The Switchblade Mamma

by Lindsey Schussman

  5.

  Walking through the forest I came to a clearing. It was a beautiful green meadow. There was one tree in the meadow, and nestled beneath the tree was a rock. It wasn't a big rock, but the rock was the size of a human torso. My 357. Magnum was in a shoulder holster close to my left breast. I walked up to the tree that was in the middle of the green meadow and sat down. I laid my head down upon the rock and stared into the blue half cloudy sky. I laid there for a while, looking through the breaks of the leaves, and watching the clouds as they effortlessly glided through the blue seas. I never felt more serenity in my life. I never wanted to leave the place. I removed my shoulder holster and placed my gun close to my side. My breathing was slow and steady. I knew my father was going to be looking for me soon, but I had to ingest just a little bit more of its natural peace....

  The locks rumbled again and I awoke. I slowly sat up in agony every step of the way. It was quick, but I started to have a "thing" for Paige. Before she could make it to the foot of the steps, I tried to make myself presentable, which pretty much consisted of me putting my hair back into a ponytail. It was quite rough without a brush.

  As Paige began her descent into the dungeon, I noticed my chains lying on the floor next to the sink. No wonder I was able to do my hair with ease. I couldn't help but wonder why I had not been chained. They probably figured after my initiation beating, I would be too weak to try an escape. They were right.

  Paige came bearing clothes in her arms, and on top of those clothes laid a foiled plate. Instantly the smell of eggs and bacon struck my nose and my mouth began to water insanely.

  Without hesitation I threw the comforter from me and went for the plate. I ripped off the foil and started eating the eggs and bacon with my hands. As I was in my eating frenzy Paige placed the clothes on the bed and watched as I totally cavemaned my food.

  "Well I guess you were hungry."

  I looked up at her while shoveling food in my mouth, "you have no idea." As the food on the plate quickly diminished, I sat back down once again shivering. Belly full, I was hoping to get some energy back. Paige, still standing, was looking at me with her arms crossed. She looked at me and motioned to the clothes that were on the bed next to me. I just realized that I had eaten my food wearing only my undergarments.

  I grabbed for the socks and put them on. I picked up the pants and slowly pulled them up; zipping and buttoning them I looked up at Paige and blushed. It had been some time since I had dressed in front of another woman. With goose bumps on my arms I grabbed the shirt and pulled it over my torso. The clothes were mine. Paige had put them through the wash. Last article of the clothing was a jacket. It was similar to the one that I had. I grabbed it quickly, put both my arms through it and zipped it up. Then there were my boots. Paige had brought my boots back. I smiled as I laced up my steel toed Doc Martens.

  There was a moment there. I sat content, belly full, dry, and looking at the woman who had given me the most comfort that I could have felt in the position that I was in. I could not hate the woman even though I knew what she was a part of, I could not hate. I hoped my expression showed her much gratitude. I sat back down on the bed once again whole, and waited for my next instruction.

  Paige pulled something from her pockets. They were keys on a key ring, and she pulled a black bag from her back pocket. My heart automatically sank. Obediently, I stood up and raised my arms. I just closed my eyes and waited. I watched her grab the chains, clinking from the corner, and felt as they once again inhabited my wrists. The bag was once again placed over my head, and I waited for my lead.

  I obediently followed as Paige pulled me from my dungeon. Once again trudging through the snow, I again entered the house. I followed her back downstairs, and entered the room in which I called the interrogation room.

  I was seated, and heard my chains locking once again. I heard the chair in front of me being scooted out and being dragged back in. After all was settled, the bag was removed from my head. I focused on the being that sat across from me.

  Paige sat there, eyes locked with mine. Expressionless, it seemed to me that it was her best quality. She leaned forward and placed both her elbows on the steel table cradling her chin. No way in hell, could anybody escape those beautiful brown autumn eyes. I was entrapped with her beauty. Of course my weakness was exposed; I lowered my head and looked into my lap.

  Her words were cold and clear, and I ingested them the best that I could. "Lillian, I know you are here against her will. You have been beaten, and you have been broken. But these steps you must take to ensure the safety of your mother."

  Those words just echoed through my mind. I could only think that she had some sort of prompter there that she was reading from and it made me sick. Even though her beauty had surpassed all that I had ever seen, all I wanted to do was shove a knife into her throat. Wanted to, but couldn't.

  There was a paper and a pen in the middle the table in front of me. I looked at her and she motioned to it. "I need you to write a letter to your mom. I need you to tell her of your plans of Riding cross-country and taking pictures."

