Countdown

COUNTDOWN

Twenty minutes…

I glared at the clock by the door, and shuffled back to the kitchen, the cuffs on my rest snug and locked together. I knew that there would be a phone call within ten minutes, and I wanted to be close to it.

She had kept me like this for three days now, monitoring my well being through all of the damned electronics, and having me keeping that idiot clock running.

I closed my eyes for a moment, remembering how it started.

"Do you trust me, slave?" she smiled and dangled the new cuffs she'd brought home.

"Yes, Mistress." I shivered, staring at the cuffs. The bands were black leather, about two inches wide, but the latches included an lcd display that I couldn't see clearly.

"All of the bonds are prototypes of a new design. They're based in part on the design for those ankle cuffs for prisoners under house arrest. There is an electronic component, and it bases out of the unit I've got sitting by the front door." She gestured at the case she'd brought home, about a two foot cube that she'd set on the table by the front door. "wrist and ankle cuffs, and collar. All waterproof, and all securely locking. I can control them from my laptop to a point, but there are limits and I'll be monitoring you through the house surveillance system. There is one new rule to follow about them." She smiled mysteriously. "Whenever I'm not home you need to press the reset button on that case once every hour. Otherwise, you will have earned a punishment that is built into the cuffs. You'll know what that punishment is the moment it happens. Do you accept these conditions, slave?"

I nodded slowly, unable to take my eyes from the cuffs.

"Good, pet, now arms out."

I held my arms out and she closed the cuffs on my wrists, then had me sit back while she secured the others on my ankles. She smiled at me and stepped back.

"Now, pet, put your wrists together, with the latches touching." I did so and she pressed a few buttons on her laptop. I felt a hum in my wrists, and glanced up at her. "Okay, pet, try to separate your arms now."

I pulled my wrists apart, but they wouldn't move. I strained harder, but they wouldn't move. I began to pull harder. Nothing.

"The latch has been lab tested to two thousand pounds per square inch of pressure. You won't get loose." She laughed. "There are places mounted around the house that have matching latches. Every door frame has positions for a standing spread-eagle, and the corners of the bed do, too. There are a few other places, as well. You'll learn them later."

I looked down at my wrists, uncertain. She smiled and stood, gesturing for me to follow.

"Wrists and ankles in the corners here, pet," she pointed to the door frame that separated her bedroom from the main room downstairs. I put my wrists and ankles where indicated, and felt the hum. She walked up to me and removed my collar, putting on another collar that sealed like the cuffs. "Now, pet, the first road test….you can struggle if you'd like." She picked up a flogger and stepped around to stand behind me.

She began swinging, harder than usual with the first stroke, and I struggled, and struggled hard, though it was futile. The cuffs didn't give an inch, and all I ended up doing was straining my shoulder a little bit when she caught me one stroke that lashed around my hip and snapped harder than she'd intended.

She let me loose then and gently applied the ointment she used to ease the occasional welt, cooing softly in her concern. I have to admit that I wasn't hurt that badly, but it felt so nice to have her minister the injury that I didn't let on right away how much better I was feeling.

She caught on, though, and I knew that she'd punish me for it later. She smiled evilly as she began discussing the penalties, then noted that it was close to dinner time. She told me to go prepare her dinner and to be ready to serve her.

I crawled away from her, rising when I left the room and fixed her dinner quietly, trying to get used to the cuffs and the new collar. The smells of her meal were getting to me, and I hoped that I'd get some of her leftovers tonight…prepared the small bland meal that I was always allowed. She came down and I set her plate before her, pouring her wine and attending her. She smiled and ate, savoring the flavor. I know I'm a good cook, so I wasn't worried on that score. She was about halfway done when she looked up at me and nodded, telling me that I could feed myself now. I took my meal and set it into the dog dish I was required to eat out of. I took the bowl of water for me as well, as much to wash my face with as to drink from and knelt beside her, sinking to all fours to eat.

She idly ran her fingers along my back as I ate, and I felt a calm satisfaction, she never did that unless she was pretty happy with things. I heard her press a switch on something, and my wrist locked to the side of the bowl.

