Bright sunlight poured through the gap between the thick curtains, falling across Sabe’s sleeping face. The warm light woke him gradually, and he blinked open his eyes. He stretched, wiggling about on the warm, silken sheets. He thought about pulling the covers over his head and hiding in the warmth, but he could smell something cooking downstairs. It was almost lunchtime.

Sabe tossed the covers off and stepped onto the plush carpet beside his bed. For bed, he only wore the silk pajama pants Mom gave him. He adjusted them so they sat low on his hips, then approached the window and threw open the curtains.

The light stunned him briefly, but when his eyes adjusted, he looked out upon another beautiful day on the family’s orchard. Trees stretched for miles around the farmhouse. The green leaves were all dotted with flowers, and the pollinators were already busy up the ladders, dusting the soft petals. Spring was always a busy time on the orchard.

Turning back to his room, Sabe walked past his trophy wall and stood before the full length mirror. He had hundreds of trophies. Ribbons, plaques, multi-tiered towers, medals. He had earned them all. The ones Mom was proudest of were kept downstairs, on display in her sitting room. The rest she displayed in his room, and would sometimes bring her friends up to show them off, but Sabe usually ignored them. He couldn’t read what they said, anyway.

In front of the mirror, Sabe stretched, watching the way his lean muscles moved beneath his light brown skin. Short stubble was appearing under his arms and along the edge of his pajama pants, right beneath his belly button. He expected Mom would take him in to be waxed again soon, especially since they had another show coming up.

He twisted and stretched in the mirror, checking over his body, looking for any flaws in his physique. He was thin for a sixteen year old boy, which made him look younger, but it allowed the judges to clearly examine his musculature and check for any faults. He knew he had none.

Besides, Mom always said, “Puppies are always the cutest! The younger you look, the longer we win!”

She was right, of course.

Sabe walked back from the mirror, then turned and walked toward it, checking his gait, making sure his steps fell evenly and smoothly. When he got to the mirror, he leaned in, examining his skin for any discoloration. He poked at the skin around his eyes, bared his perfectly straight white teeth, and then smiled at himself. He could win the next show easy.

Entering his private bathroom, Sabe stepped onto the scale. He waited for the weight to register, then stepped off and relieved himself in the toilet. It processed his waste, bringing up a little message that said he was low on electrolytes, and needed to drink more water. He stepped back onto the scale and it registered his new weight, then he went to the sink and started washing his face.

As he was working the final lotion into his skin, Sabe tilted his head and examined his ears. He had a caenid’s classically pointed ears, plus the two notches on each side signifying he had been bought and sold. Sometimes it seemed strange that he spent so much of his time keeping his body in perfect condition for shows, when notched ears looked like a defect.

He had met a contestant once with seven notches in both his ears. He’d been a poor sport, actually snapping at a judge when she tried to examine his teeth. Sabe had felt embarrassed for the boy. Mom had said, “They’ll notch him again for that. Sell him off quick before he hurts someone. Not like my little Sabey.” She had cooed at him and fussed over him then, and Sabe basked in the attention.

He was certainly lucky. A notch in his right ear from when he was born, its match in his left when was selected for a training school. The second notch in his right ear came after he completed the training, when he was five. Three years of lessons for how to be good, how to be obedient, and how to be the best caenid for a family, and he had been one of the top picks. He got his fourth notch soon after, and got to go home with his Mom and Dad to meet his new family.

The new family gave him a mom, a dad, and three older sisters. They begged Mom to play with him all the time, and sometimes, when they weren’t busy training for another show or pageant, she would let them. Fiona, the oldest, liked dressing him up and taking pictures of him around the orchard. She could spend hours posing him and snapping shots to share online. She was a very popular influencer, whatever that meant.

The twins, Julia and Octavia, were closer to his age, only two years older. They used to chase him around the field or play games with him. It always felt good to run with them, and it made them so happy whenever he could catch what they threw. He could jump higher than them, and they liked to challenge him to see what he could catch. Even if he missed, he liked chasing the ball down and running it back. It was too bad they didn’t like playing outside with him anymore.

Once, Octavia threw a plastic disk, but it arched wide and got lodged in a pear tree. Sabe tried to jump for it, but it was just beyond his reach. The girls were sad they couldn’t play anymore, and Sabe didn’t want that, so he brought one of the ladders over and climbed up into the tree.

He’d never been in a tree before. He had been about nine at the time, carefully inching along the branch until he could reach his hand out far enough and grab the disk. His fingers had just grazed it, and he only needed another inch forward, when the branch snapped.

