Another Year, Another Slave to Own

Chapter One: Sunny Side Up

I'm not sure why I pulled my rented blood red economy car off the highway in a fateful decision to explore the small town of Sunnyside. Maybe it was because I was ahead of schedule in my drive back to my university from visiting a friend in a neighboring state or perhaps it was because I had heard so many amazing stories about how beautiful and affluent the town was that I just had to see it for myself.

As I approached the quaint hamlet it was as if the lavish sapphire sky itself got a little bit brighter. The golden rays of the sun tenderly caressed the pastoral green fields and gentle sloping hills within the town limits. The road became perfectly smooth with not a single hole or bump to be found. Indeed every house was a beautiful mansion kept in pristine condition with sprawling lush landscaped gardens. I drove past the local public schools and admired how expansive and beautiful the buildings were and it wasn't long before I found myself at the immaculate town square. I pulled into a free space adjacent to the large park that made up the square, noting how out of my place my subcompact looked among the throngs of fancy European luxury cars of one variety or another.

It was late afternoon on Halloween day. The leaves on the trees were changing from dark green to brilliant hues of yellow, orange and red before falling into neat piles on the ground. I felt the chill of the autumn air that flowed through the park lick my insufficiently clothed frame so I quickly reached back into the car and grabbed a jacket to keep my petite body warm, but it did nothing to protect the silken skin of my exposed slender thighs upon which goose bumps were starting to form. I was still getting used to the difference in seasons compared to where I grew up and I hadn't yet mastered the art of dressing appropriately for the current climate.

I saw some well dressed children dancing and playing nearby in the square so I stopped to watch as they held hands in a circle and sang a poetic song together.

"Charlie the Trickster shall never grow old.

And when he comes he gives you his gold.

He asks but one thing without any fear.

One daughter on Halloween night of each year."

I stood and watched for a few minutes as they reveled and hooted. Of the many children two wore frightening rubber masks of a hideous figure with a hooked nose, nightmarish teeth and disheveled white hair with two small horns protruding from the forehead. They spotted me spying on them at the edge of the park and quickly ran up to where I was standing, continuing their spirited chant in a manner that was becoming aggressive and made me feel uneasy.

"Do not trust him, lie he must.

Tell you things to earn your trust.

All he says is not his word.

He wants you in his faithful herd."

I slowly backed away from the seemingly possessed children until the booming sound of the horn emanating from a polished silver Mercedes startled me back to reality where I found myself standing in the middle of the road. I sheepishly raised my hands in apology and continued to the other side of the street where I spotted a picturesque looking vintage diner. My tummy growled to remind me that I hadn't eaten in hours since I left my friend and lunch was long overdue.

I pushed open the heavy art deco doors of the café and found a seat on a red leather stool at the counter. It was warm inside so I removed my jacket revealing my slender little frame clothed only in a tank top that accentuated my small breasts but did nothing to keep me warm and a pair of skimpy cut off denim shorts.

The waitress silently approached me with a menu. She had short dark red hair and a slightly plump frame that seemed appropriate for a woman who was probably in her forties. She took her time to walk over to me and spoke in a relaxed manner. Given that it was past lunchtime and the diner was empty, I surmised that there wasn't a lot of pressure at that time of day.

I studied my choices carefully before deciding on my selections; however the waitress was in no hurry to return to take my order. As I waited for her to reappear from the back a group of three elderly men entered and took a seat in a booth together near to where I was perched on my stool. They spoke in hushed whispers and despite their advanced years, I could sense them staring at me. I felt their eyes tracing the contours of my smooth toned legs and admiring the roundness of my firm rear that was so well displayed in the revealing jean shorts that barely covered it.

Finally the waitress reemerged from her hiatus and meandered over to the counter. "You must be freezing out there little girl, didn't anyone ever teach you how to dress for the weather?"

"I'm still getting used to having backwards seasons," I replied. "This time of year I'm used to the weather warming up as we go into spring."

"Is that a fact?" She asked as she nodded her head. "I'm picking up a bit of an accent there. Where are you from anyway?"

"I'm from Australia, I just started at university here a couple months ago," I replied.

