The Barford Files - Chapters VII And VIII free porn video

VII: Girls Night Out Having been to trendy nightclubs in NYC during her time at the Park Avenue apartment, Charlene was no stranger to the bright, multicolored, flashing, moving, and strobing lights of such venues. The pulsing beat of the dance music kept people moving on Luck Be A's spacious and sturdy dance floor. Fully animated and lifelike computer graphics designs had dancers pacing and writhing around upon a succession of well- choreographed images. One minute, it was a grassy plain. The next, the dancers were prancing around upon the deepest, starry expanse of outer space itself. Flanking Charlene were her two new friends, Nicola and Tori, who seemed eager to show off Nicola's work on their new friend's hair, and Tori's makeup job. The end result was impressive. They definitely made Charlene look much less frumpy. Leanne Walsh, who was just behind the trio of girls, was particularly impressed. Tori called out to Charlene over the music. "Do you wanna get a drink?" "Just a soda for me, thanks," Charlene absent-mindedly answered as she gazed around the interior surroundings of the nightclub. Patrons were all over the place. Mingling, dancing, flirting, and in some cases, kissing. And just as Barbara had said, there were actual guys within the crowds, and only a handful of them looked somewhat effeminate. Nicola suddenly wrapped an arm around Charlene's shoulders as her other hand pointed out a tall guy with a guido hairstyle. "Mmmmm...get a look at that big ol' Pacino over there, honey." Nicola purred lustfully into Charlene's ear. "Bruno Caravaggio." The short-haired platinum blonde ran the tip of an index finger over her tongue and then mimed pressing it against a hot surface as she pointed to Bruno, who had not noticed the two young ladies staring at him. "I'm gonna have him for lunch tonight." Charlene shrugged. "Well...have at him, Nic. I'm not much into guidos mys...huh?" Nicola had suddenly pulled the surprised teenager in close to speak right into her ear. "You're coming with me. I wanna show you off. Don't you like what I did with your hair?" "Ummm...yeah, but..." "So that's how you repay me," a grinning Nicola explained, already leading the now very nervous-looking Charlene towards Bruno. "You let me show you off to my friends. Old...and new." Charlene sighed as Bruno's wandering eyes finally fell upon the two girls approaching him. I had a feeling there was going to be a catch to their work. Charlene thought to herself. "Ooooh...yo-yos," Bruno mused as he regarded them both. Already, Charlene found the man in the sky blue jogging suit, and his italian- styled short hair distasteful. "Some real sweet lookin' babies, too. Mus' be my lucky night." He gestured to Nicola, grinning lasciviously. "I know dis yo. How y' doin', Nicky-Nic?" "Hey, baby." Nicola stepped away from Charlene and moved towards Bruno hungrily, who invitingly opened his arms. Once they wrapped around her, she snuggled into his embrace as they locked lips, kissing deeply. The blushing teenager heard Nicola moaning passionately as they kissed. Charlene saw one of Bruno's hands snake up and beneath Nicola's dress as they snuggled, the short-haired blonde panting as she broke off from the kiss and tightened her hug. "Ooohhh...Goddess, Bruno...y-you make me ss- sssso hhhooot..." Charlene could only roll her eyes. So much for the great hairdresser's taste in men. She mused to herself. But they both disengaged, keeping their arms interlocked around their shoulders, as they turned to look upon Charlene. "An' who's yo numba two? I mus' say, ya smoulderin' in dat red dress, baby. Buonasera." Charlene just gave him a nod, and a disinterested smile. "Hi." She could hear Nicola speak into Bruno's ear. "Charlene's kinda shy." "Aaay, yo. Oh, aaay," Charlene recognized Bruno's utterance as being identical to Tony Danza's frequent call of restraint from the TV series Who's The Boss. "Y' don' need ta worry 'bout me, baby. I'm one a' demmmm...sensitive types." "Yeah." Charlene smirked, clearly seeing the bulge between his legs tenting Bruno's sweatpants. "I can tell by your hard-on." "What can I say?" Bruno continued to lay the macho act on thick as he turned his head to Nicola, who was still openly fawning all over him. "I got plenty a' sausage fer da both a' yaz." And once again, Bruno and Nicola locked lips. This time, they got so passionate that they drifted away from Charlene, who slowly shook her head. Nicola practically hopped into his admittedly well-toned arms as they kissed, and he held her up as she lustfully wrapped her legs around his waist. "I wouldn't worry about her," Charlene gasped at the voice behind her, but quickly recognized it in the next moment as Tori. She turned to face her, taking the soda glass Tori brought her. "She may be horny for that guy, but...if he crosses the line with her, he's definitely gonna regret it." "So...what about you?" Charlene asked, idly holding her glass of soda. "Have you, uh, 'got a man'?" Tori lowered her head a little, obviously stung by the question. "I...I'd rather not talk about that, if it's OK." "Oh, shit." Charlene was able to pick up on the hint, feeling bad for having unintentionally struck a nerve. "I'm sorry, Tori." "I just come out here to keep Nic company, and to...y' know, mingle a bit," Tori explained. "I guess I wanna leave it to fate. See if I can find, like, mutual attraction, y' know?" Charlene nodded. "You're looking, but...you're not actively looking. I think I know what you mean." "Yeah! Perfect way of putting it," Tori responded, pausing to sip from her own drink. "So are you new in town?" Charlene nodded. "We moved in a couple of days ago. Came from New York City. We had a Park Place apartment." "Woooow! Your folks must be loaded!" Tori responded, clearly awestruck. "You need to be, like, a millionaire to live in a city like that. I guess the high cost of living out there made you wanna move?" "Oh, believe me...if I had the kind of money my father was making? I'd rather stay in New York City," Charlene admitted. "But my parents kept going on and on about how they wanted a brand new life, yadda, yadda, yadda. Dad practically snapped at me to cave." Tori pouted. "But then...you wouldn't have met me. Or Nic. And you wouldn't have my great makeup job on your face, and Nic's really sexy hairstyle. You said yourself that it goes great with your dress." Charlene nodded, smiling. "And I meant it. You both did a great job." "Excuse me?" A young male voice interrupted the conversation, and when Charlene and Tori turned their heads to the source, their eyes settled upon a generally nice-looking young man with a head of short, plain-looking brown hair, a bit of beard stubble, a striped button-down shirt with the two top buttons undone, and a pair of black slacks. His own eyes were on Charlene. "Could you tell me where I can find the bathroom, Miss?" Tori began to smile as she spoke, the young man's looks obviously perking a nascent interest in him. "I could show you. I've been here before." Although he glanced at Tori, his eyes returned to Charlene. "Can I have you show me, please?" His head turned back to Tori, who now looked a little hurt. "We'll come back. I promise." Charlene was able to pick up on Tori's reaction. "Actually, this is my first time in here, sir. Tori might be a better choice if you're looking for the loo." When his eyes returned to Tori, she had a somewhat hopeful expression on her face. He seemed thoughtful in that moment. "Okay...sure," he finally relented. Tori's eyes lit up as she gestured to follow. "C'mon! Right this way!" She practically dragged him along. Idly glancing down at her untouched soda, Charlene decided to step over to the bar, having been effectively left alone. Her gaze once again scanned around, observing various minglers, kissers, and dancers. When her eyes fell upon Bruno and Nicola, it looked as if she was dry-humping him as they sat at a couch a short distance away. She was obviously in the throes of deep passion as they continued going at it with each other. As she watched them do their thing, Charlene brought the small straw, half-submerged in the soda glass, to her lips so she could sip in a bit of her drink... "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!" The voice startled her as her head snapped to the source of the male voice. It was the very same guy who Tori had escorted to the bathroom. Tori, however, was not with him. "What??" Charlene looked annoyed. "Didn't she help you find the toilet?" "Someone rang her smartphone before we got there. Listen..." He gestured to the soda glass. "...don't drink that. I saw someone slip a roofie into it." Charlene knew all too well what a roofie was. Rohypnol, aka the 'Date Rape Drug'. Guys used it all too often to take advantage of women, and get away with it. She now looked down at her drink cautiously, but at the same time, she was wary of the one warning her as well. "Did you actually see someone putting it in?" Charlene asked. "Oh yeah," The young man confirmed, nodding his head. He then started speaking a little more discreetly. "A lot of sneaky things go on in a city like this. I could tell you no end of stories." Initially ready to rebuke the young man for ditching Tori, his more discreet words now made her incredibly curious, given all the warnings about Bullchester that had been given to her by her online chat friends from New York. Charlene kept her response just as discreet. "I'd like to hear some of those stories, actually." But the young man shook his head. "Not here. We'd have to go outside. These walls have ears." Pulling his head away to resume a more casual conversational tone, he extended a hand. "Lance Turner." The red-dressed teenager shook the offered hand. "I'm Charlene." "Nice to meet you," Lance replied. "Listen...it's getting kind of crowded in here. Would you