Chapter Five: Ishtar
It was the longest Sheila had gone without hearing from Joshua. Normally, it had been less than three days, but she hadn't heard from him for a week this time and she was becoming anxious.
She worried that she had said or done something to offend him; she replayed mentally all the calls and her actions up to this point.
What if he never calls again?
Her heart sank as she considered the possibility. Joshua's voice on the other end of the phone was all she had. She couldn't go back to the way things were. She would rather die.
Rosa would die.
James had been more distant than his usual self lately, So Sheila had been using the gym as an outlet. Laura hadn't shown for a couple of days. Probably busy with friends her own age. No doubt exploring her options. Sheila couldn't blame her for that, but she was beginning to feel lost, without purpose, even alone.
She hated alone.
At one point, she even attempted to speak with James, but he was far too busy with work for her to get a response. She had barely gotten an, "Uh huh," from him as he stared at the computer screen. He hadn't even noticed her new clothes; he didn't even look up.
She had held the sleek phone in her hands many times over the last few days. Willing the warm, little device to ring. She craved Rosa's life, as well as Joshua's attention. His, many times, abrupt direction. His rewards, oh his wonderful rewards.
Sheila pulled in a deep steadying breath, and pushed it heavily from her lungs to steady her anxious nerves and calm her fires.
Her soul ached, yearned for the life she so desperately wanted, Rosa's life. No, she would never go back. She was Rosa the daring. Rosa the risk taker. Rosa the sexual creature. As far as she was concerned, Sheila died in that tub, and Rosa was born. Alive to the fullest for the first time in her life. She could do anything. There was no going back. Even with Laura, she had become Rosa. There was no place in her world for Sheila, not anymore. That's how it had to be.
She turned the smooth phone in her hands thoughtlessly. There were no visible buttons, seams, or any other marks in the surface for that matter. It was clearly designed not to call but to receive. If she didn't already know it was a phone, she would have never guessed that's what it was. It was her connection to her new life; her only connection to Joshua.
She had spent many unfruitful hours trying to find a way to make a call on it. It was amazing to her that that one device could be the source of such frustration and joy at the same time.
What's going on?
She wished she knew. She had done as she was asked; she enjoyed her tasks. It had become her life, her happiness.
She hoped that eventually she would be able to pursue ideas of her own. She didn't mind the control of The Network, but she had her own thoughts too. Perhaps, someday, she would be able to explore them.
Rosa wanted that desperately.
Sheila had spent a fair amount of time by herself masturbating during the last seven days. Excited most of the time by the collar that gripped the base of her her clit. A vibration was occasionally given at unusual times. She assumed just so she would know they were still watching. But not the sound of Joshua's voice. She needed his voice, even as distorted as it was.
Why hasn't he called?
The phone suddenly began vibrating in her hand, as if on cue to her thoughts. Startled, she jumped slightly.
"Finally," she whispered placing the phone to her ear.
"Joshua?"
"Hello, Rosa."
"What took you so long?" she asked with anticipation.
"Preparations."
"For what?" Her heart raced with excitement.
But he offered no explanation beyond that one word. Typical Joshua. He never spoke more words than were necessary.
"Go to one, one, seven, zero four Industrial Parkway. I will call when you are there."
The line went dead.
Sheila placed the phone into the small red handbag that had become her favorite, at least today. She picked her keys up from a bowl on a small table near the kitchen door, and exited the house into the garage.
James's car was gone again. She wondered briefly, when he had left, but decided it really didn't matter. She paid far less attention to his comings and goings lately, Her life was much busier now that she quit worrying over him and started being her own person. She had been living her own life, becoming Rosa; Rosa didn't care about James.
Smiling, she backed the car out of the garage, put it in drive, and pulled away the house. Tapping the control for the garage door on the visor as she did. She was excited and becoming increasingly more wet wondering what Joshua had in store for her today.
* * *
After a thirty-minute drive, Sheila pulled into the parking lot of a rundown warehouse building.
Rust peeked through faded blue paint on metal siding. One of two office windows on either side of a dented, gray metal door had overlapping strips of duct tape sealing a long crack that started at one corner and ended at the opposite dirty corner. The tape looked fresh and shiny in contrast with the rest of the building. It seemed odd to Shiela.
Rosa charged on.
Only one vehicle was nosed into a parking space nearest the door, otherwise the lot was empty. The only exception to the barren space was some dust and light debris that had collected in the corners of the paved surface. There, grass peeked through several thin cracks in the asphalt.
