by Amy Yao
"Don't worry about what she said. All you need to know is that she is undermining you. If she has her way, you might even get fired."
David’s stomach dropped. He wanted to believe that it was impossible, that this company would be purely meritocratic, and that no one would believe someone like Diana, especially when she was such an obviously conniving bitch. And yet, he wasn't so naïve. Not really. David knew that the right words at the right time could destroy a career.
"She's really coming after me?"
"She is. And if you have her take into The Facility, you can talk about this with her if you like."
David nodded to himself. After a few more seconds, he made his decision. "Okay. She can fly down with me."
That night, Diana strode from the elevator bank toward her luxury sedan. It was late, per her usual routine. She liked to stay past everyone else; this was one more way for her to demonstrate her dedication. Sure, she usually worked on personal projects, but no one else needed to know that.
That was the thing about success, she reflected. It had very little to do with actual accomplishment. Instead, it became a question of appearance. Diana looked like she was doing a good job, and that was enough. People would respect her. They would listen to her. They would decide that they should do as she said.
Really, that’s what Diana craved. She wanted power. She wanted to be able to go after her enemies at work.
Enemies. It was a silly concept. This wasn’t actually a war or anything, but she still looked forward to taking on some of those people who got in her way. Michael, Ray, David, Shannon, and Michelle. Diana pulled out her fob. She pointed it at her car, and she unlocked the doors. She got inside and turned on the engine.
The windshield was mostly fogged over, so Diana shrugged, comfortable to wait for a couple of minutes. She always hated this part, but it was easy to close her eyes, lean back, and relax. That’s when someone made his move.
Diana never saw him. But he reached out from the back seat, clamping a damp cloth over her mouth. Suddenly, her senses were alive. She opened her eyes, and she struggled, but the strong grip refused to let her go.
“Settle down,” came a gruff voice.
Diana kicked out with her feet. That didn’t change anything either. She grabbed the steering wheel, breaking a nail. Under other circumstances, she would have freaked out. But right then, she took a gasp of air. She breathed through the cloth, and the sedatives filled her lungs. They started to rush through the rest of her body. She folded over and she hit the horn on her car. The sounds echoed through the parking garage.
Someone was going to hear this, right? Someone was going to come help her, right?
Nope. Diana kicked down again. From one moment to the next, she waited. Everything seemed to happen so fast. At the same time, everything seemed to happen so slowly. Her perceptions began to stretch. Darkness clawed its way at the corners of her vision.
Awake, she had to stay awake.
Diana realized this as she tried to claw at the guy holding her. Her fingers clamped down at his wrist. She didn’t even touch his skin. Instead, she felt the leather sleeve on his coat.
“Just relax. It’s going to be okay,” said the voice. Diana didn’t believe him, so she kept thrashing about. She shook her car. The overpriced, luxury sedan wobbled from side to side, the shock absorbers absorbing all of her momentum. Diana tried to scream, but the cloth absorbed all of the sound.
She wasn’t going to be able to attract any attention.
That’s why, within just two or three minutes, she lost her fight.
The chemicals overwhelmed her, stripping away her consciousness. Her eyelids fell, and she drifted into a long, black fall.
Erika backed up, still in that small room. Her dog bowls rested just a few feet away. The young woman shook her head. She couldn’t say anything. More importantly, she wasn’t about to embarrass herself by making the attempt. So instead, she backed up, going closer and closer to the far wall.
Miranda, the redheaded counselor, wastched all of this. “Oh, it’s okay. You don’t need to feel embarrassed or afraid. I’m just going to help you with some of your training.”
What?
Sure, Erika understood those words well enough, but her heart started kicking in her chest. She couldn’t believe it. She couldn’t accept the idea that this woman was going to try to train her.
It seemed absurd.
“Now, let me just get a leash on you,” Miranda said. She walked over to one of the hooks on the wall. She grabbed the leash, and she approached Erika.
Braced like an animal, Erika glanced around. Panic started to well up inside of her. Was she going to allow this? Was she going to let this other woman leash her?
For some reason, getting owned by David felt like one thing. They were married. It almost felt natural? But Erika didn’t think she could allow someone else, a woman no less, to own her.
“Oh, it’s okay. Just relax. Settle down. You don’t need to get upset, puppy girl.”
“I’m not a puppy girl!” Erika tried to shout. Her ferocity was so powerful that she actually managed to get those words out. Of course, the collar still punished her. She still felt that rush of electricity, but it was different because she had achieved something.
Or so she thought.
Whoever had programmed the collar did a good job. It recognized her success, so it doubled the strength of the blast. Not only that, the duration seemed to have been increased as well.
This was bad for Erika. Very bad.
Pain washed over her as this incredible wave. It slammed into her chest, and there was no defense, not against this. The pain swept over her, practically crushing her.
Erika threw herself back. When it finally dissipated, she couldn’t breathe. Her chest rose and fell, but she didn’t really comprehend what had happened. Dark splotches swam in front of her eyes.
Heart pounding, she looked up.
