Jacki takes Jack out of his box in the morning and he sees she is dressed for her job as an assistant manager at a clothing store in the mall.  She gives him a piece of a bagel and some water.  She says "I was thinking about letting you starve but you'll need your energy today.  You will be working for me and if you do a good job, I'll give you something better to eat as a reward."  She has a metal ball that was a key fob that she attached a short length of chain to with a clasp on the end.  She attaches the clasp to the link on Jack's leg.  It effectively makes a ball and chain like prisoners would wear.  She tells him "I don't want you wandering off while I'm gone."

 

Jacki carries him to her bathroom where there is a small bowl of soapy water, the head from a toothbrush making it manageable in size as a brush for Jack and some cut up rags.  She sets him down on the bathroom floor and says "Your job is to scrub these floors until they are clean and I expect perfection.  You can start in the corner behind the toilet and work your way out to the far wall.   I'll be back after work to see how you did." 

 

 

Jacki stands up and leaves the bathroom and closing the door leaving Jack alone.  He looks at the massive door and the space underneath.  Even if he could climb under he'd never get that ball under the door.  He tries to work the spring clasp on the chain and he isn't strong enough to budge that either.  He can't believe that his plan to get to Zoe could have gone so wrong.  Why did her mother have to open the box and then be so mean to turn him over to Jacki his worst enemy.  To make matters worse, he's be delegated to cleaning her bathroom floor for the rest of his life.  He needs to find a way to escape this apartment.  Anything would be better than this.   

 

He drags the rags and brush to the corner she directed him to start and starts scrubbing the tile floor which looks like it hasn't been cleaned for a long time.  He works for hours hoping that if he does a good job so she may give him some relief when she gets home. 

 

After about ten hours, Jacki finally returns and comes to the bathroom to check on him.  "OK, get out and take a break.  I need to take a piss."  Jack slowly works his way to the door dragging the ball and chain behind him.  "You are so slow.  Can't you move faster." as she drops her pants and sits on the toilet as Jack continues to make his way out the door. 

 

She pees as Jack keeps trudging forward and he hears her say "Whoops, I peed a little on the floor.  Get back here and clean it up."  Jack turns around and starts back to the toilet and she washes her hands and leaves the bathroom. 

 

Jack gets to the toilet and what must be nothing to Jacki is to him more than a gallon of her piss.  He gets down and starts to clean it up as his eyes and nose burn from the smell.   He finishes cleaning and turns to see Jacki towering in the doorway watching him. 

 

"Not too bad." she tells him with a pause as she continues "for your first day.  Tomorrow, I expect you cover more space.  Maybe finish this room so you can start on the kitchen."    Jack moaned at her comment.  She came over and Jack sees she is wearing rubber cleaning gloves as she picks up his supplies.  She tosses the rags in the bathroom trash can and cleaned off the dish and brush in the sink and set them aside. 

 

"I'm making dinner if you want to eat" she tells him as she leaves the room and Jack is left to slowly make his way to the kitchen dragging the ball and chain behind him."

 

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February 4
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