Gilded Intentions - 1.3

Leap Forward, Fall Back.

 

Kiren hurried to get dressed and get down to the converted garage that was on the left side of the mansion, Jasper had converted it so that it was divided up into two rooms, but the room at the far back was empty but very much prepared for something to go inside it and from the looks of the walls and floor, it was unusual and would be quiet large.

Adette was already well into working on some sort of equation at the back of the first section of the garage.

As Kiren took not four steps into the room, Jasper grabbed her roughly by her wrist and dragged her over to a pedestal that held a spell book with ancient writing in it; she could see it was full of various enchantment spells.

“You will read the spells I have marked in this book aloud while I tune in to the local radio stations to broadcast them, I wish for you to use your magic to make these spells work undetected, understood?”

Kiren nodded and went to turn away to look at the book, Jasper wrenched her back to face him tightening his grip on her wrist.

“If you say one thing wrong, or change these spells in any way, I’ll rip out your vocal cords and use them for violin strings, got it sparkles?”

“I can’t, you made a wish. It doesn’t work any other way...” Jasper sneered at her before giving her a harsh shove towards the pedestal, then moved over to the frequency station and began to fiddle with the various dials and buttons.

 

Looking over the spells, Kiren shook away a sudden dizziness before she began to read aloud while Jasper tapped into the local radio frequencies. Her magic would work in such a way so that the spells would be subliminal, played under music, news and other broadcasts; unnoticed by the populace listening at any given time.

The paragraphs and phrases shimmered with her magic as Kiren read; she wasn’t use to such spells and these were just plain, outright mind control with nasty side effects thrown in for good measure if Sims under the control of them didn’t follow through with the spells given directions.

 

Finally Jasper had the frequency finder tuned into all of the stations he could get, satisfied he moved over to a couch he had at the end of the room and lounged on it while he watched Kiren and Adette continue working.

Kiren become freaked out as she kept coming across more and more dangerous spells that would induce Sims to commit acts of violence on others and even themselves.

For a moment she held her head feeling as if her skull was about to crack open and spill out her brains all over the floor. “This is madness... you can’t be serious about doing this to...”

“Now sparkles... those bad side effects will only take place if Sims don’t do what I want, like vote for me in the upcoming election, or complete the jobs they’ve been told to do.” He shifted and chuckled slightly. “Just like what you’re doing, only they don’t know they have to do it... now, back to work... or I’ll give you something to really freak out about.” He chuckled to himself and got comfortable on the couch.

 

Taking a deep breath, Kiren side glanced to Adette who was feverishly working at the white board on her equations; she slowly let out the breath and went back to reciting the spells.

 

Melanie came in some time later, without a word she went straight over to an odd looking machine that was on the other side of the room; carefully she dropped some plain looking stones into a large hole at the top of the machine, then pushed on a leaver and then sharply pulled it back again, it made ear piercing screeches as the unoiled metal grinded against itself.

 

The machine made a rough whirring noise then screeched loudly again, the floor shook slightly before it made another loud grinding noise before giving a sharp hydraulic hiss and then went silent.

Opening a small metal case at the other end of the machine, Melanie looked down at a diamond that had been cut into a clean oval shape and gave a satisfied

“Hmph.”.

Jasper got up and went over to inspect the freshly cut diamond.

“Ah, see... this is why I love having you around my darling little puppy... you find me such wonderful treasures. Now, cut the rest, there’s a good girl.”

 

There was a small giggle from Melanie and Kiren heard something being slapped, she gathered it was Jasper slapping her butt and suppressed a shudder.

 

The long hours of the day dragged by like walking through marsh mud that stuck to the bottom of gumboots, Kiren felt as though she had gargled hot tar from how much she had read aloud over the past five hours and was glad to finally be allowed to stop.

Adette had figured out half of her equations but had become stuck, she’d expressed twice that she needed more of the research data from the labs Jasper apparently had other Sims working at, so that she would work out how to calibrate some sort of machine that was being prepared for Jasper to use.

He swore at her and threatened to use her marker as a stake is she didn’t keep working.

When Melanie finally finished cutting all of the precious gems she had collected, Jasper allowed them to stop, the sun was nearly set and it was coming onto five o’clock.

 

Jasper pulled Melanie onto his lap and beckoned Adette and Kiren to stand before him, when he was happy they were all paying attention he gave a somewhat eerie smile seeming pleased with himself.

