Bonus Story
They cry in the dark, so you can't see their tears
They hide in the light, so you can't see their fears
Forgive and forget; All the while
Love and pain become one and the same in the eyes of a wounded child
Year Two of the Addergoole School, Hell Night
Delaney walked through the darkened halls, head held as high as she could, trying to keep her balance on the shifting floors. Everything had turned spooky; no, it was downright creepy, from the rhythmic bass echo that emanated from nowhere to the dim green glow of the emergency lighting.
"Sima? Allyse? Del?"
Acacia's voice soothed her. Delaney was strong - "fierce", her kickboxing instructor had always said - but the presence of the older girls still made her feel more secure.
"Here," she replied, echoing the others.
"Stay close," Acacia instructed.
A screech echoed through the halls, the same omnipresent reverberance of the drum contributing to her small jump as much as the way it suddenly ended in a choked gurgle. A hand clasped hers.
"'Cay?," she whispered.
"Little girls," the much deeper voice beside her replied, drawing out the words in a way that made her skin crawl. "Out without an escort."
Delaney screamed, jerking her hand back, even as her compatriots began yelling and swearing. Another hand wrapped around her neck though, pressing a cloth to her face. She breathed in a cloying, sickeningly sweet scent, and then strong hands were holding her as she fell, and there was nothing.
~~
Delaney woke slowly, her head pounding. She was somewhere warm in the middle, and cold on the outside; it didn't make sense, at first. Attempting to roll over, she came up short with a biting jerk of steel, and discovered why as she opened her eyes. She was in a bed - whose bed?, naked who had done that?, spreadeagled and cuffed to the posts by all four limbs oh shit.
"Hello?," she called out, and immediately cursed herself for such foolishness. She should've taken longer to analyze her surroundings. As it was, she only had time to realize she must be in a bedroom in one of the suites she'd heard about before a man walked in the door.
"You're awake." His voice was a deep baritone, and she recognized it dimly from the hall. The tone now was much different, though, a better match for the silk shirt and nice slacks he was wearing. Preppie kidnappers, seriously? Maybe it was like some kind of a costume. That would better explain the ill-kempt shock of black hair. He wasn't bad-looking, at least, although she didn't tend to favor the swarthy type.
"Obviously." She rolled her eyes. If this was some kind of prank, hazing the newbies, it had gone a little too far. "So who are you supposed to be?"
"You can call me Master."
Delaney didn't bother to suppress her snorted laughter. "Fat chance, asshole. Let me go."
"Now, now." The man - boy, she realized, he couldn't be more than a few years older than she was - walked slowly around the bed, making no secret of studying her body. She fought down the urge to squirm under that gaze. "I'll tell you what." He sat in a chair, facing her, and rested his chin on his fist. "Say that you belong to me, and I'll let you go."
"What?" Wasn't that kind of the opposite, anyway? "What kind of stupid shit is this?"
The boy's hand dipped into his collar, producing a small key on a chain, which he dangled in front of him. "Just say it. You belong to me."
They were only words, right? She'd play his stupid game and then she'd kick his ass when she got free. Acacia and the girls would help; she hoped they were okay. She should check on them, as soon as she found her clothes.
"Whatever." Another eyeroll accompanied her words. "I belong to you. Now let me go."
The world spun in front of her eyes and she dropped her head, wondering if whatever he'd drugged her with had bad aftereffects. When she looked up again, he'd risen and approached the bed, and... was taking his shirt off? The hell?
"Hey, you said you'd let me go," she said nervously.
"I lied," he smiled merrily, the pants following the shirt. Oh shit oh shit oh shit. "You're my slave now. My pet. And it's time to break you in."
~~
"Dinnertime," Meshach announced, striding out of his room. Delaney checked her pot and breathed a sigh of relief; she'd predicted him well. After three days wearing his collar, she was getting better at planning for his wants and needs. There wasn't much other choice; he'd demonstrated his power in no uncertain terms, and his displeasure was even more uncomfortable than his pleasure. She tried not to think about that as she dished out bowls, handing them to the boy she was beginning to think of as a partner in bondage: Ardell, Meshach's other new pet.
