I stood there for I don't know how long, bitch face firmly in place, trance like state remaining. I can't let them know that I know. I know I stayed there at least a good 20 minutes or so. Eventually, the brother came up.

"Hey, bitch! Why did you have to get me in trouble like that? Do you have any idea what they put me through, or Sandy? It's not like they are going to stay married. My mother is nothing but a gold-digging whore! If you ever do anything like this to either of us again, I will make you wish you had never been born!"

Too late. I've already felt that way for a long time.

He turned to walk away. I almost felt relieved, but then he turned back around.

"Didn't you hear what I said? I will make your life a living hell!"

I said nothing. I kept on my mask.

"Hey! Cunt! Can't you hear me?"

Silence.

He came closer. "What the fuck is wrong with you?" He almost sounded concerned this time. Almost.

I gave no response.

"Heeeeeelllllooooooo! Earth to Jani?" he said, snapping his fingers this and that way at my face. I didn't even blink. My eyes, I trained long ago on how to keep them still.

By now, Sandy came out of her room from the hallway.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"She's unresponsive."

"Unresponsive?"

"She's just standing here, not saying anything. Can she even see me?" he asked.

She came at me. "Hey bitch, say something!" she pushed at me. It was enough to make me wiggle.

"I said say something!" She pushed me again. This time I fell down. I said nothing as my "sessions" were all about total control and me not talking at all. "She's a doer, not a talker. Isn't that the most wonderful kind of female? She will kiss and suck everything on your command." Those were the things they said that I was never meant to hear. Every once in a while, someone would be kind of rough with me, touching me in places I was not comfortable with. "We can NOT damage the goods!" And then others would make the individual back off. I could not get up without a command, so they would tell me to. But for now....

"Jani, are you okay?" asked Bruno. He actually sounded worried now.

"Oh shit! I am going to get in so much trouble!" said Sandy. "Wake up already!" She kicked me hard. "I said WAKE-UP!" She kicked me a few more.

"Sandy! We can't do this!" Bruno grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her back.

I was so sore, but I couldn't get out of this trance without the proper words. Soon, I heard their parents coming up the stairs.

"Oh no! They're coming!" said Sandy. She took off running and hid in her room. Bruno remained with me.

"Jani? Jani? Are you okay?" he continued to ask me.

I remained motionless.

"Jani! Wake up! They're coming!"

"Bruno! What are you doing?" asked his mother.

"Shit," he said under his breathe.

"Well?" said my uncle. He asked softly, but with authority.

"I didn't do anything. I just....found her here."

"You just found her here...." said my uncle, full of disdain.

"I don't believe it for a moment!" said his mother.

"I think that we need to call a doctor or something," said Bruno.

"Why would we need to get a doctor?" asked his mother. "Kitten, get up off of the floor." Kitten. She said one of my pet-names. She gave me a verbal command. I had to obey. I got up with some difficulty. My uncle looked concerned. I was concerned too. How did she know to use that word? How much did she know? How much did any of them know?

"Jani? What's wrong?" he asked another question, but one I couldn't answer. I could only follow commands.

"Jani? Jani! Speak to me." That was the one command I couldn't follow anyway. "She wasn't made to talk," said my memories. I said nothing.

"Something's not right," said my aunt.

"No shit!" said Bruno.

"Bruno," said my uncle. "Did you happen to find my green file?"

"Green file sir?"

"The one on my desk with the eye of Ra, and the monarch butterfly."

"Oh, that one. I saw-" Bruno's eyes widened and got a very scared look on his face. Like he just realized something important.

"What did you do?" asked his mother angrily.

"I don't know, but whatever it was, I'm sorry."

"Well, you better FIX IT!" said his mom.

"What were the release words, Bruno?" asked my uncle.

"Release words, sir?"

"Yes. The release words. You obviously said the words to put her in a trance. Now you must say the words to put her back."

Bruno looked at me nervously. "Um.... 1, 2, 3, wake up. 1 2 3 wake up."

Nothing.

"You're pathetic," said his mother.

"I need to at least know the words that put her in a trance," said my uncle.

"I don't know," said Bruno. He sounded genuinely scared now.

A door opened. Everyone turned to the sound, everyone except me.

"It was me," said Sandy.

"What?" asked her father.

"I was the one," she said.

"Sandy, what have you done?" asked her father. Even when he was concerned, he had a soft voice.

"Why should we be the only ones to get into trouble?" asked Sandy. "It said she was a sex kitten or something, so I told her to do her thing, and maybe she would get in trouble too."

"You little cunt!" said my aunt. "You were going to let MY SON take the blame for this? What does he even owe you anyway?"

"Do not speak to my daughter that way," said my uncle, sternly.

"I will speak to her however I want!"

"SHUT UP!" screamed Bruno.

"YOU SHUT UP!" she slapped him in the face.

"STOP IT!" screamed Sandy.

"You stop it!" yelled my aunt. "What does he even mean to you anyway?"

"Everything," said Sandy.

Bruno looked at her, with...I don't know. Love?

"Elaborate," said her father, sternly.

"We are getting married," said Sandy.

"How do you plan on doing that?" her father asked with angered constraint.

"It's only a matter of time that my mother divorces you anyway," said Bruno. "It's what she does."

"How DARE you!" said his mother. "After everything I have ever done for you, I will see to it that you NEVER marry that dirty little whore!"

"NEVER call my daughter a whore!" said my uncle. "And I disagree with you. I have never been there much for her as a father. I have been absent most of her life. I will not remain between her and what little happiness I have left to give her. If this splits us apart, so be it. I will call us a lawyer and offer you a cash settlement."

"I want both summer cabins as well," said my aunt without any hesitation.

"I KNEW it!" said Bruno.

"You shut up!" she countered. "Now, what are we going to do with THIS!" she said, pointing at me.

"We will need to say the release words for her to go back to normal," said my uncle. "Sandy, what are they?"

"I don't know," said Sandy hesitantly. "I didn't exactly read that far."

"We'll need to get the file and find the release words then. See to it that you get it."

"I can't...."

"Sandy, what did you do with the rest of the file?" asked my uncle.

"I kind of...burned it?"

"Kind of burned it? Oh great! This is rich!" said my aunt.

"What do you mean, you burned them?" asked my uncle.

"I thought all those papers made her look more important than me, so I got rid of them. Maybe then you would pay attention to me for once."

"Sandy..." said my uncle. "That girl is part of a government testing program that is kept secret from the public eye. Do you think that I asked for this? I didn't. She was just plopped on my lap because her whore of a mother is dead, and everyone else in the family she married into. They were all murdered, and for all we know, Jani could have been the one who was ordered to kill them."

"Oh shit!" said Sandy, full of fright.

"Sandy," her father placed his hands on her shoulders, looking her square in the eyes. "You have my full attention now. What did you say to her?"

She looked in my direction full of fear.

"Atmidnight tonight, you will do your thing...