The Ritual Ch 01 Bound

**DISCLAIMER:

All characters in this story are over 18 and purely creations of fiction. This is meant to be a fun story with only a loose connection to real life. This is meant to be read for enjoyment, so hopefully you have some fun reading it. Thanks!**

Going into my senior year of high school my only wish was that the school year would go by as fast as possible and get me out of the hellhole that was high school. As a shy, nerdy, unattractive guy with no friends, school held no joys for me at all. It was instead just being a time of stress and mockery, something that made me miserable. I had no lack of bullies, and their torments were as ceaseless as they were varied. Both physically and emotionally I was targeted. I had little hope that the start of the final year of high school would do anything to change this, not even with how I changed physically since I had finally hit my growth spurt during the summer. It had come late, only arriving as I turned 18 a few weeks before school started.

So I usually tried to get far and away from the campus as soon as possible after my last class, but one day in the second week of school I got a strange note asking me to meet one of my teachers in their science lab after class. While I didn't have any current classes with that teacher, they were the administrator of the school's quiz team, one of the very few school extracurriculars that I actually participated in. Even with that fact I only trudged towards their lab with great reluctance, not wanting to linger for any amount of time in the place I hated so much.

As I got closer to the room I felt a strange lack of people anywhere near me. While I didn't have too much experience with how busy the school was after the last bell rang, it still felt weirdly empty and dark, especially as I got closer to the lab. Arriving at the door I saw that there was no light on in the room, so I only slowly opened the door and tentatively stepped in.

Inside the room I took a few steps further to try and find the light switch when I heard the door shut hard behind me. Turning with fear springing up within me I didn't have time to do much of anything before my arms were pinned to my sides and something was pressed to my mouth to muffle any sound that I might make. To make it even worse a bag was pulled over my head, making the darkness of the room complete.

"I got the nerd, tie him up quick." A gruff voice commanded, and soon I felt my hands pulled behind my back and something being used to bind them together. A mix of panic and terror coursed through me as I tried to figure out what was happening to me. I realized that the note given to me must have been fake, and used to lure me into the room where I would be far from anyone else.

My feet were also soon bound as I felt something tie around my ankles, and my fear only continued to build up. I had been so stunned by the initial terror of being taken I only now began to consider struggling, but by that time my bindings were too tight to resist and I still felt several strong hands controlling me. "Do you think we've got time to give him a swirly?" A voice asked, and I recognized it as Bradley. He was one of the popular football players, and one of the jocks who most loved to torment and bully me. Swirlies had always been a favorite of his, though he had also used many other means to belittle and disgrace me.

"No, you dumbass. You heard the girls, they wanted the loser brought over right away." The first gruff voice responded, and now I realized that the gruffness was an effect put on to mask the voice. Even with it I now realized that it was probably Dutch, another of the football players. He was the star of the football team, and a top athlete in several other sports. He and his girlfriend were the power couple of the school, dominating the social politics. Dutch was also a bully of mine, though his cruelties came more in words and organized social pressure rather than the physical punishments of people like Bradley. Now that I knew both of my assailants I was doubly discouraged from attempting to struggle. Resisting them in any way was a surefire way to make their torture of me even worse.

"Fine, then help me lift him." Bradley responded, his voice showing how clearly disappointed he was in missing the chance to deal out some of his classic bullying techniques. I then felt both pairs of hands lift me up into the air, and there was no gentleness in the way they hoisted me up.

"Damn, what sort of books did this nerd read over the summer that made him get so much bigger. I used to be able to pick him up easily." Bradley complained, groaning in effort a little as they found out how much I had grown during the summer. He had indeed once been able to manhandle me quite easily, which aided him in the many times he had given me a swirly.

"Shut up, you're going to make someone hear us and ruin this. Just hurry and we'll get there fast." Dutch ordered, and already as he struggled with Bradley to quickly move me he had given up trying to disguise his voice.

The next few minutes went in silence, only broken by the occasionally grunt of effort from the two football players as they carried me off to some unknown destination. As I couldn't move because of the bindings, and my mouth was still stuffed by some unknown gag, all I could do as they moved me was wonder in fear about where I was going and why.

I now knew that my kidnappers were two football players. Since they had long been very persistent bullies of mine I might have guessed at first that this was just another of their attacks on my dignity for their own amusement, even if this was a step further than they had gone before. But from what they had said it sounded like that this was not their plan, and that they were working for someone else. Dutch had said they had been commanded by 'The Girls', which didn't give a lot of ground to go on. Plenty of girls had bullied me certainly, but mostly the women of my class had preferred to avoid me at all costs. So what this group of girls wanted with me was beyond my reasoning.

My pondering on why I had been captured and carried off like a prisoner didn't last too long, as soon enough I was brought to my destination. I was set on my feet again and then roughly held and forced to stay still. Whoever wasn't holding me then redid the bindings holding my wrists and feet to tie them to something behind me. Once that was done I felt all the hands leave me, though I was still tied securely enough that I couldn't move most of my body.

