A Gift Named Dorothy Pt. 01

Jake just laid on the couch in front of his TV. He was re-watching the Star Wars movies for probably the hundredth time, but he was barely taking it in. "This is it," he thought to himself, "three days left till eviction. It's a good time limit." The 24-year-old looked around the room. There were still a couple slices of pizza left in the box. They sat there cold on his card table he used as a dining table. He shrugged. "Not hungry," he said to no one. He hadn't eaten all day. Or maybe it was night? He hadn't opened his windows for a very long time. He wasn't even sure how long he had been up. It was all running together in his one-bedroom apartment. The days just blurred together as he laid on that couch in his boxers and t-shirt.

He sat up for a moment to take a swig of whiskey. "On second thought, three days may be too long." He opened the drawer of his coffee table. He saw his pills and the thing he was still too afraid to touch. "In three days, I can do it," he assured himself. "I will just down my whiskey, pop a bunch of those pills, and then I'll do it. It will be easy." He laid down again. Lately, even though he had an apartment, that couch was really his home. He slept on it, ate on it, masturbated on it. His only trips were to the bathroom and kitchen for food, but his couch was where he lived. Until it all ends, that is.

*knock* *knock*

Jake looked at the door. He never got visitors. It was too early for a landlord and possibly the sheriff to kick him out. He didn't order food.

*knock* *knock*

Jake ignored it. It was probably just George, his creepy, old neighbor. The old man probably wanted to regale him with another story of his glory days when he was knee deep in pussy. Or so he says. He's probably just lonely and wants to try to impress a young neighbor. Poor guy.

*knock* *knock* *knock*

Jake continued watching his movie.

*knock* *knock* *knock* *knock* *knock* *knock*

Fine. Jake mustered all his energy which was almost nothing. He removed himself from the couch, he threw on his pants, and he shuffled to the door. "I'm coming," he tried to say to the person on the other side, but it came out in only a mutter.

He opened the door. A woman stood there. She was blonde haired wearing a low-cut green t-shirt and jeans. She was average height and build. She was pretty in kind of an innocent looking way. In her arms, she held a black box.

"Yes?" he asked.

"You're Jake?" she replied. She said it flatly, but her feminine voice was attractive to Jake.

"Yes," he replied simply.

"My name is Dorothy. I have a package for you. It's from your uncle. May I come in?"

"From my uncle? Um, that's a surprise. Thanks, I guess. I'll take the package and let you be on your way." He reached out, but she pulled away from him slightly.

"He asked me to be present while you open it. I think he wants to be sure you open it."

Jake looked closely at the box. The box had a latch on the front to open it, but it appeared locked with a keyhole. "Is it locked?" he asked.

"Your uncle said you would have a key."

Then Jake remembered. He received a strange letter from his uncle for his birthday. It was a simple birthday card with some money and a key. The card simply said "Happy birthday Nephew. I have a key for you that I will explain to you later. Please do not lose it."

"I do have a key," Jake said softly. "Wait here, and I'll get it."

Jake walked to his bedroom. Clothes were strewn everywhere. He hadn't even stepped foot in his room in days. He thought about selling his bed, dresser, and nightstand to pay the rent but figured he wouldn't be able to come up with enough for the month. Plus, he had other plans with his life anyway. Why wait another month?

He went to the nightstand and found the key. He was kind of surprised he still had it. He tended to lose everything. He went back to the front door and found that Dorothy let herself in and closed the door behind her.

He held up the key to show her. "Well, I don't get many surprises. This will be interesting." Dorothy held out the box to him, and he put in the key. The key unlocked the box easily, and he opened the top. Inside was an inner tray with an envelope. Written on the envelope: Please read out loud for Dorothy to hear. Jake glanced at her. Her eyebrows furled together with a look of confusion. Jake looked back down at the envelope and removed the note inside. He cleared his throat and began reading for him and Dorothy to hear:

Dear Nephew,

I hear that you've gone through some tough times. I am sorry for your struggles. Life can be hard. In four months time, I would like you to come visit me. I know I live far from you, but I trust you can make the time and can find a way to get to me. In the meantime, I have provided a gift to you. The gift is Dorothy.

