Continues from chapter ten
Chapter 11 - Friendship (Part 1)
"Master Mark! Aaah! You are hurting me!"
"Just a bit longer, Syr, you can endure it for me, I'm sure. Both of us are going to be happy when this is done."
"But, I'm bleeding. I'm not acting this time. You are too rough."
"I'm not too rough. You are going to be fine!"
"Be more gentle. Aaaah! Not like this!"
"Stop whining! You promised to do this for me."
"Aaaaah! You never said anything about pain."
Poor Syr... so fragile. I thought she was stronger than this, but apparently, she was a weakling like the others. She was always eager to please me, but then she cried as soon as it got a bit more intense. I was not going to be sorry for her, and we were going to finish what we started, whether she liked it or not.
"What do we do now, Master Mark? Aaaah! I can't do this any longer, please, stop."
"I said, stop whining! That's all you are doing! I'm going to put it in there. Hold on."
"Nooo, it's too big!"
"It's not too big! What are you talking about?"
With my free hand, I opened my car's tailgate, and Syr helped me lift Kitty's heavy crate in the trunk. That was hard work. We came back to my old house to pick it up since Kitty missed it too much.
"Alright. Done! Show me your finger, Syr."
"As I said, it's bleeding."
"Aaah! It's nothing. It's just a small scratch. Just don't put blood on your white apron."
I wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close to me. She was beautiful as ever, even when frustrated at me. I was so glad we decided to start dating officially despite some obvious challenges.
"Thanks for helping me, cute maid."
"Master Mark... What are you doing?"
"I'm kissing my maid? Is that a problem?"
"...Are you that satisfied with my work today?"
"Yes, I am."
I romantically planted my lips on Syr’s to distract her from her grave injury. Since our first ‘interesting’ date, her attitude as a maid was much more manageable. Sure, she was still pushing me away all the time, but all I had to do to get closer was to come up with a good excuse that would fit well within her storyline. I respected her desire to roleplay our relationship, so it was fine by me. When she was doing good things, I would reward her, and when she was doing bad things, generally on purpose, I would punish her. It was a game we loved playing together.
Of course, Erika and Kitty kept calling us nerds, but we enjoyed ourselves a lot. This new girlfriend situation didn't cause any conflicts either. Erika was still Syr's best friend, and Kitty still had a crush on her, knowing it would probably never end into a romantic relationship. It didn't stop Kitty from trying, though, and Syr's attitude toward those attempts was great.
I saw those two in the pool just this morning; it was quite entertaining. Syr was trying to teach Kitty how to swim because she still sank like a rock, and the small catgirl was doing all she could to put her hands wherever she wanted. Kitty was taking every opportunity to grab Syr's boobs ‘by accident’.
"Mmm... Master Mark, this is good, but I need to cook dinner, we should head back home now."
"I don't think so... come with me."
"...Master Mark?"
We got back into the townhouse, and I led my maid upstairs to my old master bedroom. It looked so small compared to Erika's freakishly huge basement, but it would work just fine for what I wanted to do. Syr knew where this was going but acted ignorant on purpose. I turned her around and pulled on the silky ribbons that kept her apron in place.
"Master Mark...? What are you doing?"
"I think you deserve more than just a kiss, don't you agree?"
"...Do... do you think so?"
"I do... Let me help you with this."
I pinched the small metal zipper tab behind her neck and slowly slid it down to her lower back, revealing her soft skin. As I gently kissed her neck, she pulled her arms out of her maid uniform's long sleeves and let it drop to the floor.
Syr created all her clothing by herself and she had crazy attention to details. Her panties and bra were matching her uniform perfectly. They were silky, green with white frills, and it was super cute.
We climbed on the bed and started cuddling and kissing. Syr knew not to act in distress anymore like the first time we had sex, but in exchange, she just wanted me to be a bit more controlling since it was what she liked the most. It was a good compromise and gestures such as pinning her wrist above her head or behind her lower back was definitely something enjoyable for both of us.
As I pulled her panties down, I kissed her warm belly while she played in my hair. Syr was not hitting the gym, but she was always walking around the house, doing chores. That kept her body fit and very pleasant to look at. My mouth went down to her crotch, where I spent a bit of time eating her as a warm-up activity.
"Aaaah! Master Mark! This feels so good."
"And you are a delicious maid."
"Mmmm! Aaah!"
