Mommy
After helping Ms. Evers clean up what was once an occupied room, Callie spent the rest of the afternoon doing her weekly chores: dusting the hotel paintings, washing and polishing the staircase, vacuuming the lobby carpet, washing the glass doors and windows, and assisting Ms. Evers with the laundry.
As she was finishing up with washing the shot glasses behind the bar, Callie watched as Elizabeth walked over and sat down at one of the tables in the left-hand corner. A few moments later, Tristen appeared and walked over to Elizabeth. Callie continued washing a shot glass as she listened in on the conversation between Tristen and the Countess.
"So that's it. It's just over between us?" Tristen exclaimed. "Don't be such a child", Elizabeth scolded. "What am I supposed to think? I mean I don't get it, all he has is money."
"Then you do get it." Tristen looked confused. "But you're rich." Elizabeth then spoke in a voice laced with remembrance; "I use to be."
Picking up a new glass, Callie washed it as Elizabeth told Tristen about how she lost everything she owned. "So that's why you didn't want me to kill Drake?" Tristen questioned. Elizabeth leaned in and whispered something that Callie wished she didn't hear. "Will Drake can't die until after I marry him. And take every god damn penny." Tristen let out an evil chuckle at that.
Tristen then noticed Callie at bar, who had gone back to washing the glasses. Elizabeth, knowing who Tristen was looking at, turned his head to face her. "Don't worry about her. She learned her lesson a long time ago." Elizabeth turned to look into Callie's eyes and began tapping her sharp nails on the table to a beat that made Callie freeze:
Tap…tap…tap…tap.
Callie's focus narrowed in on the Countess's tapping finger nails as her back began to tingle. Seeing Callie's reaction, Elizabeth gave a small, knowing smirk and ceased the tapping; turning her attention back to Tristen.
Feeling like she had just awoken from a trace, Callie shook her head and shakily walked out from behind the bar and approached Elizabeth's table. "M-may I p-please be ex-excused? I have f-finished all my chores" she stuttered while keeping her eyes glued to the floor. Elizabeth simply waved her hand in dismissal as she stared into Tristen's eyes.
Not wanting to completely break down in front of the lovers, Callie bolted to her room, Room 25. Slamming the door shut behind her, she sank down to the floor and curled her knees up to her chest while resting her head against the door. Giving in and willing the tears of anguish and humiliation to fall, Callie laid her forehead on top of her knees and cried.
Flashback – 2006
Standing in the doorway to the penthouse master bedroom, Callie was paralyzed in shock and horror at what she was witnessing. A young woman, no older than twenty, was lying completely naked on the bed; her wrists being restrained by Donovan as Elizabeth, who straddled her waist, was tearing into her throat with vigor. The young woman's blood splattered on Donovan's face, who simply licked the blood off his lips as he watched his lover devour her meal.
Despite having lived in the Hotel Cortez for a little over a year now, Callie had been able to avoid facing the horror and violence…until now.
Pausing in her actions, the Countess suddenly lifted and turned her head towards the bedroom door; where Callie stood frozen in place. A brief look of surprise crossed Elizabeth's face, before being replaced with a look of annoyance. Callie, starring at the now lifeless body of the young woman, realized something truly haunting in that moment: she had just witnessed an act of murder.
Without saying a word, Callie turned and ran out of the penthouse suite and down the hallway. Sally, who was leaning against one of the guest room doors, watched as Callie ran past her towards the elevator. "Wellll shiiiit" Sally drawled and took a puff of her cigarette.
Running to the front desk, Callie fumbled for the telephone and shakily dialed the intended number. Ring…ring…ring. "Come on, come on, pick up" Callie whispered desperately into the phone. "9-1-1 what is your emergency?" "I just witnessed a murder. You need to send the police and an ambulance to the Ho-"
Click.
