PUT DOWN YOUR PHONE

"Just look at yourself", said Alice, "You're seventeen and don't have a driving license. Why do I have to do all the driving?"

Brad's barely acknowledged what his mother told him, too preoccupied with his mobile phone to even care.

"I hope you're at least chatting with some girl", she went on, "Not having any girlfriends at your age is a bit alarming".

"No, mom, I'm playing Warriors of Legend", Brad would never miss an opportunity to disappoint Alice.

Alice shook her head. She couldn't shake off the feeling that at his age her erotic life looked much more interesting - heck, her life was much more interesting. The youth of today was invested in tech and little more - social networks, computer games, gadgets - which left little time for actual human interaction. She smiled to herself. At thirty-seven she was still an attractive woman, with brown, shoulder-length hair she wore in a bob, a prominent bust and hourglass figure. She never missed the opportunity to emphasise it, preferring outfits that bared her midriff and her legs, such as the one she was wearing now.

"I've screwed a dozen of guys before I hit twenty-one", she thought, looking at her hunky son, "If he wasn't my son I'd show him - a thing or two."

And then she chastised herself for the thought. But still, she found it amusing. What would he do if she undressed in front of him and stared making advances? Timid boy. She knew he wasn't that sexless, she once found a trace of porn websites in his browser history, when he was taking a bath. Ever since she began to tease him a bit, dressing and acting in a provocative manner. She'd ask him questions about his non-existent love life. Her own love-life was also going out, but it was because of lack of time. Now that the book was finished she decided it's time to start dating again.

The road ahead was straight, and she allowed herself to slip into reverie.

In her fantasy, she was on a ring, clad in scanty bra and panties, ready for oil-wrestling with an ogre of a woman. The audience cheered both combatants as she succumbed to the power of her opponent, and her bra and panties went off. She lay in the ring, as the audience cheered. She didn't have to look up to know that Brad was on the audience, witness to her defeat. She knew it and was turned on by it. Another one followed - this time they were on a holiday in Europe, in a hotel on Ibiza. In this fantasy Brad was sitting in the hotel room and watching TV( it was evening ), while Alice was in another room, playing strip poker with an exotic woman. She lost, and the forfeit was that the winner kept the losers clothes. She had to sneak back to her own room, naked, and then rang the bell, knowing full-well her son will be shocked by the sight...

Alice snapped out of her fantasies. She was still driving, Brad was still playing. Being back from fantasy-world she was struck by the dullness of reality around her.

She decided her new novel will be about an incestuous relationship between mother and son. Why not? Her last piece of literary pornography made her enough money to try a riskier subject. It was her writing, informed by her rather extensive erotic experience, that kept them afloat. If only her son knew what she was really doing... She sighed and shifted her focus back to the road.

They were travelling to visit distant relatives, and the journey was taking them through almost featureless Colorado desert. The area was almost completely empty, with no human settlements in sight. This bothered Alice, as she was already short on cigarettes. Being an avid smoker she'd not stand an hour without a smoke, so when she caught a glimpse of what looked like a station or a roadside dinner she let a sigh of relief.

"How's Warriors of Legend?", she asked.

"Great, thanks", there was no enthusiasm in Brad's voice.

Such a hunky guy. Seventeen years old, not fat, good looking, No girlfriend. Sheesh.

"I'm going to stop by and get some cigarettes", said Alice.

She drove into the lot before the "station", and then she realized it looks a bit strange for a station. Next to the lot stood a pole, and on top of it was a symbol that, to Alice, seemed almost sensual, but she only cast a cursory glance at it. A statue of many-handed female deity stood next to it - it crossed Alice's mind that the place is ran by Eastern Indian immigrants. There were also a few trees planted around the lot, a welcome sight in a parched desert. Other than that, up-close the building looked new and solid, more like a manor or hotel than a gas station or diner. The better a chance they'll have those bloody cigarettes.

"I'll be back in a minute. Don't you drive away when I'm gone", Alice wondered if the irony will be lost on her son.

"Ok", said Brad, still invested in Warriors of Legend.

"Great", thought Alice as she approached the "hotel".

-------------------------------------------

She wanted to ring the bell, but there wasn't any. She was about to knock when the doors have opened, as if by themselves.

"Motion sensor?", she mused as she went in.

