Zosk POV:

Think I’ve been losing my mind trying to keep track of time. Still been trying to get myself free from the collar around my neck and the chain that holds me here. Days just seem to blend together. Weeks and even months seem like really nothing. And despite what I do, I still remain a prisoner. Cruelly held by the chain and collar, not allowed any freedom from it other than the one escape that I almost made quite some time back.

Basically, here’s how my days often go. I wake up and stretch out. Getting my joints loosened from any night time stiffness I might have. Grab a hold of the chain and swoop off into the air. Where I fly the length of the chain at the highest I can go, going as far as the chain allows. I fly in a few circles till I’m tired of that. Land then eat, as food would be left for me sometime while I was flying. Other times if it was a little late, food would be brought out just after I land. 

After breakfast, I would pace around the yard. Given I was often left alone totally by the family at this point. Either due to their work or in the case of the kid, school. If it’s a weekend, or non work/school day, they just watch me from a distance. I would pace the length of the chain, dragging it around as it clinked and clattered behind me. 

Even with how long I’ve been kept, I’m surprised there’s still grass on the ground from where the chain is dragged across it in my pacings. I never really bothered taking the time to understand this. I just wanted out.

Sometimes while I paced, I jerked at the chain, trying to get it free of the stake it’s connected to. When that didn’t work, which it never did, I would fiddle and fuss with the collar around my neck. Of course I would remain trapped by both. My resolve was waning a little but wouldn’t go away entirely.

The times the family might watch me from a distance, I think that they might have been amused by my struggles. Otherwise they likely would have been out here trying to convince me not to struggle. I couldn’t really tell you as I never really asked.

Getting back on track, after the pacing and occasional struggle, I would sit or lay on the ground, often watching the skies above. Sighing while seeing the clouds float by or even the birds as they fly across the sky above. Sometimes I would struggle at this point as well. Sometimes with a little more anger at my confinement than those other times. Though like before, I would stay just as trapped as I always am now.

Getting back on track, again… I would be left alone, sometimes going back and forth between pacing, flying or ‘resting’, right up till the evening meal time. I never ate more than twice a day. And while the family did try to get me to eat more than what I did, I rarely if ever did eat more. Get me something I really loved though and sometimes I’d be a little overboard with it. The more I ate, the more tired I would get.

It didn’t leave me open persay but did make me a little slower. Once I was done with the evening meal, I would try to burn off whatever energy I had left in me. Again going right up to the end of the chain or near it at least with my exercising. Right up till it was time for me to sleep.

Where I would often lay out on my back or side on the ground, out in the open, till I passed out. Sometimes I would cry myself to sleep but that was earlier on in my captivity. Now not so much. Sure I could have slept inside the shed, where a bed was left for me to sleep on. But there was something about being out in the open air that just made me feel….more rested. Kind of hard to explain. I’m sure some people who camp on a regular basis or even backpack might know what I’m talking about.

Only time I ever really did use the shed, now that I had access to it, was to get out of storms that happened. It was warmer in there than it was outside for sure during those times. And I might use it more if I’m still trapped here by the winter time as  I won’t be able to fly south like I usually did. Not with my neck constantly chained up.

I wouldn’t duck into the shed right away on most storms. Mostly so I could use the rain that fell as a way to wash myself off. Even so, I would still feel dirty once I was done with that. I needed a proper bath soon. My resolve for not asking a way to bathe myself from the family was starting to wane fast. Much like how I ‘pleaded’ with them for the shed/shelter. I’m sure they’re waiting for me to plead for more. I sighed at this aspect, thinking about it.

My resolve didn’t last long though. As I finally did ‘speak’ about having a way to bathe to the family a few days later. I made a passing mention while I was being served a late breakfast. By the way I was itching myself, anyone could tell that the grime I was starting to feel was getting the better of me. And I was starting to itch and scratch more and more frequently. Kind of as a sign of being and feeling dirty.

Not sure if I was taken seriously at the first mention so I made a few more passing mentions of wanting a bath. Mostly done when I was given the evening meal. Not sure if the family heard me or if they were waiting for me to plead with them again. I kind of suspected the latter but, I don’t really know.

Though I got my answer about a couple of weeks later. The family, all three of them came home one day with a large metal basin of sorts. It looked like one of those watering troughs for horses. Least that’s the best way I can describe it. 

The family brought the metal tub over to well within my reach before setting it down and setting it up. Not that it needed much set up other than to be leveled. The grassy ground wasn’t all that bad so leveling the tub didn’t take long. A few other things were fitted onto the tub. Mostly a way to drain it and maybe even recycle the water. With a pump added for good measure. 

Seems like the family had decided to go all out with the tub offering. “Be careful around the tub and let us know to fill it when you want to bathe.” I was told by the father. Mostly because some wiring was exposed right now that was within my reach. I could shock myself on it pretty badly. And with the metallic jewelry I was forced to wear around my neck, the energy could go that direction. While not a good conductor, the chain could sure act as one.

I wasn’t going to mess around too much with the electrical side of the tub, not wanting to experience a shock should one be given. “It’ll be buried later so you won’t have to worry about it as much.” I was told, a bit as an add on to what was said earlier. Least the family is talking to me, kind of.

