This is a work in progress but I welcome your comments. The story is getting long and the maze of posts confusing even for me. I have added a Table of Contents that will link you to the most current chapters

*DISCLAIMER*
Please do not try anything you read here without serious consideration to safety. This is a work of fiction. Some characters are designed to show the unsavory side of submission. It is a story meant to induce discussion and hopefully arouse your interest. Nothing more than entertainment.

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Chapter 9: Examination

Tracker Jenkins leads Ayden into an industrial looking anteroom.  The walls have been painted a pale blue.  The paint is beginning to peel, revealing the remnants of green underneath and it is evident this room has not been maintained in many years.  Tracker Jenkins tells Ayden to wait in the room before he goes through a door to the right while she is left standing alone and feeling very apprehensive.  Without a clock Ayden is unsure how long she is left waiting, but time seems to tick by painstakingly slow.  She looks to the ceiling for cameras.  She watches the door from the room where she has just come.  There are no chairs so she stands in the middle of the room becoming increasing more anxious about her nudity.  She tries crossing her arms in front of her but she needs one hand to place between her legs.  She turns with her back to the doors but then feels she should cover that view with both hands.  She thinks how silly she must appear fidgeting in this room all alone.  She stands up tall just as the door to her right swings open.  She spins around, as Tracker Jenkins strides back into the room.  Reflexively she crosses her arms back over her breasts; each of her nipples hidden discreately behind the cup of one of her palms.

He takes her lead and guides her into the room from which he has just come.  The lights are bright and they gleam off of every surface.  Ayden squints at the glare coming from two large lights hanging from the ceiling.  Under the light closest to her is a table similar to what you would see in any doctor’s office.  The second light shines above what looks like a padded sawhorse strange padded chair.  Around the edges of the room are cabinets and counters full of medical equipment of every variety.  Ayden does not have time to study the room for long before she is standing beside the first table.

“Please, climb up on the table,” Tracker Jenkins asks politely but Ayden knows she does not have a choice in the matter. 

Hesitantly, she climbs up and sits on the table.  The paper crinkles under her and instantly she is a little girl; in her mind she is waiting to get her annual shots and it makes her shiver.  Ayden folds her hands into her lap and peeks up to Tracker Jenkins through the wisps of hair covering her eyes.  Her feet dangle off the edge of the table and they sway gently; back and forth.  With every movement the paper crumples under her and the sound reverberates in the quiet of the medical room.

Tracker Jenkins comes closer and she cannot help but blush. He removes the leash that is chained to her collar.  There is something about his mannerisms that makes Ayden’s belly tense.

Placing one hand on her back and one hand spread out just below the collar he instructs, “Please lie back and raise your hands above your head.”

Ayden complies and he moves to the end of the table, near her head.  He is placing cuffs on her wrists when a tall, strikingly beautiful woman enters the room.  She is dressed in a nurses’ uniform that looks like it is right out of the 1940s; complete with white stockings and the little white cap with a red cross on the front.  The only difference is her skirt is very short and barely covers her. 

The nurse announces with a smile in Tracker Jenkins’ direction, “Doctor Bob will be here in just a moment.  He is completing his notes from the last detainee.”

With the metal cuffs secured, Ayden’s hands are tightly fastened over her head.  There is very little slack in the chain that runs between her wrists.  It forces her to arch her back slightly and the sideways movement of her arms is limited to less than the width of her hand.

Tracker Jenkins pats Ayden softly on the forearm and asks, “Comfy?” To which she lies and rewards him with a smile and silent nod.

The nurse approaches the table near Ayden’s feet.  Ayden can hear her pulling out drawers as the bottom of a metal drawer scraps against the metal frame of the table.  There is more grinding of metal on metal but Ayden is unable to lift her head far enough to see what the pretty nurse is doing.  A moment later her soft hands are on Ayden’s ankle and in a delicate voice she whispers, “Relax dear.  I am just going to lift your legs.”

First one leg and then the other is lifted, bent at the knee, and settled onto a support.  Then a metal cuff is locked into place over her shins, so that she I incapable of moving either of her legs.  Ayden is lying in such a position that she appears to be sitting in a chair that is laying on its back.  Her legs extended over her body and out to either side.

“Okay you are all set,” Tracker Jenkins announces and retreats to the far corner of the room, where he just stands with his arms folded.

The room is cold and Ayden watches as the nurse bustles around the room wheeling trays of medical implements over to the table.  Ayden watches as she flits in and out of view.  Before the nurse has finished her harried preparations the door in the far corner of the room, opposite from the one Ayden entered, opens and latches quietly.  Ayden can hear footsteps but her view is blocked by her upturned legs.

“Good morning, Jenkins.  How are you today?”  It is a pleasant voice and Ayden stretches trying to see where the voice is coming from.

The unseen voice does not respond to the pleasantries, but gets straight to business.  “I see you have brought in another one.  Specifics; please.”

Tracker Jenkins begins a list of Ayden’s brief history as he knows it, “Possible runaway captured at the Squeeze Inn this morning.  She has been flogged one time.  I am sure it will heal up fast enough, but it should be noted and watched.  She seems healthy and has not given us any difficulties.”

“Age?” comes the voice of the doctor; closer now.  It sounds as if he is standing near her feet, but when Ayden strains her neck she cannot see anyone there.  “Age?” he repeats again, but this time more insistent and loud.

“Dear, he means you,” the nurse says nudging Ayden’s arm.

“Oh! 23,” is Ayden stunned reply.

“Subject arrived this morning from the Squeeze Inn.  Upon first glance she appears healthy and compliant. Age, 23.  Average height and healthy weight.”  The doctor’s voice again sounds near her feet and Ayden is confused. “Nurse have you checked her teeth yet?”

“No, Sir,” replies the girl and she leans in gently prying open Ayden’s mouth.  “Teeth and gums looks healthy, Sir.”

“Very well, let’s get this exam done.  It has been a long day,” says the doctor.  The sound of a chair being dragged across the floor fills the room with the same sound as chalk on a chalkboard making Ayden cringe.  There is a thump as the doctor hops up onto the stool and Ayden can finally see the top of his head.  He is short; very short.  He is standing at full height, but still Ayden can only see him from his nose up; peering up at her from between her legs.  She cannot keep from letting out a gasp of surprise.  His hair is bright auburn and the top is pulled back to frame the delicate features of his face, however it does not obscure the fact that he has elongated, pointed ears jutting out from under his long mane.  Ayden can see, in his eyes, a smile that slides across his face.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” he chuckles and his head dips out of view.

Ayden feels the cold of metal implement as it enters her.  He body tenses but she cannot move to escape it.  She briefly glances to where Tracker Jenkins is standing.  He is still there; his arms are clasped behind his back and he is staring straight ahead of him at a blank wall.  Ayden turns to the nurse, but does not find rescue.  She tries to relax as the metal expands prying her open from inside.  The doctor comments, “She is not pregnant, but I see no barrier in place. Score that a 6.”

