Sienna

By J. F.Johns

I live in a world of chaos.

A world divided between humans and cyborgs.

A world where girls are snatched off the streets to become Marked Ones, their bodies inked with names

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wonderbooks
• Release date: Dec 17, 2021
• ISBN: 9788409310548

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SIENNA

J.F.Johns

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

Copyright © J.F.Johns 2021

All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or stored in an information retrieval system (other than for purposes of review) without permission in writing from the author.

To the real Aema, Anya, Clarissa,

Clodette, Cryssila, Ero, Helena and Maeri.

Also by J.F.Johns:

Eternal Darkness

Eternal Darkness Oblivion

Eternal Darkness Revelations

Cyborg Tales

After Darkness I

After Darkness II

After Darkness III

‘Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.’

Friedrich Nietzsche

PROLOGUE

The Master places the cup down, leans against his chair and smiles. It’s the smile that makes me realise I’ve been caught. It’s the smile of someone who knows something you don’t. I’m about to get up and run, but his words stop me.

‘I’m surprised you would try to poison me, child,’ he says, chuckling. ‘Such a woman’s touch, isn’t it? Poison. I’ve always been curious about you, Sienna. I’ve always known you would attempt to do something like this. I guess it’s normal. You don’t remember why you’re here.’

I feel as though someone has clamped their hands on my shoulders, keeping me in place, unable to escape. ‘I… it’s not…’

‘Save your excuses, child.’ He waves his hand at me, dismissing my words. ‘I’m not an idiot. I knew you’d try to do something.’

How?

It’s impossible he would know this unless someone told him. The realisation makes me gulp for breath, my eyes widening in fear knowing that someone betrayed me. Ero? Would he really? Was everyone right to believe that he would never betray his own father? Were all his words just lies? I don’t want to believe it, but then again, how would the Master know about this attempt on his life?

‘From all the girls here, it’s funny how it would be you who would try something like this.’

‘Why?’ My voice is merely a squeak.

The Master’s eyes shine with delight. ‘Because the other girls were brought here against their will, Sienna. But you weren’t. You came here because you wanted to.’

The room tilts to one side. I grip the chair, trying to remain steady. I don’t believe him. Why would I do something like that? He must read my thoughts because he says, ‘The trauma of what happened to you made you forget. But I’m sure that if you try hard enough you could remember that night. And remember why you came to me.’

I don’t recall anything, because there isn’t anything to remember. He’s lying, trying to trap me! But something tags at the edge of my mind, and I can tell there’s something hidden in there, fighting to be released. The thing is, if I let it come out, what will that mean for me? Whatever it is I’ve been hiding from myself was done on purpose, to protect me from the truth.

‘I never forced you here, child,’ he says, smiling.

And it’s that smile that makes me remember. The night I came to him, pleading with him to take me in.

I scream as soon as my mind takes me back.

Chapter One

‘Oh, I think she’s coming through!’

‘Shh, Clodette. Let her wake up peacefully.’

‘She’s so pretty, isn’t she?’

‘She is.’

‘I was hoping for another blonde!’

‘Maeri! Be silent! All of you shouldn’t be in here. If the Master finds you all lingering around…’

The voices fade as I slip into unconsciousness once again. I dream of a stove, my hands over it, trying to get warm. My body is freezing and the longer it takes me to heat up, the more anxious I become. I thrust my hands against the stove, the skin burning off as I scream at the sight of my melting hands.

I must return to reality because I find myself caressing white silken sheets, opening my eyes and admiring my hands which haven’t fallen off. It was just a dream. I’m okay. I’m safe. I’m at home.

It’s the smell that tells me I’m wrong.

My small apartment smells of empanadas; the half-moon pastries filled with vegetables my grandmother bakes. In our tiny kitchen she’s always preparing something delicious to fill our stomachs. Yerba Mate is always ready for a guest to drink as well as sweet wine. We may not have much, but we always have something to offer anyone who dares to venture into our little universe.

What I smell now is… different. Roses and mint. Unusual and strange to my nostrils. I’m not accustomed to such sweet, pure, innocent smells. It alarms me, and I open my eyes, scanning my surroundings. I was right! I’m not on my cot in my small room but instead I’m lying on an enormous bed. It’s so big my entire apartment could fit within its confinements.

