A Night in the Desert

Chapter XIII

Another day began for Sue Ann as the door opened and he came in. Per her standing orders she was kneeling in position, her bedding folded neatly. As he did every morning he inspected her, the bedding, everything in the room. Then came the familiar command, "hands behind your back" and once again he locked the handcuffs on her wrists. This morning breakfast was a bowl of cereal, it looked like cheerios, in milk with sliced bananas. She actually liked that combination and ate as fast as he fed her. It was a change from the usual tasteless diet.

After she finished he cleared away the dishes and released her hands. Without a word he set down a box on the floor and left. She heard the door lock behind him. As before, she waited after he left, then reached down and opened the puzzle box. This one had far more pieces than any of the previous ones; she didn't see how she could get it done in time. Still, she had to try. She sorted by color, picking out the borders with straight edges as she went through the puzzle pieces. She had only gotten as far as assembling the border when she heard him at the door. She panicked, the puzzle was nowhere near done, but she knelt in position on the cushion as the door opened. How could he expect her to finish it in so short a time? It wasn't fair, setting an impossible task like that for her to do.

He stopped in front of her, looking at the partially complete puzzle. "You did not listen to me Sue Ann." This time she could hear the anger in his voice. "No, not because you didn't finish. Think, what have I told you?" She was confused, what had she missed? She didn't understand what he was asking. "Remember? Wait till I tell you what to do. When in doubt, wait for my orders. Do not anticipate me. " He didn't raise his voice but she could tell from his clipped tone he was angry with her. She still couldn't figure it out, what was he talking about? He had brought in the puzzle just like all the previous times, then left while she put it together. What was different? He continued, "What were my final words to you after I left, the last time?"

She thought back. He had put the box down, then told her to…. No, he hadn't said anything. He had not told her to put it together, no warning to finish it in the time limit. She realized what she had done, he had not told her to put the puzzle together. She had not been paying attention to what he said, or did not say.

"Stand Up" he ordered. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her up, then dragged her over to the pole set in the floor. He took out the set of handcuffs and locked her hands together in front, around the pole. "How many times have I told you, wait for me to tell you what to do? I'm not playing at this Sue Ann. This is not some game where you can walk away if you decide not to play anymore. You will learn to do what I tell you, no matter how long it takes. Quitting is not an option."

He stood up, picked up the cushion she had knelt on and took it out into the hall, along with her bedding. He came back in with leg chains in his hand. "Sit down," he told her, pointing to the floor. Hands on the pole she sat down on the floor. He grabbed her ankles and pulled them in front of her, placing the leg irons around her ankles. Without a word he closed the door. She heard the bolt close, and then the lights went out, leaving her in total darkness. She could sit or stand, but bound hand and foot she was trapped by the pole.

She stood up, holding onto the pole to keep her steady. She had enough slack to stand up but the leg chains quickly hit against the bottom of the pole. She sat back down, folding her legs into a sitting position. She reached down and straightened the cuffs on her ankles, testing them. Double locked, she had no way to remove them, or the handcuffs. Because both her arms and legs were around the pole there was no truly comfortable way to sit or stand. She hoped he wouldn't leave her this way too long.

It seemed to be getting hotter too. Her arms and legs were damp and she couldn't feel any air circulating. At least the floor felt cool. She closed her eyes, to keep out the sweat. It was definitely getting warmer; she could feel drops of sweat run down her side. She was getting thirsty too, but the water faucet was far beyond her reach now. Awkwardly she reached around the pole to move the collar still on her neck. Sweat was gathering underneath it.

She couldn't see a thing, the door sealed off any light from the corridor outside. She tested the bonds on her wrists and ankles again. No way to get them off, she would have to wait for him to return. She thought about calling out in case he was listening, asking him to lower the temperature, but then she would violate his order of silence. No need to compound her transgressions, she was in enough trouble now. The heat and lack of fresh air was making her lightheaded and dizzy. She might enjoy bondage, but not in conditions like this. If she had the means she would have released herself by now.

The heat was oppressive, made worse by the lack of any moving air and the darkness. Her brooding over what she had done only made it worse. She knew it was her own fault. She had been lazy, not fully paying attention to what he had been saying. She had been trying to do everything he asked, as best she could. His expression had shown her his anger and disappointment. That hurt the most, knowing she could have done better. Tears ran down her cheeks. She reached around the pole with her cuffed hands to wipe them away.

And then she felt it, cool air coming from the room vent. She felt relieved; she had managed to hold out, to take his punishment. No doubt he would come in soon and free her. Maybe a stern lecture afterwards, but anything would be better than the heat. The cool circulating air actually felt cold as it evaporated the sweat from her body.

The floor was definitely colder on her bare skin. The temperature in the room continued to fall. She was starting to feel a chill. The air was too cold. She tried to turn her back to the vent to minimize heat loss. She started to shiver. He must have turned down the temperature, or something was wrong. She tried to bring up her legs, instinctively curling up to conserver body heat, but the pole got in the way. All she could think of was the cold, the uncontrollable shivering, dimly she heard a noise but didn't realize it was her own chattering teeth. She huddled as best she could, the pole between her knees, head to one side, arms around her legs.

The door opened, light flooding in from the hallway. She was so cold she hadn't even registered the sound of the door bolt. He released her ankles and wrists, then picked her up and wrapped a blanket around her. It was soft and warm; he must have heated it in a dryer. He put her back down on the floor, wrapped in the blanket. He sat down next to her and held her, one arm around her shoulders. She leaned against him, her head on his shoulder as he tenderly stroked her cheek. Sue Ann sighed and closed her eyes; this felt good, very good. She snuggled up against him as best she could. Dimly she could hear him murmuring in her ear, quietly reassuring her. She seemed to be floating, detached. She didn't process his words, only the soft tone of his deep voice. She was so lost in the moment she didn't even realize he had removed the collar around her throat.

She was dimly aware when he picked her up and carried her down a hallway. He went into a room and set her down on a bed, one that had the covers pulled back. He unwrapped her from the blanket, and then covered her with a sheet and light blanket. "You will sleep here tonight. Do not leave the room. I will come for you later." He leaned over and kissed her forehead, then tucked in the covers around her head. He smiled down at her, "sleep well and the best of dreams, for you have no worries now." He went out, closing the door behind him. The lights went out immediately after the door closed. Sue Ann felt warm and sleepy. Somehow she knew everything would work out as she drifted off to sleep.