The Kingdom: Chapter 5 - Delta November Foxtrot

[southrook]

CHAPTER 5 – DELTA NOVEMBER FOXTROT

 

I was awoken to sound of the loud cheering outside my window. I blinked as bright morning sunlight streamed through the blinds, causing me to squint and bury my head beneath the blankets. My copy of ‘A Comprehensive Guide to Slave Ownership’ rested propped-open on the nightstand and a half-eaten box of Hawaiian pizza sat on top of the covers next to me. It had been a long night of studying and pizza happened to be the brain-food that I required to stay focused. Hey- while my metabolism still worked, I might as well take advantage of eating what I liked. 

 

It had been a while since I could remember studying for anything. Despite my high aptitude scores in school, I had never been the greatest student. I consistently scored high enough to join the “gifted” classes, but ultimately ended up dropping down to standard learning due to my complete and utter lack of motivation. Uncle Henry had dropped out of high school in his senior year, which had always made me skeptical of just how important school really was. I remember being desperate to graduate and put all the “busy work” in the rear-view mirror. 

 

But today’s test was different. Unlike high school, the outcome of this particular test actually mattered. I literally held another person’s fate in my hands. If I didn’t pass, she’d likely end up in the custody of the woman named Annabelle and would spend the next three months being ***d. So, I had my motivation. And as a result, I was feeling pretty darn prepared.

 

I’d learned everything there was to learn about a slave’s vital sign parameters, dietary needs, sleep cycles, and physiotherapy. Physiotherapy actually made up the largest portion of the book. Illustrated tutorials detailed everything from exercises to partner stretches to massages that restored *** flow to strained limbs. I was actually pretty impressed by the lengths these people had gone to educate their guests about health-related issues.

 

Another large portion of the book was dedicated to BDSM equipment. The text exhaustively explained the various meanings behind different sounds and light patterns emitting from a slave’s collar. There was also vast glossary of different types of knots and restraints. Towards the back were more disturbing tutorials like ‘how to safely applying feeding tubes’ and ‘administering enemas’. I must admit, I skipped over those sections. I valued my Hawaiian pizza too much to lose my appetite…

 

I stretched out on the bed, arching my back and kicking the comforter off of me. With the exception of my pants, I was still fully clothed from the day prior. Ugh, I was going on three days wearing this same outfit. I really needed to get some new clothes. Pronto.

 

Groggily, I stood to my feet. They still ached from my ordeal in the woods but they were definitely feeling a bit better than they did the day before. I walked over to the window to see what all the commotion was outside. In the circle, there was a medium-sized crowd gathered around the center stage where two naked women wrestled each other, covered in mud. I rolled my eyes, turning and walked out the bedroom. On my way out, I grabbed the pizza box off of the bed and carried it into the kitchen.

 

Yawning, I put the box in the fridge and grabbed a mug from the kitchen cabinet. Then, I inserted a coffee pod into the Keurig and pressed start. Moments later, I was sipping on a piping hot pumpkin spice latte. Breakfast of champions. How did humans ever survive before Keurig machines?

 

Walking over to the edge of the indoor pool, I sat down on the edge, placing my feet in the water. The water was the perfect temperature. Not too hot, not too cold. I flexed my toes contently as I took my sweet time finishing my caffeine. 

 

After I could no longer justify sitting there for any longer, I stood up and made my way back to the bedroom. Time to start the day, I thought. Today’s game-plan was to go some new clothes, grab some lunch, head over to the kennel, take my stupid test, and then bail out Brandy. After that, who knew?

 

Grabbing a tote bag from the closet, I tossed in my book, phone, key card, and park map. Once I’d slipped on my jeans and boots, I tied my hair into a ponytail and headed out. The humid air smacked me in the face as I exited the castle suite. Damn, if it was already this hot at 10am, it was bound to be a stifling day. I needed some shorts ASAP. Glancing down at my map, I quickly located the section marked ‘CLOTHING/APPAREL’. 

 

One by one, I traveled across the faire, checking the shops off my list. It wasn’t until the fourth one down that I finally managed to find a clothing store that sold something other than lingerie and leather/latex sex costumes. Not even looking at the price tags, I bought nearly a dozen different outfits, complete with undergarments and footwear. Hey- I was a millionaire now. For the first time in my life, everything was in my budget.

 

After I was finished shopping, I stopped to eat lunch again at Vern’s Brisket and Vine. Or rather- Sally’s BBQ. Sally’s recipe may not have tasted quite as good as Vern’s, but the BBQ was still good enough for me to return. After two sandwiches and a bit of last minute studying, I was ready to head to the kennel. I exited the restaurant and maneuvered my way through the crowds of people on Centre Street. Though I had never been particularly confident when it came to academia, today I had an undeniable pep in my step. I was feeling well rested, well fed, and well prepared. I was ready to get this done.

