Cheryl breezes through the front door humming a cheerful tune. Mark, her husband, looks up in time to see her stop suddenly. She looks surprised, but something more as well. He was home early, but it wasn’t that unusual. He frowns slightly when he notices that she is carrying only her purse. She had gone to the mall to shop for clothes. She never returns empty handed from that sort of excursion. His frown deepens when he notices her rumpled hair and lack of a bra.

She puts on a neutral expression and tries to act more normal. “Hi, honey. I didn’t expect you home so soon. I wasn’t paying attention and you startled me.”

“Did you find anything at the mall that you liked?”

Her face starts to look a bit guilty. “Uh, I found something that I liked but I couldn’t bring it home.”

Mark knows that she can’t lie to him. That is one of many post-hypnotic suggestions he has planted in her mind since the day she agreed to be his. He knows that even being this vague must take a lot of effort. Mark stands and steps over to her. “You’re being evasive. Let’s try a more direct question. Where is the bra you had on this morning?”

Her face looks stricken. She opens her mouth but then clamps it shut.

Mark frowns. ‘I guess not answering isn’t actually a lie. Still, I didn’t think she was still capable of resisting me this much.’ Mark grabs her chin. “Cheryl, look into my eyes.” He is surprised again when she manages to fight briefly before snapping her eyes up to his. “Cheryl, Snowball Tiger.” Her eyelids drop almost closed. “You can’t resist your trance trigger. Snowball Tiger. You can’t resist falling into a deeper and deeper trance for me.

She relaxes a little, but not anything like her usual response. He guides her to the sofa. “Lie down here and picture yourself sinking into a deeper and deeper trance.”

Mark quickly strides off to his library and grabs his grandfather’s pocket watch. It has been many months since he has needed this to hypnotize Cheryl. He even has to dust it off a bit. ‘This will require a different sort of induction. She has never fought like this before. I will need to undermine her resistance and turn it against her.’

Once back in the living room, he turns on the lamp at the end of the sofa. He adjusts it to throw light onto the watch. “Open your eyes, Cheryl.” They jerk open and she starts to sit up. Mark dangles the pocket watch in front of her. She gasps and pulls her head away from the watch and back down onto the sofa. Her head fights to turn away, but her eyes stay locked on the watch.

“Cheryl, look at how the watch spins. See how the light catches it. You know what this watch does. A pocket watch like this is for hypnotizing people. Right now, I am using this watch to hypnotize you. You know that this watch always works on you. You can feel it working already. Your eyes are locked on the spinning, shiny watch. Every time you try to turn your eyes away, the watch pulls them back like a magnet. You are resisting my hypnotic induction. You use some of this resistance every time that you try to pull your eyes away from my hypnotic watch. Every time you try to pull your eyes away, you fail. Every time you fail, some of your resistance is used up. Keep trying Cheryl. Keep trying to pull your eyes away. With each try, it becomes clearer and clearer that you will never be able to pull your eyes away. You will keep trying until you have used up all of your resistance. Every time you try to resist, you slip closer to a trance. The more you resist, the faster you slid down into a hypnotic trance.”

Mark falls quiet and carefully watches Cheryl’s struggling eyes. With each try her face tenses and her eyes squint. With each failure her face and eyes relax. With each cycle, they relax a bit more. Mark lets this go on until she can barely muster any tension in her face.

“You have used up your resistance. You don’t have enough left to fight me anymore. All of the fighting and struggling has made your eyes tired. You can feel how tired they are. Your eyelids are so tired and heavy. Your eyelids want to close. Your eyelids want to stay closed. Your eyes want to rest from the strain. Closing your eyelids feels so relaxing. Letting your eyes fall shut feels so good. The weight of your eyelids is dragging them down. With each blink, your eyes are harder and harder to open back up. With each blink, your eyes stay closed longer and longer. Soon you won’t be able to open them back up at all. When that happens, any last bits of resistance will vanish and you will fall down, down, down into a trance.”

Mark pauses again to watch her eyes struggle to reopen after each blink. She is blinking more and more often. Her eyes are taking longer and longer to open back up. Soon, her eyelids barely move when she tries to open them.

“Your resistance is gone. You can’t open your eyes anymore. This means that you have already slipped into a trance.” He lets that thought sink in for a moment. “Now it is time to take you deeper into this trance. Remember, your resistance is gone. You can’t fight me anymore. First, take a breath in through your nose. Next, hold that breath while you silently count to five. Finally, relax and let the air flow out of your mouth. You can feel tension flowing out with the air, leaving you more relaxed. Now, repeat that cycle ten times and relax more and more each time.”

When Cheryl lets out her tenth breath, Mark leans close to her ear and switches to a soothing whisper. “Very good Cheryl. You are doing very well. Your body feels wonderfully relaxed and heavy. You want to feel more of this wonderful, worry free relaxation. I am going to help you go deeper and deeper into the relaxation you desire. Now you can see the familiar stairs right in front of you. You know that they lead down into a deep trance. The relaxing heaviness in your body pulls you down the steps. With each step your body gets heavier and more relaxed. The heaviness won’t let you stop descending. Down, down you go; step after step.”

