My first attempt at an erotic horror story, for your pleasure. It's about a young innocent woman who finds herself in desperate measures and begins working at a facility that isn't at all what she expected.
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Caroline gazes at the address in her hand, looks up at the mansion in apprehension. Is this the place? The newspaper said they were looking for assistants. Slowly ascending the steps to the large wooden door, wrapping her fingers around the door knocker, she knocks three times.
A tall blonde woman answers the door; her icy blue eyes chill Caroline to her bones. “How can I help you?”
Caroline looks down at her hands, holding the newspaper clipping with the address, and slowly meets the woman’s gaze. “I’m here about the position in the paper.”
The woman purses her lips, stares at Caroline’s demeanor. To Caroline, it feels like the woman is staring straight through her clothes. Blushing, Caroline clears her throat, hoping to avert the woman’s attention.
“Come inside; the master will want to see you.” The young woman ushers Caroline into the house and into a sitting room. She directs Caroline to sit down on the red crushed velvet sofa.
As Caroline gets comfortable, “I am Madam Talyah; Master Garret will be here shortly. Might I ask your name, miss?”
She adjusts her skirt, removes her hat; Talyah almost smiles at the girl’s evergreen eyes sparkling under the lights. Caroline moves a strand of her red hair out of her eyes. “I’m Caroline, madam. Might I ask what the position is for?”
A mischievous grin creeps across Talyah’s face, sending a shiver down Caroline’s spine. “You’ll find out when the master arrives. Till then, one of the servants will fetch you some tea.” Madam Talyah looks over Caroline one last time before leaving the room.
I wish I didn’t need this job, something doesn’t feel right. Although that Talyah is gorgeous, she appears menacing. Almost like a snake, cleverly hiding in the grass awaiting its prey. Caroline shivers at the metaphor before a young woman appearing to be the age of twenty-two approaches carrying a tray of tea and cookies. Setting the tray down, the young woman curtsies before leaving the room.
Soon a strapping young man enters the room. His stern dark brown eyes size up Caroline before sitting in the chair across from her. Caroline stares at him in awe. He’s beautiful, like a portrait or a work of art. Although, his skin looks rather pale under the light, as though he isn’t feeling well. I wonder if that’s the job requirement to care for him. Caroline looks away, blushing after realizing she had been staring.
“Miss Caroline, Talyah, notified me that you are here for the position. This is a live-in position. You’ll be an entertainer to our guests, along with an assistant to Talyah. She will be your boss.”
Caroline assumes this is the master of the house as she watches him pour the tea. “For the first month, you will have to go through training, which myself and Talyah will assist with. Now, if this is not something you wish to go through with, you are free to go, Caroline. However, if you sign these documents, you agree to the terms and uphold all confidentiality between clients and yourself.” Master Garette smirks at Caroline.
She freezes, staring at his chiseled face and broad shoulders, “what does the training entail?”
A wicked grin comes across Garette’s face, “everything required to prepare you for my guests. Talyah will walk you through the tasks ensuring you are equipped to handle every situation.”
Caroline picks up the small stack of papers in front of her, leafing through; she finds the section detailing her duties. Raising her head, mouth hanging open, Caroline stares at Master Garette in shock. These aren’t typical tasks…unless this is a bordello. That can’t be right; my family would never support a career in…Her face turns a scarlet red in embarrassment.
Garette bursts out laughing, which seems out of character for his stern demeanor. “Is something wrong?”
Realizing she’s been staring at him, she looks down, “the contract can’t be correct, this isn’t…”
“A bordello?” The word just rolls out of his mouth without a second thought, making Caroline uncomfortable.
Adjusting in his seat, Garette smirks at Caroline’s anxiety, “you don’t have to sign the contract. Remember, you are permitted to leave.”
Gulping, she begins rereading the contract wondering how much the position is offering to pay. Her eyes glance over the number, “you’re offering to pay fifty dollars an hour for my services? Is this a mistake?”
“No, although that’s a starting pay. Depending on client satisfaction and their secrets are kept safe, your payment may increase. Signing that contract ensures their protection and your own.” Garette explains matter of factly.
Caroline begins debating on taking the position. The pay is fabulous, more money than I’ve ever made. However, if my sister finds out, she has a big mouth, which means my whole family will hear the news. I’ll be shunned by the entire family. They don’t even want me working; they’d prefer I stay at home with my husband. This wouldn’t be the worst job I’ve done; I mean, it could be worse. Picking up the ballpoint pen, she signs her name on the required pages.