 

At the kennel, a guard sat behind the reception desk. As I entered the lobby, he looked up at me and smiled. I recognized him as one of the same guards I had spoken to the day prior.

 

“Welcome back,” he said pleasantly.

 

“Thanks,” I replied, stepping up to the counter and dropping my shopping bags on the floor beside me. “Let’s give this test another try, shall we?”

 

“That’s the spirit,” the guard said cheerily, reaching over into his filing cabinet to withdraw a manila folder. “Can I get you anything to drink before you start? Any water or tea?” 

 

“No thanks,” I replied, grabbing the folder from his hand. I bent over to pick up my shopping bags, but the guard raised his hand to stop me.

 

“Oh, you can leave those where they are,” he said, standing to his feet. “I’ll move them behind the counter until you’re finished.”

 

“Oh,” I replied, straightening back up. “Thanks.” Either this guy had recently graduated from etiquette school or he had a bit of a crush on me. I took mental note in the chance that someday I’d need a favor from a security guard.

 

Taking a seat in the same chair as before, I opened the folder to reveal the exam along with a pencil. Scanning through the first page, I immediately recognized that some of the multiple-choice questions had changed from the previous time I’d taken it. This made sense, given the sheer volume of material in the handbook I’d studied from. But I was undaunted. I answered each question with ease all the way through page 4. Page 5 threw me for a few loops. Page 8 had a question about enemas. And I’m pretty sure that the last page had a trick question in which all choices were actually correct. In total, the test took me no longer that 20 minutes.

 

I walked back up the guard behind the counter and handed him back my folder. “That should do it,” I said confidently.

 

“Very good,” he replied pleasantly. “Let’s run this through the scan-tron and see how we did.” He removed the papers from the folder and fed them into the machine next to his computer. Once complete, he began tapping away at his keyboard. “Well,” he said, looking back up at me. “-you passed.” I exhaled a bit in relief. “97%. Well done!” he added.

 

“Thanks,” I replied.

 

“Now for the essay portion,” he added.

 

My face fell as I stared at him.

 

“I’m just kidding,” he replied, chuckling. “You’re all good.”

 

“Oh,” I answered, forcing a smile. “Good one.” 

 

The guard smiled, visibly pleased with his lame attempt at flirting. Then, he grabbed several sheet of paper from a stack next to his computer. 

 

“All I need now,” he continued, as he placed the papers on the counter in front of me, “-is your autograph on each of these forms. This one essentially transfers Miss Brandy L. Michaels into your custody and states that you agree to all terms of temporary slave ownership. That you accept responsibility for the safety and welfare of your slave as long as she remains in your custody.”

 

“Oookay,” I replied uncertainly as I picked up the form and speed-read over it. “Sure,” I added, using the pen on the counter to sign my name (Jodie’s name) on the dotted line.

 

“Great,” the guard replied, grabbing the form from in front of me. “This next form states that you accept the Kingdom’s rules and regulations as dictated in our Code of Conduct as well as our Discipline and Corrections Handbook. You should have received both of those books in your welcome box. Signing below confirms that you acknowledge the jurisdiction of Kingdom security personnel and judicial authority to en*** those rules and regulations.”

 

I gulped, realizing that I had not read either of the books he had mentioned. In fact, they remained untouched in the welcome box that was still seated on the entry hall table of the suite. “Sure,” I replied, not wanting to give away that I had no idea what he was talking about. Once again, I signed the dotted line at the bottom of the page.

 

“And this last form states that you recognize the potential for turnabout. During your stay, either by permission OR against your will, your slave may succeed in overpowering you. Signing this confirms that you understand that risk as well as the Kingdom’s lack of jurisdiction to intervene on your behalf should such a situation arise.”

 

I blinked in shock, contemplating what he just said. “Wait, what?”

 

The guard chuckled, leaning back and spinning slightly in his swivel chair. “Basically, if your slave gets the jump on you and manages to turn the tables, there’s not a whole lot we, as security, can do,” he explained. “For all we know, you two might have agreed to switch things up and play out a role-reversal fantasy. The only way we’d be able intervene would be if there was a rule infraction of some sort. If we should ever detect a *** of protocol, we’ll always intervene. And once that happens, the reigns would ultimately be returned to whoever was supposed to hold power.”

