CAROL — A PAUL PURPLE STORY

BY CORNER GHOST

[ part 14 ]

I returned home late that night, an accident on the freeway meant either waiting for the road to clear or divert my route which would have taken even longer. So I waited, A highway cop came by to let people know what was happening, I flicked a switch on the dash as he approached.

“What’s in the back? Anything that might spoil in the next hour?” He was just curious but not suspicious.

“Oh no, just livestock, as long as I keep the lights dim they won’t mind. Anyone hurt up ahead?” – Just your normal van driver looking for time off,

“Nope, just some joy-rider wanted to play chicken with a truck, we’re waiting for a tow truck now, anyway you take care now.” He waved his hand and went to the next vehicle.

“Thanks officer, you too.” Why hadn’t he asked to look, well the switch I used had started a loop recording of turkeys gobbling away. Would you want to let them out on a road? Another thing to remember is to stay calm, you’ve got all the time in the world, that way they’ll pass you by to check on someone else who seems more nervous.

I’m glad to say that the rest of the trip was uneventful. I made sure to turn off the ‘turkeys’ once I’d cleared the hold-up. When I was a mile from home I phoned in. A worried sounding Pauline answered and was relieved to hear my voice.

“Carol was good during her lessons, she had a few problems at first but after Billie-Jo showed her she seemed to enjoy it!”

I smiled at the image that Pauline was creating. I let her know that we’d be having a house guest and that she’d be arriving asleep — this time it was the spare bedroom that was needed and not the cell.

I arrived back home and parked the van by the backdoor. I lifted Sharon onto my shoulder and carried her in to the prepared bedroom. I went back for her bags and delivered them to her room; I then went back and parked the van in its normal place.

I returned to the house and checked on the basement. Billie-Jo and Carol were talking away, the television screen showing the film that I had left for the girls to watch.

Back upstairs Pauline was cooking a meal for Sharon and myself. I had to return to Sharon and bring her around. A simple injection was all it took and I got Pauline to remain with Sharon as she recovered.

I had told the girls to address Sharon as Mistress and that they should introduce themselves as my slaves, so the following is what happened.

Pauline was kneeling by the bed as Sharon came around. Sharon got up onto her arms and then held her held, “Oh that really hurts.”

“Mistress I have a drink and a tablet for the after effects of the drug.” Pauline said softly. The drug I used wasn’t the normal one I used when taking my slaves, and so it had a side effect – normally a mild headache, but luckily asprin worked.

“Thank you . . .?” Sharon said taking the proffered items and swallowing the tablets.

“I’m slave Pauline mistress, my master regrets that the trip lasted longer than expected, he has arranged for a secure phone line so you may call out. I have to tell you that certain numbers are locked out.” Pauline pointed to a normal phone in the room.

Sharon looked at it and then checked her watch. “Thank you Pauline, I would like to phone home and let them know I’m alright.” Pauline nodded her head and stood up, she went to the phone and carried it back to Sharon, going down on one knee to present the phone to Sharon. Who lifted the handset and dialled a number.

“George? It’s me! I’ll phone again in a hour, if you hear nothing from me you know what to do!” She hung up and watched as Pauline returned the phone to its place.

“Mistress if you please, there is a meal awaiting downstairs. If you wouldn’t mind following me?” Sharon nodded her head and followed Pauline down to the dining room where I was already eating. I rose as she entered the room and gestured to a chair.

“I’m sorry about the lateness of the hour Sharon, If I’d thought there was going to be a delay I would have taken another route.

Sharon sat down and started to eat her meal, “Not bad, who cooked it? You?” She asked me I smiled and shook my head.

“Nope, Pauline here’s the cook, I’ve been too busy. She’s very good at it aren’t you Pauline?” She smiled at my comment

“Thank you master, I’m trying my best.” Pauline said her tone making Sharon laugh “Well it’s very good Pauline, has you master been treating you well?”

Pauline looked at me, I nodded for her to answer. “Mistress ever since master allowed me to join him he has been perfect. I have been happiest since he took me away from the orphanage; he’s defended me, loved me and taught me, he is my life and my reason for living!”

Sharon watched Pauline as she spoke before turning to me. “Well she seems sincere about that. What was the orphanage she spoke about? You didn’t raid one did you?”

