29

29

Since my purpose was now on hold, I felt real fear. I wasn't sure they

would keep a slave that was not responsive; that seemed important to

them. I followed Damien and tried to coax him back to bed. My terror

wasn't lost on him and he stroked my head as we waited for the

Healers.

"You will not stay ill, Ciara," he soothed. "We will care for you and you

will be better. My brothers and I do not wish to worsen your malady by

forcing your use.”

I wasn't sick; I knew that much. Without spilling Christof's secret, there

was no way to explain that. It wasn't clear to me what they would do to

fix a non existent illness. Wow, how I wished they had listened to me

and just used oil. The healer's advice was disgusting.

At the next meal after my usual vitamin drink the first thing Master

Bane offered me was a slimy green worm about six inches long. It

wiggled in his fingers as he held it. I backed off of my kneeling place

and stared at it from the wall.

"Master Evan, that's not funny," I said addressing the most playful

member of the group. If this was joke it had to be his idea.

"Ciara," Master Damien chastised, "it's not a joke. These are very good

for humans. It will stop the illness and the weight loss. Kneel back down

and take your sustenance.”

I continued to watch the thing move around and refused to move back

to my place. Out of habit I was shaking my head “no’. At least they

finally understood what I meant when I did that.

"Ciara, if you do not kneel down and take your meal from my brother I

will hold you down while he puts it into your mouth," Master Evan

threatened.

I continued to refuse and Master Evan had me around the waist before

I could blink. They laid me across the table and I screamed at them, in

English I think. They did exactly what they threatened and it was

positively the worst experience I have ever had.

They force fed me the worms. Master Damien pried my jaws open as

Master Evan and Master Kein held me down. Master Bane chewed the

worm and then spit the chewed up remains into my mouth. They would

hold my mouth closed until I swallowed. By the third worm I swore to

them I would eat anything they wanted. Christof asked them to let me

try again.

Shaking head to toe I kneeled down and took three more of the

disgusting worms. It was like eating blood mixed with rubber. Afterward

Master Bane fed me the slime from the bowl they had been in. I

gagged on it, but took it all. The salty ooze was also supposed to have

healthful properties.

After the worms I was asked to eat a little of the meal they were having.

Fearing it would be delivered like the first two worms if I refused; I took

all they gave me. Master Kein commented what an effective way to feed

me that had been and I just glared at the floor. I couldn't stop the

question from popping out in response.

"Why can't they at least be cooked?" I asked to no one in particular.

"Who are you speaking to, slave?” Master Damien asked pleasantly.

My eyes got wide as I realized my dual mistakes. I hadn't addressed

them as Master and I was asking too many questions.

"I'm sorry, Master Damien. I was wondering why the worms can't be

cooked, Master Damien?"

"The creatures lose the nutritional content when they are cooked. They

must be eaten the way you just did. We will feed them to you

frequently. I do not suggest you argue with us about this again,” he

stated.

"Yes, Master Damien," I answered him defeated.

The next day the men were scheduled to leave for their coupling and I

was a wreck. They took me downstairs and gave me to Fuji's Masters

They would be my Keepers while my Masters were away. Master

Damien quietly told me to behave for them. I heard the threat in his

voice.

Fuji was excited I was there with her. She said she had asked her

Masters to get us a set of drums so I could play and she could dance

for them. It was hard not to be happy spending time with such a perky

person.

We sat and talked quietly while her Masters got ready for their day. A

commotion outside got everyone's attention. Fuji's Warriors opened

the front door and asked a passing man what the problem was.

The man said Christof had refused to go to the coupling again. The

General had been alerted. I panicked and bolted out the door.

I felt Fuji's Warriors behind me and one of them grabbed me. I

screamed bloody murder and fought him.

"I have to talk to him!" I screamed at the man holding me. "He will die if

he doesn't go. Please, Keeper, let me speak to him."

Shockingly the man dropped me and let me go. I felt him follow me,

but he didn't interfere.

I ran as fast as I could up the stairs to our dwelling. There was a swell of

Warriors outside the front door. I wove between them and dashed into

our apartment. Master Damien, Master Evan, Master Bane, and Master

Kein were standing in the main room looking frustrated. I could see

Christof in the bedroom.

Master Damien yelled at me to stop and come to him. I ignored him

and rushed into the bedroom, pulling the leather door cover closed.

The last thing I saw was my Masters’ faces go from shocked to furious. I

didn't have long.

