Human Animals

by Kimmy Estrada

  "What—?” I started to ask as three people entered the room.

  There were two men, each of them wearing dark trousers and matching sweaters. They had nondescript faces. Then there was a woman, and she was beautiful in her dark red blouse and dark blue skirt.

  "You guys are breaking in. You have to leave or I’m going to call the cops!"

  "That's the pet," said the woman. "Take her."

  The two guys came at me. They grabbed me by my arms. Obviously, I tried to retreat back, but they were faster and stronger. Once they had me, I felt like I was trying to pull my way through concrete. It just wasn't going to happen.

  Remembering something I saw the movie, I stamped my foot down against one of their shoes. Yeah, that didn't do anything. Those guys handled me with expertise, forcing me down onto my knees. The girl walked up to me and she had something in her hand. It looked like some kind of large ring.

  "Stephanie, you have signed away all of your rights to our corporation. From this point forward, you are to be considered human chattel. By allowing me to put the collar on you, you acknowledge your new status."

  "New status?" I repeated. "What the hell are you talking about?"

  I didn't get scared. I got angry. Even so, the adrenaline wasn't enough to help me slip free from those guys’ grip. The woman didn't say anything. Instead, she just waited as one of her helpers grabbed my hair and pulled my head back. It hurt, but then I felt something, something cold and metallic lock around my neck. It seemed to tighten, almost to the point where I couldn't breathe.

  "Congratulations," she said. "I'm sure you're going to enjoy your new life."

  I wanted to ask so many questions, but the woman snapped a finger, and someone else walked into the room, only he was carrying something, something big and bulky. A dog cage? It appeared to be some kind of pet carrier, but that didn’t make any sense. My apartment building doesn't even allow animals.

  "Strip her and secure her," commanded the girl. She had dark brown hair that beautifully framed her face. She had her bangs artfully tucked behind her ears.

  "Wait!" I shouted out. "You can't do this. At least tell me, tell me who you are!"

  "My name is Jessica, and it's my job to secure you. Once you're out of the country, you'll be assigned a trainer. I'll explain everything, if you're a very good girl."

  I wasn't satisfied. Only then, the men forced my robe away from my body. Because I was naked underneath, they immediately saw everything I had to offer. They leered at me, enjoying the show. My breasts were free, my flat stomach was invisible, and the scent of my arousal probably touched the air.

  "Look at that," Jessica said without a hint of sympathy. "It looks like the little pet is horny. Should I let her have her orgasm before we lock her away?"

  The guys chuckled. They didn't say anything. Maybe they didn't get a vote, or maybe they just wanted to wait and see what would happen.

  "I'm only going to do this because I know it's going to make you more malleable and easier to transport," Jessica announced. On some unseen signal, the two men stood up, and they lifted me back to my feet.

  They hooked their ankles around mine, forcing my legs apart. And then there was Jessica, right there. She leaned in, and she whispered something to me, "I know this is scary, but if you behave yourself, it can be a lot easier. In fact, I've seen lots of other girls who learn to enjoy being human pets."

  "I'm not—!”I was about to shout, only she slid her finger up my crevice. Damn it. I was already hot and wet from my time in the bathtub. Her fingers found an easy entrance, and she was sliding her touch along my clitoris.

  Closing my eyes, I let my head droop forward. My hair hung down, and I couldn't believe any of this was happening. Somehow, having this girl’s hand between my legs sapped me of my strength. I could no longer fight.

  Maybe it was just too embarrassing. Maybe some part of me was actually eager for her attention. In any case, she worked me over slowly, taking her time. It almost sounded like her voice was coming from far away when she laughed at me.

  Then she rubbed me just a little bit harder, giving me that pressure I needed to come. A gasp escaped my lips, and I felt exhausted. All this only took a couple of minutes, but the two men forced me down onto my knees. They opened the cage, and I saw it get closer and closer as they shoved me inside.

