Prologue:
It is the year 2039. The world has recovered from the Crisis of the 2020s, and order has been restored. The Crisis began with a series of economic, environmental, political, and social disruptions erupting within a span of four years beginning in 2021, exacerbating each other. A resulting cascade of global incidents and disasters caused the outbreak of world war three in 2025. After war's end in 2029 new governments are established in the remnants of the old world and now a new era has begun. By 2039 the world is rebuilt.
Slavery is now legal and accepted across the world. Strict regulations regarding the welfare of slaves are well enforced, and slavery is no longer an atrocity. Slaves are made in punishment for crime or voluntarily as an escape from poverty. Training centers turn slaves into valuable commodities. The most common professions for slaves are agriculture, home servants, and prostitution.
Lillian turned 13 years old on a rainy night in October. The weather was appropriate for the occasion. In real life it's rare for the weather to mirror the tone of events as perfectly as it did on Lillian's birthday. Thunderstorms don't conveniently happen during dramatic moments, sunny days aren't always happy ones, and rain doesn't usually mean depression.
Tonight however in spite of it being her birthday the rain was entirely appropriate for how Lillian and her mother felt. They blew out her birthday candles together. Her "cake" was a pair of store bought cupcakes. One with a number one candle, the other with the number three candle. Thirteen. It was just them sitting together in a mostly dark kitchen. Dad was in jail and they couldn't afford a party. Dad would be sent off to one of the centers to become a gardener or a janitor or something else, it was only a matter of time. It was his fourth DUI conviction that got him there. Mom already had the divorce papers finalized, just in time to celebrate their daughter's birthday.
If she didn't divorce him she would have been given the choice to join him, and become slaves together. That's how it worked. Families couldn't be split apart against their will, so if Mom had chosen that route Lillian would've been made a slave as well. She was a child in the eyes of the law and not allowed to decide for herself. They'd all live in a slave compound together, a happy little family. Mom would be sent to work as a maid or janitor as well. Lillian might end up going to the... that one school.
The rain beat down on the roof of their duplex, the owner of which lived in the other half. He was a sweet old thing, very kind to them during these troubled times. But the fact remained that they were very behind on their rent and would likely get evicted soon. Lillian and Mom sat opposite each other at the small wooden table in the dining nook attached to the kitchen. Through the sliding glass door beside them they could see a distant flicker of lightning.
"Ooh let's count." Mom said.
Lillian didn't join in as her mother counted to thirteen. She trailed off after that, not hearing the thunder.
"Too far away." She said.
Lillian took a bite of her cupcake. Red velvet, with too much colorful icing on top. It was the saddest birthday cake in her life.
The night passed in silence, save for the steady beat of the rain while they ate their cupcakes.
"Happy Birthday." Her mother said as Lillian stood to go to bed. She wasn't tired, but there was nothing else to do.
She changed into her PJs and flopped down onto her bed. Her Birthday hadn't been completely terrible, she reflected. Her friends had at least given her some presents and brought sweets of their own to share at school. She'd been taken out to a movie after school by her friends as well. But as they were leaving the theater she'd been given the news (via text message) that their father was being enslaved for repeat DUI convictions and Mom had divorced him. That had put a real damper on her special day.
As she lay awake pondering the future her need to sleep was checked by her need to think. She wouldn't go to school the next day, instead she would be helping Mom pack in anticipation of eviction. Mom had said that they had a new place lined up, but wouldn't say where. Lillian hoped she wouldn't have to switch schools.
Finally her need to sleep so she could function the next day became too much. She had one tool left to put her into a drowsy state and thus into sleep. She threw back her bed covers and shimmied her pajama bottoms down to her knees. She had to resort to the rubbies. That's what she called it. It helped her get to sleep in the past. She was hardly in the mood tonight, but if it helped her sleep she would try.
Her fingers found the warm, moist place between her legs. She rubbed her girl area gently at first, and then more vigorously as she became wetter down there. She knew her girl area had a more scientific name, and even knew what that name was, but it just seemed so... weird. Likewise she'd heard the real word for the rubbies before, a long ugly sounding word that started with an M, but she couldn't remember it.
