She lay on the carpeted floor, tied hand and foot. The thick blindfold prevented her from seeing any sort of light. She had no idea where she was, or who brought her here. Yet again she fought against the panic that was rising in her like a sick tide; before she could stop herself she struggled yet again against the hard leather and rope that bound her until she could get her breathing under control and relax again. Flashes of memory crossed her mind...of leaving work and going to the grocery, the darkness of midwinter blanketing the buildings and road in shadows. Being slightly annoyed at the black SUV that was following too closely and blinding her with its halogen headlights in her rearview mirror. Getting even more annoyed when another SUV cut in front of her. Wondering idly why the annoyances decided they needed groceries too. Stepping out of her car and feeling hands grab her from behind...whirling around in time to get a glimpse of several figures before the sting of the needle slid into her arm and everything went black...
Why me, she thought. She didn't work for the government or any top-secret corporation; she was just a low-level assistant at a small accounting firm that handled retirees' pensions and trust funds. Her mind raced as to what these faceless men wanted with her and came up with nothing. A dry, cynical part of her brain laughed as the thought of rape came to mind; her middle-aged body was not likely to inspire this level of planning and execution for simple sex. As she struggled involuntarily again, more from frustration at the unsolved mystery than out of fear, she heard the first sound in the room since she woke up from her drugged sleep.
A soft footfall coming closer to her...a whisper of cloth and then a faint smell of well-kept leather. She immediately froze; the first thought in her head was to pretend to still be asleep. A masculine chuckle rang out, very close to her ear. Whoever it was was kneeling down next to her. The next second, she felt a hand on her shoulder, rolling her over from her side to her back.
"Here now, sit up. You need some water." The same hand scooped her up under her shoulder blades and lifted her so that she could sit with her bound ankles tucked up under her. The anonymous man made a clucking sound, then she froze as she heard the unmistakable snick of a knife blade being opened. Before she could stop herself she started to shake and cry...she didn't want to die this way, for some unknown reason in an unknown place, never to be found again. He didn't say a word but she felt his hands holding her ankles steady, and the knife blade working through the knotted ropes to part them and let her sit more comfortably.
"There there...no need for the dramatics, girl. You aren't going to be hurt....much...," the cool, dry voice murmured as a bottle was pressed against her lips and she was urged to drink. Cold, clean water flooded her mouth, and she drank greedily for a few seconds before the bottle was pulled away. "Not too much at first, or you'll get sick. And I don't think you'd want that, now would you? Try to stand up, we need to get you cleaned and ready." The strong hands gently pulled her upright and steadied her as initial vertigo took hold of her. When she stopped wobbling, the hands led her firmly and surely for many steps. She thought she went through a doorway and down a hall but the echoes were playing tricks with her perception. Then she went through another door and into a larger room. Her shoes clicked on the tile floor. The snick of the knife blade sounded again, and she froze as she felt the cold steel press against the skin of her throat, parting the material of her shirt and ripping down. The unknown man methodically cut her clothes away, bending to remove her shoes before he pushed the remnants of her skirt, panties and hose down and off.
He gently pushed her backwards, and she could feel the large grilled drain under her bare feet as he lifted her still bound hands over her head to fasten them to some sort of hook. She could hear the clink of chain as she swayed, slightly off balance. Suddenly, sprays of warm water coursed over her body, coming from many different directions. The warmth felt so good that she let out a small mew of appreciation as her body started to relax. The man started scrubbing her down with a soft cloth and delicately scented soap, and she actually started to purr as she felt clean again. His fingers grazed against the bottom of her breasts as he washed her, then traced down her belly to coax her legs farther apart and wash her there. He made a clucking noise again when his fingers ran through her thick pubic hair, and she reflexively tried to shut her legs to preserve her dignity. A sharp slap on her bottom made her squeal with shock as he murmured, "No no, none of that...accept and obey girl..." His fingers slid deeper, opening her body to his inspection. She started to cry as his finger slipped inside her. The touch was so impersonal that it made her feel even more violated. As quickly as the finger intruded, it withdrew, and the man kept washing the rest of her body. When he was done and the water was turned off, he roughly towelled her dry and then rubbed a strange-smelling oil into her skin. It made her want to sneeze and shiver at the same time; she was sure she had smelled something like it before, but she couldn't place the scent.
After the man combed and dried her hair, he led her back out, this time without her clothes. She felt the thick pile of the carpet beneath her feet, interspersed every now and then with cold, slick tiles of what seemed to be marble. He stopped her on one such section and unfastened the leather cuffs from each other. The kiss of thick velvet brushed against her thigh as he drew the heavy robe up to her shoulders, helping her hands find the sleeves on either side. He refastened her hands in front of her. She felt him move past her, and then heard doors creak on their hinges as they opened. A firm hand on the small of her back propelled her forward, and the doors clicked shut behind her.
She stood there in silence, trying to figure out where the man had gone. She hadn't felt him move past her through the doorway, so she concluded that she was alone in this new room. She stood stock-still for a heartbeat, then swiftly raised her hands and yanked off the blindfold. Her eyes immediately teared up from the sudden light that hit them; as she blinked rapidly, she tried to take in her surroundings to get her bearings. Thoughts of flight raced through her head...she could get out of this. As her vision cleared, she started looking for another door out of the room. She was certain that the man who brought her here was still out in the hallway; she couldn't run that way. She was brought up short in her search, however, by the utter strangeness of the room.
It was a perfectly square room. No windows opened on the walls. Long, low benches, covered with cushions, lined the sides of the room. Clusters of candelabras were placed here and there around the room. All the candles were lit, casting dancing shadows around the edges. Straight ahead, at the far side of the room from her, was what could only be called a throne, sitting upon a low dais. But instead of the normal red velvet and gold gilt, this chair was of black and silver, and instead of lion's heads for armrests, there were snarling demons. Alarm bells started going off in her head...and then she saw the altar.
