The Empath Cycle: 2010 Carpe Diem - Book 2

Carpe diem - Book 2

Prologue -- Anne-Marie's story

As a sensitive girl, her mother's drilling on the social graces had been seen as a criticism of her very nature. In order to please her, Anne-Marie had buried her feelings. She had played the role required of her, been the perfect little society girl, but, deep down, she had never been happy. This wasn't her.

Her sixteenth birthday cotillion should have been a joyous affair as she was presented to society, coming out of childhood into the adult world. The coming out part had not been what her mother expected.

Months earlier, a friend of her mother's had taken advantage of her when she confided in her that she had strange feelings for a friend. The woman had deftly seduced Anne-Marie and kept her firmly under her thumb all that time by threatening to reveal her shameful secret if she didn't do as she was told. She had used Anne-Marie as her own personal sex toy, even sharing her with like-minded perverts.

When she found out, Anne-Marie's mother had believed her friend that she was the one to have been seduced and that Anne-Marie had been prostituting herself with older women in her mother's circle of friends. She never questioned for a single moment how that could be possible without those adult women's consent and active participation.

Bereft of all privileges, Anne-Marie literally became a prisoner, isolated from contact with the outside world except for the time she spent at school and even that was closely monitored.

Lady Desmoines fully intended to 'cure' her daughter of her unnatural desires. She threw men at Anne-Marie and forced her to go out with them. She even arranged for her to be raped and deflowered on the evening of her sixteenth birthday in her very own bed. The man was a business associate of her father and had been only too willing to 'help' when her mother approached him.

So it went until Ann's twenty first birthday. She had wanted to run away before, but she didn't have the resources to make it on her own and was kept on a tight leash against just such an event.

Escape had seemed impossible and she had resigned herself to a life of subservience to other people's desires. That is until a few weeks before she turned twenty one and was due to forcibly marry a rich man of her mother's choosing. An older elegant man approached her at an art gallery opening to which her mother had dragged her. Her 'fiancé' had gone to refresh their drinks when the man walked over and stood beside her in front of the ugliest painting she had ever seen.

"Ms. Desmoines." He said quietly. "I was your grand-mother's lawyer. Before she passed away last year, she left clear instructions in her will. Her fortune is kept in a trust fund. You will get a substantial amount on your twenty first birthday, a second installment on your twenty fifth anniversary and the balance will revert under your control the day you marry the person you really love. She was saddened by the way your mother treated you, but, despite her best efforts, was kept away so she wouldn't interfere."

Anne-Marie couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her beloved granny had reached from the grave to help her. She had missed her loving presence and wise counsel these last years. Now she knew why the old lady had stopped visiting. She was about to ask for more information when the man began to extol on the talent of the artist who had created the painting they were 'looking' at.

Recognizing her cue, Anne-Marie turned and took the flute of champagne from the man her mother has chosen for her. Oh, how she loathed the proprietary way her wrapped his arm around her shoulder and not so discreetly ran his fingers over the side of her breast.

After the men had presented themselves, Anne-Marie innocently told the gentleman that she would like to hear more from his clearly vast knowledge of the arts. He politely told her frequented galleries such as this one and they would possibly meet again at another function.

"What a complete and utter snob." Her 'fiancé' said after the man left. "This is all junk. Once we're married, you won't catch me in one of these places."

She almost vomited when he forced her to go down on him in his limousine as he drove her home. To further humiliate her, he kept the partition down so his driver could watch. His circle of friends often did this with their women, forcing them to perform lewd and lascivious acts in front of them. It was the epitome of their demonstration of power when they had women perform cunnilingus on each other and rammed their cocks in their cunts so they had to lick a pussy as they were taken.

She gritted her teeth as she visualized the revenge she would take on him and on her family if what the lawyer told her was true.

A week later, at yet another function, she was approached by a woman who said she was a colleague of the lawyer she had spoken to. They managed to speak longer as they maintained the facade of two airheads who gossiped gaily.

She explained that her grand-mother had hired their cabinet to draw airtight documents with the expectation of a contestation by her mother and that there were separate provisions for their fees.