I gradually took my clothes off, but not too quickly. Another thing Syr seemed to like was being naked while I was fully clothed; it made her feel a bit more submissive and I had to admit... it also made me feel a bit more manly.
“Aaaanh! Erika! Stooop! AAanh!”
"Not a chance, KittyKat. And there is nobody to save you today!"
"Aaaanh!"
Every time Mark was not around, Kitty turned into Erika's meal, particularly on days like today when a certain sexy pink catsuit encased her cute body and not her aggressor’s. However, what they were doing at the moment was a bit more intense than usual; the small cat was laying flat on her back on the soft bed with her cuffed wrists tied up to the middle of the headboard with some leather straps. Her ankles tied to corners of the footboard kept her legs nicely open for whoever desired unlimited access to her ever demanding crotch.
"Aaaanh!"
Having Kitty stuck in such a position had allowed Erika to lick her for a very long time, but the red-haired girl had since then upgraded to their new acquisition.
"Kitty, you seem to love our new strap-on!"
"Aaanh! Stop Erika! You are breaking me."
"No, I'm not. You always say that, but you always come back and ask for more."
"Aaanh! Yes... But you always go too far! Annh!"
Erika was pounding Kitty's pussy relentlessly with the large dildo as if she was trying to beat a personal record. How many times could she make Kitty come in a day? She had lost count already. There was nothing new in Kitty's behavior, though; the more she lost control of a situation the more she was loving it and the more she was cumming. Her sexual brain didn't work in any other way.
"Alright, alright... I'll give you a five minutes break."
"Aaanh! Only five minutes?"
Erika pulled the monstrosity out of Kitty and unfastened the straps that were securing it to her hips. She laid down next to her tenderized cat victim and pushed the dildo in her mouth.
"Aabbllmm..."
"Yeah, I think it's a bit big for your small mouth, Kitty. If we use it too often, you won't feel anything anymore when Mark fucks you."
"Mmppphh!"
"So, Kitty, what do you think of Mark and Syr? Do you think it's a good thing?"
"Mmphh!"
"Ah, yes..."
Erika pulled the big dildo out of Kitty's mouth and tossed it aside. She then half-climbed on Kitty and cuddled her while nuzzling her cheek.
"I think they go well together," Kitty said.
"I think so too. But I'm worried a bit about Mark."
"Why? He is doing fine. I think he understands his situation well enough. He is happy as far as I can tell."
"He is! But I'm scared he will burn himself out, trying to do too much for us. Right now, it’s not too bad because he spends a lot of time playing with his new toy, but eventually he will go back to you, Kitty. You are by far his favorite, and that is when he will struggle and feel the need to give equally to all three of us."
"I'm not his favorite. He just likes me a lot more than all of you together!"
"Hehe. You ARE his favorite! We all know that because you are my favorite too. You are even Syr's favorite... She just doesn't know it yet."
Kitty burst into laughter at that last comment. Syr wasn't about to have sex with a woman anytime soon. She was a romantic heterosexual prince and princess type... with certain strange deviancies. If Syr’s ‘master’ were not available to sleep with her, she would just wait for her turn until the next time she would be worthy of being fucked.
"My bond with Mark is beyond sex. I'm happy for him right now. He gets to experience a lot of fun things with his maid. I mean, seriously, Syr is so attractive, don't you think?"
"Yes... Yes, she is... It's a bit odd because she is my best friend. So now that she is part of our little harem, it changes things a bit. But I know her, she will do everything to make it work without conflicts."
"Erika, we are a harem. Mark isn't the central piece of our family. It's not like we are waiting for him to get sexually gratified. Actually, that's why it's working so well. We are all easy going and not jealous."
Erika climbed on top of Kitty and sat on her belly. Only Erika could do this without crushing the small latex cat. She put her index finger on Kitty's nose and pressed lightly.
"Kitty, you are a little liar!"
"Meow!? A liar? Where does that come from? Let my nose go!"
"You ARE jealous!"
"No, I'm not! What are you talking about."
"You have a crush on Syr, and it's bugging you."
"...She is odd!"
"Still, you like her a lot more than you care to admit. You keep yakking about how beautiful she is, and when you are in the pool with her, your hands always end up on her boobs and butt."
"Pfff... I would do the same to you if you were the one teaching me how to swim. Anyway, you are the best swimmer in the house, how come you never teach me?"
"Cause I'm letting you have what you want. Syr."
