Warning: Rated for language, some violence and adult behavior.
The main characters of this story are based on characters from the cartoon 'Code Lyoko.' I do not own, nor do I claim, any copyright to these characters.
In her nightmares, Her Master was busy engraving more of her sins into her body.
He hunched over her with his engraving tool, etching the delicate scene into her thigh. She screamed at each stroke.
"Don't you dare ruin my work!" he raged at her, "if you make me mess up, I'll erase it and start all over again."
Rachael Stern stifled her cries as best she could. 'Erasing' his mistakes involved peeling her skin off, and beginning again on the tender new flesh underneath.
She looked about for something, anything, to take her mind off of what he was doing to her. Suddenly, a picture appeared over her head, like a television picture. It showed her The World As It Is.
In it, her son and his beloved were being gang raped, over and over again. Rachael tried closing her eyes to this, but couldn't. Then the picture changed again.
This time, it was her new friend, Miko Ishiyama. She was tied spread eagle on the Altar Of Marriage, and her husband was slowly carving her heart out of her chest. The picture moved in extreme slow motion, so she could witness each stroke, each drop of sweat and blood.
"You know, that's not how it is at all," a boy's voice said.
She looked over and saw a young man standing beside her, Miko's son Hiroki. Rachael was suddenly afraid, afraid that the boy had come to add to her torment, afraid that Her Master would see him and be displeased with her.
"You've been watching the wrong channel, that's all. Here, let me change it for you."
The boy took his hand and wiped it across the picture she was being shown. When he did, the picture changed.
The picture now showed Ulrich and Yumi laying in each other's arms together in a field somewhere. They were snuggling together, smiling and laughing between their kisses. Rachael could almost imagine their conversation, about how wonderful their future together will be. Then the picture changed.
This time, Miko Ishiyama was standing at the sink in her kitchen, doing some small task. She was wearing nothing more than a man's dress shirt, her husband's, Rachael was certain. Suddenly, Takeo Ishiyama crept up behind her, wearing nothing but a robe, and wrapped his arms playfully around Miko's waist, then buried his head in her neck. Rachael saw her friend lean her head back and laugh at the pleasure and joy she felt.
"That's closer to reality than what you were watching," Hiroki said, "of course, it's not always like this, and it hasn't always been this way, but even at it's worst, it was way better than what you've been imagining."
"Turn it off," Rachael told the boy, "I know that's the truth. But I can't watch that, can't know that, because I can never have that."
"Sure you can," the boy replied, "all you have to do is try. Here, I'll help."
Suddenly, the boy wasn't Hiroki Ishiyama anymore, but her son Ulrich. He turned to Her Master and slapped the tool out of his hands. He then went boo! and Her Master ran away. He put his hand over the foul picture that was being engraved into her thigh. He pressed gently, then removed his hand. The picture was gone, and she was Healed.
"You see," her son told her, "that's how easy it is." He held out his hand to her.
"All you have to do is try."
Rachael awoke to pain. She stirred slowly, so as not to aggravate the pain more.
Deiter, her husband, had abused her again last night. The pain this morning was his reminder of her true worth in the world.
Ah, my little bitch, you're nothing more than a plaything, his voice echoed in her mind, the only thing you're good for is to to service men, to give them pleasure. Right, boys!
Deiter had 'friends' over last night, and he passed her around to them as a good host should. Rachael was almost certain she would have to watch the video of last night's happenings, just to remind her again of her true worth.
She pulled herself out of bed and limped to the bathroom. She showered and tried to clean the stench of her shame off. The warm water eased the physical pain and removed the physical grime somewhat, but not the mental pain and spiritual grime.
She dressed in a robe and went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. When she got there, Deiter was waiting.
"Sleeping in again, I see," he told her, "well, I'll let it slide, this time. You need to be somewhere else for the weekend. I'm having guests over to visit, and I want to give them first class entertainment. That obviously precludes you from attending."
Rachael was torn between the insult she just received and the gift. The Whole Weekend, Away!
"I'm sorry that I'm not more acceptable to your guests," Rachael meekly said to her husband, "I'll pack and be gone as quickly as I can."
"Good," was the reply, "but I want you back no later than 6 am Monday, in your position and ready to serve, got that?"
"Yes, My Master."
As she left, Rachael ran into a young woman at the front door, getting ready to knock. She was about her son's age, had blond hair and blue eyes, and was very pretty. She got a surprised look on her face when Rachael opened the door.
"So, you must be the entertainment," Rachael told the girl, "he's in the kitchen. And he doesn't like being kept waiting."
