Author's Note: This is the first story I have submitted. I have been a rather harsh critic in the comments a few times, so it only seemed fair that I expose myself a little as well. As for the story itself, it's a bit pedestrian - no human trafficking, no secret society, no sci-fi equipment - just a boy in his own head having an experience of sexual discovery. Since I was already indulging in fantasies, I gave him an implausibly cute little ending as well. Please enjoy!

"Nervous?" Her voice was scarcely more than a whisper. I could feel the warmth of her breath just behind my ear.

I started to nod, but the tightness of the hood and thick leather collar made the movement difficult and strange. "Yes," I muttered hoarsely.

"Everyone is at first," she said cheerfully.

Above my head I felt straps, sturdy leather like the collar, cinch down on one wrist, then the other. Her heels clicked sharply on the cement floor as she stepped away from the complicated table that I was lying on. I twisted and pulled my wrists experimentally; they were held firmly in place, and my fingers could reach nothing but empty air. I took a deep, slow breath to calm my heartbeat. I was at this stranger's complete mercy.

She clicked methodically closer again until her face appeared above me. My eyes swept over smooth creamy skin, piercing green eyes framed by long delicate lashes, plump lips painted in striking crimson, a cascade of dark hair.

"Don't worry, I'll take good care of you." She smiled an earnest and comfortable smile, tiny dimples punctuating her soft cheeks. I felt a stirring between my legs and tried to ignore it.

I offered no resistance as she guided each ankle out to a steel arm extending from the table and strapped it in place. A moment later a second set of straps tightened above my knees. I squirmed a little but could not move my legs even slightly from their extended position. The open air felt cold running over my exposed body. I tried to bend my neck forward to see what she would do next, but found my chin caught short by the collar. I had no choice but to wait obediently as a strap settled around my waist, and another at the top of my chest.

"All right," she said with finality. "How does that feel?"

"...tight?" I offered.

Her breath bounced in a single light laugh. "Yes. But any pain?"

I pulled on all of my limbs again, finding every motion strictly, but not cruelly denied. "No, no pain."

Without warning, her fingertips started playing up my sides searching for ticklish spots. I cried out and involuntarily writhed in panic, straining every muscle in an attempt to escape the assault. It seemed like an eternity, but suddenly it was over and she was giggling. "You're cuter than most, you know. Any pain now?"

I caught my ragged breath. "No... But don't do that again..." I could feel the beginnings of tears below my eyes and tried my best to wipe them away on my immobilized arms.

"Oh yes, almost forgot..." Her hands moved to the top of my head. Her latex-cupped breasts swung briefly in front of my face, not large, but pert and delightfully round. A wave of flowery, feminine scent washed over me. I felt several small tugs on the material of my hood and when she pulled away I could no longer move my head at all.

"Now..." She sounded serious again. "I know that you read all this earlier, but you can never be too safe: If you feel numb anywhere, have any trouble breathing, or you need out right away for some other reason, just snap your fingers." She paused. "You can snap, right?" I snapped several times with the middle fingers of both hands. The sound was clear and unmistakable in the little windowless room. "Good boy. Just keep snapping until I unstrap you. Nothing you say will work though, so beg and cry all you want. You'll probably be gagged before long anyway. Got it?"

"Yes." I was more nervous than ever, but succeeded in steadying my voice.

"Good. I'm going to make sure the rest of my toys are ready." She looked away, then back down at my helpless form. "We're about three minutes from going live, so don't go anywhere, cutie." She leaned down a little and blew a mischievous kiss at me before clicking away.

I was alone with my thoughts. Somewhere below my feet I could hear the clinking of metal and the plopping of rubber as various items were picked up and arranged. The thick metal door, the only way in or out of the room, opened and closed. My captor lightly said something that I couldn't make out, and another voice responded, huskier but unmistakably female. I forgot my situation just long enough to try looking, but despite the effort my head remained exactly where she had left it.

I tried to calm myself by thinking it all through again. I had never done anything like this, but I was comforted by how efficient and professional it all seemed. With the hood, I would even be able to remain anonymous. When they were explaining the deal, they had given me a huge list of humiliating and titillating activities. All of them would be on the menu, but I would not be allowed to know which ones were actually coming, or even how they would be chosen. "Audiences appreciate real reactions" ...or something like that. If I was being honest with myself, I fantasized about many of the things on that list, even though I had actually done almost none of them. A few sounded distasteful, but I was willing to try just about anything once. Plus the pay was outstanding, just an hour for more money than I made in a week at my sad part time job. And this woman! I had not imagined that I could be so lucky. I pictured her sharp eyes again, and couldn't help imagining her hand gripped tightly around my cock, her voice softly urging me on... I could feel myself hardening, and vainly hoped that she wasn't looking towards me. It seemed ridiculous to be embarrassed about anything anymore considering the circumstances, but I was.

