Preys and Predator Part II; the monster and witches' Chapter 4

 

4.

Alphonse Frankenstein, an old man from the northern central continent, emigrated there to build his home. He has amassed his wealth accumulated as a member of the dvoryanstvo or the nobility family. He emigrated soon after the death of the old man and built his mansion across the channel. He also changed his name to that used there. His past was to remain as memories then. When he arrived at the new home, he had his young wife, and they raised a family there: William, Victor, and one younger son named Ernest. Life was balanced, and with the two sons inheriting his ambitions in science, he was contented.

“Science will be the new frontier of humanity.”

A vision that was not shared by the youngest son, Ernest. He was into more scholarly subjects like laws. He diverted to the knowledge of laws, and that agitated the father, but the old man recalled his dying love’s words.

“Ernest is more of my son. Let him do what he wants.” Annabelle died shortly after Ernest learned to walk at the age of three. It was a disability from birth; the youngest needed the assistance of the crutches to hobble around, but his brilliant mind was to read the different sets of volumes.

Alphonse had no desire for more lovers in his life, but he held a social circle of friends to indulge in companionship over a glass of wine or tea, as the locals preferred it during the warm hours.

“I am sorry for being late, Tata (Father in Russian).” Victor rushed to his seat at the long dining table, laden with dinner meals. The meals are prepared by the three-kitchen staff and served by the three maids overseen by the butler, Sven.

“You are just in time.” The Tata announced. The family members picked up their cutleries to do dinner, while the maids attended the sons; the Tata was served by the butler. Sven had served the family for many years and was the personal valet of the old man. He stood tall above the heights of the children and was the earliest to wake and the last to rest in the household.

“Children,” Tata set down his fork. It was the signal for the children to do the same and listen to the father.

“I am expecting a guest from the far away. He is an old friend and will be staying with us for a while. I will expect the best from all of you.”

It was not a request but a command as if he was addressing the old regiment back then. The silence was there, with the children looking for the cue to resume dining.

“Who is he, Tata?” Ernest was one who asked.

“Общий, or General the rank you familiar with. His name is Spielsdorf, Rudolf Spielsdorf. He was the major then and my adjutant. After I left, he was promoted to colonel and retired as general,” the old man explained. Sven had then stood at attention to the words of the old man.

“So, he took over your regiment.” Ernest added. The portrait of the general hung over the fireplace, the only remembrance of the past. The old man forbids any other mementos of the past from being seen at the mansion.

“Ernest,” William looked to the youngest one. He knew his father did not like to talk of the past.

“It is okay, William. Ernest is just himself.” The old man picked up the fork once more. He let Ernest speak out while he maintained a tight rein on the other two sons.

“Sven, can I have an extra piece of the meat? I am hungry.” The old man asked his staff. The meat was served while the others were busy with their own plates.

“Spielsdorf will be traveling with his daughter. I could not recall the name now.” The old man sighed. “Sven, do have the chamber prepared for the visit.”

“And William, I do not want you to intrude on the lady’s chamber.” The Tata made it clear to the eldest son. “You will be a gentleman and stay as one throughout the visit.”

Victor sniggered at the remarks made, and William kicked out with his left foot under the table.

“Victor, your lab will be locked at times, and there will be no discussion with anyone here on the works.”

“Can I stay in the lab? I got a few….” Victor was cut off.

“You will sleep in your chamber and eat here. You may go there to the lab during your working hours.”

“The Uni is on a term break, and I have …”

“The matter has been agreed.” Tata snapped out.

“What of me, Tata?” Ernest asked. “I have many…”

“You may discuss, but nothing on politics and government. And above all, to the three of you, nothing on my younger days. I forbid it.”

“Da.” All three nodded.

Soon after the dinner, in the quiet library, the Tata was served his black tea by the butler. He has been drinking that for years and felt that it made him strong. But, alas, his lover, Annabelle, detests the tea.

“Общий, your tea.”

“Speak Sven. I have feared nothing in my life. I was the General.” The General leaned back on the high back chair facing the fireplace. His portrait loomed above on the fire place; painted in the month he was to retire as General. It showed him then in his uniform with his ceremonial sword. the sword held a bejewelled hilt with the dark red piece on the top. Soon after he married Annabelle who was fifteen years younger than him. It was not an arranged marriage but one of love. Annabelle’s father was a merchant and somewhat did not like the suitor but he relented to the marriage. Willaim came soon after, and then there was a lapse of two years, before Victor was born. It was Ernest who was much later after eight years, and it was a forceful event. They had argued on the getting the third child; Annabelle refused for she felt that the realm was not peaceful to raise the children.

“The nation is still in turmoil.” Annabelle spoke out. “The Tsars and the … serfs are two extremes.”

“Konstantin was a fool. He should have been Tsar after Alexander. His foolish act to renounce the throne created the turmoil. Nicholas was not ready yet.” The man defended the realm. It was his responsibility to preserve the nation. “Those Decembrists deserved death.”

A secret society of liberal revolutionaries, nobles, and military officials organized a conspiracy to replace the Russian Empire's autocratic regime with a constitutional monarchy, and they sought to seize control of the government and implement a regime change. It created the threat that Nicholas was usurping the throne from Konstantin. The Society members marched to the Senate Square to prevent the loyalty-swearing ceremony and to rally additional soldiers and officers to their cause.

