f60e4979c917d8413dce0baef9eb276531a6f3bb51ff73761d4182341a6f1a20 (1)

Triskelion<br />

Elizabeth Aldam.


Triskelion<br />

And so it happened one day,on the way home from work, that she saw this<br />

pendant displayed discreetly in some antique shop window.It struck her as an<br />

object of Celtic origin,some mystic symbol of some nearly lost culture.She felt<br />

tempted to enter the shop to ask the price of that silver pendant but she looked at<br />

her watch and decided to leave it for another moment.<br />

Maurice would be home any minute and she wanted to be there before he<br />

arrived.He still had the keys to her at,she should have asked for them after their<br />

breakup ,he should have handed them to her without waiting to be asked but he<br />

had not.Their relationship seemed to be a long sequence of actions they should<br />

have taken,failing to do so at every turn.If they had succeeded ,perhaps they<br />

would have built something for just themselves,a safe haven in a world they<br />

sometimes found alien to them.Each of them had kept to his erce independence<br />

out of habit and also fear,fear of the unknown.And thus,he still had her keys and<br />

she found it hard to resent it.Anyway,she knew he would never use them if not<br />

invited,only that this time she had invited him.So she hurried home to nd him<br />

sitting on the doorsteps.<br />

“Why didn’ t you use your keys?”<br />

“They aren’ t my keys any longer,they are yours again”<br />

“But you can have them,what if I leave mine inside?”


Triskelion<br />

This practical mind of hers had never failed to make him laugh before and it did<br />

not fail this time either,only that this time his laughter was sad and his eyes were<br />

dull all of a sudden.<br />

“You haven’t done that in ages,chances are you won’t start now”.<br />

It was her turn to laugh but she only smiled.They went in silently,to x some<br />

dinner and sleep.Just like an old couple,devoid of passion or maybe reluctant to<br />

fall into it again.<br />

During dinner she told him about the pendant.He smiled.<br />

“The triskelion?You saw one ?Where?”<br />

“Coming from work,Is that its name?”<br />

“Yes,you saw a triskelion.Now,I don’ t understand why you liked it so much.”<br />

“I don’t know,there was something about it.”<br />

“It is a Celtic symbol,it represents the eternal ow of life.You<br />

know,birth,death,rebirth.”


Triskelion<br />

“Is that all?”<br />

“Don’t’ know you think it is enough?”<br />

“I don’t know,when I saw it I thought there was something to it,some darker<br />

meaning,something most people would know nothing about but the initiated<br />

would use to identify one another…”<br />

“Your imagination is quite something,you know.But no,there is nothing to it.”<br />

“It is not my imagination,it is my perception.”<br />

“How can you be so sure of that kind of perception?”<br />

“How can you be not sure of your own perception?”<br />

Their dialogues had always been this way.At the beginning of their<br />

relationship,masked by the trapping of desire and satiation they had been<br />

exciting.As time had gone by they had grown stale and mildly infuriating as was<br />

the case now.Both realized what fakes they had become to each other.The night<br />

had grown darker,the kitchen lights were not bright enough to mask their<br />

sudden loneliness .He stood up to go.<br />

“Good grief,aren’t you staying?”


Triskelion<br />

“No,I have to go.See you maybe and please,do not think of strange symbols,you<br />

have no use for them.”<br />

His words sounded ominous in her small kitchen,his parting looked only too<br />

familiar.He always left her and for some strange reason,she always kept her door<br />

open to him.Still,this time was different,she felt you could always wait for those<br />

who wanted to come back but not for those who were only too eager to leave<br />

you.She smiled ,walked him to the door and then went to bed,to a sleep that<br />

brought little rest.He left thinking he might come back one day but knowing<br />

chances were she would not be the same when he did,if only he did.<br />

Let her look for the triskelion,he had the keys to the doors she would nd in her<br />

way but had lost interest in unlocking them for her,she would have to do it alone.<br />

