Forced to Become

Ch 3 arrived

I woke up with a start, totally disoriented. My shoulder ached. When I tried to move it and couldn't, everything came back to me.

The tears started automatically, along with thoughts of my home and my parents. I was beginning to be sure I would never see either of them again. I felt like I was drowning in a sea of regret as I thought about how I had scammed my parents. I hated the last thing I had done was lie to them about going to bed early, claiming to be worn out from the evening activities. My fear and anxiety kept growing, as I lay naked, unwillingly chained on the floorboard of the old car. The man's boots rested lightly on my chest. The boy's hand was draped over my leg. My predicament, I knew with certainty, was hopeless.

My parents would have no clue what happened to me. No one had broken into the house. There would be no fingerprints. Would they think anything about a few footprints, when there were two sets of kids prints and a dog to go along with the man? If someone saw the car, what would they see? A family with a dog? Who would suspect them?

Jason's dad was a cop and had been working hard with the state police to find any clues about the missing teens. He had spoken at the rally we had gone to, one arm around Jason, the other around me, as he addressed the crowd.

I knew. They had no leads.

And Jason... I knew I should hate him for convincing me to go out into the night, but I couldn't. I knew he would hate himself for his part in this. I resented that he had been too much of a coward to do what he had asked me to do, even though he had done it last time. Part of the blame was my own, for going out behind my parents' back. I knew it was a stupid thing to do. I don't know why I listened to Jason, agreeing with his plan.

Jason was my best friend. He had always been there for me, like an older brother, doing things like teaching me the guitar. He had already promised me his old one if his folks got him the new one he wanted for Christmas. Now there would be nothing... I didn't have my parents here to help me; instead, I had... my sobs became audible.

The man kicked his foot into my ribs, growling at me to shut up. The boy started tracing lazy lines along my bare body.

"It will be okay, new one, you'll see. Once we get home and you learn the rules, everything will be fine," the boy said sleepily, dreamily. His content smile at my dilemma unnerved me.

"My name isn't new one! It's... " I started to say, "...uuhhmpht!" was all that came out of me as the man kicked me again, hard, right in my stomach, effectively silencing anything I was going to say.

"You have no name until you are given one," the man said fiercely. "Until then you will answer to new one."

His foot moved again, and I tried with my limited range of movement to avoid him. He became enraged, his hand reaching down, grasping my jaw, tilting my head back. His one foot moved to my throat, applying pressure. His other foot came down, his toes finding my ribs again and again.

My pitiful, whimpering cries filled the small car in time with the thuds of the heavy boot striking my body. The boy's hand came down again.

"Learn the rules," the boy said calmly as I cried out from the pain again and again. The boy's hand began stroking my thigh. "Never avoid your punishment."

I tried to hold still. The boy's words seemed to hold the promise that the pain would end if I could hold still. I couldn't stop my crying though. Three more kicks, then the man stopped. His hand came down to painfully grip my jaw again.

"What is your name?" the man asked, his fingers pushing hard against my jawbone.

"Don't forget you don't have one yet," the boy warned me.

The man snarled at the boy, leaning toward the kid. I didn't understand why this kid wasn't afraid of the man.

"He's new, Alpha. You have to give them a chance to learn," the boy said. It sounded like he really cared for me, for some reason, trying to calm the man down.

The boy rolled off the seat, laying on top of me, protecting my body with his own. The man let go of my jaw. The boy tilted my head so I was looking at him. He was very calm as he stroked my hair and face, his fingers lingering when they reached my neck where his teeth had grazed me.

"Deep breath," he said with that gentle smile of his. I did as he said. Somehow I managed to pull myself together, my sobs diminishing, but still sounding loud in my ears. The boy nodded encouragingly.

"Now," he said, "never delay obeying. Alpha asked your name. You answer 'I don't have one until you give me one, Alpha.' Always use Alpha's title. That's one of the rules."

There was a pause, where silence filled the car. The boy's brow began to furrow. He looked like he was about to cry. I didn't want to think about what the man would do to me that would make this kid cry.

Hesitantly, I repeated his words, never taking my eyes from the kid. "I don't have one until you give me one, Alpha."

I was rewarded by the kid's wide smile, his hands on my face once more.

"There, see? Not hard at all! You're doing much better than the other one."

"What other one?" I whispered.

"You're about to see," said the man I was to call Alpha.

The car stopped moving. The silent driver turned the car off. I had no idea where we were, or how long I had slept. I had no idea how I had managed to sleep in the first place; the ride had gone on forever.

The boy stroked my face again.

"Just remember to be good, new one," he said, obviously happy. "We're finally home!"