Beyond the Red Door

Disclaimer:

All characters depicted within this story are eighteen years old. No minors or underage characters are included.

Warning:

This story deals with themes of coercion and humiliation.

For my readers:

If you like this story, please let me know in the comments. Would love to see your feedback.

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Chapter 01 - Stripped & Taken

ETHAN! ETHAN!

The voice cut through the haze in my mind, sharp and insistent. My head felt like it was splitting open, but I forced my eyes open, struggling to make sense of the blurs that swam in front of me. Slowly, the shapes came into focus, and I found myself staring into Lucas's pale face, his eyes wide with concern.

"Stop shouting," I rasped, my throat raw. The relentless thumping in my skull made it hard to think straight.

As my vision cleared, I saw him crouched beside me, his sandy hair sticking up in messy tufts. His pale face was flushed with anxiety, the sharp angles of his collarbones standing out against his wiry frame.

"You okay, man?" he asked, his voice soft but still urgent.

I tried to sit up, but pain shot through my skull like a lightning bolt, forcing me back down. "What happened?" I mumbled, my words slurring as I fought the pain.

Then I looked at Lucas properly, confusion clouding my thoughts. "And why aren't you wearing anything?"

I blinked, my gaze unwillingly drifting lower. His soft cock was resting against his thigh, his blond pubic hair catching the faint light.

Lucas froze, his face shifting between embarrassment and resignation. He glanced down at himself, as though he hadn't noticed before, and sighed.

"I could ask you the same thing," he muttered, gesturing to me.

I glanced down. Sure enough, I wasn't wearing anything either. A wave of panic surged through me. "Where are my clothes?" I demanded.

"Same place mine are, I guess." Lucas shrugged helplessly, hands outstretched.

"What the hell is going on?" I whispered, the fear creeping in like ice water under my skin.

"I don't know," Lucas said, rubbing his messy hair in frustration. "I woke up a few minutes ago myself."

I propped myself against the cold wall, trying to steady my breath. My thoughts were scattered, each one slipping through my mind like water through my fingers.

"The last thing I remember," I said slowly, "was being on the bus after the debate tournament. We came second--Zoe wasn't happy. She started tearing apart every point I made in the final round, and I snapped. We were arguing, and then... everything went black."

Lucas shifted, revealing two more figures lying motionless on the floor--naked like us. My stomach twisted. Caleb and Jonah.

Caleb's broad, muscular body was unmistakable, his dark skin glistening. His chest rose and fell with shallow breaths, his jaw clenched even in unconsciousness.

Jonah lay beside him, his long limbs sprawled awkwardly. His freckled skin and messy hair gave him a softer appearance.

"They won't wake up," Lucas said grimly. "I tried."

Swallowing hard, I dragged a hand across my face and forced myself to take in our surroundings. The room--or cell--was small and suffocating. The gray walls were peeling in jagged strips, and an iron gate stood at the opposite end, its rusted bars casting long shadows on the cold floor.

The air was thick with the scent of metal and decay, clinging to the back of my throat. A chill seeped deep into my bones. Naked, confused, trapped in a filthy cell. It wasn't just humiliating. It was dehumanizing.

And then I saw it.

A strange metallic collar circled each of our necks. Smooth, seamless, they glowed faintly in the dim light. When I touched mine, it pulsed under my fingers, sending an eerie hum through my body.

"Where are we?" I asked, my voice low, though I knew Lucas couldn't answer.

He sighed and sat beside me. "I don't know, but something's really wrong."

A new thought suddenly struck me.

"Where are the girls? Zoe, Maya, Elena?"

Lucas shook his head, frustration creasing his brow. "I don't know. I'm just as clueless as you are, man."

Ignoring the pain in my head, I pushed myself to my feet. My legs were weak causing me to slip, but Lucas grabbed my arm to steady me.

The intimacy of the situation was impossible to ignore. We'd shared plenty of locker room showers, but this felt different. Stripped bare and thrown together in this grimy cell, everything felt too raw.

I stumbled toward Jonah and Caleb, dropping to my knees beside Jonah and shaking his shoulder. "Jonah, wake up!" I shouted, my voice cracking.

He didn't stir. Panic bubbled in my chest, and I slapped his face--once, then twice.

Jonah groaned softly, his head lolling to the side.

"Well, at least he's not dead," I muttered, glancing back at Lucas.

"Try Caleb," I suggested.

Lucas nodded, moving toward Caleb, while I stepped to the iron gate. Pressing my face against the bars, I peered into the dim corridor beyond.

