Master B-1901

S even days. Seven!

No episode. No headaches. It was as if confessing my truth to Elec had set it free. I felt like a new man. As if the smallest part of the real me still existed somewhere in the scrambled mess of what-ifs. But where there were questions…there was no sign of an answer. Only peace. Only happiness. Only Melissa trying her best to talk to me. This was the second day the Mistress had come, and she was getting more impatient each time.

“Brad, I know you’re in there. Open the door. That’s two appointments you’ve missed now. Two .”

I nodded at ninety-one. She was standing by the door, waiting for my command.

“Braddock, don’t make me get the guards. You’re clearly in violation of your Garden’s agreement. These appointments are mandatory. If you don’t open the door, you’ll leave me no choice.”

“My Master is not taking visitors today. He’ll continue his appointments with the Main Master from here on out. If you have any questions, I suggest you take it up with the Main Master.”

Silence.

“I’m afraid hearing this from a slave isn’t going to cut it. If Brad wants another doctor, he needs to tell me to my face.”

At my step forward, my slave’s hand shot up.

“The Main Master told you not to face her.”

“What is she going to do? Hypnotize me right here at the door?”

“She may.”

My lips twisted as my head tilted.

“No one is that good. Besides, she won’t have enough time.”

“And if she manages the impossible?”

I took in the worry behind light blue eyes.

“I have you. You won’t let her hurt me, will you?”

“I won’t let her hurt you.”

The seriousness had me slowing.

“Brad. Master Nineteen-oh-one . I’m asking nicely. Open this door.”

Melissa’s voice sent my teeth grinding. My slave stepped out of the way, and I swung open the barrier with every ounce of hatred that continued to fester in my body. I met her narrowed, angry eyes head-on, not backing down as I let my own fury shine through. Her mouth opened but I cut her off.

“You’re fired.”

As fast as I’d opened the door, I slammed it shut right in her face. The loud bang into the metal barrier had me looking back over my shoulder as I headed towards my sectional. With the automatic lock and no key card, it was impossible for her to get in.

“You can’t fire me! Braddock. Braddock Amell , open this fucking door. You’re going to hear me. You’ll hear everything I have to say. Braddock Amell Pierce! ”

My body jolted to a stop, and I got so stiff, I had no doubts I was reaching my ultimate height as I stayed frozen in place. Thoughts were glitching, getting foggy and heavy as I blinked through the feeling.

“Wait-wait. Master?” My slave’s voice grew more worrisome. “Master, are you okay? Master, cover your ears.”

“Braddock! You come over here right now an open the fucking door! Right now! ”

More pounding on metal. I could feel myself turning as I disappeared even more. The yanks on my arm did little to deter me from making it back to the door as the room faded and began to tunnel. I was swinging. Connecting. Swinging. And then I was reaching for the door. Opening it. Swinging at the pulls. Swinging.

Light.

Dark.

Light.

What was I doing again? Where was I going?

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

Colors blurred, mixing and twisting with stringy wetness. With force . Screams engulfed my mind, drowning me in the deafening hollowness of violence. I could see a blur of a woman’s body, fading into fancy suits and expensive jewelry. I could hear chants and laughter. It wasn’t a new memory.

No….old. So old.

“You like a good history book. I want to tell you a story. Do you want to be a hero, Braddock Amell Pierce? I can make you anything I want. I can make you a God. I can make you the dirt I stomp under my heels. Let’s start a little adventure, Braddock. Let’s create it together.”

Something hot burned into my skin eating through me like acid. More laughter. My skin was tearing. Sweet little whispers and moans were level with my ear. “Hit her! Kill her! Do it for me. Tell me her life is mine.”

“It is. You know it is.”

“Mmmm. I knew you wanted me. Do you like what you see, Braddock? You do, don’t you. Tell me you do. Do as I say. Do everything I say. Watch me. Watch us.”

More pain. Present? Old? All I knew was darkness as the light fought to get in. What it revealed gave me no comfort. It didn’t make sense.

Coughing.

Coughing.

Screams.

Mine—hers.

Yelling.

“You’re coming back tomorrow. You want me as your doctor. Now, hit her again. Again! That’s right. Don’t stop until you finish it. When you’re done, you remember none of this. Nothing! See you first thing in the morning.”

If there was ever an inhuman sound, it left my face vibrating as it left me. And I knew it was me. I could feel my heart racing. Sound was beginning to register, even if I couldn’t quite decipher the magnitude of what I was hearing.

“Ma…ster.”

“Never.”

“Mmmm—ahhh!”

Stringy. Wet. Stringy.

It looped in my mind.

“Never. Never!”

“Mmmphhh.”

Sobs.

Moaning

Light flickered.

Red.

Black.

Red.

Wet.

“Never. Never! Never.”

More sobs.

My head jerked hard as a twitch jolted my body. I went to lift my arm again realizing I barely could.

Stringy.

Wet.

I blinked hard, forcing colors to come in. Trying my best to understand what the fuck was happening.

Stringy.

My hand flexed, staring down at the dark wad of string in my hand. But it wasn’t string, and it wasn’t solely in my hand. It was stuck to me, trapped in the red wetness covering my palms. Back and forth I looked at my hand and what it’d been holding to. What my fingers had been buried in.

Black. Dark. Wet. Red.