want to step out and get some fresh air?" Charlene felt a touch of guilt for considering this, knowing that this guy could be just the kind of person to safely talk to regarding her concerns about the city. "I don't know, Lance...I came with two friends, and I should tell you that Tori looked pretty interested in you." "Well, I'm sorry, but...she's really not my type," Lance responded. "What about the other one?" Charlene gestured to where Nicola and Bruno were gyrating together, smirking as she spoke. "Her chitty-chitty is getting bang-banged." "Yikes. They're really going at it." They noticed that the two of them were drawing onlookers, including Tori. "This may be our only chance to escape, Charlene," Lance noted, once again speaking discreetly. Hesitantly, Charlene nodded, and the two of them made their way towards the entrance doors to the club. As she continued to follow Lance, she hoped that she wasn't in the midst of making a terrible mistake in trusting someone she had just met, but the lure that Lance offered sounded a bit too serious to be a mere pick-up line. Lance continued moving until he stopped at a car within the Mall's Parking Lot. He then turned to face Charlene. "Just so you know, I'm not some sneaky rapist or anything. I'm not trying to get into your panties. If you want to hear me talk about the more secretive things that go on in this city, you have to agree to get in my car, and let me drive you outside the city. If you want me to prove that I've got nothing other than my wallet, my keys, my smartphone, and my camera..." "I learned Tae Kwon Do growing up," Charlene assured. "Believe me...I could easily kick your ass all over the inside of your car if you tried to get frisky with me." Seeing the look in her eyes as she spoke, Lance nodded, easily convinced. "Fair enough. That won't happen, but...fair enough. I was never one for martial arts myself." Once they were both in the car, Lance provided another assurance that he would not attack her. He fastened his seatbelt, hoping that watching him do that would set her at ease. She just nodded and fastened her own as Lance started up the car, and quickly rolled out of the Parking Lot. In less than a minute, they were on the Bullchester streets, and distancing themselves from the Mall. Once Lance knew that he had driven his car at least five miles from the borders of Bullchester, he settled his car against the curb in a quiet suburb outside of Bullchester and killed the engine. He then went into his pocket and pulled out his wallet, extracting what looked like an ID card from it. "First thing's first. I lied," Lance began. "About my name, that is," He then handed the ID card to Charlene, who confirmed that the picture on the ID was indeed Lance... ...but the name on the card was not. "My real name is Jonathan Eberhardt, as you can see on my ID there," The young man revealed. "I'm a freelance photographer. I'm currently investigating the disappearance of a friend of mine. His name was Bobby Marks," He pulled out a hand-sized, portrait-style picture of a spike- haired, stubble-faced Caucasian man wearing a black sport jacket over a gray shirt and handed it to Charlene, who gave the picture of the admittedly handsome young man...whose appearance reminded Charlene of a member of a '90s boy band...a closer look. "He came to Bullchester to find a missing kid named Dennis Blake," Jonathan continued. "I warned Bobby to play it very cautiously, too, but his asking around proved to be his biggest mistake. Last thing he messaged me was that he was following a lead that was gonna take him to a nightspot in the city called Cincher's. I haven't heard from him since, and way too much time passed for me to think he just gave up on his search and walked away. Especially when he kept telling me he was getting solid leads. The only conclusion I could come up with was that whoever is behind this apparent conspiracy against men was on to him." Charlene lowered her head thoughtfully. "Conspiracy against men..." "You've seen what most of the guys in town look like, haven't you?" Jonathan asked. "A high percentage of the men in Bullchester have been, or they are in the process of being, emasculated. Sometimes, it's as simple as figuring out the similarities in names. When I got here a week ago, I figured I'd check out Cincher's and follow up on Bobby's leads. They had a busty entertainer performing there that night by the name of Debby Bliss. I'm fairly certain that Debby used to be Dennis Blake." Charlene went quiet as she absorbed all of this. After a moment, Jonathan kept going. "I did some researching on the Bullchester Councillors. All of them were men. I knew one of them. Steve Walker. Always used to brag about girls he shared a bed with in his school days. He was the kind of guy who thought that it was necessary to do things he thought guys always do...sexual conquests included...just to fit in.? Charlene nodded. ?And he disappeared.? ?Like he got zapped with a disintegrator beam,? Jonathan confirmed. ?BUT...funny thing is, a blond female is suddenly among the employees at the municipal offices of Bullchester Mayoress Julia Stroud. I even saw her one night at a restaurant I went to in the city, and I overheard what her name is. Stephanie...? He gestured to Charlene, wanting her to guess the last name. ?...Walker?? Charlene guessed. ?Bingo,? Jonathan remarked. ?How long have you been in Bullchester?? ?We got here a couple of days ago,? Charlene answered. ?Me, my mom and dad, and my younger brother.? ?Have any of them been acting strangely, or looked like they had been given any kind of a makeover?? Jonathan asked next. She wanted to respond in the negative, but she couldn?t. A feeling of dread built up quickly. ?Yes. Mom went to a screen test, and she got in on a new TV show. Now she looks like she?s ready for the red carpet. I saw my dad vacuuming the floors this morning, which is something he never does, and then he went someplace for some kind of job training. Said he?d be away for a while. Stan?s a gamer, and sometimes he?d play those loud action games all through the night. He?s not playing them anymore now. Maybe he?s taking a break from them, I don?t know.? ?You should keep an eye on your brother, then,? Jonathan advised. ?Have you been visited by anyone in your new neighborhood?? Charlene nodded. ?A woman with big boobs. Barbara Walsh.? ?And everything changed after her first visit, right?? Charlene sighed. ?Yeah, pretty much.? Jonathan now had a grave expression on his face. ?Charlene...I realize this is not what you?ll want to hear, but I have a feeling you?re never gonna see your father again. Does he have a history of being...abusive, or rude, towards women?? Charlene shook her head. ?No, not at all. In fact, he got this big raise before he left his advertising job. I always wondered why he wasn?t very happy about it.? ?But you said your dad never usually does any housework, right?? Jonathan asked. ?He leaves all that to his wife?? Charlene nodded. ?They?re old school, my mom and dad. Dad pays the bills, mom does the housework and cooks the meals. She never had issues with that, either.? ?The Sisterhood certainly would, though,? Jonathan warily noted. ?If they ultimately get what they want, women will be the globally dominant gender, and men will either become submissive females, or she-males. That?s why I?m telling you to keep an eye on your brother. If he?s still himself, you?ll want to pack your things, tell him to pack his, and get out of Bullchester while you still can. I have a feeling you won?t be able to get through to your mom and dad. If your brother looks effeminate in any way, it?s likely gonna be too late for him, too. No matter what, you?ll want to get the hell out of that city as soon as possible before they realize that you?re a threat to their plans.? ?But I...? Charlene frowned in her confusion. ?...I?m a girl. They couldn?t do anything like that to me. What, are they gonna turn me into a femmy guy or something?? ?No, but they could try and hurt you through your family,? Jonathan warned. ?You would not want to see your brother become a busty, scantily-clad she-male bimbo who does sex shows with Debby Bliss at Cincher?s, would you? If they know you?ve been working against them, or you?re willing to expose the conspiracy? They?ll do that, Charlene.? Charlene nodded. ?I...I?ll check on my brother. Neither of us know how to drive, though...how are we gonna get out? You expect us to run?? Jonathan shook his head. ?I?ll drive you out. I have to get my findings to the Associated Press anyway. When you do get out, do yourself a favor. Change your name, change your life. Don?t just go back to wherever you came from. They?ll just trace you back there. One other thing...do you have an account on a social media mobile application called Speakabout?? Charlene shook her head. ?Good,? Jonathan responded. ?That?s another thing you need to keep away from.? ?What about this ?Barford SurvStar? thing?? Charlene asked. Jonathan frowned curiously. ?Barford SurvStar?? ?It?s something that self-installed on my computer when I powered it up.? Jonathan had to chuckle over this as he shook his head. ?SurvStar? Spelled S-U-R-V?? Charlene nodded. ?Which implies ?surveillance?. Never heard about it,? Jonathan admitted. ?Gotta be something new. I guess now your computers have ears, don?t they? They?ll probably patch into webcams, too. Heh...goodbye, privacy.? Charlene hung her head helplessly, trying to keep from sobbing. ?And I didn?t want to come here. I never wanted to leave New York...but my dad was so bull-headed about it!? Jonathan placed a hand on Charlene?s shoulder in consolation. ?Best you can do right now is to get back to the house and check on your brother. At the same time, you should get packed and ready to move,? He then fished into a pocket of his slacks and pulled out another card, this one white with