John peered out into the gloom once more. He had tried to sleep, but had found it impossible. Either the cold woke him or the stiffness in his joints. He tried to work out what time it was, how long had he been there, cramped into this tiny space.
The light flickers into life, blinding John forcing him to cover his eyes protecting them from the burning light. He hears the click, click, click of shoes on the hard floor. Slowly John opens his eyes to see a pair of knee high black boots in front of him. Looking up he sees a woman dressed in a gray knee length skirt, white shirt and gray jacket. Her long blonde hair was tied neatly back into a flowing ponytail, with a peak cap resting on top. A single armband on her right arm with the word trainer written on it. The woman crouched down to the cage, “did we sleep well?” she asked with a gentle voice.
“What do you think,” he snapped back with a glare in his eye.
“now, now” she said softly, “we don’t want to get off to a bad start do we?” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a key. Holding it in front of him she said,
“Now if I let you out are you going to be a good boy?” John looked at her face seeing a little smile on her lips and a glint in her eye. He knew she held all the cards and could very easily turn and leave him there. He needed to get out, needed to stretch and move his muscles.
“Yes,” he said sheepishly.
“Yes what?” she snapped, “It’s yes Mistress! This is not a very good start.” The sudden change in her voice shocked him and sent fear rushing through his body. With his heart racing he sputtered out,
“y-y-yes M-m-m-mistress.” She smiled liking the look of fear that came over his face. Leaning forward she slid the key into the padlock and turned it. The padlock fell open and she swiftly unhooked it and dropped it in her pocket. As she stood up she swung the door open.
“Out!” She barked, and before he realized it he crawled out of the cage. With muscles so stiff and wanting to stretch he started to climb to his feet. This only resulted in a boot in his back that sent him sprawling forward. He tried to break his fall with his hands but the chain pulled tight and his face impacted on the concrete floor.
“Did I say you could stand?” She growled, “Now get over here and greet me properly.” With new pain in his head and mind spinning he scurried over to her and kissed her boots.
“Good morning Mistress,” he said.
“Good that’s much better, there is hope for you yet,” her voice softened as she went on, “ok I am Mistress Anna and will be getting you ready for the end of the week. If you do well and work hard this will be an easy process for both of us But, if you make it hard... well let's just say don’t because it will hurt you much more than me.” A smile was creeping over her face as the words flowed from her lips.
“Right, lets get you cleaned up.” She leaned forward pulling a lead from her pocket and attached it to John’s wrists. She quickly stood and turned, with a sharp tug she walked for the steps. John followed scrambling to his feet desperately trying to keep up with this lady's pace. Not a word was said as he was dragged down the hallway. He managed to catch a glimpse of some other unfortunate man through a half open door. Like him he was naked but with a collar round his neck. He was kneeling, holding a tray with a glass balanced upon it. His head was lowered and the tray was lifted above him. John was quickly dragged past the door and on into another room. This was what looked like a bathroom, white tiles covered the walls and a hard stone floor beneath his feet. There was another door on the opposite wall to were he had come in, a thick heavy door with a hefty bolt at the top. In the corner of the room was a shower with a sink situated on the wall next to it. Opposite these was a toilet, Mistress Anna pushed John down onto the toilet making him sit.
“Now pee,” she ordered. John did as he was ordered a little surprised how easy it was as it had been the last thing on his mind only a few moments before.
“are we done?” John simply nodded and was dragged from his seated position. The shower had no screens around it and John was pushed under the shower head with great ease. A small yelp sprang from his lips as the cold water hit his back. Mistress Anna threw some soap at him and barked,
“You wash now.” Dutifully, John did as he was told and rubbed the soap over his body. He rinsed his body and the water was switched off. Next a towel was thrown at him.
“Dry yourself and put the towel in that basket.” She pointed to the plastic wash basket next to the door they had come in. Once dry, John was lead back out into the corridor and into another room. This was a much softer room, warm lighting and a fire crackling in the fireplace on the far wall. A desk was situated at one end just under a window. John was led to the desk and Mistress Anna walked round the other side. John looked out of the window for a moment this was the first time he had seen the outside since his capture. Even now he could only see the trees on the other side of the gravel drive and the clear blue sky. There was nothing to give away his location. His attention was then brought back to the desk with a sharp slap to his face. He looked at her, then at the desk, on the desk lay a piece of paper with a pen resting on it, a metal collar and a padlock.