“No, I had a problem with one of my commissions and I had to call for help. When I arrived in . . . a certain town, I can’t say where, they decided that I needed a chaperone and Pauline was selected. Once my problem was sorted out she chose to remain with me. It was there that I got my current name Paul Purple.”

Sharon got a thoughtful look on her face before she spoke to me, “Paul that place you went to . . . it wasn’t Ropeville by any chance?” At my look she laughed, “Well Elizabeth invited George and I to visit, we placed Safina into their hotel while I visited the hospital and looked around the school. There was a class there that they referred to as the Purple group. Is there a connection?”

I nodded, “Yes part of my punishment was to teach a class for a few days, until Melody was placed with her family. But they’ve taken their own course for the good of the town. Pauline was one of the pupils until I left.”

Sharon looked at Pauline appraisingly, “So you haven’t actually trained Pauline?” She said.

“No, she was already, err, prepared, all I’ve done is to complement her training. And she’s been an excellent companion for me along with her sister.” Sharon looked sharply at me.

“You took someone else from Ropeville?” She asked quickly, almost too quickly but I ignored it.

“No, Billie-Jo joined us after then, you’ll meet her after the meal.”

Sharon, reminded of this, went back to eating, at times she offered some food to Pauline who politely accepted each forkful.

Once the meal was finished I got Pauline to fetch Sharon’s medical bag and to join us at the basement stairs. Sharon took the bag and started to descend the stairs, she stopped and looked back at us.

“You’re not joining me?” She asked concerned.

“No, it’s going to be easier if I’m not with you. I’ll be monitoring the action.” I told her, and then Pauline spoke up.

“Mistress if I could remind you of the time!” She said cryptically

Sharon looked at her watch, “Paul I have to make a call in about half-an-hour’s time, I can’t miss it.”

I smiled at her, “Of course Sharon. I’m not keeping you prisoner here, only the girl I want you to examine. There is a phone in the basement, I will have it unlocked.”

Sharon then carried on down the stairs and entered the basement.

---

As she entered the basement Sharon saw a large cell to the side of the room, the noise of a shower could be heard running and a naked girl was in the centre of the cell, she was kneeling with one leg raised, her arms straight behind her and her head down.

“Greeting’s mistress!” the girl said.

“Greeting’s slave, you may stand.” Sharon said. The girl, Billie-Jo, rose up effortlessly and brought her arms to her sides. Sharon regarded her. “Well you look healthy enough; I don’t know why he asked me here.”

Billie-Jo shook her head. “Oh no mistress, I’m Billie-Jo, Carol is the girl master wants you to examine, I told her to take a shower.” She turned to the curtained off area, no the girls aren’t normally allowed to use the curtain but there was a reason that Carol should be hidden. “Carol! Mistress is here, finish your shower now!”

The water was turned off and the curtain opened. Sharon took one look at the emaciated girl and walked straight to her. “I want you to get to the bed immediately. You’re in no fit state to be here!” She took Carol over to a bed and made her lie down. “Please mistress I have lessons to complete, I’ve got to read those books over there.” Carol said pointing to the two books I’d given her.

Sharon went and picked them up, taking in their titles, she turned to Billie-Jo, “Why is she reading these particular books?” she asked.

Billie-Jo couldn’t answer but Carol spoke from her bed. “I’ve got to report on the historical backgrounds that these stores are based on.”

Sharon shook her head. “Not in your condition! What did he do, keep you locked up for the last few months.” Carol tried to speak by Sharon stopped her, she started to pace up and down as she spoke, working herself up in anger. “I’ve seen this before, you refuse an order and the whip doesn’t work – so they starve you until you submit, but sometimes you’re too stubborn and don’t break until your body gives up and then they just give up on you anyway, but I thought better of HIM! What he was thinking about I don’t know! If I’d known he’d been mistreating you like this . . . Oh! If I had a scalpel I’d castrate the bastard!”

At her words Carol got out of the bed and went down on her knees. “Please mistress, Master didn’t do this to me . . . I did it!”

Sharon didn’t understand and looked at the girl in front of her. “You mean he’s convinced you that you deserved this and so made you believe you were the cause of this; I’ve seen something like this before.”

“No mistress you don’t understand. Master didn’t really kidnap me, my mum and dad asked him to.”

“Your parents wanted you to be a sex slave? What in the world for?” Sharon couldn’t believe her ears, the fact that she had a slave wasn’t at issue here, but that a child’s own parents wanted her to . . . well it was almost inconceivable.

