"Look at the trees."

"Yeah. So?"

"Are they moving?"

"No. So what? There isn't any wind."

"Actually there is." I concentrated on the trees. Gave them a time bubble. They suddenly jumped to life. The breeze moving branches and leaves. I released the time bubbles and the trees stopped again. "I controlled that. Same way that I control the judge here."

She turned around and looked at me.

"Sheila. This is going to be really hard for you to comprehend. Okay? But we are the only two people up and about on the planet. So in a way, yes, I'm going to free you from this bozo here."

"Oh thank G.o.d," she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Sheila. What is the situation here? I swear I won't tell anyone."

She sank back to the floor. Hugging her knees again. Shoeless. I watched a war fight itself inside her head. Not sure what her internal daemons were but I could imagine that they weren't much fun. Finally she licked her lips, making a decision.

"That son-of-a-b.i.t.c.h blackmailed me. Three years ago." It sounded like she'd wanted to tell someone this a long time and it came tumbling out of her mouth like water flowing down a mountain. "He actually was a judge back then. He's retired now. Anyway, my stupid brother got nailed for armed robbery. Guilty as sin. I knew it. Judge knew it. But he was only a kid. I knew the judge's wife. Gertrude. Through the church. I begged her to try and get Evan to go easy on my brother. She agreed to try. She'd known Robby since he was a kid as well. I get a call from the judge the next day telling me that it would cost him his bench if he messed with the court and that he couldn't do it. I begged. I promised him anything. I just didn't know that anything was this." She spread her arms out, indicating the room. "I couldn't see my brother going to jail. He couldn't handle it. Finally the judge relented. And true to his word my brother walked. Kept out of trouble too." Tears were beginning to roll down her face. Tracing through the grime.

"The next week I get a call from the judge politely inviting me into a new position. A maid in his household. Obviously, I tried everything not to do this. It would mean giving up a very good job at IBM. Finally I convinced him that I'd help part-time. And I did. It was a bit degrading to do the housework for them, especially since they didn't pay me. But Gertrude was kind to me and seemed to appreciate the help. Finally he demanded that I quit my other job to become a full time maid. He swore that he was a couple months from retirement anyway, and that he'd squeal on the deal and that my brother would get retried. Not having any choice I quit and became the full time maid around here. The first couple of weeks it was alright. But then one night I found him standing in my room. Telling me that I still had to work off the debt. At first it was just s.e.x. Then the kinky stuff about three months ago. Christ. Videos. Snapshots. I couldn't get away if I tried. He threatened to send it to my *parents* and friends. I didn't even know what was in this room until three months ago. At first he just got off tying me up. Then the bondage got tighter. And longer. And then he. He. Began to h-hit me. Nowhere it would show. But it was for nothing. For nothing. I didn't do anything to deserve this. Oh G.o.d. It hurts. I hate him."

At this point she just broke down crying. Her gloved hands pressing against her side. Sobbing.

I sat back in the chair, unsure what to do. I hated him too. This was real life. Real time. Sheila was going to have to live with this for the rest of her life. I couldn't do a thing about that. I mentally made a note that when I did restart the world to ensure that this a.s.shole got caught somehow. An anonymous tip or something. For now though I could make things a little righter. At least in this timeline. I didn't fail to see the irony. Here I was fully planning on making her a slave as well. I'd already abused women beyond comprehension. Especially Jane. And I hurt them. Perhaps I really wasn't much better than this p.r.i.c.k. Difference was I knew that the girls would never remember. This guy was doing this as a hobby in real time. Sheila would never forget him. I had to tell Sheila the truth about me though. Otherwise things were going to go off track quickly.

"Sheila? Sweetheart?" She looked up at me with bleary eyes. "Will you stay here a moment? Not move? I'll be right back. I swear it."

She nodded. To be safe I narrowed her time bubble and she slipped into a time phase with Mayer. She wouldn't be in the same time phase with him long enough to interact.

I used the key and left the door open. I slowly made my way downstairs glancing through the rooms. Amy was relaxing in the front room. Eyes closed. Cuffed hands lying on her bare stomach. Headphones on. Bare body slowly moving to some unheard music. Listening to something slow on the stereo. Elizabeth looked up from her book as I entered the library. A Tale of Two Cities. I raised my eyebrows and she just smiled. Turning pages two handed, forced by the cuffs. Like a child.

I glanced around and spotted Christi lounging in a leather chair. Holding a Stephen King paperback.

"Christi?" She looked up.

"Break over?"

"Kind of. I've got a really strange situation here and I need your help. And Jane's. Know where she is?"

