The Shape of Things To Come

“Mom? Mom, are you here?”, called Kate as she entered the expansive town house dropping her riding gear to one side with a clatter of steel and tongue polished leather.

“What is it, honey?”, replied Faith stepping out from the kitchen holding two glasses of champagne.

“One of the horses died”

“Bummer. Which one?”

“Red”

“Oh, that’s a shame. It was so well behaved; I did love getting it in her riding tack and having her pull me around town. She responded so well to the whip after the first year or so”, Faith said with a chuckle as she sipped her bubbling drink, “So what did you do with the body?”

“I dumped it off at the zoo like I always do”, replied the curvaceous young woman with a shrug taking the offered glass.

“Good girl, I do like it when you clean up after yourself”

“Yeah, well Grampa is always going on about recycling and not littering the streets of his town. And it means the beasts should eat well tonight. How come you never take me to the zoo anymore, Mom? I used to love throwing our old pets to the animals”, Kate said with a sigh.

“Well it used to be such fun with all my enemies shackled and naked in their cages fighting over scraps of meat and rolling in their own filth. He-he, do you remember that time….oh what was it’s name….. I think it began with a C. Anyway, when you threw the body of that lame ass ensouled vampire to it and all the beasts tore it to shreds and ate him alive…..hang on, can you eat someone alive if they’re already dead? Do you remember that, honey?”

“Yeah, how could I forget it”, Kate said dismissively trying to erase the embarrassing memory from her fifth birthday party held at the zoo where all the creatures once known as human lived in chained feral misery.

“Do you think that English guy is still alive there? I know how much fun it was watching as his brain slowly turned to mush after I had it castrated, just like everyone else from back then”, Faith chuckled taking another sip.

“Oh that one, I think I had it put down a few years ago. Anyway, what was the real name of Red? I mean before she became our horsie?”, Kate replied hanging up her bloodied riding crop.

“Er……I think it was Wendy or Wilma or something. I can’t remember, it’s been so long since I owned it. I mean, once I broke it in Red forgot her real name long before you were even born, sweetie”, Faith said cupping her daughters cheek.

“Woof, woof”, came the joyous whine as the blonde house pet scampered across on all fours and began licking Kate’s glossy riding boots.

“Oh heya B”, said Kate reaching down to pat it’s head.

“You know B here used to be friends with Red before your Grampa and I took over this town. You could ask her what Red’s name used to be but it’s been years since B could speak. You totally forgot how to use language haven’t you, bitch? You’ve been nothing but a dumb animal for nearly twenty years now, haven’t you B?”, said Faith pulling on her pet’s heavy steel collar and smiling at the deep red welts covering the skin of the naked woman.

“Woof?”, came Buffy’s confused reply not understanding her owner’s words before returning to happily licking the boots in front of it. The blonde pet let her tongue ride along each curve of the boots wiggling it’s ass in the air happily showing off the large red ‘F’ branded into it’s cheeks to show it’s ownership.

“See, not a single thought in that head of hers except a desire to completely obey like a good pet should. Boy, it was so much fun breaking her”

“Yeah Mom, I know all about…..oh wait, it’s not that day is it? You get this way every year”

“What do you mean, honey?”, grinned Faith wiping a stray drop of champagne from her lips.

“You know exactly what I mean. First you hand me champagne, then you get all sentimental, then comes that boring ass story”, Kate sighed as her mother slipped her arm round her corseted waist and lead her into the living room as the house bitch slinked along after them on it’s thick chain leash.

“But it’s tradition, it’s the anniversary of Graduation Day and how my Dad conquered this town. I’ve told it to you every year since you were born”

“I know, and after twenty one years it gets kinda boring”, Kate sighed slouching down on the plush leather couch.

“Oh come on honey, humor your mother”, Faith grinned as she relaxed next to her daughter and leaned back sinking into the soft furnishings, raising her legs until Buffy scampered under her to gladly act as her owner’s  foot rest.

“Fine”, replied Kate with a roll of the eyes as she raised her glass to the full pouty lips she inherited from her mother. “But shouldn’t Grampa Richard be here for this? I know he loves the story even more than you do”

“Oh he’ll be along later, he’s enjoying himself tearing the skin off that Glory chick. Man, he does love to eat that fresh peeled flesh, good thing it grows back so quickly on her. Goddess my ass”, Faith smirked digging her heels deeper into her whimpering blonde foot rest, ”So I’ll start the tale without him and yes it's a long one. Once, many many years ago there was a slayer who was meant to stop the ascension of the Mayor of Sunnydale but things didn’t turn out like she expected……..”

(To be continued)