Lights End

He stood, pouting, but did not move closer. "A single kiss my little kitten?" he asked, still with that velvet voice.

"No," Linley said, finding her voice. "No. Leave me alone."

The man smiled slightly and gave her a small nod before leaving. Linley let out a shuddering breath. She did not want to be stuck with him and she knew it. That would mean choosing. She didn't want to choose any of them though.

Another man walked in, looking her over curiously, but aloof. He was in darker brown than all the rest save the man in black. He seemed shy, but pleasant enough. "Hello. I am Aaron. Usually David and Mason would see you first, but they opted out. Ummm. You look lovely. You don't have to be afraid. You can sit down if you like. What do you like to do?"

"What are you?"

"Winter, if that is what you mean. It is cold in my tower, but I would keep you warm. Linley is not a name I have heard often?"

"It is a family name. My grandmother Lynn and my other grandmother Leah. Linley. I go by Lee."

"Lee. Sweet and simple. It seems to suit you, to a degree. What are your hobbies? I can provide you with a few luxuries if it is your wish, for your time alone. Our time together..." he blushed and smiled a shy smile.

Was that all they all thought about? She bit her lip and played with her fingernail, digging at a jagged edge where a nail had broken. She focused on it. If she ignored them, they would leave, wouldn't they? She wanted to be left alone.

"You have no hobbies?" he asked uncertainly, his cheeks bringing up more color. She could see a light in his eye then. A vague, cold sense of anger. He did not like being ignored.

"I do," she answered. "Umm. I'm sorry. No thank you," she said softly, hoping he would leave like Spring had.

He stood, the spots of color darker now and he looked unhappy, but he bowed and left.

Linley let out a breath.

The man that walked in last was the man in black. He glanced at her, then strode to the window and looked out. Linley moved to the other corner, farther away from him, watching him. He did not speak, he stared out the window as if he had no interest in her.

"What are you?" she asked quietly.

"I am darkness," he answered, not looking at her. He seemed disinterested. She wondered why he hadn't left when the other two had if he wasn't interested? Maybe it was because he didn't care who he got, it didn't matter. Maybe he only wanted to be alone and would leave his companion alone as well. Leave her in peace.

Time ticked away silently as he stood and watched out the window and Linley stood with her back to the corner, watching him. He was still wild looking, dark and untamed against the others who had all seemed more clean cut.

He turned suddenly and left, and seconds later, Amanda returned with a smile. "Come then child, are you ready to choose?"

"Do I really have to?" Linley asked fearfully as Amanda led her back to the room with the dais.

The four men were there, three of them speaking and the one in black standing off my himself next to the door, waiting. The three stopped speaking and turned to her expectantly.

"She has come to make her choice or to allow a draw," Amanda announced.

"No!" Linley said, her eyes going fearfully to Levi and Aaron. Oversexed and temperamental. No. "Umm.." she looked between Joshua and the man in black. Light and dark. Joshua was smiling encouragingly and the other was turned to the windows, looking bored. She swallowed, trying to think. Joshua would expect her time, the other would not. He would leave her alone... wouldn't he? He didn't care about her? "Umm... him," she said, pointing to the man in black.

Everyone gaped at her, even the man in black stared at her incredulously.

She felt another panic starting to rise. Why were they all so shocked? They couldn't understand not wanting to be pressured and forced into companionship?

The man in black snorted derisively and stepped down from the dais, strolling to her. He stopped in front of her and looked down at her with a shrewd smile. "I stayed for the draw. You surprise me, girl," he said in his gravelly voice. He caught her hand and pulled her from the room.

His long strides had her running to keep up as she tried to tug her hand free. She stumbled over her too-long dress and he caught her around the waist and lifted her off her feet. He carried her up a rounding staircase like a sack under one arm. Linley was too shocked to struggle.

The climb seemed endless, but finally, he opened the door to a huge, round room. It was dark. All the textiles black and the wood the darkest she had ever seen. The light coming through the black panels seemed to be diminished in the dark room.

He set her on her feet and stood back, looking her over. "You will change," he barked, motioning to her dress.

"Umm, into what?"