It felt good, and she moaned a little bit as she found the sweet spot with her fingers. To help her along Lillian pictured in her mind her cousin, Bobby, who she had seen naked for a moment earlier that year. She felt like she was doing something wrong, he was her cousin after all, but the memory of his boyhood swinging as he walked helped her finish. With one final moan she "reached the top" as she called it. It worked. She immediately felt drowsy and was asleep a few minutes later.
She woke the next morning to Mom walking in unannounced. In her sleepiness she had forgotten to pull her PJs back up.
"Mom!" She complained, quickly pulling a blanket up to conceal her exposed private parts.
"What? It's not like I've never seen it before." She said. She tossed a stack of flattened boxes onto the floor along with a tape gun.
"Already?" She asked sleepily.
"Yep, we've got to get started ASAP." She answered.
Lillian grumbled as she got out of bed. "I'm gonna shower first."
Without waiting for permission she pushed past Mom and walked down the short hallway into the bathroom they shared. She slipped off her PJs and entered the small shower.
She turned on the water and waited for it to get warm before aiming the nozzle at her body. Except it didn't get hot. As she waited she realized that the house was unusually cold. After three minutes with no change in the water she opened the door a crack and called out "Mom, is the heat out?"
"Yup, gas has been disconnected. Cold shower for you sweetie." Mom answered from elsewhere in the house.
Lillian rolled her eyes so hard they might have popped out of her head. She stepped into the icy cold spray and winced. She lathered herself up quickly, not wanting this unpleasant experience to last a second longer than necessary.
As she rinsed herself off she noticed something that made her heart stop. On the shelf where the shampoo and body washes were kept was a camera. A Gopro, half obscured by bottles, its lens pointing right at her.
She screamed and slapped at it, sending it and all the bottles flying. She scampered out of the shower and wrapped a towel around herself, expecting Mom to come running in at any moment. Except she didn't.
She cracked open the door again and called out for help.
"Sweetie it's okay, why don't you come out here?" Came Mom's voice.
"Mom there's a fucking camera in here!" She shouted.
"Hey, language! We have a visitor." Mom said.
Something was wrong. There was no way her mom would be okay with this, unless she was the one who put it there. Lillian could scarce comprehend it. Still wrapped in the towel she exited the bathroom, and made for her bedroom. Mom was in there, along with a man she had never seen before. They were looking at a tablet device together, sitting on her bed.
Lillian gasped in surprise and adjusted the towel that hid her nakedness. "Who, who are you?" She demanded. He must have arrived after she got in the shower.
"Lillian, this is Mister Reynolds, Mr Reynolds, my daughter, Lillian." Mom said.
"It's an honor and a pleasure to see you in person Miss Lillian Harcourt." The man said, extending a hand.
He was a thin man, maybe fifty, with a kindly demeanor, like a grandfather. He wore an old fashioned suit and a bowler hat, which he removed upon offering her his hand.
Still extremely uncomfortable and now growing a little frightened, Lillian extended her hand. After shaking it Mr. Reynolds did not let go, but instead turned her hand over and looked at it closely. He rubbed his other hand over the skin of her hand. She yanked it away brusquely.
"Lacking in the manners department, but her skin is as flawless as you claimed, Mrs. Harcourt." Mr Reynolds said to Mom.
"My skin...?" She asked. Even more so than ever she wished she were dressed.
"Yes, your skin. Your mother promised me you were beautiful with soft baby like skin, and I can't say she was wrong on either count."
"Mom, who is this man? Why is he here, what's going on?" She asked warily, taking a step towards the door.
"Honey, I've made a choice for our future, and it's time you found out." Mom said, shifting slightly. As she did so the tablet she was holding tilted enough for Lillian to see the screen. It was a live feed. A live feed of a bathroom from the perspective a camera resting faceup on the floor. Their bathroom. Her blood turned to ice in her veins.
"You, you were watching me in the shower..." She said, hardly able to get the words out.
"Yes. So now that you know that we've seen you naked already, why don't you drop your towel so we can look at you properly." Mr Reynolds said, nodding at the only thing preserving her modesty.
