"I told you that I would give you a limited amount of time to become accustomed to your situation." It was said firmly.
"And I told you that you didn't want to know what I was thinking, but you ordered me to tell you. The fault does not rest with me, unless you believe that I am able to entirely set aside my situation and never think about it while sitting naked at your feet, clearly on display as your slave. I assure you, I do not have the skill to compartmentalize in that fashion."
She growled at me, and so I slipped from the chair and knelt down at her feet, my head bowed to the floor. I didn't say a word. I let her interpret the act however she wished. Inside, I was angry again, but I did my best to suppress it.
"Why are you like this?" she asked. "I am treating you with great kindness."
"Tell it to my shoulder," I said.
"I apologized for that!"
"And I apologized for my crime. Why is it that I am unforgiven when I was only trying to help an old lady, but I am expected to forgive you over and over?"
"You are mine!" she screamed. "That is why!"
I stayed still, not responding, my forehead pressed to the floor before her. She left me there for a while, rising to her feet and moving across the room. She grew still, and I remained in my place, although my body began to ache from the position.
I don't know how long I remained there. Eventually she moved to stand in front of me.
"I am angry," she said.
It wasn't a question.
"It isn't your fault. I could use your help calming down."
I immediately crawled forward and began kissing her feet, slowly and sensually. She let me kiss for a while before she bent down and lifted me to my feet. She lifted my chin, using the chain, capturing my gaze in hers, but she didn't dazzle me.
"You must never lie to me. I have so many people who lie to me, and you must never do so."
"All right, m'lady."
"Do you hate what you just did?"
I thought about it before answering. "Actually, no. I think about when you feed from me." I smiled. "Ironic. It bothers me that I am nothing but a walking meal for you, but when you feed from me, you make it feel so good."
"You are not just a walking meal. You are far more than that."
I reached up and touched the hoops below my lip. "Yes, I am also this."
"And you are more than that as well, Melissa."
I didn't believe her, but I didn't argue.
I smiled. "I am also a source of stress."
She returned the smile. "This is true, but I believe that will solve itself. I have never had a blood slave. You have never been a blood slave. We are both learning."
The thought didn't disturb me as much as it had been. Her temper was frightening, and I didn't enjoy being on display, but she wasn't treating me as poorly as I had expected. However, she also wasn't treating me as well as she could. I didn't point that out.
Still, she frowned. "More negative thoughts?"
I lowered my gaze. "I am sorry. It is not easy being reminded I am property. A child of five has more rights than I do. My situation with you may be better than it would be with someone else, but it is still a poor situation."
She lifted my chin. "Is it all bad? There are tradeoffs, perhaps?"
I offered a tentative smile. "Yes, there are tradeoffs. But you understand that as pleasant as those tradeoffs are, and even if I absolutely knew you would never hurt me again, I would take freedom if it were offered."
"I will give you more time to grow accustomed."
"Do you believe I will forget I was a free woman? Do you believe I will forget that the people around me are free women, but I am not?"
"No, I suppose you will not forget these things."
"And so all I can do is try to hide my thoughts more carefully. I am an artist. I have spent my entire life engaging in an expression of my emotions. I do not know how well I can learn to hide them."
"I don't want you to hide them. I don't want you to feel you must."
Of course I must. She was hopelessly naïve if she thought otherwise.
She caressed my cheek again. I was learning how much she enjoyed doing that. I wondered briefly if it was a replacement for what she would rather do. Then I wondered that, if that was the case, she wasn't taking what she wanted. She certainly had the right to use me however she pleased.
She sighed, and again I knew it was for my benefit. "What thought did you now have?"
I echoed her sigh. "I am so transparent."
"Answer me."
"Is the caress a replacement for something you wish you could do to me?"
"Ah. Perhaps it is."
"The thought I had was wondering why, if there were things you wanted from me, you weren't taking them. You have that right, regardless of how I feel about it."
"And the answer to that is the answer to all those other questions you have as to why you are here instead of somewhere else."
"I don't understand."
"I know. And I will not explain."
"Very well. I would like to ask another question."
"You are always asking questions."
"Will you share the reason why you do not allow me to know the time? Is knowing the time a privilege I haven't earned?"
"Ah. Not exactly. I will authorize the time displayed on your laptop."
"That will not help me at night, especially as I have no sunlight. When I wake, I have no idea if I have been sleeping for ten minutes or ten hours."
"You cannot tell?"
"My preference would to rise and shower before breakfast."
"Check your tablet."
"Which will be charging in the hallway."
"Ah. You see? This is why I assign these details to the humans." She smiled. "This problem will solve itself over the coming days, if you are patient. And continue to please me."
"So it is a privilege?"
"No. The charging station moving into your bedroom is, however."
"Thank you. I wanted to understand." And then I yawned, quickly covering my mouth. I immediately dropped to my knees in front of her. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry!"