Surprised at Caroline’s decision, Garette leans forward, “you’re sure about this?”
Nodding slowly, she raises her head to see Talyah standing in the doorway. “I see she signed the paperwork; I guess that means she’s mine now. I’ll show her around Master, we’ll be back around dinner time, assuming we can have her things fetched and here by then.”
Biting her lip, Caroline averts her eyes from Talyah, “I don’t have much; everything is in a small apartment downtown. I can go get everything and be back in an hour or so.”
“Nonsense, we have servants for a reason. Just give Raule your key, and he’ll fetch your things while I show you around.”
Caroline gets up as a handsome sunkissed man appears with a smile; he approaches and extends his hand. After handing Raule her apartment key, Caroline gives him the details of which number to look for. Once he departs, Talyah turns her back to Caroline and leads her into the entryway.
“We’ll start with the upstairs first and work our way down,” Talyah announces as she takes a left towards the two staircases. At the top of the stairs, Talyah takes a left down a long hallway.
“Down here are the rooms where patrons can pay for a night of pleasure. At the end of this hall on the far left is a large bathroom. If you take a right, the stairs are leading to the attic. The only thing up there is costumes and decorations for the holiday parties.” Talyah turns to face Caroline, “shall we continue?”
Giving a slight nod, to go on with the tour. Talyah senses something is amiss but decides not to press the issue. She’s been where Caroline is now, unsure if she made the right choice, scared and alone. Talyah slips past Caroline to walk back down the row of doors towards the stairwell again, where they began.
“Now, if you took a right at the top of the stairs, you would enter Master Garette’s quarters along with mine. I’m not going to show you down this hall because there’s nothing of importance there.” Talyah states as she descends the stairs to the foyer again.
Turning once more to face Caroline, a slight smile etches Talyah’s face, but it seems empty. “The room you met Master Garette, is the study, speaks for itself really. We have to travel through it to visit the dining hall.” Talyah explains as she takes a left, returning to the study. Once in the room, Talyah leads Caroline to a wall. Scrunching up her brow, Caroline looks at Talyah’s back, confused. Placing her hand on the wall, it pushes open to an open room. A large dining table sits in the center, with a chandelier hanging above it.
As they go further into the room, massive windows decorate the walls allowing Caroline to see into the darkness. The trees are a scarlet red as the sun makes its descent behind the hills. A shiver runs down Caroline’s spine at the thought of the coming darkness. Pausing to stare out the window, it starts to sink in that this is Caroline’s new home. Hearing the clicking of Talyah’s heels fading in the distance, Caroline hurries to catch up to her.
Exiting the dining room, Talyah leads Caroline to the kitchen. The room is full of people cooking, the smells are infectious. The fragrances in the air cause Caroline’s mouth water; she can’t remember the last time she had a decent meal. Talyah takes a right, opens a door, and leads Caroline to another open room.
“Here is the ballroom; you can see the same windows line the wall. However, there are doors in between that lead to the courtyard. If you haven’t noticed, the Master is wealthy; this is a massive house with an even bigger property. We’re going to be circling back to the foyer at the front of the house now.” Talyah announces as she takes a right through a hidden door in the mirrored wall.
The door opens to a small hallway; Talyah opens the door and enters a room of massage tables hidden behind large frosted glass walls; frosted glass doors sit in the center. In the center of the room is a small swimming pool. On either side, two slatted wooden doors sit.
Talyah turns to face Caroline, “as you can see, this is the relaxation room. Through those two doors are the steam baths.” Turning around, Talyah leads Caroline out of the room and into another small hallway that leads to an extensive library. Caroline stares at the bookcases lining the space in amazement. All she can think about is how many hours she’ll spend in the room. Armchairs and a chess set adorn the room.
As the two exits the room, they are right back where they started. When it dawns on Caroline that Talyah never showed her where the workers slept. “The house is beautiful, but where will I sleep?”
With a wicked grin, Talyah faces Caroline, “that’s where I was taking you next.” Turning on her heel, Talyah brings Caroline back to the stairs leading to the second floor. Instead of going up the steps this time, Talyah walks around to the side. A small door is housed; Talyah opens the door and leads Caroline down a stone winding staircase. Reaching the landing, they follow a path down a corridor. Doors line the walls, Caroline gulps in nervousness.
