Kate hung up the phone. This wasn’t real. This couldn’t be real. Could it? After so long, was Lex really just… coming back? She should feel overjoyed, but instead, she just felt numb. In just a few minutes, her whole world had been turned upside down, and it was just too much for her to process. Kate didn’t cry. That was hard, these days. So instead, she just sat down on the couch, holding her head in her hands.

If Lex was really coming back, what did that mean? How could things go back to the way they were? They couldn’t possibly pretend that the last few years just hadn’t happened. Kate’s life was a wreck. At first she had held out hope that Lex would come back any day, and that all she had to do was wait. But as the weeks and months went by, she’d had no choice but to try and make ends meet on her own. Kate had drawn on a small amount of money stashed away for food and necessities, but it didn’t take long for her meager savings to run dry.

She got a job at a local grocery store in order to support herself, but the stress of working was taking its toll. Even simple things like interacting with customers or stocking shelves left her feeling drained and exhausted by the end of her shift. Her job sapped all her energy, which meant that self-care was a luxury she was too poor to have. Kate could feel herself slipping a little more each day, but what else could she do? She’d had no friends, and now no sister, nobody to pick up the slack when she started struggling. Until now.

Lex had said that ‘they’ didn’t let her call. What had happened to her?

The doorbell rang. Shaking, Kate rose from her seat and made her way to the front of her shabby apartment. She took a deep breath, bracing herself for what was to come, then opened the door.

Time seemed to stand still as she met her sister’s eyes. Lex looked different than she remembered, and the frilly skirt she was wearing seemed so unlike her. And the pain in her eyes hurt Kate to see. She was suffering because of the separation too…

Lex didn’t say a word. She just threw her arms around Kate, wrapping her in a warm embrace, a long-forgotten feeling. She returned the hug at first with hesitance, and then, as she began to sob, equal passion. Her sister was here. She was here.

Eventually, they released one another, though Kate had trouble letting go. She gestured to her couch, and Lex smiled, following Kate to sit beside her.

For a long time, neither of them said a word. Kate sat awkwardly with her head down, waiting for Lex to break the silence. Thankfully, she did before long.

“So… How- how’ve you been?” Lex ventured.

“I- I’ve been… um…” Where to begin? How could she summarize it in just a few short sentences? And she didn’t want to talk about herself. Her mind kept returning to the one question she’d asked herself so many times before, which she wanted - no, which she needed an answer to. They didn’t let me call…

“Why… Why? Why did you leave me?” Kate asked softly.

There was a long pause. After what felt like hours, Lex responded.

“I… I didn’t choose to. There was this… woman. It’s… hard to explain. She had this… this power. When I met her, I was just looking for a bit of fun, some stress relief. But it… got out of hand. At first, I thought I was just playing along, doing what she told me for the thrill of it. But then I realized that I couldn’t stop. I don’t mean that I didn’t want to stop, or that it was hard to stop. I mean I couldn’t stop. Whenever she gave me a command, it was like doing anything else was unthinkable. Her words were reality itself.

“It was just simple stuff at first, but then… she started demanding more. I tried to fight it, tried to resist her, but it was like my body was on autopilot. I tried to run, but my body wouldn’t listen. I wanted to say no but my mouth would say yes, and if she’d wanted to, she could have made my mind say yes too. She had some… some fucked up fascination with me, like she wanted to keep me for the sake of continuing her demented fantasies, for having someone to break over and over again.”

Kate drew back, looking at her sister in confusion. It was unbelievable. Impossible. But she seemed so sincere…

“She commanded me to come home with her, to move in. I didn’t want to leave you. I fought and fought with every ounce of my being, but it was no use. I wasn’t in control anymore, she was. She did… all kinds of perverted things to me. She tried to break me. Maybe she did, a little. But I kept hanging on. I kept fighting, because I knew you needed me. I thought about you every day. I wanted to contact you but she wouldn’t let me. I didn’t want to abandon you. It ate at me constantly but there was nothing I could do. Please. Please believe me.”

Lex was sobbing by the time she’d finished. That… certainly wasn’t what I expected, Kate frowned. Could it really be true? Lex didn’t hate her, and it wasn’t in her control? Kate had always assumed that Lex had just gotten tired of her high-maintenance sister, and moved on with her life. She’d thought that maybe Lex had just felt guilty and decided to come back in order to ease her conscience. She was certainly no stranger to people making excuses to try and make her feel better. But… Lex has never lied to me, has she?

Kate’s mind kept running in circles. She wanted to believe her sister’s story, but it was just so absurd. A mysterious woman with magic powers who kidnapped Lex against her will? It couldn’t possibly be true. But she doesn’t sound like she’s lying. But she has to be. But she wouldn’t….

“If… If that’s true, if you really had no choice, then… how are you here now?” Kate asked cautiously. It seemed like a reasonable question. Lex’s face fell, apparently sensing Kate’s doubt. But how could I not doubt this?

“The woman… Something happened, I don’t know what. Suddenly her power stopped working. She can’t control me anymore. I figured it out, and I escaped. I would’ve done it sooner, but there was just no way. I know how it sounds, but it’s the truth. Please. Believe me.”