The interior looked like a hotel lobby, only that there was nobody behind the counter. A painting covered the wall to her left, depicting a man and a woman, both of them very attractive and very naked, tied back to back to a totem-pole in a dark wood. The woman was trying to look behind her shoulder at her companion, who struggled against his bonds.

"Charming place", she thought, "Perhaps it's some kind of S&M hideout."

"Hello?"

Her voice echoed in the silent interior. She thought she heard a muffled sound, like someone was trying to desperately call her, but then she thought it must be her imagination.

"I should call Brad over here", she smiled to herself, "I wonder how this timid boy would react to the place."

"Hello?"

Muffled sounds again.

To the right of the entrance were doors leading to the salon, with large, glass wall overlooking the parking lot. She cast a glance at the car. Brad was still playing his game.

"Can I help you?", a feminine voice just behind her back startled her.

The woman had long, black hair and dark complexion. Alice thought she was also very beautiful. Was she an Indian? She appeared to be Alice's age.

"I'm so sorry to bother, miss, but..."

"There's no need to apologize", the woman gave her a smile that looked like on the surface, but had some predatory undertones, like a smile of an animal that spotted an ideal prey.

"... but I'm out of cigarettes and I really need a smoke."

"Of course, dear. We all need something, don't we?"

"Please, I'm in a hurry. My son is waiting for me in a car. I can pay for the cigarettes if you..."

"Slow down, my dear. Who are you and what are you doing here?"

"Alice Bradshaw. Me and Brad - that is, my son - are going to visit our distant family, and..."

"And you just passed through. What are you doing, Alice?"

"What?"

"What's your profession?"

"I'm a writer. Look..."

"What kind of stories do you write?"

"Commercial stuff, just some romance and..."

"... erotica.", the woman finished for her.

"Yeah, erotica, mostly. That's what sells."

Alice became silent for a moment. How this woman could have seen though her so easily?

"Wait a second."

The woman left the salon through a door that seemed to lead to deeper parts of the building that Alice was now sure was not a hotel. This was followed with some yelling, and then the woman reappeared. She beamed at Alice.

"I'd like to apologize you. First, I never introduced myself. Maya Pradesh. Pleased to meet you, Alice Bradshaw."

Mrs. Pradesh extended her hand. As Alice shook it she felt a small electric shock pass through her body.

She looked through the window, Brad was still playing his game.

"About the cigarettes..."

Alice noticed that Mrs. Pradesh was looking rather intently at the car. And at Brad.

"Anything wrong?"

"Everything, my dear, everything."

The small door in the salon opened. Two young people, entered, also dark-skinned, both in their early twenties, a young man and a young woman. They exhibited the same exotic beauty as Mrs. Pradesh. "Are they a couple?", mused Alice. She was beginning to lose her patience with this place and her hosts, especially given that the second the young people went in the three of them started talking among themselves, while completely ignoring her. Alice couldn't understand a word, as they weren't using English.

At first the exchange was tense, then it became relaxed and almost jocular. Mrs. Pradesh's tone became serious as she pointed at the car where Brad, oblivious to the fact his mother is not yet back, was playing Warriors of Legend. When she looked back at her hosts, the two young people were kissing.

That was too much for Alice.

"I'm terribly sorry I'm bothering, I think I'll be going now."

Mrs. Pradesh gestured for her to stay, and the beckoned the young man. The two exchanged another hearty kiss. "He could be her son", thought Alice.

"Please let me introduce you", she pointed at the young couple, "Lalit Pradesh, my son, and Leela, his girlfriend".

"I'm really sorry, but I have to go, my son is waiting", she said. Her heart was beating fast. Something was very wrong with this place and those people.

"How old is your son? He doesn't look like a baby-boy anymore", said Mrs. Pradesh.

"It's not your business", Alice finally lost it, "I'm leaving you to..."

She cast another glance at the parking lot and this time there was someone there. Just before a window stood slim, long-haired blonde in her late teens. The moment her eyes met with Alice's she froze in place. The bizarre trio was quick to notice her too, probably cued by Alice's shocked expression. Mrs. Pradesh barked an order, and the couple left the room.

"I'm terribly sorry, we have an emergency here", she said, "Don't worry about your son, he'll sooner or later come here of his own accord. And don't try to leave. Just - don't."

"Is this a threat?", Alice felt she's sweating.

