Lara Santiago - Menagerie

by Lara Santiago

  Or I’m crazy and this is my prison.

  Valerie shook off her dismal reverie and perused the entryway to the little house, figuring that for the time being it was just easier to play along. She took a deep breath and scanned the small foyer.

  The scent of fresh flowers hung in the air as she walked into her new home. It was more spacious than it looked from the outside. The décor seemed slightly masculine, as it was filled with lots of warm wood, dark colors and more greenery.

  A large kitchen with an eat-in dining table was situated to the left and a small living room was on the right. A sliding glass door opposite the front entry led to a small patio with a grassy backyard and a small garden to one side.

  Further exploration yielded the discovery of her spacious bedroom, located directly off the living room in a hallway of its own. Next to her large closet was a special door resembling the ones she’d gone through during her honeymoon to greet each partner. She opened it to find a long hallway where five separate doors existed. On the nights she spent with these men in sexual servitude, she would go to them. Whichever door was lit up would be the one she entered to ‘service’ one of the men in her group, according to the posted instructions on the wall in her bedroom.

  Her sexual duties didn’t commence until the next week, so she went back to the kitchen to familiarize herself with the ‘required’ breakfast duties. It resembled a standard kitchen, but what she thought was a very large microwave was labeled with the words food synthesizer. It produced various Earth dishes at the push of a button. Easy and requiring little thought. Perfect.

  Quickly bored, she grabbed her sheaf of papers and went out to the patio. The walled-in space was the perfect size for private moments to read, with the exception of the low white picket fence separating the backyard of her cottage from another. If the occupants of the other house were in their backyard, it would afford no privacy at all.

  Strolling over to the edge of the yard, Valerie rested her hand on the waist-high fence and peeked into the sliding glass door of the house bordering hers. She didn’t see anyone at first, but then Daisy appeared and walked past the large window carrying a cup of something steaming.

  Valerie smiled for the first time since waking in Dominick’s arms this morning. Lifting her hand, Valerie waved and caught the other woman’s eye.

  Daisy, poised to take a sip of her drink, stopped, waggled her fingers and came out of the house to join her in the backyard.

  “Hi, neighbor.”

  “Hi, Daisy. I’m surprised they put us troublemakers so close together.”

  “Me too. I’m sure it’s an oversight, but I won’t say anything if you don’t.”

  “I won’t.” Valerie was overcome with emotion all of a sudden. Until she’d seen Daisy, she’d been worried about her own sanity.

  Daisy leaned over the short fence and hugged her, as if sensing she needed comfort. “After the men in my household left for work this morning. I was wondering what I’d do to keep from going crazy.” She glance down at the papers in Valerie’s hand. “What have you got there?”

  Valerie sighed and crushed the paper in her hand. “The rules. I’ve already gotten called to the High Committee chamber. Now I’m permanently labeled a troublemaker.”

  “I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before I have a meet and greet with the same group.” Daisy pushed a wild strand of curly dark hair behind one ear.

  “So how was your honeymoon?” Valerie asked confidentially.

  Daisy blushed and laughed. “Amazing, to tell you the truth. Thanks for helping me escape and for the thumbs-up on Brandon. He and his group turned out to be perfect for me.”

  Valerie nodded very pleased that she’d helped. “No problem. I’m grateful to find another troublemaker like me. We’ll have to stick together.”

  “Want to go exploring tomorrow?”

  “Sure. We can check out the place and maybe keep each other in line. Or not.” She grinned.

  They spent the afternoon chatting and made plans to meet the next day. Valerie retired to her room with the sheaf of unread rules. She fixed a light dinner and ate in her room, fearful that one of the men would come out even though they supposedly had their own studio bachelor apartments and didn’t exit until the morning.

  Next week the regular sexual schedule began. It was set up so that every other week thereafter, she’d spend five nights out of seven with a different man each night.

  She fought the rising panic that insisted the three years was a lie and that she’d be stuck here for all eternity as the whore of five men using her for their sexual survival.

  Despite the unexpected and repeated pleasure from the honeymoon with the five of them, Valerie couldn’t help feeling that tonight was the first night of her three-year sentence to whoredom.

  Or her permanent place in Hell.

  Chapter 8

  1,094 until Return Day

  “Where do you want to go today?” Daisy asked Valerie the next morning after their men left for various jobs on the spacecraft.

  “I don’t care. Let’s wander around and see where we end up.”

  “Okay, but I want to check out the marketplace. I need to see what sort of shopping is available.”

  Wandering through the shopping area, which reminded Valerie of a large, sprawling flea market only with nicer merchandise, they looked in every conceivable enclosed shop, stall and kiosk for new sights and diversions.

  Stomachs rumbling, they headed for the small food court area on the far side of the market. Rounding a corner as their noses led them toward the delicious, smoky grilled scent of roasted meat, Valerie and Daisy nearly ran over Dominick on his way somewhere for what she assumed was his security job for the Others. He gave her a pointed stare at first, as if concerned over why she was out and about. He quickly shifted his gaze to Daisy and his look visibly softened. He never spoke, just gave them a single curt nod and kept moving along his original trajectory. She watched him disappear down a narrow dark hallway she never would have noticed if she hadn’t been watching his butt.

