Chapter 9
Laura thought she would surely have to spend time in some kind of punishment for what she had done with Hal. Surprisingly, the bomb had yet to fail.
For the next two days, she went to her meals, spending time in the library looking at those bondage books and finding herself oddly stimulated by them. There were a few classes as well-English, math, even some crafts that made her think, if only briefly that she was in a school-rigidly disciplined, but a school, nonetheless. Still, no one would talk, and the teachers had a certain gleam in their eyes that made Laura think of the bonds she knew surely would be used on her sooner or later.
That time came on the evening of the third day. She had just finished dinner and was resting on her cot, thumbing through a book she had borrowed from the library. There were the sounds of footsteps outside the corridor, a telltale sign that someone was going to be plucked from her cell and taken somewhere. For a moment she thought she heard the footsteps passing her door. Then they returned, and the sound of the key in her lock made her heart sink.
"Come with me, Laura. I think you have an appointment now." Strange. It wasn't the usual sour-faced matron who had accompanied her all the time. Of course it was a little late and that woman, strange as she was, had to sleep sometime.
A tall, lean young man was in the doorway, looking rather kindly at her. She smiled, put ting the book down and rising from her cot. For some odd reason, Laura felt like flirting with the orderly or whatever he was as she brushed past him and stood in the corridor, waiting for him to lock her room.
"This way. But you probably know the way by now." Laura winced a little at this remark, feeling a little whorish. But then, it was true. She had been here several days and had been through so much. She had survived and paid the big price Dr. Endicott had talked endlessly about, she thought. What more was there to pay? They continued down the corridor, past a classroom where girls were busily taking notes on math. As she walked farther, her heart began to beat more quickly. Was this young man to be her new trainer? She felt a familiar cold sweat break out on her forehead while her nipples hardened and puckered with excitement. She sighed, feeling the rub of her coarse gown more than ever against her aroused flesh. He was so good-looking. And, unlike the others, he appeared to be somewhat gentle. He ushered her down one corridor after another, taking her to another wing of the building. "Where are we going?"
He said nothing, holding her gently by the up per arm and guiding her along until they reached a set of stairs. A terrible, dank smell rose to greet her. Laura stopped, putting both hands against the wall and pushing back. It was as if he were going to pitch her into hell! "No, it... it doesn't smell good," she said, wrinkling up her nose in disgust.
"You'll have to do as your told. Dr. Endicott's orders," the young man said firmly, a cutting edge in his voice now. Laura turned and saw his expression had hardened. She felt his grip tighten around her arms until they hurt.
"No, no, it's dark down there." "You don't understand, do you?" His eyes rounded with anger, and his body tensed as if he were going to attack her. Laura could see in an instant this man was no different from the others. They were all users, manipulating her and the other girls. They were using them as toys, fucking them then throwing them away for something newer. She resisted the hands forcing her down. Laura felt her shoulders hurt, her knees buckling while the orderly was trying to push her down the stairs.
"No, let me alone, let me alone!" Laura fought back, something she knew she was never supposed to do. But she struggled anyhow, clawing at the handsome man's face while pushing forward. She had nearly made it past him when she felt a doubled fist plow deep in her belly. The teenager doubled over, the wind knocked from her lungs. Staggering back, Laura felt her feet missing the first step. Startled, the orderly tried to catch her. But it was too late. Laura tumbled head-over-heels backward, her head striking the stone steps now and then until she finally rolled to a crumpled pile at the foot of the stairs. For a moment, Laura thought she could hear someone running down the steps. Then everything went black...
When she awoke, Laura was aware of a dull throbbing ache pounding through her head. How it hurt! Tentatively, she raised one hand, patting the injured area and relieved at finding there was no blood. It was then she realized how dark it was down there, and how damp and dank at the same time. She had rolled down the steps during the struggle and knocked herself out. That was what had happened.
Now she lay sprawled on the filthy, cold basement floor of this cellar that seemed to reek of something unclean. Slowly rising, feeling the ache in her shoulders and back, Laura drew herself into a ball and huddled against the wall behind her. It was so cold and damp. She shivered, wondering what kind of nightmare she was going through. They had brought her here for some reason. Perhaps her fall had sobered them. They were going to leave her in here for a while, then come and take her home. The fall, though completely accidental, had been more than enough punishment for her, she thought glumly.