Quickly the metal that has only begun to warm against her skin loosens and slides from her body.  Ayden takes in a deep breath and lets it out slowly, but before she can fully empty her lungs she feels something moist as it is applied to her clit.  With her legs still spread and imprisoned she cannot move to diminish her reaction.  She feels the sudden tingle erupt and the cold moisture begins to warm against her skin.  The moisture that envelopes her clitoris is brushed again and the cold is awakened but quickly lights the tingle into a fiery burn.  Her back arches instinctively and she moans uncontrollably.  The moisture seems to react to her arousal; growing warmer with each beat of her racing heart. 

“Excellent response.  A solid 8, and clearly trainable,” and as suddenly as the warmth is becoming enjoyable the doctor uses a rough cloth to wipe it away.  Ayden’s quiet whimpers go unnoticed.

Tracker Jenkins and the nurse both move in and remove her bindings.  Without a word Ayden is placed on her feet where she stands before a man that is barely as tall as her navel.  He is wearing dull green scrubs and Ayden bites back a smile because he stands eye level to the small patch of hair that hides her supplicant little clitoris.

“Needs to be shaved before the auction,” he says into a small recording device hanging from his ear.

Ayden is looking down at him smiling, having nearly forgotten her nakedness, because she is so captivated by the curious looking doctor who is examining her.  Never before has she seen such a man.  She can see now his auburn hair is straight and the hair on the top of his head is pulled back into a ponytail with only the hair below his pointed ears hanging loose across his shoulders.  His deep brown eyes are kind and except for his apple red lips the rest of his face is mostly hidden behind a well-trimmed beard.  She is so amused that she does not notice him reaching up to her left nipple until he closes it in a vise-like pinch.

“Hey!” she shrieks.  It is instinctual and it flies from her mouth before she can pull it back.  She reacts without thinking; jumping back and reaching up to cover her throbbing nipple, trying her best to rub the sheering pain away. 

The doctor’s gentle eyes instantly turn stern.  “Do not make me have you restrained.  You will fold your hands behind your head and keep them there until told to do otherwise.  Do you understand?” he asks and it is less of a question than a directive.  The iciness of his words startle Ayden.  She feels like a child who has just been scolded.  Nodding her head she fights the tears that threaten to fall from her eyes and laces her fingers behind her head.

The doctor reaches up again twisting as he pinches her right nipple this time.  Ayden bites her lip raising her eyes to the ceiling still fighting the tears.  When he releases it the pain instantly dissipates and the tingling sensation left behind makes the little ball harden proudly.

“Very nice, with the exception of that outburst.  A, 7,” is his instruction to the recording device on his ear.  “You may relax,” he tells Ayden.  The doctor takes a step back and continues, “Please step forward and lay your belly on top of this spanking bench.”

Awkwardly,

_______________________


I hope you will be patient with me.  I am posting this chapter incomplete because I will not be finishing it.  I have decided to do away with what I have here and approach it from a different angle.  My hope is that if you read both you will agree with me that the second version is better.  But as always please feel free to let me know your thoughts.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Why do men feel the need to swear?


Maybe I am tired and maybe it is the headache I have been fighting this week, but I am inches away from giving up on SecondLife (SL) again, maybe for good.  Is it just me?  I am so tired of meeting men who claim to be Dominant, but who are really just interested in the lifestyle because they think it is just easy access to free porn.

In case you have not noticed but those lumps on the front of my avatar are breasts.  Very nice ones I think.  They are meant to be a really good indicator that I am a girl.  And yes I am a girl behind the keyboard too.  Okay, I know that some men like to play girls in SL, but let’s face it most of them are over on lesbian sims chasing other girls.  I do have a couple of male avatars, but they are not for socializing.  That being said why is it every time I meet a guy in SL who claims to be a Dom he wants me to kneel for him and within a very short time (always less than 24 hours but rarely more than one hour) he wants me to perform some sexual act on him.  Really?  Would you go to a bar and meet a girl in real life (RL) and treat her like that.  I could understand if I were meeting these people in a dungeon or a sex club but shopping in a mall?  Or even just someone you say hello to in passing and they strike up a conversation with you so you are polite and chat back with them? Would you approach someone in your local library and ask them to sit on your face?  That would be absurd. 

And my second point is the strange use of swearing to excess or the use of vulgarities to describe a woman’s body parts.  “Hey baby I want to F_ _ _ you so hard that your juices will run out of your C_ _ _ and then I will lick them up.”  Is not a way to get a girl's attention.  I am shocked that I even need to point that out.  Okay, maybe this could be funny if it is someone you know well, but why do people say these things when you have just met them?   This might be how men talk to each other, but it is not how most women talk.  When a ‘man’ speaks to me like this it sends up red flags and usually the next question out of my mouth is, “How old are you?”  Because it is a really good indicator that he is either young and very immature or is, in fact, a teenager trying to talk as he thinks grown men speak to a lady.  Either way I am headed in another direction and fast just to be on the safe side.

I do not understand why it is that men do not understand that women respond very well to respect and intelligence.  There is nothing that excites me more than someone who can carry on an interesting conversation.

I have toyed with polyamory and I can certainly see the draw, specifically as it applies to SL.  However, I think that is widely misused by some.  Polyamory is not an excuse to be careless and insensitive.  It is an indication that there are shared feelings of caring and respect.  I find that many of the men in SL use it as an excuse to collect women like conquests without any thought to making an honest connection to her.  In order to submit to anyone I need to feel some sort of draw to that person.  A connection of one kind or another; intellectual or physical, however, both would be nice. 

I read something tonight that I have heard many times before, but it really made me think tonight.  The saying is, “When one door is closed to you another will open, but if you are standing too long staring at the closed door you may miss one that is opening.”  I know that I have been staring at the door closed by my ex-Meester.  Part of me still hopes that he might return someday.  Not the rational side of me.  I know that after being left twice I could never fully feel safe enough to trust that bond again.  But I have been trying so hard to fill that void that maybe I am the problem.  Maybe the issue has been with me all along.  Maybe I have been looking for someone who can be everything my ex was, but no one can possibly do that.  There is one who comes so amazingly close and is so far beyond good to me.  I do not know where he finds his level of patience, but I also fear he will give up on me soon.  I sometimes wonder if I just met him at the wrong time.  We became friends while I was still with my ex and somehow I cannot overcome the title of “friend” and let go and change it to “Master”.

I think I am coming to the conclusion that polyamory is not something I am good at, but I really do not know how to proceed from where I am.  So I escape into my story.  In my story the men can be rough and certainly at times some of them are not even good Doms, but she is not treated as a trifle with disrespect. Many times the ‘Doms’ I meet in SL leave me feeling creepy and make me wonder if I have completely lost my self-respect by even staying there.

