The Adventures of Astoria Morgan Ch. 05

Chapter 5 - Life Lessons

As a top predator, Minx had a highly developed killer instinct. Toying with one's prey is all well and good, in fact often quite delightful, but in the end there must be an end. The prey must be brought down, the decisive blow struck. When the coup-de-grace arrived, it should come without hesitation or mercy.

Minx believed that she had struck such a blow against Astoria. After the horrors of yesterday evening, it was doubtful that Ms. Morgan would be quick to show her spa-crafted features in The Drains any time soon. Nor would she be likely to send her boy. Or was it a girl now? No matter. The Drains had shown that it did not take kindly to meddling outsiders. Let the grand Astoria Morgan find another outlet for her charitable impulses.

That of course would leave the Astoria Morgan Haven for Distressed Women without support. What would happen to all those poor young girls now living there? Minx saw that it was up to her to step in and save the day. The Haven would continue in existence, she decided, but under principles of sound financial management.

The Haven's building used to house the old Millard Fillmore High School. The school was closed after tests revealed that the students, among many other academic failings, could not name a single U.S. president, including the namesake of their school. As part of a consolidation program, the students were distributed among other, more successful schools in the city, were it was hoped they might learn at least how to read and write. Of course, it was not a one way street. The children of The Drains also had useful skills to teach their new classmates, such as how to forge a convincing hall pass or set a wastebasket fire when the teacher wasn't looking.

Mill-Fill High sat empty for several years until Astoria purchased it as the perfect site for the Haven. Most of the classrooms were turned into dorm rooms. The cafeteria offered delicious, healthy meals and the auditorium sprang to life with interesting lectures on all sorts of useful subjects. The young women who found refuge at the Haven were happy and thriving. No wastebasket fires had been reported in some time.

The morning after playing her little trick on Ms. Morgan and her retainers, Minx swept into the Haven accompanied by a phalanx of goons, men with muscles all in size extra large (except the heart, of course). The attendants and teachers employed by the Haven were summarily dismissed, collecting a few kicks and bruises as their severance. Minx had no use for those dried-out cunts. The younger residents were then torn from their beds and gathered in the auditorium, where Minx proposed to explain the facts of life to them.

Minx stood at the lectern and smiled at the assemblage. Conquest put her in a martial mood, and so she had donned a military-style uniform, complete with riding crop and officer's hat. Of course, General Patton would not have worn such a short skirt with knee-high leather boots, but Minx was sure that she could match old Blood and Guts in swagger and brass.

"Good morning, ladies. Let me introduce myself. I am Pudenda Minx, the new proprietor of this establishment and of you. So sorry to rouse you all at such an uncivilized hour, yet not sorry a bit. You have been slumbering too long in coddled ease. It's a new morning, ladies, and a new world."

Minx paused to look over the collection of young faces, all so amusingly scared and confused. She could almost see the flight reflex building in some. But the thugs at the doors assured that there would be no walk-outs during her lecture.

"The hard truth is that your benefactress has abandoned you. Your days as charity cases are finished! Today marks the beginning of a new program of vocational training. We are going to get you off this sheltered little island and out into the real world, onto the streets. That will be your true school where you learn to earn your keep."

"I think you will find that you all have ass-ets to work with." Minx had wandered into the audience as she spoke, and she punctuated this last sentence with a swat of her crop at the rear end of one of the audience.

"Some of you have even been endowed with great natural gifts. Learn to use them!" Minx declared, as she came up behind another of the girls and lifted up her large breasts as an example and encouragement to the others.

"And when I say earn your keep, I mean it. The days of the free ride are over! You will turn over every penny you make to pay for your tuition, room and board. And don't even think of shirking. The lowest earner each day will be given as a treat to the Haven's security detail, who I think you will find to be far less warm and motherly than the previous staff."

Minx paused again to enjoy the expressions of horror on the faces of the girls as the realities of their new situation dawned on them. It was clear that many already had extensive experience with life on the street. That was what they had come to the Haven to escape, or at least to learn how to master. But the street had tracked them down. There would be no escape. And they did not like the look of their new master.

Minx had to savor this moment a bit longer. She sat down next to one of the girls, a rather plain specimen with straight brown hair, glasses and somewhat pudgy thighs.

"What's your name, dear?"

"Katherine," gasped the girl, who was finding it harder and harder to breath as her fear mounted.

"Well Kathy, you seem a bit nervous about this turn of events. Don't be. I mean, obviously you are no great beauty. With the right make-up and attire, however, even a homely girl like you can be a steady source of income for the Haven, of which you may be proud. But you have to make an effort. You will do that, won't you Kate?"

Katherine simply choked back a sob and nodded.

"I mean, you don't want to be the one given to the guards, do you? Just imagine, being tied down to a bed and having a nasty large man force himself on you, some brute who only cares for his own pleasure and doesn't give a hoot how much you might be hurting. All you can do is lie there and scream for help, help that will never come I'm afraid. And maybe you won't even be able to do that if the brute stuffs your own panties into your mouth because he's sick of your squalling and wants to talk and joke with his buddies standing around waiting their turn. Your own panties! Ewww!" And with that Minx wrinkled her nose. Katherine did not notice this sympathetic gesture, however, as she had buried her face in her hands and her tears had fogged up her glasses anyway.