"Dining room, I think. What's happening?" She could tell that something was unusual by my tone. This wasn't a call to torment her again. Instinctively she just knew. She was serious, not her usual sarcastic self.

"I'll explain it to both of you. Don't want say this twice."

Christi rose from the chair, her robe twirling around her. She placed the book down on the chair to hold her place.

"Whatcha reading?"

"Talisman. Same one that you let me read when you took Jane. Remember?"

"I don't remember. Any good?" I didn't think that I had even asked what she was reading when I left her alone in the bookstore. Not important.

"Amazing. What's up?"

We arrived in the dining room. At first I didn't see Jane. Then Christi pointed with her bound hands. Jane was stretched out like a cat in the bay window. Her robe open. Letting the morning sun beat down on her bare body. Fast asleep. My kitten.

I wandered over to her. Shame to wake her. But I really needed her. I gently shook her. She mumbled something.

"Urg. Not yet, Mom. Too early for school."

I just shook her again. This time her eyes fluttered open and she sighed.

"You've come to torment me again. Haven't you?"

"Nope. But I need your help. Okay?"

"What can I do for you?"

I sat backward on one of the dining room chairs. Jane simply sat up on her perch and Christi stood barefoot on the carpet.

"This is a very weird situation. Even I can't believe this one. I'm going to give you the short version. Our host, at least the male side of it, is a former judge." The girls nodded. "Problem is. He's worse than me. In real time." Jane and Christi both had looks of confusion on their face.

"I found a locked room upstairs. Our host likes to play with women. Rougher even than I do. And he doesn't control time so this woman is going to remember all of it."

Jane piped up. "What does he do? Kill them?" She was being flippant.

I glared at her. She hadn't seen the display I had.

"Shush. The maid here has been abused by this guy for at least three months."

Christi went pale as the implications sunk in. She at least knew that she'd forget about this place as if it never happened. "What did he do to her?" she whispered.

"I just watched him put her through the wringer. Stuff I wouldn't even dream of doing to you unless you really really p.i.s.sed me off. And even then I'd think twice about it. And even if I did do it to you, you wouldn't be traumatized for life from it. You won't remember it when you go back."

The girls just nodded together.

Jane spoke up. "What are you going to do?"

"When I restart the world, I'll take care of it in real time. For now, there isn't much I can do."

Christi looked up at me. A strange glow graced her eyes. She softly remarked, "You could let me and this girl at him for a while."

I nodded. "Actually, that's exactly what I had in mind. But, my problem now is that I need you two to explain our situation to this girl. I really don't want to frighten or hurt her any more than she already is. On the other hand I want her while we stay here. But I'm afraid that a less subtle approach might end up with her in hysterics and completely unmanageable. She knows that I can freeze things, but she isn't in the frame of mind to understand. She's hurt."

Jane looked at me shrewdly. "So you want us to help you snag yet another victim?"

I nodded.

"What's in it for us?"

"I don't whip your b.r.e.a.s.t.s until you pa.s.s out. Plus, as a bonus, you don't revoke on your deal to do anything for me."

"That sounds fair." Jane shuddered and paled a little. "This guy did worse than whip her b.r.e.a.s.t.s? Glad I'm not *his* captive."

"If you're not careful I might give you to him." I was only joking with her. "Wrists."

The girls obediently raised their wrists. I removed the cuffs from them and they stood rubbing them idly. I held out my hands. "Robes."

The girls gave me a hurt look, but shrugged out of them and handed them to me. Glorious in their nakedness.

Jane braved the question. "Why?"

"I just thought it would be better if you were naked when you talked to her. If you are good, I'll let you have them back later. Okay?"

The girls nodded. I crooked my finger and the bare women followed me up the stairs. Jane yawned.

I took them to the room and their eyes widened as they saw the red stains. Probably thinking it was blood. I didn't doubt that this character was into blood play. However the stains weren't blood and I told the girls so.

"Calm down. It isn't blood. Just a spilled drink. That's her in the corner." Sheila was still huddled in the corner. Semi-frozen. "Do either one of you know first aid?"

Christi piped up. "A little."

"Good. I don't know what went on before I arrived, but while I was watching he kicked her in the side twice, once in the stomach. While she was bound. He slapped her hard enough to make her fall. In the face. I'm surprised she wasn't spitting teeth. Or knocked out. Okay? He orally raped her as well. She's been through a lot. I've talked to her. She's pretty calm, though you may surprise her. I think she needs another woman to talk to. You think you two can do it?"