Mark pauses to watch her muscle tension and breathing. After a longer than normal amount of time, he decides she is deep enough.

“You can see the bottom of the steps ahead of you. The relaxed heaviness pulls you down faster and faster. When your feet can’t keep up any more, your body tips forward and you gently glide down the remaining steps. At the bottom of the stairs, you see a soft bed. You can tell that this bed is the most comfortable bed in the world. Resting on this bed will drain away any remaining tension, worry and stress. When the bed has drained away every last bit of negative feelings, nothing will be left but the perfect relaxation of a deep hypnotic trance. When you get to the bottom, you will sink into this perfect bed. When you have sunk into the bed and are perfectly relaxed; say ‘I’m down’.”

Less than 5 seconds later she whispers, “I’m down.”

“Very good Cheryl. I am very pleased with you. You are such a wonderful hypnotic subject.” He shifts to a more stern voice. “You must always answer my questions. You must always be completely truthful with me. You must never give me evasive or misleading answers. Now, tell me that you are always completely open and honest with me.”

“I am always completely open and honest with you.”

“Honesty is good. Being completely honest with me means you are being good. Every time you give me a clear and completely honest answer, you will feel proud of yourself for being so good. Now, I have some questions that you will answer completely and honestly. You will be able to talk normally even though you will remain in this trance.”

Mark pauses to collect his thoughts before continuing. “Cheryl, what happened today to cause all of this trouble?”

“Right after I got to the mall, I met him. I met my true love.”

“What?” He almost drops the watch. “Who is he?”

Slight pause. “I don’t know his name, but I do know that I love him and would do anything for him.”

“When did you realize all this? Tell me exactly what happened when you met him.”

“I was hurrying and not paying attention. I almost didn’t see him. I sort of stumbled when I tried to avoid running into him. He caught my arm, which was a good thing because I was really dizzy for a moment. Then I looked into his eyes and knew that I loved him and would do anything for him.”

“What happened next?”

“He took me to the mall security office and the nice guards agreed to give us some privacy. He had me do a striptease for him. When I was naked, he had me throw away my underwear and then undress him. Then he let me kiss his feet and beg for a chance to please him more. He told me that he was going to fuck my ass, then cum in my mouth. It was confusing. You know that I have never wanted to do anything like that. But, because I love him and would do anything for him; I agreed. The ass-fucking hurt a lot and my shit on his dick tasted horrible; but the whole thing was a wonderful moment with my true love. He left while I was still gagging from deep throating him and trying to get the taste out of my mouth.”

“Did he give you any instructions for what to do after he left?”

“No, but I know that I have to go and be with him forever.”

“Did he tell you to come be with him?”

“No, but I am sure that he meant to. I am sure that he wants his one true love to be with him forever.”

“Do you know how to find him? Did he tell you his address?”

“He didn’t tell me his address, but I do know where he lives. His wallet fell out of his pants while I was folding them. His driver’s license was off center in its little window, so I couldn’t see his name. I did see his address. He grabbed the wallet before I could get a better look. I wrote his address down while he was fucking my ass.” She holds up her left hand, showing the address written on her palm.

“What happened next?”

“I put on my skirt, blouse, and shoes. Then I came right home to pack.”

“Why did you act so strangely when you got home?”

“I was hoping you wouldn’t be here. I am afraid that you will try to stop me. I’ve been hypnotized to obey you, but I can’t let anything stop me from going to my true love.”

“Relax and be quiet, Cheryl. Let me have some time to think.”

Mark starts pacing around the living room in agitation. ‘Damn, this guy is way out of my league. I’m a good hypnotist, but this is something way more powerful. I know he isn’t planning for Cheryl to move in with him. This is all a result of sloppy programming. However, he has twisted her mind enough that I don’t think I can stop her from going without chaining her up in the basement. As long as she has just her romantic imagination to go by, he will seem perfect. The only way around that is to let her go and see how he is in real life. That is risky, but there is at least some chance of getting her back. She will never really be mine if she is constantly dreaming of him. I know that he powerful, but at least he is sloppy. That will be my starting point. This will require a plan of great subtlety.’

Mark paces around the room, deep in thought. Occasionally, he glances at Cheryl lying peacefully on the sofa. After almost 30 minutes, he is ready. The first part of his plan is to reinforce her obedience in a way that she won’t fight.

“Cheryl, I am going to tell you a plan that you will like. The first part of the plan is that I won’t try to stop you from going. In fact, I will help you get ready and drive you over there. In return, however, you have to agree to follow all of my instructions on how to get ready and what to do until you get inside his house. I know that you will agree to my plan. So, nod you head to show that you agree with my plan and that you will obey me until you get inside his house.”

She smiles faintly and nods.

“Now, I have instructions for you. Listen carefully.”

