Red Ribbons in Her Hair Ch. 11

But he would be turned off by that, he was by any show of weakness. Instead she sat up, stared him right in the eyes. "I'm glad you enjoyed it, though I'd have put more into it if I'd known you were watching."

He took a step back from their cage, staring into Tina's eyes. For a second, right after he'd spoken, he could have sworn he saw fear. But now, there was no fear, only a kind of cockiness that he rather liked.

"Then I should have said something sooner. Perhaps tomorrow. We have a treat for today though, girls. They are holding a press conference about us." He gestured to the television set that he'd lugged down the stairs so that they might watch it with him. He'd also brought some food, more take out from the same place.

"Now will you two behave if I let you out? Or do I have to put you back in the chair, little one," he said to Michelle.

"N... no, I'll behave," she whimpered.

Tina kicked her, glaring at her.

She had to be strong, she couldn't whine or whimper. Not if she wanted to live. Tina wanted Michelle to live. If anyone else died, she didn't think she could deal with it and stay sane.

"Tina?"

He was at the door, his hand holding something long and black. She walked toward him, ducking down to make it out the low doorway.

"Hold out your arms."

She did and he wrapped a black belt around her waist, buckling it tightly and then using a tiny padlock to lock it closed. On the back, through a little round ring, he clipped what looked to be a dog's chain, the other end padlocked to the wall, allowing her just a little freedom.

Then he went back to the cube and called for Michelle. Instead of belting her, he grabbed her hand, rubbing it down the front of his pants. "Pretty Michelle, your face was so red when you came, it was quite perfect." He led her to the chair, forcing her down in it though he didn't tie her to it.

"Now," he said, clapping his hands once. "Where should we start?"