Master! Master! Pt. 16

"Hey." I jerked, feeling a hand on my shoulder. I looked up to see Elise behind me. "I was calling out to you. Didn't you hear me? Is something wrong?"

"Huh? Oh... no, nothing is wrong."

Elise slithered around and sat on the chair beside me. "I know you well enough to be able to tell when something is off. You've been like a robot all afternoon. What's going on?"

I took a deep breath, wringing my hands together. "It was so simple when we got here. We'd let the CDC study us, and when the zoo animals came, we'd teach them about the outside world and help them find permanent homes." I looked at Elise. "Now I don't want that to happen."

"You don't want them to leave."

"I realized it this morning when my girls and I all huddled together. That moment, when I was surrounded by them, I was so happy, and I realized nothing on Earth could make me happier than that. I told Neija that I would help her find a direction in life, find a path that would take her anywhere on Earth. I knew that wherever she ended up, she'd do great. Then Lola asked for the same thing, and all day long, the girls have been coming up to me and asking me to help them find out where they can go. They all want to go out and explore the world.

Part of me had just hoped that some of them would want to stay with me, maybe enough that the CDC would continue letting us live here, and... I don't know."

"Come on, you knew this day was coming. You can't just live in this mansion for the rest of your life with them. I get it, you're feeling empty nest syndrome."

"I love them. I don't want them all to leave me. I don't want to have to say goodbye." Before I knew it, my eyes were stinging with tears and my nose was getting stuffed up.

Without warning, Elise slapped me across the face. I looked at her, stunned, to find a warm smile on her face and watering eyes. She placed her hand on my aching cheek. "Do you have any idea how much I adore you? How much I admire you? Only you could talk about going home with a harem of five beautiful animal girls, not to mention your booty-call Betty just a short drive away and have the balls to complain that it's not enough." She laughed and I couldn't help but laugh with her.

"I love them," I said again.

"I know you do, and that's how you know you did it right, that the thought of letting them go hurts you this much. Remember that night when I transformed, when you told me about Penelope? I said that you were the best guy this could have happened to, and it's truer now than it was even then. Those girls are so lucky to have you looking after them. Those girls are your lovers and like your children. You've loved them as a man and now it's time to love them as a parent, and that means getting them ready to set out on their own. The best thing you can do now is work hard to get them in a position to where they can make their dreams come true.

You've done nothing wrong. You have nothing to regret. This is what you're supposed to feel, and know that wherever they are, they will love you."

I took a deep, shuddering breath. "You're right."

"And for fuck's sake, you'll have Momo, Sonja, Chloe, Leah, and Jenny riding you every night after everyone else leaves. Hell, you'll have to come to my farm at least three times a week to give Betty the playtime she needs. You sure as Hell won't be lonely. But I suppose if that still isn't enough for you, I might decide to leave my bedroom door open." She then grasped my hands and pulled me to my feet. "Come on, let's get inside. Now is when you should be spending all the time you can with those girls. Besides, these mosquitos are driving me nuts."

I stood there, holding her hands. "Sure. And Elise? Thank you."

She smiled and ruffled my hair the way I would with the girls. "You're a good Master."

--

For the next month, Lorraine and I helped our hybrids figure out what they wanted to do with their lives, turning us from camp counselors into guidance counselors. First, we taught everyone how to read and write, then we began researching their hobbies, using TV, books, and the internet. While Lorraine and I worked, Dr. Lawrence and the CDC interviewed possible adoption candidates, people with similar interests who'd give the hybrids homes and help them achieve their goals. After spending their lives in a zoo, surrounded by walls and fences, all the hybrids wanted to journey out into the world, see everything it had to offer, so we were looking at caretakers across the globe, people who would welcome such amazing creatures into their families.

During the days, we would teach them about human social interactions, give them practice in speaking with people. We taught them how to control their feelings and emotions so their animal instincts wouldn't take over, taught them the value of rules and laws in human society, as well as manners. Beyond simply reading and writing, we also taught them basic math, some world history, explored different religions and cultures, and the customs they would find in whatever country they were going to.