Ardell carried the food out to their captors, and Delaney nervously glanced their way to judge their expressions. Shadrach was as bad as his brother, she thought. He hadn't touched her, yet, but she knew from the way he looked at her that it was only a matter of time. Barnaby, beside him, was more detached. She couldn't tell if it was in a disapproving-roommate way, or a serial-killer way, and hoped she wouldn't find out. That left Meshach, her master. She hated him, hated what he'd done to her, hated the way he made her feel. Eventually, she would be free of him, and she would make him pay for this, with interest. She bit her lip nervously, hoping he liked his dinner, and tried to convince herself that she only cared to avoid punishment, not out of any concern for pleasing him.
"This is acceptable," Meshach said, acknowledging Delaney with a brief nod. She smiled, dropping an approximation of a curtsy in the ridiculous little miniskirt he'd put her in, and hated herself for it. Why couldn't she stop herself from feeling so, so good when he praised her? He told her she was a good girl, usually when he was doing something to her she'd rather not think about, and the instant rush of euphoria was like nothing she'd ever felt. Now, though, he looked away again, and she recognized his dismissal and turned her attention to the dishes.
~~
Delaney headed back to the suite full of excitement Monday afternoon. She had magic! Dr. Caitrin even said she was unusually gifted with body magic - with Tlacatl, she had to get used to using the Word. It was a relief, now that so many of her classmates had Changed and she still hadn't; she had been concerned that a mistake had been made, that she didn't actually belong here. If it had all been for nothing, Hell Night, Meshach... although Meshach was getting better. He hadn't hurt her on purpose in a few days, she thought, and he was showing her more consideration. She understood her role, and she was praised for doing it well. She hated him for doing it to her, of course, but she had to admit it wasn't all bad. She recalled one of the many lessons he'd delivered to her in the bedroom:
"A girl's orgasm is a privilege, not a right," Meshach said. Delaney remembered it in vivid detail, could feel his weight atop her, the heat of his body. She found herself nodding along with the memory as she reached for the doorknob. He'd given her that, last night, and she was properly grateful. Maybe, if she was a good girl... She shook her head to clear it. No, no, that wasn't right. What he had done to her, was doing to her - and Ardell too, but she didn't want to think about that either - was terrible, and nothing would change that. She opened the door and stepped in.
"I have magic!," she declared, still able to draw forth some of the bubbly enthusiasm she'd been so full of two weeks before.
"Good," Meshach said absently, stretching out on the couch, shirtless. "You have more lessons to learn; we were waiting for you."
We? Yes, Shadrach was standing beside the couch, in similar dress - or lack thereof, and he was reaching for his pants even now. Well, she had known this day was coming. Ardell was there too, though, sitting in the big chair; at least he had his clothes on. She'd begun thinking of him as a big brother; his support was becoming invaluable as she tried to cope. Were they going to make her do this right here, in front of him? Meshach's look seemed to say so.
"Yes, Master," she said quietly, stripping her shirt off as she approached. "How do you want me?"
"On top of me, leaned down so that Shadrach can have a piece." What? Did he mean... He wasn't done talking, though. "And Barnaby... hmm. Shad, did Barnaby come back yet?"
"I don't think so, no."
"His loss, then... I have an idea. Ardell! Come here. I've got a treat for you."
~~
"You're pregnant," Dr. Caitrin said, confirming Delaney's suspicions and fears. There was no surprise, only a quiet dismay that gnawed at the back of her mind as the doctor continued.
"Are you certain of the paternity, or should we make a note to look into that?"