"So, we just leave him here for the team?" Bradley asked, and I could hear the cold humor he found in leaving me tied up, blinded, and gagged all by myself. The mention of a team behind this kidnapping of me made my fear grow even more. This wasn't organized by just a few people, but by a larger collective group.

"Yeah, the girls will show up soon, but they wanted us gone first for some reason." Dutch explained, and I heard a little frustration in his voice from having to follow orders and not being told the full story of why he was doing this.

"Anyway, we've done our part. The girls said we'd be paid once they're done with the dork, so let's be off. My cousin said he could score us some beer and weed." Dutch told Bradley excitedly. The last sounds I heard for a while were their hurried footsteps as they left me, and then the slam of a far off door.

I stewed in my terror for a few minutes before I found the resolve to collect myself. While the gag in the mouth prevented me from taking deep breaths, somehow it also made it more difficult for me to hyperventilate, which was helpful. Slowly I calmed down, and now that I was sure Bradley and Dutch were gone I attempted to test my restraints. Sadly they were well tied, and nothing I could do loosened them a bit or got me any more free. I couldn't shake off the hood on my head or spit out the gag either, despite my efforts. I did manage to figure out that I was tied to a pole, and that it was somewhat slender but still sturdy enough to firmly hold me in place.

I was just beginning to fear I'd be left alone like that forever when I heard the first new sound outside my weak struggling. It was a series of light footsteps, much softer than the heavy plods of the football players. Hoping that it was someone who might be sympathetic to my plight I struggled as strongly as I could, hoping that they would come and release me from my binds. But the footsteps remained steady and didn't rush towards me, and I only heard a light and girlish giggle in response to my efforts.

Soon more and more footsteps started to appear, coming in from multiple directions. Whoever these people were I guessed they must be the team that had been mentioned, and I had no hope of rescue from them. Despite them not helping me at all I was able to notice a few things that gave a little more context to my situation. The first was that all the steps moved towards a central location in front of me, which implied some sort of seats gathered there. Next was that among the footsteps there was the occasional squeak, like you might hear on a polished floor. The various people gathering in front of me also occasionally giggled or whispered to each other, and even though these noises were soft and quiet they still echoed, letting me know I was in a large room. From this I guessed I was in a gym, but this piece of information didn't do anything to help me.

Eventually the multitude of footsteps dwindled down and then stopped, and shortly after a single set of footsteps moved a measure closer to me. The room went dead silent, and even with my eyes blinded I could feel a strong wave of anticipation fill the room. It kept building up till it was broken by a strong and confident voice. "I wish to welcome all of you here. It is my pleasure to have so many sisters of dignity and class among us, even some like me who have left this place for greater things. You have all graciously gathered so that we may undergo this sacred ritual, and bear witness to the trial if it is needed." A woman's voice said, speaking with both the weight of someone announcing something dire and with the pride of presenting a distinguished award. I didn't recognize the voice at all but something about the words she said made my whole skin crawl in fear.

The voice continued, speaking like a priestess in front of her secret cult. "It has been my duty, my honor, my privilege to guide this assembly of sisters during the last year, but I must move on and another must ascend to my position. Will those who wish to nominate themselves as candidates stand and present themselves." The voice requested, and soon I heard two sets of footsteps step forward.

What happened next was somewhat hard to follow, as I could not see anything and none of the voices that I heard were familiar enough to distinguish between or recognize. What I did understand was that there were two people vying for leadership, and that they did not like each other at all. It played out somewhat like a political debate. Each candidate was asked to list their qualifications, and during each speech the two contenders spent a good amount of time demeaning the accomplishments of each other in harsh terms. There were also references called for each candidate, to back up their claims and add testimonies as to their character. Much of the examples seemed to be used to highlight the weakness of their opponents. Most of this seemed extremely petty to me, and a good amount of the discourse was lost on me without context. No names were ever used, which continued to leave me completely unaware of who all these people were.

While the candidates were building their cases my fear began to diminish as the initial terrors of being taken and tied up faded away. It wasn't enough that I began to get bored, but it was still enough for me to wonder why I had been brought here for this. Whatever club or team this happened to be, I was far removed from any of its members, as none of the events listed by the candidates or their references were familiar to me. What part of this struggle over leadership I played I could not even guess, though the references to a ritual made me uneasy. I was pretty sure that this wasn't going to be some murder cult or anything, but the more it dragged on the more that fear started to creep back up inside me.

Finally after a multitude of rambling and over formal speeches and a plethora of references the current leader called for a vote. Each voter was asked to cast their vote one by one for either candidate 1 or candidate 2, so I was able to figure out that there were a little over two dozen voters. This helped me figure out a little more of my surroundings, but with still no names being used I was at a loss as to who they might be.