Instead of answering Mrs. Pradesh went to a phone that only now Alice noticed was hanging from the wall, and called.

"Meredith, come here immediately. And bring Joyce."

Alice realized it's the first time she heard Mrs. Pradesh addressing anyone but for her in English.

"Now!", Mrs. Pradesh hang the phone.

"What is this?", asked Alice, "What the hell is this place? What's going on here? If you won't let me go..."

The small doors opened, and two young brunettes went in. They wore bizarre uniforms - gloved, skin-tight, black suits with zippers. One of them had a pixie cut, the other wore her hair in ponytail. "Here comes the pervert commando", thought Alice.

"Where's Diana?", Mrs. Pradesh voice was sharp.

"Bianca is punishing her, as you wanted."

"Leave her alone, and let her dress. She was not at fault. This is the cause of disturbance" - she pointed to the car.

"You mean he's..."

"Yes."

"Should we drag him out of the car?"

"NO! You know the rules. He needs to come here of his own accord. And I think I know just a way to make him. ", she nodded towards Alice.

"I'm leaving", Alice stood up and went towards the lobby.

Mrs. Pradesh snapped her fingers. One of the girls pulled her arm behind her back with surprising strength, immobilizing her. Alice realized that her prominent bust, covered with the t-shirt that exposed her midriff and a black,strapless bra, now protruded towards Mrs. Pradesh.

"Let me go!", she cast a glance at the car. Her son was still playing with his phone. What an idiot!

"It's not decent, dressing so provocatively in front of your son. What if he gets dirty thoughts about you?"

Alice recalled having dirty thoughts about her boy earlier this day and regretted. She felt tears flowing into her eyes. She always wanted to be strong, self-reliant and independent, but now she was just...

Mrs. Pradesh reached out and ripped off the sexy t-shirt off the startled Alice.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?", yelled the writer.

"Joyce, hold her. Meredith, help me strip her."

"Completely?", asked the girl called Meredith.

"Well, when the boy sees this black bra and panties he'll know she's in our hands. And he'll come up here."

Meredith reached out to unclasp Alice's bra, but she couldn't - the writer was struggling too hard. In the mean time Pradesh tore off her shorts. Boy the woman was strong. It was then that Alice realized that she lost her sandals while struggling.

"Stop it, you bitches!", yelled Alice.

She cast another glance at the car. Brad, damn him, was still playing with his phone. If he looked up he'd see his mother being stripped by those three bitches, but he had his nose in the phone, how could she have raised such an IDIOT!

"What's the problem, Meredith !?", Pradesh was growing impatient.

"I can't seem... to get her bra... off...", Meredith bit her lip.

"That's how you do it", said Pradesh, ripping the bra off. Alice's pair of shapely mammaries were set free.

"Will you manage to take off her panties or do I have to do everything myself?", hissed Pradesh.

"It's a quality lingerie", said Meredith, "It'd be shame to..."

"OH, COME ON!"

"Ok, ok!", Meredith ripped off Alice's black panties. The writer was now completely naked.

"Take those tatters and show them to the boy", Pradesh addressed Meredith, "Let the him know in no uncertain terms that his mom is now our hostage."

Meredith nodded, took the clothing she helped to rip off Alice and left.

"Well, well, well", said Pradesh, "Let me take a look at you."

"Evil bitch", Alice was swallowing tears. It almost never occurred to her in life - to be this helpless and this humiliated.

"Trimmed your bush recently, hmmm? Whom did you do that for?"

Alice said nothing. The girl called Joyce was still holding her. She realized that no matter what she does, nothing will help.

"Speak to me!", Pradesh slapped her in the face. The impact was so strong that Alice threw her head back.

"Let me go", Alice whispered.

"As you wish", she said, "Joyce, let her go."

The girl relaxed her grip. Alice felt circulation return to her sore arm. She massaged it before taking a big step back.

She had to think and act quickly. There were two ways out of the salon - one was the doors that led deeper into the building, but using them would only aggravate her predicament. Then there were doors leading to lobby. Both were closed.

"So, what now?", said Pradesh mockingly. She was looking at her captive with interest, almost as if she was curious how Alice will play it out.

The writer darted towards towards lobby. She pushed the handle, but the doors didn't budge. She struggled with them desperately, but to no avail.

