The Master

Trigger: CUTTING, BLOOD, RITUAL

Each one of them had selected their costumes with great care. The costumes were well-tailored and made for each person with great care and precision. There were 12 of them in all. Nine men and three women had been granted the opportunity to wear these costumes for this one special night. The women’s costumes were elaborate, with linings of silk and velvet. The richness of the fabric felt soft against their skin. Their masks were of equal opulence, with real diamonds and other jewels adorning the outlines of the mask. The silk strings that tied around the back of their heads kept their faces obscure and no one knew who was behind each one. The men’s costumes were just as elaborate and rich as the women’s, with the finest blends of fabrics making up the tuxedos and their masks made of the finest silk. To all who saw them gathering at the mansion, it would look like nothing more than a wealthy host having an opulent Halloween party. There were so many people in attendance, no one would notice when each one of them started slowly slipping away from the party. One by one. Into the long corridor, dimly lit, until they reached what looked like a massive bookcase set into the wall. They each put in their number and the bookcase slowly swung in, allowing them to descend the stairs into the cool underground vault that had been built hundreds of years ago. This night was always the highlight of the year, the night where they could wear their masks, where they could let go of all the formalities of their lives, where they could be free from all the prying eyes and let their inhibitions go. As they all gathered into the large space below the surface of the mansion, knowing what was about to take place, they could feel the excitement in the air. While their colleagues were participating in yet another boring Halloween party, full of the same dull conversations they had had a million times over, they knew that what they were about to experience would last them for the rest of their lives. The women could feel their skin tighten as their arousal was reaching a peak, their bare skin rubbing against the sensual fabric of their costumes. Who would the great Master have picked for them this fine Halloween night? 

Suddenly, they felt a rush of air as the bookcase swung open for the final entrance of the night. All of them felt the hair raise up on the back of their necks. He was here. The one who made this night a possibility. He entered the vault like the magnificent man he was. Standing a little over 6 feet tall, with muscles so thick, even his tailor-made suit stretched thin over his skin. His dark mane of hair lay thick on his back, and his eyes, a dark-piercing blue, stared straight into the souls of each one of them. The women gasped, as they felt his presence, like electricity, seep into their veins. The men cast their eyes downward, feeling his power and knowing that each one of them would do anything to keep from having to go one on one with him. He slowly entered their circle, and for the first time that night, a word was finally spoken. “I see you have all made it here like we discussed.” “Were any of you seen coming here?”  he asked. They all replied with a resounding, “NO!” “Have you all decided to participate in this event for tonight?” he said. The women all replied with a yes, except for one woman, who looked hesitant. “Is there a problem?” he asked. This was her first time at the event. Every year, one new person was selected, and she had been on the waiting list for a long time. But now that she was here, she wasn’t sure that she had made the right choice. “No, there’s no problem,” she said. She knew she couldn’t turn back now. She had clearly read what she signed when she got into this, but seeing the seriousness of these individuals, she knew that this was no game. “Alright then, we shall proceed,” he said. He positioned us around the room, making sure that we were all facing him, as he stood in the middle. “You each have an important role here and you must not forget that. You must not waiver at any time. Doing so could cost you your life,” he said. “Do you understand?” he said. They all nodded yes. Suddenly, another door inside the vault opened and in walked two men, with a beautiful young woman, about 25 years old, between them. She was dressed in a beautiful silk gown. It was sheer and completely white. Her face was one of terror and you could tell she had been crying, though no tears were on her face. Her feet were bare of any shoes, and her hair was long and beautifully braided down her back. She wore no makeup, though she didn’t need any, as she had skin like porcelain. Out of nowhere, a concrete table rose from the middle of the floor. It was covered in a crimson velvet. When the young girl saw this, she tried to scream, but the silk scarf that had been placed around her mouth was so tight, nothing came out but a whimper. It wouldn’t have mattered. The vaulted room was 10 feet thick of nothing but concrete. No one above would have heard her anyway. The men drug her to the stone table. They laid her down on it and attached her hands and feet to the shackles that were attached to the table. All the men and women looked upon her with anticipation. Except for the new girl, who looked upon her with sheer horror at what was happening. She thought this was all an elaborate game, role-playing, if you will. This all seemed surreal, and yet, here she stood, witnessing it. Knowing that she was a part of it and she could never go back to the life she had after this. The woman on the table finally stopped struggling, her strength wavering. She was resigned to whatever these people were going to do, knowing she couldn’t stop it even if she wanted to. The Master stepped up to the table and drew out a long knife, it’s handle gleaming in the dimly lit room. He slid it ever so slowly across the young girl’s neck, listening to her gurgling as her life’s blood seeped slowly from her wound. He held a goblet at the bottom and let all of the blood seeping from her neck fall into the cup. There was so much blood, so much that it seemed she would never stop bleeding. The young girl lay on the table, her eyes open with a glassy stare that saw nothing. Her porcelain skin even more white, almost was like tissue paper. The Master looked up. All eyes were upon him. All eyes were lit with anticipation, except for the new girl. He looked at her and asked, “Was this not what you were expecting, my dear?” he said. “Did you think that we would have you sign an agreement for merely a game?” he said. She shook her head side to side, not trusting her voice to answer him. “Can we trust that you will be keeping your silence, as part of the agreement you signed?” he asked her. “Yes!” she cried. “I will keep my silence,” she said. “Good!” he said. “Because the penalty for defaulting on the agreement is a punishment you don’t want to face,” he said. He raised the goblet before each one of them and called them one by one to the table to drink. “Take a good, long drink,” he said. “For this has to last you till the next year,” he said. Each one took their drink, happily drinking until they were full, knowing that this would give them the energy to last until the next great Halloween. The new girl hesitantly took the goblet. She brought the cup to her lips and slowly took a sip. The blood was thick and tasted like metal. She gagged. “Drink up,” said the Master. She took a bigger drink, squelching the urge to vomit into the cup. She finished the rest of the blood in the goblet, as she was the last one to drink from it. “Very well done,” said the Master. “Now, we are done,” he said. “We may all go upstairs and enjoy the rest of the party with our fellow colleagues,” he said. “Shall we?” he said. They all took turns going back up the stairs to join the party. One by one. Mingling in each time, so as not to look suspicious. They all smiled, as the Master took his chair at the head of the table and smiled at his colleagues. “I want to wish you all the best of luck as you finish the school year with your students,” he said. He raised his glass of wine and all the teachers and faculty raised theirs as well.