Jon wondered what his wish had done. Nothing appeared to have happened, making him cringe inwardly, wondering what he had done. That night, he went to bed, telling himself that if he couldn't figure it out on his own, he would use the stone, just to make sure it wasn't serious.
The Next Morning
Zoe entered the railyard, tears in her eyes, along with the other girls who were awaiting punishment. She had thought about trying to run away, but nobody ever made it. She didn't know what kind of punishment she would undergo. Nobody did. But, if the rumors were true, the punishment for running away would make any girl beg for the regular punishment.
Zoe looked around her. There were dozens, maybe hundreds, of other girls; all of them awaiting punishment. Most of them were teenagers or in their early twenties, though there were some who were in their thirties. There were even a few women in their early forties. Most of them were crying. None of them had been allowed to take more than a small bag of possessions.
"We're going to be sold as sex slaves," Zoe heard. "No, worse." "What could be worse than that?" "My cousin got sent to be punished. We haven't seen her since."
Suddenly there was a loud whistle. A number of women in uniforms trooped up. Zoe figured they were guards, here to organize the girls for their trip. One of the women, apparently the leader, spoke through a megaphone, "All right, you sorry little bitches. You're all here to be punished. You'll find out what kind of punishment you're in for when you arrive at your specific punishment center. We'll be organizing you sluts alphabetically to go on the train. As you go on, we will expect you to disrobe and put your clothing in the bins. You may keep your pack, but clothing will not be necessary where you're going."
The guards swiftly began to organize the girls. Zoe didn't resist as she was herded to a rail car. She hesitated only a moment when she was required to strip. Despite her fears, the rail car turned out to be furnished with seats, even a bathroom. It was filled to capacity, but not overcrowded. That gave her hope. Wherever she was going, they wanted her there alive and unharmed.
Many of the girls started crying again when the train started moving. "We are going to be sex slaves," a girl wailed. "Why else would they want us alive?"
Zoe wasn't sure, but sexual slavery seemed better than the alternatives. The trip went on into the night. They got food later that night. Nothing exciting, but it was filling. Zoe fell asleep in her chair, wondering what kind of punishment she would experience.
