The Brothel

***This is my original work and may not be republished without permission.

*

SUBMISSION

"Dianna left suddenly. Gwen was still unconscious. It's why your body wouldn't work." Gwen was nestled in his arms in her bed. There had been a candlelit dinner for two when they returned to her room, which she had only been able to pick at, followed by a hot oil massage and another shower. Julia had given her diamond earrings. She wouldn't have worn them, but Jacob advised her it was mandatory until she was fully trained.

"What is the plan for the rest of the day?"

"Whatever you want. Showers whenever you want. Hugs whenever you want."

"What about Karen?"

"John has her. She likes him. You are queen for a day."

"Then let's go to the mural."

"As you wish."

Gwen was on a roller coaster of emotion vacillating from barely hanging on to falling apart. Her muscles were tense and then quivering like jello. Waves of nausea were still threatening to overcome her. She had to crawl into Jacob's arms repeatedly for comfort. Rachel had emailed her that her surprise was ready. Maybe if she could concentrate on anything but what happened she could pull herself together. Jacob said she would have to talk about it before they went to bed that night.

************

Trey was sitting cross-legged on a scaffold about four feet off the ground. Julia had allowed him to paint in one of the main hallways just outside the cafeteria. The mural was more than half done. The viewer was looking up at a dark rock face broken by riots of purple blooms that grew on ledges in the rocks. A stream cascaded over rocks nearby and a dark path separated the two. On the path was a tiny fuschia crawdad with his claws raised to engage in battle. Rachel stood next to him and her smile faded as she saw the diamonds in Gwen's earlobes and the expression of anguish on her face.

Gwen crumpled into her arms sobbing. Anger flared in Trey and he thought about chastising Joseph until he saw the same agony reflected in his expression. He pressed his lips together and rested his forearms on his thighs in silence. Rachel backed Gwen to the wall and slid down gathering her in her arms.

Trey's pallor had deepened. Jacob could hear the ralls distinctly as he labored to breathe. "It's coming along well."

Trey gestured to the crawdad with his brush. "I was hiking there one morning in the rain. I came upon him in the middle of the trail. He didn't care how big I was. He was going to take me on. He reminds me of Gwen." Trey paused and breathed in deeply. "I'm glad she'll be here for Rachel."

Jacob glanced at the girls who were whispering quietly to one another and then looked back at Trey. "How long?"

Trey shrugged. "Not long after I finish this, I think. It was good for me to do this. Something positive."

Jacob put his hand on Trey's. "I should have been a better friend. I'm glad Gwen brought us together. If there's anything I can do..."

Trey studied Jacob for a long time before speaking. "Morphine." Jacob looked at him for a long time and then nodded. Trey nodded and turned back to his work. "Gwen has a gift for you."

Gwen brushed away her tears as Jacob approached. He pulled both girls to their feet. He took Gwen's hand as Rachel squatted and reached into a canvas bag and pulled out a wrapped package. She set it on the scaffold and stood to his side as Gwen led him to the package.

"Is this what you were conspiring with everyone for?"

Gwen nodded. He glanced at Rachel and Trey before unwrapping it. He gasped as he saw the picture Trey had painted. It wasn't what he expected and Gwen worried that he was angry. He never raised his eyes from the picture. She could see them filling with tears. He caressed Trey's arm again and picked up the box in one arm and took Gwen by the hand leading her swiftly down the hall. They rounded a corner and he let them into the first locked door they came to. His hand was shaking as he keyed in his code. He handed Gwen the box and sank against the wall with his hands hanging at his side.

"I'm sorry, Jacob."

He shook his head violently and choked on a sob. He couldn't speak as he broke down. She watched him as he sank to the floor. She started to apologize again but he shook his head. His voice was choked with tears as he explained. "After I killed her... I destroyed every reminder of her...every picture... every memento... every gift she ever gave me... All I could remember was that day and I had to forget it... people tried to say kind words and I cut them off... I had to shut it all away. It had to be like she never existed. John and Julia finally backed off. Every once in a while I would catch a glimpse of her in a kindness I observed. I came to regret... destroying what was good..."

Gwen smiled, "Then you should read this."

Jacob took the box as she offered it and stood, pulling her into his arms. "Let's go to my room." He glanced at the camera. "There's no camera there."