“Read this and sign it,” She pointed to the paper. John read the paper it looked like a suicide note he then looked at the Mistress.
“Oh yes John is dead.” She said calmly, “So unless you want them to find John’s body you best do as we say. Don’t worry if you don’t sign it we will forge it and they will find your body.” He leaned forward nervously and signed the bottom of the page. She smiled and picked up the collar.
“Now as I said John is dead.” She turned the collar in her hands and showed it to him. “This is you now, number 53.” He looked at the metal collar in her hands and saw 53 stamped into the metal. Mistress Anna walked round the desk and stood before him. She opened the collar and slipped it round his neck. Leaning down she grabbed the padlock and snapped it shut locking the collar to him. Reaching into her pocket she pulled out the key to his cuffs and swiftly unlocking them, the cuffs fell to the floor,
“There we don’t need them any more, do we?” Another smile crossed her face. The Mistress then reached down beside the desk and pulled out a pair of black work boots. Pushing them into his chest she said, “you will need these for the next part of your training.” 53 dropped to the floor and quickly pulled on the boots, then scrambled to his feet again. This activity produced a warm smile across her face. Quickly she attached a leash to a ring on his collar and lead him back out into the hallway. Walking easier now that his feet are freed from the cuffs 53 could keep up with the Mistress. They walk through a door and out into a courtyard. The cold air hit his skin as he saw the high walls surround the almost empty yard. Against one wall is a large pile of paving slabs, The only decoration in the courtyard.
“You are to move those slabs from that wall to the opposite wall here,” She ordered him. “You have 30 minutes to complete this task. Not a second more not a second less, do you understand?” He nodded looking at the pile of slabs. She removed the leash, turned and left the courtyard. 53 started on his task carrying each heavy slab from one side to the other.
As the pile gets lower and lower on one side and larger and larger on the other, 53 get slower as he starts to tire from this chore. Finally the last slab is in place and he sat on the pile smiling at his work. Feeling much warmer he started to relax, just then the door flew open and Mistress Anna strode through it, cane in hand, and a face of pure anger.
“30 minutes I said!” She barked at him, “now as it’s your first attempt I will show some leniency. You will get 1 stroke for every minute you were over, I could have gone for every second but I don’t have that much time. So you will get 10 for each minute and 2 for disobeying me. You will count each stroke and thank Me for it, do you understand?”
“Yes Mistress,” he replied nervously.
“I doubt it as you said you understood the task but we will try. Bend over the slabs!” 53 quickly bent over the slabs and waited for the canning to start. As the first blow struck the pain shot through his body, his back arching and he sucked in a deep breath. He just about remembers to splutter out “1 thank you Mistress.” The second carefully aimed blow landed just below the first. The sharp shooting pain forced a cry to escape his lips and with his face screwed up in pain he forced the thank you out. Each stroke coming down with deadly accuracy leaving a clear red welt, were it had landed. Each time 53 screwed up his face and cried out before thanking the Mistress. After what seems like an eternity he reaches number 12 and the end. Collapsing on the slabs and breathing deeply the pain in his ass burning he heard her growl.
“Right now put these slabs back over there, and do it right this time!” As the Mistress leaves 53 gets straight to the job in hand, working through the pain in his ass and in his tired muscles. Finally finishing the last slab, exhausted he collapsed on the floor. The door swung open and cold water hit his tired and aching body. Looking up he sees Mistress Anna standing over him holding a bucket.
“Good,” She says happily, “see I knew you could do it, and now you can eat.” Bending down she reattached the leash to his collar and drug him to his feet. She lead him out of the courtyard, back down the hall and into another room. This is quite a small plain room with a table and 4 chairs in the middle. 3 men were already sitting at the table in silence eating. 53 saw a plate and cup in front of the remaining empty chair. On the plate was what looked like then end of a loaf of bread about 4 inches thick, and water in the cup. He was lead to the chair,
“Sit, eat and don’t talk,” she told him. “Unless you want a repeat of this morning's punishment.” The Mistress turned and left 53 with his new comrades, he looked at the plate and wondered if this nightmare would ever end.