Two hours later, Cheryl is awake with only vague memories of being hypnotized. She is looking at Mark with a puzzled expression. “But, the sexy maid costume isn’t really appropriate to wear outside of the house. Besides, it is way too cold tonight.” She sighs. “Please don’t look at me like that. I will go put it on now.”

“Wear your comfortable black flats, not the heels you normally wear with that costume.”

“But I’ll look better...never mind, I will obey.”

Three more hours later, Cheryl is watching Mark put the last suitcase into the back of their minivan. “Thanks for carrying all of my suitcases to the minivan. I wish we had more suitcases. I only had room to pack my favorite possessions and some of my winter clothes.”

She hops into the passenger seat. As she buckles her seat belt, Cheryl is almost bouncing with anticipation. She looks like a child on Christmas morning. Mark slams the back door of the minivan hard enough to make Cheryl jump. He glares at the suitcases through the back window, and then climbs into the driver’s seat. His jaw is set in a look of grim determination.

“Mark, this is amazing. I can’t believe how wonderful you have been. You have been so nice helping me with all of this.” She frowns slightly. “I will really miss you. Maybe I could visit...”

“No!” He pounds a fist onto the dashboard. “Cheryl, I will accept all or nothing. I don’t want a half-way commitment from you. As long as you are pining for this ‘true love’ of yours, I won’t have all of you heart and devotion. If I can’t have all, then that means...” He forces himself to stop and let out a breath. “That means it is time for us to leave.”

Twenty minutes later, Cheryl is pointing out the correct mailbox. “I guess we turn in here.” After the minivan turns off of the main road, Cheryl is barely able to see the house at the end of a very long driveway. “Wow Mark, his house is way far away from everything.”

“Yep, just like I expected.”

“How could you..?”

“Never mind, we are almost there. I am going to go over everything one last time. First, you are wearing just the maid costume with matching panties, your comfortable black flats, and your long winter coat; right?”

“Yes Mark, but I still don’t understand...”

“Stay with me. It is time to put the ribbon around you head. Make sure the bow is centered on your forehead.”

“Alright Mark. Wouldn’t I look more like a gift with the ribbon around...”

“Just do it now. Do you remember what to tell him when he asks about the ribbon and bow?”

“Yes, you’ve drilled it into me word for word.”

“Do you remember what to do when he starts to close the door on you?”

“Mark, believe me; I know there is no way my true love...”

“Hush, focus please. Do you remember what I told you to do?”

Sigh. “Yes, you drilled that into me too.”

“Now, most importantly, do you have your cell phone in your coat pocket?”

“Yes, I have it.”

“Good. Remember to leave it turned off to save the battery. Only turn it on when it is time to call me.”

“When will it be time to call you?”

“You will know. You’ve been programmed to know. Look! We are here.”

Cheryl claps her hands joyfully. “Goody Goody Goody. I can’t wait to see him again.” She starts to hop out before the minivan is completely stopped.

“Cheryl, don’t ring the door bell or make a lot of noise until everything is unloaded and I have turned the corner onto the main road.”

She gives him a pleading look.

“Cheryl, you are not in the front door yet, so you still have to follow my instructions.”

She hangs her head. “I will obey.”

Five minutes later, Cheryl is standing in front of the door and brushing snowflakes from her hair. ‘I wish Mark had let me bring my purse. I bet my makeup is a mess.’ Cheryl’s smile dims. ‘Still, he was a big help.’ Her smile vanishes. ‘In fact, I’m really surprised at how much he did to help me...leave him...’ She suddenly feels a cold weight in her stomach, just below her heart. ‘I should have at least thanked him and said goodbye before he left.’

Cheryl wipes her eyes and turns her attention to the front door. ‘My eyes must be watering from the wind.’ She pushes the door bell button. The sound is loud enough to startle her.

After what seems like forever, she pushes the button again. Just as she reaches for a third push, she hears to door unlock.

The door opens a few inches, but it isn’t him. Cheryl’s happy greeting dies on her lips. Peeking around the door is a very pretty brunette, probably in her early 20s. She is clutching a robe with one hand. A gust of wind suggests little or no clothing under the robe.

Cheryl blinks in confusion. “Who are you?”

“Hey, you’re the one ringing the door bell. Who are you?”

“Well, I’m not here to talk to you. I’m here to see...uh...the master of the house.”

The young woman gives Cheryl a sad smile. “You came all the way out here and you don’t even know his name.”

Cheryl can’t think of a good response so she just tries to look indignant.

“Dear, the best thing for you to do is run back home right now. Go back to the people who really care about you.”

The woman’s sincerity touches Cheryl for a moment, but then her determination is back. “No, I must see him.”

The brunette sighs. “That’s what I would have said. I’ll go get him.”

Cheryl takes a half-step forward but the door is already closed. ‘She just wants to keep me away from my true love. She must want him too! Of course, who wouldn’t? Well, she has a surprise coming. I’m his one true love.’

