Withering Ivy" Chapter Twenty Six (Patreon)

The road was bumpy and I was in and out of consciousness. I felt like I hadn't showered in days and my arms and legs ached. I couldn't sit comfortably in the back seat because I had tape over my mouth and something over my head to block my vision, even worse my arms were zip-tied behind me leaving me to try and wiggle around. I had no strength, however. I could only lay my head against the window and listen. A man was in the passenger side of the front seat. He went on about not being appreciated and the man driving only agreed, she didn't recognize his voice. It wasn't Toby and it wasn't anyone else she had ever met.

"This just isn't like we usually do it. Why can't we put her in the trunk like the others? She keeps kicking my seat."

"We ain't going through the same people you know that." She heard the light of a cigarette. "These people are paying us a hell of a lot more to just rough her up a bit and make it look like this is like our other gigs."

"So?"

"So if word gets back to that bitch we put her in the trunk? I ain't gonna be the one saying it was my idea."

There was silence and I tried my best to stay calm.

"Do you think we could afford it?"

"Afford her?" The passenger laughed. "No way. Do you know who's pet she was? Even if she is second hand we would have to take out a loan to take a picture up her skirt."

The driver gave a small chuckle himself. "I can't imagine having all that money and not getting a pet. Some of those girls are just-" he whistled and I felt the car come to a stop. If Amelia heard them she would knock them into tomorrow. But I knew she wasn't because they carried on without any fear by stretching and getting out of the car. I sat frozen wondering what was going to happen next, I couldn't remember what happened before and the weather felt different as my door opened and manly, callused hands took me by my arms. The bag on my head was ripped off leaving my hair staticy. I tried standing on my own but I felt so weak, I only slouched to the ground where dirt caught me. My blurry eyes stared at their brown shoes as I tried to catch my breath.

"This is a surprise." A cheerful voice relayed. Heels clicked closer but I didn't bother looking up as the men let go of their grasp on me to walk forward and shake hands with the woman. "Oh, she's precious. What's her story."

Using all my strength to lift my head I stared down the two thug looking men and met eyes with the biggest brown eyes I had ever seen. She was tall, beautiful, and very feminine. Her curls were that of a pin-up doll and her dress had fabric that looked like an ad from the 70's. But I couldn't appreciate any of it. I knew I hated her. She didn't seem to feel the same way, her head tilted and her gaze wondered.

"She's that girl we told you about over the phone." The voice of the man shorter man spoke. He had been the passenger. "They need her hidden for a while before they can do anything else."

"And I was the lucky pick?" The woman put her hand over her chest but never took her eyes off of me. "How long do I have her?"

He shrugged and checked his watch. "No idea. Do you need any more medicine?"

The woman stepped forward after giving a nod signaling yes before squatting down to be more at my level. She used her soft hands to wipe away any perspiration that was left on my forehead before she slipped her arms underneath mine and picked me up with no resistance whatsoever. I had zero strength to fight and it sort of felt nice to be off of the hard terrain. The woman held me close for a few seconds, she instinctively rocked us both before grabbing the bag the man offered with her free hand. "I'll have to get all my stuff back out. I wasn't expecting such an angel."

The two men glanced at each other. They seemed to know something I didn't as I kept my head on the woman's shoulders. Amelia would probably kill her too. Grace might even be angrier. She hoped they would understand. "Well, we better get going ma'am." The passenger said. It wasn't until she stopped his door from closing that she whispered like Ivy couldn't hear. "Is she sealed?"

"No." The man said. "Boss only wants her back in one piece ready to sell. You can have her until then."

Ivy could feel the woman's smile as she let their door closed and waved them away. There was something in her chest that fluttered as they began walking up the steps of her home. It wasn't as extravagant as Ms. Winslet's home but Ivy could tell her fingertips were made from gold. The entryway itself was showcased in marble as they walked through to the living room. The woman hummed and I listened hoping something anything would give me a clue to where I was. Her accent was obviously American and the two men who dropped me off felt like they were from New York but where was she? How long had she been away from them?

"Let's set you down right here." The woman said her grasp softly letting go as I fell onto a couch that sunk with my weight. My hands were still tied behind me as she kneeled down and began looking me over. She then didn't give me any time to brace myself as she ripped the tape off my mouth, "What's your name sweetheart?"

She checked my neck and then my shoulders as I shivered. "Ivy," I whispered surprising both her and me as she smiled. She seemed almost too sweet and perfect, maybe that's why I felt like I could add more. "I need to go home. Ms. Winslet and Grace-" she began shushing me but I became more frantic. "Or drop me off at my original home they can find me there they know my parent's names-"

"Parents?" The woman gave a small smirk and picked my shirt up slightly to look at my belly. "Baby you were created in a lab just like all the other pets. Just like them and Just like me."

