Purified by Suffering: Chapter 3 – Scum Among Scum

Chapter 3 – Scum Among Scum

This deeper layer of the sewer is strangely cleaner with scrap that blocks the sewage without clogging the pipes and water flow and cleaner floors and walls. There aren’t any robots or androids that clean the floors here especially since there’s no reason why they should be clean. The scrap blocking the sewage along with its smell is unnecessary as well. Further in, there are more lights to illuminate this layer of the sewer the floors and walls of which appear to have been just polished. In the distance, Vera sees the people responsible for the cleaning.

They clean everything around them while picking up any trash on the floors. There are some that make sure the scrap barriers are in good condition while placing signs to indicate what places are in what direction. These workers have collars that are around their shoulders and legs with glowing red lights on them. The workers largely ignore Vera while some clean the ground she walks on to keep it clean. Towns and businesses marked on the signs are in different styles and despite the variety of places to go to, there isn’t a sign that indicates the way down.

“Which way is the way down?” Vera asks one of the workers.

“I don’t know if there is one because the people who run this place don’t tell us. I suggest going to the town coming up on the right to ask,” a worker says.

“Thank you.”

“Good luck. You’re going to need it.”

Vera goes to the town the worker suggested and finds that it doesn’t look half bad. Everything almost looks normal except for the people who have a similar appearance to Vera. There are some people here who are wearing makeshift tuxedos and dresses as if they were pretending to be rich.

A man, who is wearing one of these suits, walks up to Vera and says, “You must be new here.” He kisses Vera’s hand. “What is your name, beautiful?”

“V-Vera.”

“Well, Vera. What brings you down here?”

“I’m looking to get to the lower areas of the sewer. I want to escape this place.”

“Why would you want to do that? Just look at this place. You won’t find a more splendid place to indulge in your vices without fear of punishment. That is, of course, if you don’t anger the wrong people.”

“I don’t belong here. I want to leave.”

“I see. How about we go to my place and we’ll discuss how I can get you to the lower levels?”

“Okay.”

The man leads Vera to one of the biggest houses in the town. They go up to the top floor and into the man’s office. There he sits at his desk.

“Please, take a seat.”

Vera sits on the chair across from the man.

“So, Vera, how much are you willing to pay to get to the lower level? I can get you an escort that will dedicate their lives to getting you as far as they can go.”

“I don’t have any money.”

“You don’t need money to pay. There are other payments that I accept. I’m sure you know what I’m talking about given your appearance.”

“What about it?”

“People with your kind of appearance are weak to sins of the flesh, as they say. You must’ve been a whore on the surface.”

“…ah…”

“I’m right, aren’t I?”

Vera couldn’t find the words to defend herself with nor paint her actions in a brighter light.

“Here’s my deal. You can be my wife for a week, and I’ll get you into the lower levels.”

“I don’t think you want to be with me.”

Vera reveals the large mouth underneath her fleshy dress.

“I can deal with it. I have a chemical that can suppress your ability so that mouth or any of your mouths chomp at me.”

“These are the mouths of my children.”

“Your point?”

Vera’s hands and legs are restrained as the man pushes a button underneath his desk.

“Hey!”

“Don’t act like you haven’t seen this coming. I’m sure that you’ve had a couple of clients that did the same to you.”

“Tch.”

In response, Vera partially transforms. Her breast mouth shoots out a tendril that brings the man’s head into its jaws.

“Heh, you are something else, Vera.”

“If you don’t want your head to be slowly crushed, then I suggest leaving me alone.”

“I wouldn’t mind going out this way.”

Vera’s breast mouth begins slowly crushing the man’s skull.

“Okay, okay! I’ll leave you alone! Just let me go and I’ll release your restraints.”

“I don’t need your help.”

With her transformed strength, Vera breaks through her restraints.

“Such a strong woman. I wish I could have you as my wife for life.”

“Before I go, tell me how to get to the lower floors.”

“All I know are people who can get you there. Nothing more.”

“Tell me where I can find them.”

“In the brothel town not too far from here.”

Vera continues crushing the man’s skull.

“That’s all I know I swear!”

“It better have been.”

Vera throws the man against the wall knocking him out. She then heads out to the brothel town that’s labeled as the pleasure district on the signs. The town itself might as well be its own brothel as people openly sell themselves and have sex on its small streets. The buildings only appear to be places of business rather than discreet places to do their business in. There also appears to be other kinds of business in this city as Vera overhears both men and women selling themselves into slavery for protection.

While looking for one of these people, a woman approaches her and says, “You must be Vera. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“How do you know me?”

“Belladonna told me that you were going to be coming down here. I already know what you want to do, and I can help you achieve your goal. Us women of lust and power need to stick together after all.”

“I’m not taking your offer and I’m not like you.”

“Says the woman who is wearing the skin of her children. You must’ve done something beyond horrible to be turned into what you are now.”

“How did you know?!”

“Susurro told us. He’s slowly gathering information about you from his contacts on the surface.”

“What for? What’s so special about me?”

“Because of your abilities and your appearance that tells a unique story. Anyways, back to the main topic. My offer is that you become my plaything for a month.”

“No.”

“You didn’t let me finish telling you about it.”

“My answer is no.”

“Come on, it isn’t so bad. Belladonna, my servants, me, and you could have a lot of fun. We do a lot of things that the boys are too frightened or disgusted to do. Besides, I already heard that you were used as a plaything on the surface so you should be used to it.”

“I said no!” Vera says as she partially transforms.

She tries to strike the woman, but her servant to pulled in front of her as a shield and killed as a result. Everyone in the streets starts to disperse as the rest of the woman’s servants back off.

“Hold on, Vera! That was the secondary deal! I guess I know why Belladonna told me to tell you that one after the first.”