And during the night, I made love to my girls. True, we didn't have any more humungous sleepovers, mainly because I didn't think it was good for my health, but each night, half a dozen girls would join me, Momo, and the others, and we would spend half the night playing. In time, they would all go their separate ways, being welcomed into whole new families, finding lovers, and possibly even getting married, but for now, they were here with me, and I used every moment of every day to show them how much I loved them.

Then, the day arrived.

--

We were all standing outside the mansion on a beautiful summer day, watching a convoy of buses and cars roll up the driveway. All the zoo hybrids were dressed, carrying bags full of possessions they had collected since coming here. One by one, I hugged each the girls, all of us trying to hold back tears. I wanted so badly to ask them to stay, and I knew part of them wished I would, but more than anything, after lifetimes of captivity, they wanted to see what the world had to offer. This mansion, as huge as it was, just wasn't big enough for them.

"You have your phone?" I kept asking.

All the girls were given phones with my number inside. I told them that if they ever got into trouble, no matter when or where, be it Antarctica in the middle of winter, I would fly and over and help them out. They also had bracelets with GPS trackers in case of emergencies. The CDC had been very thorough in screening adoption candidates, checking references and performing background checks. Just being squeaky clean wasn't good enough to look after any of my girls, they had to be the best that humanity had to offer, but of course I worried. I would worry about all of them until the day I died.

"Ok, everyone, get together for a picture!" Dr. Lawrence hollered. We all gathered by the mansion entrance, huddled together. There were so many of us that the picture would have to be panoramic. "Everybody say cheese!"

"Cheese!"

He took the picture, and then it was another round of goodbyes, this time with waterworks. Even Lorraine and her men were crying. I'll admit it, I cried like a little bitch. "This isn't goodbye forever," I kept telling the girls, "you have to promise you'll visit me." They all promised.

Neija was the last. We held each other extra tight. "Thank you, Master," she whispered in my ear. "Thank you for turning me. Thank you for giving me this life to live."

"You're welcome." I said it not with my voice, but with a kiss.

Waving goodbye and shedding tears, the zoo hybrids climbed into buses and cars and finally departed. Me, Lorraine, Elise, Dr. Lawrence, the doctors and cooks, Momo, Sonja, Chloe, Betty, Leah, Jenny, Steve, Tobi, Alex, and Peter watched them disappear down the road, and then it was over.

--

For the next few days, everyone in the house was in a slump. After having over a hundred people living with us, the mansion now felt so big and empty with just... the thirteen of us. Wow, I guess that's still a lot. But I missed hearing a chorus of happy voices down the halls and in the dining room. We had all grown to love the zoo hybrids. Chloe especially took it hard, having lost her best friend. Whenever I saw her, her ears were drooping all the way down and she was holding her tail.

What was also a bummer was losing the cooks. Now that it was back to our original group, Elise and I were back to preparing dinner.

--

"So what's going to happen to this place?" I asked, speaking with Dr. Lawrence in the mansion's clinic.

"The CDC is thinking of turning it into a shelter for hybrids that don't have homes. Either that or selling it to a weight-loss company to be turned into a fat camp. All right, in you go."

He motioned to a large metal box in the middle of the clinic, just slightly larger than a coffin, and standing straight up. It was made of lead and various other metals that blocked radiation. I stepped inside, seeing Geiger counters along the walls and in the corners. They all crackled from the ambient radiation of the room, but as soon as I closed the door behind me, they fell silent. Dr. Lawrence knocked on the door a minute later and I stepped out. He had a long stretch of paper with undulating lines on it, like it had been used for a polygraph.

He gave a sigh of exhaustion. "Nothing. You give off as much radiation as a turkey sandwich."

Since coming here, everyone in our crazy menagerie had undergone every test known to man, trying to find something to explain this phenomenon. Bupkis. Zilch. Nada. No machine built by man could pick up anything. Lorraine had even suggested we try a Ouija Board. Dr. Lawrence agreed simply out of desperation for a result, but all we found out was that she loved to screw with us. It was disheartening to say the least, to have come all this way and not have an answer. Not since Betty (and possibly Elise, we're still not sure) had Lorraine and I transformed an animal by accident, but that wasn't saying much, considering how isolated we were in this mansion.

All that waiting and anxiety with nothing to show for it. Talk about a kick in the teeth.

