Sing my Dove, Sing! (RP Post)
Tom Laghast was an enterprising eighteen-year-old. He was determined to make something of himself and escape the desperate poverty of his parents and their aging cheese shop along the canal. He put an ad posting in all the local taverns of Stormwind, declaring: "Young man, 18, wishes position in country.” He was a strapping young fellow who was eager to work and contribute to the well-being of his family. Trapped in the dirty, stinking, crowded city in a miserable tenement with his father, mother and four younger siblings, he longed to work in the country where the air was fresh and clean.
On the following day, Tom's mother, Delia, a huge mountain of a woman, answered the door to an elderly man. He introduced himself as Eddivo Gath, a farmer from Westfall who wanted to interview Tom about a job.Delia told her five-year-old Bella to get her brother at his friend's fishing shack. The old man beamed at her and gave her a copper.
While they waited for Tom, Delia had a chance to get a better look at the old man. He had a very kindly face, framed by gray hair and accented by a large droopy gray moustache. He explained to Mrs. Laghast that he had earned his living for decades as an interior decorator in the city and then retired to a farm he had bought with his savings. He had six children that he raised by himself since his wife had abandoned them all over a decade ago.
With the help of his children, five farmhands and a cook, he had made the farm into a successful one with several hundred chickens and a half-dozen dairy cows. Now, one of his farmhands was moving on and he needed someone to replace him.
At that moment, Tom came in and met Mr. Gath, who remarked at the boy's size and strength. Tom assured the old man he was a hard worker. Mr. Gath offered him ten gold a week, which Tom accepted joyfully. Gath even agreed to hire Willie, Tom's closest friend.
Mr. Gath had to leave for an appointment and promised to come back on Saturday to pick them up. The boys were thrilled and the Laghasts were happy that a good position with the kindly old gentleman had come so quickly from Tom's modest ad.
Three days passed on what was the supposed big day, but Mr. Gath didn't show up. Instead they got a hand-written note from Mr. Gath saying that he had been delayed and would arrive in the morning.
The next morning, Eddivo Gath came to the Laghasts' shop bringing gifts of strawberries and fresh creamy pot cheese. "These products come direct from my farm," he explained.
Delia persuaded the old man to stay for lunch. For the first time, Albert Laghast had an opportunity to talk with his son's new employer. It was the kind of talk that makes a father very happy. Here was this kindly, polite old gentleman rapturously describing his twenty acres of farmland, his friendly crew of farmhands and a simple, hearty country life. He knew it was what his son wanted.
Albert had the air of a man perpetually submissive. He was not very impressed with the way this Eddivo Gath looked in his rumpled blue work clothes, but the old man was credible and genteel.
Once they sat down to lunch, the shop door opened and a lovely fifteen-year-old girl appeared. Sandra was humming a song. Her huge brown eyes and dark brown hair contrasted with her very pale skin and pink lips. She would be a real heart breaker.
Coming right from the Cathedral, she still wore her best: a white silk dress, white silk stockings, and string of creamy pearls made her look older than her 15 years.
Eddivo Gath, like most men who came face to face with the radiant Sandra, couldn't take his eyes off the beautiful girl. "Let's see how good a counter you are," he said as he handed her a huge sack of gold to count. The impoverished Laghasts were flabbergasted by the money the old man was carrying around with him.
"Ninety-two gold pieces, six silver, and fifty copper," Sandra told him in short order.
"What a bright little girl," Mr. Gath said, giving her five copper to buy candy for herself and her little sister Bella.
Gath said that he would come back later in the evening to pick up Tom and Willie, but first he had to go to a birthday party that his sister was throwing for one of her children.
Just as he was about to leave, he invited Sondra to go with him to his niece's birthday party. He would take good care of her and make sure that Sondra was home before nine o'clock that evening.
Delia asked where Mr. Gath's sister lived and he replied that she lived in an apartment house at Columbus and 137th Street.
Delia wasn't sure that she should let her go, but Albert convinced her that it would be good for Sondra. "Let the poor kid go. She doesn’t see many good times."
So Delia helped Sondra on with her good coat and her gray hat with the streamers. She followed Sondra and Mr. Gath outside and watched them disappear down the street.
That evening there was no word from Mr. Gath and no sign of Sondra. A terrible sleepless night with no message from their beautiful daughter. The next morning, young Tom was sent down to the police station to report his sister's disappearance.
