The Toymaster's Castle

Chapter Five - The Playroom

After my disturbed night, I was, of course, totally knackered and, after giving me something to eat, he sent me off to bed. Within seconds, I was fast asleep.

I don't know what time it was when I woke up but it felt like it was still the middle of the night. I just lay there in silence for a few minutes but then something occurred to me.

There was absolutely nothing stopping me from leaving!

Of course, I still didn't have any clothes so I took the sheet from my bed and wrapped it around myself. It must have looked pretty weird but all I needed to do was get to the police and then it would all be sorted out.

Then I took that horrible collar off and carefully opened the bedroom door.

For a while, I just stood there and listened. I mean... I thought I heard something but we were in the middle of London so there was always going to be a bit of noise. I just put it down to me being paranoid.

Then, forcing myself to move slowly and carefully. I walked down the corridor to the lobby. I pressed the button to call the lift and then basically held my breath as the display showed that it was getting closer.

I don't know what surprised me more... the lights in the lobby bit flashing on or a man stepping out of the lift as the doors opened. He was absolutely enormous and dressed in a security guard type uniform. Basically, before I could even think, I was flat on the floor, face down, with my arm bent up painfully behind my back.

Suddenly Daniel was there. And, in spite of everything, I couldn't help noticing that he was wearing this spectacularly beautiful royal blue silk dressing gown and... as far as I could tell... nothing else! "Good evening, George," he said as if everything was completely normal.

"Good evening, Sir," the security guard replied in the same totally relaxed sort of voice.

Then Daniel squatted down next to me. "I suggest that, from now on, you are completely cooperative," he told me. "With your arm in that position, George could dislocate your shoulder with no significant effort."

I may have whimpered a bit but I didn't say anything.

"Would you bring her along to my playroom, please?" he said to George before taking my other hand and helping me to my feet. As I stood up, the sheet fell off me but, just at that moment, the fact that I was stark naked was a long way away from being my biggest worry

They marched me through the flat, down a corridor that I didn't know, into a room where they fastened my wrists to something in the ceiling. I screamed as my shoulders were basically ripped out of their sockets but somebody released the tension a bit until at least my feet were on the floor though my arms were still stretched painfully up above my head.

Then, without saying a word, the two of them just left. And, as they closed the door, I was plunged into darkness... like complete and utter blackness... and the background hum of noise that you sort of get used to when you live in a big city was totally cut off.

So I was left alone with my thoughts... and with my terror of what was to come. I mean... he'd already made it perfectly clear that he was totally relaxed about punishing me... and that he didn't give a stuff about my personal dignity or anything... and I hadn't even done anything bad before... so goodness knows what he was going to do with me now...

But still, at some stage, I must have fallen asleep... or just passed out, or something... because I was shaken awake by the sound of the door opening. Then the lights flashed on and I got to see that horrible room for the first time. There was a whole load of whips and canes and things on a rack on one wall... and various things that looked like they were for tying people down so you could beat them.