Choir Collusion

Editor's note: this story contains scenes of non-consensual or reluctant sex.

*****

Chapter 1

"Hi," I called from the outer doorway to the minister's office. "I wanted to ask about joining the choir? I just moved here from Nesterville and thought I'd like to get back into church." My questioning tone indicated my request was also about whether or not there were restrictions on joining the choir, such as having to be a member of the congregation, or even having to sing to audition. (Although that wouldn't have been a problem for me.)

A beautiful young woman approached me, smiling widely in welcome. "That's great!" she gushed. "We love welcoming new people to our mist! Our choir is small in numbers, but we really know how to rock the church. What's your vocal range?"

Mist?

I thought.

She must mean 'midst.'

"I'm pretty flexible," I admitted. "I can sing everything from tenor through high soprano. You think there might be a place for me? You all sounded good, yesterday morning."

"Wait," she said suddenly, giving me a suspicious look. "Haven't I seen you somewhere, on TV maybe?"

"No!" I declared hastily, averting my gaze. "That must have been someone else. You know, everyone has a doppelganger somewhere. I've been told before that I look like Susan This, or Barbara That..."

I could hear myself babbling and immediately stopped.

There was a slight pause as the red-haired woman continued to look at me. Finally, she said, "O-kaaay... we'll go with that. When would you like to join us for practice? We start at seven in the evening, every Thursday."

I was thrilled. Nothing matches the feeling I get whenever I move people to tears as they listen and get carried away by my music. The soaring notes pouring from me are somehow imbued with more power than I have, as I share my gifts of music with others. Singing opera had been like that.

I used to be a one of those big-name 'Opera Stars' with sold-out performances all the time. It was often

my

voice with a thrilling rendition of the national anthem before a world-class event. Whenever I was booked for a spot on TV, ads were run for weeks ahead of time, ensuring increased ratings for the network over which I sang to millions.

I laughed with delight, then mentioned the error I had noticed as I'd perused the bulletin during yesterday's service. "I got a real kick out of your typo," I said, grinning in shared humor, or so I thought. "It says the choir is getting together this coming Saturday at the director's house for 'fun and sinning.'"

"Yeah?" she asked, "So?"

I gulped. "Ah, well..."

Slowly she closed and then re-opened her left eye as a grin grew across her face. "I might not always be right, but I'm never wrong. You'll see. My name's Julia," she went on. "I'm the secretary here, as you've guessed. My older brother is the choir director. We usually have our 'funtime' meetings at his place."

I noticed that Julia didn't insist that I come to their off-grounds gathering, but that was okay; I didn't want to be committed to attend a party where I'd never met anyone before, anyway.

"I'm M-...Belinda Baylor," I said, trying to make my newly chosen name sound familiar, at least to myself. I was going to have to work on that. "I guess I'll see you Thursday."

The community was rural, located in upper Delaware. It was close enough to my sister's home that I'd come here easily when I needed to get away from the man I loved.

I'd grown up here on the upper East coast, close enough that New York City was always a potential target for launching a career in music.

This church was one of those individual worshiping congregations of no particular denomination, that catered to people who wanted to worship the Lord, without worrying about some hierarchical intervention into what practices they wished to follow. They had formed under the leadership of the pastor.

It was close to my new place, was small but looked well maintained and inviting to me. I was pleased that the service I'd attended had included people who went out of their way to welcome me as a newcomer or visitor.

Chapter 2

Thursday night choir practice was fun. It was a small group, having dwindled from more than a dozen to just the six who continued to hold to their choir commitment. They were few in number but mighty in sound!

The group was made up of seven in total. The director, Jason, was as red-haired as his sister Julia, who sang a mean alto line. The soprano section had three seated there. Alice sang with a high, ethereal tone, somehow fitting well with her cherubic face. The twins, Kulea and Leula sang harmonious second soprano with clear, crisp diction elevating the verse. Their gleaming black eyes shone with joy as they sang.

I love to hear male voices singing. As I listen, I can feel the sympathethic vibration deep within my breast, as the resonance lifts me along with their counter-melody.