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Chapter 8: Detention


Ayden is forcefully dragged down a back hallway to a small room.  The sign on the door reads, “Squeeze Girl Room No. 26”.  Inside; the room is simple.  There is a small bed against one wall.  In the far corner, next to a window that overlooks the grape vats, is a comfortable looking chair positioned next to a large wooden cross.  The cross is made of two sturdy pieces of dark wood that intersect diagonally at their middle.  Ayden cannot tell if the smooth surface has been worn down through years of use or if it started out that way.

Struggling is of no use and the tears have already begun to flow when the tall man marches Ayden immediately across the room to the wooden cross.  “Please listen to me,” she begs again, but he does not seem to hear her pleas as he pulls one of her arms up over her head.

He stops and seems perplexed looking from her wrists to the cross and back.  “Where are your cuffs?” he asks.  Ayden does not understand what he is asking her.  She stares at him silently; her mind frantically searching for the answer.  When Ayden realizes she has allowed her mouth to fall open in surprise she closes it quickly; shaking her head in disbelief.  This cannot be happening to her.

“Your cuffs?” he prods.

“I … I don’t understand,” Ayden sniffs.  “What cuffs?”

“Oh, never mind,” he says without any hint of exasperation.  “Do not move,” he adds, pointing at Ayden, while he rummages in a small chest next to the bed and retrieves two black leather cuffs, from the top drawer.  Each cuff is made of a wide leather strip and a buckle that he uses to lock the strap in place around Ayden’s wrists.  The cross is sturdy.  One silver metal hook hangs loosely near the end of each board; two at the top, well above Ayden’s head, and two at the bottom, near her feet.  The man attaches the cuffs, on Ayden’s wrists, to the set of hooks at the top of the boards.  Ayden is leaning slightly back, resting against the cross, and her arms are stretched out, high above her head, but it is not an uncomfortable position.

He appraises her standing there with her arms clasped in the metal hooks.  Ayden cannot help but feel a sense of vulnerability.  His eyes wash over her and she tries to shift her arms lower in a feeble attempt to hide herself.  She watches the tall quiet man warily.  He has barely uttered a word through all of her pleading, but without warning he softens and tells her in a calm voice, “You did very well in there today.”

He continues politely, “Please, I am curious why you have run away from your Master.”

“What?” Ayden stammers. “No, I didn’t.  I was just hungry, so I went down for a piece of fruit, from the garden, that’s all,” she blurts out in one quick breath.

“We get runaways from time to time but most are wearing restraints,” he comments while he tugs on the cuffs.  He is testing to be sure they are tight enough to hold her in place.

“But, I am not a runaway,” Ayden pleads.  “If you will just find Master Hunter he will explain everything.  Please,” she begs.

 “Well there is a big part of your problem,” the man explains.  His hair falls over his eyes as he continues to explain, “I am sure you heard what Miss Avishag said.  Hunter has been missing all day and no one has been able to find him.  You are going to be taken to the Detention Center and if he wants you he will be able to find you there.”

“What is your name?” Ayden asks quietly.  Her mind will not accept what this man is telling her.  She cannot be taken to a detention center.  She has a beautiful room upstairs with a view of a private cove and a little tea set with pretty pink flowers.

The man smiles and runs the back of his finger along her cheek, “Richard.  Why do you ask?”

Ayden lowers her gaze to the floor.  The blush of red returns to her cheeks and she tries to shake it away.  “I don’t know,” she replies, “I heard it earlier and just could not remember it.”

Sliding his single curled knuckle under her chin and raising her face to his, she can smell the pleasant scent of his cologne, he assures her, “As soon as Hunter is found I will make certain that he knows where you are.  And I will check in on you too.”

Before Ayden can respond there is a knock at the door and it opens revealing a tall dark man, in a drab olive-tone uniform.  He has broad shoulders and thick muscular arms.  His head is clean shaven, but his goatee reveals a hint of grey.  What catches Ayden’s eye is his deep set brown eyes and gentle relaxed smile.  He strides confidently across the room and extends a hand to Richard, “How are you doing?  I was told you have a transport for me today.”

“Yes,” Richard says with a nod.  “Apparently she was found wondering in the garden by a few of the boys and you know how Miss Avishag feels about strays.”

“Oh, I sure do,” the officer says with a chuckle.

“This one does not have any cuffs and they flogged her earlier.  She bore it well, but it may need to be cared for when you get her to the Detention Center,” Richard instructs carefully.

Both men are scrutinizing her as they speak.  They are talking to each other, but their eyes are on Ayden.  She can feel the full weight of their watchful attention.  Ayden shifts nervously and the chains that run between the cross and her wrists rattle against the hard wood.  The tall man that carried her to the room, Richard, stands in front of her with his arms folded across his chest and the new man rocks on his feet tipping between his toes and heels.  He keeps his hands clasped tightly behind his back.  Ayden studies him.  He is wearing thick olive colored pants held up a braided black leather belt.  His shirt is a khaki color, but even it shows hints of olive tones.  On his chest shines a silver badge that has Mystic Cove Detention Center imprinted around a gold shield.  Hanging from his belt, off his right hip, is a long whip that has been coiled and is held in place by a leather loop with a heavy metal clasp.

The officer grunts thoughtfully and decides aloud, “Well, I guess I will just bind her up tight and use a hood for good measure.”

Tracker Jenkins heads to his car to retrieve the supplies he needs to transport Ayden to the Detention Center.  He grumbles on his way out of room number twenty-six, because he is disappointed.  He is missing the chance to enjoy the delicious lunch that was being prepared for him.  It is his favorite.  And after lunch he had been hoping to enjoy a bit of time with the new Squeeze Girl, Jenny, who had roused his attention almost immediately. 

Ayden watches Tracker Jenkins leave.  The door latch clicks quietly behind him.  Her eyes are glued on the door that will lead her into an unknown future.  She feels Richard step towards her.  His hand is running over her thigh.  She can feel his chest press against hers.  His breath is in her ear.  She can hear the words that are meant to soothe her, “Don’t worry Tracker Jenkins is a good man.  He will make sure you are well cared for.”

Ayden mumbles a response, but she is distracted.  She feels his hands circle around and caress the marks left behind by the leather tendrils of the flogger and he presses her against his body, so that she can feel his growing desire to possess her.  He plants a soft kiss at the base of her neck.  She does not resist.  The bindings on her wrist keep her conscious of her surroundings but her mind still wanders to the man in uniform.

Time passes slowly until Tracker Jenkins returns carrying several items in a black bag.  He and Richard work silently in unison.  Their wordless directions to each other indicate they have done this before.  They take Ayden off cross and remove the cuffs.  Each man works proficiently on one of her wrist.  When Ayden is free of the cuffs Richard gently holds her arms behind her.

