Zoo The pet-owners' community was of necessity insular and secretive, protective of itself and suspicious of 'outsiders'. Felix Roysdon had had to submit to an exhaustive telepathic scrutiny before he was allowed to know exactly what service it was his cousin offered to these intimidatingly rich and powerful individuals.
Pets were made and bought and used, but what happened to them when they were no longer required?
Richard Roysdon had over the past decade made himself discreetly indispensable to the industry. 'Removalist' was the innocuous term he applied to himself on his understated business card. For a substantial fee he could have a dead pet disposed of, cleanly and circumspectly, with never a blemish on the owner's public character. Unwanted but live pets he bought, the cost dependant on the condition of the goods and whether it would need specialist care before it could go into circulation at the Zoo...Felix wasn't sure what he'd got himself into but by Christ he needed the money. It was his own fault entirely, he admitted that. If he wasn't so pathetically weak-willed he wouldn't have been trapped in the cycle of gambling debt and loansharks, wouldn't have had to sell his soul to his cousin. Richard was a calculating bastard; Felix was damn sure it wasn't out of the goodness of his heart the dapper brunette had stepped in with an offer of help. He had the uncomfortable feeling cousin Richard had been watching him flailing around desperately, getting mired deeper and deeper in debt, waiting for his chance. At the time Richard's offer had seemed like a kiss from an angel of redemption, but there'd been a price.
Richard had paid off Felix's debts but now Richard owned him.Felix had been astounded when he found out how his cousin made his living, and then he'd been terrified. There was no way any of this could be legal, anywhere. At the very least there were moral, ethical questions. The modified humans were slaves, it was as simple as that and if he had had any backbone at all Felix should've marched off and exposed the whole sordid racket!
He didn't though. Felix was no hero – until he'd started gambling he'd spent his entire life dodging situations that exposed him to potential pain – and the stakes now were too high. If he screwed up, the people he was involved with wouldn't just kill him...
"A word of warning" Richard had said cheerfully, once Felix had had time to let the implications of his new job sink in. "There are consequences if you betray us."
Felix licked dry lips.
"Betray?" Though he wasn't so stupid he couldn't guess what that meant.
"Understand, Felix, that my... clientele are very private people, none of them will appreciate having their personal concerns exposed to public scrutiny."
"Wh-what would happen if I did?" Felix was compelled to ask. He jerked his head towards the 'stalls'. "Will I be made into – into something like them?"
Richard laughed, genuinely amused.
"Oh good god, no! You're nowhere near pretty enough." He grinned but his eyes were cold. "No, you mess up and I'll give you to Jane..."Six months on and the thought of that creepy little 'path paddling around in his mind was still enough to send Felix into a cold sweat. Jane had been the one to 'vet' him before he'd started work at the Zoo - at first glance she'd seemed harmless enough...
Felix had smiled at the diminutive, peaches-and-cream English beauty who'd sat across the table from him, but he'd stopped smiling when she lightly clasped his wrist in her fine-boned hand.
Felix had developed something of a knack for spotting trouble over the years and this woman, he realised, scalp prickling, went way beyond trouble.
He was frozen, unable to even blink as Jane gleefully rummaged around in his mind. The 'path had poked and pryed, heedless of any discomfort – let alone outright pain – she was causing him. But then again, maybe she wasn't quite so heedless. Once a trembling, sobbing Felix was able to focus again he'd been disturbed ('disturbed'? bloody freaked out!) to see sweet little Jane panting in what was very obviously the aftermath of orgasm.
He'd felt violated but, needless to say, Felix had been a good boy ever since.Cousin Richard checked the carefully-coded, hand-written inventory.
"Party of three – Brewster," he frowned, thinking aloud, "They'll want rough... The pony – I think they'll like her."
Felix cleared his throat, a nervous habit he'd acquired.
"Are you sure? She's not fully recovered from the last - "
"They won't care." the removalist snorted, making a note in the ledger. "And Brewster is always willing to pay the premium, that'll more than cover my costs."
Felix suppressed a shudder. 'Cover his costs'? Richard had acquired the grey pony-girl for a fraction of her worth and had already made three times his expenditure from her. She'd been given as a gift to her owner but he'd not had the facilities to care for her, so once she'd served her initial purpose he'd sold her on to the Zoo. She'd been in a bad way – damaged – when they'd taken charge of her and Felix had nervously suggested to his boss that with a little time to heal the pony could go onto the regular roster. She was striking, and her behavioural modifications were unusual enough to be a draw card. Richard dismissed the idea out of hand; he couldn't be bothered spending the time or money to get her back to full health, not when there were clients who appreciated damaged goods.