"Shhh. You have had a difficult day, and your body requires rest." She gathered my chain in her hand and used it to guide me to my feet. She led me to my bedroom, tugging on the chain almost playfully. When we arrived, she asked me to kneel, and then she removed the chain. She draped it over her neck then cradled my cheeks in her hand, lifting my face towards her. Her thumbs rested over my lips, and she caressed them for a moment.
"You are my blood slave, Melissa. Mine. Do you understand?"
"Yes, m'lady. I am yours."
She smiled. "You belong to me. You do not fully feel it yet, but you will. If you can embrace it, we can both be very happy. There are advantages."
"Yes, m'lady," I said. I didn't think I was going to embrace slavery.
"Thank you for soothing me."
"You are welcome," and I realized she was.
"I can take your tablet now, or if you wished to read for a while, I will steal in later and take it then. But I do not want you staying awake too late."
"Thank you. I won't."
She caressed my lips again, and I smiled, and then she was gone, the door closing gently, the lock clicking.
Just in case I had forgotten I was a prisoner.
* * * *
Ashlyn woke me again the next day, sitting on the edge of the bed and running a finger across my cheek. I opened my eyes, and she smiled at me.
"Why do you wake me that way?"
"Do you not like it? It is how my mother wakes me."
"It's nice," I said.
"I have enabled the clock on your tablet. It is there." She pointed, and there was a table beside the door. The tablet was on one end, my breakfast on the other.
"How did that get here? Did you bring it?"
"It was here this morning," she replied. "Lady Dunn can be very, very quiet."
"You were quiet enough to enter the
room, set down the food, then retrieve and set down the tablet. Then you sat down on the bed and contemplated several practical jokes to play upon me before waking me. I did not know I slept so soundly."
"How do you know I contemplated practical jokes."
"Because I was once a teenager, and it would have been difficult for me to resist such a tempting target."
"There will be no practical jokes," she said. "I do not want to follow Penny."
"Penny's offense was much greater than that."
"Nevertheless, the lady has been clear."
I sat up, and she climbed from the bed so I could throw my feet over the edge.
"Thank you, Ashlyn," I said.
But she sat down next to me on the bed. I glanced over at her, wondering what she wanted. She sat quietly, looking at her hands.
"What is it, Ashlyn?"
"Mama told me it was very bad of me to invite Lady Dunn to sit with us last night. She was very angry with me when I told her."
"Did she punish you?"
"No, but she was frightened all night. I think she is still afraid the lady will send us away."
"Oh. I do not believe she should worry. The lady was surprised by the invitation, and she perhaps declined because she did not want to intrude."
"It was presumptuous of me to ask. That is what Mama said."
"It was, but no harm was done. However, I do not believe that topic is a good topic for the lady, and if you bring it up again, I hope you will do so after I am no longer her slave."
"Why did she hurt you?"
"I'm sorry. I can't answer that. It wasn't your fault." I flexed my arm, rotating my shoulder. "Everything seems fine. No permanent damage. Would you like me to speak to your mother?"
"Would you?"
"Of course. When I ask to exercise, will she be the one to take me?"
"Probably. I can tell her that you wish to speak with her."
"Do you know what time I have been served lunch?"
"Noon. Lunch is always right exactly at noon."
"Perhaps warn your mother I will exercise at ten, but she should tell me if that is a poor time for her."
"Thank you, Melissa."
She climbed to her feet and headed for the door.
"Don't forget to lock the door!"
"I won't." She paused. "Why do you remind me? Don't you want to escape?"
"Where would I go? And I am fairly sure if I take advantage of an opportunity, the lady is able to make me regret it. I remind you so I am not tempted and so you are not punished for forgetting."
She nodded. "Thanks." And then she was gone.
* * * *
I showered to wake up then dried off and wrapped myself in the towel. I was chilled after the shower. I hoped the lady was sleeping and not becoming irate at me for being covered. I looked up to the cameras. "I'm cold, that's all. I'll hang it up soon."
I ate then made a nest on the bed and read for an hour. I got lost in the book, but then the book I was reading mentioned what one of the characters was wearing. I looked down at the towel and sighed, then set the tablet aside, unwrapped myself, and hung the towel up. I stared into the mirror, my tattooed face staring back at me.
"You can do this," I said to myself. "She is frightening, but it could be a lot worse. If she kills me, I don't think it will be done as badly as I feared." I cocked my head side to side, examining the tattoo. I wondered who had adjusted the design for a face, and then I started thinking about how I would have done it.
I began drawing simple lines on my face with my finger, imagining I was leaving paint behind. I poked at the skin, pinching here and there, imagining that I was moving the tattoo until it was better situated.
I touched my lips. They were such an unexpected color. I thought about what I could have done differently. It may have been interesting to use their shape.
I made invisible little sketches.
The studs through my lip were jarring to the design, and the hoops even more so. I wondered how I could have incorporated them into a forest design. They could have been a natural part of other settings, but the shiny metal didn't fit the forest.
The tablet began to chirp. I ran back to the bedroom and picked it up.