"Australia huh? Well that sure explains the backwards seasons. Want me to put a shrimp on the barbie for you?" She asked with a laugh.

I had heard of the old Australia tourism ads starring Paul Hogan that ran long ago before I was born. It seemed clear that everything she knew about Australia she learned from the Crocodile Dundee movies. "We call them prawns actually."

She nodded as her eyes took in my lithe form. "Just started university? That would make you about eighteen years old?"

"That's right," I smiled as I brushed an errant strand of long dark hair from my pale blue eyes and tucked it behind my delicate ear.

She nodded knowingly. "I remember eighteen. What a wonderful feeling. I had a tight firm ass, supple breasts, no cellulite, wrinkles or sagging not to mention that lying cheating ex-husband I ended up with. I used to love to show off my body the way you do now. Every boy wanted to fuck me. That was an amazing power to have, but no one looks at me like that anymore. I'm pretty sure my pussy has cobwebs in it at this point. That's what awaits even the best of us. Beauty always fades," she said with a deep sigh. "So what will you have?"

I shrugged in response, still trying to get the mental image of spider webs in her dusty pussy out of my brain and I hoped my order would diffuse the situation. "I'd like two eggs and a cup of green tea please."

"People around here like their eggs cooked sunny side up, maybe on account of the name of the town."

"That sounds lovely," I replied with a weak smile.

She put in my request with the cook and returned to tell me that my meal would be ready shortly. She kept staring at me, as if she wanted to tell me something. I glanced back at the old men in the booth who I was certain were still gawking at me intensely. "Do you need to go take their order or something?"

"No," she said with a dismissive motion of her hand. "They come in here every day, I wouldn't worry about them."

"I heard some kids outside singing about some guy named Charlie the Trickster. What's that about?" I inquired.

"That's just an old Halloween fable dating back to the town's founding in seventeen hundred. Good fun for the kids with tall tales of spooky spirits. I'm sure you know what that's like," she explained.

"Actually we don't really do much with Halloween where I'm from," I responded with a shrug.

"That's too bad, it's a good time. Everyone in the town benefits from the Halloween activities around here. Not to pry but you have a boyfriend?"

I blushed and felt my skin turn a shade of crimson as I instinctively found myself staring down at the counter. "Not at the moment," I muttered in a low voice.

"Pretty little thing like you? I would think you'd be getting fucked ten times a day."

Her line of questioning was becoming uncomfortable and as beautiful as the town was, I found myself starting to think it was actually a little on the eerie side. Something wasn't right about this place but I just couldn't put my finger on what it was. It didn't feel like good clean Halloween fun, that much I was certain of.

It was then that I caught a glimpse out of the corner of my eye of one of the old men giving a nod to the waitress which she returned almost imperceptibly. This place was definitely giving me the creeps and I decided the second my meal was over, I would make a beeline for my car and be on the highway and back at my university in time for dinner.

The wait for my lunch seemed to last forever until finally the waitress emerged with a plate of eggs and a mug of green tea. I wolfed down my meal, washing it down with my tea which admittedly were easily the best eggs and green tea I had ever tasted. As tempted as I was to order some more, the general creepiness of the town was starting to get to me so I had my money on the counter before my little butt even left the stool.

"Thank you, hope you enjoyed your meal and please come again sweetie." The waitress called out after me. I kept walking and I waved one hand in the air as the other pushed hard on the heavy door that led back outside. The air was beginning to cool down as I slipped my jacket back over my slender shoulders and trekked down the sidewalk.

Suddenly the kids were back. At least seven or eight of them danced and sang in front of me, blocking my path and slowing my progress toward my car which was waiting patiently for my return.

"What does Charlie do with our girls?

He who takes them and gives us pearls.

No one knows but it's understood.

We give him daughters for our good."

I tried to step around them but they moved quickly, loudly hooting and singing. They all wore the disgusting looking rubber masks of the horrifying monstrous figure with frightening facial features and sharp blood stained yellow teeth, presumably a representation of the fabled Charlie the Trickster.