Cheryl begins to shiver despite her heavy, ankle length coat. She is determined to wait for him even if it means freezing solid. Fortunately, the door is thrown open just a moment later.

There He Is! Cheryl’s cold, stiff legs won’t let her drop to her knees in adoration. They also keep her from charging into his arms. This delay gives her time to finally notice the others. The brunette has been joined by a blond and a redhead. All three women have long hair and very pretty faces. Their slim, supermodel bodies are covered by short, thin silk robes.

Cheryl looks up at him with hurt puppy eyes. None of the speeches she composed on the way over fits this situation.

He squints at her for a moment. “Who are...Oh yeah, the chick from the mall. How did you get here?”

“I came to be with you, my love. What are these other women doing here? You don’t need them. You said I was the most beautiful women you had ever seen.”

“No, I said you were the most beautiful woman I saw at that particular moment. That is why I picked you to relieve my boring afternoon.”

“But, but I love you. I would do anything for you.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“We are soul mates, I just know it.”

Cheryl’s heart leaps with joy when he steps out of the door and stops right in front of her. Her confusion returns when he pats her head as if she were a pet or a child.

“Girlie, your brain must have been rather squishy and pliable even before I got to it. By the way, what is with the bow on your head?”

Cheryl’s voice shifts to a monotone. “My husband instructed me to answer you by saying, ‘You wanted her body but you captured her mind. Now, here it is gift-wrapped for you.’” Cheryl looks confused while he chuckles in amusement.

“You husband is clever. I like that.”

He turns away and moves back to the doorway. Cheryl follows until he turns halfway back and puts out his hand to stop her.

“Be realistic. What do I need you for when I have these 3 beauties to play with?” He steps back into the house. Cheryl’s attempt to follow is halted by a firm “No”.

Cheryl’s mouth drops open. ‘Oh my God! He isn’t going to let me in.’ She hardly notices her hands move in response to a hypnotic command. ‘Mark said that this would happen. How could he have known?’ The thought is cut off by the rush of cold air as her hands throw open her coat. Her body poses and her mouth starts to move. “Don’t I look perfect in this maid uniform?”

This catches his attention. “Hmmm, you are full of surprises. You know, it might be nice to have a maid.” He turns to the women in the door way. “I bet you three would like to have someone do all of your chores for you.” He turns back to Cheryl. “Alright, you can come in. I’ll turn you into my maid.”

Cheryl rushes up the steps, dodges around him, and pushes past the women to get into the house. She wants to be inside before anything else can happen.

He points to the brunette. “When I finish the brain bending, take her to the old servant’s quarters and park her for the night.” Just the, a cold gust of wind blows through the open front door. He jerks his head towards the open door. After a moment, he points to Cheryl’s suitcases. “You two, get your coats and haul all of this junk to the trash dumpster.”

The blond pouts. “Can we do it in the morning? It’s so cold."

An instant later, all of the expression drains from her face and her pupils become huge. His voice is angry. “Never question my orders.” A second later, she grabs her head and whimpers. “As punishment, skip the coat. Go out there right now and throw that crap away.” She sprints out into the snow barefoot, in just her silk robe and panties.

As the redhead starts for the open door, she glances back at his still-angry face. She quickly grabs a coat off of the rack by the door without stopping for boots. She pulls the door shut behind her.

He looks down and starts rubbing his temples. This is the brunette’s cue to begin pulling Cheryl down the hallway. After a few seconds, he takes a deep breath and straightens back up. Then, he reaches over and locks the door. The bolt makes a loud “thunk” that echoes down the hallway. He looks at his watch and mutters, “10 minutes should be long enough.” He peeks out of the narrow window next to the door for a moment. Then, with a satisfied smile, he heads back up to the master bedroom.

Cheryl watches all of this in confusion as the brunette drags her down the hallway by the lapel of her coat.

Cheryl soon finds herself in a long unused room. It is smaller than her closet at home and the only furniture is a wobbly army cot. There are no blankets, so she leaves her coat on. She sits on the edge of the cot with her head in her hands. For a long time, contradictions swirl and clash in her mind. Long after the rest of the house has gone quite, she sits up suddenly as a new urge hits her. She pulls out her cell phone and hits the power button. As soon as it is on, she pushes speed-dial button 1. Mark answers before the second ring.

“Yes Cheryl?”

"Honey..."

"Stop. Only my wife can call me that. You gave up being my wife when you walked through his door. Now, you are just his maid, nothing else."

Gasp. "How did you know that?"

"That he took you in only as a maid? That is why I dressed you in the maid costume. Without that hint, he would have closed the door and sent you away. It is really cold tonight. Even a few minutes longer out there would have put you in danger of frost bite, or worse."

"He wouldn't do that."

"Oh really? What did he do with those 2 women and all your favorite possessions?" Click.

Her thumb turns off the phone and her hand tucks it back into her pocket. Cheryl’s mind is too occupied to notice. 'How could he know? Did he stay to watch over me?'