The girls screamed and jumped back, the branch thankfully missing them. Sabe had been on top, and was mostly okay, but the rough bark had ripped up his arms and legs. He had also bumped his lip on the branch when it hit, and he could taste a little blood.

They barely had enough time to extract him from the greenery attached to the branch before Dad had descended on them. He had yelled a lot, mostly at the girls.

When he was done with that, he grabbed Sabe’s bloody hand and walked him inside to Mom. Mom had been horrified, sobbing and almost hyperventilating from the state Sabe was in. They agreed he needed to be disciplined, so he knew not to go near the orchard again. Even though Sabe promised he wouldn’t, they needed to keep him safe.

That was the only time Dad spanked him. He remembered being pulled across his knees, the thick belt coming down on his bare buttocks, and with each strike, Dad saying, “Bad dog.” The words had hurt more than the belt, and Sabe cried.

But he’d been a child, and he hadn’t understood how precious the trees were. They had done the right thing, cause he never played there again, even after the girls were allowed to take him back out.

With lots of medicine and lotions, the scratches from the tree had healed up nicely, not leaving even a single scar on his skin. Sabe was very grateful. Winning trophies made Mom proud, and he couldn’t do that if he was all scarred up. Now he knew to avoid risk and injury.

Finished in the bathroom, Sabe went to his closet and picked out an outfit. None of his show outfits, of course, but something nice. He settled on a red, single-piece shorts suit with a gold zipper up the front. It was a custom piece, as the red matched his eyes.

Sabe flicked his fingers through his roan colored hair, letting it settle naturally, yet stylishly around his face, then he went down for lunch.

“Sabey-baby,” Mom cooed, leaning in and kissing his cheek. “Chita is making lunch now. Have you washed your face?”

“Yes, Mom.” He smiled at her.

“That’s my good boy,” she said. Mom always dressed nice, and always smelled good, like flowers. Her skin was much paler than Sabe’s, but she laid out in the sun often enough that it had a warm tan. She kept her blond hair long, in soft waves down her back. During shows, they would wear outfits to match, because she understood how important a uniform presentation was for judges, especially when walking the ring.

Sabe sat down at the table beside her, keeping his back straight and his hands in his lap. Perfect manners, perfect display. Chita, the housekeeper and chef, gave them both water and plates with carefully measured portions. A bit of tuna, sliced avacado, and a lightly dressed salad.

Mom said a blessing over the meal, then they ate.

After, while Chita did the dishes, Sabe followed Mom into her office. He told her about the hair he had noticed, and she asked to see. He unzipped his suit and she crouched before him, running her fingers over his lower belly.

“Tsk. Your hair keeps getting thicker, and there’s more of it. I’m afraid we’ll need to move you up into the next age bracket soon.”

“Is that bad?” Sabe asked, worried.

“No, honey.” She stood, tugging his zipper up halfway. “There just aren’t as many shows. Fewer chances to win.”

Sabe frowned, and Mom bopped his nose, a warning not to use expressions that could create bad wrinkles in his skin. “Sorry,” he said, relaxing his muscles. “But why are there less shows? Why can’t I just keep competing?”

“When you’re fully grown, it’s… different. But we don’t need to worry about that, do we? You’re going to be my little puppy forever, aren’t you?” She used that higher pitched voice that just made Sabe feel warm and fuzzy all over.

He smiled at her and said, “Of course!” He was barely able to contain his excitement.

“That’s my good boy. Now, why don’t you go practice your choreography this afternoon. I’ll set up your next grooming appointment.”

“Yes, Mom,” said Sabe. He then went down to the basement workout room and watched himself dance in the floor to ceiling mirrors, critiquing and correcting the routine for hours. He already knew it, but he could always make it better.

The door upstairs open and slammed shut, a signal that the twins were home from school. They were seniors, and would graduate in a little over a month. Fiona was already in college, and only came home for holidays. She was engaged, too. Both Julia and Octavia planned to go to the same college. Maybe if they were all there together, it would be easier for them to come back home more often. The house was too quiet without them.

Sabe bound up the stairs to find the girls in the kitchen laughing and eating the sliced fruit and cheese Chita set out. They both hugged Sabe when they saw him and ruffled his hair.

“Cheese?” Octavia asked, holding out a piece for him.

“No, Miss Octavia, you know your mother does not want him eating extra food during pageant season,” Chita protested.

“It’s one piece of cheese,” Octavia scoffed. “It’s not going to kill him. Open up, Sabe.”

He knew he shouldn’t, but it smelled so good. He opened his mouth, and she stuck the slice of cheese in. It was certainly delicious. He tried to savor it, but it was still gone too quick.