I faked left and quickly moved right sliding past them but they caught up and danced in a circle around me, holding hands to prevent me from proceeding any further. I looked around wondering where their parents were but the few adults on the street went about their business with no regard for my uncomfortable plight.

"Tie your girl to a pole in the field.

Luck and wealth is what you yield.

Disappear she will forever.

That Charlie he is oh so clever."

Their song was becoming disturbing and the figures circling around me was giving me a headache and making me dizzy. I stumbled forward; my head feeling like it was lost in a fog. My vision became blurry and I was having trouble keeping my balance. I quickly reached out and desperately gripped the post of a parking sign with my small hand for support. I felt wobbly and nauseous and my vision began to dim further. Panic set in and I could feel my heart thumping in my ears until my hand slipped and I hit the pavement hard. Sounds seemed distant and I could barely hear the children as their song finished.

"If you're a beauty, if you're sweet.

On Halloween you will find defeat.

Into his clutches till the end of time.

And that is the end of our warning rhyme."

I stared up at the sky through half shut eyes and watched as brightly painted orange and yellow leaves twirled down to the ground from the large oak tree that had watched over the town square for generations. I couldn't move a muscle, not even to close my mouth which in its open position reflected the shock and horror of my situation. The world began to dim and in no time I stopped being aware of anything.

Chapter Two: Believing is Seeing.

My eyes blinked open but all I saw was darkness as the last illumination of twilight disappeared over the horizon. A single torch sat nearby with a bright orange flame that flickered from the cool breath of the autumn breeze which rustled through the large corn plants surrounding the clearing that contained me.

I found myself bound to a large wooden post. I was suspended by my slender arms which were bound above me with rough hemp rope that painfully bit into the wrists of my tender tanned skin. I felt the sting of a gust of wind lick the exposed surface of my arms and legs causing goosebumps to form and my petite body to shiver in response. Despite the excruciating pain in my shoulder blades I pulled hard on the ropes in an attempt to dislodge myself from my vulnerable position, but it was to no avail. My lithe frame twisted around but I remained firmly affixed to my wooden captor.

The cotton fabric that filled my mouth and absorbed every drop of my saliva was secured by a strip of cloth that effectively gagged me and kept me from crying out for help, not that there appeared to be anyone around to answer the call even if I did retain my voice. Nevertheless instinct forced me to scream at the top of my lungs but the only sounds that came out were muffled and low.

Fear and panic engulfed me as I hung in bondage waiting for whatever fate the depraved townspeople of Sunnyside had in store for me. Every second of my ordeal was torture. My arms were numb, my mouth and throat were dry and even my plump red lips were burning from a lack of moisture. Finally after what seemed like forever my eye caught the glow of a flashlight through the field and the cracking sound of deliberate footsteps over dried corn husks. I wanted to believe that it was a white knight riding in on a valiant steed to rescue me, but deep down I knew that no one would be out here in the middle of a large field on Halloween night by random coincidence. This realization only served to fuel my panic and I found my chest heaving as I sucked in as much oxygen through my nose as I could.

A figure stepped through the plants and shined the flashlight in my eyes, blinding me temporarily. "Oh sorry about that," a male voice said in an apologetic tone as he quickly changed the trajectory of the beam. My eyes adjusted once more to the darkness and I got a fairly clear look at him in the dim light of the torch. He appeared to be roughly my age with perfect blonde hair and a face that was reminiscent of a young Brad Pitt. He pulled a long knife with a thick handle and a large serrated edge that glimmered in the torchlight from its leather sheath and held it up in front of my face. My heart skipped a beat and I was convinced this would be the end of me.

"You look pretty uncomfortable up there; may I have permission to cut you down?" He asked in a reassuring tone.

I muttered something incomprehensible into my gag while tugging on the bonds that dug into my delicate skin and writhing my little body. "I'll take that to mean yes," he said with a comforting smile as he reached up and masterfully sliced through the coarse rope that held me captive. He deftly caught my slender body as I fell towards the ground and held me in his muscular arms. My potential hero quickly pulled the cloth that was in my mouth down to my chin and removed the material that filled my dry throat. I slid my soft tongue across my luscious ruby lips to give them some much needed moisture as he carefully lowered me until the soles of my pink Converse high tops disappeared through the thin layer of ground fog and made contact with the hard soil beneath.

