“We didn’t mean to,” the deep voice replies. “There have been a lot of things going on. Each of us thought another guard had done it for the past couple of days. We only found out today when we were finally able to talk about the next transport of girls coming soon.”
Sounds like excuses to me. Does Headmistress Helena know that they are mistreating us? How can she just sit back and let them do this to us?
“Get your act together and do not let this happen again. It is unacceptable,” Ronal growls.
“Sorry, Ronal. We promise it will never happen again,” a new guard speaks up.
“You’d better, unless you want to lose your job,” Ronal replies and starts walking. “Now, give her the injection so I can take her home.”
Take me home? What is he talking about? Why is he taking me home? Does he mean back to the space station?
“Space station?” I call out, cracking my eyes and looking up at him.
Ronal gazes down at me and gives me a small smile. “No, Little Pet. You are not going back to the space station, and younever will. You are coming home with me. I am going to take care of you for the rest of our lives. Right now, I just need you to be a good Little Pet and relax while we go home.”
I open my mouth, but he shakes his head.
“Daddy is going to place a blanket around you and over your face, so you don’t get blinded by the light and stay warm,” he explains to me.
Before I know what is happening, a blanket is snuggled around me. Whimpering, I try to move my arms, but Daddy holds me tighter.
“Just stay still. We will be back at the apartment before you know it, then I’ll give you some food,” he gently says.
I stop moving at the mention of food. The sooner we get there, the sooner I will be able to fill my stomach. Then I can die, feeling even better than before. With the blanket around me and being held against his hot skin, I am going to get warm.
This is how I want to die.
Warm and full.
“You are not going to die. I will not allow that,” Ronal states.
“H-how?” I whisper, gripping onto the blanket.
I close my eyes as my body grows heavier in his embrace. I feel so comfortable and safe with his arms around me. It’s like we were meant to be.
“Inject her,” Ronal says. “My patience is wearing thin.”
My body locks up at the mention of getting injected. What are they drugging me with?
The blanket moves to the right, and a sharp pain radiates across my neck.
“Please,” I whimper.
“All done,” the deep voice says. “It should start taking effect in an hour. Keep her close to you.”
“Thank you,” Ronal replies and starts walking.
His grip on me tightens as he moves.
“Everything is going to be okay. Daddy is here to take care of you. Nothing is going to happen. I’m sorry that you were in such horrible conditions and that I couldn’t come to you sooner. I meant to pick you up several days ago, but work got busy. I didn’t want to have to do anything the first week I got you,” he explains.
Why does he keep calling himself Daddy? Isn’t his name Ronal? That is what the guard called him.
“Daddy thought you were safe and healthy. If I knew that you were being treated like this, I would have come and gotten you right away. I’m sorry. I will spend the rest of my life making up for that mistake,” he gently says. “You will never go without a meal. You will never be hungry again. Daddy is so sorry.”
My eyebrows pinch together as I think about his words. This doesn’t sound like he wants me to die. It sounds like he wants me to live for a long time. Did I get everything wrong?
No. I couldn’t possibly have. He probably wants me to believe that everything is going to be okay, so I’ll not expect to die.
