March 7
th
— Afternoon, Dr. Samuels' Office
It was a typical psychiatrist office, conservatively decorated with comfortable chairs for the patient and doctor. Subdued lighting, ornate desk, hardbound texts in a tidy bookcase, and low sound of air pushing through the vent from above all combined to create a serene setting intended to put patient and psychiatrist at ease.
Ella Sanders sat in one of the chairs, hands resting in her lap. She kept idly running her right thumb back and forth over the back of her left hand, having just finished telling her story.
Peering intently at the young woman, Dr. Samuels asked, "How did that make you feel?" She waited patiently for the answer, absorbing Ella's body language, the way her shoulders hunched slightly, and the way she constantly looked down.
Ella's face wore a distant, troubled look; her mind was stuck in that moment of being bent over a chaise lounge, arms held down, the battering ram behind her relentlessly driving its length home, over and over. This story had been her secret, untold to anyone until now. Finally seeking professional help in a desperate attempt to overcome the dark feelings of dread and worthlessness that were a part of her day to day existence, she found herself here, sitting in this chair, sharing these damaging details of her personal life. It had taken her weeks to build up the courage to tell Dr. Samuels the full story. She still couldn't believe—
"Ella?" Dr. Samuels gently prodded.
Ella's eyes focused and her attention returned to the office and Dr. Samuels. Dr. Samuels was an older woman, in her late 50s, with a soft manner and understanding nature. Ella had interviewed almost a dozen psychiatrists before deciding on this one, determined to find a doctor she felt absolutely comfortable with. Dr. Samuels fit the bill perfectly.
Brushing a strand of soft brown hair behind her ear, Ella spoke again. "Well, devastated. I… she never liked me, only pretended to. I felt betrayed, strung along, you know?" she continued, with a pleading look. "What am I supposed to feel?"
Dr. Samuels leaned forward in her chair. "All of those feelings are natural, Ella. What they did to you—the way they planned it all out, it's unspeakable." She paused a moment before continuing. "And yet, you got out of the situation, isn't that right?"
"Yeah, I did," Ella said with a certain pride. "I grabbed a towel and ran, kept running until my feet bled—and then ran some more." She remembered it vividly, the towel wrapped around her waving in the wind as she dashed down the streets, bare feet pounding the pavement over and over. She was panting, breathing with her mouth open, running as fast as her taut legs could carry her. Finally she made it to a convenience store and phone…
"And you obviously moved on," Dr. Samuels continued, "because you left Key Biscayne JC and went on to the University of Washington, where you graduated with a degree in marine biology. It's perfectly understandable that you would seek to get as much distance as possible between yourself and that horrible situation. How did you feel about going to Washington?"
"Everybody was so nice," Ella said, a small smile playing over her lips. "And I made some new friends there. Some real friends." Her smile brightened.
"Yes, success! So, you got your degree, you have genuine friends. And you're doing what you love," Dr. Samuels finished, referring to Ella's employment at SeaWorld Orlando.
Ella nodded.
Dr. Samuels fixed her gaze firmly on Ella. "You have to like yourself Ella—and forgive yourself, too. They raped you. They took something from you that you have to take back. You did nothing wrong."
Ella felt it then, the way she sometimes did when the reality of what had happened hit her unexpectedly hard: the powerful urge to go wash her hands. It all felt so dirty, even now, nearly three years after the fact.
"You did nothing wrong," Dr. Samuels repeated. "Please try to remember that."
Dr. Samuels tried to lighten the mood. "Now, strictly as a friend, how do you feel about SeaWorld? It must be very exciting, working with the mammals! I was always so intrigued by the Orcas!
"Oh yes, it's just amazing!" Ella said brightly, warming to this new line of conversation. "I always thought I'd like to be a dolphin, if I could be any animal..."
March 7
th
— Evening, Ella's Apartment
After her visit with Dr. Samuels, Ella picked up some Subway and stopped by Barnacle's Book Shack, a used bookstore two blocks from her condo. She perused the latest best sellers, found nothing she couldn't live without, and finally decided to head home.
Of course, after she got home the first thing she did was check her email. Scanning the typical spam ("Viagra, cheap!" "Increase your size!" "International Monetary Transfer!"), one subject line caught her eye:
ATTN: All Key Biscayne Junior College Students, 2004 – 2006
Curious, Ella clicked it, began reading.
Key Biscayne Junior College is very pleased to announce the Engagement of John Boy Wiggins and Jenny Thompson. They will be joined in Holy Matrimony on April 12, 2008.
All Key Biscayne Junior College students from 2004 through 2006 are hereby invited to John Boy and Jenny's 'All-American pre-Wedding Bash,' to take place April 5, 2008. This will be the Biggest Island Event Ever! Jack Thompson, father of the bride, is very proud to host this event at his home.
All festivities will begin at 6:00 PM. Click the link below for map and directions…
"No," Ella whispered. "No, no, no… this can't… can't be…" she croaked, shaking her head.
They couldn't do this, couldn't just come barging back into her life, not now, not after she had finally summoned the courage to talk about what had happened. Not after she had finally broken down and shared all the sordid details with her psychiatrist.
It seemed almost as if she were being victimized again.
