"Summer in Paradise" by Fox
Chapter 11
Summer lay quietly in her stall. Cold, half-starved, beaten, raped,
treated like an animal - she had been to hell and back, of that she was sure.
Not for the first time, she wished she could just curl up and go to sleep and
never wake up again.
But sleep, even something as basic as sleep, was a torment. They woke
her constantly, never letting her get more than a few minutes sleep at one time.
She thought that the last time she slept any length of time was when she last
passed out. Just this past night, she was returned to the stall after
"exercise", or so they called it. She had been strapped to a treadmill for half
an hour, and made to walk and run through a program that was sheer torture.
Summer had never been the most physical of girls - sure, she played baseball
with friends, and liked to work out at aerobics, and ice-skated in winter, but
she was no athlete, that's for sure! She was so tired, she could barely move
when she was finally released from the treadmill. Then, the guards took her to
the punishment room, strapped her down across a bench, forced a vibrator up her
ass, placed dental clamps to hold her mouth open, then made her suck them off!
But she was thankful that lately, this treatment was actually better
than what she experienced when she first arrived at where ever she was. She was
only allowed outside under the strictest of conditions, and not as much since
that horrid pony training had stopped. There was that pool, she thought. It
would be so nice to go for a swim, just once! Or to just lie in the sun, feel
the warmth on my skin.
She shivered to hear a key on the lock. Omigod, now what? she thought.
Her heart pounded.
"Please, leave me alone," she whimpered, not even raising her head.
The click of female boot heels echoed loudly in the quiet of the stall.
"Summer."
The woman's voice was soft, gentle, almost friendly.
"Summer, look at me."
Reluctant but fearing the effects of disobedience, effects she knew too
well already, Summer turned her head toward the door. "Please Mistress," she
begged. "Please, have mercy, please. I didn't do anything ..." her voice trailed
off in a sob.
Cassandra knelt and stroked the girl's cinnamon colored hair. "There,
there," she soothed as she stroked. "I'm not going to punish you, sweet one. I
want to give you a rest from this."
Summer turned tear soaked eyes toward the training mistress. Cassandra
brushed hair off the girl's wet face, and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.
She moved to cradle the girl's head in her lap. Like a mother with a young
child, she soothed her frightened charge, calming her, reassuring her.
"Now darling," said the training mistress, "I want you to calm down. You
and I are going to leave this place, and go somewhere where we can have a talk.
Won't that be nice?" She continued to stroke the girl's face and arms as she
spoke. Slowly, tenderly.
"A-away?" Summer's voice was a little girl's. "Ho-home?"
"Yes my darling child, we'll go away from this place for a while. You
and I. We'll have some coffee, some fresh fruit, and a talk. Just you and I.
Won't that be nice?"
Summer buried her face in the training mistress's lap, sobbing
uncontrollably. She lay there for a few moments, and then raised her head.
"Oh Mistress, I'm sorry, I've made your leather pants all wet, " she
exclaimed, her voice shaking. "I'm sorry, Mistress, don't punish me, please. I
can't stand anymore."
"No, no, Summer, no punishment. Just coffee and talk. I promise you."
She kissed the girl again on the forehead, then her eyelids, and finally,
brushed Summer's open, trembling lips ever so lightly with her own.
"Come, my sweet," she said, "Stand up and let's get you out of here."
"'Kay".
Cassandra helped the girl to her feet. Putting her arm around the
girl's shoulder, she led her toward the door and called for the guard. The door
swung open, and the two women exited the stall.
A blanket had been placed on a table next to the door. Cassandra wrapped
it about her frightened, trembling charge.
"We'll get you cleaned up, and you'll feel better," she cooed. Summer
started at the suggestion, and tried to pull away.
"No, no, sweetheart. No more forced showers. You'll shower by yourself,
and I'll give you a pretty wrap to wear. Nobody will hurt you, I promise."
Summer looked up, her eyes round, wanting to believe but mistrusting
this woman who had been so fierce. Cassandra smiled, and kissed the girl's
forehead. "I promise."
Being allowed to have a shower - alone - was heavenly. Summer luxuriated
in the feel of the water and soap on her skin, without the rough touch of
others. She let the water bead on her skin, enthralled with its soft caress. The
soap was perfumed with the sweetness of jasmine, the shampoo also sweet and
subtle.
After drying off, she ran a brush through her hair, working to style it so it
was not so ragtag. An array of eye shadow, blush, lipstick, had been placed on a
vanity. Taking her time, she worked to restore her image of herself. Summer was
thrilled to discover a beautiful flowered wrap hanging on a hook by the bathroom
door. Like a little girl with a new dress, she swirled about in the pretty, soft
fabric. There was a second, filmy swatch of fabric - Summer immediately
fashioned a top to cover her breasts. Surveying herself in the mirror, she
realized she was slimmer, fitter, than she had been in many a year, and she was
pleased.