  The door locked in front of me, and I couldn't believe it.

  "That collar is equipped with electrocution capabilities. Unless you remain quiet, you're going to get punished." Jessica made this sound like such an easy, simple fact, something I should accept without question.

  I slammed my palm against the front gate, but it didn't budge. This pet carrier was more than equipped to hold a young woman like me.

  "Get everything cleaned up," Jessica commanded.

  My jaw fell open as I saw them get to work. Those three guys started to pick up pieces of furniture and carry it outside. What were they doing with my stuff? Little by little, they cleaned out my apartment.

  "Jessica, tell me what's going on. Tell me right now!" I caught my second wind. The orgasm may have caught me off guard. The bizarreness of the situation may have seemed completely incomprehensible to me, but I wasn't about to let these people just do whatever they wished.

  I beat my palm against the metal grate. Jessica came over to me, she crouched down, and she looked into my eyes. "Do you need to be punished, pet?"

  "Why do you keep calling me that?"

  "Because that's what you are. You’re a pet now. You’re a human animal. Maybe you’re untrained and undisciplined, but your time as some spoiled little brat is over. You're going to learn to behave." That's when she lifted her hand, and I didn't understand what she was going to do, not until she snapped her fingers.

  The metal collar around my neck registered the sound. Instantly, it unleashed a volley of electrical bolts right into my skin. I jumped, only to bang my head against the top of the cage.

  "You should be careful about that," Jessica said, making this sound like friendly advice.

  I wasn't the kind of girl who knew how to take friendly advice. "Let me out of here, and maybe I won't destroy you!" Honestly, I didn't even know what those words meant. Only then Jessica raised her hand into the air. She braced her fingers, ready to snap them together.

  My breath caught in my throat. Maybe I was just a model, but I knew what might happen next. Even so, her refused to back down. I started talking.

  She snapped her fingers, and another bolt of electricity shot through my body. I flinched, whimpering. I fell back down against the floor of my pet carrier.

  "Be quiet, pet."

  Seething, I inhaled and exhaled. More than anything, I wanted to throw myself at this girl, to smack her and claw at her. I would scratch her and bite her. I would do anything and everything in my power to make her suffer, only I was stuck in that cage, and those guys kept taking my stuff out of the room.

  Looking past Jessica, I saw one of them move away with a bunch of my dresses. "They can't do that! They can't take my clothes!" I had spent so much time and money getting those!

  "You aren’t going to have to worry about outfits or wardrobe choices anymore," Jessica promised.

  She got up, and she walked away, but not before lifting her hand into the air. She made sure I saw her fingers move upward. She wanted me to brace myself, to really understand what was about to happen.

  Just then, I tried to claw at the collar around my neck. Maybe if I could get it off, then I wouldn’t have to endure those stupid punishments. But as hard as I searched for some kind of latch or clasp, I didn't find anything. Like it or not, I was stuck with it around my neck.

  She snapped her fingers again, unleashing another wave of electrical energy into my flesh. I cried out. Eyes watering, I could only stare down at the bottom of my cage.

  Jessica stood around, supervising while those men stripped my apartment. One item at a time, they took out everything. Then they started cleaning. I could onl
y watch. Part of me wanted to shout out at them, but I was totally out of my element. I just didn't know what I should do or say. How could I make them stop?

  At one point, I wanted to start bawling.

  Sniffling, I held back the tears.

  I was better than that. I was going to be famous as a model. People all around the world were going to worship me. I didn't need to cry because of them.

  Besides, there would come a moment when I could strike back. I didn't know how I would do it, but I would make it happen.

  Yes, I liked that idea. I liked it a lot.

  For the moment, I stayed quiet. I didn't have any other choice. Besides, I kept telling myself that something would happen. Maybe a cop would show up. Maybe my landlord would realize something was up. Then again, my landlord hated me because I always complained about everything. Even then, I still had to believe the universe was going to take care of me.