raised black lettering. ?Call me when you?re ready to go. I?ll come by as fast as I can and pick you up. You and your brother, if he?s still okay.? The distraught teenager looked to Jonathan fearfully, still trying to hold back the tears. ?Is there any way I can get my parents out of this??? Jonathan, however, shook his head. ?I?m sorry, Charlene. They?ve got your mom for a TV show, and your dad for whatever it is that they want him to become, and I doubt they?ll want him to be anything remotely male.? A thought then occurred to her. ?What about...this woman I met? Tamara Portnoy? She works for a man. An attorney.? Jonathan shrugged. ?Don?t know her.? ?She told me she knows things about this conspiracy, Jonathan,? Charlene remarked. ?We should get her out, too.? ?Have you talked with her?? Jonathan asked. ?Not since I met her at Gourmandizer?s earlier today,? Charlene responded. ?I was gonna talk with her tomorrow.? ?You really shouldn?t take too many chances with people you had just met, Charlene,? Jonathan warned. ?Especially in Bullchester. If you ask me, you should stick to the plan, and get out.? Charlene sighed, rubbing her eyes in her despair. If she did agree to do this, then the very notion of abandoning her parents...and her brother...would be extremely difficult for her to live with if she managed to make it out of the city with Jonathan?s help. A part of her wanted to talk with Tamara and at least confirm some of the things Jonathan had told her. After all...she had only just met Jonathan. She needed proof that he could be trusted. All she had, for the moment, was a picture of a missing person, and Eberhardt?s word. After a long and quiet moment, she finally nodded. ?Okay. I...I?ll call you tomorrow.? Jonathan nodded as he brought the car back to life, starting up the engine. ?Looking on an admittedly unlikely bright side, perhaps if we can expose these bitches, modern science might find a way to reverse whatever effects their subjugations have had on all those former males.? Charlene nodded, still looking troubled. ?Just take me back home, please.? She didn?t have much hope for her brother. Particularly for the fact that she was sure that she heard moaning in his room...and Barbara?s voice...before going to the bathroom to take her morning shower. She was fairly certain that she would be the only member of the Merrywether family to make it out of Bullchester... ...although she refused to believe that there would be no way to get her lost family members back. The ride back to her home was silent, and fearful, as they returned to the Bullchester suburbs once Jonathan inputted Charlene?s home address into the GPS unit in his car. Once the car parked by the curb in front of the Merrywether residence, Jonathan turned his head to her. ?Try to act as natural as possible from now on, and Charlene...as far as everyone else knows, I took you out to another club, and had fun. This conversation we had tonight...? ?...never happened, yes,? Charlene assured. ?I know how the whole cloak and dagger shit works,? She then gave him a more flirtatious look. ?I guess this technically makes you my boyfriend.? Jonathan had to smile at this thought. ?Well...Lance, maybe.? Charlene flirtatiously shrugged, smiling a bit. ?It?s OK. You?re cute enough. You?re certainly brave enough. Which begs the question...is there someone special in your life already?? Although Jonathan certainly found Charlene attractive enough to date, he had to come clean. ?Yeah,? he admitted, after a tense moment of silence. ?And...he worries about me often. I promised to text him every day just to let him know I?m alright while I?m out here.? Charlene blinked in her surprise. It never occurred to the now-blushing teenager that her new friend might actually be gay, or perhaps even bisexual. He placed a hand on Charlene?s shoulder, smiling. ?Sorry to disappoint you.? ?No, no, it?s...OK,? Charlene assured. ?Hey...I?ve got nothing against gays at all. Love is love. How long have you been...?? ?Three years,? Jonathan answered. ?We haven?t married yet, but...well, I?m thinking of popping the question once I?m out of Bullchester. The engagement ring is actually in the glove compartment there.? ?Really?? Charlene looked curious now. ?Can I...can I see it?? Jonathan shook his head. ?Leave it in there. Y?know how you break out cigars when you celebrate something, like a baby?s birth? Well...I don?t want to see that ring again until the time comes for me to get down on one knee in front of Benny. By then, I want to be out of Bullchester so I can put the whole cloak and dagger thing behind me. It?s a pretty crappy way to live.? ?No shit,? Charlene mused as she went for the lever of the car door. ?I?d better go in.? ?Be very careful, Charlene,? Jonathan reminded. ?And don?t forget to call...Lance...when you?re ready.? Charlene nodded. ?I will.? She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. ?Thank you, Lance. You be careful too.? Jonathan just smiled in response as Charlene pushed the car door shut behind her and hurried over to the front door of her house. His smile dissolved as he worriedly stared forward. ?I?ll try,? he finally replied, to himself, as the car rolled away from the curb. * * * Charlene moved quietly, seeing that the house lights were off. She figured this would be her only chance to get a look at her brother, and figure out whether or not he had been as compromised as Jonathan had suggested. The sooner she was aware, after all, the quicker she could contact her new photographer friend against the notion of escaping Bullchester. Even after having absorbed everything she had been told, however, Charlene was still very hesitant with the idea of leaving her parents behind. She would effectively become an orphan, if what Tamara had told her about ?becoming someone else? actually had so much as a hint of truth. Was that what was to become of her parents, she thought? Her father? Was he being re-designed, so to speak? Charlene figured, in the end, that she would cross that bridge when she came to it. For the moment, she tried to enter Stanley?s room, twisting the knob slowly... ...only to find that the knob had been locked. ?Shit,? She silently hissed under her breath. Locks on the inside, too. I won?t be getting in here tonight. She thought to herself. This will have to wait until tomorrow. Charlene saw that the lights were off, and she could hear steady breathing from within the room, so she at least knew that he was in there, and sleeping soundly. She then heard him moan a little as he slept. It was a long, and pleasurable moan. Practically a purr. The sound sent a chill through her, as the moan certainly sounded feminine enough. Charlene now dreaded the notion of waking up to see what her brother looked like. Especially if Barbara Walsh had been doting on him. Was it too late for him, she wondered to herself? No. She had to be sure. With her own eyes. The moan could be nothing more than circumstance. He could just be having a wet dream, perhaps influenced by how alluring Barbara looked. She had thought about beginning to undress for a visit to the shower stall when she heard a haphazard rapping at the front door. The rapping became the repeated, awkward slap of an open palm against the door. Frowning, Charlene stepped over to the front door and quietly opened it. Standing in front of the doorway, looking particularly spent, was Nicola, who stared at Charlene through slitted eyes. She audibly panted as she stood there, apparently trying to keep upright. Judging by the scent of liquor on her breath, which Charlene could smell from where she was standing, it was obvious that Nicola...whose dress looked a little disheveled...had a few drinks too many. ?Hhhhhhhiiii,? Nicola quietly began, flashing a grin upon spotting Charlene. She then stepped up closer to the red-clad young woman, her grin dissolving in favor of a frown. ?W?happen to you? Did y...did you...hhhhome? Y-youuuu...wussy-pussy out on ussss?? Charlene frowned in confusion. ?What happened to your, uh...Pacino?? Nicola immediately began shaking her head. A disgusted look was on her face now. ?Stupid goombah. Got all pissy when he got my panties off,? Her grin then returned as she shrugged. ?S?OK, though. Tori maced ?im. Fongool to that fuckin? ape.? Charlene shrugged. ?Now you know why I never date guys like that. All they wanna do is get in your panties, and then move on to their next trophy wife.? Nicola threw her arms out to the sides as Charlene spoke, suddenly bursting out a giggle. The short-haired platinum blonde then wrapped her thin arms around Charlene and settled her light weight against the surprised teenager. ?Whazzz wrong with me, hmm?? Nicola quietly lamented as she gazed into Charlene?s eyes. ?Don?t I look hhhhhot? Aren?t...my boobies big enough now?? She then ran a hand, lightly, over the hairstyle she gave Charlene earlier, which was still held in place by way of the hairspray Nicola used. She began speaking tenderly now. ?You like my work?? Charlene began to worry about where this was going. ?Nicola...I...think you need to sleep off your...? Nicola pressed her forehead against Charlene?s. ?Tell me. Do you like my hair work?? ?Y...y-yes, I do.? It was horribly inconvenient that Nicola had unconsciously inflicted the mental leap which effectively kept Charlene from shoving Nicola away in that moment. In her early elementary school years, Charlene found a young female classmate very attractive, and in a way that transcended anything platonic. It obviously bothered her, as a consequence, that the social inhibitions of the time prohibited the expression of love between two people who were the same gender. Although they were curious enough to briefly lock their lips together during a lunch recess, they were caught in the act by a monitor, and when Charlene?s parents found out about it, she was grounded for a week. Being this