Garnet was seated before her small dressing mirror, a patron gift from one of her favorites. She hummed as she applied a bit of perfume, her hair gleaming from the two hundred brush strokes she religiously performed each day. She chuckled, thinking of them, and thinking that was just about the only religious thing in her life.
She was dressed in garters and stockings, her favorite burgundy corset being cinched tightly by Jewel, her dearest friend.
"Garnet, don't forget the garter holster for under your skirts. You know Big John Lemmings is coming in tonight. You will be careful, will you not?" Jewel paused in her ministrations, looking Garnet in her golden hazel eyes, her brows drawn together with worry.
"Yes, Jewel. I will be careful. What is the worst that can happen" His wife will be dining downstairs, as usual. He wouldn't dare try anything."
Garnet stood then, slipping her .22 Smith and Wesson into the beaded bag she would be carrying tonight. She left the small Derringer on the table, prefering the larger weapon.
The low heels of her black, ankle high boots were silent on the persian rug adorning the wood floor of her small room. (Another gift from one of her many admiring clients.) She turned before the mirror, smoothing the corset with her fingers, a subtle smile gracing her already carmined lips.
Jewel slipped out of the room quietly, having heard one of the other girls calling for some help with her costume as well.
Turning from the mirror, Garnet laid the bag aside, but looked sharply towards the closed door as she heard shouting, the thudding of heavy boots on the stairs, and the bellowing voice of Big John.
She barely had time to back away from the door before it splintered inward, kicked with a mighty boot. Gasping, she fell back on her bed, still dressed in only her underclothes. Her parasol clattered to the floor, taking her beaded bag and her gun with it.
"What in blazes is going on, Garnet' William told me I am no longer welcome in your bed. How DARE you turn me down?"
"Now Big John, calm down. I was going to tell you myself, afterwards. This was going to be our last time together, John. Sit down, let's talk about this." Garnet rose from the bed, reaching for his arm, hoping to move his large figure out of her doorway, as it was blocking her escape.
Big John's hand struck her across the face, knocking her to her knees at his feet. She gasped, reeling, her vision blurring. Her hair was grabbed by his meaty hands, and she felt herself pulled to her feet by her hair alone. She screeched, grabbing at his hands, her nails gouging into his hand and wrist as she struggled to get her feet under her. The pain in her head and hair was sharp, but the terror in her chest was worse. She glanced around for her bag, unable to completely focus.
"Damn you, Garnet. You think you're better than me" Is that it' Now that you are the head WHORE in this place" You think I ain't good enough for ye' Well I'll tell you something you slut. I am the best thing that ever happened to you and if you think that I am going to let you go suck some other man's thing while you laugh at me behind my back, you gots another thing comin'!"
Garnet had gained her feet by this point, her hair hanging loose from it's pins, falling to conceal the growing bruise on her cheek. She panted, whimpered, her mind trying to think of what to do. She had her push knife in her corset, but would she have time to draw it, let alone get close enough to stab him' Big John made the decision for her then.
Drawing his pistol from beneath his coat, he aimed it at her chest. She cried out, wondering where in the hell the other men where, faintly hearing the screams from the other girls as they ran down the stairs. Most were in varying stages of undress, but they were yelling for William, the bartender and self appointed protecter of the girls in the Millionaire's Club.
Garnet pleaded then, shoving fiery copper hair from her eyes, tears streaming down her lightly powedered cheeks. "John, please. We can talk about this. You don't want to do this. Think of Helen, your wife is downstairs, John! Don't do this!" She hoped to stall, hoped that William would be here soon, hoped that Helen would figure out what was going on and come fetch her husband.
With tears streaming down his own cheeks, Big John took aim again, his gun having faltered at the sight of her tears. "Damn, Garnet. You always been so perty when you cried. Each time I hit ya, you were nothin' but the most beautiful thin I'd ever seen. But if you won't have me, you ain't gonna have no one again. Dontcha see, gal" I loved ya and woulda taken you outta this place. But you wouldn't go, would ya? Had ta be Miss Whore of the ball. Well, I love ya Garnet, but goodbye."
She saw everything in slow motion from this point forward, his finger tensing on the trigger, the barrel aligning itself with her heart. She screamed, or at least she did it in her mind. Memories flooded back, the reasons behind her decision to never see him again. He had beat her sensless last time.
Garnet was never one to turn down a bit of spanking, a little paddling with a belt, maybe, but he had begun hitting her. She would not abide that, and William had backed up her decision, once she'd told him what was going on. The other girls had caught on as soon as it had happened, helping her hide the bruises with make up and catering to her each time she could barely walk. Big John was to be banned from the ladies upstairs, but none of them thought it would come to this.
She saw the bullet as it left the gun, which at the time, she thought extrememly odd. Then she felt it, the winds that whipped her hair, the lightening that couldn't have come from out her window, could it' She felt herself pulled by her middle, falling backwards as if grabbed from behind. She snatched at her purse, her parasol, her dress as they flew around her, as if the room were caught in a tornado.
Eyes blurring against the tears, dust, and high winds, Garnet was only able to see that most of her belongings were being pulled with her. She struggled to breath, to scream, but her breath and voice was snatched from her by the winds. Her last sight was of William hitting Big John over the head with a large vase, and the large man crumpling to the floor. The sight of her room winked out as she lost consciousness.
