Chapter 3

One of the things Clarence had learned in all those foster homes, besides never rejecting food, was how to trust his wits to survive. It had served him well, helping him avoid being bullied by older boys or escape the ire of Mr. Branson, the functional alcoholic who was his third (or fourth?) foster father when he was 12. He could lie his way out of problems and put on the “little boy lost” act, although he admitted he was becoming too old for that.

But right now, he was upset with himself for showing weakness at the library. He should have been more careful, but the idea of having a mother, a family, had made him temporarily lower his defenses and be caught off guard. He decided that he wouldn’t let it happen again.

Clarence found himself in unfamiliar territory, terra incognita. He smiled at the thought. Old Branson was an alcoholic with a biblical view on spankings, but he also had a well-stocked library in his studio. Clarence would spend hours there, both to remain unnoticed by the other kids and to satisfy his insatiable curiosity about the world beyond the backwards town where he lived. And now, he needed to stay alert at all times.

Evelyn Carter sat in her bedroom, looking at the family picture on her nightstand. It was a photo of her, her husband and their two kids, taken a few months before she left him, taking their daughter with her. Her son Clarence was only six months at the time, but he had the biggest smile on his face.

Evelyn sighed, feeling a bit sad. She had dreamed about this moment for years – the moment she would see her son again after being separated for so long. She had thought it would be a happy reunion, full of tears and hugs and apologies for leaving him behind. But unfortunately, things hadn’t gone as she had imagined.

Instead of a heartwarming meeting with her son, she had been faced with Master’s plan – a direct approach to introduce Clarence to their world without any explanation or preparation beforehand. And while she trusted her Master’s judgment, she couldn’t help but feel guilty and disappointed that she couldn’t have more control over this situation.

She remembered her meeting with Master earlier that day, where he announced her his decision to reveal everything to Clarence. No explanation was given for that.

Evelyn knew that Master always had good reasons for his decisions, even if he didn’t always share them with others. She also knew that it was not her place to question Him. If He thought this was the best way to handle things, then it must be so.

But still, seeing how guarded and suspicious Clarence’s face had become during their meeting made Evelyn worry about how he would adjust to their community. She wanted him to be happy and comfortable with who he truly was, but she couldn’t shake off the feeling that things could have been handled differently.

With a heavy heart, Evelyn put away the photo and got up from bed. She decided to trust in Master’s plan and do everything in her power to make sure Clarence felt loved and accepted in their midst. After all, she owed him.

Elias Blackwood was not a happy man. As the head of the community, he valued order and stability above all else. That’s why when an unexpected disturbance appeared in his peaceful life, he couldn’t help but feel annoyed.

It was a tradition in their community that once every ten years, the most deserving slave would be granted a grace. Although it was not mandatory for masters to fulfill these requests, denying them would result in a huge loss of face. The requests could range from simple things like better accommodations or more freedom, to more complicated ones such as being sold to a supposedly less demanding master or being allowed to impregnate or be impregnated.

But the one thing that rarely happened – almost never – was a request for freedom. It was highly frowned upon by the community, and only one instance came to Elias’ mind. It had happened when he was a child. He remembered it vividly – a male slave had asked Elias’ father for his freedom and, surprisingly enough, he had granted it.

But sadly, the poor man had been a slave for too long, and was unable to function in the outside world. He had died alone, homeless and lost without his master’s guidance.

And now there was another weird request that he had been bound to grant – Evelyn’s request to bring her son Clarence to live with her.

Elias sat deep in thought at his desk when there was a knock on his door. It was Evelyn herself, looking anxious and worried.

“Master,” she greeted him respectfully.

“Evelyn,” Elias replied, gesturing for her to approach.

She walked closer to him and spoke, “Permission to speak, Master?”

“Granted,” he said, nodding for her to continue.

“Master, my son’s reaction was not as I expected, and I’m a bit worried.”

Elias raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Do you want me to send him back?” he asked calmly. “It would be the solution to this problem.”

“Oh, no, Master,” Evelyn quickly responded. “I ... I just imagined it would be different, that’s all.”

“You requested him to be brought here, and I granted your grace,” Elias reminded her. “Besides that, everything related to him is your responsibility, so I suggest you act accordingly.” His tone turned stern as he added, “Do not bother me with it.”