close to a woman again unexpectedly stimulated her. Charlene?s resolve to leave Bullchester momentarily diminished. ?Ssssseeeeee? I?m goooooood,? Nicola purred. Her lips came very close to touching Charlene?s as one of the inebriated young woman?s hands caressed the side of Charlene?s face. ?I?m sssooooo gooooood,? Nicola?s arms then squeezed Charlene in a tight, but gentle hug. Her lips then came close to Charlene?s ear. ?Let?s go back to th? club.? Charlene now felt wary about this offer. ?Well, I...I was gonna...? ?S?OK, you still have your hand stamp, don?t you?? Nicola grabbed Charlene?s right wrist and held it up to check the back of her hand. The stamp mark was still there. ?Yeah, see? They?ll let y? back in. C?mooooon...you left so early. Didn?t y? like th? nightclub?? Charlene nodded, her eyelids lowering. Being this close to Nicola was still arousing her. ?Yeah...I did...? ?Sssssoooooo?? A grinning, flirtatious Nicola began to drag Charlene away from the front door, which was still slightly open. ?Come with me. Let?s go back an? paaaaaar-tyyyyy.? Charlene?s resistance was mild, and she glanced back to the front door once. ?Wait, I gotta...close the front door...? Nicola fished into her pocketbook and pulled out a small black plastic aerosol can. ?Here...lemme refresh y? perfume...? ?I?ll be just a sec, let me...? Nicola misted Charlene?s face with a thick smog of the unmarked spray. In the platinum blond girl?s drunken haze, she had just blindly grabbed one of the aerosol bottles that was in her pocketbook, believing it was the perfume Nicola used. What the inebriated girl grabbed and sprayed instead was the formula that she was to use in the event of resistance from a belligerent person. It did have a perfume scent, but its primary effect was much stronger as Charlene began to cough a bit... ...and then, in the next moment, her thoughts became horribly jumbled. Her eyes blinked rapidly as Nicola placed the spray back in her purse. It was then that Nicola apparently realized her mistake as she gave the contents of her pocketbook a doubletake. ?Oh, fuck...? Nicola sifted through the purse. ?...that wasn?t what I...? She then glanced up at Charlene, a more insidious smile on her face now as she once again closed in on the more pliant teenager. ?...oh well.? Charlene tried to fight what was going on in her head, but all she could do was stare blankly, her mouth slightly agape, as Nicola once again wrapped her arms around Charlene. ?Let?s go back t? the club. Yes?? Nicola once again pressed her forehead against Charlene?s. Her more pliant mind could only agree, and the dazed teenager nodded. As she led Charlene back to the bus stop to catch a ride back to the Mall, Nicola wrapped an arm around Charlene?s shoulders, leading her somewhat haphazardly over, as she was still buzzed from the many Long Island Iced Teas she drank at the club. ?I?m gonn? serenade you now, baby...cuz I wanna serenade my new bitch.? Two can play the bi game, mommy dearest. Nicola thought to herself as she began to slowly and quietly sing to Charlene, who could do nothing other than listen, and follow the lead of the pretty girl she was with. The song, rendered hauntingly as it came forth from Nicola?s lips, continued during, and after, the ride back to the Mall. Luck, be a lady to-niiiiight, Luck, be a lady to-niiiiight, Luck, if you?ve ever been a la-dy to be-gin wiiith, Luck, be a lady to-niiiight. Luck, let a gentleman seeee, how nice a dame y? can beeee, I know the way you trea-ted o-ther guys ya been with, Luck, be a laaa-dy with meeeee... A lady wouldn?t leeeeave her es-cort, it isn?t faaair, it isn?t niiiiice, a lady wouldn?t wan-der all o-ver the room, and blooow on some other guy?s dice. Nicola stopped for a moment to step into the bus. She barely had the lucidity to pay the fare. Once the two ladies settled into a pair of seats as the bus rolled out, Nicola turned Charlene?s head towards her and stared into her eyes lustfully as the dazed teenager leaned into her inebriated friend, panting lightly. Nicola then resumed singing, keeping the tone of her voice tender... Sooo, let?s keep the par-ty po-liiiiite, neee-ver get out of my siiiiight, stick with me, ba-by, I?m the fel-low you came in wiiiith, Luck, be a lady to-niiiiight... Their lips pressed together in the next moment. Nicola maneuvered herself on top of Charlene as the mostly empty bus made its way towards the Mall, passionately kissing the dazed teenager much more passionately as they both writhed in the bus seat. ?You love this,? Nicola purred into Charlene?s ear at one point. ?You love this. You love meee.? As Charlene?s mind was still pliant for the next few minutes, she deeply absorbed these words as they continued kissing passionately. When they broke the kiss, and as Charlene panted in her exhaustion, Nicola continued to speak tenderly into the dazed teen?s ear after settling into the empty seat next to her. ?Did I ever tell you that I once...had a cute little kitty-cat when I was a kid? She was named...Cher. That?s another name for Charlene, isn?t it?? Charlene was coming out of the chemically-induced daze at this point, but the mental conditioning had been laid in. She was still catching her breath from the lingered kissing. ?C?mere, kitty-cat,? Nicola cooed...and once again, their lips locked. They paused, once again, long enough to step out of the bus once they had gotten to the Mall stop. Nicola turned around and crooked a finger, gesturing for Charlene to follow. ?Heeere, kitty, kitty, kitty,? Nicola amusedly remarked, provoking a smirk from the more lucid Charlene. Within her mind, however, she seemed to be battling her own thoughts. Why am I back here? She wondered. I should go back home and get some sleep. Lots to prepare for tomorrow! No I shouldn?t. Another mental voice asserted within her mind. It?s early. I need to have a good time after all this stress. I wanna have fun with Nicola. Meow. Showing their hand stamps to the bouncer allowed them both to go back into the club, where Tori immediately spotted them and headed over. ?Nic! Charlene!? Tori chirped. She smiled to Charlene. ?I?m glad you came back.? The red-dressed teenager smiled. ?Hi, Tori.? ?I?m gonna go have some fun with my little kitty,? Nicola draped an arm around Charlene, who snuggled into the short-haired platinum blonde. ?Is Leanne still around?? Tori shook her head. ?She got bored and left,? Her eyes then fell on Charlene. ?Where?s that cute guy we talked to?? ?Huh? Oh...uh, I...found out he was gay, Tori,? Charlene admitted. ?We went to another club, but...it was a little more crowded, so he took me home.? ?And then I found her, and brought her back here,? Nicola grinned as she turned her head to Charlene. ?C?mon, kitty-cat. Let?s get frisky.? ?Meow,? Charlene heard herself say. She then blinked, and frowned in her confusion over what she had just said as Nicola led her to a rear area of the club, where more plush and comfortable couches were set up. The music was a bit softer here as well. Two other couples were back here, and they were sharing tender moments here as well. ?Is this...where you took that guido?? Charlene curiously asked. Nicola sighed irritably as she settled into the couch. ?Yeah...but we didn?t do anything because that dumb shit got all angry. Just another stuck-up prude.? Charlene?s eyes widened. ?Prude? That guy?? The platinum blond girl pulled Charlene into her lap. ?I don?t wanna talk about it, an? I don?t wanna r?member it,? A lascivious grin formed on Nicola?s mouth. ?Not when I?m hungry.? Although a part of Charlene felt a little alarmed over Nicola?s possessive behavior, the red-dressed teen nevertheless narrowed her eyes lustily, and then leaned her upper body into Nicola, who wrapped her arms around Charlene and began to kiss her on the lips yet again. Nicola?s lips then traveled across Charlene?s cheek, giving little love pecks before reaching her right earlobe, where she began to alluringly nibble. Nicola?s tongue ran around, and into Charlene?s ear, forcing lusty moans from the teenager?s mouth. Her body began to tremble. She never imagined she could get so aroused from having her ears nibbled on, and licked! The moment was all the more exciting for the fact that this was a girl Charlene was actually making out with. She had been curious ever since that one occasion when she tried to experiment with lesbian affections. An occasion which obviously failed. Here, however, it was her second chance...and so far, she was clearly enjoying it. Nicola exposed one of Charlene?s breasts, and began kissing gently at the nipple. The sensations were almost rapturous as the teenager?s eyes widened, her mouth agape as she panted. Nicola paused a moment to crane her head up, grinning as she brought up a hand to stroke her fingers along Charlene?s neck, gently scratching beneath her chin. ?Goooood kitty,? Nicola cooed. Before Charlene could reply, Nicola had already begun applying her mouth to the other nipple, once again driving Charlene wild with lust. The short-haired platinum blonde?s applications were gentle and nurturing as she continued to pleasure the enraptured teen. Omigod, this feels incredible... Charlene thought to herself as she gently moaned. After a few minutes, Nicola brought her head up to meet Charlene?s half- lidded eyes, grinning lasciviously as she rubbed at the side of her head. ?It?s your turn now, kitty-cat.? Rising up a little more, Nicola pulled aside a portion of her dress to expose the nipple of her right, C-cup breast. Positioning it in front of Charlene?s mouth, the aroused teen began to kiss at the nipple slowly, her right hand rubbing at the soft mound of flesh around it. The platinum blonde began to pant, savoring a rush of pleasure all her own from Charlene?s suckling. Nicola began to tenderly caress Charlene?s hair as she continued kissing and suckling at her breast... ...while a more