"Great idea", she heard Pradesh's voice mocking her, "Run towards the desert stark naked. Well, this could have been an option if the doors weren't locked."

All ways out now closed to her, she chose the most desperate variant.

She ran, under the bemused gaze of her captor, towards the glass wall. She struck it with her fist, but it wouldn't break. Her son was still in the car. Still holding his mobile. How long she had to be gone for him to notice her absence? The only thing she could do right now was to call for help.

"Brad, please, put down your phone!", she cried, pressing her palms and her breasts against the glass window, "You idiot, put down the phone and look here!". With her desperate expression, her figure and her posture she now looked like an erotic model.

"Cry out as much as you like", said Pradesh, "This window is sound-proof".

Alice collapsed on all fours, defeated.

"See? There's no point in resisting us. Now that you've realized this, we can have a reasonable conversation. Shall we?"

Brad smiled to himself. He's hit fiftieth level. Fiftieth! Now he was among the elite of Warriors of Legend. He felt happy with himself, in spite of everything else. Yes, his life sucked. Yes, his sexual life was limited to masturbation. But at least he was good at Warriors of Legend. He put the mobile down and relaxed. As always, when he would, his mind was flooded with erotic fantasies. His fantasy life was in fact richer than his real life. In a fantasy, anything went. Recently, he started having fantasies about his mother. He rejected them at first, but they were too strong. He gave in and opened the flood-dams, and in his reverie they'd find themselves on a meadow or beach, playing strip poker. His mom would always lose, and have to kiss him to regain his clothing.

The heat made him drift into a dreamlike state. He saw his mother clad in a sexy bikini, running through a forest, and pursued by a monster, her breasts jiggling as she...

Wait, where was she?

He looked at the empty lot, basking in the desert sun. The mansion seemed to be asleep. It was only then that Brad noticed the glass wall, through which he could see the empty salon. If he looked there only a minute before, he'd see the erotic spectacle of his mother being stripped by three women. But unfortunately he missed out.

Brad lifted up his mobile, this time to call Alice. There was no reply.

The boy decided the best thing he can do is to get to the manor and investigate for himself. He left the car and set off.

"Pssst!", someone hissed.

Brad looked behind. He saw a girl about his age. She was tall, had long blond hair and oblong face. She wore a rather stylish dress, tied in the waist with a scarf, with a deep cleavage that emphasised her feminine curves (and her bust was, for her age, quite prominent), and knee-length boots. She carried an over-the-shoulder bag made of leather. With her exotic looks and her outfit she seemed like she belonged somewhere completely different. Yet (Brad had to admit) she was incredibly attractive.

"Where are you going?"

The boy pointed at the manor.

"My mom went to get cigarettes and didn't come back yet. I need to find out what's wrong with her."

"I don't think it's a good idea", the girl had a sensual, husky voice that gave Brad an instant erection.

"Why's that? And who are you, by the way?"

Instead of replying, the girl approached Brad and looked at him more closely.

"I admit I expected someone... different."

"What do you mean?", Brad was growing impatient, "She's not picking up her phone.", he paused, "Who are you?"

"Call me Anna. And if you go in, they will have you stripped naked and tied in no time", she said, "You're too important to end up in their hands and besides...", she gave him a sensual smile, "I'd rather have you naked in my arms."

"Wh...", the sheltered boy was shocked by her words, "What do you mean stripped? Why? And who are them, anyway?"

"This bitch Maya Pradesh, her son and lover Lalit, his new girlfriend, and their cohort of maidservants. Believe me, if you fell in the hands of Maya you'd have a hard time for it. She's a sadistic bitch who gets sexual kicks out of torturing her captives."

Brad gulped.

"Is it some kind of Indian mafia?", his mind was trying to make sense of the situation.

"Nope. They are magicians."

"Like stage magicians?"

"Like actual magicians. They are not Indians, but instead come from a country called Krang-Tong. Don't go looking for it on the maps, it's not charted and is guarded even more tightly than Bhutan. They probably taken your mom hostage so that you'd come to their manor of your own accord."

"Jeez, we were just passing by. We needed the cigarettes", he looked at the girl, "And who are you, by the way? What are you doing here?"

"Call me Anna", said the girl, "And I'm here for you."

"Wh...-what?"

"I need to get you out of here."

