Shadow

The three of us — Alice Luca and I — moved deeper into the south west area of serenity. As we ran we chatted.

Luca was having trouble running in her robes. So much so that she had to lift the edges of it so she wouldn't trip. “Hey Alice. If chief is so dangerous then why wasn’t he locked up?”

I ran on all fours. Usually I’d try to walk on two legs but right now I was to worried about Master to care about acting like an animal.

Even my eyes had taken on their slit like appearance. I couldn’t get my claws to retract no matter how hard I tried. That would require me to relax and that was currently something I was incapable of doing.

Alice’s cute soft voice caused my ears to twitch in delight. “Well. It’s a little complicated. No one really knows about Isaac’s murderous tendencies. In each case it was seen as self defense. Every one but the last one where he tried to stab his brother. Key word being tried.” She averted her eyes.

This girl was way to nervous. She was being somewhat vague. I know we’re in a bit of a rush but something still didn’t sit right with me. Master wasn’t like that.

I know she almost killed Mantis but… Master is so silly and childish. Even the old Isaac had that air about him to some degree. I know I witnessed it but I'm still having a hard time believing it.

It felt like Alice was leaving a lot of stuff out. It was either a lack of time or she didn’t want us to know. I needed to make sure before we did something we might regret.

As of right now Luca had set the city to siege mode. That meant all the NPCs would head to shelter. Even our new recruits were helping people get away from the southwest area of serenity.

The soldiers that Master hired while not properly leveled had been doing stat training up till now and were currently busy forming a perimeter to block off the area where the flames were.

They were to protect the civilians at all cost. Even Cindy had volunteered to act as a wall to prevent whatever threat was out there from reaching the rest of the city.

We didn’t actually know what was going on. As far as I know Master was out there fighting a world boss. However it didn’t change the fact that Master quit the guild a moment ago and that no monsters were sighted near the wall or in the city.

Currently I was the guild master. Originally the title went to Mao since he was the vice leader of the raiders. He wasn’t here right now and seemed to think I should be in charge.

Good thing I had Luca at my side. I might be a responsible adult but Luca was a smart girl. It was her idea to contain the area.

Every NPC reported a girl with black hair. Covered in blood and red eyes like a demon. It didn’t sound like Master but she did have that ribbon that changed her eye color and the name Centa was reported by countless NPCs and players alike. Still Master didn’t have black hair.

I eyed Alice with suspicion. Was she really trustworthy. Was she actually that Alice? She looked like the Alice I remember. I need to make sure.

Before we went any further into the siege zone I pounced through the air. Alice screamed as I tackled her to the ground. She was so huggable. Even though I was assaulting her it felt like I was holding down a doll.

To my surprise Luca took a hold of the back of my robes. “Sh-Shadow! What are you doing get off of her!” She tried to pull me off the cute girl but I hissed at her causing her to retreat.

Alice no longer wore her banana outfit and instead was sporting some of Master’s old gear from when she tried to level the magical girl class.

It was a blue dress complete with black marry janes, white tights, white apron and even a big blue bow clipped onto the back of her head. She was really cute. I found myself stealing glances when ever I could.

It turns out the banana gear was actually the best gear she had. I knew that feeling all to well. I used to have to ware this ridiculous monkey armor. I’ll spare you the details.

“Get off me you crazy cat lady!” She gave me the same adoring nickname Master had. That’s so cute! I gave her head a little lick......... It’s not weird! She just needed a little grooming is all.

“Stop it! That’s gross! What do you want from me?!” She cried desperately trying to push me away. To bad for her she wasn't in a good position to fight back.

This girl was weaker than Master. Her strength ratio was probably the same only her numbers were lower. Magical girls weren’t shy about there strength stat. This girl just hasn't leveled like Master has.

“Tell me what you know about Master?!” She had tears in the corners of her eyes. I wonder if there salty. I gave one a lick and surly enough… they were! She was also blushing like a pink peach. I could just eat her up.

I must of really freaked her out because she panicked kicking and screaming. “I don’t know what to tell you! Please leave me alone you crazy bitch!” looks like she hadn’t learned her lesson yet.

I gave her thigh a playful slap and she squealed like a frightened squirrel. “What was that? Did I hear a bad word again. Naughty Alice. Do you need more discipline?” She made a strange sound like a rodent caught in a mouse trap.

Her head shook back and forth. “No… I’m sorry ma’am. I’ll be good.” I shouldn’t bully her to much but seeing her squirm like that after she stabbed me felt really good.

I couldn’t let her say such awful words. It negated all the effort I put into making her look cute. I even brushed her hair and cleaned her finger nails.

I don’t know where she’s been but she had so much dirt in them that I wouldn’t be surprised if she was walking around on her hands.

