Title: Beyond the Pale
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This is the final part of the story Started with Carpe Diem, and continued with Uncanny
Caution, The tale told below is not for the squeamish. It is both dark and disturbing. It is only recorded in these chronicles to serve as a caution tale…..
Remember… You have been Advised.
Follow the innocence, for whom the darkness dealt,
Swishing vibrancy vanished into the cruel abyss so very svelte,
Who dare to enter, without any fear felt?
Unbeknownst what beyond the pale dwelt.
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This recorded incident occurred at the now eastside Walden Oak Social Club. A once respectable west end private club founded almost 150 years ago. But due to the now decrepit neighborhood its reputation and membership has lessened. But it is a beautiful building, and its cheap rent for it’s still lavishly regal ballrooms will always attract upscale events for those too wealthy to know better.
It was late fall, when the evening light fades, rather early that this tale of woe takes place. The year will remain shrouded, as will the known names of the players.
A wedding reception had been going on since late afternoon. Anyone who had noticed the guests ( and they were watched) would have seen by their dress, the manner upon which they carried themselves, and the jewels of the gowned ladies, that this was a gathering of the wealthy privileged.
The girl (Marissa) was clad in the flowing designer gown her mother had bought for her when she entered her daughter in a American Hollywood style Children’s beauty Pageant.
It was a long gown of rich red satin with rhinestone straps and a large shimmering broach. Marissa had promised that if she was allowed to wear it to the reception that she would not soil it. She was to wear it in a Children’s beauty pageant to be held in Surry the next month ( and try to do better than third this time, Marissa, she was lectured) Marissa was also wearing the Swarovski crystal diamond set she would be wearing at that pageant ( her mother had bought it hoping it would give her daughter an added edge).
Marissa had done her best to behave, but as the party grew old, and her mother grew less watchful, she began to join into play with her younger cousin ( Samuel). Sam was quite a rumbustious lad who had been in the bridal party as a ring bearer, although he was a lot older than normal for the role. The pair soon started chasing each other around the spacious ballroom. And then down the hall, and finally out the double front doors and running around the twilight lit building.
At one point Sam chased Marissa to the corner, tagging her and then running back, with Marissa giving chase. He turned the corner, circled the building, outdistancing poor Marissa. He reached the front door, panting, waiting to let Marissa see him before running off. But Marissa did not reappear around the building.
He soon went looking for her, retracing his steps, but no sign of Marissa was to be had. There was nothing for it, he had to tell Marissa’s, mother, a task he did not relish. So after calling one last time, with still no response, he headed inside. Finally he admitted defeat and went inside to tell Marissa’s Mother( he never called her Aunt) that Marissa would not come inside.
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This tale has been brought to the light of day for two reasons:
Number One:
For the opportunity to have a rant at the type of parents who take a fairly immature child and with heavy makeup and costuming try to make them look and act like young adults, which they are most assuredly not. Then these same parents appear angry when the child does not seem to conform , accept or feel gratitude for their parents actions, especially when she is caught acting like her real age.
Not only can this be emotionally stressful, but as seen in the story about to be told, downright dangerous when they fall victim to those dwelling on the outer fringes of society.
Number Two:
Due to the names and influence of the victim’s relatives, the whole affair was hushed up.
Which in itself is a crime, but not apparently for the wealthy.
A final Caution:
The following is a darkly disturbing sequence of events. Please do not read further unprepared!!!!!
What happened to Marissa was not pleasant…
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In her words:
Marissa had been running full tilt after Sam when she passed an old alley that had been an old coal and ice delivery path back in the day when those things needed to be brought in. It was now overgrown and deserted. She had already passed thrice as she had been chased by Sam.
This time, as her eyes were on Sam disappearing around the corner, someone moved from the shadows and grabbed her, pulling her struggling. slippery figure back into the shadows of the path. Marissa had disappeared totally without trace. She was dragged squirming up the path, a cold, roughly hard hand pressed over her mouth, stifling any sound she may have produced. Soon they left the path and entered into some old patch of woods.
Inside an old shed he dragged her, where she was grabbed by a second figure, that of an old haggish lady who’s body ordure smelled strongly of old cigars and booze.
The first figure( a man) left her to the simpering woman. Who then ordered the whimpering girl, writhing in her grasp, to shut up, with a wickedly lisping snarl.
The haggish lady took the petrified girls purse and looked through it, eagerly eyeing its contents. Then she looked over at Marissa, smiling wickedly. She dragged herself over, placing her grubby hands upon Marissa and began to pluck off the shiny Jewels she had been wearing. Searching her meticulously afterwards to make sure nothing had been missed.. Placing the purloined, glimmering pieces she found into Marissa’s satin handbag, like trick or treating in reverse.
The witchy lady than loomed over the girl, pinching and prodding the sobbing poor soul, as she prized Marissa’s gown. Slipping the rhinestone straps over Marissa’s shoulders, she carefully pulled off the gown, like a gamekeeper skinning the fancy pelt off some desirable creature he caught in a snare. Then the matching shoes went next. Shivering in her silken slip, Marissa could do nothing, paralyzed by fear. As she watched the hag letting her shiny gown flow through her grimy hands, a chilling thought swept along her body, she wasn’t the first person this ugly hag had stripped valuables from. She wondered what had happened to the others, and who they had been.
The old Hag reached over and pulled over an old ratty bag to her and rummaging through it she pulled out a decrepit old long coat. She made Marissa put it on, now looking like a pauper rather than the princess she had resembled only a ½ hour ago. Then, taking the child’s hands, she roughly tied them in front of her, and attached a short length of rope. Then the girl was gagged mute.