"Black," he answered, striding away militantly. He went to a tall, standing writing desk then wrote something on a paper, rolled it into a tube and dropped the tube into a pipe. He turned again and looked over her from afar. "You are small," he scowled distastefully.

"You could have left," she shot back, embarrassed.

"You are still pretty enough. I always get the ugly ones. Unless there is a draw."

"Why?"

His smile then was dark, his look almost evil. Linley felt sick. Had she miscalculated? "Most girls do not like what I like. Some out in the world enjoy pain, but none who come here have ever volunteered for it."

Linley sat down hard on the floor, staring up at him fearfully. He circled closer, looking down at her like he was seeing best how to dissect her.

"Stand and remove the dress. I do not like white."

"Do you have something for me to..."

"Do not ask questions, do as you are told," he snapped loudly.

Linley flinched and cowered from him, scooting away. Her hands went to the flimsy straps of the gossamer white dress and she slid them off her arms but held the dress up with her hands.

"Stand and let it fall," he demanded.

Linley stood, stumbling twice as she stepped on the skirt of the dress, yanking it down forcefully. She let it fall and covered herself with her hands since there was nothing under the dress.

"Move them," he demanded.

Linley was panting, looking around for an escape. He circled her again, like he was waiting for her to disobey to that he could act on it. She made her hands into fists and forced them to her sides as she squeezed her eyes shut. She heard his steps cease as he stood still. She imagined his eyes on her and she wanted to cover again.

"You are pale," he said more gently. "Do you not sun yourself?"

"No," she whispered.

"You will not," he demanded, still speaking more softly. She felt fingertips brush her arm and she jerked away, falling to the floor as she stumbled over the dress pooled at her feet. She yanked it up as she scooted and covered herself with it fearfully.

"Stand, girl. Release the garment. Now."

He snatched the dress up when she let it fall and opened a small door in the wall, dropping it down a chute. He went to a wardrobe and pulled out a black pullover shirt like the one he was wearing. He tossed it at her and she snatched it off the floor to pull it on.

He continued pacing, watching her. Finally, he went back to the desk, wrote another note and sent it down the pipe in a tube.

"I am Eli. Dark. Night. I work at night when I work. You will sleep while I am away and stay awake while I am home, waiting to see how you can serve me. You will call me Master Eli, or just Master."

"I will NOT! I am not a slave or... any of that perverted weird stuff!"

Eli looked at her, his eyes going hooded as he regarded her. "You assume I am asking you to play along, girl. I am not playing. You will serve me or you will be punished. Tell me why you chose me over my brothers."

"I... you were so disinterested. I thought... I thought you didn't want me, you just wanted to be left alone. I thought you would leave me alone."

He laughed, a wicked laugh that made her blood turn to ice. "No, girl. I was simply waiting for the draw. Perhaps it would have been more fair to tell you I was not interested in bedding you, only owning you. Punishing you. Bending you to my will. Now you know. I imagine my brother is gnashing his teeth right now, losing such a sweet little thing like you. I imagine they all are. Mm. Not Mason or David. No. You are too short for David, he likes tall girls, and biddable. Not like you. And Mason. I imagine you could not handle his... bedding. He needs a larger girl to accommodate him. There you are Jeffrey. This is my new companion, she needs to be measured and fitted. I need a collar. Did you bring her file? Thank you. Go ahead and measure." he trailed off, opening a folder full of papers.

Linley watched him warily as the short man began taking her measurements. Did he say collar?!? This was hell. She needed to wake up. He wanted to own her. Punish her. At least he said he didn't intend to rape her. That was something, right? And the others had mentioned she would have free time sometimes. Maybe if she was good, she could avoid his anger?

"I have never seen a girl your size first among the six, but I am seeing why. You are clever, apparently. Sweet and gentle, but you will stand up for yourself when you are wronged. Usually the first is more... endowed as well as moderately clever. Still. You can't be too smart if you chose me willingly. You are also creative. That will also be lost on me. Oh, Joshua would have worshipped you," he laughed, snapping the folder shut. He tossed it on a table near the man who was still wrapping a measuring tape around her. He paced again, watching impatiently.

Linley kept her eyes down, trying to think of a way out of this.

