And so They Came

ONE

The sound of steel grinding steel filled the air as the fire escape ladder was pulled down. The loud clink and rattling noise when the ladder hit metal hinges woke her up. It only took a quick moment before she realized what made the sound - where it came from - and worse of all - why it's even possible.

Her heart hammered in her chest as panic struck and surged through her body, paralyzed her. She gazed at the half-open window and wanted to leap forward from her bed in an attempt to shut it and lock it, but she was unable to move a muscle. The sound of heavy footsteps climbing the ladder emerged through the warm humid night air. Somewhere in the city a dog barked and a motorcycle snarled as it accelerated to round a street corner, otherwise, nothing else could be heard accept those heavy footsteps finding its way up the steel ladder.

It didn't take long before the sound of footsteps died out as they reached the target destination, and dark silhouettes of not one but two men emerged outside her window. Now silence swelled up to fill the space, both inside her room and inside her head. She couldn't think. She wanted to scream, surely someone would hear her desperate cries. But for an unknown reason, she stopped herself, almost as if she wanted and anticipated something to happen. And whatever the anticipation was, it is slowly making her body respond as blood flows to parts of her body, steadily making her dizzily warm inside despite the panic and fear.

Mio came to Vancouver 3 months ago, arrived just a couple of weeks before her class started. She was very excited about this. A whole new chapter was about to begin, that's what Mio and her parents viewed it as when the acceptance letter from the University of British Columbia made its way to her home village in Japan. Her parents were very proud of her, the hard work and determination clearly paid off.

At the age of 20, it was Mio's first time living alone this far from home, but the thought of studying abroad and the experience that comes with it easily won over any doubts. It was a bit scary at first, as she lived a sheltered life back home with her parents in a small village in the Kagoshima region - by the coast of Southern Japan. She wasn't used to the constant frenzy and bustling that comes with big-city life, let alone in a foreign country. However, the adventurous side of her that always rebelled and protested her conscience, and usually comes out victorious of any pondering situations - did so once again.

Standing at 5 feet 2 with a medium frame, Mio was considered to be of average height and build in Japan, however here in Canada she noticed how much smaller she was compared to the girls at her school. She had been active her whole life, with plenty of daily walking as a means to get around as public transportation was limited in her home village. This resulted in tone legs and thighs which suited her medium figure, slim waist, and smaller bust. Her silky black hair was just past her shoulders, deep dark eyes, plumb lips, and a small nose made up the rest of her face. Her grandfather used to call her "ningyo" which means doll in Japanese because of her subtle but attractive features and light creamy complexion. At this young age and recently fully blossomed into a woman, she drew attention from men whether intentionally or not.

In Vancouver, she found a small bachelor apartment about 20 minutes bus ride to the university campus. She was thrilled when she found out how open and bright the place was. For an affordable rent, it came with a few essential furniture and a separate entrance as it was on the 2nd floor of a two-storey building. Her apartment was located at the back, facing a narrow alley.

The apartment has a small balcony at the back, right in front of a large window where her bed was placed. The balcony had a steel ladder attached to it, the kind used during an emergency escape. From the balcony, Mio had a clear view of the back alley and part of MacKenzie Street which ran perpendicular to the apartment. Most of MacKenzie St. was blocked from her view due to other buildings, however, she could see a bus stop approximately 30 meters from her balcony.

When she first moved in, she used to explore the streets nearby, looking for restaurants and coffee shops. She had only strolled along MacKenzie St. a couple of times as there was nothing but a few houses. She once walked by that same bus stop, looked up and could see her balcony, and liked the idea that her balcony could only be seen if someone stood by the bus stop. It's nice to have privacy since she tends to study on the balcony.

TWO

It was the last week of September; a time of the year where happy and sad memories and nostalgia all mixed up in Mio. This was due to her grandmother - which she was very close to, passed away at the end of September 4 years ago. And ever since, Mio had coped with the loss by replicating her grandmother's favorite things to do when she was still alive. Like the September following her passing, Mio went to her grandmother's favorite restaurant in the village and ordered her favorite local dish. The year after, Mio filled her parents' house with grandmother's beloved Camellia flower, filling the entire house with the scent of Camellia. It was a way to keep a strong bond alive.