**************

Jacob's room was larger than hers. The walls were drywall. There was a sound system and a queen-size bed. There were hooks on the wall and a small dresser. There was carpet. On the wall was a poster-size picture he had taken of Gwen in the brown thong and t-shirt top. He led her to the dresser and took out a t-shirt and pair of shorts with a drawstring at the waist. Gwen clutched them to her and then put them on quickly. Jacob was already stretched out on the bed looking through the book. He patted the bed and Gwen joined him. "When I asked Julia she said she knew just the picture."

"It was my favorite."

"John collected the stories."

"I took a lot of photos of Carrie that were never used on the website. I kept all the CD's with the other portfolios though. Julia must have pulled this one when I destroyed the others."

The stories were typed and in sheet protectors. Other photos were included. Julia must have given John the CD to work with as well. They spent the afternoon reading the book and Jacob began reminiscing. Gwen enjoyed the light in his eyes as he told tender and silly stories. It was as though a dam had burst within him.

"I didn't know what to get you for your evaluator's reward."

"More than the meal and the massage?"

"Of course!"

"The clothes are wonderful even if I can only wear them in here."

"When you are done with your training you can move in here with me, but until then you have to stay in A block. In the meantime you can visit me and borrow my clothes."

"I'd rather borrow Belle's."

"Funny."

She smiled, "It's cozier in my bed anyway."

"Do you have any ideas?"

"About being cozy?"

"No, silly. Any ideas about your reward."

"My passcode."

"I hate to give you that."

"Why?"

"Because up until now whenever I wanted to see you I knew exactly where you were. Now I will have to find you."

"I'll leave a trail of crumbs."

He grinned and pecked her on the lips, "I have to give you that anyway. Something else... I need some ideas."

"There is something."

"What?"

"An oxygen tank for Trey." Gwen studied him. "He's getting worse."

"I know."

"Would he take it?"

"Maybe."

"Could you get one?"

"I'll talk to Julia."

"Soon."

"I will." He pointed at the book. "I can't tell you how much this means to me. I feel so much better. I have tried to reach out to others when I see a need."

"Then everything that was good about Carrie wasn't destroyed."

Jacob paused.

"I thought of something else."

"What?"

Gwen pointed at the poster. "One of those of you. Clothed."

"I don't understand why you would want it, but I can do that."

"The same reason you wanted one. When did you put it up?"

"The picture?" Gwen nodded. "After Christopher raped you. The two days you were locked in your cell." Gwen nodded again. Jacob studied her a moment and then brushed a stray hair from her face. "If you can talk about it now we can just get past it and enjoy the rest of the day."

Gwen teared up immediately and heaved a sigh before nodding. "I got through it is all. I tried to chamber. I wanted to run. They didn't do anything horrible. I just felt violated. I wanted to stop it and I couldn't. Joseph just nodded and stroked her as she nestled in the crook of his arm.

******************

Gwen jerked awake in the middle of the night. She felt like she was being crushed and she couldn't breathe. Her arms were pinned above her and she blinked as a light shone harshly in her eyes. Jacob was on her and a bead of blood was forming in one of the furrows she left on his neck. She relaxed and he rolled off of her. She sat up on the edge of the bed trying to calm down. Jacob reached out to touch her. She felt like his touch seared her and she flinched. She jumped up and paced the floor.

"I need to run." Jacob nodded and sat up scrubbing his fingers through his hair. "You don't have to come." She punched in her code and headed for the treadmills ignoring him as he padded behind her.

She was still running an hour later when he left her and went to the showers. Shortly after he left another man entered. He was wearing spandex shorts and no shirt. He watched her run for several seconds and then set down a small bag he was carrying on a bench and began putting on weight lifting gloves. The man was thick and muscular. She had seen him in the cafeteria but not the gym. His hair was cut short and dark. His skin was dark. He approached her as he put on the gloves staring at her breasts as she ran. She stopped suddenly cutting the machine off and made a move toward the shower to find Jacob. The man cut her off without a word and grabbed her wrist as she tried to get by. He didn't have to work hard at all and Gwen found herself trapped in a corner.

"Leave me alone."

