Caging Cadence Ch. 05

And yet...

Strange flashes of her missing hours kept returning, interrupting her bliss. Glimpses of the red light in the closet, of a cherry cane, of an empty room, and an inexplicable anger and despair.

Something dark and sharp twisted inside her every time, reminding her that complacency came at a cost.

But it was so easy to give in when he was kind. She was exhausted, felt completely wrung out. Her pain was getting worse again - if he had drugged her, it was starting to wear off, and all of her welts and bruises were starting to throb. She certainly didn't want his cruelty then, didn't want him to inflict pain or discomfort. She wanted this softness and sweetness.

She liked it, he was right. Who wouldn't, after everything?

So it was easier to let him take her hand and guide her upstairs. She was certain they would reenter Laura's room and return to the closet, but he surprised her, taking her to her own bedroom door. He twisted the knob and pushed on the wood, still holding onto her hand. Then he turned to her.

"Go get ready for bed. I'll be right back to tuck you in."

"...what?" Cadence asked, baffled. She didn't move.

"You heard me." Darkness flashed briefly across his face as she defied him. "Go put some pajamas on and get in bed."

He let go of her hand. Cadence crossed the threshold of her bedroom cautiously, watching him with wide eyes.

"I'll come back in ten minutes to check on you."

He smiled, then gently closed the door.

Cadence was alone. In her own bedroom.

Surreal didn't quite cover it.

She took a deep breath, looking around. There were clear signs of David rummaging through her things. He had hidden her laptop and cell phone, of course, so they weren't in their usual place on her desk. Straps of duct tape were scattered on the carpet underneath the desk - the remains of her poor hiding place. How violating it had been, when he revealed that he'd read her journal...

She opened her dresser drawers, noticing that they were in disarray. That's right - he had come in here to get her clothes, too. He had been in her bedroom far more than she had this weekend. She picked out some comfortable panties, a big t-shirt, and some cotton shorts. Once she was dressed, she automatically went to her door and walked down the hall to the bathroom, routine kicking in. The upstairs bathroom (her bathroom, really) had been untouched by the chaos of the weekend. There was something very soothing about brushing her teeth, washing her face, and brushing her hair out.

It was only when she was finished that she realized she had missed another opportunity for escape.

But where would she even go? How far could she get? She was exhausted and in pain, and he had melted her resistance with his gentle treatment. She knew she was missing something, that hours of their time together were lost to her, but it wasn't bothering her as much as it should have. She just wanted to rest. She wondered if things would look different in the morning - if she would remember more.

Her neighbors were often out of town. It was a very quiet neighborhood, with ample distance between houses. Even if she made it outside, she would have to sprint nearly a quarter of a mile before she reached someone else's door. If David caught her...

She wasn't naive. She hadn't forgotten how cruel he was. And the most unsettling part about her lapse in memory was the additional bruises on her ass and the back of her thighs. If she ran, she could forget about sleeping in her own bed - maybe forget about sleeping altogether. David would make her pay for it. Even if he didn't catch her, freedom wouldn't mean the end of her ordeals - just the beginning of new ones, as she submitted to the justice system.

The time wasn't right, not yet. She needed to recharge, to regain some of her energy and her wits. To clear her head from the rest of the drugs. To give herself a little time to remember.

She finished up in the bathroom. Then she walked obediently down the hall and back into her bedroom.

Cadence climbed into her bed, letting out a relieved groan. Every part of her ached. Her eyelids were heavy. She sank back into her pillows, stretching her legs out.

She started to drift off immediately, unable to resist the pull of her exhaustion.

***

David returned to Cadence's room quietly. Predictably, she was already asleep. It had only been twenty minutes or so, but he had noticed her exhaustion building from the moment they finished dinner. He considered just letting her sleep - but she would doubly hate life in the morning if she didn't take some painkillers.

He set a glass of water and a couple pills down on her nightstand, watching her sleep. Her hair, clearly recently brushed, was covering most of her face, the red strands blowing out a little with her breath. She was curled up on her side, the blanket drawn up to her shoulder. He could see the top of a baggy, cotton-t-shirt above that, covering her chest and shoulders.