"Christof," I panted, "you promised me. Don't do this. We all need you. I

need you. Think of me, you can get through this. Life is awful

sometimes and you have to work through the bad parts to get to the

good parts.”

"Ciara," he said looking a little stunned, "shouldn't you be downstairs?

How did you get up here?"

"Doesn't matter, I love you. Please just accept your life isn't what you

thought it was, but it's still good. There are still things you need to live

for. You won't win or prove anything doing this-"

I stopped talking when Master Damien's enraged face appeared in the

door way.

The covering to the little room was thrown back and Master Damien

stalked toward me. I remembered Andre and cringed. "It was worth it

Master Damien,” I heard myself say. "Some things are worth a beating.”

"I will not touch you, slave,” he ground out, "the General will take a lash

to your back until we feel you have had enough,” his face was

indescribable it was so angry.

"Not now, brother," Christof sighed from behind me, "we don't want to

be late for the coupling.”

Uncertainty flitted across Master Damien's features. He hadn't been

expecting that. Christof strode out of the room and called to his

brothers to hurry up. Master Damien stood watching me for several

long moments. I didn’t back away, but I flinched when he reached for

my arm. He passed me back to Fuji's owners as we walked by them on

the walkway.

As we went downstairs I chanced a glance up and saw my Warriors

talking with the General. I watched them finish their conversation and

head out the wall of the compound. With all my staring I got the

attention of more than a few Warriors and they started toward me.

Fuji's owners forced my head back down as they escorted me back to

their apartments.

The Keepers compound was subdued that day. Rose had seen the

General administer one lashing and she didn't want to talk about it. All

the other slaves looked at me with a mixture of shock and pity. Fuji

paced around and prayed in her native language.

All their concern was nice, but it didn't change anything. I would be

beaten, probably within an inch of my life and Christof might still not

come back. When the lunch bell rang I was glad for it. At least no one

could talk about it for the next little while. I was wrong.

Fuji's Masters came to feed me and all the Warriors were talking about

the morning excitement. Christof's refusal to go and the reason for it,

my strange behavior, and exactly what a beating from the General

would entail. I had no appetite, so it didn't really matter when they fed

me the worms.

"Eat up, slave,” the Warrior feeding me laughed, "you'll need the

strength to heal once the General is done with you.”

I started to retch a little and held it down. Getting sick wouldn't make

this any better.

After lunch the Keepers took us to the beach. Straightaway, I went into

the water and scooted through my secret hole. I spent the afternoon

diving deep outside the inlet. If I was going to be lashed I doubted I

would be enjoying the water anytime after that.

When I went really deep I felt a strong current. I always managed to

stay just above it. It was exciting and distracting to let it pull me a little.

The fun almost made me forget the horror that was coming, almost.

Fuji's Warriors came and picked us up and transported us back to the

Warrior's compound. They poked fun at me and made little comments;

I didn't let it bother me. There was a good reason to act like I had this

morning. I'd take the lashing if it meant that I got to keep my friend.

We went to the bathhouse as a group, but I wasn't asked to wash

anyone. I just sat on the little steps by my Keepers and kept my head

down. That didn't mean I didn't get attention.

Groups of Warriors would come over intermittently to inspect me. They

didn't touch me, thank goodness. They watched me and tried to get me

to respond to them. Most commented on my scene that morning.

I was relieved when we finally left the bathhouse; perhaps my day was

finally over. That was not to be. Fuji's owners wanted to see her dance,

she had promised them.

The men had little drums in the apartment, like the ones I played every

day. Dutifully I played the drums with a sensual, wild beat. Fuji moved

her hips and swung her wispy hair every which way. Her owners looked

like they were in heaven.

It wasn't surprising when one of them got up and threw her over his

shoulder. I could see the erections grow as Fuji had danced. Sex was

the obvious outcome, but Fuji's reaction was unexpected.

My calm, demure friend screeched and fought the Warrior who held

her. I'd never seen Fuji fight. She cursed him in their language and said

she wanted to finish her dance. My hands were stopped in mid air over

my drums.

Her owners laughed and started walking toward their bedroom. One of

them pulled me to my feet and followed. I was too stunned to resist

him. The large man thrust me onto a kneeling place inside the room

and went to join his brothers on the bed.

The men held Fuji down to the bed and she continued to scream. One

man got between her legs and started to lick her feet and suck her toes.

Two other men held her arms and played their fingers across her cool

skin. I didn't want to watch my friend get raped by her men, but I knew

I couldn't stop them. In defeat, I dropped my eyes.