Alter story

Nicky managed to fall asleep, or rather, to fall unconscious. His Master returned to him in due time. He undid the leash from the wall brace. Squatted in front of him and rubbed Nicky's cheek with the back of his hand.

- Wake up, sweetie, - he softly whispered. - Come now, you good for nothing dirty piece of fucking meat, the guests are waiting! - Master grabbed him by his hair and started pulling.

The exhaustion was killing him. The time he was allowed to rest was clearly not enough. Even though, his body was trained to sustain pain and abuse for a while. His mind was blank. He just wanted a little more time. The time to rest and think. Today, something weird had happened to him. Masters had his body used by other people, but at the same time their attitude... Previously, they had been indifferent to him, they had been making a silent toy out of him, by beating his soul out with whips. And for sure, their attitude today broke something inside Nicky, but he had no time to contemplate about it.

His legs were bent in knees, he was touching his cheeks with his feet, held by leather belts in that area and near his knees, spread out, allowing full access to his back door. His arms, which were interlocked by his wrists and above the elbows, stretched upwards, and so did the belts that were attached to his vest rings, as well as to the similar rings on his legs and the collar. He was hanging waist-high in the air. And once again, they fucked him. His front and back simultaneously, as usual. Nicky was crying, trying to cut off his thoughts, as if nothing special was happening to him. He tried to relax through the pain, without thinking what these people were making out of his whole, that felt like being turned to mush.

A while later, that felt like eternity, Masters took him down. They gave him a short break, around half an hour, which he spent being curled up on the cold floor, without even noticing how cold it was. Nothing was restricting him, but still, he had no energy to move. No one touched him, and he remained in the state of disturbing sleep.

Something was rumbling in the hall, the people were chatting and laughing, Gero came over a few times, and Nicky knew well that it was far from over, they were brewing something more for him.

Then, his Master came to Nicky and undressed him. Half-concious Nicky just obeyed the touches that guided him. Master took everything from him - the vest, the belts from his legs, the shorts and what remained of his stockings. Now, Nicky was wearing his classic attire - his collar and leather braces on his ankles and wrists. Upon a quick thought, Master removed the rings from his nipples and his navel piercing. Nicky wanted to ask what was going on, but he knew that he wasn't allowed to ask questions.

- You look a bit sluggish... and dirty. Let's freshen you up, - the only thing that Master said to him.

He led him to the middle of the hall, or the stage, as Nicky called it, the space between the screens and the sofas, where all the main actions took place, and ordered him to get on his back. He bent one of his legs and tied it, just like he had done it before. He bent his arms and connected them together with Nicky's palms facing the opposite directions, got them behind his back and attached to the collar. Additionally, the arms were strapped together with a few more belts. Afterwards, Master attached a chain to Nicky's free leg, picked a remote and once again, Nicky was hanging upside down. Master took a hose and washed Nicky with a soft gush of warm water, paying extra attention to his butt and face, allowing him to spit out excessive water, after that, he pushed a transparent aquarium with icy water in it. With a click of a button, Master could drown Nicky like a helpless kitten.

But Master put the remote away and stepped closer to his prey, hanging upside down. And completely out of the blue, he began tenderly stroking Nicky's nude body. Swaying his warm arm all over him.

- We made a bet with the guests to find out how durable you are, - Master spoke, without stopping moving his hand. Your Mistress and I believe that you can endure many things, and even get off to whips and lashes. Our guests believe the opposite, - he leaned to his ear and whispered: "Amateurs" and then again, he leaned backwards and continued the strokes.

Nicky mentally agreed with the "amateurs", there was no pleasure in those things. Pain is pain. And supposedly, he didn't make it to the ranks of masochists to love it. But if pain was mixed with pleasure and arousal, it was a different thing; there was completely no pleasure in pure pain.

- I suppose, you disagree with us, although, I don't expect an answer from you. Today is going to be different from all the other times we used to punish you. Thus, you have the opportunity not to let your Masters down.

It was an obvious threat. His Master made it clear, that if they were to lose the bet, there would be dire consequences for Nicky. But it was unclear how he should express such pleasure, so that is why he immediately dispatched the thoughts of imitation, being afraid to do it wrong. An exposed lie was one of the many reasons for Masters to severely punish Nicky.

