I don't look up until I am done. I drain my glass, washing down the last morsel of tasteless bread with cold water. Most of the girls have finished eating as well, and are sitting quietly with their hands on their laps. May seems to be struggling to finish her bread, but Lilin is whispering to her, urging her on. I am guessing that there is a penalty for not finishing what is on your plate.
The Warden raises a whistle to her lips and blows. May stuffs the rest of the bread into her mouth and rises with the rest of us. Her mouth works frantically, as her eyes water and bulge out of her head. With supreme effort, she forces down whatever is in her mouth and brings a fist to her lips to stop herself from retching. Have they been eating this every single day?
“All right. Move to the Pit now,” the Warden commands as she flings the double doors wide open.
The girls step away from the table and follow the Warden out of the dining room. Behind me, I see the two women emerge silently from the side door and start clearing away the plates and glasses.
The Warden walks to the grand spiral staircase behind the fountain. We wind our way down the stairs, descending deeper and deeper down the castle. Finally, the stairs end and we spill out into a huge, cavernous hall. There are shielded booths all over the hall, surrounding a round stage. The stage is shaped like a doughnut, with a hole in the middle.
The Warden walks to the side of the stage and presses a button. All the lights come on, with multicolored spotlights trained on the stage. The circular stage slowly whirs to life, rotating slowly.
“I want to see your poses,” the Warden calls out.
The girls immediately shuffle into a line at the corner of the stage. The first five girls step up onto the revolving stage and spread out so that they are evenly spaced around the stage. The Warden blows her whistle and they immediately remove their tank tops and shorts, letting their clothes fall to the stage floor beside their bare feet.
They stand naked with their hands at their sides and wait. When the Warden blows her whistle again, they all fall to their knees with their hands cupping their breasts. They maintain this pose until the stage has made one full revolution. Then they sit and spread their legs wide, exposing their cleanly shaved pussy. Some of the girls look away, while a couple of them stare defiantly at the Warden. Once the stage has moved one full circle, they change their pose again, this time standing up and bending down to grab their ankles, giving the audience a clear view of their naked butts. The next pose involves them dropping to all fours and arching their backs. Finally they kneel again with their hands behind their heads, their chests thrust forward.
The Warden nods once, and the girls grab their clothes and clamber off the stage. The next five girls move up the stage and repeat the poses. I watch the girls, committing their poses to memory. There are another five groups before me, so I have ample time to watch and learn.
It isn't so hard. It is easier than that degrading dance that I had to do with the Sirens at the Palace. We were draped in grapes and desserts, and we were essentially dancing fruit and dessert platters for the Emperor and his guests. We had to dance in front of them, without flinching or whimpering even when they grabbed and pinched, and bit and suckled us. Here at least there would be no hands and mouths on us while we are on the stage. I think. I hope.
The five girls move off the stage, and I move up the line, closer to the stage. I watch the girls strike their poses, and by the third batch of girls, I have fully memorized all the positions. I can do this.
The Warden's whistle sounds.
It is my turn.
I blink against the bright lights on the stage and stumble up the steps. The girls instinctively spread out so that we are equidistant apart on the stage. The spotlight is in my eyes so I can't see the Warden or the other girls. At the Warden's whistle, I strip quickly and try to stand tall. My heart is thudding so loudly I can hardly hear my own labored breathing. I glance to the girl on my right and see that she has dropped to her knees. I follow suit and clumsily cup my breasts with my hands. I have to remind myself not to grimace, and just keep my face blank. Out of the corner of my eye, I catch the other girls moving to change poses and I imitate their movements as best and as smoothly as I can.
The stage revolves endlessly and I have to fight to keep my eyes open. I am growing so dizzy I am afraid I might just topple off the stage and land face first on the floor.
Spreading my legs self-consciously, I have to close my eyes to stem the rising nausea.
“Stop!” The Warden's voice rings out.
The stage grinds to a halt, and I scramble up in a daze.
