It was a cold, rainy Saturday morning that made Zee feel just plain lazy. She shuffled through her apartment carrying a steaming cup of tea and a paperback bestseller. Putting both items down on an end table, she quickly cleared away a mess of pillows and a strewn blanket from her favorite spot on the couch. Then she plopped down in her seat and placed her slippered feet up on the adjacent ottoman. After taking a sip of tea, she sighed contentedly and reached for her book.

Not two pages into the chapter, her phone rang. She almost missed the call, having absently tossed the phone in among the pillows when she got up to go to bed the previous evening. But just in time, she grabbed it and answered the call before it went to voicemail.

"Hello?"

"Hello, my obedient slave."

Within the instant that it took for her to recognize the commanding voice on the other end of the line, a torrent of thoughts and memories raced through Zee's mind:

A chair...restraints...bare feet...a device over her head…

Struggling...fear...dizziness...sleepiness...dreaming...bliss…

Submission...obedience...Master...slave...forgetting...forgetting everything....

By the time the instant had passed, the flood of memories had already faded away. Zee's thumb blindly found and pressed the speaker button before she let her phone drop beside her. Her eyes stared blankly ahead, and she raised her arms up in front of her like an old-fashioned zombie.

"Hello, Master," she said in a monotone drawl. "I live to serve you."

"Indeed you do, my slave. I have a task for you."

A moment later, Zee's arms lowered back to her sides. She blinked and shook her head. Looking on either side of her, she noticed both her book and phone. Hadn't she been reading? Had something interrupted her? She had certainly spaced out. Maybe it was just a boring book? She chuckled at the thought of a book lulling her into a daze after just a couple of pages.

Then her laughter stopped. She stared out over her legs at her bare feet. Beneath the ottoman, her socks and slippers lay discarded on the floor. Boring book regardless, spacing out or not, she had no memory of taking those off. It was too chilly to go barefoot. So what the…?

Then a quick glance at the clock reminded her that she had no time to waste on figuring out bizarre, if brief, fugue states. She had an errand to run. How could she have forgotten before? It was absolutely vital that she get it done today...soon...now!

With great haste, she grabbed what she needed--wallet, keys, purse, hooded jacket--then headed to the front door. Just as she was ready to exit, she looked down to see that she remained barefoot. Not wanting to take the time to find socks and shoes, she shoved her feet into a nearby pair of flip-flops and headed out the door.


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Zee didn't recognize the address that she had plugged into her GPS. She didn't know the streets she traveled on, nor the house that she arrived at. She also didn't know that she didn't know. All she knew was that she had an important and urgent errand to run. And this is where she needed to be.

Knocking four times in rapid succession on the front door, she then entered it without waiting for a response. She then closed the door and locked it. Turning back around, she slipped off her shoes. As she stepped forward, her eyes widened and her expression went blank. Her arms raised up as they had done on her couch, and she held them there as she walked slowly and purposefully from the foyer into the kitchen.

A man sat at a large table. He watched as Zee entered the room, smiling in appreciation of his attractive slave and his complete control over her.

"I am here, Master," Zee said. "I live to serve you."

"Prepare me a hot meal and a hot drink," the man said.

"Yes, Master. I obey."

A few minutes later, Zee set down a plate of food and steaming mug in front of the man.

"Very good, slave. That is all for now. You may leave."

"Yes, Master. I obey."

Zee turned and exited the room in the same slow, methodical, zombie-like way she had entered it. At the front door, she blinked and shook her head. Her expression returned to normal. She put on her flip-flops, opened the door, and left.

Soon, Zee arrived back at home. Not long after that, she occupied her favorite spot on the couch, book in hand, rewarmed tea within reach, and slippered feet back on the ottoman. As she opened the novel to delve back into it, she thought with contentment that it really had been a worthwhile errand, and she was glad she had run it. And now, the rest of the day was hers.

The phone rang.

Once again, Zee unknowingly stripped her feet bare. Then, with arms raised mindlessly in front of her, she listened to and acknowledged the orders of her master.


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"I am here, Master. I live to serve you."

"Clean up these dishes, slave. Then prepare me a drink and bring it to me in my den."

"Yes, Master. I obey."

A short time later, Zee stood with arms outstretched before the man, who relaxed in his den with the drink she had just made for him. She stood upon a luxuriously plush rug, but she gave no indication of feeling its heavenly caress beneath her bare feet.

"This is good, slave. Just the right amount of ice. That is all I have for you...for now. You may leave."

"Yes, Master. I obey."


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For what had started as a lazy morning, Zee thought, she was certainly getting a lot done. But she was more than ready now to get back to some warmth and comfort. Hopefully she wouldn't remember any more pressing errands.

She gathered her things around her--pillows, blanket, reheated tea, and book. Then she settled in on the couch. The only difference this time was that she left her socks and slippers where she'd dropped them on the floor. It wasn't that she didn't want to wear them, but rather that they didn't seem to stay on. Puzzling, she had decided, but not worth fussing over. Wiggling her bare toes, she threw the end of the blanket over them and hoped that would keep them warm enough.

The phone rang.


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Zee stood before the man, with eyes wide, arms outstretched, and feet bare.

"I am here, Master. I live to serve you."

"I have a final task for you, my slave. And then I will let you go for the rest of today. Unless, of course, I think of something else later. Either way, I will likely have several more tasks for you tomorrow."

"Yes, Master. I obey."


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Later that night, Zee yawned and stretched as she walked into her bedroom. As she strode across the carpeted floor, she paused. For just a second, she had expected to feel a deep, plush, luxurious pile beneath her bare feet. But why would she expect that, instead of the same old carpet she'd always had in here? With a shrug, she chalked the momentary delusion up to too many errands and not enough relaxation time on the couch.

She yawned again, as she climbed into bed. Yes, there had been too much running around today. But tomorrow would be different. Tomorrow she would be lazy all day long.

With that happy, if erroneous, thought in her head, Zee drifted off to sleep.