City of Angels... (Closed for Gothic Shujin & Myself)

[Jenn1982]

Serise awoke to a heavy pounding and she tried to force her brain to wake up and focus. Was someone hammering something outside? As she mentally started a tirade on noisy neighbors causing a ruckus in the early morning her mind became more clear. She realized that she wasn't in her comfy bed and she was beginning to suspect that the pounding wasn't going on anywhere but in her mind. As that thought went through her head she noticed the headache, as well as pain in her wrists and ankles from some kind of restraints. Her eyes snapped open only to be greeted with darkness. Disruptive neighbors long forgotten Serise felt a wave of panic start its way through her. The panic seemed to bring reality back to her and she began to piece together what had happened. It had all started a month ago...



**********************************************************************

Serise took one last look out the window of the airplane at the city she'd spent her whole life in. Some people seemed shocked at hearing that at the age of 26 she had yet to live anywhere but her little hometown. Unlike a lot of the friends she'd grown up with Serise liked living in Lawrence. Her parents had both grown up there as well and had loved living there. They had died in a car accident a couple years back but Serise had no doubts that if they'd lived to be in their 90's they still would never have left Lawrence. Caleb had always been the one dissenting vote in the family. He hated Lawrence and had been planning to get out since he'd been a teenager. Being only a year and a half apart in their ages Serise had always been close to her older brother and they were constantly hanging out together. When Caleb turned 18 and moved to L.A. Serise had cried for weeks, feeling as if she'd lost her best friend. As time went on though it got better, though she still looked forward to the couple times a year when he'd come back to visit and they kept in frequent contact through email. She could still remember one of her last email sessions with him. He'd been so excited for her when he'd found out that she'd finished the academy and would soon be joining the Sheriff's department. Shortly after that though his emails had stopped. After a week of no responses she called his apartment only to hear a pre-recorded voice telling her that this number was no longer in service, calling his cell phone resulted in a similar message. After two weeks she called the police station in his area and was told that since he was an adult and there was no reason to suspect foul play that they couldn't do much. Serise knew that Caleb wouldn't have just left her to worry while he went off to do something new. Their parent's death had made them even closer; Caleb was the only family she had left.

So now here she was flying to L.A. alone to find Caleb.

Three days went by and she was at her wit's end. She'd checked Caleb's apartment, his job, the few places he mentioned hanging out at, all to no avail. His boss had no idea where he was, he hadn't shown up for work in nearly three weeks. Serise knew that he didn't have a girlfriend and she had no idea who any of his friends were or how to contact them. It was Friday night and she had a couple clubs to check out that hadn't been open during the week days.

She walked into Static and immediately felt out of place. Her knee-length blue skirt and peach colored blouse were completely at odds with the skin tight dresses, plunging necklines and micro mini skirts that seemed to be the clothing of choice. She ignored the odd looks and smirks as she made her way to the bar. It didn't take her long to realize that the less skin you were showing the longer it took for the bartender to get to you. When he finally came to get her drink she ordered a sprite and pulled out a picture of her brother. For a second she was sure the man recognized Caleb but a few moments later he shook his head and went to get her drink. She tried showing a few patrons the picture but realized pretty quickly that most of them didn't even bother to look at the picture before going back to their conversations. Discouraged Serise left the club, fighting back tears as she realized that she didn't have any idea where to look next.

"Miss, hey Miss, wait up a sec!"

Serise turned to see a young guy walking her way.

"Were you the one showing the picture of Caleb around?"

Her heart leaped into her throat as she nodded, her word tumbling out in excitement.

"Yes, I'm his sister! Do you know him? Do you know where he is? I've been worried sick about him."

"Right, yeah, Sarah...he talked about you all the time. I just saw him earlier today. He's actually at work right now...he got a part-time job at this diner a couple blocks up. If you want I can walk with you there?"

Her mind tried to set off alarms when he called her Sarah but she was too relieved and excited to pay them any attention, instead she rationalized that the guy was just confused or drunk or just hadn't been paying much attention when Caleb talked about her.

"That would be wonderful, god thank you so much! I'm so glad to hear he's okay."

The man put his arm around her and began leading her down the block.

"I'm Matt by the way. I met your brother a while back at a concert. He's a cool guy. I'm sure he's going to be stoked to see you."

Serise was about to respond when Matt shoved her into the alley they were walking by. The heel of one of her shoes caught in a crack in the pavement and she barely had time to brace herself to avoid her face hitting the ground. Instincts and training were already kicking in as she quickly started to get up, ready to ask Matt what the hell he thought he was doing but he was already walking away. Before she could yell at him to stop she felt a sharp pain at the back of her head and everything went black.


