Pip closes the door behind us.
We're standing in a small kitchen-living room. There's a TV, kettle and microwave. Opening a door reveals a bedroom. It has a comfy looking double bed. Another door reveals a modern looking bathroom. This is pretty good for a cheap motel.
Pip sits on the ground - next to a perfectly good couch.
"Don't sit on the floor when there's a seat right there," I grumble.
She moves to the couch. I kneel down and lock the shock bracelet around her ankle. I have no intention of shocking her, but the bracelet also has a tracker, and I'm not about to let four hundred Rens just walk out the door.
I hand her a small bag of chips. "Eat these." She needs to have something in her stomach before I can give her a painkiller for her wrists.
I set the kettle to boil. "Tea or water?"
"Huh?" she says, confused.
"Do you want tea or water?"
"Oh, um, tea please."
She looks delighted when I bring her the mug. She knows that she should be the one bringing me tea, but I don't want her doing anything with her hands right now. She needs time to heal.
The chip packet is rolled up on the coffee table. It's still half full. "I told you to eat them."
"I did. I ate my half."
"Finish them."
She grabs the packet and quickly munches down the rest.
"Take this." I hand her the pill.
She swallows it, and I head to the bathroom.
"Master, can I ask a question?" she calls before I close the door.
"Yes?"
"What's the pill for?"
She just took a pill without any idea what it was? I guess she just does whatever she's told without question. "It'll help with the pain."
"Oh, thank you."
I close the door and run the shower. No, she's not just obedient. She lied to the border guards on my behalf. Even after they threatened her, she still stayed on my side. She only listens to me.
I finish showering but leave it running. "Pip," I call. I change into my sleepwear and open the door. She's waiting right at the threshold. "Rinse yourself off, but keep your arms away from the water. You can't get your bandages wet. Once you're done, press the tap closed with your knee or something."
"Okay, Master." She nods and steps aside for me.
I plop down on the couch, turn on the TV and start a new chess game on my phone.
She finishes her shower and stands at the door. I follow her eyes to the couch. She wants to sit next to me, but she doesn't have the confidence. This has to stop. I can't be bothered with this level of micromanagement.
"Come here." I gesture to the spot next to me.
She sits.
"There's something you need to understand. You're living with me, so you are allowed to be here. I'm not going to get angry with you because you sit somewhere or eat something. As long as you don't wonder off, I don't care. Got it?"
"Um, yes, Master."
I lean back and continue with my game.
"Are you playing chess again?"
"Yep."
"Can I watch?" She looks at me with big eyes.
I angle the phone her way, and she nudges closer to me.
Red letters pop up on the screen - 'CHECK'.
"What does that mean? Is it bad?" she asks.
"It says 'check'. So yea, it's bad." I move a pawn to block the check.
She can't read, but that doesn't mean she can't learn. She's not stupid, that's for sure.
"See this." I point to a letter on the screen. "That's a ka." I figure I'll start with the phonetic sounds of letters.
"Ka," she repeats.
I continue teaching her letters throughout the game.
It's late, and I'm ready for bed. I fetch a pillow and blanket for her. "You can sleep on the couch."
I turn off the light and close the door leading to my room. I lock it just as a precaution. I'm vulnerable while sleeping, and it's not like she's a slave by choice.
I turn off the bedroom light and crawl into bed. Tomorrow, I'll deliver the lithium batteries to Jack's men, then I'll call my sister with the good news. She's finally going to university.
* * * * * * * *
My alarm wakes me up. It's 4AM, time to get going.
I flick on the light and my jaw drops. How did Pip get in here!?
She's sleeping in a ball by the corner. Wait – sleeping? She got in here and didn't try attacking me? And why would she choose to sleep on the floor instead of the couch in the other room?
I pull open the door and test the lock. The deadbolt doesn't move with the lever. It's been broken this whole time. That was a stupid risk.
I brush my teeth, change and return to the bedroom. She's still fast asleep. She's had three hours. That's plenty, yet she still slept through my alarm? Is it from her sickness?
I run a search for human sleep online. 'Humans have a slower refactoring phase, and hence require more than twice as much sleep as parbeings – 8 hours.' Eight hours!? What? She said she could work all day.