“Alright my little darlings,” His hand rested on Melanie’s leg and his fingers wandered way to high for appropriate, public displays of affection. “Now, this was just the beginning of what you three will be doing for me, know though, you are all going to do as I ask from now on without question, understood?”

He pulled Melanie closer not really paying attention to Kiren or Adette as they nodded. He gave a low throaty growl before waving them away. “You two can go now... I have some other, work, for Melanie to do for me before the party tonight. Dress formal ladies.”

Before he could change his mind about the company he wanted to keep, Adette and Kiren left the garage and were surprised with each other at how fast they both walked inside to get as far away from Jasper as possible until the party later that night.

 

At around eight, almost everyone was downstairs in the rec-room. The music was playing, a fog machine was set up and creating a dreamy atmosphere in the room and the proverbial balloons were up floating about the corners of the room.

Being the last one downstairs from having trouble getting her very skin tight dress on, Kiren was grabbed by Jasper as she came in the door of the rec room just as the doorbell rang signalling the guests had arrived.

He gripped her head tightly with one hand, his clawed thumb nail millimetres from her eye, he dug his other sharp nails into her head making her hold her breath from the pain.

“You will not converse, touch or even look at anyone who doesn’t live in this house, follow those simple little rules and you will be just fine... do you understand?” He was fierce in his instructions and Kiren gave the slightest nod so as not to have her eye poked out.

Her shoved her out of his hold, Kiren straightened her dress and smoothed back her hair as Jasper went over to the bar ordering himself a drink.

 

Obeying Jaspers stupid order’s, Kiren spent the evening playing pool with Adette or Melanie when they weren’t busy mingling with specific Sims Jasper had allocated them to, and as the night wore on everyone began to dance and relax after drinking the alcohol Jasper had so kindly provided for them, she ended up dancing with Reiss.

Half way through a pop-song, Kiren realized Reiss wasn’t that bad of a dancer as he had said he was.

“Hey, you told me, if I’m not mistaken, that you’re a ‘shit dancer’, it doesn’t look that way to me.” She smirked at him and Reiss laughed raising an eyebrow at her.

“Well, I had to find some way of giving you a compliment without coming across as being dominating to you.”

“Oh... right, I see now, you’re an undercover gent; how quaint.”

Kiren shook her head as she rolled her eyes laughing slightly.

She was happy that Jasper was very preoccupied for the time being with a bikini clad woman that had been hired for the evening along with another very muscular male in swimming trunks who had been floating around as well, but seemed to have disappeared from with one of the male council members.

 

Further into the evening, things settled down from the loud bustling liveliness and gained a slower pace. Smooth, slow music came on prompting others to slow dance, Reiss and Kiren followed Matt and Adette’s lead and began to slow dance with each other.

Jasper was still in ‘conversation’ seemingly with the underdressed female, and Melanie was at the bar and was enjoying the drinks at an alarming rate.

“Well, it seems as though this little gathering of Jasper’s went well for him tonight.” Reiss made small talk as they danced; Kiren nodded glancing about the room noticing that the crowd seemed to have lessened.

“Guess it’ll be over soon, was nice while it lasted though. It’s the first party I’ve been to where I didn’t have to perform tricks or be the ‘entertainment’. Was sort of fun.” She smiled and Reiss smiled back at her briefly.

Down the hall the clock chimed two; Kiren pulled herself gently out from Reiss’s arms.

“I think I’m going to go to bed, thanks for the dances. Night.”

“Yeah, same here, night Kiren.”

Kiren slipped away from the party but rather than head to bed, she decided to spend some time in the library and catch up on some personal time with loosing herself in a good book.

 

It was just before dawn when Kiren heard the library door open, glancing around she dropped her book as Jasper was upon her in a few quick steps, he stood over her, stopping her from getting up.

Her fingers gently caressed her chin and she felt her mouth become dry as she tried not to shrink away from his touch.

“You can’t hide from me Kiren.” Somehow when he said her name it felt as though he was claiming her, a possession for him to have just because he could. “I could be so good for you, I could make you free... wouldn’t you like that, don’t you want that?” His fingers trailed under her chin and along her jaw line as he looked down at her.

