Alien Pet (mxmxm)

.10

BENNETT

       The memories were suffocating. The ghost sensation of electricity zapping through me so hard that my muscles were twitching and numb just thinking about it. A frigidly cold cage, the smell of feces not just from my own bucket but the creatures around me, it all felt like it was choking me.

I was hyperventilating.

In the back of my mind, I knew I wasn't with the Banties anymore. I was caged, yes, but it was a different kind of captivity. This time, I was surrounded by lavish comforts: blankets, pillows, and furs cushioned the floor beneath me. I was warm, and the space was quiet and dim, creating an atmosphere that should have been relaxing. Yet, despite the luxuries, I felt nothing but trapped.

I tried to talk myself down, forcing myself to breathe deeply and think rationally. I needed to remind myself that this was not the same as before. I wasn't in that awful, cold place with a shit bucket and cattle prods. This was different. The warrior and the king, as strange as their methods were, had never been overtly cruel to me. They had fed me, kept me safe, and, in their own alien way, cared for me.

I went over the events in my mind, step by step, trying to piece together how I had ended up back in a cage. It had started with my attempt to escape the monotony, to find some sense of freedom in a life that had become a series of repetitive, controlled days. I had thought I could push the boundaries a little, test the limits of my captivity. But the warrior had caught me quickly, his growls echoing through the corridors, a predator tracking its prey.

The chase had been exhilarating at first, but it quickly turned into a nightmare when I realized I had nowhere to run with an angry creature on my tail. I had screamed and fought when the warrior had found me, my kicks landing futile blows against his massive frame. His clawed hand around my neck had cut off my breath, his fangs bared inches from my face, and in that moment, whatever will to fight I had found evaporated.

Now, here I was, in a cage that was more luxurious than my previous cell but no less confining. I tried to remind myself of the warrior's gentle moments, the way he had held me, purred comfortingly, and protected me from the king's overzealous attentions. But those memories were overshadowed by the fear and humiliation of being thrown back into a box.

I tried and failed to calm myself once again. Your not there anymore. Your NOT there anymore. Not there, not there, not there, not there!

Your not there anymore!

But I was in a cage, no matter how comfortable they had tried to make it. The walls seemed to grow tighter and tighter around me with every ragged breath until I couldn't take any more. I would fall in and out of consciousness like this for a long while, sometimes panicking, other times just hollow and detached until I found sleep again. However long I was locked away I did not know. The sounds outside of my cage seemed muffled and the light dim no matter the time of day. I wasn't sure if the muted surroundings contributed or helped with the panic.

What I did know was I couldn't even find it within myself to be angry. I felt shut down, out of body, watching myself shrink back into that lifeless person I had withered away to on that cold, cramped floor. The small, dark space of the transportation crate brought back too many memories. Memories of feeling helpless, of having no control over my own fate, of being treated like cargo rather than a living being.

Although most sound was muted the vibration of the ship's engines hummed through the metal walls of my confinement. It was a steady, monotonous sound that seemed to amplify my isolation. As the ship ascended, leaving the labyrinth behind, I could feel the slight shifts in pressure, the subtle lurches as we broke through the atmosphere. Each jolt reminded me of how powerless I was in this situation.