Tracker Jenkins stands in front of Ayden and instructs, “Cross your arms behind you and grab your elbows.”  She moves slowly not feeling confident in what she is doing, but Richard guides her into position and spins her until she is facing the cross.

She listens intently as the contents of the bag are dumped onto the bed.  Tracker Jenkins rummages through the items.  Ayden can hear the clinking of the metal buckles and rivets bumping into one another.  Her arms are being held awkwardly behind her and she stands taller straining to decipher what the items might be.

Tracker Jenkins grasps her folded arms and works something made of leather over her elbows.  He slides it up until it encompasses her arms like an envelope.  The rigging holds her arms snuggly behind her.  She can wiggle her fingers free through a small opening at the corner on either side, near her elbows, but she feels more comfortable with her fingers tucked inside the leather.  There are several quick tugs when Richard and Tracker Jenkins buckle her in tight.  Ayden is barely acclimated to the wrenching of the leather when straps are draped over her head.  A strap settles on each of her shoulders.  They are thick straps with heavy stitching.  The straps meet between her breasts where metal rivets hold a silver ring in place.  Ayden can feel the chill of the metal through her shirt.  Her breathing quickens.  There is something sexy about the leather and metal so near her skin.  Another strap attaches to the bottom of the ring and travels down her belly to where it joins with a second metal ring at Ayden’s waist.  Two more straps are attached to the bottom ring.  They hang loose brushing across her bare thighs.  On her back buckles hang ready to secure the straps to where her arms are held in the rigging.

The two men work quickly in a flurry of fastening the buckles, tightening straps, and the click of four metal locks until the only thing that Ayden can move are the three middle fingers on either hand that she managed to stretch out of the two opens near her elbows.

Ayden takes in a deep breath and sighs contentedly realizing how secure she feels trussed up.  She marvels at how far she has journeyed from the girl who fell into the ocean.  Looking at the door she wonders what is in store for her in Master Hunter does not come looking for her.

“Lift your chin and do not move,” is the directive that breaks her reverie as she is spun around to face her captors.  Ayden does as she is told.  She stretches out her neck and holds her chin high.  Her eyes are closed.  She feels sensual bound in the leather straps and wonders what will come next.  She feels the cold steel against her chin, but before she can react she hears the sound of the clippers cutting through the lock that holds her collar in place.  Instinctively she tries to protect it, but her arms are useless behind her.

She watches as the delicate scrolls of gold that were her collar are discarded carelessly onto the bed.  She wants to protest but something inside of her tells her she should keep silent.  Tracker Jenkins retrieves a dull iron band from the bed and fixes it around her neck.  He secures it into place with a fresh lock.  It is simple and unadorned except for the inscription that reads, “Mystic Cove Detainee”.

Ayden looks at her beautiful collar.  It looks like an unadorned crown that is now laying abandoned on the dark green quilt.  Ayden did not realize that she had grown attached to it and a solitary tear slides down the side of her cheek.  Richard begins to gather up the clippers, the remains of the broken lock, and her beautiful collar while Tracker Jenkins retrieves the bag from the end of the bed.  Rather than holding it out for Richard to fill he shakes the bag and with a flip lands it over Ayden’s head.

She is instantly plunged into darkness.  Ayden feels the draw string tightened around the edge of the new collar.  Suddenly she is forced to rely on her other senses.  Tracker Jenkins slides his hand under her arm and guides her to the door.

Outside in the bright afternoon sun bits of scenery filter through the loose weave of the fabric bag.  Ayden can scarcely make out more than elementary colors, but she can see the green of the hills and the grays of the wine vats.  She knows they have led her to the rear of the Inn.  When they approach his vehicle she can hear the door opening in front of her and suddenly there is a hand on her head pressing her gently down.  She ducks her head and is guided into the back seat.

“Just do as you are told and I will be there to check on your tomorrow,” Richard reassures her.  Ayden turns her face in the direction of his voice and nods silently.

There is the sound of another door opening and closing and the engine roars to life.  Ayden is sitting in the back seat, her hands are bound, her vision obscured, and she is heading into a mysterious future that is completely out of her control and yet she feels exhilarated. 

Inside her hood Ayden is cut off from the outside world.  She must rely on the man in the olive uniform.  She wonders what will happen to her and how long it will be before Master Hunter can come and claim her.  She bites on her lower lip wondering what will happen to the beautiful collar he worked so diligently to make or if all of his work on the box with the buttons and lights will have to be done anew.

“Um, Sir?” Ayden stammers and waits wondering if the officer will respond to her pleas.

“Yes?” comes his distracted response.

Ayden ponders her words and chooses them carefully.  “I was wondering what will become of Master Hunter’s collar,” she takes a breath to bolster her courage and continues, “It is something that is very important to him and I would not want it to get lost.”  Ayden stops and listens, but decides to quickly add, “I really did not steal it.”

Tracker Jenkins’ smile can be heard in his voice.  His voice is calm and soothing.  “I have it here,” he reassures her.  “And for the record you seem like a nice girl, but I get paid by Miss Avishag to keep the peace at her place, so if she says you go to the Detention Center then I am going to take you there,” Jenkins says in a stern practical tone.

Ayden can hear the roar of the waves.  She can smell the sea air and knows she is near the beach.  The tires make a loud rumbling noise that nearly drowns out even the boom of the crashing waves.  She is not sure that she has heard the officer correctly.  She wonders aloud, “You believe me?”

She can hear his pleasant chuckle.  “I do not see any flaws in your story and you have no reason to lie to me,” he says. He pauses a moment thinking and then adds, “Do you?” 

The car comes to a stop and she can hear the squeak as he shifts in his seat.  He has turned around and is facing her.  “Look Trackers work on commission,” he explains and sounds to Ayden like he is trying to justify his motives.  “I get paid for every legitimate girl I bring in and Miss Avishag makes sure I take home plenty from her Inn.  She pays me a little extra and lets me enjoy the company of a Squeeze Girl when I like, so it is a nice deal all around.” 

“Yes, I see, Sir, but I did not do anything wrong.  I was just hungry,” Ayden tries to explain.

“Look, I keep the rowdies under control around Reclaiming Day,” Tracker Jenkins tenor changes, “and Miss Avishag needed the extra help after a couple of guys got too drunk and wandered off.”

Just before the car door opens Ayden, again, hears the familiar squeak of something smooth catching against cheap car seats and she knows Tracker Jenkins has turned back around and is getting out.  Seconds later her door opens and his hand is guiding her out of the car.  The pavement is hot under her bare feet.  It is only a few steps across loose gravel to a loud metal door.  Tracker Jenkins unlocks the door and guides Ayden inside where the air is refreshing and the stones under her feet are almost chilly. 

