Initiation

This story is very loosely inspired by some of the scenes in the movie Eyes Wide Shut. It's very different, plot-wise, but you may see a few similarities here and there.

It is in Loving Wives for good reasons that will become clear as the story progresses.

Everyone depicted is over 18 and no camels or sheep were harmed in the writing of this story.

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Tonight was the big night. Ted Archer was finally joining the inner circle. It was said that with Initiation came a life of wealth, prosperity, and power. It had taken him ten years of hard work, fanatical devotion, and personal sacrifices to make it to this turning point in his life. Tonight, it would all be made worthwhile.

Ted believed that after tonight, he would be set, a made-man, of sorts. He knew that once undergoing Initiation, he could make it up to his wife, Audrey, for eight years of neglect as he fought his way up the corporate ladder. He could reconnect with his soulmate and finally start the family that they had put off all these years.

Ted Archer was an Associate Vice President at Raventree Investments, in charge of Asset Growth Management. He had started with the firm a little more than ten years ago, after completing an MBA at the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. He started at the bottom, cold-calling prospects, then scratched and clawed his way up through the ranks in one of the most cut-throat companies in a cut-throat industry.

Landing the job with Raventree was like a dream come true. It was one of the most successful firms of its kind, managing the wealth of the top one percent of the one percent wealthiest people. Working at Raventree was like going into battle. Every day it was kill, or be killed. Initially, the pay was purely commission-based. Do well, and you lived well. Do poorly, and you starved.

Ted did very well. So well, in fact, that his efforts didn't go unnoticed by the executives at the firm. It didn't take long for them to take an active interest in his career and to designate him as a prospect for being brought into their secretive inner circle.

As you achieved milestones at Raventree, your commission structure changed. The more you generated, the more you earned. As you moved up the hierarchy, your potential for serious wealth grew proportionally to the amount of profit you brought the company and the amount of new business you generated. You were valued by the value of your portfolio.

As he dressed for the night, putting on the required tuxedo, he thought back over the past decade and especially that one night nearly ten years ago...

Early in his career, Ted had been given a glimpse of the future. As a new arrival in the executive fast-track program, Sir James Raventree, the mysterious and aloof founder and President of the company, had invited him to a weekend retreat at his palatial estate.

Ted had been wined, dined, and pampered. He was surrounded by a nearly endless supply of beautiful young women for the entire weekend, all of whom wanted to spend time with him. He felt like a king. The first night, he had some of the best sex of his young life, including a threesome with two of the hottest women Ted had ever seen.

On the final day, when Ted returned from working out in the gym, he found a large, decorative box lying on his bed, upon which rested a small off-white envelope with his name on it. He opened the envelope to find a small card, emblazoned with the company logo of a raven perched on the branch of an ancient and gnarly tree.

The message appeared hand-written and read:

"Your presence is requested this evening in the Grand Ballroom at precisely 8:00. Wear the contents of the box and present this card as a token of admission. Speak to no one until instructed otherwise."

He opened the box to find several curious things. On top was a Venetian mask that, when worn, would cover the top half of his face, while leaving his mouth exposed. It was made of pure white porcelain and unadorned in any manner. Beneath that he found an entire ensemble, including shoes and socks, boxers, a crisply ironed white shirt, a black tuxedo, and a long, black, hooded robe with a red-silk interior.

"How Gothic," Ted remarked to himself as he inspected the garments.

Dressing, he couldn't help but notice that everything fit perfectly. A few minutes before eight, he slipped the mask on and admired himself in the mirror. He felt silly but also excited. This was definitely one of the strangest things he had ever done.

He picked up the envelope and left his room. When he reached the ground floor, he spotted several other hooded and robed figures walking toward the Grand Ballroom and joined the flow. No one spoke as he walked along in eerie silence.

Upon reaching the gilded and ornate double doors, a large masked man, in similar attire, held out a gloved hand expectantly. Ted handed him the invitation, and the man nodded and waved his arm, indicating Ted could enter.

Two other guards opened the door. Beyond them, large velvet curtains blocked his view. Ted stepped over the threshold, and the doors closed behind him. He looked around in the dimly lit space. Another hooded figure waited in the corner with his right arm raised, pointing down a corridor formed between the wall and curtains.

Ted turned to his right and approached the sentry, then turned and walked down the narrow walkway. The passage ended at an opening in the curtained walls, guarded by two more of the sentries. He stepped through and found the interior filled with several large, round tables, draped in long white tablecloths. Each table was surrounded by eight ornately carved, high back chairs, with red velvet cushions.

People were seated at about half of the chairs, randomly about the room. The wait staff, dressed in black pants and shirts, with simple black, Lone Ranger style masks, was busy pouring water and wine for the seated guests.

Another of the sentries appeared before Ted and gestured for him to follow. The hooded figure led Ted to the third table and gestured to a chair. Ted sat, and immediately a waiter appeared on each side of his seat, one filling his wine glass with a dark red vintage, the other filling his water glass.

Across the table, another guest bowed his head slightly in greeting. Ted did the same, acknowledging the other's presence without speaking. He wondered if he knew anyone else there, looking for any signs of recognition, but there was nothing and no one that stood out.