I eyed T-Juan and Simri with interest. T-Juan's skin was a deep ebony in color, just a few shades darker than my own. Simri was much more compactly built than either of the other men, but his generous smile revealed sparkling white teeth, a highlight of his ruggedly handsome visage.

We settled in and worked on next Sunday's music for about an hour and a half. I sang alto with Julia for a couple of the songs, but joined Alice on the high melody line for the main anthem. Without thinking about it, I automatically sang out the descant line, my voice echoing strongly above the support of the choir. At the final chorus, I went into an incredible riff on the demanding phrasing, pealing God's greatness for all to hear!

When we finally ended on a triumphant chord, cutting off perfectly together at Jason's direction, there was stunned silence.

I stood there quietly, my mouth closed, as I nervously glanced around. "Is something wrong?" I asked, finally.

"No!" Jason exclaimed. "Nothing's wrong! Can you do that again, Sunday?"

"Sure," I said with relief.

"Great. Be here an hour before the service starts. We'll get you a robe and warm up together for a few minutes. Then, we'll show you how we line up to process."

I heard a male voice say, "What about Saturday?" but I was focused on Jason, so I couldn't tell if it was T-Juan or Simri who had asked.

Jason's eyes darted quickly in the direction of the questioner. He shook his head slightly, then said, "We're really glad you're joining us! We'll see you on Sunday."

I took this for the dismissal it was and left, fully understanding that I would be a subject of discussion before the balance of the choir disbanded for the night.

Chapter 3

Saturday morning, Julia called me. She said she could use my help with a play the kids were putting on for the congregation. Of course, I agreed. I've never declined spending a few hours with creative children. (I always keep in mind that they aren't coming home with me.)

When I was famous, I didn't have time to spend with my family in any real way. My sister, Jelissa, and her daughter, Tamika, were the ones I loved most, but my fame had come at a steep price. I'd not been able to spend many visits with them for years, and even those were quickly over.

It was only since the accident that I'd been able to be part of their lives, again. (Thank God, I was on a visit with them when it happened.)

I entered the church gymnasium, only to find the rehearsal already well underway. I could clearly hear the exasperated tones of the Bible-school teacher as she called, "The scene is too DULL!! Put more LIFE into your DYING!"

That turned out to be the high point of the morning. I knew the presentation would be enthusiastically received, no matter the actual skill involved, so I was still in a great frame of mind when Julia acknowledged she was done and asked if I wanted to 'hang out' for a while longer.

That sounded fun to me, so I joined her, hopping into her car at her insistence.

We drove out into the countryside, chatting amiably, without really saying anything of note. Julia pulled up at last, in a shady spot beneath a tree gracing the edge of a lovely pond.

I simply gazed at the country landscape for a moment. "This is beautiful."

"I don't like swimming in there, anymore," Julia said sadly, as we got out and approached the edge. "It has too much of that green allergy."

I held my tongue but couldn't stop my grin. Was she serious?

"Has the town had to start some water treatment?" I asked, not sure if this pond was somehow connected to the city's water supply.

"Well," Julia said seriously, "they say they've tested everything and it's okay, but half the lies they tell me aren't true."

I blinked. This must be one of her traits. I looked forward to more of her unwittingly twisted remarks. (I look for light-hearted moments wherever I can find them. They haven't always been around.)

"My husband and I used to come down here," she said wistfully.

"I haven't met him, yet. Will he be at church, tomorrow?"

"Oh, no," she laughed. "He doesn't go. He hasn't tried to stop me, but he claims all the do-gooders are hypocrites; wild horses couldn't push him inside. It'd be like trying to squeeze toothpaste back into the tube! Still, despite his flaws, I'll keep him; he knows all my erroneous zones."

Once she offered the sexual remark, Julia's green eyes sharpened a bit, as she looked at me with speculation, perhaps wondering if I would react negatively to such intimate sharing.

I just looked at her, wondering where she was leading the conversation.

"You know," she said, "there are just some things you can't do without, and a good man is one of them." She went on to say, very quickly, "A good woman, too! All people."

She shifted her weight from one foot to the other as she hurried on, "You should get to know Simri. He's really a

great

guy. He moved here about a year ago, after suffering from unrequired love." Her green eyes looked earnestly into my own, dark mahogany-shaded ones.