Before being able to assess the rest of the room, someone moves beside me and I notice the person sitting at the end of the bed. Knowing that someone was so close to me as I slept makes the hairs on my arms rise. I should’ve never allowed such a thing to happen.

‘Don’t be scared.’

The girl -I cannot call her anything else but a girl as she’s so young- sits with her back straight and her hands on her lap. She’s pretty in a classical sort of way. It takes me some time to adjust to what I’m seeing in front of me. The girl doesn’t seem to mind. It’s as though she understands.

‘I’m Helena,’ she says. ‘You’re going to be very confused. You’ve been sleeping for two days. The gases will do that to you. It’s for your own safety. Now, before I go, please stay in bed and rest. But I doubt you’ll listen. Please refrain from running around like a crazy woman, screaming at the top of your lungs.’ The girl -Helena- sighs. It looks so natural and perfect on her and yet, every little thing she does seems orchestrated. I can’t help but feel already frustrated by her presence.

‘You’re in the Master’s house now,’ she continues. ‘This will be your new home. When you are better, you will be allowed to leave the room and meet the rest; the servants, the Master and…’ She pauses. ‘Your new sisters.’ The way she says the word is strange; with love and disgust. How could that be?

‘Sisters?’ My voice sounds croaky, unnatural.

‘Here. Drink.’ Helena reaches towards a nightstand and passes me a glass of water. At first I feel like sipping slowly, like a lady in front of such a well poised girl. Then the thirst hits and I gulp the entire glass down, splashing half of it all over myself. I notice something flash in Helena’s eyes, but it’s gone before I can figure it out.

‘Where am I? Who are you? Why am I here?’

Helena remains quiet and after some time I begin to grow impatient with the silence. As soon as I try moving to get out of the enormous bed, she moves. It’s so fast I don’t even realise she’s done such a thing. I’ve never seen someone move so fast before. Well, I have. But they’re not considered people.

‘You need to rest,’ she says, her long slender fingers wrapping around my wrist. Before I open my mouth to protest, I lean back against the bed frame to analyse this strange girl. She’s much older than me; probably nineteen or twenty years old. Her long hair is a dark brown that resembles horse chestnuts. Her skin is pale, so pale it reminds me of the snow I once saw whilst running through the streets of the city during winter, returning home from buying supplies. I’d never seen snow before. And even though it was a risk to stay on the streets where anyone could spot me, I stood there gazing up at the grey sky, wondrous of such a thing.

‘I know this is confusing for you,’ she continues, her bright blue eyes narrowing as if she’s trying to convey something I don’t quite understand.

‘I don’t want to be here,’ I tell her, removing my wrist from her hold. She doesn’t seem annoyed or upset. It’s as though she’s seen this happen dozens of times and already knows what I will ask her and how I will respond.

‘None of us do.’

And just like that she leaves.

I hear a latch being drawn and I know I’ve been locked in.

Tiredness takes over and I fall asleep once again.

…

When I return to the land of the living, no one is on my bed or in the room. It gives me enough time to stretch out like a lazy cat and climb out of the enormous bed. I’m in some sort of bedroom decorated in lavish furniture and thick curtains. I’ve never stepped foot in such a fancy place before.

I run towards the window, trying to break it open. Everything seems to be completely sealed to avoid any escape. I still don’t understand what is happening. What is the last thing I remember? My head pounds.

The door slams open and a girl marches in. The air is knocked out of me at the sight of her and I feel my face redden suddenly at the thought of touching her cheeks.

‘My name is Clarissa,’ she says. ‘I’ve come to keep you company while the servants dress you.’

I frown. What servants? As quickly as I think it, three girls enter wearing maid dresses. I consider fighting my way out but one look at Clarissa tells me it’s a terrible idea. Whatever it is that’s happening to me, she isn’t my enemy. Running now is probably dangerous. First I must see where I am, get a good reading on my surroundings and find different escape routes I can use to get back home.

The servants pull off my nightgown and shove me into an adjacent room which turns out to be a bathroom with tiles made from marble and taps made of gold. I don’t even stop to think who the hell undressed me and put me in a damn nightgown. I’m in awe at such richness. It takes me a while to realise I’m in a bathtub being scrubbed by the three girls, my skin turning pink and raw.

