Authors Note: These chapters will make almost no sense if not read in order. If you haven't, I strongly suggest you go back to the introduction and chapter 1. Enjoy.
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Jill was never sure what exactly set her daughter off, but she suspected it might have been Clair's Psychology advance placement class. Perhaps a discussion of family life, or sexual fetishes, or some similar topic. But for sure, when Clair came down after school that day, Jill could see that she was deep in thought, quiet and perhaps sad. "What's wrong sweetheart?"
"Oh nothing," Clair said.
"You may be 18 and a senior in high school, but you're still my little girl and mommy knows when something is bothering you...." at which Clair just burst out sobbing.
"I thought I was getting used to... all this" Clair said while waving her hand around indicating the whole basement setup, but it just hit me today how totally weird it is... I mean, I must be the only girl in the world whose mom is a naked prisoner in her own basement! "
"Well, I might be," said Jill, "but I can assure you that your father and I are NOT the only people in the world who do BDSM and certainly not the only people in the town of Chain. I know from things you've said in the past that you've found some BDSM porn online, so who exactly do you think creates and watches all that?"
"Our family is just so, I don't know, different?" Clair sobbed.
"Look sweetheart, I know we're 'different' but that's not bad if it makes your Dad and I happy, is it? I think you need to talk to someone else about this."
"OH NO," Clair almost shouted, "I'm not telling my school counselor my mother is chained up in the basement!"
"I agree," laughed Jill, "that would be a really bad idea. But how about we Facetime Gran, your Dad hasn't let me talk with her on his phone in a few days."
"Facetime!!!" Clair exclaimed, "Does Gran know?"
"Hmmm, well let's find out." Jill said with a smile, "my phone only calls you and Dad, so you'll have to call her on yours."
Clair put the phone on speaker and made the Facetime call. After a few rings, "Well hello Clair, good to see you, it's been a while."
"Hi Gran, sorry about that, it's been pretty busy at school and with the softball team."
"Looks like you're in the basement, your mom said you usually came down to visit after School"
"Hi mom," Jill said loudly.
"So, uhh, you know about 'the program?'" asked Clair.
"Yes, and I guess you two have had an argument, since your eyes are all red. It looks like you've been crying. Calling Gran to help arbitrate, are we? Want to turn the phone so I can see both of you?"
"Uh.... mom's uh...." studied Clair.
"Naked," interrupted Gran with an amused look on her face, "she hasn't got anything I haven't seen before dear. So, what's going on with you two?"
Jill started, "well mom, you remember that summer I came home my freshman year, and you were chained up in dad's tool shed?"
"I seem to remember you wanted to call the police on him! So is Clair trying to call the police?"
"No," injected Clair, "Mom and dad explained what they were going to do before.... wait... THE TOOL SHED?"
"That's right dear, I know it's hard for you to picture your old, wrinkled, gray haired Gran chained up naked in Grandpa's cement block tool shed, but I wasn't always this old. And like my daughter and my mother before us, I could never control my weight any other way."
It got really quiet in the basement for a few heartbeats while Clair processed all this.
"Great Grandma too?" she finally asked.
"Oh yes dear, it was my Mother who started this family tradition. Although nudity wasn't a part of their 'program' as my father would simply chain her to the cast iron stove with a chain that was just a tad too short for her to reach the root cellar or the pantry. That way he could give her the ingredients and let her cook dinner for the family, under supervision of course. After we all ate, he would decide what and how much she could eat."
"But you are right," said Jill, "Clair is having a problem reconciling our 'weight loss program' with the 'real world' outside the house. I thought it might help if she talked to you and learned a bit of family history."
"So how," Clair asked" did the nudity, the forced exercise and the blender food get into the program."
"Well," answered Gran, "the nudity was my idea. You see your grandfather, my George, wasn't really on board at the beginning, I had to encourage him a bit. For one thing he liked... well... he liked sex dear, and he was afraid if I was chained up in the tool shed, he wouldn't get as much. Then there was the farm work. We were raising and training horses in those years and feeding, grooming, and mucking out the stalls was a lot of work. He thought he might have to do it all. So, I made him a deal, he could keep me naked and, you know, 'visit' any time he wanted, and I couldn't say no."
"TMI, TMI" Clair said, but with a smile on her face as she pictured her ancient grandparents in their youth.
"He could also come get me every morning, put shackles on my ankles, give me a burlap dress and take me to the barn to work. That's how I got MY exercise, shoveling shit!"