Down the steep, narrow steps, June descended, following after her master. The 19-year old slave girl’s progress was hindered, somewhat, by the leather cuffs around her ankles, joined by a one-foot length of chain, but she moved in them easily enough, well used to her restraints by now. A similar pair of shackles locked the young, dark haired girl’s hands behind her back. Apart from her restraints, she was completely naked.

“Come on.” June’s master said, giving her leash a sharp tug. It ran from his hand up to the thick, padded collar that circled her neck, snug enough she could never quite ignore its presence, a constant reminder of her slavery the last two years. She had to move her feet quickly, the chain of her ankle fetters jingling loudly off the basement walls, to keep from falling over and tumbling down the stairs.

Waiting at the bottom, where it always way, tucked in the corner, just past the washing machine and dryer, was June’s cage. It was a small thing, about the size of a kennel for a large-ish dog, which she sort of assumed it had been made for before being repurposed for its current, two legged occupant. As always, seeing it made her give a quiet whimper, muffled by the thick ballgag jammed into her mouth. Even after so long, she hated the thing, being locked up in it for endless periods. More then any other part of her slavery, she found the cage the worst, but a slave she was so she had no choice. Her master wanted her in the cage, so in the cage she would go.

When the two reached the cage, June waited, half a pace behind her master, head bowed submissively, as he opened the padlock on the front of the cage and swung the door open. “In.” He ordered, voice sharp, tone leaving no room for disagreement. Silently, June sank to her knees. She leaned forward and started to crawl in, having to duck her head down to get under the opening. Even inside, she couldn’t straighten up all the way without her dark hair bushing against the bars above her.

As June’s toes moved past the threshold of the cage, her master slammed the door shut behind her. Though expecting it, she still jumped in startlement at the sudden noise and the knowledge of what it meant. By the time she’d managed to get turned around to look back out, through the bars of the front of the cage, no easy feet in the cramped confines with her hands and feet shackled, her master had already slotted the padlock back into place. He closed it with an audible click and June was locked in, until he returned and chose to release her again.

“Aww... don’t look so sad.” Her master said as she looked up, flashing him her saddest puppydog eyes. “You know the rules, when I’m gone you’ve got to be locked up. I’ve got to make sure you’re caged up before I leave or we’ll both get into trouble…” Before he continue, there was a honk coming from the open door to the basement. A woman called down.

“Timmy! That’s the bus, you’re going to be late for school!”

“Ok mom! I’ll be up in a sec. I’m just caging her up right now.” Timmy turned back and smiled down at his slave. “See you when I get back from school. Then I can take you out and we can play some more!” With that, and a cheerful wave, he turned and thundered up the steps, grabbing his school bag and running for the bus.

Down in her cage, as always, June lay down, curling into the ball that was the only, vaguely comfortable position she could find in her cage and prepared for the long, dull hours locked in her cage while she waited for her master to return...