Obey: 6. Questions and Commands

Clara woke with the taste of salt on her lips and the memory of water under her skin.

For a few disorienting seconds she thought she was still on the pier, the night air on her thighs, the blindfold pressing against her eyes. Then she realized she was in her own bed, the morning sun sliding across her sheets.

She rolled over, hugging the pillow to her chest. She should have been ashamed, but she wasn’t. She should have been afraid, but she wasn’t. Instead she felt like someone had peeled away a layer she didn’t even know she was wearing. Her body was sore, tender in places she hadn’t known could feel tender.

And yet.

Who is he?

The question had grown louder overnight, until it was a drumbeat. She’d obeyed his notes, his voice, his hands. She’d gone naked to a dock at night. She’d surrendered more than she’d ever surrendered to anyone. And still she didn’t know his name.

When her phone vibrated at 9:00 a.m., she snatched it up.

 Today: No coat.