*****************************************************************************

Someone had knocked her out in the alley...someone who wasn't Matt and most likely had been waiting there. Who or why though was a total mystery to her. Thinking had helped her calm down a bit and she began to focus on her restraints. She was pretty sure it was a plastic cord of some kind. She tried to wiggle her hands around, wincing as the cord dug into her already raw skin. A quiet sound off to her right made her go still as she strained her ears. A part of her wanted to stay completely still and silent, hoping that if there really was someone in the room that they'd just get bored and leave. She knew that was ridiculous though, closing your eyes and pretending you were invisible didn't actually work.

"Hello...is someone here?"

[Gothic Shujin]

The room was lit by a single crime light which shown partially through a barricaded window.

Serise lay there, her ankles and wrists bound by a makeshift harness, composed of wire and cord and attached to an iron bedpost frame which was missing a bed.

The room was full of clutter and the smell of piss mixed with something else... strangely familiar. The walls were decrepit as if the building were abandoned or left to rot for many years without care and near the ceiling the southern wall there was an inscription... written in fading brownish hue...

Matthew14:38 "Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the FLESH is weak."

"If you mean to ask, if you are alone, no child... you are not."

The voice came from a hunched over beaten down woman, huddling in a corner. She wore a thick black robe and had her hair fashioned into faded blond dreadlocks and was obviously attractive at one time. Nothing was remarkable about the pale gaunt figure now other than the fact that a large pair of ivory wings jutted out from her back as if she were part bird.

"I don't know how you found yourself here little one... but I pray your end comes quick."

[Jenn1982]

"If you mean to ask, if you are alone, no child... you are not."

At the sound of the voice Serise startled. Though she'd heard a noise and called out she hadn't really expected anyone to be in the room with her. Her eyes moved to where the voice had come from and after a few seconds she could vaguely make out the woman in the corner. Serise would've taken her for a bum had it not been for the large..wings that seemed to come out of the woman's back. Clearly the woman was a bit off mentally, dressed in some elaborate, albeit strange, costume that helped her delusions along...there weren't many other sane conclusions. Still, that didn't make the woman any less frightening. Serise strained her eyes, looking for any evidence that the woman was bound as she was but she seemed to be huddling in the corner of her own free will.

"I don't know how you found yourself here little one... but I pray your end comes quick."

The words made Serise nervous and she struggled with her rising fears to stay calm. This woman seemed a bit religious on top of being insane, she wasn't spouting off any spiritual rantings but there was just something about her phrasing and words. Though religious fanatics had always made her wary Serise hoped that in this case maybe it would work in her benefit if she could appeal to the woman's religious side.

"Oh thank God, I thought I'd been left here to rot. My name is Serise, I don't know how I got here but we need to get out of here. If you could just come untie me we can leave together, go to the police. You clearly don't want to be here anymore than I do. Please I'm begging you."

[Gothic Shujin]

The woman watched with a pity and empathy for Serise's suffering that seemed genuine but she did not move from her position on the floor clear across the room.

"Releasing you would do neither of us any good... your not simply bound by those restraints you see, child. But all about your soul now."

The woman lowered her head in resignation and shook it gently.

"No, I can't help you. I'm sorry."

As if on cue the only door to the room opened, flooding the room with more light than one would think could be on the other side... eventually it subsided partly and a the figure of a large man stood there, his menacing gaze fixed initially on Serise's companion before then falling on her herself.

Eventually it became clear that he was a dark skinned man, wearing sun glasses even tho they were all in a dark dingy place... save for that light a moment ago, which may of explained the need for him to wear them. He wore a dirty grey shirt and tight sloppy jeans with work boots. His muscles were barely contained within his outfit and he obviously was a rather serious individual.

"Afternoon fresh meat... I hope your enjoying the company."

He walked over to Serise and knelt down, beginning to undo one of her hands...

At a second glance the woman in the corners wing's were no longer there.

[Jenn1982]

Serise held her breath as she waited for the woman to respond, she was her only hope.

"Releasing you would do neither of us any good... your not simply bound by those restraints you see, child. But all about your soul now."

Tears threatened Serise as she realized she was her own only hope now and she had absolutely no idea how to get out of this. She had almost forgotten the woman was there for a second when she heard the words.

"No, I can't help you. I'm sorry."

Before she could reply a door opened and Serise was momentarily blinded by the bright light that followed. When her vision finally cleared she could see a well muscled man standing in the doorway. His clothes, while not as dirty as the woman's, were definitely what one would label as unkempt. He looked too healthy to be a bum though. Serise tried to notice as many details about his as possible, telling herself that she'd need them when she finally made it out of here and to the police. Despite his sunglasses she could tell that his gaze had moved from the woman in the corner to her. She spared a glance at the other woman and her mouth almost dropped when she noticed the woman's wings were gone. She looked around the woman, trying to see where she'd put them but she couldn't see them anywhere...was she losing her mind, had they even been there in the first place? Before she could spend anymore time thinking about it the man spoke.

