I Am Karma Page 2

  Upon hearing that, Alex felt like she was going to throw up again. Her face turned white and she could feel her heart pounding in her chest.

  Rachel continued, “All I'm saying is that if you do as you're told, you'll be fine. Jeremy will start you off with normal clients for a few weeks—guys who don't want anything too kinky or perverted. You don't have to worry about taking the money, Jeremy does that. You just do what the client wants and wait for the next one to arrive.”

  “Do we at least get some of the money?”

  Rachel laughed, “Of course not. Jeremy keeps all the money and pays for what he thinks we need. We get two meals a day, breakfast and dinner, he only feeds us twice a day to keep us from getting fat, and he buys everything we need to look good for our customers. Clothes, shoes, underwear, makeup, all of it.” Rachel got up from the bed and walked over to the closet, opening the door. She stepped aside as Alex's mouth dropped open as she stared at a wide variety of dresses, lingerie, and costumes.

  “Some guys prefer us to be naked while others want us dressed up for them. We do what the client wants, always, and if we don't...” Rachel closed the door and moved back over to sit on the bed. “You'll get used to it. As long as Jeremy's happy, it's not so bad.” She shrugged. “Okay, it's bad, but it could be worse.”

  Alex sat on the bed staring at the floor. She went from one bad situation to another, and this was worse than what she lived through with her dad. She started crying again for her missed childhood, weeping for the mother she never got to know. She cried for her current situation, and for the first time, wondered why she was still alive. She was only fourteen years old and already could see no point in living.

  3

  JEREMY CALLED EVERYONE down for dinner before the sun even went down. Rachel told Alex that this was because clients started arriving early and the girls had to shower and dress. Dinner consisted of a can of soup and some crackers, and the girls could drink milk or water. Alex was thankful for the meal since she was starving after throwing up her breakfast earlier in the day. Once they finished eating, the girls were sent back to their rooms to shower, change and prepare for the night's festivities. Alex was so nervous, she was convinced she'd vomit again. Rachel sensed her apprehension.

  “Try to calm down, okay? Clients don't like it when we're nervous and when they don't like us, they complain to Jeremy. When it's happening, try to imagine happier times. Imagine lying on a beach, or picture scenes from your favorite movies. Do whatever you have to, but send your mind away. It's the only way you'll get through this at the beginning. Soon, it'll become second nature and you might even enjoy it sometimes.” She gave Alex a small smile.

  “I'm gonna jump in the shower and you can go in after me, okay?”

  Alex nodded. Rachel grabbed what she needed for her shower and left the bedroom, softly closing the door behind her. Alex laid down on the bed and sobbed into the pillows. Her throat was raw and her stomach ached, but she felt better than she had all day, even though she still had no idea how she was going to make it through the night.

  Rachel returned from the bathroom and Alex left to take her shower. She walked into the dimly lit bathroom and noticed razors, shampoo, conditioner, and body wash lining the edges of the bathtub. She got undressed and turned the water as hot as it would go and began washing her hair, allowing the water to turn her skin red. She finished washing, turned off the water and stepped out of the tub. She wrapped a clean towel around herself and wiped the steam off the mirror, taking a good look at her face. She used to be a pretty girl with long black hair, dark brown eyes and full lips. Today, as she stared at her reflection, she noticed dark circles under her eyes and a sad expression she was sure would never go away. She stood there wondering why her mother left her and guessed that she probably looked a lot like her mom since she didn't favor her dad at all. Alex pushed her sadness down, but it was quickly replaced by nervousness. Using the brush on the counter, she detangled her hair, turned off the light, and made her way back to her room.

  Rachel was dressed and ready when Alex walked into their room. “I picked out some clothes for you. I hope you like them. It always helps if you feel pretty in the outfit.” She handed Alex a red corset, black stockings, and red garters. “Do you know how to put this stuff on?”

  Alex shook her head. She was fourteen. How the hell would she know how to wear this stuff?

  Rachel helped her get dressed and if she were honest with herself, Alex would say she liked how she looked in the sexy outfit. Granted, she was still a child, but she felt pretty for the first time in a long time.

