*Sarah*
Minnas dreams now include Amy. She didnt think about it when they met but Amy was cute, tanned skin, short curvy frame and pretty eyes. Minna watches the crew work her over, sometimes asked to help, not with the actual work but some minor detail in the periphery, and Minna gladly does it. She hands one a towel, the rest of the crew keeps working, you can hardly see Amy between all that moving muscle.
The work week started of well as Minna was given a task she knew inside and out, making coffee. This wasnt because she was a female, but because she wanted something to do, The team sat around in the breakroom having nothing to do until, as Boss man put it, “Some pencil pusher draws some lines on a piece of paper”. Minna didnt mind, they played cards and the usual banter was in full force. Who fucked what, who killed what, and who built what, was the three common topics, as Minna didnt have much to share in any of those she mostly stayed quiet.
“They lost another one” John says as he entered the breakroom and took a seat by Minna. “Yeah I heard” Boss man replies behind his cards, “An Amy 2000” Boss man added. The chatter increases in smaller groups as Minna turns to John, “They lost a doll?”, “Uh huh” John replies, pouring his coffee, “Someone is about to get real lucky, imagine, a female you could do anything you wanted to, and she gets off on it, would be an upgrade from my wife, let me tell you”. John blows on his coffee and takes a careful taste, “Too bad I aint got 500 000 credits laying around”.
The day continued slowly and Minnas head was occupied with the question if she should tell someone what had happened last friday. Maybe it was just a coincidence, After a few hours of sporadic internal battles she decided to go and tell Boss man. As she was about to knock on his door the door opened, leaving Minna face to face with a female in her forties, dressed in grey. The woman looked at her for a moment and gave a smile, before exiting through the space Minna created as she stepped aside.
Minnas eyes followed the woman as she walked down the hallway, she was radiating beauty and confidence. “Did you want something bambi?” Minna came back to her senses and entered, unsure where to start. “I” she paused “When did the doll go missing?” Minna asks, to verify, “Not sure, why?” “I … I think I might have ran into her on my way home last friday, she fell and… the blood felt like what The Bitch was pouring out”,
Boss man stares at Minna for a moment before standing up and with his characteristic pace walking out of the room and down the hallway “Sarah, get back here”. Unsure of whats going on Minna steps out of the office and sees the lady walking back towards Boss man. They start talking, out of reach for Minnas ears, but Boss man points towards Minna and Sarahs eyes follows. As they end the conversation Sarah walks away and Boss man gets back to Minna, “Wrecking crew thanks you” he says as he passes Minna on his way back into the office, “They do?” She replies, a sense of pride and confusion rising. “Sarah and her coworkers will track the doll down, something with the blood, or something, I dont know”. Minna stands there for a moment before forcing herself to ask, “Sarah works in the wrecking crew?” Boss man doesnt lift his eyes from his papers and mumbles affirmatively.
The day ended as it had started, card games and boredom. Minnas mind now had another piece of a fascinating puzzle, a female, Sarah. She couldnt quite make the pieces to fit, but it wasnt for lack of trying. It took her an hour to change her clothes and shower, her mind constantly distracted from the task at hand, wandering deeper into her imagination. When finally done, she threw her bag over her shoulder and closed her looker, starting her journey home.
*Milkfilled coffee*
Minna was sitting in a large van together with the wrecking crew, they were hunting and Amy was prey. The dreams now included Sarah. Minna sat opposite of her and watched Sarah being fed information through an earpiece while the crew searched the city for the doll. Everyone else was atleast a head taller than Minna, and Minna was by no means a small girl. The dream ended as they drove the van into a narrow alleyway, cornering Amy in a dead end.
It was tuesday and Minna had gotten the day off. The paperwork had still not been signed and Boss man had called her late last night, asking if she wanted to stay at home, with pay. Minna had thought for a moment and then agreed, adding that he could call if there was work, that she wanted to help. The situation was convenient as the night had given her all the reasons to change her bed sheets. Owning only one set of sheets it meant that a trip to the washingroom in the basement of her apartment..
Minna stood in her window and her eyes aimed at downtown, but she didnt watch. She was occupied trying to remember last nights dream. It had not even contained nudity, just a tremendous sense of something. Minna couldnt recall the feeling, just that the feeling had been overwhelming, frustrated she gave up.
After lunch Minna was having a coffee with Anthony, a friend from childhood and early teens. By coincidence they had shared a cab a week earlier and exchanged numbers, old fashioned but Anthony lacked any sort of social media, because according to him “it sucked”. Anthony had not been a close friend but a friend nonetheless, he had been a quiet guy, cute and kind. It had taken Minna a moment to connect the dots in the cab, he had a sleeve tattoo that covered his muscled arm and another could be seen coming up his neck under his t-shirt, but Minna couldnt make out what it was supposed to be. And he was tall, like really really tall.