  I just sneered. Cocked my eyebrow and laid my head into my right hand. I closed my eyes and shook my head. Where the hell was that coming from? How the hell did they know what I wanted to do with my life, my dreams? I was extremely angry at that point, but knowing what was at stake, I grabbed the pen in my left hand and pulled the paper in front of me and waited for more instruction.

  Paige never moved and her expression never changed. She looked at me with her brown eyes and she was calm and collective. "Write a letter to your mother, and tell her where you are, please."

  I was wondering if I didn't obey, would she pull a gun out and shoot me in the head. Would she pull out a phone and make that call to torture my mom? Who knew? Regardless, I put the pen to paper and started to write.

  "Dear mom, this is your loving daughter Lillian. Thank you, by the way for buying me that wonderful camera. It captures so many moments. As you already know, I have been thinking about a plan to drive cross-country. After becoming fed up with work, and wanting to try something new, I have up and gone like the wind. I bid Arizona farewell, and you know I love you all, but you must know that I strive for something more. My life is not complete until I find that perfect picture. So, I have packed my bags and loaded them into my trusty suburban, and am now driving off into the sunset. I tell you dear mother, for I am so very happy, and so very scared at the same time. I hope by the time I have returned from my trip, I will have plenty of awesome pictures to show you. I will miss you so very much. Please give grandma my best, and if you do happen to talk to my sister Elaina in Michigan, please give her my love as well. I may even visit her if my schedule permits. I love you mom. Please take care. Love Lillian"

  So that was it. With the stroke of a pen I had written off my entire life. I disappeared like the wind. I felt so empty and disgusted with myself. It was the biggest lie that I had ever pulled off. Money to make me disappear, money to train me, and money for my so-called procedure, that of which I was definitely not looking forward to.

  We sat there in silence for a while as Paige looked over my letter. She didn't ask for an address. With much regret, Paige looked into my eyes and spoke. "We will be doing this every few weeks. Writing a letter."

  I couldn't look her in the eyes. I did not want her to see the tears that were streaming from mine. After writing the letter, it seemed as if the last chunk of hope was gone. I was truly lost.

  Paige just got up with my letter and pen in hand and left the room. As the door shut behind her it left a spineless echo that rang through my ears.

  Once again I was left there alone. At least it was not the darkness of my dungeon, but rather the fake glow of a fluorescent light. I put my head down with my chained hands on my lap, and began to stare at the steel table. It was strange how steel seemed to have its own grain like wood.

  After a while of me just sitting there trying to lose my
mind for bit, the door opened again. I didn't bother to look behind me, I wasn't armed with another smartass remark, and I just sat there and waited for my world to go black again. To my surprise, this was not the case

  6.

  He sat down in the chair in front of me. He had a navy blue pinstripe suit, buttoned, with a pretty red tie to go with it. He was tall, maybe around 6 feet. His face was Stern. It was like a rock. His lips were well-defined, and there was no smile. His lips lay like a straight line across his face. His hair was Brown and short. His eyebrows were arched like smooth triangles.

  After the well-suited man had sat down, an older man whom I had not seen yet walked behind him and stood in the corner of the room. His hair was white, short. He had a beard, and glasses. He wore nothing spectacular, just a collared shirt, jeans and a belt. Paige soon followed, and then Clive standing next to Paige. I could feel that someone was standing behind me. I could smell him and I was pretty sure was Barrett.

  So there we were, just one big happy family. The man in the pinstripe suit leaned forward and looked at me. "Do you know who I am?"

  I frowned and raised my eyebrows "probably the guy that is putting me through all of this bullshit."

  There was, a wonderful elbow to the back of my head. My head leaned forward and I swear my brains fell out of my nose. I raised my head again to look at the man in the suit. Thinking on the side, just wait Barrett, you'll get yours.

  "My name is Paul, Paul Bishop. As you probably know, I now own you." That straight line across his face that could only be identified as lips, slowly curved up. It was as if he had taken some sort of hit off a drug and was now feeling the ultimate high. "As Barrett, Paige, and Clive have explained to me, you have been through orientation, meat tenderization, and wrote a letter to your mom. You are now ready to become the ultimate weapon." The smile never left his face. The man actually took pleasure out of owning human beings.

  I disgustedly shook my head "bullshit!"

  My brains were once again rocked by Barrett who stood behind me.

  Paul shook his head while looking at Barrett. "No, no, no, my dear Sir, please let her speak. I need to know the true woman whom I am spending so much money on. If she has something to say, then let her say it without reprimanding, please."

