Chapter 26: Sheila is Auctioned

When Kelly closed the door behind them, it was dark, and Sheila was disoriented. She was in line behind Caroline White when she felt something brush her left arm. It required a few moments for her eyes to adjust; then she realized that it had only been the heavy stage curtain. The line of girls was at one end of the stage, with the curtain on the left of the line and a wall on the right. Ahead, Sheila saw an opening in the curtain, with a dim light coming through it.

Sounds of voices came through the drapery, including an occasional laugh and cough, but they were muffled. Except for a rare loud word or two, nothing was intelligible.

Then she heard a closer voice, that of Crane. He described what was to precede the auction; to Sheila it was a repetition of what the blue girl had just told the group of captives. He ended with, "Nina! You can send out the first candidate."

The blue girl gave Anne a shove, and the brunette appeared briefly in the glare of the spotlight; a moment later she was out of view on the other side of the curtain.

Sheila heard a raised murmur of voices and a few delighted shouts from males in the audience. When the crowd quieted, Anne gave her name and stated that she was a model and married. Crane added some further remarks about her education and background. No one spoke for a few minutes; and Sheila assumed that Anne was turning on the stage, displaying her figure. Crane thanked her. A moment later she reappeared behind them at the rear of their line.

Wendy went onstage next and went through the same steps as Anne, but the crowd was more subdued. Then it was Caroline White's turn. She received more enthusiasm than Wendy--no doubt because of her shapely figure and larger breasts.

Sheila, now at the front of the line, heard Crane thank Caroline. She didn't wait for Nina to shove her into the spotlight, but she immediately walked out from between the curtains.

It took her as long to adjust to the light just as she had to the darkness, but she soon could see that the 'auditorium' was much smaller than she had anticipated. There was a dim light over the rear doors and light from the cracks between them, but except for what was illuminated by the spotlight, everything else in the room was too dimly lit to see. Crane was beside her on her right; and behind him were two guards. One she recognized was named Michael; he had been at their collaring in the shed.

The reaction from the audience to her appearance was ebullient, and it seemed at least as loud as it had been for Anne. Like the brunette, she received enthusiastic male whistles. The first row seemed to be unoccupied, but she heard women in the second row discussing her. She waited for the noise to subside.

"Hey Crane!" some man at the rear yelled. "Get more dolls like this one. Skip the skinny brunettes."

Another yelled "Jesus what a knockout! Show us your tits Blondie!"

Embarrassed and still a little nervous despite the alcohol, Sheila hoped that the man beside her would quiet them, but he waited silently with her and, without his intervention, the noise finally subsided.

Sheila swallowed, and then began, "M-My name is SheilaEricson."

She was glad she had taken that course in public speaking in her sophomore college year. Her female advisor had recommended it. The woman had said, "It doesn't matter what profession you intend to pursue, Sheila. There will always be meetings where you'll be expected to participate."

Hoping her voice didn't betray her lies, Sheila said that she had been married a year and that her husband had been with her on the boat. "We were together until today," she told them. "I worked as a waitress while I was in college, but since we married I've been a housewife and haven't worked outside of the house."

Crane's eyes on her made her realize that it was time to display herself. Her heart pounding, she did a slow pirouette before the audience.

"Thank you, Sheila," Crane said, dismissing her.

She returned through the curtain offstage, glad that was over, and she was again standing behind Caroline. The girl smiled at her. "My, did you ever get a reception! I'll bet a really rich guy gets you."

"The men out there didn't sound exactly refined."

"I know. I'm scared, but I'm glad for the drink; I feel a bit giddy from it."

"Ever since Crane talked to us on the beach, I've been panicky about some guy owning me. I'm afraid of what he'll do to me. I mean, more than the sex."

"Well, it isn't worth worrying about. It has to be better than walking the streets and picking up any old guy, like the girls do in Times Square."

"A blue girl told me something that makes me feel a little less worried. Clients try to take care of their slaves. They sell you when they get tired of you, so they have a reason to keep you in good condition."

Wendy, in front of Caroline, turned around. She reached out and hugged Sheila.

"Oh, Sheila! I don't know how much we'll see of each other after today," she said.

Sheila felt tears well in her eyes. She hugged Wendy back. "Wendy, I'm so sorry I got you into this. I wish I had never have let you come in the limosine."

The auction had begun.

Anne went out first, and there was the same commotion as before--whistles and lewd remarks from men in the audience--but this time Crane quieted the audience. The curtain muffled his words, and Sheila understood little except when Crane began calling out numbers that she presumed were bids.

The auction took about ten minutes, and Sheila heard Crane tell Anne to take a seat. The spotlight seemed to be the only illumination in the room. At least the seats for the girls had been visible. When she'd been in the spotlight, except for the front row, the entire area where the audience sat had been pitch dark.

Wendy took less time, perhaps five minutes, and Sheila heard Crane call out only three numbers.

When Caroline White exited from behind the curtains to enter the light she too was again greeted by hoots and whistles. Her auction took as long as Anne's.

Then Sheila was back onstage.

Crane told her to reprise her 'pirouette' for the audience. She complied, amidst whistles and several male shouts of "Take it off!"

Crane said, "They won't appreciate your figure as well with your clothes on. Kelly!" he called. "Come out, please."

The blue girl appeared from between the curtains. "Do you want her to undress so soon?" she asked.

"Yes," Crane said. "The clients have already had good looks at her appearance in evening dress."

"Have her leave her shoes and stockings on. She has such nice legs."

"I agree. Besides that, it will emphasize her nakedness above them."

"I bet they'll go nuts when they see her bod, Master Crane. With her fair skin, those black stockings will really make her sexy. I bet she'll get over fifty thou."