Stranded Ch. 04

~~Welcome to my dark little corner of the universe. As many of my readers know, almost all the things I write consist of many dark, Non-consensual themes, a little DV, some violence/abuse in general, imprisonment, kidnapping, and occasionally even a little bit of torture. I do my best to put in disclaimers for each chapter. If any of this or my terrible grammar offends you, then these are probably not the stories for you! And that's okay! All characters involved in sexual acts are 18 and over! ~~

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It was a beautiful summer morning when a thunderstorm of knocking woke us. Hank began whining at the door as Sam threw the blankets off and practically jumped out of bed with a cat-that-ate-the-canary type of grin.

"Be right down!" He shouted out his bedroom window as he shuffled through the pile of dirty laundry and sniffed checked the top few shirts to find one presentable enough. He fetched his keys from a hook across the room that lay just out of reach. He unlocked the chain around my ankles and pulled me downstairs behind him. When he opened the front door, he greeted the first woman with open arms.

"Aunt Em! I am so glad to see you, all of you, on this special day. Please, come in!" He opened the door in further invitation, and I counted a total of six women.

"Ladies, allow me to introduce you to my wife-to-be, KitKat." Aunt Ems cornflower blue eyes lit up and she wasted no time as she threw her arms around me, squeezing tightly. She was a few inches taller than I, her black hair equally as dark as Sam's so I knew that she was related to Sam by blood and not marriage.

"Welcome to the family!" She greeted, a little too enthusiastically. When Sam glared at me, I awkwardly hugged her back. I knew instantly she was the one who had helped me get well. I wasn't quite sure if I was grateful or angry about it yet.

"Sweetheart meet a few of my aunts. This is Emily, Mary, Abigail, Lillian and Bethany. They are Uncle Dale's wives." I nodded at the rest as they made their way inside, arms full of groceries.

Mary was the tallest of the bunch, nearly towering over Sam herself. She was hefty but carried it like a professional lifter. Her long black hair had streaks of gray in it and deep wrinkles had begun to set in the creases of her eyes and lips. It became quickly apparent she had earned them from too much scowling. Her coffee brown eyes darted around the room and she tsked in disapproval.

"Your house is worse than a pigsty." She didn't smile or bother to shake my hand, she headed straight for the kitchen table where she unloaded her burden of food. There was going to be BBQ chicken, burgers, hot dogs and ribs along with potato salad, corn on the cob, macaroni salad, plus a multitude of dishes brought by his other family members. They all wore similar dresses, each one plainer than the last; they kept their hair up and pinned to their head in a conservative fashion, hardly a strand out of place. Did Sam expect me to wear mine the same way? The women must have had years of practice because not a single face betrayed anything other than utter complacency. The morbid scene almost reminded me of my grandmother's house around the holidays, minus the free will issue.

I remembered the kitchen having always been full of cooking women, gossiping and sipping wine while the men watched their football game and my cousins ran amuck. I could almost taste the secret eggnog that I used to sneak when no one was looking. After my grandmother died, the family sort of fell apart arguing over their inheritances. It seemed with Nana gone, everyone became selfish, thinking about what they were getting instead of thinking about their loss. She had been the glue that kept the family together. As the wives brought in more groceries, I stood by watching, nausea rolling through my stomach. Was this what my future looked like? How many other wives would Sam 'choose'? Mary must have been over to Sam's house before because she seemed to know where everything was and helped herself to what she needed.

"When is the last time you cleaned this place, Samson?" Mary demanded. Samson? Had I heard her, right? Arioch called him Sammy, his name tag read Sam; so not only did he have two personalities but an identity crisis. Sam turned a deep red as he looked around sheepishly. I resisted the urge to smile, it felt good to see someone make him feel shameful.

"Good thing I picked myself another wife then," he replied as he peeled back some foil and helped himself to one of the brownies. Picked. Like I was some goddamn flower in a garden he just happened to come across.

"Get out of that!" Mary smacked his hand with a spatula and shooed him towards the back door. He only chuckled and shook his hand.