The red-haired girl has always been the evil mind-controlling strategist. Since the beginning, she noticed that Kitty had a soft spot for the maid, well before Mark started dating her. It wasn't like the small catgirl hadn't been vocal about it at times.
"Yes, I like her a lot. So, what? I'm not jealous because Mark can sleep with her and not me."
"Okay, maybe it's not jealousy, but you want her badly."
"...Maybe."
"Syr knows about it too."
"Probably, she's smart. Anyway, there is no problem. I know I can't always get everything I want. Why are you probing me like this about it?"
"Well, as I said, it's bugging you. We need to find a way to put an end to this. Because eventually, I'll go back to work, and you'll spend all your days with Syr."
"Mark will be here with me. You will make more money than he does so that he can quit his job."
"Haha! Nope! He is not going to quit his job, KittyKat. During the day, you'll be home stuck with Syr, and it won't be fun if it's bugging you."
"I'll just stay in my crate all day. I'm used to it."
"Well, that won't be fun for Syr. She would like to have a friend during the day too."
"Aaah! Erika, you give me a headache. What do you want from me?"
Indeed, Erika was beating around the bush, leaving Kitty confused. Kitty was right; there was no apparent problem around their current love arrangement. Everybody had fun their own way, and everybody respected each other.
The poor latex cat was trying hard to understand where Erika was going with this. Being smiled at like this by her female companion wasn't helping... or maybe it did. Kitty locked eyes with Erika’s and started to read her mind. She had been a bit slow on that one, but now, her instinct kicked in, and she understood everything. Immediately, Kitty vocalized her disagreement while pulling on her bonds.
"Oh... NO! Erika! NO! You must not!"
"Whaaaat? I didn't even say anything! Haha!"
"You said enough! And you are not allowed!"
"Allowed to do what? Kitty, you imagine things... Alright, what about another round of strap-on. This new toy is good for me. It will keep me fit."
"NO! Erika! You must not!"
What Kitty had understood, or how, was a mystery. But Erika knew very well that her small lover-catgirl was probably right to feel anxious after what she had told her.
After my little fun love-making session with Syr, we returned home. The maid wouldn’t stop worrying about cooking our dinner on time so I finally complied to her righteous request.
"Hey, Kitty! We're home! Syr and I brought back your crate!"
Erika entered the garage to update us on Kitty’s current status.
"She is tied up on the bed downstairs... Where do we put it? In the living room?"
"Sounds appropriate."
Erika wrapped an arm around my waist, scratching the crate with her nails. She was familiar with the box as she shared the rent more than once. I was wondering which one of the two cat-faces would spend the first night in it? Syr wasn't an eligible candidate; I didn't picture her sitting inside that box for any length of time.
We carried the box to our living room and placed it so that any future occupant would have a good view of both the living room couches and the kitchen area. Kitty would be thrilled to get her heart-shaped pillow back too; she missed it so much. As soon as we completed the task, Erika gripped Syr's wrist and pulled her away.
"Syr! Come with me. I need your help!"
"...But, I'm already late to prepare dinner. I don't want Master Mark to starve."
"Aaah! He won't starve... Come. It's important. I have a plan, and I need your help."
"Alright then..."
I had no clue where those two were going, but I knew my next destination.
I made my way to the basement to find my beloved Kitty. As advertised, she was strictly tied to the bed, unable to get free. I sat next to her and rubbed her belly while noticing their abandoned strap-on sitting on one of our pillows.
"Ewww, we sleep on those, don't leave your juicy toys on our pillows."
"Meow. Erika broke me... I'll never be able to have sex again."
"Right, as if."
I started to untie the small rubber cat and announced the good news.
"I got your crate! It's in the living room."
"AH! NICE! Can I spend the night in it?"
"You sure can. That's why we brought it back. That thing was heavier than I remembered, good thing Syr gave me a hand."
"Did you fuck her?"
"...Maybe. Why?"
"Was it hot?"
"Not as hot as fucking you, cathead."
"Lies. Fucking Syr must be so hot."
"You are still obsessed with her, I see. Talking about hot, It's scorching outside. Why don't you go put your swimsuit on and meet me at the pool? I want to swim with you. Since Syr took over your swimming lessons, I didn't get to see your progress."
"Meow, okay. Unzip me, and I'll meet you there in a bit."
"Sounds like a plan."
