Breaking Eden - (rough draft)

3 - The Black Rose Flogger (Part 1) (Not Edited)

Had our tiny moment of bliss mean nothing? Eden forced herself to look away, fearing that she would indeed shout those words to erase that smile on Jude's face. You are nothing more than a pawn in their game. Trust no one. The thought reverberated through her mind and she had to fight to keep the tears at bay.

Ben went to the cabinet that held such devices like the Minitour and opened the top portion. His hands moved from one object to the next, searching for the Black Rose Flogger. Once found, Ben pulled it from its hook and closed the cabinet to return to Declan's side.

"Now Eden, it's very important that you listen to what I'm about to tell you." Declan nudged her to stand up.

Eden stared up at Declan as he pulled another hair tie from his pocket, "Fix your hair so it's completely up. I want nothing hiding your back." He offered her the tie and she took it.

Eden pulled the other tie from her hair, undoing the braid that Matilda had woven so elegantly that morning, then gathered her hair into a high ponytail, which morphed into a messy lopsided bun. Her neck, shoulders, and back were bare, her skin clear of everything.

Declan took the ribbon from Eden's hand and stepped behind her, continuing his directions. "Lace your fingers behind your neck and turn around."

Eden listened, lacing her fingers behind her neck. But as she turned around she came face to chest with Declan standing near the end of the bed.

A flutter of nerves filled her gut, a wave of goosebumps hit her from head to toe. He was so close, too close yet not close enough. She couldn't explain it, this feel of hating him for holding her prisoner yet wanting him at the same time.

His fingers found her chin, lifting it so that her head tilted back the slightest but. She was forced to look at him, at his parted mouth that was only inches from hers, up to his eyes which mirrored the flickering flames in the fireplace.

"I'm going to demonstrate how your punishment will be carried out." Declan reaches for the flogger and twirls it in the air in front of Eden's face. "It'll sting but you will tolerate it just fine. Consider this a warmup for the main event."

He dangled the flogger in front of Eden's face, its leather fringe grazing the tops of her breasts and stepped way, circling Eden slowly.

The swish of the flogger filled Eden's head and she closed her eyes almost hypnotically. Fear of the unknown consumed her.

How badly will this hurt? She thought.

"Don't move." Declan raised the flogger and brought it down over her back.

Eden gasped more out of shock than from pain. The blow wasn't as painful as she thought it would be. Sure, it stung, but it was light and, more importantly, tolerable. He was right. She could bear this.

The switching came again, as though it was there to comfort her. Declan raised his arm and brought it down much harder, the blow landing over her ass and circling over her hip.

A heated hiss escaped Eden's lips.

She stumbled forward a step, pain radiating down her side, setting her skin on fire. Her hands dropped from her neck to grab her stinging backside and hip. That's when she understood.

The first blow was delivered as a tease, which tricked her into thinking she could take it without problem while the second was dealt to inflict the pain Declan so desired to see carried out upon her flesh.

"You just earned yourself five more for moving."

Eden turned around in shock. "I'm being punished during a demonstration?"

"Now it's ten. Turn back around." The swinging of the flogger returned. "Now don't speak unless prompted. Understood?"

Eden glanced at Ben, her eyes pleading him to do something, anything to stop this from happening. But Ben only stared back at her, his face void of any and all emotion. He was once again that Stepford slave who acted without feeling. An emotionless being that scared her.

The swinging stopped. "Turn around, Eden. I won't ask you again."

Eden brought her hands back to neck, lacing her fingers, before slowly turning back around to face the bed.

"Good girl." When Declan spoke those words, Eden knew she was in trouble.

Out of the corner of her eye she watched as Declan handed the flogger to Ben before stepping out of her line of sight.

"You get ten strikes." Declan said. "If I feel you're offering her mercy when it isn't permitted, she'll receive ten more, understood?"

"Yes, Master." It was the voice of a shell, an empty vessel who was no longer Ben.

"Every time Eden moves or makes a sound other than counting, she receives two more strikes. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Sir." Ben said.

"Eden, do you understand what's expected of you? You're to only count off each strike."

The tone of Eden's voice revealed her defeat. "I understand. Don't move. Don't talk. Just count."

Words: 1,523

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