- Of course, I understand that it is difficult for you. But rest assured, if you relax, I will help you. One more thing. Don't be afraid, I am with you. And everything is under control.

It was the first time Nicky heard such words. Sure, they always had everything under control, but still, there was menace coming from them. The words "don't be afraid" also sounded weird next to "everything is under control". But right now, Master was saying it to uphold the guarantee that nothing extraordinary would happen at the moment, and promising to stop, if things go sour.

- I allow you to speak and beg for more, thus helping yourself and us to win that trivial bet. - Master turned to the silent audience on the sofas, smiling. Then he went to the table with the toys and chose a tailed soft flogger. He leaned to Nicky's face.

- Are you ready, my boy? - he whispered it quietly, so the others couldn't hear them.

- Yes, Master, - Nicky replied with a restrained voice, although he really was not.

- Good boy, - Master pulled him closer and kissed his lips. It was so unexpected, that Nicky lost his breath. Master kissed him, the first time in his life, right into his lips. It was unfathomable.

The flogger cut through the air and landed on Nicky's butt, leaving him no time to come to senses. No pain, nearly stroking. Master carefully ran like this through Nicky's whole body, leaving genitals and face. Afterwards, he slowly increased the power of the strikes, rhythmically landing the flogger. The most powerful ones lashed Nicky's butt and spine, his stomach and chest were treated slightly more tenderly. Then, Master stopped, and for a little while, he replaced lashes with soft strokes of his hands.

- More, Master, - Nicky whispered, and Master replaced hands with the whip, the lashes were warming and didn't bring that much pain. Undeniably, it was pleasant, soft, nearly unnoticeable pain of strokes, the only thing that was uncomfortable was his pose. But through all his bunker life, Nicky experienced many uncomfortable positions, and now it couldn't outweigh the pleasure.

- Do you like it?

- Yes, Master... thank you, - he concluded with a brief hesitation. Supposedly, he should thank him.

And so, the man continued on, making short breaks, striking harder. Nicky closed his eyes, tried to forget about the strangers, as they disrupted his tranquility. The lashes got more and more tangible, but then they would become softer, getting harsher right before the decline. Master hit him in a wave pattern. It lasted for a while. And it kept becoming more intense. The skin in the whipping area became of a reddish tint.

- More, - Nicky kept whispering increasingly rare, not because it was painful, but because he became oddly relaxed, he looked forward with his opened eyes, but he could see neither the people nor the sofas, or maybe he did see them, but payed little to no attention. Only the sound of the flogger on the skin in his ears. Measured and rhythmic. Nicky shook his head. What the hell was that? He seemingly drifted away and forcefully jolted himself back to reality.

- More. Harder! Please, Master - he nearly cried out. Hoping that the pain will sober him up. But it seemed, that Master found out that something was happening to him. He stopped and leaned forward.

- What is it? - he spoke calmly, with no menace.

- I want harder, Master. Please, - Nicky whispered in response.

- I've already told you to relax.

- I don't understand what is happening to me, Master.

- You're fine, if you want to drift away, then do it. I will help you to stay on the surface.

- Very well, Master. - Nicky realized what he had to do. It was a test of trust, Master did that on purpose, aware of the reaction. Nicky just had to relax, embracing this state.

Master continued lashing him in the same rhythm as before, and when Nicky began drifting away again, he added a flogger with tied tails to the game in his other hand. He demonstrated it before Nicky's face. Now the lashes were different. This flogger was much heavier and more painful than the previous one, but Master was carefully choosing the spots to hit and varied the devices, briefly snapping Nicky back from his state of mind. Only to make him drift away with the rhythmic hits.

- I want more, Master. - Nicky grew numb to the pain, although the hits were getting heavier. The hits that scorched and marked his skin, some of them where bleeding. Nicky couldn't believe that at the moment though, as he was somewhere else. His eyes could still see, but his mind couldn't catch up, the pain was even more distant, the rhythm was nearly constant, the weariness of his body got less and less significant. He relaxed and allowed these feeling to take over him. He felt good, incredibly good, oblivious to anything else. Tears unwillingly ran from his eyes, and he quietly sobbed.

