I was born a slave. My parents were slaves. Their parents were slaves. The list goes on for generations. We have all had the same Master because he is immortal. He was ruthless and cunning and made me feel like an insignificant twit. His favorite nickname for me was Slut, but he called me Lover when he was having a good day. He knew all of my weaknesses and cunningly found and exploited my secrets. He knew all of my buttons and liked to play me like a piano.

I was like a puppet on strings, and he was the puppet master. He just had to say a few words, and I reacted with the anger he wanted. However, he was too clever for me. He didn't let me get angry at him. In fact, he probably preferred it when I forgot he was even there, leering over my shoulder at the poor soul that he decided I needed to be angry with.

He would laugh when I pulled at the chains he surrounded me with.

"You are pathetic!" He would snicker. "You can never escape. You are mine."

The pit of my stomach would drop and I believed every word. Every evil thing that came from his mouth, I believed. I was not worth anything. I was no better than the dirt on his shoe. I was ugly. I was unloved. I was better off alone that with those I would disgrace with my presence. I wasn't smart enough. I wasn't kind enough. I wasn't mean enough.

He kept me under his heal with fear. Fear of him. Fear of the unknown. Fear of rejection. Fear of myself. Fear of never being enough. He tightened my chains to himself with lies. No one could ever love me. No one would ever cherish me for who I was.

Truthfully, I was drowning most of my life. Drowning in sorrow, regret, guilt, hatred, lust, greed, envy, and the list goes on. He held me under the water of my own emotions and chuckled as I gasped and tried to resurface. I never could. I was play-do in his hands, and he knew it.

Then, one day, something changed. A light came into my dark world, and Master flinched away. Another immortal entered my life, and they fought. The battle was long and hard. Master tried to subdue the newcomer and chain him as he did me, but the newcomer bested him at every turn. He almost made it seem easy. I watched in fascination. I had been taught to think that no one could beat Master, but this man was.

Best of all, the newcomer smiled at me. He smiled. At me. And it wasn't the creepy smile I had become accustomed to. It was a genuine, love-filled smile. It warmed my heart to no end. I even felt my lips lift into a similar smile.

All my hopes were dashed to the ground as Master finally got the upper hand. I stared in horror as the newcomer stopped fighting and Master killed him. The newcomer seemed to fall to the ground in slow motion. Master danced around in glee, sneering at me and my fragile hope. He spat on the body and laughed and gathered all his friends. He celebrated and made me join in the celebration.

I hated it.

I kept taking glances at the prone body as the party thickened. Eventually, I was caught up in the excitement and I forgot about my anguish. I was drunk on the ecstasy of my master. He repeated all his lies and laughed as he made me dance for his friends. I was in the middle of one such dance when it happened. Master's friends had their mugs raised to the ceiling, calling for me to show more, do more, when it happened. Master had that look in his eye that made me shiver inside when it happened.

A bright light exploded into the darkness. Master and all of his friends fell to the ground, screaming and groaning in pain and fear. I stood there, dumbfounded. The body was gone. The newcomer's body was gone. I stared at the empty space, wondering why I didn't fall too. I felt a presence behind me. I stiffened and didn't know what to do, what to say.

I turned to him slowly. He was smiling at me. He wasn't dead. I stared at him in awe and wonder. He held out his hand, offering something to me. I looked closely at it and didn't believe what I saw.

It was a key, a golden key.

"This is for you, if you want it." He said.

I looked at his face, not reaching for it. "Why?"

"Because I love you. I created you, and he," He gestured to my Master, writhing on the ground, "changed you. Come with me, and I will give you a real life."

"What did I do to deserve this?"

"Absolutely nothing. I love you."

Those three words reverberated through my being. He loved me? Me, the whore? Me, the pawn of Master?

His smile didn't fade. "I can wait here as long as you need. I will always be here for you to chose. Do you want the new life I can offer you or the one you are accustomed to?"

I looked around. Master had his eyes locked on me.

"You aren't worth it." He growled in pain. "You are mine."

The newcomer didn't even acknowledge him. He just held that key out within my reach. I looked him in the eye and smiled back. Whatever this man had planned for me, it must be better than what Master had in mind. I reached out and took the key.