Dead Tempted - BOOK 1 - Pomegranate Seeds

PART THREE - IV

"That creepy sadistic evil slimy disturbed creepy bastard!" Josette said after Bronwen was forced to explain how Adam had attacked her.

She hadn't told them that Adam had killed her, only that he had injected her with a sedative which she had reacted to.

"You said creepy twice," Bronwen said.

"That is because he is twice creepy. I knew there was nothing good about him. If my stomach wasn't churning right now, I would go to kill him myself."

"There is no need. He is gone now and there was no harm done."

"No harm done! He drugged you Bronwen!" Josette exclaimed, further hurting her head. She was still suffering from the absinthe, having not been warned that one sip was usually enough. She had been violently ill all night and the next morning. "What if you had not had a reaction to it? What if he hadn't cared if you were dead? He could have taken full advantage of you and one day I shall kill him for it... just as soon as the room stops spinning."

Bronwen couldn't help giggling at Josette. She doubted Adam would come near her again, not soon anyway, not after what Thanatos did to him. She had never seen a man so terrified.

After Bronwen's tale, Azu finally told them about the men that were after him and why.

"Your leaders banned slavery, but some people still have them," he began, not looking at either of them as he spoke. "I was taken from my country when I was fifteen. I was walking in a field on my own and they thought I had no family. I couldn't speak English, but I fought them. They took me anyways and put me on a ship with another boy and two girls. It was a long journey. We were put in same rooms and became good friends, but the men who took us did not like that we talked in our language, they beat us till we understand and then one day..." Azu paused and looked at both of them carefully, not sure whether to continue.

"You can speak to us about anything, Azubuike," Bronwen coaxed.

Josette nodded. "We are not as delicate as we seem and we are here for you."

Azu nodded and opened and closed his fists nervously. He spoke slowly and quietly, only his tone betraying his difficultly in telling his story.

"They made us... ubakaji..." He shook his head, trying to find a polite word in English to say what happened. But, not finding one, he pressed on. "They made us rape the girls, me and the other boy."

Josette had a sharp intake of breath in horror and Bronwen had time to wonder why she was not as shocked. She was horrified, of course, but, she was not shocked by what the men had done. Perhaps she was getting too used to evil - too used to sex being used as a weapon against people. It just re-established her want to stay away from it.

"Most everyday they made us do it, not always with same girl. They spit on us while they watched. 'Beasts only fuck other beasts' was the first English words we learnt. They still put us in same room and we couldn't help them when they cried, or when we cried. One girl killed herself soon as she got to the country. Cut her arms." This part made Azu put a hand on his head, as if holding in the horrific memories that hammered to escape his mind and infect others with its poisonous nightmares.

Bronwen and Josette said nothing, allowing him, and themselves, a moment to recover. Neither had moved, so intent on the story and their friend's pain.

"In England, we were taken to same house owned by a Lord and Lady. We were washed and dressed nice and had our own rooms. Then we was taught lessons; music, painting, singing and shown about at parties like decoration. Us boys tried not to learn English because we didn't want to know what the people said to us, or about us. The other girl learned. She learned all she could and was nice to the men, to survive I think.