The Perils of Veronica Kingston Part 1 (M/F)

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Jack Satan was a beloved silent film star from the days of my wild youth! I was twelve years old when I sneaked into the local fleapit with members of my neighbourhood gang to watch one of his movies. He was the great horror star of the twenties and his portrayal of a villain hiding behind a clown makeup in ‘Sinister Sawdust’ left an indelible impression. The film featured a cruel tickle torture scene with Satan tormenting the bound and struggling heroine’s bare feet with a mean looking set of feathers! Just as silent movies had begun to fade from the screen Satan’s wife had been killed in a terrible accident while filming. Virginia Veilstrom had been a beautiful co-star in some of his best films. A breakdown took Jack Satan out of the public gaze and he disappeared for good as his once celebrated movies were forgotten in the rush towards sound.

Now as he stood before me I couldn’t get over my surprise at hearing Satan talking with a soft Missouri accent.
‘Abashed the devil stood and saw Virtue in her shape how lovely!’ he declared.
‘Shakespeare?’ I guessed wrongly.
‘Milton!’ laughed Mr Satan.
‘Oh yes! The devil has all the best lines!’ I smiled trying to recover from my literary faux pas.
He leant against the back of a chair and gave me a long hard look.
‘Would you like to see the rushes from our work today?’
‘Do I have a choice?’ I responded as he relaxed in the chair next to the one in which I sat helplessly trussed up not unlike one of his silent movie heroines!

I’d arrived early that morning to meet Mr Satan at the old Kinograph movie studio in the Bronx. It had been built as one of the first movie lots at the turn of the century. Production had migrated out to Hollywood before the Great War and it had quickly fallen into neglect. I strolled through the gates of the derelict site and wondered why it hadn’t been sold for development? I had taken some real trouble to look good for the one time movie star! I’d chosen a rich brown double breasted trouser suit which subtly matched the tone of my luscious full bodied hair. It tucked in around my waist nicely accentuating my curves and was coolly offset by a crisp white blouse. A black banded white fedora pulled down seductively over my left eyebrow completed the outfit. My suave elegance had certainly impressed the two tramps giving me the eye and wolf whistling at me as I walked across the lot. I realised they could easily block my exit from the site and I felt uneasy as I reached the entrance to the address I'd been given.
‘Hello! Is anybody here?’ I yelled inside and quickly walked up and down the corridor to check the offices. It looked like they had been abandoned for years and it occurred to me that someone might be playing me along!

Jack Satan had telephoned to engage my services in his search for a lost silent movie called ‘London After Nightfall’. He believed a cameraman had taken a print of the film for personal use and was anxious to locate him. I hated to admit that I was completely star struck and had eagerly agreed to meet him at the old studio lot so he could show me around while we talked it over.
‘Dumb broad!’ I angrily murmured to myself as I stood in the doorway with my hands on my hips.

As I walked back into the sunshine I found myself facing a tall well built man dressed in a colourful gaucho costume! I stood silent in mute surprise as I watched the great Jack Satan expertly whirl a South American bolas around his head! Suddenly he released the balls and the rope attachments tightly coiled themselves around me pinning my arms neatly to my sides.
‘Hey what is this?’ I yelled as I struggled to release myself. The two tramps appeared on either side of me and grabbed the bolos pulling them tight so I couldn’t escape!
‘Just a little trick I learned making ‘The Gaucho of the Pampas’’ modestly proclaimed the smiling Mr Satan.
‘Mr Jack Satan I presume!’ I said as I took a long look at the face fleetingly world famous just a few short years earlier!
‘Welcome to the Kinograph Studios! I made my first films here as a young man!’ he proudly declared as he stretched out his arm over the vacant site.
‘Mr Satan I came here in good faith so please release me! I don’t like games!’ I firmly insisted.
‘Would you like to relive some of my best glories with me Miss Kingston?’ he said clapping his hands.
‘No! I would not!’ I shouted at him as I struggled in the hands of my captors!
‘Lights! Cameras! Action!’ he called out as I was dragged off towards a cluster of buildings at the back of the lot.

