Shining scales
Green and gold
Glittering teeth
Of diamond
A snake
So large
That he won't
Run from me-
But run
I will
Not.
From The Silent Scream by Hilde Schbeiker
But what now? What will become of me, with this man I have scarcely laid eyes on as my master? This man who demands perfect obedience? I hadn't moved since he had asked for the papers to sign; he had signed his name perhaps twelve times by now. I listened carefully for the sound of his bank card, the gentle swish as it moved into and through the tiny machine that would take the money from him to pay for me. Was that it? Coming from inside of something? I strained my ears for the slight ring that would announce the money had come from his account, been approved, and I was bought. There! Yes! I couldn't believe it. I was bought! No more days in that old place- we can't be sold back, and no one else will by one of us once thrown away. I was free of that place, forever!
Calming myself down, I listened quietly as he replaced the card. "Come on," he muttered to me, and I opened my eyes to watch my step carefully behind him. Were it not for the forced practice I had rigorously endured all my life to hold my face, I would have seemed the happiest creature in the world, if the most curious and amazed.
We walked out of the building into the cold, bright day in the desert. I walked behind my master quietly to his vehicle, a wild black sports car with tinted windows. He walked to the left side of the car and stepped lightly behind the wheel. I carefully lifted the handle and allowed myself a seat beside of him- whoever he was. I reached over my right shoulder and carefully buckled the seat belt. I placed my hands in my lap, straightened my back, and lightly closed my eyes.
~~~~~~
When we arrived at our destination, which I dared not look up at, I followed cautiously the white-sneakered feet of my master up the sidewalk. I was surprised to note that he knocked on the door- why had he not come to his own house? Or perhaps he had angered his wife, and I was just there to ease the tension. I shrugged the thought off- what did I care? I was here, I had gotten through that hellish school- even if I was freezing, I would be given my own room to toast up with any luck. Everything would be much easier now.
"Who's there?" I heard a ridiculously chipper male voice ask.
"Heero," he said in a monotone. Well, that's a start- his first name is Heero.
"Come on in, Heero ol' buddy!" He yelled. Yup, definitely too chipper, especially when compared to my master.
He motioned for me to stay here, and walked in the door. I closed my eyes and assumed my usual statue-appearance. "So, Heero, what brings ya'?" He said. "Ya' know buddy, you should probably close the door! It's bringing in more of that hot air, and my electric bill's high enough!" He said with a laugh.
"Duo."
"Yeah?"
"Happy late birthday," he said, and motioned out the door.
"Huh?" He said as he walked outside. "Oh! It's- um-... Eheh..."
"It's an Astheme. You know, from that old Winner company."
"No kiddin'! I've never seen one this close before! Sheesh, Heero, you really knocked yourself out gettin' this one, didn't you!"
"Relena told me to get you something nice, and if I didn't, she'd spread the word of who I am around to every bar, club, and hotel she had access to. So you'd better call her now and tell her."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah- not right now, though. Who knows, if these things are as fancy as they are expensive I might not like it!" He chuckled for a moment, then stopped. "Uh- Heero, they can see, can't they?" I smirked inwardly. Ok, maybe this wouldn't be too bad.
"Yeah."
"... Ok, what, do they sleep a lot or are they allergic to sunlight or is this just a stubborn alien?"
"They're trained not to meet the eyes of their masters, not to speak, to obey your every word, and how to stay still for hours at a time."
"Well, what's the fun in owning something as hot as that and not have it even look at you?"
"Tell it to."
"To what?"
"To look at you, baka. Get this," he began as Duo walked back into the house, "I spent ages looking at these things trying to get a spark of rebellion from one of them. She was probably the only one that completely obeyed me- after I got the guy showing them to me out and fixed the camera to loop- oh, uh, Duo? You have to tell her she can come in, because I told her to stay a little while ago."
"You're joking! Ok, then, come on, kitty kitty!"
"Yeah, whatever Duo," he continued, as I opened my eyes enough to see where I was stepping, and walked cautiously into the house behind large brown boots. I listened absentmindedly as Heero told the story of how boring the others had been, what I had done, how much trouble I should have been in and everything about his day. I continued to walk just behind Duo, until we came into what I assumed from the blurs in the corners of my eyes to be the living room. I walked directly into the center of the room and faced Duo, who I assumed was taking over Heero's role as master, and closed my eyes in the normal position.
"Ok, Heero, hold it. Do I have to tell this cat-babe to do everything?" He asked skeptically.
"Yeah, pretty much. Hey, why don't you try what I did? Tell her to pretend that we're not here and see what she does.
"Yeah, ok. Only I'll try my own version. Hey, pretend that we're all, ya' know, equals!"
I lifted up my eyes only to fall into the depths of the deepest, most beautiful violet eyes I had ever seen.
~~~~~~
0.0 I posted the first chapter only about two hours ago, and I've got two reviews! Sheesh... Ok, I guess I'll update.
I don't own Gundam Wing.