He didn't say a word and smiled. Gwen tried to push him but she was unable to move him. He began to touch her and she fought him off as well as she could but he pinned both of her hands with one of his. When he started to work his shorts off with his other hand she began to scream. Jacob appeared holding a towel.

"Back away from her now!" The man stiffened in anger and then smiled at her and dropped her hands. When he didn't back away she pushed by him. He was exposing himself as she did. She ran past Jacob and headed back to A block and straight for the shower. Her movements were harsh and he could tell she was near tears.

"You should cry now or you might break down with a client." She stopped scrubbing her shoulder and stared off at nothing and then nodded slightly and the tears came. Jacob moved toward her but stopped as she shied away. She spoke more harshly than she intended.

"Leave me." She reached out in apology but came short of touching his hand. "Please. I'll come find you in the cafeteria." Jacob nodded reluctantly and left.

She had pulled herself back together by the time she found him in the cafeteria. He watched her as she milled through the crowd and spoke with several people including Scott and Charlie. She even stopped and massaged Scott's shoulders. Her smile for the others was genuine and he couldn't see anything of the person he left crying in the shower. Her eyes were apologetic as she sank into the chair next to Jacob. "You'd better hurry if you're going to eat."

Gwen shook her head slightly and looked at John. "I would like to speak with you this evening. After dinner?" She turned to Jacob. "I spoke with Elaine. I told her I want to learn the ropes in the infirmary. She said I could go there after lunch." Jacob nodded. "She said she gave Trey a bottle of oxygen and Julia ordered more."

Jacob nodded again. "I will do whatever you want me to do to help." A flash of anger passed through her eyes and she pressed her lips together. She was barely holding on now. She gathered herself and her eyes hardened.

"Put my makeup on for me? Help me shut Gwen away for a while." Jacob flashed a look at John and stood. Gwen caressed John's shoulder as they left the room.

There was only time for Gwen to read the profiles of her clients for the day and to submit as Joseph put on her makeup. He escorted her to another room where she was to wait until she was summoned. Wait with the other whores. She barely nodded to him as he told her he would be waiting when she was through. She did what she was trained to do.

She smiled and flirted and acted as though she wanted them but they were only on the periphery. She barely remembered them. She remembered what they did to her though. She said nothing as Joseph led her back to her shower. She took off her own makeup and was silent as she showered. He allowed her the distance she thought she needed.

There was a large bouquet of flowers on the table beside the chair in her room. Joseph watched her as she stopped and stared at it. Her jaw clenched and the vase shattered on the floor as she struck at it blindly. He glanced at the camera and tried to hold on to her but she pushed him away again and went back into the shower. She tried, but she couldn't seem to wash it away. She couldn't get clean. She scrubbed her skin raw. Joseph was gone when she came out but there was a note on her bed. The flowers and broken glass were gone. "I took Karen to lunch. I'll bring you something to eat. I won't be long. I love you. Jacob."

She was trembling all over as she sat on the edge of the bed. She forced herself under control and gradually her breathing stilled and the trembling stopped. She left a note on the bed when she left. "Work with Karen. I'm not hungry. I'll be in the infirmary. Dianna."

************

"I just feel so empty and sad."

"Like when you had the abortion."

Gwen nodded. John sat in the chair next to her bed so she could curl up under the sheet.

"I won't lie to you. It will take a while for those feelings to go away. What did you do then to cope?"

"I ran. A lot."

"Did you cry?" Gwen nodded. "Did you talk to anyone?"

Gwen teared up struggling to speak. "No. Brian shocked me so badly. Everyone in town had seen the pictures. My sister had violated my confidence. My mother disowned me. My father never reached out.

"So you made it through all of that basically without any help?" Gwen nodded. "You are very strong. Have you felt happy since then? At school? Or even here?" Gwen nodded again. "So if you give it some time, you might find that you can be happy again?" She nodded. "You didn't have access to many resources to help the first time. Maybe you could have gone to the guidance counselor or your minister."

"They were both friends of my mother."

"A lot of times when we are in pain we push away the very people who might be willing to help us." Gwen acknowledged the comment with a small nod. "It took a lot of courage for you to request to speak with me." A weak smile. "Sometimes we hate to appear weak in front of others. I doubt that anyone in the cafeteria even knew how you felt." He waited watching her.

"What?"