Clarissa walks in and sits on a chair by the wall, watching the procedure as if it were something terribly boring. I feel tempted to splash her. I don’t want all these strange people washing me and looking at my naked body! It’s humiliating.

‘It’s okay,’ Clarissa says, her dark gaze focusing on mine. ‘You’ll get used to it after some time. It’s always difficult at first to allow others to touch you like that. But you are the Master’s daughter now.’ I want to spit something nasty back at her because I’m suddenly in a terrible mood. Instead I lay in the bathtub as they rub my head with shampoo and continue to eliminate dead skin from my body.

I watch this girl called Clarissa. She looks nothing like the other one. There’s a different type of toughness surrounding her. I can’t quite make it out yet. All I know is that she’s absolutely gorgeous. Her skin is very dark; darker than mine. Her brown curly hair is tied up with a bright yellow kerchief. And her eyes…

Her eyes are the deepest and darkest green I’ve ever seen.

I can’t help but envy her. My brown eyes match my brown skin and brown hair. My grandmother told me that my mother had eyes the colour of the caribbean sea. But I never believed her.

I don’t know what the caribbean sea is.

I’m pulled out of the bathtub and wrapped in the softest towel my body has ever felt. Then I’m back in the bedroom, my hair being brushed, my nails clipped, my eyebrows plucked. I bare my teeth and growl at the girls each time they start pulling, twisting or yanking something from my body. Clarissa just sits on the bed, watching.

‘You’ll meet the rest of your sisters at lunch,’ she says suddenly, drawing my attention away from the window and the need to jump out of it. ‘And at dinner, the Master.’

‘Who is this Master?’

The maids tense, exchanging worried glances. Clearly the Master is feared in this house. I should probably be scared too, but right now all I care about is figuring out what’s happened to me, where I am and how to get out of this bizarre situation.

‘Are you hungry?’ Clarissa asks, changing the subject. I can’t help but notice the way her shoulders tense. As I don’t respond, she stands from the bed. ‘I’ll call for someone to bring you something up. Not much or you won’t have an appetite at lunchtime. Just a little something.’ And then she’s walking away, closing the door silently behind her.

I want to scream at her to come back, to not leave me alone with these three maids. But I don’t. Instead I clamp my mouth tightly shut and allow the girls to continue doing whatever it is they’re doing.

Chapter Two

My grandmother, brother and I lived in a minuscule apartment deep within the city. It wasn’t much, but it was ours. I loved every little corner of it, from the coloured mismatched chairs in our little yellow kitchen, to the dark green sofa in the living room. My brother and I shared a room and my grandmother would sleep on the sofa bed. When I was small I would fight over the top bunkbed but my brother, being older, would always beat me to it and climb up victorious. When we grew up and my brother began to change, he offered to let me have the top. I refused. I didn’t want anything he could give me, even though at the time he was the only one bringing money in.

As a child I had adored my brother. I looked up to him as if he were a God and I were just a tiny ant. But as the years went on, and our views of the world went in completely different directions, my love for him diminished.

Even though my memory is foggy, I know damn well who put me in this situation, who sold me in the dark of the night to this strange Master. I know who cast me away like a discarded sock.

My own brother.

The maids have long gone and there’s a tray with fruit and croissants on the oak desk beneath the window. I haven’t touched any of it. What if there’s poison buried within it? I doubt it. What would be the point? Still, I can’t find the energy to pick a grape up and drop it into my mouth.

The door to the bedroom opens and Clarissa enters. She’s changed her clothes and is wearing a dress with long sleeves and a high neck collar. I wonder why she covers herself up so much, it isn’t cold. It doesn’t really matter. None of it does.

‘Lunch is ready,’ she announces. ‘We must go to the dinning room now.’

I growl, glancing down at the ridiculous dress I’ve been forced to wear. Unlike her, my clothes are short and show quite a bit of skin. I can’t help but notice the way Clarissa stares in awe at my arms and neck. A part of me wants to believe she finds me beautiful and is admiring my brown gorgeous skin. A deep dark fear in my stomach tells me that isn’t the reason.

I follow her down thick red carpeted hallways with enormous windows, which I’m pretty sure are locked.