"Alright!" He motioned for me to come closer and once I was within reach, he bent down, wrapped a chain around my ankle and that's when I noticed the small metal loops that were screwed in near the baseboards of the walls. That must have been what I had heard a while back.

They were spaced almost evenly apart as my eyes swept the room and the chain had just enough slack that I could move around most of the kitchen if I wanted to.

"It is good to finally see you up and about." Emily announced. Sam placed the key to the lock into Emily's palm.

"Keep close eye on this one, Ladies. Best not to give her anything sharp and she'll always need to be escorted, probably by at least two of you." Mary raised her spatula again, pointing towards the backyard where multiple men could be seen moving hay barrels into the barn. He lifted his hands defensively, backing out the screen door and I breathed a sigh of relief once he was out of sight.

"How are you feeling?" asked Emily, as she began looking me over. She looked into both my eyes and asked me to open my mouth. I amused her, after all I was curious to see how my health was doing. My nerves felt frayed and my legs ached from being stuck in bed, but I could breathe without pain, so that was a plus.

"You mean besides being held against my will and forced to marry and breed with a psychopath? I'm feeling super!" Mary turned around faster than I ever thought a woman her size could move, she grabbed my lower chin in her giant hands.

"Do not think you can badmouth your husband-to-be just because he is no longer in the room, child. You will show him some respect, is that understood?" Her grip was crushing, and I nodded, jerking myself free from her grip.

"This is the only life we are given, child, and we must make the most of it. Now, idle hands are the devil's playthings Ladies. Why don't you keep busy with some of those dishes?" Mary pointed to the sink where dishes had already started to pile up and Emily gave me a comforting pat on the shoulder. The morning was only a small reprieve from my captor, we spent most of the time working in silence, occasionally Mary would snap at one of the other wives and it became immediately clear she was the wife in charge. If things weren't done correctly, she had no qualms telling them so. As Sam's first wife, second if I wanted to get technical, would that be my responsibility?

"We need to double that recipe."

"Don't you lick that spoon Bethany, you are no longer a child, do not make me treat you like one."

"For the love of God Almighty, have you ever washed dishes before?" I realized she was talking to me. I glanced over at the ones I had finished and left drying in the rack. Some plates still had food on them and a couple cups with rings. I had gone on Autopilot, lost in thoughts about my father. I wasn't sure how long I had been unconscious but if I was already healed my guess was a few weeks. That was a few weeks of me not checking in with him; was he already looking for me? I screamed when the wooden spoon came down on my knuckles, she managed to smack them a few times before I backed out of reach.

"Are you deaf? Do them again, this time pay attention. Next time it will be your skull not your knuckles." Her face was twisted with bitterness and this close I could see just how much older she really was. I couldn't find anything attractive about her, even her breath smelled as though she ate something rotten.

The longer I spent around the other women, the more I felt my hope begin to shrivel up. If they couldn't manage to escape, what chance did I stand? My thoughts were scattered earning me several more smacks from Mary's wooden spoon. There was a flurry of children running around and through the house. I occasionally watched out the window to see the men setting up white folded chairs, foldable tables for the food and ice chests filled with beer and soda. Emily stayed nearby, doing her best to run interference between Mary and I, but I wasn't doing a very good job of keeping my mouth shut. I felt emboldened with Sam outside and the more I spoke my mind, the more I began to feel like myself again. I started to remember that I wasn't like these other wives. When Mary finally went outside to report on the status of the meal, Emily quickly reached into the pocket of her apron and handed me a small Ziploc bag of what looked like sunflower seeds slivers.

"Chew 2 teaspoons right after coitus, it will help prevent pregnancy, at least for a little while. You must hide it, quickly!" My heart began racing as I suddenly became more aware and alert.

"Where am I supposed to hide it!? What is it?"

"I will explain it all later; this kitchen will be yours after today. Hide it in the coffee, bury it deep." She leaned her head towards the back door, I had a quick glance over my shoulder and the other wives continued with their task as if they were all completely unaware of what was happening. Maybe they hadn't given up hope completely yet. I opened the jar labeled coffee and began quickly digging through the grounds, trying to shove the bag of seeds as close to the bottom as I could.