"HELP!" I screamed, my voice bouncing off the walls.

For a moment, there was nothing. Then, faintly, a voice responded.

"Ethan, is that you?"

"Zoe!" I called back, instantly recognising her voice. "Are you okay? Are the others with you?"

"Yeah," she replied, but there was something off in her voice. "We're all here. A little groggy, but we're okay."

There was a hesitation I wasn't used to hearing in her voice. Zoe never hesitated. She was always confident--sharp, in control. But not now. She was scared.

"Do you know where we are?" I asked.

"No," Zoe said, the fear creeping in. "But..."

"What is it?" I pressed.

A long pause followed. "We don't have any clothes."

"You either, huh?"

"What, you're naked too?"

"Yeah. Me, Lucas, Caleb, and Jonah."

I heard Lucas shift behind me. "Maya's naked too?"

I turned to glare at him. "Seriously, dude?"

"What? I didn't mean--" he stammered, then sighed, giving up.

"Dude, we all know you've got a thing for Maya, but now's really not the time."

Frustration bubbled under my skin as I leaned back against the bars. That's when I heard it--a faint metallic clang from somewhere deep in the corridor.

Lucas froze, his eyes darting toward the sound.

"Did you hear that?" he whispered.

I nodded, a knot forming in my stomach. Whatever was coming for us was close.

We quickly backed away from the gate, my pulse hammering in my ears. The clang grew louder, then stopped abruptly. For a moment, there was nothing but stillness.

Then, the girls started screaming.

"MAYA! NO!" Zoe's voice was raw, frantic.

My stomach turned as her words turned to cries, echoed by Elena and Maya herself.

"Leave me alone! Get off me!" Maya shrieked, her voice laced with fear.

Lucas and I rushed back to the gate, our desperation fueling our every step. Gripping the cold bars, we strained to see into the dark corridor.

"What's happening? Zoe! Maya! Elena!" I shouted, my voice cracking.

"They're taking her!" Zoe sobbed. "They're taking Maya!"

"Who? Who's taking her?" I demanded, shaking the bars with frustration.

Lucas joined me at the gate. "Leave her alone!" he shouted into the darkness. His voice cracked, but his anger was undeniable.

The screams faded, swallowed by the cold, empty corridor. The silence that followed was deafening.

I turned to Lucas, breath caught in my throat. His wide eyes met mine, and for the first time, I saw it--raw, unfiltered fear.

"What do we do now?" he whispered.

Before I could respond, a groan sounded behind us. Caleb shifted, blinking sluggishly as he struggled to focus. Then his eyes fell on Jonah, sprawled naked beside him.

"What the fuck?" Caleb jerked upright, slamming into the wall.

"Caleb, calm down!" I said, rushing to him.

His eyes flicked between us, alarm written all over his face. "Why the hell is Jonah naked? Why the hell am I naked?"

"Yeah, welcome to the club," Lucas muttered grimly.

"What the fuck is this, some kind of sick prank?" Caleb demanded, his voice rising.

"It's not a prank!" I snapped. "None of us know what's going on, okay? Just... breathe, man."

Caleb's chest rose and fell with each heavy breath, but he didn't argue. His gaze shifted to the metallic collars around our necks.

"What the hell are these?" he asked, fingers running over the cold, smooth surface.

I touched mine instinctively, and the collar tightened, sending a shiver down my spine. "I don't know," I admitted. "But I don't think it's good."

A chill swept through me.

I moved back to the gate and called out to Zoe one more time, but there was no answer.

Then, we heard it--a distant door slamming shut, followed by heavy footsteps, and they were getting closer.

Lucas and I exchanged a panicked glance. Behind us, Caleb was still mumbling, shaking off the grogginess, while Jonah let out another weak groan.

"Get back," I whispered, motioning toward the far wall.

We huddled together instinctively, naked and exposed. My pulse roared in my ears as the footsteps grew louder, then stopped just outside the gate.

The lock turned with a sharp metallic screech.

The gate swung open, and two figures stepped inside.

They were massive--easily over six feet tall, their broad shoulders filling the narrow doorway. They wore pitch-black uniforms, smooth and matte, absorbing the dim light. Their faces were obscured by smooth, reflective silver masks--twisted mirrors showing only our own terrified reflections.

They stood still for a moment, their posture rigid, their blank faces scanning us.

I swallowed hard, forcing myself to speak. "Who are you? Where are we? Why are you keeping us here?"

Neither of them responded.