Ted was excited as he sat there looking about the room. He felt incredibly proud that Sir James had invited him to participate in this strange ceremony. He felt elite for the first time in his life. His sharp eyes noticed a few things.

First, only men sat around the tables. Granted, it was hard to tell, but everyone wore tuxedos. Second, only a small number of the people he saw wore white masks like his. Most people had fancier, well-decorated masks. For example, the other person seated at Ted's table had a mask painted with black and white stripes.

As he contemplated this, another person approached his table. He had difficulty walking and had to hold onto the arm of the sentry. His mask was covered in raised patterns of solid silver, resembling paisley, with a purple background. The newcomer raised his wine glass with a trembling hand covered in age spots and wrinkles and took a sip.

The man with the black and white mask raised his glass in return, gesturing with it first to the older man, then to Ted. He seemed to wait for Ted to pick up his wine glass. The man nodded, then drank. Ted took a sip of the rich-tasting wine, then returned his glass to the table.

More and more people arrived, and within a few minutes, all of the seats filled. That's when things became interesting. A gong sounded, and the curtains on the far side of the room parted, just like at a theater. However, instead of revealing a stage, they opened onto the other half of the ballroom, filled with a strange array of items.

At the end of the room stood an altar of some sort, and above it hung a large golden circle. Inside the ring, made of gold, was a gnarled looking tree with a raven perched on an extended branch - the logo of Raventree.

The room was illuminated by a ring of flaming torches held by black-hooded figures in robes that completely concealed them. In the center of the circle of flames, a solitary figure, in the red cassock of a priest or cardinal, with a full-faced mask with horns, that resembled a goat. In his left hand, he held a censer, dangling from a chain, emitting copious amounts of smoke. In his right hand, he held a long, wooden staff.

He struck the floor three times with the butt of the staff. The sound boomed and echoed around the chamber ominously. Everyone not wearing a white mask stood. All of the white-masked guests, Ted included, looked around, confused momentarily, then stood with everyone else.

The red-robed figure spoke, his voice deep, loud, and strong and instantly recognizable. Sir James Raventree.

"Welcome members and guests to our most sacred of ceremonies - Initiation. Each year, we come together in fraternal fellowship to welcome new candidates into our ancient and mystical inner circle. Their hard work and dedication to our cause has earned them this honor, this privilege. You may be seated."

Everyone returned their seats. Ted raised his wine and drained what was left.

"In addition," continued the red-garbed priest, "we welcome among us, those bright, devoted, and exceptional prospects we have chosen to be here to witness and learn what may be in store for them in the future. Rise, prospects!"

At that, the two people on either side of Ted, gestured for him to stand. Nervously, Ted rose to his feet and looked around the room. One person at each table also stood.

"You are the best of the best of our new generation! We have chosen you to join our venerable order. Initiation is the path to fulfilling your dreams. Initiation will make you our brothers. Initiation will make you one of us. However, this is only the first step for you. You have to earn Initiation. You must dedicate yourselves even more to our goals and our success. When you have proven you deserve a place among us, we will summon you again. Only then will you be Initiated and have the right to partake of our blessings. It could take years for you to earn your place among us.

"So, why have we brought you here, if only to tell you that you must work hard for years in the chance of gaining Initiation? We brought you here to show you your potential future. No one outside our inner circle will ever rise to prominence. You have been chosen. You have a chance. None of the others have even that. So, in knowing you have this chance, we expect you to work harder to achieve it.

"You should live, eat, and breathe Raventree. You should marry yourself to Raventree. It should be your wife and your life!"

He struck the floor again with the staff. Strange, eerie music filled the chamber. It was primal and powerful, and Ted could discern a strange chanting within it, similar to Tibetan monks.

The curtains on the left side of the room parted, and a line of white-robed figures entered, walking slowly, in step. Each carried a white candle before them. Their hoods were drawn, and the robes closed tightly, making it impossible to see their bodies, but there was something uniquely feminine about them, even under all of that cloth. Maybe it was the way they walked or the way the hands held the candles.

They slowly circled the room, walking around the red priest, counter-clockwise three times. As they passed by, Ted counted them. There were eight of them, just like there were eight white-masked prospects. One by one, they stopped and placed their candles into a tall stand, forming a large ring about the man in red. Each of them moved to stand in front of the candles, facing the man Ted knew was Sir James.

The red priest struck his staff onto the floor once more, and in response, the shrouded figures pulled their hoods back, revealing they were women, each with long hair, pulled back into a ponytail, wearing the same half-faced white mask that Ted wore.

Ted found himself breathing hard.

The priest struck the staff, and the girls reached up to untie their robes on command. He banged it again, and all eight robes dropped to the floor in unison, leaving the women wearing only a white thong. Now that he could see them, Ted realized they seemed young, with beautiful bodies, full breasts, and ample hips. Each girl stepped over their robes and knelt on both knees, still facing the center.

Ted started to sweat and adjusted his collar. He was acutely aware that he was still standing near the back of the room. He felt his cock stiffening in his pants and hoped it didn't make them stick out like a tent.