This group of rebels, although disorganized due to indecision and dissension among its leaders, confronted troops loyal to Nicholas outside the Senate building in the presence of a large civilian crowd. A standoff ensued, and soon the loyalists eventually opened fire with heavy artillery, scattering the rebels. In the aftermath of the coup attempt, rebellion leaders were sentenced to hanging, many other participants were imprisoned, or exiled to Siberia. These individuals became known as the Decembrists or dekabristy.

One of the exiles was Annabelle’s father.

“It is over, Annabelle. I love you. And I want to hold another child in my arms. Ours is my request. I want a girl. Will you give me one?”

“I do not want any more children. I am ashamed.” Annabelle looked at the man she wedded. “If you want one, get it from another. I have enough of childbirth.”

“You must. I am your husband. It is the obligation of the wife to give birth to my children.”

“Then take me and be done. I am tired.” Annabelle looked at him. “Take me like those whores you meet at the clubs. I will not resist.”

“Annabelle, please do not think of me as that. I love you.”

“Get it over now. I am tired.” Annabelle turned her back to her lover. “Give yourself the child you wanted. Be it a girl or a boy, I cared not.”

It was not a girl but another boy, and Annabelle cared for the third child when her health permitted her then. Ernest was not fine then. He could not walk like any others.

“Sven, I do fear the wrath of my lover. She died soon after Ernest, and never a day did she blame me for his legs. She told me she was not ready or willing, but I insisted. I could have stopped, but I did not.”

“You did give the child love and …” Sven stood there.

“I did because I owed it to Annabelle. She disliked me for the fate of her father exiled to Siberia. I saved his life from the execution, but she said that Siberia was hell towards her father. She told me that I will pay in hell for my action, but before that I was to be tormented by my boys. Why am I cursed at that? Was it that that was why Ernest could not walk properly?”

“No, Общий (General in Russian.), you have not been blamed. It was your task to quell the rebellion. Ernest is a... He was... It was fate. You cannot blame yourself.”

“No, I do. It is called the sins of the father. My son must atone for it.”

“It is not fair to Ernest. William and Victor are still your children. They do not ...” Sven held a soft spot for Ernest.

“Not yet, Sven. Not yet. They may one day bear it all. The Frankenstein of their generation will pay for my sins. Grave sins.”

 

 

 

Preys and Predator Part II; the monster and witches' Chapter 3

 

3.

“The adult human body has two hundred and six bones, and except for the hyoid bone in the neck, each bone is connected to at least one other bone. Andrea Vesalius outlined that in the mid-15th century.” Victor held up the spine of the human body. That one was a reconstruction by the Art Department as a model.

“Is that a man or woman? It is missing the groin.” A student raised the question. “How could we know?”

“Horace, just add the flesh and hairs, then you will know.” Another student called out. “If you like the design, it does not matter if it’s a man or a woman. ‘Aut foraminis adhuc fit’ (Either hole can still fit in Latin.)

“Horace, tua plena stercore (Yours full of shit).” Another called out. The roar of laughter rang then.

“Class, if I may. ‘Nos hic focus’ (let us focus).” Victor called out in his sparse words in Latin. “Can I please?”

“The main differences between male and female bones are size, shape, and density.” Victor continued to get their attention on the subject matter. “Male bones tend to have larger, heavier bones, especially in the arms, legs, and shoulders, while female bones are lighter, and their hips are wider to support childbirth.”

“Idiosyncrasies of the typical male that childbirth is for the woman only.” Another student voiced out. She is an advocate for the female.

“That’s why we are the fuckers.” Another male specimen voiced out. It drew mixed approval and rejection from the attendees. A few raised their middle finger to the outburst.

“Okay, please stay focused.” Victor pleaded with the attendees. They all went silent, and Victor continued. “The joints are the location where bones come together. Many joints allow for movement between the bones where they will be joined to each other by connective tissue or cartilage. That design gives us stability in movement.”

Victor searched for Charlene, and she was not there. He heard the faculty heads had removed her from the program after a teacher was caught with her in an improper act. It could have been a suspension, but ‘menage a trois’ with one other teacher, Ms. Franchoise, was an absolute mayhem.

“Joint stability and movement are related to each other.” That came out from Victor with a bad taste in his mouth. “I mean to say stable joints allow for little or no mobility between the adjacent bones. Conversely, joints that provide the most movement between bones are the least stable. Understanding the relationship between joint structure and function will help to explain why particular types of joints are found in certain areas of the body.”

“I know. I told Ellen, No, fuck, that means we are breaking up.”

“Shut up, Steve. She broke up with you because you are vain. Imbecile et idiot (Imbecile and an idiot in French).”

“Steve non parla francese. È italiano. (Steve does not speak French. He’s Italian in Italian.)

That brought up the attendees to go into another round of heckling and squabbles then. Victor was not giving up, but the bell did. The attendees filed out as if nothing had happened before the bell. He saw the person he was looking to meet.