“Remain in position!” the Warden orders as she marches up the stage. I tense as she stalks towards me.
“You.” She prods my back with her knee. “Spread your legs wider. This is what they came to see. Show it off. Put your hands on the inside of your thighs and stretch your legs wide apart. Wider!”
“I...I c-can't,” I stammer, wincing from the sharp cramp in my leg.
“You can't?” the Warden asks in a dangerous tone. “Or you won't?”
“I can't!” I cry, struggling up. “Really, I'm trying but it hurts...”
“You're not trying hard enough.”
She pushes my shoulder down with her knee and pulls out a gun. Pressing the gun to the back of my head, she says, “Now. Try again.”
Blinking away the cold sweat trickling down my forehead, I pull my legs apart, placing my hands on my thighs. The cramp down my right leg is twisting my muscles into knots. I just can't move my leg a single inch more. This is killing me! And if this cramp doesn't kill me, the gun at the back of my head would finish the job.
Gritting my teeth, I force my legs as wide as they would go. The Warden stoops down suddenly and puts her hands on my knees. She wrenches my legs back, and I scream in pain. “This,” she hisses into my hair. “This is how far you have to go.”
Tears spurt from my eyes as I nod mutely. She releases my legs and I maintain my position, my whole body quaking.
The Warden steps away from me and strolls down the steps. “Good, very good.” She presses the button and the stage starts to revolve once again. I hold the position until the stage rotates one full circle. The girls start to change their poses and I limp up, hissing out a curse under my breath at the stab of pain up my leg. I stand up and bend over, gripping my ankles with shaky hands. The next pose is relatively easy, and I drop to my hands and knees almost with relief. Finally I kneel and lace my fingers together behind my head, staring up at the blinding spotlight.
The next group of girls are already getting into position on the stage. Someone passes me and reaches out a hand to help me up. I grasp the hand gratefully. “Thanks,” I mutter, grabbing my clothes off the floor.
“You did all right,” the girl whispers. “The Warden always picks on the new girl. I think it's their Standard Operating Procedure,” she adds. I recognize her as Kara Aadin, the girl whose name was the first to be called by the Warden this morning. She is a petite young thing with curly auburn hair, lively eyes and dimples.
We file down the steps in silence and stand with the other girls as we hurriedly pull on our tank tops and shorts. I watch the other girls, including Pam and Kylee, go through their poses almost effortlessly. They must have done this countless times. They look almost bored doing it.
Finally, all the girls have finished. The Warden whips out her tablet and checks something. Looking up, she announces, “It looks like you are having the Water Treatment tonight.”
“Water Treatment?” I mumble. “What the hell is that? I don't like it already.”
“None of us do,” Kara mutters at my side.
I turn to her in surprise, whispering, “What is the Water Treatment?”
“That's the theme for tonight. The props and entertainment for the evening go according to the themes. Sometimes it's Fire Works, where we have to walk across red hot coals and our costumes will be set alight on stage, and the ashes will fall off our bodies. Sometimes it's Cap
tives in Chains, and we'll be led onto the stage in shackles and blindfolds. You get the idea.”
“So—what do we have to do?” I ask with trepidation.
“You have to hold your breath and keep your eyes open underwater for the longest time. It's torture.”
“Oh.” I gulp. “And why...”
I clamp my mouth shut in a hurry as the Warden walks past. Kara looks down and warns me against speaking further with a quick shake of her head.
The Warden goes to the side of the stage and types a command into the screen mounted on a stand. A series of clicks and beeps are heard and my jaw drops when I see a gigantic column filled with water rise through that round hole in the middle of the stage. The humongous column keeps rising, and I watch some small bubbles rush to the top of the column and disappear. A harness attached to a metal wire starts to descend from the ceiling, knocking lightly against the towering glass column.
The Warden stands on the stage and holds the swaying harness. Her eyes narrow as she scans the crowd of us standing in front of the stage. “You!” She points her finger in my direction.