When the metal door closes Ayden is plunged into complete darkness inside of her hood.  A feeling of apprehension settles over her in the dark.  Tracker Jenkins moves her forward, but Ayden’s footsteps are hesitant.  She wants to check her footing with her toes at each step but the tug on her leash hurries her along.  The sounds of his footsteps echo off the walls of the long narrow room and they drown out the soft plodding of her feet against the cobblestones. 

Tracker Jenkins abruptly stops his forward march and Ayden runs directly into his outstretched palm.  He rests his hands on her shoulders, gently turning her, and tells her to sit down.  Ayden shifts in the leather bindings that hold her arms.  She struggles to keep her balance as she blindly lowers her body down to a wooden bench against a stone wall.  Before Ayden can get comfortable in her new accommodations Tracker Jenkins places his hand on the back of her neck and forces her to fold forward into her lap.

“Hey!” she cries out in surprise, but immediately regrets her outburst.  She does not resist.  Tracker Jenkins pulls her back up by the harness that is snuggly strapped to her arms.  There is a metal ring that hangs loose off the back.  He attaches that to a clasp on the wall.  There is only a small amount of room to wiggle from one side to the other.  It essentially immobilizes her.

“Lift your head,” he tells her in the unequivocal manner to which she is beginning to grow accustomed.  Ayden lifts her head cautiously.  She flinches but the wall keeps her from backing away.  She remembers the clippers from the Inn and is afraid of what he is going to do this time.  To Ayden’s surprise he simply unties the dark bag and removes it from her head.  She blinks trying to adjust her eyes even in the dim light of the room.  The only light is a single beam coming from a small window near the door.

She looks around in horror.  She is chained to a stone wall in a corridor with 3 barred rooms.  Tracker Jenkins is squatting on the floor in front of her so that his eyes are level with hers.  “It is not much but it will be okay,” he tries to reassure her.

Ayden can barely keep her eyes on the officer with the gentle smile.  She desperately searches the room for some sign that he could be right and that it will actually be okay.

“I need to fill out some paperwork before I can take you upstairs and check you in,” he tells her.  “With Reclaiming Day over it will be quieter down here,” he says cocking his head to one side scrutinizing the panic beginning to show in Ayden’s face. 

He stands and smiles down at her, pats her softly on the head, and he disappears up the dark staircase.  The clatter of a large metal door closing and locking behind him tells Ayden that she is alone in this dreadful prison.  She watches the stairs willing Tracker Jenkins to return but only the silent shadows stare back at her.  She can hear the quiet moans of the long forgotten prisoners in their cells.  In the dark corners of the corridor Ayden can hear the scurrying of a small creature moving quickly through the bits of straw scattered around the floor.

She closes her eyes in an effort to block out her new captivity, but as she does something small brushes against her foot tickling the flesh at the back of her ankle.  She shrieks and pulls her feet up onto the bench and tucks then in beside her.  The metal hook on the wall prevents her from leaning forward to see what it was, but after a bit of effort she thinks it might be best if she does not know.

Ayden drifts between feelings of panic and crying uselessly over her situation.  She calls out, “Hello,” to the sounds coming from the three rooms with the barred doors, but there is no reply.  After several attempts her quiet entreaties are simply met with a muffled snort of disdain, but nothing more. 

She must have fallen asleep because Ayden awakens to the sound of the metal door at the top of the stairs opening.  She tries to blink the drowsiness away and looks around the new backdrop of her existence.  It was not a dream.  What was once a narrow beam of bright light peeking through the window is now a hazy bit of filtered sunlight.  The dust dances like tiny fairies near the window and it casts deeper shadows where they waltz away towards the walls.  Tracker Jenkins clomps down the stairs and with a veiled smile he asks, “Did you miss me?”  Ayden does not have time to respond before he reaches her.  He is carrying a long chain.  At the midpoint of the length is a clasp.  When he releases Ayden from the wall he fastens the clasp to the collar around her neck like a double handed leash.

With a gentle tug Tracker Jenkins pulls her towards the stairwell, “Come on.  Let’s get you processed so that we can have you in your cell before dinnertime.”  Ayden follows him obediently up the stairs to a small landing where the stairs turn and continue up to a second landing just in front of the large metal door.  Tracker Jenkins unlocks the door and Ayden follows him into a brightly light room.  She is stunned by the sudden explosion of light.  They are standing in a long, narrow room with white tiles covering every surface except the ceiling.  As the metal door closes behind her the automatic locking mechanism echoes off the porcelain.  Tracker Jenkins hands one of the ends of the double handed leash to another officer that is waiting just inside the room.

Tracker Jenkins directs Ayden to step out of the way of the door and turn to face him.  He grasps her tether where the lead connects to her collar and she looks up into his calm face.  Ayden detects a hint of wearisomeness in his eyes and she wonders how often he brings girls through here.  Agile hands move skillfully through the locks of the restraints on her arms until the leather straps slide from her shoulders and the officer behind her frees her arms.  It feels good to stretch out her limbs and wiggle her fingers again.

Having discarded her restraint into a bin just inside the metal doorway the officer grabs a handful of her shirt and in one quick movement he slices through the material from the hem to the collar cutting it from her body.  Tracker Jenkins who had been focused on his watch wrenches the shirt forward; pulling it off her arms leaving her stunned, wearing only her bikini.  Before Ayden catches her breath and begins to comprehend what has happened both the bow at the nape of her neck and the straps tied across her back are pulled allowing her top to fall free.  The neck straps rest limp across her shoulders and the strings that had been tied so carefully around her ribs now dangle loose at her sides. The bikini top is barely held in place by the buoyancy of her supple breasts. 

Ayden swiftly crosses her arms to keep the top from falling away.  She feels the fire in her cheeks at the same time a tingling begins to erupt between her thighs.  She defiantly declares, “Okay, that’s not funny.” With one arm still planted across her breasts she reaches up with the other and grabs the straps that lay slack at the back of her neck.  She begins to tie them again, but before she can make much progress the officer behind her cuts through both sides of the fabric of the bikini bottom where it rises over her hips.  It snaps free as she instinctively clenches her knees together and bends forward in a vain attempt to keep it from flying free of her body

“Enough of this!  The cloth goes in the bin to your left,” the officer behind her announces as he reaches over and snips off the shoulder straps where they meet the small triangle of fabric effectively rendering them useless. 

Ayden still clings to the scraps of feeble bits of cloth, but they no longer hide her innocence.  The officer behind her tugs at the thin chain, that secures her between the two men, in her crouched and vulnerable position she easily catches her by surprise and knocks her off balance.  What remains of her bikini falls to the floor as her arms and legs splay to keep her from toppling to the floor.  Tracker Jenkins scoops them up and deposits them into the bin of dirty, discarded clothes and leather harnesses.

“She looks better already.  Doesn’t she, Joe?” laughs the officer with the shears.  His callused hand rubs across the welts that have formed under her bikini.