The sun. It was a bit too strong for my taste right now; my skin told me that I had my dose of UV for the day already. Back at my townhouse, it was never a problem since we didn't spend a lot of time outside. But here, at Erika's, it was so relaxing by the pool that there was a legitimate skin-peeling concern when not resting under an umbrella.
That thought became irrelevant when a little visitor tiptoed my way, awkwardly trying to avoid the burning concrete's discomfort. Kitty, wearing her cute pink bikini, was ready to go for a swim.
"Woah! It's hot today!"
"Hey, Cathead! Yeah, I'm roasting."
She climbed on top of me as if it was the most natural thing to do. It was a good thing that those long chairs were sturdy enough; not that Kitty was very heavy by any stretch of the imagination.
"Hi!"
"Hi, Kitty."
"I love it here, Mark."
"Yeah, not bad, uh? Do you miss our old house?"
"A little bit. We've only been away for two weeks, though. It still feels a bit strange. The vibe is different here."
"I know, right. But we are having a lot of fun, so it's good. As long as I'm with the people I love, I'm happy."
Kitty crossed her two small hands on top of my bare chest and rested her chin on them, looking at me with a smile. For some reason, I was still not fully accustomed to seeing her out of her rubber suit. She was my Kitty, alright, but I never had much time to appreciate how beautiful this Caucasian-Asian girl was. I ran my fingers through her silky black hair.
"You are so cute out of a suit. You know that?"
"You like me more when I'm all rubber."
"I love you as much. I told you. Latex or not, you are still my Kitty."
"I think you get harder when I wear my rubber suit."
"You trained me well. Hehe. So? What's with Erika? She took Syr away from me for something important, she said."
Kitty pressed her face on my chest and hid it with her hands, as if it were going to make her disappear.
"I'm not sure exactly, but I think she wants me to help around the house when you two are going to be back at work. She said Syr will need a friend during the day. That can't be good."
"Why not? She is right. If you are going to stay home with Syr, you could help her around the house. She is doing everything by herself."
"I can't! I'm a cat... and I'm lazy... and not good at anything. It's in my genes. I cannot be useful."
"Haha, Kitty, you know those are not very good arguments."
"I don't want to work!"
"Well, don't you want to spend time with Syr at least? We all know you have a crush on her."
"...Yes... Maybe."
"Ah, so it's still bugging you."
"Aaah! Stop! Erika said the same thing. Is it that obvious?"
Oh, yes. It was. I've never seen Kitty like this before. She has always been the one acting as if relationships were an easy thing, and all problems were easily resolvable. However, this time around, it was the first time her little latex cat charm didn't provide her with what she wanted.
In the past, she just had to look at me at the bookstore to win my heart. Then, when Erika arrived in the picture, she got her too only by saying, "Thank you, I'm Kitty." But now, with Syr, it was not going to happen, and she knew it. Someone not willing to return a particular type of love couldn't be forced to do so. As much as Syr liked Kitty and Erika as friends, she wouldn't magically change and be attracted to girls.
"Well, Kitty. Yes, it is obvious. Come. I'm roasting. Let's go for a dip, then we can talk about it."
"Okay, but you must help me swim."
"What? You are still sinking?"
"Yes!"
"Even after two weeks training with Syr?"
"Yes!"
"Alright. Get on!"
I put my feet down the chair and lifted my carcass off it. Kitty climbed on my back and wrapped her arms around my neck.
"Eeh! Don't choke me like that!"
"Go! Make me swim!"
"If you stay on my back, that is not swimming!"
"I'm right, and you are wrong! Go!"
This was Kitty's immature part that made her so darn adorable. I made a couple of leaps, quickly shrinking the distance between us and the pool, and jumped in it with the small catgirl hanging around my neck. Our bodies pierced the surface of the water, and I voluntarily let us sink as deep as we could go. I stayed underwater for a bit, appreciating the calmness of the aqua world.
Kitty trusted me with her life. As she was holding her breath, she knew I would never let her drown. She was entirely giving herself to me and would follow me to the depth of the scariest situations without flinching.
Her long jet black hair floating around my head made me think; running my fingers through the smoke-like cloud of human fibers gave me the impression I was carrying a dream on my back. I pushed my hands and feet down and emerged from the wavy water with Kitty, who took a deep breath.
"Aaah! You went so deep."
"Hehe. You like it deep, Kitty."
"Meow! I like the way you think."
"So, what are we going to do with you and Syr?"