"Quick, she's coming!" Emily warned. I could feel my pulse racing in my temple as I buried the bag and replaced the jar. I turned on the water and grabbed the sponge, brushing the coffee that had been spilt on the counter. Just as I heard the creak of the screen door the last bit of coffee grounds went down the drain and I let myself breath.

"You can start getting her ready, the men are nearly done, and the food is right behind them. Be sure to take Bethany with you. The two of you are not allowed to let her out of your sight."

"Yes, Mary." they answered in unison. Emily bent over to unlock the chain and Bethany passed over the tray of meat she had been preparing. Emily lead the way and Bethany followed behind, trapping me between them. They took me upstairs to Sam's bedroom, leading me straight into the bathroom where Emily started the shower. She sent Bethany to fetch the dress I would wear and once it we were alone, she turned to me.

"What I gave you earlier, consider it a small wedding gift from us women. Now, if 2 tsp makes your flow too heavy or you bleed for more than 7 days, then you need to reduce it to 1 ½ tsp instead."

"What is it and what does it do?"

"They are the seeds of what is known as Queen Anne's lace. They help prevent pregnancy, but you must take it right after you make love with your husband. It will buy you some time to adjust to your new life before you bring new life into it. But you must understand, he can never find them; ever. Do you understand?" I began to stutter as I tried to answer. I didn't want to even think about having sex with Sam let alone bearing or not bearing him any children.

"Why would you give this to me? Why would you risk getting in trouble?" I can't imagine he'd be happy if he came across it, although I doubted, he would know what it even was; Sam didn't strike me as a botanist.

"Well, you're about to become my niece and it's sort of tradition among the wives... well most of us. If the men had it their way, we'd be having babies one after the other, but the Lord will understand and forgive us. We do have special circumstances."

"What if I can't get to it right after?" He didn't really allow me to roam the halls.

"You don't want to wait longer than 12 hours, the longer you wait to take it, the higher the risk of complications. If there are too many complications...well I am the only doctor in the family and I don't know how fast I can get here or if my husband will let me leave. Samson knows a few things, but mostly patch up work. Speaking of which, these edges are a bit rough." Emily reached out and grazed my scars with her fingertips. I pulled away from instinct, but she only gave me a small smile and let her hand fall to her side.

"You are obviously different than the others, why do you stay? Why do any of you stay? We outnumber them you know."

"We stay because leaving isn't an option. Once you are chosen, this family will do whatever it takes to keep you or send you to the afterlife. Samson's mother and I escaped once. We paid a steep price to do it too. We rescued my eldest brother's wives, my nieces and nephews; she even brought me to live with her. She saved me. It didn't last long, my brother found us, even used my own nephew to lure me from my dorm room. All the self-defense classes didn't do a damn thing to save me. I was quickly arranged to marry my cousin Michael, but then his first wife ended up killing him before we could complete the ceremony, so I was married off to his father instead. My point is, even if you do escape, you'll constantly be looking over your shoulder, living every second in fear and anxiety. If you stay, and you work to be a good wife, you can find some happiness." If she only knew. Anxiety and fear were nothing new to me, anything was better than living with that monster. She sat on the toilet and grabbed both my hands, giving them a comforting squeeze.

"You couldn't possibly know this, but Dale used to have seven wives. Dale named her Annabeth, but her heathen name was Ashley. She was married to him only a few years after I was. She was a small girl, but she was a spitfire. When the opportunity presented itself one day, she took it and no amount of protesting was going to stop her...she only made it a few miles from home before he found her. This wasn't her first attempt, so Dale decided he needed to make an example out of her. He brought several wives outside to bear witness as he and a few of the other men raped and beat her. When one of us turned away they threatened to put us up next. When Ashley finally lost her voice from the all the screaming and crying, they chained her ankles to the back of the tow truck and dragged her up and down the road until she was nothing more than roadkill." Tears rans silently down her face as she recalled the horrifying event. It was clear it was still painful memory and I felt ashamed for not even considering what she and the other women had been through. No wonder they were complacent. I sat down on the edge of the tub, feeling suddenly light headed as the scene played out in my head and I leaned forward when I began to taste the acid in the back of my throat. Could that be what happened to me if I ran again? Sam had chained my chair to the back of his truck, had that been a warning? Having never heard the story, the symbolism had been lost on me then.