The look of fear and panic on my face must have been obvious because he tried to put me at ease, speaking in a calm manner and moving very slowly. "Don't worry; I'm not here to hurt you," he said with the soothing voice of a hostage negotiator trying to get the perpetrator to drop a deadly weapon.

"How do I know that?" I asked, fear oozing through my voice.

"I did just cut you down from that post. People who are out to hurt you rarely do things to help."

"I guess that's true," I said as he handed me an open bottle of fresh water which I quickly gulped down without even tasting it. The refreshing liquid soothed my dry throat and I quickly began to calm down and relax after finishing it.

"I know you're scared and angry. After what you've been through I don't blame you, but you're safe now. Everything is going to be fine," he reassured me.

I wrapped my slender arms around my shivering little body and rubbed my exposed shoulders with my slight hands to keep myself warm. His words dripped from his lips like sweet honey and served to calm me down. I found myself feeling relaxed and comfortable in his presence despite the myriad of questions that swirled in my brain.

"Can you tell me your name?" He asked in a gentle tone.

I took a deep breath of the cool air and answered "I'm Kristin, Kristin Kailey."

"Well Kristin, you're absolutely freezing," he observed as he began to unbutton his white dress shirt. "Let's get something on you to warm you up."

I quickly waved my hands and said "You don't need to do that for me, I just need to get out of this field."

"I insist," he said in a comforting tone. "What kind of a gentleman would I be if I let a beautiful lady freeze just to keep myself warm?" He slid the shirt off of his muscular torso and I saw what looked like incredibly developed washboard abs. I bit my succulent lower lip as he leaned in close to drape the shirt over my bare shoulders. I inhaled deeply and his scent filled my nostrils with an addictive odor that made my tummy tingle and flutter.

"Thanks," I said with a weak smile. He moved slowly and reassuringly to wrap his large powerful arms around me and draw me close to share his body heat. I closed my blue eyes and pressed my face to his smooth warm chest, his aroma enveloping me in an aura of security.

"My car is waiting for us just through the field." I nodded and he took me by the hand and led me through the dark maze of corn stalks, the bright beam of his flashlight the only illumination until we emerged on the other side near a dark country road. He led me to the back door of a late model black Rolls Royce Phantom that was resting on the shoulder of the route with its laser headlights cutting brightly through the shadows of night.

We both took our places in the luxuriously appointed back seat of the vehicle and warmed ourselves as the car smoothly pulled on to the road. The privacy screen prevented me from getting a good view of the driver, but that was the least of my concerns at the moment.

"Are you rich or something?" I asked with the least amount of tact possible.

"Something," he replied with a smile. "Again I'm really sorry for what happened to you," he said quickly changing the subject. "Those Sunnysiders can be a bit over the top with their traditions. A bunch of drama queens playing childish games. I've told them over and over to quit tying girls to a pole in a field on Halloween but they never listen."

I gazed out the window as we traversed the smooth road and watched as packs of children in a variety of ensembles made their way from house to house, clutching bags that overflowed with a cornucopia of sweet treats. Several of the kids even wore Charlie the Trickster costumes including the hideous rubber masks that I saw earlier in town.

I felt a spark of anger well up inside me. "That's got to be illegal, drugging people and tying them up like that. I should go to the police."

He nodded and ran a hand through his perfect blonde hair. "You could do that. Indeed that would be the responsible thing to do. Of course you realize the whole town is in on these traditions, including the police. I just wonder how much good it would do."

The man had a point, not that his message mattered much. It was his voice that mesmerized me. The way the words flowed in an almost melodious hypnotic manner put me deeper in a state of ease and comfort.

"It occurs to me that I'm in a strange car going who knows where," I said in a concerned tone. "Should I be afraid?"

He smiled revealing a set of perfect white teeth and the dimples in his cheeks. The man was not only rich but he had dimples, how much more perfect could he possibly get? "It does seem a bit suspicious doesn't it?" He responded, his voice soothing me with every word uttered. "With regard to where we're going, I thought we'd go to my house for some tea."