“Come in, Silvus. Did you bring me what I was asking?” Silvius was an extraordinary man in his sixties, sporting the unkempt grey hairline and long white beard. He worked as the janitor at the hospital, and in the evening, he was at the morgue to manage the cadavers.

“John Doe, or Jane; it matters none to me. I am there to bury them deep down in unmarked graves.” Silvus was also the grave digger. “The bad ones, I shoved into the furnace. They might as well burn there than at Hell.”

Bad ones to Silvus were dismembered parts or the decayed body. The latter he sold to the abattoir of the pig farms.

“Waste not when they can be consumed.” Silvus told himself, but he was not a cannibal, or he would have daily meat servings.

“Three bags full, Sire.” Silvus nodded to the bags he brought. “Fresh parts.”

“No lime or whatever you tossed over to prevent the smell.” Victor asked.

“None, Sire. These came in fresh this morning, and I brought them over. Someone did us a good turn.” Silvus smiled. “That will be four pounds. One more extra for the freshness.”

Victor relented but he knew getting the fresh cadavers were rare. The Universities were in the game to acquire them, and there were not many to offer. They were not particular to the condition of the cadaver but the whole physique was a prerequisite. Anatomy study was improving and more students have enrolled. They went for the prisoners but that was a short supply. The distant wars held plenty but too far to deliver them to the Unis, unless embalming was done but formaldehyde was too expensive to preserve so many cadavers. The alternative was arsenic or alcohol, but that its toll on the volume to be used. More to it, the embalmed cadavers could only be preserved for one week or less.

Victor was experimenting with coldness as the means to preserve cadavers, but having to store a whole body was restrictive, and then he decided to keep only parts of it. He got Silvus to work at the hospitals, and in his role as the janitor, he knew where the discarded parts were kept.

“Are you paying, Sire?” Silvus was impatient to receive his fees.

“Yes, I am paying.” Victor drew out the notes and paid the man. “Put the bags into my lab. The usual place. And close the door well.”

“I am goi g there, Sire.” Silvus smiled. His money in the pocket and he was to complete the last errand. Once Silvus had left for the lab, Victor gathered his things. He walked to the open area where he parked his carriage. The horses were in the stables. He saw there the experimental steam engines made by the Unis faculties, but that prototype was from completion. The first steam engine was by James Watt back in 1765, but it did not take on with the people. The horse-driven carriages were still the preferred mode. He had one build next to the lab, as it will allow him uninterrupted power for his lab.

The lab was at the mansion ground, build some distance away, as part of Victor’s instruction. His father had never asked on his works there. The road to access the lab was a path on the side of the mansion, and there was a lock there on the gate.

Victor drove to the lab; the lab chamber was on the ground level and had a doorway facing the yard. Victor loaded the bags from the cold chamber and drove feverishly towards his home. He lived in a huge mansion with his father and brothers, just outside the village.

The lab chamber was not huge, but it held the entrance to the basement, which was huge. It was used to hide the kegs of wine during the late 16th century when the Bill was passed to prohibit the import of French wines, among other things. The Bill engaged the smugglers to build cellars to hide the imported wines. He had refrigeration installed there powered by electricity.

The cellars became Victor’s personal lab. He kept his works there.

Instead of wine kegs, it was designed with long tables and scientific equipment. At the basement, where the wine kegs were kept, the shelves were designed to keep the unused equipment. It was rare then, but the Frankenstein family commanded great wealth and influence. It was one of the rare households to have electricity in the mansion, provided by the thick cabling near the mansion.

Victor took to the lab on his carriage. He walked into his lab with the door unlocked.

“Imbecile.” Victor cursed under his breath. Silvus was never careful with instruction. He went in and then looked around. All was as it was, but the frozen chamber unit’s door was ajar. He had access to it there.

Besides Silvus and Henry.

Henry was his servant at the mansion. He had just stepped out of the cold chamber.

“Master Victor, the man brought some parts for you.” Henry was the only person he entrusted to keep his secret.

 

Preys and Predator Part II; the monster and witches' Chapter 2

 2.

“Your nervous system's main function is to send messages from various parts of your body to your brain and from your brain back out to your body to tell your body what to do.” Victor faced the ensemble of students that were to major in surgery. They must understand the basics of the nervous system, and more in particular, the workings of the nerves there. “The messages are to regulate your thoughts, memories, learning, and feelings. They are transmitted through the nerve’s connectivity, and feedback is processed.”

“Our body movements from the balance and coordination are intercalibrated through it.” The bell rang, and the lecture session was over. The students began to pack and filed out through the exits. He disliked the lecturing but it was part of the grant terms that he had to do it. He was to share his knowledge with the undergraduates.

“The next lecture is…” Victor stopped his words when he saw the hall was emptied by half then. He did ask himself why they even bothered to come to his lecture. He knew some was there to score credits with their fancied partners, and some were stupid but came there to take a nap.

Anatomy studies was at best interesting if you are keen on working on your knowledge to be a medical officer or a surgeon, but the works then was not the glamorous task, when legal profession was more rewarding. Thanks to the works of Shylock, and his pound of flesh.

Speaking of Shylock, he saw Justine stepping up to him from the rear.

“God, awfully boring.” Justine mimics the yawn. “I would have slept through the lecture, but the hunk in front of me was too tempting to ignore.”

