Where we began

The corridor was low ceilinged and dark. Old, cold grey stone claustrophobically pressing in as both walls and floor. Lucy shivered a little just from watching it pass by, but the clothesless angel she followed padded along on bare feet without showing a single goose-pimple. Strange echoes seeped in from around unseen corners and seemingly up from hidden depths below. Cries of both pleasure and pain. Snapping sounds and creaking thuds. The soft, wet squelches of bodies meeting, and giggling whispers like an indecipherable supply of momentarily-caught pillow talk.

The rest of the choir seemed to simply drift away down one side passage or another, leaving Lucy alone with her solitary seraphim. **** not to lose sight of that one body which had lured her here and acted as her sole guiding light. On and on they trod, past door after closed door, chasing the gentle curve of this one central corridor which must have circled round on itself at least once in its deceptively endless length. Occasionally one of the doors was in fact not fully shut, offering Lucy a glimpse within before her fear of being left behind hurried her on. Many were unoccupied, but gave brief views of an infinite variety of decor and furnishings. Most were bedchambers of one respect or another, fine cushions and bright sheets of every colour or fashion lining wide mattresses or low couches. Some were bathing chambers, holding deep pools of lapping water. Some were dressed altogether more threateningly: with hanging chains and strange wooden contraptions.

In one room the girl spied an enormously fat lady, lounging on a throne of sorts wearing nothing but the same simple crucifix Lucy’s guide wore. Her ridiculously large breasts and great rolls of belly spilled out like a waterfall of human jelly, upon which three considerably smaller and skinnier men were clambering, squeezing and kissing. It was painfully obvious they were getting far more from this than the lady herself, drooling over and worshipping her like a goddess upon a Grecian mosaic. Yet the woman spotted Lucy hovering and offered an honestly kind smile and a wink. The girl rushed on in a panic, unsure what she had just witnessed.

Another voice called out to Lucy’s angel as they passed, drawing them in to his chamber for a moment. The man in question was an incredibly effeminate youth, dressed in multitudes of glittering bangles and painstakingly flamboyant makeup. Several considerably older ladies lay draped around the room, dozing fitfully or simply staring up at him doey-eyed. Lucy couldn’t for the life of her work out what they found so fascinating about the walking fountain of sparkles and shied away when he made a patronising point of noticing her.

“Oooooh, what have you found Di?” He asked in a sultry, high-pitched voice. “She’s a pretty one… somewhere under all that dirt... Followed you home has she?”

For the first time since they’d entered this place... ‘Di’ spoke, her voice sounding far more honest and melodic to Lucy’s ears. “Yes… I met her on my rounds last night as well…”

She looked down at Lucy to offer some encouragement that she remembered that encounter too.

“I don’t think she has anywhere to stay, so I’m taking her to see Mother Renais.”

The perfumed doll of a man cooed like a dove at Lucy, causing her to back away a little further and try to hide behind her angel’s non-existent skirt-tails. She didn’t like feeling so much like a child again. She’d been on the streets for months after all… and taking care of herself for much longer. But this was all so far out of her element. If she hadn’t been feeling so truly lost and alone she would have cleared out far away from anyone who took such an indecent interest in her. This just made the thin young man chuckle and cluck his tongue though.

“Yes… I see a bit of a spark in her… I think there’s fire hiding under all that soot and shyness! You go see the Mother with lovely Di, little one… she’ll know what to do with you.”

And with that… they were on their way again. The slender man seemed to notice one of his middle-aged charges waking up, and drifted over to massage her shoulders. ‘Di’ let Lucy lead the way out the room, before indicating that they continue further along the path they’d been taking. Further into the depths of this strange, strange building.