"Did you know," he said suddenly, as the little man made a final notation on his clipboard and packed up to go. He grabbed the folder and left. "We receive the six every eighty years or so. Our 'companions'," he said the word derisively. "It doesn't matter if one companion dies the first year, the new companions are not born until the very last one dies. So, one among us only has to wait eighteen years. The rest have to wait longer. For some of us, it is much longer. My 'companion' never lasts more than five years. Usually not near so long."

He laughed as she went to her knees, shaking and sobbing.

"Get up girl. Go to the bed and bend over it. Lift the shirt," he commanded, testing several instruments he had sitting out. A cane, a whip, a cat o'nine tails, a riding crop, a paddle and a belt. He swung the riding crop a few times, then nodded with a grim smile. "I fear you may not last long, girl. You look like you will break easily and if you think I will go easy because of your size, you are mistaken."

The first blow landed on her exposed bottom and she yelped and slid off the bed, scurrying away. He caught her arm and shoved her back over the bed. "If you move or try to get away again, I will cane your back. Stay there. Scream and cry all you wish."

The next blow landed and she did scream and grip his blankets in her fists as she sobbed. Blow after blow rained down on her and she kicked and screamed and thrashed, but did not move off the bed. He spread the blows out, all over her ass and down her thighs, but soon there were no places that were not already so tender that she feared he was breaking skin.

Finally, he stopped, dropping the crop next to her on the bed. She wailed and panted for at least five more minutes, writhing with pain. She was on fire and the pain was so sharp and awful.

He took her arms and rolled her and she tried to arch her stinging and throbbing backside off the bed. He shoved the shirt up over her head, leaving the sleeves on her arms. "Keep your arms high," he demanded, picking the crop back up.

The first blow landed right on top of her tender little nipple and she wailed anew, tossing her head and wishing she had the nerve to kick him and run. He landed another on her other nipple, then began landing blows all over her small breasts. There was no real spreading it out, her breasts were smaller than her ass, so he tortured her flesh for an eternity, until his own arm was tired from the effort. He finally turned away from her and put the crop away.

Linley rolled to her side and curled into fetal position, rocking and crying. He was a monster! Why hadn't she been smarter? Why hadn't she chose the nice one?

"Go wash your face," he demanded. "The others will be done by now and custom dictates we feast together even though it is not weeks end. Move faster or I will motivate you, girl."

The door opened and Jeffrey came back in. Eli quickly took the black leather collar from him, as well as four black leather cuffs. Jeffrey left and Eli approached her from behind, looking determined. Linley watched him from the mirror fearfully. His look said he full expected a fight. She dropped her eyes and stood still as he wrapped the collar around her neck, spinning it so that a metal D ring showed in the front. She held her arm up as he attached two more to her wrists, then lifted her feet to his knee when he knelt to do her ankles. He looked... wary when he stood. He had not expected compliance at all.

He turned her back to the mirror and brushed her hair roughly, pulling it back harshly from her face, making a severe ponytail.By the time he was done, Jeffrey was coming in again with a small scrap of black fabric and a slightly larger piece of black gossamer. Eli grabbed it and shoved it at Linley.

She changed quickly, pulling on the tiny black thong panties, then the almost sheer babydoll gown that barely came to her hips. He clipped a leash to the collar, then started walking, expecting her to follow. She walked quickly, half running to keep slack in the leash. He led her down all of the stairs and down the great hall they had been in earlier to a far room. He shoved the door open and walked in.

Linley looked around at the other five brothers and the girls with them. All still in their long white gowns. She dropped her eyes quickly and followed Eli to his chair as he sat. All the other girls were sitting at the table with the brothers, but there was no chair next to Eli. There was, to her horror, two dog bowls on the floor next to him. Humiliated, but determined not to earn another beating, she dropped to her hands and knees next to him. He petted her head. Like a dog. She trembled and shook, furious, but stared at the floor refusing to act on it.

Linley could hear the sound of people speaking, but she couldn't quite hear them as they spoke too softly. She let tear dops fall as the cold floor bit into her knees and she cursed herself.

"Eli!" a male voice said harshly, more loud now. "You cannot treat her like the others! She is frail, small! You will kill her within the week!"

"She is mine to kill," Eli shot back. "She did not choose you, Joshua. Turn your attention to the one who did."