One of them stepped toward Jonah.

"Stay away from him!" Caleb shouted, surging forward, his fists clenched.

It happened in an instant.

The second figure pulled something from his pocket--sleek, black, and small. He pressed a button.

Agonizing pain exploded from my collar, radiating through my whole body. I collapsed, a scream ripping from me.

The others screamed too. The pain mixed with our cries, a brutal symphony that left me gasping for air when it finally stopped.

Through the haze, I saw the guard lift Jonah as though he weighed nothing, dragging him out of the cell.

The gate slammed shut behind them, their footsteps fading into the distance.

Chapter 02 - Breaking point

Time felt like a concept that had abandoned us. Without natural light, there was no way to tell how long we'd been here. Hours? Days? It all blurred together, smothered under a suffocating silence that felt heavier with each breath.

I shifted on the cold, hard floor, my legs aching from stillness. The urge to move was unbearable. Pacing was the only thing that kept me from unraveling completely. Back and forth, like a caged animal, my eyes darting to the gate with every lap, hoping--praying--for any sign of life.

Then, I heard it. A whisper, faint but unmistakable.

"Ethan, are you there?"

My heart leapt. I froze, then called out, unable to keep the relief from my voice. "Zoe! Are you okay?"

There was a brief pause before she answered, her voice strained, full of fear and something else--something I couldn't quite place. "Ethan... what happened? Are you all right?"

The knot in my chest tightened, the fear rising again. "I'm fine. What about you? What happened to Maya?"

She let out a shaky breath, the sound of it filling the space between us. "They... they took her, Ethan. The guards--they shocked us with these collars, and the pain was... unbearable. Elena and I passed out from it." Her words trembled, like she was still reliving the horror of it all. "I don't even know where they took her after that."

My mind raced as I processed her words, the chilling thought of both Maya and Jonah being taken from us, disappearing into whatever nightmare this place had in store for us next.

"Jonah, too," I added, my voice low. "They took him, as well."

A long, heavy silence followed. I could hear her breathing, each intake sharp and ragged, like she was trying to keep it together. I wanted to say something, to offer comfort, but the reality of our situation made my words feel hollow.

"What do they want from us?" Her voice was barely a whisper, cracking with the weight of her question.

"I don't know," I said finally, my voice quiet but steady. "But we'll figure it out, Zoe."

A brief, strangled silence passed before she spoke again, her voice trembling with emotion. "I just... I just want to go home, Ethan."

The words hit me harder than I expected. Zoe was one of the strongest people I knew, but hearing her say that, in this moment, as raw and vulnerable as she'd ever been--it was a sobering reminder of how far we'd fallen.

"I know," I said, my voice a little rougher now. "I want that too. And we will get out of here. We'll make it through this."

But even as I said it, I knew it wasn't that simple. I wasn't sure how much longer we could keep pretending everything would be okay. And yet, I knew one thing for certain: I couldn't let her go through this alone.

"I'm here, Zoe," I said, the words coming out more firmly than I felt. "I'm not going anywhere. We're in this together."

I turned around once more, my back slumped against the cold bars. Lucas and Caleb were simply staring back at me.

"What are we going to do, guys? How the hell are we getting out of here?"

Caleb stood up with intent, and I walked toward them both. I stood there in front of Caleb, while Lucas sat on the floor between us.

"Um, guys, do you want to give me some space here? I feel like I'm at a German deli counter," Lucas joked, his tone light despite the tension.

Caleb and I both looked down at Lucas, then at each other. We couldn't help it--we smiled. It wasn't much, but in that moment, it was enough to break the weight of the silence, to remind us that, even in the worst of times, there was still room for a little humor.

"We could try jumping them?" Caleb suggested.

"You saw the size of them. Do you really think we can take them?"

"We might be able to take one of them together, but by the time we do, the second one would have zapped us again."

Caleb sighed.

"What if we..." Lucas began to say, but was promptly interrupted by the familiar clang of the door and the footsteps coming down the corridor. The sound stopped just before it reached us. We could hear a commotion from the girls' cell, but before we could move closer, the door opened, and the two guards appeared again. They threw Jonah to the floor in front of us, closed the gate, and left.

Jonah quickly crawled to the corner of the room, pulled his knees to his chest, and buried his face in them, remaining silent.

"Jonah, are you okay?" we all chorused.

Jonah stayed silent.

"What happened? Do you know where we are?" I asked, my voice quiet, but firm.

"Guys, let's give him space for a minute," Lucas suggested.

