At the End of What Comes Next

People ask me how I came to be apart of The Network's family. It's a long story that shocks a lot of people. They ask me if I miss my friends and family, but The Network are my friends and my family too. They ask how I can trust them after the way I met them, but they're just don't understand, they don't see the people like I do, they see a bunch of freaks in masks. I'll tell you my story, maybe you'll see what the others don't.

That night started out like so many others, walking home from work. My route takes me through some pretty dodgy areas of the city, but it's quicker than waiting for the bus, and besides, I love this place, it's my home away from home. I always had the mentality that no-one would bother me anyway. Who would want to rape some dumpy, pale English girl, when you could have a gorgeous L.A model with legs up to her armpits?

That night though, I had the feeling that someone was following me... not that I could see anyone or even hear them, but that feeling, I couldn't shake it. It was like I had a spider crawling up my arm, only to slap it away to find nothing there. But the itch was still there, the thought that it was climbing higher, the tickle of legs that weren't there. The cold feeling of dread crept up on me as I quickened my pace. I was certain if I stopped or slowed down, I would be done for. Left in a ditch to rot, hacked to pieces by some knife welding maniac, because it happens y'know? You see it on the news every other day. My paranoia made me shiver to my very core.

Streets and roads passed by in a blur. My street was approaching fast now, I'd nearly beaten my unknown terror. Then I remembered the alley. The dimly lit stretch of pavement that lead me to my door. I've always hated that alley, even in broad daylight it was nerve-wrecking enough. At night, it's perfect for the shady characters of the city to gather and go about their business. Hookers, junkies and dealers are given just enough privacy from the road, thanks to the curve in the middle of it.

As I approached it, I was surprised to see it empty. In hindsight, that should have been enough to warn me off, but when you're scared, you do strange things, make silly mistakes. I rushed down the alley, not even thinking about what could be lurking down there. I could feel my heart thumping away, the pressure in my head was deafening me, the stench of rotten garbage making me gag. As I reached my door, I dug into my bag for my keys in a panic, knowing that whatever was chasing me would be on top of me in a matter of seconds. My fingers brushed against the cold metal as I grabbed them. Pulling them out of my bag, I fumbled and dropped them, cursing loudly. There was a rustling behind me. I knew then that I wasn't just paranoid. I froze, rooted to the spot. I could smell him behind me, an expensive men's aftershave, exotic, intoxicating. I felt him brush up behind me. He hesitated for a few seconds, probably waiting for me to fight back, then grabbed for me. A callused hand smashed down over my mouth, squashing my nose.

I could taste cigarettes and alcohol on his fingers. His other arm found it's way around my body, managing to hold both my arms in place, making it impossible for me to fight back even if I had been able to. He was breathing heavily onto the back of my neck, his hot breath only adding to my chills. He whispered hoarsely into my ear "Don't scream, don't scream and you won't get hurt". I managed to nod meekly, and seemingly satisfied with my response, he removed his hand from my mouth. Giving me only a moment to recover my composure slightly, he forced me against the wall. Using his weight to keep me in place, he grabbed my wrists and forced them behind my back. The rough brick work scraped against my face as my tears began to fall silently. He secured my hands using a cable tie, then pulled me back and to the floor.

Through my watery vision, I saw my captor for the first time. Looking up to his head, I saw his features were hidden by a mask, the kind that you see wrestlers wear on TV. It cut away at the mouth, revealing a strong jaw and pink lips. His body was stocky, with strong, muscular arms and toned legs, covered up with dark clothing. A bit of a middle-age spread made me realize that this was an older man. I was struck by how nervous he was, like this was the first time he'd done this. He was too busy fiddling with his mobile phone to notice me watching him."Fink...it's me. I've got her... she's conscious... no, she's pretty compliant... do I have to? She's...ok, ok...I'll do it, just get here and pick me up..."He finished his call and looked down at me. "So, Shell" I flinched. How did he know my name? "I'm sorry to do this to you, but my boss thinks it'll be easier if you're unconscious" He reached into his back pocket and brought out a brown bottle and a cloth. I started to panic again, having seen enough crime shows to work out that he was dabbing enough chloroform on the cloth to knock me out.

"Please... no...no...don't do this! I'll do whatever you want!" finally finding my voice.

