Shatter Pieces

Chapter Four: Posts and Chains

Elvira

I had been waiting for over an hour before the men came to collect me for my punishment. I knew that it was only a matter of time before they showed up and I didn't want them surprising me. I tried to think through what Master might possibly deem the correct punishment, I would take it willingly. I know that this was all my fault and Master was going to do what was best for me.

After about an hour of me staring at the black air around me and wondering what my fate would lead me to the echoes I had been waiting for finally rang down the hall and under my door. I carefully pushed myself to my knees just like I had yesterday while I told myself that everything was going to be okay. As the locks clicked on the door I assured myself that I was going to get through this, I would be okay for another day.

When the door opened I realized this wasn't going to be like the times before. Standing in the doorway stood the man who had started this whole issue in the first place and I knew without looking up at him he was smirking down at me. I kept my eyes glued to the ground as Sir Jeromine Thornmass made his way to stand in front of me with one of his friends whose name I couldn't remember.

"Bet you are wishing that you had just listened to what I had to say before now don't you? Now you are going to be punished for your mistake and your Master has decided that I can keep you all to myself this evening." I jerked back as his hand reached out to touch me not wanting him anywhere near me. How could Master do this, send me to be with this man for a whole evening, what would he say if he knew what Sir Thornmass had tried earlier.

"I have special permission from him to help with your punishment today" I shivered at the idea of what he could have asked to do to me. Sir Jeromine was always inventive with his punishments and I dreaded to think of what he would need permission to do to me.

Sir Jeromine and his friend each grabbed one arm dragging me out of my room. I tried to collect my feet and get them under me but I was to tired and sore to control them and I couldn't keep up with the mens pace. The men laughed and hurled insults at me as we passed them while the women cast me sympathetic glanes. They had no way to intervene to try to help me, not when Master was the one giving the orders. He controlled everyone here somehow though I didn't entirely understand how he did it.

They dragged me through hall after hall until we were headed towards Masters office. It was at that point that I knew what was going to happen, and it was only confirmed when we entered his study and the false bookshelf had been moved to reveal a cold cement room with one main focal point. The black marble post with silver chains connected to it and pristine white tiles that extended about three feet out on any side. I never understood how they were able to get the tiles clean after the time I had spent in here.

The rest of the room was not quite so clean as the marble I would soon be chained to. The concrete that extended from the tile was stained with blood, all of it had come from my body, my punishment, my lessons on how to behave properly. The walls were lined with different whips, that was all this room was meant for after all, Master's personal whipping chamber.

The walls of this room held my screams inside each stone. Remnant of times when I thought that someone might be coming to save me from all of this. The only purpose of this room was to falay my skin from my bones, Master's playroom was the main area where I was given lessons and punishment. Only on rare occasions did he send me here, if I was here for this I knew the punishment was going to be bad.

The room had been lines with twenty or so plush chairs most occupied by men who I recognized as the most ardent followers of Master. They were always meeting with him or near him when he was making decisions so I could only assume they were his advisors or something like that. None paid much attention to me yet, I would be the only thing they could focus on in just a few minutes. The only person really paying me any attention besides Sir Thornmass and his friend was the man from last night, Rishi. A few of the men gave me sympathetic glances but not many.