The hunt settled into a routine. A burst of fear and adrenaline followed by a period of relative quiet as the trainers slung each capture under a pole and carried her off the field like meat. Wirth the trainers now finished with Astrid, we all watched as they tied her wrists and ankles together and threaded a long pole between the bindings. Then, two hunters hoisted the pole into their shoulders with Astrid slung underneath, like a prize, they carried her off the field, her game finished. She swung languidly back and forth as they walked. Exhausted, her head rolled back and she looked back at us, her face a slick, slimy mess of smeared zebra paint and cum. A chill ran over my body as I considered the dwindling odds. When would it be my turn and how would my game end.
After each capture came a brief period for the surviving herd to relax. I sat in the grass, next to a Zebra called Lauren. A bottle blonde with the roots showing she had a lean figure with large breasts and fair skin underneath her zebra paint that spoke of someone who spent a lot of time indoors. She lay back on the ground while I sat with my back to the sun enjoying the kiss of the warm breeze across my skin.
"What you here for?" Lauren drawled, her sweet, lilting accent. I placed her from the deep south, perhaps Mississippi or even Louisiana.
"My friend introduced me. Said it would be fun."
Lauren snorted. "Is it fun?"
"Exhilarating," I replied. "The rush of getting clear is amazing." I stared at the lush green grass and took a deep breath of its delicious fresh fragrance. "Sort of fun but in a terrifying way. A bit like the roller coaster you weren't too sure about."
"They rides still on, honey and you ain't seen all the curves yet."
"Oh?"
"You're new, right?" she asked.
"Yeah. First time."
"It's rare for a first timer to make it through." She lay back in the soft grass, the grease blades contrasting against the black and white of her stripes. "I hope for your sake you know how to take a cock."
I plugged out my chest. "I've had my fair share of boyfriends."
"You done them all at once?"
"Excuse me?" I asked.
"Have you every taken multiple cocks. Been in an orgy or the meat in a threesome?"
I swallowed. "No."
"Girl, you're a fucking virgin." She laughed and other zebras glanced in our direction.
I kept my voice low. "You don't think I can make it."
"It's nothing personal, sugar. I just never seen it happen. My first time out, I got tied to a whipping stool. Got my ass good and tanned. Had stripes for weeks. Then they fucked my up the ass, my face a mess of tears from the whipping I got."
"That's awful."
"Hey, part of the game. I could have bailed out but then I'd lose all this." She gestured around.
"Lose what?"
"This. The game." She continued, "you just wait til the cash comes in. You can tan my ass, honey, if you pay like these guys do."
"You make it sound so mercenary."
"We're whores, sugar. Pure and simple. Fucking whores. But at least out here there are rules. The fucking is harder but the protection is better." She snorted again. "And so's the pay."
Some of the other girls giggled. I fell silent.
Lauren lowered her voice. "Hey, I've been there. I grew up in a trailer park. We had nothing so I traded this pussy for cash and sometimes less. You're way better off selling yourself here."
I looked down and picked at a few strands of grass. I let the shredded green leaves fall through my fingers.
"Trust me," she said. "I know. Between whoring, doing porn or being here, I'd pick this every time."
"You've done porn?" I asked.
"Ha. I managed to stay away from that," she chuckled and turned her head, face up to the sky. "Not sure I'd have the guts to do it anyways." Then she sat up, clapped me on the back and in a loud voice said, "welcome to the first day in the job, whore."
Some of the girls sniggered. Stacey sniggered. I looked around and my eyes met Jenny's. She gave a small nod and smiled. I sat on quiet contemplation.
"Hey, Michelle."
I turned to the voice. It was Jenny.
"Don't forget, you're no ordinary whore," Jenny said.
A few of the zebras laughed and I smiled back at her.
The blare of a horn carried across the field. My smile faded even as Jenny's body stiffened and Lauren sat up. I turned my head checking the area but the field remained empty. After a short delay, a couple crested a hill to my right. The man was dressed as the familiar garb of the trainers, black slacks and bare chested. But this man was no trainer being slightly older, with flecks of grey in his dark hair. Even so, his arms were thick and his hairy chest buffed showing his commitment to working out. He was ready for the chase. But it was the woman who stood out most of all. Tall, lean and blonde with her hair done up in exquisite plaits, she wore a red pencil dress with one strapless shoulder and a frill around her hips, something more suitable for a cocktail party than a grassy field. The only concession the woman made to the outdoors was the pumps she wore. The sight was so unexpected, all eyes fell on her.
Trailing behind the couple, a cluster of six trainers shadowed the couple. The whole group was far enough away that the members of the herd, though alert, didn't bolt.
The couple stopped at the top of the hill and the six hunters surrounding them fanned out giving the couple a clear view of the herd. The woman gestured at the herd as she talked to her partner. He nodded and his gaze followed her waving hands. Next, she turned and said something to one of the trainers who quickly and expertly, set up a pair of binoculars on a tripod in front of her. She leaned in and, using the binoculars, scanned the herd, checking each member of the herd out in turn, pausing for a few moments on each one as she did so.
"What's going on?" I asked.
Lauren gave a little smirk. "You'll find out. Wouldn't want to spoil the surprise for you."
I looked around and caught Jenny's eye. She mouthed something. I'd need to wait until I was near her.
The woman in red continued her inspection of the herd. I was glad to be seated as the binoculars made me more conscious of my nakedness. I didn't want to move, not while the binoculars were there. Every now and again the woman in red would step back from the binoculars and say something to one of the trainers. Sometimes the trainer would reply and at other times, he just nodded and made notes on a clipboard. Once or twice, she indicated to her partner who would look through the binoculars, step back and nod.
With a quick word from the woman, two trainers trotted down the hill. They slowed as the members of the herd rose and stopped far enough away not to spook us into running. The members of the herd started to mill around, which was presumably their intention. Meanwhile, the woman's scrutiny of the herd continued, tracking the members of the herd with the binoculars as we moved jostled for position. It was clear that she was being thorough.
I took the opportunity to slip next to Jenny. "What's going on, I whispered."
Jenny's mouth tightened, then she leaned her head in close and whispered, "it's a breeding round," in my ear. "That's all I can say at the moment."
"When can you say more?"
"Let's see what happens next." She straightened staring intently up the hill.
My blood ran cold. I had no idea what a breeding round meant. I knew full well what it could mean but my mind couldn't process it. Small pangs of resentment washed over me at the tantalizing half explanation Jenny gave me.
Then, one by one, the bracelets changed. Flashing once then turning green. Except for Jenny's. And Lauren's. And Janice, a diminutive blonde who'd hardly said a word all game. I looked around at the rest of the herd and there were only three until I held up my own wrists. I let out a gasp. My bracelet glowed an angry red. There were four of us. Four marked out for the breeding round.
"Jenny, what's happening?" I hissed, the urgency in my voice making heads turn.
Jenny looked down, then away before speaking. "It's nothing personal," she said. "You'll need to learn this one on your own. I hope you'll understand, Michelle."