"Meshach," Delaney said softly. The others could have her, now, whenever they wanted, but Meshach had given strict instructions that only his actions could lead to this. He'd told her that it was a girl's job in bed to get the boy off, and she should be pleased with herself when she did; to her disgust, that seemed to work. "By whatever means necessary", he had said, and she had certainly been instructed in a variety of means, since that day in the living room. Shadrach treated her as a casual possession, to be used and discarded like a tissue; it was almost better than Barnaby's protracted attentions. Occasionally Meshach would force her and Ardell to perform, as well; to "put on a show", he said. At least Ardell tried to be gentle with her, to what extent he could. He was still her rock, to which she clung in this storm.
"I see." Caitrin jotted some notes, nodding to herself. "Make sure you're back here in a month for another checkup. You shouldn't have any issues for some time still, but I like to keep close watch. You haven't Changed yet, either, still?"
Still. It had been nearly two months now since she'd come to this place. Everyone else in the Second Cohort had Changed, although some of them hid it. She was beginning to think there was something wrong with her.
"No, I haven't. Nothing."
"I see. Well, you are the youngest student we've ever had here. You turned fifteen a week before your arrival, correct?"
"That's right." At the time, she'd thought her acceptance here was another sign of her superiority; the precocious Delaney once again surpassed her elders. Now, though...
"It may take you some time, then. It's nothing to worry about; it'll happen when it happens. Make sure you're able to come talk to me about it when you do start having any signs of a Change. Is there anything else you need?"
Anything she needed. Freedom. Safety. Hope... Maybe things would be different, now that she was carrying his child. She was learning how to be a good girl, and things were getting better. She couldn't lash out at him; physically she was barred from it, but vocally and sometimes even mentally would still provoke punishment. She saw to not only his needs but his wants and his unspoken desires, and was duly rewarded for it. He fed her regularly, let her sleep and bathe, occasionally even gave her some time to herself now. He did love her, in his way, she knew it. And now... maybe this would be what it took to show him how hard she was trying, to be good enough for him.
"No," she smiled. "I'm going to be okay."
Discuss
They cry in the dark, so you can't see their tears
They hide in the light, so you can't see their fears
Forgive and forget; All the while
Love and pain become one and the same in the eyes of a wounded child
Year Two of the Addergoole School, Hell Night
Delaney walked through the darkened halls, head held as high as she could, trying to keep her balance on the shifting floors. Everything had turned spooky; no, it was downright creepy, from the rhythmic bass echo that emanated from nowhere to the dim green glow of the emergency lighting.
"Sima? Allyse? Del?"
Acacia's voice soothed her. Delaney was strong - "fierce", her kickboxing instructor had always said - but the presence of the older girls still made her feel more secure.
"Here," she replied, echoing the others.
"Stay close," Acacia instructed.
A screech echoed through the halls, the same omnipresent reverberance of the drum contributing to her small jump as much as the way it suddenly ended in a choked gurgle. A hand clasped hers.
"'Cay?," she whispered.
"Little girls," the much deeper voice beside her replied, drawing out the words in a way that made her skin crawl. "Out without an escort."
Delaney screamed, jerking her hand back, even as her compatriots began yelling and swearing. Another hand wrapped around her neck though, pressing a cloth to her face. She breathed in a cloying, sickeningly sweet scent, and then strong hands were holding her as she fell, and there was nothing.
~~
Delaney woke slowly, her head pounding. She was somewhere warm in the middle, and cold on the outside; it didn't make sense, at first. Attempting to roll over, she came up short with a biting jerk of steel, and discovered why as she opened her eyes. She was in a bed - whose bed?, naked who had done that?, spreadeagled and cuffed to the posts by all four limbs oh shit.
"Hello?," she called out, and immediately cursed herself for such foolishness. She should've taken longer to analyze her surroundings. As it was, she only had time to realize she must be in a bedroom in one of the suites she'd heard about before a man walked in the door.
