She hated walking alone at night, especially near the dark alleys. The wind gusted in bursts making the night air feel even colder. The sun had set only an hour before but the temperature felt like it was dropping fast. Sarah pulled her long Casmir coat together and tied the belt around her waist. She only had to walk about one more block to reach the comfort of her apartment. The scattered streetlights illuminated the colorful leaves were pasted to the pavement by the rain that fell earlier. The harvest moon was visible now between the trees and buildings. It cast a bright reflection in the water puddles. She looked down as she felt a clump of leaves cover her open toe shoe. Flipping her right foot she kicked the leaves away. Caught off balance she nearly fell when a strong pair of arms suddenly wrapped around her chest and pulled her off her feet. Before she realized what was happening she felt a sharp sting in the side of her neck then a paralyzing feeling in her legs as they failed her. Her entire body went limp. The last thing she saw as she lost consciousness was a blurry vision of a white cargo van with the side door open.
Her eyes would not focus when she first opened them. She felt like she was waking up to a bad hangover. The lighting was poor and most of the area was dark. Her head hurt and there was a foul taste in her mouth. She determined that her mouth must be taped over. Her entire body ached as well. She had no idea where she was but it certainly wasn't her home or bed. The odor was strange, perhaps a chemical smell. Nothing looked familiar or home like. There was a distinct industrial feeling to this unfamiliar place. She became aware of her labored breathing. Almost hyperventilating she could feel her nostrils closing with each breath through her nose.
It wasn't until she tried to wipe her face and eyes that she realized that her hands were bound behind her back. She could also feel that her legs were bound tightly around the ankles too. She felt sick and hoped that she could avoid vomiting from nausea or fear. Trying to get a bearing on where she was Sarah attempted to calm herself. She listened intently. The gusting wind made whistling sounds and was so overpowering that nothing else could be heard. The boxes beneath her were uncomfortable. She was laying on mostly hard edges that pressed into her body. Her clothing felt intact but she felt cold air where her coat must have opened. She could feel that her shoes remained on her feet. She could not see anything but boxes, paper and garbage piled around her. Not feeling well and resigned to stay put she laid her head back on a cardboard box to think and listen.
She was growing colder as she lay helplessly on the trash. Gradually growing louder, the sound of, heavy footsteps echoed through the building. Based on how they seemed to be growing closer she surmised that they were approaching her location. She waited in terror for who would appear. She closed her eyes and remained as still as possible. A large figure appeared from around a corner. She squinted to see him more clearly. He was hunched over, dressed in a heavy jacket with a baseball cap so she couldn't see very much of his face. He had something slung over one shoulder - a woman! Without paying any attention to Sarah he gently dropped the motionless woman onto the pile of boxes about six feet from where Sarah laid. She could see how the woman was bound with tape around her wrists and forearms and a strip of tape across her mouth as well. Noticing that Sarah was now awake he looked down at her and stared into her eyes.
"Stay put," he muttered in a deep and intimidating voice.
"Yeah, like she was going somewhere with her limbs incapacitated with tape," thought Sarah.
The man left as suddenly as he had appeared. With her eyes gaining the ability to focus, Sarah stared at the new arrival. She appeared to be younger, possibly still a teen. She was completely unconscious, breathing in slow, deep breaths. She looked peaceful draped over the boxes with her head tilted back and her mouth wide open. Despite being disheveled, the girl was noticeably pretty. She was dressed in a formal outfit and her makeup was still intact. Her lacey black panties and the tops of her matching stockings were visible where her dress had risen up over her hips. She looked like she was probably at a special occasion of some sort, thought Sarah.
Sarah drifted in and out of consciousness and continued to struggle to stay awake. Whatever produced that jolt took every ounce of energy away. She could hear the other woman stirring once in a while but she appeared to be pretty out of it too. Time was hard to judge but it seemed like hours before anyone returned. A garage door could be heard as it opened and a vehicle drove in. She could hear a muted conversation between at least two unseen men. They seemed to be in disagreement about something. Eventually she heard footsteps and two men appeared in front of the bound women. Sarah remained as still as possible and watched them as they approached. One of them shook the other woman. She moaned in response as her body rolled onto her back, still draped over some boxes. It was hard to discern whether she was awake but she didn't move any further. The other man approached Sarah.
"Hey, I think this one's awake," he announced to his partner.
The second man came over to check and placed his fingers over her eyelid to force it open. He shined a flashlight in her eye, making her squint.
"She seems to have come down from the drug. I think they'll want us to bring her in. Give Lee a call and see whether she's ready for this one. Wake up honey," he said slapping her lightly several times on the cheek.
"Yea, Dr. Lee says bring her in."
Sarah's eyes were now wide open, wondering what came next. The two men lifted her from the scattered boxes with one of them slinging her over his shoulder. The men walked into a room beside the place where she had been laying. It was a factory enclosure that looked like a conference room with a table and maybe half a dozen chairs. A small table with a coffee maker stood in a corner. One man moved a few chairs while the other laid her on the table, and rolled her onto her back. She was terrified being here with these two strange men. Her shoulders ached now from her arms being held so tightly behind her back. She was unable to find a comfortable position. Her arms ached beneath her body on the hard table.
