The man I asked became enraged and told me not to speak of it; it was a secret. Another of my owners


    calmed him and told me when the small moonpleted a cycle. That meant nothing to me. Time


    continued at its slow pace.


    I woke upte one night and felt sticky, nasty and sticky between my legs. I dipped a hand down and it


    came back wet and dark in the moonlight. My brain took a minute to process and I realized I was


    having a very heavy period.


    Jumping off the bed, I startled all my owners awake. They were used to my night time bathroom


    breaks, but this was different. I apologized and exined about human menstruation and told them I


    couldn’t have controlled the bleeding all over their bed.


    I had hoped they wouldn’t be mad at me for leaving a spot on the covers. They weren’t mad, they were


    terrified. None of them believed me when I said that it was normal.


    In the shower they brought in a bright light and made me spread my legs. They watched the blood flow


    out and inspected its origin. The cold of the bathroom wasn’tfortable and I had cramps, too. I tried


    to exin that.


    The men were beside themselves. They discussed calling the healer, but feared to do it for some


    reason. Finally, they seemed to get control of themselves.


    “Thises and goes?” one of them asked me.


    “Yes, Master, on my every turn of the moon I would bleed Like this for five or six days. I used


    pads to soak up the blood when it came out,” I told them helpfully.


    I didn’t want to sit in the bathroom for six days while I bled.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    The men wrapped the towel they used to dry me so it rested between my legs. They put me back to


    bed as they sat in front of the fire talking.


    I couldn’t hear what they were saying and that concerned me. Something told me I would not Like how


    they handled my period.


    I had been right. My period was awful. The men refused to let me go the Keepers and they didn’t want


    anyone to see this happen. They wrapped me in the absorbent towels and put me in the box in the wall


    every day I bled.


    The first morning I handled it all right. I had been put in the box multiple times before. In a way, I liked it


    for short periods. It was the only time I was alone. Quickly, it started to make me crazy, so they used


    the calming creams.


    Ang’s Library


    I lost track of time. There was no telling how long it went on. They put me in the box after my morning


    routine, thered me with cream and closed it. I awoke drowsy and confused at Lunch when they fed


    and let me relieve myself. More cream was ced on my head and I was knocked out for the


    afternoon.


    I was allowed out in the evening, with my bleedingher regions wrapped up tight in a towel. The first


    night I couldn’t sleep, so more cream was used. By the time I stopped bleeding I was a drooling mess


    and could barely hold my own head up.


    I was sent back to the Keepers and I terrified Rose. I stumbled into thepound and sat dully in the


    sunshine outside. The light broke through the fog that seemed to have permanently invaded my mind.


    My friends found me and brought cushions to me. We sat in the light until I could at Least speak.


    “Where have you been?” Fuji asked once it seemed my answers were making more sense.


    “At my Master’s home,” I slurred.


    “What happened?” Rose asked stroking my arm.


    I stared nkly at her. I remembered vaguely that I had had a period.


    My brain was full of snapshots of my fake owners cleaning bloody towels off of me.


    I did remember one thing quite clearly. That morning, they had threatened to sell me if I discussed the


    bleeding with anyone, including Master Damien. What had happened thest many days would never


    pass my Lips.