Introduction:
Lorelei, that is my show name, or Lori as some call me. I am soon to be little more than a corpse ditched in an out of the way place. Whilst I await my most needed end I decided I would write here what led me to my circumstances. Firstly, before I go into my encounter with the grimoire, I shall give you briefly my background.
Prostitute, hooker, harlot, whore. Choose your word, it is what I am. Unlike many in that profession, I chose the life of prostitution. Unusually hormonal at a young age, I was more interested in what lay between people's legs than my studies. Whilst this attitude, combined with my beauty, made me popular at school, it meant I achieved little in the way of grades. Yet this mattered little, for I already knew and planned what I would do.
My father, naturally, was much grieved by this. We argued furiously and I moved out to a small flat as an act of rebellion. My mother had died when I was young, apparently she had many mental issues and committed suicide. This left me as his only family, which is why, despite ignoring his threats and beginning my career, he cherished my frequent visits. Although we disagreed and still argued over my chosen path, I too loved my father and did not want him to get lonely.
Prostitution is legal in my country (which I shall not write here lest it help locate the grimoire and it fall to one unworthy). I went it alone without a pimp/manager, and rented out a small room for my trade.
Naturally I had dreams of becoming one of those much sought after and expensive courtesans, however it seemed that although I was the most beautiful at school, compared to those higher up in this industry I was rather mediocre. So I began to accept my lot as a common sex worker, I earned little but enough to get by, until a cold night in January...
I looked out of the door of my place of work, more a large window than a door, with shock and horror at who looked in.
It was a freezing night, thankfully it had not snowed yet. Yet it drove away customers and made for a rather quiet and unprofitable night. As usual I dressed in my lingerie and showed my wares to the passersby, most of them just tourists browsing the place than actual customers. I had begun to consider stopping early, until the woman strode up and knocked so hard she nearly cracked the glass.
She smiled flirtatiously at me, and I might have suspected a female customer had I not known her. I met her briefly once about two years ago, when I had one of those rare opportunities of acting as an escort at a party. Her name was Aeda (her escort name). I admired her greatly as soon as I saw her, achingly beautiful, she had that feline grace that caught every man's eye and set my heart racing. I was amazed when she took an interest in me, she asked me about my experience as a prostitute earnestly and seemed to almost admire me. It was a night I recalled fondly, but I never saw her again.
Until now, where she stood out in the street completely naked, covered in fluids who people like me were all too familiar with, holding a book under one arm. She stared at me both seductively and feverishly. I half considered locking the door and calling the bouncers.
Yet even in that state she had that noble air that set my heart racing. I found myself opening the door and beckoning her in out of the cold.
"Thank you dear, I shan't be long. Do not wish to keep you from your business." She casually sat at the bed, apparently not caring how the fluids stained the sheets, and smiled at me.
I stuttered for a moment, her husky voice set my pulse racing faster and I had to control myself, "Aeda? What happened to you?"
"Many delightful things." She purred, "But I have an appointment I must not miss, so I shall get to the point." She held the book out to me, it was clothed in black leather, "For you."
Puzzled, I took the rather slim tome and looked at the front cover. Whoever did the binding had put a lot of effort into it, for it was a beautiful thing. There was a picture which delighted me in how it played with my mind. I am not sure how it worked, but there was a picture of a naked and beautiful woman, not too dissimilar to Aeda. Yet if I tilted it slightly the picture became a charming rose with a very deep red but black stalk with thorns. The title perplexed me, "Lyber Luppa?"
Aeda gave a throaty chuckle and gave me the correct pronunciation, "Translates as Book of the Whore. Fear not, the rest of the text is nearly all in your language. It is a manual for those in our trade, and more, trust me it will lead you to the heights you once dreamed of."
I had met her once briefly, why she presumed to know my dreams was beyond me then. I looked at the back of the book, it had a crystal clear mirror fixed there. I looked at my own reflection and felt that longing kindle vaguely, that desire to reach the higher echelons of my trade. I looked back at Aeda, "Thank you, but that does not explain what happened to you. Are you hurt? Why are you here?"
Aeda stood and indicated the book, "I am here to give you this boon. Forgive me but I can stay no longer." With that she embraced me, I cringed slightly as I felt the sticky fluids against me, but it was swiftly overwhelmed by the thrill of having her body against me. It was remarkable how warm she was, after walking naked in the freezing night. I smelled a faint trace of what I now know was rose and sandalwood. "It is not you they see." She whispered lovingly and cryptically into my ear.
Even more confused, I tried to talk her into staying, tried to find out what happened, but she had none of it. She gently dismissed my pleas and made her way back down the street. I called after her, asked where she is going. "Home." It was all she said as she left me. I stared after her, walking in that confident way, until she disappeared from my sight.
Shaken by the encounter, I drew the curtains to be alone awhile. I sat on the bed, feeling the warmth of where Aeda had been, and studied the book. I opened it, the pages were all of high quality paper, but old and somewhat coloured. Fortunately the words were still legible.
I smiled as I read the first chapter. This part was not a manual, it was a poetic prose declaring the beauty of sex workers. In a world where those such as myself are treated as filthy and shameful, it was lovely to see someone write of us in such a positive way. I went home after the first chapter, feeling better than I had in a long time about my chosen trade.
Experiences with chapter one of Liber Lupa: