Chapter 1: Day of the Dawn

Dawn Rhodes – Wednesday, July 22nd, 2015

I woke up. This was the eighth time I had woken up. I loved that Matt was back. I hated that Sara was. I had to reach between my legs and grab Sara’s wrist. She was out of it. She was sucking on my nipple and trying to finger me. Phoebe was gone. She slept with Ryan most nights. I grit my teeth and reached for my phone. I had to get up anyways.

“Sweetie?” I don’t know why I had started calling my sisters in slavery sweetie or girl. There were so many of them now. Was it worth my time to remember names? No, it wasn’t that but I could tell myself it was, “I got to go to work, girl.”

I flinched. I expected her to bite me by the way her lips moved. She never did, she would, if Matt liked that thing, but otherwise she was really gentle. I just couldn’t sleep with a finger in my pussy. I had tried to sleep with a shirt on or even pajama pants last night. Sara had woken me purposefully to complain that she couldn’t sleep. I stroked her blonde hair, it was getting to a styleable length.

“Dawn?”

“About half an hour ago,” I punned but she looked confused, “I need to shower for work.”

“Do you want company?” No. But she was so sincere I smiled.

“Yeah, come on,” I shook my head and slipped out of the bed. Sara was out and around the far side before I had found the slippers I had bought. I had bought. With money I had made. I was proud of my garishly yellow fuzzy slippers. They were so comfy. Sara flinched as she flicked the light on. I had the opportunity to adjust a little before I made it to the bathroom.

This was our apartment. When I had first moved in I had been a filthy hairy mess, not unlike the apartment itself. Phoebe and I had corrected that. Well she had imperiously pointed to things she had found intolerable and I had scrubbed, scoured, laundered, replaced, cleaned and done everything short of repainting the place. Deborah had helped me out. I slid the dark red outer shower curtain open, I hadn’t replaced the dollar store inner curtain yet. Maybe that’s why Phoebe was living with Ryan and Joseph. Sara had slipped in around without touching the curtains. She liked the shower warmer than I did. I needed the pick me up.

“Just a shower this morning,” I told her. I was way early anyways. I could’ve fucked her.

“OK,” she grinned happily. She grabbed her loofah ball as I stepped into the shower. It was seconds before I was even fully wet, she was rubbing my body wash into my skin. She gripped strongly, it hurt whenever she touched and felt divine when she moved onto the next section. I found my shampoo was empty. There was another untouched bottle right there. Life had changed for me. I was practically a real girl now, except for the strings on me. I tried to wake up as I rinsed away the shampoo and picked up the conditioner. Sara wasn’t listening. Her fingers strummed my clit and teased my asshole. I hadn’t been fucked up the ass yet. Melody’s sodomy had been brutal. Eden claimed Matt had learned from his actions. All evidence to the contrary.

“Sweetie,” I huffed with my knees wobbling. I wrapped my arm around Sara’s shoulders. She was shorter than me. There weren’t many. Tiffany and Kelly? I spat out a mouthful of shower.

“Sweetie!” I slid my foot across the tub bottom. I didn’t trust Sara to hold me up if I slipped. She wasted no time on my pussy. I shut my eyes, thought about Matt, and just let the waves hit me. I tried to take another deep breath. I spat out some more shower, “Oh, you are good that.”

“Really?” She beamed, “I’m glad you’re my sister now, Dawn.”

“Yeah, you’re really lucky,” I shook out the cobwebs and let the smile drop off my lips.

“I know,” She grinned, “Can you wash my hair?”

“Sure girl,” Her shampoo smelled nicer than mine. I tried to make sure mine didn’t smell at all. I came close. Sara melted under my fingers. I let my mind wander. I thought about my dad. He’d have been proud of me for taking the job at the restaurant seriously, even if he sneered at being prep cook. I missed him. I hoped I wouldn’t see him again. I didn’t find myself behind my eyes and aware until the apartment building door clicked shut behind me.

It was warm. I cut across the courtyard. I left the corner store with a peanut butter Oh Henry. My third one ever. I ate very well thanks to Franklin. I cooked for me and Sara. Right now, I wanted garbage. It was so tasty. I felt sorry for all of those half-humans with peanut allergies.

“Good morning, Fran,” The cluck of nuns was arriving at St Patrick’s. Two wrinkly old bats and the young one. Poor girl. Matt was a way better Lord to have. I smirked.

“Good morning, Dawn,” Fran replied with a frown. I wish I worked a little later. After her armed with rulers guards left her to look after Father Leon, I might’ve gotten a nice cup of coffee. She was my friend. My friend, the my was important. I had gotten used to sharing everything. Right now it was just Fran and a pair of yellow slippers. I slipped out my phone.

Reddit, Instagram and Tumblr later I was up on Spring Garden road. Flynn’s was a stoplight away. I could see Gwen opening the restaurant. I pocketed my phone. I should get a purse. There were six of them in the closet with all the clothes and stuff we had taken from the mansion. I’d buy my own. I sometimes met up with Rajani at the mall, when her shift was ending. She wouldn’t mind finding something that fit me. She was always asking about Matt. I could handle that.