Talyah stops suddenly, causing Caroline to almost bump into her. “This is your room.” She announces as she opens the door allowing Caroline to look inside. Her things are already situated by the bed. Despite the outer appearances, the room inside seems cozy. A small bookcase sits above the bed. The floor is decorated in a plush red carpet.
“You can get situated after we’ve completed the tour. There are two more rooms to show you.” Talyah leads Caroline into her bedroom and opens a door that leads to a small bathroom. Perfect for one person, too small for anything else. The bathroom made Caroline nervous; she hated small spaces. They always made her uneasy.
Talyah exits Caroline’s room and shows her down the hall towards double doors that resemble hospital doors. Talyah unlocks the doors and escorts Caroline inside the open space. Strange things adorn the walls; Caroline shivers at the thought of what the room might be.
“Is this a…torture chamber?” Caroline stutters out, her words barely a whisper.
Chuckling, Talyah gazes at Caroline’s terrified face. “Oh, heavens no. It’s a place of both pleasure and pain. It’s where the training occurs for all new entertainers. You’ll be spending quite a lot of time here before handling the patrons.”
Fear overtakes Caroline, wondering if she just made the worst mistake of her life. What are they going to do to me? Caroline wonders, when a horrible thought shatters her question, it can’t be any worse than what he had done. Shaking the idea from her mind, she stares at Talyah in shock.
“Do not worry, fear is unnecessary. We won’t push you to do anything you are not comfortable with. However, you never know what you might enjoy.” Talyah winks, stepping towards Caroline. She walks around her; Caroline feels like a rabbit being sized up by the cat. Talyah’s eyes glisten under the lights, making her appear more predatory.
Returning to her original position, Talyah gazes into Caroline’s eyes. Placing her hand on Caroline’s chin, she raises it. Leaning in, Talyah puts her lips on Caroline’s. A shocked moan escapes from Caroline as Talyah breaks the kiss at the sound of the double doors opening.
A deep voice behind Caroline announces, “I had a feeling you would finish in your favorite room of the house, Mistress.”
Talyah smiles at Caroline’s open-mouthed expression, “you know me too well, Nickolas.” Averting her attention from Caroline, she meets his gaze, “what can I help you with?”
“Master Garette wanted me to let you know dinner has been served. Guests will be arriving soon.”
Talyah nods, signaling Nickolas to depart back upstairs to greet the patrons. Assure the room is only theirs, she locks eyes with Caroline, causing her cheeks to turn a bright red.
“You should get ready, my dear. You’ll only hand out drinks and refill them tonight, but you’ll understand what occurs at these parties.” Talyah places a hand on Caroline’s shoulder before escorting her out of the room.
Leading Caroline back to her room, Talyah begins her departure for the foyer upstairs. Leaving Caroline alone in the hallway in front of her bedroom door. Slowly Caroline enters her room and closes the door behind her. Turning on the light, she notices a large dresser against the wall. What am I going to wear to this evening’s party? I don’t really have any lovely dresses or gowns. Maybe I’ll start unpacking my things; hopefully, I’ll find something. With that last thought, Caroline immediately starts going through her suitcases, hoping to find the perfect dress for the evening. Placing folded clothes in the dresser, she reaches into her baggage for more clothes. Her hand glides across a soft blue dress; pulling it out, she analyzes it in the mirror on the dresser.
Could this work for tonight? It’s not too long, but not too short. Taking off her clothes, she tries the garment on, ensuring it still fits. Caroline looks at herself in the mirror, ensuring it’s perfect for the evening. The sleeves rest off the shoulder, which adds a nice touch; the neckline might be a little too low cut for the party…what am I saying? This is a bordello, after all. The skirt is flowy but cuts off at mid-thigh. With a nervous glance, Caroline wonders if the dress isn’t sexy enough. Pursing her lips, she decides to leave it on, unsure if she has anything else. Sitting on the bed, she rolls up her stockings and hooks them to the garter belt under the skirt.
Slipping the white high heeled shoes on, Caroline fixes her hair and makeup, then rushes out the door. As Caroline is about to make her way upstairs, she bumps into something. Immediately looking around, wondering if it was a wall. When she sees a man dressed in a tuxedo standing in front of her. Blushing, Caroline averts her gaze to the floor.
“I’m terribly sorry.” Caroline whispers, barely audible.
“You’re requested to join the party; dinner has been prepared for the evening.” The man says sternly before ascending to the foyer.