  Daisy whistled. “Is he one of the men in your group?”

  “Yes. Why?” Valerie directed her attention away from the empty hallway to stare at her friend.

  “He’s huge.”

  Valerie nodded and shrugged, but didn’t say anything. Dominick was overwhelming.

  “So is he as scary as he looks?”

  “I don’t want to talk about it.” Valerie hadn’t resolved her unreasonable feelings for him yet. He hadn’t done anything to earn her distrust. It was the intimidation of his size which did her in. Dominick wasn’t Mr. Sunshine and Rainbows as far as his attitude, but he hadn’t hurt her.

  Daisy put a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry. Are you okay? Does he…”

  “He isn’t frightening in bed, if that’s what you’re worried about. But I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that his size makes me slightly nervous.”

  Daisy relaxed into her chair. “Brandon is the biggest guy in my group. He’s a pussycat though. If it makes you feel any better, I’d be slightly nervous about a guy that size too.”

  “Thanks. I’d also be lying if I didn’t admit that he intrigues me as much.”

  Valerie and Daisy ate a leisurely lunch, chatting about anything and everything that came to mind as they speculated over the collective loss of memories from their lives on Earth and possible scenarios of what might happen when they returned. Valerie ensured she faced the hallway, which would allow her to see if Dominick returned.

  He didn’t.

  Intrigued about where he’d gone, Valerie led Daisy in the direction of the mysterious passage as they continued their heated discussion regarding the distant social event being mandatory and why the Others would care if they were social as long as peace reigned in the households.

  “I can read your mind, Valerie.” Daisy stopped walking, crossed her arms and sported an amused smirk.

  “I don’t know what you mean.”


  “You led us down here to see where Dominick went.”

  Valerie narrowed her eyes and shrugged. “So? Exploring is exploring. What’s wrong with a dual purpose?”

  “I don’t think we’re supposed to be in this area.”

  “Since when do troublemakers like us care about ‘supposed to’?”

  Daisy shook her head. “Since the hallway we’re exploring is completely unexciting. There is nothing down here except endless hallways and unless we start leaving bread crumbs, we aren’t going to be able to find our way back out.

  “I can find our way back.”

  “I don’t care if we find Dominick. Besides I have a date with one of my hot men later tonight.” She waggled her eyebrows. “Can’t be late for that.”

  “Let’s just turn down a couple more hallways and if we don’t find anything interesting, we’ll turn back. I promise.”

  “Fine.”

  Valerie led Daisy through several intersections without turning or finding anything remotely interesting. She was just about to give up when further down the hall, a shaft of green, iridescent light fell across their path, accompanied by an eerie creaking sound like the exaggerated rusty door hinges of a haunted house.

  They stopped in mid-step and looked at each other. Daisy looped an arm through Valerie’s and leaned close. Without speaking, they tiptoed towards the shaft of light to explore the hallway where it spilled from.

  “Stop!” a familiar voice called from behind them.

  Arm in arm, they turned together as Dominick approached, rapidly eating up the hallway with his long strides. “What are you doing here?”

  Valerie swallowed hard and found her voice had dried up.

  Daisy squeezed her arm tighter and answered, “E…exploring?”

  Dominick frowned. Three more steps and he towered over the both of them.

  Valerie found her voice and pointed a thumb over her shoulder. “What’s down that green hallway?”

  “Don’t know.” His brows furrowed menacingly. “Don’t need to and neither do you.”

  “But why—”

  The rest of her words were cut off. “This area is off limits. Go home. Both of you.”

  “Can you lead us out of here?” Daisy asked. “We’re totally lost.”

  His deep sigh of disapproval accompanied a single nod. Without another sound he turned and lifted his arm gesturing them straight.

  Valerie knew her way out, but wondered if Dominick would lead them the correct way or directly to the High Committee chamber for further discussion of her behavior.

  Thankfully, he took them right to the hallway near the food court where they’d started their impromptu and very short-lived journey.

  “See you later,” Valerie called over her shoulder. Dominick stood like a sentry at the mouth of the ‘forbidden’ hallway and remained silent.

  One of these days, Valerie intended to check the hallway out to find out the big secret. But she’d wait until enough time had passed so as not to be expected. She calculated that she still had well over a thousand days to explore the vessel.

  She’d wait until they forgot she’d been interested in this place.

  After finally reading the rules, Valerie discovered that the computer in the hallway would manage her liaisons. And each week would be a different lineup of men so as to keep things interesting. The words ‘keep things interesting’ was actually written in the pamphlet.

  Whatever.

  Valerie thought having five sexual partners was exiting enough, but routine was boring so she resisted the sincere urge to roll her eyes and went along without comment.

  Each morning over the past week, she’d gotten up and made a breakfast buffet feast with everything she could think of and then she watched what each man ate. By day three she knew what was popular and what wasn’t, making her morning chore easier.