"Arioch's already drowned me once," I confessed.

"I can tell just by looking at you that you're a pretty strong woman, but there are worse things than death, Katherine, trust me. The best you can do is to endure; that is what will keep you alive."

"So, you're aware of his extra personality then?" If she was trying to influence me to stay put and not try to escape, I wanted nothing to do with it. I wasn't ready to give up, not completely.

"We first noticed it when he was 13. He started spending more time alone, constantly jotting down in his little notebook. We often caught him talking to and we didn't think much of it at the time; that is until some of the farm animals started to go missing. It started with some baby chicks, a few pigs. Uncle Henry thought it was a coyote at first. So, he went out to investigate one night and found Samson kneeling over one of the winter foals. It was lying on the ground right in front of him, its entire torso was sliced open, and... he was eating its heart. When Uncle Henry asked what he was doing, he snarled and claimed it was going to give him power. Then like a wild animal and he attacked him. Uncle Henry was forced to knock Samson out and when he finally woke, he recalled none of it."

"Is that the only time you've come across his other half?" Emily looked away, there was something she wasn't quite telling me, and I was too much of a coward to ask.

"Arioch has appeared several times over the years. I tried to explain to the conclave that he needed help, serious help. But despite being mere credits away from getting my Ph.D., they dismissed me. Instead they tried to exorcise him. You can see that didn't work."

"Why are you telling me all this? Are you trying to terrify me?" I demanded.

"No, to warn you; do not tempt the devil! Be a good wife and you won't invoke him. This life may not be the one you want, but it is better than death or the alternative, and it's definitely better than dealing with him." Before I could ask her anything further Bethany returned with my dress, Emily dropped my hands and quickly stood, rummaging underneath the sink.

Bethany's forest green eyes darted back and forth between us, but I turned around and began disrobing. Normally I was more modest, even with girls, but modesty wasn't something I could afford now. I kept my back to them as I pulled the curtain aside and climbed in. The water was hot, and I realized with joy that being alone meant I could adjust it to a more comfortable temperature. I happily did so, closing my eyes and enjoying the feel of the hot spray. Emily handed me some raspberry 3 in1 hair and body wash. It wasn't a grand gesture, but the small treasure made me cry all over again; any small comforts were like a god send. I showered until the water ran cold and my fingers began to prune before asking for a towel; neither woman seemed to hold it against me.

The wedding dress was satin with a long sleeve lace top. The bodice was low, revealing probably more cleavage than what they allowed but as Arioch had said, Sam wasn't one for tradition. When I asked where the dress came from, Emily informed me that Sam picked the entire design. He'd ordered it online and had Dale pick it up from town. Once I was dry and dressed, my hair was swept back, most of it in a messy bun with a few braids and bobby pins to keep it in place. Emily opened a small toiletry bag on the counter, and I was a little surprised to find make-up.

"Special occasions only." Emily explained. I held still and closed my eyes, avoiding glancing at my reflection, I couldn't bear to see myself all made up for him.

"Don't start crying now child or you'll smear your makeup." I looked up to find Mary in the doorway.

"I don't care if I ruin it." I replied evenly. She took a step into the bathroom, her hand clenched into a fist beside her. But Emily quickly de-escalated the situation and began putting lipstick on so that my mouth would be occupied.

"Are they ready for her?"

"Not quite yet, however it is time for you to go get ready. Hand the make up over to Bethany and go prepare yourself." Emily handed the lipstick over, hugging me one last time before turning to leave and it was just the three of us. Bethany picked up where Emily had left off while Mary stood in the doorway and scowled.

"Alright, go on and have a look hunny." Bethany had a slight southern twang when she spoke, and I wondered where she came from. Where had Dale found her? Had he found her? Or had she once been stranded on the side of the road like I had been?