Stolen

3

I woke up alone in the dark. The usually dimly lit hall was almost pitch black. I hesitantly walked to the bars and looked out into the darkness. I could only see the outlines of the walls and the bars on some of the other cages. 

"Hello?" I called. I knew no one would answer. My voice sounded light and fragile even to my own ears. I went back and sat on my blanket pile after a few more moments of silence.

   I was there for hours before I heard the door in the hall open. I stood and ran to my cage door, hoping to see who it was. The open door let in just enough light to see a figure coming out of the dark.

   I didn't recognize this man. He was tall with graying hair, a dark suit, and the brightest blue eyes I had ever seen. Even with age, I could see he was a handsome man. As he got closer, I saw how cold his eyes looked. His face was emotionless.

   I moved away to the back wall of my cage as he opened the door. He didn't say a word. Just dropped the key into his pocket and started moving towards me. He was carrying a paper bag.

"Hello Jade," he said. He stopped about three feet away from me. "I'm Sam Marlben. Mr. Marlben to you."

"Hi?" I responded more as a question than an answer. None of them had been this formal before. I realized it was the wrong thing to say as he seemed to be annoyed with my answer.

"Do you understand why you're here?" He looked bored of me already.

"Not entirely, sir," I said quietly.

"My son," he smiled to himself. "He needs a wife. You aren't the girl we were supposed to have, but you will do just fine if you can learn to listen."

I didn't answer, just waited for him to continue.

"Before he can learn that you're here, you must learn what it is to be a good wife. Myself and a few other men will be teaching you. They should no longer bother you because you are now officially my son's property." He said calmly.

"How would I learn to be a good wife like this? Why can't your son go find his own wife? If this doesn't work, can I go home? Why are the lights off? Where is your son? Who is your son? Why-" I started spouting off questions as quickly as they came to mind and sounded like I belonged in an asylum with the way I was speaking.

"Stop." He said holding up a hand. I stopped and looked at my hands as I twisted my fingers around each other. "That's much better, you're already doing wonderful. Just be quiet. It's not that hard."

I nodded without looking up.

"Now," he lifted the paper bag so I could see what he pulled out of it. There was a dress and a few other items. He placed it on the ground and motioned for me to come closer. "Sit here. We will turn you into a very pretty little wife."

I took a few shaky steps towards him. He rolled his eyes, obviously growing annoyed with my hesitation. He called out a name I didn't quite hear and a very worried Ronnie came rushing into the cell.

"Fix her," Marlben said. He moved to the edge of my cage and leaned against the wall as Ronnie sat on the ground and motioned for me to sit in front of him. I sat and he pulled my hair to my back as gently as he could. I felt a comb fight through the tangles. He sat combing my hair for a while before it ran smooth and tangle-free. I had never really noticed how much I took my clean and soft hair for granted. It felt nice.

"There we are. That's the pretty girl we were looking for. Blake's gonna be very pleased, wouldn't you say Mr. Marlben?"

"She's not wife ready yet." Marlben sighed, sounding bored.

"Of course sir. Turn around and face me, Jade," Ronnie said softly. I turned and immediately felt a cold, wet cloth on my cheek. "We have to clean you up and then teach you how to be a wife."

Ronnie wiped the cloth across my face a little more before smiling at his finished result. He picked up another rag and started to clean my neck and arms. He handed me the cloth and nodded for me to clean my legs while he picked up a small box that I hadn't really noticed before. He opened the top and I immediately wanted to run.

I had seen my aunt have her legs waxed and even had mine done once. It was torture. I felt my heart pound as he prepared my pale leg for a strip. He placed the long sheet over it and waited a moment before tearing it off. He repeated this process multiple times across both legs before deciding he was finished. He put a soothing lotion up and down my legs and I felt my cheeks heat up as his hands rubbed high and low on my legs.

He lifted the dress from the ground so I could see it. It was adorable. A white sundress with multicolor feathers printed down it. I would've picked something like it for myself.

"A good wife always tries to look nice for her husband," Ronnie said handing me the dress. "Put this on."

Why do I have to be pretty if I can't meet the guy yet?

  He handed me the dress and they both stood there, watching and waiting. I faced away and changed into the dress as quickly as I could. Its low cut made my breasts look bigger, the middle tightened and made my waist seem smaller. The skirt of the dress poofed out and ended just above my knee. I twirled around and watched the skirt fly out around me. Such a pretty thing in a place like this.

"Beautiful," Marlben said. His tone didn't quite fit the word. He sounded so bored to be using such a powerful adjective.

Ronnie turned to face me and lightly smiled. He picked up the last thing from the bag. A small blue book with a smiling woman on the front. 'How to be his perfect woman' was printed on the front in cursive letters.

"This book will teach you how to be a good wife, then you can go meet Blake." Ronnie handed me the book.

"Until you have mastered this, you'll stay here. As you progress, you'll earn rewards." Marlben said. He pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to me. A mirror. "Use these items as best you can and follow the rules in that book. If you choose not to, you start over. If you still misbehave, we'll... find a new wife for Blake."

He smiled at me, but I could tell it wasn't a real smile. His eyes were still cold and his tone still sounded bored. His smile fell immediately and he turned and walked out of my cage. Ronnie gave me a sympathetic smile before following him. Locking the door behind him.

"Stay safe," he said. "I'll be back to check in on you as soon as I can."

The lights came back on before they closed the hall door. They seemed so bright after being in the dark for so long. I moved to my blanket pile and sat, leaning against the wall. I looked at the book in my hands. None of this felt real. It couldn't be real. I opened the book and immediately wished to be home again.

Every man needs a good woman. So by completing the simple steps in this book, you'll learn to be his perfect woman.

1 A good wife always tries to look nice for her husband.

2 A good wife will always welcome her husband's advances. She will not be chaste.

"I've gotta get out of here," I whispered to myself, closing the book immediately.