He listened to the girls talk about their day, nodding along as if he understood how bad math was and how boring the old books they were forced to read were. No matter how they complained, he still thought it would be fun to spend the day with them at school. However, the schools had a strict ‘No Caenid Allowed’ policy, so he would never get to go.

“Thanks for the snack Chita!” said Julia. “I’m going to go study. Sabe, come with me.”

Octavia scoffed. “Why do you always take Sabe with you? It’s not like he can help you, and I doubt he likes watching you struggle through math.”

“I don’t mind,” said Sabe.

“Yeah, see, he doesn’t mind. Come on, ignore her.” Julia grabbed Sabe’s hand and practically dragged him into her room.

“Bye Octavia,” said Sabe, waving at her before he was tugged around the corner. She wiggled her fingers back at him and then pulled out her phone to message her friends.

Julia closed her door and turned the lock slowly, so no one else could hear it click into place. She spun about and smiled at Sabe. “I thought she’d never shut up. I’ve been thinking about you all day.”

Gently, Julia guided Sabe to the bed. He sat down, and she sat beside him. She kissed him, and it felt good. He kissed her back, opening his lips so their tongues could explore each other’s mouth.

It was like a new game, and Sabe was grateful for it. The girls had lost a lot of interest in playing with him once they reached high school, but when Julia had showed him how teenagers played, he was very appreciative.

She pushed him down on the bed, following so their mouths stayed together. Her fingers slowly pulled the zipper back down, revealing the long line of his body. Her hand slipped under the fabric and she gripped him, rousing him to a full erection in moments.

“I love you, Sabe,” she whispered.

“I love you, too,” he said, and it was true. He loved her so much he could burst.

“When I’m an adult, I’m going to leave here. Get my own place. You’ll come with me, won’t you, Sabey?”

She was stroking him up and down. It made it difficult to think. He didn’t want to leave home, to leave Mom and Dad, but he also didn’t want to be separated from Julia. He nodded, whispered, “Yes.”

“You’ll always be mine, Sabey. I love you so much. You’re so much nicer than the boys at school. They don’t make me feel good like you do.” Her pace was consistent, her hand firm around his length. He could feel himself swell, a warning that he was close.

“It’s coming,” he said hoarsely.

Julia lowered her head, wrapping her lips around him, and he released into her warm mouth. The rush filled him with a euphoric lightness. She raised her head and licked her lips. “Let’s get married.”

“Okay,” he agreed. He would agree to anything she wanted. It made her happy. She slid up and kissed him, pressing the salty taste on her tongue deep into his mouth. He accepted happily.

Then Julia laid on her back beside him and slid her skirt up around her waist. She spread her legs. “My turn.”

Dutifully, happily, Sabe crouched between her legs and used his tongue to provide her with as much pleasure as she had given him.

When she lay contented and sprawled across the bed, Sabe curled up beside her. Julia patted his hair lazily for a while. He could have fallen asleep with her there, but eventually she got up and readjusted her clothes.

“I really do have homework,” she said. “You should probably go get cleaned up before dinner.”

“Okay Julia.” Sabe stood and fixed his clothes. She came over and kissed him again.

“Sabe, tonight, can you come to my room?”

“Tonight?” he asked. She usually only played with him during the day, when everyone else was busy.

She nodded enthusiastically. “I think tonight we should go all the way.”

“All the way where?”

“Sex, silly. We can make each other feel even better, and I think I’m ready.”

“Oh, okay,” said Sabe, not actually understanding.

“Tonight, after everyone is asleep, come to me.” Julia kissed him again, then pushed him out of her room.

His fingers pressed against his lips, still able to feel her touch as he returned to his room to wash before dinner.

Dinner was the usual feast, with Dad talking about gains and losses, Mom fidgeting with Sabe’s hair through the meal, and Julia and Octavia texting on their phones beneath the table. They had roast chicken and yams, with a pineapple-mango sorbet dessert.

“Need to work off that little tummy,” Mom laughed, rubbing Sabe’s belly. “Show me the routine.”

She and Sabe disappeared into the basement after dinner, where he showed her what he had practiced earlier in the day. She asked him to run through it multiple times, until he was dripping with sweat.

“Looking good, Sabey. We’ll get gold for sure.” He smiled at her praise and dried himself off with a soft towel.

“They don’t stand a chance against us,” he said. He honestly didn’t care about his placement, but the better he did, the happier she was, and that was what mattered.

“I think you’ve earned a break,” she said. “Let’s go watch a movie with Dad.”

They went upstairs to where Dad was sitting in the den, flipping through channels on the widescreen. Mom sat down beside him. “Mind if we join you?”

“Course not, honey. What do you want to watch?”