lucid side of Charlene felt compelled to give the area between Nicola?s legs a rub, owing to what she had learned from Jonathan hours before. Although the bulge was small, it definitely felt like there was a cocklette there. She was a MAN?? Charlene argued to herself, pausing for a brief, tense moment. I knew it. She?s part of the conspiracy! Break off! Nicola kept gently running her fingers through Charlene?s hair, gently scratching at it. The feeling was quite pleasant. But she?s...so gentle...even when she?s drunk... Charlene rationalized in the next moment as she switched breasts to suckle on Nicola?s other nipple. ...and she doesn?t sound like a man at all...she?s not trapping me, or hurting me. This is...this is love. Nicola?s hands then went to Charlene?s shoulders, and she brought her back to eye-level. Her soft arms then wrapped around the infatuated teen tightly in a loving hug. ?You?re so goooood, my little kitty-caaaat...? They then lowered themselves onto the nearby couch. Nicola then laid Charlene across the couch and began to kiss her once again, sliding her painted lips slowly and tenderly against Charlene?s. She then laid her body against the teen?s, moaning softly, and then let out a long sigh. In that moment, Charlene felt happy that she came back. A gentle smile was on her face as she wrapped her own arms around Nicola. Yes. She assured herself. This is love. Or is it? Her more lucid side then argued. Doesn?t she suddenly feel a little more...heavy? After a moment, Charlene began to hear a semblance of snoring coming from Nicola?s mouth. Sure enough, Nicola had passed out. Charlene gave her a nudge, but the platinum blonde was not responding. She sighed as Nicola continued to sleep upon her. NOW she has me trapped. Charlene mused to herself. I might need to shove her off. Fortunately, Tori had re-appeared, going into the back rooms curiously. She was alone when she spotted her two friends at one of the plush couches as three other couples were having their own tender moments. Tori spoke softly as she stepped over. ?Cher? How?re you doing?? Charlene sighed. ?Nic passed out. We should get her home. Can you help me?? Tori nodded. They both very carefully pulled Nicola up, each girl taking an arm, and the tips of the unconscious platinum blonde?s shoes dragged against the floor as they carried her through the club towards the front door. One of the bouncers noticed this and hurried over to scoop Nicola up in his large arms while Tori called for a taxi. Charlene checked her smartphone for the time. It was 4:29 a.m. Within moments, the cab Tori called had arrived, and the bouncer carefully inserted Nicola into the passenger seat, while Tori and Charlene flanked her. A few minutes after the cab had pulled away from the Mall, Tori turned her head to Charlene. ?I guess you two had a good time tonight.? Charlene just smiled to Tori in response, and then let out a big yawn. ?I have a feeling she?s doing this to spite her mom,? Tori continued. ?She has bisexual tendencies, too. They always seem to be in some kind of competition with each other.? Charlene turned her head to Tori. ?What about you? You didn?t find anyone else?? Tori shook her head. ?I just did a little dancing and scoping. Talked with a friend or two from Feetham?s, not much else.? ?You?ll find someone,? Charlene assured Tori. ?You?re a really cute and nice girl. You did a great job on my makeup, too. I felt so many eyes following me around while I was there.? Tori smiled. ?I guess that comes from all our time spent working at the Butterfly Salon,? The cab began to slow down, and then settle against a curb. ?We?re here. Driver...? She gave the cab driver a handful of bills. ?...take her home when she comes back.? Charlene now felt a little troubled over the revelation that both Nicola and Tori were Butterfly Salon employees. She nevertheless helped Tori bring Nicola into their home space, settling her onto the bed in her bedroom before returning to the front door. Tori gave Charlene a kiss on her cheek when they were back at the front door. ?Thanks so much for coming out tonight. I hope to see you again soon!? The ride back to Charlene?s Barford home was in complete silence as she contemplated the last revelation, which seemed to have sobered her up considerably. The Butterfly Salon was a place she had always wanted to avoid. Tonight, she shared a long moment of affection for someone who actually worked there. And yet, she could not stop thinking about Nicola, and how gentle she was with her, even in her inebriated state. The thought of being with her again lingered even as she got under the covers to finally get some sleep. By the time her consciousness faded, it was 5:05 a.m. * * * An hour after Charlene had returned home, Stanley?s eyes fluttered open. Slowly pushing aside the bedsheets that covered his sleeping frame, he brought his black lingerie-covered torso up from the mattress... ...and he felt an odd weight at his chest. Looking down, he saw that the chest area of his lingerie slip was bulging a bit. Bringing his hands up to his breasts, he discovered that the skin around the nipples had expanded into two generously-sized mounds. He also noticed that the skin on his hands was now noticeably pale. Slipping out of his bed, he moved to look at himself in the bedroom mirror, the room illuminated by the bright sunlight shining through the window... ...and he saw that the rest of his hairless body also looked very pale. Almost a milk-white in perplexion. His hair had grown a bit as well, reaching down past his shoulders now, and it was a bit less brown as well. In fact, his hair looked as if it were on its way to becoming completely blond. Carefully removing the lingerie slip, he stood and stared at his own larger breasts. They were full, firm D-Cups! His figure was a little slimmer as well, and a closer look revealed that the nubs of his nipples were bigger. Looking down to his crotch, he saw that his penis had also diminished a little more. From the looks of it, a pair of female panties could hide his cocklette a bit more capably now. Stanley suddenly felt a bit of an unpleasant churning at his gut as he stared at his reflection. It was a feeling not too far removed from starvation. Carefully placing his lingerie slip back over his pale and effeminate body, he left his room and went downstairs, walking over to the kitchen on his bare feet with hurried steps. He could feel his newly-grown breasts lightly bouncing beneath his chin. Instinct guided him as he opened the refrigerator and immediately went for the one thing that stood out to his wandering eyes. Stanley pulled out the large jug of whole milk and then looked for the largest glass in the cabinet. Once he found one, he poured the white liquid into the glass as close to the brim as possible and began to drink. The taste was heavenly. He was naturally a milk drinker, but somehow, the stuff tasted even better now. The churning in his gut did not feel as bad now. On the next tilt of his glass, he finished the rest of it, and then refilled the glass, once again coming as close to the brim as possible. The manner in which he drank the second glass caused the overflowing milk to run down along the sides of his mouth, making a couple of small puddles on the kitchen floor. Upon noticing this, Stanley dropped to his knees and put his lips to those puddles, sipping up the milk puddles and licking the residue. Lingering on his knees, he took a deep breath, closing his eyes relaxedly. He was feeling a wonderful afterglow all of a sudden. The churning in his gut was completely gone now. It just felt so natural, in that moment, to be on the ground as he was. He felt blissed. Soft-headed. Docile. About five full, quiet minutes later, he began to come to his senses. Rising up to his feet, his first instinct was to head back to his room, pull off his lingerie slip, and then pull on the black and white maid outfit Barbara had bought for him. His feet went into the slippers, and he pulled on the elbow-length latex gloves. As the maid outfit seemed loose in the chest when he had it on the last time, the outfit felt much more snug there now that his chest had expanded so dramatically. Although the house was mostly clean as it was before Charlene had gone out and Stanley went to bed, he found it prudent to go over the floors with a broom. As he did, however, he noticed that he was tiring out pretty quickly. He was barely able to go over the kitchen before he began panting exhaustedly. Once the dust he had swept into the dustpan went into the trash, he stored the broom and the dustpan and went into the living room to relax with another full glass of milk. Once again, Stanley felt blissed as he sat and stared forward, his eyes half-lidded, while drinking his milk. He hardly noticed the clicks of the front door unlocking, and a familiar face step into the house. Barbara Walsh, who had another shopping bag in her right hand, then stepped over to Stanley as he continued to blissfully stare forward, pocketing the house key as she did. ?Good morning, dear.? She reached down to rub at the side of Stanley?s face. He responded with a long, relaxed sigh. ?Mmmm. You look tired,? Barbara mused. ?Let me guess. You tried a bit of cleaning, and you got all too easily exhausted. Am I right?? Stanley slowly nodded. ?Yes, well...I?m afraid I should apologize, sweetie,? Barbara remarked. ?For the kind of work you?re eventually going to be doing, you won?t have the energy to do much cleaning...but then, we expect the actual maid of the house to be ready to come back here very soon. Let?s get you on your feet and get this uniform off of you. I want to see how you are looking this morning anyway.? Helping Stanley get back up to his feet, Barbara helped him to remove the maid uniform, untying the white apron, and then unzippering the black dress beneath. Once she pulled it down and