I don’t know why my Master uses such a heavy chain. I am looking at it now. It lies silently on the ground, its thick steel links casually jumbled together. It doesn’t move, it is content to lie there, its power over me absolute and unquestioning. I am its prisoner, I cannot move further than it will allow.
Long ago I tried to break it, to find some weakness, some way of escaping. I franticly tugged and jerked at it, but to no avail. Now I know it is much stronger than me, and I have given up trying to escape its cruel confinement. It is attached to my collar and there is no way to remove it.
Perhaps my Master uses the heavy chain because I almost escaped once. I love him and normally have no particular desire to escape, but when the opportunity arose I couldn’t help but seize it. It happened in this way.
We were in the woods and I saw something interesting on the ground. Moving quickly towards it I unintentionally jerked on the chain by which he was restraining me. Much to my surprise it came loose from his hand and I staggered forward. Quickly recovering I began to run.
I could hear my Master running behind me. This only spurred me to run faster, and I ran through the trees, not sure where I was going, the only thought in my head was to get away.
He called to me to stop, but such was the exhilaration of my new found freedom that I ignored him; I didn’t slow down or even turn to look at him, I just kept running as fast as I could away from him. There was no one around; the woods were deserted at this early hour, so I charged straight ahead through the undergrowth directly away from my pursuer, ignoring the brambles as they stung my naked body trying to slow me down.
Suddenly I felt a terrible pain in my throat. The chain, which was trailing behind me on the ground had caught on something and brought me to a sudden stop. Franticly and with rising panic I pulled on the chain desperately trying to free it and continue my flight. I could hear my Master rapidly approaching and I jerked as hard as I could on the chain, but it wouldn’t come free.
My Master arrived, picked up the chain, and wrapped it round his wrist. Now I was once more his prisoner. He was out of breath so I couldn’t tell how angry he was but felt certain he was going to whip me for running away. Thinking quickly I decided that my best strategy would be to go to him and show my love for him, surely that would soften the punishment I deserved. So hiding my nervousness, I acted as if nothing had happened and went submissively up to him.
He ruffled my hair and I stood there feeling his strong fingers as they caressed my scalp. I began to hope that he might not punish me after all.
His punishment was subtle, but I took it to heart. He didn’t beat or whip me; he simply gave me less food that night. I am always hungry, and this was his way of telling me not to try that trick again.
When next he took me out I noticed he wrapped the chain securely around his wrist. There seemed no way I was going to get free again so I didn’t try.
I love the woods, they make such a nice change from my boring prison. They are full of interesting things; the sights and sounds and smells sometimes make me forget I am his prisoner.
My Master doesn’t let me into the house, and will beat me if I pee in the prison, so I pee in the woods. Sometimes it is hard to wait for him to take me into the woods and I lie on the ground painfully trying to hold in my water. I know that if I let it out he will beat me. He doesn’t normally pee in the woods, but he has done so a couple of times when there was no one around. His water smells so different from mine; I am not sure if I am attracted to or repelled by it.
Nights are the worst time. I feel lonely and wish I could be with my Master. I wouldn’t care how he chained or bound me, just so long as I could be with him. My heart aches to be with him as I lie half awake, listening to the mysterious sounds of the night. They are destined to forever remain mysterious since I cannot go and investigate them; the dammed chain sees to that.
When morning arrives and my Master comes to me, I can’t help but wag my tail vigorously, such is my pleasure at seeing him.
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11.06.08