Linley flinched when a hand dropped into her view and poured water into one of the bowls. A moment later, the other bowl was filled with pieces of meat and then vegetables. She knew it was Eli's hand and she leaned close to kiss the back of it. He paused, then his hand rose out of her view. She was not hungry, but she knew he was watching and he would be angry if she did not play the role for him. She moved to the water and tried to find a way to drink it. She ended puckering her lips and sucking it up like a straw. The food was slightly easier, but she could only eat a few bites. If she tried to do more, she would vomit.

She knelt there, as still and as quiet as she could be. She was glad her backside was pointing at the wall and no one was getting a view of her abused ass and the skimpy underwear.

"It's custom!" the same male voice snapped. Joshua.

Eli made an annoyed noise and tugged on her leash. She stood quickly, panting fearfully and kept her eyes down. She was humiliated knowing that everyone was looking at her now. The little gown covered next to nothing and you could see her reddened and bruised breasts through the fabric.

"Hurry," Eli snapped, but he wasn't talking to her.

"Linley," Joshua said gently. "This is Jennifer, Everly, Maley, Harper and Oaklynn. They are your sisters now. I am Joshua, that is Levi, David, Mason and Aaron. We are your brothers. This is Linley, Eli's companion and your new sister."

"No," Eli snapped. "This is my new plaything. You won't be seeing her much after today."

"You are a sadistic animal!" Joshua raged.

"Oh? You have never raised a complaint before, brother. Not once. Are you that jealous? I imagine so. How did you end up with the sixth of the six? That is unprecedented!" he mocked with a derisive laugh.

Linley lowered herself without him asking or telling her to. She didn't want anyone to see her start crying all over again.

"Eli, you go too far!" Joshua hissed. "I should challenge you to rights. You had to have lied to her to get her to choose you. It is the only explanation!"

Eli laughed again. "Pet, rise up a moment and tell him why you chose me."

Linley stood and stared at the table in front of her. "He was quiet. Disinterested. I thought... he would leave me alone. Let me be alone. I... was wrong." She whispered the last, her voice catching and she let out a small hiccoughing sob before she dropped back to the floor so hard she knew she had bruised her knees.

Eli laughed again, sitting back in his chair. "So you see, brother? I never lied to her. I never spoke to her. I didn't even look at her."

"She still chose you under a misapprehension!"

"Her own doing, not mine. You would not win the challenge, but feel free to try. The girl is mine Joshua. Move on. I am done," Eli snapped, standing. Linley quickly stood, waiting for him to leave. "I do have to admit though, she is proving to be a well behaved little pet, even if she does have a ridiculously low pain tolerance."

He spun and walked out, Linley following close behind him.

When they got to his tower, he dropped her leash and she stood still, not moving it from the spot he dropped it. She knelt slowly as he paced, sitting on her legs with her palms on her thighs. She kept her eyes down, but she watched his feet as he paced.

"Would you go to my brother, if you could?" he asked after several long moments.

Linley hesitated, considering her answer carefully. Finally, when it was obvious he was becoming agitated, she spoke. "I do wish I would have chosen him this morning. But now, knowing what I know, no, I would not go to him."

"No? Why not?"

"I have no right to put another into the harm I put myself into. She doesn't deserve it any more than I do."

"Compassionate. Remove the gown, I would not have it ruined. Lay on the bed," he ordered, picking up the cane.

Linley wanted to argue, to plead, but she knew it would not help. It would make it far worse. She lay on the bed and tried to go somewhere else in her mind. The first blow on her back yanked her back, sharp and immediate. She screamed into the blankets as she arched her back, trying to escape the next blow. It was fast and sharp and she started to roll away, but forced herself to stillness, trying to shove the panic away. The third blow made her scramble a few inches up the bed before she could stop herself.

He put the cane down and went back to pacing. She didn't dare move.

Eli looked down at her back with a scowl. The third strip raised blood to her back. He had never had a girl so fragile. Joshua was right. If he did not let up, she would be dead inside of a week. Did it matter? If she were gone he could get back to his routines. He did not need a companion like the others did, all they did was die. He would use them to release his rage and move on. Still. He wanted his fun for more than a week. Eighty years was a long time.