"Nothing... There is nothing that can be done."
"Why do you say that?"
"She doesn't like girls, and I'm a female."
I dove back underwater and swam across the pool without warning. Kitty was hanging on to my neck with only one arm and tried to get a hold of me with the other. When I emerged on the other side of the pool, I turned around to face her.
"That doesn't mean there is nothing you can do about it, Cathead."
"Kah...! Mark! Kah!"
"Swallowed a bit of water?"
"Meh. What do you want me to do then?"
"You? Everything! You are smart, funny, adorable, small, and very kinky."
"What does my cuteness have to do with anything?"
"Well, Syr likes you for all those reasons, so use those qualities to be a good friend and stop acting odd when you are around her."
"I'm not acting odd...! Am I?"
It felt good not to be the clueless one for once. As I was slowly swimming backward, dragging Kitty along with me, I wasn't sure how I could make her see things from a different angle. I didn't want to make her feel bad, but she had some introspection to do.
"I told you earlier; you are a little obsessed. The way you keep telling us that she is so pretty and so warm. Then when she makes you swim, you find all kinds of reasons to grab her boobs and butt. That's what I mean by a little obsessed."
"Hey, Erika is way worse than me. She is ALWAYS after me as soon as she has a window of opportunity."
"Yes, but you like it, and she likes it too. You and Syr don't have this kind of relationship."
"...So, what you are saying is that I'm annoying Syr?"
Poor Kitty, now I knew how she must have felt every time she taught me life lessons. I was not always the quickest to understand relationships, but Kitty, right now, was struggling to get my point. I splashed her with a bit of water.
"Don't be silly. You are not annoying her. Else she wouldn't spend as much time with you. But you do make it a bit difficult for her."
"...I... I do?"
"I think so... Syr would prefer you to accept what she has to offer instead of trying to pull more out of her. If you do that, I think you would have a much more satisfying relationship with our cute maid."
Kitty sank a bit and started to make some bubbles. She may have realized that I had a valid point and wouldn't dare argue about it.
I pulled Kitty to the pool's side and lifted her in the air so she could sit on the edge. I extirpated myself from the water too and sat next to her. The sun was lower and not as warm as earlier, but the air we were breathing was still heavy and humid. Kitty leaned on me.
"Erika is planning something that will involve both Syr and me. I don't know what it is exactly, but I'm sure she has seen the same thing you did."
"I'm sure she did too. Look, Kitty, you know this better than anybody else. We are helping each other all the time, and it's always for the better. Usually, it turns into a lot of fun. So, I'll see what I can find out about Erika's plan, but you, you will just play along with her idea and trust her. Okay?"
"I changed my mind."
"Uh? About what?"
"I don't want to sleep in my crate tonight. I want you to put Erika in it, and I will sleep with you in the big bed."
"Haha! I'm not sure she would agree to this."
"You must put her in the crate."
"Alright, Cathead, I'll tell you what. If you swim across the pool by yourself, I'll do it."
That was kind of cute. Kitty spent a lot of time in the pool, learning how to swim with Syr, so she could totally do it. She just liked playing helpless around me. I really wanted to see her swimming on her own, and this was a perfect opportunity. To get what she wanted, she had no choice but to show me her newly acquired catfish skills.
She slowly turned around and went back in the water. She held onto my leg and tried to gather some courage for what seemed like an ocean crossing. Pressing her two feet on the pool's wall, she pushed her body forward and started agitating her arms.
"Use your legs, Kitty!"
She was just flailing her arms in every direction... and slowly sank before silently disappearing underwater. Even her little drowning bubbles found a way to be cute.
"Really? She just sank like a rock."
"Syr? Are you sure you are teaching her how to swim properly?"
"I am! However, Kitty is the most unfocused person I've encountered when it comes to this activity. She cares more about playing than learning."
While Erika was helping Kitty back in her pink rubber catsuit in the middle of the living room, I questioned the seriousness of Syr's teaching. I found it a bit strange that Kitty couldn't even float a bit after two weeks of training.
Nevertheless, Kitty lost her bet and was going to sleep in the crate tonight. The last time she did was weeks ago, and I was sure, deep inside, she was looking forward to it. The crate was her mini-home that she always loved so much, and also a perfect recovery place. As long as I kept her locked in there, Erika couldn't sexually assault her.
"Hey, Kitty, I found this in our luggage," Erika said.
