Lead inside.

Shivering from the cold, Lucy hurried to follow the woman back to the patio, where she dropped a towel on Lucy's back. It was soft and fuzzy, and Lucy felt a little warmer as it was rubbed gently over her skin. She obediently lifted each hand and stuck out one leg after the other and soon everything was dry except her hair, which was damp from being splashed.

Then Lucy opened her mouth so the woman could take the leash and lead her inside. The dining room's floor was hard wood, but Lucy was lead to a thick blanket that had been put down in front of the fireplace, which was lit up by the low blue flames of a gas fire. "Stay here and warm up, I don't want you getting sick because of a little correction. I'll get the good stuff I promised you too."

The woman spoke sternly, but not harshly, before leaving the room. Her teeth chattering, Lucy huddled close to the fireplace. Once again she had been left unsupervised, but she wasn't going anywhere. She wouldn't make it far in her condition, even if she found an exit that wasn't booby trapped. She would only make things worse for herself, like she had when she'd tried to climb the fence. For a second there Lucy had been afraid for her life as the woman, Valerie, ran at her across the lawn.

She was lucky to have received nothing worse than a cold shower for trying to get away. Her captor had said something about testing the boundaries of an unfamiliar territory, but now that she knew those boundaries she had no doubt further escape attempts would be met with worse punishments. She needed to stay on the woman's good side, at least until a better opportunity presented itself.

Her decision made, Lucy stared into the fire as she let it warm her shivering body. After a few minutes Valerie came back. She had done up the buttons on her oversized shirt but remained barefoot, and she was carrying a pair of connected bowls which she placed on the wood floor next to the blanket. One was plain water, the other contained a colorful mush of something with a surprisingly appetizing smell. Lowering herself from her hunched posture back onto all fours, Lucy approached the bowl of food cautiously.

Her captor smiled down at her. "Don't be shy. A full stomach will help you get over the cold, and it's better than the dry stuff you would have gotten at the kennel."

Lucy took another sniff of the food to convince herself it was real before lowering her face into the bowl. It tasted almost like normal food, but the way the wet mush clung to her chin made her painfully aware that she was eating pet food out of a bowl. Lucy's humiliation grew when Valerie sat down next to her and started petting her like a dog, stroking from her shoulder blades to her tailbone and back.

Then Valerie started to talk. "I'm sorry I had to use the hose on you. I don't want to be a bad mistress like Kimberly, but I'd be even worse than her if I neglected to correct unwanted behavior. From the time we spent together yesterday I think you're a smart and adaptable girl. I know we can turn you into a good pet if you just work with me. You'll do that for your mistress, won't you?"

A smart girl? I'm studying biology for god's sake! Can't you see I'm a person and not a pet? Lucy wanted to shout, but she knew it would be pointless and she was too scared to try in any case. Also, her mouth was full. So she just kept her eyes down and nodded submissively.

"Good girl. Eat up, and then I'll take care of your fur. It's still a bit wet, and all tangled too."