- Is everything alright, sunshine? - once again, Master leaned to his face. Master asked two more times, before Nicky could focus and answer. - You are crying.

- It doesn't hurt, Master. I'm feeling good. Please, continue, - he finally managed to speak through the tears. Master pointedly turned to the sofas.

- He is crying, and he feels good. Quite genuine, if I say so myself. But we're not done yet.

Master continued in, switching between the floggers, adding the whip as the conclusion. By that moment, Nicky was already mentally gone from this world. It felt like some sort of a drug, and he vaguely believed so, his Masters could have easily given something to him, but Nicky couldn't put his finger on the right moment for them to do it, ultimately giving up on thinking at all. Tears were running down, he didn't try to make them stop, simply being in such state was a pure bliss for him, which was quite similar to orgasm, but softer and more enveloping, he nearly couldn't feel his own body, as if floating in the weightlessness of space. He went limp in his bindings. Empty-minded, he simply relished the feeling, as the time itself lost its meaning to him.

Master struck him with the whip. A long crimson trail was left on his body, blood leaked through the damaged skin. Nicky didn't feel that. He didn't even make a sound. He skipped a few lashes, without even noticing them. His back and butt cheeks were covered in heavily bleeding marks, and Nicky didn't react at all.

- I suppose, we're done. Aren't we, gentlemen? Did we win the bet?

The gentlemen replied with silent nods. The men were upset, as they were losing tons of money, the woman though, was smiling broadly, looking right in the eyes of her lover. The bitch didn't let them down.

- Now let's bring our boy back to reality. As you insisted.

Master put away the soft flogger, hanged the whip on his belt and carefully touched the severe wounds. Ran his hand over. Gentle rubs. Almost no reaction from Nicky. Master stepped away and lit up a candle. Traditional wax. He tilted it and began pouring the wax onto the sore skin of Nicky's back and butt cheeks. Nicky began snapping out of it, after a brief pause Master invigorated him with a new wave of scorching pain. The lashing was no more, the rhythm stopped, and now, with great effort, Nicky was snapping out of the sweet nothingness, into the world of pain, so familiar to him. The sensitivity was slowly coming back. Master left the whole candle drying up on the bitch's body and threw the half-smoked cigarette on the floor, extinguishing it with his shoe.

- Come back. It's time to come back. Can you speak?

Nicky heard his Master's voice. But he couldn't right now, the words didn't come together, moreover, he just didn't want to. He didn't want to come back, since he knew, that the place his Master sent him to was far better than the reality.

Master shook off some of the dried wax and scooped up some water from the aquarium with a piece of ice. He rubbed it against Nicky's skin, across the red stripes from floggers and the whip, giving Nicky pleasant and cooling sensation, Nicky moaned, now he was fully aware of the surroundings.

- Did you feel good?

- Yes, Master, - he managed to mutter.

- You should know, that pleasure always comes with pain afterwards. Are you here with us now?

- I don't know, Master, - Nicky was not lying, he really didn't.

- Now you'll know. The senses are coming back to you, you begin feeling the pain, thus meaning that the instinct of self-preservation should be kicking in. - Master clicked a button on the remote and Nicky's head began descending into the aquarium. - The task is simple, I'm going to whip you, and you, in turn, make sure to come up for some air, if you don't want to drown.

The water was ice-cold, Nicky jolted as soon he touched it, the feeling of easiness was gone. His head was nearly engulfed by the apparent aquarium, he made a deep breath, and in order to make another one, he had to raise his head. All tensed up, he tried to keep his head on the surface, it was way too difficult for him. His master grabbed the whip from his belt and swung it for a strike. The lash was not that powerful, but Nicky's revitalized sensitivity was taking its toll. He yelped and lowered his head, and after gulping some of the water, he quickly emerged, spitting and coughing. The cold water sobered him up. Tears stopped running down, as Nicky's face was soaked in water. Master kept on whipping Nicky, not too harsh for that kind of device, but still quite noticeable, taking into the consideration that Master was hitting his sore marks of the previous lashings. Nicky was screaming and choking. Master was exhausted as well - it's a hard work swinging whips like this for such prolonged periods of time.