On the day of her twenty first birthday, all she would have to do was to show up at their offices to sign the required documents and the money was hers immediately regardless of her mother's legal actions.

When Anne-Marie explained her plan, the woman laughed and told her that there would be a security team on the premises to whisk her away to a waiting vehicle. Arrangements had already been made for her to occupy a condo in downtown Montreal, free of charge until her twenty fifth birthday when she would have to option to buy it, start paying rent or move out.

Anne-Marie endured the following weeks with equanimity, knowing the day was approaching when she would be free. Since all the decisions were made for her, she only had to hide her disgust on the few occasions she had to be seen in public. She spent the rest of the time in her room, pleading some vague indisposition.

The day before the ceremony, she packed a suitcase and had the servants, her only true friends, secrete it away.

On the first day of the rest of her life, her mother came to see her as she was getting dressed in the expensive and dreadful wedding dress she had chosen for her. She gave her a sermon on how all she did was for Anne-Marie's own good and that she should be grateful. Anne-Marie somehow managed to keep from hitting her mother and played the role of the dutiful daughter. When she left, her mother felt a deep sense of vindication and pride in herself.

As her father walked her down the aisle, he played the part of the proud father for the hundreds of guests who crowded the church, though she knew very well that he would rather be on the golf course closing a deal he had been working on for months.

She was glad for the veil she was wearing. It hid her triumphant smile when her father went to put her hand in her husband-to-be's and she took it away before he could even touch her. She wished she could have taken a picture of expression of rage on his face at this insult to his manhood. His eyes promised retribution before his social mask dropped in place again.

The priest had seen nothing of this, so he went on with the ceremony. At the moment when he asked if she, Anne-Marie Desmoines would take this man as her lawful husband to honor, cherish and obey in sickness and in health until the day she died, she ripped her veil away and spit squarely in his face.

"I WILL NEVER MARRY THIS PIECE OF OFFAL!" She screamed. "IF THERE WAS ANY JUSTICE IN THIS WORLD, HE WOULD BE IN JAIL AND SO WOULD YOU, YOU HYENA!" She finished, pointing at her mother.

Picking up the train of her gown she ran out, surrounded by the six burly men who had appeared on cue. She dove in a waiting limousine in which was the suitcase she had prepared the previous day. Before it had turned the corner, she powered the window down and threw out the dress and all the accessories. She was leaving everything behind but the jeans, black t-shirt, leather jacket and biker boots she was wearing.

Over the next weeks, two security agents were with her at all times. They had to get physical on a few occasions when her ex-fiancé and/or friends of his came calling. They were very professional and called the police to have them arrested after restraining them. After a few times, a judge finally ordered him to stay away from her on pain of imprisonment for harassment and life endangerment.

When the expected legal challenge to Anne-Marie's bequest came, the law cabinet immediately filed a counter-suit. In the end, it cost a lot of money to her parents before they finally came to the conclusion that there was nothing they could do.

Months later, Anne-Marie learned that her ex-fiancé had roped in another rich heiress and that they were happily married. She pitied the poor woman, but not for long. She was blissfully partnered with a woman who loved her.

Or so she thought.

The first thing Anne-Marie did when she was free to live her life as she saw fit, was to re-activate her file at the university which her mother had terminated the very day the negotiations had been finalized and her engagement announced.

She spent the summer getting up to date on what she had missed during that dark period. In September, she was ready and dove in.

When she wasn't in school or studying, she was with a group of students learning mechanics, welding, and body work. She already had plans for the money she would get on her twenty fifth birthday and she wanted to be ready.

Occasionally she would go out for a beer with her fellow gearheads or members of her study group.

A few of them being of Irish descent, they brought the group to O'Maley's, an Irish pub downtown. Soon they were regulars and their order appeared on their table automatically when the staff saw them come in. They got to know the other patrons and friendships developed.

Over time, Anne-Marie noticed a beautiful red-head. That woman must be fresh off the plane from Ireland, she thought, with her flaming hair, freckles and bright green eyes.

