EPISODE 5

Hold Her Down

WHEN ANAIS AWOKE, it was cold. She was on a floor of some kind, metal or tile, it was hard to tell, but it wasn’t comfortable in the least. Her head throbbed. She probably needed a medic. Would she have a concussion? She at least seemed to be able to think.

She groaned, turning to her side, her muscles stiff from being left so long in an awkward position in such an uncomfortable space. The lights were low but it wasn’t too dark. The room was bare, industrial in appearance. Some lights blinked on a panel on the far end of the room, but it was impossible to tell where she was. It certainly wasn’t the palace.

The gag still held in place in her mouth. Her hands were bound behind her back, limiting her movement.

A large circular door made a mechanical groan as it opened, revealing two Sekaran soldiers. “That was almost too easy,” one Sekaran said.

“They never saw it coming,” the other said. “I came on a merchant transport. You?”

“Same, three months ago. Fifteen in our group.”

“Twenty in mine. My commander said we had more than twice the amount of troops as these soft traders do by the time we arrived.” He laughed.

“Look at what we have here,” the first said, trudging toward her. His heavy soldier boots pounded on the floor, reverberating where her head hurt the most with each step. “Damn. She’s a fine one.”

“Yes, she is,” the second said, circling around the other side of her. “Forty like her would be a fine reward for our service when we reach the Prophet’s gardens.”

“That’s only for martyrs,” the first said. “If we aren’t able to die in battle, we won’t get anything of the sort.” He ran the toe of his boot up Anais’s leg, which pushed the fabric of her dress upward to expose her thigh. Her fur stood on edge. “That’s why I think it’s best to take what we can get now. Shut the door behind us.”

It dawned on her exactly what they were talking about. No, this couldn’t be happening. Anais thrashed about, trying to loosen her bonds any way she could. Why her? What had she ever done to deserve this?

The second Sekaran looked annoyed, impatiently moving back to the door and hitting the flashing lights to close it again behind him.

The first reached down and ran his hand up her calf and over her thigh. His skin was thick, calloused, and sweaty. It felt disgusting to the touch.

Anais kicked at him, connecting with his gut.

The Sekaran stumbled backward and laughed. “Looks like we’re going to have to hold her down after all. You hold her first.”

“Why do you get to go first?” the other Sekaran protested.

Anais couldn’t even fathom how disgusting this conversation was. How could they be talking about another person in this way? This was impossible. It had to be a nightmare. She had to wake up. Someone would come and help her. They couldn’t have taken out all of her family’s guards. She pushed her feet on the cold floor, sliding her body away from them. It burned where her body dragged, but it would be worse to be closer to those disgusting creeps.

“Stop arguing. We don’t have a lot of time,” the first Sekaran said. He righted himself and scrambled after her. It was as if her fear made him more voracious. He grinned, chuckling at her helplessness. He caught her by the ankle and dragged her to him. “Now, stop fighting, honey. It’ll be a lot easier for you if you just have fun, too.”

The second moved over from the door. “Fine. What do you want me to do?”

“Hold her shoulders and head down,” the first commanded.

The second Sekaran put his big hands on her, too strong for her to resist. She was stuck. The first pinned her legs down with his own. Her arms were still bound. Her weight nearly crushed her hands under her. It hurt almost as bad as her headache. There was nothing she was going to be able to do. She made one last struggle, trying to push the Sekarans off of her with every ounce of strength she had, but the Sekarans were too big, too strong. Any movement was futile.

She resigned herself to them, slumping her shoulders. They would take what they wanted. It didn’t matter. Tears streaked down her face. Her lips quivered.

“That’s better,” the first Sekaran said. His hand moved up her thigh, all too close to her private parts.

Anais closed her eyes.