This reminder caused her spine to stiffen as she pointed out, ‘I didn’t know you would be here tonight. I swear I didn’t. I don’t want you to ...hink–‘ ‘Don’t worry about it, Heather,’ he gently interrupted with a smile and a soft, calming touch on her arm. He sent a nod of greeting toward Cassie. ‘I’m glad you both came. It’s nice to see a familiar face or two in this crowd.’ ‘Oh yeah? How does it feel to be a hot hunk up for grabs, Jake?’ Cassie teased with her old familiarity. With a. That wasn’t like her at all. Her eyes were half closed like she was barely awake. She was totally changed from the vivacious girl I knew. I asked her how she was and she didn’t say much but that her Mom wanted her to come back to work. She asked for the night shift. That was odd. No one wants to work the night shift. But I said, yeah, of course. Then she said something odd. She said, “Isaac, I’m thirsty, I’m so thirsty all the time now.” I offered her water, pop, tea, but she didn’t want any of. This was really a steptoo far. I would tell him when I depart. I had missedÊ not to discuss limits, dosand do-nots with him in the beginning, I had to make that up as soon aspossible.Ê ÒSir, please, stop it, please, I canÕt stand it, SirÓ, I pleaded.Ê ÒAs a warningÓ he replied.He removed the electrodes, which quite relieved me and made me believe thatthe worst was over. I was worried, too. I hoped that I was not damaged forall time.Ê ÒYou have still one punishment to take, slave, you know. It had been so long. She turned a page, then another and another, and then she saw it. The magazine advertisement... 'some people do everything in a big way' it said... a lovely blonde girl stood before the big new model Cadillac, one hand on the car door, the other resting on the shoulder saddle of a huge harlequin Dane... 'big dog, big car, big savings' it said in great glaring print 'why not have the very best?' Carolyn looked at the ad with a look of gentle longing. It was a magnificent.