Post by Nathan Saniti on Jun 4, 2017 10:35:04 GMT -5
The Star of Babylon - Lust - Chapter 9
Neville and Magdelline lay in each others' arms, staring up at the reflections returning their gaze on the ceiling. Neville's decree of love was nothing the Madame hadn't heard before, particularly from the more... inexperienced men she had lain with. Her feelings towards him, however, we a vastly different story. Never in her eons of existence had she experienced the concept of love within her own heart, at least not since she was human. In fact, she had thought her soul as cold and callous as stone prior to their first encounter; incapable of such sentiment. She had spent many lifetimes ensnaring victims for Gomorrah that she believed the notion of actually falling for one of her sufferers a laughable notion.
"The Feast will begin soon," she uttered under her breath.
The phrase nearly escaped Neville's ears, his contentment almost blinding his senses to his surroundings, relaxing him to the point of euphoric slumber. "Hmmm?" he muttered, snapping out of his pseudo-coma. "The what, my sweet?"
Instinctively, she strode atop him, her body automatically taking actions whilst her eyes told another story entirely. "The Feast. Everyone gathers in the Master's Chambers."
Neville was barely able to concentrate on listening from the pleasure he was feeling until he locked eyes with the porcelain skinned woman. Her body was sending his in one direction, but the severity in her eyes brought the train to a complete stop. He held her in place sternly. "What is it? What aren't you telling me?"
Tears streamed down her cheeks once again, the weight in her soul almost unbearable. Nevertheless, she found it impossible to lie to Neville for some reason. "It's a horrible thing, Neville. It's the beginning of the end for everyone here."
Without warning, there was a chorus of surprised wails surrounding their room. A horrified look crossed her face. Neville climbed out from under her, tossing on some clothes and rushing to the door to see what was happening. Down the hallway, door after door popped open of their own accord. Suitcases wheeled themselves out into the corridor. Attached to them by a glowing restraint were their owners, being dragged unwilling, naked, and frightened across the coarse carpet in a single file line to an unknown destination.
Neville shot his eyes back into his room, looking around in a panic for the luggage that was brought up to his room. He raced around the room, peering into every cubby hole, nook, and cranny to turn up the wayward item. It was not to be found. "Odd," he thought. "I know it was here earlier."
Magdelline also seemed a bit perplexed that she hadn't been involuntarily summoned, though she surmised that the distance between her room and this one may be playing a factor. "I'm not sure why or how, but I think you may be free of your bonds."
"Love," answered Neville, the word sounding even more astonishing to him as he said it, as if it had taken on a life he never knew previously possible.
"My own restraints will be here to take me away soon," bemoaned the Madame.
Neville rushed to her, holding her in his arms. Her chest heaved in and out from her sorrow as he held her close. Then a thought struck him. "Magdelline, were you honest about your feelings towards me?"
Her sobs paused. She looked up at him, her face wet from the guilt of her past actions. Finally, she composed herself enough to answer him. "I am being honest with you. I have never felt this way about a man in all of my existence."
"Then I doubt that you will be pulled away from me. I won't allow it."
"If it happens, you won't have a choice," she pouted.
"It's as you told me the Captain said," he smirked as he spoke, "I'm a special soul." Neville paused, deep in thought. "Even if it means staying here for eternity, I would do it for you."
A long silence followed as they continued their embrace. She buried her head in his chest, the shame of her existence withering away, making her feel more human than she had felt in what felt like forever. "What should we do, Neville?"
"We should start by checking on the rest of the Harvesters. I'm unsure of their conditions, since I've been so selfishly wrapped up in courting you."
Magdelline nodded her head in agreement. They both finished dressing and entered the hallway, dodging the screaming and pleading victims as they headed out to find Nathan, Kelli, Naomi, and Rasputin.
*******
Nathan and Kelli dressed themselves hastily after hearing all of the panicked cries of those being dragged down their corridor. Neither of them were sure just when their own suitcases would come to life and pull them to the same fate that awaited the other hotel guests. Small elephants made entirely of matchsticks crossed the untrafficked areas of the carpet, heading off into destinations unknown.
"The worlds feel like they're colliding," touted Nathan as he quickly buttoned his shirt. "I finally get my hands on Seromine at Living a Legacy so that I can put an end to his haunting me and combine our titles, and now this world feels as if it's collapsing in upon itself."
A rap came to their door. Kelli rushed to it, thinking that she'd find another person clinging desperately to their jamb in an attempt to halt their unscheduled trip. Instead, she was greeted by Naomi and Rasputin, both watching the happenings surrounding them in the narrow hall with anxiety and sadness. They stepped inside the room, closing the door behind them, but no luggage followed them inside.
"What's going on?" Naomi queried, her voice cracking from stress. "Why are all of these poor people being pulled away?"
Rasputin's face was red with rage. "I don't know, but when I find the person involved..."
The Mad Monk's anger triggered the Seed of Patience to begin glowing from within Nathan's jacket pocket. Nathan rushed to his coat, pulling out the gigantic, luminescent acorn, and looking at it in awe. "I'm not sure what exactly is transpiring, but I believe Kelli and I may be at a disadvantage." Nathan jerked a thumb to the luggage at the corner of the room.
As if on cue, the suitcases began to jump and lurch, coming to life. Panic set in as Kelli and Nathan realized that their fate would soon match that of the unfortunate souls in the halls. The door slung itself open wide. Nathan knew that this would be the end. He and Kelli would soon be clambering and fighting for their lives from an unseen force. "What do we do? How did you two free yourself from the baggage?"
Then Neville and Magdelline stepped through the portal instead. "Love," Neville stated. "That's what we used."
Nathan and Kelli looked at each other, puzzled. "But we do love each other!" Kelli shouted.
"It's not enough," Rasputin explained. "You need trust and honesty. That was what Naomi and I needed to work on."
Nathan furrowed his brow. "I believe we have that as well."
"Well," chimed Naomi urgently, "One or both of you are hiding something, and you had better think of it quickly."
She motioned to the bags as they began to slowly make their way towards the door. Kelli and Nathan felt a tug at their ankles, the same glowing tether appearing from within the cases and wrapping itself in a death grip around their legs. Nathan and Kelli both let out shrieks of agony as the rope buried itself within their skin, burning, searing, melding itself to their bodies.
The door to the hallway burst open once again, the luggage motoring towards the line of shouting victims. Both Nathan and Kelli lost their footing as they were dragged away from their friends and family. The rest of the Harvesters pursued the pair as they were carted down the path towards the Master's Chambers. Only Magdelline knew what lay ahead. Only she was aware of the horror to come. Neville knew she could help save his twin and Kelli.
She would have to do what she could to help them. For millennia, she had reaped the dubious rewards of this godforsaken hotel. Now it was time for her to make amends and end this vicious cycle once and for all. Even if it meant the ultimate sacrifice.