"I, I can't believe this." She said, hot, angry tears forming in her eyes.
"You told me she was a smart one, Mrs Harcourt. She is being remarkably dense." Mr Reynolds said.
"Honey, please do as he says, we can't make a poor first impression." Mom said.
Lillian turned and left the room as fast as her towel would permit. Normally she would flee to the sanctity of her bedroom, but that space had been invaded. She had nowhere to go, she couldn't go outside, her nakedness prevented that. Her only option was the kitchenette or the small living room. She chose the latter. She sat down on the tattered sofa and crossed her legs.
She wasn't immediately pursued. She could hear mom and the strange man talking but she couldn't make out the words.
Why were they watching her shower. Who was Mr Reynolds, and why was he so keen to see her, a thirteen year old girl, naked. The only reason she could think of was that he wanted to...
Oh shit. The realization hit her like a speeding semi truck.
No no no. It couldn't be true, her mother never would, she wouldn't do that. She had divorced Dad so they could avoid slavery. There had to be another reason. What is was though was a mystery.
She noticed some papers on the coffee table. She looked at them. One of them was a partially filled out form titled "Voluntary surrender of parental rights and informed consent of sale of minor child into legal slavery."
She couldn't breathe. No, no, no, NO! She flung the form away from her. Underneath it was a thing that looked like a brochure. She picked it up.
"Temple of Venus school for the art of lovemaking." She read to herself, deciphering the florid cursive the title was written in. The cover of the pamphlet was a dark silhouette of a man and a woman standing on a sandy shoreline at sunset, embracing at the water's edge.
She heard her bedroom door creak open. She looked up to behold Mom and Mr Reynolds entering the living room. She was too angry and humiliated for words. They saw her holding the brochure and saw the surrender document on the floor, and Lillian could tell they knew that she now understood what was happening.
Mom spoke first. "I'm sorry sweetie, I wanted to tell you sooner, but I couldn't bring myself to. Mr Reynolds understands that finding out can be a nasty shock and is willing to forgive your poor manners. He's one of the representatives of The Temple of Venus training center, that's why he's here."
"How could you?" Lillian asked.
"It's quite simple, really." Mr Reynolds said. "You're parents are in dire financial and legal situations, and your mother knew that one of you, you or her, was going to have to be sold. You, a nubile, beautiful young girl is worth considerably more than what your mother is."
"Please, try to understand honey, it's not a bad life. I've read all about this school, they will treat you well. It won't be forever, just until I can get back on my feet and make enough money to buy you back. Please, you'll get three good meals a day, and they'll teach you a profession. It's much more than I could ever give you, it's the best choice for both of us." Mom said.
Some of Lillian's anger melted away as her mother began to cry. The tenderness of her words and the honesty in them made Lillian feel a small pang of sorrow for her mother's plight rather than anger.
"I am sorry about the shock in the shower. Part of my assessment of potential purchases is getting candid video of them, so I can see what they look like when they aren't trying to impress anyone. You impress me, Lillian." Mr Reynolds said, a genuine smile on his face.
"There's no other way?" Lillian asked.
"It's that or be homeless. Homeless are usually rounded up and put into slavery anyway. With the money I'll get from you I could finally start my own business. My very own. Imagine it. When I make enough from that I'll buy you back, and then we can be a family again." Mom said.
"The decision has been made regardless. I need to know if you are obedient, Lillian. It's the final box on my assessment. Now, please, stand up and remove your towel." Mr Reynolds said firmly.
Lillian looked at Mom. With tears in her eyes she nodded. Lillian stood, and let the towel drop.
Lillian tried not to scream as Mr Reynolds examined every inch of her nubile young body. There was no lust in his eyes, only a keen appraiser's demeanor. He was looking at her as if he were assessing the quality of a car or racehorse.
"Hmm, emerging breasts, A cup. Wide hips with well shaped legs. Thin but not skinny. Beautiful creamy white skin tone, fair. Auburn hair, wavey, shoulder length. Slightly freckled face. Brown eyes. Thin but visible pubic hair emerging in groin area. Thick, rounded mons with visible labia and cleft. About 157 centimeters tall, healthy weight. Turn around." He said.
