Jack Peacock


Views: 401 Created: 2007.10.06 Updated: 2007.10.06

Your Master Requires Your Allegiance

Inattention

Kelli wasn't having a good day. So maybe she had let her attention wander for a minute or two, it didn't justify what they had done to her.

The green light came on. She hit the button under her right palm immediately and held it until the light went out. The button had a stiff spring under it. Her hands were getting tired. She wasn't sure how much longer she could keep going.

Some of the lectures were fascinating, full of concepts she had never thought about before. Others, like the one today, were so boring she couldn't make herself listen. Who cared about the proper way to fold master's socks or pour him a cold drink? The teacher was obsessed with a level of detail Kelli found ridiculous. If Matt was thirsty he got something out of the refrigerator. It didn't require an exhaustive ritual to put ice in a cup and fill it with something he liked.

The red light came on this time. Grasping the edge of the chair with her fingertips she pressed down with her left hand. The light stayed on longer this time. If there was a pattern to the lights, or the duration, she hadn't figured it out yet. When were they going to give her a break?

The instructor, Miss Sarah was her name, had droned on an on in her irritating monotone about keeping the house clean and how important it was to do the best possible because it reflected on their masters. Kelli kept their apartment reasonably clean, and even ironed his shirts when she had the time and wasn't too tired. She didn't need anyone lecturing her on domestic chores.

It was the red light again. She pushed the button, but had to release it as the light went out immediately. A chime sounded the announcement of a rest period. Grateful for a respite from the lights she relaxed her hands and closed her eyes. She was safe until the chime sounded again.

How had that woman known she wasn't listening? Out of the blue Miss Sarah had walked over to stand in front of her and demanded the answer to some stupid question. Kelli had tried to bluff but it didn't work. The teacher called for a warden and expelled her for failing to pay attention. There were no warnings or second chances in this school. She remembered how the entire class had stared at her in silence as the warden handcuffed her and took her away. No doubt everyone else listened intently to the correct way to stack pans in the cupboard after she left. Meanwhile she had to be the object lesson.

The first indication she might be in real trouble came the moment the classroom door closed. She caught a glimpse of another warden behind the door before she was down on the floor and a blindfold was around her eyes. They worked fast, before she had time to react and try to struggle. In seconds she had a blindfold and gag, plus chains on her ankles. When they hauled her back to her feet she discovered the leg irons had a short reach, no more than five or six inches.

They carried her as much as marched her down the hall, one of the men on each side of her, holding onto her arms. More than once she lost her footing but they didn't stop. If she tripped they held her up and kept going. Kelli tried to plead with them to slow down but the gag garbled her words into incomprehensible sounds.

Twice they stopped and she was able to get her feet underneath her. From the sound they were going through security gates. Each time they started off again at an impossible pace. The third stop was different; after she went through some kind of entrance the floor started moving, down.

Where the elevator went Kelli had no idea. The downward direction told her she wasn't going to be seeing sunlight. Neither of her escorts had uttered a single word. When the elevator stopped and the door opened they hustled her out but allowed her to stay on her feet. Progress was slow but she didn't have far to go.

They went through more doors. She heard the distinctive lock and key sound. At some point her guards were replaced by a single warden. This one held her arm painfully. She would have a bruise from his grip.

When the blindfold came off she found herself in a small featureless room. It contained one large sturdy chair bolted to the floor, with a panel in front of it. The chair faced away from the single door. Kelli noticed there was no door knob or handle on the inside. She looked up at the guard.

"When I take your cuffs off you are going to sit in that chair. You aren't going to give me any trouble. Do we understand each other?"

Kelli nodded. He hadn't removed the gag. It was obvious she was in trouble and something was going to happen. She had no intention of making it worse. When he took off the cuffs she rubbed her wrists but didn't move.

"Sit down. Back against the chair."

The chair was like none she had ever seen. It was made from thick wooden beams. Straps were fastened to it everywhere. She knew what was going to happen next.

He started with her hands and arms, then her waist, her legs, and finally her head. By the time he finished Kelli was an integral part of the chair. About all she could manage on her own was to blink her eyes and move her hands. Under each hand was a wide flat button. Directly in front of her was a panel with two large lights on it, one red and one green.

