Imprisoned Affair

Six

Ryan

Jack and Gerard open the two door knobs in sync as the bright yellow light from the dinning room slices through the dark hallway. I turn my head to the right and observe how she reacts as the doors open wider and the huge room is exposed. Her eyes move rapidly as they inspect the environment. Her lips separate a little and she is in awe of the scene before her.

I've been here many times yet it feels new to me. I always had to sit at a table alone but surrounded by duos of older men with way younger women. It was always so awkward, coming to these diners.. The men would always make degrading comments towards the girls and they had no choice but to sit there, clearly being beaten to compliance. And I could do nothing about it. If there's one thing I know how to do, it's treating a woman well. It's what landed me in here for this long.

"Ryan? Table 29?" Says Gerard in a deep voice as he suggests me to move.

"Oh um yeah, come on let's go." I wrap the metal chain around my hand so I can keep her closer to me. If she does anything stupid today, it might just get me killed, let alone herself.

I take a step forward and she makes sure to stay behind me, almost using me as a shield. I can hear the metal clank of the chain between her cuffs tap her legs as she walks.

The familiar smell of tasty food (barbecue ribs perhaps?) engulfs my senses; I was starving. The room was about the size of a large parking lot and it was enough to fit a small city of people. The massive room was enclosed with cream walls and a cream marbled floor. Massive brown tables are laid out in rows so to allow us to easily find our table. At the end of each table was a small index card with a number. I look at the number placed on the table closest to me when I enter the room. 58. To the left, 57. I start my course to the right.

I turn my head back slightly to see how she is doing. The bright glow from the crystal chandeliers above add a sparkle to her eyes. She is mesmerized by the beautiful dining room. Her head moves in all directions, trying to digest the scene. The walls, the lights, the people.

Tegan

This was incredible. How do they manage to run a place this huge and no cops or investigators notice? I mean surely someone is coming to save me and all these girls some day..

He comes to a stop in front of me and I mimic his actions. Table 109. I look at the table and every seat is filled. All but two.

'Ryan' starts marching down the isle to the empty seats. As I pass by the people sitting, I try my best not to look at anyone by keeping my eyes fixated on my feet. I do manage to see from my peripheral vision. I can see all the men, mingling, laughing and joking. I can also see the women by their sides with their heads hanging low, their elbows on the table, and some even silently crying. For a second, and just a single second, I finally believe that I may have gotten lucky.

My thoughts are cut by Ryan coming to a stop in front of me and seeing as I had my head down, I accidentally bump into him. Suddenly, I hear some chuckles and a burst of laughter coming from the men sitting at the table.

"You got a clumsy one huh? Dumb bitch can't even walk straight! What did you do to her Ryan, finally manning-up?" Jokes a bald headed beast of a man. He was at least double my size.

Ryan forces out a fake chuckle and looks to his right at the two empty seats. "I guess we're here." He smiles at the men. He turns around to face me and pulls out a key from his pocket. He grabs the chain dangling between the cuffs in my wrists and brings it up. He moves his hand towards my right cuff, being very careful so not to make contact with my skin. After inserting the key and turning to the left, I feel immediate relief. The pressure from the cuff had left a pink mark around my wrist and I can feel my blood racing through my veins to bring back circulation to my hand. He drops the cuff and undoes my left one. When he finishes, I rub my left wrist making sure that he knows he put it on too tight.