The Corset [COMPLETE]

17 He wouldn't

"I... fell..." I rasped.

"And?" he handed me the bucket and broom.

I licked my lips and went to sweep the first floor. After doing that for an extensive three hours, Theodore came up to me.

"Why is it taking you this long? Hurry up." He scolded, his eyes mocking.

 "Yes sir," I whispered. I felt like my mind was set on fire, and my eyes couldn't register past the smoke.

I started washing the window. I caught a glimpse of my reflection. I saw it plenty of times in my mirror, but it looked different here. My face was the color of the moon. My face was thinner than I remembered, sharper, more bony.

I haven't been eating as much as I had been in the past. I thought of the corset gnawing on my skin. Maybe it was more of the stress I have been enduring the past couple of weeks.

My open mouth caught my attention. It was wide open like a fish's mouth gasping for air. I hadn't even noticed. I closed it and swallowed, continuing to scrub the windows clean on the first floor.

Theodore came to check on me a second time, " Tsk tsk tsk you're still not done? No lunch for you. You had to finish doing the upstairs by now."

I gaped at him, my eyes searching for any kind of mercy. "Theodore, I - I -I can't." 

He knelt down beside me his blue eyes observing my face, "My dear, I believe you're sick."

"What?" I asked dumbfoundedly, did he not see me struggling to breathe? I wasn't sick... I was... I was... or was I?

"Finish the upstairs, and the kitchen, and then we will talk. If you don't, there will be no dinner for you either. Just bed rest."

Why no dinner? I wanted to ask. If I was sick, shouldn't he feed me?

"Yes... sir..." I said, my words slurring leaning absentmindedly against the window.

...

When I was done, with the entire house, I had dinner with Theodore, but I wasn't hungry, even though I had been starving before.

I was in his bedroom, I was sitting on the bed, and he was over at his desk, searching for something.

"You're sick, because of the corset darling," Theodore spoke.

Relief flooded through me. He had understood. Finally.

"I'm going to inject you with a muscle relaxant to help you."

I breathed in nervously. "Shouldn't we take it off?" 

He smiled mischievously, "No, you're body is used to the corset to the point where it needs it to breathe - you wouldn't want to die, would you?" His eyes watched mine, almost laughing.

"No..." I breathed. 

"Are you nervous Lily-Ann?" Theodore questioned, his eyes smoldering.

"Yes," I spoke. "I have... a fear of needles.

"Good. Fear is a powerful thing." He looked down into the drawer of his desk until he found latex gloves and put them on. He set up medical supplies that I didn't even know he had. A tray with a syringe was now placed on his desk.

I swallowed.

"Now, let's get started shall we?" Theodore said, his eyes shining like they belonged to the Cheshire.

I whimpered when she saw Theodore pull his latex gloves below his wrist his eyes glued on mine.

He gently took the syringe from the tray and took off the cap off the syringe delicately, with an eerie look on his face.

He tapped on it lightly, his eyes on me.

He moved slowly towards me, not breaking eye contact, making his head lean a bit towards his shoulder.

He touched my arm and I flinched at which he chuckled.

"I haven't even done anything yet. You're so tense," He felt my arm "If you don't relax it's going to hurt." He whispered, his eyes gentle.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

"Shhh... it's okay." He stroked my arm gingerly. "Try taking a few deep breaths." His eyes looked earnest, but he wore a mocking smile.

I tried to breathe deeply, but the corset cut my breath off every time.

"I can't," I whispered, almost hoping he wouldn't hear.

"I know." He smiled, his eyes glinting.

We held eye contact where my eyes were desperately trying to tell him no. But what was reflected in my eyes was fear and uncertainty.

He took the alcohol wipe slowly from the tray and briskly tore off the top which made me sharply inhale.

The smell penetrated my nostrils and made goosebumps prickle on my skin from the cold. He wiped my left shoulder. It was cold.

"Ready?" His eyes poured into mine.

"Yes."

His eyes squinted at me, signaling an error in my answer.

"Yes sir." I corrected myself and tore my stare away from him.

"Good girl." He said lightly and slightly pinched my skin and injected the needle into my arm. I closed my eyes.

"See? That wasn't so bad." Theodore looked at me after he disregarded the needle.

I stared at his eyes. They were gentle and caring.

"You did so well." He praised, his eyes dancing.

"Thank you." I gave him a small smile.

His fingers made their way over to my arm again, bandaging my arm with a cloth. His fingers were like little snowflakes landing on my shoulder. When he was done, he faced me again with almost looked like a manipulating smile.

"I can also inject some calming medicine if you're feeling anxious."

"I-I'm good, thank you."

"Or I can simply give you a pill to swallow." He smiled.

"I think I'm okay. I'll take you up on that offer later though." I looked up at him.

"Okay. It's time to go to sleep."

...

He walked me upstairs to my room, tucking me into bed.

"Theodore?" I questioned nervously.

"Yes, my dear?"

"What will the muscle relaxant do?"

"It will take any pain or discomfort. It will also help you sleep a little better tonight." He stroked my comforter, straightening any wrinkles as he explained.

"Oh," I whispered, looking down.

As if on cue, my eyelids grew heavy.

"Just relax Lily-Ann," his voice deep and hypnotic. "Sleep well."

Sleep almost seemed blissful that night. The muscle relaxant helped almost immediately. I noticed that my breathing became slower and didn't budge against the corset as much. My muscles almost seemed heavy, making me drift to sleep soon after. Only to the same type of day as today.

Once again, in the morning Theodore would wake me up. He would put the corset on me and then leave me to get dressed. We would have breakfast. We would clean. We would have lunch. Clean. Study. Dinner. Dance. Sleep.

Theodore was doing a lot for me. I knew that.

Thought I couldn't help but feel like a prisoner here.

I shouldn't say that.

I feel trapped.

Don't say that!

I pinched myself.

...

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