In the meantime ,he was only sure of a lust that she had not caused in him,it was a<br />

desire to grab someone who would ask no questions and have no name,someone<br />

who would do what he asked for,with no qualms.<br />

And then he saw the woman ahead of him,a tired prostitute in a dark alley,she<br />

would do.A shady


Triskelion<br />

doorway would sufce,there was no need for more.Once he was spent,he looked<br />

into her eyes,they were of an uncertain colour and too wise for him to bear her<br />

glance.In an unexpected gesture,he kissed her hand and left her twice the amount<br />

she had stated as her price.<br />

.<br />

Morning came and she found herself once more alone.It was as if he had never<br />

existed in her life or in anyone’s life.If this was freedom she did not nd it to her<br />

liking.Still,she had work to do.She got up,showered,had breakfast and left,She<br />

lived only a few blocks from her ofce .On the way there,she saw the triskelion<br />

displayed in the window of the antique shop.It shone strangely in the early<br />

morning light and for some unknown reason she felt excited.Surely it meant<br />

something else?Life ,death and rebirth were big topics indeed but somehow failed<br />

to impress her.She had never thought of life as something more than an<br />

imposition,death was its natural conclusion and rebirth something she<br />

doubted.Nothing of that sort moved her much but that symbol had an appeal she<br />

found hard to resist.


Triskelion<br />

On the way back home she entered the shop,asked for the pendant.The sales<br />

person smiled dimly when she said she would take it,without even asking for its<br />

price.<br />

She hurried home with it in her purse,the sky was overcast and she felt the need<br />

to be alone,wrapped up in her solitude,with only the triskelion for company.<br />

The minute she got home she looked for a chain,any chain to be able to hold the<br />

triskelion around her neck.She found one,some old thing her Mother used to<br />

wear to church on Sundays.When she removed the cross and hung the pendant<br />

,its wheel and arms gave her some insight,some notion it was not very different<br />

from the symbol she had removed ,it spoke of a pain that was hard to bear,a pain<br />

able to consume body and soul.<br />

And yet,when she nally put it on,she felt a sense of kinship with it,something she<br />

had never felt with any other trinket worn before.She became one with it ,letting<br />

her hand rest on it at night,trying to feel its hidden story,the secrets carefully<br />

woven into the silver.It even had a name engraved on its back,Theodore.So, was it<br />

was obvious it had belonged to a woman of that name,who may have worn it<br />

countless times,out of love or out of duty or both...She wondered why these ideas<br />

kept creeping into her mind,why she would think of this woman she had never<br />

met but who had worn this symbol of elusive meaning before she did...When she<br />

turned off her lights to get some sleep,the triskelion shone in the dark,guiding her<br />

dreams.


Triskelion<br />

And then,suddenly,nothing seemed right any longer.She felt uneasy,eager to<br />

learn about Theodore,not knowing where to turn and also eager to see her ex<br />

lover again.She could explain the urge that plagued her body as merely sexual but<br />

a part of her told her she was wrong,this was no ordinary desire for sex,it was a<br />

primal hunger for something more she could not exactly<br />

place,power,surrender,delirium,an endless abyss into which she was<br />

falling,always falling.<br />

Days went by too slowly,she felt.After the initial enthusiasm in her research she<br />

felt disappointed.She could not even place the reason,it was as if she had<br />

envisioned something that had not even been there,she felt the pain of<br />

rejection,only that no one had rejected her,unless she considered her lover’s<br />

departure a rejection but he didn’t count,he belonged to another time in her<br />

life.She felt something richer was eluding her and she let her tears run as a sad<br />

homage to the passing hours,the unfulfilled hours of her life.


Triskelion<br />

The pursuit of Theodore was hard,not even one of her neighbours had heard of a<br />

woman by that name in the last twenty years.Still,there were many others who<br />

must have known her,only that she didn’t know them.Theodore seemed to hide in<br />

every corner,every doorway,in the thousand places where a name with a ring to it<br />

may hide.Theodore became her guide,her friend.To nd her became her sole<br />

aim,her veiled stab at fulfilment ,if not happiness.<br />

And so,she wore her chain with the triskel every day and night full of longing.She<br />

could not tell what she longed for ,she had lost all.She had lost love,or what<br />

passed for it.She had lost sex,her ex lover had been her only partner and her had<br />

chosen to leave her,rendering her unworthy,unable to full her purpose which<br />

was to please him,something she had failed to do.<br />

She had thought herself free but she had never been,no one who desires another<br />

so much can be free.His memory engulfed her,the hours spent together,the ones<br />

spent apart,the longing,the absences,the need to feel safe and the sensation of<br />

being in danger,danger in losing herself.<br />

The following evening,back from her ofce she entered the antique shop,not<br />

knowing what to say and yet daring to expose what troubled her mind just being<br />

there.


