10. The Granny’s Tricks
Great Mama
The hustle and bustle of the central market on Sundays annoyed her. Still, her small, scrawny figure could be seen creeping through the crowds. The noisiness deafened her ears and her clumsiness due to aged limbs further irritated her. It made her yearn to find her next victim fast.
She quickened her pace, walked past the boutiques and markets, turned around the corner and… And she saw it. Her next perfect victim.
An instant glory and pride filled her heart as she strolled along the dark, quiet alley. Standing in the corner was a young boy. Still holding tight onto the kitten, he had not a single idea that peril was closing in. The wicked elderly woman was approaching slowly, with her bones noising with crump each step she took. The boy made a turn and smiled an innocent smile. Perfect! She thought. The more naïve the boy appeared, the more proud she felt with herself. A raw youth made a fine victim.
With that joy, she kindly took the boy’s hand and smiled, showing all her rotten yellow teeth. Her smile was threatening enough and yet, the kind little boy felt nothing to fear. He was falling deeper and deeper into the trap. Only this trap was far beyond anyone’s imagination could take.
“Young boy, what’re you doing all ALONE?” She asked, still grinning.
“I’m feeding her.” The boy smiled, taking a glimpse of the kitten in his hands. The tiny wild creature seemed to be more sensitive. On feeling the old woman’s presence, it slipped away from the boy’s hands and ran.
“Gloria!” The boy shouted. He wanted to chase after the kitten but his hand was seized by the old lady.
“Please, young kid, would you kindly help take me to my destination?” She said in a rather sympathetic voice. “My old clumsy body is falling…”
“Oh, madam, be careful!” The boy held her just in time when she was about to stumble forward. “Where should I take you?”
“Oh dear, my home is just about a mile away from here, near the green moors.”
“Okay. I will take you there, madam.”
So, that was the last time the boy was ever seen.
What took place following his encounter with the old lady was a living nightmare. The boy, indeed, did as he promised. He took the old lady to the green moors and on doing that, he was tricked to have a handmade candy from her as a gift. Immediately, his body was taken by dizziness and drowsiness. He tried hard to maintain his consciousness but in the end, he fainted.
A pair of rough muscular arms lifted him up. With a satisfied smile on her face, the woman walked away with the man and the fainted boy.
This action had been going on for years. She never saw it as an evil art but a business. Seeking random victims, mostly orphans or little beggars, on the street and bringing them to vacant, quiet moors or abandoned farm houses were just minor things. Kidnapping the youth and involving them in other more hazardous activities were the real business.
When the poor little one woke up, all he saw was a dark ceiling, far from his reach. His neck ached with unbearable pain and the body seemed to have gained tons of weight. He stared down at his wrists and foot, astonished that both were chained. The murky damp place was filled with moans and whimpers though he had not an idea where they came from. As a matter of fact, he could hardly see his own hands. Only the silver chains glittered in the dark such that he was aware of their presence.
He shook his head slightly, trying to recall what had happened. It was then he realized his head hurt. The headache had never left him. He felt as though his brain had been crushed into pieces millions times.
A drop of water trickled down from above, falling right on top of his head. The sound echoed in his head. The scene was familiar enough. Yes, right, he remembered it. The sound of water trickling. He led an old woman to the moors, given a candy and then… things turned dark. He felt dizzy and two arms enclosed from behind. After lifting him up with his shoulder, half conscious, he remembered hearing trickling sound. The man was drinking water and some drops just spilled from the edge of his lips.
So…why on earth did he end up here?
An instant horror struck him. Immediately, his nerves seemed to react abruptly. He started crying and screaming, banging on the walls vigorously until a dark figure came.
His screams died out. Just then, he knew he had made a mistake having yelled. The old woman was at the window peeking through the rails. It looked like he was being locked up in a room. A closed room with only a single window.
“Grab this boy out.” The old croaky voice demanded.
A muscular man, masked with a scarf and wearing an eye pad, opened the door and entered the room. Light from the outside hurt the boy’s eyes. Still he tried his best not to panic.
“What…are you doing?” He whined. “I…want to…go home…please….where’s mommy?”
“Mommy’s here, dear.” The old lady smiled. Her face was stretched into a clown-like expression, frightening and cunning. “She’s coming for you, my boy.”
“Really…?” The boy was shivering badly. The woman took his little patsy hand and led him out of the cell.
“Yes, she’s waiting outside.” The woman replied. “But dear, you can’t see her right now!”
“Why?”
“Because look!” The woman exclaimed. “You’re so dirty! I will lead you to bath first and then have a great dinner.”
“But…I want to see mom.”
“I told you she’s waiting!” There was rage in her voice. Shocked, the boy said no more, for he knew if he irritated this woman in front of him, he might never be able to see his mom.
Yet, everything was a lie.
A horrible lie.
He was washed carefully, in a gigantic bath tub. It was the best shower he had ever experienced. Since his family was broke, he never got the chance to shower in huge bath tub with warm water and lavender soap. As he stepped out of the tub, two maids approached him. Both were teens, with one having a hideous scar on her left check and the other one having only three fingers on her right hand. The boy did not wonder how such damage was made to these maids nor did he realize danger was slowly crawling towards him.
He was brought to a grand bright hall and as promised, dinner was prepared for him. Elated, he grinned and started eating.
“Oh, madam, I haven’t been told your name.” The boy said suddenly, holding a roasted chicken leg at his mouth.
“Oh dear, people call me Great Mama.”