It took her a moment to realize he had directed the last part at her. She turned around, grateful to hide her front from him.
"Rounded buttocks, nicely shaped. Skin on the back is as flawless as the front. Spine, straight." He concluded.
Lillian remained facing away from him as Mr Reynold spoke to her mother.
"We'll take her. She is a very sexy specimen, and obedient enough. Manners need work, but that's what the school is for. You can turn back around, Lillian." He said.
She did so, this time covering her private parts with her hands. Mr Reynolds and Mom sat down on either side of her on the sofa, and at Mom's urging Lillian sat between them. She couldn't speak. She just had every inch of her completely naked body examined by a man who wanted to buy her.
"Can I get dressed?' She asked after a minute had passed of Mr Reynolds and Mom discussing the terms and value of the sale.
"What for?" Mr Reynolds asked.
Lillian didn't think about the implications of that question, they were just too horrible. For what felt like an hour the man and Mom filled out paperwork and decided her future. When at last it was done the woman who had been her mother had her check for a very large sum of money, and Mr Reynolds had his new made slave.
"Say your farewells, quickly. It is time to leave." Mr Reynolds said after he snapped his briefcase shut.
"Sweetie, I'm so sorry, I had no other choice." Mrs Harcourt said to the girl who had been her daughter.
Lillian said nothing. She was surrounded by strangers. At Mr Reynolds' urging she stood. Mrs Harcourt followed.
"Can I go get my things?" Lillian asked quietly.
"What things?" Mr Reynolds asked.
"My stuff, like my clothes, my phone, you know?" She asked.
Mr Reynolds chuckled. "None of that belongs to you anymore. You belong to us now. You go to the school exactly as you are."
"Naked?" She asked, horrorstruck.
"Yes. It is a reminder of what you are now. You own nothing." He said.
Lillian was once again unable to speak. Mr Reynolds nodded approvingly.
"You're a fast learner. From now on you should only speak when spoken to in the presence of your masters. Failure to do so will be punished." He said.
Lillian timidly walked to the front door at Mr Reynolds urging. When she opened it the cold autumn air hit her body and her skin erupted into goosebumps. She shivered slightly, both at the air and at her exposure to the world.
The walk from the door to the white van in the driveway that Mr Reynolds had arrived in was horrifying. Every car passing on the adjacent street could see her, every neighbor she had known for her whole life could see her. Her bare feet objected to the cold, rough concrete. She was naked. It was with great relief that she climbed into the front row of passengers seats from the driver's side.
To her surprise there was another girl there already, sitting on the passenger side of the front row. Close to her in age, this girl was blond and ever fairer of skin than her, with shining blue eyes. She greeted Lillian with a genuine smile and a wave. She was clothed, wearing a simple white dress that hung to her knees.
"My name is Amber." She said.
Lillian didn't answer, she was too confused and upset. Tears were rolling down her face now. She buckled up habitually and then covered herself with her hands.
If Amber was insulted by Lillian's silence she didn't indicate as much. "They won't like that at the school." She said matter of factly. Mr Reynolds started the van and backed out onto the road.
"Won't like what?" Lillian managed after thirty seconds of continued silence.
"Crying. Or covering yourself." She answered.
"Are all girls like, always, you know?" Lillian asked.
"Naked? No, just when they arrive, and sometimes for punishments and lessons. But when you are naked you get punished for covering yourself." Amber explained. Her voice was crisp and sweet.
"She's right. Lillian, move your hands." Mr Reynolds said from the front seat.
Lillian obeyed, but fresh tears appeared. She was so exposed, it wasn't fair. The upholstery was itchy on her bare backside. She wiped the tears away, remembering that Amber said they were forbidden as well.
"That's a pretty name." Amber said.
"Why are you here?" Lillian asked.
"We're buddies." She answered.
"Buddies?"
"Like partners. When I was sold two weeks ago there was no one to be my buddy. So when Mr Reynolds was sent to buy you they sent me along to drive with you to the school." Amber said.
