001 was full of hatred. Bubbly. Sorrowful excitement. And adult wailing.
Well that was only on Thursdays, when the man of the house decided to enjoy himself.
A beautiful melody coming from the cello of a lady sitting on ice. The profuse sweating of the pianist due to the flames surrounding the piano. Men in heels and huge collars, naked ladies barefoot on the cold as ice marbled floor served as waiters and waitresses respectively. Everyone knew he was a sadist but no one had dared to confront him about it and all pretended they were not in pain.
In fact their expressions were so perfect, one would have thought they were really enjoying the view. Zoe suspected he did this to remind people of the power he had. That apart from the fact that he agreed to getting pleasure from seeing people in pain.
And Zoe, she is currently the cello player sitting on ice that seems to take eternity to melt. This was her punishment this Thursday. Her mind flashes back to last Thursday when she had to do nothing but paint the sadistic grinning man walking towards her, should she have not let her mouth get the better of her.
"Hey mama, enjoying the music?" he inquires in his gravelly voice. The one he uses when he teases her.
She refused to reply to him. Twere it not for the little kid she did not want to put in danger, Zoe would rather live on the streets like he suggested than put herself through such humiliation and suffering.
"I find you adorable." She manages to mutter hoping it will get on his nerves again.
The sadistic grin was immediately replaced by a revolting expression which made the lightning scar on his face more grotesque. "I am a Dire wolf Zoe, not an eskimo." He warns in his guttural voice.
A month ago, Zoe would never have imagined herself here, glaring at the black sheep of the moon goddess.
Maximus Lupus. Quasimodo. The sadist of the century. Incapable of loving or ever receiving love.
A month, three days ago.
Was it not a joyful night, one filled with internal happiness. Maybe not for everyone but at least for Zoe and her family. She would be turning twenty the following day and her aunt has been 'kind enough' to finally step down from the position of Chief Priestess and allow another virgin take charge. Zoe suspected she made money out of the position. Why else will her aunt who is seven years older than her and very suitable for marriage, be unwilling to step down.
Surely the excuse wouldn't be that she enjoys being a virgin and serving the goddess right? That would be a hypocritical white lie.
"Aunt says she is still too sad to step down. Says she loves being a virgin and serving the goddess." Her meek sister, Melissa began. "She must like the purity and respect that comes with it."
The look on her sister's face was enough evidence that Mellisa believed what their Aunt said. But then Melissa is so gullible she will believe almost anything she is told.
Zoe for the umpteenth time feels the fabric of the white dress she will be wearing the following day. "That is a white lie Melissa."
"Everyone isn't that calculating. Maybe she means it." Melissa suggests diving into her fantasy world with a dreamy smile. "I want to be like aunt too."
Zoe dotingly rubs her sister's shoulder. It wasn't her fault. Melissa had Down's syndrome. And Zoe liked to believe it to mean she is wonderful and special. Although they both knew it was the opposite.
"Maybe." She agrees looking away and not in the mood to explain things to her sister. This time tomorrow, she will be the new goddess Chief priestess. This is something Zoe has been preparing for her whole life and it was about to come to pass in less than twenty four hours. Without it she doubts she will have a goal in life.
The power that comes with the position, she could not dare to imagine. Just twenty three hours more and it will be hers. After all, nothing could possibly go wrong.
Or maybe not.
Three hours later, she finds herself in 001 . Her feet furiously hit the earth bed, venturing further into the darkness of 001. In search of something. Something that was out there calling her. Something she had to save.
Except that now, Zoe Elizabeth was sure she had been deflowered by 001.