"I'm sorry, I have to." He lent forward and kissed my lips softly. My heart was thumping in my chest. That didn't concern me as much as the throbbing in a more intimate area. This man was kidnapping me, there was at least one other person involved, this "Fink" he'd spoken to, why was I so turned on? "Sweet dreams" he whispered, bringing the cloth up to my mouth. I held my breath until I couldn't take the burning sensation in my lungs anymore, and took a deep breath in. The sweet-smelling vapours got to work immediately. The world became dark as I lost the fight to stay awake. The last thing I remember is hearing a vehicle pull into the alley.

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Coming to, my senses were screaming. There was a thumping in my head which felt like a boxer having a title fight against my skull, the ringing in my ears only added to the effect. The air was thick with cigarette smoke that made my mouth dry. My vision was too blurred to see my new environment, but the sensation of being watched was back. There was voices too, but I was still too dazed to make out the conversation. It wasn't until I tried to move that I felt the physical pain the anaesthetic was still hiding from me. My arms were still behind me, still bound by a cable tie. My squeal of discomfort alerted my captors to my now awake state. Blinking, my vision cleared enough to see the men before me. One was dressed in a yellow shiny, too-tight suit with what seemed to be a matching mask , the other was in a brown overcoat. His face was covered in bandages, like he'd been in a severe fire. Perched on the top of his head was a brown hat. As he approached me, I got a whiff of sauerkraut.

"She's awake then" he sneered, "you better go tell the boss." His accomplice nodded and hurried out the door. Turning to me, he roughly grabbed my face and pulled it close to his. "Now, you'd better be a good little girl when the boss gets here, otherwise your pretty ass will be mine!"

"Now, now, Van Gough, that's no way to welcome our newest guest." My tormentor backed away, startled.

"Svengali! I.. I.. was just telling her the pecking order here..." Van Gough sounded panicked. The newcomer looked less than impressed.

"Cut her free Van, then get out of here." Van released me from my bondage and slunk out of the room. The muscles in my arms screamed back into life as Svengali approached me. He offered me his hand and pulled me to my feet. "My name is Dr. Svengali, although most do away with the formalities of my title." He offered me his hand again "You, I believe, are Shell, yes?"I was taken aback by another person knowing my name. Just how long had they been watching me anyway? "You have a lot of questions, I'd imagine. Let's take a walk to your new accommodation."

Leading me out of the room, I finally got a good look at Svengali. Impossibly tall with a mop of thick black hair, his handsome features accentuated by a silver ring through one nostril. His arms were heavily tattooed, each piece of artwork obviously having a lot of meaning to it's canvas. His slender frame led down to his long legs, which where making it difficult to keep up with him. His accent was Eastern European, although I was having a hard time pin pointing the country it belonged to.

"This building belongs to The Network. The Network are managed by me, although I am not in charge of them. Fink and his good lady are in control of them. You'll meet them soon enough." I was struggling to keep up with what he was saying and where he was taking me. Doors and hallways passed us by as he led me around the seemingly enormous building. Finally coming to a stop at a walnut door, he pressed a key into my palm. "I hope you enjoy yourself here, and if you need anything, just ask. I'll be around." With that, he walked away, turning into yet another hallway. I looked the the key he had given me, it was attached to a long silver chain with a clasp at either end. "A necklace?" I thought with a smile "Why not." I opened the door with the key, then closed the clasp around my neck. The key buried its self down the front of my top, coming to a rest between my boobs.

Closing the door, I surveyed my new surroundings. The room was nothing special, dark but cosy. A double bed took up the majority of the space on one wall, the covers pristine white. A small wooden mirrored dressing table and matching wardrobe sat on the left, with a door leading to a en-suite. A small but fully functional kitchenette area was to the right of the bed. Moving further in, I noticed a note on the mirror of the dressing table.

"Dear Shell,

You are to shower, dress and prepare yourself to be presented before Fink and I. You will find suitable cosmetics in the bathroom, and appropriate clothing in the wardrobe. You are to be ready to be collected at 11pm.

See you soon,

T"

"T?" I thought out loud. "Must be Fink's 'good lady' Svengali was talking about" I looked to my watch, finding the face shattered. Behind the broken glass, I could see it read 10:00. Plenty of time to "prepare myself" as the note insisted.