"Where is the school?" Lillian asked. It was getting easier to talk now.
"Far. Like two hours away. We left really early in the morning." She answered.
They fell into a long silence after that. They were on the freeway now. Every person in every passing car could surely see her as they passed. Rain began to fall again as they drove. Lillian shivered.
"I know it's cold. I was super cold when I came to the school." Amber said.
"What does a buddy do?" Lillian asked.
"We're partners. We go to class together and we help each other, we practice some things with each other. Oh and we share a bed." She said.
"Share a bed?" Lillian asked.
"Mhm. The other girls are jealous and give me a hard time since I get my own bed because I don't have a buddy yet."
There was another long silence. They were leaving the big city behind and were now traveling into the countryside.
"Hey Lillian, I have an idea." Amber said.
"Hmm?"
"Would you be more comfortable if I got naked too?" She asked.
The offer touched her. Maybe having a buddy wouldn't be so bad. "Would you?" She asked.
"That's what buddies are for." Amber said, kicking off her simple sandals and undoing her seatbelt.
"Thank you Amber." Lillian said.
Amber pulled her dress over her head, revealing her skinny torso and simple cotton panties. Lillian could see her ribs. Amber didn't have noticeable breasts yet, only rounded lumps. With some effort Amber shimmied her underwear off as well, leaving her totally nude like her buddy.
They looked at each other, both blushing a bit, Lillian more so than Amber. Lillian had never seen another girl her age naked before, only babies and toddlers and even then only rarely. She was curious in spite of herself. Amber's body was girlish and less developed than hers, but beautiful in it's own awkward and gangly way. Amber was thin as a stick with long, skinny limbs. Her privates were small, tight, and hairless, which contrasted with Lillian's which were thick and had a small tuft of hair.
"I'm glad to see you two bonding already." Mr Reynolds said from the front. Lillian had almost forgotten him. His interjection almost ruined the moment.
"I think you're pretty." Amber said.
"You too." Lillian said with a smile.
"I wish I'd grow boobs." Amber said mournfully, looking down at her chest.
"You will." Lillian said.
"Yeah but the other girls tease me."
"How many are there?" Lillian asked.
"Thirty six girls between the ages of twelve and sixteen. Thirty five not counting yourself." Mr Reynolds answered uninvited.
Lillian and Amber both indulged in a dirty look at the front seat. Amber was right, stripping down did make her feel better. Being naked isn't as bad when you're not the only one.
"What about boys?" Lillian asked.
"No boys. Only girls. There is a school for boys next to ours and they tell me that sometimes we do stuff together, but the Temple of Venus is girls only." Amber answered.
"Enough talk." Mr Reynolds said. "Amber, show her how to kiss to pass the time."
"Kiss?"
"Yeah, all the girls practice kissing with their buddies." Amber explained as she unbuckled and scooted over.
"I, I'm not sure." Lillian said apprehensively.
"It wasn't a request." Mr Reynolds said sternly.
Lillian looked at Amber, who was now right beside her in the middle seat. Amber nodded. Lillian nodded back.
Amber leaned in and planted a gentle kiss on her lips. At that moment a fire lit in Lillian's stomach. She'd been thinking about girls lately, as well as boys. She had seen boys and girls kissing before, and often imagined doing it herself with someone. When doing the rubbies at night sometimes her thoughts accidentally went to girls she knew at school. When Amber's lips touched hers she knew in that moment that she wanted to kiss her back, so she did.
They pulled apart, grinning girlishly at each other. "That was only the beginning of how we're supposed to do it." Amber said.
"Keep going." Mr Reynolds ordered.
"The other girls taught me, but we're supposed to do it with our buddy." Amber said.
"Then show me." Lillian said.
Amber answered by scootching in all the way so their hips and shoulders were touching. The bare skin on skin physical contact was warm and pleasant. She tilted her head in and licked Lillian's face, from her right jawline, up the check, and stopping just below the eye. Lillian's eyes went wide.
Amber giggled. "Now you."