  She stared at herself in the mirror as Alex put makeup on her face. She'd never worn makeup because her father never let her, and she noticed how heavy it felt on her skin. When Rachel was finished with Alex, she looked like an entirely different person. She had dark, smokey eyes and bright red lips and she could have sworn she looked ten years older. She liked it, even though she knew she shouldn't.

  Alex had no idea how long Rachel worked on her, but before she knew it, it was time for her to meet her first client.

  ***

  ALEX STAYED IN the bedroom while Rachel went to another room with her clients. She felt alone and scared, sitting on the bed, wrapped up in a ball, and it wasn't long before Jeremy entered with a small, fat man. Alex sat up, using her arms to try to cover her small breasts.

  “Jack, this is Alex. She's new here, so please keep that in mind.”

  Jack stared at Alex with a feral grin. “How old is she?”

  “Alex is fourteen. You wanted a younger girl, right?”

  “I did and she's perfect.” Jack was still smiling and never took his eyes off her.

  Jeremy looked at Alex. “Stand up.”

  Alex stared at Jeremy and the tears threatened to fall once again.

  “Alex, stand up.”

  She did as she was told but kept her arms wrapped around herself.

  “Put your arms down, please.”

  Alex hoped the pleading look would keep him from demanding she lower arms, but it didn't work.

  “Lower your arms.”

  Alex did as she was told and felt her face redden from embarrassment. She stared at the floor until Jeremy was satisfied and left the room. Jack was a fat, short man who was bald, had sweat stains visible under his man boobs, and stared at her with a look she'd never seen before.

  After taking her in, he said, “Smile for me, baby.”

  She gave a half smile which seemed to satisfy him.

  “That's my girl. During our time together, I want you to call me 'Daddy,' okay?”

  Alex whispered, “Okay.”

  He frowned. “Okay, what?”

  Alex gulped. Memories of her father came racing into her head faster than she could drive them away. “Okay...Daddy.”

  Jack smiled and walked over to the bed. “Come here,” he told her in a deep, throaty voice.

  Alex walked over and stood in front of the man. His breath smelled like garlic and beer, and she noticed hair coming out of his nose. She thought she might get sick and she swallowed hard, her throat making an audible clicking sound.

  “Undress me,” was all he said.

  Alex was mortified and didn't know where to start. Eventually, she removed the man's shirttails which were tucked into his pants and began unbuttoning his shirt. Once she finished, Jack lifted his arms slightly to make it easier to remove the shirt, and Alex's nose was immediately assaulted by the smell of body odor. That smell, combined with his breath, made her turn her head and gag. Obviously embarrassed by her reaction, Jack grabbed her chin, turning her face toward him.

  “Undress me, you little bitch, and stop being dramatic.”

  Alex removed Jack's shirt and reached down to take off his pants when she noticed the very visible bulge in his trousers. Alex winced as he moaned when she unbuttoned and unzipped his pants, and she pulled them off only to notice he wasn't wearing underwear. His erection sprang free and Alex choked back a sob. Jack sa
t down on the bed while Alex removed his shoes and socks and pulled his pants off.

  Jack grabbed his cock in his right hand and began stroking it slowly. “Do you like this, baby?”

  Terrified and determined to get through the encounter, Alex played along, staring Jack in the eyes rather than looking at what he was doing. “Yes.”

  He reached up with his left hand and slapped her on the face. “Yes, what?”

  Alex cried out, “Yes, Daddy!”

  Jack took her in his arms, bringing her closer to his stench. “There's my baby girl. It's okay. He reached around behind her and pulled the laces holding her corset on. It fell off and he stared at her still-developing breasts until he reached up and cupped one in each hand. His breathing quickened and he looked down at his cock as he ejaculated all over himself.

  “Fuck!” Jack muttered as his face reddened. “That usually doesn't happen but I've never had a girl as young and pretty as you. Suck it for me, baby.”

  Alex looked down at the mess covering Jack's dick. “Please, no,” she begged.