he stepped out of it, Barbara gazed upon how well-developed his newly-grown D-cups were. They were obviously a dramatic development from the barely A-cups that they were the previous day. Usually, it took a bit of time...over a period of days...through the conventional feminization methods used by the Sisterhood for a subject to develop breasts of this size. Obviously, they had grown to full D-cups overnight by way of the Project Heifer formula. But then, she knew that this was just the beginning, and that they would grow quite a few cups larger from here. ?Good. Now settle yourself back down on the couch again,? Barbara instructed. ?Nice and easy now.? Once Stanley complied, Barbara lowered to one knee in front of him. Petal had informed her of this next necessary step in the development of their first Heifer subject. Holding Stanley steady, Barbara brought her head towards one of his large mammaries, and then fastened her lips over its larger nub. Stanley sucked in a big breath upon feeling Barbara begin to suck upon the nipple. His head arched back as he began to pant quietly, lost to the incredible sensations that were coursing through his body as the busty woman in front of him orally administered to his bigger breast. The effeminately-breasted boy was, mentally, in heaven. The sensations from the breast Barbara was beginning to draw milk from were causing him to tremble in sheer ecstacy. His tiny cocklette went rock-hard. He wanted this feeling to linger indefinitely. It certainly felt like it would, particularly when Barbara?s lips switched from one breast to the other, and the pleasurable feelings resumed once more. Stanley never stopped, nor interrupted the Barford midwife?s suckling, and he certainly didn?t want to. All he could do was let out little moans and pants as he sat there, half-lidded. Once Barbara felt that he had stimulated his new breasts enough, she released the nipple and brought her head back up to look upon Stanley?s lazy-looking eyes. ?Don?t you find it strange that you feel the way you do right now?? The busty midwife asked, a slight smile on her face. ?You shouldn?t have reacted as you did. Only women enjoy having their breasts suckled. Big breasts, longer hair...? She brought her lips close to Stanley?s right ear, speaking softly. ?...are you becoming a woman, sweetie? Should we give you a girl?s name? Seeing as how male shirts are going to look funny on you from now on? Shall we get you a bra?? ?I...hmmmh...? was all that came out of Stanley?s mouth in response. ?Mmmm, look at you. You look so...docile. So lazy,? Barbara mused as she lightly rubbed at the top of Stanley?s hair. ?Only cows look that docile and lazy. Is that what you are now? Maybe we should start calling you ?Annie?. Don?t you look like an ?Annie? now? Annie Merrywether?? Stanley?s eyes went down to his breasts again, staring at them lazily. ?Unbelievable, isn?t it?? Barbara mused into his ear. ?You have breasts now, and they?re going to grow soooo big. You?re going to need them for the kind of work you?ll be doing. You felt how wonderful it was to have your teats suckled, right? How would you like to feel it so much more often? Whenever our babies need to be fed, we?re going to bring them to you.? Stanley slowly brought his head up to gaze upon Barbara?s eyes curiously. ?B-babies?? Barbara kept her tone nurturing as she spoke. ?Don?t worry. It?ll be easy work. I?ll be there to help you through it all. All you need to do is sit in a nice, comfortable place while we bring you whoever needs to be fed...and when you?re not doing that, you can help me in giving assistance to other pregnant women when it?s time for them to deliver their babies.? Stanley just stared lazily forward at this. He looked as if he were in a trance, given the way he was gazing so blankly. Barbara leaned in close to her quarry, pressing her clothed body against his naked one as she whispered enticingly into his ear. ?We?ll make a great team, you and I. Our work is going to be so important. We?re bringing life into the world. Helping them to be well-fed, and strong, and healthy. A job like that is so much more fulfilling compared to using your body for sex, like those girls in your smut magazines do. You don?t want a life like that, do you? That?s an ugly life,? Barbara shook her head as she sat on Stanley?s lap. ?No. You don?t want that. You want to be just like me. Just like me.? Barbara brought her lips to Stanley?s right ear, whispering enticingly. ?Juuuust...liiiike...meeeee.? Before Stanley could even try to say anything in the next moment, Barbara planted her lips over his, kissing very deeply as she continued to rub at his hair. She moaned as she lingered the kiss, settling her womanly body on top of his. After the long and passionate moment between them passed, Barbara?s lips moved back over to Stanley?s right ear as he panted ecstatically. ?Follow me back to your stall, Annie.? Helping the dazed, effeminate, and naked young man to his feet, he practically staggered along behind Barbara as they went up the stairs to go back into Stanley?s room. Barbara picked up the shopping bag she had with her before she went. Closing and locking the door behind her, Barbara pulled out a box, and opened it. She made sure Stanley did not see the contents of this box. ?Turn around, cow. Face your back to me,? Barbara instructed. ?And close your eyes.? Complying with Barbara?s request, Stanley felt stretchy fabric settle around his large breasts. He was at least lucid enough to know what this was as Barbara clasped the feminine garment shut behind him. ?OK, Annie,? Barbara took a step back, grinning at the design of the first Heifer subject?s new bra. ?Open your eyes, and look down at your boobs.? When his eyelids opened, they saw that he did indeed have a bra on, but he now noticed that the bra had a black-blotched white design, much like the pattern of a holstein cow?s hide. Barbara next presented him with a matching set of panties, which Stanley slipped on over his privates below. Stanley then went back to staring, in awe, at his own cleavage. As he did, he heard a brief rustling from Barbara?s shopping bag, and he then saw a pair of rolled-up brown garments held before him, which looked like a pair of pantyhose. ?Put these on next, girl,? Barbara cooed into Stanley?s ear. ?Roll them slooooowly up your smooth, sexy gams. One at a time.? Seeing how they looked when Barbara handed them to him, he looked one of them over, and saw an entry hole in the gathered-up nylons. Complying with Barbara?s request, he carefully rolled one up along his leg, pulling gently as he continued to bring the edge of the pantyhose further up along his leg until the material comfortably and flexibly hugged the jointed limb. He then slid the other pantyhose piece up his other leg in the very same manner. ?Mmmm, they look so sexy on you. Good girl, Annie,? Barbara complimented, rubbing at Stanley?s hair some more. The boy still looked blissed as he stared down at his own, nylon-covered legs. Barbara?s next unboxed acquisition from the shopping bag was a one-piece dress which the busty midwife had to have Stanley slip his arms into. It was a long-sleeved, long-skirted pink floral garment which needed to be zippered up from behind. A button at the back tightened a collar that was a part of the dress. A pair of pink flats...another acquisition from the shopping bag...were dropped down for Stanley to put his nylon- covered feet into. The Barford midwife then turned her subject to face his bedroom mirror, and he got a good look at himself wearing the beautifully effeminate dress. What little lucidity remained in his mind found it hard to believe this was actually him, particularly with such a noticeable swell in the chest area. ?You?re such a pretty girl, Annie,? Barbara cooed, smiling. ?Now you?re all ready to come with me.? Stanley curiously turned his long-haired head to Barbara. ?Wh-where are we going?? He weakly asked, his voice sounding a little higher than before. Barbara unlocked the door and led Stanley back out of his room. ?Back to the Mall, of course. Shopping spree. We need to get you some more dresses, more underwear...a little of everything. After we?re done, we move to another, much more momentous part of your day today.? Stanley stared at her curiously, his mouth a little slack as they walked out of the house and towards Barbara?s car. ?Which is...?? Barbara waited until she was able to secure Stanley in the passenger seat, his safety belt securely fastened before she started up the engine. ?Your first Salon visit, of course.? VIII: The Kitty-Cat and the Cradle Time to get up, time to cook! Then go clean wherever you look! Then shop and pay for what you took! The words kept repeating over and over as Cameron rose from his deep sleep. The voice was perpetually...and annoyingly...chirpy and upbeat. He was reminded of female voice-overs from soap opera commercials during the 1970s. He was relieved to have left the embarrassments of his first attempts at cooking big meals behind him. Irene Moore?s reaction was not much different from Gordon Ramsay?s reaction to bad cooking on the Hell?s Kitchen TV show, only Irene did not need to yell to show how displeased she was. Her punishments certainly made up for that, however. He was required to eat every single scrap of the failed foods, regardless of how burnt, or raw, the food was. These meals were rich not only in proteins, but in calories as well. This in addition to the equally caloric failed meals he consumed for breakfast and lunch as well. Which was likely why his tummy was visibly round this morning as he sat up in his bed in the plain-looking bedroom he had been given. He was told that he would have slept in a much nicer-looking guest bedroom if his first attempt at cooking meals was more of a success. Still, Cameron was able to get a decent night?s sleep. It didn?t bother him