Sara's Story Ch. 02

"C-can you h-help me?" the girl asked with a quivering chin. "Can you tell me wh-where I am?"

Sara considered the girl for a moment. Was she genuine? Was this some sort of game Michael was playing with her?

No, she realized,the fear is real. "Why don't you come in out of the hall?"

The girl did as she suggested and stepped into the room. The door closed behind her. She was naked as the day she was born. The girl stood nearly as tall as Sara, but where she was tan skin and muscle, she was alabaster curves. Hard, pink nipples peeked through her locks, denying the vain attempt of modesty. She took a step into the room then stopped, covering her privates with both hands. Her cheeks flushed with color as she stood in the space in front of the door. She looked lost, like a fawn looking for it's mother.

Hot damn,said the voice. "I'm sorry I can't offer you anything to wear, but you're welcome to share the blankets with me," offered Sara, adding, "It's better than nothing. As for where you are, I can't really say, except the same as me: in trouble."

The girl hesitated, frozen by indecision. For a second Sara thought the girl was going to bolt from the room. Then she darted toward the bed, almost at a run, as if someone were chasing her. Sara's gaze fell upon the perfect swaying bounce of the girl's breasts and had to force her eyes to look elsewhere. Sara moved over as the girl slid under the sheet and covered herself to the neck. She looked relieved, yet her fear was palpable. Sara felt pity for her.

"My name is Sara, Sara Kierson," she said with a calm, reassuring voice, "I...woke up here last night. I was kidnapped. I'm guessing you were too."

The girl nodded. "I-I was staying at a friend's house. Papa...he hardly ever lets me stay the night at Crissy's, but he did. We fell asleep in the same bed. I hope she's ok. Do you think so? My name's Charlotte, by the way."

"I'm sure she's fine. Look, I can't tell you much, like I said, I've only been here a day. The guy who kidnapped us, his name is Michael, or at least that's what he calls himself. Did you...did he do anything to you?"

Charlotte's eyes went wide as saucers and she shook her head "No, I never saw him, I just woke up in this room down the hall and found my way here. Will he give us any clothes? Papa says it's a sin to be naked unless you're taking a bath."

A sin?said the voice.Oh boy.

"Only, um, lingerie, and not at night. We have to sleep naked. Sorry." The girl looked crestfallen, and her eyes began to well up with tears, so Sara added, "But hey, we're both girls, right? So it's not a sin if we see each other."

She nodded, then looked at the cameras scattered about the room.

Uh-oh,thought Sara,she's gonna freak.She caught Charlotte's chin with her finger and stole her gaze away from the cameras. "We don'tknowhe's watching us, Charlotte. Besides, it's not our fault, is it?" She put a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder. "I know you're scared, but it's going to be ok. We'll watch out for each other."

"Is he going to hurt us?"

Sara's thoughts went to the fight earlier in the day. "I don't think so. I don't think he's going to kill us or anything, but I don't know. He told me if I do what he says, he'll let me go, so we have to be smart, we have to stick together, ok? I know that's not very reassuring, but it's all I know."

The girl nodded. She inched over, bit by bit, until she was sitting right next to Sara, then she leaned over and cradled her head in her shoulder. Sara wrapped an arm around her and stroked her hair. "It'll be ok, Charlotte. I'll take care of you, I promise," she heard herself say. As she ran her fingers through Charlotte's flowing black hair and took in the scent of it, felt the warmth of her skin, the gentle heave and sigh of her chest, thepresenceof an undeniably beautiful woman in her bed, long-buried desires began to awaken in Sara.

It wasn't until her fist year of college that Sara discovered women, inthatway. By her senior year, she was finished with men, or, rather, boys. She had a vibrator and a showerhead. What else did a girl need? She learned quickly enough that making out with another girl was a sure way to get free beer, but that was nothing. It wasn't until Maggie that she learned what life was like on the other side. Maggie was sexy in ways that Sara never even thought possible. Everything she did oozed sexuality, and once she had a taste, she couldn't get enough. It was Maggie who showed her what oral-sex was supposed to feel like, Maggie who showed her what to do with her g-spot, and,oh god, Maggie who put the two together and gave her that elusive pinnacle of the human sexual experience: simultaneous and multiple orgasms.

When Maggie left, she never really got over it. No other woman could come close, and she looked - she was worse than the guys - no girl on campus was safe. It wasn't until she graduated that she finally found peace in something familiar, something comfortable, the embrace of a man. She had closed a chapter in her life, or so she thought. At this moment she felt a stirring in her loins she had not felt since Maggie, and so even as she said the words, she knew she had ulterior motives.

Dammit, I'm bigger than this.

Carefully so as not to disturb the girl weeping on her shoulder, she mouthedWe-need-to-talkto the nearest camera.

Moments later, Michael responded over the speakers. "Welcome, Ms. Roy, to your new home. Sara is right, I have no intention of hurting either you or Ms. Kierson."

Charlotte's head shot up, she glanced nervously around the room and then back at Sara.

"Now, now," Michael continued, "don't be anxious. We won't be meeting face-to-face tonight, Charlotte. I actually need to speak with Sara for a few minutes in private. Sara, if you'll please adjourn to the living room."

Charlotte grabbed Sara's shoulder and squeezed. "Don't go, Sara, stay here. We'll be safe together."

Sara removed the girl's hand and held it in her own. "Charlotte, we have to do what he says. If we don't, he'll punish us. But don't worry, you'll be safe here, and I can take care of myself."

