"I hope it isn't much trouble but I have this terrible headache you see and I was wondering if you could give me...a little massage".

She looked at me like I was asking for her to retrieve treacle from a well.

So I decided to elaborate to her.

"It's just my forehead, you see , lit's killing me.

It's nothing else I promise you.

Seriously I don't need a massage any place else, I'm not asking for a foot rub, a shoulder rub or anything else.

Look I only need 10 minutes of your time, nothing more."

"Fine, but only this once".

We went to the lounge and I leaned back on the closest sofa where she proceeded to gently massage my forehead.

How was I going to do this?

I had the syringe hidden in my purple decorative robe.

I'd have to do it when she wasn't looking, people, possibly If I did this just the right way, she wouldn't even be aware of it at the time, that is to say, hopefully she wouldn't know I had done anything in the first place.

"Is that better?"

Her voice was full of frustration.

"Yes much better thank you.

Has I been 10 minutes already?"

"Yes it's been longer that actually.

May I go to my room now?"

She had a sarcastic edge to her tone.

"Yes of course but I before you go... there's something I wish to discuss with you".

Uh oh. What was I supposed to discuss with her?

What do women like to discuss?

Shoes, food, clothes.

Clothes that's it.

I could have a clothes made for her, I could have a entire wardrobe tailored designed especially for her.

"Well it just occured to me that you don't yet have a wardrobe of your own.

I hope you don't think me rude but perhaps you haven't looked in the mirror lately but you don't exactly look the part of the bride to be for someone of my position.

The proper attire will do absolute wonders for you believe.

I mean I can have a entire wardrobe made especially for you.

It would be specifically designed to fit and suit you."

"Oh... that's very kind of you...for a moment I thought you were insulting me but apparently I was wrong.

You know I think I might have misjudged you somehow.

You're really not so bad at least not as bad as I thought."

"I'm a fairly decent individual at times.

You can have a seat if you'd like.

I'm going to go get the tailor, I'll be right back".

What are you doing you fool?

You should have administered it right then.

No we can't rush into things, it needs to be done at just the right time.

Timing is everything.

I found a gold phone with pearls encrusted into the receiver and I called in for a fitting.

The fitting wass held brusquely but efficiently and like any dream the clothes came in immediately afterwards.

I was then told to come into her dressing room.

She was wearing a dark blue outfit made of corduroy.

There was skirt with a huge a row of fluffy ruffles in the front and the top was long with slightly curled ruffles on the sleeves and there were tiny ruffled ridges on the front.

There was a strange hat that had a yellow feather on the top.

It appeared to be a style from the 40's but I couldn't deny that I liked it.

"Well what do you think?"

"You look like the daughter of a lord, who's going to a wedding.

You look like absolute Royalty."

"What like a duchess?"

"No a princess is more like it".

"Oh you're just saying that to butter me up.

I think it's rather old fashioned.

I look more like a duchess, or somebody's distant cousin of royalty."

She reflected on her appearance in the mirror.

I crept up behind her and gently I embraced her from behind, I clutched onto her waist and I nestled my face into her hair.

I slowly made my way to her neck and I gently caressed her neck with my lips.

I expected her to be very insulted by this kind of attention but instead of storming put and screaming at me she welcomed the attention I gave her.

Her eyes were no longer focused on the mirror, she had her eyelids closed at this point, I then took out the syringe from my robe and it pressed it against her arm.

The needle went through her newly made clothes she hardly noticed that I had done anything at all, she didn't wince or flinch, she just assumed I was still in the process of admiring her.

Before I knew it, the deed was done and slipped the syringe back into the secret pocket of my robe.

At first I thought the serum hadn't worked.

I looked in my pocket just to check if I had any serum left and the syringe was clear and empty.

So apparently the serum had been administered successfully.

"I have...no...complaints.

Thank you. I am in completely indebted to you.

You are my hero.

I want to be your wife... nothing else would please me more than to belong to you.

I'll be yours forever and I shall forever be happy".

I didn't like this version of Imagi either.

"I suppose you think I'm your lord and master as well".

I had curled my lips in displeasure.

"Yes of course you are. Is there anything I can do for you? I'm only here to serve you."

I repulsed at this and let go of her.

"No there's nothing I need.

You can go ahead and...head to bed".

"If that is what you wish."

If this is what control meant I didn't want anything to do with it.

Once I returned back to reality I'd vow to her that I would never give her any such serum that was designed to control her.

For the first time I didn't like being in control.

I used to enjoy the power but now it just made me feel sick.

Looking at her eyes so unblinking and void of any emotion just made my skin crawl.

Eventually that stuff would have to wear off sometime.

If It didn't, I'd have to get her out of this funk.

I'd done it before, I could probably do it again.

Maybe all I ever wanted was order not control because this whole subservient service thing was ridiculous.

If she was going to serve me I wanted her only do so if it was of her own free will.

I couldn't leave here like this at least not for long.

Maybe I'd wait for Tommorow.

Yet all the days in this world seemed exactly the same.

