Sex Slave Spooktacular

I try to calmly reason with her. "What that sounds like, is very typical job opportunity with hundreds if not thousands of residences in the area. Did you see all the surrounding houses on your way up here? Do you think we are the only people with hired help?"

"Marta is here. I told you I've seen her. You saw her too. She was in the dungeon last night."

"Don't be ridiculous. You can't lock up people against their will based on superstition and strange pictures."

"Today is different, though. She is here in the flesh. The dead rise and walk among the living. Don't you know anything about Halloween?"

"You are making a big mistake, Emilia. Unlock the pillory now and we promise not to call the police," I say, trying to reclaim my authority.

"Of course you won't call the police! Not with what you're hiding! You put her in that super fun happy slide of yours didn't you?! Marta was claustrophobic and she had a heart condition. She always had to go through life carefully, but she would have done anything to bring back money to our family. She didn't survive the fall, did she?! You didn't call an ambulance to help her because you'd have to explain that you threw her down a surprise slide into some creepy sex dungeon! They would have locked you up!"

"Marta, I swear to you, we have never seen your sister before."

"My name isn't Marta. It's Emilia. Well, that's the name that I gave you, anyway. Why did you call me Marta?"

"Damn it, I don't know what I'm saying. I've been drugged! Now listen to me, whatever your name is. I can give you the names and addresses of every woman that has passed through here. I have pictures too."

"Your wife Livia was pretty helpful before she passed out. She even gave me some of your passwords. I've seen your pictures and your videos of the other girls. You must have cleared Marta from your archives. I went ahead and cleared myself too. What do you think I've been doing all day while you slept off those ruffies?"

My god, how long have we been here? Is it already night time? I start pulling hard on my wrists and kicking my legs in desperation. It's no use. The pillory is unmovable, unbreakable, by my design. I have to get through to her. It's our only hope.

"Listen. You have to free us so that we can help you. We have money and resources to help you find your sister. I'm sure she is alive and well. If she is missing, we can help you find her!"

"I've already found her. She lives here now. This is her home. She'll live here forever. Just like you."

Emilia turns abruptly and begins scaling the stairs to the first floor.

"Wait! Wait! Okay! We did it. We buried her body. We didn't mean to hurt her, it was an accident! I swear! Go ahead and call the police! I'll tell them everything!

"It's too late for that. She wants to say hello."

"You can't do this! You can't leave us locked up down here!" I scream.

"Oops," Emilia says, tossing the padlock key onto the cement floor. The ominous metal clink echoes through the dungeon as she climbs the stairs. She slams the door shut and I can hear footsteps across the first floor slowly fading from earshot.

"Livia, are you alright?"

She has been dead silent ever since we were drugged and restrained.

"Livia!"

"We are going to hell," Livia whispers.

"I need you to stay with me, Livia. Help me think. We can get out of here—"

"We are going to hell!" she screams at me, violently shaking her body against the restraints, sobbing and grunting.

Out of the corner of my eye I see a sudden flash. A crack of light casts against the brick wall next to the cellar.

"Who is it?"

The light is obscured by a shadow momentarily. My heart stops for a few beats and I feel the temperature drop.

There is just enough light to help me make out an approaching shape. Someone is in the room with us. Perhaps Emilia made her way back down, but how? Does she have an accomplice?

"You," a voice speaks. It's gravely and awful. I've never heard anything like it. I clench my eyes for a moment and pray to be removed from my body. What am I doing? This can't be real. I open my eyes again and try to control my panicked breathing.

I can only see a vague outline of the thing in front of us, enough to tell that the arms are hanging asymmetrically and one of its twisted legs is lagging behind it. The foot seems to be encased in concrete, dragging along the floor with an unbearable scraping sound.

"Who is it? Please stop. You win. Turn on the lights. Please!"

"You buried me alive."

I didn't! I didn't bury anyone alive! I took her pulse. I checked her breathing. She was dead. I'm sure of it! Damn it, I'm sure of it! The lumps in the concrete were just sloppiness. I didn't see movement of any kind when I poured it on!

The faintest of light illuminates grey skin and thin clumps of matted hair dart out from its skull. The eye sockets are nothing but empty black caves that stretch back to infinity.

"Help! Help!" my wife screams so loud that it leaves a constant ringing in my ear. Twisted fingers are reaching towards us. Livia is shrieking and shaking our monstrous restraints so much that it feels like an earthquake. And then the screaming stops.

"Livia! What's happening? Livia!" She must be in shock. Unconscious. "Livia, talk to me!"

"You buried me alive," it repeats, laying a cold, concrete-crusted hand on my cheek.

"No! Please! Stop!" I beg, in desperation. I fight with everything that I can, pulling so hard to free my hands that my skin tears and my wrists dislocate.

The voice speaks again, this time directly in my ear. Cold breath penetrates the caverns of my soul, haunting me for an eternity on an infinite loop.

"You buried me alive."