"Afternoon fresh meat... I hope your enjoying the company."

Clearly he had something to do with her being here and Serise felt her anger begin to spark. One of the reasons she'd wanted to become a cop was because of people like this guy, who took advantage of and hurt other people for their own profit or entertainment. The fact that she was now one of the victims she'd wanted to protect only served to piss her off more. She kept her mouth closed though as he made his way to her and began to undo one of the bindings holding her hands. She began tensing her muscles, wanting to be prepared to attack the man the first chance she got.

[Gothic Shujin]

A second person entered the room, dressed in a garb which matched that of the haggard woman. From behind the hulking man, undoing Serise's binds, it was difficult to tell what was happening.

The second person, who's face couldn't be seen took the woman by the hand and escorted her out... with no struggle at all on her part.

"Here today, gone tommorrow," was heard in a whisper. Was it the woman or the intruder? It was all unclear.

The only clear thing that could heard while the large thug hunched over Serise was the voice of the bird woman... saying goodbye.

The door shut with a resonating slam and the muscular assailant moved to her ankles.

"You shouldn't nose around in this city bitch... its not good for you. Too bad no one told you that."

She was free now.

The only thing standing in her way from the only exit, the hulking dark skinned gentleman with glasses. He wiped some saliva from his mouth, and cracked his swollen knuckles.

"Now now, be a good girl... I'm not supposed to hurt you. Just do as your told and follow me."

[Jenn1982]

The man continued undoing her bonds and Serise worked to push all the fear and stress out of her mind, instead focusing on the situation, looking for any opportunity to escape. She heard a noise near the door and tried looking around the man to see what was going on. She saw a man enter and walk towards the woman in the corner. Like the other two he also had on dirty, worn clothes. The woman let him lead her away and Serise wanted to jump up and shake the woman for her compliance.

"Here today, gone tommorrow,"

Serise thought the words came from the woman but she couldn't be 100% sure. She did hear the woman say goodbye softly and Serise said a silent prayer that the woman would be okay. The door shut with a bang, making her jump slightly. The man had undone her hands and was now working on her feet. Her eyes moved over his muscular form and she knew that even if she did get a chance to get away that if he caught up to her she'd never be able to overpower him.

"You shouldn't nose around in this city bitch... its not good for you. Too bad no one told you that."

He stood back now that he'd untied her and she kept her eyes on him. The sound of his knuckles cracking sound much louder than it really could've been. She slowly started to stand up, testing her legs and balance.

"Now now, be a good girl... I'm not supposed to hurt you. Just do as your told and follow me."

"Please don't hurt me, please. I'm sorry about snooping around, I didn't mean to piss anyone off, I was just looking for my brother, god I'm sorry."

She didn't have to work too hard to get the tears to start and she let them flow as she spoke. She had learned years ago that her small stature and timid demeanor often left people underestimating her. Even before she began training for the Sheriff's department she'd spent countless hours taking self-defense and martial arts classes. Being underestimated was sometimes a good thing and she was pretty sure that this would be one of those times. She continued crying, softly mumbling her apologies and begging for mercy. She was standing now and though her legs felt fine she let it look as if she were still wobbling a bit as she took a step towards him. She lurched forward, acting as if she'd caught her foot on something and reached out as she fell forward, bracing her hands on his shoulders. The next second she brought her right knee up to connect with his groin with as much force as she could muster. She quickly moved around him without waiting to see how badly she'd hurt him. All she could think about was escape as she began running to the door.

[Gothic Shujin]

As Serise reached the door, placing her hand on the knob... something caught her leg and pulled it out from under her.

Hitting the floor kicked up a great deal of dust and sediment which hung heavy in the air like a punishment. She was turned over and saw the large man holding her ankles.

He was slightly hunched over, a twisted expression of pain on his face. No doubt he was even a bit nauseous from the shot to the jewels. But he was a tough son of a bitch. Proceeding with his duty.

Unfortunately however, now he was mad.

"Its only natural your survival instincts kick in, i can respect that...," he lunged forward grabbing her hair and hoisting her up... off her feet by it "... but when you kick a mother fucker in their balls... that's just not cool."

He gave her a light shot to her stomach. Not a lot. Just enough. And let her go, watching her fall to the floor once more.

He licked his lips and cracked his neck this time... placing a hand on her neck and shoulders... caressing the softness of her alabaster skin... he spoke again...

"Shall we try the you doing what your told thing again, bitch?"

