"What do you mean he took your voice? You're speaking just fine now" the officer asked.

I glanced down at the tape recorder that was recording everything I'd said so far. Good, I wouldn't have to tell this story ever again. I don't think I had it in me to relive this tale one more time.

"I don't know what he did to my throat but it hurt to speak for weeks" I explained. "Whenever I tried, all I was able to produce was a high pitched croak that resulted in pain"

At first I thought it was my punishment for saying all that stuff about him. Maybe he'd just gotten sick of hearing my screams at random hours in the day. I wrestled with the thought that I would spend the rest of my life unable to utter a word.

Harold never commented about the new quiet. He simply brought me food and went about his day. In those weeks, I became a shell of my former self. I closed off myself to the outside world and went deeper into my mind, exploring my memories.

I thought about how shitty a life I'd lived so far. Consumed by my work, alone. It dawned on me that there was a good chance no one was looking for me. No parents, no significant others. Just my coworkers who no doubt believe I'd abandoned the company and would have hired my replacement by now.

I was left at Harold's mercy to do with me as he pleased. But why was he doing this? Turning me into this thing. Paying me no more mind than to occasionally tell me how excited he was about me.

I needed to get out. But how? There were no holes in his defenses. He made sure to tie my hands whenever I left the cage. I wasn't as strong as I was months ago either so there was very little chance I could fight him now.

Those weeks went by slowly.

One day, he showed up with a tray of food but he made no motion to pass it into the cage. He simply stood by the door. It had been a while since I last ate so I was hungry and desperate for food.

I pleaded with my expression for him to give it to me but he didn't move.

"Are you hungry?"

I nodded eagerly.

"Speak" he said.

I couldn't. He'd made sure of that.

"Go on" he repeated.

"Y.. Ye.." I croaked.

"Speak" he repeated with a raised voice.

"Y.. Yes" I immediately gasped and covered my mouth with my hand.

Harold smiled "Good girl". Looking pleased with himself, he slid the tray through the opening.

When he turned and left, I cried and wailed with my now high pitched voice.

It wasn't punishment or humiliation. Everything Harold did was a calculated move with a goal in mind.

=^..^=

His next move came much later. I had completely lost track of time after being stuck in that room for so long. I watched him warily as he came into the room with a folding chair and took a seat right outside my cage.

I couldn't read the expression on his face which wasn't surprising. I would never understand what went though the head of a psychopath.

His eyes seemed glued to my chest which made me feel dirty and want to cover up but I didn't want to give him the satisfaction.

He reached forward toward the cage which caused me to recoil to the far side.

"Don't be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you" he said.

I couldn't believe it. But the more I watched him, the more I realised that he actually meant that. He truly believed he wasn't hurting me. Everything he'd done wasn't intended to hurt me.

"Kill me" I told him.

He withdrew his hand, "Don't say that"

"Please just kill me" There was no way out. I was going to spend the rest of my life in this cage with this monster as my warden.

"You may not see it now but one day you'll thank me"

I rushed to the front of the cage and spat at him. It didn't go very far but it looked like it hurt him enough.

"First, I'll get rid of that unsightly face and then we can work on that attitude" he said after he got to his feet. "We're almost there now. It's almost over".

Not even a minute after he exited the room, the vents began hissing again.

"No, please I'm sorry" I banged the cage. "I'll be good I promise"

As I began to smell the gas, I began to cry. Not again. "Please!" I screamed with that feminine voice "Enough, please!"

My cries and pleas went unanswered. As my body became too weak to move and my vision clouded, I prayed for salvation.

=^..^=

The first thing I noticed was the soft bed beneath me. I'd almost forgotten what it felt like. My body longed for a continuation to the rest but my mind was already up and alert.

Where was I? What had he done to me this time? I didn't have to wonder long because I soon realise that my entire head was wrapped up completely with only room for my nose and eyes.