“Mast…er”

The tunnel exploded open, blinding me with colors I couldn’t even process. A body lying on its stomach came into view. A head. Hair, soaked in blood. A…face that wasn’t even recognizable. But I knew it. I knew her as I spun my slave over.

“Oh, God. Oh, fuck. Fuck!”

“Master. Ma ? —”

“Shh. Oh shit. Don’t move, slave. Don’t.”

My head went back and forth, searching…searching…

It took seconds to realize what I was looking for as I surged to my feet and raced for my phone. Even as I dialed, my hands itched to continue. My mind screamed to kill. Kill. Kill!

“Good afternoon, Master. How may?—”

“I need a doctor. I need a fucking doctor right now! M-Main Master. Send for him. I need. I…I.”

The phone fell from my hands as I lowered, kneeling next to my slave’s battered body. But she wasn’t alone. The room was warping. I wasn’t real. Or was I? I couldn’t tell as I took in what I’d done. One entire side of her face was caved in. Her eyes were swollen shut and the amount of bruising under the blood turned my stomach sick.

Had I thought there was hope for her? Had I let myself attach to a woman who never stood a chance?

Inhuman. Yes. The yell that left me came from places I didn’t recognize. Parts so deep and haunted with hidden truths that the tears had no choice but to escape. I was cursed. Doomed. There was no hope for me. No hope for her as I watched her fight death. She wouldn’t win against it, just like she couldn’t win against me. How could she. Even if she was trained…so was I.

And I’d killed her. My slave would soon be dead.

Dead.

Dead.

“Ninety-one, please wake up. Ninety-one. Slave. I’m sorry. Please .”

Another yell left me. More lights stole me away from her, and I was spinning again. Spinning but still talking. My body was falling into a black void that never seemed to end.

“I didn’t know. Please. That wasn’t me.”

“Mas-ter.”

“Please stay. It wasn’t me.”

“Master.”

“It wasn’t me.”

Light took over my vision, and my head felt like it imploded. I reached for my face, not feeling my cheek where I pressed. A mass of voices jumbled together. More laughter. More screaming. I was outside my father’s house, staring towards his car as he drove away. Melissa was waving towards him as she leaned forward to whisper in my ear.

“What adventure shall we go on today? We’re going to have so much fun. Wave bye to Daddy, Braddock. He won’t be back for a week which is perfect for us.”

“Master.”

“I didn’t know.”

“Master.”

Bang!

Vertigo hit and I swayed. The pain was unreal. I almost felt like I was moving, but the spin was the only thing I knew. The spin and the pain. It kept going around and around. Slamming into me again. And again.

“ Stand down! Master, look at me. Braddock!”

Only half a roar left me. I swung, not even realizing I was going through the motions. The impact that came had me stumbling backwards and bright colors flooding in. My hand pressed hard into my face, but the feeling barely registered. I lowered my arms as I stared at my palms. The light was killing my head. My eyes. It was killing me. Killing me.

“Master!”

Blood registered over my fingers. So much blood, and it hurt to move. To even think. I gagged, not able to make sense at the yells that kept coming.

“Look up. Look up! Look at me.”

I met light blue, not understanding what I was seeing. There was so much blood. So much red everywhere I looked.

“Master, that’s it. Do you see me? Master. Braddock?”

“Slave?”

A sob left me as I stumbled in her direction. I reached both hands to her face. She had a large knot on her cheek that was split open, and blood covered down her jaw and T-shirt. She even had the crimson color coming from her nose.

“Is this real? This isn’t real.”

“Braddock, are you back?”

My head repeatedly shook.

“You’re alive?”

“I’m fine. I can’t say that for you. I have to call the Main Master. We have to get you to the hospital.”

“What? No, I killed you. I-I. You’re dead .”

“I’m very much alive.”

“No.”

My head shook and my knees gave out. I hit the ground hard, nearly bringing my slave down with me.

“I didn’t kill you?”

“You tried.”

“Fuck.” I held in the sob, pulling her closer to me. “Slave, look at me. I’m not okay. What happened?”

Her mouth opened, only to close.

“I…I don’t know. I.” Her gaze searched mine. “I can’t remember anything after this morning. All I know was you were suddenly hitting me. I think I heard yelling but…you got me good, and I passed out for a little. When I woke up you were kicking me. You?—”

My hand fitted over her mouth, feeling, praying this wasn’t another hallucination or dream. But even those were already fading. I couldn’t think straight. I was starting to forget… everything . Just like a dream. Dream. Dream. Was I dreaming?

“We have to call and get you help. I hurt you.”

“You did?”

Only then did I really look down. I had my arms at her sides now, but my hands weren’t working right. One I could barely feel. And I knew she’d gotten my face. Excruciating throbbing covered one side.

“You broke my hands.”

“One for sure, but I may have broken more than that. I can’t remember. I’m sorry, Master. You told me to defend myself. I’m just relieved that I didn’t kill you. I…I feel different. I’m…sorry. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry.” I winced as I adjusted, cringing as the pain hit. “We better just call.”

“Right.”

My slave walked over grabbing the phone. I looked at my feet, for sure I’d had it before. But I hadn’t because that had never happened. But was this happening. Was any of this real?

As the room started to spin again…I wasn’t so sure.