Chapter II: Take Everything Away
#2 of Kaeden's Commitment
Next segment is up! Took a bit to come up with a good title for this one. Anyway, no infantlilism themes yet, but setting up the main part of the story is just as important as the story itself. Hope you enjoy!
Kaeden's Commitment
by Draugr
Chapter II: Take Everything Away
This work is licensed under aCreative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
When Kaeden next awoke, he immediately remembered the wreck. He thought he must be in a hospital, but something wasn't right. He was restrained by some sort of harness, and he was sitting up, at that. His entire body hurt all over - he remembered the wreck, but hadn't thought it was really that bad.
As his eyes began to adjust, he noticed his chair was bolted to the floor, so he couldn't move it and tip over.
What happened to me? he silently wondered. It must have been that Rottweiler. I knew something was off about him. He tried wiggling against his restraints, and immediately regretted it, pain wracking his entire body. He whimpered despite himself - not noticing a light flashing on a small radio-sized unit placed on the table before him.
Less than a minute later, Kaeden was blinded as a bright point of light filled the back corner of the room, and then disappeared. When his vision returned, his 'friend' was sitting across the table from him.
"Dude, seriously, whatever I did to you, I'm sorry. Just let me go. I don't swing this way, man." Despite his fears that he'd been taken to a sex dungeon of some sort, Kaeden noticed nothing of sorts in the room that indicated that was the purpose of his confinement.
The Rottweiler simply ignored him, however, and shuffled around a few papers, laying them out on the table. A file folder with his name laid off to the side, along with some identification that Kaeden guessed had been taken from his wallet.
Kaeden grunted, trying to get a response. The other dog just chewed on his tongue, seemingly in thought as he glanced back and forth across the forms. He was wearing a sleeveless white t-shirt and jeans. Now that his mind was free from the alcohol, Kaeden noticed that he looked a bit thuggish, and even in the dim light he could tell Rashid possessed his breed's usual genetic musculature.
"Hey!" Kaeden shouted, not wanting to be ignored. "I'm talking, here! Say something!"
"And when you've said something worth responding to, I shall," the dog said, in a deep, gravelly voice, belaying none of the friendship he'd offered at the bar.
"What the heck is this? What are you doing with me? Let me the fu-"
"Ah-ah," the dog interrupted, wagging his finger. "Language. You're at a disadvantage here. You're a smart puppy, and I expect you understand the benefit in following my instructions."
Kaeden sneered, but kept silent - he couldn't argue with that logic. He was completely at the other dog's mercy, and there would be no point in irritating him.
"If you're wondering, your injuries were superficial. You'll be sore for a couple days, and you've got a few bruises here and there, but you're otherwise fine. Our doctors cleared you."
"Your doctors... ?"
The other dog ignored his question, and continued on. "Kaeden, age twenty-two, German Shepherd, Canis lupus familiaris, black and tan melanistic coat. Is that correct?"
"What? Uh... yeah, I think so... " Kaeden was too confused at his situation to get an attitude with the other dog.
"Yes, or no, please."
"Uh... yes. That's right. How did you know my name?"
The Rottweiler sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger.
"Here is how this is going to work: I am going to ask questions, and you will answer them. It really is that simple. If you refuse to comply, we'll simply start again in a few hours when you are feeling more cooperative, and repeat that process as often as it takes to finish this. Now, are you going to be a good puppy and behave?"
Kaeden let out a low snarl at the patronizing, insulting attitude - his entire past told him he needed to retort that or wind up less of a man. He managed to keep silent, though, realizing his abductor held all the cards.
"Answer the question with a yes or no, Kaeden, or I'm going to leave."
"Yes, sorry. Yes," he answered, not wanting to spend several more hours alone and restrained to a chair.
"Okay. To verify that you're the dog of interest - your mother left you when you were very young, almost too young to remember her. Your father raised you, but you believe he was, and still is, too overbearing. Until a few days ago, you were dating a border collie named Kaitlynn."