I rushed to my feet and got my first good look at the room. I didn't recognize it. When I finally got over the fear that came with the uncertainty, I was able to feel relief that it wasn't in that junk filled room with the cage.

It looked to be a regular room with a large queen size bed and a big wardrobe. There were two doors, one was open and led to what looked like a bathroom.

I spotted a vanity and a mirror. I was so afraid to take look as if whatever he'd done to me wouldn't become real until I saw it for myself. I took one unsteady step after another towards the mirror. I just had to see.

Just as I'd suspected, my entire head was wrapped in a white fabric. I moved one length of the fabric to reveal my skin underneath. From what I could tell, I didn't look burned or scarred underneath or anything like that.

Even before I began unwrapping my face, I already deduced what he'd done to me. Following the surgeries so far, it wasn't a hard guess what he'd done. Roll after roll, I loosened the fabric.

As my arm went to work untying, I noticed how thin I had become. Every last bit of muscle I once had had disappeared entirely. My skin was soft and smooth like a baby's. There was no resemblance to the person I'd been before this ordeal.

As I began unwrapping the final layer of cloth, my heart rate spiked. The top part of my head became free of the cloth first, it was already unrecognizable. Only in subtle ways like how different my brow now looked to be but enough that it made me look like a completely different person.

My nose was freed next and was probably the most drastic change. The shape and size were almost entirely different. When my mouth and jaw were revealed, I stared in disbelief at the woman that stared back at me.

I brought my finger up to touch and trace my face. I was her, she was me. The face paired with the breasts meant there was no more denying it now. Dale was dead.

=^..^=

To my great surprise, when I tried the door, it actually opened. I closed it sharply after my heart skipped a beat.

Why was the door open? Was this the chance I'd been looking for? I opened the door again, this time slowly and peaked into the hallway. There was no one out there, just a bunch of closed doors.

I went back inside and closed the door. I sat on the bed for a few minutes internally screaming at myself.

'What are you waiting for?'

'Run'

I was too scared to move. What if he saw me? What would he do to me if I tried to escape and he caught me?

I didn't want to go back to that cage.

'Do you want to be here forever?'

'It's not that bad'

'This room is nice'

'Free food'

'I don't have to work anymore'

'You have to try to escape. You can't stay here'

'He'll be mad if I run'

'Don't go back to the cage'

'Be good'

And so I sat there. I made no further attempts at the door. I sat obediently on the comfortable bed and waited for Harold to arrive.

Hours later. Atleast it felt like hours that I'd sat on that bed waiting for him. I didn't know what time it was. Maybe he was asleep. This room had no windows either so I couldn't tell what time it was. Atleast the bed was comfortable.

"Hello" I heard his voice come from the doorway.

I turned sharply to see then rushed to the far side of the bed.

"Do you like your new room?" he asked.

I nodded shyly. I really did like it.

"And what do you say?"

"Thank you" I muttered.

"Good" he walked through the door and made his way to the wardrobe. He joyously hummed a tune while he searched through the clothes hanging in the closet. After making a selection, he placed a blue dress on the bed.

"Take a shower and change into this quickly. There's someone that is eager to meet you. Come down when you're done" He said before turning to leave me by myself. I listened but never heard the door lock.

=^..^=

The hot shower was sensational. Better than I'd had in a long time, maybe ever. Harold had let me shower with cold water once every few days so this was a huge step up.

I decided I had to be careful not to do anything to mess it up and have my privileges revoked. I couldn't go back.

My brain was firing alarms that I was taking too long and I was keeping him and his guest waiting so I hurriedly left the shower.

Did he tell someone about me? Someone else knew? Why weren't they doing anything about it?

My apprehension about putting on a dress lasted only a few seconds. It was soft and clean which made it much better than the rags I'd been forced to wear for who knows how long. I slipped it over my head and was immediately greeted by the cleavage it formed.

My nipples were excitedly poking through the fabric which was an unusual phenomenon that had begun a few months ago and showed no signs of stopping.