"So what now? My girls and I just go home?"

"Well there isn't much of a reason to stay. The renovations to your house have been completed and we'll continue to offer financial support for you and the girls, as well as study your behaviors. There is nothing else we can do. Humanity simply isn't advanced enough to understand this insanity."

--

The next day, we all packed up our things and prepared to leave. Now that we had Jenny with us, my Subaru was overflowing with bodies and luggage, so I had to tie a few suitcases to the roof.

"Are we really going home?" Chloe asked.

I rubbed her head. "Yep. I know you had reservations about coming here, but aren't you glad you did?"

She smiled and nodded. "Yeah! It was a lot of fun!"

"Ugh, it's going to suck going back to living as a farmer," said Elise.

"I think it's time for you to get over this fear of touching the ground. I know for a fact that you get caked in cow shit on a daily basis," said Betty.

"I don't get "caked!" And by the way, a fair amount of that shit was yours!"

"All I know is that everyone in the barn wants to see you and I'll drag you out of that house if I have to."

"What are you two complaining about?" asked Lorraine. "You've got me and my four pillar men helping you. It'll be smooth sailing!"

Betty then strode over to me. "Master, I expect you to make frequent visits. I can only go so long before I need a rough ride."

"Don't worry, I'll be around plenty, mainly to help Lorraine annoy you and Elise."

Betty smiled and kissed me, and when she walked away, I slapped her on the rear, giving her a happy little spring in her step. I then walked over to Dr. Lawrence, standing by the door.

"I'll be in town for a few more days, then I'll fly to Atlanta to give a full briefing of everything that has gone on."

I shook his hand. "Thanks for everything. I can't tell you how much I appreciate the help you've given us."

"It was certainly for a good cause. Take care."

I nodded and walked back to my car.

"I finally get to see Master's home!" Jenny said with a smile.

"Just remember to keep your expectations low. After all, you've spent all this time living in a mansion."

--

"Yay! We're finally home!"

Sonja cheered as we pulled up the familiar driveway. Ah, it was good to return to our old cabin. Actually, it was no longer just a cabin. It had been extensively remodeled, now almost four times its original size and with all the room we'd need. I had seen the blueprints and been involved in the planning, but I hadn't bothered checking out the progress or the end result until the now. The work crew had done a great job, both in building it and cleaning up the mess afterward, though it would probably be a good idea to get a magnet and search the lawn for screws and nails. Speaking of which, the lawn was badly overgrown, as well as our garden.

We unloaded our luggage from the car and stepped inside. The kitchen had been extensively redone, with a huge freezer and food pantry installed. It had cannibalized the space we used as a living room, but that wasn't a problem. It led off to several rooms, all of which could be easily converted into a den, guest bedrooms, a home office, or whatever I wanted. It would certainly be nice to not have the washer and dryer ten feet from the TV. We even had a second bathroom. Going upstairs, we found an expanded bedroom, along with plenty other multipurpose rooms. Oh Lawrence, I owe you big time. We had a huge bed, just like at the mansion, and rubber-lined tank for Leah to sleep in next to us.

"So, Jenny, what do you think of this house? I know it's smaller."

She smiled and gave me a big hug. "It's perfect. It's nice and cozy."

--

After we unpacked our things, we started arranging the furniture. Since I didn't have a lot of possessions, the building crew didn't need to worry much about things getting destroyed during the renovation, but there were still plenty of things that needed to be moved around while they worked, like the couch and TV, both wrapped in plastic to protect them from dust. Before we left, I had done all I could to get things out of the way for them, but it's not like I had a lot of space to work with in the first place.

We picked a new living room, moving the couch and TV inside, and then all collapsed on it. Well, me, Momo, Sonja, Chloe, and Jenny collapsed on it. Leah had a beanbag chair made of a special laminated material that didn't bother her skin or get dirty due to her slime.

"It's good to be home."

--

That night, I cooked dinner in our new kitchen and we ate in our brand-new dining room. Well, I was sitting at the table. The girls were finally able to revert to their original habit of eating out of food bowls. I now had five animal vixens eating side by side on the floor, their faces buried in food with their tails wagging. I could live to be a hundred and still never get tired of the sight. Then, after dinner, we spent some more time watching TV, and it was up to bed.