Setting the note down, I entered the bathroom. Scanning the shelves, I saw what appeared to be the contents of my bathroom cabinets. All my favourite shampoos and conditioners, body washes and moisturisers right down to the hand soap sitting on the sink. More evidence that they had been watching me. Shrugging off the unsettling feeling, I stripped and got into the shower, letting the hot water pulse onto my bare back. As I carefully washed my long black hair, my thoughts turned the man who kidnapped me. His hands, his arms, his body, his voice, his breath... and there it was again. That heat, the throb, the longing to be touched. Why was my body betraying me like this? He kidnapped me, he knocked me out, doing god only knows what to me. He brought me to this place, leaving me in the care of a man smelling like a German delicacy, and there I was getting ready to be "presented" to the head honchos? And I'd been left alone? Why hadn't I escaped yet? Cursing my own stupidity, I quickly rinsed myself off and jumped out of the shower. I dressed and walked to the door. I pressed my ear to the door, listening for the slightest sound and hearing only silence, I opened it.

"Going somewhere?!" That growl. That smell. Van Gough. Crap. Before I could move, he grabbed me by the throat, choking the scream from me and slammed me against the wall, pinning me there. He reached over and closed the door, then focused his attentions on me. "I told you to behave yourself, didn't I?" He squeezed my neck further, cutting off my breath. I panicked and started to scratch at his arm, kicking my legs, anything to get him to release his grip. After what seemed like forever, he removed his hand from my windpipe, and in one swift move, let me fall to the floor. Laying in a crumpled heap, I prayed that he was done with me, but he had a point to prove. He grabbed me by my still-dripping hair and dragged me across the room until we were in front of the bed. "You're going to be sorry for trying to escape, bitch. Now kneel in front of me." The mask on this face hid his expression, but the menace in his voice was apparent enough for me to comply with his demand. He sat on the edge of the bed with his legs apart. I looked up, tears forming in my eyes in realization of what he expected from me. "Come on slut, you should know what I want." He reached down and palmed the growing bulge forming in his trousers.

"Please.. I wasn't... Honest, please don't..." My voice hitched and broke as fat tears rolled down my cheeks. He broke into a terrifying grin, the first time I'd seen the mask move.

"Oh you weren't trying to escape, silly me. I'll just go and let you carry on about your business then." The sarcasm practically dripped from his voice. "Stupid slut, you thought I'd buy that?" He raise his hand and slapped me hard across the face. The force pushed me to the floor and I lay there, too stunned to even sob. My respite didn't last for long, as Van pulled me back into position by my hair. "I'm not playing around slut" He growled, undoing the zip on his trousers and pulling out his stiff cock. The head was an angry red colour and already shiny from his pre-cum. "Suck it. And if I feel teeth, you'll be eating all your meals through a straw."

"Please Van, I can't... I'm sorry, I won't do it again, I promise, but please, don't make me"I knew I was babbling, and I knew he was raising his hand to hit me again but I couldn't bring myself to put his...his dick in my mouth. He growled a final warning and started bringing his hand down. A rap at the door stopped him in mid air.

"Shell? Are you ready?" The voice on the other side sounded concerned. "I'm coming in..." The door opened and a man entered. I looked over to the door to see the stunned face of my kidnapper staring open mouthed at the scene before him. "What the fuck? Van, what the fuck are you doing?! Get out of here before I do something you'll regret!" Van Gogh spat at me, before making a run for it, past my kidnapper and out the door. He slammed the door and turned to look at me, sobbing with relief on the floor. Gathering me up in his strong arms, he settled me onto the bed and held me until my tears subsided. I finally looked up, and stared into a pair of baby blue eyes. I instantly felt safe, I knew that anything could happen but if he was near me, I'd be fine, protected. He smiled softly, then frowned at his watch. "We're going to be late... go fix your hair and face, I'll pick you an outfit" I nodded and hurried into the en-suite. I washed my face, brushed my hair and applied some concealer and foundation to tone down the redness on my cheek. I put on some eyeliner and mascara, finally feeling a little more attractive. He poked his head around the door and passed me some clothes and a pair of black satin peep toe heels. "Come on, get dressed, we've got five minutes!"I nodded as he closed the door. Looking at the clothes he'd given me, I saw that he'd even thought of underwear, a black lacy bra and matching thong. They fitted perfectly, the bra enhancing my naturally large cleavage. Picking up the next item, I un-folded it to see a beautiful black strapless dress, fitted at the top with a full skirt. I put it on and was excited to see that it too fitted me perfectly, like it was made to order. Slipping on the shoes to complete my outfit, I'd never felt so glamorous. I quickly fixed my hair, then walked into the bedroom. He was looking in the opposite direction, so I coughed quietly. He turned to me with a wide, easy grin. "Wow. I knew that dress would be perfect for you. You look amazing." I giggled and blushed.