“You mean by yourself?” Victor tried his luck there. “I am handsome in the physical attributes.”

“Nope. Your physique denies me of any fantasy unless I am reading Poe in the dark. Or Lord of the Rings. Gollum will form over the image. If you deny that, well, you are impressively bad for any specimen to be included in any fantasy.” Justine dressed in the white frock over her bright orange dress and placed the stack of volumes on the lecture desk.

“You asked for them, and I found it in the archive. No one reads them anymore.” Justine frowned. “Seriously, De Mortu Cordis (The Motion of the Heart), published in 1628 by William Harvey.”

“It was the first accurate description of the human circulatory system.” Victor defended his selection.

“Anatomy and Experimental Physiology, 1672 by Thomas Willis. Details on the anatomy of an oyster, crawfish, and earthworm. I thought we had it with serpents, or was it William’s nighttime stories for you?” Justine smirked at the choice there.”

“I wanted to know more.” Victor explained. “The structure of the anatomy differs, but the nervous system may not. I am keen to know more on that.”

“Kama Sutra was there and I am taking it with me back to the house.” Justine smiled.

“Mana Sutra? What is that?’ Victor asked.

“Get a real life, Victor. Here are your volumes.” Justine was leaving the hall. Victor looked at the volumes handed to him.

“Ah, I have Opuscula Anatomica, 1564 by Eustachius. This book included eight anatomical plates. I have Tabulae Anatomicae Bartholomaei Eustachii, 1714 by Giovanni Maria Lancisi; that book included unpublished illustrations by Eustachius.” Victor was ecstatic about the volumes as if they were his Christmas present

“Hey, Victor. When one speaks alone, it is good to visit the Psychology Section. They may unravel your inner demon there.” Justine stopped at the doorway.

“Do you know how difficult it was dragging these volumes out?” Justine moans on the tasks done. “I had to stop breathing the dust there. And the baths I took with the heavy scrubbing.”

“You survived, and that is the testament of our task.’ Victor smiled. “I could smell you a mile away with the fresh cologne.”

“What is your fixation with these volumes? The newer volumes are more detailed than these.” Justine sighed still standing at the doorway. “Why not the other creatures? We understand the human anatomy well, and not some spineless crawfish.”

“Research is not to be restricted ... or selective in design. These earlier studies may give me an insight into the nervous system unread by others.” Victor took the stance to defend his task.

“Restricted? Was it restricting or “la résistance est vaine?” (Resistance is futile; in French). Justine stares at Victor.

“Pardon me?”

“The blonde at the second row is facing you, eye level, and her bodice is unbuttoned.” Justine fluttered her eyelashes.

“I did not see. Maybe the ventilation was stuffy today.”

“I am sure it was you who was stuffed. She was trying to get your attention.” Justine smiled. “I would if I had her looks.”

“Charming smile, touché on the dimples, and the bosom… Magnifique compared to mine.” Justine did possess a rather flat chesty design on her. William often commented that she was like the forest minus the trees.

“I am their teacher, and above all, I do not interact with the undergraduates for any personal liaison.” Victor was offended then. “If I may, I need to clear the hall for the next teacher.”

“Charming …” Justine turned and walked out of the hall. Victor picked up his notes and bag before he looked at the volumes. I could not manage it all then.

“Doctor Frankenstein, may I help you?” It was the charming lady from the second row. She appeared by the doorway. “Am I interrupting you?”

“I … Uh, your name again, please?”

“Charlene, Charlene Mary Robbins. I have been in your class for two terms now.” The blonde lady was charming at best, with all the curvatures that befit the lady. Her bodice was buttoned up then.

“Can we discuss on the lecture? I am not able to follow some of the passages.”

“Yes, please.” Victor handed her his notes. “I will carry the volumes. My work area…”

Justine have left the hall.

“I know the direction. Shall we?” Charlene took the notes. “Doctor Frankenstein …”

“Call me Victor. It is after class now.” The doctor led the way out.

“Do you like French?” Charlene asked. “Anatomie humaine?”

An hour later, it was noted that resistance was futile.

“Yes, Doctor. I think you are hitting my cervical bones…” Charlene leaned forth onto the desk with her dress drawn to her lower back. Victor was humping furiously from the rear.

“Cervix, Charlene. That is the opening at the base of the uterus, essentially acting as the entrance to the uterine cavity ……. It is located at the top of the vagina and is considered the lower part of the uterus itself.”

“Urgh… whatever. Just do not stop.” The lady commanded the performance like the conductor on the symphony.

Preys and Predator Part II; the monster and witches' Chapter 1

 

Prey and Predators II

 

Monster and Witches

Inspired by the two classics:

FRANKENSTEIN by Mary Shelley, 1818

CARMILLA by Sheridan Le Fanu, 1872

By Jimmy Loong

Feb 24^th 2025 – March 26^th 2025

 

In Greek mythology, Prometheus is best known for defying the Olympian gods by taking fire from them and giving it to humanity in the form of technology, knowledge and, more generally, civilization. Others spoke of him of creation of humanity from clay. For his punishment of stealing fire, Prometheus was bound to a rock, and an eagle was sent to eat his liver (in ancient Greece, the liver was thought to be the seat of human emotions). His liver would then grow back overnight, only to be eaten again the next day in an ongoing cycle. Another myth was Prometheus establishes the form of animal sacrifice. To some, Prometheus became a figure who represented human striving in the quest for scientific knowledge, to the extent of unintended consequences. Mary Shelley gave alternate title of the Modern Prometheus to her novel Frankenstein (1818). 