At the end of the vote it appeared that the count came to a tie, with equal support for each candidate. I might have expected some sighs of exasperation or other signs of discontent with the whole process being for naught, but it seemed like this was expected. "As was our prediction, no one leader has gathered enough support among her peers to gain leadership. Within our codes there is a provision for just such an outcome. As per our customs and laws that we have all sworn to uphold, the two candidates may become co-leaders if they undergo the trial of cooperative endurance." The leader's voice announced, letting me know that it was indeed expected to have a split vote. And with how mechanically they were going through these motions it appeared like the whole debate was mostly a formality, done to appease their rules. Whatever this group was, it seemed like they held great reverence for their rules and procedures, and didn't dare break them.

"Candidate 1, did you agree and submit to the trial of cooperative endurance, and pledge to persist through all its challenges and requirements?" The current leader asked, and soon an affirmation was given. The second candidate was given the question, and gave the same affirmation back. It appeared to me that this whole event was some sort of ritual meant to make sure the two candidates could work together, putting them through some sort of test to display their willingness to put aside their dislike for each other and achieve some common goal.

The current leader sighed as if they had been forced into a difficult position that they did not wish to do. "Very well, as our codes of conduct and laws give us no other option, we will enact the trial of cooperative endurance. Because this was anticipated, the required equipment and the ritual subject have all been already gathered and prepared." The leader declared, and I focused when I heard the first mention of something that might be about me. I didn't like the sounds of me being a ritual subject at all, and the idea that this might be a murder cult became harder to ignore.

"The trial will test the commitment of these candidates to our sisterhood. It will test their endurance and determination to overcome their own disgust and distaste in favor of the sisterhood. It will test their cooperation to work together for the good of the sisterhood. It will test their willingness to be servant leaders, not ashamed to put away their pride for the betterment of the sisterhood." The voice was nearly chanting out the words like a religious liturgy. My anticipation grew along with my fear, and together they became terror of what might soon happen to me.

"Attendant, please reveal the ritual subject so that the contestants may confirm his suitability for the trial." The leader commanded, and soon after I felt the hood on my head be pulled off. I was expecting the area to be dark and only lit by candles or something because of the cultish atmosphere of what had happened so far. Instead the room was lit up as bright as possible, and after being in darkness for so long I had to blink my eyes and adjust to the blinding light.

Once I had adjusted I got my first look at where I was and who was around me. My suspicions had been correct about my location, as I was in one of the gyms of the school. I was in the middle of the court facing a set of bleachers, and it seemed like the pole I was attached to was one used for the volleyball nets. Across from me was a large group of girls, both senior's like me and a few that I knew had graduated last year. Though they weren't in their uniforms I knew that all these girls were on the cheerleading team.

What they were dressed in was quite surprising. Each girl wore an unusual garment of brillant pure white. It was made up of white cloth wrapped around their torsos somewhat like a toga. They were worn in such a way that a good amount of skin was showing on all of the girls, with the togas only barely going down past their waists leaving their legs completely bare. Even their feet were bare. This all added a great deal to the cult like atmosphere, even without creepy candles lighting up the room. Most of the girls were seated on the bleachers a short distance away from me, but a few were standing in between the bleachers and I. A little ways to my right one was dressed in shining gold silks instead of the white, and I assumed her to be the leader. I recognized her enough to know that she had graduated last year, so she must have come back to pass down her position. Next to her were two other girls, one who had just walked back from taking off my hood and the other held a large leather bound tome. These I assumed to be acting as the leader's attendants. Lastly were two girls standing on either side of me, facing each other with scowls. These were clearly the two candidates who were vying for the captain's position.

Both the candidates I recognized. One was Peyton, the girlfriend of Dutch. She had been together with him since middle school, and had been an active partner with him in my bullying. In fact, she had often been the mastermind behind most of their plans. Peyton spread rumors about me and created stories that made me even more weird to our classmates than I actually was, and did all she could to make sure I was kept an outcast. She was always one of the most popular people around, carefully maintaining her social standing. When it came time for it she was almost guaranteed to be named prom queen.

Peyton looked like a stereotypical prom queen as well. She had long, perfect blonde hair done up into a long tight braid and had bright blue eyes. She was tall, just a bit shorter than I was, and with how short her toga was I could see almost all of her long slender legs. Her toga was wrapped around her not as neatly as some others were, and it showed a decent amount of the cleavage created by her large breasts.

The other candidate was Maci. Maci was also quite popular, though not quite to the level of Peyton. Instead of spending all her time socializing and cultivating her friend groups Maci was a superb athlete, which made her decision to try and balance all her seasonal teams along with cheerleading the bane of every coach who worked with her. Maci had not been a particularly active bully of mine, but whenever we interacted she had made it clear how little she thought of me and how much she hated having to be even within speaking distance of me.

Maci was shorter than Peyton, and her body more petite overall. She had medium length auburn hair with bouncy curls that were loose at the moment. Maci's eyes were a deep emerald green that could seem to pierce right through you. Her toga was wrapped neatly around her extremely athletic frame.

Maci and Peyton had once been close friends, the closest of confidants since before even middle school. But something very early in high school had split them up, and even I knew of the legendary bad blood that boiled between them. It didn't help my worries when I found out that the two girls competing with each other in some sort of trial that involved me detested each other probably only a little less than they disliked me.