by Valerie Vera
Chloreene walked to the bathroom in pain. She had to pass the living room to get to the communal shower. There were several men sitting in the living room shouting at eachother. They stopped to look at her but looked away quickly when they realized who she was.
Those were probably the men that did this to me.
Chloreene showered, lathering up twice and then three times. There was no way to feel clean. It all felt dirty and unclean. She rinsed and rinsed. Her thoughts drifting to the night she met Melinda at the flow-etry open mic. Melinda was such a beautiful girl… Chloreene broke down and cried. How did she get into this mess? No one knew, or cared where she was or what happened to her. How was she going to get out of this situation?
Chloreene could not stop crying. A fact that annoyed everyone in the house. They told her constantly to stop crying, giving her dirty looks. Chloreene had never considered herself a weak person but this situation and in particular the betrayal by Tracey was too much.
Chloreene had noticed the front gate was often left open and when she looked it was open now. If she could get to someone, let them know what happened, surely they could get her to safety. Tracey was sitting with the men, faking smiles and pleasant comments but she did not look happy.
If only I could get Tracey alone, I could work out a way to get out of this mess. We could run out together and get help.
Part of Chloreene did not want to include Tracey. She was not trustworthy, at the very least she had very bad priorities and motives. Chloreene decided not to trust her and try to act like she was over the incidents of the day. This was not easy to do but she insisted to herself that this was the way to get through this. She had no phone and the property did not seem to be an area that would believe her, a foreigner. She remembered when they arrived the men she were with stopped the car to introduce her to the neighbors. They would surely remember and alert them to her escape.
“So what are we doing today” Chloreene asked the group including Tracey. She was doing her very best to act “normal”
“I hope I can go to a beach today…” she purposely did not mention the Burger King Mansion to act like she’d lost her memory some how.
One of the men asked her, “you want to visit the Castle so we can drive by there”
“What castle do you mean?”
The men shook their heads, Chloreene made a puzzled, bewildered look and they continued talking about. They seemed fooled by her silly act to pretend she’d had some type of mental crisis and remembered nothing.
“Ok so I’m ready for the beach”
“Ok Ok let’s go…”
The group made their way out to the car. The group fit into two jeeps. Chloreene sat in the front seat of the jeep ‘Mr. Beautiful’ was driving. The name was obviously a sarcastic nickname. Mr. Beautiful had a pot belly and huge scars on his face. His eyes were red and bugged out. He frowned more than smiled and generally had an unkempt appearance about himself. However, he seemed like the best bet to get out of this. Chloreene sensed he liked her just a little. Not a whole lot but perhaps slightly.
Finally, they made it to the beach. It was gorgeous, there was music and a bar. It seemed like a paradise where you rent your way to bliss. $4 to get on the beach, $3 for a chair, $2 for a pad, $3 for an umbrella.
Chloreene tried hard to look like she was having a great time. Smiling and grinning from ear to ear. She made a point of sticking near Mr. Beautiful, even reaching out and touching his hairy arm on occasion. Maybe he would feel protective of her if he considered her like a girlfriend. It was a gamble but it could be Chloreene’s only hope of getting out of this.
It was beautiful on the beach, white sand, blue sky, blue water. Tracey kept away, almost as if she were jealous that Chloreene was having such a good time without her. Tracey’s jealousy was confusing. Chloreene kept hoping that she was on team Chloreene and was plotting her escape so she was keeping away. It was a thought. An unlikely one but a thought none the less.
It was time to come back to the house and get some dinner. Mr. Beautiful came up from behind Chloreene and she could feel his penis rub her vagina. It felt threatening and terrifying but Chloreene decided to try and look interested. Hoping that if she spent the night with him it would save her being drugged or servicing multiple men.
He held her hips and dry humped her from behind right in the parking lot. She faked pleasure when he turned her face back toward him. This was pure hell. Finally he stopped and said, “we’ll continue when we get home girl.” There were three men in the back. Young, not smiling and non-descript. He insisted on putting a blindfold on Chloreene, again she faked pleasure and listened carefully to the conversation each of the two times the car stopped. They were alone and Chloreene, still blindfolded, decided to keep Mr. Beautiful happy. She played with his neck line. He in turn fondled her under her skirt and her puffy breasts through her thin tshirt. Chloreene did her best to hide her repulsion.
Her skin crawled.
When they got back to the house Pamela and Tracey were there alone. Pamela asked Mr. Beautiful something, I gather the effect was, “what the hell is going on?”
Pamela was not pleased one bit. She looked Chloreene up and down so Chloreene was surprised when she sweetly spoke and said, “I am Ben’s wife. Don’t forget your place my dear.” After she spoke, she turned on her heel towards the phone.
Chloreene understood she was ordering food. Gumbo with rice and beans and a big salad sounded like it was on the menu.