No matter, I didn't have time to worry about that. I had to get downstairs quickly before Harold got angry.

I studied myself in the mirror and couldn't believe the reflection. The kind of girl that would never have given me the time of day.

I could just imagine her walking down the street. I'd try to get her attention but she'd ignore me. She would never date a guy shorter than 6ft.

Now there she was, mimicking my every move.

To be honest, I was probably dealing with my new status better than you'd expect. My brain was solely focused on maintaining my newfound comfort.

=^..^=

"So I obediently hurried down the stairs in search of Harold and his guest" I said to officer as I looked up to meet his gaze "You must think I'm spineless"

"I'm not here to pass judgment. Just to get your side of the story" he replied.

"What would you have done in my place?" I asked but didn't wait for his answer "Who am I kidding? You wouldn't be in that situation. Big guy like you would never have been a target"

"Who was the guest? The officer asked changing the subject.

I sat back in the chair. I took a deep breath to prepare myself to continue the story. As horrible as things had been so far, I'd still say it got worse from that point on because that was when I started to lose myself.

I tried the first door I found when I made my way downstairs. Locked. I walked down the hallway and tried another, locked.

"Hello?" I called out.

"In here" Harold answered.

I followed the voice which led me to the familiar living room. My attention was drawn immediately the deceptively metal front door. Long time no see. On the other side of that was freedom. It got me thinking about what freedom meant for me now.

Even if somehow I was saved, Harold had turned me into this thing and there was no going back, was there?

"My goodness, you've done remarkable work" I heard an unfamiliar voice say to my left. I turned to its owner and saw a greying man with a receding hairline wearing round glasses.

I couldn't shake the feeling that he looked familiar somehow but I couldn't place it.

"There's no trace of the original subject left" he eyed me head to toe like I was a specimen in a lab.

"Thank you" Harold looked happy "I think it's some of my best work"

"You really should come back to work. You know I hate to admit it but even now you're still better than I ever was"

"Ah you know those days are behind me"

I just stood there quietly and listened to those two talk casually almost as if they were talking about sports.

"Do you mind if I get a closer look at her body?" the other man asked.

I looked to Harold concerned who just nodded back at me. "Take it off" he ordered.

Without a word, I moved the straps off my shoulder and let the dress fall to the floor. I was in damage control mode. If I pleased him, maybe my life here would be bearable.

"Fascinating" the guest remarked while studying my body "Minimal scarring as well. Can I see the vagina?"

I looked to Harold hoping he'd draw the line but no such luck. He nodded to me to proceed.

I sighed and began working at the final piece of cloth protection then dropped it to the floor leaving me completed bare and nude.

I'd had a hard enough time looking at what I now looked like down there but now these two men were looking too and they clearly liked what they saw.

"Just perfect" the other man commented. "Mind if I take some pictures?"

I looked to Harold again this time my eyes pleaded for him to say no.

"Please" he answered.

The man excitedly brought out his phone and began taking pictures to his heart's content.

"Spread your legs" the man instructed .

I took a step back.

"Do it" Harold commanded. My lips quivered as I tried my hardest not to cry.

Slowly but surely I parted my legs and the man got in closer with that damn camera.

Everytime I heard the camera shutter, my legs felt weak and threatened to cave.

"How did you get her to be so obedient without beating?" the man asked. I felt him touch the perimeter of my groin which caused me to recoil in disgust and cover my face with both hands.

"I am a professional" Harold said with a little laugh.

"That you are" the man praised "It's really amazing work, I must say" He must have been satisfied with the pictures because he stepped back and away from me leaving me to wallow in my shame.

"Anyway I must go" the man announcement "My Anna needs me. She's been dealing with a lot of infection lately. I can't tell you how badly she smells. She's nowhere near as lucky as this one. Have you named her yet?"

"Lena" Harold answered.

"That name holds some significance with you, doesn't it?"