Grabbing the Bag and a few other odds and ends, the hag grabbed the rope and started to drag her captive behind her. They had started down a path when they both heard two people talking, moving along the path. The old lady tied Marissa to a tree. They both watched, soon the beggar who had grabbed Marissa, came down the path, Marissa’s mother in tow. They both went into the shack, passing only a few feet by the pair watching from the darkness. The old hag, leaving her prize tied to a tree, while she squirmed trying to call her mother, than followed the pair inside the shack.
Muffled yelling could be heard, and then all was silent, as Marissa watched in horror. Soon the beggar and the old hag came out, he was holding her mother’s gown, the old hag held her mother’s priceless jewelery. Placing the jewels In Marissa’s silk purse, and stuffing their victims gown into the bag. Grabbing Marissa they hurriedly headed off into the woods.
Eventually they dragged Marissa into the back of an old saloon. She was thrown onto a smelly old couch, and bound hand to foot. The pair went out into another room, the door failed to catch properly had opened a crack. Marissa could see the pair showing the gowns to a rather nicely dressed man. He did not question where shiny articles of clothing came from. She could overhear them haggling over a price as the man examined them, the haggish lady pointing out the desirable attributes of the two expensive satin gowns. He took them off their hands, Coins were exchanged and Marissa overheard him asked what else they had to show em. Cackling the old hag opened Marissa’s purse, spilling its contents, glittery with flickers of colour, onto the table. He picked up the pieces, examining them. Then with a start, Marissa heard the man explain to the pair that they were all cheap trinkets, not worth anything. He offered them a sum for the purses, and pittance for the jewels. They took him at his word, and again, money was given and the loot handed over. Marissa squirmed, wanting to say something, but couldn’t. She knew her Mother’s jewels alone had cost too much, or so her father had mumbled on more than one occasion.
The pair then leaned towards the man and they all began to talk in undertones. Marissa only made out the words scuttlery maid, as the haggish old lady seemed to try to make a selling point over something. With cold fear, Marissa realized the item trying to be sold was her, and a cold sweat broke over her bound figure. The man seemed hesitant at first, but then his eyes lit up, and he whispered something into their eager ears.
They rose, the man shaking hands with the pair, the nicely dressed man took Marissa’s and her mother’s purloined possessions, and left. The two, after talking amongst themselves for a minute or two, came back into the room where Marissa was laying bound, and the man, throwing her easily onto his shoulder, followed the old hag out the back door. Scampering down pair of long back steps, then into a series of dark alleys, they came to the back of an old abandoned apt house. Going inside via a broken door, they went into the celler where they dumped Marissa in a corner, mice, and worse, scurried from view at their appearence. The two fell fast asleep on either side of her. Marissa spent an extremely uncomfortable night. For they were not the only ones there, and as her captors slept, more than one shadowy form crept up and checked Marissa over, it is assumed for any valuables such an obviously upper-class child should posses. Her captors never even budging their slumber during the night.
Marissa eventually did fall asleep, only to be rudely awakened as she was once again hoisted up unto the mans shoulder. She became aware of the klaxon horns of police vehicles, and she was dropped in a hallway as her captors left her behind making good their escape…..
And so… by the mere coincidence of a man hunt for a suspected tavern robber, the police literally stumbled up a totally different scenario.
The constables found Marissa, deserted by her captors. They quickly were able to reunite her with her mother, who was resting in the hospital, on the mend from the blow that had rendered her helplessly unconscious.
No one, as was stated earlier, was ever caught or brought to trial, none of Marissa’s or her Mother’s valuable possessions were ever recovered.
Marissa, having been fitted for a new gown and bought new shiny frills, still performed in the beauty pageant, finishing fifth. It is to be believed that her Mother,ignorantly not understanding why her daughter had not managed to do better, made good on her promise to punish her.
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This is the true story that inspired the two tale versions we based Mae ( the fortune teller ) on.
(See Album Mae)
Possibly we are wrong for our reasons to bring this story to light.
If so, we do apologize for any upset our opinions may have caused to arise.
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Courtesy of Chatwick University Archives
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DISCLAIMER
All rights and copyrights observed by Chatwick University, Its contributors, associates and Agents
The purpose of these chronological photos and accompanying stories, articles is to educate, teach, instruct, and generally increase the awareness level of the general public as to the nature and intent of the underlying criminal elements that have historically plagued humankind.
No Part of this can reprinted, duplicated, or copied be without the express written permission and approval of Chatwick University.
These photos and stories are works of fiction. Any resemblance to people, living or deceased, is purely coincidental.
As with any work of fiction or fantasy the purpose is for entertainment and/or educational purposes only, and should never be attempted in real life.
We accept no responsibility for any events occurring outside this website.
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All rights and copyrights observed by Chatwick University, Its contributors, associates and Agents
The purpose of these chronological photos and accompanying stories, articles is to educate, teach, instruct, and generally increase the awareness level of the general public as to the nature and intent of the underlying criminal elements that have historically plagued humankind.
No Part of this can reprinted, duplicated, or copied be without the express written permission and approval of Chatwick University.
These photos and stories are works of fiction. Any resemblance to people, living or deceased, is purely coincidental.
As with any work of fiction or fantasy the purpose is for entertainment only, and should never be attempted in real life.
We accept no responsibility for any events occurring outside this website.
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