The glasses were made of Venetian crystal. That was the first thing he noticed. Andrew Rainer wouldn’t be caught dead serving his guests wine in some substandard glass. His eyes then dropped to the rest of the dinner place, set out in front of him like some sort of code. The cutlery was made of pure silver with ivory handles. The napkins were Egyptian cotton, or perhaps somewhere that made even finer quality fabric. He wasn’t exactly a cotton connoisseur.
The last thing that caught his eyes – in retrospect, the most important thing – was a tiny white pill, positioned carefully beside his glass.
“You can take the pill, Davey, and this will all be over.” Andrew Rainer’s voice echoed through the empty dining hall. “If you don’t, I’m afraid you’ll have to endure my hospitality a little longer.”
Rainer’s ‘hospitality’ ached under his clothes. Davey’s mouth twisted, but he said nothing.
“Make your choice, Davey.”
After a beat of silence, Davey picked up the little white pill, rolling it between his fingertips.
Death was easy. Choosing life was harder.
Showing posts with label Venetian Crystal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Venetian Crystal. Show all posts
Tuesday, 15 May 2012
Venetian Crystal by Sam Smith
“What are you eating?”
“Crystals.”
“Why are you eating crystals?”
“I was talking to this lady in the shop that always smells funny in town. You know, the one that sells baggy clothes and carpet.”
“The Bazaar Bargain?”
“Yeah, that one. Well, the lady, right? She was telling me about how all the crystals she was selling could, like, change stuff about my life. There were ones that could cure my sicknesses, could rebalance something inside of me with a funny name, and there was one that could get me laid!”
“There was a crystal specifically designed to get you laid?”
“Well, she said it might help me be luckier in love, and that’s like the same thing, right? Anyway, I bought all of them.”
“You bought all of the lady’s crystals?”
“Yeah man.”
“And you’ve been eating them?”
“Yeah. That’s what you’re meant to do with them.”
“No, you’re not. You’re meant to hold them or rub them on yourself. Something like that.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
“Oh.”
“Stop eating them.”
“But what if they still work from inside of me?”
“They won’t. That one isn’t even one of the magic sort of crystal. You’re just chewing a fancy wine glass.”
“Yeah, I ran out of the ones that the lady gave me so I got these at the car boot sale going on at the church.”
“You’re bleeding heavily.”
“I know.”
“Crystals.”
“Why are you eating crystals?”
“I was talking to this lady in the shop that always smells funny in town. You know, the one that sells baggy clothes and carpet.”
“The Bazaar Bargain?”
“Yeah, that one. Well, the lady, right? She was telling me about how all the crystals she was selling could, like, change stuff about my life. There were ones that could cure my sicknesses, could rebalance something inside of me with a funny name, and there was one that could get me laid!”
“There was a crystal specifically designed to get you laid?”
“Well, she said it might help me be luckier in love, and that’s like the same thing, right? Anyway, I bought all of them.”
“You bought all of the lady’s crystals?”
“Yeah man.”
“And you’ve been eating them?”
“Yeah. That’s what you’re meant to do with them.”
“No, you’re not. You’re meant to hold them or rub them on yourself. Something like that.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
“Oh.”
“Stop eating them.”
“But what if they still work from inside of me?”
“They won’t. That one isn’t even one of the magic sort of crystal. You’re just chewing a fancy wine glass.”
“Yeah, I ran out of the ones that the lady gave me so I got these at the car boot sale going on at the church.”
“You’re bleeding heavily.”
“I know.”
Venetian Crystal by Lesley Whyte
"You'll come to understand that we are more civilised here than you are used to," he said as he led her down the cavernous hallway.
Erin was only half-listening as she gazed up at the vaulted ceiling, it was like the Cistine chapel. Only not full of angels. There was a lot of red up there.
"Ah," he said, noticing that she had come to a stop. "The story of our ancestors. Our family dates back centuries. That," he added, pointing out one of the figures, this one a beautiful woman swathed in black, holding a dagger to an armour-clad man's throat. "Is my great-grandmother. You will love her, she tells such...interesting stories. Come."
They set off down the hall again. Erin heard voices, the clinking of glasses, and frowned. Glasses? What was going on?
He threw open the double doors at the end of the hallway to reveal a surprisingly small and intimate dining room. A table set for twelve ran down the centre, and only two seats were left empty, the one at the head of the table and the seat directly to the left of it. He moved to the head of the table, but did not sit. He gestured for Erin to take the seat beside his.
"I would like you all to welcome Erin. She will be joining us for a while. And now, let's eat." He sat down.
Erin looked around, half-expecting a bunch of humans to be ushered into the room. Instead, several waiters emerged from the shadows of the room, carrying glass bowls. She could smell the blood, and frowned as a bowl was set down in front of her.
He leaned towards her, smirking. "Venetian crystal. Stunning, isn't it?" He lifted the bowl to his lips and drank deeply while Erin watched. Others were using spoons, but most drank straight from the bowl.
When he lowered it to the table again, his lips were stained crimson and parted in a smile.
Erin was only half-listening as she gazed up at the vaulted ceiling, it was like the Cistine chapel. Only not full of angels. There was a lot of red up there.
"Ah," he said, noticing that she had come to a stop. "The story of our ancestors. Our family dates back centuries. That," he added, pointing out one of the figures, this one a beautiful woman swathed in black, holding a dagger to an armour-clad man's throat. "Is my great-grandmother. You will love her, she tells such...interesting stories. Come."
They set off down the hall again. Erin heard voices, the clinking of glasses, and frowned. Glasses? What was going on?
He threw open the double doors at the end of the hallway to reveal a surprisingly small and intimate dining room. A table set for twelve ran down the centre, and only two seats were left empty, the one at the head of the table and the seat directly to the left of it. He moved to the head of the table, but did not sit. He gestured for Erin to take the seat beside his.
"I would like you all to welcome Erin. She will be joining us for a while. And now, let's eat." He sat down.
Erin looked around, half-expecting a bunch of humans to be ushered into the room. Instead, several waiters emerged from the shadows of the room, carrying glass bowls. She could smell the blood, and frowned as a bowl was set down in front of her.
He leaned towards her, smirking. "Venetian crystal. Stunning, isn't it?" He lifted the bowl to his lips and drank deeply while Erin watched. Others were using spoons, but most drank straight from the bowl.
When he lowered it to the table again, his lips were stained crimson and parted in a smile.
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