 

“Shit,” I replied, scanning the form nervously. That tidbit certainly changed things… 

 

“Look,” the guard said in a reassuring voice, “I wouldn’t worry too much about it. If Xena warrior princess wereto ever turn the tables on you, it’s only a matter of time before she’d inevitably slip up and break a rule. They always do. Most role-reversals I’ve witnessed are sorted out within a few hours because the slave doesn’t knowing what the hell she’s doing. They make a ***, our alarms go off, and then we show up on their doorstep and lay down the law.

 

I continued reading the form in silence.

 

“If it helps you sleep at night,” the guard continued, “-most owners have a buddy system of sorts. Once every day or so, their buddy checks in on them to make sure that everything’s normal. If you’re worried about it, just find someone you can trust and make a deal.”

 

“Okay,” I replied, my pen hovering above the signature line. 

 

This form was by far the scariest thing I’d read since I arrived. I wanted to believe that I could trust Brandy but the reality was that I hardly even knew her. And based on what I did know about her, she was definitely not the stereotypical submissive. I’d just have to be careful, I thought. My paranoia wasn’t worth subjecting a person to the custody of Annabelle for three months.

 

Taking a deep breath, I put the pen to the paper and signed on the dotted line.

 

“Alright,” the guard said, grabbing the completed form from the counter. “It looks like you’re all set!” He placed all of the paperwork back in the manila folder and returned it to the filing cabinet it came from. 

 

Leaning forward, he spoke into a silver microphone that sat on the desk, “Cell block A, please prepare slave Brandy Michaels for pickup, Cell block A, please prepare slave Brandy Michaels for pickup.” Looking back at me, he added, “It shouldn’t be more than a few minutes. You’re free to take a seat while you wait.”

 

“Nah, I’m alright standing,” I answered, pulling out my phone to check the time. But as I looked through my home screen for something to keep me busy, I suddenly realized something… I hadn’t been getting any notifications since I arrived. No emails, no missed calls, no facebook likes. It had been complete radio silence. I tapped on my facebook app, only to see a “NO SIGNAL” error pop up. The same message appeared on my mail and phone apps. But when I tapped the web browser app, it took me straight to my homepage.

 

“Uh, do you happen to know why none of my messaging apps are working?” I asked, holding up my phone. “I have full bars but I only get a signal on my web browser.”

 

The guard’s eyebrows raised, almost as if he was surprised that I didn’t already know the answer. “Uh, yeah,” he replied, “the Kingdom blocks most services for discretionary reasons.”

 

“Oh,” I answered hesitantly. “So, only my web browser works?”

 

“That and the Kingdom’s official app,” he answered, “You’ve downloaded that, right?”

 

“Uh, no,” I said. “How do I do that?”

 

“Oh, you’ll definitely want that,” he replied. He leaned forward and grabbed a business card out of a cardholder located on the counter. Holding it up to me, he added, “Just go to this site and press download.”

 

“That’s it?” I asked.

 

“That’s it,” he replied smiling, “From there, you’ll have maps, brochures, event schedules, you name it. You can also communicate with other guests straight from the app. And most importantly, it gives access to all of your slave’s information. Her profile, food allergies, vitals, etc. You can zap her straight from the app, program other devices, and you can unlock her collar and restraints just by tapping the phone against them.”

 

During the time he had explained everything, I had typed in the site address from the card and downloaded the app to my phone. When I opened it, the app asked me to place the QR code from my key-card within the camera phone’s field of view. Pulling my lanyard out from behind my vest, I held the key-card beneath the phone so that the QR code lined up inside the box on the screen. A moment later, the logo of a castle appeared on the screen above the words ‘The Kingdom’, followed by the words, ‘Welcome, Jodie O’Connell’. Then, a brief transition took me to the home screen.

 

My concentration was suddenly broken by the sound of metal doors sliding open on the back wall of the lobby. I looked up to see a naked Brandy standing in the doorway next to a latex-clad Annabelle. Brandy was wearing what she wore the first time we’d met. Her arms were restrained behind her in a black arm-binder with straps that cris-crossed over her chest. Her ankles wore unshackled leather cuffs. Her head was covered in a latex hood that had openings for her eyes, nose, and mouth. In her mouth was a large ring-gag. And to finish the ensemble off, she was wearing the despised chastity belt. Whether or not the butt-plug was attached, I couldn’t tell.

 

“Welcome back!” Annabelle said gleefully as she led Brandy over to me by the leash. “I believe congratulations are in order. What was your final score on the exam?”

 

“She got a 97%,” the guard interjected eagerly with a smile.

 

“What a smarty-pants!” Annabelle replied with faux excitement. I really despised this woman. Everything about her seemed to rub me the wrong way. Perhaps I’d have felt differently if our first interaction hadn’t consisted of her stabbing my neck with a needle and forcing me into bondage.

 

“Well it looks like you’ll be in good hands, then, eh love?” she asked giving Brandy’s leash a little tug. 