Triskelion<br />

The man looked at her quizzically and asked “How is the search?”<br />

“What search?”<br />

“Theodore’s”.’<br />

Taken aback she replied,”I didn’t know you knew.”<br />

‘“Of course I knew,Theodore has become your aim these days,your reason to get<br />

up in the morning,your search for her has become the fuel of your<br />

life.Somehow,you would like to become her.Well,you might,if only you have what<br />

it takes.”<br />

“What does it take?”<br />

“Patience,discipline,surrender.”<br />

“Surrender to what?”<br />

“You should ask to whom.”<br />

“To whom?”<br />

“You shall see ,if only you daré to go on”<br />

“Where is Theodore?”<br />

“You can’t see ver,she is gone,you see.”


Triskelion<br />

“Gone?”<br />

“I mean she is dead”<br />

“Theodore dead?”<br />

“Well,people die ,you know.”<br />

“Was she killed by someone?”<br />

“No,not really.She died for love,her heart gave way”<br />

“And the triskelion?Was it hers?”<br />

“Yes,it was hers.She wanted it put on display so someone would buy it one day.”<br />

“Why sell it,why not give it away?”<br />

“She said only the one willing to pay for it should have it.Anyway,she paid the<br />

highest price.”<br />

“Was she your lover?”The question came out of her mouth before she could<br />

restrain it.<br />

The man laughed,so good naturedly it was almost menacing.


Triskelion<br />

“Oh,no.Theodore was not my lover,she was my friend,one of the few women<br />

friends I had in my life. Friends who do not engage in any sexual activity ,just<br />

enjoy each other’ s company and keep their desires,should they exist ,to<br />

themselves.”<br />

“So?”<br />

“Theodore was my elder brother ‘’s slave”<br />

“Slave?”<br />

“Yes,out of her own free will.”<br />

“Then why did she die from love?”<br />

“She died when her master left her”.<br />

“Why did he leave her?”<br />

“He left her because his life was at that time somewhere else.He was,and still is,a<br />

very busy man.And ,as busy men go,he had little time to give her,she had to accept<br />

what he wanted to give her and only her devotion was needed,his was only to his<br />

business but she was still needed to provide submission to his desires.Pity she<br />

failed to see it that way.”


Triskelion<br />

The air seemed heavy all of a sudden,she found she could not breathe<br />

easily.Theodore and her fate loomed around her,the triskelion warmed and<br />

buried itself into her skin.She felt branded somehow,by something she could not<br />

understand.Not yet.<br />

If the man had noticed her discomfort he gave no sign but she felt he had and<br />

enjoyed it somewhat.So,silently,she headed for the door.The man caught her arm<br />

and whispered “Unless<br />

you want to become Theodore”<br />

“No,I just…”<br />

“Come on,you were after her from the beginning.”<br />

“No,I was curious.”<br />

“Curiosity that drove you everywhere,you got the triskelion,you used to see if I<br />

was here so you could ask,you asked your lover,you were aching for it,always<br />

probing.”<br />

“But I…”


Triskelion<br />

“You have to nd an answer ...Theodore is gone but her master is not.He would<br />

love to train you,you have it in you,you know it.When you feel ready,come back”<br />

She broke free from his grip and ran to the door.Whatever danger she could nd<br />

in the streets at that hour seemed little compared to the ominous atmosphere of<br />

the room.The man ‘s cynical laughter followed her for blocks on end and rang in<br />

her ears all day.<br />

Time passed somehow,time always does,even when we are caught in a<br />

turmoil,time passes,hurries us to our ends.This is how she felt the following<br />

morning and many mornings after.One of these mornings,on her way to the<br />

ofce,she saw the antique shop attendant supervising some men carrying crates<br />

from his shop to a lorry.She said hello and the man said”I am moving out” by way<br />

of greeting.She wanted to ask him where he was going and why but a strange<br />

feeling of acceptance,a patience born from many hours of frustration prevented<br />

her from doing so.She felt she had no right to ask him anything,he was giving no<br />

reasons anyway.Still,she felt curious.<br />

She was the one looking and yet ,she felt exposed to his gaze,exposed to the<br />

world somehow.His eyes roamed her body and she could not help trembling,fear<br />

and lust running through her veins.<br />

“I am going but the next door neighbour can tell you where I will be,unless you<br />

want to know now.”