He cupped his hand over his crotch.

[Jenn1982]

Serise felt pain shoot through her head as she hit the ground. She lay there stunned for a moment, the debris that had been stirred up making her cough. She felt herself get rolled over and found herself staring up at the big man. She could see the anger and pain in his eyes.

"Its only natural your survival instincts kick in, i can respect that.... but when you kick a mother fucker in their balls... that's just not cool."

She cried out as he lifted her up by her hair. His words seemed almost comical to her, as if she should feel bad. She was still dazed by the fall and didn't see the punch to the stomach coming until it was too late and she hit the ground. The pain was intense enough though that she didn't think it would've mattered if she'd had a few extra seconds to try to prepare herself for it. She tried to catch her breath and felt a few tears slide down her cheeks. The man reached out but instead of hitting her she felt his fingers softly caressing her skin. She wanted to move away but she just couldn't find the strength to do it and in some twisted way the gentle touching soothed her which in itself made her feel even more like a victim.

"Shall we try the you doing what your told thing again, bitch?"

Serise knew that even if she'd had the energy right then to fight back again that it would've been useless. The man was prepared now and there was no way she was going to get out that door alone. So she simply nodded, telling herself that there would be more chances to get away and sometimes all you could do was go along with things while you bided your time.

[Gothic Shujin]

The brute nodded his approval of her new found obedience as he dug his hand into his pocket.

He struggled some while keeping his other hand on Serise's shoulder. His large rough fingers squeezed gently as if to get her attention.

Once he had it he pulled a small circlet out of his pants, at closer examination she could see that it was a choker. Very simple and delicate with something written inside it...

"...ego tribuo meus somes ut meus votum."

He held the adornment out to her before barking orders.

"Follow me, you will keep your head down, and you will not speak until spoken too. Ignore all that you hear... it will be easier that way."

The man didn't wait for her to acknowledge instead heading to the door to open it.

[Jenn1982]

He acknowledged her nod with one of his own and Serise watched as he began to search in his pocket for something. His other hand stayed firmly on her shoulder like a constant reminder that he was still very much paying attention to her. He finally found what he was looking for and at first she had no idea what it was. She slowly realized it was a necklace...a choker to be more exact. She saw there was something written on the inside but in a language she didn't know.

He held it out to her and she slowly took it, unsure if he wanted her to put it on or what.

"Follow me, you will keep your head down, and you will not speak until spoken too. Ignore all that you hear... it will be easier that way."

He moved towards the door as Serise digested his words. She was fairly certain that whatever was outside the door might be worse than this dirty room. She still wasn't sure about the choker. She didn't really want to put it on. She couldn't figure out why he or whoever was in charge would give her a piece of jewelry. Now wasn't really the time to think it over though and she slowly got up and moved behind him. She had a fleeting thought about attacking him again but quickly dismissed it, she had no idea what was on the other side of that door and she didn't want to piss him off more only to escape to a worse situation. Instead she kept her eyes on his back and braced herself for whatever was outside the door.

"Okay, I understand."

[Gothic Shujin]

He opened the door, which let not to a spectacle of light as before, but simply another dark room, or hallway rather, it was hard to tell if not looking up.

"No, you first," he commanded... guiding her out.

The floor creaked beneath them as they left the thresh hold of her prison and walked into the unknown. The first thing one could discern was the sound of agony and pleasure, in equal measure and all around them. Strange that they were not heard before... as if the previous room protected her from them.

Serise was pushed forward, by the hulking captor, stumbling some.

Several doors were passed on each side of them, and behind those doors emanated those sounds. Orgasms behind some, male and female both... horrid screams behind others. Those that were the most terrifying...

Where those that were silent.

"On your knees, meat puppet," he spoke again coughing some himself from the stale air.

The floor was wood and coarse as if raked over thousands of time and never sanded or replaced. Her guide noticed she wasn't wearing the collar yet, and became angry...

Before Serise could respond to his first order he gave her a second, while yanking her hair back and gently wrapping his large palm around her small smooth delicate chin.

"Put on the collar."

[Jenn1982]

She saw him open the door and was surprised at the lack of light like she'd seen when the door had first been opened.

"No, you first,"

He moved to the side and led her out the door from behind into a dim hallway. Even if the man hadn't told her to keep her eyes down she would have anyways just to watch her step to keep from falling on the rough floor. The hallway was just dark enough to make it hard to see and Serise had to struggle to keep from stumbling. She hadn't noticed the sounds at first, she'd been too busy concentrating on walking but as they went further her ears began to pick them up. It was a surreal mixture of moans and screams and whimpers. Some seemed to be expressing pleasure while others were clearly expressing pain and fear. Some of the rooms they passed by were silent and Serise told herself that it was just because no one was in them. The man's voice startled her and she almost lost her footing.