Do vampires exist? Current findings or none, explained (not believed) that vampires do not exists. The myth of vampires was popular with the tale of Dracula, but history tells us that Vlad Dracula may had induced in bloody executions, but there was no evidence that he drank blood. They may be some who may have ingested human blood as part of the ritual that they are feeding off the energy or soul of their enemy. There again, unproven but the myth remains there.

The key words to me are knowledge; fire yet HELL was abounded with it, and blood; made inside as the vitality of life. And fear; the boundary of our soul not to be crossed.

But there is also love; the unbound affection we showered out, and vengeance; the pain of ours displayed.

The creation; all the above are ours.

Let me explore this to create my monster here.

Or that of another living soul that we deemed as a monster.

Deuteronomy 23:2 ESV; No one born of a forbidden union may enter the assembly of the Lord. Even to the tenth generation, none of his descendants may enter the assembly of the Lord.

This is a work of fiction. Unless otherwise indicated, all the names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents in this book are either the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

 

 

 

1.

“What is a monster? The word monster may be used widely, literally, and in-depth as an entity that is huge, hideous, murderous, or threatening. In a closer view, an undesirable entity. Is a monster as depicted above truly the above? We have read descriptions of the above, but singular in context may not fill up all the definitions. A hideous figure may not be murderous unless provoked, and a huge entity may not be threatening. Or a threatening entity may not be hideous or huge.”

“And Frankie here is not a monster?” The drunken figure had his left arm over my left shoulder. “Och, he is just Frankie the monster.”

“Come on, William.” Frankie, or his full family name, Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein, leaned forth to avoid the arm grabbing his neck. “And William, do not …”

William is the elder brother of Victor ‘Frankie’ Frankenstein.

“The recalcitrant serpent tangled its body over the neck.” William Frankenstein wormed his body at Frankie, with both arms then encircling the other.

“Frankie will be dead soon.” William laughed. He studied biology, majoring in serpents, at the university. The elder brother mimics the strangulation of the serpent at his brother. Victor tried to pull away, but William was also the university star at bodybuilding.

“Give him a break, William.” That was Justine Moritz, the co-student with Victor at the Department of Science. They were both doing postgraduate studies in advanced biology. They were in the group doing studies on re-engineering the workings of the nerves in the severed limbs.

“Oh, okay. I think I got his neck severed. Justine, do the honour of suturing the nerves. I think he is going to go into a zombie manifestation.” William released his brother and took his seat across from the former. He then had his arms around his friend, Elizabeth ‘Liz’ Muriel.

“Here …. Oops, I forgot our drinks. I knew….” William got up again and staggered towards the bar once more.

“He is such …” Liz sighed. She wondered why she put up with that drunken fool.

“A drunk?” Justine was not one to munch on niceties. “Ever since I knew him, he was and will be. He may be the star of the Uni at the spots, but he is a dumb when it comes to the social circles.”

“His pick-up lines are Hi, I am William. Want to peek at my Winkle? He made the name such a bore. If I am to wank his Winkle, I will have it attached to the rubber hose and pour acid there. That will give him the needed feel.” Justine was plain in her words.

“Be nice, Justine.” Victor looked at the lady.

“I can understand.” Elizabeth laughed.

“And yet you put out with him.”: Justine looked at her best friend.

“Put out, I can attest to that. We have drinks and walks, but put in, may not be the current ‘événement de notre relation’ (event of our relationship in English).

“Je suis belge et je parle néerlandais, français et allemand. Je préfère largement l'anglais avec ces idiots. (I am Belgium, and speaks Dutch, French and German. I much prefer English when witth these idiots.)” Justine looked at the other lady. 

“Les idiots sont peut-être adorables, la plupart du temps. (Idiots, they can be but lovable ones most times.) Elizabeth smile at their switch of the language taken to add credits to their Uni requirements.

“Je maîtrise également la langue française. (I am versed in French language too.)” Victor cut in. 

“Cor Blimey! I thought you only knew French kissing.” Elizabeth laughed at Victor with her lips pouted. 

“No, Liz, It is with the tongue.” Justine her tongue towards Victor. 

“An invitation, Victor. Are you to do it?” Elizabeth asked. Justine had withdrawn her tongue and laughed. 

“He is ‘No es mejor que el toro en la casa de cristal’ (no better than the bull in the glass house in Spanish).” Justine laughed. 

“Glass house? I have not done it there. Was it ……” Elizabeth looked at Victor.

“I think she meant the lab. And no, we had done any at the where and when.” Victor smiled meekly. “We are …... colleagues in the works.” 

“If we are the last survivors of the world, we will remain for distance to survive." Justine laughed. They had once told others, that they were trying to find the ultimate cure to mankind in case of a mass epidemic.

“Did I miss anything? William arrived with the drinks. 

