Pip closes the door behind us.
We're standing in a small kitchen-living room. There's a TV, kettle and microwave. Opening a door reveals a bedroom. It has a comfy looking double bed. Another door reveals a modern looking bathroom. This is pretty good for a cheap motel.
Pip sits on the ground - next to a perfectly good couch.
"Don't sit on the floor when there's a seat right there," I grumble.
She moves to the couch. I kneel down and lock the shock bracelet around her ankle. I have no intention of shocking her, but the bracelet also has a tracker, and I'm not about to let four hundred Rens just walk out the door.
I hand her a small bag of chips. "Eat these." She needs to have something in her stomach before I can give her a painkiller for her wrists.
I set the kettle to boil. "Tea or water?"
"Huh?" she says, confused.
"Do you want tea or water?"
"Oh, um, tea please."
She looks delighted when I bring her the mug. She knows that she should be the one bringing me tea, but I don't want her doing anything with her hands right now. She needs time to heal.
The chip packet is rolled up on the coffee table. It's still half full. "I told you to eat them."
"I did. I ate my half."
"Finish them."
She grabs the packet and quickly munches down the rest.
"Take this." I hand her the pill.
She swallows it, and I head to the bathroom.
"Master, can I ask a question?" she calls before I close the door.
"Yes?"
"What's the pill for?"
She just took a pill without any idea what it was? I guess she just does whatever she's told without question. "It'll help with the pain."
"Oh, thank you."
I close the door and run the shower. No, she's not just obedient. She lied to the border guards on my behalf. Even after they threatened her, she still stayed on my side. She only listens to me.
I finish showering but leave it running. "Pip," I call. I change into my sleepwear and open the door. She's waiting right at the threshold. "Rinse yourself off, but keep your arms away from the water. You can't get your bandages wet. Once you're done, press the tap closed with your knee or something."
"Okay, Master." She nods and steps aside for me.
I plop down on the couch, turn on the TV and start a new chess game on my phone.
She finishes her shower and stands at the door. I follow her eyes to the couch. She wants to sit next to me, but she doesn't have the confidence. This has to stop. I can't be bothered with this level of micromanagement.
"Come here." I gesture to the spot next to me.
She sits.
"There's something you need to understand. You're living with me, so you are allowed to be here. I'm not going to get angry with you because you sit somewhere or eat something. As long as you don't wonder off, I don't care. Got it?"
"Um, yes, Master."
I lean back and continue with my game.
"Are you playing chess again?"
YOU ARE READING
From Chains
FantasyI'm working every waking hour. You'd think that smuggling would pay better, but nothing has been easy since the war. I can't go on like this. I need someone to take the load off my shoulders. I need a slave. --- Robert has had nothing handed to him...