  Paul seemed to be a very proper man. He was a businessman, but an evil one. He could surely sit there and spit out all of his lies and be a gentleman, but in the end I knew who he truly was, a lying sack of shit. Anyone that was into the human trafficking, human slavery, and had no problem with threatening people and or their families, had no God damn soul. If I had to play on their side, if I had to do what I had to do, to see my mother safely, then so be it, I would do it. The world as I knew it was disgusting and sad. I tried my best to skim by under the radar of all the insanity that that the world could provide, but now, now I found myself in the middle of chaos. I finally met the man of chaos, Mr. Paul Bishop. So I would go with the flow, and as soon as I had my chance, I would be the last thing that that man saw before he died. I would have the last word. I did not care how much money he had or how much power he had. All I knew, was in the end, the last thing that he would be staring into was my wicked green eyes.

  "Now," he said, "as you are aware, you are to undergo a procedure, and I am quite sure that everyone in this room has also gone over it with you as well. Now that you are acquainted with me, and are already are familiar with my trustee employees, Barrett and Clive, and Barrett's daughter Paige.

  My mouth dropped open at the sound of Barrett's daughter Paige. How in the hell could that woman be related to him? She was so delicate and so frail. Oh, how the plot so thickened! I looked up at her, and she looked down at the ground. At that point I lost some stability.

  "The procedure will be performed by this man here standing behind me to the left. His name is Dr. Sebastian Cole. He is the best in cosmetic surgery, and up until recently, the best in surgery with implants. Of course every day Doctors will not know about Dr. Cole, for he mostly specializes in the underground repairs if you know what I mean. Dr. Cole, has been with us for many years, and has treated many girls who have needed surgery, and/or some sort of facial reconstruction." It seemed Paul was taking pleasure out of what he said because his smile never faded.

  Implants I thought to myself, fantabulous. It was all too much to take in. I had never gone to the hospital. Well, I had gone once for a dog bite. Only because I noticed a red line going down my vein, and remembered my mom telling me that it was a sign of blood poisoning. Surely enough it was, and I received a tetanus shot, and an IV for antibiotic. I hated needles, so I turned my head as the nurse was inserting a needle into my vein. I closed my eyes and thought of beautiful flowers. Poof, congratulations to myself, my first needle was inserted.

  Paul continued "so with no further ado, I give you Dr. Sebastian Cole."

  The doctor, who was staring at the floor almost the whole time, finally grew some balls and looked up at me. His face was frail and old, withered by time and stress. His beard was short, but his thin framed glasses reminded me of Santa Claus. A gentle old man I thought to myself that was probably bought by money. Side note to myself, he could possibly have leverage against him as well, so I didn't think of him as much of an enemy, but more of somebody who was trying to do their job. I gave him my utmost attention.

  "Lillian," he said. He pushed his thin framed glasses further up on his nose. He had no papers or notes with him, so obviously he had explained it before. He took a deep breath. "This procedure will consist of me taking several small incisions throughout your body."

  He seemed so frail and delicate. To me, it seemed it was not a very easy thing for him to talk about. I had come to think that there were many before me, none of which had actually survived.

  He continued on though; face straight, firm but still frail. "I will insert many titanium-based alloy implants that are coated with a silicate glass, that are bioactive at key points in your bone structure. Certain key points," he was struggling a bit with it. "Will be your face, forehead, cheekbones, knuckles, hands, knees, shins, and elbows." Still it seemed he was uncomfortable in his own skin, but he continued on. "This procedure will not be an easy one. You will feel a lot of pain, and be uncomfortable at first, but Paige, she will help you with recovery."

  I was comfortable with the whole Paige and recovery thing, but surely the whole new procedure would require some sort of maintenance. I had remained silent for a while, but my body was being used as a guinea pig, so I had to ask a question. "What kind of maintenance will this require?"

  Paul did not even let the man answer. He just butted in. "Lillian, I am sure you have many questions that need to be answered. I assure you that they will all be answered. Now is not the time." He began to lift himself from his seat, never leaving eye contact. I could only think to myself, a businessman such as him, had many places to be at once. But there was one more thing that I wanted ask him. "So you're a businessman, but you are in the business of what?"

  He slowly turned to look back at me and his smile lifted once again. "Why little girl, I am the head of the major pharmaceutical company. It is our responsibility to create new things for the consumers to use. It is now your job to test those products. If we succeed with these implants, and the cocktail continues to strengthen you and keep you strong, then my girl, I think we will have a breakthrough. So the meantime of testing this, I believe you will bring me in a load of cash." And with that he left. Single file line everybody left the room, Paige remained.