very much that his room wasn?t the most lavish. He had slept in worse surroundings. One of his habits in waking up in the morning was that he would rub at the smooth bald spot on his head with one hand as he yawned. He frowned in confusion, however, over what he had actually felt. There was hair stubble all over the bald spot! Hurrying over to a large mirror in the bedroom, he bent his head down a bit and glanced at the stubble as best he could, using the sunlight coming through the nearby window for illumination. Although he confirmed it visually, there was a peculiarity about the stubble itself which Cameron couldn?t immediately come up with an explanation for. Given the natural color of his hair, which was a light brown, he imagined that the stubble would bear the same color if, for whatever reason, his natural hair was indeed growing back in. But the stubble follicles were a silvery white. Cameron wondered if this was a side effect to the inoculation Irene had given him yesterday afternoon prior to beginning his housekeeping lessons, which she had logically explained to be a measure against any germs Cameron might come into contact with through his housekeeping. He made a mental note to inquire about the apparent side effect with Irene at his next opportunity. For the moment, Cameron had a considerable humiliation to endure. During his endless training lessons of the previous day, he was allowed to wear the clothes he had on when he arrived at the mansion. Irene, however, showed him the uniform that he was to wear beginning the very next day, right before he took his evening shower beneath an admittedly strange, but nevertheless relaxing stream of foamy pink water. Although the colors of the uniform were not the traditional black and white, it was a maid uniform nevertheless. He knew the completely feminine outfit would look totally ridiculous on him, given its white floral design and its lavender highlights. It also had a skirt. A skirt! The very antithesis of masculinity! If Irene wanted him to do any shopping in public wearing this uniform... Cameron figured that he could at least curry a favor if he was able to do a better job cooking breakfast this morning. Begrudgingly stepping over to the folded maid garments, he began slipping into the stretchy fabric in the manner Irene had shown to him last night. Cameron?s face went beet red as he looked down upon the dreaded skirt area. He was at least relieved that his legs...which were as astonishingly hairless as the rest of his body once he came out of last night?s shower...were not bare. But there was another part of the maid uniform which would not only prove humiliating, but dangerous as well. Particularly if he was to cook with them on! To make matters worse, there wasn?t a single time in Cameron?s life, young or old, in which he ever tried to walk around wearing high-heeled shoes of the feminine variety. Although Irene had certainly explained how to walk in them prior to Cameron?s bedtime, he never actually tried them on, and he never practiced walking in them. He got the feeling, as he carefully slipped his foot into each high- heeled, lavender-colored shoe, that this was going to be a very long and torturous day. His first steps in the surprisingly sturdy shoes were accompanied by an embarrassing wobble as he tried to balance himself in them. As Irene had explained, the concept of wearing high-heeled shoes was not unlike walking around on tiptoes, and the trick was to always remember this. A sharp knocking at the bedroom door made him wobble to the point where he nearly stumbled to the ground. The voice that followed... Irene?s...definitely sounded angry. ?I hope you?re awake in there, Cammy!? ?Yes, Mrs. Moore, Ma?am!? Cameron confirmed, carefully stepping over to the bedroom door to open it. Irene?s eyes scanned over Cameron?s outfit from head to toe as she slowly paced around him, holding a less-than-pleased expression. ?You don?t look too happy to be wearing this. Are you trying to tell me that you have no interest in learning the skills you?re going to need to be able to make a living in this city?? There were any number of arguments Cameron wanted to initiate in that moment... ...but none of them emerged from his mouth. ?No, Mrs. Moore, Ma?am,? He calmly replied. ?No, as in...you?re not trying to tell me that, or you have no interest in my training you?? ?I-I?m not trying to tell you that, Mrs. Moore, Ma?am,? Cameron glumly replied. ?Good,? Irene responded. ?Now...what time did we agree on last night as to when you were supposed to be up, dressed, and ready to cook breakfast?? ?6:00 in the morning, Mrs. Moore, Ma?am,? Cameron answered. Irene nodded. ?Six O?Clock sharp. And what time is it right now?? ?Ten minutes past the hour, Mrs. Moore, Ma?am,? Cameron deeply blushed in embarrassment upon answering her question. ?It?s your first time wearing the uniform and those shoes, so I will give you a pass,? Irene noted. ?This is the ONLY time, however, that I will do this. If you?re not up and cooking breakfast at the top of the hour, I guarantee you there will be consequences. Not one minute past six from now on. Understood?? ?Yes, Mrs. Moore, Ma?am.? ?Good,? Irene gestured to the bedroom door, keeping her cold gaze on Cameron. ?Get on over to the kitchen and get started. I?m hungry.? Most of the previous day?s cooking training dealt with where Cameron needed to look to find things. Where to find the pots and pans, the utensils, the burners, the ovens, the cutlery, and so forth. He was also told that a post-it note on the wall of the state-of-the-art refrigerator unit would inform Cameron of what manner of meal he was to prepare for Irene. Upon a sturdy wooden shelf on the wall, above the surface of the nearby countertop, were a row of cookbooks. It was from these books that he selected nine recipes...three for breakfast, three for lunch, and three dinner selections...that he needed to try and commit to memory. From these three, Irene would make her choice and mark it on the Post-it note. This morning, she wanted Pancakes, Sausage, and Hash Browns. A plate full of blueberry muffins were to be prepared as well. Each needed to be made from scratch. Nothing was pre-prepared or pre- set. Potatoes were needed for the Hash Browns, the batter needed to be prepared for the pancakes, and the dough for the muffins needed to be cultivated. Blueberries needed to be extracted from where they were stored as well. The surfaces of the cooking pots and pans that he needed also had to be buttered, even if they were non-stick surfaces. Cameron already knew the penalty for ruining a meal, and he could still feel the weight of everything he had eaten in his gut. Although the added weight made his movements a bit sluggish, Cameron kept working. After observing his failure of the previous day, Irene had angrily given him a mantra to fall back on when it came to cooking any of his meals: if it was light brown, it was good. If it was black, it was shit. And if it was shit, Cameron would have to eat it. ALL of it. Upon actually completing the two main dishes he was required to make, the pancakes turned out to be more of a hard brown than a light one. Black burn spots flecked the hash browns, the sausages were undercooked, and the muffins Cameron produced had bunched blueberries in some of the muffins, and hardly any blueberries at all in others. Still wobbling on the heels of his shoes, Cameron still had to place the food he had prepared. It then fell to Irene to inspect her new maid?s work. Sure enough, she placed each and every one of the hard brown flapjacks on Cameron?s plate, and only took the two that were the closest to light brown. She also insisted that Cameron consume all of the problematic muffins he had made, as well as the sausages. She was doubly particular about the hash browns, too, separating what was burnt from what was edible, and making sure Cameron had all the burnt portions. ?Remember, Cammy...you?re doing this to yourself,? Irene scolded as she began eating the pancake wedges she had drenched in syrup. ?You?re already sporting a pretty big gut from all of your cooking failures yesterday. If you keep this up, you?re going to become quite the butterball by the time your training is done, and you have a long, long way to go yet before I?m ready to let you go.? In the silence during their meal, Cameron finally seized the initiative to make his inquiry. ?Mrs. Moore, Ma?am...I...noticed that I?m growing hair on my bald spot, but it looks...um, it looks white. My hair is light brown.? ?Which is what your flapjacks should have been,? Irene coldly reminded, loading her mouth with a couple of pancake wedges. ?But...is this, like, a side effect of that inoculation you gave me yesterday?? Cameron curiously inquired. This seemed to upset Irene a little, and she sighed irritably. ?First off, Cammy...I will only warn you once. Never use the word ?but? with me,? Irene firmly warned. ?I have a nasty habit of punishing people under me who use that word for any reason. Second, I am not a scientist, so I wouldn?t know anything about any side effects. For as long as you?re still breathing, you?re still capable of cooking, cleaning, and shopping, and you?re still capable of putting on that uniform and continuing your training, I wouldn?t worry about any unimportant ?side effects?. Just concentrate on your training, and don?t be a whiny little bitch. Are we clear, maid?? Cameron lowered his head ashamedly as he looked down at one of his undercooked sausages. ?Yes, Mrs. Moore, Ma?am.? The tedium of going over the kitchen inventory was Cameron?s post- breakfast job. Predictably, Irene completed her breakfast before her maid did, so there was a bit of a delay as the underperforming, amateur cook had to finish consuming his own problematic meal. To say he felt overloaded was certainly an understatement as he set to cleaning the kitchen