Chapter Text
> @+» …………………………'' A month has gone by.
Ryker and Hailey were stacked with labor, as they were allowed to go outside now. Ryker sent letters around the neighborhood about the _gathering_ inside a nearby church, made by the cult. While Hailey served the upper class of the cult hierarchy, either accompanying them, serving drinks, food, or entertain them. She goes through humiliation everyday, while questioning what's the point of her life.
Hailey gets groomed daily. (She's attractive.)
When the upper class men would invite their friends over, Hailey would always be the target because she's the _prettiest_ slave there. She was often pulled onto laps, touched, and getting whispered crude comments about how _fuckable_ she is. Which of course, caused stress towards her.
While Ryker had to act all sunshine and rainbows outside, despite the bloody cuts on his wrist and back from whooping. He had to dye his hair black to look more natural, like a saint. He also had to remove his piercings because he was more _charming_ that way.
Ryker has tried to run away while outside, but the other kids often snitched on him, causing him to get punishments.
At night, Ryker and Hailey went back to their room for some rest and food. As they brought the trays in, Ryker couldn't help but notice the hairs on their food, which made him feel like vomiting for a bit. But if he didn't eat, he'd starve to death. So he did.
Late at night, both of them couldn't sleep. Ryker nudged Hailey with his elbow,
“Nnn..what..?” Hailey responded with a small whimper, trying to fall asleep.
“Nothing, can you sleep?” (R
“No.. not really..” (H
“Is the baby doing alright?” (R
"Why do you wanna know?" (H
“I'm still the dad, you know." (R
“..It's doing fine. I got a small bump.” (H
“Thats awesome,” (R
“It's not. It's probably gonna die soon.” (H
“Whatever then.” (R
Ryker faced the other side to look at Hailey, before smiling.
“You're my best friend, you know?" (R
“..You're my best friend also.” (H
Ryker then spooned Hailey, both of them slowly falling asleep.
> @+»…………………'' The next day,
Ryker was back to sprreading the envelopes around the neighborhood, along with the others.
Hailey was busy making tea for guests, disciplining by the upper men of the cult hierarchy.
A few hours later, Ryker returned with five envlopes left. He walked down the dark hallway, his hands were trembling as he approached his handler.
“I-i'm sorry.” (R
_SLAP!_
“Do you remember what i said? Give ALL the invitations out.” (Handler
Ryker rubbed his cheek where it stinged.
“I'm sorry sir. I'll do better next time.” (R
“You say this every time. Cut the bullshit off wil you?” (Handler
“I mean it this time.” (R
“You better,” (Handler
Ryker turned back, before putting the leftover envelopes inside his pocket. He head back to the room, meeting hailey inside that was also just done with her job.
> @+»……………………….'' In the room,
“..Hey.” (R
“Hi.. you have a red mark on your cheek.” Hailey pointed at Ryker's cheek. (R
“Yeah. The handler slapped me.. again.” Ryker muttered, his voice low.
“That's no good.. Let me make you feel better.” (H
She leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to Ryker's cheek where it had a mark, making him blush a little.
“..Thank you, Hailey. I feel a bit better.” He smiled sheepishly, trying to hide his blush."
“No worries!” Hailey said cheerfully, glad that Ryker appreciated her small gesture.
Ryker pressed his hand against the spot where Hailey kissed, his face indicating that he's too shy to show what he's feeling at that moment.
“Wh-whatever. Was work.. good, maybe?” (R
“No.. These creepy guys keep telling me I'm hot.. I don't like them." (H
“I would defend you if i could, Hailey. But there's nothing we can do about it right now. I'll find a way, i promise.” (R
“Really? You will?” Hailey's eyes widened with hope at his words. (H
“I promise.” (R
He held out his pinky, making Hailey giggle and lock her pinky finger with his.
They fall asleep not long after their conversation.
> @+»………………………" The next day,
Today, Ryker had to work extra hours because of the five envelopes he didn't give out yesterday. He went around the neighborhood as a witness of the King in Yellow. He explained what he was taught to say, and it attracted people to come to the event.
As the day went by, Ryker was done passing envelopes, and now his job was to help out prepare the event. He put up posters of the King in Yellow, decorated the place, and was standing by for guests.
While Hailey had to accompany higher ups during a meeting, the men were constantly making dirty jokes of Hailey, but she quickly wipe the tears that were forming. She kept her gaze down, not even bothering to glance at the men.
After doing their work, they were back in their room again.