- We need to go out with a bang, - said Master, while he maid a pause, holding Nicky's head above the surface, - I understand that it might be difficult for you to catch the right wave. But you've got to try, as you did before. You just have to cum. And then I'll take you off.

Master stepped back to the table and came back with a toy in his hand. He generously smothered the vibrator in anesthetic lube.

- Now it won't be so painful, - Master applied the lube to the bitch's asshole ring and spread it inside as well with his finger. Nicky began moaning. He really couldn't even imagine cumming in such situation, not so long ago, he'd experienced something incredible, something that he had never felt before, and now this sensation was reduced to pain and constant stress from the whip and water, he had to hold his head up so he wouldn't drown. And in order to be free, he had to cum, but he just didn't know how he was supposed to do that, how he could make himself to. He'd rather be on the floor, away from the ice-cold water that he was choking on, free from the restraints, but he was far from it, as far as he was from cumming. Nicky groaned.

- I can't, Master, - he spoke quietly, measuring his capabilities.

- Then, you will remain hanging.

Another groan in response. His Master held his head with one of his hand, granting the bitch at least some relief, and began inserting the toy with his other hand. Nicky began moaning again. Sure, the lube made the process much easier, but as the bitch thought, the toy was quite large, filling his hole and painfully stretching the insides. Master took his time, the pain he caused Nicky was sufficient, as he believed, otherwise, harsher insertion would make the tears bleed once again. Finally, he plugged it in and turned on the vibration. He waited a little, so Nicky would adjust, and let his head. Nicky dipped his head in the water and groaned from the pain, he had to tense his muscles in order to emerge, which in turn made him unwillingly grip the vibrator even tighter. Master the whip away, the device had fulfilled its task. It showed the distinguished guests how painful it really was, allowing them to observe the reaction of the prey in contrast to how Nicky was while drifted away, it was impossible to endure the scorching hits without screaming. Nicky was shaking all over.

Master grabbed a soft flogger, the one they started with. And began landing it on Nicky's body, front and back, touching the nipples, swaying the leather stripes over his perineum and genitals. It was pleasurable in front and painful in the back, when his Master touched his recent wounds. Master was in no rush, as he was playing with the vibrator, trying to find the right mode for Nicky. The vibrator did its work, stimulating the spot hidden inside. Without intense pain, it was the go-to way to make Nicky cum. Nicky would usually cum easily with this toy, he liked and despised it at the same time. He closed his, unwilling to see the reality surrounding him, tried to concentrate on pleasant feelings. Occasionally, he would lift his head to take another breath of air, only to go underwater again to relief his weary muscles. Master would hang the flogger on his arm, swaying it over Nicky's crotch area, picking the most optimal vibration by making the toy buzz in two modes. The vibrator would pulsate with gradually increasing intensity, transitioning into powerful and monotonous wave-pattern vibration, he attached the remote on Nicky's belt on his leg. He helped Nicky getting out of the water and held his head above the surface, allowing him some rest.

- Do you like it now?

- Yes, Master, - actually, the thing he liked the most was his Master holding his head, but he decided not to tell him about that. With his other hand, Master kept on stroking Nicky's penis, that beside Nick's expectation was becoming erect. He would shift his attention to his nipples, twisting and squeezing them, then he would hit him with the flogger, and then he would stroke the bitch's dick again in firmer and firmer motions.

- Come on, baby, my favorite toy. When it is over, I'll get you some canned peaches, - he whispered into his face and took his hand away, letting Nicky's head go underwater. Canned peaches! And he said that he was his favorite, although the favorite toy! Nicky rose his head to the surface, catching his breath. Today was full of surprises. He was promised a reward, instead of another punishment. Meanwhile, he was already aroused, His Master's hand granted him pleasure, and he wanted more.