"You're awake." His voice was a deep baritone, and she recognized it dimly from the hall. The tone now was much different, though, a better match for the silk shirt and nice slacks he was wearing. Preppie kidnappers, seriously? Maybe it was like some kind of a costume. That would better explain the ill-kempt shock of black hair. He wasn't bad-looking, at least, although she didn't tend to favor the swarthy type.
"Obviously." She rolled her eyes. If this was some kind of prank, hazing the newbies, it had gone a little too far. "So who are you supposed to be?"
"You can call me Master."
Delaney didn't bother to suppress her snorted laughter. "Fat chance, asshole. Let me go."
"Now, now." The man - boy, she realized, he couldn't be more than a few years older than she was - walked slowly around the bed, making no secret of studying her body. She fought down the urge to squirm under that gaze. "I'll tell you what." He sat in a chair, facing her, and rested his chin on his fist. "Say that you belong to me, and I'll let you go."
"What?" Wasn't that kind of the opposite, anyway? "What kind of stupid shit is this?"
The boy's hand dipped into his collar, producing a small key on a chain, which he dangled in front of him. "Just say it. You belong to me."
They were only words, right? She'd play his stupid game and then she'd kick his ass when she got free. Acacia and the girls would help; she hoped they were okay. She should check on them, as soon as she found her clothes.
"Whatever." Another eyeroll accompanied her words. "I belong to you. Now let me go."
The world spun in front of her eyes and she dropped her head, wondering if whatever he'd drugged her with had bad aftereffects. When she looked up again, he'd risen and approached the bed, and... was taking his shirt off? The hell?
"Hey, you said you'd let me go," she said nervously.
"I lied," he smiled merrily, the pants following the shirt. Oh shit oh shit oh shit. "You're my slave now. My pet. And it's time to break you in."
~~
"Dinnertime," Meshach announced, striding out of his room. Delaney checked her pot and breathed a sigh of relief; she'd predicted him well. After three days wearing his collar, she was getting better at planning for his wants and needs. There wasn't much other choice; he'd demonstrated his power in no uncertain terms, and his displeasure was even more uncomfortable than his pleasure. She tried not to think about that as she dished out bowls, handing them to the boy she was beginning to think of as a partner in bondage: Ardell, Meshach's other new pet.
Ardell carried the food out to their captors, and Delaney nervously glanced their way to judge their expressions. Shadrach was as bad as his brother, she thought. He hadn't touched her, yet, but she knew from the way he looked at her that it was only a matter of time. Barnaby, beside him, was more detached. She couldn't tell if it was in a disapproving-roommate way, or a serial-killer way, and hoped she wouldn't find out. That left Meshach, her master. She hated him, hated what he'd done to her, hated the way he made her feel. Eventually, she would be free of him, and she would make him pay for this, with interest. She bit her lip nervously, hoping he liked his dinner, and tried to convince herself that she only cared to avoid punishment, not out of any concern for pleasing him.
"This is acceptable," Meshach said, acknowledging Delaney with a brief nod. She smiled, dropping an approximation of a curtsy in the ridiculous little miniskirt he'd put her in, and hated herself for it. Why couldn't she stop herself from feeling so, so good when he praised her? He told her she was a good girl, usually when he was doing something to her she'd rather not think about, and the instant rush of euphoria was like nothing she'd ever felt. Now, though, he looked away again, and she recognized his dismissal and turned her attention to the dishes.
~~
Delaney headed back to the suite full of excitement Monday afternoon. She had magic! Dr. Caitrin even said she was unusually gifted with body magic - with Tlacatl, she had to get used to using the Word. It was a relief, now that so many of her classmates had Changed and she still hadn't; she had been concerned that a mistake had been made, that she didn't actually belong here. If it had all been for nothing, Hell Night, Meshach... although Meshach was getting better. He hadn't hurt her on purpose in a few days, she thought, and he was showing her more consideration. She understood her role, and she was praised for doing it well. She hated him for doing it to her, of course, but she had to admit it wasn't all bad. She recalled one of the many lessons he'd delivered to her in the bedroom:
"A girl's orgasm is a privilege, not a right," Meshach said. Delaney remembered it in vivid detail, could feel his weight atop her, the heat of his body. She found herself nodding along with the memory as she reached for the doorknob. He'd given her that, last night, and she was properly grateful. Maybe, if she was a good girl... She shook her head to clear it. No, no, that wasn't right. What he had done to her, was doing to her - and Ardell too, but she didn't want to think about that either - was terrible, and nothing would change that. She opened the door and stepped in.