This year wasn't easy since she was living so far from home, and there weren't many things here that connected her to Japan, let alone her village and grandmother. Mio searched her memories many times, in hope of keeping the tradition going. Then she remembered a story her grandmother once told her:

When grandma was a little girl, her mother would tie a piece of garment to the tall weeping cherry tree in front of their house as means of communication - like sending out a message of sort. There was a color code to this; a yellow piece of garment meant dinner was ready, or a blue one meant she needed help in the house. This was a simple but effective way to send a message to her husband who worked on the farmland hundreds of yards away, as it was easy to spot the bright-colored garments waving in the wind high above.

"We didn't have fancy phones or computers like you do now." Her grandmother used to add, making sure Mio understand the simplicity back in the old days. Mio remembered her grandmother laughed when telling her:

A red scarf was used when her mother thought she was ovulating. A couple of days during a month when she believed she was most fertile, a bright red scarf was tied to the tree, and according to the story; her father would drop all tools and rushed back to the house to fulfill husband duty. It was quite difficult to conceive, and as a couple that at that time didn't have children yet, no time could be wasted.

Mio's grandmother also said that the method of tree-tied garments was used by many in the village area, however, the color-coding could vary for different families.

Mio loves this story and thought it was charming. She decided that this was something she could do in memory of her grandmother. She looked around her apartment, checked her closet, her eyes gazed over her clothes searching for something that can easily be tied to the balcony's guard rail. Her eyes stopped when gazed upon her bright red bra, the only bright color undergarment she had.

She contemplated the idea of using the bra for a moment. She chuckled quietly to the thought of her bright red bra waiving in the wind, sending out a message... whatever the message was. She wasn't exactly ovulating or child-bearing-ready, but her mood was ready. Actually she had been in this darn mood for a few weeks now, just frisky - as if the battery bar representing her sexual energy was constantly topped off. Besides, hanging a piece of undergarment on her own balcony should be innocent enough... for anyone who doesn't know the meaning of it, right?

THREE

Since Mio moved in 3 months ago, she had barely seen anyone at the MacKenzie St. bus stop except the two Asian men every Wednesday night. She quickly took notice of their Wednesday schedule thanks to an awkward encounter one night when she was studying on the balcony.

It was a bit past 8pm on an unusually hot Wednesday. She was sitting on a chair with both feet resting on the balcony's guardrail, wearing a short cream-colored summer dress. Due to the warm humid air, she unbuttoned the 3 top buttons on her dress exposing a bit more cleavage than she normally would have if it wasn't for the privacy of the balcony. The bottom of her dress had crept up from her knees little by little and now rested in the middle of her thighs due to her legs being up on the guardrail.

While waiting for the bus, the 2 men - out of boredom - let their gaze wander, and Mio with her short summer dress on the balcony was an obvious focal point.

Mio had no idea how long they had been looking as she was deep in her study. When she randomly peeked up from her books, she noticed the men staring at her. She felt embarrassed as she knew her dress had slid up high, and with her legs being up, she thought they could have seen her panties because of the angle of view from below. Not to make the situation worse and risk escalating her embarrassment, she pretended she hadn't noticed them and slowly put her legs down, stood up, and went inside. Once inside, she stayed clear of the window, just in case their gazed followed her and felt a rush of blood to her face.

Strangely enough, she felt slightly aroused. Could this stem from the fact that having them stare made her feel wanted and desired because she sensed sexual craving in their eyes? Being alone in a new city and new surroundings, a sense of excitement loomed and fueled her friskiness.

How long did they stare? Which other parts of her body were exposed except the obvious parts? What went through their minds? As questions rushed through her head, Mio also realized the 2 men had a resemblance, the type of likeness which only siblings had. There was another thing she noticed, even under the dim street light, she could sense a familiarity about these 2 strangers. Something that connected them with home.