"Well," I said, just to help her extract herself from the embarrassing situation, "I love a good man who appreciates

all

of my erroneous zones!"

"Great! Then you'll come to the party tonight. We'll eat, drink a little, laugh and have a terrific time. It'll change your life!"

She stayed in a high level of excitement for another hour before dropping me off at home. She insisted on leaving my car in the church lot, at least until later, saying she'd be back to collect me at six.

Chapter 4

I enjoyed getting ready for the outing. I luxuriated in a hot shower for twenty minutes, shaving my long legs carefully, appreciating how toned I'd become after surviving my earlier ordeal. And the scar was almost gone.

...No thinking of that, now! Not going to think about the man of my dreams.

I selected a dress that accentuated my eye-stopping figure, cradling my pert breasts beneath a fine lacy bra of a beautiful purple color. It matched my tightly-fitting dance pants of the same shade, hugging my hips and upper thighs within their snug embrace, matching perfectly with identical lacey details. The dress itself featured a myriad of eyelets climbing elegant vines, making my purple underthings appear to be almost peeking through the fabric, like blossoms hidden beneath foliage at my breasts and hips.

I donned my platform sandals, wrapping the laces high up on my calves, and stood to do my hair and makeup.

The face I see in the mirror is sometimes a surprise to me. I've had lots of wolf-whistles and rude but favorable comments on my appearance, but the calm, elegant gaze from almond-shaped eyes atop high cheekbones and plump, kissable lips sometimes look like someone else. Surely, I don't have those flushed cheeks and long, wavy black strands falling enticingly over my shoulders.

That woman in the mirror looked like she had a good handle on her life.

If only!

A quick knock at my door drew my attention and I hurried to grab my light linen jacket and join Julia. We arrived at her brother's house soon after.

I was welcomed warmly, Jason drawing me into his living room where everyone had gathered around a table. It was quite old and ornate, with figures carved with great detail around its rim and throughout its generous base. It had to weigh a ton, but had obviously been brought into the room just for this occasion.

It took a moment before I could turn my gaze from it and look around the room. It would have easily graced a luxurious lodge! There were several couches lining the walls and generously-sized chairs and reclining love-seats, sized for two, were placed to ensure good conversational areas. I noticed a doorway on the far side of the room that led into an area that was apparently an exercise room of some kind. I could see a couple of exercise benches and some sort of hanging mechanical straps or pulleys, or something.

My attention was drawn back to the table with the seated guests when Jason took my arm and led me to an open seat. It was the only one where a goblet sat beside the dinner plate. All the other guests had whatever beverage they'd chosen. Two were drinking beer, while mixed drinks seemed to be the preference for several more. Only Simri had a glass of water to drink.

I wondered about the ornate goblet, but said nothing as I sat down.

"We're so glad you're here! We were all hoping Julia could persuade you to come." Jason looked at Alice, raising an eyebrow and nodding his head slightly in the direction of the kitchen. She slipped quickly from her seat and left the room.

"Alice will get the eats, and we can all relax and have a good time together," he went on. "We find that our chemistry makes us sing better after one of our outings."

There were various comments agreeing with Jason, the loudest coming from T-Juan.

"That's right, That's right," he said with a beat. "We all get tight!" His shoulders lifted lightly, enforcing the rhythm even after his words had ended.

Everyone jostled back in their chairs as Alice returned with a tray full of dish after dish of steamy goodness.

As she started putting the serving dishes on the table she said to Jason, "The dessert drinks are all set up in the kitchen. Why don't you get them ready?"

As Jason passed her on his way out of the room, I thought I saw him pull a small bottle of some sort from Alice's apron pocket. It didn't seem to have any label showing against its deep blue sheen, but I couldn't be sure. I thought it a bit strange but didn't spend any time considering it. I was enjoying making new friends among these fellow music-lovers.

The delightful meal consisted of the inevitable layered salad, baked beans, homemade fluffy biscuits and spiral-sliced ham with a rich cherry glaze. I was given my choice of beverages but stuck with water.

