Ivy Gates || PJM || Ivy Book One || ✔

4

I spent the next two hours being washed and waxed and oiled and perfumed  to the point that I didn't even recognise myself anymore. Once Tam had dried my body and hair off, she went to one of the wardrobes up against the wall in the corner of the room. Luckily, the combined length of our chains meant that I didn't have to move; I was a bit sore.

She pulled out a white, floaty dress that buttoned up the front like a shirt. Once she had put it on me and buttoned it up, I realised that it reached to about mid-thigh, and was almost see through.

"What is your personal belonging?" She asked as she fetched another item of clothing from the wardrobe next to the previous.

"The scarf," I said. She placed a black silky robe over top of the dress and tied it at the front, before lifting my mothers blanket scarf from the pile of my old clothes and gently wrapping it around my shoulders. The robe reached just above the hem of the white dress, so luckily nothing could be seen.

"I wish you luck," She said with a gentle smile, "May your childbirths be easy,"

I had heard my Mama say that to other women before, and when I asked, she said it was a traditional way to wish luck and health upon others. The men did not know this saying, and it was said when not in their presence.

"And may your Masters hands be gentle," I responded with the correct reply and she smiled, patting my shoulders.

"You'll be fine, Bee," She said, using the nickname my Mama used for me, "I know you will,"

She let me go with a little sigh and handed me a laminated piece of paper, before moving to the door. When she opened it, the guard was already waiting, and he unclipped our chains, before putting Tam back in her cell. I was relieved that she seemed happy, and upon closer examination, the cell she was in looked fairly comfortable. It had a bed, and a set of drawers. She even had a few ornaments placed on a shelf on the back wall. Apart from being unclothed, she looked like they took care of her.

The guard unhooked my chain, and to my surprise, attached a long metal pole instead. He held it firmly and maneuvered himself so he was behind me and able to push me out of the door. I tried not to yelp in the pain from him pushing, and remembered that I had a 'Red warning', whatever that meant. I guess that's why he was taking the precaution of having me on the end of a pole so I couldn't 'hurt' him.

He pushed me out of the back of the building, and into the back of a waiting van. I climbed in and sat at the other end, and he pulled what looked like a little ring half way down the pole, and it clicked loose from the iron ring around my neck. He then pulled the pole free and slammed the back of the van, plunging me into darkness.

A moment later, a light flicked on, and I heard the guards voice. 

"0917 gave you a list of rules. Memorize them,"

I looked down at the laminated paper I was still holding in my hand. At the top, it read "General rules", and underneath there was a little paragraph explaining that my new owner may give me additional rules, and they had the right to discipline me as they saw fit for breaking the rules.

I knew my new life was going to be hard, but some of the rules made my blood boil.

---

JIMIN

I had checked my house at least three times already. All the knives and scissors were locked up in the cabinet in the kitchen, and my weapons were safely stored inside the locker, which was behind the locked door of my office.

I would not take another chance.

I then went to the room that was going to be hers, and checked that the bars on the window were sturdy, and that the lock wasn't broken. I picked up a thick, black leather collar from the bedside table. It still had the heavy chain lead attached to it, so I brought them downstairs and hung them both up on the hook by the front door.

Not long after my final safety check, there was a knock on the door, and I opened it to see one of the guards.

"General Park," He bowed respectfully, "I have your delivery,"

I nodded and he turned, heading back to the van with a pole in his hand. Rolling my eyes I grabbed the chain and collar followed him out.

"Is the pole necessary?" I muttered, taking it from his hand and tossing it to the floor.

"It's protocol, Sir," He said, his hand on the handle of the door, "To keep us safe,"

"Just open the door,"

The guard did as he was told and quickly stepped back out of the way. I peered inside and sitting right at the back, huddled into herself in the gloom of the van, was 1216. She looked scared, but the glint of her eyes in the light told me that she was also angry.

"Come here," I ordered. She hesitated just long enough for me to open my mouth to get angry, but before I could speak she got up and walked towards me. She climbed down out of the van and I reached towards her, unclipping the iron ring and replacing it with the thick leather collar. I tugged on the chain once and she immediately responded by following my lead, which did mean that she had some training.

The guard bowed to me again and climbed into the drivers seat, before pulling away, and I tugged the girl into my house, wishing for the nth time that day that I just let her be given to the police as a care girl.