The worst thing that Stormwinds guardsmen said to the Laghasts was that the address that "Eddivo Gath" had given them for his sister's home was fictitious. The kindly old man was a fraud. There was no Eddivo Gath, no farm in Westfall. None of it was true.
The Stormwind Guard began the normal investigative activities. They checked out everything "Eddivo Gath" had told the Laghasts. Nothing.
Ten days later, Delia Laghast received a letter that her lack of education fortunately prevented her from reading. Her son Tom read it instead and ran out the door to get the Guard. The letter was singularly barbarous:
"My dear Mrs. Laghast,
A few years ago, a friend of mine shipped as a deck hand on a local ship. They sailed from Menethil for Booty Bay. On arriving there he and two others went ashore and got drunk. When they returned the boat was gone.
At that time there was famine in the jungles. Meat of any kind was from 1 to 3 gold a pound. So great was the suffering among the very poor that all children were sold for food in order to keep others from starving. You could go in any shop and ask for steak -- chops -- or stew meat. Part of a naked body would be brought out and just what you wanted cut from it.
My friend stayed there so long he acquired a taste for human flesh. On his return, he stole two young men. Took them to his home, stripped them naked and tied them in a closet. Then burned everything they had on.
First he killed the fattest one. Every part of his body was cooked and eaten except the head -- bones and guts. He was roasted in the oven, boiled, broiled, fried and stewed. The other boy was next, went the same way. At that time, I was living at nearby. He told me so often how good Human flesh was I made up my mind to taste it.
On that summery day, I made way to your shop. Brought you pot cheese -- strawberries. We had lunch. Sondra sat in my lap and kissed me. I made up my mind to eat her.
On the pretense of taking her to a party. You said Yes she could go. I took her to an empty house in Darkshire I had already picked out. When we got there, I told her to remain outside. She picked wildflowers. I went upstairs and stripped all my clothes off. I knew if I did not I would get her blood on them.
When all was ready I went to the window and called her. Then I hid in a closet until she was in the room. When she saw me all naked she began to cry and tried to run down the stairs. I grabbed her and she said she would tell her mother.
How she did kick -- bite and scratched me she did! I choked her to death, and then cut her in small pieces so I could take my meat to my rooms. Cook and eat it. How sweet and tender she was roasted in the oven. How she did sing for me! It took me 9 days to eat her entire body. She was absolutely delicious."
On the following day, Tom's mother, Delia, a huge mountain of a woman, answered the door to an elderly man. He introduced himself as Eddivo Gath, a farmer from Westfall who wanted to interview Tom about a job.Delia told her five-year-old Bella to get her brother at his friend's fishing shack. The old man beamed at her and gave her a copper.
While they waited for Tom, Delia had a chance to get a better look at the old man. He had a very kindly face, framed by gray hair and accented by a large droopy gray moustache. He explained to Mrs. Laghast that he had earned his living for decades as an interior decorator in the city and then retired to a farm he had bought with his savings. He had six children that he raised by himself since his wife had abandoned them all over a decade ago.
With the help of his children, five farmhands and a cook, he had made the farm into a successful one with several hundred chickens and a half-dozen dairy cows. Now, one of his farmhands was moving on and he needed someone to replace him.
At that moment, Tom came in and met Mr. Gath, who remarked at the boy's size and strength. Tom assured the old man he was a hard worker. Mr. Gath offered him ten gold a week, which Tom accepted joyfully. Gath even agreed to hire Willie, Tom's closest friend.
Mr. Gath had to leave for an appointment and promised to come back on Saturday to pick them up. The boys were thrilled and the Laghasts were happy that a good position with the kindly old gentleman had come so quickly from Tom's modest ad.
Three days passed on what was the supposed big day, but Mr. Gath didn't show up. Instead they got a hand-written note from Mr. Gath saying that he had been delayed and would arrive in the morning.
The next morning, Eddivo Gath came to the Laghasts' shop bringing gifts of strawberries and fresh creamy pot cheese. "These products come direct from my farm," he explained.
Delia persuaded the old man to stay for lunch. For the first time, Albert Laghast had an opportunity to talk with his son's new employer. It was the kind of talk that makes a father very happy. Here was this kindly, polite old gentleman rapturously describing his twenty acres of farmland, his friendly crew of farmhands and a simple, hearty country life. He knew it was what his son wanted.
