My giant owner likes to put on puppet shows to entertain her friends. I stand right where she placed me as she hangs the controller on a hook above my head and hold out my arms so she can tie the strings: first around my waist, then each wrist, above my knees, and finally beneath my jaw. They’re steps we’ve followed a hundred times. She lifts the controller, and the strings go taut, but I don’t strain against them. I give up control of my body like it’s the most natural thing in the world, letting her move my limbs however she likes. She walks me through a simple dance, just to warm up, and I obey without thought. I love the way it feels, being used to show off. It used to be frightening to have eyes on me like this, but it’s different when I don’t have to act like a person. When her friends stare and coo and clap, their pleasure is in her talent, not in me. I am hers—her instrument, her plaything. Her marionette.