The priest stamped the staff again. With the resonating boom, the girls all placed their hands on the floor then slowly prostrated themselves before Sir James, in apparent total submission. Sir James then circled the girls, waving the censer over each one, chanting in some strange tongue. The girls responded, in the same mysterious language.

Sir James then walked to the altar and placed the censer on it, and knelt, again chanting unintelligibly. Like the girls, he prostrated himself, then rose and removed some cloth, laying it on the altar. When he turned around, the lower front portion of his robe had been removed, and his erection was clearly visible.

Ted almost gasped in shock.

"What the fuck?" he thought. "What kind of place is this?"

He stared in disbelief as Sir James returned to the circle of girls, facing directly toward the seated members and struck his staff twice. The girls all slowly slid back on their heels, then rose to a kneeling position, arms by their sides.

The red priest circled the girls again, stopping in front of each of them. Each of the girls leaned forward one by one, took his erection in their mouth, and sucked on it, slowly working it up and down. He stayed with each girl no more than sixty seconds.

Ted was dumbfounded. He wanted to run away and forget what he'd seen, but at the same time, it strangely drew to him. His cock was completely erect and was sticking out plainly for all to see. He also thought about his future, the wealth, the power, the prestige. He looked around the room at all of the masked men, the Initiates. They had all been in his shoes once. They had all made it. They had what he wanted.

Ted swallowed hard and continued to watch the drama unfolding across the room.

When the priest finished with the last of the eight girls, he returned to the altar and retrieved a large chalice. He turned to face the room and masturbated rapidly, then groaned as he ejaculated into the vessel. Ted felt light-headed.

Sir James then placed the chalice back on the altar and poured what looked like wine into it, then stirred the mixture slowly with an ornate, golden spoon. Finally, he placed the spoon on the altar, retrieved the vessel, and returned to the circle. He approached each of the girls and offered the cup. Each girl took it and drank from it.

When all of the girls had drunk, Sir James returned the cup to the altar, replaced the lower skirt of his robes, picked up his staff and censer, and returned to the center of the room. He stamped the staff three times. The girls rose, retrieved their candles, circled the room, and exited the way they had come.

"Speak now, prospects!" Sir James commanded in his booming voice, startling Ted. "Do you accept our invitation?"

All eyes turned to each of eight white-masked prospects, one by one. "I do!" shouted the first.

"I accept!" stated the second.

"With honor!" declared the third.

Everyone turned to Ted. His breath was ragged, his cock hard and tenting out his dress pants, sweat running down his masked face. "Yes!" he shouted emphatically, "I accept!"

The acknowledgments continued with all eight men accepting their invitations to serve as prospects.

"Your test begins now!" declared the red priest. All of the torches went out, plunging Sir James in darkness. The curtains closed, and sentries appeared taking each of the prospects by the arm and escorting them one by one out of the ballroom. After closing the doors behind them, the outer guard said sternly, "Return to your room, pack your things and leave. Your time here has ended. Speak nothing of this night to anyone, ever, or suffer the consequences."

Now, many years later, here he was again. So much had changed in that time. He had married Audrey, the niece of one of the senior leadership at Raventree. He had risen through the ranks and fought his way to amass a portfolio valued in the billions.

Two days ago, when he returned to his office from an important lunch meeting with a client, he found it sitting on his desk, a small golden box. His hands shook as he opened it. He removed the lid and inside, lying on a bed of cotton sat a single card emblazoned with the Raventree logo. On the back, the only thing written was a date and time: tomorrow night, 8:00 PM.

Ted had been summoned.

That evening, when he returned home, Audrey greeted him with a kiss and a martini. "A package came for you today," she said with a smile. "I put it on the bed."

Ted tried not to appear overly excited. "Oh, by the way," he said, sipping the martini casually. "I have to go to a dinner meeting tomorrow evening. It's a formal affair, black tie, but I'm sorry to say, it's only for me. It's work-related."

Audrey stared at her husband; her eyes examined his face slowly. He hid his feelings well. She smiled and nodded, "I am hoping that one day soon, you won't have to work so hard, and we'll be able to enjoy the life we've made."

"Me too," Ted replied honestly. He kissed his wife, and she clung to him tightly.

"I love you, Ted Archer," she said. "But don't worry about me. I will have dinner with some of the other wives. I should be home before you return, but don't panic if I'm not here."

"Don't be late," he said, "I'm going to be in a mood to celebrate."

Audrey's eyes sparkled, and she smiled lovingly. "You got a deal," she replied, then kissed him again.

Ted finished his martini and headed upstairs. Lying on his bed was a large box, that reminded him of the one he'd found in his room years before. He opened it, and there was a notecard on top. It told him to wear the tuxedo, place the mask and robe in the provided carry bag and bring it to the estate. Upon arrival, he would be directed to a room where he could put on the robe and mask.

He looked through the items, without disturbing them, then set the box aside. Just then, Audrey came in and embraced him from behind, her hands circling his body. "What was the package?" she asked.

"Tuxedo for tomorrow night," he said, then turned around and kissed Audrey passionately.

They fell back on the bed and made love with a passion and intensity that they hadn't felt in years. Things were about to change for the better. Ted could feel it.