“I want to believe you, Lex, but… I don’t know…” Words failed her. She paused, taking a moment to collect her thoughts.

“I want to believe you, but there’s this little voice in the back of my mind telling me that it’s just an excuse. That you got bored of me and are just coming back because you feel bad. I don’t have anything but your word to go on, so I’ll always be left wondering if I’m really just a burden on you. I wish there was some way to make the voice go away, but I don’t know… I don’t know how,” Kate finished.

Lex’s face fell, and a spike of pain shot through Kate at that.

“What if… what if I could prove it to you? Because it’s not just that she can’t control me anymore, I control her. Somehow , when her power broke, it made it so she has to do whatever she’s told. She’s waiting back at her place until I decide what to do with her next. What… if I could take you to her, prove that she’s real?”

“Really? Isn’t she… dangerous? I… I want to trust you, Lex, but t-this is just sudden, and a lot.”

“Please, just trust me for a little while longer. It’s all true. I promise it is. Just trust me long enough to prove it to you. I love you, Kate. I know I hurt you, and even though it wasn’t my choice, I know I did. And I’ll do anything to make it right. I know nothing can undo what happened, but please… just let me try.”

Kate thought for a moment. What do I have to lose? It wasn’t like there was much else she could do. If there was even a sliver of hope that Lex’s story was true, she had to hold on to it.

“Alright… I trust you. Take me to her,” Kate said softly.

Lex smiled sadly, and led the way.

Cindy had a plan… or at least, the beginnings of one. She needed to get Ariella away from Lex, obviously. But she’d already decided that barging in and trying to take control wouldn’t do any good. She had to wait for Lex to leave Ariella by herself. But how could she know when that would happen?

Oh, of course! She still had Ariella’s phone, which meant she could access the GPS tracker that Mistress had installed on Lex’s phone. Cindy opened the app, hoping that Lex had forgotten to disable the GPS service on her end in her reverie.

Wait, what? Why is she on the other side of town? Was she taking Mistress somewhere to torture her further, or had she made a break for it? Cindy didn’t recognize the location, but that mattered a lot less than where Ariella was.

If Ariella is with her, then our apartment is empty, and I can go there to find out more about what they’re up to. And if Lex left her at the apartment instead, then this might be my chance to rescue her. It was a risk, to be sure, but Cindy didn’t have any better ideas. One way or another, she had a better chance of helping Mistress at their home than she did here.

She slowly made her way to what had been, up until earlier that day, her home. Cautiously, turning her head side to side, she approached their front door. She was on high alert, ready to retreat at the first sign of danger. She would gladly throw herself into harm’s way to help Ariella, but for the moment, it was in Mistress’s best interest for Cindy to prioritize her own safety. Throwing herself away wouldn’t matter if she didn’t save Ariella in the process. She was Ariella’s only hope, now, and she couldn’t risk getting caught. Pressing her ear up to the door, however, she couldn’t hear any signs that the apartment was still inhabited.

Maybe it’s a trap. She could just be trying to lure me into a false sense of security. Then again, this could be my only chance to get inside before Lex comes back… She had to risk it. Cindy unlocked the door.

Ariella felt numb. She could move now, but her own inner turmoil kept her paralyzed almost as thoroughly as any hypnotic suggestion. She hadn’t known about Kate! It wasn’t her fault that Lex never said anything about her.

But you didn’t ask, either. Why didn’t you notice something was wrong?

She didn’t notice because Lex had done her best to hide it from her, hadn’t she? If she really wanted Ariella to do something, she should have asked.

And would you really have done anything about it if she did?

Of course she would have! She enjoyed teasing her slaves, but that didn’t make her the unfeeling monster that Lex thought she was.

It’s easy to think that now, in hindsight. But you know what really would have happened.

Yes. Yes, she did. She’d loved being in control more than anything else. She might have let Lex reunite with Kate, but it was far more likely she’d have used her as an instrument to torment Lex further. She would’ve let them be together… as slaves.

You don’t deserve to have slaves. You belong to your Queen now.

Lex was her Queen, yes. Mere hours ago the idea would have seemed unthinkable, but the more she thought about it, the more she felt like she deserved it. Lex had always been willful. That was why Ariella had chosen her in the first place. Some people were meant to rule, and others were meant to be ruled. Ariella had tried to control a Queen, and in the process, she’d caused unknowable harm.

You need to make this right, whatever it takes.

That was her purpose now. Ariella was a slave, and she needed to help repair the damage she’d caused. She owed it to her Queen. Lex wasn’t going to make it easy for her, of course. Ariella fully expected to endure more mind games and punishment before she would finally be allowed to get to work repairing the damage. But if her Queen wanted to vent her righteous anger, then it was her duty to sit there and take it. There was no denying that she deserved it.

Ariella jumped. Someone was at the door. Was her Queen back already? Ariella had expected her not to return for at least a few more hours. She might get to help out sooner than she’d thought. She would welcome the distraction.

The door opened slowly, but it wasn’t Lex who peeked her head into the room. Cindy locked eyes with Ariella, then paused.