There wasn’t more room on the couch for Sabe, but he didn’t mind. He settled on the floor between their legs, resting his head against Dad’s knee. Mom suggested a movie to watch, one she had heard good things about, but it was in another language. Sabe couldn’t understand it, and he couldn’t read the translation running across the bottom of the screen. It didn’t bother him, though.

Dad patted his head softly, and Mom toyed with his hair while the movie played. They laughed together at the funny parts, and Sabe laughed too, just because he felt good being there with them. When it was over, Mom yawned and excused herself to bed.

“Do you want Sabe to stay out with you?” she asked Dad.

“Ah, no. I’m going to be headed to bed before too much longer, too. Go ahead and take him,” said Dad.

“Okay, honey. Good night. I’ll probably be asleep before you get up there.”

He nodded, turning his attention back to the widescreen. Sabe followed Mom upstairs and to bed.

She helped him change into his silk pajamas, brushed his hair, and tucked him in bed. “Goodnight my little champion,” she cooed, and kissed him on the forehead.

“Goodnight, Mom,” he replied. Then she turned out the lights and closed the door.

Sabe didn’t sleep at all. He lay in bed with the covers pulled up to his chin and just listened. When he focused on listening, he could hear everything in the house. He heard Dad in the kitchen, picking at the leftover chicken in the refrigerator. He heard Octavia in her room, singing along to music. Julia was typing on her computer. Mom was snoring already, asleep almost as soon as she hit the pillow.

Sabe waited. Eventually, Octavia turned down her music and fell asleep listening to the quiet songs. Dad turned off the widescreen and came upstairs. He went into the bathroom. Julia turned off her light and laid in bed, but Sabe could still hear the clicks of her computer keys. She was waiting, too.

Dad flushed the toilet, then climbed in bed beside Mom. Before long, he was snoring, too. Sabe waited another couple minutes, then slipped out from under his covers. It felt strange leaving his room at night. He wasn’t supposed to do it.

He crept down the hall on tiptoes until he reached Julia’s room. He turned the knob slowly and pushed open the door.

“Sabe?” Julia whispered hopefully.

“Yes,” he said and slipped inside.

She opened her arms to him on the bed. Her computer was on the nightstand. She was only wearing a robe. He approached her, suddenly feeling very nervous.

“I don’t know if I should be here,” he whispered.

“You love me, don’t you, Sabey?”

“Yes, I love you.”

“And I love you, too. I’m ready for you. Come here,” she said, and shrugged out of her robe.

Sabe came to her, unable to help himself from staring at her body. There was no light in the room, but he could see her clearly by the pale glow of the moon outside her window. She had never been fully naked with him before. It stirred longing deep within him, but his body was more willing to be there than he was. It still felt wrong to be with her at night.

When she grabbed him and pulled him against her, however, doubt vanished from his mind. Her body was so soft and warm beneath his hands. Her mouth was a familiar press against his lips. He felt so happy being with her.

“Put it in,” she whispered.

Sabe didn’t understand the request. “What?”

Julia gave a little frustrated growl. She opened her legs up, pulling him to her. She grabbed his erection and pressed it into her body.

A silken heat enveloped him like none he had ever imagined. His hips moved forward unbidden, slipping himself deeper inside her. It was an amazing experience.

“Uhn, oh, god, Sabe, that feels good,” Julia moaned. “More, do it more.”

He obliged, paying attention to her breathing and her body, familiar enough with what brought her pleasure to recognize the signs.

His own release was building. He could feel it swelling. He wondered what would happen if it arrived while he was inside her.

Julia was getting close. Her fingers dug into Sabe’s back, her nails sliding along his skin. He worried that it would leave marks, but at the same time, it felt wonderful and he didn’t care.

Her body exploded with pleasure suddenly, and she wrapped her legs around Sabe’s hips, pulling him fully inside her. It was deeper than he’d ever been, and the heat encompassed him fully. He felt trapped there, locked in place, but her muscles were tensing and quivering around him. It was enough to send him over, and for his pleasure to be released inside her.

He practically collapsed on top of Julia after, suddenly unable to find the strength to hold himself up. They lay there for a bit, sweat making them feel stuck to each other.

Julia kissed Sabe’s nose. “That was fun. I love you so much.”

He smiled at her sleepily. “I love you too, Julia.”

“Can you get up?” she asked.

He nodded, lifting himself off her. But then, when he tried to slide out of her body, he couldn’t.

“Ow!” she yelped, and smacked his shoulder. “What are you doing?”

“Nothing, I-” he tugged again, but got the same reaction.

“Ow! Stop it!”