  They all shuffled out of their rooms quietly, ate with a minimum of discussion and departed with little fanfare each morning. Once they were all gone for the day, Valerie spent most of her first week exploring the alien-created environment with Daisy. An acceptable routine had been established with regard to her daily living.

  Advertisements for a mandatory grand social event plastered the walls everywhere she traveled. All the groups of men with their single woman would attend the affair being held in one of the gauntlet halls. She and Daisy had already selected what they would wear from the available merchants at the nearby marketplace.

  None of the men in her group seem anxious to attend, with the exception of Johnny. He loved entertainment. She planned to discuss it with him tonight, as he was her first liaison for her initial week of servitude.

  She looked forward to seeing Johnny tonight. When he opened the door to her knock, she stared for several seconds before entering.

  “Nice pirate outfit,” she remarked and closed the door behind her. He sauntered into the living room of his small apartment. She remained out of his reach by the door. She was accosted by the fact that a lot of the time she still felt like she was in a dream while lingering in this alien place, and never more so than right now in Johnny’s room.

  He turned all of a sudden and flashed her a wicked smile. “Ahoy, my lovely. Aren’t you a charming morsel for a nasty, horny pirate like me?” He threw his head back and laughed boisterously.

  “Um. I don’t know.” She glanced around. Johnny’s room looked like backstage at an impromptu theater where everything was available for any costume that could be imagined.

  “Are you ready to play thirsty, sex-seeking pirate and naughty slave girl who needs to be punished?”

  Her eyes cut to his and she knew she wasn’t hiding her alarm. “Um, to tell the truth, I’ve never played that before.”

  “Excellent. It’ll be my delight to instruct you, my lovely. First, come closer. Kneel before me, take my cock in your mouth and get us started.”

  Kneel before him?

  Valerie glanced up at his sardonic expression and noted that one of his eyeteeth was gold. She stilled, unable to move or breathe as the gravity of the situation landed in her naïve understanding.

  He wanted to play sex games?

  Ohmigod. She didn’t think she could do this. Her eyes watered up and a sob escaped before she could stop it.

  His eyes narrowed. “What’s wrong? Are you frightened?”

  She nodded and widened in her eyes in unconscious panic. She was, in fact, terrified.

  Johnny’s grin widened and the glint off his gold tooth sparkled in his mouth. “Well, that’s as it should be then, isn’t it?” Johnny licked his lips. “The experience will be more rewarding if you’re nervous about what I’m going to do to you, now won’t it?”

  “I…I…don’t know.”

  “If I don’t like the way you suck my cock, I’ll certainly punish you.”

  “Pun…punish me? Please don’t make me do this, Johnny.”

  “Oh, but we must, my lovely. That’s the way the game is played.”

  Valerie’s eyes widened further when he took a step closer. She backed up until she bounced off the door. Grasping behind her back for the handle made her realize that there wasn’t one. She flattened against the wall next to the door, took a long step away from him and watched to see what he would do next.

  “Ah, my lovely. I see you’re going to make me chase you. That will be very thrilling.” His maniacal laugh penetrated her and she screamed and turned to claw at the seams of the door she’d come through earlier.

  He was on her a second later, pressed against her body from shoulders to knees. He nipped at her neck and Valerie slid to the floor. She couldn’t stop trembling.

  Johnny knelt behind her and gripped her shoulders. His rigid cock dug into her back. She started violently and whimpered.

  “So sexy.” He made a moaning sound as his hands slipped around to squeeze her breasts. Valerie shuddered, but it only seemed to arouse him. “Please don’t. I’m afraid, Johnny.”

  “Excellent. Fear will m
ake the experience richer.” He bit the back of her neck with a gentle nip and she screamed. “Run to the bed or I’ll smack your behind.”

  “I don’t want to be punished.”

  From behind her, Johnny laughed again. “I suggest that you do what I say then.”

  “I want to stop.”

  He tilted his head to one side. “Then you know what to do. But please, lovie, don’t be that way. You don’t want to stop, do you?”

  “What…what are you going to do to me?”

  He leaned in and whispered, “I’m going to bend you over the bed, tie you down and fuck your pussy very hard…eventually.”

  Valerie took a deep breath. She stood up and turned in his arms. He kissed her on the mouth brutally hard. He overwhelmed her senses. The kiss distracted her because it was so very seductive and just like the one he’d given her on their honeymoon.

  But it ended far too quickly. He released her so fast she stumbled back a step, but then grabbed her arm and dragged her across the room towards the bedroom. “Come here. Get on your knees before me.”

  Valerie’s eyes widened and she trembled so hard she couldn’t walk straight. Lurching behind him, she dropped to her knees before him as her heart pounded violently in her chest. What had she gotten herself into? Head bowed, Valerie let loose a loud sob and allowed the shaking she’d held back free reign. She curled to the floor and cried.

  After several moments she felt a hand on her shoulder.

  “Lovie, are you really frightened?” She looked up into his wide, surprised eyes and nodded.

  A sniff escaped and she started crying harder. Between sobs she said, “I don’t know how to play and…and…I don’t want to be punished for not playing right.”