Jake stopped reading and looked at her. She just stared back at him blankly. The color drained from her face slightly. Jake went back to the note:

I believe that Dorothy is exactly what you need right now. She is yours to do with as you please. I imagine she can take your mind off of your troubles and can help with anything you need. Dorothy has been good to me and will be to you. She is now your friend, your helper, your lover, your anything. Please hand her what is in the box.

Jake glanced again at Dorothy. She was looking down, biting her lips nervously. She was trying hard not to look at him. He looked back down at the box and removed the tray. Beneath the tray was a pair of handcuffs with an extra-long chain, roughly 4 feet in length. Jake's mind was scrambled. He could not make sense of what was happening. Slowly, he removed the handcuffs and hesitantly reached out to Dorothy with it. She looked at the cuffs trying hard not to look at Jake and reluctantly took them from his hand.

Jake stood there for a moment trying to take in what was happening. After a second, he cleared his throat and went back to the note.

To Dorothy, I know you will do anything I ask of you. I did not want you to know my intentions until you have found him. You are a brave woman, but you can still lapse into cowardly behaviors. I did not want you to have time to dwell on this decision and possibly do something regretful as you made your travel. I trust you will be good to my nephew. Place the cuff on your wrist and attach the other to Jake's as a sign of compliance. The key to unlock is the same key used to open the box. Jake can unlock it if he so chooses.

Dorothy, I know you will be a good slave to him. I look forward to seeing you both in two months.

Uncle Frank

There was a period of silence. Jake dwelled on that word: Slave. He felt like his mind was still trying to catch up to what he just read. *clickclickclick* He looked up and saw that Dorothy had cuffed her wrist. She was holding the other end up for his wrist. She was still looking down.

"Uh, look," Jake began, trying to figure out what to say or do, "I don't know what this is about. Uncle Frank was always a strange guy, but you don't have to do that."

"I have to do what your uncle asks," she said. "Please. So that he isn't upset with me that we didn't do as he wanted."

Jake looked at her confused. He reached out his wrist. *clickclickclick* It was secured to his arm. They were now attached, and only his key could separate them.

Dorothy sighed. "Well, it's done." She finally looked at him. She looked annoyed. Resentful.

Jake scratched his head and let out a nervous laugh. "Okay, let's take these off now. That was a weird thing, but you can go now. I'll catch up with my uncle later." He removed the key from the box and was about to unlock the cuffs.

"I have nowhere to go," Dorothy said. She looked around. "So this is where I have to stay?" Her nose scrunched up a little in disgust.

Jake knew his place was a shit hole, but something about her tone vexed him a little. "Look, just go home. I don't know what my uncle is talking about."

"You don't understand. I don't have a home," Dorothy said still looking around. "I was staying with your uncle. He was taking care of me, and I was helping him around his home. If he doesn't want me back yet, then I'm stuck here." She looked at him and frowned. "With you." She said it with some revulsion. Jake could not help but feel insulted.

Jake glared at her. "Fine," he said. He turned away from her and walked towards the couch putting the key in his pocket. He yanked on the chain. Dorothy yelped slightly from the cuff chafing her wrist, but she followed him.

Jake sat on the couch and continued watching TV. Dorothy stared at him for a moment while standing, then sat on the other end and started watching it too.

They watched the movie for a while. Neither said a word to each other. Dorothy finally broke the silence. "Well, you're a bundle of fun, aren't you? I can tell these four months are going to fly by." She groaned.

Jake's irritation was growing. "Look, you can't stay here. Call a friend. Hitch hike back to my uncle. I don't care. But you have to leave."

"You don't get it," she said. She kept her eyes on the TV. "I told you. I have to stay. I have nowhere to go, and I do what your uncle wants me to do. If I'm stuck with you, then that is how it is."

"Why? What's this devotion you have to my uncle anyway? How do you even know him?"

"Frank helped me. I've got a pretty fucked up past. Abuse, drug addiction, legal troubles. He started out as my rehab sponsor. We grew close. Eventually, we became good friends, and he took me in to take care of me. And I took care of him as best I could. I cooked for him, I cleaned, I ran errands for him. Whatever he wanted. I owed him everything."

Jake listened apathetically. "And...?" he started.

"And what?

"So, what, how long were you lovers?"