Caroline follows close behind him, too embarrassed to say anything more. Once upstairs, the room is full of people. Servants are taking their coats, while others are leading them to the dining hall. I feel so out of place here; everyone is in elegant clothes. With my first paycheck, I’m going to have to buy some new garments to wear. Deep in thought, Caroline follows the group to dinner. Once inside the great hall, people are already seated. Nameplates are at each setting, causing Caroline to feel even more anxious over the evening. Looking at each place setting, she finally stumbles across her name. On one side of her, a tall, well-dressed man is seated.
Glancing at the nameplate, Caroline sees that the man’s name is Jasper Kingston. He’s gorgeous, with his black hair and chiseled face. Even his slight goatee is fitting. Caroline takes her seat when she notices a young woman is seated next to her. Eyeing the name in front of the lady, the placard reads Gabriella Montenegro. Gabriella’s long red hair is up in a tight updo, her emerald earrings sparkle in the light. I adore her beautiful emerald ballgown. I wish I had something so charming for the evening.
Caroline takes her eyes off the two attractive guests as the feelings of an ugly duckling surrounded by swans infest her mind. Wanting to hide somewhere out of sight, she locks eyes with Talyah at the other side of the table. Even she looks fantastic, although that is to be expected, I suppose. The servers begin bringing out trays of the first course to each person. Caroline gulps at the different silverware in front of her. Confused as to what piece to use, she watches those around her for guidance.
Looking around, she notices some of the guests do not have food. Instead, they have full glasses of what Caroline assumes is red wine. Talyah, she realizes, is one who doesn’t have any food, as well as Gabrielle. Watching Jasper, Caroline follows his choices to blend in. As she looks up from eyeing Jasper, she realizes he’s staring at her.
“What are you doing?” He whispers, causing Caroline to blush.
Giving the best smile she can, “I was curious to see what items you’d suggest since you seem to be avoiding some of the foods.”
Jasper gives a warm smile, “I’m not a fan of foie gras, to be honest. However, you can give it a try; you might like it.”
Caroline stares at the delicate spoon holding the foie gras. I can’t remember what that is, but it does sound familiar. As she’s about to try it, a server takes her plate away, and another server replaces it with another dish. Caroline hears giggles next to her from Gabriella.
“Deary, there are twelve courses to be served; they can’t wait for everyone to finish each dish.”
Caroline’s eyes widen at the mention of twelve courses, causing Gabriella to giggle more. “I take it you have never been to a party like this. Where are you from, sugar?”
“Eastblock, I grew up on that part of the city.” Caroline knew it was probably the worst answer, but it was the truth.
Gabriella’s shocked expression said it all, “you poor dear. How did you hear about this place?”
“I’m…” Caroline stammers when Talyah interrupts.
“Caroline is here to entertain you. Please don’t take her at face value; there is more than meets the eye.” Talyah gives Caroline a gentle smile before returning to the conversation around her.
The meal continues, with the servers bringing out plates of food and taking others away. Until the dessert dishes arrived. Feeling quite full already, Caroline muses over whether to take a bite of the strange item on her plate or let the gentleman take it away once everyone has had their taste.
Jasper taps her arm, getting her attention, “I’m sure you’ll enjoy this. It’s a small chocolate cake with mouse frosting and raspberries with a fudge drizzle. The mint is for decoration, but many people do eat it.”
Tentatively, Caroline takes a bite and finds it heavenly. She was delighted the servers didn’t take her plate before it was finished. Once all the dishes were taken away, people started rising from their seats and making their way towards the ballroom. When the guests didn’t take the same path she did through the kitchen, Caroline was confused. Following the group, she noticed they were walking straight instead of taking a right. Music echoed out of the room towards them as they entered the massive room.
Tables adorned the sides of the room; Caroline noticed there weren’t any nameplates this time. She saw the perfect table near the large glass windows that gazed out into the gardens. Taking her seat, Talyah approaches Caroline; an expression of distaste is etched into Talyah’s face.
“You need to change immediately; this will not do.” Talyah takes Caroline’s hand and escorts her out of the room. Caroline can barely keep up to Talyah’s pace. They move upstairs and continue their ascent up to the attic. Talyah begins looking through various trunks at articles of clothing. When her eyes light up at the sight of the dress in her hands, holding it up to Caroline with one eye closed, inspecting the fit. Standing in front of Coraline, Talyah strips off her blue dress and replaces it with the new garment.
“Hmm…can you turn around a few times, please? I want to make sure this will do for tonight. Tomorrow I’ll have one of the servants pick up some fabric, and I’ll have to make some things for you.”
