The Dreaded Man

The birthrate in the world had dropped by half nearly a decade ago now. Extreme measures have been taken. Any unmarried fertile woman were taken into custody. A reward went out to anyone who has any information on mothers in hiding. I had to flee, not wanting to put the people harboring me at risk. Caught. Not 50 miles from the border. My safe haven within my grasp just to be detained.

Now I lay, strapped naked on a table. No one makes eye contact as they scrub my body down before waxing any hair on my body deemed undesirable. I had heard of these processing stations, harems. Preparing my body to be taken by some man I do not know to bare a stranger. My only purpose now: breeding. The room is nice, I am treated well, but my freedom is gone. I think of my daughter I left behind, hoping she is still safe. After a month I am told I will be going up for auction. I dread the thought of being sold like some broodmare for some man. No choice in the matter.

I was chosen pretty quickly. My wide hips and large stature ensuring an easy birth. I won't be easy I thought. The man is handed a calender depicting when the best time to breed with me were. That word again. As if I am nothing more than an animal. I look at who I am to go home with, a stout little man. Tuffs of thick black hair sprout up from his shirt collar, his gut is large, round and hard, clearly a drinker. His eyes run over my body, I can feel where they land, everywhere but my eyes.

It's been months now. I have been returned to the harem 4 times now. Disobedient. A word found frequently in my file. Now becoming less desirable by the wealthy fat cats, I am offered up for little to no price for men who have passed an extensive test. Few who enter move on from the phase one, a simple test really. How bountiful is your seed. A sperm count of 125 million sperm per millimeter or over is needed. After they weed out those with a low count they do testing on motility, and morphology. If the percentages are right they get to move to phase 2 of testing, which consists of physical exams, STI testing, athletic ability, psych evaluations, IQ testing. Men are split into different teirs and given certain privileges. Those who test well in 3 or more categories are the best off.

I still have a small semblance of privacy, a light glows over my door before anyone enters. I am allowed to roam about my space freely and request things to keep myself entertained during my stay. I get to draw and paint everyday. The few men who come to see me after reading my file aren't impressed by my less than sunny disposition. Still no one will really look at me. I can't remember the last time someone made eye contact with me for more than mere seconds. Weeks pass and no one comes by except for people bringing my food and taking my laundry. I used to enjoy the solitude, now it feels stifling. I stopped painting. My appetite is wanning. I just lay on my fainting couch pretending I'm a woman stuck in a painting. Frozen in time.

My ears buzz and my eyes open in surprise. The hum of the light glowing above my door. As it opens I hear the voice of a woman "With your scores I believe there are better.." her voice trails off as a man brushes past her. My eyes widen and my heart skips a bear. He is staring right at me. His gaze holds mine and my whole body shivers. As he walks over to me I slowly rise to meet him. Before he gets within an arms reach he stops and turns to the woman. His voice is deep, dark and it washes over me, a single word "Her." His head turns back around and his eyes meet again, his thick lips curling into a subtle smile. Finally his eyes shift away to look at his surroundings. I ogle him while his attention is elsewhere. The first thing that stands out are his dreads, half of them are pulled up and the rest flows down his long back. His stature is formidable. He totally dwarfs me. His skin is chocolate kissed honey. The bone structure of his face. Fuck. My eyes meet his again. A low chuckle escapes his mouth after catching me checking him out "I'm going to breed her". Who does this dreaded man think he is?