"We weren't lovers. He never touched me."

"You moved in with him and grew close, and you're telling me your relationship was platonic only?"

"That's right."

"Hard to believe," Jake said dismissively.

Dorothy turned to face Jake. Her expression serious. "If Frank wanted my body, I would have opened my legs to him whenever he wanted. I would have done whatever he asked. He never touched me." She turned back to the TV.

Jake said nothing. He wasn't sure why her response rubbed him the wrong way. He leaned forward to grab what he wanted from the drawer in the coffee table. He pulled the handgun out and held it up slightly for Dorothy to see. She watched him but her expression showed no emotion or reaction.

"Listen to me. You can't stay here because I won't even be here long. I'm done, you got it? So, there is no reason for you to be here. Go back and tell Uncle Frank you delivered the message, but I wasn't here."

Dorothy scoffed. "Oh great." She threw up her hands in disbelief. "That figures. Frank sent me to a miserable loser crying for help with a fake suicide threat."

"I'm not fucking around," Jake said sternly.

"I don't believe you."

"Even if I was," Jake said, "I'm being evicted in three days. I won't even have a home."

"Oh, so you're going to kill yourself because you can't pay rent," she mocked. "Pathetic."

He pointed the gun at her. "Maybe you first and then me. I'm sure the world is better off without another drug addict."

She didn't flinch. "Ex-drug addict."

They stared off for a second. Jake lowered the gun and grumbled unintelligibly.

He stared off at nowhere in particular. "It's not just because of the rent. It's everything. I lost my job. My girlfriend left me. I have no friends. My family doesn't speak to me-" he glanced over at Dorothy for a second, "except Uncle Frank apparently."

Dorothy said nothing. She listened with a disdainful expression, but she kept her eyes on him and let him continue.

"I think it's deeper than that though. I think I've always been like this. It's like there is a hole in me. Like I'm crippled, but on the inside, you know? It's hard to explain. But it's like there is no point in continuing. I'm missing something, and I think it's impossible to find."

"Like what?" she asked, her tone was starting to sound more attentive and less derisive.

"I don't know," his voice was beginning to crack. "Meaning. Purpose. A reason to do...anything." He coughed and cleared his throat, trying to compose himself. He took a swig from his bottle of booze. "Just shut up, okay? Leave me alone."

They sat in silence for a moment. "I don't know," she said, "I'm not sure if life is so hard. Maybe it's just about doing things for others."

Jake managed a weak laugh. "Like you and my uncle, huh? That seriously gives you meaning."

"I'd do anything for him," she said simply. She reached over and patted his leg tenderly, and then she turned to watch the movie.

"Yeah, but there are limits, right? You've got to do something for you too. It can't all just be about other people."

Dorothy just shrugged and continued watching the movie.

"What are your limits?" he asked.

She said nothing. Just kept watching. He stared at her for a while, and he thought about her warm hand patting his leg. An idea crept into his head. He put the gun on the table. "You know..." he started but trailed off. She said nothing.

He thought about the note again. It said: She is now your friend, your helper, your lover, your anything.

"You know," he started again. Meekly. Cautiously. "I do have a house rule involving this couch. You can only sit on it comfortably, but.." he paused a moment but managed to spit out, "But that means no pants allowed."

Dorothy gave him an askew look. She eyed him up and down. "You're wearing pants."

"I put them on to get the door, but I didn't expect to get a flat mate. If you're staying here for a bit, you might as well take them off."

"Maybe you should first. It's your home, right?" she eyed him, but her face showed no emotion.

She is yours to do with as you please. "I want you to take off your pants and give them to me." He couldn't believe he just said that.

Dorothy didn't respond for a moment. Her eyebrows scrunched together as she considered his demand. She rolled her eyes. "Fine," she said and stood up. She started unbuttoning her pants.

Jake's heart started to race a little. "Is this really happening?" he thought to himself in slight disbelief. He watched as she finished unbuttoning and started to push down her jeans. As she bent down slightly to push them down her legs, he ogled her panties. They were simple, white, cotton panties, but he could feel his body getting hotter just seeing them wrapped tightly around her waist and thighs.

She stepped out of her jeans and picked up her pants to hand to him. "Here. You said you wanted them."

