It was till early when Serta arrived at work, her hands shoved deep into her pockets and the collar of her coat pulled up high around her ears in an attempt to ward off the freezing Winter chill. Kane had told her to come in early the previous day. Serta had promised she would and she had, despite the deep annoyance she was feeling now as she trotted down the street and towards the shop front, breath misting in front of her. She was the first to arrive that morning, Kane and Kiarsha probably still toasty and asleep in their home. Serta huffed in irritation at the thought and unlocked the shop door before entering and locking it behind her again. She dropped her bag behind the counter and entered into the smaller back room.
Serta pulled a face of disgust as she entered and nearly froze in her tracks as she faced the pig, dead and spread across the wooden table. It's hide was lightly furred and flecked with dirt and blood, which was slowly dripping from its open maw, jagged yellow and brown teeth sticking out every which way. A pot of water had been left for her over the small hearth in the corner and, bypassing the table with the pig she quickly lit the fire. As she waited for the water to come to the boil she sat back in a creaky wooden chair near the door. She crossed her arms and let her head tilt back against the wall, doozing off while she waited.
The hiss of the flames as the pot boiled over jolted her out of her nap and she stood up and stretched out her arms. The chair was truly uncomfortable and for a moment she was struck with the desire to break it apart and add it t the hearth. She set her shoulders determinedly and retrieved the pot carefully, wrapping a cloth around the hot handle as she carried it to the carcass and poured it over. If anything the hot water only served to worsen the smell of the already stinking corpse, and Serta did her best to breath through her mouth as she retrieved a knife for skinning the animal.
Facing the swine she set her shoulders before propping her hand against the animals side. She slid the blade down the side, easily shaving it of hair in a long strip from rump to shoulder. Replacing the blade further down on the rump she slid the blade up again, hair gathering in clumps along the blade. After the third swipe of her blade she had the hang of it, easily falling into an steady rhythm as she worked down the pigs sides, ridding it almost completely of any hair. She ignored the head until the end, wiping the blade on her apron before setting it against the pigs neck. Next was one of the more grisly tasks if she remembered Kane's instructions correctly. Propping one hand against the animals shoulder to keep it still with her weight she pressed the blade in, cutting into the flesh of the pigs neck. She worked the blade with a sawing motion as she cut the animal open, concentrating on reaching the spine. It was harder work than she had expected, the animals flesh was stiff and hard from the bitter cold night it had spent in the back store room.
Twisting around she retrieved a meat cleaver, approaching the head of the animal with a disgruntled look. She wasn't sure how anyone could become accustomed to such work. She personally didn't have any qualms with killing, but she didn't spend her time cutting up her victims bodies, like she seemed to be now. With the spine visible she set the blade against it and readied herself, leaning one hand against the pig again in order to keep it still. She raised the cleaver and brought it down as heavily as she was able with an audible crunch. A second and third blow was all it took before the head hung limply to the side, connected by a meagre layer of skin.
Once she had cut through the skin and set the head aside she busied herself with tying the pigs hind hooves, feeling rather unsettled as she rubbed the back of her hand over her forehead, flecks of blood and white bone smearing. The pig was thankfully small enough that she could carry it herself, though with no less grunting and heaving as she hung the tied hooves from a hook in the ceiling. The skinning knife was needed again and retrieving it she wiped it against the leg of her work pants as she recalled the directs she had been given The previous day. Stepping forward she pressed her fingers into the pigs gut, feeling around until she found an area that felt tight and taut, as though there was something pressing up from the other side. Pressing the sharp blade into the pigs skin she cringed and screwed her face up as the flesh gave way, letting out a hiss and a noxious gas once the stomach had been pierced. Serta turned away for a moment, coughing and wheezing as she breathed into her sleeve. Turning back she blinked stinging tears out of her eyes and began to saw down the centre of the pig.
Opening the pig up seemed to take the longest and once she had finished she could see the entrails and organs sitting snugly inside the open cavity, steaming in the cold air. She cringed and toed a large round bucket under the animal, hesitating slightly before digging her hands in and heaving to pull the insides out. The pigs innards were still warm and the entrails were slimy and slick as she worked them free of the body, resisting the urge to gag and dropped them into the bucker below. The organs were next, though they took more pulling and ripping to free them before her hand closed around the heart. The difficult part was getting a good hold as she heaved the meat free and after a few ticks of pulling and twisting the heart joined the rest, steaming and seeping in the large, gore filled bucket.