She feels a slight tug as the phone drops into her pocket. Immediately, Cheryl’s eyes slam shut. She is asleep before her body finishes falling sideways onto the cot.

After a dreamless night, Cheryl is awakened by a sharp knock on her door. “Wake up! Master wants his breakfast and we are hungry too.” Startled, Cheryl jumps up. She drops her coat onto the cot and stumbles to the door. The kitchen light blinds her for a moment, but the blond soon comes into focus.

Cheryl notices a carpet print on the blond’s face. ‘I wonder why she slept on the floor’. Cheryl shifts her mind back to breakfast. “Where is everyone else?”

The blond looks wistful. “They are all having fun in a warm shower.” Her expression shifts to angry. “I was sent down to show you where everything is.” She stands up straighter and glares. “You are supposed to have breakfast ready in 30 minutes.”

“Um, well, where do we start?”

“No, where do you start. Master only told me to show you where stuff is. You’re the maid, so you do all the actual work.”

45 minutes later, he sits down in the dining room and sends the brunette into the kitchen to announce his arrival. The blond instantly becomes more helpful and all three of them help carry breakfast into the dining room. It takes Cheryl several seconds to find the redhead. She is kneeling beside his chair, leaning her head against the side of his right thigh.

Cheryl serves him scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, and juice. She steps back, watching him expectantly.

“The eggs are too cold.”

“Well, that’s because you...” Stomp! The brunette’s bare heel lands on Cheryl’s toes. She glances away from him and realizes all three women are cringing. The memory of him locking the blond and the redhead out of the house flashes through her mind. She looks back at him. “because you are right. Do you want me to microwave those eggs or cook new ones?” A quick look shows the women have all relaxed.

“Microwave the eggs on my plate. Don’t bother about re-warming theirs.” She scoops up his plate, but hesitates a moment. He pulls the plate of bacon closer and stuffs one piece into his mouth. “At least the bacon is crispy enough.”

“Thank you.” Cheryl blushes. “Umm, I don’t know your name. What do you like to be called?”

He frowns slightly. “You call me ‘sir’.”

“But, can’t I...” Stomp! “Uh, yes sir. I’ll remember that sir.”

Cheryl limps into the kitchen and re-warms the eggs. Her limp is less noticeable by the time she brings his eggs back. The blond and the brunette are eating the cold eggs. He has nearly finished the entire plate of bacon but stops and drops his hands to his lap to wipe his greasy fingers as she approaches. “Here are your eggs, sir.” She leans forward to set the plate down and then almost drops it in shock. He isn’t wiping his greasy fingers on a napkin in his lap. He is wiping them clean with the redhead’s hair. She is between his thighs now, with her long hair covering his lap.

“About time.” He takes a bite. “At least these eggs are edible.”

“Edible?” Cheryl jerks her foot back in time to avoid a third stomp. “Is there anything else I can to do improve them?”

“No. Go clean up the dishes.”

“Yes, sir.”

The pots and pans are almost finished when the blond and brunette bring the rest of the dishes in from the dining room. The brunette hands Cheryl a plate with the remaining scrambled eggs. Cheryl starts to eat, then stops. “Shouldn’t we save some for...”

The brunette shakes her head. “No. She has to live on just <cough> protein drinks today.”

Cheryl is puzzled for several seconds and then it clicks. She had been so shocked by what was happening to the redhead’s hair that she hadn’t thought about what else was happening. Now, she remembers how the woman’s head was bobbing up and down in his lap. “A blow job? That’s all she gets for the whole day?”

The brunette nods. “Other than water, yes. Yesterday and the day before too.”

The blond is looking down at the floor. “He says desperation is a big turn on.”

Cheryl hardly notices them leave the kitchen. Her appetite is gone, so the rest of the eggs go down the disposal. She keeps trying to imagine herself in the redhead’s position. ‘I love him and would do anything for him. But, I never imagined that “anything” would include all of this.’

The rest of her day is spent cleaning and cooking. All three women give her clothes to wash. None of the clothes are appropriate to wear in public. ‘At least I could wear my maid’s uniform to an adult’s only costume party. Well, after several drinks I could.’ She only sees him while serving his meals, and never gets a chance to talk to him.

That night, Cheryl is summoned to the master bedroom for the first time. Her desire and adoration come crashing back, wiping away her remaining concerns about breakfast. She is excited to find him undressing. Her excitement cools somewhat when he starts tossing his dirty clothes at her. She decides that she has to be with him, to touch him, to show him how much she loves him. After some rapid contemplation, she decides her best bet is begging to be ass fucked again. Cheryl’s train of thought is interrupted by the redhead entering the room. She throws herself down in front of him with her red hair fanning out to cover his feet. “Please Master; Please. I’m so hungry for you.”

He doesn’t even look at Cheryl, just waves his hand at her in dismissal. “Run along to your room, maid.” He kicks the redhead over onto her side. “Let’s see how hungry you really are.”