"On your knees, meat puppet,"

He was coughing slightly, she assumed because the air seemed so thick and heavy that it felt like it was hard to breathe. Being called a meat puppet both angered and frightened her. She really didn't want to kneel on the rough, dirty floor either. Before she had to make the choice though she felt his hand pulling her head roughly back by the hair, his other hand grasping her chin.

"Put on the collar."

At first she was confused by his order, collar? What was he talking about? Then she realized he must mean the choker. But he'd called it a collar...collars belonged on dogs or cats or other pets. Regardless she didn't think she had much of a choice at the moment and she quickly put the thing on, struggling for a few seconds with the clasp at the back. She slowly got to her knees, using her hands to smooth her skirt against her knees, keeping the rough floor from digging into them too much.

[Gothic Shujin]

He watched with great interests as she fastened the choker to her neck and closed the small clasp. Once it was on his posture changed... it was less aggressive and he seemed more calm.

"Excellent. Now keep moving."

Now on her knees Serise was led down the hallway, which went on for what seemed like forever. Eventually it opened into a much brighter room, with high ceiling. There was a grand fireplace with a huge mantle at one end and three separate corridors leading out, one in each wall, four in all.

Wooden pillars carved with intricate depictions of thin men and women, helped to hold the old and derelict ceiling up over their heads. The carvings all had either horns or wings or both, and a majority of them were engaged in carnal acts.

Sounds of sex exploded in her ears, as the cause was now free for all to see. On couches and chairs and tables, where a multitude of writhing naked flesh. Dozens of men and women fucking and sucking one another like animals. Four men on one woman, Three women on one man, gay couplings, straight couplings and nearly every variation of partner and position imaginable.

Caleb's voice cried out suddenly for his sister, but as soon as it was heard, it was drowned out by others.

"This way."

The dark skinned man with shades spurned her forward again, slapping Serise's ass as he did.

[Jenn1982]

"Excellent. Now keep moving."

For a second Serise just stayed where she was. Did he really mean for her to crawl down the hall on all fours. A multitude of reasons why she shouldn't flooded her brain; the position would leave most of her thighs and probably part of her ass on display and the fact that her panties covered everything didn't make her feel better, not to mention that her skirt would constantly get in the way and make it even harder to crawl without catching it under her knees...then there was the fact that the floor was...icky...and the last thing she wanted to do was spend more time touching it with bare skin. Of course she doubted that the man would care about any of those reasons and bringing them up or refusing to do as he said would probably only result in more pain for her. If she expected to ever get out of here she needed to avoid any injuries that would slow her down. So gritting her teeth Serise began moving forward.

The hallway seemed even longer now that she was crawling down it and when they finally entered a large open space Serise let out a sigh of relief...which was quickly cut short as her eyes took in the scene. All around her were people having sex. She saw positions and actions that boggled her mind. She wanted to avert her eyes but she couldn't seem to make herself look away. The only good thing was that so far it seemed as if none of the people had even taken notice of her...she was sure if any of them had she would've died of embarrassment. Her own worries were cut short as she heard her brother's voice crying out her name. Instantly she began searching the room for him.

"This way."

The man's words were punctuated with a sharp slap on her ass and Serise winced as the pain turned to a hot prickling sensation where his hand had made contact. She turned her head so she could look up at him.

"No please, please, I'm not trying to be difficult but I heard my brother, I swear he called my name. Please I have to find him, make sure he's okay. God I'm begging you just let me look for a second, I just want to see that he's alive and okay. I'll do whatever you want...please."

Serise had no doubt that her desperation was clear in her voice. She hadn't felt this level of panic even when she'd woken tied up in a dark room. But the thought of her brother being so close and not being able to reach him killed her after all she'd already gone through to find him.

[Gothic Shujin]

He listened to her pleas but it was hard to tell exactly what affect the desperate bargain was having on him.

The huge titan of a man folded his arms and looked down at her, his crotch merely several inches away from her face. He enjoyed that fact.

"Your brother... yes, It was your brother that got you in this mess. Like I said bitch, sticking it where it don't belong. Well, not that I care... but If it moves things along... know this..."

He pushed and wriggled his thick callus fingers under the choker, there wasn't much room between it and Serise's neck to begin with and now it was living up to its name. Not exactly cutting off the young woman's air but squeezing her throat painfully.

"You will see him soon enough. Now move god dammit."

The stern man began to pull her, unwilling to hear anything his captive had to say. He regarded her as if she were an animal... telling her not to step on a certain rug... or to move faster. He tugged on the collar when she moved too slow and yelled at her to straighten up whenever her posture was not to his liking.