"Alllllllright!" Her voice was suddenly energetic and bouncy, like a radio personality. "It looks like we're live!"

Wait, just like that? No warning? Again I tried to pick up my head without thinking, only to be reminded of my helplessness.

"This is your favorite interactive fetish livestream. Princess Yuki is out sick this week, so be sure to leave her plenty of get-well-soon tips. In the meantime, I'm Goddess Cassandra and I've got a fresh piece of meat to play with."

After a few more clicks of her heels, something heavy and mechanical clanked below me and my entire body tilted forward. Suddenly she was standing in front of me, straight and confident, completely filling my captive view. Her midnight black hair was pulled up into a stern ponytail, with just one thin wisp tastefully allowed to bounce down each side of her face. Her body was encased in a sleeveless black latex one-piece, polished so fine that the shape of the lights above could be seen reflected in the orbs of her breasts. A single long zipper ran from her neck down to where the material came to an enticing point and disappeared between her legs. Her slender hands were wrapped in short black latex gloves. The plump curves of her thighs, bursting out just below her waist, were swallowed again by even more black latex far above her knees. At the bottom of it all I could just see the sharp black heels that I had been hearing.

She grinned at me. At first it was the same friendly smile that I had seen before, but it quickly morphed into something more sinister. I only had a moment to take in that hungry new expression before she gracefully swung her body around to face the electronic devices assembled on the table behind her. Her back was just as wonderful as her front. Her sinuous, perfect legs were extended into a stance of absolute confidence. Her round, full ass was directly in front of me, divided by the thinnest line of black latex. I drank in the sight of her, now relieved that I could not move my head.

"Today we have a 26 year old male. He's fit, tight, and totally inexperienced. Isn't that right, plaything?" She stepped aside and I was left looking at the scene beyond.

Beside the camera was a large screen. My naked, vulnerable body was stretched across the center of the frame with the Goddess Cassandra standing menacingly over me. Numbers and words that I couldn't make out were flashing across the bottom. To the far right, a chat stream was ticking by with a comment every few seconds. How many people were watching this? Another woman, presumably the one I had heard before, was seated behind the table looking at another monitor and typing sporadically.

SNAP! Fire streaked across my left thigh. "You will answer when spoken to, you little bitch." I hadn't even noticed the riding crop in her hand.

"Yes... I've never done this before..." I blurted out in a pathetic whine.

SNAP! I cried out in pain. "Address your Goddess properly, bitch."

"Yes, Goddess!" I promptly called out, eager to please.

The crop twitched in her hand and I flinched pointlessly in my bonds. "Better, slave. Remember your place." All of the kindness had left her voice, replaced by an iron sternness that was both frightening and unbelievably sexy. My thighs were burning and my cock standing erect as she slid her body up against mine like a lover gently snuggling into bed. My stomach flipped at the wave of intimacy and sexual energy that she exuded.

She addressed the camera again. "As you can see, this one is in need of extensive training. So put your bids down now. How should I reign in this disobedient little slut? I know how much chat loves to see a virgin ass get plowed..." She playfully tapped the end of the crop on my stomach. "...or shall I just beat him into submission?"

I knew these were possibilities already, but it felt more serious to hear them said out loud.

"As usual, subscribers have five minutes to vote on treatments. Be sure to get creative, my little minions. I get so bored when you all suggest the same things every time," she pouted. "In the meantime..." she looked down at my body and began absently running the crop in meandering pathways along my skin, "Do you have anything to say to your betters, slave? Many of my victims like to use this time to beg for mercy."

I was terrified for a moment. If I begged the audience not to do something, wouldn't that just make them want to do it more? After all, anyone watching this would have to be sadistic to begin with. But if I acted like I wasn't afraid, they would probably take it as a challenge to do their worst. I only had a moment to respond before the crop would fall anyway...

