Transformation
He left me for dead in the back alley of London’s most desolate area.
His attack was brutal, ruthless. His hands steady; his blade true. He left me nothing that resembled the fairer sex. His hatred for women knew no boundaries. And when he was finished, he wiped his hands clean as he stared down upon me with bland indifference – a frog dissected.
Time changed after he left. Minutes felt like days. Pain gave way to a coldness that numbed me to the world beyond. Voices, wagons, hawkers – all faded away until the silence screamed in my ears. I prayed for Death to find me.
<scrape, thump> <scrape, thump> <scrape, thump> <scrape, thump>
The sound grew out of the darkness. What did Death sound like?
A shadowy figure hovered over me before large, powerful hands yanked me from the ground and I was thrown across a shoulder as if I were nothing more than a burlap bag filled with potatoes.
<scrape, thump> <scrape, thump> <scrape, thump> <scrape, thump>
The jarring gait matched the eerie sound. That was the last sound I heard before Morpheus dragged into the abyss.
Oh, what fresh Hell is this? I awaken to the taste of rancid gruel forced into my mouth. Only one eye will open and that takes all my strength to perform. A wooden pushed passed my lips and I gagged on the noxious porridge until the whole of my stomach emptied onto my makeshift bed.
Clumsy hands attempted to clean up the mess, but only seemed to spread it around. An angry shout and the familiar sound of uneven footsteps retreating from my side brought me back to my present situation. The rough blanket was snatched away and a violent shiver wracked my body.. I strained to raise my head and with my one eye I saw my both swathed in dirty and blood-stained bandages.
A man stood beside the bed; poked and prodded me with the same dispassion as my attacker. Cold, probing eyes watched me over wired spectacles perched at the tip of his thin nose. White, wiry hair stood out in all directions and thickly pursed lips hide behind a grizzly beard. What must pass for a doctor’s coat covered a wrinkled and ill-kept suit that once must have belonged to a gentleman of considerable wealth.
The uneven footsteps again approached and I got my first good look at my rescuer. Had I been able to move, I would have recoiled in fear and disgust. Had a gargoyle from high upon the Cathedral precipice come to life, it would hold more appeal than the freak approaching me. Hunched backed and dragging a clubbed foot,. its grotesque features distorted into a mask of pure horror. Yet, its eyes reflected … pity. Not for its own circumstances, but for ME!
Suddenly, I realized the man in the doctor’s coat was speaking to me. He explained how his assistance, Igor (the pathetic creature now gently covering me with a clean blanket) found me and carried me to the doctor’s laboratory. My mind spun and I heard only bits and pieces as he inventoried my injuries. Over 300 stitches. Missing eye. Amputated hand. Leg muscles and tendons severed. Lucky to be alive. Permission for procedures.
All i remember was grimly nodding my head in consent. What did it matter what this man did to me. The midnight attacker took my life. Now this doctor, Dr. Frankenstein, said he could fix me. What does it matter. I died in that alley.
Days dragged into weeks. Weeks dragged into months. As soon as my wounds healed, Dr. Frankenstein began his experiments. What did it matter what I looked like. No man would ever look at with anything but disgust in his eyes. The midnight attacker took away everything that made me a woman.
I would have gone mad; I should have gone mad, had it not been for Igor. Beneath that monstrous face and body was a pure and generous heart. Each day Igor would bring me a gift; a trinket of some sort. A wilted flower. Half empty bottle of perfume. A torn lace handkerchief. Items discarded by their owners were treasures in the creature’s eye. And each gift he presented earned him pained and weary smile from me.
Winter was in full force when I woke on my stomach after what Dr. Frankenstein claimed was the final procedure. No sheet covered me, but what did I have to be modest about now. I pushed myself up and startled when movement caught in my peripheral vision. For the first time in the eternity in this hellhole, I was presented with a mirror. Not a small looking glass, but a large, three-sided standing mirror one might find at a couturier’s shop.
I did not wish to look, but it seemed as though the Fate’s compelled me forward. The ever present bandages were gone and my naked flesh was exposed for all to see. What I saw reflected made Igor’s ugliness look like a work of art.
Skin once soft as satin and milky white was now ashen and covered with long, jagged scars. Once full and bountiful breasts were gone and only to be replaced with raw, burnt tissue covering my chest. My face … my perfect face, that once turned heads of men and women alike, was mangled beyond recognition.
Only one crystal blue eye stared back. The other hollow socket was covered with a mechanical piece with wires embedded into my head. Though the eye was missing, my vision was sharper and more intense than humanly possible.
When I reached out to touch the mirror in disbelief, I saw a mechanical claw resembling the talons of a bird of prey. I slashed out at my image and the razor-sharp tips left deep gouges on the mirrors surface. The other hand, while still flesh and blood, had similar claws embedded where fingernails once grew.
A sob escaped my lips when eyes traveled downward and I saw the devastation done to that most sacred of womanly places. Yes, the midnight attacker took great pleasure and care in that area. Nothing remained.
Farther down, the thigh of one leg and calf of another were replaced with metal rods and blood filled tubes and contained in some form of a clear, unbreakable casing. My head snapped up at a sudden movement from behind me. A pair of mighty wings spread out like an avenging angel sent from the heavens. Feathers black as night entwined with pistons and gears and glistening metal talons.