  Jack sneered. “Daddy expects his baby to listen. Suck it, or I'll be forced to give you a spanking for being a defiant little cunt.”

  Alex dropped to her knees and took Jack's dirty cock in her mouth.

  4

  LIFE WENT ON for Alex as she continued servicing men at Jeremy's house. She tried to refuse several times, and each time, got a beating for her trouble. There were those men who liked straight sex and those who preferred a little more adventure with their whores. Jeremy continued threatening and berating the girls, and occasionally, he would take Alex back to his bedroom and teach her some new tricks. Eventually, Alex didn't mind the trips to Jeremy's room since he provided various drugs to make her forget her pathetic excuse for a life. In order to get those drugs, she had to do “favors” for Jeremy that included role play, anal and oral sex, and golden showers, something Alex found disgusting.

  She often wondered what her mom would say if she found out how her life had turned out. Would she be disappointed? Angry? Would she fight to get Alex away from her pimp? This line of thought always took her back to the same place. If her mother cared, she wouldn't have left her in the first place. She knew her father didn't give a damn where she was and probably never tried to find her after she ran away, unless he was trying to keep her from telling the cops about the abuse she suffered at his hand. Each time she thought of her parents, she knew she was alone.

  Alex spent more than three long years with Jeremy. During that time, she took on the appearance of a woman, her long, dark hair and soulful eyes made her popular with most of the men, and she had a set of clients who went there just to see her each week. She didn't like her “job,” but she learned to tolerate it by using Rachel's mind tricks. Each time she got fucked on the job, she'd let her mind take her to a happy place, a time when she was three years old at the playground with her father, and he was pushing her on the swings. That was the only happy time she could remember. Alex lost count of how many times she cried herself to sleep as the sun came up while she was working for Jeremy.

  One particularly hot and humid summer day would change Alex's life forever. She was with a particularly violent client, one of her regulars who got off on strangling and beating her during sex, but this time, he took it a bit too far.

  Jeremy might have been an asshole to his girls, but if one of their clients abused them more than normal, he came to the rescue with a vengeance, because no one would dare damage his property. He always paced outside in the hallway, talking on his phone when the girls had clients, and all they had to do was scream his name or otherwise find a way to get his attention, and he was there. Alex had never had to use him until Steve got a little too carried away.

  Steve was a young guy, appearing to be in his mid-20s. He had bright red hair, pale green eyes and was soft spoken and shy, until he got Alex alone in the room. Then he became an animal. He liked his sex rough and loved to try new things he'd seen on one of the porn sites on the internet. Strangling her was one of his favorite things to do and the two of them had developed a safe word she could use if things got too heated. That day, the safe word didn't work. Steve had Alex bent over the bed and was fucking her from behind, with his belt wrapped around her neck. He kept tightening the belt, making it more difficult for her to breathe until she became uncomfortable enough to use the safe word.

  She wheezed as she said, “Stiletto.”

  He tightened the belt even more. The edges of her vision began turning black and panic set in. She moved her hands down to the floor, found a shoe, and threw it at the bedroom door. She was too weak to throw it hard enough, and it missed by several inches. Steve kept pounding her from behind, showing no signs of slowing down, and she reached down hoping to find the other shoe. Once she had it in her hand, she set her resolve to hit the door and threw it, knowing it was her last chance. She raised up as much as she could, and let the shoe fly toward the door. Had she been able to, she would have breathed a sigh of relief when the shoe made contact with the bedroom door.

  It took Jeremy a lifetime to finally open the door—at least it felt like a lifetime to Alex. As soon as he came in, Steve jumped and let go of the belt around Alex's neck. She fell to the floor and gasped for air as the two men began arguing.

  Steve was shocked at the interruption. “What the fuck, man? My two hours aren't up yet! I paid for this time, so get the fuck out!”

  “You know the rules, Steve. If I have to come in here, your time is up. What the fuck is wrong with you, dude?” He turned his attention toward Alex who was crying and catching her breath on the floor. “Alex, get up. Did you use the fucking safe word?”

  Alex got to her knees. Her neck was starting to bruise and tears streamed down her cheeks. “Yes. Several times, “ she croaked.

