Chapter Twelve

It was what seemed like hours before Sabrina felt like she could move. Just as she was preparing to crawl onto the couch, Faith's phone began chiming some kind of calypso tune.

"Time for work, sugar." Faith rose and took the controller straight out of Lila's hands, who furrowed her brow instantly in a dark scowl.

"I don't want to. Call in sick for me. I'm going to beat the game tonight."

"You have to go."

"I don't want to!"

Sabrina flinched, curling into herself near their feet. She wished she could disappear entirely, but it seemed like crawling away would only draw their attention.

"Well then I guess you won't see Mallory... but if you go I'll buy you a Lilarito after work."

This smoothed Lila's expression nearly instantly - for a moment. She crossed her arms over her chest and stuck her lower lip out in the fakest pout ever witnessed. "Fine. But you're buying me a Baja Blast too."

"Deal. Now go get dressed, I'll pack you a snack."

Sabrina thought she might escape unnoticed after Lila disappeared down the hall and Faith rose to move to the kitchen... but as she crawled toward the stairs, Faith called for her.

"Come help." The simple words caused her to flinch, but with effort she rose to her feet and hobbled to the kitchen. It hurt to walk, she limped to stand next to Faith.

The last thing she wanted to do right now was resist. Her muscles ached from the beating, she could feel her flesh bruising already. "What can I do to help?"

"I need to grab something from my room, you fill a baggie with cheese crackers for her. You know the kind she likes."

Sabrina cocked her head to one side. "Um, sure."

The task was so simple. Box from the shelf, baggie from the drawer, crackers in the bag. It only took her a minute or so, and as she was sealing up the zipper on the plastic bag, she heard the jingle of Faith's keys behind her. Before she could turn around, she felt Faith grab the steel ring around her neck, followed by a loud click and a tug.

Before she realized what was happening, she found herself chained by the neck to the handle of the stove.

"What?"

"You tried to run earlier."

"I did not!" Redness blossomed in her cheeks as she told the lie, and she found herself looking down.

She could hear the sneer from Fatih. "You must think I'm really stupid, Bree. Why else were you going in Lila's room? Now Kinsley's busy upstairs and Lila and I are leaving, I'm driving her to work."

She spoke before she could catch herself.

"Wow, does she do nothing for herself?" Faith's glare was terrifying to the point that Sabrina flinched without Faith moving an inch. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean it."

"Yeah. You're going to stay right here until Kinsley's done working. You can reach everything you need to make a sandwich. Just... try to be good for a while, okay? I'm making it easy on you. I do still have to tell Kinsley what you just said about Lila and where you are."

Sabrina's eyes went wide in an instant. "Wait! Please! Please don't tell her, I'm sorry. I'm really sorry!" She sank to her knees at Faith's feet, pleading. "Please, I'm sorry."

"Just be good, Bree. It really isn't that hard. Just. Be. Good."

Faith snagged the bag of crackers and headed for the stairs, the despair in Sabrina's heart growing with each step. She took the chain in her hands and examined it - it was locked to itself at each end with a sturdy padlock, one looped around her collar and the other looped around the stove door handle. Her only hope was to pull hard enough to destroy the handle... but that would make a ton of noise and alert Kinsley. An involuntary shiver went down her spine.

Lila's irritatingly joyous tones sounded from the doorway. "Oh, that's a great idea!"

She looked shockingly professional in her slacks, maroon blouse, black flats... and a lab coat. In a couple of steps she was next to Sabrina, holding the chain and inspecting it. It was a heavy one, thick links - not easily broken. Sabrina stayed quiet, defeated. Nothing she said to Lila would help.

They were crazy. She had to focus on escaping first and foremost.

"This is a great idea Faith! Now she'll have to be a good girl. You're a good girl though, aren't you Bree?"

Heat came to her cheeks once again, instantly. That mix of pleasure and fear.

"Come on, honey. We've gotta go."

"Ugh. Fine!" With a pout, Lila stomped off. Faith lingered for a moment to fix a hard stare on Sabrina, who sat perfectly and unerringly still. She couldn't take it, and looked down at the floor feeling defeated. Only the sounds of her footfalls indicated that she walked away.

When the sound of the key in the lock of the front door finished, Sabrina sat up with a sigh, trying again to find a weak spot in the chain either on the stove handle or at her neck, but it was no use. The chain was sturdy and so were the padlocks, she was stuck unless she wanted to destroy the stove handle... which she knew wouldn't end well for her.

How did I get myself into this? All I ever wanted was friendship, all I needed was a little help...

She couldn't tell how long she followed those thoughts, cursing herself for not leaving sooner, wishing that she didn't have to leave at all - things had been so good until very recently. After a while, she busied herself with the dishes, pulling the chain to its limit and stretching to put some things away. The collar had warmed from her body heat, when she pulled the chain taut it pressed a cold spot into her throat, the front was much cooler than the back, where the metal was constantly resting on her neck. She wrapped her fingers around it again, searching for the catch but it was as seamless as she knew it to be, the same as the hated bracelet.

A sandwich later, she found herself sitting on the floor with the pressure in her bladder growing. Now the stove handle was starting to look tempting... but she knew it should be a last resort. She glanced at the dirty cup on the counter with a blush - she'd pee in that before she broke the stove. She leaned around the stove to call out to Kinsley, only to find herself stopping mid-syllable as she was calling to Kinsley's knees standing right in front of her.

"Ki- um, Kinsley, I was wondering... "

"I see you're being a good girl." The words were as soft and kind as the gentle stroke over Sabrina's short hair.