Tracey still did not make eye contact with Chloreene and did not say a word. She took a seat at the outdoor fire pit area. Presumably sulking in her own issues.
Chloreene was convinced that everything was going better than the days before. Pamela came to her and said, “There’s been a change, you’re leaving in two days instead of tomorrow…”
“WHAT? no, I have to leave tomorrow…”
Pamela stopped her, putting her hands to her lips and smiling. My husband has decided to spare you. You are going to be ok…” she walked away smiling…
That night, Mr. Beautiful spent the night with Chloreene. She faked every pleasurable sound, every movement, everything was orchestrated in her head. She willed her body to respond favorably to his touch. Make him feel like he had turned her straight. As if she were having a great time with his trying-so-hard to be soft touch.
In the middle of the night, Chloreene got up to use the bathroom. To her surprise, Tracey was up and sitting in the living room. It was highly probable that she was listening to the action in the bedroom.
Chloreene walked past her without a word. Tracey spoke up… “are you packed for tomorrow…?”
“Umm, yeah, I’m all packed…” Chloreene did not want to mention that she was not leaving tomorrow. She’d assumed Tracey would leave with her but that did not seem to be the case.
---
The next day the house was silent. Tracey was all packed up. Her bag on her bed. Chloreene saw Pamela leave early morning. So it was just Mr. Beautiful keeping them company. When Tracey stepped out onto the lanai, Mr. Beautiful went into her room with a package, it looked like a book. He put it into her bag and came out and winked at me.
He announced it was time to take Tracey to the airport and took her away in the jeep. She said absolutely nothing. Not a goodbye wave, hug or nothing. Chloreene was told she’d be leaving the next day. She waited, alone and on her bed. After about ½ an hour, Pamela returned. She looked relieved that Chloreene was there and relaxed.
Shortly after, Mr. Beautiful came back to the house and Pamela placed an order for lunch items. Fried fish and french fries was it for lunch. Chloreene was afraid but at the same time secure for the first time since this ordeal started. It was clear that something happened with Tracey. Chloreene wasn’t sure if they made her do this or if she was a willing accomplice. Maybe that package was the pay off for me. The money she had made for turning me out. But why would Mr. Beautiful hide it from her. He had deliberately placed it deep in the s
uitcase where she was unlikely to see it.
The trio ate and enjoyed a surprisingly wonderful evening together. Eating, talking, chatting about old tv shows like Star Trek. To someone coming across the scene, it could look like a charming scene of international friends coming together for a meal after a long time. Chloreene herself almost forgot what these people had done to her and what they were capable of next.
As the night wound down Pamela became more and more passionate. Kissing and fondling each other in front of Chloreene. It came to a point Chloreene wanted to excuse herself but didn’t know what to say so she just got up and went to her room and closed the door.
---
The next morning came quickly… when Chloreene opened her eyes there was Mr. Beautiful. he was naked and smiling. He fondled Chloreene but she had the perfect excuse.
“I’m on my cycle Benjamin.”
He stroked her hair and motioned for her to give him a blowjob which she did. He wasn’t fully satisfied with that and kept pressing through the sheet to feel her breasts. Suckling at them, sighing with pure pleasure. “Do you really need to go back to New York?”
“Yes I do. I have a girlfriend, one that Tracey didn’t know about. One that I love very much.” Chloreene hoped this lie would be enough to convince Mr. Beautiful to let her leave. He never threatened to keep her but she did worry that he could get too attached.
“You know you could stay here with Pamela and me. I could take care of you.”
“Really?” Chloreene could not believe what she was hearing. It did make sense I guess, Pamela didn’t seem to mind their sexual relationship as long as she held the top spot. Chloreene wanted to answer this question in a most delicate way. This man held her ticket out of there as well as her passport and transportation.
“Really… you could stay here in this room. I could get you a car and you’d never have to lift a finger…All you have to do is say yes.”
“I’d like to really but I do need to get back… I have people waiting for me…” Chloreene hoped this sounded convincing enough.
Ben smiled, he didn’t look convinced but he smiled just the same. He said, “I understand, really I do. I wish we’d done things differently, then you’d trust me more and want to stay with me. You are very special, you know that? I hope you will come back one day… maybe when you understand how I spared you. You are my most precious rambling rose.”
“I don’t know Ben, it’s been a crazy trip. Lots of things I don’t remember, just strange nuances. Questions in my head, I’m just not sure. I need to go home…”
“Ok, just remember you can come back any time…”
Chloreene packed her bag and waited for the time go.
---
Sitting in the car with Mr. Beautiful was one of the scariest things ever to happen to Tracey. This trip had gone terribly wrong. Tracey could not bare to look Chloreene in the eye. She’d done many trips and none of them had been this brutal.