"My pink collar! You found it!"
"Yes. It was inside one of the suitcase’s pockets, all squished. Lift your chin so I can put it on you."
I had not seen Kitty's collar for a while. I remember the first time I put it around her neck, on our first date, it had made her so happy. She was even happier when I asked her if she wanted me to call her Kitty like the name written on it. This little accessory was part of her heart, it was the strongest symbol of our love.
"Well... that's weird..."
"..."
Erika tried to fasten the collar around Kitty's neck when, suddenly, the small silver buckle twirled in the air and came crashing down at my feet with a metallic noise announcing bad news. Erika moved her hand out, holding a broken piece of pink material. She knew very well what this collar represented to Kitty, and the blood drained from her face at the realization that she had broken it.
"...Kit... Kitty... I'm... so sorry. I... I don't know what happened... I'm sorry!"
"...My... My collar..."
Kitty grabbed it with her two rubber paws and looked at it closely. Her eyes started to well up.
"It... It broke."
"..."
I was feeling bad, but not nearly as bad as Kitty. Syr leaned forward and picked up the buckle from the floor and stood up. She gently grabbed the dead collar from Kitty's paws and inspected it. Erika, feeling guilty as hell, was hoping for a miracle from her crafty friend.
"Syr, you can fix it, right?"
"...I'm sorry. I can't. It is fake leather, vinyl actually, and it ripped. It wasn't designed for longevity."
Never in a hundred years, I would have mentioned this, but Kitty must have found it in a dollar store. It was more of a Halloween costume accessory than a real collar.
A tear ran down Kitty's latex covered cheek. She wiped her eyes with the back of her paws and turned to Erika to pull her in a gentle hug.
"...It's okay, Erika. It's not your fault."
"...I feel so bad. We... We will find you another one."
"No, it's okay. There was only one like it... I don't need another one. I will see you guys tomorrow."
Kitty went down to the floor and crawled inside her crate. She laid down on the thin mattress and hugged her heart-shaped pillow tightly, sighing. I wasn't sure it was a good idea to leave a depressed girl inside the crate for the night.
"Kitty, I think you should sleep with us in the bed tonight."
"No. I prefer to sleep here. Close the door, please. I'm just tired. I would like to sleep."
"..."
I've never seen her so sad since that time when she was evicted by the social worker a long time ago. Even back then, she had not cried like this.
"You sure, cathead?"
"Yeah... Good night."
I closed the door and the latches, feeling awful about it.
"Alright, it's late for everybody. Let's go to bed. Tomorrow will be a better day."
"Mark... Lock my door!"
"...Kitty, I'm not sure it's—"
"Lock my door... please."
I looked at Erika for guidance, and she just shrugged at me, not knowing what to do either. I went back to the crate and crouched in front of it. I grabbed the two padlocks and installed them on the latches.
"If you need anything, just ask. Syr's room is not far, she will hear you."
"..."
Well, that was a horrible way to end the weekend. At least I knew Kitty's crate was her safe place. She loved sleeping in it, so it was a comforting thought. Erika and I interlaced fingers and walked away.
"Good night, Kitty. Good night, Syr."
"..."
"Good night, Master Mark. I will see you tomorrow."
The maid stood in the living room, in silence, for a long moment. In one of her hands was a broken metal buckle, and in the other, a piece of fake pink leather with fake diamonds glued to it. Her thoughts were for Kitty, who was securely locked up inside her crate, experiencing sorrow after her most meaningful possession ripped apart around her own neck. This collar had been a symbol of her entire love life.
Syr secretly had more empathy toward what happened to the pink cat than anybody else living under this roof. Her feelings were powerful but hidden behind her acting mask.
She remembered...
"Hey! Can you hear me? Are you okay? Can you hear me?"
"..."
"Guys! GUYS! There is a child in this car...! We need an ambulance right away...! We need it NOW! There is a child here! She is still alive."
"Impossible!"
"Yeah... There is a small girl... NO! Don't move her! Wait for the paramedics to get here! She is badly hurt! Wait... No! That's NOT her blood. Oh, my God! Use my scarf to clean her face, quick!"
"Hey, little one. My name is Sandra, and I'm a paramedic. Yes, that's why I'm wearing a nice uniform. See? I'm here to help you and be your friend... What is your name? Do you want to tell me your name?"
"..."