Triskelion<br />

“I will ask your neighbour when...when I ..<br />

“You will ask when you are ready.”The man smiled and she blushed,wishing she<br />

did not,wishing she had never come here,wishing she did not fancy this massive<br />

person with such big hands and cruel mouth…<br />

She was already near the door when his hand grabbed her arm.She felt powerless<br />

and found she liked the feeling.His hands opened her jacket,unbuttoned her<br />

blouse and started at her breasts,rolling his thumbs on her nipples.When she<br />

moaned he said..”See,you like it.Imagine the hands of your master taking their<br />

time all over your body,giving you this prize after flogging you”<br />

“Flogging me?”<br />

“Yes,softly at rst,to get you aroused and then harder,to carry you to a place<br />

where you only surrender till there is nothing of you that will have not given him.”<br />

The man’s hands forced her mouth open.He ordered her to suck his ngers,she<br />

did greedily.Once wet,his fingers travelled down and forced her open.<br />

She surrendered completely to the hands that turned her over and explored her<br />

thoroughly,leaving her open and exposed to their mutual desire.


Triskelion<br />

“You must accept it,soon you will be broken to it and you will enjoy it.In the<br />

meantime,you must accept I will be the one enjoying it,while you struggle to<br />

accommodate me.”<br />

She came violently,unable to hold her orgasm any longer.The man continued<br />

pumping into her,whispering in her ears words she had never been told<br />

before.She felt degraded and also free in a strange way.When the man came at<br />

last,he collapsed on top of her and bit her shoulder,drawing blood.She cried out<br />

and this seemed to please him even more intensely.She tried to break free but he<br />

held her tightly.<br />

“I must have you completely,we are not done yet”<br />

“But the men…”<br />

“If they see you I will tell them you are my sub and I am training you to please me.”<br />

And so,there was no part of her he did not have for his pleasure,which became<br />

also hers under his ministrations.When it was over he said to her:<br />

“Button up”She wanted more but he only said:<br />

“It will always be this way,should you enter our group.”<br />

“Will I be flogged?”


Triskelion<br />

“Yes,but never injured .You will be taken to a region where pain and pleasure<br />

meet and you will melt to the waves of both,unable to control your body.And you<br />

will love it.Now,go,you will be called soon.”<br />

The man turned his back on her.She could barely make it to the door,her body<br />

ached and she felt excited beyond measure and also a bit sad.Her body craved his<br />

presence,assaulted by a sudden loneliness.<br />

And so she returned to her life,unable to focus on anything but the memory of the<br />

shop owner and his commanding ways.The pleasure he had given her excelled<br />

any she had ever had with Maurice.This puzzled her a great deal for she had loved<br />

h i m and she believed he had also loved her.Were love and sex such alien<br />

territories?Alien to each other,that is...<br />

Days passed the way time passes when you wait for something you are unsure of<br />

until she lost track of them.There were times she asked herself if she had<br />

imagined the whole thing but the marks on her skin were enough to remind her<br />

her primal encounter with the shop owner had been real.<br />

One night the doorbell rang three times.She was surprised,no one ever visited<br />

her at night after Maurice had departed from her life.No one visited her,period.<br />

She was even more surprised to nd her ex lover at the door.He looked<br />

different,the way people do when you have not seen them for some time or when<br />

you have never thought you would meet them again.


Triskelion<br />

There was something more mature about him,something slightly ominous too.In<br />

the past,they had been able to laugh together at little silly things,they had smiled<br />

at the sight of puppies and children,nights and dawns had held a romantic appeal<br />

...In the past,they had been friends,they had enjoyed each other’s company.The<br />

man standing at her door had little to do with the boy who had adored her from<br />

far before confessing his fancy for her.<br />

She realized she had lost that boy and his tenderness and she had for a while<br />

gained the man he had become,the one who had left her.She knew the wound<br />

would stay with her long after the marks left by the shop owner were gone.She<br />

would live through it,she would go on with her life,a life she would at times trade<br />

happily for just one hour alone with him as he used to be when they had met for<br />

the rst time.She remembered him as a god among mortals,her eyes were not<br />

able to take in so much beauty.She had never thought of beauty in connection to<br />

men and yet she had found it in him.Beauty and friendliness,the two keys to the<br />

door to Doom,she knew this much now.And yet,a stranger had aroused her to<br />

heights she had never reached with him.<br />

He looked at her sadly and said:<br />

“I know you have been to the shop.”<br />

“Which shop?”<br />

“Stop playing games.The shop where you got the triskelion.”