"If only Geoffrey could see me now." Tears began to drizzle down her
cheeks. She wiped the saline away with her hand, and turned to the door.
Mistress Cassandra, and the rest of her life, was waiting on the other side.
Coffee was served on the terrace at poolside. The serving girls
watched transfixed as the red haired girl literally attacked the fruit platter.
They shuddered in memory of their own arrival at the farm, and knew just what
the girl had been going through. Or at least, they thought they knew, but they
were unsure, for this was highly unusual - Mistress Cassandra bringing a slave
girl out to the pool, allowing her to take coffee.
"Slow down, my darling, you'll make yourself sick," scolded Cassandra,
her voice soft and gentle. Summer looked up, eyes shining. A smear of pineapple
juice could be seen on her chin. She smiled bashfully.
"I'm sorry," she said. "It's just that, it's so ..."
Cassandra's laugh rang across the open terrace. "Summer, " she said,
"It's all right. I just don't want you to overdo it. We're in no hurry, although
I do have some work to do today."
Summer placed the pineapple slice on the plate before her. Her eyes were
wide with curiosity, and not a little trepidation. She opened her mouth as if to
speak, but said not a word.
"No my dear, this work is not like anything you've endured over the past
weeks," Cassandra said in her most reassuring manner. "I'm a psychologist, and
I'm doing some research into how people react to different situations and
stimuli ..." She leaned over conspiratorially. "I like you, Summer. So I've
persuaded the people I work for to release you into my care. So you won't end up
picking coffee beans or worse, in the barracks as a sex toy."
"Tha - thank you," stammered Summer. She felt grateful to this woman,
but was confused as to why she felt that way.
"There's no need to thank me, my dear. The things that they did to you!"
Cassandra shuddered. "And the things they were going to do! I couldn't bear to
see someone like you be treated like that."
She leaned forward again. "Besides, I have some plans of my own, and you
can help me with them."
Summer was even more confused. Plans? How could she possibly help this
woman she didn't even know? Who had been party to everything she had suffered?
But still, Mistress Cassandra was being so nice to her now ...
"Cassandra!"
Summer and Cassandra both turned at the sound. In the brilliant
afternoon sun, Angelita's small, muscular form was surrounded by a halo of
light, as if she had been deified.
"And our new guest, too! How nice!" Angelita slid down on one of the
empty chairs at the table.
"Angelita, this is a pleasant surprise", said Cassandra. "You remember
Summer?"
"How could I forget such a darling creature? And what brings you out to
my poolside, Summer my dear?"
"She'll be participating in my research, as we discussed, Angelita.
You'll remember our conversation of last week, I'm sure?"
"Ah yes, the memory retention research thing, isn't that right?" She giggled
girlishly. "I almost forgot." The giggle contradicted her appearance - army
fatigues, hair pulled back in a severe bun. She reached for a piece of fruit.
Summer was confused and very afraid. Angelita was the maid, the one who had
found her in the hotel room, who had given her over to the soldiers, who had
ordered her treatment and mistreatment, and who scared the hell out of her.
Cassandra, on the other hand, was the training mistress. Cool as a mountain
stream, Mistress Cassandra had supervised all manner of beatings and painful
activities she called exercises, and now she was being her friend?
"Yes Angelita, Summer's going to be part of that program. I have a series of
sensory stimulation tests to administer, and because we'll be starting them
today, I thought she might like a little fresh air and relaxation beforehand."
"Ahhh," said Angelita. Her eyes formed narrow, snakelike slits. "I
assume you'll keep me up to date?"
Cassandra placed her hand across Angelita's. "Of course, Angelita. I'll
give you my usual reports, and of course, you can always sit in on the
sessions." She straightened in her chair and flashed a winning smile at Summer.
"But you might find them somewhat boring ..."
Angelita just looked at Cassandra. One of the serving girls appeared at
her side, placing a cup and saucer on the table. Steam rose lazily from the hot
coffee. The girl knelt beside Angelita, awaiting instruction.
Stroking the serving girl's face with the back of her hand, Angelita
turned her gaze to Summer. "She's well trained, don't you think?" Angelita
enquired. "Didn't take too long to train her, either, not with the right
combination of stimulants and memory retention programs."
Summer shuddered. Is this to be her fate? she wondered. Her heart raced
with fear. She could feel her face redden.
"Now look what you've done, Angelita. You've scared the poor girl."
Angelita shrugged.
"So Cassie, you'll be starting today?"
"Actually, I was going to take Summer over to my office when she
finished her coffee."
"Well then, don't let me keep you." Angelita said dismissively.
Cassandra, picking up a compact case that had been laying near her place
at the table, leaned forward toward Summer. She opened the case, and pursed her
lips.