Albert had the air of a man perpetually submissive. He was not very impressed with the way this Eddivo Gath looked in his rumpled blue work clothes, but the old man was credible and genteel.
Once they sat down to lunch, the shop door opened and a lovely fifteen-year-old girl appeared. Sandra was humming a song. Her huge brown eyes and dark brown hair contrasted with her very pale skin and pink lips. She would be a real heart breaker.
Coming right from the Cathedral, she still wore her best: a white silk dress, white silk stockings, and string of creamy pearls made her look older than her 15 years.
Eddivo Gath, like most men who came face to face with the radiant Sandra, couldn't take his eyes off the beautiful girl. "Let's see how good a counter you are," he said as he handed her a huge sack of gold to count. The impoverished Laghasts were flabbergasted by the money the old man was carrying around with him.
"Ninety-two gold pieces, six silver, and fifty copper," Sandra told him in short order.
"What a bright little girl," Mr. Gath said, giving her five copper to buy candy for herself and her little sister Bella.
Gath said that he would come back later in the evening to pick up Tom and Willie, but first he had to go to a birthday party that his sister was throwing for one of her children.
Just as he was about to leave, he invited Sondra to go with him to his niece's birthday party. He would take good care of her and make sure that Sondra was home before nine o'clock that evening.
Delia asked where Mr. Gath's sister lived and he replied that she lived in an apartment house at Columbus and 137th Street.
Delia wasn't sure that she should let her go, but Albert convinced her that it would be good for Sondra. "Let the poor kid go. She doesn’t see many good times."
So Delia helped Sondra on with her good coat and her gray hat with the streamers. She followed Sondra and Mr. Gath outside and watched them disappear down the street.
That evening there was no word from Mr. Gath and no sign of Sondra. A terrible sleepless night with no message from their beautiful daughter. The next morning, young Tom was sent down to the police station to report his sister's disappearance.
The worst thing that Stormwinds guardsmen said to the Laghasts was that the address that "Eddivo Gath" had given them for his sister's home was fictitious. The kindly old man was a fraud. There was no Eddivo Gath, no farm in Westfall. None of it was true.
The Stormwind Guard began the normal investigative activities. They checked out everything "Eddivo Gath" had told the Laghasts. Nothing.
Ten days later, Delia Laghast received a letter that her lack of education fortunately prevented her from reading. Her son Tom read it instead and ran out the door to get the Guard. The letter was singularly barbarous:
"My dear Mrs. Laghast,
A few years ago, a friend of mine shipped as a deck hand on a local ship. They sailed from Menethil for Booty Bay. On arriving there he and two others went ashore and got drunk. When they returned the boat was gone.
At that time there was famine in the jungles. Meat of any kind was from 1 to 3 gold a pound. So great was the suffering among the very poor that all children were sold for food in order to keep others from starving. You could go in any shop and ask for steak -- chops -- or stew meat. Part of a naked body would be brought out and just what you wanted cut from it.
My friend stayed there so long he acquired a taste for human flesh. On his return, he stole two young men. Took them to his home, stripped them naked and tied them in a closet. Then burned everything they had on.
First he killed the fattest one. Every part of his body was cooked and eaten except the head -- bones and guts. He was roasted in the oven, boiled, broiled, fried and stewed. The other boy was next, went the same way. At that time, I was living at nearby. He told me so often how good Human flesh was I made up my mind to taste it.
On that summery day, I made way to your shop. Brought you pot cheese -- strawberries. We had lunch. Sondra sat in my lap and kissed me. I made up my mind to eat her.
On the pretense of taking her to a party. You said Yes she could go. I took her to an empty house in Darkshire I had already picked out. When we got there, I told her to remain outside. She picked wildflowers. I went upstairs and stripped all my clothes off. I knew if I did not I would get her blood on them.
When all was ready I went to the window and called her. Then I hid in a closet until she was in the room. When she saw me all naked she began to cry and tried to run down the stairs. I grabbed her and she said she would tell her mother.
How she did kick -- bite and scratched me she did! I choked her to death, and then cut her in small pieces so I could take my meat to my rooms. Cook and eat it. How sweet and tender she was roasted in the oven. How she did sing for me! It took me 9 days to eat her entire body. She was absolutely delicious."