With that, Rachael left the house.
She drove to Paris, the only place she could think of to go. When she got there, she drove by the Ishiyama's house, checking to see if Miko was home, working up the courage to visit.
Finally, in the afternoon, Rachael drove by and saw that Miko had just come home. She was about to drive to the spot six blocks away where she parked when she visited, when something stopped her.
Why not? He sent you away, and didn't care where you went, why not?
Rachael parked in front of Miko's house.
Her friend had just reached her front door when Rachael got out and called to her. Miko turned around, and her face lit up with joy as she saw Rachael standing there.
"Hi, how've you been!" Miko called, "come on in for coffee!"
Rachael Stern fairly well ran to the door.
The coffee was delicious. Miko's coffee always was delicious.
"So, what brings you to town? It's unusual for you to visit on a Friday," Miko said.
"Deiter... suggested I have some time away," Rachael replied, "I decided to come here for the weekend."
"Good! Where are you staying? We can go out together tomorrow and have some fun!"
"I... don't know yet. This came up so suddenly I didn't really plan anything."
"Then you'll stay here with us," Miko said, "you can sleep in Yumi's room."
"Oh no, I couldn't!" Rachael stammered, but Miko cut her off.
"Of course you can, it's no bother! I'd love the company. Truth be told, since Yumi went to college, there's been far too much testosterone floating in the air here, so it will be good to have another woman around to help thin it out!"
Rachael smiled a little smile and nodded knowingly. So, that's how it is here, too, she thought to herself, Well, I knew I'd have to pay for my room and board somehow, and on my back works just as well as cash.
Rachael hated the night. She lay in bed for hours, waiting for that fateful knock, dreading who would enter. Would it be Takeo, the Master Of The House, come to claim his rent? Or maybe it would be Hiroki. He was old enough, ready to learn the ways of a man and woman, maybe that was it. Maybe Miko herself would come. Or maybe, they all would come. In some ways, that would even be worse.
Finally, Rachael's fatigue won out over her imagination, and she fell asleep.
Someone gently shook her awake. Rachael's eyes snapped open. It was still dark, so it took her eyes a moment to adjust. She turned, and saw Hiroki standing there in his pajamas. So, she thought, it's to be him.
"Are you alright, Mrs. Stern?" he asked her, "I heard you crying."
"No, I'm fine," she told the boy, "I was just waiting for you."
"Huh?"
Rachael said nothing more, she just flipped back the covers, inviting him to join her.
Hiroki's eyes got wide when he saw her naked form.
"Look, I'm sorry I disturbed you... I... I'd better go now," he stammered as he turned to leave.
"Wait! Don't leave," Rachael said, a feeling of panic starting to fill her. She sat up, letting the covers fall from her and said, "don't I please you?"
"I don't know what you're talking about, Mrs. Stern," Hiroki said, "I just heard you crying from my room and came to see what was wrong. I didn't mean anything more, honest! Please don't tell my mom!"
Rachael looked at the boy and saw the hurt and fear in his eyes. Hurt that he had made her to think he had wanted that from her, and fear that she was offended and would tell his parents. It was then she realized the truth. She had misjudged him, misjudged them all, horribly. She flipped the covers back over herself and lay back down, then buried her face in the pillow and started weeping again.
After a moment, she felt something soft press against her. She looked up, and saw that Hiroki had placed a large stuffed cat next to her.
"Yumi would always hug that close to her, before she found Ulrich," Hiroki said, a smirk jumping on his lips when he mentioned her son's name, "whenever she would have troubles, she would always cry into him and tell him what her troubles were. She always said things were better the next morning after she did. Maybe Mr. Katt could help you like that, I know Yumi won't mind."
He then left Rachael alone, closing the bedroom door as he left.
Rachel Stern watched the closed door for a moment, then crushed Mr. Katt to her and began crying into him and telling him her troubles.
The next morning, Rachael joined them for breakfast. When she sat down, Takeo made an announcement.
"Dear, Hiroki and I are going out for the day, a real Father-Son outing. We'll be gone until well into the evening That way, you girls can do whatever you like without having us poor men underfoot."
Miko laughed and said, "okay, but no carousing! I do not want you getting my only son and your only heir drunk at such a tender age!"
"Not a drop shall pass our lips," Takeo replied, his own mirth evident.
After the men left, Miko took Rachael into the family room and sat her down.
"Rachael, we need to talk," Miko began, "I haven't pried into your private life, hoping you would open up a little on your own. But now, I'm afraid I must be impolite and ask you some personal questions. Hiroki told me about last night."