Maybe this weird spell would wear off by tomorrow.

She couldn't be in that funk forever.

Yes I'll just wait it out for a bit and see what happens.

I went to my room and laid down on my purple bedspread that was all neatly made out for me on my bed.

I didn't want to fall asleep.

Something told me that wouldn't be a good idea.

I waited for several hours finally I decided to check on her.

I went the door that separated our two rooms and unlocked it, to that I called out for her.

I saw a shadowy figure of someone, no doubt the figure had to be Imagi herself.

I flipped the light switch and I found Imagi sitting in front of her vanity, vacant, vacant expression, she wasn't moving, she wasn't even blinking.

"Imagi. I would very much like to speak with you."

"I'm coming, my master".

"You can quit with that master thing.

Call me Clifford, that's my name.

I'm not your ruler, your king, your monarch, your leader or your master.

I'm just a person just like you are.

I'm going to tell you, I don't mind if you're stubborn, willful and difficult.

You deserve to be able to think for yourself.

You deserve to have your own will, you should be able to choose your own fate, most importantly you should be free.

I'll give you that, I'll give you anything you want just as you wake up out of this funk."

"I don't know what you mean. I have no idea what you're talking about.

There is no funk, there is no will, no choice, there is only service. I have...no... complaints."

"Well I have a few complaints of my own.

This kind of service is down right ridiculous.

I won't have you walk around here like some sort of zombie, I'm not going to let you be some emotionless robot, you're not a servant, you're not a slave, you are a living human being.

Right now you don't even look like your breathing.

That's not normal.

I want you to live, really live, not just exist.

They Swallowed up the stars and captured the moon.

Conquer the Light and vanquish the night."

I thought maybe saying those words would break the spell she was under.

It was the first lines of the song they would sing.

"The stars wept, the moon cried and the skies bled red".

She responded in a vapid fashion.

"I deserve to be liquidated.

I am dangerous, I am a rebel capable of destruction.

I must be eliminated."

"No Death is not the awnser remember.

Life is the awnser, living is the solution.

Living is difficult at times and it's constant struggle some days but it's all worth it.

I promise you I'll make it worth your while.

I'll make life bearable for you, not just bearable but better."

"Better than what?"

"Better than living in a cell somewhere awaiting your execution.

Better than being my slave or my servant.

Better than having your fluids drained out of you till your dry as a bone."

"What? Did you plan on draining the life out of me?"

She was almost shouting at me.

"No I had no intention of doing any such thing.

Yet they call it liquidation for a reason of course by the time they actually get to the liquidation part you'd already be dead by that point."

Wait how did I know that?

I was marveling over the fact that there was blood in that bottle but now I tell her that the liquidation process was actually a literal term.

Maybe this was just another weird detail in my dream that had no correlation with reality whatsoever.

"Don't you worry, I'll never let that happen to you."

"Wow, I must have been in some kind of daze but you got me out of it.

You know I really believe that I've misjudged you.

There was this signal that kept going through my brain, it was some kind of voice and I couldn't help but obey it.

I had no control, no will, no emotions, it was almost as if I wasn't even living, just existing.

I felt like I was just floating through life.

Then I heard your voice, your voice grew louder and louder until it drowned out all the other voices in my head.

I couldn't understand the words but I could tell they were good words with a good intentions behind them.

You know I hope this doesn't come off as weird but I don't think I'd mind staying here for the time being."

"Oh so you're willing to say here until when exactly?

Are you going to take off at the next mention of marriage?"

"Well when the wedding day arrives I could just make a run for it.

I could make another daring escape right before that day."

"Well that's mighty wight of you to let me know beforehand.

I'm afraid I can't exactly let you leave either before or after that date.

You see if you escape and I let you, you'll be escaping on my watch, which means that your escape will be my responsibility and it will be entirely my fault.

So I'd prefer if you didn't make a run for it just yet".

"Would they liquidate you if they found out that you helped me escape?"

"Possibly but I doubt it.

Yet who knows maybe I'm not quite as important as they want me to believe."

"Alright then I'll stay for your sake.

I wouldn't want them to kill you because of me."

"That's certainly decent of you but you have to promise me that if you ever leave this area, you know to go exploring and whatnot try to pretend that you're not a rebel any longer.

If I happen to be with you at the time, just try to act the part.

If I ever tell you to do something, don't argue with me, do everything exactly as you're told.

Whatever you do, don't show any emotion, no disgust, no hatred, no surprise, just nothing.

There are cameras just about everywhere and my superiors expect everyone to be happy little robots."

"So you want me act like a zombie in public?"

"Well you can show some emotions.

Happiness, admiration, fondness, joy, love.

If it's anything keep it basic.

Just don't show anger and hatred and don't display any willfulness or stubbornness whatever you do.

If it's any consolation, they wanted you to be controlled and contained, but I refused to help them, so they took matters into their own hands".

I can't believe she bought that lie but yet again everything here was a lie because it was all just some stupid dream.

I do hope I'd wake up soon.