Christi took a deep breath. "G.o.d. I hope so. You're right. This guy is a real animal. I wouldn't put him in the same category with you. Brutal."

"Can you check her ribs? She'll have bruises like you wouldn't believe on her left side. I just want to make sure that she didn't crack a rib or something."

"I'll try. You're serious. He kicked her that hard? And we didn't hear it?"

"I don't know why he kicked her that hard nor why you didn't hear it. Maybe the room is soundproofed or something. She was gagged when he kicked her. She couldn't make a lot of noise anyway. I should have stopped it earlier." I felt guilty as h.e.l.l that I'd let her suffer through that.

I wandered back and sat back in the chair. Turned it to face the huddling frozen girl. I sent Christi and Jane in the hall out of sight.

I unfroze her. To her it would have just looked like my chair had twisted a bit suddenly.

"Sheila?" I asked softly. I leaned forward on my knees towards her. She turned back to the sound on my voice. "I lied to you a bit. There are other people around. I want you to meet a couple. Okay?"

"Like this?" She looked down at herself. "Please no."

"Believe me. You won't be uncomfortable around them." I raised my voice a bit. "Christi? Jane?"

The two nude beauties walked slowly into the room. Sheila's eyes widened. Frightened again. Christi couldn't help herself any longer. She advanced quickly on her bare feet. Fairly running across the room. Grimacing as she stepped across the wet carpet. Christi dropped to her knees beside the shuddering girl and gathered her into her arms. Sheila just melted against Christi slowly crying and rocking. Really needing the comfort. Christi's eyes brimmed as well. Whether in sympathy with the girl, or just at the situation in general, I don't know. The girls stayed like that for a while. Just comforting each other. Jane had slipped to her bare knees beside them. Just silently lending her female presence and support. It seemed like enough. I watched as Christi whispered comfort to the girl and softly kissed her hair. Closing her eyes. Not believing what some women had to go through. Christi was getting the clamato and other fluids smeared over her bare body as well. Just from holding the crying girl. Christi didn't appear to even notice or mind.

I walked over to Jane and drew her away from the other two. I whispered in her ear. "Listen. I think you two can do better without me around. That okay?"

Jane turned her head and whispered back. "We'll do what we can. G.o.d. She's a mess."

"Let her use the main bathroom. First door after the stairs. You and Christi can use it as well. You might need it." I glanced at Christi's smeared body.

"Give us some time. She's really hurt."

"I know."

"You won't consider letting her go?"

I shook my head.

Resigned Jane nodded. "We'll get her ready. But she's going to need sleep and no abuse until after she sleeps or you won't be able to keep her. I don't believe I'm helping you. You're such a b.a.s.t.a.r.d."

I stroked Jane's hair and kissed the top of her head. "I know."

Chapter 69.

I glanced back at the girls and watched Jane move back to Christi and Sheila. She knelt and whispered something to the other two. She glanced back at me in the doorway and nodded.

I slipped out, walked around the hallway and made my way down the stairs. Amy was still listening to the stereo, quietly humming. I couldn't make out the tune. Elizabeth was still buried in her book. I poked my head into the library and she looked up from Revolution France.

"My break over?" she asked with obvious disappointment in her voice. I think despite the cuffs and their nudity, the women were enjoying this quiet time. No demands. No pain.

I shook my head. I just wasn't in the mood to play with them. The Sheila thing had bothered me a bit. Maybe I needed some relaxation as well.

"You hungry?" I asked her.

"A little." I couldn't imagine that she was anything less than ravenous.

"What would you like for lunch?"

"I have a choice?"

"If you'll make lunch and mine."

"What about the others?"

"I'll find out. Just a sec."

I wandered back to the living room where Amy was still stretched out on the couch, listening to music with her eyes closed. Peaceful. I smiled to myself and walked over to the stereo. I gripped the volume k.n.o.b and suddenly turned it up and immediately back down. Even I could hear the music suddenly blare through the headphones. Amy just about jumped through the roof. Her eyes flew open, she screamed and her cuffed hands rose frantically to her head, her fingers scrabbling at the source of her panic. The headphones finally fell from her ears and she looked around the room wildly. Her gaze fell on me, laughing hysterically by the stereo. I think I really needed some release. Such a childish thing to do.

Before I knew it, Amy was off the couch and approaching me. I couldn't help myself laughing. She slowly advanced on me. Yelling something. I couldn't make it out over my laughing. My stomach hurt.

She finally got herself to me. This small girl. Naked and cuffed. Trying her best to keep a straight face and affect anger. I managed to stop laughing and tried my best to look at her face without smirking.