"It's so nice being back home. Momo missed it," my cat said we climbed onto the bed.

"But I still miss living at the mansion with everyone," Sonja whined.

"I know you do," I replied, "I sure as hell miss everyone. But we'll see them all again."

"But on the plus side, now we're back to the five of us getting all of Master's time!" said Jenny with a mischievous grin.

I laughed and rubbed her head. "That's definitely true. Now, how about we break in this new bed?"

"Yay!" they all cheered before jumping on me.

--

"Master, where are we going?" Jenny asked.

"It's a surprise, you'll see," I replied.

It was a bright sunny day and I was leading the girls into the woods. Sonja and I were carrying a cooler full of food, while in Momo's hands was a large picnic blanket.

"That reminds me. Leah, I don't know if you ever saw this spot."

I looked back at Momo, Sonja, and Chloe. I could tell they knew where I was taking them, but they weren't sad about it. If anything, I think they looked relieved. We hiked through the woods for the good while, finding the underbrush flourishing and growing rampant, but not enough for us to lose our way. We finally arrived, finding a cross made of two sticks stuck in the ground. Moss and small flowers had claimed the soil around it. I stood in front of the spot, my heart lighter than it was the last time I was here.

"Master, what is this?" Jenny asked.

"I never told you or Leah about her. This last winter, a deer appeared out here in the woods. We didn't get to her in time and she froze to death." Jenny and Leah stiffened and a mournful look appeared on Momo, Sonja, and Chloe's faces. "Her name is Penelope. When spring came, I came back here and gave her a proper burial." I looked back at the girls and smiled. "But alive or dead, she is a member of our family, and we can still enjoy a nice picnic here with her."

My smile appeared on their faces, and working together, they unraveled the blanket and laid it out next to the grave. Sonja and I opened the cooler and we handed out the food. On a day like this, with warm sunlight and a sweet breeze, there was nowhere I'd rather be than having a picnic with my girls. We ate our lunch and chatted, I even pulled out a frisbee and threw it for Sonja and Jenny while Momo laid out in a sunbeam and Chloe and Leah played in the creak just down the hill. It truly was a beautiful day,

--

"Master, what happens when we die?" Chloe asked as she watched me bury some carrots from our garden in the soil of Penelope's grave. All the girls looked at me, waiting for my answer.

I kept my eyes on the ground, trying to choose my words. "No one really knows for sure. Some people believe you live on as a soul without a body, either roaming the universe or being reborn into something else, possibly going on to reach a place called Heaven. Others believe that you simply cease existing, that it's like falling into a dreamless sleep."

"But what do you believe?" Sonja asked.

"I'm not sure. I've always left it as... I'll find out when that day comes. For me, it's not really that I believe in anything, just a matter of hoping for the best. I don't know what happens when we die, but I like to think that Penelope is right here with us, and I don't mean because she's buried here."

I then looked back at the girls and they all pounced on me, hugging me tightly.

"Whoa, girls!"

"We'll always be with you, Master," they each said.

--

The ringing of my phone jerked me awake. The room was pitch-black, minus the glowing numbers on my alarm clock. It was just after 3 AM.

"Hmmmm, Master, I don't want to get up..." Momo groaned.

"Chloe, can you hand me my phone?" I asked.

Chloe did what I asked and hid under the blankets to escape the noise. The caller ID said Dr. Lawrence. It had been two weeks since I had last seen him.

"Doc, what's up?"

"We have a situation."

I sat up. "Bad or good?"

"It's a game-changer. We just got a report that a Chinese news anchor transformed into a goat hybrid on live TV."

"You're fucking with me. You mean like Elise?"

"Yeah. The Chinese government has suppressed the footage but shared it with the WHO and the WHO shared it with the CDC. I just emailed it to you."

I got out of bed and went downstairs to my laptop. Unfortunately, this isn't a movie, so it took a few minutes for me to turn it on and just get to my homepage. Then there was the problem of bringing up a browser window, with my computer apparently aware that I was in a rush, because it was taking forever.

"How many people know about this? Unofficially?" I asked.

"At least half of China has heard about it by now. No one can find the actual footage, but a lot of people saw it happen."