I start and look behind me. The two girls behind me stare back at me with round eyes. Every head is turned in my direction.
The Warden is pointing—at me.
Oh shit.
The Warden always picks on the new girl.
I look up at the Warden. Her finger is pointing straight at me, her eyes narrowed. “Miss Zen,” she says in a mocking tone. “Would you care to join me on the stage? Now.”
I try to swallow but my throat feels too tight, too dry. I walk forward with leaden steps.
“Take them off.” The Warden jerks her head at my clothes.
I obey with a gulp.
With quick movements, she fastens the harness around my naked body and tugs the wire. She taps me on the shoulder. “When you're inside, you have to keep your eyes open, and your mouth closed.”
“Inside?” I sputter.
“You'll be lowered into the glass column and fully submerged in the water. The top of the column will be sealed once you are inside.”
I gawk at her in shock. You are trying to drown me!
“H-how long will I be inside?” I start to stutter.
Until I pass out and drown? No, I can't die now. I won't! I will not let you kill me!
I start to struggle as the Warden gives the wire a violent jerk. With a soft whir, the wire begins to reel me upwards. My feet lift off the stage floor and I let out a cry of horror and panic.
The Warden looks up at me with a frown. “Stop struggling, Ana. You just have to stay in the water long enough...”
“How long?” I shriek, my legs kicking wildly.
I am hovering above her, and rising rapidly. I can see the open top of the column and hear the water sloshing gently inside.
“Long enough for your costume to dissolve,” she answers flatly.
CHAPTER SIX
I have no idea what the Warden has just said. Her words make no sense to me. Costume? What costume? All I know is that I am being hauled upwards by a metal wire to hover dangerously over the enormous glass vat of water.
I am aware that I could well be staring down at my coffin, a cold, rippling, watery coffin. I shake my head hard. No, I have to survive this. I can do this.
As the wire starts lowering me into the towering column of water, I start shivering uncontrollably as my heart rate and breathing become more frantic and erratic. I start to panic as my feet touch the cold water. Letting out a yelp, I twist and struggle in the harness, clawing crazily to free myself. This is madness. This is murder!
But the Warden only frowns at me, her arms folded across her chest. She doesn't move a muscle. No one moves forward to try to help me. The rest of the girls only stare up at me with wide eyes. I catch sight of Kara and Pam, and I see their lips moving as if they are trying to mouth some words to me. But that is all they do. Silently encourage me with words I cannot hear. They don't step forward to help me. No one does.
The water is already at my shoulders. I feel the water level creeping up my neck. It rises past my chin and I tilt my head up, breathing in quick, panicked breaths. This is my last chance. I have to suck in as much air into my lungs as possible before I am fully submerged.
I open my mouth and gulp in all the air that is needed to keep me alive—or not. Instinctively I squeeze my eyes shut as the water laps up over my forehead. Even after the water closes over my head, I am still being lowered deeper into the column of water. The wire continues pushing me downwards until my feet touches the bottom of the tall water column.
The harness loosens and fall away from my body. I open my eyes to see the harness being reeled rapidly upwards. With the air in my lungs, I start to float upwards. A few air bubbles escape from my nose, and I stare after them in a kind of horrified fascination. I am literally seeing my life seep out of me, bubble by bubble. I wonder if each bubble contains fragments of my memories. Maybe the bigger bubbles contain my unhappy memories, since there are more of those. The teeny, tiny bubbles would hold my happy memories, the precious memories I have of my mother, and of Jaxon.
I kick upwards, towards the top of the column. The bubbles reach the top first. One by one, they pop and vanish into thin air as they break the surface.
I have to follow those bubbles. If I can reach the top, I can break the surface of the water and get more air.
I kick harder.
Almost there.
Through the blurry water, I can see the wire dangling above me, just out of my reach.
I stretch out my hand...
Almost...there!
My palms smash against a hard, transparent surface. No, this cannot be. Water can't be hard!