 

Brandy nodded submissively with her head bowed. “Ech aan,” I heard her say quietly. I guessed that was gaglish for ‘Yes ma’am’.

 

“Feet together,” Annabelle ordered in a deeper voice. Brandy immediately adjusted her stance, pressing both ankles against each other. Damn, Annabelle really must have done a number on her. The Brandy I’d seen just one day earlier was more likely to respond to such a demand with a growl and attempted head-butt.

 

“Good girl,” Annabelle responded cheerfully. “As you can see, we’ve managed to address some of her behavioral issues but slave Brandy still has a ways to go. Isn’t that right?” 

 

Again, Brandy nodded with her head bowed. “Ech aan,” she replied again.

 

“Yes, she’ll make a fine slave girl, indeed,” Annabelle chuckled as she handed me the end of Brandy’s leash. Nodding toward my phone, she added, “Oh, I sent you a message yesterday. Please read it over in private and let me know what you think.”

 

Without responding, I took the leash from her and allowed it to fall to the floor. Stepping beside Brandy, I lifted my phone and tapped it against the mechanical buckle of her armbinder. The straps suddenly sprung off of her shoulders and hung loosely beside her. Bending over, I grabbed a hold of the tip of the armbinder and tugged downward. Brandy shimmied slightly, allowing the restraint to slide off of her. Moments later, she was stretching her free arms and flexing her joints.

 

“You won’t be needing that anymore,” I said, tossing the armbinder into one of my shopping bags. “Or this,” I continued, tapping the phone against the front of her chastity belt. Once the belt’s mechanism unlocked, she pulled the contraption over her hips and stepped out of it one foot at a time. I took it from her hands and added it to the bag.

 

Annabelle blinked, looking taken aback. I imagine she hadn’t expected to see her powerless slave regaining her freedoms so quickly after her release. Seeing the look of irritation on Annabelle’s face was surprisingly satisfying. I could only imagine how enjoyable it must have been for Brandy.

 

I proceeded to tap my phone against Brandy’s wrists and ankle cuffs allowing them to unlock and fall to the floor. I gathered everything up and tossed it all into the same shopping bag holding her other restraints. 

 

“What… May I ask what are you doing?” Annabelle asked looking clearly unnerved.

 

“No, you may not,” I replied flippantly. “Brandy’s no longer your concern. Don’t worry about us.”

 

Annabelle’s eyebrows raised in surprise at my response. “Very well,” she replied coldly.

 

Brandy seemed to be having difficulty unbuckling her gag, so I walked behind her and helped her remove it. Once her mouth was free, she peeled the latex hood off of her head, sighing in relieve. She looked at me with a weak smile, her face flushed and her hair damp and matted from the hood. 

 

“Thank you,” she said breathily.

 

“No problem,” I responded. I reached down and grabbed an outfit and sandals from one of the shopping bags and handed it to Brandy. “Go ahead and put this on.”

 

Brandy quickly snatched the clothes from my hands and began to dress herself. “Thanks,” she replied.

 

“Please read my message,” Annabelle interrupted ***fully. Her face was now stern and unpleasant. “I think you’ll find it quite intriguing.”

 

“Actually,” I replied turning toward Annabelle. “Could you please excuse us?”

 

Annabelle’s nostrils flared as her eyes pierced into me from behind her spectacles. I could only guess that she was not used to receiving such indifference. Annabelle struck me as the type of person who relished receiving the royal treatment. But if she had anything to say about it, she kept it to herself. She promptly spun away and exited through the doorway she had entered from, her high heels clicking behind her. The large metal doors slid shut, leaving Brandy and I alone with the guard behind the desk.

 

After Brandy finished getting dressed and fluffing her hair, I picked up several bags and asked, “Would you mind helping me carry these back to the castle?”

 

“Of course,” she replied, quietly. She knelt down and picked up the remaining bags off the floor.

 

The two of us began walking toward the exit. “Thank you,” I said to the guard.

 

“My pleasure,” he replied smiling. “Have a nice day.”

 

As we exited the building, the stifling hot air smacked us in the faces. Damn, it had to be 90 degrees outside! After the doors closed behind us, Brandy looked over at me. The expression on her face could only be described as ‘impressed shock’. 

 

“Wow,” she said, chuckling. “Um, that was amazing.”

 

“That was pretty satisfying, wasn’t it?” I asked, grinning back at her.

 

“I really don’t know what to say,” she answered. “Thank you so much.”

 

“Don’t mention it.” I replied. “We’re in the castle suite straight ahead. It’s too hot out here. We can catch up in the air conditioning.”

 

“Deal,” Brandy replied.

