The Taskmaster

Kieran stood in the dimly lit hallway, his eyes fixed on the piece of paper in his hand. It was a list of tasks, scribbled in Ellie's neat handwriting, with a note at the bottom that read: "Complete by 5 PM. Mistress Ellie." He felt a familiar knot of anxiety in his stomach as he scanned the list. There were the usual tasks: clean Ellie's room, do her laundry, run errands for her. But there were also some new ones: polish her black boots, iron her favorite dress, and make sure her makeup was perfectly applied. He sighed and set off to complete the tasks, his mind racing with thoughts of rebellion and escape. But he knew it was futile. Ellie had made it clear that she would not tolerate disobedience, and he had already experienced the consequences of defying her. As he entered Ellie's room, he was struck by the sense of opulence that surrounded him. The room was a shrine to Ellie's vanity, with mirrors and makeup and hair products scattered everywhere. Kieran felt a pang of resentment as he began to clean, his mind wandering to all the things he could be doing instead. But Ellie's voice echoed in his mind: "You will do as I say, when I say it, without hesitation or question." He pushed aside his thoughts and focused on the task at hand, trying to block out the feeling of humiliation that came with serving Ellie. As he polished her boots, he couldn't help but think about how much his life had changed. He used to be the one in control, the one who made the decisions. But now, he was nothing more than a servant, a foot slave to Ellie's every whim. The thought made him angry, and he found himself scrubbing the boots with a bit too much vigor. But Ellie was always watching, always waiting for him to slip up so she could pounce. "Not like that, Kieran," she said, her voice dripping with disdain. "You're not even trying. Do it again, and this time, do it right." Kieran felt a surge of resentment, but he bit it back. He knew that showing any sign of defiance would only make Ellie angrier, and he didn't want to face her wrath. He took a deep breath and began again, his hands moving slowly and deliberately as he polished the boots to a high shine. Ellie watched him, her eyes narrowed in criticism. "Better," she said finally, her voice a little softer. "But not good enough. You'll have to do better than that if you want to please me." Kieran felt a pang of disappointment, but he knew better than to show it. Instead, he nodded and continued on to the next task, his mind fixed on the goal of completing the list and earning Ellie's approval. As the day wore on, Kieran found himself becoming more and more exhausted. The tasks seemed endless, and Ellie's demands grew increasingly unreasonable. But he pushed on, driven by a determination to survive, to make it through the day without losing his mind. Finally, at 5 PM, he finished the last task on the list. He stood back and surveyed his work, feeling a sense of pride and accomplishment. He had done it. He had completed the tasks and earned Ellie's approval. But as he turned to leave, he saw Ellie sitting on her throne-like armchair, her black tights-clad legs stretched out before her like a queen surveying her kingdom. "Come here, Kieran," she said, her voice firm and commanding. "I have one more task for you." Kieran felt a sense of trepidation, but he knew better than to disobey. He walked over to Ellie, his heart pounding in his chest. "What is it, Mistress Ellie?" he asked, trying to keep his voice steady. Ellie smiled, her eyes glinting with amusement. "I want you to kneel down and worship my feet," she said, her voice cold and detached. "I want you to show me your devotion, to prove your loyalty to me." Kieran felt a surge of humiliation, but he knew better than to resist. He knelt down, his head bowed in submission, and began to worship Ellie's feet. It was a degrading, humiliating task, but he knew he had no choice. As he looked up at Ellie, he saw something in her eyes that made his heart sink. She was enjoying this, reveling in his humiliation and degradation. And he knew that he was trapped, caught in a web of Ellie's making, with no escape in sight.