"It does"

"Well" the man said finally as he picked up his briefcase "Careful not to get too attached"

I watched him in silence as he made his way towards the door. I waited for the clicks of the locks to signify their opening but that never came.

The man simply walked to the door, opened it and left. The door had been open the entire time.

=^..^=

"You made me very proud today" Harold told me as we sat together on the dining table. "Think of this as your reward"

He was speaking about the full course meal he'd prepared and laid in front of me. I'd hardly had enough to eat since coming here so this felt like heaven.

"Go on, take a bite"

He was relaxed and easygoing. Still riding the joy from the visit earlier. Whoever that man was, Harold certainly held his approval in high regard.

"I don't want you to feel like a prisoner anymore" he told me. "I promise I won't put you back in the cage if you behave"

I took a bite from a chicken leg. It tasted amazing. I took multiple rushed bites like it was going to get taken away from me at any moment.

He laughed, "Careful not to stain your dress"

I slowly down and took composed bites.

"That's better" he smiled at me. "God, you turned out better than I could have ever hoped"

I didn't respond. What could I say to that? I didn't have anything to do with it. Why was he telling me this?

"Speak. I want to hear you voice" he instructed.

I paused in-between bites and forced the food down.

"I don't know what to say"

"Mhmm that's good" he closed his eyes seemingly savoring the sound of my voice. "Come to me" he ordered.

I had to keep him happy. If he stayed happy, maybe I could find a decent life here.

I shyly got up and walked over to his place at the head of the dining table.

"Come closer" he ordered. I obeyed. In a swift motion, he raised a hand, cupped my butt then slapped it which caused my to flinch. There was a hungry look in his eye that I didn't like but I had to do my best to keep up the ruse.

"How did that feel?" he asked.

"G... good"

"Don't lie to me. How did it feel?"

"I liked..."

"Tell the truth"

"I didn't..."

"You didn't like it. Let's be honest with each other from now on, okay? Sit" he gestured to the dining chair closest to his. I obeyed.

"I want us to always tell each other the truth since we'll be living together. Can we do that?"

I nodded slowly while keeping my gaze focused on him.

"I'll start. It is my hope that you will one day learn to love me. Do you think that's possible?"

I started to nod but thought better of it. I shook my head.

"Use your words"

"No" I answered.

"That's okay. We have our whole lives to change that. Until then, I won't touch you. Not until you willingly give yourself up to me"

'Fat chance of that happening' I thought to myself.

=^..^=

And so we lived together. I don't know how long it was but he stayed true to his promise. He never touched me. We even slept in separate rooms.

He taught me to make his favourite meals and how to use the appliances around the house. I took care of the chores, cleaned, washed his clothes. He'd occasionally venture out into the world and leave me sealed in.

At first I tried to find my way out but quickly learned that the house was a fortress. There was no way out and so I resigned myself to my fate.

One surprising thing was that on those occasions when he ventured out and left me alone for days or weeks at a time, I began to feel lonely. There was little to do around the house except eat which I tried to do as little as possible.

Whenever I started to put on extra weight, he got upset and basically forced me into the gym. I had no access to the internet for entertainment as you'd expect. Sometimes he'd download videos for me to watch to become a better woman like that one time he made me learn how to apply makeup and wear it around the house.

I always felt guilty at the tinge of happiness I'd feel whenever he returned home. He'd reward me for my good behavior with a present or two and open more of his life to me.

I got to see some more of the house. I was even allowed to go into the lab where he'd done the surgeries on one occasion.

He was nice to me when I obeyed and scolded me fairly when I messed up. All he asked in return was my company and obedience. I didn't have to work. I could focus all my attention on being a better person than I was yesterday.

In time, my fear of him dissipated and I would find myself occasionally teasing him or laughing at his jokes. The mystery man returned again with the sad news that Anna had passed away which had the surprising reaction of making me grateful to Harold. He could have destroyed my body but he didn't. There were worse fates.

The most surprising day of all came once when there was a knock on the door and instead of locking me in my room as usual, he asked me to open the door.