----------------------------------------------------------------

Nothing, not even this annoying ringing phone could spoil Maya's pleasure. She was naked and riding her equally naked son on the floorboards of the dusty attic, while Lalit was fondling her breasts, as they both liked.

"Yes, yes... YES!", she exclaimed in her own tongue as she approached the climax.

The mobile kept on ringing.

"My phone! It must be my son!", cried Alice, who hung naked from the rafter, bound with rope in a strappado.

"What is she saying?", said Lalit.

"Don't pay attention to this bitch", smiled Maya.

They rolled over and lay for a moment on the wooden floor, filled with contentment.

"Too bad your girlfriend didn't join us this time", whispered Maya, "We have a reason to celebrate."

She got up and walked over to the bamboo cane lying on the floor.

"Still have energy for this?", asked Lalit.

"Turns me on even more", she said, "Once I'm done I'm back with you, honey."

Lalit walked over to the mobile and picked it up. It fell out of the shorts once Meredith took Alice's clothing.

"Ok, princess", Maya switched to english as she addressed the writer, "Your story is a bit inconsistent. Why did you take this road of all roads that ran through the desert?"

"I... DON'T... KNOW...", panted Alice, almost crying.

"Maybe now you'll remember", she smacked her on her buttocks with bamboo cane. Alice cried in pain.

"Smile!", said Lalit in his native tongue, as he took a picture of Alice being caned by his nude mother.

"What are you doing it for?", Maya lowered the cane.

"BASTARDS!!! I'LL TELL THE POLICE!", yelled Alice.

"Just a souvenir. Just like this pair of - our guest just reminded me - police detectives who questioned us in the town."

"This guy and the trainee girl", Maya burst into laughter, "Poor things!"

"Princess", Maya turned to Alice, "Police won't be able to do damn thing to us. We're above and beyond them, understand? Now..."

Facing her captive, the woman made a gesture as if she was about to strike her, then abruptly stopped. Alice flinched.

"We'll play another game", she said, "You'll tell us about your sonny. And your dirty thoughts and fantasies."

"NEVER!"

Once more the bamboo landed on her buttocks.

"I really want you to open up to us", said Maya, "There's nothing to be ashamed of. When you came here you've been dressed up in a provocative clothing. Did you do this to have an effect on him?"

"Yes, I did", whispered Alice.

She did. She was doing it for some time now. And now, as she hung naked from the rafters in the dirty attic, all that she wished was to fuck him real good.

----------------------------------------------

"Wait", said Anna, "We can't just go in like that!"

"An alarm system?", asked Brad.

"Sort of", she mumbled a few words in unknown language and the doors opened.

"How... How did you do that?"

"Magic."

"WHAT ??? Are you sure it's not some voice-guided remote control system?"

Anna shook her head.

"This place is halfway in this world and halfway in the magical world. In Meirenn."

"WHERE?"

"I don't have much time for explanation... There's an actual magic, there are mysterious powers out there, there other worlds. In fact, I happen to come from one."

"You're crazy."

"I'll explain it later on in detail, but if you really want to have your mom back, then we must go."

They went into the lobby. Anna looked at the wall painting depicting the bound man and woman and flinched.

"Dear Goddess", she said.

"Oh wow", Brad noticed it too, "That's some good porn."

"No, you don't get it", said the girl and whispered another set of cryptic words in unknown language.

The lifeless picture suddenly came to life.

"Please help us!", cried the woman on the picture.

"Shut up, Vivian!", said the man, "Just shut up. They're coming. I can see them!"

Brad was speechless.

"Who are you?", Anna's voice became strong and mature beyond her apparent age.

"Who's there? Can you help us? Please help!!!", cried the woman in the picture.

"I'm from your world. I can see you, but for now I can do nothing for you. Tell me who you are and what happened!"

"We're policemen", said the man, "We've been tailing those two illegals when they got us caught. This witch said some strange words and we lost consciousness. When we awoke we were already there."

"I can see them too", the woman called Vivian said in terror, "They're drawing near!"

"How long have you been there?"

"I don't know - five, ten minutes?", said the man, "Vivian, hold on!"

Anna spoke again, and the picture froze in place.

"The time for them is frozen", she said, "If we kept talking to them, we'd..."

"Oh my God!", said Brad as he darted towards the lobby's counter.

A pile of his mom's tattered sexy clothing lay there. On top of it was a small piece of paper, but the boy was too busy making sure it's really hers to pay attention to it.