“Nothing that concerns you.” Victor looked at Justine. He was with Justine because he had no one to lean on. More to that, Justine is an exchange student from Belgium who also stays at the Frankenstein’s house as the university dorms were without any chambers for her. It was to be a short stay and was extended to over two years. Justine was a plain-looking lady, but due to a fixation on her studies and research, which included late hours of reading, she was not popular like Liz. They called Justine the ‘Tawny Owl,’ the stocky, medium-sized owl in the family Strigidae. It is commonly found in woodlands across Europe, as well as western Siberia, and has seven recognized subspecies.

Victor’s nature was not much different; he was always carving up cadavers, so they named him the Butcher.

“It is okay, Justine. I knew him long enough.” Elizabeth Muriel is without a doubt the nicest person in the lives of the Frankenstein’s, or the dumbest one among all the ladies met by William. She was extraordinarily nice to the drunken oaf of a man and braggart of his exploits with other ladies most times. Elizabeth ‘Liz’ Muriel, surprisingly for her nature, is a student of psychology, and her postgraduate studies were on obstinate characterization. Maybe he is the research material, and languages.

“How could you put up with him?” Justine asked. “Hey, I lodged there as a tenant. I am not …”

“No… Liz. Justine is…” Victor cut in as not to embarrass the other.

“Victor Frankenstein, I know you, and I know her. I know you are not a pair.” Liz smiled. “Just good friends there.”

“Wow! I am saved.” Justine remarked. “For a moment, I thought you thought I was who I am not, and if I were to get someone, it may not be him, for he …”

“Stop justifying your actions, Liz. This is not biology. Nothing needs to be connected like those bundles of sinewy nerve.” Liz smiled. “I just … like him.”

“Or you like us more.” Victor snapped in. “I do like … us.”

“Spoken like a …” Justine saw William looking at the others after he had placed the drinks on the table; one extra glass that he said was for his own. He set the drinks down and then took his seat next to Liz.

“As I was telling them,” William went into his tirade of monsters then. “Little Frankie here tried to co-host my topic then, but let me assure you what I had seen in those monsters.”

“As I was saying then, we had these specimens of serpents.” William hiccupped then. “These monsters are various large non-poisonous snakes from Africa, Asia, and Australia. These snakes could squeeze and suffocate their prey and include some of the largest snakes living at the present time … and they eat owls too.”

“Hoot! Hoot!” Justine imitated the call of the owl. “Bet with you, the serpents cannot do that.”

“No, they bite.” William leaned onto Liz and bit her neck. The lady pushed him off and glared at him.

“It hurts,” Liz told William.

“William, do be nice. Or try to be pleased.” Victor cut in. He then shifted the subject. “What is the difference between the snake and serpent?”

“Oh, I do not know. You are the scientist here. However, I do know that serpents are called … serpentes in science.” William tried to find the name in his drunken brain.

“Ophis, they were called in ancient Greek.” Justine added. “I did ancient history during my undergraduate studies as a minor subject. “They are not all giants or deadly as many assumed. Some serpents are not even deadly; they do not bite. The serpent has been misrepresented when the book states that it was he who influenced Eve to get Adam to eat the apple. And voila, we discovered nudity.”

“Strip poker, anyone?” William was the clown then.

“Serpents or snakes do have bones. Snakes need lots of bones so that they can be both strong and flexible. They have a special skull (more on this later!). and they have a very long spine, made up of hundreds of vertebrae (the bones that make up our backbone). They also have hundreds of ribs, almost the whole way down their body, to protect their organs.” Victor cut in, bringing back in the subject.

“I am going back.” Liz got up and was followed by Justine. That was it for the ladies.

“Nightly, boys. Do not have any fantasy on us. We Eve’s will be fine without you in our dreams.” Justine had the last words. “Slither off now.”

 

 

 

Preys and Predator Part II; the monster and witches' prelude

 Frankenstein

The original novel of Frankenstein, was narrated by Robert Walton, the captain of a ship encounters Victor Frankenstein, who has been traveling by dog-drawn sledge across the ice and is weakened by the cold. Walton takes him aboard ship, helps nurse him back to health, and hears the fantastic tale of the monster that Frankenstein created.

The narration spoke of Victor’s early life, spent in the company of Elizabeth Lavenza and friend Henry Clerval, At the Uni, Victor study natural philosophy and chemistry and was consumed by the desire to discover the secret of life and, after several years of research, becomes convinced that he has found it.

Soon, Victor created a creature out of old body parts, but when he looked at the monstrosity that he has created, the sight horrified him. He ran out to the streets, and met Henry, who had come to study at the university. They went back and the monster was gone. Soon after, Victor returned home. On his way home, he receives a letter that William was strangled. Upon visiting the location of his brother’s death, Victor caught sight of the monster, but Justine Moritz has been accused. She is tried, condemned, and executed, despite her assertions of innocence. Victor grows despondent, guilty with the knowledge that the monster he has created bears responsibility for the death of two innocent loved ones.

Victor took a vacation to the mountains and met the monster. The monster admits to the murder of William but begs for understanding. The monster begs Victor to create a mate for him, a monster equally grotesque to serve as his sole companion. Victor refuses at first, horrified by the prospect of creating a second monster, but was persuaded. He began to gather information for the creation of a female monster. He did but destroy his new creation. The monster, enraged, vows revenge, swearing that he will be with Victor on Victor’s wedding night.

