Part 3 – The Disappearance of Emily Bennett

Part 2

The smooth leather was cool and shocking beneath my naked behind as I glanced periodically over my shoulder, biting my lip in shame, and slid into the backseat of the spotless black Mercedes sedan. The driver didn’t even pick up my clothing before walking around the back of the car, finding his place in the driver’s seat.

He pressed the speaker in his ear for better hearing, I imagine, and then responded to what I could only imagine was the voice of my proprietor, “Yes, I have her…yes…clean…she looks just as you would expect.”

The words validated me somehow, and I blushed a bit in both shame, at my state of undress, and pride at his words, though I wondered if I hadn’t misunderstood them, simply reading into them the compliment I craved.

The driver’s voice carried back to me, though he didn’t turn so much as his chin in my direction, “Is your belt secured?”

“Yes.”

“The ride will be exactly 42 minutes; I hope you enjoy the scenery.”

The next 42 minutes were kept in silence — the driver didn’t so much as cough to break it; therefore neither did I, though I had so many questions burning just beneath my rib cage, like heartburn.

My bag sat in the front seat, next to the driver, so I sat in the backseat with my hands folded in my lap, for lack of anything better to do with them.

The ride was straight, until, on minute 38, we turned down another gravel road, beneath a thick umbrella of trees. In the distance, I could see a plantation-style mansion, white as plaster, with columns and wrap-around porches on the bottom two of its three stories.

Parking in front of the house, the passenger side doors facing the front door, drew a handful of servants from within: a man in tails (who I presumed was a butler), a woman in classic black with a white apron, and two young women in plain black dresses, their hair pulled back at their necks.They stood at the base of the stairs, waiting for the driver to open my door.

For the past several minutes, I’d forgotten my nudity, but now, I was hotly aware, and suddenly felt myself become rigid, sitting up and holding my breath. I closed my eyes and licked my lips, trying to find the courage to exit the car with the appearance of calm confidence.

The driver opened the door, exposing me to the warm evening air. The two young women in black quickly walked to greet me. I swiveled my body and set my bare feet on the gravel, wincing before even placing my weight on them. It was a good five yards to the porch stairs, and I was going to have to get there without making a fool of myself.

One of the young women spoke, as she offered her welcoming hand, “It is good to have you, miss. The Master is so pleased you have arrived. This way…”

Part 4