Lillian's heart was pounding. Here she was, in a van that was carrying her to a lifetime of slavery, naked as the day she was born, and now she was expected to kiss a girl she barely knew. It was too much.
"Please, Lillian. We'll get in trouble." Amber said.
Lillian remembered the fire she had felt the first time and the desire to kiss her new friend. That combined with a desire to not get her or anyone into trouble, inspired her to lick Amber back. She passed her tongue over her face in the same way she had. The feel of her skin beneath her tongue, the taste of her, was enthralling.
Amber planted a long kiss on Lillian's lips, and this time their mouths opened. Lillian's heart beat even faster when Amber's tongue entered her mouth. She moved her tongue over her friend's as they kissed. They pulled apart after three or four seconds.
"That felt really good." Amber said. Lillian answered by smiling.
Lillian initiated the next kiss, this time licking her friend twice, once on the forehead and again from the jaw up to the ear. Amber shivered as Lillian's tongue passed over and partially into her ear. Amber answered by again kissing her on the lips and exploring the inside of Lillian's mouth with her tongue. This time the kiss lasted almost a dozen seconds before they pulled apart.
"This is so much more fun than when I had to do it with the other girls." Amber said.
Suddenly very bold Lillian began marinading her friend's face with saliva, using her lips and tongue however she chose, while Amber did the same to her. It was fun, ecstatic, and for a time Lillian forgot about the terribleness of her situation. When at last they decided to finish they were both sweaty, blushing, and their faces were wet. Damp spots had formed on the upholstery in between their legs.
"I've never seen two buddies take to each other as well as you two have." Mr Reynolds commented.
Amber reached over and cupped Lillian's left breast in her hand. Lillian recoiled and pushed it away. Suddenly the gravity of her situation returned in full force. The temporary reprieve provided by making out with Amber was gone.
Lillian turned away and leaned against the door, her shoulder pressed against the cold glass. Tears ran down her face like the raindrops on the glass.
Amber didn't say anything but scooted back to the passenger side seat and buckled in again.
Finally Mr Reynolds turned the van off the freeway and onto a single lane road that cut through empty land.
"Almost there." Amber said.
"Correct." Mr Reynolds said.
The road created a small incline and then the Temple of Venus came into view.
"There's your new home Lillian." Mr Reynolds said.
The school was a complex of minor buildings that surrounded a large central structure that looked like an Ancient Greek or Roman temple. They weren't kidding with their name.
The van parked near a wrought iron gate in the high stone wall that enclosed the complex, in a covered row of parking places that were filled by identical vans and personal vehicles.
Lillian's sense of exposure increased again as she and Amber exited the van. Her nakedness was exacerbated further when Amber was made to put her clothes back on by Mr Reynolds, who said that only Lillian should be nude for her orientation.
Lillian had to battle the urge to cover herself with her hands as they passed through the gate one after the other.
Immediately ahead of them was a one story brick building set on a small incline. A stairway led from the stone walkway up to the main doors.
They ascended these stairs. Lillian keenly kept her eyes open for students and staff but saw none. As they approached the doors a stern looking woman close to Mr Reynolds in age and similar in their professional yet somewhat uncanny demeanors emerged and stood at the top of the stairs.
"Good morning Mrs Andrews, I've brought to you Lillian, age thirteen by one day. Lillian, this is Mrs Andrews, she will process you from here." Mr Reynolds said.
Lillian held out her hand to shake and was met with a cool glare in response. Mrs Andrews looked at her outstretched hand as if it were a dead squirrel on the walkway. She pulled it away.
"Mr Reynolds, her papers." She said.
He handed her a binder from his briefcase. She flipped through the contents quickly. Lillian shivered in the air. At least it had stopped raining.
"Hmph. It would appear from his assessments that Mr Reynolds thinks rather highly of you." She said.
She gave Lillian a long look, surveying her nude body with eyes that felt like X-ray beams. Her skin crawled under her gaze.
"Well we'll see." Mrs Andrews said. "I see you've met your buddy already. Follow me. We're going to make a proper slave out of you."
Lillian and Amber followed her into the building. The doors shut behind them, ending Lillian's old life forever.