I started at her. Her hands were confident as she unbuttoned my pants. I didn't even notice as my mind tried cranking through that information. Was that what they tried to hide from me for so long? Why didn't they ever tell me? No, she was lying. "Let me go home." I finally said. "Please."

"Sweetheart I know you are exhausted and scared but don't you worry." She poked my nose and I scrunched my face trying to lean back away from her. She didn't mind as she smiled again. "I'm going to take good care of you." She stood up reminding me of how tall of a woman she was. No wonder she was able to hold me so easily. "How about I get you some warm milk and let you get some rest? Then tomorrow when you wake up we can get you all cleaned up?" She didn't wait for an answer. She left the room for a minute leaving me to look around the modern setting and panic. When she returned, the scissors in her hands only cut the zip tie around my feet.

She then picked me up even though this time I tried kicking my legs a bit but there was little else I could do with my hands still tied behind me. I instead used my voice as I demanded she put me down. My wiggles made it a little more difficult for her but she just put me on her hip as she went to the kitchen and took out a prepared bottle. One that resembled babies used only a tiny bit bigger. She warmed it up and I let my furrowed eyebrows do most of my worrying for me until she tested the temperature on her wrist. "Do you have a baby?"

"I do now." She grabbed it again giving me time to think as she walked up the stairs with me.

Realization hit me when we entered a room with bright pink walls and baby-themed devices. "I'm not a fucking baby." I whispered almost too caught off guard to say anything else.

"That is not the kind of language mommy likes to hear." Her stern voice caught me off guard as I began kicking my feet again and shimming out of her grip. She laughed like it was nothing and held onto my hand as she pulled me towards a crib. Tears rolled down my eyes as I screamed for help but nothing responded except for the woman who had sat down on the floor. Her hand held me barely flexing as she began pulling me towards her. This couldn't be real, this had to be a weird dream. I wasn't going to pretend to be a fucking baby.

"I'm not your toy! Let go of me!" I said falling into her lap. Her arms held me to her chest and her unamused stern eyes shushed me as she laid me on my back and held my legs down so I would stop kicking.

"You're whatever I want you to be until they come to get you Ivy." I froze and stared up at her eyes that shined. I had no idea who this woman was but she was right. Was there any reason to even fight? She took the bottle she deemed was mine and pushed the nipple of it to my lips. When I moved and it flowed down my cheek she was a little rougher the next time and slipped it into my mouth. The liquid flowing it made me drink leaving more to flow. It didn't taste like milk it was sweeter and it had a fruity aftertaste. Either way, it felt warm slipping down my throat. My body immediately relaxed and I stared up at her wondering what to do. She began rocking me and I stopped drinking long enough to feel my eyes turn heavy and my sore arms and legs relax.

The last thing I wanted to do was give her the satisfaction of compliance. I wanted Grace I wanted Amelia I didn't know this woman. I threw my head back letting the bottle fall and squirmed out of her arms as she looked at the mess that spilled onto her floral dress. She didn't seem mad but she tsked her tongue. I stood up and wobbled. My feet betrayed me as I fell in front of the door "Oh you're going to be a hassle aren't you?" She grabbed my feet as I tried to get up again and pulled me towards her. I kicked and rolled but she almost seemed to enjoy that just as much as she pulled me to be between her legs that she spread. My side view of her was obstructed by my hair as she kept her hands on my ankles. "They told me you were a good girl, why are you acting out?"

I said nothing as I caught my breath and closed my eyes. My face burned from the carpet.

"It's alright baby. I know you are just adjusting. But mommy is here."

"You aren't my-" I paused as she put her hands under my arms and picked me up once again. She was getting better at it. She rubbed my back as she stood with us both. "You're crazy." My words slurred

She laid me down in the crib and turned me over to cut the zip ties. I was planning to jump up after but she closed the top making me hit my head and hold it in pain. "I may be crazy." She whispered locking the sides and the top. Her eyes met me through the wooden bars as she leaned down. "But when you have as much money as me I can be as crazy as I want." Her smile slowly came back to her face, a look of understanding tried to meet mine as she backed away and picked up the bottle that was still spilled on the carpet. "I'll give you a week to act out Ivy." She went to the door. "After that, mommy won't be so nice."

The door shut softly and there I was again at the beginning. In a strange place with strange people.  I was at the beginning again and I wasn't even supposed to be here, I was supposed to be with Grace and Amelia in our bed.