The serving girl gasped and involuntarily raised her hand to her mouth
as Cassandra blew a cloud of fine white powder in Summer's face. Summer sneezed.
Angelita jumped back in her chair, shocked.
Cassandra continued to lean close to Summer. Her voice was barely
audible as she chanted a series of phrases, part French, part Spanish, with
Indio mixed in, over and over in a hypnotic rhythm. Summer's eyes began to roll
back in their sockets. Her lids slowly dropped to a half-shut state, the whites
clearly visible now. She began to weave in her chair, like a cobra rising out of
its wicker basket. Her motion began to become more erratic. Her arms and
shoulders twitched. Her head dropped back, exposing a long slender neck. She was
close to falling over.
Angelita crossed herself and uttered a fast prayer to the Virgin and
everyone else she could think of. She pushed her chair back and rose to her
feet.
Summer jerked in the chair, once, and fell forward. Plates scattered as
she hit the table face first, like a rag doll dropped from a height.
The serving girl squealed in fright, jumping back, as fruit juices and pieces
smacked her face and shoulders.
Cassandra stopped chanting. Her compact snapped shut. She sat back in her
chair, and lit a cigarette.
"Clean this up, bring me fresh coffee, and have her taken to my lab."
"Yes Mistress," the serving girl blurted. She scrambled to her feet, almost
frantic.
"Now! Or you'll join her!" barked Cassandra.
"Yes Mistress! Immediately Mistress!" The girl scooped up dishes and
pieces of fruit, then hurried off for cloths and fresh coffee. Summer didn't
move. She lay face down on the table. One cheek pressed against the surface. A
pineapple slice could be seen peering out from beneath her powder-dappled skin.
What's that stuff? It smells awful, like death. I think I sneezed? I
feel so ...so ... Their voices are weird. Very, very weird. They go in and out
and up and down, like Mickey Mouse and fast or deep profound basso and s-l-o-w
and sometimes, both at the same time. And worse. There were echoes, and , and,
and
Whoa! Somebody stop this! Can colours be alive? These are. They pulse
and swirl and shimmer and sometimes they look like women and then like aliens
and what the fuck is going on who cares?idon'tcarethisfeelssoweirdshiiii....
Blackness. But not black. Like being and not being. A weird kind of deja
vu, being there before and now and in the future and all three all at once. I'm
tingly. Like there's ants under my skin. Crawling and doing ant things. Are boy
ants really uncles? That's a dumb thought! Why did I think that?
I can't move, but I know I'm moving. Around and around and ouch! That
hurt! Why did my shoulder try to jump out of my skin? Is it hot in here is it
me? Must be me because I'm not in here, I'm out here, an innie not an outie, no
that's wrong I'm out, I'm out I'm an outtie, an outtienotaninnieoh
shiiiiii......
Blackness.
"Cassandra! What the fuck was that?"
"Calm down sweetie, have some coffee."
"That was zombie dust, wasn't it! Zombie dust!"
"Angelita, get real. There's no such thing. It was just a mixture of
flour and face powder and some chemicals that would irritate the skin, and a
smack of white pepper. But it helps if she thinks it was zombie dust."
"But what, she..." Angelita struggled for control. "Okay, if it was so
harmless, why is the cunt face down in the fucking pineapple?"
"Because, my Angel, she drank her glass of orange juice. Which is
liberally laced with a nice blend of hallucinogens, a neurotoxin to induce a
temporary paralysis, and an old fashioned knock out drop. When she comes to,
she'll be tripping, she'll be very sore but unable to move, and highly
susceptible to my conditioning."
Cassandra took a puff of her cigarette and a sip of coffee. "The zombie
dust is just for effect. She'll not know what hit her, and when I do it again to
her, the combination of the real drugs and believing in the zombie dust will
make her mind so malleable, she'll do anything to please me." She paused for
another drag of smoke. "Or you."
"By the way, there is a rather powerful sexual stimulant in the juice,
too. Like a high strength viagra. She'll be so horny, she'll want to fuck
anything and everything, but she won't be able to move a muscle. It will drive
her crazy. And I will control her relief."
Angelita gaped at her lover.
" I learned a great deal about human behaviour in that gringo college,
Angelita. And I have learned a great deal more in my field research here, too."
Cassandra smiled. "I must thank you again for giving me the facilities in which
to experiment. Not to mention the subjects." Cassandra planted a soft kiss on
Angelita's hand. "And speaking of subjects, here come some now.
"Hurry up girls, this table is a mess!" She yelled at the approaching
serving girls. Two men and a gurney could be seen behind the girls. "Now, my
sweet Angelita, let's have our coffee, and then I'll get to work."
Cassandra flashed a mischievous smile across the table.
"Or would you like to try the orange juice? I hear it's delicious!"