As they crossed over and through the room, Caleb's voice was not heard again but it was entirely possible that it was just drowned out in the orgy of flesh and the symphony of moaning voices around them.

He pointed to one of the hallways leading down into darkness again and also leading away from Caleb.

[Jenn1982]

The man stared down at her and Serise waited breathlessly for his answer.

"Your brother... yes, It was your brother that got you in this mess. Like I said bitch, sticking it where it don't belong. Well, not that I care... but If it moves things along... know this..."

She felt his fingers begin to slip under her collar and she tried to tell him it was too tight already but her words were cut off by intense pressure on her throat. She tried to pull away but it was no use, he had a good hold of the collar.

"You will see him soon enough. Now move god dammit."

He began to drag her along and there was nothing she could do but comply. She was disappointed that she couldn't look for Caleb but she knew that she didn't have a choice right now. All she could do was hope that the man was telling the truth and she'd be able to see Caleb soon. The man was barking orders at her but she could barely concentrate, instead focusing on trying to keep up with his pace without being dragged along. She tried to listen for her brother again but all she heard were the sounds of all the sex. She saw the man point down one of the hallways and she looked into the darkness warily as she began down the hall.

[Gothic Shujin]

He told her to proceed down the new hall, as they had done earlier.

Following close behind her, he regarded her round supple ass with great interest as she crawled on all fours.

It wasn't long before they were met by two large double doors, ornately designed as the columns from the previous room. While the building was falling apart, it must of been something once upon a time.

There was a large door knocker fashioned as a pair of horns through the head of a some creature.

He slammed the stained bronze knocker against the door and turned to her.

"Disrobe," he commanded.

[Jenn1982]

Serise continued down the hall as the man instructed her to, her embarrassment at having to crawl forgotten, at least temporarily. Her thoughts were instead on Caleb. The fact that he was here, in the same building...and clearly alive gave her a renewed sense of hopefulness. Clearly she'd already gone through more than she'd imagined she'd have to to find him and undoubtedly she'd have to go through more but if it meant getting her brother back safe and sound then it would be worth it. Even if Caleb hadn't been the only family she had left she would've felt the same way, she didn't think there was anyone else in the world she was as close to as her brother.

Serise noticed a set of large doors ahead of her, designed much as the pillars in the other room had been. The door knocker made her feel uneasy, the way the creature seemed to be staring at her. She looked at it harder, trying to figure out what it was and when the man used it to knock loudly on the door she felt herself startle. He turned his gaze on her and only uttered one word.

"Disrobe,"

Serise knew she was looking at him like he was insane but she couldn't help it. He wanted her to take her clothes off in some dirty hallway? Of course he did she thought, it really wasn't such a strange request when she thought of all the other things she'd seen since she woke up. Still she didn't want to do this. She was a shy person even with her clothes on, having them off in front of someone else made her extremely uncomfortable. She supposed that could be due to the fact that she'd only had one person she her naked, if you didn't count changing in gym or the doctor. That person had been her first love. She'd been 19 at the time and had fallen hard for him from the moment she met him. They'd dated for three months before she finally gave him her virginity. The sex hadn't seemed all that great but she'd had nothing to compare it to so maybe that was how sex always was...though the people she'd just seen in the other room seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Serise looked up at the man and knew that he wasn't the kind who was going to have a bout of compassion on her behalf anytime soon. She reminded herself why she was here and what was at stake. Risking her brother's life over her modesty was ridiculous. She continued repeating to herself that nudity was all over these days now, it was no big deal as she started undressing. She took her top off first, followed by her skirt. She had to take a few deep breaths before she was able to get her hands to undo the hook on her bra and pull it off. She fought the urge to stop there and just cover her top, instead forcing her hands down to take off the little boyshort style panties she had on. She set the panties on the small pile of clothes and kept her gaze anywhere but on the man in front of her.

[Gothic Shujin]

The man with shades looked a bit disappointed at Serise's inability to take her clothing off without getting up off her knees, but he said nothing as he watched her strip there in the middle of the decrepit hall.

Once naked he leaned over, not ceasing to ogle her even once, and picked up the pile of now dirty attire. He sniffed deeply, inhaling the scent of the girl's pussy on her own panties, before gesturing towards the doors and using a large tree trunk of an arm to push one forward.

Inside was an impossibility.

The room was huge and ornate, and either part of a completely different architecture or maintained and remodeled while the rest of it all went to hell. A large vaulted chapel ceiling was above their heads and the walls were full of murals which were hung high up on all sides. There was only the one door leading in and out and the man continued to push Serise forward along an exotic red and gold carpet leading from it.