The vehicle was a large Hummer with brush guards attached on the front and back, including screens covering headlight and taillight assemblies. Deep scratches in the black paint on the guards attested to their necessity. Well--used winches were mounted on both front and back brush guards. Below it all, the vehicle was painted a drab military green color and was scratched in places.
"What the hell is this," Sheila mumbled taking in the aggressive looking vehicle.
She imagined some creepy axe murderer dressed in camouflage clothes waiting to kill her as she entered the building. She felt exposed being alone in such a secluded place. Rosa, on the other hand, was anxious to meet whomever it was.
The wind tugged at the ragged edges of rusty tin clinging to the roof of the abandoned building, creating a sorrowful moan accompanied by an odd creaking sound that did little to ease Sheila's mind but excited Rosa.
The phone, hidden from view in her red handbag, began to vibrate against the center console. This startled Sheila, causing her to spring up in her seat. The sound seemed much louder than usual, but likely was only her nerves.
She placed the phone to her ear. "You scared the shit out of me," she said trying to catch her breath.
"Relax. Joshua's obscured voice sounded calm, and cool. "Nothing to be afraid of."
"A creepy SUV, an abandoned old warehouse? Not at all, " Sheila said sarcastically.
"Don't you trust me, Rosa?"
She did trust him. She would have been dead already if not for Joshua, He had never done anything but help her; he helped her become Rosa.
"Yes, Joshua, she said feeling silly for being afraid.
"Our benefactors want to meet you. They are providers of our resources. They make The Network possible. It's rare to meet them. You have been chosen; she awaits you inside. This is an honor, Rosa. Treat it as such."
The connection closed with nothing more.
Sheila had even more questions now.
There are benefactors. Joshua isn't the top of the chain.
How exciting. Sheila was curious and wanted to meet this, "benefactor", as Joshua had called her. Joshua had spoken as if she were meeting some sort of royalty or something. "An honor," he had said in a strange tone. Sheila was confused, but Rosa was excited, and intrigued.
She parked the car and turned off the ignition.
The eerie sound of the wind sang a monotone song in a mournful tone.
Gently clicking the car door closed, she inhaled deeply. The air smelled of stale chemicals, and fresh cut grass. A gust of air reached below her skirt and caressed her bottom. This was a feeling she was gradually becoming accustomed to the more she wore short skirts everywhere now. She hoped she would eventually become more accustomed to the tingling it created in her exposed bud, or clit as Rosa was inclined to call it.
On very windy days, she would end up somewhere finishing off what the wind had started.
The latch on the gray metal door echoed loudly within the interior of the warehouse in a loud click. Everyone inside knew she was coming now. All her hopes of sneaking in vanished with the sharp, metallic sound. She pushed the door in, and air rushed out around her. It was warm and comfortable like a big cotton blanket and smelled of fresh rain. It was not what she expected.
She stepped inside and released the door. It closed solidly on the frame and seemed to seal the inside air from the outside, whispering a soft "Whoosh" as it closed behind her.
Not creepy at all.
A few scattered desks were covered in dust, and fine white cobwebs connected them to anything nearer than several inches.
Lots of spiders.
She took a deep breath. Her head felt dizzy, and she began to have trouble standing. Not a lot, but noticeable. Her fingertips tingled slightly. Sheila braced herself against one of the desks in an attempt to prevent herself from falling.
She realized too late that something wasn't right; she was somehow being poisoned or drugged.
She feebly reached toward the door.
Everything went black.
* * *
Sheila groggily tried to clear her blurred vision and became aware of the fact that she couldn't move. She couldn't understand where she was at. Her brain felt all fuzzy. Soft, yet secure restraints held her arms and legs. She slowly became more aware as she regained consciousness. Her head hammered in dull rushing surges of pain. Her vision began to clear. Her fingers still tingled, and now ached.
She was tied to a rack with only a thin cushion of a seat that held her at a slight angle to the floor in a sitting position, but she was still reclined against it. It was cold and constructed of aluminum or some other polished metal.
Sheila was nude and could do nothing to cover her nakedness.
Well now we've walked into it. See what you got us into Rosa. Some mass murderer has us and we will never be seen again. Why has Joshua done this to me?
"I assure you, you have not been betrayed by Josua," a nearly purring woman's voice said. She spoke in what sounded like a Russian accent to Sheila.
