweep of her eyes. John as standing in the shadows with no hair.
Mistress was bending over her latest victim. Lauren shifted to the side
bringing Kiyarah’s body into view. Mistress started to bring twin knifes
down at the ankles of both her legs and slowly pulled the knifes
through her black skin. Pulling them up her legs to a point over her
bellybutton. Mistress then pulled the knife from her skin and
transferred them to Kiyarah’s arms slicing up the triceps splitting the
skin revealing the muscle of hers arms. Bringing the cuts to a point
over her collarbone. Mistress then dropped one knife to ground next to
the table Mistress positioned the point of her knife at the center of
Kiyarah’s chest bringing it down to join the cut’s together. Mistress
stood over her with the same expression she would view a gutted fish
with. Mistress then slashed her throat starting under one ear and
slicing all the way across ending under the other.
Lauren dragged what was left of Kiyarah's body through the
tunnels to the furnace that had died down since it had consumed
Fermin's flesh. Lauren stood and watched the flames consume the
kindling of Kiyarah’s flesh.
As Lauren strolled into the kitchen the sound of laughter drew
her attention to a corner where John, Grady, and Jordan stood laughing
at Jackson dancing on a table where Jordan swung mettle spoons at
Jackson’s feet.
“Jordan leave him alone ,” Lauren ordered.
“Make me,” Jordan countered.
 “She doesn’t have to,” Mistress said lightly as she walked into
the room a plethora of slaves in tow. “John, Grady take him out,” she
ordered.
Jordan spun around and took a step for the door. John tried to
tackle him as he started his second step but as he jumped up on top of
the table his shoe snagged the edge and he face planted in Grady’s
lunch. John sprang up wiping the gray gruel from his face. Jordan was a
step from the door when Grady slide tackled him from the left and John
plowed into him from the right. Jordan went airborne for a moment
before crashing to the ground. Lauren leapt forward a wooden mixing
spoon in her hand. She landed lightly next to Jordan pinning him with a
knee to the chest. Jordan jerked throwing her into a nearby cabinet. As
she slowly recovered she heard Mistress chuckling to her self. Jordan
struggled up and was tackled by John who smashed his fists into
Jordan’s face. Lauren slowly sat up watching Grady tie Jordan up with a
piece of rope he found in one of the cupboards.
Lauren staggered to her feet shaking off the residual effects of
her concussion. She staggered a few feet and barely avoided toppling
over. A brief look of concern passed over Mistress’ face but it was
quickly erased.
“Mara you’ll be bunking with Lauren,” Mistress ordered.
Lauren started at the mention of her sister she turned to see
Mara walking towards her through the chaos of the Kitchen to stand by
Lauren’s side. “Let’s go,” she said and turned for the door not waiting
for Mara to catch up. Lauren strode quickly through the tunnels after a
couple of minutes they reached Laurens room. Lauren opened the door
and walked in. Mara walked in after her.
“Mara you’ll be sleeping in here,” Lauren said showing her into a
small room.
“What about clothes,” Mara replied.
 “Mistress will provide everything you need,” Lauren said over her
shoulder as she walked out.
“Why do you call her Mistress in pri…,” Mara started to say.
Lauren jumped at her and clapped her hand over Mara’s mouth.
“Fermin didn’t follow the rules that’s how they caught him. Don’t
call her anything other than Mistress at any time got it,” Lauren
snarled. Mara nodded and Lauren released her. Lauren spun around
and walked out the door.
Lauren walked to the holding cells where John had put Jordan
after he had tried to escape. She walked down the row of cells until she
spotted a pile of rags at the end of one. “Jordan, Jordan wake up,”
Lauren whispered.
The pile of rags stirred as Jordan sat up. Lauren gasped at the
bruises covering his upper body. He stood up and shuffled over to the
bars. “Lauren you have to get me out of here so I can kill that B****,”
Jordan said through the bars with an almost feral expression on his
face.
“No, we’ll get you out, but we’re getting out of here,” Lauren
responded.
“Why the hell can’t we do both,” Jordan asked?
“Because I’m in charge, and I say now that I know all the exits
and entrances to this place we leave and come back with more of us to
kill every one,” Lauren said to Jordan.
“Fine,” Jordan replied.
Lauren turned to the door only to find Mistress standing there
smiling. “John throw her in with Jordan,” she ordered and walked away.
“Yes Mistress,” John said moving forward in a half crouch his
eyes flashed around the room once looking for anyone else when he
found nothing he locked his gaze on Lauren.
Lauren dodged John’s first attack a kick to the side of the knee.
In a way it was comforting to her that he wasn’t going for the kill.
Another kick this one to the face forced her to focus. She caught Johns
foot and twisted it to the side flipping him onto his stomach. He
scrambled up only to be knocked down again as Lauren’s foot
connected to the back of his head. He flipped onto his back in time to
deflect another of her blow’s this one aiming for his neck.
John kicked Lauren in the knee she staggered back trying to
recover a blow she hadn’t seen connected with the side of her head
she was knocked to the side but managed to keep her feet. John
landed another blow in her stomach. Lauren doubled over clutching
her stomach another lightning blow landed on her right side. Lauren
slammed into a cell’s door. The last thing she felt was a blow to the
back of her head.
Lauren floated in an empty void the faces of her second family
her fellow agents, Jordan, Jackson, Jeremy and all the others. “Come on
Lauren you can do it you need to survive, you need to pull through, we
need you, you saved us,” voices echoed through her head.