At one end of the room, the apposite end, was a figure with some sort of... woman. The woman seemed to cringe at the sight of Serise and disappeared behind the other figure. As he came into view, more of what was dream or imagined and what was reality came into question.

He was athletic looking and young... perhaps Serise's age. He was wearing some odd form of bondage wear and two horns were erupting from his head. He was as handsome as he was terrifying and his eyes could be felt the moment they entered the room. He bore two large wings... leathery and thick like a bat's and they appeared to move on their own.

The door slammed shut with a large echoing boom and Serise was alone.

Alone with the man with wings.

"Your brother is here," he said.

[Jenn1982]

Serise continued to keep her gaze down, especially as she noticed the man lean down to pick up her clothes. After he stood up she heard him inhale deeply and she refused to let herself think he was doing what she assumed he was. At least he hadn't made any comments regarding her lack of clothes. She saw the door in front of her open and she continued in on her hands and knees. The room was huge and...gorgeous. It looked totally different than the other rooms she'd seen.

The man continued to lead her forward and she noticed the figures at the other end of the room. Her breath caught as she got closer. The man standing at the other end of the room seemed to have...horns and wings. Like the ones she'd seen on the woman when she woke up, except these wings were black. They looked as realistic as the woman's and Serise was again confused as to what to think. The wings seemed almost too elaborate to be man made but the other option, that they were real wings was too far fetched to believe. Clearly these people were in some kind of cult or weird...winged creature worshipping group. The man looked to be about her age and had he not had wings, horns, and a strange outfit on he would've looked like any other young guy on the street. It was only after she'd spent several moments inspecting the man that she noticed the woman cowering behind him. She was only guessing it was a woman because her body and face were in the shadows but she had the figure of a woman.

Serise jumped as the door behind her slammed shut and she automatically looked back and saw that the man who'd led her here was gone. Even though he hadn't been particularly nice she still would've rather he were here than to be here alone.

"Your brother is here,"

Those words alone brought her full attention back to the winged man. She waited to see if he would elaborate and when he didn't she quickly spoke.

"Caleb is here? Like in the building right? I knew I heard him in that big room! Please may I see him? I don't know what you want...I don't have a lot of money but I swear I can find some, I promise. My brother is all I have, I love him with all my heart, I couldn't stand to lose him, please."

[Gothic Shujin]

"Loss is relative," he began as he walked forward... his large monstrous wings moving gently as he did, mimicking his demeanor as an extension of him "... and also a matter of opinion."

It was clear they were the only ones in the room now, and it all seemed so cold and empty suddenly.

"If you would consider lost... merely not knowing where his whereabouts were... then you haven't lost him... as Ive said he is here. If you mean to say, his death would bring you pain, then again... you can rest your fears..."

Only a few feet away from Serise, the winged young man, seemed to examine her... as one might inspect a car before purchase, or a meal under glass in a diner before choosing...

"However... there is a loss that can occur, you mortals call it.. 'change'... when someone is not who you knew, and is irrevocably altered. If Caleb belonging to us, counts as loss to you... then you have indeed lost him...."

He knelt over, touched Serise's hands... holding them firmly and lifting her to view her naked body from a standing position with her outstretched arms. His hands felt as if they were on fire, it burned, as if searing her skin momentarily.

"... much as you have lost yourself."

[Jenn1982]

"Loss is relative... and also a matter of opinion."

Serise had to fight with herself to keep from moving backwards as he walked towards her. The large wings looked more and more elaborate and realistic the closer he got.

"If you would consider lost... merely not knowing where his whereabouts were... then you haven't lost him... as Ive said he is here. If you mean to say, his death would bring you pain, then again... you can rest your fears..."

Even though she'd been sure Caleb was both here and alive hearing it confirmed gave her renewed hope. She knew she could do this...whatever this was...if it meant being able to leave with her little family intact. The man was almost within touching distance now but at least he seemed to have stopped coming her way for the moment.

"However... there is a loss that can occur, you mortals call it.. 'change'... when someone is not who you knew, and is irrevocably altered. If Caleb belonging to us, counts as loss to you... then you have indeed lost him...."

Before she could try to think about what the man meant about Caleb belonging to them the man's hands were on hers and she felt him pull her up. He was looking her over and she could feel the heat rise as she longed to cover her nudity.

"... much as you have lost yourself."

Again Serise couldn't quite understand what he was saying. Was this some kind of slave trade thing? She had thought that only happened in third world countries, tourists being kidnapped and sold as sex slaves or something. And again she'd thought that it was only women. Then again she was in some strange place were people had large orgies and kidnapped girls looking for their brothers and wore large wings. Though from her position she was hard pressed to see any wires or straps that the wings could be attached to. Maybe there was some attachment on the back of his weird bondage shirt thing...though she couldn't figure out how you'd keep the large wings from falling off without some kind of sturdy harness. Realizing that of all the things she should be thinking about here she was thinking about the damn wings Serise gave herself a mental slap.