 

Coming upstairs from helping clean up the bar and pool table, Reiss heard a muffled shriek from the direction of the library. The library was one of the few rooms in the house that was soundproofed, so he couldn’t hear what was being said.

Pausing, he leant by his door as he saw Jasper trying to carry Kiren from the library, to his surprise she was actually fighting back and trying to get free from him carrying her.

He was impressed by her spirit, but also knew that she was putting herself in danger by resisting Jasper.

 

Sure enough Kiren managed to get down from Jaspers arms, almost as soon as her feet touched the ground, Jasper struck out in frustration, brutally punching her in the face.

She fell back against the door with a heavy thud rattling the glass. Reiss took this as his queue to disappear into his room, he could see Jasper through the glass of the door straighten his suit and smooth back his hair then go for the door handle, leaving Kiren slumped against the side of door like a discarded toy.

 

Standing his door listening for around fifteen minutes or so, Reiss put his hand to the handle of his door as he heard the library door open and close gently. Waiting to the count of twenty he came out and saw Kiren going down the corridor towards her room.

“Kiren, wait...” He half whispered to her, she paused which showed she had heard him, but then she put down her head and kept walking down that hall.

At the end of the hall Reiss appeared ahead of her and stopped her by putting his arm out somewhat blocking her path.

He frowned upon seeing a bruise had come up fast and red around her left eye, he gently took her chin in his fingers and turned her head so she had to look at him. She shivered slightly from the coolness of his touch.
 

“Sorry, but why did you fight back? That was stupid; he could have snapped your neck, or worse for what you did back there.”

Tears spilled from her eyes and down her cheeks; they stung her bruised eye immensely which made her cry even more. She shook her head unable to look him in the eye.

“I can’t just sit back and let him... take me every time, no one else seems to want to fight for their lives... but I do. My family would want me to, no matter what.”

Reiss shook his head letting his arm drop that was blocking her path, Kiren paused for a moment before letting out an exasperated breath and retreated back to her room.

 

Early the next morning after a sleepless night, Kiren went downstairs to the main sitting room and to the glass case where her family sat, trapped in their bottles.

Putting her hand to the glass, she was sure she could feel a slight vibrating tune; she smiled sadly knowing that at least they could send her a signal, even if it was small.

“Which one’s yours?” Adette was suddenly beside her and leaned against the case watching her.

“The blue one at the front with the wax seal over the top, Jasper must have taken the stopper and sealed it after he... after he took us.”

“And the other bottles?”

She could tell Adette was trying to be sympathetic towards her and gave a weak smile.

“The tall purple one is my father, the red one is my mum, the green one on the right is my brother and the other small green one is my little sister.” She sighed. “They look so weird in there...”

“So close yet so far huh?”

Adette moved away and Kiren noticed that she had bought down a guitar and amp with her.

 

Following her, Kiren was slightly surprised when she began to play facing the case that held her and Reiss’s bottles.

The song was sad but had a warm tone to it, no words, just music.

 

The case holding the bust of Melanie’s son caught Kiren’s eye and she moved over to it while Adette continued playing.

Something about it was bothering her, but she couldn’t out her finger on what it was and ended up staring at the bust before she realized her eyes were hurting from not blinking. Giving her head a quick shake, she dismissed the uncomfortable feeling as just her own feelings of concern getting mixed up with everyone else’s.

 

That evening in Jasper’s office, Reiss had taken the daring step to confront Jasper about his treatment of the girls.

Jasper seemed somewhat amused by Reiss’s concern and paused for a moment before speaking, Matt seemed nervous about the whole thing and his body language screamed that he didn’t want to be in the room as this conversation was taking place.

“I can’t have the girls’ back-talking or thinking they have an edge over me, I can understand that you think my methods are ‘unique’...” Jasper smiled to himself and glanced at Matt then back at Reiss. “But if my plans are to succeed, they must have a firm hand. Now... was there anything else, I have to see about some personal matters with one of the council members from my party last night...” He chuckled to himself. “It seems that some pictures were taken of him having a very nice time with one of the entertainers I hired and he’s worried that his wife will find out, so if you gents will excuse me, I have the first part of my plan to grasp hold of.” He reached out and fiddled with one of the pins in the voodoo doll’s head that was sitting on the side of his desk.

Matt’s body language said he couldn’t be happier to have leave of the office and Reiss felt a shiver run through his body before following Matt out of the office as Jasper began to make a phone call.