As I stood behind the steel door that would allow entry into the pit of evil, I plucked up the courage to confront the unfaithful horde. My hand shook as I reached for the doorknob. I felt a momentarily sliver of doubt. If I had even dared to challenge a man in the commune, I would have been severely punished. Lashed. Scarred. Branded with the holy cross by a hot iron … burned. But I knew my place there. I had structure and routine, and women never questioned the men. But this club was a free-for-all, doing what anyone pleased, whenever anyone pleased, regardless of the feelings or sensibilities of anyone else residing here.
I was always the obedient one out of the Cursed, the one to stay between the lines, the one not to push boundaries, unlike poor Bella and Mae. But days upon endless days of no sleep, little food, and fear of the unknown were pushing me to do things outside the norm. Like this!
“Ky! Stop the sluts sucking on your dick and get the fuck over here!” a voice shouted above the music and my stomach fell. I was sure what I was about to see would be anything but pleasant. I had witnessed sights I could never dream of from the window in our room.
Dear Lord, give me the strength to proceed. Give me strength to confront all that is impure.
Hearing the smashing of glass and the jeers from the men, I opened my eyes from my prayer, turned the doorknob, and pushed my way through.
Thick smoke clouded the room and the smell of male sweat, alcohol, and sexual joinings hung in the air. I fought back nausea as I boldly stepped into the frenzy.
It did not take me long to still with fear.
Half-dressed women littered the room, pouring alcohol into men’s mouths, some from between their exposed breasts. I wished that had been the worst thing. But the sight of women taking men orally, straddling their laps, taking them within their core, and engaging carnally with other women had me balking in disgust.
Every single thing they were doing was wrong and sinful.
I tried to locate Styx and Mae, but I could not see them through the thick fog of smoke.
Clearing my throat, I took a deep breath and asked, “Would you turn down the volume please?”
Not one person heard me. Not one person glanced my way.
Straightening my shoulders, I tried again. “Please! Somebody! Can you please turn off the music? I am tired and I wish to rest.”
Laughter barreled out from across the room, causing my flesh to crawl. For an instant, I thought the laughter was directed at me, but not a glance came my way. My pleas had gone unnoticed.
I was contemplating what to do next when a hand grabbed my behind and squeezed. Turning swiftly, I started to protest, when I was met with a tall blond lady… one of Ky’s women, one of the women with whom he taunted me as I watched him from the window of my cell.
I stepped back from the woman’s reach, but she followed me. She was dressed in a short-skirted leather garment, her breasts visible through the sheer black material of her shirt. Her green eyes were glazed and her lips were scarlet red.
“Now don’t be like that, darlin’. This ain’t no place to be shy. You’re so beautiful. I can see why Ky can’t keep his eyes off you. Why he wants to fuck you.”
Discomfort stole my voice as the female closed in again, her red-painted fingers attempting to free my hair from my headdress as her hard breasts pressed against my chest.
As the lace of my headdress came undone, I gasped and stepped back from my stupor, frantically retying it. I turned to flee, but I had lost my way, smoke obscuring my escape path. As I ran through the throng of drunken men and women, panic clawed at my throat.
I should never have dared come down here. It truly is a den of sin.
Men and women reached out to grab at me, ridiculed me, laughed in my face, and it only served to fuel my fear.
As I frantically searched for the exit, I stumbled across a large black machine that blasted a sound that hurt my ears: the source of the music. A flash of anger crossed my face as I gazed upon the room, then, twisting my body to reach out, I felt a long cable, which I pulled… hard.
In an instant, the music died. I breathed a sigh of relief and could not stop a small smile playing on my lips…
Then I realized the room had gone completely silent.