Suddenly, Tracey was snapped out of her dream like state as the car stopped in front of the airport. She looked one last time at Mr. Beautiful and said, “this is the last time, I can’t keep doing this…”
“I understand, have a nice life Tracey…”
Tracey took her bag and the car sped away. She walked into the airport. She felt sorry for Chloreene but someone had to do it and it wasn’t going to be her. As her bag went through the scanner the operator took great interest in it. Oh no! they wouldn’t do this to me?? Do they think that adle brained Chloreene can keep a supply of people coming through?! NO it can’t be, they just couldn’t do this to me.
Several people gathered around the screen, pointing to my bag. “Miss… we are going to need to inspect your luggage…”
“Of course, I have nothing to hide…” even though she realized there must be something she figured she’d play dumb and maybe that could get her out of it.
She knew intellectually that was not realistic but she hoped without hope that it could be true.
They pulled her into an inspection room… They opened her bag and went straight to a brick… oh no
“Why do you have this?”
“I don’t know what it is…”
The inspector laughed, he opened the package and poked a hole in the plastic. White powder came out and the cameras came out.
They all laughed at Tracey. Smiling and posing for pictures with the product.
They told Tracey, “you are going to jail for a long time…”
They escorted Tracey to a police car and drove her to a jail. It was a hellish place. Cemented with no sanitation. The stench of urine and feces was very obvious from outside the prison. All Tracey could do was sit and cry. I guess this is what they call Karma!
Melinda!! what will she do to me if she’s here!! As if she was waiting for this cue, Melinda appeared from behind three other women.
“What are you doing here you evil BITCH!!!!” attacking Tracey. “How could you do this to me?!! we were together for four years and you set me up!!”
“You cheated on me!!!!!!! you were going to leave me!!!!”
“I was not going to leave you, I went out a few nights!!! cheating is not a reason to set me up!!”
By this time everyone in the prison wanted to see the two beauties fight so they were gathered around. Chanting… “FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!”
----
Ben called for Chloreene to come in the living room. He was counting huge stacks of money and smoking a cigarette.
“Here… I give you $2000. I hope it will help you…”
“Thank-you!! is this the same you gave Tracey?”
Ben laughed. “I don’t give Tracey no money this time. I don’t trust her no more…”
Chloreene was confused and hoping she did not understand…
“Ben, what did you give Tracey? what was the package you put in her luggage?”
Ben looked at Chloreene. She was so naive. She didn’t understand what had happened to her “friend” but she still cared. Even after all this she cared.
“Don’t worry about Tracey… you won’t hear from her for a long time… She told me she would move to Europe with all the money I gave her.” He chuckled at that like it really made him happy.
Chloreene found that hard to believe but she had decided she did not want to see her ever again. Not ever.
Pamela came in the room smiling. “Well, today is the day you will go to your home. Are you happy? you should be, Ben has done you a big favor. Come here girl, I have something I want to give you… Would you wear this red velvet dress? One of Tracey’s friends left it here a while ago and I’ve got no use for such a warm dress.”
Chloreene was truly speechless. Could this be the dress Melinda wore? It certainly looked like it. Could Tracey’s skipping town and Melinda’s “vacation” be connected?!
Chloreene was careful to not look overly horrified but it was hard. “Yes I would like to have it…”
Chloreene took the dress off the hangar, trying to act casual about the whole thing. “Do you remember anything about the girl who left the dress? I bet if Tracey knows her, I do too… anything at all would help so I could get her dress back to her…”
“Nooo I don’t think you’re going to find this girl… she’s off “to Europe” like Tracey.” She laughed so hard… “Anyway, enjoy the dress… you know I just remembered that girls name… it was Melinda. Did you know her?”
“Oh… OH man, I think I used to know her but I haven’t seen her in a while. Do you know where in Europe she went? I’d especially like to find her…”
Pamela seemed to caught on that Chloreene did not fully understand what the joke was. She patted her hand and said, “it’s about time for you to go dear”
Pamela gave Chloreene a quick hug. Ben took her bag and put it in the car… Chloreene caught up to him and put the red velvet dress in it. He handed her her passport, id and ticket. She got in the car and waved goodbye to a smiling Pamela.
The beach was on the
way to the airport… Ben stopped and took Chloreene’s hand for a moment… he said, “I hope you go on to have a happy and full life Chloreene. Whatever you do, don’t trust everyone you meet. If you get into trouble, give me a call..”
Chloreene stared at the card for a second and said, “ok thank you”. She was thankful he did not try to kiss her or touch her further than her hand.
He started the car again and carried on to the airport. He stopped briefly to let Chloreene out but sped off with very little sentiment. Chloreene made her way to the line. She made her way through the scanner line, no problem. They did give her bag a second look but ultimately let her through. Chloreene took her seat among the other passengers.
All of the events of the past few days flooded her brain. What happened to Melinda? why would she leave her dress behind? what was the package that Mr. Beautiful put in Tracey’s bag?