"Please, Goddess! I've never had anything... in my ass." This was true, other than the uncomfortable enema I had done earlier to prepare for this. "Please don't do that to me, Goddess!" I was gambling. Of the possibilities flashing through my mind, I was least afraid of this one. Even though I had never had the courage to tell a girlfriend, I had fantasized before. More importantly, I have never found pain itself sexy and hoped that by offering this up I might avoid an actual beating.

"Hmmmmm... Very well, slave. Since you asked so nicely, I'm sure chat will take your suggestion into consideration." Her voice was both condescending and teasing, like someone playing a joke on a child. On the screen ahead, the chat responses suddenly exploded in frequency. I couldn't quite make the letters out, but I could see that one phrase was being repeated in all caps in almost every post. Had they taken my bait, or seen through it?

"Oh, I think they liked that." She teased. "Anything else?"

"No, Goddess!" I tried my best to sound contrite and frightened. It wasn't difficult.

"You are a fast learner, slave. How about some music while we wait?"

She clicked slowly towards the camera and screen, humming slightly. As she passed by, her hand slid slowly down my thigh. A moment later, a slow beat started playing, soon joined by a sensual jazzy tune.

Suddenly, she swept into my view again, planted herself directly between me and the camera, and began to sway to the music. My body responded immediately, leaving my mind behind. My stomach fluttered as if I were seventeen again, seeing a girl undress for the first time. Each twist of her hips pulled me deeper under her spell. I noticed that I was incredibly hard, and wished desperately that her performance were actually for me and not the camera. In the course of her dance, she spun around and swept her emerald eyes meaningfully up my whole, exposed body. Every thought that was running through my mind derailed in an instant. There was simply no room for anything but her. Truly, she was a Goddess.

I was so mesmerized that I hardly noticed when the time was up. She bent over the screen and began to read, but her perfect ass was still pointed towards me, rocking in a gentle rhythm.

"Oh dear," she said. "Not feeling very merciful today, are we, chat?" She stood up straighter than ever and clicked back towards me, but now the sound was slow and menacing. "Are you ready for what you have coming, my little bitch?"

"...what's going to happen?" I stammered. I had no choice but to acquiesce anyway, but couldn't hold back the question.

The crop instantly snapped against my side, followed by stinging pain.

"You will know what it pleases me to tell you, slave," I heard from behind me. "And if you speak without permission again, I will find something nice and fat to fill that impertinent mouth of yours with." The table below me shuddered and began to move. I was rotated so that the length of my body was facing the camera, and tipped back so that I was parallel to the ground again. Lastly my legs swung up one at a time towards my body until they were locked into a higher, bent position. With a start I realized where I was being maneuvered: my ass was exposed at the end of the table and the camera was angled so that her body would not block the view there. They had taken my bait! I gloated to myself for a moment, but immediately remembered what was about to happen and sank back into anxiety. Her heels went on clicking.

Without any warning, her cold, rubber-encased fingers wrapped around the base of my balls and pulled them firmly away from my body. She knew exactly what to do to make me feel ever more helpless. What was she preparing to shove into me with her other hand? I couldn't remember ever feeling so vulnerable before.

SMACK! Something hard and flat impacted against my ass with shocking force. I stifled a yelp of pain.

"First thing's first, bitch. Chat felt that your begging lacked conviction. So we're going to enhance your attitude a little."

SMACK! Whatever she was paddling me with was large, covering a wide streak of my ass and thighs.

SMACK! It stung as if there were little pointed nubs on the surface of the thing, but maybe that was only my imagination.

SMACK! It took a moment after the sound of each impact for the full pain to wash over me. How long was this going to go on?

SMACK! The burning became more intense with each blow. I thrashed and writhed in my bonds, but the only result was a cruel laugh from her.

SMACK! I cried out loudly. I could not even try to hold it in anymore. The air was heavy with my terrified anticipation.

SMACK! "Please, Goddess!" I called out almost insensibly. I could feel tears forming in my eyes.

SMACK! "Please what, slave?" Her voice was patient and calm, as if she were performing some mindless chore.

"Please stop! Please, Goddess, please..." I trailed off into slobbering desperation.

SMACK! I was openly sobbing. "I'll do anything you say, Goddess! Please!"

"Tell me what a little bitch you are," she demanded.

Without giving her a moment to doubt my compliance, I started sputtering every degrading thing I could think of; anything to stop the beating. "I'm weak! I'm pathetic! I'm useless! I'm a stupid slave! I'm a weak bitch!"

SMACK! My hot tears caught against the leather hood and rubbed into a sad mess on my cheeks.

"Whose bitch are you?" she asked flatly.