"Brad...", said Anna in a tense voice.

"Not now", he said, "Oh my God..."

He noticed the paper and lifted it to his eyes. It said simply:

"Your mom looks really good naked."

"Brad, it was a trap! We must run!"

Only then the boy noticed a greenish tint coming from his clothing.

"What?..."

The glow was emanating from the now-frozen picture and making its way towards their clothes, imbuing them with eerie, greenish luminosity.

"Strip!", said the girl, untying the scarf at her waist.

"What, now?"

"Our clothes have absorbed the magical charge stored in the picture! You must take them off!"

Now she pulled off her dress. Underneath she wore a set of white bra and panties. Brad realized his companion had really excellent figure.

"The charge didn't reach the underwear, it seems. Take your clothes off or we'll get caught!"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Maya lowered her cane. Alice broke and started recounting all of her sexual fantasies not limited to, but including those about her son, when the witch suddenly flinched.

"What is it?", asked Lalit.

Maya began to dress in haste.

"They're downstairs."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Maya scoured salon. Nothing. She went to the lobby. The bound people on the painting changed their positions, as was to be expected. Two piles of clothing lay on the floor. One belonged to the boy. The other had to belong to this magician bitch.

Leela was right when she warned her about "Anna". Barely seventeen year-old Meirennian, but trained in a secret school here on Earth, was allegedly very cunning. Oh, how Maya wanted to have this bitch naked under the bamboo cane.

She swore under her breath and left.

Near the comfy chair in the salon, two underwear-clad teenagers materialized seemingly out of thin air. Anna let out a sigh of relief.

"We just ran out of invisibility for some time", she said, "So we need to be very careful from now on."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------

"I've got good news for you", Maya's words brought Alice back to consciousness.

Her tormentor left her dangling from the rafter, drifting in and out of consciousness. The latter was actually merciful - her body pained all the time and the moments when she phased out were those when she forgot her pain.

"It seems that your sonny is trying to come to your rescue."

Maya cut down her captive's bonds. The woman collapsed to the floor, panting with pain and excitement. As much as she hated to admit the fact, some part of her found the situation erotic.

"Don't worry, I'll have him stripped and tied as I had you. Then he'll undergo an extensive beating, and then I'll fuck him in front of your eyes, and you'll wish it was you in my place. But hey, you're going to see your sonny naked, as you wanted for a long time, didn't you?"

Alice couldn't hold it any longer. She came to, lying naked and defeated at the feet of her captor.

--------------------------------------------------

"Goddess", whispered Anna.

"What?", Brad whispered back.

"I just felt something. A surge of power, such as in the practices of our sexual magic."

Brad looked at her puzzled, so she explained.

"Some of our practices require discharge of sexual energy. In fact, only high-ranking members of our cult are capable of that. It means, by short, that another magician from my world is here."

"Is she good or bad? And, what the hell are we doing in this study? We should we looking for my mom!"

"We are. But if we find the history of this building then it might be easier. What's in the drawer?"

They were in a small study on the second floor. Two bookcases occupied the walls, a large window was overlooking the parking lot.

"Just some documents."

"Show them to me."

She sat down on the floor and started to browse through the folder.

"It was originally a roadside dinner, before it was bought by Maya Pradesh - quite a few years ago... then she set it back as her base of operations. Where the hell did she get the money?"

"Why's THAT important?"

"Because we need to cut their operations in this world completely. For that..."

The doors opened.

Anna fell to the floor behind the desk and pulled Brad with her.

They heard footsteps, soft on the soft, plush carpet. The boy felt his companion grab his hand and tighten her grip on it.

"You can stop hiding", a female voice said in English.

Anna grimaced and rose from the floor, her hands raised.

"The boy", the voice said.

Brad rose. He saw an Indian looking woman in her early twenties. She looked at him with a bemused smile.

"Everyone's here, it seems.", she said, "I'm sorry - Anna? That's your name?"

"Screw you", said the girl, "And screw Abbaramanon."

The woman let out an almost devilish laughter.

"You'll soon have an opportunity to tell it to Her in person", she said, "Now, anything to say before you are marched to the Ice Palace?"

"Yes", she replied, "The details of this operation,"

"Ah, the Temple, always diligent, even their teenage... operatives. No time for it, Abbaramanon is waiting, and she HATES waiting."