The next step scared her. He began putting dabs of some kind of greasy paste on her skin. On top of the paste he put small metal discs with wires connected to them. He used white surgical tape to keep the discs tight against her body. The wires ran to a point behind the chair.

He stood in front of her, behind the light panel. "The principle is very simple. You have trouble paying attention. I am not interested in the reasons why. This is not acceptable under any circumstance. I regret subjecting you to this but it is necessary to discourage improper behavior.

"There are two lights. The red corresponds to the button under your left hand, the green to the one under your right. When the light comes on you will hold down the corresponding button until the light goes out. You will not press either button at any other time. If you fail to follow the instructions correctly you will be given an incentive not to make the mistake again. You would do well to pay attention this time."

Kelli didn't like the sound of the last line. What did he mean, incentive? This was some kind of game better suited to a three year old child.

"I'm going to remove the gag now. Feel free to yell and shout. There's no one to hear you. The exercise will begin immediately." He reached down and removed the gag.

"Please sir, I didn't mean any harm. I'm sorry I wasn't listening to the instructor. It won't ever happen again." Her pleading fell on deaf ears as he ignored her. He walked away. She wasn't able to turn her head to see him. The sound of the door slamming shut told her he had left.

Her first thought was to try to get out of the chair. She twisted and turned but all her effort accomplished was to demonstrate how well the chair was constructed.

The red light came on first. She pressed on the button and waited for the light to go out. When it did she let go of the button. What kind of punishment was this?

The lights blinked on and off in a random sequence. One time both came on. It wasn't difficult to keep track of them. This was real boredom; even the home economics class wasn't as bad.

Sometimes there would be long pauses when the lights stayed off. Then there were times they came in rapid succession, but not so fast that she couldn't keep up. To pass the time she thought about Matt. Did he know she was here? She hoped not.

So far her experience as a student wasn't at all what she had expected. Somehow she had pictured it as a big sorority with a stern but understanding dean reminding them to follow the rules. Instead she was in a supermax prison living in the most degrading circumstance imaginable. Rules, regulations and more rules, that's all she heard.

The time between the lights seemed to be getting longer. Kelli was bored and tired. How long was this to go on? Did she have to stay the rest of the day?

"Hello? Can anyone hear me?" The warden had given her permission to speak. "Can I have some water?" She was getting thirsty. The gag had left a bad taste in her mouth. She listened for an answer, or even better for the door to open. Nothing happened except a light blinked on.

Her hands were getting tired. The buttons were stiff and took some effort to push down. Her eyes hurt from staring at the panel. There was another long interval before a green light came on. When it went out she closed her eyes to rest them for a few seconds.

The sharp jab in her leg felt like she'd been stabbed. Her eyes flew open. The red light was on. Quickly she hit the button. It stayed on for several seconds before going out.

Now she understood the purpose of those little metal discs. They were contacts. The "incentive" was an electric shock to some part of her body. They were on her arms and legs, all over. No wonder he had warned her to pay attention. Would it be worse the next time?

Unnerved by the jolt she stared at the lights, determined not to miss one again. Her leg still ached. It had been right over her calf muscle.

The lights went on and on. Her world narrowed to red and green. Like a robot she pushed buttons on command. Her eyes felt like they were full of industrial grit. Hour after hour she grimly forced her eyes to stay open, too afraid of what would happen if she missed another one to risk more than a fast blink.

A chime sounded, or was it her imagination? The door opened and a woman came in. She was shackled hand and foot, and a leather hood covered her entire head except slits for her eyes. In her hand was a small cup of water with a straw in it. Kelli greedily sucked it dry when the woman held the straw to her mouth. The water was tepid but still tasted better than she'd ever had.

"Is it over?" she asked the woman. It had been an ordeal but she had made it. Next time she'd remember to pay attention even if was a lecture on garbage can liners.

Instead of an answer the woman took the empty cup away. Maybe she was going for a refill. Kelli took the opportunity to close her eyes. It felt wonderful.

The sound of the door closing interrupted her. The same chime sounded again. The green light came on immediately afterward. Quickly Kelli hit the button. Her rest period was over.