I pound frenziedly against the solid surface, my terror spiking. The top of the column has been sealed shut.
There is no way out. No air. Just water, everywhere.
No! No! Let me out!
Precious air bubbles leak from my nose and mouth. There is less and less air left in my lungs. I begin to sink a little and I place the flat of my palms against the curved glass surface of the column, pushing against the seal until my arms ache, desperately trying to find a way out.
I press my face against the curved glass wall, and glimpse a hazy sea of faces staring up at me. To them, I must look like an underwater exhibit thrashing around in a cylindrical, glass enclosure.
My lungs are burning and I can feel my eyes and nose smarting. My whole head feels like it is about to explode. My hands are trembling violently against the glass. I hammer the glass with my fists, resisting the urge to scream. Screaming would be useless and stupid. No one can hear me. And water would flood my lungs the moment I open my mouth.
I place my hands flat against the glass and take in the watery scene before me with a surreal sense of detachment. I see the round, brightly lit stage, the shielded booths with their velvet couches and cushions for the audience, the upturned faces of the girls, the black military uniform of the Warden, the red lanterns hanging from the ceiling. What will this place look like at night, when the whole hall if filled with leering, lustful customers? With all the lanterns lit, and this rippling column glowing like a lava lamp with a naked girl undulating within its watery depths, I imagine the effect would be hypnotic, perhaps even erotic, in a sick, morbid way.
I blink repeatedly as my vision wavers. I don't think I can't hold on for much longer. My mind is fading, losing control over my body. Any instant now, instinct would take over. Against my will, my body would forcibly try to draw breath to survive. And water would gush into my mouth and nose, and I would drown, slowly, horribly.
Black spots flash before my eyes, looming larger and darker. Soon everything would be black. I have to fight, fight my own body, fight the instinct to breathe.
I can't feel or think at all. Death seems so close. My nails slide down the curved glass wall, and my eyes close but still I lock my jaws, clenching my mouth shut, refusing to draw the breath I so desperate
ly need.
I won't give up.
I won't breathe.
I have to hold on.
I...can't...hold...on...
My fists unfurl and my eyes fly wide open as every muscle, every nerve, every cell in my body screams for air. I have to fight my own body, fight my body's instinct to breathe.
I remember my training with Irin, in the underground cell. During the sessions when she held my head underwater, I had held on for far longer than I had thought possible—by not thinking about my present situation. I had thought about the times that I had been truly happy, about the people who had loved me and cherished me. I recalled my happy memories with my mother, and I thought about Jaxon.
Jaxon.
The watery blur before my eyes shimmers and I see myself with Jaxon. My first time with him. With a man.
I feel my body heat up despite the chilly water all around me. Jaxon had been a wonderful lover, tender and gentle and loving. I had felt pleasure, immense, intense, unbelievable pleasure, but I had also felt loved. I am glad that he was the one I gave my virginity to. He is the man I want. The one I love.
But will I ever see him again?
I start to tremble, shattering the vision before my eyes. My lungs are about to explode, my entire body straining for air. Black spots loom in front of me, crowding into my fading vision.
I don't want to, but I have to—breathe.
The blackness presses against my eyelids, pulsing blood red as fragments of thoughts stab through my mind.
Drowning.....
Dying......
Can't...
Fight!
The command to fight, to live, overrides my instinct and my panic. That powerful, fierce voice in my head sounds so much like Jaxon's voice. I cling on to this lifeline, this sudden infusion of resolve and strength, and force my eyes open.
But I can see nothing. Nothing but deepening, shifting shades of gray.
My body can hold out no longer. My mind struggles for a while longer, but loses the fight in the end.
Against my will, I open my mouth and start to swallow greedily. The water that surges into my nose and mouth feels like fire, torturing and scorching, burning me alive from the inside. I choke and splutter, struggling wildly, but still I keep swallowing and gasping, filling myself with more of that deadly water.
Release In The Dark (DARK erotic romance series) Page 4