"Take your time, Jonah, okay?" I said, trying to offer him some comfort, though I knew it wasn't enough.

And then, with a choked sob, Jonah broke down.

"I didn't want to, but they made me do it. They made me do it!" he cried out between sobs.

"What did they make you do, Jonah?" Lucas asked, his voice tense, a nervous edge creeping in.

Jonah's hands shook as he lowered them from his face, his eyes red and hollow. "They made me... They made me have sex with her."

The air seemed to vanish from the room. Lucas froze, his face twisting with disbelief.

"What-- what are you saying?" His voice wavered.

Jonah looked up at Lucas, guilt carved deep into his expression. "They said they'd kill her. I didn't want to. I swear I didn't want to, but they said they'd kill her."

Lucas staggered back, his fists clenched at his sides. "No," he said, his voice low, shaking. "No, you're lying. You're lying!"

"I'm not lying, Lucas. I'm so sorry, I know how you feel about her," Jonah whispered, his voice breaking.

"You think that makes it okay?" Lucas roared, lunging at him.

Jonah didn't move, didn't fight back. He curled into himself as Lucas's fists swung, his face wet with tears.

"Stop it!" I shouted, rushing to pull Lucas back with Caleb's help. "Lucas, stop! You're angry--I get it. But this isn't his fault."

Lucas struggled against us, his chest heaving, but eventually, he went still. "You don't get it," he muttered, his voice trembling. "I love her."

I stayed by Lucas as he sank onto the floor, his head in his hands. Caleb crouched next to Jonah, speaking softly. None of us spoke for a while, the tension settling like ash in the air.

And then, I heard Zoe's voice again, calling my name.

"Ethan! Are you there?"

I ran to the gate once more. "I'm here, Zoe."

"They brought back Maya. She... she told us what happened."

"I know," I said, my voice tight. "We just found out."

"Maya gave me a message for Jonah," Zoe continued. "She says it's not his fault. She doesn't blame him."

I turned to Jonah, who had clearly heard. His shoulders shook as he sobbed into his hands.

Lucas got up and walked to the gate, his movements stiff. "Zoe, it's Lucas. Can I speak to Maya?"

"I'll ask."

There was a brief pause, the silence stretching until I heard a soft, shaky voice on the other side.

"Lucas?"

"Maya? Is that you? Are you okay?"

"I... I've been better," she admitted. Her sniffles carried through the space between us, each one a painful reminder of everything she'd endured.

Lucas gripped the bars tightly, his knuckles white. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay, and..."

I watched him, saw the words catch in his throat. His whole body seemed to yearn to tell her how he felt, but he couldn't force the words out. Not here. Not like this.

"...and I want you to know that I'm going to get us out of here, okay? I'll do whatever it takes."

The pause that followed was long and heavy.

"I believe you," she finally said, her voice quiet but full of trust.

Lucas let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "Good. Just... just hang in there."

Lucas turned to face us, his body taut with frustration.

"Guys, we have to do something."

"But what?" Caleb responded, his voice uncertain.

"I don't know, but we're the debate club, aren't we? Let's do what we do best: talk it out."

Lucas had a point. If there was one thing we were good at, it was debating. If we all put our heads together, surely we could come up with something.

I stepped up, assuming my usual role as debate captain.

"Right, guys! Let's focus. What do we know so far?"

"We're trapped," Caleb said dryly.

"Think further back. What do we remember from before we got here?"

"We were on the bus, coming back from the debate competition," Lucas offered.

"That's right," I said, nodding. "And then?"

"I think we stopped at a gas station," Caleb added, his brow furrowing.

"The gas station... I remember now," Lucas said. "Mr. Hawkins went inside to pay, but--"

"He never came back, did he?" I finished for him, the memory resurfacing like a dark cloud.

"Then I remember feeling really tired," Caleb said, his voice quieter now.

A chill ran through me as the pieces started to fit together. "It wasn't just tiredness," I said slowly. "It was like... something hit me all at once. My whole body shut down. I couldn't fight it."

"Same," Lucas said, nodding grimly. "It wasn't normal. One second, I was fine, and the next--nothing."

"They must've done something to us," Caleb said, his voice trembling slightly. "Gas? Drugs? Something we didn't notice?"

Lucas frowned. "Gas, maybe. But wouldn't we have smelled it? Or seen something? And why didn't anyone else on the bus notice?"

"What if it wasn't gas?" Caleb suggested, a hint of unease in his voice. "What if it was something in the air con? A chemical?"