FOUR

Mio tugged her red bra, made sure she hung it good and the wind won't blow it away. She had released the hook that held the emergency ladder in place because she wanted to hang her bra on the hook instead of just tying it randomly on the guardrail. The steel ladder had now slid down about a foot, but Mio knew there was still at least another 9 feet down to below ground. And by the look of it, someone has to be 7 feet tall and had to jump really high to reach the ladder.

She was satisfied with how the bra hung from the balcony and thought her grandmother would have approved. The bright red garment was in stark contrast with the black guardrails, distinctly visible, and whatever the message was, it was sent out loud and clear.

Once inside, she turned and quickly glanced at her red bra once again, it waved and flapped quietly in the warm breeze, like a fish lure weaving through calm water. She then changed into her home outfit, which was only a white cotton tank top and black satin thongs. It was 7:10pm, dinner was done and time to climb on her bed for some studying.

She must have fallen asleep for more than an hour. The school book dropped on the floor beside her bed. She felt the warm breeze from outside on the skin of her exposed thighs and stomach as her tank top crept up from tossing and turning in her sleep.

The loud noise of the steel ladder woke her up, could it be kids playing in other buildings? Or maybe the downstairs tenant accidentally rammed his trash bin against something? Her foggy and sleepy brain worked surprisingly fast as she reckoned what made that noise and where it came from. Sheer panic and anxiety sunk in as she realized she never went out to retrieve her bra, so the metal hook was still disengaged and the emergency ladder still released. Hence the sound of footsteps climbing the ladder, hence the dark silhouettes of two men now right outside of her window.

Mio forced herself to move but her body refused to obey, every single muscle tensed and unwilling to budge. The window at the end of her bed was half-open, but her frightened limbs just wouldn't listen and she can't make that leap forward to shut it and lock it.

It didn't take long before the dark silhouettes turned into solid shapes of two men, as they one by one sneaked in through the open window. Now standing next to her bed, the men stared at her, their eyes locked onto bare skin on her thighs, legs, stomach, and what seemed to be the outline of her breasts and nipples through the sheer fabric of her tank top.

Mio was finally able to move and she quickly managed to pull the blanket to cover her lower body. She wanted to scream, the loudest scream her lungs could bear, but all that came out from her mouth was empty breath. It was as though the intended scream got lost and only meaningless air squeezed through her throat.

Her crotch area and thighs were now covered, but the situation didn't change one bit. It was quite clear these two men did not climb an escape ladder and broke into her apartment just to stare at her. Then Mio saw one of the men rub his hands on the side of his jeans like he was trying to clean them, and she noticed his hands were red. Could it be because he used his hands to support the other man - like holding his palms together for the other man to step on, then lifting him up to reach the ladder? Without one of them lifting and one of them grasping, there was no chance the ladder could have been reached.

Before Mio could conclude her thought, she heard the man mumbled a few words, and the realization almost knocked the air out of her.

The man said: "watashi wa saishodesu." The words were Japanese and meant "I'm first."

Before she could even gasp for air, she heard the other man reply in Japanese "I know, but remember what we agreed on."

Suddenly it dawned on her why she felt a sense of familiarity with the 2 men. Why there was a subtle connection to home when she saw them staring at her from the bus stop. Not only were they Japanese, but their distinctive accent was from south coast Kagoshima. It also became clear that today was a Wednesday, and the clock on the wall just hit 8:17pm... it was their usual Wednesday schedule. They must have seen her bra from the bus stop, then contemplating and evaluating the scenario, then clearly made up their minds.

Mio felt dizzy now, so many different emotions erupted in her. She was breathing again but still wasn't able to make a sound. Then the man with red hands look straight into her eyes and calmly said:

"We know you understand us. We saw and recognize your message, and that is why we are here."

Before the word "here" fully left his mouth, he had already reached out and with a quick yank - completely removed the blanket. Leaving her helpless and her susceptible body in plain view. Her female body parts barely covered by sheer cotton at the top and a triangle-shaped satin at the bottom.