Cheryl runs from the master bedroom with tears in her eyes. She feels angry and hurt, but still can’t help carefully depositing his clothes in the laundry room. Then she sits on her cot in the dark. Her room’s only light doesn’t work, even after she changed the light bulb. Doubts swirl around in her mind. Soon, however, the doubts are pushed aside by a single thought. She whispers, “I love him and I’d do anything for him” over and over until she is calm. As she basks in this thought, her hands start digging in her coat pocket. She doesn’t consciously realize what is happening until she feels her cell phone touch her ear. She pulls back in surprise and sees that speed dial 1 is already connecting.

“How was your day, Cheryl?”

“Horrible! I hardly got to see him all day. It took me a while to realize what is going on, but I figured it out just now. Those other 3 women are trying to keep us apart. They all call him ‘Master’. That makes them sound like slaves or something. He told me to call him ‘Sir’. That makes me sound like I’m an employee or junior coworker. I’m sure it means that I must rank higher than they do. They are jealous of me and are out to get me.”

“You sound like you have a plan.”

“Yes. Tomorrow at breakfast, I am going to insist that he put them in their places.”

“I’m sure he will make everyone’s position clear.”

“I’m glad you agree.”

Click.

‘I wonder what that noise he made right before hanging up meant.’

Cheryl quickly drops off to sleep. She dreams of kneeling next to ‘Sir’. She is begging for food like a puppy while he wipes dirt all over her.

In the morning, Cheryl is already up and cooking when the redhead arrives to announce his desired breakfast time. Her sickly paleness makes her freckles stand out starkly. She closes her eyes and deeply inhales the smell of Cheryl’s cooking.

“Are you allowed to have food today?”

The redhead looks embarrassed, but nods.

“I’ve already made one batch of waffles, but they will get cold before he is ready to eat. They’ll be wasted if you don’t eat them now. I think that you should leave enough room to eat something at the table with everyone else, however.”

The first “Thank you” is clear, but the second is muffled by chewing.

Cheryl keeps the waffles warm in the oven until he makes a belated appearance for breakfast. Today the brunette is his napkin. She is kneeling on his left side, so Cheryl has to lean over her to serve his breakfast.

Cheryl decides to bring up her concerns before he starts eating his second waffle. She doesn’t want him to be starved. She also doesn’t want to try talking to him while the brunette is having her ‘breakfast’.

“Sir, I need your help with something.” He looks up, still chewing his last bite of waffle. Cheryl takes a deep breath before continuing. “I want you to clearly state who is most important to you. These three act like they are more important than me. I know that can’t be true.” He raises a questioning eyebrow while swallowing. “They call you ‘Master’ but I’m supposed to call you ‘Sir’. When I call you ‘Sir’, it sounds less submissive. It sounds closer to being an equal, so I know that I am special to you. I know that they are trying to keep us apart. True love can’t be denied. We must be together.” Cheryl pauses briefly and looks thoughtful. “I suppose they could stay and be our servants after the wedding.” She clasps her hands in front of her and pleads. “Please, you know I love you and would do anything for you.”

Cheryl had tried to think through all of his possible responses so that she would be ready with an appropriate reply. However, laughing until he almost fell out of his chair was not a response she had considered. She stands and stares at him, dumbfounded by his reaction. The other three women stare at Cheryl in horror.

“Well, breakfast is good so far and I haven’t laughed that much in ages. So, I will do what you asked. These three are special. I have spent a lot of effort turning them into my perfect playthings. They are my slaves, my pets, my property. They are also more important than you. Since you are hung up on titles...” Cheryl feels a strange pressure in her mind. “Call me ‘Glorious Master’. When you speak to any of my slaves, call her ‘milady’.” Just as the pressure in Cheryl’s mind began to ease, he smiles an evil smile. The pressure in her head increases again. “Always curtsey when you say ‘Milady’.” The pressure vanishes and Cheryl grabs the table to steady herself.

Cheryl looks incredulous, then angry. “Glorious Master? That’s preposterous. I should call someone like you a...<strangled gasp>...I mean you are...<brief choking sound>...Glorious Master.” She grabs the largest pile of dishes and runs into the kitchen as tears start to flow. His renewed laughter trails her.

He continues looking at the kitchen door for a moment after it shuts. “I never get tired of that look or that struggle. It’s priceless.” He turns to the slaves sitting at the table. “You two, grab the rest of the dishes and take them to the kitchen.” They are half way to the kitchen before he finishes the sentence. He looks down. “Now my pretty pet, it is time for you to start your breakfast while I finish mine.”

Cheryl spends the next 4 days working non-stop. In addition to cooking and cleaning, the women begin using her for more and more personal tasks. For Cheryl, the worst part is shaving areas on them that she has never shaved on herself.

Every night she drags herself to her room and collapses onto her cot. On the fourth night, something pulls her back up until she is sitting on the edge of the cot. Her sleepy mind can’t figure out what is happening until she hears Mark’s voice in her ear, answering her phone call.

“Yes.”