- Harder, Master, please faster, - Nicky dared to ask. Usually, this kind of request would be punished and avoided, but now, Nicky and his Master had shared the same goal. Master knew that his slave was approaching orgasm, his hand was moving at a much faster pace, he switch the vibrator to a powerful monotonous rhythm. Nicky was moaning even louder. He knew well, that he must cum, no matter the cost. He fully submitted at his own will. He tried his best to concentrate on pleasure, ignoring pain and the tension. He must do it, and he was doing it with all of his willpower. Soon, the process bore its fruits. He tensed up and was about to ask his Master permission to cum. His Master understood him well, so he said in advance, outpacing Nicky:

- I allow, cum!

Nicky managed to take a deep breath, before his Master pinched his nose and submerged his head under water, holding him in place. He came, with his eyes closed, opening them afterwards, seeing his Mistress sitting on the sofa through the transparent glass of the aquarium. His body was thrashing from the surges, he was screaming, choking on water in attempts to take a breath, he tried to reach the surface, but his Master was holding him tight underwater, it painted the orgasm in different colors, drops of cum fell on the surface of the water. Applause rang from the sofas. Master lifted his head and held him for a while, allowing him to spit and cough out the water. Nicky felt triumphant, despite the lingering fear he had felt when Master forcefully held him underwater, which was now slowly vanishing. He made it, as he was supposed to.

Master washed the semen off his other hand in the water, smiled to Nicky. He turned off the vibration and pulled out the toy, throwing it on the table. After that, he pressed the button, and Nicky began ascending, he now could relieve his neck. Master pushed away the aquarium and took Nicky down. He quickly untied him, rubbing his numb limbs. Nicky knew, that as soon as the numbness passed, the pain would come shortly after, as if his body would be going to be pierced by countless needles, and even breathing would become torturous. The thing Nicky wanted right then was that all those people, who were constantly monitoring him with their prying eyes, were gone. The desire was so urging, that Nicky was about to break into another emotional outburst, the second for today. He had experienced too many emotions in such a short time span. And he dared to ask, when his limbs were still numb.

- Master, - he called quietly.

- What? - Master stared at him, surprised.

- Please, take me away from here, - he barely managed to make a sentence out of his plea, without expecting it to be a successful one, and began sobbing. Master thought for a moment, assessing the situation. He knew, that the bitch wouldn't be crying just for show, it was completely genuine. The sadist inside him wanted to make him leave things as they were, even fueling the situation up by provoking Nicky for more emotional response. But on the other hand, he valued the trustful intimacy of his request. Nicky preferred crying only with his Master alone, without revealing his feelings in front of complete strangers. Despite Master's cruelty and seeming indifference to such things, except for arousal. Nicky preferred to be abused by his Master.

- Alright, - Master finally made the decision, Nicky sighed with a relief, all this time he had been seeing devils dancing in his Master's eyes, without expecting a positive response. Master easily picked his fragile body up. As he'd done previously, he lifted him by his butt, putting his arms around his neck, pressing Nicky's body against his own with his other arms, as Nicky was still unable to hold by himself. The slave laid his head on his Master's shoulder, water was still dripping from his hair, soaking Master's shoulder shirt once again, they stood up. Nicky significantly lost weight since the day he got in the bunker - you can't gain much on dog food, so Master easily carried him into the darkness of the corridors.

- Thank you, Master, - Nicky quietly whispered in his ear, making a sob. A second later, he began screaming, as the numbness in his limbs subsided, followed by severe pain, that got even more intense with Master's every move. To top it off, he was being struck by a chill. But Master didn't even think of stopping, satisfying Nicky's request, carrying him even further.

- You've dirtied and soaked me again.

Master brought Nicky to his and Mistress' bathroom, it looked just like a regular one in anyone's house. He placed Nicky's bare butt on the toilet, he sat with his arms propped on the sides of the seat. He was still shaking, and although the pain in his limbs subsided, he still felt the numbness. His asshole was still leaking the remains of lube and cum, everything else was left on his Master.

- I'm sorry, Master, - he mumbled.