Victor dumps the remains of the second creature in the water. Upon landing, he is arrested and informed that he will be tried for a murder discovered the previous night. Victor denies any knowledge of the murder, but when shown the body, he is shocked to behold his friend Henry Clerval, with the mark of the monster’s fingers on his neck. Victor falls ill, raving, and feverish, and is kept in prison until his recovery, but he was acquitted of the crime.

Soon, Victor marries Elizabeth. He fears the monster’s warning and suspects that he will be murdered on his wedding night. He awaited the monster, and upon hearing Elizabeth scream, and realized that the monster had been hinting at killing his new bride, not himself. He tracked the monster ever northward into the ice. He was rescued by Walton. Victor died shortly, and was visited by the monster, who said it was lonely without its creator. The monster then departs for the northernmost ice to die.

 

Carmilla or Karmilla

Laura, the teenaged protagonist, narrates, her childhood in a "picturesque and solitary" castle amid an extensive forest in Styria, where she lives with her father, a wealthy English widower retired from service to the Austrian Empire. When she was six, Laura had a vision of a very beautiful visitor in her bedchamber. She later claims to have been punctured in her breast, although no wound was found. All the household assure Laura that it was just a dream, but they step up security as well, and there is no subsequent vision or visitation.

Twelve years later, Laura and her father are admiring the sunset in front of the castle when her father tells her of a letter from his friend, General Spielsdorf. The General was supposed to visit them with his niece, Bertha Reinfeldt, but Bertha suddenly died under mysterious circumstances. The general ambiguously concludes that he will discuss the circumstances in detail when they meet later.

Laura, saddened by the loss of a potential friend, longs for a companion. A carriage accident outside Laura's home unexpectedly brings a girl of Laura's age into the family's care. Her name is Carmilla. Both girls instantly recognize each other from the "dream" they both had when they were young.

Carmilla appears injured after her carriage accident, but her mysterious mother informs Laura's father that her journey is urgent and cannot be delayed. She arranges to leave her daughter with Laura and her father until she can return in three months. Carmilla was to not disclose any information whatsoever about her family, her past, or herself, and that Carmilla is of sound mind. Laura comments that this information seems, and her father laughs it off.

Carmilla and Laura grow to be very close friends, but occasionally Carmilla's mood abruptly changes. She sometimes makes romantic advances towards Laura. Carmilla refuses to tell anything about herself, despite questioning by Laura. Her secrecy is not the only mysterious thing about Carmilla; she never joins the household in its prayers, she sleeps much of the day, and she seems to sleepwalk outside at night.

Meanwhile, young women and girls in the nearby towns have begun dying from an unknown malady. When the funeral procession of one such victim passes by the two girls, Laura joins in the funeral hymn. Carmilla bursts out in rage and scolds Laura, complaining that the hymn hurts her ears.

When a shipment of restored heirloom paintings arrives, Laura finds a portrait of her ancestor, Countess Mircalla Karnstein, dated 1698. The portrait resembles Carmilla exactly, down to the mole on her neck. Carmilla suggests that she might be descended from the Karnsteins, though the family died out centuries before.

During Carmilla's stay, Laura has nightmares of a large, cat-like beast entering her chamber. The beast springs onto the bed and Laura feels something like two needles, an inch or two apart, darting deep into her breast. The beast then takes the form of a female figure and disappears through the door without opening it.

In another nightmare, Laura hears a voice say, "Your mother warns you to beware of the assassin," and a sudden light reveals Carmilla standing at the foot of her bed, her nightdress drenched in blood. Laura's health declines, and her father has a doctor examine her. He finds a small, blue spot, an inch or two below her collar, where the creature in her dream bit her, and speaks privately with her father, only asking that Laura never be unattended.

Her father sets out with Laura, in a carriage, for the ruined village of Karnstein, three miles distant. They leave a message behind asking Carmilla and one of the governesses to follow once the perpetually late-sleeping Carmilla awakes. En route to Karnstein, Laura and her father encounter General Spielsdorf. He tells them his own ghastly meeting with one named Millarca and her enigmatic mother. Soon after, Bertha fell mysteriously ill, suffering the same symptoms as Laura.

After consulting with a specially ordered priestly doctor, the General realized that Bertha was being visited by a vampire. He hid with a sword and waited until a large, black creature of undefined shape crawled onto his niece's bed and spread itself onto her throat. He leapt from his hiding place and attacked the creature, which had then taken the form of Millarca. She fled through the locked door, unharmed. Bertha died before the morning dawned.

Soon, they arrived at the ruined chapel, Carmilla appears. The General and Carmilla both fly into a rage upon seeing each other, and the General attacks her with an axe. Carmilla disarms the general and disappears. The General explains that Carmilla is also Millarca, both anagrams for the original name of the vampire Mircalla, Countess Karnstein. It was then Baron Vordenburg, an authority on vampires, who met the General.

They discovered Mircalla's hidden tomb. An imperial commission exhumes the body of Mircalla. Immersed in blood, it seems to be breathing faintly, its heart beating, its eyes open. A stake is driven through its heart, and it gives a corresponding shriek; then, the head is struck off. The body and head are burned to ashes, which are thrown into a river.