Clearly this girl needed a proper mother figure in her life to make sure she cleans herself. She told me she’d been wearing the same underwear since she woke up in the new world.

That was only yesterday but still. You should change your underwear at the very least once a day. Especially if you’ve been fighting monsters in the wild like she has.

Lucky for her Master had a bunch of new undies. Though she didn’t like that they were so childish. She wanted something in black.

As for how this cutie got here. She said she was trying to go to work when she realized she’d forgotten her work ID. When she tried to open the door to her and Master’s bedroom she said there was a flash of light.

That’s how she found herself in the new world. It checked out with all the other reports Luca managed to gather.

Like little Alice, Luca — my other adoptive daughter — was also in distress. “Shadow your being really weird.” She looked a bit embarrassed.

Looking around I noticed the people watching the whole interaction. Well that was okay. I was hoping to assert dominance. What better way to do that than public humiliation.

This way Alice will start acting more timid around me. Once I break her down I can mold her into someone worthy of Master’s love. After all I refuse to give Master away to just anyone.

Since I had her here I used my tail to tickle her. Tickle torture was the best kind of torture. She started giggling. What an intoxicating sound.

“Stop it! Stop it!” She laughed and cried. Her body seemed to squirm uncontrollably. The whole scene made my heart warm up. I could do this all day but that was probably a bad idea so I stopped before things got…. messy.

This was all necessary for building a bond. Once the laughter stopped all I could hear from her was the soft crying that could only come from a child. This was a different kind of cute.

I know! I’ll give her a pet name! It’ll help build our relationship. Let’s see Isaac is Master and this girl — as ridiculous as it sounds — is her wife so how about….

“Come on then Mistress. Tell me what you know. Sadly, you know more about Master than both me and Luca put together so spill the beans. We need to know what we’re getting into.” The small girl looked like she really didn't want to talk.

She was scared. Maybe I went a little over board. It’s not my fault she’s so cute. She was primed. This is the part where I make her feel better. I’ll start by cleaning her up then.

I helped her up then dusted off her dress. I then straitened up her clothes and hair. She still had a few tears so I wiped them off with a tissue. I looked her in the eyes and smiled.

Sadly she was still a bit mopey. To help her feel better I gave her head a gentle soft pat then pushed a lollipop between her lips.

It was one of the candies I’d confiscated from Master. If there’s anything I know it’s that children have a soft spot for sweet things.

Little Alice made a delighted sound. I gave her tummy a little tickle causing her to giggle again. Children are so easy to please. I finished her off with a hug. Hugs are nice. They make you feel warm and loved.

Luca looked on in disbelief. This was easy. You break there confidence, make them terrified of the world. Then make them 100% unable to function without you.

Some might call this abusive or toxic but I think its just the act of raising children to be exactly the way you want them to be.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

“Shadow. Your kinda scary.” Luca looked more frightened than impressed. For the sake of our friendship I took it as a complement.

I looked Alice in the eyes. “Mistress, the truth is we don't know what we're walking into. It might be really dangerous, so please tell us what is Master’s deal? If you do a good job I might consider giving you more candy.”

The girl looked a little embarrassed and I wasn’t sure if she liked the offer. She gave me a sad look then mumbled something through the lollipop. Her cheeks turned slightly pinker than they were a moment ago. She’s just as cute as Master.

The girl pulled the lollipop out then said “Okay, but not a lot of people know…. So…. So when we get back to the other world….. you have to keep it a secret.” She looked like she wanted to cry again.

I gave her another head pat. “Don’t worry were all Isaac’s friends. We just want what’s best.” I looked towards my guild mate. “Right Luca?”

She responded with “Of course. Chief isn’t a bad person. I just want to help her.” She also looked like she wanted to cry.

Alice went into her story. I wasn’t expecting her to start so far back.

Alice

25 years ago.

High school is such a miserable place. I used to be so popular. Originally I was going to a fancy private school, but after what happened I ended up expelled.

The only other school I could go to was a public school near our house. Mom and dad saw it as a punishment.

I remember the moment it happened. It was like any other day. I got to school and was walking down the hall. My fellow students didn't greet me like they usually did. Immediately I knew something was wrong. It was like the air was replaced by laughing gas.

No matter who I saw they would just snicker and walk away. When I finally found my so called friends they laughed at me to.

For a second I thought I might be having that nightmare where I show up to school in my underwear, but when I looked down my uniform was in tacked.

Maybe I got a booger or something. I check myself in my hand mirror and didn’t find anything out of the ordinary.

When I asked what was so funny I was called a whore among other things. That's when I finally got to watch the video going around. The source of all the giggles.

We commandeered a computer from the library. This was before schools started blocking websites so it was easy to find what we were looking for.