"That's okay... You don't have to. We will get you out of the car very soon, I promise. I just want to take a good look at you first. Do you feel pain anywhere? No...? That's amazing... What if I gently press here? Or here? Still no...? Well, that's super great. Are you sure you don't want to tell me your name?"
"..."
"Guys! We need to take her to the hospital right away for a full check-up. She is in shock. And please, for her sake, cover the front seats right now! Why wasn't that done already? Don't let her see that!"
"I'll tell you what. Did you know I'm driving an awesome ambulance? Like the ones you see on TV... That's right! It's super cool. Would you like to see it? Yeah? Nice. But hey... you know what...? My co-worker is a bit grumpy, and he won't let you see my ambulance unless you tell him your name. I think you should tell him."
"...Elizabeth."
"Oh, wow. That is a super cute name. Alright, We will just put this little piece of foam around your neck, then my firefighter friends over there will help you get out by the window... I bet it's the first time you get out of a car by the window, it's cool, uh? That's right. Usually, people use doors. But you are special, and we will use the window this time. Then you can tell all your friends about it. And guess what, If you do everything my friends tell you to, we will give you this cute teddy bear, and we will go check the ambulance together while my friends are helping your parents."
"Alright, Elizabeth, this is a very special machine that will look through you so we can make sure you are okay. I'll be just on the other side of the window over there, keeping an eye on you."
"...Where are my parents?"
"They just arrived at the hospital with my friends. They are very sick, but don't worry, we are taking care of them. They asked me to take care of you and your teddy bear until they get better. Do you trust me to take care of him while the machine is checking you out? I'll give him back to you right after."
"Yes."
"Morning, Elizabeth. Did you sleep well? I see that you took good care of your teddy bear. Did you give him a name yet?"
"...I want to see my father and my mother."
"...You... You can't. I'm sorry..."
"Why? I want to see them! Are they still sick?"
"...E... Elizabeth... No... They are not sick anymore... But you can't see them..."
"WHY? I want to see them now! Where is my mother!?"
"...No! Wait... listen... The big car accident yesterday... You remember? Your parents... they... they didn't make it... They passed away. They... won't come back."
"No...! NO! YOU ARE LYING! I WANT TO SEE THEM!"
"Come here! Come here! It's going to be alright. I promise. Poor thing."
"LET ME GO! LET ME GO! I WANT TO SEE MY PARENTS! WHERE ARE THEY!?"
"Elizabeth. Your aunt is here to pick you up. You'll go live with her for a while. You like your aunt, right? I talked to her a lot, and she is super nice. She will take care of you. She has two kids around your age too. You know them already, right? They will help you a lot."
"...Sandra. I want to stay with you."
"That’s... That's not possible. But I'll visit you to see how you are doing from time to time. Hey, I have a little gift for you. Actually, it's for your teddy bear. It's a little medal. It says "Ambulance 471"...That's my ambulance. Let me tie it around his neck, then every time you feel alone, you can look at him and think about me, okay?"
Syr was standing in the living room, a broken buckle in one of her hands, and in the other, a ripped piece of pink vinyl. She took a deep breath and walked out of the room radiating resolve and determination.
She first went to her room, stipped out of her maid uniform, and carefully placed it on the bed. She opened her small closet and pulled out an old pair of jeans and a t-shirt that had seen better days, and she put them on. After tossing her headband on the bed, she went upstairs and unlocked the door leading to her workshop.
She turned the lights on and tossed the broken collar on the workbench without care and went rummaging around to find the tools she had in mind. She then began the long process of what would be considered an homage to all the people who had been so supportive of her in the past when she lost what was most important to her.
It took forever, but she removed one small crystal after the other using a soldering iron, some solvent, and a pair of tweezers. There was now a pile of undamaged crystals waiting for a new home. Destruction often paved the way to a greater creation.
She threw the damaged collar in the trash and went to her costume rack, where a series of seemingly expensive costume pieces were hung. Her modest income very much depended on those. One of them was created for an upcoming musical staged by a renown company. The contract tied to this item was a crucial one for both the money and her reputation. Failing to deliver was not an option.
This particular costume had a specific hat, on which she spent countless hours crafting. It was made of pink leather. She carried it back to her workbench and grabbed a seam ripper along with a few leatherworking tools. She would destroy something great for a greater cause.
In front of her, sitting on the workbench, was a teddy bear. It had a small medal around its neck on which she ran one of her fingers. Syr wore a faint smile made of pain and resilience.
