Chapter 14: Waking Up

“Senator Kensington, to what do I owe the pleasure,” Governor Mackelroy shook the senator’s hand with gusto. “I figured you would be out at a fundraiser not coming on down to see me. You know you’ve got my endorsement.”

Senator Kensington chuckled, “Well, now, you know I always make time for friends. Actually that’s what brings me down here today.”

“What can I do you for?” The Governor sat back down and popped a pistachio in his mouth.

“It’s about a friend. A supporter. He’s been giving to my campaigns for years, yours too if I’m not mistaken.”

“Sounds like a good fellow, he need something? An internship for a no good son?”

Sen. Kensington flinched at that, but tightened up quickly, “See thing is, there are some state investigations that are freezing up some of his assets. Now, all this falls under the purview of the State Attorney General, but sometimes there’s a need for executive discretion.”

The Governor stopped. “That’s ... That’s a heck of a thing you’re talking about.”

“Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to unduly sway you. Thing is, this guy, he’s a friend of the party. Aren’t there other people we could- the state could better spend its resources on?” The Senator smiled when he saw Mackey tapping the pistachio on the desk. He knew he had him.

“I don’t know,” he said.”

“Don’t you worry about it. Take your time, give it some thought. I trust you’ll make the right decision.” The Senator was gone before long. It had given him a twist in his gut to play that card. Not that he wasn’t used to shady dealing. That came with the territory. But after seeing the video of his son with that god damn whore, he knew he had to make the deal. Especially since that whore was now a missing person and had her face plastered all over the news. If people thought his family was embroiled in a kidnapping or murder, there was a chance the senate seat could flip. Not on his goddamn watch. He muttered under his breath, “Dammit, Jake.”

Piper held her hands together and smiled. Master had chosen to bind her in handcuffs today as she served him upstairs. There was no one in the house, no servants, butlers, or maids. Piper assumed that Master would be the kind of man to have servants. Perhaps he did, but today, she was his servant.

She hadn’t complained when he’d put them on - of course not. There was no resistance, nor did she question the logic. She wasn’t going to try to escape, she simply knew that Master was going to teach her how to be more perfect. If he decided to use handcuffs to do it, all the better. Master sat looking over figures as she waited for him to finish his fruit and cheese plate. When he was done she moved quietly to take it from him. He did not even glance her way. She did want his smile, but she knew they would come in time if she was obedient enough. When she returned and stood behind him, she was indeed rewarded.

“Pet?”

“Master?” she walked around the couch to stand in front of him.

“You may kneel,” he still did not look upon her.

She fell to her knees and waited. She was wearing more than last time she’d been out. Master, it seemed, had a preference for babydoll, but this time, she also wore thigh high leggings and garters. Her legs remained shapely as she had taken to continue her morning exercises at his direction. She smiled up at him.

He gazed into her eyes and her heart leapt anew. “Tell me something, my dear.”

He paused, but she waited. He hadn’t told her what to say yet.

“Have you ever wondered about my name?” He interlaced his fingers and regarded her patiently.

“Name, Master? You’ll tell me when I need to know, Master.” She felt hopeful that she’d answered well.

He shook his head, “Not my real name, child. I mean the name you first knew me by. The Nerterologist.”

“Oh,” she looked down. She hadn’t. That’d been dumb. She should have googled it back when she was Piper. Did Master think her dumb now? “No, Master, I’m sorry.”

“Hmm.” He stood. He towered over her. “I’m going to tell you now, and you are going to remain kneeling. Eyes down. Now.”

She cast her gaze to the floor and gave an involuntary shiver as she felt his judgement.

“A nerterologist is one who studies dying and the dead,” he walked around behind her and she gasp a tiny breath. His fingers traced through her curls to pet her scalp lovingly.

Piper was vibrating inside. She was torn between terror at his words and pleasure and peace at his touch.

“It is an old word, one that people do not use today, so I am unsurprised you did not know it. In truth, I am a nerterologist.” She felt the warm aura of his body as he knelt behind her, still looming over her.

His fingers traced the soft fabric of the collar; the collar that she wore that marked her as his property. It was his touch even when he was away. There on the floor, he spoke of death and wrapped his fingers around her neck. Her hands shook, the fear was shaking her body telling her to run, to fight, to just even move. But her heart screamed, ‘No, I trust in Master.’ He did not squeeze.

Holding her neck upright, he leaned in and whispered in her ear, “Are you scared, pet?”

She was. She was terrified. She wanted to say no. A good girl would say no. But she couldn’t lie to Master, she just couldn’t. “Y-y-yes, Master.”

