Identities Ch. 03-04

"You're lucky that von Bauer wants you untouched. If it weren't for him, I would beat you to within an inch of your life for your defiance. I would have you broken and begging at my feet."

She recoiled with a whimper. Who was this man? She did not know him anymore. Her classmate and colleague was gone, replaced by someone dark and cruel. He pulled her closer to him, his fingers digging into her arm. She felt his hot breath on her ear.

"But maybe I can find a different way of punishing you, hmmm?" His tongue brushed her ear.

Arley felt sick. She remembered his finger thrusting into her mouth, the look of triumphant lust on his face as he watched her choke. Don't cry, whatever you do, don't cry.

"Michael, come on. Before a car comes."

Another hand closed around her other arm. Opening her eyes, Arley found herself being dragged back to the road, pinned between Michael and Mark.

She pulled against their hands, and when that had no effect, she tried going limp and sinking to the ground, turning herself into a dead weight. If she had paused to think about it, she would have realized her struggles were pointless. Even if she had been able to tear herself free of their grip, she couldn't get anywhere, not with her arms bound behind her, not with her legs trembling from fatigue. But Arley was now so cold, so exhausted and terrified, that her rational brain had started to shut down, leaving her to operate on instinct alone.

Finally, after words exchanged between the men that she did not hear, Mark bent and flipped her over his shoulder. When she tried to kick his front, he only tossed her further back so that, even fully extended, her legs could not reach him. She could only watch the ground swing by beneath her helplessly, excruciatingly aware of her ass pointing right up to the sky, barely covered by the hem of the dress that was likely to slip down her back at any minute.

It may have been something in the especial powerlessness of being carried, or it may have been the beginnings of hypothermia slowing her brain, but when they reached the car, Arley hardly protested as Mark slid her down his front and put her in the back seat. He climbed in after her and Chris entered from the other side, while Daniel and Michael got into the front seats.

The car rumbled into life and took off down the road. Squashed between Mark and Chris, Arley looked out the window as they drove, thinking dimly that she would learn the route they were taking. But within seconds, her mind had slid into a dreamy haze. She watched trees and grass and sea flash pass in a blur, not noticing the words exchanged between the men in the front seat or the steady look that Mark was giving her.

She did notice that even though she was no longer running, her heart was fluttering uncomfortably fast. How odd, she thought confusedly. Maybe these two really are squashing me. They're much too big for this car. Why are they so big? Honestly, no one else in law school is so big. Just my fucking luck.

Her eyelids felt heavy. Trees, sky, ocean, trees. Soon, the house. The only thing keeping her awake was the pain in her hands and feet where her skin had clearly been damaged by the cold. Maybe Michael had put the air conditioning on instead of the heat, because she was still shaking, deep in her core. Sadistic bastard.

The car slowed to a stop and Arley pulled her eyes open to see the house. She saw for the first time that it was a faded yellow colour, which she thought was funny. Yellow was a happy colour, and this house was a house of misery.

"Maybe I'll paint it black," she mumbled. Mark frowned at her as he pulled her out of the car. She ignored him. Michael was coming towards her and it was imperative that she showed strength. Then he was right in front of her, looking down at her with an expression that promised a world of hurt.

"Come with me," he said.

Still trembling from head to toe, Arley straightened her back, lifted her chin, and looked him straight in the eye, silently daring him to do his worst. She took a step forward, and fell into sudden blackness.