“Oh Mark, you won’t believe how horrible it has been.”

She rapidly tells him about her ‘talk’ with her Glorious Master. “Even if I try, I can’t use any other words to refer to any of them. He told all of them to just call me ‘the maid’. I guess, subconsciously, I must love him so much that I won’t risk making him unhappy by arguing.” She quickly runs through all of her new tasks. "They are bossing me around more and more. I try to tell them that it is too much, but I just end up curtseying.”

“You sound like you have another plan.”

“Actually, yes. How did you know I had a plan?”

“Because that is one of your triggers to call. Snowball tiger. Forget your last question and my answer.”

“Umm, what was I saying?”

“Just tell me about your plan.”

“Oh, yeah. Glorious Master must not realize how much I am being overworked. I love him too much for him to allow this abuse to continue. I am going to stop catering to them and only do the tasks that he assigns. I’ll also avoid talking to them so I don’t have to call anyone ‘Milady.’ They will complain, but I know Glorious Master will support me. Damn it! I just curtseyed from saying that word to you over the phone. I’m starting to think my mind is really screwed up. It must from all the stress.”

"Cheryl, when Cinderella defied her step-sisters, her evil step-mother punished her."

"What? That makes no sense. I'm not being evil to them or trying to get them punished."

Click.

Cheryl’s exhausted mind is asleep before her hand finishes putting away her cell phone.

The next morning, Glorious Master leaves the house shortly after breakfast. He expects to return right after lunch. Cheryl implements her plan. She doesn’t say anything to any of the slaves so she won’t have to say ‘Milady’ and curtsey. She completely ignores their requests and demands.

He returns later than expected, around 4 pm. Everyone hurries to greet him at the door. Cheryl finds herself somehow maneuvered to a spot behind the other three women.

He grins like a kid with a new toy. “I have some interesting fun planned. I have heard that a pierced tongue improves the quality of a woman’s blow jobs. Today, I happened to pass a place that does piercings. I decided to go in and find out more about tongue piercings. The owner was very helpful and even donated some equipment for me to bring home.” He snickers at his own joke. “It doesn’t sound hard to do, so I am going to try it on one of you and see how it works out.”

All three slaves are very still and quiet, looking at the floor. Each is hoping he will pick someone else.

He points to the redhead. “You get to be first.”

She takes a small step forward. Her voice quivers. “Right here in the hallway Master, or somewhere else?”

“Let’s go into the kitchen. It will be easier to clean blood off of the kitchen floor. Everyone come along.”

The redhead takes a step towards the kitchen and then pauses. “Master, I’m scared that I won’t be able to hold still for you. I faint at the sight of needles. That is why I have never even had my ears pierced.”

He stops and turns towards her. In an instant, all of the animation drains from her face and her pupils become huge. “You want a pierced tongue.” Her head drops forward and she presses both hands to her temples for a second.

She looks up with a bright smile. “What kind of jewelry did you get for my tongue Master? This will be so cool! How soon will you pierce my tongue, Master?”

“I’ll do it as soon as we get to the kitchen.”

She claps her hands together joyfully. “Thank You, Master!” She hurries towards the kitchen, almost skipping. He follows, trailed by the blond.

Cheryl grabs the brunette’s arm and leans close to her ear. “Is that why I love him?”

“Yes.”

Cheryl stumbles to the kitchen in a daze. She hardly notices the piercing. The redhead gleefully shows everyone her new tongue barbell. Cheryl pretends to admire her tongue, but can’t bring herself to look into the young woman’s eyes.

Cheryl’s preoccupation vanishes when the blond starts detailing Cheryl’s behavior during the day.

Cheryl clutches the brunette’s arm and whispers, “Why does she hate me?”

“She blames you for being locked outside.”

When the blond finishes, he frowns.

Cheryl’s mouth drops open in stunned revelation. ‘Oh my God! Mark meant I am Cinderella, but that would make Glorious Master the evil step-mother.’

“Maid, explain yourself.”

“Glorious Master, I can’t keep up. Doing everything they ask along with the tasks you assign is too much. I have to hurry through everything and never have time to rest. The only time I get to sit down is when I am shaving <blushes> places or painting toenails. Please help me, Glorious Master.”

He looks skeptical for a moment. “I should make sure that you are as truthful as those three are.” Cheryl feels the pressure in her mind again. “Be honest with everyone here.” She finds that pushing on her temples helps the pressure go away faster.

Cheryl looks up at him and blinks. ‘He just did it again! Now I finally understand what’s been happening.’

“Are you being worked beyond your capacity?”

Her rehearsed answer won’t come out, so her tongue stumbles around her mouth until she can organize her thoughts better. “I’m very close to my maximum capacity right now.” She pauses briefly in contemplation. “However, all of this work will make me physically stronger. Also, as I gain experience, I will learn to anticipate everyone’s needs better and become more efficient. So, I can keep doing this amount of work indefinitely.”

“Why did you go on strike?”