“That’s a funny name.” The boy smiled. “We have Mary, Lucy and Maria, but no Great Mama.”
“Name doesn’t really matter, boy.” Great Mama said. “It never does.”
Full after a palatable welcoming dinner, the boy was led out of the hall. Wrong was he to think that the people were still giving him a helping hand.
“Where’s mommy?” He asked again, not as frightened as before after receiving fairly good treatments.
“Oh, you’ll see her soon.” Great Mama said.
Her rough wrinkled hand rubbed against his. It was warm. Yet, he didn’t feel warm at all.
A woman could be seen in the distance. Getting closer with each step, the boy was more and more excited. And then….
Wait a second; it wasn’t his mom at all!
It was a woman but not his mom. His mom never dressed in such fine clothes. She never wore laced hat and white gloves. Such elegant and fancy clothes could only be noble possession. Who was he meeting?
“No, Great Mama, she’s not my mom!” The boy struggled, trying to slip away but the old woman’s hand was as strong as steel.
“Quiet!”
Suddenly, the boy felt an abrupt pain behind is back and he fell again. The muscular man lifted him up and walked towards the lady.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.” Great Mama said.
“I don’t have a whole day, you know.” The lady said impatiently, gesturing her servants to come and take the boy. “How much again?”
“Five pounds.”
&nbs
p; “There you go.” The lady slipped some banknotes into Great Mama’s hand.
“Oh, thank you, madam!”
“Wait,” Before turning around, the lady asked. “Are you sure he’s obedient? Last time I bought that little creature from you, she kept yelling and never started to work!”
“Oh, she’s just one exception!” Great Mama said. “You’ve bought many boys from us and you know never have they disappointed you. Just starve and whip them if they don’t obey you. Let them know you are in charge of their life and everything.”
“Alright,” The lady grinned and waved. “Keep in touch, Great Mama.”
So, another business was made.
Counting the banknotes in her hands, Great Mama smiled to herself.
“Now, here you go.” She dropped one coin into the man’s hand and walked away.
That’s right. Her business was trading the boys she had kidnapped with nobles who wanted cheap child labor. The trade was confidential, of course. She had been dealing with tons of wealthy families this way. Decent and dignified were their names. Cruel and heartless were their true faces. Still, money was her only consideration. She had no heart to care how those rich guys maltreated the kids they bought or even killed them.
Money is the best judgment in hell, so she heard.
Selling boys and girls was only part of her extensive business. THE HOUSE was actually her greatest business. They called it THE HOUSE because no one really bothered to think of a name for it. It was a villa owned by the mayor, made to be a living hell. People with money could easily get through various kinds of games. They paid to direct their frustration on young kids, to torture young kids and to watch the underprivileged suffer in front of them. Despicable as could be, some of them viewed it as a form of pleasure. Some got hooked on tormenting others’ life and relieving their pressure by seeing their victims anguish. To the outsiders, the villa looked nothing different from many other stunning constructions in the neighborhood. Yet, to people inside, it was a bloody living hell.
Boys played their parts to be whipped, beaten or stabbed. If they encountered good and kind customers, they got spared from death. Each time they were called, they quivered with fear as they bore in mind it might be very well the last time. As for girls, they were made to serve mostly disgusting, ill-minded old men, to be raped and mistreated. All the all, THE HOUSE was a running cycle of never-ending tragedies and agony.
“Please, please, don’t do that to me…” Another whimper was heard in the corridor.
Great Mama didn’t budge a bit. She had long been accustomed to these sorrowful voices. Some children were found to be so annoying and noisy that their tongues got cut. Every now and then, blood could be seen everywhere and in a fleeting moment, young maids would approach with buckets of water and towels to clean the place. They worked no-stop from day to night because THE HOUSE never rested.
“Three boys and two girls died today.” Harry, one of her servants, reported.
“Oh, just bury them in the backyard as usual!” Great Mama yelped. “Why on earth do you have to tell me these stuffs?”
“I’m sorry, madam, but the backyard is full.”
“Huh?”
“And the garden as well.” Harry claimed. “There are no other places left that we can bury the corpses.”
“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” Great Mama shouted.
“I tried to, but I couldn’t get to you.” Harry said in a guilty voice. “The corpses are now piled up in the dungeon. If there are too many of them, the smell would be too obvious.”
“I know it, idiot.” Great Mama said and headed to the dungeon right away.
The corpses of children piled up messily in the corner of the dungeon. The place was stained with blood and flushed with strong choking smell. The scene was horrendous. Some had their limbs chopped off and detached from their body. Some were decapitated while some had their eyes or heart gouged out.
“Ooch!” Great Mama cried as she stumbled over a corpse with intestine hanging out. “What the devil did you think you were doing to place a corpse here!?”
“I’m sorry, madam!” Harry went up to help Great Mama up. The old woman spouted and kicked away the bloody corpse.
“Unsightly.” She commented, covering her nose and mouth with hand. “Stinking bunch of rubbish.”
“So, what should we do with them?” Harry asked.
“Burn them, moron!” Great Mama commanded.
“No, mayor says it’s dangerous.”
“Dangerous! Of course, it is dangerous for him! This place is his! He shares the greatest profit!” Great Mama smirked. “As well as the greatest risk! What’s that devil afraid of?”
“He…” Harry stammered. “He…said the church is…not far away…The smoke might be seen.”
Great Mama burst out laughing.
“So, you let these corpses stink and rot here instead?”
“No, mayor says he will find a place to store these up or to bury them.”
“Better be quick, you urge him.”
“Yes, madam.”