I did not hear Igor’s approach, but saw he stood beside the mirror. In his gnarled hands he carefully held the most beautiful gown I had ever seen in my life. A gown of such great wealth and quality a woman would sell her soul to possess it. His lips were twisted into what had to be a smile as he held out the gown to me as a gift.
But I am no longer a woman. I am no longer human. A shrill and blood-curdling screech tore from my throat as I snatched the dress from Igor and with a strength I did not know I possessed, ripped the gown to shreds. Soul sick and broken, I fall to my knees among the tattered remains of Igor’s gift and weep.
The passage of time again eluded me as I lay huddled on the floor before that mirror, the wings a protective encasement around me guarding me from harm. Only a pitiful, woeful sound made me raise my head.
There, crouched on the floor before me was Igor, tears flowing down his face and a large bundle clutched to his chest. He dropped his burden in front of me and quickly scurried back on his hands and knees like a bug caught in a sudden light.
Again, Igor brought me clothing, but this time far different from the Lady’s gown. This offering contained men’s trousers and jacket made from fine leather and boots to match. Seems when Igor stole, he stole only the highest quality goods.
The pants were snug and fit me like a second skin. The jacket, too, fit me perfectly and was even tailored to allow for the wings now permanently affixed to my back. The tall, thick boots provided warmth and protection.
And it seems Igor was not willing to allow me to forget I was once a woman, for he included a short velvet cape elaborately embroidered with gold thread.
I pulled what was left of my unevenly cut hair together into a bun and turned to the mirror for the last time. Anne was gone forever. Only this creature, the Dark Angel of Harper’s Ferry remained. And she was ready to hunt.
Beware, Jack the Ripper. I am coming for you!
I feel so gifted to be allowed to call Anne a close and dear friend. Today it was her coming to me when I was trying to run after all my duties. I didn’t say something, but she asked if all is fine. She does have that 6th sense I guess, that makes her feel, if I am just slightly sad, stressed or frustrated. Today she must have felt that I am a little stressed and he asked me if all would be ok. Basically everything was ok and I told her that Liam fine, but had to finish some pictures for a magazine, a blog post and the posting for the store – for that she as well wrote a wonderful story, just take a look at the previous post HERE – and today I wanted to reveal the first chapter of it (yes she made 3 chapters and they will come one after another *winks* ). Being such a sweetheart she always is, she asked me if she could help me. Since it was making pictures, I told her that I do not think I could ‘outsource’ any of my work. A little later I again thought about the amazing story she wrote me yesterday for my post and so I carefully asked her if she still would be in a writing mood. I really was a little shy as she already wrote all those amazing chapters for the store releases and that incredible amazing story for me yesterday. But she said she had the second half of her frozen custard, which made her so cuber awesome creative yesterday and she asked me what kind of story. I showed her my raw shots for the post and instead of asking when I need it or telling me she would not have time, she just asked “Did you have anything in mind while styling this?” That was the moment where I just could have hugged her super tight again. I told her about the basic idea I had for the pictures and she started writing. Again she saved my ass! I adore her creativity, her skills for making all those stories for me and as well for our store releases – Anne you are such sweet little diamond, thank you so much… again ♥
Clothing
Top: AsteroidBox – “Tempus Shirt” (Maitreya Petite) – NEW @ Engine Room // September 2021
Pants: AsteroidBox – “Elise Leggings” (Maitreya)
Shoes: AsteroidBox – “Elise Boots” (Maitreya)
Accessories
Hair Accessory: ::Static:: – “Chrono Hairpin {Cluster}” – NEW @ Engine Room // September 2021
Glasses: [KROVA] – “Vitzili’s Lens 1 L” – NEW @ Engine Room // September 2021
Earrings: .:E.A.Studio:. – “Mads” (for Lel. EvoX Human Ears)
Ear Accessory: L’Emporio&PL – “Vulnus” (for Lel. EvoX Human Ears)
Nose Piercing: Wicca’s Originals – “Jadeon” (unriged)
Wings: {Aii & Ego} – “Starfire Angel Wings” – NEW @ Engine Room // September 2021
Finger Accessory: L’Emporio&PL – “Essentia” (Maitreya, Bento)
Nails: L’Emporio&PL – “Scripta Manent – Classic” (Maitreya, Bento)
Belt Accessory: kosmii – “Bedelia Chatelaine” – NEW @ Engine Room // September 2021
Hair & Makeup
Hair: KMH – “Hair F175” (unrigged) – NEW @ Engine Room // September 2021
Face Art: Nefekalum Tattoos – “Hunger #01” (Lel. EvoX BoM, Materials)
Lipstick 1: [Cubic Cherry] – “{Tenuous} Lipstick” (Lel. EvoX HD Applier)
Lipstick 2: Mad’ – “Daemon Lips” (Lel. EvoX BoM)
Head, Body & Tattoo
Head: LeLUTKA – “EvoX Avalon 3.0”
Body: Maitreya – “Lara V5.3” + “Lara Add-On Petite 1.1”
Poses, Props & Tools
Backdrop: VARONIS – “Dayport Backdrop Scene”
Pose 1: Poseidon – “Valkyrie 6rev” (Bento)
Pose 2: Poseidon – “Heroes – Flight 4” (Bento)
Pose 3: Poseidon – “Flight 15” (Bento)
Model, Stylist & Photographer
Wicca Merlin
