Elsa was just heading back from her morning run, tired after her long jog. When the phone rang, she almost didn’t answer it; then she looked at the number…

“Aunt Sarah! How are you! I haven’t heard from you for ages!”

“I’m fine darling. I’m sorry to be a bit forward, but I could really do with your help on something. Do you mind?”

“No, of course not. Shall I come over? I can pop round later today, if that’s any help?”

“Thanks, I’d really appreciate it. See you soon.”

Later that afternoon, Elsa pulled up at her aunt’s house. She got out of the car, walked up to the door and knocked. Sarah opened the door, smiling at her.

“Hello, dear”, she said. “It’s been a while…”

Sarah invited Elsa in.

The pair spent a few minutes getting reacquainted, chatting about old times, small talk. Then Elsa asked Sarah why she needed her help…

“It’s this”, Sarah said, handing Elsa a very ornate golden bracelet. “We found it on one of our ‘digs’ last month. I’ve managed to translate a small amount of the writing on it, and it tells a very interesting story…”

“Oh? Do tell”, said Elsa.

“It’s easier to show you”, said Sarah, suddenly opening the bracelet, then closing it around Elsa’s wrist.

“What the hell?”

“Slave, quiet!”

Suddenly, Elsa could no longer speak. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. In disbelief, she stared at Sarah.

“Slave, follow me.”, said Sarah. Elsa found herself, totally against her will, following Sarah deeper into the house…

“Slaves were revered in this society”, Sarah said. “I actually envy you, in a way. You’re going to be treated like royalty, and want for nothing…”

Elsa managed to force a whimper out. Sarah stopped, turned round, and stroked her head…

“Don’t worry, my darling. I’ll take good care of you…!” She then carried on walking, Elsa still following.

The corridor they were walking down then opened out into a spacious room.

“Your new home”, said Sarah. “I do hope you like it.”

Elsa looked around. Everything was gold. The curtains, the bedsheets, even the beautiful dress hanging at the end of the bed…

There was also another bracelet, a collar, and a very intricately decorated mask…

Sarah undressed Elsa completely and put the gold dress on her. She then added a gold belt round her waist, locking it shut.

She then fitted the other bracelet. Sarah clicked her fingers, once, and the two bracelets clamped themselves to the belt. Elsa’s hands were pinned to her sides.

Fitting the collar, Sarah leaned in and kissed Elsa.

“I’ve wanted you for some time”, she breathed. “Now, I’ve got my chance…”

Elsa tried to free her arms from the belt. It was no use. She was firmly trapped. Her eyes opened wide with fear as Sarah picked up the mask…

“I had this mask shaped especially for you”, she said. “I hope you haven’t put on too much weight in the last month or so…!”

She reached out to Elsa and pressed the mask into place. Elsa felt a blast of heat, for a second, as the mask welded itself to her.

“And there we go”, said Sarah. “All done. Permanently imprisoned. The slave costume only comes off after death.”

A single tear ran down Elsa’s golden cheek…

Later, Elsa was alone in ‘her’ room.

Sarah had let her have the use of her arms back; she had broken nails and made her fingers red trying to claw the mask off of her face.

Sarah was very cross when she found out.

“You silly bitch! I’ve given you a beautiful gift, and all you want to try and do is refuse it”, she said. “I told you it was all permanent; why do you still fight me?”

“Won’t… give up…”, Elsa managed to say. She could just move her mouth under the mask.

“I don’t want you to give up!”, Sarah cried. “This is for your own good!”

She cuddled Elsa.

“I love you! I want to keep you safe forever. Like I said, slaves were revered in this society. I honour you! You don’t have to do anything for yourself anymore. I’ve spent almost my entire fortune on you. Your costume alone cost over a million, its real gold.”

Elsa just pushed Sarah away.

Tears running down her mask, she walked over to the corner of the room, then curled up in a ball…

Elsa stayed like that for three days.

She was unable to work out why she didn’t feel hungry or thirsty, not that she cared. She just wanted her life back, not having to live as this gold-masked freak!

She totally ignored Sarah. She was able to do this because Sarah had overlooked one important point about the society that had made the slave costume… all their slaves were voluntary. They were revered. There was only one time that slaves could be controlled by the costume, that was when it was being put on, as quite a few slaves had ‘second thoughts’ when they were first being dressed. After that, the slave’s participation was entirely voluntary.

Sarah tried to order Elsa to come to her. Nothing. She pleaded, cajoled, even whimpered. Nothing. Elsa just ignored her completely.

Ironically, if Sarah had left just one piece of Elsa’s costume off, she would have been able to control her still…

Elsa was fed and watered each night by one of the other artifacts, which connected to the nearest water supply then plugged itself into her collar each night. Luckily, Sarah had collected a complete set of the needed equipment, having found a ‘parts list’ in the ancient manuscripts which she had decoded.

Elsa just stared at the doorway, tears in her eyes. She wanted to go home! She wanted out of this damn costume!

To add insult to injury, she could see her original clothing sitting in a laundry basket on the far side of the room. It looked as if it was there to torment her…

It was the mask that frustrated her the most. It really hurt, pushing hard against her lips and her jaw. It was like her head was held in a vice all the time and it was really giving her a headache and making her feel sick.

For something to do, she started absently reading the inscriptions on her bracelets. To her amazement, she suddenly realised that she could read them! It was as if they were written in plain English! What the hell…?

She read a line of writing then, eagerly, pushed the indent in the bracelet at the end of it. Her mask immediately retracted from round her mouth and under her jaw, and she took a grateful breath of fresh air through her mouth, running her tongue round it.

Now eager, she carried on reading…

Sarah was sitting in the other room, working, when she felt a pain around her neck.

“Must have been sitting in one position too long”, she mused.

The pain, however, got worse.

Suddenly…

“Your slave is calling you”, came a voice.

Sarah jumped up and looked round.

Elsa was standing there, and she was furious…

“Neck hurting, is it?”, asked Elsa. “Do you want the pain to go away?”

“How the hell are you doing this, and how come you can talk!?”, cried Sarah.

Elsa did something at her wrist. The pain increased.

“Ok, ok! Stop, please!”

Elsa dialled the pain back.

“In this society you discovered, the slaves were revered”, she said. “They were also given complete control over their carers. You see, you read it all wrong. You’re my slave now…!”

Sarah’s face went white as a sheet…