Trigun Fan Fiction ❯ Burgundy and Blood ❯ Haunted by the Past ( Chapter 2 )

Standard Disclaimer: Trigun and its characters are not mine. Lawren belongs to another person as well. I'm just writing their story from my own personal take.

Burgundy and Blood: Part II

Haunted by the Past

Lawren Diaggrio stared into the flames of her small fire. Nights in the desert were chilly at best and down right cold at worst. She was thinking about the man in the flowing white coat. She was confused by her own reaction to him. Her mind told her that he had been different from the others in that place, that he was very much like her. He obviously thought as little of taking a life as she herself did. After all, how many people did you actually see who had a human skull attached to their coats?

She wondered why she had paused to tell him her name. That was so unlike anything she had ever done. The people in town she used to live in simply called her the 'Nightmare.' None who had attempted to interfere with her had lived to tell the tale. A trail of graves attested to that.

The man had been attractive. She was surprised to find herself too eager to admit that, even to herself. He aroused an odd sensation in the pit of her stomach. It made her curious as well as cautious. Who was that strange man and why was he so interested in her? More importantly, why was she so intrigued with him?

Shrugging out of her coat, she lay curled up in her bedroll and pulled it over her. She closed her eyes and reminded herself that men were creatures that were usually best left alone. But still, she thought as her eyes closed in sleep, it would have been nice to know his name in return.

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"… get up you lazy slut and go find me something to eat." The command was followed by a well-placed kick.

The small thin girl looked up at her mother in disbelief. "But, mother, we have no money. How am I supposed to buy food?"

A meaty hand flashed out and slapped the girl across the face. "Stupid little bitch… How many times have I told you not to call me mother?"

Tears welled up in her eyes, but did not fall. She had learned early on that tears would only earn her more blows. She nodded in apology. "The food…?" she whispered softly.

"Go out into the street and beg if you have to. Steal some from the market, but if you get caught, I am not going to stick up for your sorry little ass. Perhaps you could kill some more dogs or cats to bring to me. I don't care, but you'd better hurry and find something for me to eat."

The little girl cringed at the thought of killing another dog or cat, but she had little choice. Her mother was demanding food. "What about the money you earned last night?"

The girl felt herself fly backward and land against the opposite wall with a hard thud. Her vision blurred and her ears rang for a few moments. "Ungrateful little garbage… the money I earn goes to buy my clothes so I can attract more customers." The large woman's eyes narrowed in thought. "Maybe I should parade your ass naked down the street one night. I know of a few who'd be interested in buying a young virgin."

Her eyes widened as her mother continued her tirade, "Your father, good for nothin' scum ran off and left me pregnant with you. Since you couldn't have the decency to die at birth, you can repay me by being my servant for now. In another year, I'll find a buyer for your virginity at least. I may sell you to the brothel in the next town." The woman leered at her. "Just imagine some man thrusting himself between your thighs while he slobbers over your breasts." The woman cackled evilly as she imagined the scene.

The girl's eyes widened as she scrambled to her feet and swiftly retreated out the door with the sound of cruel laughter echoing in her ears. She could only wonder what she had ever done to make her mother hate her so much.

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Lawren gasped as she sat up straight. It had been a long time since she had dreamed about her mother. She thought the haunting reminders of her past had been left far behind her. Rubbing her hands over her eyes for a moment to clear her vision, she glanced skyward. It was still several hours before dawn.

Lying back against her bedroll, she adjusted her silver coat over her body. Even with the small fire, it was still chilly at night. Why had she dreamed about her unhappy childhood again after so many years? She mulled the thought over in her mind a few moments.

That seemed like a lifetime ago when in actuality it had only been five years. Lawren well remembered the times she had been forced to steal or beg for food to feed her mother. She remembered the times she had been forced to find and kill some of the dogs or cats that had inhabited the small town in which they lived.

Those were some of the worst memories she had. Luring those trusting animals to her side, only to swiftly grab them and plunge her sharp knife into their flesh. Seeing the sad look in their soulful eyes had made the feeling worse. They had done nothing to her. And this was how she repaid their trust.