They spoke at length about their classmates, laughing in unison at the memories it provoked. “You said you worked with product development, what does that mean?” Minna asked to show interest, more so than actually wanting to know, it sounded kinda boring. Anthony had paused and his smile had shrunk, seemingly contemplating his words. “I do product verification at Hampton Manufacturing”. Minna instantly became fully alert, her entire body reacted to what Anthony just said, she hoped it didnt show. Anthony gave her a look and although unsure of how to proceed she felt that she had to say something. “No way, I just started working there”, she replied, her fascination clearly showing. “Do you” she paused, “I assume you work closely with the dolls?”, “Real close” Anthony replied. Minnas head was exploding with questions and assumptions, “What are they like” she asked as she leaned closer to him. Anthony had answered the question a thousand times before and he knew the stigma that followed his current occupation. “Like you and me to be honest, but always happy”, Minna contemplated her next question but from the expression on Anthonys face she could tell he didnt want to talk about it. “I am sorry, you must be asked this alot” MInna said honestly, “We can talk about something else” she added, hoping they wouldnt. Anthony shrugged, “Its nothing, I am just pressed for time” Anthony drew a smile on his face, it suited him well. “This was fun though, I would like to do it again”, Minna hid her disappointment well, “I would like that” she said, hoping it would be soon.
*Property*
Amy was sitting at the new kitchen table that Minna bought last weekend, the dream was already in full force. Minna looked through the window at the two helicopters that searched the city with their big bright beams of light. The search seemed to be focused at the nearby park and its leafy cover. She turned her head back to Amy, and looked at her, Amy was being undressed in Minnas mind. She wasnt ashamed to let her eyes wander over the tight tank top that covered Amys upper shapes. “Property” Minna thought to herself and Johns words of the use of such property rang out in her head. In her hand Minna held her phone, contemplating if she should call Anthony, wondering what would unfold if she did.
Minna sat in the breakroom, it was friday again and the end of the week had brought all the work that the beginning denied her. Last nights dream had ended too soon, just like those before it. She was tired, her body felt heavy and everything hurt, they had been working for 12 hours. Al or Jim, probably Jim, rested his head against his arm on the table, it gave Minna a comforting feeling, seeing a grown man resting, having done the same amount of work that she had.
“Looks like they found her” Boss man said as he stood by the window, the lower loading area in plain view, “Found who” one of Minnas coworkers replied, “Amy” Boss man replied. Fueled by pure curiosity Minna jolted up from her seat and rushed to the window, but a few others sitting closer had got there and Minna had a height disadvantage. Two men and a woman, all dressed in grey, exited a black SUV, one of them carrying a girl over his shoulder. They disappeared from sight as they entered a door, Minna had only been able to see glimpses.
The latest development had made Minna certain the testing, and the wrecking crews general whereabouts, had to be located to the east corner. The trio she just saw enter the factory had not used the exact same door that Minna entered by mistake on her first day, but it was in close proximity to it.
“That seemed to have done it” Boss man said and the room drew a collective sigh of relief. Everyone knew it meant that their latest work, and the reason for their overtime, was finished. Tired bodies rose from the chairs and benches in the breakroom and headed to the changing room. There was only one changing room, not many females in this sort of profession and Minna was used to it. She didnt have a problem with. But, due to her tired body and knowing that there wasnt enough showers for everyone anyway, she decided to remain in the breakroom and let the changing room get less crowded.
The minutes passed comfortably, Minna heard the large machinery slowly go quiet, Boss man had told her that the machinery always gets shut down late on fridays, no need to have it running over the weekend. The ache and fatigue that she felt was the good kind, she had earned her weekend.
When Minna finished cleaning her body off there were no one left to say goodbye to. Not surprising really, some men seemed to step through the shower and call it done. She tucked her blouse into her jeans and closed her locker.. The thought of doing absolutely nothing for an entire weekend was something Minna looked forward to, her body needed it.
She took careful steps down the steep iron stair and suddenly thought she heard something. It was very faint, it seemed man made, like a guttural groan, repeating, and after a few steps in different directions she was sure it came from the east. The excitement that rose inside her wanted Minnas body to get closer, to explore, but reason inside prevailed. She stood there and closed her eyes, listening to the wrecking crew work their property.
Source: reddit.com/r/eroticliterature/comments/cuhha7/the_doll_factory_part_46_slowburn