Turning slowly, Caroline obliges. The gown is royal purple and blue, long in the back and short in the front. The sleeves rest off the shoulder, the plunging neckline causes Caroline to blush. “It’s perfect, but we need to do something about those shoes. I’ll need to tighten the corset since the dress is a little too loose on you. You’re far too thin, which is fine; you’ll have plenty of good things to eat here. Won’t have to worry about going hungry anymore.”
Talyah starts rummaging through things again, trying to find shoes that will match. Caroline watches in silence when something in the corner catches her eye. Sparkle from the light shimmers as she approaches. Kneeling down, she sees a pair of silver shoes. Curiously, Caroline takes her pumps off and tries on the heels. They were a little tight, but nothing she couldn’t handle. Twirling around to see how they looked with the dress, Caroline couldn’t help but giggle at the sight.
Talyah turns around, wondering what Caroline is laughing about when she notices the silver strapped heels on her feet. Getting up off the ground, Talyah analyzes the outfit once more and smiles. Caroline stops spinning, staring at Talyah, wondering what is next. Wandering to the back of Caroline, Talyah starts pulling on the ribbon of the corset. The first pull shocks Caroline, causing her to breathe all the air out of her lungs. Coughing, Caroline tries to inhale but feels it’s too complicated.
“Too tight?” Talyah asks before pulling the ribbon to reduce the tension. “Sorry, is that better?”
Caroline can breathe better, not too restricted. She gives a brief nod, and Talyah resumes fastening the corset.
“Well, I believe you are looking better than ever. It might be a costume for one of the masquerade balls we host for Halloween, but it’ll do. Let us return before people start to wonder where we scurried off to.” Talyah winks before leading Caroline back down to the ballroom.
Caroline and Talyah depart as they enter the room; everyone is dancing and laughing. Talyah disappears into the crowd as Caroline tries to return to her table. As she approaches the back of the room where the large windows gape at her, Caroline realizes her table is full of strange people. Seeing the doors are open to the courtyard, Caroline decides to investigate the garden instead. They won’t miss me; I might have a new dress, but I’m still out of place. I know Talyah would prefer I mingle with the guests, but I don’t know what to say to them.
Her heels click against the stone walkway as she follows it down the steps to the garden. Large hedge monsters loom in the darkness, causing Caroline to shiver. At the edge of the path sits an opening between a massive hedge that spans out. As she’s about to take a tentative step forward, something grabs her arm and spins her around.
“I wouldn’t go in there if I were you, might get lost, especially at night.” A familiar voice whispers.
Looking up, she sees Jasper holding her arm, with a mischievous grin across his face. “What are you doing out here? Shouldn’t you be inside with the other guests?” Caroline demands, wondering where he came from.
“I could ask you the same thing.”
Letting out a deep sigh, “I was curious what was out here, and I’m not good at these kinds of events.”
Chuckling, Jasper shakes his head slightly, “neither am I. Would you like to know a secret?”
Caroline smiles at him, not sure what it is about him, but I feel so relaxed.
Not waiting for a reply, “I despise parties; they’re far too formal and boring for my taste. I’d rather go to the casino, more entertaining.”
She had never been to gambling houses but heard about them. “Why did you attend this event then if you don’t like parties?”
“Ah, now that’s a question. You do know what this place is, don’t you?”
Blushing, Caroline averts her eyes away from Jaspers. She had completely forgotten that the party was for patrons to mingle with the staff before taking part in their fantasies.
“You didn’t know; Madame Talyah would have told you I’m sure before hiring you.”
Caroline takes a deep breath about to say something but decides against it. “She did; I just forgot that’s what this was.”
Laughing, Jasper takes hold of Caroline’s chin and raises it to meet his gaze, “you are far too innocent to be a worker here. I never thought I’d meet someone like you at this event.”
“Are you making fun of me?” Caroline blurts out as she takes a step backward.
Jasper’s playful expression was gone in a flash, replaced by one of concern, “no, not at all.” Trying to find the right words, Jasper fumbles in his head. “Let’s just say, the ones who work these events are more forward in their conversations.”
Well, he does have a point; I don’t know how to flirt or be enticing to a client. Probably why Talyah said I’ll need to be trained. “I’d tell you to be yourself, but most of the clientele won’t like it. However, I’d like to spend some more time with you if you wouldn’t mind.” Jasper offers, with the sincerest smile.
He’s incredible looking and charming too. I couldn’t ask for a better man at an event like this.
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