Laura abruptly stiffened, cocking her head as she thought she could hear someone moaning nearby. Was it her imagination? Was some one else in there with her? Perhaps it was one of the other girls thrown down here for some reason. For a while, Laura didn't dare find out more about the blackness surrounding her. The claw like skitter and pause of some small animal had stopped her when she first decided to do it. Then there it was again, that same moaning noise she hard heard earlier. Forgetting her fear, Laura began scrambling across the floor toward the noise. She touched something warm and drew back in surprise.
"Who's there?"
"I'm... I'm Jenny. They raped me," a girl cried, sobbing again. Laura almost laughed at the news. Considering what she had endured all this time, rape was one of the least painful. "Are you new here?"
"I came, c-came here y-yesterday," the girl stammered. Laura could feel one hand reaching out to her. She took it and pressed it firmly.
"I've been here a few days. Who raped you?"
There was a pause as the girl sobbed afresh. Laura calmed her down. "I don't know. There were four of them, hit ting me all the time, tearing off my clothes- they were the clothes my mama had just made me! They ripped them off and hit me all over. Then one of them held me down while the other four . . . oh my God, it hurt me so much!" "I know, I know," Laura said, feeling some thing like sexual warmth spread over her cunt.
She could well imagine this young girl who was a virgin abused this way, screaming at her attackers as they held her dawn and raped her. "But . . . but that wasn't the worst," the girl sobbed hesitantly. "Then the fourth man who was holding me stuck his thing in me; in my behind, while the last man raped me. Ohhhh, how it hurt." Laura shuddered. Fucked by two men at the same time, one in the cunt, one in the ass. It was a fantasy Laura would have from now on, until it was finally fulfilled. Perhaps she should talk with Dr. Endicott. "What's that?" Jenny cried, huddling up next to Laura.
That same skittering sound reached both girls' ears.
"I don't know. Rats, maybe."
"Rats? Why are we here? Why did they put me here?" Laura hugged her sobbing friend, wishing she could peer through the darkness and see more about this room, as well as define her friend's features.
"Didn't you hear me fall down the steps?" Laura asked after some time had passed.
"No. I guess you were already here. Two of the men carried me down here and dumped me on the floor, saying they'd be back. If they never come back, I couldn't care," the girl said vehemently. Laura almost chided the girl for talking like that. They could die in here, or spend hours of comfortless crouching while waiting for some one to come to fetch them. But then she stopped herself, knowing Jenny had just arrived. She would learn the ropes of the manor and be better for it. Laura stopped, putting both hands to her own lips. She realized she was thinking just like Dr. Endicott!
Then the heavy door of the cellar grated open. A shaft of yellow light immediately fanned down the long stone steps. There at the to stood the young man who had accidentally pushed Laura down the stairs. She automatically drew back while Jenny screamed out, pointing at him.
"He's one. He's one of them who fucked me!" she screamed, shaking miserably against Laura.
He came down the stairs, keeping his eyes on both young girls until he reached the bottom. Jenny had crawled back, waving her arms wildly in front of her face like a madwoman while sobbing even harder. "I don't want you. You're not ready. But you are," he said, stretching out one hand and nodding in Laura's direction. Laura looked back at the uncomprehending dark-haired girl who had curled into a fetal position and was still sobbing hysterically. Rising, Laura looked around her. She thought she could see something large and furry duck into one of the many holes at the bottoms of the walls. She shuddered. She would be leaving Jenny here, she thought, watching as the young man signaled her with a sweep of his hand to climb the stairs. But then, the girl had probably fought violently against her first "lesson." She would have to learn the hard way, Laura thought. "My name's Tom, by the way. You were supposed to have another lesson here with Dr. Handley and me. But you fell," Tom explained. "He examined you and found you alright." "So, you decided to have fun with her down there, right?"
"Dr. Endicott's orders. We all do what Dr. Endicott says. After all," Tom said with a shrug, "she pays all the bills." They climbed the stairs, shutting the door and leaving Jenny to rot in her misery. Laura had halfway expected she was going back to her room when she felt his hand gripping her shoulder again. This time, at least, she thought, there were no stairs to be pushed down.
He pushed her into a brightly lit room. There were so many things there on the floor-strips of leather buckles, a large wooden cross, things hanging from pulley assemblies in the ceiling. It was overwhelming. Laura stopped, her eyes rounding.
"I thought you'd enjoy looking around while I get someone. You can't go anywhere, so don't try," Tom said, closing the door behind him. Laura stood there, staring wide-eyed at the devices. She could sense she was nearing graduating from the manor.