“No mistress, I was convinced that I was too fat and so I went on a diet, but the girl supporting me kept on saying I was too fat and told me how to lose a lot of weight, Master had made me eat since I’ve been here, he’s trying to help me.” Carol looked at Billie-Jo and appealed to her. “Please Billie-Jo tell her I’m telling her the truth, she doesn’t believe me.”

Sharon looked at Billie-Jo who was still standing in the center of the room. “She’s right Mistress, we’re trying to help her. Master said that she had gone too far in her diet and she was also belimic or something, she kept making herself throw up!”

“Bulimic you mean.” Sharon said thoughtfully. “But then why spring this on me, why didn’t he tell me.” She thought a bit longer before answering herself, “So that I could make the mistake he wanted me to make, so that I could loose my temper with him and so have to apologise to him!” she looked to the door of the basement where I was standing.

“You know you are a complete bastard!” Sharon said as she walked out of the cell and up to me.

I smiled at her, “Oh no I’m not . . . I’ve lost several teeth and broken some bones, so I’m an incomplete bastard at best!”

“How can you just stand there a make an awful joke like that?” She said trying hard not to laugh

“Some-one took away all the chairs!” I deadpanned back, “I’m sorry Sharon, but if I had to explain the situation would you have believed me? If you’ll examine her and I’ll meet you upstairs afterwards.” I said, “Don’t forget your phone call.” I added as I walked away.

Sharon looked at the retreating back; it would have served him right if she didn’t phone George and then have the trackers activated, but he was right if he’d just told her she wouldn’t have listened, it was the type of story that a scared person would make. But the knowledge that Pauline was from Ropeville along with the information that Sharon now knew about the place .. . They must trust him to allow him that freedom . . . She picked up the phone and dialled.

“George? Yes I’m fine . . . what? Okay. August is the warmest month. . . And there’s a moouse loose aboot the hoouse!” the last two were the first of checks that they’d agreed on, if she’d been a word wrong, or given them in the wrong order then George would have contacted an emergency number – he didn’t know that it was the Ropeville police – and assistance would be given immediately. “Okay George, Now I’m going to be here until tomorrow evening, you’d never believe the state of the poor girl here . . . No George he didn’t . . . Yes George I’m certain! . . . Now kiss Safina and William for me and keep them warm tonight. I’ll see you tomorrow, but I’ll call in the morning. Bye.”

She hung up the phone and noticed Pauline watching her, she gave a hand gesture at which the girl at first looked puzzled and then her attitude changed, she seemed to stand straighter, she looked to the cell where Billie-Jo was talking softly to Carol and approached Sharon.

“Where did you learn that sign mistress?” Pauline asked cautiously

“Elizabeth told me about you. What are your reports about Paul Purple?” Sharon asked

“They can only be given to the council at Ropeville, I’m not authorised to divulge such data to anyone else.” Pauline said her eyes starting to slit in warning.

“Project Alpha 4 code 9 – 7 – 3. override!” Sharon said.

Pauline shook her head. “I’m sorry mistress, that code is not recognised by me, is there anything else?” Pauline said her arms moving into a position that Sharon knew was threatening.

“Elizabeth told me it should work; I need to know if Paul can be relied on? How can I trust him.” Sharon told the girl – who was turning into a killing machine.

“You should have just asked Pauline Mistress, she has the same information that I have.” Pauline was now relaxing from her position, “But I will tell you that he is mellowing, he will soon be in a state to allow the plans to proceed.”

Sharon looked at the girl who was still in the strange attitude, “Thank you Pauline, but why did you threaten me when I asked first?”

Pauline gave a small smile, “Because mistress I’m trained to defend my master from all threats, and you were becoming a threat, but when you asked if you could trust master then I could see that you were just worried, there was no threat, therefore no need for any response.” Pauline told the shocked woman.

“You mean you would kill to protect you master?” She asked

Pauline’s voice showed surprise, “Of course mistress, without hesitation!” and she returned to her position and changed back to the girl that she was. “I’m sorry mistress did you call?” She asked – there was no sign of the killer within the girl.

“I was just waving hello Pauline, now will you help me with Carol.” Sharon asked

Pauline beamed at her, “Certainly mistress I would be pleased to help you.”