Chapter 6

Cold Breakfast and Fatherhood

The next morning, David and Danielle had a nice leisurely breakfast, then fixed Ellen a delicious breakfast of cereal in cold water. They headed down the stairs together.

"Where the fuck is my food, you assholes?" she screamed.

David took one look at Danielle, dumped the contents of the bowl on the floor, and managed to step right in the middle of the contents as he turned and walked up the stairs.

"See you tomorrow," he called over his shoulder as he and Danielle headed out of her room and up the stairs.

"You bastards," the girl screamed to their backs. "You can't do this to me!"

As David and Danielle rearranged themselves at the kitchen table, they discussed their plan of attack for the next few days.

"We'll keep her in minimal food and water for the next few days. She gets one chance at a meal, and if she is verbally abusive, we do just what we did this morning. We have to show no emotion, we simply dump her food on the floor, step in it, and walk away."

"Will it work?" Danielle asked.

"I sure as shit hope so," David explained. "Tonight I want you to cook up a cup of rice and mix in a sardine. Then refrigerate it overnight. Tomorrow's breakfast will be a lump of cold rice that tastes like fish."

They spent the day being reasonably productive, and mid-afternoon David took her to the doctor to check on the progress of her pregnancy. The doctor said that she should conceive in less than one week. They laughed and giggled all the way home. On the way, they stopped at the McDonalds and picked up a happy meal, which would be breakfast for Ellen in two days if she did not behave.

The next morning, David went down the stairs alone as the steps were beginning to be too difficult for Danielle alone. As soon as he stepped into view, Ellen began the verbal abuse.

"Motherfucker," she screamed. "Let me go right..." She never finished her rant as David dumped the lump of fishy rice (to which they had added a lot of salt) on the floor and kicked it in her direction. He then turned and went back up the stairs without saying a word.

Danielle went into labor that afternoon at around 2 p.m. and by dinnertime, they were in the truck headed for the local hospital. At about 11 p.m. she delivered a beautiful, healthy baby girl.

Life was good.

David stayed the night at the hospital and he returned to the ranch the next morning to attend to Ellen.

The previous day's attitude continued, so David drop kicked the two-day-old cold burger in her direction, scattering the contents, and ground the cold French fries into the floor with his boot. David noted with delight that her drinking water was almost gone and that the sewage bucket was getting very, very rank.

David spent most of the day at the hospital, tending to Danielle's every possible need, and spending hours in the nursery, staring at his daughter through the glass.

The next morning, before he went to the hospital to pick up his wife and daughter, he went downstairs to check on Ellen.

To his surprise she was silent. She sat on the bed and glared at him, but didn't say a word.

"Time to begin the training," David thought.

"OK, Ellen, I see that you have learned the value of silence. Speak only when spoken to and life will get a lot easier."

"We operate on a system of rewards and punishment. Shitty food, lousy toilet facilities, no bathing and long periods of isolation are typical punishments. You will also be beaten if you disobey."

He placed the bowl of food on the floor next to her.

"What we have here are some cold mashed potatoes and a few pieces of left-over vegetables from dinner a few nights ago. Your silence has earned you the right to eat out of the bowl."

I will prepare two breakfasts for you tomorrow, one a good meal, the other a punishment meal. Your attitude in the morning will determine which meal you receive.

When I come down the stair tomorrow, you are to be silent and are to be kneeling on this mat." David then dragged in a small mat and placed it near the doorway.

"Those are the only two things you have to do tomorrow: be silent and be on the mat."

With that, he turned and went up the stairs.

He picked Danielle and his daughter, whom they named Sharon, up at the hospital. They made a few stops on the way home to show off the baby and were back by mid afternoon.