"Look...Mister...uh...Sir...sorry, I'm a little flustered, the whole lack of clothes thing while trying to have a conversation with a stranger...I'm not used to it. What I'm trying to say is I don't know what you mean about Caleb belonging to you. Honestly I don't really understand anything at all that's going on here. Can you please just tell me what you want to let my brother and I go? I don't know how he got himself involved but he's a good guy...and if you let us go I'll bring him home with me, he'll never bother you again."

[Gothic Shujin]

The man exhibited a small amount of annoyance before answering...

"Your brother had gotten into a large amount of trouble in a short amount of time. It is always the same way with your kind. He gave up his freedom, willingly, because he was in great despair. He is now our property... he belongs to the elder ones...," he let her go his wings flapping out suddenly and violently before closing in atop him, wrapping him up like a blanket... he started to walk away from Serise while motioning for her to follow "... you would call us demons, though I find the word insulting... I have read your mythology and studied your theology and what we are is so much more than that."

There was a throne, if it had just appeared or was always present in a spot on one end of the room between two columns, was unclear.

The speaker sat crossing a leg and leaning in on one arm, his eyes burning into the naked mortal...

"He is ours, as are you... your freedom is something you will never feel again, and any idea of a bargain is simply ridiculous... you have nothing to bargain with because all that you have is ours."

He waved a sharp nailed hand elaborately around the empty room.

"We are incubus... succubus... surely you have heard this word before?"

[Jenn1982]

The man didn't look all too happy at her begging but Serise couldn't help it, she had to convince him to let her and her brother leave. When he finally did answer though Serise wished she hadn't begged.

"Your brother had gotten into a large amount of trouble in a short amount of time. It is always the same way with your kind. He gave up his freedom, willingly, because he was in great despair. He is now our property... he belongs to the elder ones..."

Serise involuntarily moved back as his wings stretched out surprisingly. They then closed around him, like a bat's wings did when it was sleeping. A part of her mind wanted to stop thinking about anything else and try to figure out how they had done that, moved so realistically. But she was far too concerned with what else he'd said to do so. She wanted to shake the man, explain to him that people weren't "property", especially not her brother. And who were these elder ones...some kind of leaders for this cult or whatever it was? She noticed the man was walking away and clearly wanting her to follow which she did despite feeling more and more like some obedient dog.

"you would call us demons, though I find the word insulting... I have read your mythology and studied your theology and what we are is so much more than that."

Serise didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Demons? Clearly this man was delusional beyond belief and it was both sad and comical. She thought this to herself in a firm mental voice as if it would instantly convince that part of her mind that was beginning to think maybe the wings weren't just some whackos props. She noticed the man had reached a throne of some sort and she wondered how she'd missed it before, it wasn't exactly small. He sat and once again stared at her, an intense kind of stare that made her want to be anywhere but under his gaze.

"He is ours, as are you... your freedom is something you will never feel again, and any idea of a bargain is simply ridiculous... you have nothing to bargain with because all that you have is ours."

"We are incubus... succubus... surely you have heard this word before?"

As he'd moved his arm she'd noticed that his nails were sharp, more like claws than fingernails. She had heard the words before, she knew what an incubus and succubus were supposed to be, not that she believed in such things. She actually would've had an easier time believing the demon thing. She had to smother a giggle at the thought...she never would've believed she would have thought something like that. She had never believed in such things, nor had any of her family. When she'd been little she'd been scared of monsters as most small children were but she'd outgrown that years and years ago.

She didn't think it would be wise to tell the man he was insane and clearly begging him wasn't working.

"I've heard those words, I know what they mean. I can't say that I thought about them much, other than as fantasies in a story. But stranger things and all that. I still don't understand how Caleb ended up here. And you said he gave himself willingly to belong to you? That doesn't sound like something he'd do...but for the sake of the argument okay. But then why do I belong to you, I didn't come here willingly. I guess you could say that I came to town willingly to find my brother. But I mean I wasn't like given a choice of if I wanted to come here to belong to anyone. I just...I just don't understand what's going on. I'm in some weird place with weird people and that man made me crawl around on the dirty floor and he took my clothes and now I'm naked with you...some guy I don't know...on my hands and knees."

Serise took a deep breath after the rush of words. She hadn't meant to say all that but a part of her was finding it very hard to stay calm and collected and rational at this point, not that anyone here seemed to deal in anything rational.

"Can I maybe have some clothes and see my brother at least? Just you know, make sure he's okay, hug him. I've been worried sick that he was hurt or God forbid dead."