"Are you sure?" I asked apprehensively.

"Go ahead" he smiled.

Cautiously, I approached the door after I heard the familiar click and turned the handle.

I was met with a wave of cold, fresh air from outside. A now unfamiliar feeling. My attention was drawn quickly from the outside world to the man wearing black trousers and a white shirt with his sleeves rolled up.

"Good day ma'am" he greeted.

I forced a smile. "Hello"

"I am Detective Spinola. Can I bother you for a few minutes?"

I turned back to Harold who had stood off the couch and was making his way towards me.

"Sure thing detective, how can I help you?" I smiled brightly. I was so nervous but I couldn't let it show.

Why was I hiding it? This was my ticket to freedom. Was it a trap? What if it wasn't? Harold looked tense as he approached me. He wasn't cool and collected like usual. Was this real?

"Have you seen this man?" the detective raised a picture "It's been quite some time so he may look different now"

It was undeniable. It was a picture of me. I'd almost forgotten what I used to look like.

"Can't say I have, detective. We don't get many visitors around here" I said.

'What are you saying?'

'What are you doing standing there? Push past this guy and run' My thoughts screamed at me.

I could see the real world out there. I could see the road, the trees.

'RUN!'

"Are you sure?" the detective asked.

"Positive" I answered.

What was I saying? Why was I still standing there?

"Sir, have you seen this man?" the detective turned to Harold.

"It's like the lady said. We haven't seen him"

The detective peeked past us into the house. "Well if you see him..." he handed Harold a card.

"Of course"

=^..^=

"So a detective came knocking looking for you" the officer that sat across from me asked. "And you didn't say anything. Why?"

"I don't know" I answered. It was the truth. I still didn't know why I lied in that moment.

I like to think I was worried it was a test and the detective was in on it or that I was worried about Harold killing us both.

All that was bullshit. I should have taken the chance so why did I stay quiet? Why did I lie?

"I imagine that made Harold very happy" the officer commented.

"You have no idea"

Harold picked me up right then as soon as the door closed and pinned me against the wall kissing me deeply.

I kissed him back. Why did I do that? Why did I hold him close and wrap my legs around him.

Harold carried me to the dining table where he threw everything on it to the floor in one sweep. He sat me on the table and kissed every last inch of me.

I held tightly to his head while he kissed my neck. Tears welled in my eyes because I couldn't understand why I was doing all I was doing.

He tore off the buttons of my blouse and fumbled with the bra hooks. When he tried and failed to get them off, I took over and hurriedly unhooked the bra.

He brought his lips to the breast he'd given me and sucked. My nipples were so erect. My hands got busy unbuckling his belt as his lips went to work.

I freed his dick and held it in a firm grasp.

'Please stop' I begged myself. I really did but I wouldn't listen.

He was already hard as a rock so I only needed to move my panties to the side and...

"Stop" the officer called out to me "Is there any information of significance here?"

"It was the first time we had sex. The whole act was significant"

"Umm I guess let the record show they had sex" he said out loud "What happened next?"

"We slept together. Again and again. Maybe it was my years of celibacy but I couldn't get enough of him. It felt amazing and freeing and powerful."

The officer cleared his throat "What next?"

"We found our way into his bed and spent the night together. And so we have everyday since then"

"Please continue"

"Everytime he left me alone in that big house and went on one of his trips, I missed him dearly. I would beg him to take me with him but he'd always refuse. It wasn't safe. People were still looking for me. Of course it turned out he was right. You people broke down our door earlier this afternoon and 'saved' me. I'm just worried what he's going to do when he returns and finds me missing"

"You're safe now, I promise" he assured me.

"He'll never let me go. He loves me. Even now he's coming to get me."

"They're searching for him. He'll never come near you again"

"That's what I'm afraid of"

=^..^=

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I feel so dirty. I need to go take a shower. If you made it here, might as well leave a comment telling me what you thought about it.