by Dawn Cano
I Am Karma
Dawn Cano
This story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
SHADOW WORK PUBLISHING
Copyright © 2016 by Dawn Cano
All rights reserved.
Cover Artwork by Lewis Duncan
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Dedication:
John Ledger, this one's for you. Thank you for your unwavering support, for putting up with me no matter what's going on in my life, and for your ability to make me smile, even when I'm having a bad day. This book wouldn't exist without you.
Special Thanks To:
Toneye Blakk
T.S. Woolard
Colleen Cassidy
Christina Cano
John Ratcliff
1
ALEX WAS TWO-years-old when her mother walked out on her, and although she had no memory of the woman who gave her life, her dad often told her that her mom gave no explanation for leaving the family behind. One day, he just woke up to find her gone. He didn't keep any pictures of the three of them together, and in fact, he didn't keep any pictures of her mother at all. Alex didn't even know what she looked like, but her dad gave her one piece of information that might someday help her find her mother, or at the very least, make her feel close to someone other than her father. Both Alex and her mom had matching circular birthmarks on their left calves.
Alex loved her dad, at least she did until the abuse began. After her mom left, her dad began drinking, and the amount he drank steadily increased over the years. Although he managed to find a nice old widow to take care of his daughter during the day, the nights became almost unbearable for her when she turned six. He'd return from the bar as the babysitter made her way out and say the words she'd come to dread, “Alex, Daddy's home.” Alex would be tucked up in her bed when her father came stumbling into her room, and the encounters always started the same way. Her dad would sit on the edge of her bed, stroking her hair, telling her how much he loved her and how much he missed his wife, Alex's mother. He'd let his hand wander until he found the spot he was looking for, and she would start to cry as he stroked her with one hand and himself with the other. When he had achieved an erection, he would move Alex onto her back and rape her. She could still remember the smell of beer and cigarettes on his breath and the weight of his stomach pressing against hers with every thrust. She remembered the way he would stare into her eyes as he fucked her. The pain and bleeding. How strong he was. She remembered everything.
The older Alex got, the more she struggled against her father's advances, which only made him angry and made the assaults more violent. Instead of just raping her, he would beat her, leaving her body bloody and bruised, and her spirit broken.
She rarely attended school as a teenager because she was running out of creative ways to hide what was happening at home. Her father stopped caring about her altogether, so long as he got his rocks off on the nights he got drunk. When she hit puberty at the age of twelve and her breasts began to develop, it seemed the rape happened much more frequently. Finally, she'd reached her limit and, at the age of fourteen, ran away from home with little more than a change of clothes and some crackers in the backpack she had slung over her shoulder.
***
ALEX'S FIRST NIGHT on the streets terrified her. She quickly made her way from the suburbs to the city, trying to put as much distance between her and her father as she could, as quickly as possible. By the time she made it downtown, it was getting dark. She had no money, nowhere to go, and at the time, no hope. She worked her way to a set of abandoned buildings in the heart of downtown and hid between an old clothing retailer and an abandoned bank. She sat down and after walking miles to her destination, was so tired that she soon fell asleep. She wasn't sure how long she slept before someone shook her awake.
A woman hissed at Alex and shook her shoulder. “Hey, you. Wake up. Get up.”
Alex opened her eyes and retreated backwards at the sight before her. Crouched down on her heels was a short 40-something woman with long black hair, streaked with gray. The homeless woman had deep wrinkles around her lifeless brown eyes and her hair was thinning on top. Alex thought she saw an odd curiosity in the woman's eyes.
“You can't be here, kid. This is my spot. Go away.”
Terrified by the confrontation with the weird woman, Alex stood up, grabbed her backpack, and made a hasty retreat. It wasn't until she found another spot to hide in that she noticed the shoulder the woman touched burned. Rubbing it, Alex sat with her back against a run down hardware store and stared out at the street until the sun came up. There was no way she could sleep now, so she watched people making their way to work in cars and on foot, and never once questioned her decision to leave home, no matter how scared she was. As foot traffic increased, a man walked up and stood before her, staring into her eyes.
“Aren't you a little young to be out here?' he asked.
She was afraid to say anything so she just stared up at him.
“I'm not gonna hurt you, don't be afraid. What's your name?”
Alex refused to speak. The man sat down next to her and she stared at him. He was a tall, thin man with skin the color of chocolate milk. He had deep brown eyes and short black hair. Alex supposed that for an older guy, he didn't look that bad.
“I asked you a question, girl. What's your name? I'm Jeremy.”
Alex whispered as she told Jeremy her name.
Jeremy smiled. “Alex, huh? Alex as in Alexandra?” She nodded. “I like it. Are you hungry, Alex? There's a little diner right around the corner. Let me buy you some breakfast. I'm starving.”
Alex was clearly afraid of Jeremy, but as her stomach growled and she realized she had nothing more than a few crackers in her backpack, she nodded and the two of them made their way to the diner.