"I'm your bitch, Goddess!" I called out loudly, and knew that it was true. "I am your slave! I want to obey you! I will do anything for you!"

"Good boy," she cooed triumphantly. "Somebody in chat was betting that it would take twenty strokes to break you, but I can get what I want in just ten. Isn't that right, slave?"

"Yes, Goddess," I admitted and slumped into my bonds. My battered skin felt hot and tender.

The clicking of her heels starting counting down to some further torment. I thought about the safety signal. All I had do was snap my fingers and this could be over. I was emotionally disoriented. The shallow, insecure face that I presented to the public world - that part of me that cared whether people thought me weird or creepy - was horrified at all of this and wanted to escape immediately. But somewhere deeper in the recesses of my being, a great hulking shadow grew stronger with every indignity. I realized with a shock that I had never felt this aroused before. I wanted her to continue.

"Well, now that that's out of the way," she said cheerfully, "we can get to the real fun." She appeared above my face and presented a smooth black dildo. "Open that bitch mouth!"

I obeyed instantly, and felt the thing pressed irresistibly past my lips. To my panicked mind, it seemed frighteningly large.

"Get it nice and slippery for me," she ordered. I licked and sucked as quickly as I could, trying to cover it in my spit. I was nervous about the obvious implication, but already dreaded punishment far too much to resist any command from my Goddess. I fought to remain calm as she pushed the thing deeper, a little at a time. When I lost control and started gagging, she finally pulled it out. Had she done that on purpose?

"Very good, slave." She clicked away towards my legs. I heard the gentle clinking of buckles and stretching of leather as she strapped the thing on.

Her latex-coated fingertips slid down my exposed ass until they found my vulnerable hole. I gasped as cold lube was slathered there. "Why make me suck on it then? Only to humiliate me more?" I wondered bitterly, but dared not make a sound. I felt the slight pressure of her tip being positioned against me, and drew a deep breath in expectation.

But nothing happened. My ragged breath reverberated loudly in my own ears.

"Beg for it."

My mind reeled, but her voice was deadly serious. I felt her fingers close menacingly around my balls again.

"Please give it to me, Goddess," I managed. I did not want to find out what punishment she had in mind next.

"You'll have to do better than that, slave. Tell me exactly what you want, and be nice and loud so that everyone can hear you." She was using her teasing voice again, as if my abject submission and humiliation were nothing but a joke to her.

"Please fuck my ass, Goddess! I want your cock inside me!" I was shouting. My inhibitions had all fallen away and I realized how much heavier they felt than the physical leather and metal that held me bent to the will of my Goddess. I felt free.

"Good boy."

I shuddered and gasped as she penetrated me. With one long, excruciatingly slow push she buried her rubber cock into me. Several times I thought that she must be nearly all the way in, but still she pushed deeper and deeper. My whole body tensed and strained at my bonds, but resistance was impossible. I could only wait meekly as she forced her way to my very core and took possession of it. Finally I felt the solid warmth of her thighs press against mine as the very last bit of the thing was forced in. There was a moment of quiet stillness. The sense of absolute fullness was overwhelming.

"Doesn't that feel good now, my little bitch?"

"Yes, Goddess!" I rasped without a thought.

"Good boy." Every time she said that, it sounded better. I wanted her to whisper it in my ear forever.

She began to pull back. After the shocking fullness, her withdrawal felt like my insides being pulled out, but it wasn't long before she pressed forward into another thrust. And then another. With each pulse she moved a little faster, pumping my helpless body relentlessly. I couldn't make sense of my feelings. I was mortified, ashamed, horrified, but that dark part of me that loved it all was stronger by far. I imagined the shape of the perfect thighs that were brushing against mine. My erection, which had wilted in fear and confusion, came back suddenly strong.

"Oh my..." She had noticed. How could she not? "You really do enjoy this, I see." With her next thrust she slowed down again and came to a stop deep inside me. One hand was still wrapped tightly around my balls, and the other one began to stroke lightly up and down my eager cock. "Does having this dick in your ass make you horny, my little bitch?"

I desperately wanted her to keep touching me. Nothing else mattered. "Yes, Goddess. Please! Fuck me hard and make me come! I'll do anything for you!"

"Awww..." She sounded more condescending and cruel than ever as her fingers sped up. "That's sweet of you, slave." I could feel my orgasm approaching already. She was like a skilled musician, and my body was a familiar instrument, hers to be played. I was shocked at how easily she used me, and thought for a brief moment about resisting, but of course that was impossible. I could hold nothing back from her, even if I wanted to. The very idea of the safety signal had been driven completely from my mind.