I never like to drink too much alcohol. I've made myself a vow that I'll never get plastered again, after getting humiliatingly sick the first time. (Both ends at once, Yuck!!) After that, I was never again interested in being out of control of myself. I figured I'd gotten double my money's worth that night: first and last time drinking too much.

Alice was just clearing away the dishes from the table while lively chattering was going on when a rap came at the door. Jason went to answer, picking up a beautiful crystal decanter half-full of a lightly-tinted liquid of some kind as he passed a stately cadenza.

"You're right on time," he welcomed the visitor. "I was just about to propose our special New Member toast!"

"None of that, tonight," came a voice that made my breath catch. I thought I'd escaped from that relationship, and I'd

prayed

for the strength to stay away, and not return to the man I love. Now I sat, unable to move as Dr. Dave Haverson entered the room.

As I had felt the first time I laid eyes on him (after I was fully conscious), it struck me again that the man walked as if he owned the very Earth, itself. He didn't have any need to strut; his six-foot four-inch frame had long enough legs that every step was assertive. His eyes were an intense blue shade, framed by long lashes, of course. An aquiline nose of just the right proportion graced his face. He could easily have chosen to be a fashion model rather than a doctor. But then, I would never have met him.

"Hello, Mari'D. I've been waiting for this."

Chapter 5

"How did you find me?"

"I never lost you; I've been keeping track. You know I want you to be with me," Dave said, calmly examining my stricken face. "When you ran away, I knew you'd be trying to hide from me. My patron was able to make sure you had a job offer here that you'd be interested in."

"Your patron?"

"Yes. You never let me explain everything." He looked around at the assembled group. "These people aren't being controlled by me or anyone else, anymore. Sometimes the formula is just used for a single person looking to improve their love life. But, as you apparently learned, sometimes it's been used for other things."

"You mean orgies; don't argue over semantics!" I gazed at my fellow choir members who were listening closely, but reserving judgment. "Is that why the bulletin says the choir meets for 'fun and sinning', Julia?"

I'd never be able to erase the images that had caused me to flee from my beloved, Dave. I'd mistakenly come across and watched, (and listened,) to a video recording of an orgy; with Dave obviously directing the people into different positions, while being certain the camera was focusing on the most explicit images I'd ever seen.

I could hear him next to the camera, instructing the participants, his voice louder than most of the moans and mewlings coming from the group mingling so intimately together. I could play it back in my mind, over and over, and had; before deciding that I just couldn't stay with a man capable of doing that to other people.

So, I left.

"Well, ...Whoever you really are ...Wait! Mari'D? ...Mari'Drea? The opera star? I thought you looked familial! I told you I might not always be right, but I'm never wrong."

She went on, "We put the notices in the bulletin so the people in the congregation who want to join us for fun, can. Our God is big enough to love

all

of us, even with our faults and sins. You know, even Mark Lowry's mama taught him that Jesus did His first miracle after His mom told him the party was runnin' out of booze."

"So, you all behave like sexual perverts while you're attending church and worshiping God?" I challenged the group at large, waiting for anyone to answer.

"Not

in

the church, usually," Jason said. "We're just normal folks, gathering for our regular Sunday services, attending to the needs of the community, teaching Christian principles to our kids. But we've also learned to appreciate the wondrous gift God gave each of us with our earthly bodies."

He indicated the doorway across the room where I had noticed various types of equipment. "We usually make this place available for anyone who needs it."

"I was the first one, I think," said Alice, confidingly. "I was frigid to the point that my husband threatened to divorce me." She glanced around the table, finding only encouraging expressions on her friends' faces. "I was referred to Dr. Haverson, or Dr. Have-it-all, as I like to think of him."

She looked around at the others with a smile. "Everybody knows all about it. I tried everything. I lost weight, took classes to teach myself belly dancing to tone my muscles, even got Dennis to go see a shrink with me and tried some sex therapy.

Man, when I think of some of the things he was willing to do to help me... I just had to find

something

to work. I ...well, somethin' really bad happened when I was a kid and I just never got over it."

After a second's pause, she said quietly, "I'll tell you about that another time. Everybody here has already heard it. Anyway, I'd given up hope, when a friend told me about Dr. Haverson. I'd never heard of him, but I was desperate for any kind of help, so I called for an appointment."