In it I was drunk and naked. I was giving my boyfriend — at the time — a blow job. There was some serious commentary and then I took it up the ass.

I was told as long as it’s oral or butt sex I’d still be considered a virgin but in their eyes I just ended up looking like a slut.

The guys name was Rodney. He drove an El Camino, and on the weekends a Kawasaki bike. We only started dating about a month ago.

He begged me to have sex with him almost every day and when I finally gave in he filmed it and posted the video on some shitty armature porn site under the name “Alice in slutland”

Back when I was a little girl my mother and father used to read Alice in wonderland to me every night. I loved that book. I always used to think of me and the Alice from the book as one in the same. I even wore blue dresses back then.

I remember refusing to wear anything else. It drove my parents crazy and in the end I’d still get to wear my dress.

Weather it be to a gathering of their colleagues. The park. To weddings. It didn’t matter. Little Alice loved her blue dresses.

Now the book was a bit tainted for me. Originally it was a happy memory of my childhood. Of my parents but they weren’t around as much so it was just a memory. And now that memory was tainted by filth.

Needless to say I was livid. The tears kind of just poured out of me and my feet moved on there own. I searched for Rodney and finally found him near his locker.

I don't even remember what I said to him. I cant even remember the harsh words him and his friends had for me. I swear it's like this whole situation came out of a bad movie.

I went home and didn't show my face at school for over a week. Eventually my parents found out I was skipping class. They usually worked all day and I only got to see them late at night.

I also have a brother but he was going to a special school that corrected bad behavior. Nothing crazy. It’s just my brother is really spoiled.

Mom and dad were called in by the principal. I remember them being so mad that they had to miss work. In the end only mom showed up.

It wasn’t just the truancy that got brought up. By then all sorts of rumors were spread around. I was the laughing stock of the school.

Some people thought I was absent because I was pregnant and my parents drove me down to Mexico for an abortion.

Others said I quit school to work as a hooker. Someone actually asked me what my prices were and they were 100% serious.

The people I thought were my friends were now treating me the same way we treated the loser kids. Hell, I’d argue much worse than that. There was no way I could go back there.

Life at public school wasn't all that much better. I was the new pretty girl. Everything was okay for about a day or two. Word got around about the video and I started getting bullied there to.

The girls would slut shame me. The guys would try to get me to do gross stuff for them. I used to be an innocent flower but now I knew so many disgusting things just from hearing people’s comments.

For example did you know that doggy style has nothing to do with doggies…. cause I sure didn’t. Also, the number 69 is a representation of a sexual act. I still don't quite see it but that's what the number means.

There was this one guy. I didn’t know him but he showed up and started defending me. We became friends. His name was Jack. Jack was tall. I used to call him Jack the bean stock. Until he asked me to stop. It was still his contact name though.

He wasn’t popular but he wasn’t in the loser crowd either. He would ask me all sorts of things. About how I was feeling, about my parents.

Things like what I wanted to do and what kind of dreams did I have. He just seemed like he really cared.

I guess I thought of him as a good listener. Then about a month later. He changed. maybe not that. I don’t know if he was showing his true colors or if something had happened to him.

Apparently he thought he had a right to my body because he protected me. And here I thought I had finally found someone worth something.

When I refused he got really mad. Calling me a slut. He accused me of having sex with everyone except him. That I was making fun of him behind his back. Despite the horrible things he said to me he sounded hurt.

I wanted him to go back to how he was. I tried really hard to help but it was like he was possessed. There was nothing I could do.

I think they were telling him things. Turning him against me. Making him believe things that didn’t happen. No matter what I said he didn’t believe me.

He was just like my parents like everyone else in this shitty world. I was getting tired of defending myself. Of being accused of so many things even by the people I thought knew me best.

The more I talked the angrier he became. He said I was a bitch. He looked like he wanted to hurt me. I wasn’t sure. He was shaking and yelling and so angry. I managed to get away from him before he did anything to me but I didn’t know what to do.

I tried going to my parents for advice, but they wouldn’t listen to me. They no longer trusted me and thought I was talking about one of my sex buddies.

Their words not mine. Apparently their colleagues had been feeding them rumors. A disgusting fantasy tale about my sexual exploits.

Dad couldn't look me in the eyes anymore and mom had given up entirely on me. I was alone. Shun by everyone I knew.

Even the people that were supposed to guide me in this world had abandoned me. In the end I was left broken.

One day I found myself in a very shitty situation. I was trying to take a smoke break. It was the only thing that helped me deal with stress. These few moments to myself were the only thing I could look forward to anymore.

My home was empty and cold. My friends were now my enemies, and my parents had basically abandoned me without actually abandoning me.

Maybe I still had a roof over my head and food on the table, but the bond that tied me to my family had been broken. At this point they only looked after me out of obligation.