Without a word she pulled her hand off my cock and slapped down hard on my balls. An avalanche of pain swept over me and buried my senses. My body convulsed and my cock strained against the injustice.

"You didn't really think I would let that happen, did you?" She giggled cruelly, and pulled her cock out of me. "Your orgasms belong to me now, slave, and you'll need to work hard to earn them." Immediately something else started sliding into my ass. It quickly got thick, much worse than the dildo, but then receded to a thin base. When she was finished pushing, the flanged shape kept me firmly plugged.

"Ahhh... fuck... please..." I whimpered. I was too frustrated and overwhelmed to say anything more.

"Awwww... poor slave!" She leaned over me with a teasing expression of fake concern. "Let's just take care of that noise..."

I managed to get out a weak "No, please..." before she unceremoniously pushed another rubber phallus between my lips. I desperately twisted my head and pushed back with my tongue, but she only shushed gently into my ear and pressed steadily down. After a few moments of hopeless struggle the invader had won. My tongue was pinned to the floor of my mouth and a leather panel was wrapped tightly around my face. I tried experimentally to beg, but only a low pathetic moan escaped.

"That's much better, isn't it?" she said to the camera.

Darkness swept over my eyes. "And we might as well add this while we're at it..." she mused as the blindfold settled into place and tightened.

Somehow that changed everything. I felt strangely calmer in my dark prison. Submission lost all of its terror. Like a draft animal, harnessed and fitted with blinders, I was suddenly content to wait patiently for whatever my next lot in life should be. Time fell away. She kept talking and joking with the audience, but I stopped paying attention to the words themselves and heard only the sultry rhythm of her voice and the crisp staccato of her heels. Occasionally she would whip me more, no longer in punishment, but lightly and playfully. Every few minutes I felt her delicate fingers on my cock again, and I gladly welcomed her touch, even knowing that it would only lead to another excruciating denial. I soon lost count of the times she preyed on my desperation.

"It sounds like I really may have broken him this time..." Her gloating voice was suddenly near and distinct. I realized that I was moaning intensely into my gag, but did not bother to stop. I could not remember how long I had been trapped here. Had it only been fifteen minutes since she had strapped me down, or three hours?

"Well I hope you perverts got more satisfaction than my little toy here, because that's all you're getting from me today." The meaning of that sentence hit me like a splash of cold water. Was it really over? She started thanking people by their strange names and referring the audience to some other stream, but I was too preoccupied to listen. What would happen next? If she unstrapped me now, I felt like I would collapse into a puddle on the floor.

I was still lost in my head when her pretty face suddenly appeared in a flash of blinding light. She was smiling a little, but her eyebrows were ever so slightly tilted up in concern. All the wrath was gone from her face, and she had become a Goddess of mercy again.

"We're offline," she said. "You okay down there?" Gently she slid the gag out of my mouth so that I could answer.

"I think so," I said, unsure of everything. My jaw ached.

She was already tugging at the straps on my wrists. I had not realized how sore my joints were until they were suddenly free again. My hands were shaking as she peeled the hood off my face. The open air felt cold and sharp on my cheeks, still damp with tears.

"I know this is an awkward question..." she said as she worked her way through the buckles, "but would you like me to take out the plug, or would you prefer to do it yourself?"

"I don't... um..." I had no idea what to say.

"Just relax then." I felt a firm pressure as the oppressor slid out of me. After being full for so long, the emptiness felt almost lonely. The plug clattered into a large plastic bin that I had not noticed before. I felt bad for whomever's job it was to clean the things in there.

And then I was free.

"There's going to be a lot of blood suddenly flowing, so don't try to get up too fast," she warned, but the meaning of her words arrived to late. I was sitting naked on the cold cement floor when I regained my senses. She was crouching next to me with a steadying hand on my shoulder and laughter in her eyes. I realized that I was staring at the narrow strip of black latex stretched neatly between her smooth thighs, and quickly looked away. I had nowhere to hide my growing erection. When I looked at her face again, I could tell that she had noticed my gaze, but there was neither irritation nor embarrassment in her expression.

"I'm afraid you'll have to deal with that problem yourself," she said with an understanding smile. "Come on. I can at least get you to a shower." She pulled me to my feet and led me slowly out of the room. I soon recognized the door of the bathroom where I had left my clothes a lifetime before. When she took her arm off me and stepped away, I felt an immediate yearning.

