LJ Idol Chapter 14: The Place That Cannot Be
Not-Jason smiles that infuriating smile at me. I've been told that I have a disarming smile. I wonder if it looks like his.
I hope not.
"This is Jason," Carol says. Nina supports her claim. They point out that his appearance matches the picture. But, I insist that I know better.
"You know nothing," one of the women says. She walks in from the stairs. She is dressed in a translucent black evening robe. Her dark hair flows across her shoulders and her hips sway like a metronome keeping the rhythm of a heart beating too fast.
"Let me guess," I say, "everyone here wants to be here. The drugs aren't helping you to control them, but are recreational." I turn again to the familiar looking woman. The one I suspect to be drugged a bit more heavily than the rest.
"Not quite," she says.
"No?" I ask. "Then what are they for?"
"Pleasure," she says in a condescending tone, as if the answer was obvious. "Here, people don't have to worry about work, about bills, about relationships, or about politics. In this place, there are no worries, only pleasure.
"If you want to do something, here," she tells me, "you may do it. If you want to invite someone else to join us, you may. And, if that person," she says while caressing Carol's cheek, "decides to join us as well, she may." The woman leans in and gives Carol a passionate kiss.
"And, if they don't want to?" I ask.
"Why would they not?" she says with a smile. "I provide for their every need, here. What is outside this place that could possibly be more desirable than the wonders to be found within?" I notice Not-Jason and Nina helping Andrea to her feet.
I know the answer to that question. But, I'm not the condescending type. I don't answer her the way she answered me earlier. Instead, I crouch down in front of the familiar woman. I take her head in my hands, "What is your name?" I ask her.
"Sarah," she answers.
"It is ok, Sarah" I tell her.
"You don't understand," she whispers.
"I do. I know what happened." I assure her. She tries to tell me that I don't, but I do. She removed my clothes. This way any hidden weapon or other tool, even if they didn't find it, would be unavailable to me. She dressed me in someone else's clothes. And, in between, she partook in the mantra of this place. She partook in pleasure.
And, now Sarah feels badly. She feels guilty. And, that is not pleasurable. So, she has, or someone else has drugged her to try and get rid of the guilty feeling.
"I'm going to get you out of here," I assure her.
I stand and look at the woman, the person in charge. The one person here whose eyes appear to be clear and whose mind is unclouded. "You say that this is a place of pleasure," I tell her. I don't ask it, but she answers anyway and tells me that I am correct. "You say that this is a place devoid of pain," again, not a question. But, again, she answers anyway.
"I tell you that pleasure without pain is meaningless," I say. I square my shoulders and try to stand up taller in case anyone gets any aggressive ideas. "I think that reward without risk is pointless. I believe that without effort you cannot fully appreciate that which you earn."
I take Sarah by the hand. She stands and follows me. "You can not leave," the cult leader tells me.
"You said that this was a place for pleasure," I remind her. "It will give me pleasure to leave, and to take this woman with me." I grab the doorknob.
I do not forget that the door is electrified. I assume that when it knocked Andrea unconscious that the trap was discharged. I am wrong.
This is my entry for Week 14 of LiveJournal Idol, Season 6. My partner is emo_snal. To read the other entries in the contest, click here.
I hope not.
"This is Jason," Carol says. Nina supports her claim. They point out that his appearance matches the picture. But, I insist that I know better.
"You know nothing," one of the women says. She walks in from the stairs. She is dressed in a translucent black evening robe. Her dark hair flows across her shoulders and her hips sway like a metronome keeping the rhythm of a heart beating too fast.
"Let me guess," I say, "everyone here wants to be here. The drugs aren't helping you to control them, but are recreational." I turn again to the familiar looking woman. The one I suspect to be drugged a bit more heavily than the rest.
"Not quite," she says.
"No?" I ask. "Then what are they for?"
"Pleasure," she says in a condescending tone, as if the answer was obvious. "Here, people don't have to worry about work, about bills, about relationships, or about politics. In this place, there are no worries, only pleasure.
"If you want to do something, here," she tells me, "you may do it. If you want to invite someone else to join us, you may. And, if that person," she says while caressing Carol's cheek, "decides to join us as well, she may." The woman leans in and gives Carol a passionate kiss.
"And, if they don't want to?" I ask.
"Why would they not?" she says with a smile. "I provide for their every need, here. What is outside this place that could possibly be more desirable than the wonders to be found within?" I notice Not-Jason and Nina helping Andrea to her feet.
I know the answer to that question. But, I'm not the condescending type. I don't answer her the way she answered me earlier. Instead, I crouch down in front of the familiar woman. I take her head in my hands, "What is your name?" I ask her.
"Sarah," she answers.
"It is ok, Sarah" I tell her.
"You don't understand," she whispers.
"I do. I know what happened." I assure her. She tries to tell me that I don't, but I do. She removed my clothes. This way any hidden weapon or other tool, even if they didn't find it, would be unavailable to me. She dressed me in someone else's clothes. And, in between, she partook in the mantra of this place. She partook in pleasure.
And, now Sarah feels badly. She feels guilty. And, that is not pleasurable. So, she has, or someone else has drugged her to try and get rid of the guilty feeling.
"I'm going to get you out of here," I assure her.
I stand and look at the woman, the person in charge. The one person here whose eyes appear to be clear and whose mind is unclouded. "You say that this is a place of pleasure," I tell her. I don't ask it, but she answers anyway and tells me that I am correct. "You say that this is a place devoid of pain," again, not a question. But, again, she answers anyway.
"I tell you that pleasure without pain is meaningless," I say. I square my shoulders and try to stand up taller in case anyone gets any aggressive ideas. "I think that reward without risk is pointless. I believe that without effort you cannot fully appreciate that which you earn."
I take Sarah by the hand. She stands and follows me. "You can not leave," the cult leader tells me.
"You said that this was a place for pleasure," I remind her. "It will give me pleasure to leave, and to take this woman with me." I grab the doorknob.
I do not forget that the door is electrified. I assume that when it knocked Andrea unconscious that the trap was discharged. I am wrong.
This is my entry for Week 14 of LiveJournal Idol, Season 6. My partner is emo_snal. To read the other entries in the contest, click here.