"I have magic!," she declared, still able to draw forth some of the bubbly enthusiasm she'd been so full of two weeks before.
"Good," Meshach said absently, stretching out on the couch, shirtless. "You have more lessons to learn; we were waiting for you."
We? Yes, Shadrach was standing beside the couch, in similar dress - or lack thereof, and he was reaching for his pants even now. Well, she had known this day was coming. Ardell was there too, though, sitting in the big chair; at least he had his clothes on. She'd begun thinking of him as a big brother; his support was becoming invaluable as she tried to cope. Were they going to make her do this right here, in front of him? Meshach's look seemed to say so.
"Yes, Master," she said quietly, stripping her shirt off as she approached. "How do you want me?"
"On top of me, leaned down so that Shadrach can have a piece." What? Did he mean... He wasn't done talking, though. "And Barnaby... hmm. Shad, did Barnaby come back yet?"
"I don't think so, no."
"His loss, then... I have an idea. Ardell! Come here. I've got a treat for you."
~~
"You're pregnant," Dr. Caitrin said, confirming Delaney's suspicions and fears. There was no surprise, only a quiet dismay that gnawed at the back of her mind as the doctor continued.
"Are you certain of the paternity, or should we make a note to look into that?"
"Meshach," Delaney said softly. The others could have her, now, whenever they wanted, but Meshach had given strict instructions that only his actions could lead to this. He'd told her that it was a girl's job in bed to get the boy off, and she should be pleased with herself when she did; to her disgust, that seemed to work. "By whatever means necessary", he had said, and she had certainly been instructed in a variety of means, since that day in the living room. Shadrach treated her as a casual possession, to be used and discarded like a tissue; it was almost better than Barnaby's protracted attentions. Occasionally Meshach would force her and Ardell to perform, as well; to "put on a show", he said. At least Ardell tried to be gentle with her, to what extent he could. He was still her rock, to which she clung in this storm.
"I see." Caitrin jotted some notes, nodding to herself. "Make sure you're back here in a month for another checkup. You shouldn't have any issues for some time still, but I like to keep close watch. You haven't Changed yet, either, still?"
Still. It had been nearly two months now since she'd come to this place. Everyone else in the Second Cohort had Changed, although some of them hid it. She was beginning to think there was something wrong with her.
"No, I haven't. Nothing."
"I see. Well, you are the youngest student we've ever had here. You turned fifteen a week before your arrival, correct?"
"That's right." At the time, she'd thought her acceptance here was another sign of her superiority; the precocious Delaney once again surpassed her elders. Now, though...
"It may take you some time, then. It's nothing to worry about; it'll happen when it happens. Make sure you're able to come talk to me about it when you do start having any signs of a Change. Is there anything else you need?"
Anything she needed. Freedom. Safety. Hope... Maybe things would be different, now that she was carrying his child. She was learning how to be a good girl, and things were getting better. She couldn't lash out at him; physically she was barred from it, but vocally and sometimes even mentally would still provoke punishment. She saw to not only his needs but his wants and his unspoken desires, and was duly rewarded for it. He fed her regularly, let her sleep and bathe, occasionally even gave her some time to herself now. He did love her, in his way, she knew it. And now... maybe this would be what it took to show him how hard she was trying, to be good enough for him.
"No," she smiled. "I'm going to be okay."
Discuss
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