"I have to go get out of my costume too," she said. "It's not as comfortable as it looks." I was too slow to fill the following silence. I had a reckless urge to declare my undying love for this woman, but also just enough willpower left to hold the mistake inside. "You did just fine," she offered as she turned away.

"Thank you." My voice sounded more emotional and serious than I meant it to, but she only looked back and smiled. I made no attempt not to stare that time, but hungrily watched as her firm butt and slender legs swayed down the hall and presumably out of my life.

I cleaned myself up in a haze. In the shower I thought of her dancing and masturbated unashamedly. My battered cock ached as I finally reached an explosive orgasm. Once I was dressed again, I signed another release form and collected my check. The man at the front desk was bent and lanky, with small features and too many tattoos for his thin arms. As I looked at his expression, bored or perhaps a little high, I felt all the concerns of normal life re-emerging from whatever mental place they had been shoved into.

I stepped out the door feeling myself again, but calmer and clearer than before. It was a damp and cloudy day. The surrounding buildings were squat and unremarkable offices. Most of them appeared empty, but so did the one I had just emerged from. I had taken the bus and so began my walk several blocks back to the stop. I got there just as the fat, ugly thing came hissing to a halt in front of the small line of waiting passengers. They shuffled on with downcast eyes, but one dark-haired young woman looked my way for a moment.

I recognized her with a jolt. She was no Goddess anymore, but a mere mortal woman with imperfect skin and practical cargo pants. Somehow she seemed even more lovely than ever, more honest and more true. Her eyes lingered just long enough that I was sure she recognized me too, but her expression remained flat as she stepped onto the bus.

My stomach knotted. "This is just a job to her. Getting harassed by some loser afterwards must be the last thing she wants," I thought. "She would probably just think I'm looking for sex. I'll bet that happens to her all the time." An unbidden memory popped into my mind of being a small boy at a family Christmas party. Two of my college-aged cousins were talking about their dating lives, unaware of the child listening in. "I'll bet you think strippers like you too, dumbass," one of them joked, and the other flushed red at the insult. It would only be another twenty minutes until the next bus came...

In the corner of my eye I saw her distorted figure pass by through the dirty bus window. Without another thought I stepped onto the bus.

She was seated at a window near the back, looking down at something in her lap. I walked as steadily as I could towards her, wondering if I would stop or just walk by. At the last moment before I passed she looked up, and this time our eyes met and held. She seemed nervous, expectant. Her phone was in her hand. Her eyes flitted to the empty seat next to her, then back to me.

"Um..." This was a mistake. "I, uh..." But I had already come too far. "Do you mind if I sit here? I mean, I definitely won't if you don't want me too."

Her expression softened into the slightest hint of a smile. "No," she said, "I don't mind."

I smiled stupidly back and sat down. We sat in silence at first, neither of us willing to grapple with the situation. I had a sinking feeling as the stops passed. I had no idea when she would get off. I had to say something.

Finally, it all burst out of me. "So I know this probably happens to you a lot, and this is all very weird, and we really don't know each other at all, but... um... I really like you, and so... I was just wondering if we could meet sometime for coffee. Or something. If you don't mind." She waited with a steady gaze for me to finish stammering, then looked away thoughtfully.

"You're right," she said. "This has happened a few times." My mind conjured a crowd of predatory men with hungry eyes and grasping hands, and I was immediately ashamed at the idea of being one of them. "But they haven't exactly been as polite as you," she added.

"Oh." I had no idea what to say to that. I didn't think I was being especially polite, and wondered what kind of unfortunate situations she had been in before.

"Not as cute either."

"Well..." Somehow this was not going badly. "If I give you my number, will you text me?"

"Sure," she said coolly. She pulled out her phone and entered the digits as I recited them. "What name should I save?" she asked. "How about just 'slave'?" The word sounded absurd out here in the real world, and she grimaced a little at her own joke.

"Ben," I said quickly to save her.

"OK, Ben. This is my stop, so I guess I'll talk to you later."

"I hope so." I stood up to let her out, then retreated to her window seat once she was gone. I had barely even begun to wonder if I would ever hear from her again when my phone vibrated. It was a text from an unknown number:

"My real name is Erin btw."

The bus rumbled grudgingly into motion, but I was already ahead of it, flying swiftly into the future on the wings of imagination.