“Good morning,” I announced myself as I walked in the front door.

“Morning, Dawn,” Gwen smiled. She hadn’t been at work since she had left with Matt to Ottawa. Deborah had round us all up to contribute a bit to Gwen’s rent. I wasn’t asked for much, just a day or two’s worth of tip shares. I know Courtney was bitching about it though. Harmlessly bitching. She wasn’t Eden, “Franklin’s going to run you ragged this morning.”

“Yeah, he does that,” I frowned. I think he wanted me in the kitchen with the other cooks. Phoebe never left the dishroom, “You OK? You look scared.”

“I got a call from the police yesterday,” She shook her head, “A guy I had met in Montreal was murdered.”

“Oh my God!” I rushed over and touched her arm. Did she used to live in Quebec or something? Did she visit a while ago? I let her wrap me up in a hug. She stopped shaking after a half minute.

“Yeah, Matthew hasn’t been at his place.”

“Why would he?” I asked, “Deborah’s place--”

“Try not to throw that around. I mean, there’s still customers and Franklin who aren’t covered like us.”

“Oh, well,” I stepped back, “Feel better?”

“Maybe,” She grumbled. I slipped behind her to clock in. I didn’t think I could or want to help. I cut through the line and waved to Franklin. He was dumping mountains of sausages into a giant cauldron pot. It would be the two of us for a half hour or so.

“Dawnie!” Franklin lit up his broad black smile. Everyone here that wasn’t a diva waitress was awesome.

“Frankie!” I shouted back. I had my apron and hairnets in the back. I returned to several flats of strawberries and a tiny knife. Dig, twist, push my thumb. Easy robot work. I got started.

The morning was just another morning. Today I mixed and seared three orders of pancakes before I was needed all in in the dishroom. I never cooked meat yet. I’d’ve thought about asking Franklin but I was tits deep in soiled spoons that the only thing I really thought about were lyrics to terrible songs.

Phoebe relieved me a little after ten. First the chocolate bar and then I was chomping through syrup soaked waffles. The cheat day of cheat days. At least I didn’t drink pop.

“Yeah, I finish up here and then I have to work again with Matthew,” Eden was growling when she entered the staffroom. Courtney followed with a tiny salad in one hand. I stuffed another slick chunk of waffle in my mouth. I felt warm happy.

“Stop bitching when we’re jealous of you,” Courtney growled and slid down across from me, “Oh, hi Dawnie.”

“Hi Courtneyie.”

“I love this girl,” Eden leaned over and kissed my hair, “Did you hear about tonight?”

“No, it doesn’t have to do with Gwen’s murder, I hope.”

“No, we’re murdering her on the weekend,” Courtney assured me. I rolled my eyes. Fucking waffles! I licked my lips.

“I meant about the catering thing,” Eden was looking at me funny, “He and Ms Flynn are supposedly buying the vans today and Robin apparently had some gig lined up. Matthew’s overdoing it.”

“Like always,” Courtney unhappily forked in her rabbit food as she watched my pancakes, “Seriously, how many sluts is he going to come home with this time?”

“Over under on 5?” Eden stripped off her tank top and pulled out her waitress’s shirt.

“Under,” I declared.

“Yeah, 2’s the safe bet,” Courtney shrugged.

“Just the gig tonight? Sure,” Eden slipped a card onto the table. It was a pale blue with a darker blue bird logo. Babybird Catering – Eden McMaster, Assistant Manager. Followed by the Klein street address and a phone number, “He had to stop Melody from tagging the clerk at Staples when she printed these. It was one of his friends or friend’s wife or something, apparently.”

“So you’re saying he’s spent his willpower for today?” Courtney joked.

“Exactly,” Eden clipped her nametag on.

“Who else is going with you?” I pushed.

“Robin and Matthew,” She nodded, “Everyone who’s got their magic cards apparently.”

“Magic cards?” I raised an eyebrow. Matt had binders and boxes of those things in his bedroom.

“Yeah, these got magicked,” She waved the business card.

“Right,” I said seeing it, “Whoever takes one will think Babybird for their next event.”

“Why not just make it all future events?” Courtney sneered. I still had my second waffle. She was out of food. I swirled a square in a twist of whipped cream. She sneered. I smiled around my fork.

“I dunno, either he didn’t think of it or he wants us to prove we’re capable caterers.” Eden shrugged, “I gotta go clock in.”

“I hate her,” Courtney grumbled as Eden pushed through the kitchen’s back doors.

“You just want Matt tonight.”

“Yeah,” She moaned, “I’ll swing by Gwen’s and strapon up.”

“So much work,” I muttered.

“I know, right?” She sounded bummed, “But Gwen and Melody are the only ones who’ll let me do it to them anymore. Unless you’re free tonight?”

“I’m going to take a turn on top,” I shook my head.

“Yeah, no, I’ll stick with Gwen,” Courtney slumped.