“Are you sure you really want to misbehave? Are you sure you really want to fight me on this?”
No, Erika wasn’t certain.
With the leash attached, Erika didn’t seem to have any choice. She crawled after the other woman. Miranda led Erika out of the room and down the hallway. “Don’t worry. We’re going to have lots of fun, you and I. But first, we need to work on your training.”
They soon found themselves in another room. It had the exact same dimensions of the previous two, only Erika couldn’t help but notice the one difference. A piece of furniture. Under other circumstances, it would have made no difference. But right in there, Erika knew what was going to happen.
“We are going to test a few of your responses. And then I’m going to work on programming you.”
“I can’t be programmed,” Erika was about to say, only she stopped herself at the last moment. After that last burst of electricity, she couldn’t take another shock. She simply couldn’t handle it, and she wouldn’t.
“Get up on the bed,” ordered Maranda. Erika crawled toward the furniture. She had to scramble, working hard with her elbows and knees, but she did manage to get all the way up. Good for her. Somehow, this actually felt like an achievement.
Grimacing, Erika didn’t know what to do as Miranda climbed up onto the mattress as well. She grabbed Erika, pushing her onto her back. The puppy’s limbs remained bound, but Miranda decided to change that.
Erika could only watch, amazed, as Miranda started to unzip the binders. Starting with her left leg, Miranda lowered the zipper, loosening the buckle, freeing the limb. She did the same thing with Erika’s other leg, then her right arm and her left.
Right away, Erika wanted to run for freedom. In her mind’s eye, she pictured herself sprinting out of the room, her arms and legs slashing the air as she sprinted for freedom.
No, that wasn’t going to work. Erika already knew this, so she stayed there. She didn’t fight.
“Good girl. You see, you really are learning to behave. The old Erika would have tried to
leave. Obviously, you would fail, but you still would’ve made the attempt.”
Miranda, wearing her dark skirt and matching top grabbed Erika’s limbs, spreading them. She pointed Erika’s knuckles toward the corners of the bed. And then she started to tie Erika down.
Erika opened her mouth, getting ready to say something. Just because she was no longer forced to crawl around like a puppy girl, that didn’t mean she was allowed to speak. Understanding this, Erika didn’t resist. So she traded one form of captivity for another.
Soon, she was naked, tied down to the bed, her body on display.
Cool air from the overhead vent began to run along Erika’s vulnerable skin. She shivered once. Her nipples started to get hard.
“Do you like the idea of me using you, Erika?” Miranda spoke clinically, like this was just part of some official questionnaire
Lips parting, Erika opened her mouth, and she was about to respond, only to remember that she couldn’t. Sniffling once, she shook her head.
“Oh, sorry about that. I forgot about your collar.” Miranda chuckled, like this was a common and completely understandable mistake. More than ever, Erika wanted to launch herself forward and scratch at this woman. She wanted to make Miranda pay for humiliating and degrading her this way.
But with a fresh set of restraints around her wrists and ankles, Erika wasn’t going anywhere. There was nothing she could do. In fact, she proved this to herself. Squirming helplessly, she pulled against her restraints. The straps were tight. They gave her just a little bit of wiggle room, not enough to fight back.
No, never that.
Miranda slid the controller out of her pocket. She pointed it down at Erika, and she pushed a button. All of a sudden, Erika realized something. Some of the tension had dissipated from around her throat. There was still the weight of the device pressing into her, but had it unlocked? Erika couldn’t be certain, not until Miranda reached down and pulled the collar away altogether.
As impossible as it sounded, Erika was free! She tried to sit up, like that would work. She pulled against her bonds, only to feel the shackles press into her skin. She tried to kick out, but that didn’t do any good either.
“It’s okay, Erika. You need to learn to accept this. You’re property now, so you’re going to be used. That’s what it means to be owned. That’s what it means to be a good little wife.”
Erika opened her mouth, hesitating. For a moment, she really didn’t believe that she could do this. She didn’t think that she would be allowed to speak. But the collar was gone!
So Erika opened her mouth, she took a long, slow breath, and then she made her move. “I’m not going to let you get away with this. Let me up right now.”
“Good. You haven’t been completely tamed by your husband yet. Don’t worry. I’m sure that will happen in time.”
“No way. That’s not going to happen. It’s never going to happen!” Erika practically snarled those words. She revealed her teeth, each one white and sharp.
Yeah, Miranda wasn’t impressed. It didn’t make any difference how aggressive Erika may have appeared. The woman positioned above her was used to this kind of defiance. “Tell me, have you experimented with any other girls?”
Erika blinked, utterly confused. Experimented? Then the color drained away from her cheeks as she figured out what Miranda was really asking.
She wanted to know if Erika had ever been with another girl, if she had ever dabbled with lesbianism.
“No way.”
“Are you sure about that? You seem like the kind of girl who would make out with another girl to impress the boys.”
“No!” Erika insisted again, that single syllable loud, a declaration and promise all mixed together.
“Okay. So let’s see if I can turn you on.” Miranda leaned forward. She ran her fingertips along Erika’s thigh. After all of the attention Erika had received from her husband, she didn’t know if her body would react.