The man took a step closer to her bed, and with two swift movements, he had already unzipped and pull out his semi-erect cock.

From the dim light coming from her night lamp, Mio could see an uncircumcised head followed by a thick veiny shaft, then dense black pubic hair. He stared at her body intensely. His face was unshaved with the lower half-covered with stubbles, and thick black hair sticking out under a brown baseball cap. Under the dim light, Mio couldn't clearly see the other man. He still stood by the window, but she could make out his features and they are similar to the first man, except he was slightly taller, broader shoulders, and a few years younger. They were undoubtedly brothers, in their mid to late 30's.

FIVE

Mio automatically clenched her legs tight together when the man climbed on her bed. She threw her arms across her chest in an attempt to cover her breasts. Then she felt his hands placed just above her knee caps, they were warm but hard and rough. And then with full strength forced her legs open, and pushed her knees back towards her, revealing a thong that hardly covered her slit due to her legs being spread and up in the air. He then let go of her knees and guided himself towards her. Within seconds his hand had already pulled her thong aside. Before she could wrap her head around what's really happening to her, the tip of his cock was already pressed against her sex. She quickly shifted her hip to the side, desperately attempting to avoid the unavoidable. It was too late, half of his shaft was already inside. He paused and locked his eyes on hers as if to warn her: "DON'T MOVE!"

By the time she threw her hands between their bodies and against his pelvic in a last attempt to hold him back - he had already leaned forward and pushed all the way in. His weight and thrust were much stronger than her hands could hold back. And with that thrust, his whole erection disappeared inside of her... and on its way in, it forced and parted her lips and other folds of soft flesh.

She gasped, and finally, a sound was able to escape her mouth as his entire length and thickness filled her up. And even though he had entered his entire full length, he prolonged his thrust as if trying to go even deeper.

That initial penetration followed by his continuous grinding when she wasn't ready and lacked moisture stung her. Fortunately, he kept still for a moment, just enough for the pain to subside a little and for her to catch her breath. She managed to let out a plea: "No... please stop!"

Her quivering voice fell to deaf ears, no man could have stopped at this moment when his cock was finally inside and tightly gripped by her warmth. Instead, his body reacted instinctively like all males would - humans or animals alike - by withdrawing two-third out just to launch another thrust. This time even harder. A few repeats of this and there was no way back. Especially when he felt moisture gathering up deep inside. His open mouth turned into a triumphed grin, knowing that her body responded naturally when pain eventually turned into pleasure.

His conquest was cut short as he heard the voice of his younger brother mumbled: "It's my turn."

He grunted in disagreement, then pounded hard and deep a few more times, savored every bit of her pussy before unwillingly pulled out.

SIX

The initial shock eased off, and Mio came back to reality. She was being raped, no doubt about that, but what's confusing was that she couldn't... or...perhaps "didn't" really want to fight back. She got her voice back by now, but why didn't she scream for help? Why didn't she push and kick her way out? At least she could've tried harder.

Her brain searched for an answer... There was always the possibility that they would hurt her if she didn't let them have their way with her. That fear is justifiable, isn't it? Perhaps she knew there was no point in trying because her strength could never be matched up against theirs. Could it be because panic somewhat paralyzed her, or at least her rational thinking?

She quickly snapped out of her thoughts once the full weight of his body was on top of her, there wasn't much she could've done now. His hands grabbed her wrists and pressed them against the bed above her head. She made an attempt to wriggle her hips away from him, but he anticipated her movements and thrust in the same direction, which only resulted in him going even deeper. His male member swelled up bigger inside of her, and the smell of him filled her nostrils. It's a familiar smell, sort of malty and sweet, a pungent aroma that usually associated with beer fermenting. It's that same smell that comes from the local brewery near the school campus, every brew day - every Wednesday. Did these two men work there? Could they have seen her around the campus area and recognized her as the girl on the balcony? That would've explained their Wednesday schedule.