Ryker stared at hailey, then he felt his chest warm up. He needed to tell her soemthing. Something that he kept for so long.
“Hailey?” (R
“Yeah..?” She answered lazily. (H
“I need to tell you something important.” (R
“What is it?” (H
“I.. I love you. Like, actually." (Ryker said with a shaky voice,
“…what?” Haileys eyes widened,
“…yeah. I'm sorry i'm only telling you now. I catched feelings for you. But, i doubt you even want me anyway. After all that i've done to you.” (R
“To be honest, i like you too.. Like, youre the only thing i can hang onto despite our situation right now.” (H
“Really?” (R
“Yes.” Hailey smiled, looking into his eyes.
Ryker hugged Hailey as tight as he can, burying his face in her neck, as if wanting to memorize her scent.While hailey hugged him back, ruffling his hair.
“I don't get it. Am i that special to you..? Ive done terrible things to you, Hailey. The kindness, the forgiveness. You should've gone better hating me. I.. I want to understand.” (R
A beat, then another.
Ryker stiffened, like he'd been burned, his breath catching in his throat. The cult taught him pain, duty, obedience. Not this. Not warmth. Not wanting comfort. Haileys wamrth seeped through him, your heartbeat steady against his chest. He buried his face in your shoulder, breathing in the scent of sweat, and incense from the halls.
“You're important to me, Ryker. You gave me hope. Hope that someday we'll get out of here.” (H
“You think i'm.. worthy of your hope..? You've put too much faith in me.." He said, his voice hoarse. (R
He hugged tighter. He needed to feel her. He _needed_ her. To feel that she was real or that this was a dream
> A few moments later, they fell asleep. There came the event.
Ryker, Hailey, and the other kids were dressed in white gowns, as the priest held a knife infront of a bucket on the stage. Ryker was placed in the front, since he was the tallest and the oldest. A lot of people came. Some new, some knew.
Ryker handed his arm to the priest, then, the priests thumb went to Ryker's pulse point, then, he sliced a vein, causing some of the guests to gasp. Ryker was used to the pain, only wincing a little.
His shoulders tensed.
The priests voice echoed through the quiet room, speaking in latin.
“We offer the blood of our son, the eldest of your progeny." (P
(_Sanguinem filii nostri, natu maximi ex progenie vestra, offerimus.)_
The priest intoned, holding the bloody knife high.
“May they accept this sacrifice in exchange of our petition.” (P
_(Hoc sacrificium pro nostra petitione accipiant.)_
The crowd whispers, eyes locked on the stage. Some were enthralled, others seemed uneasy..but Ryker remained stoic, his gaze distant. The only hint of his pain a slight wince, as though he'd experienced this countless times before. He was then discarded from the stage.
The priest turned to the line of children, His gaze lingered on Hailey for longer than she liked, a smirk creeping on his face.
“And now the second oldest. Step forth.” (P
The opriest beckoned you forward with a finger, the gesture almost mocking. Like she was a sacrificial doll being presented.
All eyes were on her.
Ryker stiffened, trying to reach her gaze. To somehow communicate something without the others noticing, but the distance was too great. Hailey was on her own, surrounded by those who watched her with hungry, fanatical eyes.
The priest took her chin, lifting it so she could see the crowd
“Look at them, they crave your innocence.” (P
The crowd murmured in agreement, a sickening wave of anticipation rippling across the room. Rykers hands clenched, blood dripping.
The priest grabbed her wrist, pulling her to the center of the stage. She stumbled, the smooth wood almost slippery beneath her feet.
“Kneel,” The priest ordered her, and she obeyed, the surface of the stage cold against her bare legs.
As she knelt, the priest stepped behind her, hands on her shoulders. She could almost feel his smile as he spoke.
“Be not afraid, child. The KIng in Yellow hungers." He said, voice sweet like poisoned honey.
“A lamb for the slaughter..” The priest whispered in her ear, scaring her badly.
“I..” (H
She trembled, looking up at him and his shiny, bloody knife. She felt tears forming in her eyes as the priest yanked her hair, so she could look in the priests eyes. Then, she felt his cold fingers glaze over her pulse point, then slicing a vein. She let out a small whimper, from the pain, humiliation, and fear of what's going to happen next.
The priest held her wrist, upon the bucket, harvesting her blood. After a specific amount, she was yanked away, looking pathetic on the stage. The crowd whispered. The people who were disturbed were even more creeped out.