She wasn't the only one who noticed her, though. Both men and women courted her. At first, Anne-Marie had been offended by this, but her friends gently chided her for her old-fashioned prejudices, reminding her that this was the twenty first century and that people's sexuality was their own choice.

The woman was very feminine, always dressed to kill in a laid-back old-country fashion. She also had the temper to go with her red hair. She could flirt one second and be in someone's face the next. That didn't seem to deter her suitors. Anne-Marie often saw her in a secluded booth making out with men or women indifferently and she rarely left the pub alone.

One evening, it was Anne-Marie's turn to get a refill for their table. She was standing at the bar, waiting for her order to be filled, when she felt an arm wrap around her waist.

"What's a baby doll like you doing ordering drinks? You can't be old enough." A sultry voice asked in her ear.

She knew very well who was sitting on the stool. She had chosen that spot to order on purpose. Her curiosity had gotten the better of her and she wanted to talk with the sexy red-head.

"Thank you for the compliment. My name is Anne-Marie."

"My, you are direct, aren't you? I like that. I'm Mary. I've seen you around with your little friends."

"I've seen you around too. You have a lot of friends."

"So I do." Mary laughed throatily. "Do you want to be my friend, little Marie?"

"I'd like that. I'd like that very much."

"Why don't you bring those drinks to the kiddies and come back here to play with the grown-ups?"

Anne-Marie did just that amid jeers and catcalls. She sat at the bar with Mary who listened attentively as she talked about her interests and her dreams. With deft questions, Mary pulled Anne-Marie's story out. She was the first person to whom Anne-Marie had confided in. She was so easy to talk to.

By the end of the evening, Anne-Marie was in Mary's special booth, enjoying her wandering hands. She stiffened when she felt them under her skirt, but the woman had already brought her to such heights of desire that when she felt her fingers invade her as her thumb was caressing her pearl, all thoughts of embarrassment at having sex in public left her mind. She returned the favor, by slipping her hands in Mary's shirt and fondling her breasts as they kissed greedily. The moans of her orgasm were muffled in the woman's mouth. She didn't stop, bringing Anne-Marie off again and again. She was overwhelmed with desire for more. She didn't think twice when Mary pushed her to her knees, under the table, and ordered her to eat her out

Over the next weeks, Mary introduced Anne-Marie to exotic ways to share pleasure. Always, Mary made sure her young lover came repeatedly before bringing out a new idea.

First came the toys. Anne-Marie was coming down from an orgasm when she felt something being pushed inside her vagina. Before she could react, the thing began to vibrate, bringing her level of pleasure back up again. She was kneading her breasts and tossing her head from side to side then the small thing was removed. She was whining with frustration when Mary pushed her legs up against her breasts and penetrated her with what Anne-Marie thought was a dildo. At first, she was fine with it. Then she felt Mary's pelvis slap against her own. Anne-Marie's eyes snapped open and she saw her lover was wearing a strap-on. She trashed on the bed as it brought back memories of pain and humiliation, but Mary held her in place with a hand around her throat and pinching her nipples cruelly as she fucked her mercilessly until her body responded involuntarily and she had a crashing orgasm that left her limp.

Taking advantage of her weakened state, Mary held Anne-Marie in her arms and talked to her lovingly. She soothed her anxieties, telling her she wasn't a man, that she would never hurt her. Reminding her of the pleasure she had felt. In the end, Anne-Marie was convinced it had been her idea, that she had asked to be taken, that the violence had added so much to their lovemaking.

That was to become a pattern in their relationship.

Over a few sessions of sex, Mary slowly eroded Anne-Marie's reluctance when it came to anal sex by gradually going from light touches to licking her nether hole and fingering it to the first knuckle. One evening, she had Anne-Marie on her knees, fucking her with the strap-on. After she made her come, she pulled out and, without warning, impaled her in the ass until her hips slapped on Anne-Marie's ass. She grabbed a handful of hair to keep her victim in place and gagged her with a pair of soiled panties to muffle her screams of pain as she was raped. She slapped her cheeks viciously until they were flaming red. Reaching over, she pulled Anne-Marie's hand between her legs, screaming at her to play with herself. At some point, pain and pleasure melded and became one. Anne-Marie was delirious, barely conscious of where she was or what was happening. All she knew was that she had been coming for what seemed like an eternity.