"What about those two cops?"

"Those in the picture? We'll have a show tonight with Maya and watch them being consumed."

"And the building?"

"It's a longer story..."

------------------------------------------------------------

"Oh my, oh my", Alice heard Maya mocking her, "That's one clever disguise. An erotic writer. A promiscuous single mother, who'd expect..."

"Don't know what you're talking about", whispered Alice.

"Don't you pretend. I sensed that. You didn't come here by accident, didn't you?"

"Just screw yourself."

"Very well then, perhaps when you meet Abbaramanon you'll remember. For now, you're extremely proficient in faking your own amnesia."

Abbaramanon... Alice knew this name. It was there, in the dark corners of her mind, corners she wanted to shut down. For some reason, this name brought to her mind the image of darkness, cold and ice.

"That explains your lust after your sonny. Anyway, when you see him being tortured... Oh, I believe then you'll speak.

---------------------------------------------------------

"It was originally a roadside dinner", said the young Indian woman, "However, a group of occultists without any ties to Meirenn had a residence here. They've been doing a lot of experimentation. Of course, experimentation in magic has tendency to end badly, and so it did for them. They were trying to open portals to different places. It just so happened that one of those places was the forest of Narval. What was their fate afterwards, you can easily guess... Anyway, Abbaramanon had another way in to this world. Ever since all Her servants, from all the places connected to the Domain, scattered accross the Earth, are working actively to keep the portal open. Of course, the dinner is officially the property of Maya Pradesh, who bought it a few years ago to keep prying eyes away... And the gateway has been operational ever since. Also, she cast a spell over the building to keep it invisible. The spell goes down every now and then, but it's on our accord, so we might bring captives to offer to our Lady. Other than that, it takes someone with Meirennian magic within to see through the veil."

The woman walked over to Anna, gently unclasped her bra and took it off. The girl's breasts jiggled as they sprang free.

"And now the Temple sent their operatives to shut the portal down in what I might only call as a botched operation - so typical of the Temple... Now we have two sorceresses of the Temple and one Marked boy in our hands. This is a major victory for the Witch-Queen. Soon she'll hold this world in her sway."

The Indian tore the panties from the girl who didn't even try to cover her nudity. Then she came to Brad.

"Easy", she said as she tore down his boxers.

"Please, don't hurt me!"

"Oh, believe me, I won't. Maya, however, is a different thing. A naked Marked boy in her hand, hmmm... I wonder what she'll do to you?"

------------------

Brad never before found himself naked before a woman. In particular, he never found himself naked and bound before a whip-wielding magician bitch who got obvious sexual kicks from whipping his exposed genitals. Also for the first time in his life Brad regretted he actually has a member. The whip, however, he was told, never actually managed the body. It only inflicted pain. And it could inflict it indefinitely. With each blow Brad cried out louder, and felt even more powerless.

The young woman he met in the study was taking care of Anna. The girl resisted at first, then started to cry louder, and louder, and louder.

Maya seemed almost disappointed when Lalit came in, disrupting her fun.

"The portal is ready.", he said.

Maya put down her whip. Her brow was wet with perspiration and her eyes wild with satisfaction.

"Did you get the location right this time?", she asked.

"If this snowy forest on the other side is not the forest of Narval, then I don't know what it is."

"As if there are no other snowy forests in Meirenn. Let's say I believe you. Now bring the writer. It's time for the big reveal."

After a while Alice, nude and with her hands bound behind her, was led into the attic and forced to her knees before Maya.

"Now tell your son what you told me", she said.

The writer kept her eyes downcast as she recited, broken and almost without emotion:

"We are from the world of Meirenn, just like them", she told Brad, "I used to be a high-ranking magician and a member of Diaspora before I made myself forget, with magic, who I am. You were soon to become my lover. The encounter in the desert was planned in advance, but something went wrong."

She looked up at her son, her eyes full of tears.

"You never stopped looking at the damn phone."

"Lead her out", commanded Maya.

Lalit led Alice out of the attic.

"Now boy", she said, looking at Brad, "You are an important asset in this war. Instead of bedding your mom as you wished you'll spend this night with me. And tomorrow you'll find yourself face to face with Witch-Queen."

"No!", he cried, "Please, no!"

But he knew that his cries would have no effect.