  "We are done, ma'am," said one of the men to Jessica. She looked around, inspecting their work. Apparently satisfied, she nodded. "Very nicely done," she agreed. "Package her up and get her out of here."

  "What? You're taking me with you?"

  Jessica crouched down again, looking into my eyes. She could have just as easily punished me, but I got the impression that she liked knowing I was helpless.

  "That's right."

  Maybe some part of me had hoped that this would just be some kind of robbery, that they would take my stuff and vanish. It would be embarrassing.

  "You can't do this. This is against the law!"

  "Actually, no, it's not. Don't you remember signing up for this? You told your agent that you wanted this. You gave us the legal authority to seize all of your possessions as well as your person."

  "Signing up for this?"

  "A man named Charles sold us your contract."

  "He said I was going to make a lot of money! He said it was some kind of project!" Indignant, I couldn't believe this. From my petulant tone of voice, it sounded like I was going to complain to the authorities.

  "Oh, dear, you are going to make a lot of money. You are definitely going to make a lot of money for him. You see, pet girls like you are in high demand."

  No, no, no, no I couldn't believe this. Pouting out my lower lip, I had to plead for sympathy. "Jessica, please, this isn't what I wanted. You have to help me. Please, just let me out of here. I'm sure we can figure this all out. There's been some kind of mistake. That's all. It's just a mistake."

  "The mistake, Stephanie, is that you signed something without reading it. Now you belong to us." Jessica stood up, and she said again, "Package her."

  Packaging me meant picking up the pet carrier and depositing it in a large crate. They actually nailed shut. I could hear the hammer slamming down into the nails, one by one until Jessica was satisfied.

  I didn't understand, not until I felt them lift up the entire box. Then they were carrying me out. Their steps felt uneven.

  This might be my only chance. I shouted, screaming at the top of my lungs. "Help!" I felt awkward, like this was some silly made-for-TV movie. And yet, I was actually locked away in a pet carrier, in a crate, shouting, hoping that someone would come to my rescue.

  "Help! I'm in here! They're trying to kidnap me!"

  I did pick up on another sound, chuckling. They were laughing at me!

  Forgetting my embarrassment, I tried again. I screamed out as loud as I possibly could, only to be met by more mocking, derisive laughter. Those guys thought this was amusing. They thought this whole thing was just funny.

  Then I was slid along some kind of flooring. I heard something slam. It must've been the back of a truck. Everything was dark, and an engine vroomed to life a second later. No, no, no I thought. This could be happening.

  In those first couple of minutes, I tried to do something cool. I kept thinking that maybe if I just tried hard enough, I would be able to escape the confines of this pet carrier and the crate.

  No matter how hard I pushed, I couldn't get it open. At one point, I braced my legs against the far side of the pet carrier. The plastic was solid. It didn't bend or yield, but that wasn't the point. I put all of my weight into stretching the bars of the grate in front of me.

  Nothing happened.

  After just a few minutes, I had to give up. Breathing heavily, I fell down against the bottom of my cage.

  Like it or not, I was stuck in here.

  As we drove along, boredom quickly enveloped me. Seriously, there was nothing to do. On the one hand, I was very nervous. I probably should have been even more frightened, but I still believed that I would get out of this.

  This kind of thing just didn't happen to someone like me. Beautiful and desirable, I couldn't get into any real trouble. Someone would help me out.

  After a while, I heard the back of the truck open.

  I slammed my feet against the pet carrier. "Help! They got me in here! Please, I don't want to be here! This is all some kind of mistake. You have to let me out!" Those words echoed against the sides of the crate.

  "Hey," I barely heard through the sheets of wood. "It looks like this one is still awake. Should we dose her?"

  "Do it," I heard. Was that Jessica's voice? Probably.

  A second later, a patch of light cut into my cage. I thought I saw someone's face, the man's. But then a tube cut off the circle of light.

  "No! Don't! Don't do this! Don't sedate me!"