Charlotte started to protest, but Sara put a finger over her lips and slid out of bed. She wondered, as she crossed the room, if Charlotte was watching her the way she had watched her, but then cursed herself for the thought. She walked over to the closet, picked out a black chemise, one that reminded her of Marylin Monroe, and put it on.

In the living room, Michael was waiting for her.

"So this is your plan?" she asked as the door closed behind her.

"Whatsoever do you mean, Sara?"

She paced the floor between the tv and couch, heedless of his stare. "You want to watch a little girl-on-girl action, don't you?"

"Not in so many words."

Sara gave a cynical laugh and ran both hands through her blond hair. "I don't believe this. Men never change, do they?" she asked no one in particular. The she turned on her heel and stormed over to him. "Forget it, no way."

"Forget what, Sara?" Michael asked, bemused.

"Dammit, Michael, you know what," she shot back, jamming an accusatory finger at him. "I'm notfuckingthat girl for your enjoyment, you sick bastard. How old is she, anyway, huh? What high school did you steal her from?"

"Oh, she's legal. Just turned eighteen two months ago."

"She's a kid, Michael."

"Not in the eyes of the law, as if it matters. More to the point, Sara, that girl is your ticket home."

She paused as the import of those words hit her in the chest. "Are you saying that if I...sleep with her you'll set me free?"

Michael leaned back and stretched his arms across the couch. "That's what I'm saying, Sara. Both you and she go home. Not quite as simple as that, but that's the gist of it."

"Whaddya mean, the gist?"

The devil is in the details,warned the voice.

"It's simple, really. Everyday you will have a few objectives to accomplish, things that will bring you and her closer to that, ah, moment. Incrementally we can achieve the goal."

Sara's eyes narrowed. "Why the wait?"

Michael cocked a brow.

Those hazel eyes went wide with dawning comprehension. "She's not bi, is she? She's never been with a girl, has she?"

Michael shook his head in affirmation.

Sara turned and rubbed her temples. "I don't freaking believe this is happening to me. What if she just isn't into girls, Michael? I'm not going to force her; that's your specialty, not mine."

"Oh, I have the utmost confidence in your abilities, Sara. You can make a straight girl bi, can't you?Thatis your specialty."

How did he know that? I haven't been with a girl in almost four years!

The journals,theorized the voice,it's the only way he could have known. How else could he?

"I know you find her attractive," Michael continued, "I know she's your type, just like she's mine. It will be a challenge, and for more reasons that just her orientation, but that's why we're going to take this one day at a time. You can do this, Sara."

"I picked up on those 'reasons' already. A good, modest church-girl. Yeah, I figured that one out. Thanks."

"That's only part of it. I'll admit, I find the facade of modesty to be a very appealing thing, in this case, it's genuine, but that's not why I chose her. There's a reason it had to be a good church girl."

Sara's jaw dropped. "She's...she's a virgin?"

Michael nodded.

"No, Michael," she backed away from him. "You can't make me do this. A virgin? I can't, I won't! You're going to screw her up, and I want no part of it!" Sara felt trapped, like an animal; she felt helpless, adrift. Her face flushed with raw anger and emotion. "You have no right to-"

"We've been over this, Sara," Michael interrupted. "'right' is irrelevant here." He stood; she backed away even further, against the wall and inched toward the door. "Think about this, Sara: If you don't, I will, and you will watch. How screwed up will she be then, huh? You have the chance to make it gentle, kind, to make it as right as it can be. Think about that, Sara Kierson." She darted from the room and fled into the hallway.

Sara stood for a long time in the hallway, trying to gain her composure, trying to sort through her emotions and feelings and make sense of the whole situation. By the time Sara returned to her bedroom, Charlotte Roy was already fast asleep. Sara stripped off her clothes, got into bed and turned her back on the sleeping woman, wanting to be alone with her thoughts.

A hand rested upon her shoulder. "Sara," asked a voice fraught with concern, "are you ok, did he do anything bad to you?"

"Yes, I'm fine, Charlotte. He didn't touch me. Now go to sleep."

"That's good. I prayed for you until I fell asleep. I'm sorry. I wanted to stay awake until you came back, but I was so tired."

"Don't worry about it, Charlotte, I'm fine, really. Now get some rest." Sara laid a reassuring hand on Charlotte's.

"Sara?"

Sara laid over on her back and faced the girl. Even in the amber twilight of the stereo's LEDs, she was striking. "Yes?"

"I've been thinking about what you said, about how we need to stick together to get through this, and you're right. From the moment I saw you I knew you were someone I could trust. I'm sorry that he kidnapped you, but I'm glad you're here with me. I couldn't bear it alone. Does that make sense?"

"Sure...yes."

"So, I guess what I'm saying is that I'll do whatever it takes for us to get out of this. Together. Maybe this was meant to be. Maybe we were meant to be here so we could be friends."

"Maybe it was - that would be nice. We're going to need to be strong, Charlotte. I know you can do it."

Charlotte smiled. "Goodnight, Sara."

"Goodnight, Charlotte."

Charlotte slid over and laid her head upon Sara's shoulder. Sara wrapped an arm around her and gently stroked her hair. In minutes, she was again fast asleep.

The sleep of the pure,observed the voice.

Sara couldn't help but feel the warmth of her breast against her side, and felt that old, once-forgotten tingle.It always was about chase, wasn't it? Damn. How does he know me so well?

It was a long time before Sara fell asleep. When she did, she dreamed of Maggie.