In Chains by Michelle Abbott

squirted into their mouths a few times a day. They don’t even unchain them so they can take a piss; they have to piss where they fucking stand. And they’re chained up outside. They have fucking space inside, but no! That’s too good for ya if you kill a human. So you’re stuck outside in the fucking cold, or the snow, or you get fucking soaked in the rain and you can’t even move about to keep warm. It’s just as fucking bad in the heat, you can’t move out of the fucking sun, you gotta stand there and fry. Eventually they decide to finally kill ya for your ‘crime’ but most of them don’t survive that long, they’re already fucking dead.” He’s breathing heavily and his eyes are blazing.
    I can feel tears on my cheeks. Kayden pulls me to him, resting my head on his chest. He strokes my hair while I sob, making his t-shirt all soggy. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry we’re so cruel to you. I would never do that. I understand why you hate us, I’m sorry.”
    Kayden uses the hem of his t-shirt to wipe away my tears and my runny nose. He kisses me on my nose and finds my cigarettes and lights me another one. Holding his mug to my lips he tells me to drink the rest of his hooch.
    “I hear ya. Maybe you’re not as bad as the rest of them. Maybe I’ll get used to ya, I may even get to like ya, so long as you don’t fuck Kade over,” Clay says. “It just pisses me off that they can beat crap outta us and we just gotta take it.” I nod. There’s nothing I can say that will make this better. I hope in time Clay will see that I’m a good person and I’ll help these guys any way that I can.
    Trent refills everyone’s mugs. Clay and Kaci head off to the caravan. Resting my head against Kayden’s shoulder I drink my hooch and gaze at the flames.
    Where the hell am I? Peeling open my eyes I look up at a bare light bulb. I’m in Kayden’s caravan, fully clothed, lying on top of his bed. He’s lying beside me, his arm flung over my stomach, his leg wrapped around mine, his face pressed close to my cheek, softly snoring in my ear. I turn my head slightly, not wanting to disturb him. He looks so cute and peaceful and I feel all warm and tingly lying here beside him. I still feel drunk and I’ve no idea how or when I made it back here. Remembering that he has an alarm clock on the floor I turn to look at the time, 11:25, Simon will be back soon, I have to go.
    I feel Kayden’s arm tighten around my stomach, he tugs me closer to him. I shuffle over so I’m facing him. He smiles at me sleepily, his eyes heavy lidded. “Hey baby,” he says, stoking his fingers along my cheek.
    “I’ve got to go; my brother will be back soon.”
    He pouts and I can’t resist nibbling on his lower lip. He yelps as his muscles go stiff and his body jerks. “Shit,” he says, burying his face in his pillow.
    “I guess we didn’t break it.” Caressing his bicep I’m trying to figure out why he didn’t get shocks earlier. Then it hits me. “Kayden.” I lean up on my elbow and he turns to look at me, “I think we drained it of power, it couldn’t work again till it charged back up.”
    “It’s never happened before,” he says, frowning.
    “But you said you’ve never been shocked that many times in a row before.” I grin at him. “I bet we can make that happen again. It probably works like a car battery. We’ll have to try shocking you a few times in a row again.”
    He rolls over onto his back, puts his arms above his head and grins, his eyes sparkling. “I’m all yours gorgeous, make me yelp.”
    “Goof,” I say, laughing. “I can’t do it now, I’ve got to go. My brother should be going to work tomorrow; I’ll come and find you when he’s gone.”
    “Okay,” he says, pouting again. “It’s dark. I’ll carry you back so no beasties of the night get ya.” He gets shocked again as he picks me up. It’s cold, I wish he had a coat or something warm to wear. I wrap my arms and legs tightly around him,