Triskelion<br />

“Yes,and the owner moving out.”<br />

“Not only moving out.”<br />

“What do you mean?”<br />

“I know what happened.”<br />

“You mean…”<br />

“Yes,he told me.He told me he had told you about Theodore and that somehow<br />

she spoke to you from the shadows,that she could have been your sister,you<br />

were so much alike.”<br />

“You met Theodore?”<br />

“Yes and I got to love her.Her devotion to my brother,her submission charmed me<br />

to no end.She opened doors to me,doors I had never known to exist.And ,to this<br />

very day,I remember her.”<br />

“Was she ...yours?”<br />

“No,she was never mine in a physical way,if that is what you are asking.Theodore<br />

was my only woman friend.”<br />

“But you never fancied her?”<br />

“You seem to need to be wanted by men,am I not right?”


Triskelion<br />

“Well,I…”<br />

“That’s why you are easy to take,you are like a city without fortresses,a garden<br />

without enclosures with its flowers open to all.”<br />

“No,I…”<br />

“Theodore was not easy,she was not open to anyone but my brother.She was<br />

devoted to him and only because she allowed him to be so.”<br />

“So only…”<br />

“Yes,only friendship was allowed to us,not because of my lack of interest but<br />

because of hers.She would have belonged to me had her master told her so,only<br />

on those terms.”<br />

“And you suffered?”<br />

“No,there are many ways a man and a woman can belong to each other.”<br />

“But you still miss her.”<br />

“I grieve for her,she was my friend.”<br />

“And her master?”Does he grieve for her?”<br />

“I guess so,though at times I doubt it.”


Triskelion<br />

“Is he the shop owner?”<br />

“No,that is my middle brother.His job was to display the triskelion,not to have his<br />

way with you.Still,it seems you would like to meet him again or maybe meet<br />

Theodore’s master…”<br />

“I don’t know,I ‘m very afraid.”<br />

“Afraid of what?Afraid of meeting her master but not afraid of being enjoyed by<br />

one of his assistants in the full sight of moving employees had they cared to look<br />

inside the shop?”<br />

“But I did not know he would…”<br />

“You are afraid now because you have an idea of what might happen but you<br />

were not afraid then because you had no clue.”<br />

“That is true.”<br />

“You actually enjoyed it.”<br />

“You were not there.”<br />

“I was,I was inside the shop,only that you could not see me because I was packing<br />

some crates in the back room.I could still see you ,through some slits in the<br />

dividing panel.”<br />

Triskelion


Triskelion<br />

“You...could see everything?”<br />

“Yes,and I saw you responding to this stranger as you never responded to me.At<br />

rst,I had thought you were a prostitute he had hired but then I realized it was<br />

you.And I was curious to see how you would perform under the circumstances.”<br />

“And?”<br />

“And,I was not disappointed.The more he took,the more you yielded.You were<br />

open to anything and I saw all you and I had missed.”<br />

“Please,let me be.”<br />

“And then I decided to come round to you,because I used to care for you.”<br />

“You do not any longer?”<br />

“I lost you long ago.How do you expect me to care for someone I lost ages ago?”<br />

“I don’t know what to say.Why are you here?”<br />

“To see you again,before I lose you to him.”<br />

“Him?”<br />

Triskelion


Triskelion<br />

“My elder brother.The years between us stand heavily on each of us.As a child,I<br />

remember he always had the best of all.If he did not have it right away he just<br />

took it.Nothing was enough for him.”<br />

“Not even...Theodore?”<br />

“I guess not,only that she loved him to distraction.”<br />

“And he...did he love her?”<br />

“He loved to be loved,that was all.”<br />

“And you are here to…?”<br />

“Perhaps to warn you,perhaps to lose you forever,perhaps to get you back.”<br />

“But…”<br />

“You may find he is fascinating...I can only tell you he killed Theodore.”<br />

“He killed her?”<br />

“He destroyed her with his eternal demands for perfection,the perfect slave,the<br />

perfect woman.He destroyed her so completely she would have had little effort<br />