“Be not afraid, my sweet. You have obeyed me in all things, and you are about to learn a new truth today.” He released her neck and ran his hands down to massage her shoulders.

She felt herself melt into her arms and shiver as the fear and pleasure mixed into a buzz in her mind.

“Listen well, my dear girl, for there is more than a single meaning to the word death. People get caught up in the one death, the end. But in truth, death could mean many things. The death of an idea or an identity can often mean new life for another. Death brings renewal.” his fingers looped under her arms and began to caress her breasts with a light touch. “There are other meanings to death as well.”

Her nipples sprang to attention, but this talk of death still pulsed a fear in her heart. “Master, I-”

“Shush now, sweet girl. Let the pleasure wash over you and simply relax. I have you and I will always take care of you,” his words and her traitorous body lay low her fears. “Yes, just relax and open yourself to new truths.” His fingers continued down below to tease her quivering tummy over the soft fabric.

When she gasped in arousal instead of fear, she felt his fingers venture farther downward to tease her in a way she could never resist.

“‘I will live in thy heart, die in thy lap, and be buried in thy eyes.’ These are Shakespeare’s words. In his time, to die could also be used to mean finding sexual release.” His fingers continued their assault.

She squirmed under his touch as arousal bloomed within her.

“I study all of these deaths. With this wisdom, I will bring you the greatest of pleasures.”

Her cheeks flushed and her breathing came ragged, but he stopped and disappeared from behind her. She still trembled, unable to catch her breath or equilibrium when she her her Master’s call again.

“Come along, child. It is time for Piper to die,” his voice was bright and happy. She smiled and followed along.

He led her back to her home and sat her down in the bathroom with a pair of scissors. “We are going to leave this place, you and I. We are going to go to a place where you can be warm and bask in the sun. We are going to a place where we can be free and were you can breathe fresh air and know your master’s touch in public and in private. But to do this, we need for Piper to die. Would you like that, my pet?”

She nodded as he he continued to toy with her hair and brush the back of her neck.

“Lovely. Then I am going to cut your hair. Do not worry, this won’t be permanent. In time you will grow long lovely hair again. But to make our escape, you’re going to need to become a new person,” he grinned.

She hadn’t expected it to hurt so badly. It wasn’t physical, obviously. But as he cut off her long lovely curls, she watched herself transform. Her hair was darker underneath where sunlight had not shone. One by one her curls lopped off and tumbled to the floor. She couldn’t stop the tears that came. Even as Master shushed her and gave her praise for her obedience. She squeezed her eyes shut and the tears fell.

Master took her to bed and held her for a solid hour afterwards. He didn’t try to play with her body or punish her to blissful orgasmic suffering. He simply held her until she was calm, and then even more until she was happy. When she looked up at him with an elfin smile, he kissed her on the head and brought her up again. For a moment, she thought it was going to be playtime as he ordered her to strip down. Instead he brought her the bathrobe and led her back to the bathroom.

It was strange seeing the remains of her hair strewn across the floor. But Master had told her it was necessary. He produced a hair dye kit and left her to work. She’d never dyed her hair before, but the directions were simple. The stink of it was the worse part. When she was done, she rinsed out the last of the chemical goop, stared at herself in the mirror, and wondered what her name would be now.

Master brought her books on baseball to read while she snacked on fruits, nuts, and deli meats. “Tomorrow, my dear. Great things will come tomorrow.”

She hadn’t seen him again until whatever passes for her morning. She smiled, proudly wearing naught but the collar, but he removed it from her throat. She was confused, but he’d taken it, “For safekeeping.”

He brought her new clothes. A t-shirt, jeans, socks, dirty sneakers, boy’s underwear, and a baseball cap.

“Have a seat, I need to wrap you,” he commanded.

She obeyed, but she did have a question, “Master? Who am I now?”

“One moment. Raise your arms,” she did.

He reached around and wrapped her with a long thin cloth that covered her from underarm to belly. He stretched it tight wrapping it around her and pinning her breasts to her chest. He’d wrapped her up and flattened her out, then finished with plastic clips.

By the time she was done getting dressed, she looked in the mirror and saw a young boy looked back at her. She looked back at him questioning. “Master?”

“You’re a smart young lad, I’m sure you understand what’s going on,” he grinned. “It’s time to answer your question. Today and for the next two days, you are Bobby Villofino. I am your father Malcolm. You will address me as Sir or Dad in public. But, of course, this is just a mask. When we are truly free, I will give you your true name,” he handed her a passport and a wallet.