She wasn't ready to think about John Boy and Jenny… Jenny… especially Jenny, if just didn't seem fair…
Ella jumped up and hurried to the bathroom, reached into the medicine cabinet and grabbed the bottle of Ambien.
She needed to sleep this off. She would have plenty of time to think about it tomorrow.
March 7
th
— Night
It was dark in the closet, not quite pitch-black. Her eyes gradually became accustomed to the lower light, enough to vaguely identify rough shapes. The somewhat muted sound of music flowed beneath the door, masking the efforts of Stone Moore adjusting himself behind her. Stone moved in closer, folding his long legs around her lower body. After he was finished, she felt his large hands close around her waist, squeezing softly.
She felt him leaning into her back, rubbing his fingers up and down her outer arms. There was a certain detachment; in her mind, she knew it was happening, but could almost believe it was someone else.
Almost.
Frustrated with her inability to see what he was doing, Ella closed her eyes and sighed. She had expected him to be rough, take what he wanted; she was surprised at the softness of his touch, at the way he smoothly positioned his body so that it cradled her own. He pressed up close to her, chest to back, and kissed her shoulders, her neck, and her ear. His fingertips playfully brushed the sides of her breasts, curled around them and then up, stroking the swell of her rounded bosom above the skimpy white tank top.
Suddenly she was no mere observer; he had broken through and caused her body to respond. 'This feels so good,' she thought, flushed, as she felt the heat rise within. 'This is really nice…'
She felt the pressure beginning to build up in her head, at the tips of her nipples, and deep within her pulsating maidenhead. Her heart raced, pounding in her chest. She felt his hand pause directly over her heart and heard him chuckle softly.
"Your heart's going a hundred miles an hour," his deep voice whispered. She felt his breath hot on her neck and was thankful the light wasn't on; she was blushing furiously and didn't want him to see.
He casually reached one hand down, cupping a breast, and then did the same with the other. He was caressing, squeezing softly, tracing the outline of her hard nipples but never actually touching them, playing his fingers around the pronounced areolas.
Ella moaned softly, eyes still closed, a vaguely distant smile forming on her lips. She was buzzing, could see the Cliff's Edge approaching. She was like a boulder, rolling downhill, picking up steam. Everything he did made the boulder roll faster…
He brought his thumb and index fingers to her nipples and pinched them, tugging and rolling the nipples around. Ella felt them harden, drew in a sharp breath. He reached down and pulled the tank top up, freeing her breasts. She felt them drop slightly before he cupped them anew. His hands were warm, confident as they clutched her full breasts; the feel them against her soft flesh was electrifying.
He paused a moment, holding her breasts in his hands, and Ella wondered what was coming next. 'Maybe he'll kiss me on the lips,' she thought, barely able to concentrate. 'Or maybe he'll touch me… down there.' That thought sent her into new depths of shame. Her upper chest felt so hot right now; surely he could feel it too!
"Hmmm, you're really warm tonight," he said, apparently reading her mind. "Should I play with these some more?" he asked, bouncing her breasts in his hands. Ella nodded, unable to resist his invitation. Stone chuckled. "Yeah, I like playing with big tits," he whispered thickly, "been looking forward to this for a while."
She felt his fingertips play over her areolas, brushing against the elongated nipples. He lowered his head, kissing her shoulder and then running a string of kisses along her neck. The Edge of the Cliff was so close she could almost see over it…
Gripped in anticipation, Ella felt as though she might pass out at any moment...
*
Eyes adjusted, she could see a little more now. She lay on her back, prone; Stone lay beside her, touching, exploring. Her breathing increased, became labored as she felt her chest tighten. The feel of Stone's hands, softly massaging what the others had been so keen to take, the smooth caress of his lips kissing her shoulders and neck, lulled her into a deep state of arousal. She allowed herself to relax, felt his strength and warmth press against her, solid as a rock. It was almost as if she were in a dream.
He closed his mouth over her rigid nipple, sucked and twirled his tongue against it.
Fire. Ella gasped, unable to breath. She was so close. "Yes," she whispered, "oh yes, please—"
Discomfort. The Cliff Edge raced away from her, far, far away, as if it had never existed. The buzzing was drowned out, replaced by a piercing pain emanating from her nipple.
"Is this what you want? Hmmm?" he asked as he pinched her other nipple.
She gasped again, gulped. "No! Please, no!"
Stone cruelly twisted and pinched one nipple while still sucking on the other, pleasure and pain, pain and pleasure.
"I think so. I'm giving you something to remember," he added with a chuckle, "something you'll never forget."
He climbed up between her legs. Ella suddenly realized she was naked from the waist down; she felt his cock rub against her thigh as it traveled up, searching. He was pushing her down, holding her in place.
He was so heavy.
"Here it comes," he whispered, and Ella felt immediate pressure against her vagina.
"Get ready," a new voice said: Jenny. "Get ready, bitch."
"What…" Ella mumbled, confused. 'Where is she—'
Stone forced himself down, his cock darting deep inside.
"Fuck this is tight," he said, thrusting powerfully. "Fuck yeah."
Ella gulped, raised her arms and tried to push him away. She rolled her eyes towards the door.
There she was. Jenny sat just inside the doorway, watching curiously in the half-light.
