This is a continuation of the original topic
http://www.nwnravenloft.com/forum/index.php?topic=4949.0//Story not for the faint of heart.
ExperimentationHow long had it been, time had no meaning here. For days at a time she would lay in her own filth and darkness. How she hoped to die, her body was a living sore, crawling maggots keeping her well aware of that, nibbling at the rotting flesh relentlessly. She crawled further into the hole, the dirt was soft and dry here at least, she needed a wall. Slowly moving her body like she was used to by now, the lack of legs and arms was a challenge but she managed after much effort. She needed a wall to lay her back against, to keep her grounded. She bumped into the brittle dirt wall and sighed contently as she hurried to huddle against it. There it was, waiting for her. A maggot crawled too close to her mouth and quickly her tongue licked it in, chewing at the tiny bit of squirm before swallowing it.
That'll teach them.. she snickered to herself. She closed her eyes, darkness was not so scary then.
Hours, days, years, centuries passes, a voice clear and high echoes and awakes the sleeping stump.
Melanie are you awake? We have work to do my dear. a Mordentish voice. Melanie's eyes jerked wide open as the undead mortician stepped closer with a covered lantern.
Ah there you are, i brought you breakfast. the pale woman said as she placed a bowl of foul gruel content before the stump. Red bloody meat, fresh and juicy. At the glow of the lantern, Melanie could see the tiny worm squirming on the rat corpse but she cared little, diving in with her mouth, taking it all in before the bowl would be taken away. And she ate it all.
Later that time, Melanie found herself tied again to the table, Erika poured some water to her lips and she drank and drank, enough to make herself sick but she kept her mouth shut, forcing the liquid back down again, she needed it.
I think i finally got this right. went on Erika, scroll in hand she read the spell Melanie recognized as a monstrous regeneration, from her shoulder a new bone stretched and formed, flesh, muscles and sinew growing in order till it had fully grown again. Unphased by the screeching of pain, the mortician grabbed the stiff arm and stuck the hand into a bucket of filthy black mucus, tying it there.
Now soon enough, we'll know if the plague is ready! She was so excited, after years of research she had make a breakthrough. The light went off again and from darkness rose a howl of horror and above all pain.
Hours later she returned with the hooded lantern.
Goodness gracious, what do we have here. Unconscious, Melanie was still breathing, alas. The slime had covered her whole arm it seemed, eaten away the newly grown flesh and left behind the smooth and ivory bone of the arm, clean of any remaining blood or skin. It was a success. Quickly she wiped the slime off the rest of her shoulder and closed the wound with needle and string around the bone. Maggots has already taken oven. As much as Erika toss them aside they would always come back, she shrugged and went back to her discovery. On her desk a jar, inside a little fetus decomposing in a filthy liquid.
Hours, darkness, she found her wall again. This time there was something else with her in the hole, sniffling and crying. Maybe it was a cat she thought. Movement, she kept quiet, a small hand suddently came from darkness, touching her.
Mama! Mama! cried the dirty child. He couldnt have been older than three, but Melanie screamed, and screamed louder than she ever did. So did the child who then ran off into the darkness. It took her a while to calm down but when she did, she could hear the quiet sniffling of the child.
Shut up ! Shut up! she screamed to him, Erika came again and took the child this time, scolding Melanie for being so noisy. She never saw him again. Darkness again.
Days went on, or was it a lifelong wait, sickness took to her innards, she couldnt keep any food or water down, she was bleeding from every orifices and death was lurking. Life force sucked out of her, she longed for death. Gentle arms picked her up, unaware, unknowing, she thought, an angel. Then she woke up, and there was pain again, so much pain.