Minx rose again. "I am proud of Kat, because from her response I know she is going to try. You must all try your best. That is the code of ethics that the Haven will henceforth instill in all the young women who come to it. They must give their all - 110 percent 24/7 - and be proud of the contribution they make to our community."

The silence of the cowed was broken by the sound of two hands clapping from the back of the auditorium. The source of the interruption was a young woman who had previously sat slightly hunched over with her face half hidden by a hoodie, like an unprepared student trying to avoid being called on by a particularly sarcastic teacher. Having decided to risk attention after all, the woman now leapt to her feet in a mock standing ovation.

"Well spoke, Pudenda! Such noble sentiments. We must have you back to give another talk someday - after you get out of prison." And with that the figure pulled back her hood to reveal the golden curls of Astoria Morgan.

Minx was startled, but quickly regained her composure. "Shouldn't you be home caring for your loved ones, Ms. Morgan? I understand they had a bit of an accident last night."

"They are being well cared for, Pudenda. Of course, I knew who was responsible for that 'accident' and it was a simple matter to deduce your true objective. Seeing that I would be needed more at the Haven than at home, I arrived late yesterday night so that I would be here to take care of you."

"Brave words, Ms. Morgan, but you seem to have overlooked the fact that my boys have gotten rather overexcited with all this talk of tying girls to beds. I suspect they may have other plans. Get her, boys!"

As the thugs began to maneuver into position, Astoria just smiled. This was a teachable moment not to be wasted.

"Now pay close attention, ladies. Though it may appear that men have overwhelming advantages in size and strength, a smart woman can always take advantage of their dangling vulnerabilities." A vicious kick between the legs left the first thug who tried to rush her writhing on the ground.

"And please remember not just to kick at the testicles. Kick through them, as if you want to spilt your assailant in two. This is no time for feminine delicacy."

"Of course, even the dimmest of males may try to learn from the misfortune of his fellows," pronounced Astoria as a second thug approached her. This one was slightly stooped and kept his hands low in the obvious hope of catching her leg if she tried to pull off the same sort of kick again. Instead, Astoria went high with a lightning spin move that brought her boot smashing into the side of the goon's face and sent him staggering into the seats.

"As they say, when one door closes, another opens."

"Watch out!" came a cry from the audience, but too late it seemed as another ruffian grabbed Astoria from behind in a bear hug. The bear, however, was rewarded with a broken nose as the back of Astoria's head snapped against his face.

Slipping out of the embrace of her stunned partner, Astoria took him by the arm and, in textbook judo style, flipped the poor wretch to the ground. "Use your opponent's weight against him. So trite, yet so true."

The fourth and final guard prudently opted against hand-to-hand combat and instead pulled out a pistol. Astoria retreated, not physically, but into herself. Once there, in the calm refuge of her inner space, she slowed time down to a crawl. Now, in the eternal now, she could see everything with hyper-clarity, including the bullet as it emerged from the muzzle of the gun. Trajectory plotted, Astoria inclined her head slightly to the left and let the projectile fly harmlessly past her ear.

Jumping back into real time, things moved fast. A leap and shoulder roll brought her to the feet of her assailant. One swift kick to his ankles toppled the thug. With a deft twist she caught the man's head between her legs.

Under less pressing circumstances, Astoria would have let the poor wretch struggle a bit before using her powerful thighs to cut off his air supply and slowly render him unconscious. That would have been such a useful lesson, for both victim and onlookers, of female empowerment. Oh well, she had to save some tricks for the advanced women's self-defense class.

It was time to end the lesson. Astoria drew herself fully erect and raised her arms. Her face became illuminated with an eerie light that seemed to come from within and her hair played in a wind that was definitely not coming from the single open auditorium door.

Moving her raised hands like a conductor coaxing a crescendo from an orchestra, Astoria drew all the fear from the women in the room, all the terror that Pudenda had labored so hard to create. She took this fear from them and then, collecting it all up in nice little piles, dumped it into the minds of the four males she had bested. These men, who had been so brave when they thought it was four of them against one mere woman, beat a hasty retreat, with their dangling vulnerabilities tucked between their scampering legs.

Minx had watched the battle with growing concern, as even her shouts of encouragement and fist pumps proved unable to propel her minions to victory. Now she stood alone, in a sea of outraged womanhood.

With a resigned sigh, Minx began the slow walk towards her victorious adversary. No longer the blustering General Patton, she had become the chastened Lee at Appomattox. Her heels had lost their authoritative click and her hips no longer had their arrogant sway. Still, there was a spark in her eyes that had not quite gone out.

As Minx approach, Astoria's body stiffened, readying for the next battle. But Minx simply put her arms around Astoria's neck in a friendly, almost sisterly way. "You know, it takes a big woman to admit when she is beaten. And I guess you have me licked."

Minx's face suddenly brightened. "Oh, but I wouldn't mind giving you a good licking," and she seductively waggled her tongue. Astoria naturally recoiled from this repulsive advance. She hardly appreciated having this preternaturally long tongue, capped with a completely gauche silver stud, waved in her face.

Just as suddenly as it had appeared, the offensive appendage pulled back. Minx's fierce white teeth bit down upon the silver stud, which sprayed a purple gas into Astoria's face. "Sweet dreams, princess," was the last thing Astoria remembered hearing. "See you in your nightmare."