Mine Part IV

When the boy awoke, there was no soft, luxurious rug, nor was there a crimson quilt. Neither was there a comfy cot in a room of rich browns. And there was no fire crackling merrily in a hearth. This room was cold, with hard, concrete walls and a rough, dirt floor. He felt his ankles bound by cold, metal shackles.

???Awake, Pet???? a familiar voice asked. He looked up at her beseechingly, questioningly, wondering if he had done something wrong. ???Ready to play, Pet????

Uncertainly, he nodded.

She loved him. He would listen to her.

???Lovely,??? she giggled. ???Stand against the wall, now, Pet,??? she crooned. He obeyed, turning his back to her as she asked. And suddenly his ears were assaulted by a harsh snap-crack.

It was different from the fire???s sound, and he felt no warmth. Instead, the snap was accompanied by a whoosh of air, and the crack a sharp, biting pain that made his knees buckle. Eyes wide with shock, he turned his head to see what had happened.

There was a leather strap in Bella???s hand.

He watched and saw that this snap-crack was the sound of her raising it and bringing it down on his back. His eyes were bright with pain, betrayal, and an unspoken question.

???You said you were ready to play, Love. So Bella???s going to play,??? she explained, insanity evident in her tone.

The steady rhythm of sounds changed.

Snap-crack, scream, snap-crack, scream, snap-crack, scream

With each scream, Bella sighed in ecstasy. ???Such a lovely voice,??? she purred contentedly. After the fifth blow, she set the strap down, and commented, ???I do believe we???ve had enough of that game.???

She approached the frightened, miserable boy and cooed, ???Now, now, Pet, don???t fret. Bella still loves you.??? Cupping his cheek, she murmured, ???Turn and face me.??? The boy complied, watching her with wide, anxious eyes. She spent a moment petting him and murmuring soothing, though empty, words to him to calm him.

And, even after she beat him, he threw his arms around her neck and clung to her for dear life, crying into her shoulder.

Once he???d calmed, she commented, ???Bella never showed you her special talent, did she, Pet???? The boy shook his head mutely. ???Would you like to see it???? He nodded.

Because his Bella would never do anything truly awful to him. He must have done something bad to deserve the whipping.

Giggling giddily, she lifted a hand and flicked her wrist lazily, cold, blue eyes alight with cruel glee.

The boy shrieked in surprise as a long gash opened on his arm. Confused and frightened, he couldn???t do anything more than look back and forth from the injury to Bella. But???! But???! She hadn???t been touching him!

???Fantastic, isn???t it, Pet???? Bella jeered, lips twisting into a smirk.

The boy didn???t understand. This wasn???t Bella!

It couldn???t be?

Who was this person, and what had she done to the sweet, kind angel who???d saved him? He must have done something to make her go away???to make her leave him with this evil woman who looked so much like her.

He asked despairingly, ???I???ve been bad, haven???t I????

No answer.

He wailed miserably, ???I???m a bad Pet!???

Her only response was to open a new wound, this time down his cheek. She giggled as he screamed. ???Mm. Such a pretty, pretty voice you have, Love.???

Nearly hysterical, the boy collapsed in a boneless heap on the ground, weeping. He wanted his Bella back!

Why didn???t Bella love him anymore?

The woman gathered him into her arms and crooned, ???There, there, Pet. Don???t cry.??? She brushed her knuckles along the injury on his cheek, and the wound closed itself. ???Bella can heal you, too, Pet. She can make it all better.??? She did the same to the other gash, pressing a kiss to her toy???s forehead.

???I had fun today, Pet,??? Bella cooed. ???Perhaps Bella???s Pet deserves a reward???? She pressed a bit of bread against the boy???s lips, which he accepted automatically. ???You???re tired, Pet. Sleep. We will have plenty of time for more play later.???

The boy obeyed, falling asleep to the harsh, irregular clank clankitty clank-click of a key and padlock locking him in.