She was dressed in garters and stockings, her favorite burgundy corset being cinched tightly by Jewel, her dearest friend.
"Garnet, don't forget the garter holster for under your skirts. You know Big John Lemmings is coming in tonight. You will be careful, will you not?" Jewel paused in her ministrations, looking Garnet in her golden hazel eyes, her brows drawn together with worry.
"Yes, Jewel. I will be careful. What is the worst that can happen" His wife will be dining downstairs, as usual. He wouldn't dare try anything."
Garnet stood then, slipping her .22 Smith and Wesson into the beaded bag she would be carrying tonight. She left the small Derringer on the table, prefering the larger weapon.
The low heels of her black, ankle high boots were silent on the persian rug adorning the wood floor of her small room. (Another gift from one of her many admiring clients.) She turned before the mirror, smoothing the corset with her fingers, a subtle smile gracing her already carmined lips.
Jewel slipped out of the room quietly, having heard one of the other girls calling for some help with her costume as well.
Turning from the mirror, Garnet laid the bag aside, but looked sharply towards the closed door as she heard shouting, the thudding of heavy boots on the stairs, and the bellowing voice of Big John.
She barely had time to back away from the door before it splintered inward, kicked with a mighty boot. Gasping, she fell back on her bed, still dressed in only her underclothes. Her parasol clattered to the floor, taking her beaded bag and her gun with it.
"What in blazes is going on, Garnet' William told me I am no longer welcome in your bed. How DARE you turn me down?"
"Now Big John, calm down. I was going to tell you myself, afterwards. This was going to be our last time together, John. Sit down, let's talk about this." Garnet rose from the bed, reaching for his arm, hoping to move his large figure out of her doorway, as it was blocking her escape.
Big John's hand struck her across the face, knocking her to her knees at his feet. She gasped, reeling, her vision blurring. Her hair was grabbed by his meaty hands, and she felt herself pulled to her feet by her hair alone. She screeched, grabbing at his hands, her nails gouging into his hand and wrist as she struggled to get her feet under her. The pain in her head and hair was sharp, but the terror in her chest was worse. She glanced around for her bag, unable to completely focus.
"Damn you, Garnet. You think you're better than me" Is that it' Now that you are the head WHORE in this place" You think I ain't good enough for ye' Well I'll tell you something you slut. I am the best thing that ever happened to you and if you think that I am going to let you go suck some other man's thing while you laugh at me behind my back, you gots another thing comin'!"
Garnet had gained her feet by this point, her hair hanging loose from it's pins, falling to conceal the growing bruise on her cheek. She panted, whimpered, her mind trying to think of what to do. She had her push knife in her corset, but would she have time to draw it, let alone get close enough to stab him' Big John made the decision for her then.
Drawing his pistol from beneath his coat, he aimed it at her chest. She cried out, wondering where in the hell the other men where, faintly hearing the screams from the other girls as they ran down the stairs. Most were in varying stages of undress, but they were yelling for William, the bartender and self appointed protecter of the girls in the Millionaire's Club.
Garnet pleaded then, shoving fiery copper hair from her eyes, tears streaming down her lightly powedered cheeks. "John, please. We can talk about this. You don't want to do this. Think of Helen, your wife is downstairs, John! Don't do this!" She hoped to stall, hoped that William would be here soon, hoped that Helen would figure out what was going on and come fetch her husband.
With tears streaming down his own cheeks, Big John took aim again, his gun having faltered at the sight of her tears. "Damn, Garnet. You always been so perty when you cried. Each time I hit ya, you were nothin' but the most beautiful thin I'd ever seen. But if you won't have me, you ain't gonna have no one again. Dontcha see, gal" I loved ya and woulda taken you outta this place. But you wouldn't go, would ya? Had ta be Miss Whore of the ball. Well, I love ya Garnet, but goodbye."
She saw everything in slow motion from this point forward, his finger tensing on the trigger, the barrel aligning itself with her heart. She screamed, or at least she did it in her mind. Memories flooded back, the reasons behind her decision to never see him again. He had beat her sensless last time.
Garnet was never one to turn down a bit of spanking, a little paddling with a belt, maybe, but he had begun hitting her. She would not abide that, and William had backed up her decision, once she'd told him what was going on. The other girls had caught on as soon as it had happened, helping her hide the bruises with make up and catering to her each time she could barely walk. Big John was to be banned from the ladies upstairs, but none of them thought it would come to this.
She saw the bullet as it left the gun, which at the time, she thought extrememly odd. Then she felt it, the winds that whipped her hair, the lightening that couldn't have come from out her window, could it' She felt herself pulled by her middle, falling backwards as if grabbed from behind. She snatched at her purse, her parasol, her dress as they flew around her, as if the room were caught in a tornado.
Eyes blurring against the tears, dust, and high winds, Garnet was only able to see that most of her belongings were being pulled with her. She struggled to breath, to scream, but her breath and voice was snatched from her by the winds. Her last sight was of William hitting Big John over the head with a large vase, and the large man crumpling to the floor. The sight of her room winked out as she lost consciousness.