"Uh... yeah, that's right." This time, the Shepherd resisted the urge to respond with another question.
The Rottweiler nodded, seemingly willing to let Kaeden's slip pass - it was, after all, essentially a 'yes.' A long, uncomfortable silence passed as the Rottweiler did not speak, instead writing on a paper that looked like some sort of form.
"Uh... mister... may I ask a question?" Kaeden said, wincing, unable to satiate his curiosity. He hoped being polite and asking permission might avoid the Rottweiler's wrath.
Instead, the Rottweiler sighed, getting up and pushing his chair back under the table. He started to walk back toward the door to the darkened room.
"No, wait, please, I'm sorry! Don't go! I'm just... I'm confused, and still in pain, and, and... I promise I'll answer anything you want to know, just... please let me ask?"
The Rottweiler stopped, then returned.
"Alright, you've convinced me. Ask away, but after, I expect full cooperation from you."
Kaeden nodded.
"Answer with a word, please."
"... yes?" Kaeden said, unsure of himself until he realized the small device on the table must be transmitting their conversation elsewhere. What on earth was this?
"What am I... why am I here?"
"My, you aren't very bright, are you? I let you ask questions and you ask the most dull thing imaginable. Very well-"
"I've seen enough of... whatever this is," Kaeden interrupted, looking around the room, "to know you aren't going to answer anything that will actually help me. But, knowing that will satiate my curiosity."
The Rottweiler nodded, a look of approval crossing his eyes. "You're quite intelligent after all. I'm glad to see my dossier wasn't wrong."
Kaeden had to physically bite his lip to keep from asking another question.
"You're here because you need help. Our help, to be specific."
"Our?"
The Rottweiler gave an irritated sigh, but made no move to get up and leave, simply ignoring the Shepherd's question instead.
"Let me explain. You need to be challenged."
"What, living my life isn't hard enough?" Kaeden bit back.
"No. You're trapped in your mind, and the sound is deafening," Rashid offered cryptically.
"What does that even mean? Just let me go, I don't need your help," the Shepherd emphasized.
"You already admitted you needed our help." The Doberman slid a tablet computer out from under a manila file folder, playing a noisy and static-filled recording - but it was clearly from the scene of his car crash.
"I thought I was dying. I don't even understand what... all this is. You can't possibly think that's related."
"No, but it's good enough for us. Trust me when I say I know more about you and your needs than you do yourself."
"I don't trust anyone," they both said, at the same time.
Kaeden's eyes widened in surprise.
"You see?" Rashid said, with a smirk.
Kaeden scowled, and muttered an expletive-laced insult under his breath.
"Manners, Kaeden, manners. Now, another question. Are you happy?"
"No, I'm tied to a chair in some serial killer's basement playing twenty questions. Can we skip past the stupid questions and get to the part where you skin me and wear me around or whatever?"
"You've quite a vulgar imagination. No, Kaeden, I mean, are you happy with your life? The state of it?"
"Well... no, but that's hardly any of your business."
"On the contrary, that's entirely our business."
"Will you quit speaking in riddles, you creep?" Kaeden also clarified that little gem with all sorts of other words not suitable for polite conversation, and even implied that his captor had a rather inappropriate relationship with his mother.
"And I think that marks the end of our conversation," Rashid said, once Kaeden fell silent, moving over to the Shepherd's side.
"Wait, what are you doing? Get away from me, you sick - mmph!" Kaeden growled angrily as the Rashid's massive paw encircled his muzzle, holding it shut.
"That kind of language will not be tolerated here. That's a lesson you'd best learn quickly, unless you want a very unpleasant stay." He slowly let Kaeden's muzzle go - to which the dog responded by spitting in his face.
"You'll regret that, puppy," he sneered, wiping the Shepherd's saliva off his cheek. Before he could say anything, he felt a prick in the side of his neck, and an enveloping darkness. He was being knocked out.