‘Why have you kidnapped me? That is what is happening here?’ I badgered him as I was pushed inside an old studio building. I was forced to climb into a large crate then a wood lid was placed over the top and nailed shut.
‘Let me out of this!’ I bawled as I hammered at the panels with my fists.
After being allowed to cool off for half an hour I became aware that some of the nails were being loosened. I gave the lid a good push and now easily dislodged it. I stood up and took a look at my surroundings. I was in a room furnished in a twenties art deco style. An ancient gramophone was playing some Dixieland jazz. I walked over to a door and opened it to find myself confronted with a brick wall. Similarly behind the bay curtains the window sockets were all bricked up.
‘What is the idea? Am I a prisoner?’ I shouted. As I walked around the room I glanced down at the photograph of a young girl in a gilt frame. The hair was cut in a twenties Louise Brooks style and although the face was a little fuller I could see a slight resemblance to myself.
‘Is that it Jack? Do I look like your wife? Is that who the girl in the photograph is?’ I shouted. Slowly the lights dimmed and I became aware of a pale figure hovering a few feet off the floor. As it slowly came into focus I recognised one of Jack Satan’s creations from ‘The Haunting of Mary Flowers’. It began to float around the room accompanied by a deranged crackling and wailing. Despite realising that this was just an optical trick I knew I was all alone and felt myself becoming mildly scared by the creepy apparition!
‘I saw that movie Jack!’ I said if only to reassure myself as I began to investigate the room. As I gathered my thoughts it dawned on me that I was probably being secretly filmed so I made for what seemed to be the obvious source of concealment! This was a large mirror on the wall which just might be two way? I picked up a vase and tested my theory by hurling it though the glass. As I suspected a movie camera was busily filming me from a concealed room. One of the tramps was operating it and he quickly made for the door as I climbed out and pursued him down a corridor on to a darkened studio stage. A set of arc lights suddenly blinded me and stopped me in my tracks. Jack Satan reappeared dressed in a Tom Mix cowboy getup with a gun belt strapped around his waist.
‘What is this all about Jack?’ I impatiently demanded.
‘It has been a long time Calamity?’ he growled menacingly through the corner of his mouth as he tossed me a belt along with a six gun.
‘I hope these aren’t for real!’ I said as I picked them up and decided to play along. The Wild West held an avid interest for me and I had spun many yarns about a great aunt who had lived through those times. I fastened it around my waist and stood to face him suddenly feeling tempted to enjoy myself!
‘On the count of three Calamity!’ Jack ordered so I stood with my legs apart ready to withdraw the pistol. When he counted off ‘one’ I went for the gun easily beating my opponent on the quick draw. I fired then coolly swivelling the gun on my trigger finger I slipped it back in the holster. As I expected the pistol was loaded with blanks and Satan remained standing with his weapon still pointing at me. As he fired the sand in front of my feet was disturbed by a live round! Dismayed by being shot at for real I quickly stepped back raising my hands above me.
‘Don’t shoot Jack! I surrender! I know you wouldn’t shoot a helpless woman!’ I said somewhat ruefully as I knew his screen characters were generally ruthless villains!

Part of the set was suddenly illuminated by arc lights revealing two wigwams and a stake set in the sand strewn floor. Jack kept me covered while his pals tied my hands behind me then stood me up against the post. He supervised one of his accomplices as he wrapped me in a neat pile of ropes. I struggled around giving an Oscar worthy portrayal of a helpless captive in the power of the Indians! It was all being preserved on film by the other accessory to my abduction who judging by his expertise I suspected was really a former studio employee. Satan had disappeared to make a rapid change into a Hollywood style Indian complete with elaborate head dress.
‘Hope you’re not going to scalp me? I just had my hair washed and set!’ I thoughtlessly joked as he waved a tomahawk about for the camera.
‘Hey! Not a bad idea! What do you think guys?’ asked Satan.
‘Scalp her! Scalp her!’ hollered the two men in enthusiastic response.
‘Don’t you dare! I’ll...Mmmpppfff! Mmmpppfff!’ I was quickly silenced as Satan shoved a cloth in my mouth and tied it behind my neck. He pulled out a large Jim Bowie style knife and flashed it at the camera. Then with an evil grin set across his face he positioned himself behind me. I felt his hand gather up a handful of hair and my head was pulled back!
‘Mmmpppfff! Mmmpppfff!’ I mumbled from behind the gag as I saw the sharp edge of the knife settle close to my forehead. I struggled madly in the ropes as the terrible thought crossed my mind that he might actually be serious!
‘Mmmpppff! Mmmpppfff!’ I squealed at him with a rising feeling of horror as the cruel looking knife was held close to my scalp!
‘Ok do you think we have enough of this pose?’ he asked his cameraman.
‘Sure looks great!’ he replied as Satan pulled the knife away and removed my gag.
‘This has far gone enough!’ I angrily protested as I twisted around in the ropes.
‘Remember the old adage kid! Thrills plus laughs equals entertainment!’ Jack Satan smiled rather charmingly as he dashed off backstage!

I watched the helpers remove the wigwams as I tried to offer them bribes to let me go! Unfortunately Satan commanded a real loyalty from his small crew! The ropes holding me against the post were unfastened. As they were pulled from around my ankles I kicked one of my captors in the face. I made a run for it back towards the exit. The door was closed shut and with my hands tied behind me I couldn’t grip the handle. The two men were soon bearing down in pursuit. I tried to kick out at them as one wrapped his arms around my waist while the other went for my legs. As he tied my ankles together I saw Jack re-emerge as one of his most famous creations namely the fiendish clown in ‘Sinister Sawdust’.
I was manhandled over to a mattress and bound hand and foot in a tight hogtie. I desperately bounced around and tugged at the wrist ropes as Satan mugged at the camera waving a large feather duster around beaming with a malevolent delight!
‘Let me go! Let me go!’ I protested as I realised Jack was about to re-enact his movie career’s most infamous scene with myself portraying the luscious damsel in distress!

To be continued....