Caged (rewriting) (boyxboy)

Chapter 25

Jase's POV*

When I finally wake up, the first thing I know is that I've been asleep for a long time. My whole body feels stiff in the curled up position I'm resting in, and my mouth is dry.

The second thing I know is that Master isn't beside me. Immediately, I have to battle back the possible causes for his absence- what if I did something wrong, what if he's left me here for good, what if I messed up our scene and now he hates me, what if he's realized he doesn't want me and he's sending me back, what if, what if, what if...

It takes me at least five minutes of deep breathing to calm down by myself before standing up with a little coil of panic still twisting deep inside me.

Someone, probably Master, put pants on me, but they aren't the sweatpants that I'm used to-- they're black and tight against my legs, fitting the exact shape of them, but not in an uncomfortable way. I'm also wearing a big blue shirt that has to belong to Master-- his shoulders are two or three times as broad as mine, and it smells like him.

I reach the doorway and hesitantly rest my hand on the knob, taking a deep breath before twisting it and wandering out into the house. Master isn't in the hallway.

He isn't anywhere I can see him, and I have to take a deep breath to work up the courage to go looking for him- what if he's hurt somewhere? Why isn't he with me? Nerves hold me back; what if he doesn't want me to find him? I play with the bottom of the t shirt that smells like him, trying to make up my mind.

I pause at the top of the steps, eying them nervously. I know my balance is weak, my coordination is pathetic, and I've fallen too many times down the stairs to be even remotely comfortable with them.

But Master isn't with me, and I need him. I always need him- he's my favorite person.

I hold the stair railing with both hands as I take the steps one at a time, my heart pounding a painful tattoo below my ribcage. Focus. Focus. Don't fall. On the sixth step I wobble and feel dizzy for a second, a startled squeak leaving my lips. That's a long way down. It takes me at least five minutes to make it to the bottom, and by the time I reach the floor at the base I feel a bit lightheaded, but proud. I did something scary all by myself.

I hazard a guess, turning right and wandering awkwardly across the foyer entryway. I recognize one of the rooms as the kitchen, and definitely want to stay away from there. I move to the next room and press my ear up against the wooden door, trying to hear Master's voice.

It doesn't go exactly as planned when the door suddenly opens inwards and I go flying into someone holding a big basket, making us both go tumbling to the floor in a heap, a girlish screech piercing the air that I hope awkwardly isn't mine. I end up in a tangle on the floor with the brown eyed girl, Maia, the one who spoke to me the first day Master went to work. There are bright white pieces of fabric lying all around us, a small square covering her face. Leaning up on my elbows over her where I collapsed, I use one hand to reach down and pull it off her nose, revealing her face.

"S-sorry," I mutter, face fiery. She stares at me for a second, shocked.

"Um...can you get off me?" She finally asks, and I gasp and scramble off of her, panicking a bit at the fact that I was laying over someone and didn't even notice how much of us was touching. What is wrong with me? "Thanks. I was just bringing the laundry up- do you need something?" Her voice is bright as she picks up the cloths, tossing them in the bin before turning to face me, positioning the large tub against her hip.

"I was j-just looking for...for Master," I say, avoiding her gaze.

"Oh. Sure- he's probably off punching something," she says it with a spark of fondness in her voice, and I stare at her in alarm. Why would he be punching something?