“I’m not accepting anything you’re selling me.”

“But this might interest you! There’s a drug going around that can dampen your abilities. The drug is being sold to weakling to be used against people like us, so I’m sure you don’t want that used on you. Belladonna and I want you to help us kill their supplier. What do you say?”

Vera pulls herself away from attacking the woman and goes back to normal.

“Fine. I’ll help you with it, but that’s all.”

“Good. We have a deal then. We’re going to meet Belladonna where they sell drugs. Come on. This is going to be fun.”

The woman and Vera head to a drug dealing part of this layer that is filled with bums on the floor out cold or out of their minds. Some are even picked up and carried off by unknown people. The two meet Belladonna in one of the empty shacks made of scrap.

“It’s surprising to see someone as powerful and influential as you hiding here,” Vera says.

“I don’t know who has the drug we’re looking for, so I’d like to think that I’m just keeping myself covered.”

“I wouldn’t say that about the way you dress.”

“I wouldn’t say that about you either.”

“A-are you pregnant again?”

“Like I said before, I can always get another in no time. I have a selection of men that I keep who can give me different kinds of children to use.”

“You’re sick.”

“Pot calling the kettle black again.”

“E-excuse me, shouldn’t we focus on our task?” the woman interrupts.

“Yes, you’re right,” Belladonna says, “I might know who the supplier is already.”

“Who?” Vera asks.

“Who but Susurro?”

“That makes sense but why?”

“We’re going to find out. First, we must find him, which shouldn’t be too hard since he’s everywhere.”

“What do you mean he’s everywhere?”

“Didn’t he tell you? His body or bodies are in every part of the sewer so he technically is everywhere even if he might not be conscious of absolutely everything that happens in the sewer.”

“Can we really go against him?”

“Of course we can. He’s afraid of me because of my abilities and my influence on people. We’ll find him if I call him out in the right place. Come on, let’s see what he knows.”

The three women exit the building.

While looking at the drug addicts, Vera says, “Why do people indulge themselves like this when they should be trying to leave?”

“They can indulge in everything they want to here. This enter sewer might as well be a drug den.”

“What do you mean?”

“People indulge themselves in all kinds of drugs whether their drug be sex, drinking, eating, and other kinds of sin.”

“How is sin a drug?”

“Sins are like every other kind of drug. You keep indulging yourself while thinking that you aren’t doing anything wrong. Everyone is guilty of this kind of gluttony as far as I know.”

Vera doesn’t say anything as she feels even more guilty for her past actions. Belladonna smiles as she knows what Vera is feeling.

The three women find a small crevice in the walls of the town and enter it to find a mostly empty room. Belladonna starts cutting at the walls with her barbed wire until she feels like she’s cutting into flesh. She then cuts apart the wall to reveal part of Susurro’s body. His body writhes and moves around until Susurro himself appears in the wall.

“Wh-Belladonna! You didn’t have to cut me to get my attention.”

“I had to in order to find you hiding place.”

“Of course. I do have the best hiding places.”

“Tell us about the new drug that’s going around that can weaken our abilities.”

“Oh, that? You shouldn’t concern yourself with it.”

“I know you have to be involved in it. Tell us what you know.”

“Alright. There are people above who are trying to look out for the little guys here. They want to depower the more powerful of you to make it easier for the others to survive especially since certain scientific groups treat humans like test subjects and the ethics code like a suggestion. These groups are currently being investigated and taken down by the government, but some stragglers remain.”

“Why would people on the surface worry about scum like us?” the woman asks.

“This punishment of sending criminals into these sewers is not fully sanctioned by the city. There are people who want this practice only for the worst criminals and not abused by vigilante and scientific groups. The Church itself has wiggle room in this regard since it takes the seat of morality.”

“Don’t get us off-topic, Vera. Stop bringing that drug down here.”

“Hey, I’m not the only one who brings it down here!”

“I know that you’re the main supplier. No one else is as influential as you in the sewers.”

“Thank you for the compliment, but I’m afraid I can’t do what you want for reasons pertaining to my influence and ability to spread it, however, I can “convince” everyone who is in possession of the drug to not use it on any of you and your associates.”

“Good. That’s all I ask for.”

“But it’s not all that I want,” Vera interjects, “I need to get to the lower floor of the sewer.”

“There’s no reason to go there. Even I don’t go down there much because of a certain man. He’s not particularly powerful, but his abilities let him use the darkness down there effectively.”

“I don’t care. I’ll make my way through it.”

“I’ll take you there if you agree to stay here for a while. Let me show you what it’s truly like to live here.”

“I’m not like any of you!

“How many times do I have to tell you? You’re filth like the rest of us.”

The woman and Belladonna transform and threateningly walk towards Vera.

“I’d accept their offer if I were you, Vera. I’ll see you three later.”

Susurro leaves the three as the woman and Belladonna go after Vera as she runs away. As she runs away, she finds a group of people who are allied with Belladonna and the woman who are blocking Vera from escaping. She tries to fight them with her half-transformed body, however, she can’t fight them and the other two at the same time and is beaten until she is knocked out. About ten minutes later, she wakes up while being dragged by Belladonna and her servants. Thinking on her feet, she quickly cuts the hands off her captors then runs away.

“Get that bitch!” Belladonna says as she holds her wound that slowly heals.

Vera runs away as fast as she can down the tunnels of the sewer. Knowing that the exit must be somewhere, she cuts at different scrap covers only to find dead ends, people both alive and dead, and sewage drains. She reaches a dead end and uncovers a sewage drain that she can fit in. Seeing that Belladonna and her servants are quickly approaching, she jumps down the drain.

“Damn she’s slippery, but we’ll meet again,” Belladonna says.