to kill herself,had she wanted to.But,her heart gave way before she even thought<br />

of it.”<br />

Triskelion


Triskelion<br />

“It is hard for me to believe you.”<br />

“Only because you want to go to him.”<br />

“Is it bad to be curious?”<br />

“Is it good to be?”<br />

“Why not?”<br />

“You might find yourself desperate for freedom.”<br />

“Perhaps I am tired of my freedom.”<br />

“Do not be.Slavery is innitely worse.The idea of slavery was appealing was<br />

invented by masters,never by slaves.You might crave domination but you will<br />

find it also find it too much to bear.”<br />

“Maybe I want too much.”<br />

He looked at her with sad eyes.Her eyes were dark,his were brown.When very<br />

young they seemed to have a touch of gold in the irises,another trait that had<br />

proved enchanting and then had vanished.<br />

Triskelion


Triskelion<br />

And then he approached her and held her tightly.His embrace was almost tragical<br />

in its nality.as if he did not want to let go of her but obeyed a secret command to<br />

do so.When he did,he also surrendered her to her fate,the one she had chosen or<br />

others had chosen for her,making her believe she was the owner of her own<br />

destiny,the shaper of her life.<br />

“Whatever happens,remember I tried to stop you.”<br />

“Out of love?”<br />

“Out of despair.”<br />

She nodded,her eyes brimmed with tears and her hands before her in a vain<br />

gesture.She realized then they were still at her doorstep,she had forgotten to ask<br />

him in as they had stepped out of each other’s lives and had become strangers<br />

again.<br />

She watched him leave,walking hurriedly in the streets bathed by the palest of<br />

moonlights.She only entered when she could see him no more,once darkness had<br />

engulfed him.<br />

Triskelion


Triskelion<br />

The night was peaceful .She slept through it very much a newborn baby<br />

,beginning life,or someone condemned to death,savouring his last night alive.She<br />

did not know what the rest of her life would be like ,alone for the rst time in the<br />

territory of the others.Those others who had met Theodore,who had befriended<br />

her,who had loved her and who had also led her to her death,in some way or<br />

other.<br />

She would meet him,the master.Her mind was set,her obsession had taken<br />

over.And thus she slept,letting events unfold on their own,released from any<br />

need to influence them at long last.<br />

She woke up to an eerie morning,one bathed by a weak sun.A strange vapour<br />

seemed to cover everything.She went about her usual routine with a detachment<br />

that ought to worry her but failed to do so.She went to work and came back as in<br />

a daze,the afternoon loomed ahead of her ,the hours stretched for a time that<br />

seemed eternal,the day had stopped somehow.<br />

She was ready when the doorbell rang,followed the chauffeur in his uniform and<br />

got into the car.It was only when the man said “We have arrived”that she realized<br />

they had not exchanged a single word during the trip.<br />

The house was big,surrounded by a big park.It was apart from all others,at the<br />

end of a circle that reminded her of a labyrinth.She wanted to get lost in it,she did<br />

not want to find the way out once she entered ,she wanted to remain there.<br />

Triskelion


Triskelion<br />

She started walking towards the house when the chauffeur said:<br />

“You can’t enter yet.”<br />

She looked at him,waiting for instructions.The man smiled,whoever she was she<br />

seemed to know what was expected from her.Just like the One,Theodore.<br />

“You have to visit the small shrine behind the house.”<br />

And so she walked to it,in silence .When they got there,she saw it was a Gothic<br />

vault,something that somehow reminded her of old movies.The chauffeur<br />

produced a key from his pocket and unlocked the door.She followed him to a<br />

chamber underground.The aroma of frankincense pervaded the air,making her<br />

dizzy.The lights were dim and soon she wondered how she could have seen<br />

anything under other light.<br />

Triskelion


Triskelion<br />

And under this light she saw her,lying on her marble bed,under a crystal<br />

dome.She was dressed in an almost transparent tunic.Her arms rested at her<br />

sides,her hands extended with their palms up,as she had been when she waited<br />

for her master,only that then she had been alive,a creature of life,tears and<br />

laughter.Her face was regular,her eyes shut,all light gone from them ,her mouth<br />

full,a mouth of love,agony and pleasure.Her hair framed her face,long black hair<br />

that covered her shoulders.The crystal dome kept all oxygen away,she was<br />

unpolluted and safe in death as she had not been in life.Whoever had ordered this<br />

job had loved this woman or at least cared enough for her to keep her body intact.<br />