 

“Are you hungry?” I asked as I started to walk.

 

“Starving,” She answered.

 

“Are you good with left-over Hawaiian pizza?” I asked.

 

“Definitely,” She replied.

 

We got a lot of looks from men and women as we pushed our way through the crowded Centre Street. A lot more looks than usual, anyway. Even with her disheveled hair and no make-up, Brandy was drop-dead gorgeous. And if I wasn’t getting enough looks of jealousy before, I certainly was now.

 

Within minutes, we had reached the front door of the suite. Stepping inside, the air conditioning felt amazing. I kicked my boots off and dropped the shopping bags on the floor of the foyer. Brandy followed suit.

 

“Holy shit, this place is amazing,” Brandy mused as she scanned the suite. “I’ve seen pictures, but never in person.”

 

“Not too bad, huh?” I asked, chuckling.

 

Brandy stuck her finger beneath her collar to scratch her neck. Making eye contact with me, she asked, “Would you mind undoing this for a minute? My neck’s been itchy for days.”

 

“Of course,” I replied, lifting my smartphone and tapping the front of her collar. A green LED light began blinking on her collar and the locking mechanism unhinged at the front. Brandy pulled the collar off and began scratching furiously at her neck, groaning in relief.

 

“Unfortunately, it can only stay off for a few minutes or we’ll get flagged by security,” I said, placing my phone in my back pocket. “Sorry.”

 

“No, it’s fine. I only need a minute,” she replied as she continued to scratch.

 

“Look, I know you came here voluntarily and everything, but I’m really sorry for all that you’ve been through,” I said sympathetically. “I’m sure the kennel… with Annabelle… was no picnic.”

 

Brandy’s eyes suddenly appeared glossy, almost as if she was on the verge of tears. 

“Yeah… it’s definitely not the Hilton,” she said with a ***d laugh. “Thank you so much for getting me out of there. I really don’t know how much longer I could have handled it.”

 

I shrugged, replying, “It’s the least I could do. I’m just sorry it took me so long. I didn’t know anything about the test or-”

 

“Please,” Brandy interrupted, waving her hand dismissively. “As bad as it was, it’s still preferable to ending up on the auction block.”

 

“Actually,” I replied, “I’m not sure you’d have ever made it to the auction block.” Brandy cocked her eyebrow questioningly. “That Annabelle woman wanted to keep you for herself. She basically begged me to you to her yesterday. That’s probably what her message to me is about.”

 

Seemingly overcome with gratitude, Brandy stepped forward and wrapped her muscular arms around me in a firm bear hug. I blinked in surprise, unsure of how to react to her spontaneous embrace. I was never much of a hugger. But sensing that Brandy needed some love, I returned the embrace, awkwardly patting her on the back. This was the first time I’d seen any amount emotional vulnerability from Brandy. Her softer side was shaping up to be surprisingly endearing.

 

“Thank you, Jodie,” Brandy whispered, releasing me from her embrace.

 

“Sure thing,” I replied awkwardly.

 

“And I’m sorry,” she added.

 

“For what?” I asked confused. I suddenly felt something cold against the nape of my neck. Before I could process what was happening, Brandy’s hands had moved to my throat. The cold feeling against my skin was none other than the straps of Brandy’s collar! She was putting her collar on me! I shoved her away, but my reaction was a fraction of a second too late. The mechanism clicked beneath my chin, securing both ends of the collar together around my neck.

 

“What the FUCK?!” I yelled as Brandy stumbled backwards and fell to the floor. As she scrambled to her feet, I tugged furiously at the collar, but it didn’t budge. I needed my phone to unlock it! I reached into my back pocket, only to realize that my phone was no longer there! My heart raced as I spun around, frantically scanning the floor. Where the hell was it! Brandy had risen to her feet and appeared to be looking through the shopping bags as well as the welcome box that sat on the entry hall table. Unclear of what she was looking for, I continued scrambling around my side of the foyer, desperate to find my phone. For fuck’s sake, it had to be here. I just had it!

 

All of the sudden, I let out an involuntary shriek and collapsed to the floor as electricity coursed through me from my collar. Landing ***fully on the marble floor, I could see that Brandy was holding my phone and had her finger pressed firmly on the screen. How did she have it? She must have stolen it from my pocket when we were hugging! And all it took was a tap of a button to put me down. DAMMIT!

 

I continued to twitch on the floor as Brandy scrambled over to me and applied her cuffs around each of my wrists. I did my best to pull away but between the weakening effect of the electricity as well as Brandy’s physical superiority, it was only a matter of seconds before each cuff locked around my wrists. Brandy had also apparently found a padlock from the welcome box and used it to secure the cuffs together behind my back. 

