Becoming The Badass

When first thing I noticed when I woke up was yellow. Not as bright as the sun or as pale as sand but somewhere in between. It was one of the most beautiful hues I've ever seen. I sighed quietly but it ended up as more of a shudder, my body convulsing in pain. My eyes filled up with tears and the different aspects of the room blurred. I tried not to move even forcing myself to breathe lightly.

"Glad you're awake," someone said and I slowly turned my head, my neck stiff from sleep.

"Are you thirsty?"

His eyes were dark like maple syrup and framed in an abundance of short eyelashes. His hair was a nice shade of brown and I found myself silently admiring his masculine beauty.
My throat felt like sandpaper so I decided against speaking. I nodded to the man and watched intently as he got up from his chair next to me.

"I'm going to have to move you so that you can drink, okay?" He asked. I whimpered and shook my head "no" even though I could do nothing to stop him.

"I'll be gentle, I promise. " He said, looking into my eyes. And as I stared back I found myself believing him. I let him lift my back slightly off the back and adjust my pillows. I yelped in pain, my vision dancing with spots. My hip throbbed in remembrance of the branding iron.
I scrunched my face up in pain as he adjusted the pillows, wishing to just die from the pain already.

"There all done." He whispered soothingly into my ear as he laid me onto the propped up pillows. I took deep, ragged breaths as I watched him grab a glass of water and a small packet. He shook it slightly and then ripped it open, dumping its contents into the glass. With precise, calculated actions he grabbed a tiny spoon and stirred the mixture in.

"Drink it all." He commanded gently as he handed me the glass. I was too thirsty to object and took it all in a few gulps, barely registering the bittersweet taste added in from the powder.

Regaining my voice, I asked, "Who are you?"

"My name's Liam." He answered. "I'm here to take care of you until you've fully healed."

"I'm Lenore." I said. Whatever was in that packet was making me a bit more relaxed. Liam smiled and sat back down as I handed him the glass.

"I know. What I don't know is why you chose your hip your your brand. It's probably the most dangerous and painful place to get it." He folded his handed and stared at me.

"I was secretly hoping I would die from the pain." I replied, pushing my head back into my pillows. I wasn't sure why I had told him that but I did. And my hip was feeling better by the moment. "I'm sick of being a slave. I wanted to know if my family was dead. I wanted to finally remember who I am." I gulped and stiffened my trembling lips. I didn't want to talk about this. It hurt too much.

A knock on the door and then the turning of the knob. Liam stood up and went to greet our master. They whispered quietly with each other, sending a few glances over my way. After a few moments Liam left and Master Zayn strolled over to me. He took a seat where Liam was seated before and stared at me. I didn't look up to meet his gaze, fear keeping my eyes trained down.

"How are you?" He asked, completely shocking me. I twitched and twiddle with my fingers nervously. He was expecting me to answer him but I was completely caught off guard with this question. "Answer your master when he's speaking to you."

I took a deep breath and stuttered out. "In pain. B-but it's better than it was."

"Look at me." He commanded.

I quickly glanced up at Master Zayn before looking back down at my trembling hands. I felt nauseous in his presence, the memory of the iron making me sweat. I knew it was only protocol but I couldn't stop my body's natural reactions.

"I only have two rules that you must follow without a doubt." He told me. I nodded and listened as intently as I could, a slowly growing challenge as my eyes began drooping.

"Rule number one." He began. "This is where you live now. Don't try to run away. You'll only cause yourself trouble." Images of bloody whips and starvation floated inside my mind and I nodded earnestly.

"Rule number two. Don't stir torouble with the other slaves. I don't want to have to explain why I've got a murder case going on."

"I'm not a troublemaker. I promise you that." I whispered earnestly, flashes of police crawling all around here, invading the house and doing as they pleased flooded in next. Master Zayn offered me a small smile and grabbed my hand.

"Good girl. We'll see if you make good on that promise." He stood and adjusted his clothes. "Rest now."

And I did.

Notes