Caged with the Alien Gladiators by Corin Cain
Jacky
The door opens so hard it bounces closed again. I stuff the last heavenly bite down as the Bullfrog pushes it forward, ducking into the room. The top of his bulbous head grazes the roof. Up close, they’re even more ferocious. There’s an almost humanity to their toad-like faces, broad with massive lips and jagged teeth. His thin green eyes have something the Toads don’t. One of his ears is bigger than the other, but I doubt anyone made fun of his looks without getting their head ripped off.
He looks at me, his brows furrowing. “She pretty now?”
“Yes, very pretty,” says Melissa, hiding the sandwich behind her back with one hand while wiping crumbs off her face with the other.
The Bullfrog sniffs. “Smells like food. You have food?”
Melissa bites her lip. I grab a spray bottle at random from the little counter under the mirror in front of me, spraying myself as I get up, putting my body between her and the Bullfrog. It’s a deep, florally scent that makes my nose wrinkle. “No, the chef was just walking by with a plate. You can ask the Aurelians to share, if you want,” I say, covering for her.
He snorts. “Blurk will eat tonight. Come, no wasting time,” he says, his pride wounded. Bullfrogs are warriors. They live for the fight, and they’re used to being the biggest dog around. He doesn’t like that he can’t beat a triad of Aurelians.
Melissa mouths a “thank you” as I leave the safety of her studio, and I try to give her a smile, but I can’t muster it.
I follow the Bullfrog down hallways. It’s easy to get twisted around in the Toad’s palace. It seems to have been built without rhyme or reason, new additions tacked on at random. The Bullfrog stops, turning, his big bulk nearly filling the hallway. “You smell pretty,” he grunts, nodding at me.
“Thanks,” I say. It doesn’t feel like when the Toads ogled me, making crude jokes and gurgling.
He keeps walking, his broad back to me. He’s got two long scars across his back that look like an X.
I focus on building my mental map. Anything to keep my mind occupied. We pass by a room full of Toads playing with plastic cards, stacks of credits passing back and forth. The game stops when I pass by, every eye on me, and I watch a sneaky Toad snag his neighbors coins when he’s not looking. “Send her here, I tear her good!” one says, groping his loincloth.
He speaks in Common so I hear his disgusting remark.
The Bullfrog breathes in, his belly filling. His muscles flex as he turns his head and roars at the Toads, who all find something else fascinating in the room. One becomes engrossed in a boil on his wrist, while another counts his coins sheepishly, engrossed in making sure they’re stacked exactly right.
Is this Bullfrog…protective of me? I never thought of the species as anything more than ravenous fighters who would as soon eat you as look at you.
It’s hard to tell where we are, but I think we’re headed towards the Aurelians. We turn a corner to the main hallway, and I count four Toads with rifles waiting, all alert. The Bullfrog nods to them and they motion for him to continue with me.
Earlier today I heard the moans and screams of Melissa in this very hallway. They truly are insatiable. Melissa said she tried to wear them out and failed. She’s had experience. I won’t know what to do.
I felt how bad they want me, and they’ll sate those lusts endlessly, until I’m just a shaking, broken mess.
My eyes get wet with fear as I try not to think about what’s going to happen to me.
A second Bullfrog stands in front of the cell. The main area of their cell has a wooden table and chairs, but there’s no Aurelians to be seen. The spicy, hot scent of the peppers wafts from the silver platter on the table.
I wonder if they’re with the chef?
That would be too tawdry. The second Bullfrog has a horned helmet propped on his head, and he’s looking longingly at the food. His huge tongue darts out, licking his lips.
I have to know. “Where are they?”
They ignore me. The horned Bullfrog opens a panel, pressing in a code, and I try to see what buttons he’s touching. It’s impossible to see past his huge bulk.
What do the control panels do?
I add it to my mental log to report back to Kay.
I hope I’ll survive long enough to debrief her. Collecting information gives me a sense of power in a helpless situation.
The horned Bullfrog grunts something in its language and the one that came to get me opens the door and points. I like that he doesn’t shove me in. “Have a good dinner,” I say to my captor, trying to get some good will.
The door closes behind me and there’s the sound of buttons punching behind me, then their wet, bare feet bounce away and I’m left alone.
What are they doing?
Melissa said the first thing they did was grab her and claim her.
What are they waiting for?
I stand, shaking, just waiting for it to happen. I remember how big that thing swinging between one of their legs was, how it stiffened and rose like it had a mind of its own. I felt the raw hunger of the brutal one. He won’t be able to hold back.
He won’t be gentle. He’s going to pin me down, his hand covering my mouth to silence my screams as he fucks me. Or maybe he’ll let me yell, enjoying the sounds of my helplessness as he sates himself in my body.
I listen intently. My heart pounds. Was that a sound? There’s two doors. One that leads to the bedroom, one that must lead to a bathroom. The one to the bathroom is open slightly, and I can see the white floor. Could they be on either side of me, waiting for some unknown signal to attack?
The anticipation is torture. I run my hand over the shiv. They’ll be in the bedroom is my guess, so I step behind the table, putting it between us.
As if it will do anything good when five hundred pounds of Aurelian rush through that door and grab me. The only question is whether the first one will grab me and hold me down while he breeds me…
Or spread my legs while he shares me with his triad.
My breath quickens and the bedroom door opens.
I only see a flash of pure marble skin and muscles before he’s on me.