Afterwards, Laura's father takes his daughter on a year-long tour through Italy to regain her health and recover from the trauma, but she never fully does.

Quickee it was ......

 One cold night at the palace, above the dungeon and close by the kitchen and just next to the library……. Fine, it was the drinking haven of the princesses.

“I do not know why I am seated here with you. Are we entertaining each other or just bored?” Then it was not Cinderella to complain about her daily life. She was always at work; the name synonymous with workaholic was refined by her to perfection. She was dusting the dust; imaginary layers were there on the bar counter.

“Hey, Cindy.” That was Snow White. “I had more fun with the dwarves than here. I had to tell them to pick the straws; the one with the shortest gets me soon after, all for himself. It was not a long wait; I could go to Rio on one trip. The last one gets the long haul alone, but by then I was probably too tired.”

“Yea, I heard Grumpy fret on that turn.” Rapunzel was seated there braiding her hair. “Hey, do not step on it. It took me some weeks to get it cleaned.”

“Dopey never did. Anyway, he was not the picker. He was into the digging. Dig, dig, did…," Snow crooned in her voice.

“Hi Ho…...” The gathered there echoed the delight.

“Sorry, Raz. I had to get the books out of the way, or I would not get my seat done right.” Belle apologized later before she sat down. She was particular about the correct posture and comfort.

“Beastly of him to leave us all here alone.” Bella voiced out.

“Hey, Godmother. Where is the charmer of the princes, whose name should not be charming but charmed, for we were all misled by his charms to be …… churned here?” Trust Sleepy Head to wake up then. She was always dozing away.

“Beauty sleep disrupted, huh?” Thumbelina swooped in. That was one lady so demure and small that at the bar counter, she was literally taken for the bar stool there, squeezed in between.

“I was… Yup, I was. It was the wettest of the wets.” Sleepy sighed. “And I never came…… not yet.”

“Do not look at me. I am walking bowlegged. No thanks to the stool I am seated on.” Thumbelina moaned.

“Well, Thumb. Try to invert the stool stand. You might get the cushion to balance better.” Snow said.

“And Sleepy, stop your dreaming. I have three bag loads of your dresses to wash…… all wet.” Cindy cried out.

“Baa Black Sheep …… Three bags full…...” All of them sang and took a huge gulp of the mead served.

“Shit, Princesses. I got the worst. Have you seen Shrek……. you know, without the …….” It was Mrs. Shrek, aka Princess Fiona.

“Hi, Fiona. We are all princesses here in some tales.” Snow cut in. “I have …… I meant I did read between the lines unlike all of you. Bella did everything by the lines. No, sirree… I read them. I had the mirror tell me what Shrek was like there……between the legs.”

“Look at us! We were all Sandra Dees. Lousy with the V, and should have peeked at the loo before we imagined Jurassic and turned up…… disappointed.” The other princesses all sang.

“Well, you are not wrong. The mirror laughed and laughed, and I thought it was me the mirror was looking at.” Snow laughed. “I should have known not to open my legs there. He could not fit in either.”

“Fit? I thought he was fitted for the quarterback position.” Cindy cried out. “I wondered what it is about men that when they see a woman bent over, they come inside. God! I was either scrubbing the floor or picking up his socks.”

“Tell me….... Tell me more……. Did he go very far…… Ah-ha/doo-do, doo-doo-doo…” The princesses all sang.

“Hey, it was summer then. And it was hot. I had on my apron.” Cindy said. “And he followed me all around the chamber, and I am telling you I felt nothing more than a scratch there. And later, I had to scrub the floor again…… all smudgy.”

“I told you not to watch my stash of porn magazines. It was printed in a different language.” The lady dressed in the warrior armor took her seat. “Pardon my sword. I had to use it on the barbarians at the gate.”

“Mulan, my dear. I thought we agreed to leave the swords at the gate.” Cindy sighed. “And no boots here. It will dirty the floor.”

“I would, but the barbarians were all outside. They were told there were princesses here. I had to fight my way through. I am not one of you, but I am a general. And in my country, I am the equivalent of being a princess.”

“Uh, princesses. Do you all want a refill here?” The Godmother looked at them. “Chinese wine for you, Mulan.”

“Give me rum!” The masculine voice roared out from the doorway. “I want to rumble!”

“No! Make mine the best wine. Bring me the whole leg……” Another masculine roar sounded.

“Barbarian, it is called a keg, not a leg.” The earlier one corrected him.

The princesses turned around and looked.

“Oh my… Here comes Conut and what's his name, Birdie Sparrow.” The princesses crooned. “Let us stick to broomsticks and bedknobs…… We will be bountifully fucked.”

“Conan, I am sailing tonight. Compared to them. Belit is more fun.” Sparrow turned his back.

“Hey, Sparrow. You do not turn your back on Belit. She will ……”

“Trust me? I am fully prepared.” Sparrow left the tavern.

“How about the refill, Princesses?’ The Godmother asked.

“You fucked yourself with the wand. Why did we believe in you then? Bloody waste of our sacrifice.” The princesses all said in unison,"