  Steve spoke up, obviously angry. “The fucking bitch is lying! She never used the goddamn safe word!”

  “Get dressed and get the fuck out of here. You have three minutes before I throw your naked white ass out on the street, and you better not ever show your fucking face around here again.”

  “You're taking the word of a stupid whore over the word of one of your best customers? I drop hundreds of dollars here every fucking week!”

  “My girls know how to use the safe word and if Alex said she said it, not once, but several times, I believe her. You're down to less than three minutes so hurry up and get dressed and get the fuck out.”

  Alex stood as the men argued and she was thankful that Steve hadn't bothered to undress her before fucking her. She moved closer to the bed, still breathing heavily and watched the events unfold, but neither man paid her any attention. Steve was struggling to put his pants on and Jeremy was losing patience. Finally, Steve's three minutes were up.

  Jeremy grabbed the smaller man by the hair and dragged him out of the room and down the stairs. Alex followed, wanting to see what would happen next, fascinated by the violence. Jeremy and Steve made their way to the front door where Steve was promptly thrown onto the front porch, landing on all fours, but he wasn't leaving without a fight. As soon as he found his footing, Steve charged toward Jeremy. Jeremy wasn't a big man, but he easily outweighed Steve by thirty pounds, and he was ready for the other man's attack. He crouched down and rammed his shoulder into Steve's stomach, sending him flying backwards. Jeremy tackled him to the ground and began raining punches on his face. That's when Alex saw her opportunity.

  The two men continued fighting, not paying any attention to Alex—probably not even realizing she was there, and their fight took them at least twenty feet from the front door. She slowly crept out of the door and took a sharp left, sliding down the side of the house toward the back door, wishing she had thought to grab a pair of shoes. She could still hear the men yelling and knew the neighbors wouldn't call the police because they were all afraid of her pimp. She ran across the back yard and climbed over the chain link fence which led into an open field. The fact that there was no co
ver made her nervous, but she kept running and didn't look back. Her sides hurt, her lungs burned, and her legs threatened to give out on her, but she kept running as if her life depended on it, and it probably did. If Jeremy caught her trying to escape, she couldn't imagine the punishment she'd face once he got her back to the house. She ran until she couldn't run anymore and finally collapsed in front of a house on the other side of the field. She made it. She was free, at least for now.

  After she caught her breath and was able to stand, Alex took a look around and considered banging on one of the doors of the large homes, but stopped herself. She didn't want to be punished for prostitution and she didn't want to be sent home to her father. Despite being away from Jeremy, away from the terrible situation she had been in for a long time, Alex was still alone. She didn't know what else to do but walk. She walked away from Jeremy's house, staying close to buildings and hiding in shadows, when possible. Unlike when she ran away from home, she had no doubt that Jeremy would come after her. She was terrified and elated at the same time, and the elation made her determined to stay out of Jeremy's clutches. She couldn't remember a time when she had been so happy. As she walked, despite the fear blossoming in her stomach, she smiled.

  Alex walked all night, eventually ending up in a small town. She had no money, no food, and was convinced she'd die of thirst if she didn't get some water soon. Her entire body ached, and feeling exhausted, she lowered herself down into the grass behind an old abandoned building on the edge of town and fell asleep within minutes. She dreamed she was an angel floating above the world, having power over the people in it. With a touch, she could make good things happen to those who deserved it or cause those who did harm to others to die a violent, painful death. When she awoke, she smiled. Of course she knew there was no way people had real powers like that, but in her dream, she had control over her situation, unlike in real life where power was something she'd never experienced. She never put much thought into the meaning of her dream, but noticed that her right shoulder, the shoulder the homeless woman touched when shaking her awake years ago, itched and burned. She absentmindedly rubbed at the shoulder and a flood of memories came pouring back. Her father's abuse. Running away from home. The woman making her move from her spot after Alex had found a place to sleep. Jeremy pretending to care. The sex, the drugs she found herself sometimes craving. The loneliness she still felt today. The thoughts brought up the self-pity she kept buried far below the surface, and it threatened to drown her.