When she regained consciousness, she was sore and lightly bleeding, but the memory of her multiple orgasms overcame what discomfort she was feeling. Tears running down her face, she thanked Mary for being such a good girlfriend to her.

Out of sight of Anne-Marie, the woman grinned. All it had taken was a little patience and Anne-Marie was hers to do with as she pleased.

In the following weeks, the young woman willingly submitted more and more to her abuser. What her ex-fiancé had done to her was nothing compared to the depths of depravity she was taken to. When her friends, seeing her spirit reduced little by little, tried to talk to her, to warn her that Mary wasn't good for her, she defended the woman. She was convinced that she was the best girlfriend ever and that she loved her.

The first time Mary brought another woman over, she told Anne-Marie that she was a gift for her. She said that she was her only love and that she wanted only what was best for her. The woman was indeed beautiful. If her girlfriend wanted her to experience a threesome, it must be a good thing. If she wanted to sit on the end of the bed and masturbate while to woman had sex with Anne-Marie, it must be because she loved her. If she wanted her to stick her tongue in the woman's anus, it must be because she wanted her to learn something new. If she wanted to rape her with the strap-on while Anne-Marie ate the woman, it must be... It must be... Love.

Over time Mary brought more women for Anne-Marie to service. She even brought men. The first time, there had been only one. After having her suck his cock, Mary had her lower herself on him and take him in the ass. They double-fucked her until she passed out. On other occasions, there was more than one man and they gang-banged her, filling her all her holes with their hard meat.

All that time, Mary had Anne-Marie convinced that she loved her and did all that for her pleasure, that she was the only woman for her.

What Anne-Marie didn't know was that Mary was prostituting her to these people, charging a premium price for her innocence.

She had targeted her from the very beginning. Having heard of her recent past from another student Mary had seduced, she researched her. The petite woman had the perfect victim mindset to be an easy mark. She had meant to milk her for every penny of her trust fund. What she got instead was a victim who was so deep in the Stockholm syndrome she could pimp her out to friends of hers without a protest.

She was also using her as an introduction to the student crowd and slept her way through the campus.

She had the time of her life until one of her lovers told Anne-Marie what she was doing. With others, the woman staged an intervention and involved an abused women group.

Mary tried everything she could to get her cash cow back in her power, but the people around her proved to be better friends than she had expected and the therapists who took her in charge were too competent.

When, as a last resort, Mary went to the lawyer cabinet who was handling Anne-Marie's trust fund and tried to blackmail them by threatening to tell the world how she had prostituted herself, the woman who had dealt with Anne-Marie three years earlier investigated the allegations. She ended up at the support group and spoke with Anne-Marie's therapist whom she convinced to break the patient-doctor confidentiality so they could better help her together. A few days later, Mary had the visit of two men. She spent the next six months in the hospital and over a year in rehabilitation for her 'tooled' knees. She never danced again.

It took years for Anne-Marie to get to the point where she could even consider the possibility that she may be a worthy human being one day.

Her sense of reality had been so distorted she even considered pleasure to be anathema, let alone any kind of personal relationship with another woman.

Only two things kept her sane, her studies in engineering and her passion for mechanics. Her therapist encouraged her to pursue both as she worked with Anne-Marie on rebuilding her self-esteem and finding the true core of her personality.

Wherever the idea to volunteer for Sylvie's assignment came from, it proved salutary. For the first time Anne-Marie had an example of someone who was a genuinely good person. The woman got along with everyone she met. Time and again, she saw Annabelle perform selfless acts of kindness for friends and strangers.

The attraction Anne-Marie had felt from afar was nothing compared to her reaction to Ann's actual presence.

She had talked about her to her therapist who cautioned her to be aware, but encouraged her to see if they could be friends.