It did.
Erika started to squirm as she felt that immediate rush of arousal. The desire started to spin through her, coalescing, turning into something powerful and undeniable, just like before.
Erika shook her head from side to side, refusing to acknowledge this. But then, Miranda placed her thumb right between Erika’s legs. She pushed it down, massaging, teasing. Those gentle movements were impossible to ignore. The passion ignited, spreading hotter.
The enslaved wife started to whisper. “No. I’m not going to let you do this to me too. It was bad enough when he teased me. I’m not going to let you get away with this.” As she made those promises, Erika pressed her fingertips down into the palms of her hands, digging little crescent trenches.
“Okay,” Miranda decided after a few seconds. “I can see that you don’t enjoy this. I mean, you’re obviously responding, and your body has been keyed up for this kind of desire, but you don’t want to like it. That’s okay. Let’s see if we can make you fall in love with me.” Along the way, you’re probably going to lose more of your willpower. You don’t mind, do you?”
“What? No way. You can’t do that.” The electrical shocks had been one thing. Erika didn’t think that they would be able to do anything else to her. She had no idea.
“Oh yes, I can. I can do whatever I want with you, Erika.” When Miranda grinned, her entire face lit up. She was so lovely, not that Erika would think about anything like that.
Then Miranda leaned in, and she gently kissed the plaything strapped to that bed. She started right between Erika’s eyes. Then she kissed the tip of her nose. And then she pressed down.
This was it, Erika’s chance.
Erika wasn’t going to let this girl get away with this. She was going to fight. That’s why she bit down, taking Miranda’s lips between her teeth. She locked her jaw, almost hard enough to draw blood.
All at once, a nervous whimper left Miranda’s throat. She pulled back fast. At the same time, her eyes were wet. Erika grinned. She got to smile, to chuckle for once. She had fought back!
“Cute,” Miranda said. “Very cute. But now, you’re going to have to pay for that.”
Miranda got up, and she walked over to the closet. It seemed every one of these rooms came with one. Miranda opened the door, sliding it. Then she picked something up and came back.
Erika watched, only half surprised when she saw that the other girl was carrying a wooden paddle. It looked like something she might have seen at a school back in the forties or fifties.
Miranda slapped the solid wood against the palm of her hand. It made a loud noise, one that made Erika shiver.
Of course, she never would have admitted just how that sound made her feel, but there was no denying the truth.
“Are you ready to apologize?”
“No. Never! I’m not going to apologize!”
“I’m going to paddle you. And then I’m going to program you.”
Miranda made it sound obvious. Then she was on the bed, positioned right between Erika’s legs. She touched the paddle to Erika’s left thigh. She dragged the smooth surface along Erika’s skin, forcing the slave girl to shiver. Although Erika wanted to appear neutral and detached, completely stoic, like none of this could touch her, she already knew the truth. She didn’t have much pain tolerance.
Miranda cocked the paddle up into the air. And then she brought it down, sweeping and hard. It struck, clapping into Erika’s skin.
That was just the beginning.
Erika accepted her punishment. She let the sensations course through her body, and she pretended that they didn’t affect her. But, of course, they did. Pretty soon, she had to concentrate. She bit down, hard, clenching her jaw.
But eventually, the paddling came to an end. Miranda pulled out her controller. She pushed a couple of buttons, some sequence. And that’s when Erika first heard the music.
It was a mixture of violin and flute, some classical composition. It spun, the sounds and notes mixing on the air, practically dancing with one another.
The music struck her as flirtatious and happy.
In spite of her punishment, Erika rolled her eyes, like she wanted to show this girl that it didn’t matter what they did to her because she was never going to give up. She was never going to give in. She was never going to surrender. They could tease and humiliate her however they wanted, and it still wouldn’t change anything.
Then again, Erika had enjoyed these thoughts on plenty of other occasions. They never amounted to anything.
The employees at The Facility knew exactly what they were doing.
And they were going to break her.
“This music contains a special, hypnotic pattern. You won’t be able to hear it right away, but you’re going to start to feel it after a few minutes. And when I come back, you’re going to be ready to serve me. You’ll want to lick me and please me. You’re going to be absolutely eager for my approval.”
“Is that really what you should be doing? Won’t that annoy my husband?”
“Don’t worry. I already have his permission,” Miranda replied.
And then she got up, and she walked away, closing the door behind her.
Of course, the music continued trill onto the air.
Nothing happened at first. Erika was grateful for this. She thought it proved something about her. Miranda may have been delusional, after all. There was a good chance that the counselor would say something insane, and nothing would come of it.
Granted, the control collars were pretty impressive. Erika tried not to think about how much money it would take to build such a device, how much influence and power went into it. But that was just one achievement.
Creating the collar didn’t mean that hypnotism or mind control was actually a possibility. In fact, Erika told herself that her willpower was too strong. She was too intelligent to be manipulated this way. That idea sounded really, really good in her head. But just because she liked it, that didn’t mean she was going to be right or successful in resisting.