‹ Prequel: Going Bush
Going Bush 2: Suburbia
26
“Yes I understand,” Taylor said softly, cringing a little as the chains came off for the first time in days.
As the man returned to the table with them he carefully bent his arms across his chest, leaning forward a little into the alien movement. He took a deep breath before rolling his shoulders back, hissing a little from the stiffness. Taylor looked up only when he heard him coming back.
“Stay leaning forward,” he instructed.
Taylor did so, before flinching backward when he saw what he was about to do. He immediately heard one of the men behind him step forward and froze in his movement.
“Good boy,” the ‘master’ said gently when he saw him stop.
Taylor watched him wide-eyed as he slid the black collar around his neck, and then pulled his head forward to fasten it at the back. When that was done, he stood up and looked down on him.
“It will itch at first, but you’ll have plenty of time to get used to it,” the man said calmly.
Taylor squeezed his eyes shut, working to keep his breathing under control. He didn’t want to freak out already when they’d barely even started.
“The training program will run for approximately a month. A short one, in your case, but a lot more intense,” the man sounded almost regretful, “toward the end you’ll be spending some time in my quarters and you’ll be expected to take up some menial tasks.”
Taylor’s eyes shot up as he registered what he’d said.
“A lot more comfortable than your current arrangements, I can assure you. However it will have to be earned.”
“How?” it took Taylor a moment to work up the courage to ask.
He was rewarded with a punch from the man behind him, before he stepped back again.
“Your very first lesson will be in audio response,” the master went on as if nothing had happened as Taylor once again held his face, blinking rapidly.
He could feel another bruise layering onto the ones he already had.
“One of the most basic instincts you will learn is to only speak when you are asked a question. To ask questions yourself is no longer warranted. You are not in the ‘need to know’. If you do need to know something, you must trust that you will be told. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” Taylor said softly.
“You must also get used to using the terms ‘Master’ and ‘Mistress’. I’d like to hear you address me in your responses. Do you understand?”
Taylor gulped, fighting an internal battle with himself.
“Do you understand?” there was an underlying warning tone as his voice lowered.
“Yes Master,” Taylor threw out quickly, hoping he’d feel better once he’d gotten it over with.
He didn’t.
“Good,” the man nodded, watching as Taylor closed his eyes again as he tried to make sense of the emotional trauma he was experiencing.
He made his way over to the chair and sat down, pulling a book and pen toward him.
“Come and sit here,” he indicated the floor in front of him.
Taylor opened his eyes in time to see what he expected, before making to stand up.
“You don’t need to stand,” the man put his hand up without even looking in his direction, “you can get there by crawling.”
Taylor stopped himself, before glancing at the men behind him. Not taking a chance, he complied.
“Good boy,” he said once again in a calm tone, making Taylor grimace.
As the man returned to the table with them he carefully bent his arms across his chest, leaning forward a little into the alien movement. He took a deep breath before rolling his shoulders back, hissing a little from the stiffness. Taylor looked up only when he heard him coming back.
“Stay leaning forward,” he instructed.
Taylor did so, before flinching backward when he saw what he was about to do. He immediately heard one of the men behind him step forward and froze in his movement.
“Good boy,” the ‘master’ said gently when he saw him stop.
Taylor watched him wide-eyed as he slid the black collar around his neck, and then pulled his head forward to fasten it at the back. When that was done, he stood up and looked down on him.
“It will itch at first, but you’ll have plenty of time to get used to it,” the man said calmly.
Taylor squeezed his eyes shut, working to keep his breathing under control. He didn’t want to freak out already when they’d barely even started.
“The training program will run for approximately a month. A short one, in your case, but a lot more intense,” the man sounded almost regretful, “toward the end you’ll be spending some time in my quarters and you’ll be expected to take up some menial tasks.”
Taylor’s eyes shot up as he registered what he’d said.
“A lot more comfortable than your current arrangements, I can assure you. However it will have to be earned.”
“How?” it took Taylor a moment to work up the courage to ask.
He was rewarded with a punch from the man behind him, before he stepped back again.
“Your very first lesson will be in audio response,” the master went on as if nothing had happened as Taylor once again held his face, blinking rapidly.
He could feel another bruise layering onto the ones he already had.
“One of the most basic instincts you will learn is to only speak when you are asked a question. To ask questions yourself is no longer warranted. You are not in the ‘need to know’. If you do need to know something, you must trust that you will be told. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” Taylor said softly.
“You must also get used to using the terms ‘Master’ and ‘Mistress’. I’d like to hear you address me in your responses. Do you understand?”
Taylor gulped, fighting an internal battle with himself.
“Do you understand?” there was an underlying warning tone as his voice lowered.
“Yes Master,” Taylor threw out quickly, hoping he’d feel better once he’d gotten it over with.
He didn’t.
“Good,” the man nodded, watching as Taylor closed his eyes again as he tried to make sense of the emotional trauma he was experiencing.
He made his way over to the chair and sat down, pulling a book and pen toward him.
“Come and sit here,” he indicated the floor in front of him.
Taylor opened his eyes in time to see what he expected, before making to stand up.
“You don’t need to stand,” the man put his hand up without even looking in his direction, “you can get there by crawling.”
Taylor stopped himself, before glancing at the men behind him. Not taking a chance, he complied.
“Good boy,” he said once again in a calm tone, making Taylor grimace.