Tracker Jenkins sighs, “Damn it, Frank, I don’t want to be here all day.  Let’s just get her scrubbed and into the exam room so that I can get out of here on time for once.”  He then directs his attention to Ayden, “We are going to get you washed and in to the doctor for your examination.  We don’t need any trouble from you, so c’mon.”  Impatiently he strides forward and Frank reluctantly follows the pair.

The two officers spread out to opposite sides of the room.  It is not so much a room as it is three separate hallways.  The two outer passages are white tile like the rest of the room and do not appear to be anything more than a hall.  The middle chamber has water spraying out from jets in every direction and there are strips of cloth that hang from the ceiling.  They sway back and forth flinging droplets of water off their frayed tips.  The walls that separate the three halls are not really walls at all.  As Ayden approaches the entrance she can see that the upper section of the wall extends down from the ceiling and the lower partition rises up from the floor, but stops barely a palms width below the section above.  There are thick glass windows on the two upper walls.  It reminds Ayden of the car wash behind the old gas station near her father’s office. When she was a little girl her Dad would take her there for some shaved ice and they would sit together watching through the window as her Dad’s car was sent through the washers.  At the entrance the officers thread the chain, connected to her collar, between the upper and lower barriers on either side of the middle passage.  The officers now stand safe and dry outside of the middle corridor and Ayden is held in the middle of the room, naked and restrained and they are drawing her into the jets of warm water just like her Dad’s dirty car.

Ayden pulls at her shackles and tries to resist entering the sprays, but the effort is futile.  The officers pull her forward and she enters the warm deluge.  The water coats her skin and drips from the tip of her ponytail and runs down her bare back.  Once she enters she tries to move quickly to the other end but the officers keep a steady pace, slowly working their way down the hall.  As a kid she had always wondered what it would be like to be inside the carwash, but as a jet suddenly catches her by surprise and sprays her in the face she decides to rethink that idea.  She sputters and wipes the water from her eyes, but manages to shield her face the rest of the way through.  She passes through the strips of cloth that had looked as if they were swaying gently, but the first time the wet corner of one snaps against her dripping, bare skin it stings, making her flinch trying to keep away from the worst of the assault.  Eventually, they reach the end and she is brought out of the sluice.

“Now doesn’t that feel good?” asks the officer named Frank.

“Not really,” Ayden sputters incredulously with a hint of sarcasm. 

He chuckles in response to Ayden’s blank stare and then continues, “Well, then you are going to love the dipping pool.”  He turns and continues his trek through the white porcelain abyss. 

This time Ayden truly considers all out defiance, but the officers do not give her the opportunity.  Both officers pull her lead, tilting her off balance and sending her stumbling forward.  The next implement to her utter devastation is a long deep pool of water.  There are steps at the far end, but the leading edge of the pool is a sheer drop-off.  With her balance already unsteady Ayden’s momentary hesitation at the water’s edge, is met with a sudden jerk of the chain by both officers and she easily topples headlong into the frigid water.  The freezing water sucks the life from her lungs.  Ayden struggles to right herself and the tips of her toes barely graze the floor below. She breaks the surface and comes up alternating between screaming and gasping for air.

They allow her a moment to gather her wits and then begin to tug at the chains again.  The water is cold and thick like freshly prepared gelatin.  Struggling to walk through the liquid Ayden finds it is easier if she pushes herself forward using her arms to guide her.  Midway through the pool, just as she is getting accustomed to her technique Tracker Jenkins takes a long pole from the wall.  One end has a square block of wood with long coils of thick strings that looks like a cross between a broom and a mop.  They stop her in the middle and Tracker Jenkins pushes the long handled implement against her skin.  He is obviously trying to scrub her, but with her feet off of the ground all it succeeds in doing is pushing her around in the watery goo. In exasperation he places the broom-mop on her head and submerges her into the slime. Images of the waves the day the ocean brought her here come to her mind.  Fighting free of the downward motion she breaks the surface only to be pushed under a second time.  When she comes up again and clears the moisture from her eyes Tracker Jenkins has replaced the tool on the wall hooks.  By the time her breathing is returning to normal she is crawling up the stairs; pulling her body from the clear, cool molasses that still coats her naked body in a thin layer of lumpy ooze.

Walking away from the pool her footsteps leave behind small piles of residue as it slips away from her body.  She is tempted to shake the film from her hands in the direction of her captors, especially after they tried to drown her, but her bravery is fleeting.  Ayden is standing in the middle of the tiled floor.  There is a drain near her feet where she begins to skim the thickest of what is left off onto the floor near the drain.  The two officers appear to be carefully keeping their distance.  The have tied the chain to hitches in the walls on opposite sides of the room so that she cannot move in either direction or get closer to either of them.  Tracker Jenkins is looking at his watch again, but Frank is leaning against the wall with his arms folded, watching her with a contented smirk on his face.

“Frank, come on,” Tracker Jenkins says, the exasperation clear in his voice as he points to his watch.

Frank sighs and leaves the room only to return again a moment later carrying an armload of white industrial towels.  Tracker Jenkins catches the towel that is tossed to him as both men edge closer to the middle of the room and where Ayden is standing.  Tracker Jenkins throws the towel he is holding over her head and begins to vigorously rub it through her tangled hair.  Her head is swinging from side to side under his powerful hands when she feels another towel start at her throat and slide out along her collar bones and around the outer edges of her breasts.  The hands inside the towel slither under her breasts, squeeze them firmly, and linger.  She can hear Frank’s breathing slowly, but the onslaught to her hair still has her head spinning.  The vice like grip leisurely releases and Ayden can feel both hands roughly grab her right breast and crush the flesh as if the liquid needs to be wrung out from the inside.  Ayden holds her breath fighting the urge to whimper. 

The towel on her head slides to her shoulders and Frank is inches from her face and clearly enjoying his duties.  Tracker Jenkins grips her shoulders near the nape of her neck and scrapes the towel down to the small of her back.  Wordlessly, Frank lifts her arms, his chest hardly a deep breath away from hers.  Ayden understands she is to hold them out from her body and not to resist their efforts to dry her.  Tracker Jenkins concentrates on drying her arms while Frank is still focused on circling her nipples with the corner of the towel.  She does not want to and she tries to fight it but despite her best efforts they betray and harden under the harsh fabric.  Frank smiles up at her but she does not see it.  Her eyes are focused on the ceiling and he leers at her; his hands forcing the towel down her ribs, holding it taut against her belly.

A boot slides in between her feet pinching her skin and instinctually she looks down into the face that is reveling in her discomfort.  “Spread them,” he says, nudging her toes again.

