Replacing Virgil

Lisa waited, terrified, starving and eventually stewing in her own filth for what felt like two or three days, maybe more before Alma appeared again.

Suddenly the old woman was in the doorway just staring at her in silence when Lisa looked up and that familiar pang of terror twinged in her gut. Alma approached and took a seat on the side of the bed, looking Lisa over as the cowgirl pleaded in a hoarse whisper, "Please... Alma..."

"Hush!" barked the old woman. "You'll speak when spoken to young lady!" she snapped before her demeanour seemed to change, her mood appearing to lighten slightly. "Now I can see yer a right mess, dun worry. Alma will clean ya up, get ya fresh sheets and the like. First though, ya need food an water doncha? Yer meat's hangin off ya it is."

Lisa just nodded weakly conserving her energy as she watched Alma rise. "You sit tight, I'll be back in a jif." And with that Alma left her again.

The old woman's return was preceded by the smell of food, hot stew to be precise and it made Lisa's empty stomach turn in knots. Soon Alma was beside her once more, feeding her spoons of the delicious stew and holding a cup to her lips to chase it with long sips of cool water. The bowl was empty in no time and Alma chuckled to herself as she placed it down beside her.

Turning back to Lisa and grinning down at her she began. "Now girlie, we dont have much time so listen sharp." Lisa gave her a confused look, her stomach gurgling as it expanded to accommodate her meal.

"Much as I wanna, I aint gonna kill ya. Deserve it ya do, but what good would it do but leave ol Alma all alone." she trailed off, shaking her head before regaining her train of thought. "No, what Alma wants is a family and I ain't just talkin about that bub growin up inside ya... no missy. No, I mean to have me a proper daughter, just like I had me a proper son... oh Virgil!" she cried suddenly, "My poor boy!"

"Please... Alma..." Lisa begged but Alma shushed her harshly.

"No girl, Virgil was jus like his daddy, and his daddy before him, oh what a man was old Victor. Them lads had swimmers they did, real strong like. Make a maid pregnant just ta have a whiff o them it would." she looked over the bound cowgirl. "You'll feel it soon enough ya will. But like I say, Alma wants a real family". With this she leaned in and stared intensely into Lisa's eyes, their faces only inches apart as a sinister grin began to spread across the old woman's face.

As Lisa stared back she felt a queasy shifing in her guts and Alma's face seemed to throb and sway before her eyes as an overwhelming sense of dread began to course through her, rooting itself at the base of her skull where it settled and pulsed angrily. She began to shiver slightly as she broke into a sweat and Alma cackled harshly. "Ya feel it startin dontcha? That be the ratweed sinkin in. Ya scoffed down enough of the stuff." she chuckled, "Yer in for one hell of a ride!"

"Wh-why?" asked Lisa, her voice barely a whisper, "What..."

"Oh dearie... I'll tell you what." Alma hissed, grinning into Lisa's terrified face, "There's just time for ya to hear this before yur little adventure but don't worry. I'll remind you tomorrow and the next day and the day after... you get the picture." she spat. "I'm gonna fuckin break you girl. When I'm done with ya, you'll be Alma's perfect obedient little girlie you will. Do anythin ta please your momma you will, just like Virgil did." This time her son's memory did not bring a tear to her eye, her malice coursing strong.

"I've done plenny in my time, tamed horses, trained pups, hell sweet Virgil so loved his momma he dun killed for her but... oh," she held a hand over her mouth dramatically, "that little secret's for another time. What momma is tryin to say is, when I'm through with ya trainin, you won't even remember your own name. If ya don't wind up completely disgusting, momma might even find ya another man... someone who can take care o the both of us and knock ya up with a few more little uns. You'd like that wouldn't ya?"

Lisa stared at Alma as she ranted at her, her own lips trembling but unable to make a sound. Alma's voice pierced her consciousness once more, saying, "Looks like you're on ya way sweetie... enjoy yourself. I'll be back soon to clean ya up and spend some quality time with my sweet daughter. In the meantime you be good now, ya hear?"

The old woman rose and stepped away, smirking as Lisa's stunned gaze remained staring at nothing in the space where Alma had been, the cowgirl's eyes wide and blank, her face a rictus of terror.