“I don’t know what’s going on,” he said, panicked. He looked down at their bodies, right where they connected. With horror, he saw that his body, the part that swelled before his release came, had somehow gotten lodged inside her body.

“Get it out!” Julia said, her cry almost a yell.

“I can’t. It’s stuck.”

“What do you mean ‘it’s stuck’?! Ow! Stop pulling! What are you doing?!”

He tried everything he could think of, but everything hurt her, and he had to stop. He was scared. He was stuck inside Julia, and she was angry.

“I’m sorry! I don’t know what’s going on!” he cried, tears filling his eyes.

“Ow! What did you do to me, Sabe?” she yelled.

The bedroom door burst open. “What the hell is going on in he- Oh Jesus Christ!” Dad entered, and then cringed back, shielding his face behind his forearms. “Sweet mother of God. Martha! Martha, get in here!!!” he yelled.

“Owie, Daddy, it hurts,” cried Julia, pushing against Sabe’s chest with her fists.

“You son of a bitch!” Dad roared. He stormed across the room. Sabe wanted to run, but he was trapped there, stuck between Julia’s legs. Dad grabbed him about the waist, and he was strong. He ripped Sabe off Julia. She screamed and tumbled to the floor as the swollen bulge burst out of her.

Mom came in, saw the scene, and raced over to her daughter. She draped a blanket over Julia, trying to comfort her, trying to make sense of the chaos. Dad hauled Sabe from the room. He started toward the stairs.

Mom rushed out of the bedroom. “Where are you taking him, Robert?!” she shrieked.

“I’m not going to have this animal in my house!” He yelled. He tossed Sabe up over his shoulder and stomped down the stairs.

The last Sabe saw of Mom, her face was twisted in a mask of horror, confusion, and revulsion. He reached out to her, whispered, “Mom,” but she turned away from him and returned to Julia’s room.

Dad carried Sabe outside to the pump house, a small building built around the plumbing that drew water up from the land. He dropped Sabe on the concrete floor. The moon was bright overhead, and Dad’s furious frame filled the door, only lit from behind by the moonlight.

“Dad, please, I don’t know what happened! I’m sorry!” Sabe begged.

The plea fell on ears deafened by rage. Dad picked up a thin stick from the ground. “You fucking mutt! How dare to rape my daughter!” He stepped forward and started beating Sabe with the stick. The first few impacts were a surprise. He had never been beaten before. But the pain caught up to him quickly. He tried to curl into a ball, protecting his head. He had no clothes, nothing to protect himself from the onslaught.

“Disgusting filth! Half breed mongrel! I never should have allowed Martha to bring you into my home! We raised you with our children, and this is how you repay us? Raping my daughter? Caenid trash like you deserves to die! You’re a bad, bad dog!” The stick snapped then, and Dad was left holding it in his hand, looking surprised by its sudden betrayal.

Sabe was bruised and bloody, but nothing was broken. He peered out from between his arms, then crawled across the ground, begging, pleading, “I’m sorry Dad, so sorry. Sorry, sorry, sorry.”

Dad kicked him in the chest, sending him sprawling backward, unable to draw in a breath. “I am not your Dad!” he yelled. “I am your owner!” A sudden idea struck him. “But not anymore.” He disappeared from the opening of the pump house.

Sabe couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t pull himself up off the floor to crawl from the shed. He just lay there, clutching his chest, trying to will himself to inhale.

Dad returned, and in his hand were a pair of wire cutters. He reached into the shed and grabbed Sabe by the hair, jerking him roughly into a kneeling position. He twisted Sabe’s head around until his right ear was clearly in reach of the sharp metal cutters.

Sabe watched him from the corner of his eye, his red eyes wide and wild. He could see the glint of metal as it reflected some of the moonlight. He took in breath finally, panic driving him.

“Please, no,” Sabe begged.

Dad just sneered at Sabe in disgust. He lined up the cut and squeezed the cutters together once, slicing into Sabe’s ear. Then he opened them and adjusted, and made a second cut, notching out a thin triangle in the skin and cartilage.

The cuts were fast, the second finished before the first started to bleed. The pain was immediate. He’d been sedated as a child when his ears were notched. He had never known the pain. It was agonizing.

Sabe was dropped to the floor as he cried and held his hand over his right ear. The blood was pouring out, filling his ear until sound became muffled through the blood.

The man he had known as Dad spit on him. “I’m going to sell you to the first pervert I find. Someone who likes hurting their slaves, someone who is going to do to you what you did to my baby. I’m going to make sure the rest of your short life is hell.” He then slammed the pump house door shut, leaving Sabe alone to cry and bleed.

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