A bit disappointed by Elias’ lack of concern or empathy towards her situation with Clarence, Evelyn inclined her head and said in a respectful tone, “Of course, Master.”

She turned to leave the room but stopped at the door. She took a deep breath before speaking again.

“If I may make a suggestion ... do I have your permission to ease Clarence into our community slowly? He has never experienced anything like this before and it may take some time for him to adjust.”

Elias simply nodded, his thoughts already somewhere else.

Evelyn made her way back to her quarters, deep in thought. She couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease settle in her stomach. She had hoped that her Master would understand how difficult it would be for Clarence to adjust and offer some help or guidance. But it seemed like he would not be of help.

She knew now that she couldn’t rely on her Master for anything regarding Clarence, so she would need to take matters into her own hands. She would have to find a way to introduce Clarence to their lifestyle slowly and make sure he was comfortable with it.

She went to find her daughter.

Evelyn found Anastasia in the library, as usual. When she was not servicing their Master, her daughter was always lost in books, her imagination taking her to faraway places and different worlds.

She cleared her throat to get Anastasia’s attention, causing her to jump slightly in surprise.

“What did Master say?” Anastasia asked, closing her book and giving her mother her full attention.

Evelyn sighed, “He said it was my problem to solve.”

“I told you it was a bad idea, Mom” Anastasia replied with a disapproving shake of her head.

“I know, but I’ve lived so many years knowing that your brother lived as an orphan that when the grace came, bringing him to us was the only thing I could ask,” Evelyn explained with a hint of sadness in her voice.

“Well, now we have to deal with him. Let’s hope we can make him understand and accept us.”

Anastasia paused for a moment before suggesting, “Maybe we can start by introducing him slowly to our world?”

Evelyn nodded in agreement. “Yes, that’s a good idea. We can’t expect him to understand everything at once.”

“Exactly,” Anastasia replied with a smile. “We’ll just have to be patient and understanding with him.”

The two women spent the rest of the evening devising a plan on how they could ease Clarence into their lifestyle and community without overwhelming or scaring him. They wanted him to feel like he belonged and not like an outsider.

But even with their best efforts, they knew it wouldn’t be easy. Clarence had grown up in poverty and had never known luxury or comfort. On the other hand, he had also grown up free and their slavery cult would be an even bigger adjustment for him.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Rosewood had taken Clarence to his new bedroom.

“It’s not much, I know, but it’s comfortable and clean,” she told Clarence.

He nodded. Compared to some places he had been, this small room was the epitome of luxury.

It was a small but cozy room, with a single bed, a desk, and a bookshelf filled with books. He didn’t know, but Evelyn had spent a lot of time cleaning and decorating it, wanting to make sure it felt like home for her son.

“Surely you’re tired from your trip. Why don’t you lie down for a while? I’m sure your mother will come for you if you’re needed elsewhere.”

Clarence turned to Mrs. Rosewood. Time to turn on that old young charm. “Thank you, Mrs. Rosewood!” he said, hugging her as if she were an old, dear aunt. Clearly surprised by this gesture, she smiled and patted his back. “It’s okay, Dear. See you at dinner time.”

After Mrs. Rosewood left, Clarence took stock of his surroundings. His bag was already there, so he explored the small bathroom. He felt more tired than dirty, so he decided to sleep first and take a shower later.

He lay on the bed with his eyes closed, and very soon he fell asleep. It was not a peaceful sleep.

After a few hours he woke up, trembling. It had been a very real dream, where he was being held by chains and whipped by an invisible master. Clarence sat up on his bed, heart pounding against his chest. Sweat trickled down his back, and he couldn’t shake off the feeling of being trapped and controlled.

He looked around the room, trying to ground himself in reality. It was just a dream, he told himself. But as he looked at the books on the shelf, his eyes fell on one particular title “The Slave Goddess”. It was a richly bound volume, a figure of a blindfolded, chained woman on the cover. His hands picked up the book and flipped through its pages. He couldn’t believe what he was reading - accounts of people willingly giving themselves up to be slaves, descriptions of ceremonies and rituals that involved submission and obedience.