He reached out only a little. "Closer," he said softly. She took a couple small steps towards him. He kept eye contact with her, trying to read her face. Her expression remained neutral. Almost bored. "Closer," he said again. She took a couple more steps. Her legs were now touching his knees as he sat and looked up at her.

He took them from her hands and looked down at her panties and thighs. Without even thinking, one of his hands moved to her thigh to touch them. A breath escaped his lips as he touched her soft skin. His fingers moved slowly up and down. She was a little stubbly, like she hadn't shaved for a couple days, but he didn't mind. He felt her supple skin give slightly under his touch. While mesmerized on her leg, he gently dropped her pants on the floor to have his other hand free. He looked back up at her. She was watching him. Her expression changed slightly. The eyes she was giving him looked at him almost...sultry. He wasn't sure. He looked back down at her thighs and his other hand touched her as well. While caressing the back of her leg with one hand, his other hand slowly moved up her thigh. It eventually reached her cotton panties, and he felt where the fabric met her skin. His fingers glided over the fabric and skin to appreciate the difference. Then, as if on instinct, his finger slid underneath. Just as his finger began to explore, she suddenly shook involuntarily. Her tremor was faint, but it was enough for Jake to snap out of his reverie. Jake blinked a few times, and he suddenly felt sheepish.

He removed his hands from her body. "...maybe," he said meekly, "you should sit. Let's watch the movie." She didn't respond for a brief second, and Jake couldn't bring himself to look up at her. She went back to her side of the couch. They continued watching the movie in silence. Jake had no idea how much time passed.

*****

"Jake."

Jake's eyes snapped open. He didn't even realize he fell asleep.

"Jake," Dorothy was looking at him. "I have to pee."

Jake started rubbing his eyes. "Yeah, sure. The bathroom is just down that way."

Dorothy held up her cuffed hand and raised an eyebrow. "Umm...?" she started.

"Oh! Right." Reality was starting to come back to him. He reached into his pocket to grab the key but stopped. He glanced at her. She was antsy. She must have been holding it for a while and really had to go. She was bouncing her legs up and down a little frantically. Her naked, pantless legs. "Uh look, let's just go. I'll walk you there." He got up and guided her to the door.

When they reached the bathroom door, she stopped a moment. She held up her cuffed arm again. "Soo, you want to take care of this?" she asked expectantly.

"Just go," he said., "I'll sit by the wall outside and not watch." He figured the extra-long chain would have enough slack for her to reach the toilet. She gave him a suspicious look but went inside anyway.

He sat against the wall next to the bathroom door, and in only moments heard the tinkling. She really did have to go. The sound seemed to go on for a while. He closed his eyes and listened. He imagined her on the toilet seat. Her panties were probably pulled down to her ankles. She was sitting there. Bottomless. He only had to peek. She was right there. Maybe he could -- his moment was lost as he heard the tinkling turn into a dribble and then stopped. He heard her rolling the toilet paper, then a flush, then the sound of a faucet as she cleansed her hands. In just a few moments, she walked out and looked down at him.

"Thanks." She said simply. "Sorry I woke you. You can go back to bed now. Maybe I won't need to wake you again if you...you know," she held up her wrist. Again. She gave him a slightly annoyed look. He stood up and narrowed his eyes at her.

"Maybe I don't want you loose around my place while I sleep," he said coolly. "I think I'd feel more comfortable with you by me until we talk more in the morning."

She narrowed her eyes too, matching his. "Oh really? What, you don't trust me?"

"I don't know you," he replied.

"So you trust me more shackled to you while you sleep? That's brave. Who knows what I might do to you in the night?" One side of her lip curled up slightly in a smirk.

He drew his face closer to hers. "I think I'll be fine." He said, calling her bluff. Or so he hoped.

She didn't recoil. "That couch is too small."

"I have a bed," he said.

"I'm not tired."

"So what? Get tired."

"I'll jabber all night. I'll drive you crazy."

"Give me your panties." It was almost a growl. This time, she flinched slightly.

"What?" she said.

"You heard me," he said evenly.

"No, you creep."

"My uncle," he said, "you heard the letter. Whatever I want. That's what your Frank said." He reached out his hand, palm up. "Give them to me."