2 - Training a Virgin
ESME
It’s been two days since I was brought up from the cell that I awoke in, and I’ve just been summoned to my first ‘enlightenment’ class. There are ten of us here, all females ranging from fifteen to twenty-six. It doesn’t take long for our shepherd to enter the room. This time, it’s an ethereal looking woman with a sultry voice. If I liked women, she would definitely be my type… I think.
“Now that we’re all here, it’s time to get you all acquainted with what your duties will be once you’ve graduated and found a benefactor,” she tells us, gliding between each of us and stroking our skin. “But before we get too far, we must assess you all. We have some lace for all of you. These ribbons will show everyone your status within the Temple of Enlightenment. Wear them proudly,” she says with a secretive smirk.
A demure human woman scurries up to each of us, handing us a lace choker necklace with runes on it. Frowning, I take the one presented to me hesitantly. The woman smiles at me sadly before moving on. Running my finger over the runes sends a shock through the digits, making my frown deepen.
I watch as the other women put on the collars excitedly. The vampire inspecting me carefully, a grin on her face. Looking down at the necklace again and wondering what sort of trick they’re playing occupies my mind until I’m startled out of my thoughts by a sharp tap to my shoulder.
“I wouldn’t think too hard about it if I were you,” says the silky voice of the vampire from beside me. “Gideon said you might be a little reluctant to partake in the enlightenment we offer you… He said that I should remind you that The Creator doesn’t tolerate disobedience,” she whispers with a smirk. “Let me,” she gently takes the collar from my hands and secures it around my neck before returning to the front of the room. She turns back to the row of women, her face now an expressionless mask as she inspects us. Once she confirms that all of the collars are fastened around our necks she claps her hands.
“Good. I see that we’re ready. Now, as I said, we must assess each of you to ensure that you receive the best possible training for the futures for which you are best suited… now strip.” She says this all without displaying a hint of emotion, and shocked murmurs filter down the line. “No, I am not joking… It is required of all Blood Virgins to be assessed… That means we must inspect you… every inch of you. So, strip. Down to the nude.” One of the younger girls raises her hand hesitantly. The vampire looks at her but doesn’t say anything, so she takes that as permission to speak.
“Must we strip here? In front of everyone?” The vampire frowns and makes a gesture towards the girl, who crumples to the floor with a scream, hands clutching her new collar. Gulping, I look back at the vampire, whose face is now marred with a frown.
“Take this as your first warning that The Creator does not tolerate disobedience,” she says in a steady voice. “That includes talking out of turn. You will speak only when given leave to do so, or face the consequences.” Before I realize it, my lips are moving.
“So that’s it. Comply or you torture us?” The vampire makes the same gesture, but towards me this time. The pain is immediate, shooting up and down from my neck, the shock choking me as I strain to remain standing. As the vampire frowns, the shock dies down to a tingle, leaving me gasping for breath.
“As I was saying… Disobedience will not be tolerated. Now, strip.” The shuffling of clothes being pulled off surrounds me as I slowly, reluctantly, begin untying the sash securing the robe I was made to wear today, the required garment making sense now. Once we’re all naked, with our clothes piled on the ground before us, the vampire snaps her fingers, and several more women enter the room, all human, and stand before each of us.
“Each of you has been assigned a handler. They are before you. They have been placed in charge of ensuring that you attend each enlightenment session for which you are scheduled. Failure to follow their instructions will result in punishment.” As she finishes speaking, my handler pulls a clipboard from behind her and begins inspecting me like a pig to market. She makes notes on her board and hums and haws as she slowly walks around me. Once she circles me the first time, she kicks between my legs until I spread them out and lifts my arms so they’re running straight out to my sides, like that anatomy diagram in all of the books on the body.
“What’s the purpose of this?” I ask my handler. She looks up with a frown and flicks her fingers at me. The collar shocks me, the feeling an uncomfortable tingling rather than the choking electricity from earlier. I clench my teeth and try again. “So, we’re not even allowed to talk to the ones who are supposed to guide us through this?” She flicks her fingers at me again, the tingling sensation growing more uncomfortable.
“You are only to speak when given explicit leave… be that from me, one of the shepherds, or your potential benefactors… I know it seems harsh, but it’s for your own good. Many of the benefactors will not tolerate any disobedience, and to speak out of turn could be a death sentence… So, I will help to train you to stay alive, even though you will hate me for it,” she says matter of factly. Gulping, I nod. This woman may seem like the enemy, but she’s on my side… At least, I think she is…
_
_
It's been two days since I’ve eaten… I refused to grovel before one of our so-called shepherds, and so they refused to feed me. My stomach feels like it’s eating me from the inside, but I’ve gone longer without eating during the lean months on the reservation. One thing I didn’t have to deal with on the reservation, however, is the near constant tingling from the lace shock collar. Despite the torture, or perhaps because of it, I’ve been doing my best to stay in shape while conserving energy… The last thing I need is to be too weak to run when the opportunity presents itself… And so here I am, doing pushups on the small floor of my room, when a bang against the door startles me.
I quickly jump up before anyone sees me working out, crossing my hands behind my back and watching the door expectantly.
“Follow me,” says my handler, whose name I still don’t know, turning on her heel. I follow her silently, unsurprised to find her leading me into a sterile room with the other ladies from my ‘class’ already obediently lined up. Pursing my lips, I take my place at the end of the line, struggling not to look around. It doesn’t do to look too interested in the happenings, I’ve learned… Unless you enjoy electrocution, that is. I don’t have to wait long to discover what new torture is planned for us today, as moments later, several vampires in lab coats enter, holding clipboards.
They call our names, one at a time, and the other girls meekly follow the lab coats as they lead them from the room.
“What’s going on?” I ask, unsurprised when several fingers flick my way, instigating a skin peeling round of shocks. Growling, I drop to my knees as the lead vampire chuckles.
“I see what you mean about your charge, Cynthia,” he says pleasantly to my handler while I imagine clawing his smug eyes out. My handler, Cynthia, dips her head in acknowledgement. The vampire waves his hand, giving her permission to speak.
“She is spirited, but that will only make her price higher… Many of our more affluent benefactors revel in breaking spirited virgins,” she says with a straight face, her words making me grit my teeth in irritation as the final tingles from the electric shock wear off. I gingerly get to my feet, stretching my neck. The vampire turns to me with a smirk, licking his lips.
“To answer your question,” he glances at his clipboard, “Esme… We are going to run a battery of tests to make sure that you aren’t carrying any nasty diseases that might displease a benefactor.”
“So, you want to make me a glorified pin cushion?” I ask with a glare. The vampire chuckles and flicks his fingers at me three times. The shock starts as a gentle tingle before quickly ramping up to debilitating levels. My heart stutters as the electricity courses through me, feeling like it’s peeling my skin. I claw at my neck, trying to extract the stupid collar, when the vampire approaches me. I try to kick him while my blood boils, but he blocks my feeble attempt with his knee before backhanding me, the force of the blow sending me stumbling to the ground, gasping.
“You don’t have to agree, or even cooperate… that just makes it more fun for me,” he says with a feral grin as my body begins to convulse from the force of the continued electric voltage surging through my body. The vampire kicks my head, and the world abruptly fades to nothingness, the pain dissipating into a muted background sensation amongst the darkness.