 

“You BITCH!” I screamed, rolling onto my side. “What the hell is wrong with you?! I just saved your ass!!”

 

Brandy stood up to her feet and exhaled in relief. “And I appreciate that,” she replied calmly. “I really do. But I needed to ditch the collar. I’m sorry.”

 

“You’re sorry?!” I screamed. “You’re SORRY?!! I just spent the last 24 hours studying my ass off so I could get you out of that hell-hole and this is how you thank me?!”

 

“I know- it seems fucked up,” She said as she walked into the kitchen. “But there are things you’re not aware of.”

 

“What?” I spat. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?!”

 

Brandy stuck her face in the sink and began gulping water straight from the faucet.

 

“Honestly, the less you know, the better,” she answered, with her back still to me.

 

“Bullshit!” I hollered, as I awkwardly stood to my feet. “Untie me NOW and tell me what the fuck is going on!”

 

Brandy turned around and leaned back on the granite counter top, catching her breath. Glancing back down at my phone, she started tapping on the screen and held it up to her ear. I stared at her in disbelief. Who the fuck was she calling?! And how was she even making a phone call? The phone app didn’t even work…

 

After a few seconds, Brandy spoke quietly into the phone, “Delta, November, Foxtrot.” I stared at her, perplexed. “Affirmative. Please advise liaison to stand down.”

 

“Helloooo!” I shouted, stealing a glance from Brandy. She turned away from me, plugging her other ear in an attempt to focus on her call. 

 

“Warden is neutralized,” She continued quietly. “Commencing protocol 5 dash 9. I repeat- 5 dash 9.” After pausing for several seconds, she added, “Standby for inbox transfer.” She pulled the phone away from her ear and began tapping away at the screen. After several seconds, she lifted the phone back to her ear. “Please confirm receipt… Copy that. Awaiting package at castle one. I repeat- castle one... Going dark.” And with that, Brandy hung up the phone.

 

“What the fuck is going on?” I repeated, causing Brandy to make eye contact with me once more. “What are you, some kind of spy?”

 

“I’m sorry,” she replied. “You seem really sweet. And you really don’t deserve this.”

 

“No shit I don’t!” I retorted. 

 

“I promise you- if there was a better option, I’d take it,” she added. 

 

“A better option for what? What does that even mean?!” I challenged.

 

I couldn’t believe this was happening. I couldn’t believe I was back in a collar and restraints! Of all the scenarios I could have imagined, this was honestly the last thing I ever expected to happen. I felt sick to my stomach. How could I have been so foolish?! What was going to happen to me?!

 

“Will you please tell me what’s going on?” I asked angrily. 

 

Ignoring me, Brandy picked up a shopping bag stepped back toward me. Reaching into the bag, Brandy pulled out the leash and raised the clasp toward my collar.

 

“Fuck that!” I yelled, stepping away from her.

 

Placing her hand on her hip, Brandy calmly replied, “If you cooperate, I promise you won’t get hurt.”

 

“You’re not putting a fucking leash on me!” I hollered. “Get me out of this NOW!”

 

Expressionless, Brandy lunged at me and grabbed my shirt, pulling me in close to her. Dammit! How were my reflexes so pathetically slow today? I stood there ***ly as I felt her clasp the leash to the D-ring on my collar. 

 

“Get the fuck OFF of me, bitch!” I spat, twisting away as best I could. “You’re not gonna get away with this!”

 

Grabbing hold of my upper arms, she easily spun me to face away from her and ***d me against the wall of the foyer. The side of my face was pressed up against the stone veneer wall. Then, I felt Brandy’s hand slip into the front pocket of my jeans where I’d stashed her ring-gag and latex hood. My eyes widened in horror as I saw the ring-gag lifted up my face.

 

“NO!” I shrieked as she began to work the ring into my mouth. “NO! FUCK! God-damph uhgt! Naaugh! Geraaaugh!” 

 

“Shhhhhhh,” she replied calmly as she began pulling the latex hood over my head. I struggled as best I could, but it was only a matter of seconds before my head was completely encased in skin-tight latex. She continued to tug at it until my eyes, nose, and mouth lined up behind their designated openings. Then, I felt her gather my hair that was resting on the back of my neck and tuck it up inside the base of the hood. Great, I thought, she’s got OCD…

 

Not eager to go down without a fight, I tried to kick her behind me, but her knees pressed against the inside of my thighs, keeping my legs spread. Whoever this woman was, she must have been trained in hand-to-hand combat. I may not have been the most athletic person, but the process of subduing me was proving to be far simpler than I would have liked. Moments later, the straps of my gag were fastened tightly behind my head. I worked my jaw to dislodge the ring from behind my teeth, but it was useless. For the second time this week, I was ring-gagged, hooded, and bound at the mercy a truly heartless bitch. 