"Stay there, pet." She added a few leftovers from her meal to my bowl and stood, leaving the room for a few moments. "You can come here now, pet." She called from the other room, and I cautiously pulled my wrist away from the bowl. It came loose easily and I put the dishes away then came to Her.

She was sitting back on the love seat, and gestured for me to take my place at Her feet. I did, and began to massage Her feet, my default activity for being there.

"Pet, I will tell you to position yourself now and then, and you will take that position….I will secure you with these cuffs, but you will not depend on that binding unless it is necessary to hold that position.

I will secure you to various objects around the house, at my whim, just like before…but now I don't need to use rope or cords to do it. How do you feel about that?"

"I…I don't really know, Mistress."

"Well, that doesn't matter too much, but I hope you'll come to like it. But remember, when I'm not here, you have to press that reset button once an hour."

So here I was, three days into it, waiting for the phone call and for the next time to hit the reset button.

I was getting to hate that damned button and it's countdown…

The phone rang, and even though I expected the call, I jumped. I picked it up, and it was Her, of course.

"Pet, have you pressed the reset button?"

"Not yet, Mistress, I've got about ten minutes left." I could hear Her frown in the silence that followed.

"You've been cutting it very close lately, pet."

"I'm sorry, Mistress, but it's….it just…"

"It's my order, pet, so that should be all you need, right?"

"Yes, Mistress." She had me there. "I am sorry and I will do better."

"Believe me, pet, you don't want to fail me there. It's more important than you may realize. Anyway, pet, after the reset button, I want You to sit in the chair in front of the desktop and rest your wrists at the bind points on the side of the chair and your ankles at the legs of the chair, so that the webcam can get a good look at you."

"Yes, Mistress." She hung up and I went and hit the reset button, then got into position.

It was a long day. She only let me go at forty five minute intervals, called and had me hit the reset button then return to the chair…She knew I hated sitting in front of the webcam like this. While there was a disclaimer, I had no way of knowing who was coming to the site.

The next day, she left, and I watched her go with my wrists bound behind my back, the cuffs still doing their fiendish best. She said that I had to hit the reset button with my nose until 11, and she'd consider changing my position at that time.

I knelt in front of the unit, watching the lcd display, watching the seconds count down. I had come to resent the display, almost as much as I loved being Hers, and I had to wonder what punishment she had in mind if I didn't keep this button happy.

It sat there, a red button, a second Mistress, gloating with it's simple hourly task.

And I found myself hating it.

Thirty minutes….

The idea was inevitable.

"I've endured a lot of punishments just to see if I could do it," I whispered to myself. "I've provoked punishments if I felt I needed more…."

I began to wait.

Twenty minutes….

I was sweating, having trouble sitting still…I couldn't take my eyes from the display, wondering if I could go through this.

Fifteen minutes….

I forced myself to my feet and walked around the apartment twice to work off the nervous energy. A flogging? Piece of cake. An unlubed dildo? Not fun, but I've had worse. I remembered with horror the one time I broke the vase that wasn't quite Ming, but almost….that punishment…but I still survived it.

I returned and knelt back in front of it, watching the display.

Five minutes….

"I can bear this punishment, once." I whispered again, and I felt the resolve build. I knew it was dangerous. I wondered if the cuffs or collar would shock me or something…and almost leaned forward then, to push with my nose, but I managed to hold back.

Four minutes….

The sweat was running down my back, my mouth was dry…I kept licking the sweat from my lip, and wishing that I could brush it off of my brows.

Three minutes….

I trembled, holding position, not wanting to surrender to the nervous energy again. Win or lose, I was going to stay here and look at the display as the countdown continued.

Two minutes….

My mouth was so dry that my tongue felt like it was swelling. I glanced towards the kitchen, the water was close, my bowl was right where it belonged….but no.

One minute….

My heart was pounding so hard that if She called right then, I don't think I'd have heard it.

Thirty seconds….

I felt dizzy, terrified, but determined. I was sure I could ride out the punishment

Fifteen seconds….

With a sudden chill, I remembered something that she'd said about the worst possible punishment.

Three…

I lunched forward, trying to push the button with my nose, all thoughts of defiance gone.

I missed the button.

One….

I pushed again, smacking my nose against the casing beside the button.

Zero….

My heart sinking, I felt the cuffs and collar unlock and fall to the floor around me.