I nodded a response with a light shudder, “I understand, thank you.” I had to say. Yeah, this hurt me more inside than it did. I didn’t want to sound grateful in any way. I hated being trapped here so I didn’t want to make the family believe that I was okay with it. Though they did take the complement with a small smile.

Soon a hose was brought over and the tub filled up. It did take a while to fill and I was nearly ready to jump in right away, regardless of the water temperature. The young boy of the family was the one who was doing the filling of the tub.

While the tub was filled, I did look into it. It’d be big enough for me to almost lay down in if I really wanted to. My wings would be the real trouble with that though. I would have to try a few different positions for the best results. 

My wings were pretty flexible for sure. Had to be with how I slept and moved in the night. Sometimes I would pin on or the other under me when I suddenly rolled over in my sleep. Then there was the fact that I could bring them around me sort of to cover myself to help keep myself warm. 

My wings were also the reason I’m being kept chained up by my neck. Cause I’m pretty sure that if I didn’t have them, I would be chained up right now. They were a part of me though and I didn’t want to lose them now that I’ve grown to be used to them. The compromise to that though is I’ll have to wear the stupid collar around my neck day in and day out. 

I was wondering how I was going to wash my neck with the collar there but it really wouldn’t be a problem. It only covered a portion of my neck, not the entirety of it. I had enough play in it to move it up and down my neck. Just not take it off of my neck if I wanted to.

I sighed a little just as the boy said, “It’s done filling….. If you wait a bit, it’ll be warm for you.” He turned after that and left my reach. Taking the hose with him as he went.

I shook my head and shrugged before moving to get into the water. Even if it was cold, the sensation of it on my body was soothing. 

It took me a few tries though to get the right placement in the tub with my wings but I finally was able to settle. They were a little cramped behind me, pressed up on the walls on both sides of the tub. But I was able to get into it and the water to lay down in it. 

I had to be careful though with how I got in. Less I splash water everywhere and lose what was in the tub. I’m guessing that the family doesn’t really want me too much of an easy way to refill it if too much water was splashed or drained out of it. Like what would I really do, waste water? I soon came to the conclusion that this was some extra way to get me, force me, to interact. 

Sure I can drain the tub at any time but not refill it. The family did say ‘let us know when you want to bathe.’ earlier.  I sighed at this and closed my eyes. 

For the time being I just soaked in the water before I would start to scrub myself off. I did notice that the water was getting warmer the longer I lingered. Ooouh, that DID feel nice, I had to admit. Think the last time I had a true bath with hot water was sometime before I grew my wings.

As for scrubbing, I was provided with a few scrubbies and a couple of clothes. I started to scrub myself down with the provided stuff. I nearly hummed in pleasure at the simpleness of being able to bathe and feel….. clean. Or at least cleaner than I have felt in quite some time. 

I did have to listen to the chain and even collar a little, clatter around as I moved in the bath. The chain made a lot of noise as it rubbed up and down on the side of the tub. The lip around the tub was curved all the way around, to give it some rigidity. The chain did drag along the curved lip. A little bit of an annoying noise but I put up with it in my scrubbing. I ignored it as much as I could.

I scrubbed and scrubbed for a while. I felt DIRTY for sure. At the rate I was going, I was liable to scrub myself raw. But I wanted to feel clean. I’m sure the water would be black by the time I was done with the bath.

The easy part was my main body. Least what of my body I could reach without difficulty. The hard part was the wings and my back between my wings. I just mostly brushed my hand down along the wings, much like I had before when I bathed back when I was free. I was sceptical about using a rag or a scrubby on my wings. Maybe a comb might help some but don’t know. I won’t know unless I ask for one anyway.

My back between the wings though was pretty much a lost cause. I couldn’t get to it, reach it very well with the provided rags and scrubbies. I would need a long curved stick to reach around with. Both my wings and their feathers got in the way of my hands. The other option, which made me shudder considering it, was to ask the family for assistance. I didn’t want to do that. So for now, I would put up with my back being a little dirty. The soak did help some and I was feeling loads better… but I would need something soon for my back. Maybe I could ask for my next bath.

Once I felt clean enough, I soon pulled myself from the water and pulled the drain plug. I wasn’t sure how the heater worked but I didn’t really care all that much. 

The water would drain out onto the ground some distance away from me, out of my reach. Much of it would easily drain out less too many feathers and fluff from my wings clogged it. And there were a few feathers in the water for sure. I did try to grab some before they would be washed down the drain. 

I don’t know why but I liked keeping the feathers from my wings. Kind of ‘golden’ brown reminders that they were a part of me. I stored what I could save in the shed. Before being chained up, if I lost feathers, they were lost. I couldn’t save them as I didn’t have any means to save them.

While the last of the water drained from the tub, I closed my eyes and sighed some. That bath felt good, very good. And I felt clean, less itchy and pretty well much any other pleasure you might be able to think of. I was happy, for the time being. Till the chain clinked softly, reminding me that I’m still a prisoner of it. Even so, I was still happy.. It couldn’t ruin the mood this time.