"Thank you, I love it."

"We'd better be going." he smiled "As much as I'd like to keep you all to myself, you've got some important people to meet." He led me to the door and escorted me out.

We worked our way around the building in silence until we came to a large set of red double doors. He turned to me, taking me hand.

"Look, just do as they say and don't answer them back. Don't speak unless you're spoken to, either. You'll be fine, I'm sure." He then knocked twice on the door. A female voice called us in . He took the lead again, and we walked into the middle of a huge plushly decorated room. The décor was a lot of red and black, with loops of fabric draped round, cushions everywhere, and thousands of candles giving the room a beautiful amber glow. Compared to my room, the luxury was overwhelming. Sat in the middle on a huge sofa were a man and a woman. The man was short, wearing a shiny red suit with what appeared to be a tail and a black and white fabric mask, cut away at the eyes and mouth. The woman was around the same height as the man. She had long hair, mostly black with a large patch of green at the front. Her skin was pale, almost porcelain white, with defined eyes thanks to the heavily applied eyeliner. Her body was beautiful, curvaceous, clothed in a black beaded corset and a knee-length black pencil skirt with green jewellery, perfectly matching her hair. Black killer heels completed her outfit We stopped a few meters in front of the couple, standing completely still. They stared at us for a few minutes before the woman stood and walked over. She circled us, inspecting me in particular, then sat back down, whispering to the man. They conferred for a few minutes, then she turned back to us.

"Snoo, you've made an excellent choice. She's very pretty."

"Thank you Tessie, I'm glad you approve." The man next to me beamed with pride. I could only blush deep red. She started speaking again.

"Are you ready to initiate her?" I looked up at Snoo, confused. He looked nervous, but nodded. "Behind you is a table. There is a pair of handcuffs on the table. Restrain her wrists." Snoo turned to comply with her orders, I watched as he picked up the cuffs and brought them over to me.

"Wait...what's happening?" My panic was rising thought of being restrained again. Tessie spoke up.

"Snoo is going to initiate you into the group."

"What? By handcuffing me?"

"No, by handcuffing you, then fucking you in whatever way we see fit. If you keep answering me back like this, you're going to end up fucking a lot more people than just Snoo here." I fell silent at that, eager to not have another run in with Van Gough in particular. Snoo took hold of my hands. I turned to him, looked straight into those beautiful eyes and nodded. He applied the cuffs without breaking my gaze. We both turned back to Tessie and Fink, awaiting our next instructions. Fink was whispering something in Tessie's ear.

"Ohhh Fink, that's an excellent idea. Snoo, strip her to her underwear please." I opened my mouth to protest, but sensing that it could end badly for me, I quickly shut it. Snoo got to work, unzipping my dress, letting it fall to my feet, then helping me step out of it. He picked it up and threw it out of harms way. The next instruction came straight away. "Shell, climb up onto the table and kneel on all fours" Leaning on Snoo for support, I managed to get into position fairly easily, but felt terribly exposed in my thin lacy underwear. Having all eyes on me was exciting though, and I could feel the heat flowing through my body. Tessie murmured her and Fink's approval. "Wow, check out the boobs on her! And that ass! Snoo, it's time to punish her for opening her pretty little mouth without permission earlier. Connect the cuffs to the chain on the table, then spank her."

"Oh god" I thought, "He's gonna spank me? It's like they read my mind!" Although shy and quiet around most people, my previous few partners found out to their advantage that I get off quite easily on being spanked. The thought of Snoo spanking me was already making me tremble with anticipation. Lost in my thoughts, I didn't even notice Snoo position himself to the side of me and raise his hand. He brought it down sharply. I moaned softly, not wanting to give too much away too soon. His slaps to my round ass became quicker and growing in force until the whole of my ass was bright red. My moans were becoming louder and more obvious, but I was so in the moment that I had forgotten that anyone else was there until Tessie interrupted with the next instructions.