‘No use,’ Clarissa says, noticing my attention on the windows. ‘There’s no escaping this place.’ She points at all the paintings on the walls. ‘Most of these were painted by our sister, Clodette. She is wonderfully talented. Do you have any hobbies?’

I remain quiet. There’s no use in small-talk with this girl. Every fibre of my body is ready to pounce, to push her against the wall and make a run. But I know that wouldn’t be wise yet. I have no idea about the dimensions of this enormous house, how many servants there are, or guards. First, I must assess everything and then plan my escape accordingly. So for now, I will play along. That doesn’t mean I’m going to behave or pretend that these girls are my ‘sisters’ as they enjoy calling themselves.

We reach the end of the hallway where a set of double doors are open. Inside I discover a grandiose dining hall with the biggest table I’ve ever set eyes on. There are servants waiting patiently in different corners. Some are busy serving drinks and food to the people already sitting.

Clarissa gestures to a chair. ‘We sit by order of age,’ she whispers in my ear. Her closeness makes me shiver. In a good way. I don’t like it. I want this girl and this strange place far away from me.

Sitting, I glance around at all the different faces. The biggest and most elaborate chair is empty and I’m guessing that’s reserved for the Master. To his right sits the first girl I met, Helena. I’m on the left side of the Master’s chair, so I guess that means I’m the youngest.

Next to me there’s a girl with bright red hair, pale white skin covered in freckles and lovely green eyes. She won’t look at me, her attention is on the food in front of her. I wonder if she’ll make a sound if I grab the knife on the table and stab it through her hand.

We sit three and three on each side of the table. The two girls I’ve already met are opposite me; Helena and Clarissa. There’s one girl between them, smiling so brightly it makes me squint. Her blonde hair is extremely long and frizzy. She has outstanding blue eyes and cute freckles across her cheeks and nose.

‘I’m so excited to finally meet you!’ she says, leaning forward over the table, getting her hair in one of the jam sauces. Helena tries pushing her back, but this girl is relentless to get a better look at me. ‘I’m Clodette! Second oldest! Oh, I do hope we can become friends!’ Everything she says goes with an exclamation mark at the end. It’s very annoying. But I try smiling, just to see if that will satisfy her. Maybe she’ll grow bored, sit back down and fill her mouth with food.

‘Would you like wine?’ a servant asks.

I’ve only ever tried the sweet wine my grandmother used to make. It doesn’t seem to matter anymore, so I lift my glass and watch as the man pours the dark crimson liquid into it. ‘Is someone going to answer my questions now?’ I suddenly blurt out, making every single person freeze and turn as white as chalk.

Helena’s eyes narrow. ‘Not now,’ she says calmly. ‘After lunch, when we step into the library we will explain everything.’ Her voice could cut through ice. Clearly there’s no room for debate. Shut up and eat, her eyes tell me.

‘Oh, you must be so confused!’ Clodette, the cheerful one, says. ‘But you mustn’t worry. We will explain everything ever so soon.’

Someone snorts, and I turn to look at the two girls I haven’t analysed yet. They’re sitting on my side of the table, but between us is the red haired girl, so it’s hard for me to get a proper look. I decide to wait until afterwards. For now, I eat and drink like the rest of them. They don’t look afraid or hurt. Quite the opposite, these girls talk and laugh, eat and drink as if this were a perfectly normal day. For them it probably is.

Is this Master their father? Has he decided to adopt me into his bizarre family for some reason? I’m very confused. None of these girls look like each other. Are they truly related? Probably not. They’re calling me sister when I’ve just arrived, so I doubt blood is involved in this chaotic situation.

Everyone is suddenly getting up and leaving. I wonder what would happen if I stayed glued to my chair, but Clarissa is by my side. She doesn’t need to say anything before I follow her into another wide hallway and then into a room full of bookcases and boardgames. I can’t help but gasp at the sight of the books. I’ve never seen so many together before. It’s not impossible to get books nowadays, but they are expensive and almost everyone prefers electronic devices.

‘If you enjoy reading as much as I do, you’ll love this,’ she says, staring at the rows upon rows of books. ‘You may take as many as you want. They must always be returned, but you may take your time.’

I must admit, the room is outstanding. There are all kinds of instruments