 

I growled as I felt Brandy straighten up and pull me away from the wall by the leash. I tugged away from her, only to feel the whiplash of Brandy yanking harder in the opposite direction. I hollered nonsense at her as I gave in and walked in the direction she was leading me. 

 

Once we were back in the kitchen, Brandy began furiously opening drawers, apparently looking for something. After the fifth one, she found what she was looking for. Pulling out a pair of scissors, she stepped over to me and began cutting my clothes. I screamed at her, pulling away, but she merely pulled me in tighter by the leash. I was *** to stop her as my Pink Floyd t-shirt and vest were cut to pieces and pulled off me. Last to go were my jeans, bra, and panties. I scowled at her in hatred as she tossed my shredded clothing on the floor. I wanted to tear her to pieces and claw her stupid face off, but with my hands locked behind my back, there was absolutely nothing I could do. I was powerless.

 

Brandy’s silence was truly unnerving. At least when Tasha had me in the woods, she talked to me. Despite my being gagged, I was able to communicate and she typically gave me some sort of reply. With Brandy’s chilling silence, I honestly had no idea what to expect. I had no idea where her head was at. I was honestly clueless as to where this all was heading.

 

She then pulled me over to the couch and told me to, “Sit.” Instead of doing as she asked, I just stood there, scowling at her. Impatiently, she pushed me down onto the couch, causing me to grunt. She leaned over with her hands on her knees so that we were eye-level.

 

“I’m going to put the ankle cuffs on you,” she explained. “If you resist or try to kick me, I’ll be ***d to shock you. Do you understand?” I merely glared back.

 

Brandy knelt down in front of me and attached the black leather cuffs to each of my bare ankles. ***ful of having my neck pelted with electricity again, I abstained from fighting her. There was no use at this point. I felt a click from each cuff, indicating that they had locked in place. Brandy pushed down on my thigh to help her up to her feet.

 

“Why are you doing this?” I asked. But with the gag now in my mouth, my question sounded more like, “Aie all oo ‘ooig dech?” 

 

Brandy ignored me and gave my leash a tug, forcing me to stand up and follow her lead. Silently, she led me to the master bathroom and unclipped the leash from my collar.

 

“Do your business,” she ordered. I simply stood there, scowling at her. Do my business? Who the hell did she think she was? I wasn’t a fucking dog. She turned and exited the bathroom. “It’ll be the last chance you have for a while,” she called behind her.

 

Fuming, I glanced around the room desperate to find anything that I could use to MacGyver my way out of this. Unable to spot anything useful, I spun back toward the doorway. Unfortunately, Uncle Henry and I had chosen to forego doors between the master bath and bedroom in favor of a more “open” floor plan. If we hadinstalled a door, I’d have seized this opportunity to slam it shut and lock Brandy out.

 

Walking over to the toilet, I sat down and begrudgingly relieved myself. Just as it had been with Tasha, it was humiliating to be told to pee. And it was even more humiliating to actually follow the order. With my hands still restrained behind me, wiping was a more challenging task than usual, but I managed to get it done. I continued to sit there, wracking my brain for a way out of this.

 

Brandy returned a few minutes later, walked right over to me and grabbed the D-ring of my collar. With her other hand, she reached down flushed the toilet. Good thing I was finished, I thought. 

 

Pulling me up to my feet, she led me back into the bedroom and over to my bed. The sheets and covers had all been pulled off and thrown on the floor. My eyes widened as I spotted ropes tied to each of the four posters. I pulled away, protesting unintelligibly into my gag. What was she going to do? Tie me to the bed and have her way with me?

 

Brandy tugged the leash again, yanking my head forward. Determined to fight her now, I lifted my foot to try kicking her in the stomach. But her reflexes were fast and she managed to catch my ankle mid-kick. Gripping my foot, she circled around me, forcing me to hop awkwardly on my free foot while she turned me to face away from the bed. Then, Brandy released my foot and pushed me backwards, causing me to lose my balance and topple backwards onto the bed.

 

Stepping up to me, I felt Brandy’s hands grip my underarms and hoist me further toward the middle of the bed. I continued trying to kick her, but she was practically bud-up against my sex between my legs. I had no clear angle to land a blow.

 

With lightning speed and precision, Brandy then grabbed a hold of my right ankle and fed the rope from the bed’s poster through the D-ring of my cuff. Within seconds, my leg was pulled taught and restrained to the corner of the bed. Within seconds, the same happened to my left ankle.