For several seconds, only strangled sounds come out of her mouth. “I am jealous of their status. I want to be your favorite. I love you so much. I think that I deserve to be your favorite. I thought this would make you really notice me. Then you would see how devoted I am and rescue me.”

“Rescue you? Where do you get these ridiculously romantic ideas?”

“That is how my husband treated me.”

He turns and backhands the blond. She bounces off of the counter before hitting the floor. “This is your fault. I wouldn’t have to be dealing with this if you had not distracted me that night by questioning my orders.”

He turns back to Cheryl. “I should have done this on the night you arrived.” Horrendous pressure threatens to cave in Cheryl’s skull, but she can’t move or even whimper in response. “Be a good and obedient maid.” She falls to her knees while clutching her head.

The rest of Cheryl’s day passes quickly in a whirlwind of activity. Her new devotion to duty is tested repeatedly. She never has time to think of anything beyond Being a Good Maid and Obeying. She finally collapses into her cot long after midnight.

She still wakes up on time and gets breakfast started. While the cinnamon rolls are baking, she has a moment alone. After the first 2 mornings, no one has bothered to come down until breakfast is served. She runs to her room and grabs her cell phone. She starts talking before Mark has a chance to say anything.

“He doesn’t love me. He never loved me. He did something to me to make me love him. I saw him do it to one of his slaves last night. Then he made me ‘be honest with everyone here’ and made me ‘be a good and obedient maid’. Even knowing all of this, I still love him. But now I also hate him, so it sort of balances out. I can finally see the difference between the feelings he created and what we have. <sob> I mean what we had. I want to be your wife again."

"Sorry, I tried having a wife. She tore out my heart. I am not planning to have a wife again anytime soon. Besides, I'm doing OK as is. Well, other than the house is a mess. I could use someone to keep it up and maybe cook for me. Anyway, you are the maid and you should get back to work. Remember, if I can’t have all of you, then I want none of you. As long as you are his maid you can’t be my anything."

Click.

She quietly puts away her phone. She wants to scream and weep, but a good maid gets breakfast ready without disturbing anyone else in the house. Raging emotions build in her mind while she smiles and serves a perfectly cooked breakfast. By the end of breakfast, she begins to wonder if the storm of conflict inside her mind will drive her insane. While washing the dishes, she has a revelation. Going insane would make her a bad maid, so she can’t even escape that way. From that moment until bedtime she is too busy to think about anything other than her tasks.

After five days of being a good and obedient maid, Cheryl finds herself calling Mark at bedtime.

"Mark, I am trapped. Running away would make me a Bad Maid. My phone is about out of power and I don't have a charger. I’m sure that Glorious Master won't let me use the house phone. I think this is the last time I will ever talk to you. I know you said I can't be your wife again. I understand now. I was horrible to you and I don't blame you. I should have appreciated what I had. Can you forgive me enough to at least feel sorry for me?"

"My dear, you are bright enough to think of a way out of this. I am still doing fine other than needing someone to cook and clean for me. If you turn your phone off now, it should still be good for one last call."

Click.

After turning her phone off, Cheryl stares at it. ‘I am missing something. It’s like his other phone calls. He is telling me something that should be obvious, but I don’t get it.’ Her hand automatically stows her phone and she instantly falls asleep.

Two days later, Cheryl is on her hands and knees scrubbing a mess the blond made deliberately. She does this daily, but a good maid accepts her place and doesn’t bother her Glorious Master with something she can clean up herself. Cheryl feels more and more dejected as she scrubs. ‘I want to go home. Mark said he needed someone to cook and clean for him. I could do that. Being his maid would be much better than staying here.’ She sits up suddenly and drops her scrub brush. ‘That's it! Glorious Master turned me into a good and obedient maid; but not specifically into his good and obedient maid. If I became Mark’s maid, then I would have to leave here and go to him.’ Her programming restarts her scrubbing, but she hardly notices. ‘If Mark just tells me to leave, a good maid would resist. But maids are not owned, like slaves are. A maid without an employment contract can go job hunting. It just has to be her idea. Mark was telling me what to do, but I was just too dense to see it until now.’ For the rest of the day, she actually feels as happy as her programming makes her act.

That night, she waits until long after everything is quiet. She is sure that Mark will answer no matter how late she calls. She reverently gets out her cell phone and prays for the battery to last.

“Hello.”

“Sir, I understand that you are looking to hire a maid. My current position has no contract and the pay is terrible.” <gulp> “Mark, I want to be your good and obedient maid. Please will you hire me?”

“I can offer you a salary of 1 dollar per year with no benefits. You would start immediately and must commit to a lifetime contract.”

“That’s more than I make now. I accept.”

“Then as of now, you are my maid. You must obey only me. Sneak out a window and I will pick you up at the main road. Take only what you had when you walking in.”

“Yes Sir!”

For the first time, Cheryl ends the call.

Moments later, she is headed across the kitchen towards the window.

15 minutes later, she is buckling her seatbelt as Mark pulls onto the main road.