"Most of us know exactly how you feel right now. It might have been a long time ago for some. Some have buried the pain and not dealt with it. Some may not understand because they grew up with it. But most of us went through the very same thing." He paused again. "Use your resources. Give yourself time. Continue to serve others. Don't push offered help away. People here will help you through."

**************

"Julia tells me you didn't like the flowers."

Dianna glanced at him. "She said you could have me killed."

"Not for something so petty." Tobias smiled. "I want to understand."

Dianna nodded but she didn't believe his words. Or his smile. "Yesterday wasn't a good day." She smiled and embraced him with one arm as she stroked his chest with the other. She loosened his tie and began unbuttoning his buttons. "Couldn't we just forget it?"

She looked up at him slowly as he grasped her wrist. He didn't hurt her but it was firm enough that she couldn't move her fingers. The memory flashed. Joseph said the man from the weight room was Jerry. She tried to hide her fear.

"Explain." His voice was low and patient but filled with the expectation of being obeyed.

Dianna sighed. "You won't like what I have to say."

There was a hint of a smile. "Say it anyway."

She glanced at his hand holding her wrist and he loosened his grip. "I am not doing this because I want to. I was kidnapped and I am being forced. I am not doing it for money or gifts. I don't want gifts from you or anyone else. If I accept them then I am a whore." She tried to read his expression. He let go her hand. He pushed her away gently and unbuttoned his shirt. He tossed the tie on the bed and handed her his shirt.

"Put it on." She looked at him not understanding. "Please. Put it on. I don't mean to command...." He waved his hand in frustration and sat down on the bed. She turned her back as she put on the shirt and turned back to him as she finished buttoning it. It was long enough to cover her. She still couldn't read his expression. "You..." he smiled and shook his head. "People don't often surprise me." He looked back at her. "You did the other day. When you offered to keep my confidences. When you said you would listen to me. When you asked about me. I don't think anybody ever has before."

"Any whore."

He cringed and nodded. "Will you sit?" Dianna nodded hesitantly and sat with a space between them. "Would you wear makeup like that normally?"

"Dianna does. Gwen doesn't wear any at all."

"The flowers were because you surprised me. They weren't for the sex." She forced her face to remain smooth. "I am what is called an underboss." She looked at him not understanding. "A Don is the head of the whole organization. Then comes the underboss. That is me. The Don is my uncle. He is in his eighties but still vigorous for his age. He has a counselor or advisor called a consigliere. Then come the capos. They run various businesses for the family. The capos report to me. I report to the Don."

"What businesses do you run?"

"A number of them. Nothing very interesting. Two of my sons are capos."

"How old are your children?"

"My oldest daughter, Carmen, is twenty-six. They are stair steps. Alfonzo comes next. He is twenty-five. Bernardo is twenty-four. Carlos is twenty-two. Anna is twenty-one and Rudy is the baby. He is nineteen." Tobias paused. Anna looks just like her mother. It brings me such sweet pain to look at her. She graduates from NYU in a few weeks."

"Did you arrange Carmen's marriage?"

Tobias shook his head. "She fell in love when she was fifteen. Georgio was twenty-four. He is a good man. Her mother and I both approved. They were married when she turned twenty."

"Does he come here?"

"No."

"Does everyone in the family want to be there?"

"In the family?"

"Yes."

Tobias studied her intently. "It is dangerous to try to escape. You are no longer trusted."

"You said they were prisoners." She pondered a moment. "What of you?"

"I am an old man. I wish to make no changes now."

"How do you become a member of the family?"

"You are given a challenge. Once you complete it you take oaths. Then you are a made man."

"A made man?"

"An official member... accepted."

"Does it involve bloodshed?"

"Most of the time."

"What sort of oaths?"

"Oaths of loyalty and obedience and silence."

"Silence?"

"Omerta. It is an old code. We grow up with it."

"So no more flowers?"

Gwen shook her head. She had reluctantly returned Tobias' shirt and he was fastening the buttons at his wrists.

He had his back to her nakedness. "I wish there were something I could do in their place."

"The shirt for a time was gift enough." Not making me have sex with you.

He turned to her, "Some consider me a generous man." He saw the wheels turning in her mind. "Perhaps there is something then?"

"Perhaps."