It was clear the priest had something towards her.
Ryker watched her cry quietly as the cultists held him in place, he tried to let himself go and stop the priest, but the cultists grip were tight against his wrists, failing him. He was..
_Strangely turned on._
By seeing her cry.
He brushed off the feeling, convinced it was wrong. But his mind was betraying him.
“No.. NO! GIVE HER BACK!” He commanded to the cultists, as they grabbed her and forced her to get up, despite her bloody wrist. They discarded her, away from the stage.
Backstage, he catched her as she limped to the floor, she buried her face in his neck, humiliated and scared.
This ritual was repeated towards the other kids.
The priest put the bucket of blood on the altar, pouring some upon the small figure of the king in yellow while whispering a chant. The same one since the beginning.
“HAILEY! Are you alright?! Ryker yelled out as he held hailey.
“No.. it.. it hurts, Ryker..” Hailey said weakly, while whimpering in pain.
Ryker immediately pulled her against his chest, ignoring the blood staining his white gown and his own bleeding arm. He used his free hand to cup the back of Hailey’s head, shielding her face from view so she wouldn’t have to see what was happening right now. The terrified stares from the children onstage, and the blood trickling down their arms. All Ryker wished was to calm Hailey down right now.
“I know, I know.. I’ve got you, shh..” He whispered frantically, pressing his lips against her forehead
Not long after, Hailey falls asleep in his arms.
@+>>…………………..” Two hours later..
The event has come to an end. A friend gently tapped Ryker on the shoulder after the priest finished giving his speech. Ryker carried hailey swiftly in his arms, then walked to the rooms with the other kids. He then set her on the bed, panting after carrying her through long hallways. He looked down at her sleeping form, and his lips curved into a slight smile. He then laid down beside her, and hugged her tight.
The next morning,
Ryker had woken up. It was early in the morning, he thought. The air was cold, and no one had woken up yet. Moments later, a nurse entered the room, bringing something that seemed to be stickers.
“Wake her up.” The nurse said firmly.
Ryker shook Hailey slowly, until she wakes up.
“Open your mouths, swallow after I put these in for ya.” The nurse said, her voice stoic.
They opened their mouths, as the nurse put the so called “stickers” on top of their tongues. She headed to other rooms not long after.
Ryker felt the “sticker” melting into his tongue in some way, like it was absorbent. Then, something in him clicked together. These aren’t stickers! They’re blotters!!
But it was too late, he had already swallowed them, and so did Hailey. He looked over at her nervously, afraid of how she would get taken advantage of when being drugged, but he hasn’t thought of himself, has he?
They decide to sleep again.
That day, everyone seemed almost.. too happy. Everyone wasn’t depressing anymore, atleast that’s what Ryker felt. To them, it all felt normal. Like being happy was the usual for them.
Ryker looked around, like he was more.. wary of the situation. Everyone was acting weird, and he was scared. Could it be possible that he was the only one that felt this way? Or was everyone just pretending because they saw the others too? Ryker decided to fake his cheerfulness to blend in with the others, so the nurses and priest don’t get suspicious of him.
During prayer time, everyone had a smile on their faces. Little did they know, Ryker was the odd one out. He didn’t feel the peak. He only felt the altered consciousness, the drug making the world seem more colorful to him, and hallucinations started to appear. But, he had trouble memorizing the “holy” book because of the hallucinations ringing in his ear and messing with his brain.
Ryker sat cross legged among the smiling children saying their prayers, their eyes glazed over as they swayed to the “divine visions” of the LSD.
He could feel the tingle at the edges of his mind, the colours bleeding together differently than they used to, the drug working, but partially. Not enough to make him lose himself like the others.
Someone nudged him
“isn’t the sky so beautiful? The asngels are dancing through the trees..” They said.
“Y-yeah.. So beautiful.” His stomach twisted.
He’d learned to mimic the ritual. His eyes fluttering closed, swaying and singing in rhythm, but inside, he felt nothing but dread. He had to find Hailey. She’d be vulnerable during the peak.
He spotted her near the front, her eyes wide and glassy, pupils dilated, A permanent, dreamy smile plastered across her face. She was swaying gently, your hands clasped together in prayer, completely lost in the vivid hallucinations the drug was forcing upon her.
She looked innocent, blissfully unaware, and entirely vulnerable.
He wanted to take control of her, badly.
His heart hammered against his ribs.