Master turned the water on and began drawing the bath. He came right to Nicky and made a sudden hit right in his solar plexus. The bitch lost its breath, holding its hand in the impact area, overwhelmed with pain, but he managed to remain sitting on the toilet seat. Well, unpleasant, but not too harsh. Master went away to the water and cleaned Nicky's secretions, took off his shirt and threw it in the corner. Afterwards, he grabbed Nicky by his hair and pulled him down from the seat, making him stay on his fours.

- Get in the tub.

Nicky complied, still staying on his fours in the filling bath. Master picked up the shower hose and washed Nicky's body and spine with cold water. Nicky groaned. With every minute passing, Nicky felt more and more the bruises on his body. He undid the shower nozzle and aimed the hose in Nicky's butt, and when there was enough water, he ordered Nicky to hold it inside and get on his knees. The water was warm down there, that pained Nicky's wounds even more, but he bit his lip. Enough whining! Although he wanted to complain and cry. Master undid his hair. He reinstalled the shower nozzle and washed Nicky's body with now warm water.

- Master, I can't hold it anymore.

- Release, not that much of a deal.

Master slightly rubbed Nicky's body with a sponge. He submerged him underwater, as the bathtub was now full. With his head underwater, Nicky thrashed under his Master's arms, once again, he was running out of air, but his Master was only having a little bit of his own fun. Shortly after, the water waned off - Master took out the bath plug. Then, he ordered Nicky to stand up facing the wall with his hands against it. Once again, he rinsed him with warm shower, threw a large fluffy towel on him and got a bath rug under his feet.

-Wait here, - Master took off his pair of shorts and stepped into the tub to have a shower himself. When he got out, Nicky was already asleep, curled up on the rug with his nose deep in the towel.

 

He woke up by feeling extremely thirsty. In his dreams, he was drowning again, gulping the water, but unable to satiate his thirst. He opened his eyes and groaned. The pain came immediately. He had been sleeping on his stomach, carefully wrapped in a warm blanket. Yesterday, his Master had treated his wounds, and perhaps, it was him who got him the blanket. His memories were hazy after the bath, he had been extremely exhausted back then. Nicky snuggled as he tried to get out of the blanket, a chain tinkled. The so familiar collar chained him to the wall, at least his hands were free. He must find some water. Nicky began searching the room with his eyes, trying to find a bowl with water. But he found something bigger. A whole two liter water bottle. A bowl with pieces of bread and slices of cheese, and another one, the one that usually was meant for water, now was full of peaches, covered in syrup. There was a note and pills under it. His stomach instantly clenched in hunger spasms. Nicky grabbed the bottle, opened it, and began greedily pouring the water down his throat. He shook threads of hair off his face, put the bottle down and took the note. He began reading, occasionally sipping the water.

"The impossible is possible. You finally got off to pain. And even managed to cum after being in subspace. The luck was on your side, almost everything was a success, despite the presence of other people. Truly, the capabilities of a human body can do wonders. We were right, you belong here. Enjoy your breakfast and drink the pills after.

P.S. You forgot to thank your master for allowing you to cum. The punishment awaits)

Your caring Masters".

Yeaah. His thoughts were a mess. Nicky closed the bottle. He found the camera, waved the note to get the attention and said loudly:

- Thank you, Master and Mistress.

He sat on his butt, with his teeth clenched, wrapped himself up in the blanket, leaned against the wall and crossed his legs. He grabbed the bowl with peaches, and began rereading the note, savoring the taste. It brought so many questions, just like the day before... or who knows how many days ago. At first, his Masters had his body used by other people, then all those demonstrations of mercy, the fear for his life, uncontrollable hysterias, the kiss right in his lips, and when he shuttered something deep in his soul, by trusting his Master and his hands. "Subspace". The whole glass of semen! As he remembered it, he felt a lump in his throat, so he had to take the peaches away to catch some breath and to stuff these harsh memories away.

