Let Me Stitch Your Broken Heart

Carly opened her eyes slowly. Confusion and stiffness overwhelmed her as she peeked between her lashes at a blurry, unfamiliar room. Where am I? Memories of intense pain began to negatively accompany the aches that filled her from head to toe. She groaned and rolled over in the bed as she remembered the previous day. Bed? She hadn’t expected such a luxury after the deal between Colton and Faas. She refused to refer to him as ‘His Majesty’ or whatever other grotesque monarchial names his subjects came up with. Carly sat up beneath the form-fitting blankets and sheets to observe her surroundings. The bed appeared to beking-sized with extravagant designs. Gold vines snaked up the towering bedposts and netted together overhead to form a glittering canopy. Bright natural tones swirled across the bedspread, complementing the solid colored pillows. Beyond the bed, walls stretched to a low ceiling that held flowing multicolored streamers. Floral designs raced along the wallpaper down to the glossy hardwood floor. The rooms in this place would never cease to amaze Carly.

A lump in the bed stirred beside her, yanking her from her halting wonderment. “Hello?” The lump didn’t answer. She slowly moved her hand toward it, bringing it down in a calm, hesitant manner. Her bedmate was soft. Carly pulled back the covers. Looking up at her was the biggest, most slobbery dog she’d ever seen. Carly squealed and hopped to the floor, checking herself for rabies-infected spit spots. She was clear.

“Ah, I see you’ve woken Gopher.”

“Who?”

“My dog.” Faas proceeded from the doorway to stand by Carly. He gazed at Gopher lovingly. “Isn’t he beautiful?”

“No. He’s gross.”

A sickening hand backslapped Carly’s cheek. “You watch your mouth!”

Stunned, Carly pressed her palm to her stinging face and gaped silently. She’d never been hit like that before.

“Your job is to care for my Gopher while I am unable to do so. For the time being, that will be all day and all night. Can you handle that?”

Carly eyed the creature in the bed skeptically but nodded. Faas frightened her.

“Good. Feed him, walk him, play with him, but at all costs, keep him in his suite. There is a courtyard cut from the middle for exercise time. Through that door there,” Faas pointed to a busily decorated wall on the other side of the room, “is the bathroom—for you. Next to it,” he moved his pointer finger an inch to the left, “is the kitchen and a doorway into the living area with an entryway to the courtyard. What you are standing in now is the bedroom. There is only one and you will share it. Gopher has first claim to sleeping space. If he chooses to stretch across the whole bed, then you are to sleep on the floor. You are not to leave him alone at any time. Any questions?”

“Um, yes,” she spoke softly.

“Well, what is it?”

“Have you…when are…um…is the…I—”

“Spit it out, impure one!”

“So I’m still impure?”

“No…” Faas was caught off-guard by the problem she pointed out in his nickname for her.

“Oh,” she seemed disappointed.

“I haven’t had my drink yet. I assume that was the question.”

“Um, yes. It was. Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Answering the question.”

“Oh.” He cleared his throat. “Well, it’s still going to happen.”

“Yes, sir.”

“You shall refer to me as ‘Your Grace’ or some other variation. Nothing else unless ordered by me directly. Understood?”

“Yes,” she paused with a wince, “Your Grace.” lessness, she added in her head. Your Gracelessness seemed much more fitting, seeing as he was still planning to spill her blood for his own selfish taste.

“Good. Get to work. Gopher must be walked the moment he awakens.”

She nodded.

He tugged at his collar awkwardly. “I will notify you when it is time. It may not be today, and it may not be tomorrow, but it will be soon. You smell delectable.” Recovered from his discomfort with the subject, he smiled slyly. “Take this.” He tossed her a small pill.

“What is it?”

“Don’t ask questions. Just follow orders. You’re my slave and I say take it.”

Carly inspected the oval-shaped capsule. It was white with a gray heart etched into one side.

“Take it!”

“I can’t take it dry! I’ll just heave it up!”

Frustrated, Faas walked to the kitchen and returned with a bottle of blue Kool-Aid. Carly raised an eyebrow.

“I belonged to Gopher’s last caretaker. She preferred groceries from your world. You won’t be doing that. This was left over after her execution.”

“Execution?”

“Take the pill.” His voice lowered as he stared at her intensely.

More worried now than ever, Carly followed orders. Nothing happened after she swallowed it. Faas simply walked out, closing the door behind him.

“Oh yes,” he popped his head back inside, “Clothes are in the trunk beneath the bed.”

He left again and Carly bent to the floor to retrieve her wardrobe. The trunk was typical and old-fashioned. She struggled to open it. Glancing at Gopher, she found him asleep again. Good. Inside the chest, Carly found a treasure trove of dresses. Unfortunately, not all of them were beautiful. In fact, the one on top looked as if a rainbow had thrown up on a geometry problem. Must be from the eighties. The dresses were of various styles and colors, and mysteriously all her exact size. None of them, however, seemed appropriate for a dog-sitter. Carly looked up and frowned at Gopher’s sleeping form before returning to rummaging through the chest. Finally, she happened upon a small, but pretty white dress. She searched for shoes to match, but the box only held dresses. She checked under the bed and around the room for another trunk, but was out of luck. She sighed and looked down at herself. Carly had awakened barefoot in a baggy, long-sleeved nightgown. It was off-white with brown flowers stitched around the grandma neckline. She removed it quickly. A compartment on the underside of the trunk’s lid held undergarments that she quickly pulled on. Next was the dress. It had an old-timey feel and hung on her shape perfectly. She spun a round prettily and spotted a mirror amongst her turning. She walked across the room to it and twisted as she inspected herself. She twirled again and put her arms above her head like a ballerina. As she returned to facing her reflection, she let out a small giggle.

Then, a movement visible in the mirror caught her eye. Sitting in the center of the bed was the creature she was supposed to care for like an infant. Drool slimed down from his long pink tongue and settled on Carly’s pillow as he panted exuberantly. Overly excited, he lumbered off the bed like a stupid sheep. However, he was immediately able to roll over on the floor and right himself, all the while looking at Carly playfully. Then, he began to bound towards her. Fear paralyzed her for a moment, but she took the time to have one last look at the beautiful dress wrapped around her body before he attacked her with spit and messy paws.

A few minutes later, Carly was once again standing in front of the mirror. This time, she wore an off-white and brown mini-dress with a slit and a low-cut front. The top layers hung in shreds and the pale pink ribbon that had been tied around the waist now sat in Gopher’s stomach. Carly pouted melodramatically and turned to the destructive dog who now sat peacefully by the door out of the bedroom. He seemed completely normal.

With a sigh, Carly spoke to him, “Come on, Gopher. Let’s go for a walk.”

His tail wagged and his ears perked up on his head. He scratched a paw across the door before Carly turned the knob and set him free.