  My pleas fell on disinterested ears. I heard the whine of gas filling my small compartment. At first, I inhaled, doing my best to hold my breath. If nothing else, I wanted to be awake to see what would happen. I needed to brace myself. At some point, there would probably be an opportunity for escape or manipulation. I just had to find one guard, one of these guys who would look at me just the right way, and I would be able to manipulate him into getting me out of here. Maybe I would promise to love him. Maybe I would tell him that he was a special kind of man, the kind of man I had been waiting for all my life.

  But that could only work if I was awake.

  My lungs started to ache for oxygen. Every second seemed to contract against my body, squeezing me. Desperation clotted at the back of my throat.

  What could I do? Animal panic ran through me.

  I had to get out of there, and I grabbed onto the grate again, pulling and yanking. I kicked my feet against the back of my cage. Worst of all, the sounds of their laughter echoed on the air.

  "This one is feisty. I bet she is going to fetch a really high price.”

  "No, this one is going to end up in the zoo. She's going to be really popular though."

  Those words didn't mean anything, yet I couldn't block out the notes of enjoyment. They were having fun with me. And then, I lost control, inhaling. I couldn't hold out any longer. A sweet aroma filled my nostrils. I had never smelled a sedative before.

  Almost instantly, that chemical began to influence me. My vision started to swim. I squeezed my eyes closed for a second or two, hoping that would be good enough. It wasn't. When I opened my eyes again, my vision blurred even worse.

  Then I lost my balance, which was rather amazing considering I was already down on my hands and knees. I stumbled, wobbling to and fro until darkness claimed me completely.

  "Wake up," someone said.

  Those words couldn't cut through the fog.

  "Wake up," I heard a second time. This time I was able to identify the voice as male. He sounded articulate and educated, like the kind of guy I would've enjoyed flirting with before this all happened.

  "Come on. You can do it. Wake up, silly girl," he said, reaching out and tapping my cheek.

  I didn't like the way he was touching me, so I tried to knock his hand aside. For some reason, I couldn't. My arms remained trapped at my sides.

  What was going on here? What was this?

  Before anything else came back, I recalled sitting in Charles’office, telling him I deserved something better. And then I saw it in my mind’s eye, the big stack of
papers. I signed each and every document, all without reading them.

  He tricked me! I trusted him!

  Now, I can see just how spoiled I was back then. Then again, this was all before I met the man standing in front of me.

  "Wake up," he said again. He tapped my cheek, moving his hand from my right side to the left and back again.

  Opening my mouth, I growled at him, and I made another attempt to slap his hand away, but my arm still stubbornly refused to move. Then I realized I could try to kick him! Only that attempt failed just as badly.

  Those failed movements woke me up completely.

  Fluttering my eyelids, I looked at the man who had the gall to touch me without permission. He was handsome with a little bit of stubble. He had on a full suit, just without the tie.

  "Welcome back," he said. "My name is Oliver, and I'm going to be training you."

  "Training me? What the hell does that mean?"

  "It means that you've been selected as a human pet. Jessica told me that she has already verified all of your contracts. You are going to be here until we release you. For the duration, you're going to be trained as an animal. For now, I'm going to allow you to speak and walk upright so long as you obey every command you receive."

  "Screw you!" I shouted, thrashing against the bonds that held me down. For the first time, I turned all the way over, and I glanced down at the rest of my body. I was still naked except for the metal collar around my neck.

  Oliver let out a wistful sigh before he held up his hand. For a second, I didn't recognize the gesture, not until he tensed his fingers, snapping them on the air. That sound reverberated through my psyche for just a second before the collar could register the command.

  I shut my eyes, trying to brace myself. It didn't work.

  Hot electricity zapped through me, snapping along my pain receptors and making me flinch. I fell down for a second. My nostrils flared, I puckered my lips, and I pushed back the urge to apologize. No, I wouldn't be weak in front of him.

  "What do you want?"