Sighing in relief Serta stepped back from the pig, hands held away from her sides. She had only been assigned the pig to gut for the day and she couldn't be happier. She took a moment to wash her hands and wipe off her face before packing away all the tools she had used. She walked back into the main part of the shop and, grabbing a cloth, wiped down the counter and the display case. she took a moment to arrange all the meats and baked goods in the case before walking to the front door, unlocking it and turning around to open sign for all to see.
Serta pulled a face of disgust as she entered and nearly froze in her tracks as she faced the pig, dead and spread across the wooden table. It's hide was lightly furred and flecked with dirt and blood, which was slowly dripping from its open maw, jagged yellow and brown teeth sticking out every which way. A pot of water had been left for her over the small hearth in the corner and, bypassing the table with the pig she quickly lit the fire. As she waited for the water to come to the boil she sat back in a creaky wooden chair near the door. She crossed her arms and let her head tilt back against the wall, doozing off while she waited.
The hiss of the flames as the pot boiled over jolted her out of her nap and she stood up and stretched out her arms. The chair was truly uncomfortable and for a moment she was struck with the desire to break it apart and add it t the hearth. She set her shoulders determinedly and retrieved the pot carefully, wrapping a cloth around the hot handle as she carried it to the carcass and poured it over. If anything the hot water only served to worsen the smell of the already stinking corpse, and Serta did her best to breath through her mouth as she retrieved a knife for skinning the animal.
Facing the swine she set her shoulders before propping her hand against the animals side. She slid the blade down the side, easily shaving it of hair in a long strip from rump to shoulder. Replacing the blade further down on the rump she slid the blade up again, hair gathering in clumps along the blade. After the third swipe of her blade she had the hang of it, easily falling into an steady rhythm as she worked down the pigs sides, ridding it almost completely of any hair. She ignored the head until the end, wiping the blade on her apron before setting it against the pigs neck. Next was one of the more grisly tasks if she remembered Kane's instructions correctly. Propping one hand against the animals shoulder to keep it still with her weight she pressed the blade in, cutting into the flesh of the pigs neck. She worked the blade with a sawing motion as she cut the animal open, concentrating on reaching the spine. It was harder work than she had expected, the animals flesh was stiff and hard from the bitter cold night it had spent in the back store room.
Twisting around she retrieved a meat cleaver, approaching the head of the animal with a disgruntled look. She wasn't sure how anyone could become accustomed to such work. She personally didn't have any qualms with killing, but she didn't spend her time cutting up her victims bodies, like she seemed to be now. With the spine visible she set the blade against it and readied herself, leaning one hand against the pig again in order to keep it still. She raised the cleaver and brought it down as heavily as she was able with an audible crunch. A second and third blow was all it took before the head hung limply to the side, connected by a meagre layer of skin.
Once she had cut through the skin and set the head aside she busied herself with tying the pigs hind hooves, feeling rather unsettled as she rubbed the back of her hand over her forehead, flecks of blood and white bone smearing. The pig was thankfully small enough that she could carry it herself, though with no less grunting and heaving as she hung the tied hooves from a hook in the ceiling. The skinning knife was needed again and retrieving it she wiped it against the leg of her work pants as she recalled the directs she had been given The previous day. Stepping forward she pressed her fingers into the pigs gut, feeling around until she found an area that felt tight and taut, as though there was something pressing up from the other side. Pressing the sharp blade into the pigs skin she cringed and screwed her face up as the flesh gave way, letting out a hiss and a noxious gas once the stomach had been pierced. Serta turned away for a moment, coughing and wheezing as she breathed into her sleeve. Turning back she blinked stinging tears out of her eyes and began to saw down the centre of the pig.
Opening the pig up seemed to take the longest and once she had finished she could see the entrails and organs sitting snugly inside the open cavity, steaming in the cold air. She cringed and toed a large round bucket under the animal, hesitating slightly before digging her hands in and heaving to pull the insides out. The pigs innards were still warm and the entrails were slimy and slick as she worked them free of the body, resisting the urge to gag and dropped them into the bucker below. The organs were next, though they took more pulling and ripping to free them before her hand closed around the heart. The difficult part was getting a good hold as she heaved the meat free and after a few ticks of pulling and twisting the heart joined the rest, steaming and seeping in the large, gore filled bucket.
Sighing in relief Serta stepped back from the pig, hands held away from her sides. She had only been assigned the pig to gut for the day and she couldn't be happier. She took a moment to wash her hands and wipe off her face before packing away all the tools she had used. She walked back into the main part of the shop and, grabbing a cloth, wiped down the counter and the display case. she took a moment to arrange all the meats and baked goods in the case before walking to the front door, unlocking it and turning around to open sign for all to see.