Behind her Tracker Jenkins has worked his way down and is drying off her thighs.  He is quick and thorough, but when his hands slip between her thighs and brush against the delicate folds of skin she draws in a quick breath and stands a little taller, making Frank cackle.  Frank presses his chest against hers and draws his face close to hers.  Ayden turns her head, but she can feel his hot breath slide along her neck.  She can smell the onions he had for lunch.  His towel sweeps between her legs but one of his callused fingers manages to escape its covering, plunging into her; the remnants of the gel making his entry effortless.  He slowly scrubs her pubis forcing first one and then adding a second finger over her tiny clit that is helpless in its obligatory response.

“Damn it, Frank!  Knock it off!  You know the Doc wants to exam her.  And if you get written up one more time….” Tracker Jenkins voice trails off and he never finishes his sentence.  He simple tosses his towel at Frank and stomps to where the chain connects Ayden to the hitch on the far wall.  He deftly unties it and crosses behind her, gently flipping the chain over her head, landing it between Ayden and Frank before unhooking the second bond.

Frank is left standing in the middle of the white porcelain room holding the wet towels as Tracker Jenkins leads an releaved Ayden towards the doorway at the end of the room.

Monday, September 2, 2013

Prologue: Good Morning, Sunshine


Even before she opened her eyes Ayden could feel the sun beating through the bedroom windows; warming her bare skin below the light sheets that covered her legs.  The temperature, in the little room was rising fast, making it impossible to sleep.  Ayden rolled over and looked at the clock on the bedside table.  She groaned, “It cannot be this hot at 8:47 in the morning.”  It was going to be miserable again today, just like every other day this summer since she and Meg had arrived.  Why had she agreed to this summer adventure at the coast?  She had known immediately, when Meg first mentioned it, there would be no way to dissuade her ever persistent childhood friend.  Meg had always gotten her way in everything.  Even as children Meg could convince her to do things she knew she did not really want to do.  

They had been best friends since Meg had rescued Ayden from the playground bully on their first day of school and had been inseparable ever since.  They had grown up together in a small town and they had gone off to university together as roommates. In just a few weeks Meg would be moving across the country to her new executive position with a Marketing firm whose name was so long Ayden could never remember it.  Ayden had accepted a position with a small firm near her family home and she knew she would miss Meg, but she could not leave her aging parents alone.  Meg had cajoled her into this trip because it was their last summer of freedom before their jobs started in the fall.  It would be their last chance to spend a little time together.  Ayden had finally conceded and been convinced to share the beach house for the summer before Meg’s big move.

Meg had always been confident around men, and so typical of her, they had been at the beach house a total of five hours when she met an over tanned surfer boy with a phony white smile.  With her long legs, the way she flipped her beautiful blond hair while she laughed at their jokes, and the radiant smile she would flash when she wanted them; he had fallen under her spell with the first bat of her seductive eyelashes.  It was always that way when men were around Meg.  She just seemed to intoxicate them.  Now, it seemed Meg was barely around the bungalow long enough to change her clothes.  She glanced over at Meg’s bed and the covers were just as neat as the day they arrived.  Ayden wondered if Meg would ever even use the bed before the summer was over. 

Ayden stretched the kinks out of her back and ran her fingers through her long brown hair.  She yawned and threw back the covers; looking over at the clock that now read 9:01.  She sat on the edge of the bed pondering Meg’s more confident and outgoing style.  Meg had long blond hair with just a hint of a curl and all the boys at the university had regularly fallen over themselves to save her a seat at the football games, they all wanted to be near her and Ayden could not blame them.  She slowly slid herself out of bed until her bare feet touched the wood plank floor; its layers of peeling paint that had been applied over many years left it smooth under her skin.  She yawned and stretched again and sluggishly padded her way to the bathroom and a nice cool shower to help wake her up.

She smiled as she entered the bathroom.  It was almost too cliché even for the beach but at least it was cooler in here.  She and Meg had enjoyed a good laugh when they first saw it with its pale blue paint and lighthouse tiles.  There was even a string of sand dollars hanging from the mirror like a long forgotten Christmas garland, probably left over from some other tourists' vacation in the summers before theirs.  They had promised each other they would look for sand dollars to add to it before they left in the fall.  Ayden reached up and gently ran her finger over the rough edges and realized she missed having Meg around. 

Ayden watched her reflection in the long mirror as she slipped out of her bra.  Her brown hair fell over her shoulders and cascaded down to her full breasts, a wisp curled teasingly around one of her pink nipples.  She instinctively reached up to twist the tendril around her finger but as she did it brushed across her nipple, even on this warm summer morning her nipple suddenly turned hard like the small pebbles washed up on nearby shore.  She watched her breasts rise and fall with her slow measured breaths.  She tilted her head to the side and scrutinized her body.  She had once been told she had a figure like Jayne Mansfield and leaned forward provocatively, mimicking the star’s signature pose.  She laughed at the image smiling back at her and discounted the validity of the assessment.

She turned on the water and it sputtered and spit but eventually settled into a steady stream of clear water.  It had been Ayden’s idea to pay a little extra for the one bungalow with the large sauna shower, but she wondered if that had been frivolous since it had been too hot to use the steam shower.  She let her soft lace panties drop to the floor where she slowly stepped out of them and into the waiting shower.  The water danced across her skin and felt wonderfully cool as she closed her eyes and dropped her head back into the stream, letting it pelt down on her face before it raced over her body and down the drain, washing away the summer’s heat.  She shampooed her hair, letting her fingertips massage her scalp, before reaching for the bar of soap.  Ayden had always found the scent of lavender to be relaxing.  She rolled the bar over in her hands making a bubbly lather and sniffed at the bar smiling.  She slowly moved it across her stomach and up to her breasts where the cool water bounced off her warm skin.  The morning heat washed away by the cool water had made both her nipples hard.  She loved how the lather left her skin feeling soft and smooth.  She relished in it and her fingers slowly drew circles, playing at the edge of the hard pink eruptions.  She let the cool water rain down over her head and she slid the bar of soap slowly over her naval and down to the neatly groomed patch of hair.  The bar easily glided along the line between her thigh and her mons.  Her thumb brushed the edge of her lips and she held her hand still in the moist area, momentarily becoming more and more aware of her awakening arousal.  She had planned for this to be a quick shower but instead she set the soap back into the dish hanging from the wall.

Quietly, Ayden looked to the open door of the bathroom and listened to be sure that she was alone as her fingers slowly began to explore.  Her finger grazed across her clit making it throb and her breasts rose with a sudden intake of air.  She smiled and let the air flow leisurely from her chest as she closed her eyes.  Her finger flattened over her clit as she roughly pressed past it pushing further back as she let the finger slide deep inside of her.  She pushed in a second finger and her breath slowed to a rhythmic pant as the fingers slipped in and out of her drawing moisture out with each thrust of her hand.  She withdrew her fingers, moved over to the little corner seat and perched on the edge of it.  Ayden leaned her head and back against the shower wall as she brought the fingers up to press hard against the clit and slowly drew circles around it in the moisture, teasing it, she spread her legs further apart, letting the stream from the shower pulse against the throbbing clit.