Callie stared at the phone in disbelief. "Hello…hello?" She then noticed that the phone's extension cord had fallen out of the electric socket. "Damn it!" Callie whisper-shouted as she dropped the phone and walked around the front desk to plug the cord back in. Kneeling in front of the socket, she reached out to grab the cord.
CLACK!
A black silhouette heel slammed down on the cord, only millimeters from Callie's outstretched fingers. Immediately knowing who the fashionable shoe belonged to, Callie began to shake as she allowed her eyes to travel further up the figure's body; until they were met with the cold eyes of the Countess.
Looking down at her unwanted progeny, Elizabeth raised her right hand and, slowly but chillingly, waved her pointer finger at Callie while making a tisk-tisk sound.
…
"I told you when you were first turned that this was a special place" the Countess spoke from her spot on the bed. Clad in nothing but her black silk robe and a black thong, she continued to speak; "a place where anyone can be anything…where anyone can do anything."
Standing up from her bed she faced Callie, who stood frozen before her with her eyes cast down to the floor. "And I will not tolerate disobedience of this sacred place" the Countess said as she approached and stood about two feet away from her progeny. "I'm sorry little girl, but it's about time you learned your place."
It was then that Callie realized just how much trouble she was in. She had betrayed the hotel by going to call the cops, and when you betray the Cortez, you betray the Countess.
WARNING: This next scene contains physical abuse. If sensitive to this material, I suggest skipping to the next chapter.
"Take off your clothes."
Callie's eyes began to fill up with tears. Slowly, she took off her red hoodie and gray t-shirt, followed by her sneakers, socks and jeans; leaving her only in a red bra and matching underwear.
"All of them."
Callie let out a small whimper as she removed her bra and panties, and stood naked before the Countess with her arms covering her chest and her knees clenched together. Elizabeth looked over Callie's naked form, taking in how her pale white skin seemed to glow in the moonlight.
After giving Callie's body a once over, the Countess snapped her fingers. Looking to her left, Callie spotted Donovan walking towards her, wearing only a pair of black jean shorts. In his hand was an object that made Callie go rigid with fear: a long, single-braided black whip.
"On your knees" came the Countess's next command. Now allowing the tears to silently fall, Callie kneeled down and, while using her right hand to cover her chest, used her left had to steady herself.
Bowing her head and closing her eyes, Callie mentally braced herself for what was to come. "How many?" Donovan asked as he stood behind Callie with the whip in his right hand. "Until I feel…satisfied" came Elizabeth's breathless response. Donovan nodded with a smirk as he stared down at Callie's bare back. "I'm going to enjoy this" he whispered.
"This isn't about pleasure" the Countess scolded, "It's about punishment." Donovan scoffed, "Whatever" he said as he raised the whip above his head. The Countess looked back down at Callie. "Remember little girl, you brought this on yourself" she said, and then nodded her head at Donovan.
WHIP!
Pain shot through Callie's body as she bulked and barely contained a pain-filled gasp.
WHIP!…WHIP!…WHIP!…WHIP!
As Donovan continued his assault on her back with no sign of letting up, Callie took a chance to glance up at the Countess.
Sitting on her bed again, Elizabeth watched as her lover whipped her progeny of one year; her face remained completely neutral; void of any emotion.
By the eightieth whip, Callie's left hand that had been supporting her had given out and she collapsed to the floor; her breathing harsh and ragged.
"Enough."
Donovan froze with the whip positioned over his shoulder.
"On your feet."
Callie shakily rose to her feet before the Countess, flinching as even more pain shot through her body at the sudden movement. Putting one hand on either side of Callie's face, Elizabeth forced her to look up into her eyes. While holding Callie's face, the Countess used the pads of her thumbs to wipe away Callie's tears with tenderness, before giving a chilling warning to her abused progeny: "Never…betray…me…again."
P.S. I wanted the audience to have some sense of understanding as to why Callie does not step in to help those who become victims to the Hotel and its occupants. Even though Callie does not like what goes on inside the Cortez, she has been physically and emotionally abused into submission.