She hated moving between the crowded buildings with the limp carcasses in her grip. Other children in town laughed and made fun of her. They pointed at her carrying the dead animals and laughed at how she was poor and had to eat dogs and cats.

She hated throwing those poor lifeless creatures on the board behind the shack she lived in and skinning them just to throw them into a stew pot or on a roasting spit.

She hated watching her mother gorge herself on the food she managed to find. When she was hungry enough to eat, she was only allowed to eat the scraps left over from one of her mother's meals. That was probably the reason she was so slim.

Most of all, she hated the sights and sounds that came from her mother's room in the small shack they had shared. The sound of her mother's high pitched giggles, a man's grunts and groans, and hearing her mother asking for more was enough to make her blood boil.

When she had been about seven years old, she had peaked into the room to see what 'fucking' was about. It must be something special the way her mother was always laughing and begging the strange men who came to their shack for something else. She opened the door a tiny crack and remembered the sight of her mother laying spread eagle on the bed, running her hands over her breasts and playing with that secret place between her legs.

A strange man had stood beside the bed and was stroking himself. A part of his body was standing stiff and straight. It was looked large and ugly to her. She listened as her mother encouraged the man to get into bed an "fuck her."

Lawren remembered the man laughing and crawling between her mother's spread thighs. Her mother had squealed with delight as the man put his thing into her. She ran from the house disgusted by what she saw. She would never let any man do that to her.

By the time she had reached fifteen, her mother had made good on her promise to sell her virginity to the highest bidder. Lawren remembered cringing against the wall, begging her mother not to send her to the man who had purchased her. It was then that she had learned that she possessed the capability to kill.

As her mother had reached out with meaty fists to jerk her to her feet, Lawren was overcome by a quiet rage. All of the hurt, anger, and humiliation suddenly broke free in her being and poured through her. Why should she be forced to do her mother's bidding once again? Sparks flashed in her platinum eyes. She uttered two words as her mother loomed over her, "Die, bitch… "

The large woman stopped in surprise. Her eyes widened as she clutched at both sides of her head. She stumbled backwards, screaming and tearing at her hair. Lawren looked on in horror. Had she done this thing?

Her mother had slammed her head into the wall again and again, screaming hoarsely. After a few moments, blood had begun to stain the old wood as the woman fought against what ever had invaded her head. Blood began to pour from her ears and nose. Her eyes bulged as they filled with blood. Lawren shrank away from the sight.

Finally, flopping to her knees, the woman stared forward through sightless eyes. A strange gurgling noise came from her throat as a geyser of blood sprayed from her mouth and covered one side of the room. Silence reigned in the shack.

Lawren crawled to the lifeless body. All of the killing animals for her mother's food, being slapped around for no reason, surviving from scraps… it was finally over. "Hey, anybody here? I've come for the girl"

Lawren remembered the horrified look on the man's face as he entered the room. He had accused her of murder. She had slowly focused her mind on his and had driven him to kill himself. Convincing him that he had been the one who had done murder had been too easy. The idiot had put his own pistol to his head and pulled the trigger.

Gore covered Lawren as she watched with quiet satisfaction as her buyer killed himself. Never again would she be subject to another's will. Her tongue darted out to lap up some of the blood and matter that covered her face. Lawren smiled at the memories. That was the night her life had vastly improved.

A chillingly polite voice interrupted her thoughts, "Hmmm. Yes, I can see that your life has indeed been filled with pain and suffering. Life on this wretched planet can indeed be a burden, moving from day to day in an endless cycle of heat and dryness. I understand your desire to cause harm to those who would interfere with your chosen path; however, would it not be endlessly better to play a larger part in the drama of life before my master destroys all humans on this planet, ourselves included?"

Lawren bolted to her feet. The man in the white coat had appeared from thin air. How has she missed his approach? She narrowed her eyes at him. The man had the nerve to smile softly and to bow before her. She had the distinct feeling he was mocking her. Who was he and more importantly, how had he found her way out here?

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To Be Continued…

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The plot thickens!

What interests could these two have in each other?

Stay tuned to find out more in the next chapter:

Intrigued by the Present

You know it by now… R&R for me!

Love and Peace,

Blackhat (^_~)