Once they arrived, Jeremy held the door open and motioned Alex inside. The place was run down, with old yellow tables and chairs, and it looked like years of dirt had been allowed to build up, but Alex didn't care what it looked like. As she walked in, the smell of bacon assaulted her nose and her stomach rumbled once again. She and Jeremy took a seat by the window and since there weren't a lot of people in the restaurant, a waitress came right over.
“What can I get ya?” she asked, clearly bored with her job.
Jeremy ordered for both of them. “Just bring me a coffee and get the young lady here an order of pancakes with some bacon and eggs. Oh, and bring her a large orange juice.”
With the order, the waitress walked away and Jeremy spoke. “So tell me, Alex. What are you doing out here all by yourself?”
Alex looked at Jeremy. He seemed nice enough and he was buying her breakfast so she decided to open up to him. “I ran away from home. My dad....did things to me and I left.”
Jeremy seemed to understand what Alex was reluctant to say. “You know you can't live out here, right? If the cops see you they'll take you back home, and I'm fairly certain you don't want that. Let me help.”
“How can you help?”
“I run a business that helps young girls like you make some money. I give you a place to sleep and buy your food and other things you may need. I've got four girls there right now and have plenty of room for one more. All you have to do in return is work for me.”
Alex looked at Jeremy with suspicion in her eyes. She didn't have a chance to speak before the waitress came over with Jeremy's coffee and her orange juice. “Food's on the way,” the older lady said before turning around and walking back to the
counter.
“What kind of work will I have to do?” Alex finally asked.
Jeremy smiled his best disarming smile. “You'll be working in the customer service industry.”
“Customer service? I don't know what that is.”
“How old are you, kid?”
Alex blushed and stared at the table as she answered. “Fourteen.”
“Fourteen. You're the perfect age to work with a lot of my clients. Many men and a few women like working with younger girls. So, what do you say? After breakfast, I'll take you to your new home, introduce you to the other girls, and explain the job to you.”
Alex weighed her options. She could stay on the streets, beg for money from strangers, and run the risk of getting sent back home, or she could go with Jeremy and build a new life. He said he wouldn't hurt her and he even bought her breakfast, so to her, it seemed like an easy choice. She was beginning to trust him a little more and when she looked up and saw him smiling at her, she made her decision.
“Okay,” was all she said as the waitress placed a large plate of food in front of her.
“Eat up, Alex.” Jeremy smiled as he watched Alex dig into her food. She cleaned her plate in less than ten minutes. Jeremy paid the bill and soon, the two were walking out of the diner on the way to Alex's new life.
2
JEREMY DROVE FOR what seemed like hours until he reached a rundown two-storey house in the middle of an even more rundown neighborhood. There were thick black bars on every window of the house and on the front door, and the outside of the house was dingy gray with peeling black trim. From the outside, Alex guessed there were at least five bedrooms, and she secretly hoped she'd have her own room.
They got out of the car and made their way up the cracked sidewalk to the front door. Using his key, Jeremy unlocked the door and stepped inside. Alex followed closely behind and before she even entered, noticed a feeling of dread come over her. She walked through the door and Jeremy closed and locked it behind her. It never struck her as odd that he used the key to lock the door from the inside.
Standing at the bottom of the stairs, Jeremy bellowed. “Girls! Get down here!”
Alex heard the sound of doors opening and closing and soon, four girls appeared. They seemed to vary in age from around thirteen to eighteen or nineteen, and none of them seemed very happy.
As the girls made their way down the stairs, they lined up in front of Alex and Jeremy.
Jeremy spoke. “Girls, this is Alex. I expect you all to treat her well and show her the ropes. Alex, from left to right, this is Randi, Penelope, Charlie, and Rachel.”
Alex looked each girl up and down. Randi appeared to be the oldest in the group and was also the heaviest, but not fat by any stretch. She had shoulder-length blonde hair and plenty of acne scars on her face. She avoided eye contact with Alex, keeping her gaze trained on the floor in front of her.
Penelope had long, stringy brown hair and bright green eyes, and she looked as though she might burst into tears at any moment. Charlie was the prettiest girl in the group, despite having a haircut so short she could easily pass for a boy. She had deep brown eyes and unlike the others, Charlie didn't hesitate to stare long and hard at Alex, as if issuing a challenge, causing Alex to make a mental note to avoid Charlie whenever possible. Rachel had short black hair and creamy brown skin and when Alex looked at her, Rachel smiled. She was definitely the friendliest girl in the group.
Jeremy spoke to the girls as he checked the time on his phone. “Get back upstairs and get ready for work. Alex, come with me.”
With that, the girls ran upstairs and Jeremy walked toward the back of the house. Despite her apprehension, Alex followed. They walked into a bedroom and Jeremy ushered her inside. The room was clean and sparsely decorated, and there was a king size bed in the middle of the floor. There were mirrors on the wall opposite the bed and a tiny brown dresser sat in the corner. “Is this my room?”
Jeremy laughed. “No, this is my room.” He sat on the edge of the bed. “Put your backpack down and come here.”
Suddenly, Alex was afraid. She stood rooted to her spot and stared at Jeremy. He stared back at her and finally barked, “I said come here. We have the little matter of breakfast to discuss.”