The inscription on the medal was "Ambulance 471."
"I have a little gift for you..."
Several hours later, in the basement of the big house, a silent shadow walked toward the large bed. As if it was aware of the habits of its two sleeping occupants, the shadow went straight to the nightstand on the left. Its delicate feminine fingers wrapped around the key ring sitting on it. Then it left the room swiftly and silently, not even displacing any air.
Next, the shadow crouched in front of Kitty's crate and looked at it with compassion.
"Hey, good morning Syr! You are up early."
"Good morning Master Mark, good morning Erika. Yes, I wanted to prepare some crepes for you today. They will be ready in a few minutes. Please have a seat."
Just as she greeted us, her jaw started to stretch into a long and uncontrollable yawn that was impossible to hide. It was not proper behavior for a maid. Erika scoffed.
"Geez, Syr. You should have stayed in bed if you were that tired. Mark could have made his own breakfast for once."
"I'm his maid. I must serve him. I would not have bothered to do this for you alone."
"Smartass! Of course, you would have. I'm your best friend."
"Only because you proved to be a reliable source of light novels."
"Hahaha! That was the only way to make you happy when you moved here. Alright, I will let catbutt out of her crate. Where are your keys, Mark?"
"Oh shoot, they are on the nightstand in our bedroom. I'll go get them."
Syr interjected.
"Actually, no. They are right here. You left them on the kitchen island last night."
"Really? That’s odd... I was certain... I guess I was tired too... "
Erika grabbed the keys and went to the crate. She unlocked the door and tossed the padlocks and the key ring on top of the box before opening the jail-like door. Kitty was still asleep, rubbery butt facing the door. It was enough exposure for Erika to slap it. She wanted to start the day in a positive manner.
"Oww! It's too early for a spanking!"
"Come on, Cathead. Get out of there and come to eat crepes with us."
"Only Mark calls me Cathead! You must not!"
"Mark! I think Kitty is back to normal."
As Kitty crawled out of her crate while Erika came back to the kitchen. The small pink Latex cat stretched her limbs and dragged her feet to the island and climbed on the stool between Erika and me. Syr looked at her gently and greeted her.
"Good morning, Kitty. Did you sleep well?"
"I did. Sorry about last night, I kind of overreacted. It's just a collar. As Erika said, I'll just get a different one."
"I do not think it will be necessary."
"...What? Why?"
Syr turned around and kept cooking her crepes, ignoring the question entirely. We were all a little puzzled by what she had just said and her reaction. It was unlike Syr to say something seemingly heartless.
I turned my head to look at my two girls to check if they understood Syr’s reaction any better than I did, and my eyes landed on Erika, who was staring at Kitty with way too much intensity. Then I realized why she was making that weird face, and I adopted the same expression.
Kitty, in between, who sensed that we were observing her a bit too intently, grew uncomfortable.
"Guuuys? What's wrong? Do I have a bug on my shoulder or something?"
"...Kitty... you... you may want to go check yourself in the mirror real quick."
"What? What's going on?"
Kitty, thinking she may have had some dirt on her face, rubbed it then inspected her rubber paws, but that was not it at all. She jumped down her stool and ran to the nearby washroom.
A scream ensued.
"WHAT THE...!?"
She ran back to the kitchen, looking at us with huge eyes, and immediately bolted back to the washroom a second time.
"Guys! Are you kidding me!? What's going on here!?"
Kitty ran back to us, totally confused... and holding her neck with her paws. Erika and I grabbed her wrists and lowered her hands to uncover something impossible. She had a bright pink leather collar fastened around her neck, a real one this time... and in front of it, written in a million little shiny crystals, her name, KITTY.
"But... HOW? I was locked in my crate all night! That's not even possible!" Kitty asked.
"I have NO idea."
"Me neither."
Kitty was baffled, I had no clue either, and Erika was at a loss as well. We all looked at each other for a moment before slowly turning to Syr, who genuinely focused on breakfast making. I attempted to ask the burning question first.
"Syr? Did you—"
"Master Mark, how many crepes would you like? We also have maple syrup if you'd desire."
"..."
Her message came across loud and clear; our maid wasn't disposed to discuss any non-maid related matters this morning. Kitty went back and forth to the bathroom about fifteen times to look at herself in the mirror while we were eating our delicious crepes.
Continues in chapter eleven (part 2)