The dark whispers in his head curled around his mind like smoke. She’s vulnerable. She’s yours entirely. Protect her from everything. The urge wasn’t just protective, it was primal. Commanding him to take absolute control over her while her mind was fractured by the drug.
Ryker swallowed hard, fighting his aggressive instincts, but the voices were relentless.
Control her. Guide her.
He slowly crept behind her, The other children too focused on their own hallucinations to notice. He knelt behind her, his breath hot against her ear.
“Hailey,” he whispered, his voice low and commanding.
Her head lolled to the side, seeking his voice like a moth to a flame.
“Ryker..” She murmured back, her voice soft and dreamy. Her eyes fluttered open, pupils blown wide, unable to focus on anything but his face inches to hers.
The drug had completely suppressed her inhibitions and critical thinking, leaving her open and malleable to his commands.
“Good girl..” Ryker whispered, sliding his hands firmly over her shoulders, instantly establishing dominance.
The voiced hammered at him:
Control her. Mold her. Keep her.
Her body instantly went slack, leaning back into him, surrendering all control to him. She trusts him, after all. Hailey was completely pliable, her mind floating in a psychedelic haze.
“Come.” He said firmly, wrapping an arm around her waist and lifting her onto her feet. She stumbled slightly, her legs unsteady from the drug, but she followed his lead obediently as he guided her to their shared bedroom. Once inside, he kicked the door shut behind her and locked it.
The room was dim and quiet, shielding them both from the chaotic prayers outside. Ryker guided her to their bed, sitting her down on the edge. Her pupils were still massive, her mind drifting through vibrant, nonsensical patterns. She smiled up at him dopily, completely trusting, surrendering to whatever he wanted from her.
The dark whispers urged him to take charge.
Ryker stared down at her, his resolve weakening. Her innocent, drugged-up state was too tempting, too enticing. The voices hissed. She won’t remember. She’s not in control. Use her.
His throat constricted as he leaned down, his face inches from hers.
“Hailey, look at me.” He commanded softly.
Her eyes locked onto his, unfocused and glassy, her body completely still and waiting.
“You’re going to listen to everything I say. Do you understand?”
She nodded slowly, a soft smile playing on her lips, her fractured mind clinging to his voice as the only anchor in her hallucinating world.
“Good girl.” Ryker praised, his voice low and soothing. He gently placed hjis hand against her chest, pushing her to lie back on the bed.
She fell back easily, her body practically boneless and pliant, spreading her legs slightly as she lays there staring up at him with soft, unfocused eyes.
Her smile faded, her mouth still agape.
“Wha.. what are you doing..?”
Ryker’s hands pinned her wrists above her head before she could pull away.
“Shh..” he breathed against her lips, silencing her weak protest.
His knee pushed between her thighs, spreading them apart. She squirmed beneath him, confusion and fear flickering through her hazy eyes as the drug fought against her rising panic.
He didn’t care.
“Ryker.. No…” She whimpered, her voice small and scared as she struggled feebly against his grip. Tears welled up in her eyes, her mind too foggy to understand why he was doing this when you were so vulnerable. She tried to close her legs, but his knee kept them spread wide open.
“Sshh.. Don’t fight it,” Ryker whispered darkly, ignoring her terrified tears. His weight pinned her down completely, rendering her helpless against his superior strength.
“You’re safe with me, Hailey.. Just relax.” His voice was hypnotic, meant to soothe her drugged mind into obedience while his hands roamed over her helpless body.
Stripping away her clothes, and defenses.
She whimpered, her brain unable to process why her protector was suddenly dominating her. Her mind was filled with hallucinations and confusion, making her struggles weak and pathetic.
Ryker easily caught her wrists, pinning them firmly against the mattress.
“Be a good girl. Let me handle everything.”
She sobbed softly, her trust shattering into terrified submission.
“Ryker, please.. I’m scared..” She whimpered, her body trembling beneath him. Her mind was too fractured by the LSD to comprehend the betrayal; she could only feel the overwhelming weight of his dominance and terrifying realization that her protector had become her captor.
Ryker ignored her pleas, his eyes dark with control as he leaned in closer.
“Shut up, you slut.” He hissed.
The sharp, cruel words shattered her fractured state instantly. Her breath hitched in a sob, her glassy eyes widening with pure horror and betrayal. She went rigid beneath him, her drugged mind barely able to process that the boy who always protected her was now degrading her.
The hallucinations twisted into terrifying shapes as she whimpered, completely silenced by fear and submission.