Alex was confused and didn't like the look in his eyes as she moved slowly toward the bed. Jeremy stood and grabbing Alex by the shoulders, looked down into her eyes. Alex didn't realize how tall he was until that moment. He let go of her and began removing his pants.
“Okay, little girl. I bought you breakfast, and now it's time for you to pay me back.”
Jeremy kicked off his pants and Alex couldn't help but look down at the largest cock she had ever seen. Granted, she had only seen her father's dick, but this one was dark and very large.
He stroked himself as he said, “Suck it, bitch. When I cum, you can consider your debt paid. Bite me, and I will fucking end you right here.”
Tears fell down her cheeks as she took Jeremy in her mouth. She had no idea what she was doing because although her dad had repeatedly raped her, she'd never sucked his dick before.
“Move your head up and down and watch the teeth,” Jeremy said. He had his eyes closed and his head back.
Alex did as she was told, gagging on Jeremy's hard cock.
“Suck on it!”
Alex sucked Jeremy's dick harder, and soon he began moaning as he grabbed her hair in both hands and fucked her mouth, gagging her with every inward thrust. He moved his hips back and forth and soon, shot his cum down her throat. She gagged hard enough to vomit, but didn't turn her head quickly enough to keep her regurgitated breakfast from splashing Jeremy's feet. She regained her composure and looked up at him at the same moment he brought his right hand down, backhanding her across the face.
“Stupid bitch! Clean up this fucking mess. Do you understand me?”
Alex stayed on her knees holding her face as she tasted blood in her mouth. She didn't look up at Jeremy as she nodded to tell him she understood.
“Go to the kitchen and get the bucket, brush and cleaner from underneath the sink. Clean up this fucking mess, then get the hell out of my sight. When you're finished, I'd better not be able to see or smell any fucking puke. Got it?”
Alex nodded again and got to her feet. She stood staring at Jeremy.
“Go!” he yelled.
Alex jumped and made a hasty retreat into the kitchen. She gathered the cleaning supplies and headed back down the hall passing Jeremy, but refusing to look at him. He ignored her, much to her relief and she set about cleaning up the vomit, which almost made her sick again. It took her an hour of cleaning before she was satisfied that the stain and smell were gone, and when she was finished, she took the cleaning supplies back to the kitchen. Jeremy stood in front of the sink, looking out the window, drinking a cup of coffee. He turned as he heard Alex enter.
“It's about time you finished. I'd better not see or smell anything when I go back in there. For now, go upstairs to the second room on the right. Rachel is your new roommate. I don't want to see your face again until I call you.”
Alex didn't need to be told twice. She left the kitchen and walked toward the stairs until she found herself standing by the front door. She didn't want to leave without her backpack, but she knew she needed to get away. She turned around, making sure Jeremy wasn't behind her and she twisted the doorknob and pulled, realizing the door was locked. She was trapped. Tears threatened to fall again, but she held them at bay and turned and walked up the stairs.
She knocked lightly on the second door on the right before turning the knob and stepping inside. The room only had one large bed situated against the wall and there were mirrors on the ceiling. Rachel lay in the middle of the bed, snoring softly. Alex coughed and eventually, Rachel sat up, and rubbed her eyes.
“Hi,” Alex said quietly.
Rachel didn't speak, but patted the bed, signaling Alex to have a seat. She obliged, but once she sat down, didn't know what to say. R
achel stared at her for a moment before breaking the silence.
“Look, I know this is scary, but I'm gonna help you get adjusted. There's a lot you need to know, but the most important thing to remember is not to fight what's happening. It won't do any good, and you'll only piss Jeremy off. Judging by the way your face looks, I think you know exactly what I mean.”
Alex tried not to cry as she nodded. “I threw up on him.”
Rachel covered her mouth as she tried not to laugh. “You puked on him? That's fucking priceless.” She got herself back under control before continuing. “Avoid Jeremy whenever you can, especially when he's in a bad mood. He's not a nice man at the best of times and when he's pissed off, he chooses one or two of us to put him in a better mood, if you know what I mean.”
Alex thought she knew, but kept quiet. Then she asked the question that had been on her mind since breakfast. “He said he had a job for me. Do you know what I'll be doing? I mean—is it like cleaning or something?”
A shadow seemed to fall across Rachel's eyes. “You really don't know, do you?”
Alex shook her head.
“Alex, Jeremy runs a prostitution ring. Each night, men come here and we 'take care' of them. During the day we sleep and get ready for the next night's entertainment.”
Alex stared at Rachel with her mouth open. She couldn't hold back the tears any longer. “I don't want to..”
Rachel interrupted, “Shh. Don't let him hear you cry. You're here and there's no way out. You don't have a choice! We've all tried so many times to find a way out and there isn't one. Just do what he tells you, and he'll feed you and let you stay here. If you don't...” Rachel's voice trailed off.
“If I don't, what?”
“I...look. I don't know how true it is, but Penny told me there used to be a girl here who refused to do certain things with her clients and Jeremy...Jeremy supposedly killed her and dumped her body somewhere.”