Chapter 14

The lock clicked. 27 woke instantly. For a moment she didn’t know where she was. Pink walls. Pink curtains. The cage. The room.

Then it came back.

The house. The Mistresses. The forest. The plan.

Her eyes opened fully. The plan. She held onto that thought tightly. Because lately thoughts seemed to slip away too easily.

The forest sat beyond the garden. She remembered that.

Trees.

Cover.

Distance.

Freedom.

She repeated it silently.

Forest.

Trees.

Freedom.

Just in case.

The lock clicked again. The door opened. Viv entered first. Elara behind her. Their hands were linked together.

‘Always fucking touching each other’ she thought to herself

27 wondered if they even realized how often they touched each other.

Probably not.

It looked automatic.

Natural.

Like breathing.

“Good morning, pet,” Elara said.

Viv glanced toward the attached bathroom. “You have twenty minutes.”

Twenty minutes.

27 had no idea what twenty minutes actually looked like anymore.

No clocks. No phones. No windows she could use to judge the sun. Just pure isolating. Time had become something the Mistresses controlled too.

But she nodded.

“Go.”

The bathroom door closed behind her.

It was bigger than she thought.  White marble. Gold fixtures. Soft lighting. A large shower enclosed in glass. Fresh towels folded neatly.

Everything spotless.

She stared at her reflection for a moment.

Then froze.

The woman staring back looked unfamiliar. Thinner. Paler. Her eyes looked different. Tired. Guarded.

She stepped closer. ‘What was my name?’ Nothing.

‘Fuck.’  The answer remained frustratingly absent.

The forest. She remembered the forest. But not her own name. The thought made her stomach twist. She forced herself to move.

The shower turned on. Steam quickly filled the room. Warm water washed over her skin.

For a few minutes she allowed herself to enjoy it. Then she immediately hated herself for doing so.

Don’t get comfortable. The thought came sharply. You’re escaping. She repeated it again.

Forest.

Trees.

Freedom.

The words felt important. Necessary. Like knots tying her to something beyond the house. After showering she hurried through the rest.

Hair. Teeth. The routines felt strangely familiar. Human. Normal. A reminder that she had existed before this place.

Hadn’t she?

By the time she emerged, Viv was waiting. Apparently she had finished within whatever twenty minutes meant.

“Good.” Viv said

“We like you cleaned and tamed.” Elara said.

The words sent a small pulse of satisfaction through her chest. 27 hated that. Absolutely hated it.

Yet there it was.

Viv clipped the leash onto her collar. The familiar click echoed softly. “Breakfast.”

They led her downstairs. The house felt brighter this morning. Sunlight spilled through the enormous windows.

Fresh flowers had been placed in the hallway.
Someone maintained them daily. Someone maintained everything.

The thought lingered. How many people worked here? How many knew? How many would stop her if she ran? The questions piled up.

She forced herself to observe. Count hallways. Count exits. Count doors. The front entrance. The side entrance. The garden doors. Everything mattered. Everything could become useful.

The kitchen smelled incredible. Coffee. Bread.

Something sweet.

Something savory.

The pink bowls already sat on the floor. Waiting. Elara smiled immediately. “My favorite dishes.”

Viv gave her a look.

“What?”

“They’re ridiculous.”

“They’re adorable.”

“They’re dog bowls.”

“Exactly.”

“What else are our pets supposed to eat out of?”

The two women exchanged another look. Viv let out a chuckle.

A private joke. A shared language.

‘Fucking freaks’ 27 thought.  27 lowered herself into position beside the bowls.

The food looked better than yesterday. Fresh fruit. Eggs. Toast. A small piece of sausage. The water bowl sat beside it. Cool droplets still clinging to the rim.

Viv and Elara took their seats at the island. Their breakfast waited above. Her breakfast waited below.

The distinction wasn’t subtle.

Viv raised her hand. Permission. “Eat.”

27 obeyed. The food was warm. The water cold. She focused on eating. But part of her attention remained elsewhere.

The garden.

The forest.

The path.

She remembered the fountain.

The hedges.

The glass doors.

How long would it take to run? Could she make it before someone caught her? Did the property have cameras? Guards? Dogs?

She couldn’t run butt ass naked either.

The signal dropped. She froze instantly. Food halfway lifted. Waiting.

Across the room, Elara was telling a story. Something about a shipment. Something about one of their employees making a mistake.

‘What the hell did they do to even afford all this’

27 listened carefully. Not because she cared. Because information mattered. Every piece mattered.

The Mistresses ran something bigger than a household. That much was obvious. People listened to them. Worked for them. Feared them. Another thing to remember.

The signal rose again. Permission. She continued eating. Collecting information.

Observing. Planning. Surviving. When breakfast ended, Viv stood.

“Garden.”

27’s heart nearly stopped. The leash was attached again.

The garden.

The forest.

The possibility. She forced herself to remain calm. The three of them moved through the house.

Glass doors opened. Fresh air greeted them. The morning sun warmed her skin. Birds sang somewhere overhead. Flowers swayed gently in the breeze.

The garden looked even larger today. Beautiful. Because now she wasn’t seeing flowers.

She was seeing routes. The fountain. The hedges. The stone paths.

And beyond them, The forest. The goal

Dark green. Dense. Waiting.

Hope surged through her chest.

Small.

Fragile.

But real.

For the first time since arriving, escape felt possible. Not today. Maybe not tomorrow. But possible.

The thought settled inside her carefully.

A secret she would protect. A secret she would feed. While Viv and Elara walked hand-in-hand through their beautiful garden, discussing plans for the day, 27 kept her eyes on the trees.

And for the first time in weeks, she allowed herself to imagine reaching them.

The Mistresses eventually led her back toward the house.

Back through the winding stone paths. Back past the fountain. Back toward the towering glass doors. 27 followed automatically. But her eyes kept drifting. Back to the trees. Back to the forest. Back to possibility.

Forest.

Trees.

Freedom.

The words repeated themselves silently. A mantra. A promise. Something she could cling to.

The leash remained loose between them. Viv never needed to pull. 27 hated that. Hated how easily her body obeyed now. Hated how natural it felt.

Beside her, Elara laughed at something Viv said. A genuine laugh. Bright. She was always in a good mood, I mean why wouldn’t she?

Viv’s mouth curved in response. A rare smile. The kind that only seemed to exist for Elara. For her queen. For a moment, they looked completely normal.

Two women walking through their garden. Talking about their day. Planning dinner. Enjoying the morning sun.

Nothing about them suggested cages. Collars. Basements. Rules. They were truly made for each other.

Nothing about them suggested what they were. The thought strengthened her resolve. She wasn’t staying. She couldn’t.

The forest waited beyond the hedges. Beyond the flowers. Beyond the property.

A way out.

A future. A life. She would get there. Somehow.

Her gaze drifted toward the tree line again. And this time she didn’t realize Viv was watching.

Not until she felt it. That weight. That attention. 27 looked up. Their eyes met.

The moment lasted only a second. Maybe less. But something cold settled in her stomach. Because Viv wasn’t smiling.

Wasn’t angry. Wasn’t suspicious. The expression was far worse. Recognition. As if she’d seen that exact look before.

As if she knew exactly where 27’s thoughts had gone. As if she’d watched countless others stare at those same trees and imagine the same thing. Then the moment passed. Viv looked away.

The leash tightened gently.

“Come along, pet.”

Her voice was calm. Almost affectionate. 27 swallowed. Then followed.

Because what else could she do? The house rose ahead of them. And for the first time since arriving, 27 wasn’t counting days.

She was counting opportunities.

—-
(Yall think she’s gonna escape? Yes or no?)