The door to the room swiftly opened. A sharply dressed woman in a suit stepped in with an obvious air of authority. She looked at Sarah lying helplessly on the table.
"Is this the one from Kenwood?" she asked.
"Yes Doctor Lee, that's where we captured this one anyway."
"Good, she looks promising. Welcome to your new world of slavery," the doctor announced, looking directly into Sarah's eyes. You will get some training first but do you think you are ready to do as you are told or will you need some additional persuasion?
Sarah was taken back and didn't know exactly what to think about all this new information. She couldn't reply anyway and maybe that was a good thing. The doctor stroked Sarah's right breast and felt its firmness between her thumb and fingers.
"I'm sure you will bring a good price. If you're lucky you may even be purchased by a gentle master. Of course we never know what happens after the sale. It's simply a matter of the highest bidder. You know how it is, business first."
One of the men ripped the duct tape from Sarah's mouth with a single, quick motion.
"No!" she retorted.
"Take her to the room," Dr. Lee ordered without hesitation. "She obviously needs a little training. As you are about to discover Sarah, I can persuade you to do as I say without getting physical. Whipping and beating tends to damage the merchandise and reduce your value. Emotional torture can be far more effective and sinister than any physical abuse. The effects last longer too."
She turned to the men, "Free her arms and legs so she can walk under her own power. I will get her undressed shortly."
One of them pulled out his knife and flicked it open. He cut the tape between her ankles and ripped it off her ankles. He removed the tape from her arms and wrists in the same manner. The two men lifted her under her arms near her shoulders and took her away, struggling and screaming. They took her to the end of the hall where a steel door stood cracked open. She was brought inside the room and dumped unceremoniously on the floor. Bracing for a hard landing she was surprised that the floor was not the cold, hard concrete she anticipated. Sarah immediately noticed the padding beneath her outstretched body where she landed. The brightness in the room hurt her eyes and she squinted to stand the intense lighting. Everything was brilliant white which made it impossible to see anything at first. As her eyes adjusted she began t pick out detail. The walls and floor were covered with some sort of white padded panels as well. They appeared to be for sound deadening as her objections sounded muted once inside the room. The ceiling was covered with bright bulbs behind clear textured plastic panels. She estimated the room to be roughly the size of a small bedroom with the ceiling as tall as the room was wide - possibly twelve feet.
The door closed with a solid thud. The silence felt unnatural it was so quiet. She realized that she was alone. The anechoic effect of the panels was unnatural and made it feel as though sound was being sucked out of her ears. She walked the perimeter of the room, noticing the absence of any features other than some speakers and cameras, mounted high near the ceiling. Closer inspection revealed some "D" rings fastened to the wall and floor between the padding. She was so preoccupied with studying the unusual room that she didn't notice that a woman had entered and was approaching her.
"Hello Sarah," the woman began. "I am Dr. Lee." She extended her hand. "You're going to stay in here for a while. Consider your time here as an attitude adjustment. First I want you to strip down to nothing and place all your clothing and jewelry into this plastic bag."
The doctor produced a garbage bag that was sandwiched between her notebook and a folder and handed it to Sarah.
"If you have any thoughts of resisting the orders I just gave you, I can bring the two large gentlemen back to make it happen but I don't think you'd like their technique."
Sarah thought for a moment and it was clear that there was no point in resisting. She would have to wait for a better opportunity to escape from this place. She reluctantly began to remove her jewelry. She took her time and methodically removed one item at a time. When there was no more jewelry to remove she had to begin to undress. She removed her shoes and stockings first but then had to move on to things like her blouse and jeans. Sarah avoided eye contact with the woman who stood by watching impatiently. Sarah continued to look around the room to see what else she may have missed. Her eyes had adjusted somewhat to the light. She was expecting the woman to say something about her slow pace but criticism never came. . No one else had entered by the time she finished undressing. She held out the clothing bag to the doctor. The woman practically ripped the bag from her hand then proceeded out the door. The door was closed again as she departed leaving Sarah completely alone. She though about the cameras and wondered who if anyone was watching. She felt very self-conscious standing naked in the bright lights. She folded her arms over her breasts and crouched down to cover her vagina.
"Stand up and place your arms at your side please," a thunderous voice boomed over the speakers.
They WERE watching her! She immediately stood and unfolded her arms to avoid any further admonishment. After standing nervously for what seemed like ten to fifteen minutes, nothing happened. Sarah looked around but all she could see were the bright lights gleaming from the white walls and floor. She was beginning to feel cold. She rubbed her arms with her hands to warm up. She could feel the texture of goose bumps on her skin. She decided to sit and lean against the padded wall... At least the padding on the floor was better than bare concrete. She sat against the wall opposite the door so she could watch for new visitors. The vinyl or whatever the material was felt cooler than the air. She leaned her head back against the padding and closed her eyes.
