Time dragged on as Catherine sat confined in the metal basement cage. The sweat that had soaked her skin the day before was now just dried streaks and stains on her body.

Her tired mind was flooded with unanswered questions. Who were those people? What did they want? Was this about ransom money?

She couldn't stop thinking about her daughters. By now, they must have reported her disappearance to the authorities. But the journey here had taken so long. How could anyone possibly find her location this far away?

Adding to her disquiet was the unsettling fact that her captors had stripped her of her morning robe, leaving her exposed and vulnerable. What, if not something twisted and evil, could they possibly gain from leaving her like this?

Muffled noises could be heard from above. Although she strained to listen, she could only make out indistinct voices.

Her heart raced with each new sound - a thump, a creak, some laughter, a muffled shout. Every noise sent a fresh jolt of terror through her body. What if they came back? What unspeakable things might they do to her? The thought made her sick to her stomach.

And yet, a part of her also dreaded the idea of being left alone down here forever, trapped in this tiny cage with no hope of escape. The darkness pressed in around her, suffocating and oppressive.

Abruptly, the voices grew louder and clearer, until the large basement door on the opposite side swung open, along with a discomforting screeching sound.

Catherine immediately shuffled to the side, seeking comfort in the corner as she stared at the entrance with wide, fearful eyes.

Stepping in were three women of about her same age, all with excited and eager expressions written on their faces. Catherine's breath caught in her throat as she recognized the tall, skinny blonde in the middle - the very same woman who had "greeted" her last night. She wore a classy black evening dress and her hair was pulled back in a bun, accentuating her sharp features.

On the left was a short brunette, wearing a greenish women's suit. She was quite curvy, though nothing you would really consider to be overweight. On the right, a joyful redhead met Catherine's eyes, her giggles adding to the absurdity of the situation.

As the trio approached, Catherine's heart pounded in her ears. She pressed herself further into the corner, wishing she could disappear into the shadows. But there was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. She was trapped, at the mercy of these three women who seemed to find her predicament amusing.

"Wakey wakey!" the redhead shouted, her voice high-pitched and grating. The other two women erupted into laughter, their eyes gleaming with a malicious light.

“So this is the lucky girl?”, asked the redhead.

The blonde woman, who seemed to be the leader of the trio, responded with a wink, "Well, I don't think she'd describe her current situation as lucky. The lucky one is going to be Hailee."

Catherine watched in a mixture of fear and confusion as the blonde woman approached her cage, a large key in hand. With a calm yet commanding presence, she unlocked the door and ordered, "Out."

Paralyzed by terror, Catherine remained motionless, her mind racing with questions about her captors and their intentions. The blonde woman's annoyance was evident as she rolled her eyes and turned her back on Catherine, striding across the room to retrieve something hanging on a hook on the wall.

As the blonde captor arrived back at the cage’s entrance, the kidnapped mother’s heart raced with dread, her eyes fixed on the unfamiliar object in the woman's hand. It resembled a long, slender rod with a handle and two metal prongs at the tip. Realization dawned on her as the blonde approached, her expression cold and unforgiving.

Gripping the handle tightly, the blonde pressed the metal tips against Catherine's thigh, causing her to flinch in anticipation. With a flick of her thumb, a surge of electricity crackled through the prongs, and Catherine's body convulsed violently as the current coursed through her. She collapsed onto the hard and cold basement floor, her muscles spasming uncontrollably as she cried out in agony.

"Don't ZAP make ZAP me ZAP repeat ZAP myself," the blonde growled, as she continued to administer the electric shocks, the smell of burnt flesh filling the air.

Catherine's screams echoed through the basement, her mind consumed by the searing pain that consumed her. Just when she thought she couldn't endure any more, the blonde finally relented, raising a questioning eyebrow as Catherine lay trembling on the floor.

With great effort, Catherine pushed herself up onto shaky legs, her body still tingling from the assault. As she stepped out of the cage, she was met with the hungry gazes of the other two women, their eyes filled with a mixture of anticipation and malice. Catherine's stomach churned with dread, knowing that her ordeal was far from over.

“Not too bad, huh”, said the blonde who followed close behind, as a sudden hand grabbed one of her naked cheeks.

Catherine jumped in surprise, unable to protect herself with her arms still cuffed behind.

The short brunette, her voice dripping with disdain, grabbed Catherine's face, inspecting her features. "She's kinda old though, right?"

The suburban mom’s mind reeled as she listened to the women discuss her as if she were a mere object, a commodity to be appraised and judged. Being completely naked, tits and pussy fully exposed, didn’t help either.

The blonde's response sent a chill down Catherine's spine:

“She's 41. Hailee never really had an interest in the younger ones. Something about owning an older one seems to be more interesting to her. I think this one looks younger than her age, so it's a nice compromise."

Catherine couldn't fathom the gravity of the situation. Who was this mysterious Hailee? What was their plan with her? The redhead's curious voice continued the absurd conversation: “How'd you find her?"

“Online. Randomly saw a comment from her under a cooking recipe. It was a very lucky find."

Catherine immediately remebered what the blonde was talking about. Months ago, she had found a great gratin recipe. She had made it for her younger daughters 19th birthday and it had been so delicious that she commented how amazing it was. She had never imagined that a simple compliment on a dish would lead her to this terrifying place. A terrifying example of the butterfly effect.

Catherine barely noticed the blonde leaving the group once again as her eyes were drawn to the opened basement door and the staircase leading up. Freedom could be so close. A glimmer of hope flickered in her mind as she considered making a run for it, her heart pounding with the possibility of escape.

However, just as she was about to take a step towards the door, a voice from behind stopped her in her tracks. "I wouldn't," the short brunette said, her tone laced with a hint of amusement.

Catherine turned towards the brunette, her eyes immediately drawn to the large knife in her hands.

Defeated, Catherine's shoulders slumped as she realized that her chance at freedom had been cruelly snatched away. The brunette's confident smile only served to further crush her hopes, and she knew that she was completely at the mercy of these three women.

As the blonde returned to the group, Catherine's eyes flew open, unwilling to accept what she was seeing. The blonde was approaching with a black, studded collar in one hand and a leash in the other.

to be continued.