"Make sure she's clean, then get her into room – " Richard glanced at another ledger, " – seventeen by 11 p.m." Felix nodded, resignedly and began to move off. "Oh and don't give her anything to eat or drink," the removalist continued, "Brewster hates it when they puke..."There were times Felix thought he should've been a vet, or a keeper, or something else that looked after animals – they always seemed to be calmer around him. Under his hands the pony-girl's tension eased and she almost, almost, relaxed. She whickered softly, obligingly lifting her arm so Felix could apply the soft sponge to the side of her grey-pelted ribs.
"All done, sweetheart," Felix murmured, dropping the sponge back into the bowl of cooling water. "I'll do your mane and tail and we'll be finished, all right?" The pony nodded then stood still, resting one of her feet – hooves – horse-fashion, beautiful big, dark eyes half-closed while Felix swept a comb through her tail, carefully untangling the knots. Felix kept his expression friendly and his thoughts to himself as he worked. He'd met Brewster, and his 'friends', and he didn't like them at all. It just wasn't right that sadistic pricks like that could be allowed to mistreat the pets just because they could afford to pay for 'damages'. Bastards.
Felix sighed and stepped back to check his handiwork. The pony-girl's coat, tail and mane shone like polished pewter: she was lovely despite the half-healed wounds marring her pelt. The groom fixed a smile on his face.
"Beautiful."
The pony-girl gazed at him for a few seconds, accusingly he thought, then turned to face the wall, lowering her head. Felix bit his lip, feeling wretched, but what could he do?
"I – I've been instructed not to give you anything, but, would you like a drink?"
She nodded, still not looking at him, despondency showing in the drooping line of her shoulders and neck, and the way her pretty tail hung limply behind her.
Felix held the glass for the girl and she drank thirstily.
"Try and get some rest, sweetheart," he patted her forelock, "I'll be back for you in a little while."
The pony-girl heaved a trembling sigh, long legs folding beneath her as she sank gracefully to the bare floor. Felix attempted another cheery smile but she didn't raise her eyes. The groom quietly closed and locked the pen behind him, then hastened off to make sure all was in order in room seventeen.A short time later Felix was leading the pony down the narrow corridor to her rendezvous. She was moving slowly, limping, little more than hobbling and Felix took care not to tug on the fine chain that was her lead. The chain disappeared between the tops of her thighs, attached – as he knew from tending her – to a large ring strung through the hood of her clitoris. Another reason not to tug too hard, the tender skin there was something else that hadn't had a chance to heal.
Felix paused outside the room and surreptitiously retrieved something from his pocket. The pony-girl regarded him with dull incuriosity, but her finely tapered ears twitched at his murmured words.
"Painkillers. Strong. Fast acting." Felix glanced quickly up and down the corridor before feeding her the three, bright blue lozenges. He winced sympathetically at the girl's grimace. "Sorry 'bout the taste, forgot to bring something to wash them down with." She swallowed quickly, and shuddered, pewter mane shivering down her bare back.
"Can't wait any longer, sorry, sweetheart." Felix whispered, pushing open the door and leading the pony-girl into the stark room. The groom fixed the chain to a metal loop set into the wall, then, not knowing what to say, briefly caressed her mane. The girl stared at him, lustrous brown eyes unblinking, then she smiled, a tiny, fleeting gesture that made Felix's heart lurch in his chest. He returned the smile, and left.Felix was dozing in his private cupboard some hours later when Richard roughly shook him awake.
"Brewster's gone. Clear the room." The groom nodded dumbly, struggling upright on the thin pallet bed. "You'll need the trolley." Richard was nonchalant, turning sharply on his stylish heels and striding off. Felix's gut clenched. The trolley? That meant the pony was probably dead.Sure enough...
The groom only had to glance at the unnaturally still body sprawled face-down in room seventeen to know that Brewster and his 'friends' had killed another one.
Bastards.
Not giving a shit about the hidden cameras recording his weakness, tears streamed down Felix's face as he clumsily manoeuvred the pony-girl's cooling remains onto the metal trolley. This just wasn't right...© 2004 March 27th Lutra
Darkside
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