. preoccupied,” the cat mutters. “But I fell asleep and really didn’t have time.”“I get the feeling that you’re hiding something,” the w...itch says, glaring right back at her familiar.“I’m not hiding anything,” the cat denies. “I was busy bargaining for a room. It wore me out. End of story.”“How come I don’t believe you?”“I don’t know,” Hazel says with a shrug. “I’ve been merged with you for far too long and yet I still don’t understand your thinking.”“I think...” the witch cocks her head to the. She could feel the tightness of the rope around her neck and the knot resting behind her ear, and she begged him for mercy, but all that she got was a further tightening of the rope. It constricted about her neck, hurting and suffocating, and then he pulled on it again, lifting her onto her toes, and she could feel herself swinging and the world going fuzzy.She could hear the hollow resonance of footsteps treading on wood and the creaking of a trapdoor beneath her feet.He pulled her forwards. My girlfriend, Sonja, worked for her uncle. Just like Lucy. Except Sonja was mostly white and part Japanese, not to mention a little plump and five-eight in heels. And her uncle was a police lieutenant with our city’s finest. The first time we had sex she said she was pleased. Just pleased? I felt humiliated. “Well, the last guy who failed to please me is waiting for somebody to post bail. My uncle had him arrested on suspicion of felony failure to return a library book on time.” I was afraid. .. vigilant. My husband didn't care; I was part of the furniture unless something went wrong -- and then I was just worthless. When I was on my own at school, no one ever noticed me, until I met my husband -- but he was just looking for a servant, and would rather have had a robot, probably. You're like Daddy -- you pay attention and you crack the whip. Even if you're pissed -- even if I screw up and you punish me -- it's attention. Whether you fuck me or you slap me around, it's STILL.