I’d gone out back behind the school away from the teachers. I’ve smoked out here so many times that I’d become complacent. There was no way something would happen. Not during my smoke break.

I was such an idiot. There was absolutely nothing sacred in this world. Not even the five minutes it took to rewind my mental health.

A group of kids — three boys and three girls — approached me.

Tiffany — the leader of this little gang — said “Well if it ain’t Alice in slutland.” She got a laugh out of the other kids. I hate her so much.

One of the boys, Darrick backed her up. “What are you doing out here. You trying to find a dick to suck. I’ll save you the trouble I got one right here.”

One of the girls spoke up. “Jesus Darrick. That's fucked up.” She giggled. “You really gonna stick your dick in her. It’ll probably melt off.” She was Tiffany’s best friend Rebecca.

Why won't these people leave me alone? “I was just leaving.” I tried to go around them but was stopped by one of the girls. This was Jamie. She sometimes tagged along with Tiffany but only Tiffany.

I wasn’t sure if she liked Rebecca all that much because I’ve only ever seen them together by themselves once and that was when Tiffany had to leave for some obscure reason. Even then they looked super awkward together and didn’t talk at all.

Present day

Shadow interrupted the story. “Okay I get it Rebecca and Jamie are only friends when Tiffany is around but how does any of this effect Master?” She looked a little annoyed.

I was a little speechless. This was the lady that tried to discipline me and also licked my head. I wasn’t sure what I could say in front of her. So far she seemed to be excusing the use of profanity for the sake of story telling.

She was absolutely crazy and I couldn’t wait to find Izzy and run far away from this place. The farther away from her the better.

I was an adult. This lady knew that but she seemed to proclaim herself – without actually saying it — as my mother. I was really only playing along till I could escape with Izzy. I don’t think he’ll object seeing as I think she might of treated him the same.

The need to run away was growing inside me. Luca didn’t seem all to interested in the story seeing as she was just looking through her menu with the same enthusiasm as a teenager might have while swiping through a phone.

Shadow was still staring at me. I sighed and answered. “Izzy’s story is apart of my story. Now don’t interrupt I’m trying to set the mood.” She eyed me the same way a cat tries to hypnotize pigeons.

I panicked a little and responded with “I-I’ll keep the generic character back stories to a minimum.” This brought a smile to her face.

She thanked me and I continued on.

25 years ago

I was about to walk away when Jamie got in front of me. “Whoa, hold your horses Alice. You got the man all hot and bothered. You should take responsibility.” She was so condescending. I wanted so bad to take my cigarette and jam the hot end into her face.

That would just get me in trouble. It was my word against theirs and my reputation was shit. It was so frustrating I almost cried.

“I have to go.” I tried to walk past her but she stood in my way and pushed me. Someone put their leg out and I tripped onto my butt.

This is so unfair. Why won't they leave me alone? I was like that to once. Maybe this is karma coming back to kick my ass.

I could hear them laughing at me. One of the girls kicked me in the side causing pain to radiate through my torso.

Tears started to form but I didn’t want to cry in front of them. I tried to get to my feet and fight back but I was kicked in the side of my head and fell over. My attempts at blocking were futile. I was being pummeled from all sides.

Only the girls were attacking. The guys were calling out stupid shit like “Cat fight!” and “Fuck her up!” It was humiliating.

Eventually Tiffany grabbed me by the hair and dragged me over to the guys. “Let me go! I’ll fucking kill you!” I cried.

She got close to my ear and said “I’ll let you go but first you have to suck these dudes off.” She laughed.

Jamie rushed over holding a digital camera. I screamed and fought but I couldn’t get free. I was kicked again in the stomach and ended up vomiting my lunch on the grass.

Everyone called out an “Ew!!” followed by laughter.

“I ain’t sticking my dick in that” said Darrick disgusted by my plight.

“Oh, looks like she made a mess. Well then I guess you should clean it up Alice. You should really finish your food. There’s like starving children and stuff.” Tiffany giggled as she tried to shove my face into the disgusting vomit.

“No! Stop it!” I cried. I fought back but I wasn't strong enough. There were two hands on me inching me closer and closer to that disgusting vile. “You fucking bitches! I’ll kill you!” They laughed even harder. I could smell it.

Before I could be fed my own vomit a voice rang out above. “Knock it off you dumb-fucks!!”

We all looked to where the voice was coming from. It was a young messy haired boy. Maybe a freshmen. He was yelling out the second floor window. His eyes were covered by black hair.

“The fuck.” Said Tiffany.

I was safe for now. I was expecting the boy to get a teacher but instead he put his foot on the edge of the window and……

jumped! That was like thirty feet!

He landed crouched on the ground. I heard him mumble something about his…..

balls?