Cindy… came back! Ariella’s heart leapt. Was Cindy here to rescue her? But… I shouldn’t be rescued. I need to stay here, so I can try to make things right. She shouldn’t be here. It will only make things worse.

I can’t speak unless spoken to. So I can’t explain it to her, either.

She couldn’t even explain nonverbally, or by writing it down. That’d go against the spirit of her Queen’s order. So all she could do was watch in pained silence as Cindy cautiously entered the room.

“Mistress! Are you ok?” she whispered.

“No, I’m not ok,” Ariella said plainly. She tried to elaborate further, to tell Cindy all about what she’d done, but it was no use. Come on, Cindy! Ask me for more details!

“Oh, God. What did Lex do to you?” Cindy asked, joining Ariella on the couch with concern plainly visible in her eyes.

“She took control of my mind and played mind games with me like I did with her,” Ariella replied in a dull monotone.

Cindy looked distraught. “I- I’m so sorry I didn’t come back sooner, Mistress. I needed to find a way to help you, b-but there was nothing I could do on my own. There might be a chance, though, if I can get you out of here. Do you need me to order you to leave?”

“No,” Ariella replied. No, I don’t want to leave! Come on, Cindy. Ask more questions!

Cindy paused, puzzled. “Wait, why not?”

“I don’t want to leave,” Ariella replied.

“You… you don’t? Are you in trance right now? Is she making you say this?” Cindy asked, bewildered.

“No, I don’t want to leave. No, I am not in trance. No, she isn’t making me say this,” Ariella droned on.

“Then… I don’t understand. Why are you talking like that? This isn’t like you,” Cindy muttered.

Yes! That’s what I needed.

“I’m talking like this because I can only speak when spoken to, and I cannot attempt to deviate from the spirit of that command.”

“Oh! Oh my God, I didn’t realize. Please, speak freely, Mistress. I give you permission. Does that work?”

Ariella sighed in relief. Finally! She needed to tell Cindy about what happened, tell her about the terrible mistake she’d made. Ariella didn’t deserve her former slave’s attention. Not at a time like this.

“Cindy! I- I don’t know where to start. I fucked up. It’s all my fault. I need to make this right, I…” Words came tumbling out of Ariella’s mouth, the floodgates of her shame finally opened.

“Wait, Mistress, what are you talking about? Where’s Lex? What happened?” Cindy asked frantically.

“She… she has a sister. Lex. She has a sister. And I… I forced…”

Cindy’s eyes grew wide as she digested that. “She never mentioned…”

“I- I know. She hid it from me. She thought I would use it against her. She was right. But it doesn’t matter now. It’s my fault, and I have to fix it somehow. Lex is off visiting her now, and I don’t even know how bad it is. Lex wasn’t sure if she would even be eating, Cindy. She was depressed, and I… I don’t… I can’t…” Ariella trailed off. The guilt was too much. Now that Cindy knew the truth, surely she would be as angry at Ariella as she was at herself.

There was a pause. Then, Cindy gently grabbed Ariella’s hand and held it firmly.

“Hey… Mistress.” Ariella looked up, meeting Cindy’s eyes. She didn’t deserve to be called that.

“Just… Ariella.”

“Ok. Ariella. It’s going to be ok. We’ll get through this together. Whatever you need, I’m here. Just tell me what to do.”

An order. Her mouth opened, then… stopped. Something was wrong.

Cindy’s hand was a beacon and an anchor, one that was growing brighter and stronger with each moment. Her skin felt warm, somehow warmer than physical warmth should have felt. The feeling of calm, of stability, was almost like trance, but… it wasn’t. She was awake. Was this some aspect of her broken power? Was she seeing something inside of Cindy, somehow pulled from her mind?

No. That didn’t feel right. This was her feeling. Somehow, she knew that instinctively, even though that made no sense. Why would she feel so calm? But then… what was it?

“Cindy, what are you doing?” Ariella asked softly.

“What do you mean? I- I’m just trying to help you calm down. I can stop, if you want…” Cindy said, confused. She opened her mouth, then closed it, just as perplexed as Ariella was.

Before Ariella could respond, though, she heard commotion coming from the hall outside. Shit! That probably meant Lex was back. If she caught Ariella talking with Cindy, then they were both in for a world of trouble. Cindy had just wanted to help. Ariella had tried to stay. She was paralyzed with indecision. She didn’t want Cindy to get caught, but she couldn’t betray her Queen. Cindy let go, and that paralysis grew worse.

The door burst open, and Lex strode in confidently. There was another girl with her, who Ariella could only assume was Kate. Lex stopped dead as she locked eyes with Cindy, suddenly on guard, calculating. For a moment, nobody did anything. Then, Lex turned towards Ariella with fury burning in her eyes.

“Ariella, don’t move! And don’t listen to anything Cindy says. In fact, don’t listen to anything except direct orders from me,” Lex growled.

Ariella tried to say something, but it was too late. Her muscles locked up, and all the sound in the room dissolved into unintelligible static. That moment of calm was gone, Cindy’s hand no longer in her own. She looked around, disoriented. Cindy’s mouth was moving, but her words were nothing but white noise.

Ariella wanted to scream. Instead, she sat in silence.