 

Brandy walked around to the side of the bed and picked up my phone off of the nightstand, holding it above me like a prop. “I’m going to unlock your wrists. If you fight me, I will shock you. Can I trust you to behave?” She asked.

 

I hollered at her through my gag. Who did she think she was to order me to behave? Brandy turned the phone to face her and began tapping on the screen. Moments later, electricity pelted my neck. I shrieked in *** as I twitched in agony. 

 

“Please don’t make me do that again,” she said, almost as if the act of torturing me was somehow a put-off for her. “When I unlock your wrists, can I count on you not to fight me?” I growled at her, still panting from the electric shock. “Like I said before, if you cooperate, I promise you won’t get hurt. Once I restrain your arms to the bed, you have my word that I won’t lay another finger on you. Deal?”

 

Still not wanting to validate her, I merely turned my head away. Brandy must have taken that as an agreement because she rolled me over onto my shoulder began unlocking the padlock that held my wrist-cuffs together. With my cuffs now unconnected, Brandy pulled my right hand from behind my back and raised it over my head toward the corner of the bed. Not eager to get shocked again, and pessimistic about the success I’d have at resistance, I decided to let her do as she wished. 

 

I felt her feed the rope through the D-ring of my cuff and tug it tight, which pulled my arm taught to the poster. After double-knotting the rope just outside of my reach, Brandy stood to her feet and circled the bed to repeat the process with my left arm. I was now tied in a strict spread-eagle position, unable to move my limbs more than a few inches. Brandy leaned over me, testing each knot to make sure that I was secure. Then, without saying a word, she hopped off the bed and quickly exited the room.

 

I tugged ferociously at my bonds, but the only thing that managed to do was tire me out and cause the leather cuffs to dig ***fully into my wrists and ankles. After about a minute, I finally gave up and relaxed, resolving myself to settle for glaring ***ly up at the ceiling.

 

Several minutes passed until Brandy finally walked back into the bedroom. Craning my head up, I could see that she had changed into a different outfit of mine. And in one hand, she held a slice of my left over Hawaiian pizza. Bitch. I rolled my eyes and let my head fall back onto the bed in resentment. 

 

Despite the fact that she was much more muscular than I was, we were still roughly the same size and the clothes I had bought for myself seemed fit her adequately. The biggest difference between our body types was our breast-size. Her boobs were considerably larger than mine and judging by the outline of her nipples through the t-shirt, I could tell that she was not wearing one of my new bras. I fumed silently as she chewed her pizza and pulled off the tags to her bleached jean shorts with her free hand.

 

“I need to run an errand,” Brandy said between bites as she tossed her stupid hair over her stupid shoulder. “If there’s an emergency, just hold your breath for 30 seconds. I’ll get a notice through the app that something’s wrong and I’ll come straight back. Okay?” For someone who was supposed to be a slave, she definitely seemed to know her stuff… 

 

She stepped up to the bed beside me, prompting me to turn my head away from her. Then, I felt her lift my head with her hand and push a pillow beneath.

 

“I know it doesn’t mean anything to you, but I truly am sorry about all of this,” she added. I huffed in disbelief. Who the hell was she kidding? If she were actually sorry, she wouldn’t be doing this! I remained silent as she exited the bedroom. 

 

“Be back shortly,” I heard her call from foyer. Moments later, I heard the front door to the suite open and close. 

 

I let out a big sigh. My head was still reeling from trying to process everything that had happened over the last 20 minutes. I had no idea what to make of Brandy. She seemed like a completely different person than the woman I’d met in the woods. The sarcastic, bitchy, brash woman from few days ago now appeared to be calculated, reserved, and highly intelligent. But perhaps her most unnerving quality was her raw confidence. And in my experience of managing people, this confidence only came with individuals who knew exactly what they were doing… 

 

There was obviously much more than met the eye when it came to Brandy. Between the cryptic phone call, her chilling stoicism, and now her civility, shown by propping my head up with a pillow, it was becoming increasingly difficult to sort out what kind of villain I was dealing with. As much as I despised and resented her for her heartless betrayal, she was a puzzle that I felt compelled to solve… What was her motivation? What were her plans for me? What type of “errand” was she running? The mystery of it all was making my head spin. 

 

But first things first. Right now, I was naked, gagged, hooded, and tied spread-eagle to the bed. The puzzle of Brandy L. Michaels would have to wait. Because, as the kennel guard had explained to me earlier, there was nothing that security could do at this point to help. It was up to me to figure a way out of this mess. If Brandy was telling the truth, I only had a brief amount of time to execute my escape. However long that gave me was unclear. But the clock was ticking and the stakes had never been higher. I had to escape. The alternative was simply not an option that I was willing to consider…

 

Edited July 1, 2020 by southrook