He felt a surge of resentment. She was so goddamn beautiful. He had claimed so much of her. And now he was just going to let her go? Some other guy was going to get to pick up her pieces and put her back together? Someone else was going to claim all of this softness and tenderness for himself? After all the work David did in shattering her?

There was magic and fire there, and he had wanted to glory and glut in it with her. He'd fucked it all up. There was no long-term, not unless he stole it from her - and that wasn't sustainable. She'd escape, or her resentment would build beyond what he could handle.

Goddamn it.

He sighed, sitting down on the edge of her bed, resting his hand on the blanket where it covered the curve of her hip. She gasped a little, her eyes fluttering open. She sat up when she saw him, looking apologetic.

"Was I supposed to stay awake, sir?"

David was torn between a smile and a cringe.

"We can drop that stuff for now, Cadence."

She blinked. "What, really?" Her voice was scratchy and soft.

He laughed a little, but it was hollow. "Yeah, really. Even evil sadists need a break."

He gestured to the water and the pills. "I know you're sore now, but you're going to feel a lot worse in the morning. And you should probably drink most of that water."

"You're not going to hold the cup for me?" Cadence asked, genuinely curious.

He shook his head. "Not this time."

She narrowed her eyes. "And those painkillers won't interact negatively with whatever you gave me today?"

David smirked. "I told you what I gave you. But you don't remember, do you?"

Cadence clenched her jaw, not responding.

He rubbed his cheek with the palm of his hand, feeling tired.

"That is one of the side effects, so - y'know, makes sense." He sighed. "The pills should be fine. You'll regret it if you don't take them, trust me." A warning, not a threat. She seemed to understand.

She finally put the pills in her mouth, took a sip of water, then titled her head back, swallowing with a little wince. A moment later, her head was back on her pillow, her scarlet hair spread out against the cotton in a messy fan. She snuggled down into her bedding, wiggling her hips and toes - it was impossible how cute she was, and how unaware she could be of her effect on him.

"We're not done," he reminded her gently. "I have more planned for tomorrow."

She blinked a few times, her eyelids drooping. "I know." She yawned.

"You'll be good, right?" He couldn't hide the desperation in his voice. "I have a lot to show you, on this side of things. But you have to behave. I'll put you back in that cage if I have to. I'll stop being nice if you make me."

Cadence shivered a little. "Okay."

"Drink some more water."

Cadence sat up slightly, taking a few more long sips. He watched her under the guise of making sure she drank enough, but mostly for an excuse to look at her. When the water was mostly gone, he patted her cheek. Unable to resist, he leaned in and gave her a soft kiss, drinking in her face from up close, smiling.

"Good girl," he whispered. "Go to sleep now. I'll see you in the morning."

She nodded sleepily, closing her eyes. It was less than a minute before she was breathing deeply, dropping off to sleep again.

David left her room, closing the door behind him. Now that she was settled and he was alone, the reality of his situation was starting to creep up on him. How long would she forget? Was there any chance this would last?

Would he wake up and regret this reprieve? What if she remembered before the morning, and tried to escape?

It was a chance he would have to take. He was exhausted too, he had to admit. But he decided to at least sleep in the living room, which was a more central location in the house. At least he'd have a better chance of intercepting her that way.

He stopped off in the kitchen, retrieving Cadence's phone from its hiding place. Laura hadn't tried to contact her again. But she had another two messages from Lily, who seemed to be getting increasingly worried about her. He shot off something generic about being up late studying, hoping that would be enough to make the girl stop freaking out so much. It helped that it was almost three-thirty in the morning, and that Cadence was known for her late-night study sessions.

He made sure the phone was on vibrate, then slipped it into his pocket, deciding he needed to keep a closer eye on it, in case Lily tried to contact Cadence again. He didn't want to rouse any suspicions, not so close to the end. He was carrying his own phone too, keeping it close in case Laura suddenly decided to come home again. The last thing they needed was another unexpected visitor.

His pocketknife was in his other pocket. He just felt better with it nearby.