And then,she realized the woman looked familiar,too familiar for words.She had<br />

known from the beginning this was Theodore,the lady of the Triskelion.What she<br />

had not known was that she looked exactly like her.When she looked up she saw<br />

the eyes of the chauffeur drilling into her.She said nothing and locked in a chilly<br />

silence,they left the vault.<br />

They got to the house and the door opened before they called,as if someone had<br />

seen them from the inside.They entered and the chauffeur left her alone,without<br />

a word.<br />

She waited a few minutes ,looking around the room,trying to quieten her<br />

thoughts.The room was simple,almost devoid of furniture.It was a cold day and<br />

there were logs burning in the replace.She was not surprised to nd the<br />

triskelion carved on the stones warmed by the flames.<br />

Triskelion


Triskelion<br />

A tall woman entered the room.She looked at her critically and said:<br />

“You are here and yet not wearing proper clothes.I shall bring you all you<br />

need.”She left the room without another glance.She realized she feared this<br />

woman more than anything for reasons she ignored .<br />

She did not have long to wait,the woman came back almost instantly,carrying a<br />

long black dress that left her back bare,except for some straps crossing it.She<br />

also brought her some black sandals,so high she could barely walk in<br />

them.Still,they were her size and she found them beautiful.She ached to ask how<br />

they had known her size and taste but could not bring herself to ask.This was a<br />

land of no questions but of statements.<br />

“So you must change into these clothes after bathing in the room next door.Take<br />

your time to cleanse your mind as well as your body.When you are done,wear this<br />

corset,for comfort and good posture.Then the dress and the sandals.And<br />

perfume yourself with the vial you shall nd on a silver platter next to the<br />

tub.Remember to do this twice.”<br />

“But ...there is no lingerie…”<br />

Triskelion


Triskelion<br />

“You must wear none,the corset that lifts your breasts and the dress that covers<br />

only the minimal are all you need.The sandals are so high for you to walk with<br />

care,with small steps and demure ways to remind you of your status.You are still<br />

expected to walk straight,proud of yourself and above all,of your master.Should<br />

you fall,you will be punished.”<br />

“Yes,madame.”<br />

“Good.When you are ready,you shall kneel in front of the replace,hands on your<br />

tights,palms up and wait.”<br />

“Yes,madame.”<br />

The woman left without a second glance,sure she would do as she had been told.<br />

The room was big and there was a small pool in its midst.It was full of hot<br />

perfumed water.She undressed and sank into it,grateful for this moment of<br />

rest.Strong emotions pervaded herself and she felt soothed by the water,the<br />

scents in the air and a strange music that seemed to come from some hidden part<br />

in the ceiling .She rinsed herself slowly and dried her body with the towels set<br />

next to the tub.Then,she applied the perfume,letting it enter her skin.It was a<br />

strange ower mix,with a touch of old woods and cinnamon.It was also Theodore’<br />

s favourite.<br />

Triskelion


Triskelion<br />

She then started to dress,corset,dress and sandals tted her perfectly.Her lack of<br />

lingerie excited and also scared her.Still,she had chosen her path.Aware of<br />

this,she moved to the next room,facing the replace.She kneeled and rested her<br />

thighs on her calves.Her arms rested to the sides of her body,with her forearms<br />

on her thighs and her hands with their palms up.And thus she waited,a woman<br />

about to enter an unknown land,all her fears,loves and past fading in front of the<br />

burning logs in the fireplace.<br />

The girl she had been,the young woman who had dated a tall young boy with<br />

sweet eyes,the junior secretary in pursuit of the triskelion,the woman giving way<br />

to desire in the antique shop.all blended in this creature dressed in black,held<br />

erect by her corset,exposed to looks and touch by means of a dress that covered<br />

little by opening at her sides.All her memories of past liaisons seemed to blur in<br />

front of the re that warmed her skin,reminding her of her donning of lingerie<br />

and her agreement to be thus exposed.She had time to feel the stab of fear<br />

piercing her and she struggled to ease it to some recess of her mind where it<br />

would not bother her,not then,not later.not ever.<br />

This is how her master found her,waiting for him.And a voice,his voice,said:<br />

“You are most welcome,Theodore.”<br />

Triskelion

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