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And the Russian ballerina-vampirina studied the sixteen year old boy on the sofa next to her and went on...
I learned that I was not the only girl from that place to become a vampire. One or two others suffered the same fate. The Autocracy had need of them. But we were slaves to begin with. Aristocratic girls never went to institutions like that. Rich, landed orphans always found relatives willing to take them in, for whatever wealth they had went with them. They were never left alone. did some become real life 'Cinderellas?' Yes, they did. But when they became of age, appropriate suitors vied for their hands and most escaped into fine, new homes.
Our girls were not so fortunate. Lucky ones were married off to artisans secure in their crafts... barrel makers... haulers... carpenters... men like that. Others became wives to widowers far older than they. Children need nannies after all and bread must be baked. Noble swains bought some girls to be groomed as mistresses. They were kept comfortably enough. But they were not like the demimonde in France. Few accumulated riches of their own. Like pets they were. And when they aged, most wound up as simple domestics... not even head housekeepers. Maids, or drudges, that's what they were.
Any girl children were returned to the somber institution from whence their mothers came. They drowned baby boys. Few families were willing to preserve illegitimate claimants. Occasionally some were given to serf families eager for sons. The lord might favor them with special gifts during the Christmas season. But not always.
This was Imperial Russia. One respected only wealth and power... and long standing wealth and power at that.
Now I progressed. The two women who groomed me in that strange establishment found other tasks for me to do. The cats resumed their regular positions, for I was no longer 'the mouser.' I assisted them in the selling of 'bad' children to the Gypsies. And please don't think such wandering bands were all members of the nation now called 'Roma.' They were not. Most were free, though impoverished peasants from the south, outcast Cossacks, and God knows what. A ruble or two and the 'bad' child disappeared.
Then the vampire woman retreated into silence once again. Her sixteen year old prisoner- guest in his tightie-whiteys straightened up and said - You told me it would be terrible. When does that part start?
She studied a point perhaps twenty two inches before here eyes and said - Be patient. Time is different for night-folk. I will not rush for anyone...... He blinked..... She said - What if I told you that unless you gouged some poor student's eyes out with your thumbs, I would kill you? What if I announced a change of plans and rather than becoming vampire, your skin is to be flayed from all underlying flesh for use as sueded drawstring jewelry pouches, of course after proper tanning and all that? Whether or not you died after the ordeal would be completely left to you. Though I suspect things would go a certain way. So don't be so hasty, underwear-boy... And she smiled, revealing her sharp, pearly fangs.
Underwear-boy shut up. They sat there in the low, flickering candle light, each lost in their own thoughts.
While from another part of the deep, dark compound came the sound of muffled screams...
<more next time>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
click - PEACHES ... to see more episodes of Vampire Wonderland...
click - PLUMS ... to join me on Twitter...
please leave comments. if you like, tell others. thank you.
I learned that I was not the only girl from that place to become a vampire. One or two others suffered the same fate. The Autocracy had need of them. But we were slaves to begin with. Aristocratic girls never went to institutions like that. Rich, landed orphans always found relatives willing to take them in, for whatever wealth they had went with them. They were never left alone. did some become real life 'Cinderellas?' Yes, they did. But when they became of age, appropriate suitors vied for their hands and most escaped into fine, new homes.
Our girls were not so fortunate. Lucky ones were married off to artisans secure in their crafts... barrel makers... haulers... carpenters... men like that. Others became wives to widowers far older than they. Children need nannies after all and bread must be baked. Noble swains bought some girls to be groomed as mistresses. They were kept comfortably enough. But they were not like the demimonde in France. Few accumulated riches of their own. Like pets they were. And when they aged, most wound up as simple domestics... not even head housekeepers. Maids, or drudges, that's what they were.
Any girl children were returned to the somber institution from whence their mothers came. They drowned baby boys. Few families were willing to preserve illegitimate claimants. Occasionally some were given to serf families eager for sons. The lord might favor them with special gifts during the Christmas season. But not always.
This was Imperial Russia. One respected only wealth and power... and long standing wealth and power at that.
Now I progressed. The two women who groomed me in that strange establishment found other tasks for me to do. The cats resumed their regular positions, for I was no longer 'the mouser.' I assisted them in the selling of 'bad' children to the Gypsies. And please don't think such wandering bands were all members of the nation now called 'Roma.' They were not. Most were free, though impoverished peasants from the south, outcast Cossacks, and God knows what. A ruble or two and the 'bad' child disappeared.
Then the vampire woman retreated into silence once again. Her sixteen year old prisoner- guest in his tightie-whiteys straightened up and said - You told me it would be terrible. When does that part start?
She studied a point perhaps twenty two inches before here eyes and said - Be patient. Time is different for night-folk. I will not rush for anyone...... He blinked..... She said - What if I told you that unless you gouged some poor student's eyes out with your thumbs, I would kill you? What if I announced a change of plans and rather than becoming vampire, your skin is to be flayed from all underlying flesh for use as sueded drawstring jewelry pouches, of course after proper tanning and all that? Whether or not you died after the ordeal would be completely left to you. Though I suspect things would go a certain way. So don't be so hasty, underwear-boy... And she smiled, revealing her sharp, pearly fangs.
Underwear-boy shut up. They sat there in the low, flickering candle light, each lost in their own thoughts.
While from another part of the deep, dark compound came the sound of muffled screams...
<more next time>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
click - PEACHES ... to see more episodes of Vampire Wonderland...
click - PLUMS ... to join me on Twitter...
please leave comments. if you like, tell others. thank you.
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