Chapter 14: The Box

The rooster greeted the dawn like any other morning. As Sarah sluggishly woke, Rebecca was uncharacteristically gone, neither lying with Sarah nor lying alone on her top bunk. The memories of the previous evening proved indistinct and ethereal. Worried, Sarah roused with the others, walking to the showers, dressing for her day, and arriving at breakfast. Disquiet saturated her mind.

“Has anyone seen Rebecca?” she asked Hua, Uma and Leslie at breakfast.

Leslie and Hua shook their heads. Uma bit her lower lip. “I’ll take you to her after breakfast.” Leslie shot Uma a warning glance, but didn’t interject further.

After eating fresh scrambled eggs and toast, Sarah joined Uma outside. Winter approached, the air chilly, the harvest nearly complete, dew saturating the grass. Uma quickly grasped Sarah’s hand and guided her towards the east side of the compound. At the periphery, three small structures stood, each approximately the size and shape of an outhouse. Sarah had noticed them previously while exploring, but hadn’t given the empty buildings much thought. The compound had communal indoor plumbing, so outhouses were unnecessary. Two of the structures stood with gaping wooden doors, revealing a spartan interior similar to a small closet, tall enough to stand, perhaps wide enough to sit with knees drawn up, but not much more. The middle structure’s door was closed and padlocked. Uma strode up to the middle structure and released Sarah’s hand.

“She’s in there?” Sarah asked quietly.

“In The Box, yes,” Uma replied in a hushed tone. She glanced around nervously. “We shouldn’t be here.”

“Why is Rebecca in there?”

“Punishment.”

“For what?”

“I don’t know that,” Uma said quietly. “Ivan took her this morning. She didn’t resist, which was smart. I have to go.”

Before Sarah could ask anything further, Uma turned on her heel and practically ran from the area, leaving Sarah alone with the locked structure.

Timidly, Sarah knocked once on the locked door. For a moment, there was no reply.

“Sarah?” Rebecca’s voice seemed small and far away.

“Rebecca? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, Sarah. Maybe a little cold, but I’ll survive. It’s way worse in here when it’s hot. You should go. You don’t want them to see you here.”

“Why are you in there?” Sarah tugged on the lock, but the gesture was futile without a key.

“I pissed off Ivan, and I’d do it again. He was way out of line last night. Probably drinking.” Her voice seemed bitter but resigned.

Sarah leaned her forehead against the door. Rebecca was in The Box because of her.

“Listen, Sarah. Seriously, you can’t be here. Go finish your chores and forget this. It’s not the first time I’ve been in here. I’ll be fine. I’ll just be sore, hungry, thirsty and cold when they let me out.”

“What if they don’t let you out?”

“They will. When Ivan calms down. Or Brady decides that I’ve learned the lesson du jour. Probably a sermon on obedience tonight.”

“I’ll talk to Brady.”

“Please don’t. That won’t go well. I promise I’ll be fine. I’ll probably be back tonight.”

“You gave him what he wanted.” Except, he wanted me.

“Sometimes that isn’t enough. Listen, I’m supposed to be alone to reflect and there’s nothing you can do. I don’t want you in here next. Go do your work and keep your head down.”

“Fuck,” Sarah whispered.

Inside, Rebecca laughed weakly. “Fuck, indeed. I’ll be fine. Go on.”

Reluctantly, Sarah turned and walked away from The Box, her mind churning.

***Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account.

Rebecca remained absent from the nightly campfire. Sarah sat alone in the firelight, contemplating, the flames warming her. She silently swallowed the offered S from Lawrence the same as every other night. Lawrence patted her once sympathetically on her shoulder; she barely noticed. Her body reacted the same as any other night, arousal heightening, her limbs tingling, her mind muddled. However, her thoughts remained on the small locked structure, wondering how Rebecca would sleep in the cramped area, probably shivering in the chill night air.

Uma approached, naked, her eyes downcast.

“Would you like to join me and Hua tonight?”

Sarah glanced over at the pruned pine where Brady sat on the ground beneath its high hanging boughs. Tonight Susan, Leslie and Patricia lay with him, his hands wandering over their combined breasts. Patricia’s hand worked languidly between his legs. They would happily make room for her, if tonight was indeed the same as any other night.

Beyond the fringe of the firelight, Sarah could see Ivan and a naked girl copulating frenetically. Sarah didn’t immediately recognize Ivan’s partner by her back. The girl moaned in ecstasy. Ivan grunted animalistically, his voice mirroring Sarah’s memory from the previous night when he fucked Rebecca.

Other couples and threes scattered about the clearing. Moans of passion floated on the still air.

“Thank you,” Sarah said quietly. “I don’t think I’m in the mood tonight.” The strange part: she was definitely in the mood, her body aching for human contact. She wanted Brady especially, but Uma’s bare goose-bumped skin glowed beautifully in the firelight.

Uma nodded in understanding. “We’re on the other side of the fire if you change your mind.”

She touched Sarah’s shoulder lightly, sending shivers down Sarah’s spine; she turned and retreated to the other side of the fire where Hua waited.

Tonight was the first night since she’d arrived that she hadn’t found her way to Brady, or been satisfied by him or his entourage. In fact, it was the first night since she’d met Brady that she had no intention of finding climax, despite her exponentially increasing arousal.