The darkness was unpleasant, especially among so many people. As soon as Nela left, Alex left his podium and explored the outer walls. She couldn't possibly keep them all in the locked display without some sort of biological relief and sustenance. At the back of the display was another door with a window. Through the window, Alex could see a long hallway lined with doors. It was exactly the type of set-up Alex assumed would have to be in a place, but he needed assurance. Thankfully, he had plenty of witnesses to question.
Using his phone, which he noted had no signal, Alex illuminated the various people on display. Some were older, some were younger, some were women, and some were men. The one thing they had in common was that they were all beautiful. He spotted an older woman with brunette hair that most would describe as a MILF or cougar. The lack of a wedding ring suggested the latter. That's if Nela hadn't stolen her from a family.
"You are not to panic, but you can unfreeze." Alex said.
The woman's smile faded into a concerned look. It was as much panic as she was allowed to display. The last thing Alex wanted was a woman running loose through the display and attracting attention.
"Am I still here?" the cougar asked.
"I'm afraid so."
"Who are you?"
"My name is Alex. She captured me, but I'm trying to escape."
The woman laughed hysterically.
"You can't escape. She's too powerful. All she does is toy with us."
"Listen to me carefully." Alex said. "I have the same special powers that she has, and I am much stronger. But I need to know how this display works. Do you guys sleep, or eat or use the washroom?"
"If you're so powerful, how did you end up trapped?" the cougar asked in a skeptical tone.
"She used a weakness I didn't know I had. That's not going to happen again."
The woman took a moment to gather herself. It must have been refreshing to see someone not completely under control. What did she have to lose by playing along?
"We are displayed in shifts. One shift is on display for the day and then, at night, we eat, use the washroom, exercise, and then go to bed. Then the night shift comes on." she said.
"And how does that work? Does someone come from that backroom?"
The woman shook her head. "No, it just opens and everything is already prepared. You'd only be able to interact with someone important if you're in there before they make the switch."
"When you go into this room, is it a command or of your own free will?"
"The command is given over the intercom system."
The gears turned in Alex's head.
"Thank you. What's your name?"
"Courtney." The woman said.
"Courtney, I have a plan and I'm going to need you to trust me."
***
5 Years Earlier
Alex now sat at the head table with the bride's family, replacing Rico, who had been escorted out by security. The wedding venue was full and stretched beyond what Alex could even see. The food and drinks seemed unlimited with anything that anyone desired. Even in his wildest dreams with his power, he had never conceived of such an extravagant scenario.
Adding to the excitement were the many opportunities to fool around with people. It was tempting to screw around with the various women that surrounded him, including the hot bride. As much as he'd love to bend her over and fuck her in front of everyone, he was trying to turn a new leaf with Ana. Given his nature, Alex had never really fallen in love before. But after seeing her, he was head over heels.
Ana took a sip from her drink and spit it out.
"Woah, is everything all right?" Alex asked.
"No. This Champagne is not the right temperature."
"What?" Alex said in disbelief. Even someone like him didn't have standards that high.
"Waiter. Waiter!" Ana's voice got higher and more aggravated with each word.
The waiter timidly walked over. "Yes, Miss Garcia."
Ana went into a Spanish tirade and ended it by throwing the drink in the waiter's face before dismissing him. She sat back down beside Alex and smiled politely.
"Is your drink okay?"
Alex took a quick sip and nodded enthusiastically. "It's perfect."
"At least that idiot can do one thing right."
Alex wanted to interject, but decided against it. There was no way Ana was like that all the time. The stress of the wedding and breaking up with Rico were starting to get to her. She just needed a target to let out her anger and the waiter just happened to be that target. Of course, that's what Alex hoped. However, it was too early to tell if that was the real Ana or just the stressed Ana.
To get his mind off the outburst, Alex again looked around at the various happenings. There was so much going on, he'd be a fool to not at least explore it. He grabbed his drink and stood up.