"Did you wish to exercise?" it asked. There were options for "Yes" and "No." I looked at the time and realized it was after ten. How long had I been looking at myself in the mirror?
I pushed "Yes". It was only a few minutes before the door opened, and Maria stood there.
"I'm sorry. I lost track of time."
"Quite all right," she said. She held the door open, and I stepped out, then I followed her to the gym.
I waited a few seconds, then said, "I do not believe Lady Dunn was upset with the invitation last night. I believe she was pleased to feel her company was desired."
"The girls should not have presumed," Maria responded. "I could have been fired. All their parents could have."
"Is the lady so capricious?"
"I would not have thought so, but she nearly killed Penny."
"The lady seems to be very possessive of me. I do not understand it."
"Penny didn't deserve to be fired simply because she ordered you to make your own bed, much less nearly killed."
"Is that what she told you?"
"I visited her in the hospital and heard the entire story."
"And that's what she told you she did?"
We had arrived at the gym, and she turned to me. "I do not want my daughter spending time with you."
"I understand that, but perhaps you should ask yourself this: do you really believe the lady would nearly kill someone over who makes a bed? Or do you think maybe Penny failed to tell you the other things she did?"
"What other things?"
"I believe the lady was probably most enraged when she reviewed the video of my encounters with Penny and saw her blood slaved ordered to kneel in front of the maid and kiss her feet."
Maria stared at me.
"That's just a guess."
"Did she really?"
"Yes. You can ask the lady about it, but if you do, please make sure I am not around. She seems to forget how fragile I am, and I could use a few days to heal."
"Why was I stupid enough to believe her? I knew she was an idiot!"
I paused a moment and let her absorb the information I had given her. Then I asked, "Would you like me to ask Lady Dunn whether future invitations to bonfires are inappropriate? I can ask without endangering your position."
"No," she said. "We've invited in the past, and she always turns us down."
"She is giving you privacy. I believe she would accept if she were sure she wasn't imposing. She feels the invitations are based in politeness only."
"Oh. Yes, please ask her."
"I will."
She let me into the gym and said, "You have a locker in the changing room. Can you find it?"
"Yes. Thank you. Actually, I was going to swim. Is there a suit?"
She smiled. "What are the chances?"
I sighed.
* * * *
The lady came to my room at, according to the tablet, three PM. I was reading but growing very, very tired of it. I needed more stimulation than that, although perhaps less than some of the other stimulation I had been receiving over the last week.
As soon as she entered the room, I knelt in front of her, but I didn't bend to kiss her feet. She smiled and cupped my cheek, gazing at me. I looked up at her and returned her smile.
"Good afternoon, my little blood slave."
"Good afternoon, m'lady vampire mistress."
She chuckled. "I am not sure I care for that phrase. It will not be amusing more than once."
"Yes, m'lady Dunn. I shall endeavor to find other terms of endearment, trying them one at a time until I find one that shall pleasure you more than once."
She chuckled again. "And I shall punish you for each I do not enjoy."
"Oh? A horrible punishment or a playful punishment? It would he
lp me to decide whether I want to play this game or not."
"I guess you'll have to wait and see."
I thought about it. "You are not prohibiting the game?"
"No."
"Well then, I will need to consider my choices carefully. Perhaps I will tread a fine line betwixt amusement and punishment."
"Betwixt is not a common word."
"Blame the book I read earlier. Do you actually read those?"
She laughed. "I haven't read a book containing that word in a very long time." She pulled the leash from around her neck and clipped it in place. "Did you still wish to play racquetball?"
"I have been anticipating it all day, m'lady coach."
She laughed. "Come." Tug, tug.
I rose to my feet and followed after her as she tugged me along.
She led me to the changing room, then removed the leash. "Which locker is mine?"
"You didn't look earlier?"
"I swam."
She pointed to a locker, and I saw it had my name. I opened it and found two full sets of athletic clothing, including a pair of shoes. I stared at the clothing. "Thank you, m'lady."
"You're welcome." She paused. "I do not wish you to see my body. You will change first and then step outside and prepare yourself however you feel is best."
"Yes, m'lady."
She watched as I dressed. The clothing fit very well, and it felt odd to be clothed after several days spent naked. It gave me renewed confidence, and I turned to face her. "Thank you."
She nodded. "Go on now."
I stepped out, bouncing in my new shoes, and moved to the racquetball court. The court was bare, and I didn't know where to find a racket and ball. So instead I stretched and did some light aerobics while I waited.
"You'll need a racquet," she said.
I turned. "I suppose that's better than using my head."
She gestured, and I followed her back out of the room. There was a closet next to the court. She pulled out two racquets and a couple of balls, handing one of the racquets to me. "Is there one that is yours, and I shouldn't touch it?"
"They are all mine, but you may use any of them you like. They are identical. For practice, use the old balls from the bucket on the floor. When you play with me, take from the shelf. When I deem a ball is old, I will toss it in the bucket."
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