They had been making a silent toy out of him, that acts as it's told. By teaching him complete obedience. To ask the permission to cum and to cum only if they allow him. And to thank them afterwards. He remembered the times when his Masters taught him such things. When he asked, but still came before getting the permission, and his Masters would punish him. Or when he endured and edged himself, getting the permission after, when he already lost his arousal. Nicky smiled. This things were fun to remember, his Masters assumed that the yesterday's show had been a success because of the punishments. And after these trainings, he would satisfy himself on his mat in the main hall with a wide variety of toys, vibrators and dildos, asking for permission, of course. And if he failed again, he would drop his eyes and ask pitifully for forgiveness, starting the whole thing all over again. Or he would lose his arousal due to angry cries and chilling look of his ruthless Master. But they had to calm themselves, if they were the trainings to be successful. Nicky knew, that their Masters were no fools, and that it was impossible to consistently trick them, so he would always get punished in the end, when the Masters found out that he wasn't trying hard enough. Sometimes, Master would tie Nicky down, so he was completely unable to move, to play with his body by sticking tiny vibrators on his nipples and glans. Trying various toys on Nicky's butt. He would carefully observe Nicky's reactions. In the end, Nicky had managed to master the edging technique, and his Masters' permission only spiced the orgasms up.

Without a doubt, today was his best day in the bunker. Just like these peaches. Nicky smiled again and pulled the bowl back. The peaches melted in his mouth into countless pieces of pleasure, and he would suck his covered in syrup black-nailed fingers. Generally speaking, his feelings were of no importance to his Masters, they would notice him only if they needed something from him. It had been the same thing yesterday, when his Master kissed him, calming him down. They needed Nicky to do just like they wanted him to. But still, he felt some invisible thin tread was now connecting Nicky and his Masters. He didn't feel revulsion to them, unlike the guests. Masters had taught him not to look in the eyes, and he didn't, as he was scared of those eyes.

He hated them, of course, as he was made to expose his soul to them, it seemed that no one in the whole world knew Nicky as good as his Masters did. And occasionally, he would feel an interest toward him as a person through their words and their actions, not only as an inanimate object that do everything it's told to. Presumably, he should earn their interest, and the more he does - the better. He just couldn't understand what for yet. But in this case, tenderness is always much more preferable than pain, even in a mix of the two. To manipulate the sadistic people’s pity and tenderness. For another time, Nicky skeptically smiled. No, that won't do, it's not the pity that softened them up, his pain and tears were only fuel for their fire, they had no need to stop. If they wanted, they could always end it all with his death. And they would certainly get away with that. How could he provoke their tenderness? He must show them that they need him not only as their prey. But as who? As a lover, a companion, a friend and a partner? Nicky was virtually laughing, as he imagined them sitting together, drinking beer, and him asking them, looking smart and fancy, about the roots of their sadistic tendencies.

The things that his Masters had done to him withdrew into himself. The constant humiliation, tears, sex, chains and restraints. He would try getting into his mental shell, shoving away the realisation of the past events, behind strong heavy doors; it seemed that as soon as he unleashed them, they would certainly tear him apart. Nicky was afraid of going insane and becoming numb, although some part of him wanted it. But surely, he still wanted to remain in control of himself. He didn't want to become some puppy that is only allowed to bark. He wanted to go home... Or did he? The home was unbelievably distant, a fading memory of his past. He doubted that he would be able to return to his ordinary life. Or that he would ever get the opportunity. Apparently, something in his head was already in disrepair. Even then, there were only two ways - to stay with them or to die. To stay with them, making them treat him differently, or staying with them and dying.

Nicky sipped the syrup, put away the peaches and began eating the bread with cheese. Delicious! He forgot when was the last time he ate regular human food with his free hands, not like some puppy with his mouth from a bowl. He didn't know how to do it, how to soften their sadistic hearts. He must remain observant and vigilant on their feelings, if he wanted to fortify the phantom tread. A small bit of luck, a glimmer of light in the darkness of despair, and he would be happy to make a compromise. Perhaps, it was all his delusions, and he didn't actually had any choice. But if he ever get the opportunity, he would certainly use it. Soon, he became sated, however, he didn't eat too much.

He felt sick, and in addition to that, he had a fever. Nicky remembered the pills, they should help. He swallowed them with a gulp of water, lay down on the mat on his stomach. He would sleep for a while, and then he would be eating peaches again, he still had some in the bowl. He quickly ran throw the note for another time, pulled it closer and closed his eyes.