He didn't want to think of why, of what he could possibly need it for. He told himself that it was just to threaten her with, to scare her into compliance - he'd never take it further.

It had worked well enough as a threat before. Hopefully he wouldn't ever need it for anything more than that and cutting tape.

Finally, David walked into the living room and collapsed face-forward onto the couch, still wearing his jeans. It wasn't long before he passed out - he had been ignoring his own exhaustion for too long.

It was time for them both to rest.

***

Cadence had troubling dreams.

David was the star, of course. She knew it wouldn't be her last dream about him.

She was trapped in a dark room, unable to move her arms or legs, but desperate to escape. She was screaming like a feral cat, thrashing and kicking, standing up straight but unable to take a single step.

David prowled and hissed from the shadows, always just out of view, taunting her with her darkest secrets, with her most shameful and dirty desires. He would periodically touch her from behind, cupping her breasts tenderly, or pinching her nipples hard, or circling his fingers around her clit. Every time she turned her head to look at him, he would disappear, laughing.

He kept promising to let her go, if she did just one more thing for him; if she let him do just one more thing to her; if she would just give him one last thing -

Complying did nothing to make it stop.

Fighting only made it worse.

David spent an eternity in her dreams torturing her and mocking her, teasing her and pleasuring her.

Finally, when she was certain she couldn't take anymore, when she would've given anything to fuck him, he pulled his cock out (it was absurdly large, and more threatening than it had ever been in real life) and forced himself inside her, laughing in her face as she cried. He fucked her too hard while biting her lips and neck, scratching at her back like an animal, thrusting against her mercilessly. He mocked her as she sobbed and begged him to fuck her harder, faster, to hurt her with it -

Cadence woke up right on the edge of orgasm, the thought of his cock inside of her burned into her brain.

She shuddered, covered in sweat, her cunt twitching. Her panties and the sheet underneath were soaked through. She had been so close to completion, and it had all felt so real - for a dizzy moment she was certain he had just left her, his presence still lingering in her empty bedroom.

She drew her knees up to her chest, burying her head in her arms, trying unsuccessfully to banish the lasting images of her dream from her head. Dream David had been the epitome of everything she loved and hated about him. The more he tormented her, the more she wanted him. By the time he had penetrated her in the dream, she'd been nearly sobbing with need, and she had begged him for it for a long time before he finally gave in.

She swallowed hard, trying to banish the images from her mind. She looked around, seeking touchstones in reality. She was alone in her bedroom still. The very first glimmers of dawn were coloring the walls, making the light a murky cerulean, casting cold shadows.

She saw the glass of water on her nightstand and snatched it up, swallowing what was left greedily. It was hardly a full swallow. She wished she had thought to ask David for more. Part of her wanted to go back to sleep, to postpone facing him in reality. At least in her dreams she could wake up. Even if she woke up frustrated and needy and half-tempted to seek him out anyway.

She felt safe in her room. She hadn't felt safe all weekend.

Cadence rubbed her eyes with one hand, scooting to the edge of her bed. She hissed as this awoke new pain in her backside. David had been right - she was incredibly sore, her thighs and ass feeling tender and raw against even the cool softness of her sheets.

She wondered if it had been long enough to take more painkillers. She stood up, picking up the glass and walking out of her room, down the hall to the bathroom. She refilled her cup and drank it all, then refilled it again. She rooted around in the drawers and medicine cabinet for any spare pills, but couldn't find any.

There were some in the kitchen, she knew. She wandered out of the bathroom and down the stairs. It was such a familiar action, like she had woken up too early with a headache on a weekend. It could have been any other night.

Except, when she reached the bottom of the stairs, she found David sprawled out in the living room, asleep on the couch.

Her heart started pounding and she froze in place, suddenly uncertain. Surely he wouldn't mind if she got herself more water and painkillers, right? He hadn't told her to stay in her room.

But who would he be when he woke up? The kind, doting man that had tucked her in, that kissed her softly? Or the cold, arrogant sadist who was the reason she needed painkillers in the first place?

