Chapter 6: Memories in a Trunk
Lara knelt with her hands folded neatly in her lap, expecting her Uncle Errol's second visit with great trepidation. Her outfit was a ludicrous parody of an Edwardian dress, with far too many anachronistic elements. The most striking was her 'handcuffs': Cartier LOVE bracelets connected with a length of thin platinum chain.
The jewelry was deceptively fragile. She could have easily broken free of it, even after all this time of her body softening from a significant lack of exercise. But Lara knew if she broke them even by accident, it would result in a severe punishment. So instead she kept her hands very near to each other, terrified of accidentally breaking that fragile chain and provoking yet another ten strokes from her mistress's cane.
Lara was amazed and terrified at how quickly she began changing once she had accepted that she wasn't getting out of here as the Lady of Abington. It was like Miss Galkowska had pulled away the keystone of her identity, once Lara had come around to the notion of surrendering her title. It had a cascading effect on Lara β her confidence was nearly devastated from that point. When Miss Galkowska ordered her to do something humiliating such as kiss her toes, Lara barely argued anymore. She would frown, sure β the woman didn't seem to mind that β but she would always do as she was told.
It was never easy.
Lara's waist had been cinched in considerably, part of some vague 'waist training' regimen that Miss Galkowska insisted that she undergo. It had started as a simple caloric reduction β which was difficult enough when the girl was so hungry all the time. Miss Galkowska had insisted that she take over Lara's feedings entirely. She didn't spoon-feed the girl, as Nurse Cerys had always done. Instead, Lara ate her meals out of a pink plastic bowl that was invariably located by the foot of Miss Galkowska's chair. The bowl even had her name on it: Lara Rabynya, not Lara Swift. Nobody ever called her by her old name anymore.
When it was time for her to eat, Miss Galkowska would call the Tomb Liberator over β who was always to remain on hands and knees. Lara had been taught to move in a lithe, playful way whenever she came to her bowl. The girl would start by putting her face to her mistress's feet and kissing them gently, before looking up to the woman and asking permission to eat her food. Often, the Polish bitch wanted many more than a few kisses. She carried in her hands, usually, a riding crop by which she could correct Lara as the girl had her pathetic meal.
Lara wasn't allowed to use her hands for this. Instead, she would fold them neatly behind her back and bend low until her face hovered right above her food. Then, she would lick up as much of the pink mush as she could fit on her tongue, then bring it into her mouth. It was similar to the way a cat drinks water β totally unnatural for a woman β and it turned every meal into a grueling test of endurance.
Lara wasn't permitted to rest her glutes on her calves while she ate, so her muscles strained to hold the pose. The food was bland, as always, and gave no pleasure for its consumption. If Lara took too large of a mouthful or showed too little (or confusingly, too much) enjoyment, Miss Galkowska would bring the riding crop down one of her bare buttocks before shouting something abusive at the poor girl. Lara wasn't always fed in this way, but it made for a very effective threat to get her to comply to something else.
If Lara screwed up this interview with her Uncle, Miss Galkowska promised her a week of that exact treatment, and worse. The pinpricks of fear were there β they hardly ever left her now β as she wondered what things he would demand from her. Would he want her late father's last will and testament? Would she have the courage to say 'no' if he asked?
Her Uncle Errol came into the room, and Lara was hotly aware of how silly her outfit was when he drank every humiliating detail.
"Lara! Wow, you have changed. I love what you've done with your hair!"
"Thank you, Lord Errol," was Lara's measured response. Calling him "lord" was astoundingly bad, and even worse because of the way his eyes lit up at her show of deference.
She hadn't 'done' anything with her hair, by the way: it was one of the physical changes the Black Hole had forced upon her.
Lara had always kept her hair a sensible length β usually in a ponytail or a simple but elegant style. Now she had an incredible, almost mythical amount of hair. It cascaded down her body all the way to her lower back, and it was very thick and healthy. It had grown out so quickly it seemed like every time she looked in a mirror it was noticeably longer. It was highly sensitive to a lover's caress, but when Miss Galkowska would take handfuls of it while she spanked Lara over her lap the pain was breathtaking. When Lara was in the nude, it would brush against her back tattoo and drive her to distraction almost constantly.
He pulled out an e-cigarette almost instantly, taking a moment to enjoy her saucer eyes at the thing.
"I'll take a seat, and we can talk business."
He sat down, toying absentmindedly with the device that had captured all of Lara's attention. It was truly insulting, reminding her of the way a person would dangle food in front of a hungry dog.
"Now, how has your education been going?"
Lara answered without hesitation.
"Excellent, my lord! Miss Galkowska has taught me so many skills that can be useful once I get out of here. I have learned several styles of massage, and the art of makeup, and other domestic talents to keep a home running smoothly."
Errol grinned, and shook his head like he couldn't believe the once proud Lara Swift was bragging about what a good housewife she would make.
"Do you still have those odd sexual hangups you were struggling with, that got you here in the first place?"
It was a slap in the face, and both Errol and Nurse Cerys were watching her with rapt attention to see how she handled this jab.
"N-no, Lord Errol. I am beginning to accept my diagnosis of incurable nymphomania, and I have come to accept the fact that I need a strict hand to keep me in line. C-constantly. Or else I might relapse and do something... stupid..."
Errol actually laughed at this β the nerve!