I guess it must've been one of her lies. I continue reading, 'Young humans have an even longer sleep period.' Longer than that? I enter her age into the sleep calculator. '11-year-old humans require 10 hours of sleep per day.' Ten hours? She's been getting less than a third of that. So, I'm going to be losing out on seven hours of work from her every day!?
I pinch the bridge of my nose. I can't be angry with her. I got less of a slave than I thought I did, but I just need to move on. It's not her fault that her species is the way it is.
Regardless, it's time to get going. I peel the blanket back and put one hand under her knees and the other around her back.
"Master?" she whispers.
I scoop her up. "Shh, go back to sleep." Her chest is pressed flat against mine. It's not long before she stops moving and rests her head on my shoulder.
I carry her to the front door, but I stop in my tracks. I feel something strange against my chest. It's her heartbeat. I check my watch and count the thumps.
Fifty-six beats per minute. She's barely awake. It feels a little surreal. I own her. She belongs to me, and so does her little heartbeat. Don't worry, Pip. I won't let anything happen to you.
I carry her to the truck and place her in the passenger seat. The seat is tilted back so she can lie down. She's so exhausted that she doesn't even open her eyes.
Her legs are bare from the knee down. I cover them with a spare jacket and put another over her chest. That should keep her warm.
I dial Jack's number and lock-up the motel.
He answers.
"Hey Jack, it's Anthony. I'm inside. Where can I deliver the goods?" I say.
"Oh, about that. There's been a bit of a holdup. My boys had to leave, but they'll be back tomorrow."
I sigh. "Well then you're going to have to sponsor my stay."
"What!? No! Who the hell do you think I am!?" I move the phone away to quieten his yelling.
"I thought you were the man who was going to buy my batteries, but it looks like that honour may have to go to someone else. I'm not trying to screw you over. Delivery is my job, and we both know I cannot risk doing other trips with that crap in my truck. I don't have the luxury of just sitting on my ass for a day without pay. Now do you want them or not?"
"Okay, okay, let's not do anything rash. I'll wire you some money, but you better not ghost me here."
I hang up and roll my eyes. What an ass. We had an agreement. I risked my butt, and now I'm sitting here with fifteen thousand Rens worth of illegal lithium batteries. Sorry sis, the good news will have to wait a day.
I hop back in the truck, and my phone buzzes as the money comes through. Thirty Rens. Good enough.
I've got a day to myself. I clip Pip's seat belt in place and drive to an open gym to kill time.
It's around 10AM by the time she wakes up.
"Ready for breakfast?" I ask.
"Yes please." She perks up.
We arrive at a mall. This place is packed with both stalls and people.
I weave between the crowd, and Pip follows closely behind.
We head to the food courts and eat at a Paul's Kitchen. Jack's little payment has made it affordable.
Pip needs a toothbrush, so I might as well get one here. I make my way towards a cheap-looking store.
"Master, look! It's the Yuzo Boys!" She's pointing at a bunch of street musicians covering a Yuzo Boys song.
"Pip, those are just-"
"Now they're playing 'You're Only'! It's my favourite!" She's grinning ear to ear.
Poor thing. I won't ruin it for her. "Do you want to get a closer look?"
"Can we?" She looks at me with shining eyes.
"Come on." I weave between the crowd and make a space for her. She's so short that she needs to be at the very front to see anything.
She's bouncing up and down with excitement. She clearly knows the music but has no idea what the actual Yuzo Boys look like. "Where did you hear them?" I ask.
"The shop owner used to leave the radio on. They're my favourite."
The song ends, and I leave a small tip. I nudge Pip away, and we continue towards the store. It's better that we leave now before they start covering songs by other musicians.
I scan the store shelves looking for the cheapest toothbrush.
"Master, look, isn't it pretty?" She's pointing at something.
I walk over to her. It's just costume jewellery, and she's pointing at a pair of tiny gold stud earrings. They're only ninety-nine cents. "Do you want them?"
"I do but... I don't have holes in my ears."
"I can take care of that."
"Oh. Then yes please."
I pay for the goods and give them to her to hold.
We head back into the crowd. It takes a good few minutes to navigate to the exit.
I turn around and all I can see is a wall of people. She's nowhere to be seen. Shit.
Author's note:
Just out of interest, what do you think? Did she get lost or run away? And will Robert retaliate when he finds her?
[It's not like the story is a mystery. I'm just interested to see what everyone thinks.]