After I had all I could take there was still water left in the jug. I didn’t want the flies to get it. Apparently


    neither did the men who left it. A small plug was present and I used it to seal up the water.


    My owners were taking care of me.


    I had nothing but time on my hands and I could only do one thing that pleased them. I filled the floor


    with their insignia. After my “chalk” was exhausted I decided to put my message outside. Limping


    around I cleared arge area in front of the building and used stones to delineate their mark.


    My hands and body were filthy. I was slightly hungry and I ached all over. I missed being clean and


    comfortable. Overall, I felt awful. As I wandered back inside to sit with the skeleton I thought about what


    I had done to end up here.


    I wanted to be free, so I pretended I was. This was not a to pretend on. It was harsh and I was


    not suited for it. Without the protection of my Masters, I was as good as dead.


    It pained me to realize how much I needed my owners. I didn’t know how to find water or which foods I


    could eat. The inhabitants on this obviously thought I had only one use. If they didn’t own me, it


    didn’t matter if I was happy about that or not. My survival was only important to one very small group of


    men and they had disowned me.


    I watched quietly as the sun travelled across the sky. Transports flew by quietly in the distance, but they


    never stopped. Eventually the fear waned some and I started to recognize the pattern.


    The transports were watching the vige. There were six different transports as far as I could tell. They


    did regr sweeps in a set series. Someone was monitoring me, keeping me safe, with the exception


    of the near rape.


    I watched the sky and pondered that horrible experience with new eyes.


    My owners had said they disowned me and I was being left to fend for myself. Someone fed and


    watered me twice a day, though. They sent someone to tend my wounds. Master Damien and his


    brothers had not left me.


    A N G E L A ‘s L I B R A R Y


    ‘Too bad,’ the man had said when he was over me. There was movement at the window and no one


    else ever came in. Someone had stopped him. My owners had stopped him. They were here


    somewhere, still protecting me.


    I smiled and Leaned against the rough wall. My body ached, I was dirty, and I couldn*t rest well, but


    there was a reason to be happy. I had not been left. I was just on a longer leash to demonstrate a point.


    Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    It was a strange train of thought, but I suddenly wondered how far out in the ocean I had been. If I had


    to guess I’d say farther than I was from the vige now. I wondered how my owners had found me way


    out there. Perhaps all that tasting Master Evan Loved to do really did have some purpose.


    I remembered the times he’d tasted me, everywhere. I’d never seen him taste his brothers, except the


    one time. He’d probably done it long ago.


    A transport came close to the building, but didn’t stop. I was getting used to the pattern; it was


    comforting now. There was just someone watching me.


    Iy my head back against the wall and continued to think about Master Evan and his sense. He had to


    be good to have found me. It was dark by the time they located me in the water and he obviously knew


    exactly where I was.


    A thought niggled in my brain. He hadn’t been able to find Master Christof in the mountains. It was a


    shame. If he had they could have avoided all of that stress. One day when they were in the mood for


    my questions I’d have to ask them about it. When the men cameter that night I got in my corner


    again. One came to stand over me, but I didn’t look at him. It took them longer to leave this time. They


    started a fire in the firece before they Left. Once they were gone, I found a new clean jug and food.


    Privileges, it felt Like I was earning privileges.


    I slept in front of the firece and that seemed to keep the flies away from me. The floor was still


    ufortable, but I slept more than I had the night before. Every time I rolled over I felt a nagging


    soreness from sleeping on what was essentially concrete.


    “It is amazing humans manage to keep an entire to themselves,” I heard Master Evan say.


    I thought I was dreaming and groaned as I sat up. The first thing I saw was several sets of boots


    standing around me. Shrieking, I dove to cower in my corner.


    “Ciara,e here,” Master Damien said.


    As quickly as my sore body could I rose to stand trembling in front of him. Out of habit I looked at his


    feet. I’d spent thest two days learning not to look at anybody.