This is a part two of the series Ann Submits to Mafia Dominion, about a future dystopian America.
Chapter Four: Once Beaten… (From Perspective of John)
I got another invite shortly after the last time I got invited to see Candy. It had only been a few weeks. I had somehow found solace in the fact that she was safe… at least safe from physical harm. The emotional part I dared not imagine. I was going through my own personal hell, and it all stemed from the fact that I did not have the foggiest idea what was going through her mind.
Yes, I did see her, yes, she looked physically unharmed, but I knew something was horribly wrong. The woman I saw the other night, the one that could barely speak two sentences to me, that woman I did not recognize. That woman was an impostor. I knew my Ann was still in there somewhere. After all, how could you condition a whole person into oblivion. I refused to believe that it was possible.
My task was clear in my mind: how do I get back my Ann? I made it my mission to find a way to get her back. I had no leads, nothing to go on, no friends, no allies, but I had the will, and with that, I knew I could do it.
I spent every waking hour thinking about it. I explored so many posssibilities, if I could find a way to break into wherever she was held, we both could escape into the night and maybe find ourselves somewhere far away. I explored so many other options, but at the end of each plan lay the biggest obstacle yet: my own financial restraint.
There was no way to could get her out of there without money or power, and in this world we lived in: money was power. I knew I needed something much more than all I had, something so large, almost a miracle.
I was not expecting to get any more messages. I was sure Cornelius had gotten his fun toying with me. He had already forced me to watch her transformation, and I had also seen the finished product, so I expected he would leave me alone.
This was why it came as a bit of a surprise to get a message from the same number that had tormented me these past few months. “Hope you had fun at the club the other night? We noticed you did not get a dance, so we decided to give you a seocnd chance. Come to the club this Friday, remember, the same rules apply as before.”
I stared at the message as thought I could not believe my eyes. The miracle I had hoped for had just landed in my lap. This time I would be prepared. I had a few days to prepare for my visit to the club. It felt like I had so much to do, so much preparation, yet all I needed was money. I gathered what little funds I could find, enough to get me private time with her. I intended only one thing, to see my Ann resurface. I knew she was in there somewhere.
The agreed date finally came and I eagerly rushed to the club. I arrived early, hoping to get her alone before the club became too crowded. I went through the usual rigors of being searched and the rules being repeated to me. It was more of a painful reminder than a helpful guideline at this point, but I needed to endure it. My eyes were on the prize.
I was finally allowed to go in and I quickly found the same seat I got the last time. I wanted to remind Ann who she was. I knew I was not supposed to address her as Ann, but in my mind, she would always be Ann. I dressed in best suit, the one I knew she favored the most.
I sat and ordered a drink, just a shot, something to help me blend into the crowd. I kept an eye out for her, never forgetting why I was at the club. How could I forget?
“You want a dance, handsome?” A female voice snapped me out of my thoughts. It was not a familiar voice, but it took me by surprise.
I turned to see who it was, and to my immense disappointment, it was one of the other girls. She was good-looking in her own right, but I only had eyes for my Snn. I fkashed her the most insincere smile, remembering the rules.
“Maybe later.” I blurted out and raised my glass to my lips, dismissing her.
My eyes were open, searching for Ann in the pool of skimpily dressed women. I must have been seated there waiting for over an hour. The club was packed already and rowdy, just what I wanted to avoid.
I finally spotted her some time later as she walked into the club from one of the back rooms. I could guess it was a dressing room for the girls working in the club because lots of the other girls went in and out of the room.
From the moment I saw her, I could barely contain my excitement. I waved to her and yelled. “Candy!”
She turned to look at me and flashed me a smile. She started to walk towards me, slowly, deliberately. It was all part of her act, a little display for her prospective clients to feast their eyes on just so they can ask for more and get charged through the nose.
She wore a skimpy bedazzled silver crop top that barely covered her large breasts and did nothing to cover much of anything else, either on the front or on the back. She also wore a pair of jean shorts that were so short, they barely covered her thong panties, and of course, her platform heels were no less than six inches high, making her appear taller than I was comfortable with. Her makeup was of course flawless, with flashy red lipstick and a generous amount of everything else. Her wrists were adorned in flashy jewelery and her ears were adorned with large shiny hoop earrings. The light bounced off from her flashy clothes and jewelery and if I didn’t know better, I would not recognize her.
She stood in front of me.
“Want a dance, handsome?”
I grinned at her, playing my part to the best of my abilites. I took out a wad of cash from my pocket. “That’s why I’m here.” I said, waving the cash at her.
She placed her hands on my knees and leaned in close. I could smell her perfume.
“Fifty bucks!” She whispered into my ear. I held her gaze without flinching. I then counted out the money and handed it to her. She grinned at me and stuffed it into her shorts.
She started to to dance for me, seductively, sexily. I felt like I was with a stranger. This was not the woman I knew and loved. She had spent so much time with me, yet nothing, not a single show of emotion. She was either a very good actress or her conditioning was just that good. By the time the dance was over, I felt a sense of gloom descend upon me. The rules I was given were useless. Without them, the outcome of the evening would not have changed. Was that the twisted game Cornelius was playing? Was the evening with me just meant to see how well she was conditioned? I suddenly felt sick to my stomach. I darted into the bathroom. I spilled the contents of my guts into the lavatory. It took a few minutes to get my wits about me. A sense of panic had taken over me.
By the time I re-emerged from the bathroom, I was looking pale, but I composed myself. My eyes darted around the club and I coud spot her already dancing for some other big spender. I walked towards the exit. I was done for the night. Whatever I thought I knew, I was wrong.
Chapter Five: Rising Star (From Perspective of John)
It had been a few weeks since the moumental failure at the club. I felt like a giant sucker. I had gatherd all my money to go to the club in hopes of getting to at least talk to Ann. Ann was nowhere to be found that night. All I got was confirmation that my Ann was so far gone, she may be gone for good.
I spent the next few days trying to drown my sorrows in the bottle, but no matter how much I drank, I could still see her face, begging to be released, trapped with no hope of escape. I was wasting away. I could barely eat, and when I did, it was right back to the booze.
I was sitting in the livingtoom that fateful day, trying to gather whatever pieces of my life I could gather. I turned on the television and it was all bleak news. I decided to watch something a bit less gloomy. I flipped through the channels casually, trying to find something that would somehow numb the pain.
My fingers froze as I flipped past a channel showing a music video. I thought I saw her. I flipped the channel right back. and then it happened. My hands shook so badly, I dropped the remote. I stared, wide-eyed, open-mouthed, and completely speechless.