"Yes, Kinsley." Sabrina was meek, it wouldn't be worth anything to raise Kinsley's ire now. Not after suffering in silence and boredom of the kitchen for so long.

"What were you wondering, pretty pet?"

Sabrina could feel the blush burning the tops of her ears all the way down to the nape of her neck. It was almost too much, that rush of shame mingling with the pleasure of her touch and attention.

A whisper was all she could muster in her defense, her eyes looking down to Kinsley's feet. She felt had to stick up for herself, at least a little.

"Don't call me that. I'm not your pet."

Chains jingling filled her ears as she was unceremoniously pulled to her feet by the metal leash. Sabrina's eyes widened in shock as she followed the pull, standing, her eyes wide and looking up in reaction, right into Kinsley's. Those pale blue eyes were amused, but with a sharpness to them, a danger.

"Oh, but you like it, Bree." Sabrina's eyes were already wide, but they managed to open further, a gasp escaping her lips as Kinsley's hand slipped into the waistband of Sabrina's pajamas, only a thin layer of cotton keeping fingers from her mound. "Unless there's another reason you're damp down here? You think I can't tell, pet? Your blush is halfway down your spine, you silly thing."

She tried to pull away, heart thumping in her ears as her palms went to Kinsley's arms and pushed... and achieved exactly nothing. Kinsley had one hand on the chain and the other on... Sabrina. A split second later, the hands were withdrawn, the padlock on the stove handle removed.

The chain dangled heavily from her neck as Kinsley leaned in close.

"You like me, Bree. And I like you. Be a good girl and this won't be so bad. It'll be... fun."

The way the last word was drawn out, half whispered, sent a shiver down Sabrina's spine. As Kinsley turned and left the room, Sabrina sank to her knees, wobbly and breathing hard. She hated her body in that moment for betraying her. She couldn't help but find Kinsley attractive, there was something about her energy, about those eyes, that drew her in.

The chain clinked as she lowered, pooling on the ground before her. With effort, she shoved away those thoughts, focusing on the matte, scuffed leash.

I have to get out of here!

Gathering the chain in her hands and holding it to her chest, she stood slowly, gauging how much sound it would make. She figured that running around with a chain attached would only help her case that she was escaping from an abuser. At this point, it seemed better to take her chances with the cops, pajamas or no, warrant or no - things had gone from uncomfortable to downright scary. Stepping carefully, she watched for Kinsley. The bathroom door was open... and she had to go, but escape was the priority now.

Faint music came from upstairs... Kinsley must have gone back to work... she tiptoed to the front door, turning the handle slowly while clutching the chain close with her other hand. She eased the door open, taking a tentative step onto the cold stone of the front porch.

It won't be fun to walk with bare-

The thought was interrupted by a shoulder in her stomach, not painful but not exactly gentle either, and the ground quickly moved away from her as life went sideways and she found herself staring at the porch, looking down Kinsley's back as she was carried back into the house.

"Bree, I'm disappointed in you." Sabrina felt as though she might cry as the blue sky disappeared behind the closing door. "I really thought you'd be good, I really thought I could be gentle and kind with you."

The despair was quickly replaced by fear as she found herself lowered to the floor on her back, her ankles in Kinsley's left hand.

"No please! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

The palm came down on her right thigh, igniting the already sore spot, causing her vision to blur from the pain. Just one strike and she was already in agony.

"I want to be nice to you. I want you to be a good girl."

There was no tingle at the words this time, only fear and pain. Her hands went frantically to the backs of her thighs, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I'll be a good girl! Please! I'll be a good girl!"

"What are you?"

"I'm a pet! I'm your pet, please don't hit me again, please it hurts... "

Every tiny movement in Kinsley caused Sabrina to flinch, to tense up in fear of the incoming blow, the searing pain... but nothing came.

"Are you a person?"

Sabrina was sobbing, completely overcome. "No! No, I'm not a person. I'm a pet. I'm a pet. Please... "

"What's your name, girl?"

"Bree! My name is Bree!"

"Tell me your name and tell me what you are."

Her heart ached as she felt all her resistance, all her pride, crumbling to dust. "Please... please... "

"Tell. Me."

"My name is Bree and I'm a pet, not a person, I'm a good girl who does what she's told. I'm a good girl. I'm a good girl. I'm a... "

Soft lips on her face, her ankles lowered gently, the pleasant touch of fingertips accented by the unyielding feel of the metal rings on those same compassionate fingers... hands that could bring gentle pleasure, care, comfort... or incredible pain. Gasping sobs came from her mouth, the world a swirl of blacks and purples behind her clenched eyes.

"I love you, my good girl. Do you love me? I've seen your shy smiles, I can read you so easily."

"I love you!" The world was so blurry beyond her eyelids, but Kinsley's sweet smile waited behind that curtain of tears. She repeated the words over and over, whispering desperately as her chest heaved involuntarily. "I love you, I love you. I'm a good girl."

"You are a good girl, shhh. Shhhh... Everything's going to be okay."

That tender hand, the bringer of pain and safety, brushed over her hair - longer than it had been in ages.

"I love you, I love you... "

"I know you do, pretty pet. I know you do. Shhh, look at me. Look."

With difficulty, Sabrina slowed her breathing, rubbing her eyes with the backs of her fingers, wiping away the tears. Kinsley's smile was there, gentle and loving, that same smile that had warmed her heart so many times before, that smile had promised that they would take care of her, save her from the ruins of her life.

"If you ever try to run again," Kinsley's warm smile never faltered, "I will break your fucking legs."