She watched him for a long, tense moment. He was sleeping peacefully, snoring a little, face-down on the couch. One of his arms dangled off the cushions, draped against the floor. She had never noticed how muscular he was before. He had wrestled out of his jeans at some point - they were bunched up in a pile on the cushion near his feet. She could see the curve of his ass through his boxer briefs, the thickness of his thighs and calves more apparent from behind. She had always thought of him as skinny before the beginning of this weekend. Seeing him in this nearly-naked, prone state, she had a long opportunity to study him, and it brought into perspective the lean strength of his body.

Cadence shook her head, marveling. Even with the impressive muscles, he still managed to look almost...cute, when he was sleeping. She almost couldn't believe herself for thinking that, but there it was.

But on the edge of that thought - that dark, twisted feeling in the pit of her stomach again. Those snatches of lost time haunting her at the most unexpected moments. The brutal and unexplained marks on her backside.

He was cute like a sleeping wolf. Softened by rest, peaceful and visually striking, when not actively hunting her - but still capable of tearing into her with razor sharp teeth if awakened.

She was starting to feel better, now that she'd had a few hours of sleep. Having time away from him to rest had given her space to regather some of her wits.

If it hadn't been for that damn dream...

Dream David had been the quintessential sadist - mocking her, laughing at her, making her feel worthless. The thought of that, and of him finally thrusting his cock into her, had been what brought her right to the edge of coming in her sleep. Not the sweet man who had tenderly sucked her clit until she gushed all over his face. Not the breathless boy she had made out with on her mother's bed. No - it was the one who made her feel like dirt who invaded her subconscious memories, who haunted her now. The darkness twisted into a thrill of something like excitement. She could still feel wetness between her legs, feel the ache of emptiness in her cunt.

She couldn't differentiate anxiety from anticipation with him. Maybe they were equivalent in measure - too perfectly blended to be separated.

Cadence turned away from him, going to the kitchen. She had mused for so long that the sun was truly beginning to rise, coloring the kitchen in rosy gold. After she drank some more water and took some more medicine, she stared out the back window, taking a moment to admire the way the dew glimmered on the grass.

She had always loved this time of day. It was quiet and solitary. It was easier to make sense of things in this light. Easier to ignore her aching body - and her aching cunt. And she was always best at planning in the early morning.

If she was ever going to get anything like justice, she needed proof. And she knew those surveillance videos were just waiting on her mother's computer, ready to be copied over and used as irrefutable evidence that Cadence in no way chose to submit to David.

This had nagged at her all weekend, in the back of her mind. Cadence knew the world they lived in, knew that enough money and the right legal team could make even a rock solid case like hers unstable. In a rape trial, even one as extreme as this, both parties ended up questioned like suspects. Even if she went to the police right away, even with her clean academic record, even with the extent of her bruises - it would be too easy for David to argue that they'd had a consensually kinky weekend that had just gotten a little out of hand. He could drag out a case for weeks. Laura complained constantly of this tactic being used by the defense against the clients she represented.

Why did the thought of her mother make her so uneasy? A spike of anxiety jabbed into her chest. Cadence didn't want to face it. She pushed the feeling away, trying to focus.

She didn't want all of that - a messy court case. She didn't want her past scrutinized, or her mother's past, or her family's past - the Clarks had enough secrets to fill an encyclopedia. She wasn't willing to deal with the pressure, with even the slightest chance that David might get away with this.

But that wasn't all.

Cadence knew what David really wanted, what he had been building up to all weekend.

And she couldn't deny that she wanted it too.

Even if she hadn't dreamed about him...her curiosity was all-consuming. She had experienced so much. More than most people did in their entire lives, maybe.

This was the one thing she and David hadn't shared.

At first, she had wanted to keep it from him for that reason. She had clung desperately to the idea that it would be the one thing he wouldn't get to take from her.

But that desire felt hollow and shallow now, hardly relevant in the face of everything else he had done.

If she was already broken beyond repair - if he had already taken everything from her - why not let him have this? She wanted it too. She wanted to fuck him. She had been desperate to know how it might feel ever since he'd taken her ass. That had been a delicious and deviously pleasurable experience, better than she ever could have expected.