"Oh, my head," Lisa moaned. Her mouth felt cottony and bitter, and her head pounded. The room was dark. She tried to move and realized she was bound, her wrists pulled up over her head and secured with clinking chain. Her ankles were also shackled together. She seemed to be lying on a mattress on the floor.

  The images came rushing into her head like a black whirlwind--the strange man approaching her, the struggle at her car, panic rising and bursting from her in a scream that was muffled by a large hand clamped over her mouth and nose, choking her, suffocating her...

  And that smell. That sickly sweet smell, and then the nauseating dizziness. She tried to pull her wrists free but only succeeded in tightening the metal cuffs. Who could have done this and why? Where was she? She had to get out of here! She was going to die!

  Lisa began to cry. Panic washed over her, clinging to her body, suffusing her pores, making it impossible to catch her breath. She tensed in her chains, ready for someone to burst in at any moment and shoot her.

  Several minutes passed, but the room stayed dark. She was, at least for the time being, alone and alive. She shook her legs and arms cautiously, making sure nothing was broken or hurt. Aside from the headache and the cinching handcuffs, everything seemed to be okay.

  Slowly the raging, blinding panic subsided and she was able to breathe more normally. Her nose was running from her tears, but she couldn't move her arms. She turned her head against the mattress, trying to wipe her face against it. She felt a draft on her bare skin and realized, with a dawning horror, that she was naked.

  Lisa began to cry again, this time more noisily. Finally she stopped and called out in a tentative, croaking voice, "Hello?” She realized this was stupid, even as she called. She cleared her throat and swallowed, listening hard for any sound. Someone was out there, no doubt waiting to rape and kill her, and she was calling out greetings.

  But maybe not. Maybe whoever had done this had been caught, or almost caught, and had fled. Maybe there was someone out there who could help her! Set her free!

  "Hello!" she called again, her voice wavering, but louder.

  This time she heard something and strained toward it. It was the sound of a key scraping in the lock. The door opened and she could see the silhouette of a man against the bright light of the hallway behind him.

  Suddenly the overhead light switched on, blinding her. Lisa squinted while her eyes adjusted.

  Standing before her was a young man with dark blond hair, wearing a black T-shirt and black jeans. He didn't look much older than she was. He was medium height and slender, though his arms were muscular. He didn't look like a killer. He smiled at her.

  "Hello there, Lisa. Sleep well?"

  The incongruity of his mild greeting was somehow more frightening than if he had come in waving a gun and threatening her. He knew her name. How did he know her name? Before she realized she was speaking she demanded, "How do you know my name?"

  Smiling, he held up her purse.

  "Please," she begged, "Please, whoever you are. Please don't do this. Please let me go. Please.” She started to cry again, and the man approached her, kneeling down next to her.

  "Don't cry, Lisa. Don't cry.” He reached toward her and Lisa gasped with terror, trying desperately to avoid his touch. All she could do was twist her head away. With a firm hand, he forced her to look at him. Still smiling, he reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out a crumpled tissue. He wiped at her cheeks and nose with it. Lisa was again discomfited by the gentle treatment when she had expected him to hit her, rape her or shoot her outright.

  The man smoothed her tangled hair back from her face. Greenish brown eyes. Small nose, thin lips, a small scar on his chin. Details she might need to identify him at a later date.

  "Lisa, I know you're frightened right now. But you'll get used to your situation soon enough. Are you thirsty?"

  Lisa hiccupped and tried to get control of herself. Identify him at a later date? Was she nuts? This man was letting her see his face. He had no intention of being identified later. He was going to kill her. Oh Jesus god, he was going to kill her.

  She was going to die.

  “Please,” she begged, her voice rising with hysteria. “Don't kill me. Please.”

  "I don't want to kill you, silly girl. I won't have to--not if you behave." He watched her with a strangely mild expression as she tried to absorb what he'd said. Then, his eyebrows knitting together as he frowned, he said in a stern voice, "I asked you a direct question. When I ask you a question, I expect you to answer. Is that understood?” As he spoke, the man gripped her throat, squeezing until she coughed and spluttered, helpless in his grasp.

  "Please, don't choke me.” Lisa gasped and gulped for air. He was still staring at her, waiting for a response. “Yes, I'm thirsty,” she managed to gasp. At once he released her throat and sat back on his haunches.

  He took a bottle of water from a tray on the floor near the mattress.  Unscrewing the cap, he held it to her mouth. It was difficult for her to drink from her position, straining to lift her head as he tilted the bottle toward her mouth. Some of the liquid spilled down her chin and onto her bare breast.

  The man's eye followed the path of the water. Lisa felt the heat of a blush wash over her as he raked her body with his insolent gaze. Again she dared, "Please. Whoever you are. Please let me go. I won't tell anyone about this. Just let me go. Please. If it's money you're after, my parents don't live far-"

  He cut her off. "I'm not going to let you go. You need to get that idea out of your head right away. You belong to me now. The sooner you accept your situation, the sooner you'll adjust, and come to realize this is where you belong."

  The man set down the bottle of water and stood, bowing to the naked, bound woman. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am your lord and master. You will call me Sir or Master.”

  Lisa stared at the man, her mind churning. He watched her for a few moments. When she didn't respond he said, "Say it. I want to hear you say it."

  Lisa started to cry again. The enormity of her situation left her weak with terror. He wasn't going to let her go. “Say it!” When she still didn't respond, he slapped her cheek, once, very hard. The shock of what he'd done stopped her tears as she stared in disbelief at the cruel, strange young man who now stood before her.

  Without another word, he turned on his heel and left the room, locking the door behind him. A moment later the light flicked out, sending her back into darkness.