Chapter 4

Page slowly drifts back to wakefulness at the sound of talking. It isn’t very loud, more like a murmur, but it is constant. Instead of opening her eyes, she tries to get a sense of where she is. She’s obviously lying on the ground because, not only is it hard, but it feels gritty like sand. Something or someone keeps bumping into her leg and she can sense another presence up by her head. Then of course there are a couple voices, talking to one another in front of her. These voices are different from the ones in the meadow.

Howard!

Her mind screams his name. Did she really see her roommate? Was it just a dream, a fantasy? Page has to find out. Slowly she opens her eyes. The sudden light stings and they quickly slam shut. She gives it a moment and tries again, this time able to bear the intensity of the glaring light. She finds herself outside and the two men standing in front of her are two she has never seen before. And they seem to be talking about her!

“Those ferals sure had a good time with this one,” the tall blond one is saying.

“It’s not often we get one broken in already,” the other with brown, short hair and beard says with a chuckle.

“Look, Rob,” the blond one says, slapping the other’s chest with the back of his hand. “She’s awake.”

Rob looks down at Page and a repulsively sadistic smile form on his face. “So she is. Go get Cate. She’s doing intake this week.”

The blond nods and quickly races off out of sight. Rob kneels down in front of her, still smiling. He grabs under her chin and forcibly turns her head toward him when Page resists and pulls away. “After all that and you still have some fight in you. We’ll have to remedy that, won’t we?” He stands up and starts to unzip his pants.

“Don’t even think about bringing that thing out,” a woman’s voice cuts sharply through the air. “I will chop that thing off and hang it on my wall.”

“But she needs a lesson in obedience,” Rob argues. “You know that that’s...”

“And she isn’t here right now,” Cate interrupts. She steps up wearing a black high necked long sleeved bodysuit with mesh cut outs. “Besides, it’s my turn at intake, so what I say goes. And I think this poor girl has been through enough.”

“We can’t have the others think they can get away with anything,” the man argues.

A cruel smile curls at the edges of Cate’s lips. “You’re right, we can’t.”

Page looks for the first time, noticing two other women next to her. The one at her feet looks to be close to her own age with nearly jet black hair. The one at her head looks a bit younger, by a few years, with light brown hair. From the looks of it, they have been here for as long as she has. She looks back to the auburn haired woman, Cate, and swallows hard.

“First I want to welcome you to Rowen Farm,” the woman in charge begins. “I’m sure you know of Rowen Exotic Escorts. While it is a very legitimate business, we have another that stays under the radar.”

This is just what Page is after. At least she ended up where she wanted, even if it wasn’t the way she wanted to.

“Right now, we are stocked with employees,” Cate continues, pacing back and forth before them. “Now I’m sure you’re wondering what you’re doing at Rowen Farm. This is another of our legitimate business, but it too is at full capacity. But lucky for us we have clients that need servants and slaves. Here you will learn to serve without complaint or betrayal.” She stops in front of the black haired woman and smiles down at her. “Now, you are probably worried about your life being over and this and that. But do not fret. You have a new life now—a life of service to a master or mistress. You will be there for their every whim and command. We will train you for this life and it will become something you wish to have.”

The black haired woman shivers quite visibly. Cate is tall and lean yet very imposing, especially as she stands over the cowering woman.

“What is your name?” Cate asks. Her tone is slightly kinder.

“Janice,” the woman answers in a shaky voice.

“That’s a nice skirt,” Cate says to her, crouching down to take the hem in her fingers as if she is admiring it.

Page steals a look at the woman’s attire. Unlike her tattered clothing, the woman still has hers covering her body. It is torn in a few places and dirty all over, but still covering her, especially her most private areas.

Janice looks up to Cate, directly into her eyes. “Can you just please, please let me go?”

“Sure,” Cate says, not standing up and still holding onto the hem of the skirt. “I’m Cate. You don’t really want to leave, do you?” Janice quickly and wordlessly nods her head. Cate ignores the gesture and continues with the questioning as if the woman never gave an answer. “You’re not a virgin are you? Do you have a boyfriend?”

“No,” Janice answers meekly. “Yes,” she changes her answer, knowing immediately that it sounds like the lie it is.

Cate smiles and chuckles knowingly. She knows it is a lie told out of fear. Rob looks on, amused. “Have you ever been with another woman?” she continues the questioning.

The scared woman shakes her head.

“I bet you could go for that.” Cate shifts her gaze from the woman’s eyes to her thighs. The back of her hand slowly caresses the front of Janice’s thigh. Her eyes go right back up. “If not, you will learn to.” Cate’s hand slips to the other side, caressing the back of the woman’s thigh. “Do you still want to go?”

“Yes,” Janice replies. “I do.”

Very abruptly, Cate takes her hand from the woman’s thigh. “Go on then. Leave.”

“Go?” Janice asks, the fear clearly showing in her eyes.

“Yes,” Cate confirms. “Go.”

Janice looks at Page and then over her shoulder toward the gates of the farm. Seeing the way out and knowing that with only a few steps she can be on the road home. The thought gives her a sense of safety, normalcy.

So why isn’t she moving?

Page and the younger woman looks at Janice, waiting for her to stand up and leave. And for some reason, she doesn’t. Maybe she knows that there is now leaving, at least not on her own accord.

After a few seconds, Cate reaches out again and takes ahold of Janice’s skirt, again running the material through her fingers. The woman shivers again. “You’re still here.”

Janice has nothing to say. She remains silent and shivering. Cate smiles. Several seconds of silence follows, the auburn haired woman still pawing at the skirt. “Let me be completely honest with you. I intend to fuck you.”

“What?” Janice asks, clearly horrified.

“Oh yes,” Cate says, still smiling. I have to make a point to you and the others here. I have to make sure you all understand that you are no longer in control of your fates, your actions or your lives.”

“Fuck me?” Janice repeats, stunned beyond coherent thought.

“Well, yes,” Cate answers. “But I’ll make a deal with you. I’ll give you one more chance to get up and leave. Of course I cannot guarantee Rob here will let you step through those gates.”

Again, Janice looks to Page and then over her shoulder toward the gates. The woman wants to leave. She doesn’t want to be here. But the thought of death or something far worse, like torture, keep her still. Page looks at the woman in charge and Rob. Both now have wolfish smiles on their faces. It’s unclear which they would like the woman to do. Page figures either outcome would be satisfactory for them.

Cate reaches out and—not gently at all—grasps Janice’s arm and pulls her up to her feet. The woman is dragged a few feet away from Page and the younger woman and shoves her back to the ground unceremoniously. “Lie down,” she orders.

Janice hesitates. It is one thing for Cate to tell her what she intended to do to her, but to expect her to obey is another. Cate grunts and drops to a crouch again. She pushes the woman flatter to the ground. “When I give an order, it is best for you to listen.” She paws at Janice’s blouse, not in a gentle way either.

She rips the clothing, sending buttons flying. Something glints in the sunlight. Page cannot tell what it is from her angle and the glimmer of sunlight. But whatever it is, it cuts away at Janice’s bra. It falls away to give the others a full view of her pale breasts.

Cate stands up to admire the woman for a moment, before stripping off her own clothing. Unlike the savage tearing of Janice’s clothes, Cate actually folds hers and sets it in a pile nicely on the ground. She looks to Rob and holds out her hand. Rob produces a contraption that Page instantly recognizes. Apparently so does Janice—her eyes go wide with fright.