Ayden moaned a loud, “Oh,” that came out in a gasp as she buried her fingers deep inside her again and dragged them out roughly, pulling wetness in its trail as she again lingered over her clit.  She twisted her hips to glide the folds over each other, enveloping the fingers that hungrily searched for the clit, punishing it harshly back and forth, with increased urgency.

Her breath began to come out in jagged raspy short puffs and her moans grew louder as she focused fully on her clit forcing her fingers to press roughly onto it.  She gasped for air yelling, "Oh no... no... no," but did not stop thrusting her finger against her clit.

The longing burning deep inside her threatened to explode.  She tried to relax, to make it last just a little longer but her body began to jerk and her head bounced against the shower wall as she yelled, “Oh... oh… OH!”  Finally in what sounded like a hiss she let out a low growled, “Yes…” as her finger slowed but still pressed hard against the tiny clit until her body gradually stopped shaking and her finger slowed.  Ayden let the corner seat support her weight as she sat dazed on it, pressing her flushed cheeks against the cool tile wall.  She closed her eyes and wondered what had come over her.  It was not like her to be so daring but it had been exquisite.  Her finger gently explored while her body relaxed and her breathing returned to normal.

She turned off the water and reached for a towel, but found them crumpled on the floor in a soaking heap. Ayden shook her head, but felt reassured knowing Meg had at least been there for a few minutes that morning.  With her toe she pushed the wet towels across the tiles to the sink.  She rung out her hair, but still water trailed in rivulets from her head, down her back and over the toned muscles of her shapely hips and thighs to the pile of wet towels under her feet.  

Ayden stood before the mirror and swiped away the steam that had collected there.  She found her comb under a pile of Meg’s beauty products and ran it quickly through her wet hair, tugging at the tangles left by the shower, wishing she had taken the time to use conditioner.  She effortlessly pulled all of her hair up into a tight ponytail and reached for the baby oil.  She knew it is a bit old fashioned and she would pay for the abuse to her skin when she was a little older but she loved the way it felt against her skin.  She slowly rubbed just a bit onto her arm in a sensuous leisurely manner, as if she had all the time in the world.  She was again distracted by the image of her naked body in the mirror as her fingers and palms danced slowly over the curves of her breasts, circling around the now tender nipples.  Absently she thought of the boys back at school as she gingerly massaged the last of the oil over her belly.  They might save seats for the fair haired Meg, she thought, but Ayden had occasionally gotten a little attention at university too.  She thought about Michael, her long-time boyfriend.  They had met her first year at school and he had been part boyfriend and part mentor to her; helping her find her way around the large campus.  They had only parted when Michael explained that he was not ready for marriage when he graduated the year before her and left school.  They had always been wonderful in bed together, but that special night after their team had won the final football match of the season the enthusiasm of the game had carried over into his love making.  He had sucked and nibbled so roughly at her nipples she thought that she would explode; and the amazing torrential orgasm that followed sapped her body of life causing her to fall blissfully asleep in his arms. 

Her daydream ended as she caught her reflection in the mirror and it brought her back to reality.  Ayden gathered up all the towels from the floor and deposited them in the hamper; vowing to do the laundry in the evening when it cooled off a bit.  She grabbed the little blue bikini, hanging on the rack and slipped it on.  She remembered how they had shopped for days before finding it.  Meg had been so excited and promised it would be perfect for the beach.  As Ayden passed through the bedroom, on her way to the kitchen, she snagged her old familiar university T-shirt, which she had borrowed from Michael and often substituted for a nightshirt.  It was still lying on the end of the bed and she threw it on, over her bikini.  She walked into the kitchen humming the old Beach Boys’ song, “Fun, Fun, Fun” but got stuck on the chorus and could not remember the rest of the words.  Seeing the pile of dishes in the sink she guessed Meg had not come by alone and wondered how it was she had not woken up.  Ayden sighed, but a smile crept across her face as she shook her head and picked up the bowl from the table that was still half full of milk and had a few stray Cheerios still floating in the white liquid, like little life preservers.  With the dishes rinsed and tucked into the dishwasher she went to the refrigerator to see if there was anything left.  She located an apple and two peaches which would have to do for breakfast and lunch, and tucked them deep inside of her bag as she headed out the door to the beach.

The beach was only half a block away and as soon as the door was closed she could smell the cool salt water calling to her.  There were little tourist boutiques lining all of the streets along the beach.  They sold everything from snow cones to tourist T-shirts proclaiming, “My grandma and grandpa went to the beach and all I got was this silly tee.”  There were little cafes with small tables lined up in front and bars that seemed quiet during the day, but drew large crowds at night.  Ayden meant to explore a couple of the nicer bars in the evenings but going alone did not seem as much fun as going there with Meg.  At the very corner, right across the street from the beach access was even an old LP record shop that had bongo drums hanging from the awning out front.  She wondered if the shop had been there since the 1960s. 

The beach was busy, this late in the morning, but not as crowded as it would get over the weekend.  Ayden easily found a nice location and laid out her towel on the dark pebbly sand.  The sand was already soaking up the heat of the day and her toes were burning from the walk over, so she headed directly to the water’s edge to dip them in the cool surf.  She had always loved the ocean and the roar of the waves filled her ears.  She stood in the cool water, drinking in the fresh sea air, her toes digging into the soft sand as she watched each wave slowly roll onto the shore.  The surfers were sitting on their boards, lined up like toy soldiers standing sentry, waiting for that one perfect wave.  They were doing their best to find a big wave but this morning the waves were small and the surfers were left paddling on their boards in the deep water far away from the beach.  Ayden was hot and with the small waves keeping the surfers out in the deep water she was sure it would be safe to venture out of the shallow water.  She gingerly stepped a little deeper; ever slowly, she crept further into the water until she had to hop a little for each wave as it rolled towards the beach.  She laughed at herself and enjoyed the feeling of being a kid again; playing in the surf.  She had gone a bit further than she had intended, but she felt alive and refreshed as the water swirled around her. 

She turned to check the bag that she had left unattended back on the beach when an unusually large wave plowed into her from behind and spun her over.  Her head was pulled under water and she was tossed and tumbled about like she had been thrown inside a washing machine.  She could not find the surface.  She was not even sure if she was right side up or not.  The waves seemed to crash into her as they tossed her over and over.  She started to panic.  For a moment her head was above water; she gasped for air.  As quickly as the air appeared it was gone again and she had swallowed half a mouthful of saltwater.  She had always been a good swimmer but something was pulling her under.  She fought frantically clawing for the surface, for another small gulp of air.  Her head hit something hard and she felt dazed.  Her lungs burned but all she could see were bubbles and green foam all around her.  “Surely,” she had thought, “someone had to have seen me go under.  Someone would pull me free,” but no hand of rescue reached out to her.  Slowly the green water had faded to black.