once Cameron finished his breakfast. Anything he used went into the sink, where he began washing every utensil, every plate, and every pot and pan that was used in putting together his...attempt...at breakfast. Once the kitchen was as tidy as it was when Cameron first entered it, and he had misted the room with a sweet-smelling air freshener to give it the finishing touch Irene wanted, he folded up the inventory page, placed it in a pocket of his maid outfit, and began gathering up housekeeping implements to begin cleaning the many rooms of the large mansion. Sweeping, mopping, polishing...the responsibility fell solely to Cameron as Irene left the mansion to begin her day?s work at Feetham?s. As Irene explained that each room of the mansion was under visual surveillance, and each room was keyed to a unique computer housekeeping program that gave graphic indications of areas of the mansion which did...and which did not...receive any daily cleaning work, even if they were already clean, it was effectively impossible for Cameron to ignore any one area of the mansion in his daily housekeeping without being caught. Every floor needed to be swept or vacuumed, every piece of furniture needed to be polished, and every bit of used clothing needed to go into the laundry room?s washing machine. Before each article of clothing went in, it also fell to Cameron to check them for any deep stains that needed special attention prior to running them in the wash. Any garments with holes needed to be set aside for repair as well. And as mending such holes was a part of Cameron?s training the previous day, that responsibility fell to him as well. Irene had permitted Cameron the grace of holding off on the cleaning of some of the mansion?s rooms so that he could drive out to Gourmandizer?s and make his daily shopping trip, which proved to be the most humiliating part of his day, as he needed to do this while wearing his effeminate maid uniform. The inventory items on his list needed to be addressed here as he shopped, and he was told during Irene?s orientation that any consumables in the mansion could be replenished through a visit to that particular supermarket. This extended to Cameron?s housekeeping materials as well. As he continued to get through his maid duties, he began to get accustomed to walking around in heels. Wobbling became less frequent as he went through the shopping lanes, although this was justified by his determination to get through the humiliation of effectively crossdressing in public without looking too much like a fool. He could feel people?s eyes linger, either curiously or incredulously, upon him as he shopped. Whatever attempts to get his attention were completely ignored. There was one exception, however. As he went through the aisles which Gourmandizer?s employees referred to as the ?Sea of Cans?, a tall, well-toned caucasian amazon of a woman wearing tight denim blue jeans and a pink plaid blouse tied above her exposed and pierced belly button gradually moved towards Cameron as they both grabbed various-sized cans from the left and the right shelves. Such was the woman?s height that she could easily reach any of the cans, no matter how high up they had been stored. When she spotted Cameron, however, her eyes also lingered on how he was dressed. He didn?t even need to look at her to know that she was scoping him. Once their paths intersected, Cameron heard the woman speak to him in an attractively low, firm, and authoritative voice. ?Here, maid.? Cameron stopped to angle a confused glance to the blond woman. ?Excuse me?? A long, red-painted, French-cut fingernail tapped lightly at the side of a can that was well within reach as the woman looked at him. ?Place this can in my shopping cart for me.? Cameron looked even more confused now. She wasn?t even stretching a limb to reach the can she wanted him to extract. ?You can?t reach it?? He incredulously asked. High-heeled shoes that the woman was wearing clacked intimidatingly towards him as she closed the distance between them. ?You are a maid. Maids serve. Now place that can in my shopping cart for me.? ?But I...I don?t serve...? As Cameron stammered, the woman had buried a hand in her large pocketbook, and then brought it back out quickly. Before the crossdressed man could protest further, or react, he heard the distinct clicks of a steel handcuff surround, and tighten around, his right wrist. The blond amazon then clicked the other end to the shopping cart she was pushing. ?You will now place every can I tap in this aisle into my cart if you wish to be released,? The woman firmly commanded. She then pointed to the can she had already tapped. ?Starting with that one. You will also push my shopping cart as well.? As much as he wanted very much to protest, he had the feeling that things would get worse for him. He felt very much intimidated as he pulled out the first can the woman wanted, and then deposited it in the partially full shopping cart. ?Very good,? The woman remarked, her expression neutral. ?Now follow along behind me, maid. Watch for the cans I pick.? Although he worriedly glanced back at his own shopping cart, which now sat idle in the aisle, the woman began scanning the many cans at her flanks as Cameron carefully pushed her cart just behind her. Her fingernail then tapped on a can of peas, which Cameron hurriedly extracted. The fingernail then found a soup can, which Cameron was quick to place in the cart. At this point, another tall and imposing person in a dark gray business suit...this one bald, dark-skinned, and male...stepped over to the woman after glancing to Cameron. ?Found yourself some...impromptu help, Evangeline?? He mused in a low voice. The blond amazon grinned flirtatiously to the imposing-looking black man. ?You know I can never resist the opportunity to practice a little discipline whenever and wherever I can, Leo.? The man called Leo then embraced the woman, kissing her lovingly on the lips as the index fingernail of her right hand tapped on a can of sliced carrots. Cameron hurried over to extract and deposit the indicated can. Cameron overheard them speaking to each other as Evangeline proceeded slowly down the long aisle, occasionally selecting a can for their handcuffed guest to add to the cart. ?We were able to get the Dreyton house you wanted, Vang. That?s what the phone call was about.? ?Good, good,? Evangeline replied. ?I hear that?s the most interesting portion of Bullchester. A lot of the cultural elite can be found there.? ?Actually, I heard it was Barford that has a lot of fresh meat,? Leo observed. ?New family moved in a couple of days ago that Barbara Walsh has her eye on, too.? ?That?s the cow that you said works as a midwife, right?? Evangeline asked. ?The very same,? Leo answered. ?Seems they want the mother to be the host of a new TV show they?re making at the Mall.? As they walked and spoke, Evangeline continued picking out cans, which Cameron added to the cart. All the crossdressed, middle-aged man could do was blush in deep embarrassment. Particularly over the expressions of the other shoppers who saw him endure his humiliation. He glanced back at his own shopping cart, which was by now quite a distance away. It remained idle and untouched as other shoppers passed it. ?What about the business you were hoping to develop here?? Leo asked. ?Your ?maids clinic? concept?? Evangeline giggled. ?I still haven?t come up with a name for that business, but it?s funny that you mention Barford. That?s where they told me I could open it up. I found this nice, big house there which would be ideal for training maids. I just have to arrange for a bit of re-modeling in areas like the front foyer. Turn it into a lobby. Get some snotty boy and make him our feminized secretary. Maybe even give you a sissy toy at the same time.? Leo laughed, somewhat insidiously, as Cameron grabbed three cans Evangeline had tapped her fingernail on. ?You know me all too well, Mrs. Pierson.? ?And I knew there was a reason I married you, Mr. Hardcastle,? Evangeline mused as the couple kissed once again. Finally reaching the end of the aisle, Leo whispered something Cameron couldn?t hear into his wife?s ear, and then kissed her on the lips once again before hurrying away. Evangeline then went into her pocketbook and produced a small key, restoring a neutral expression on her face as she clacked over to Cameron. Digging the key into the keyhole of the handcuff tightly surrounding his wrist, she twisted it, and then set Cameron?s wrist free. ?If I have to ask you more than once, maid, I punish you,? She advised Cameron. ?Remember that the next time I ask you to do something for me. You are dismissed.? Evangeline then resumed control of her shopping cart, and curved it sharply into the next aisle, coldly turning away from Cameron as if he were never there. With a sigh of relief, Cameron hurried back to his own shopping cart, and checked its contents to see if they matched what he needed to acquire from his list. Surprisingly, everything in the cart remained exactly the way he had left it when Evangeline pulled him away. Nothing had been stolen, and the shopping cart was never moved so much as an inch. The rest of his shopping trip proceeded without incident, and he was able to pay for the goods he had selected before heading out to place the shopping bags in his car. Thankfully, there was no sign of either Leo Hardcastle, or Evangeline Pierson, as he transferred bags from his shopping cart to the passenger space of his car. And yet, he could not deny that his being cuffed to a shopping cart, and serving the wants of a woman like Evangeline Pierson, actually excited him a little. * * * Tamara? Are you there? I?m Charlene. Merrywether. I?m the girl you met at the supermarket. Oh yes! How are you? Nice to see that you?re still you. Do you have time for me? I?d really like to talk with you about...things. Uh-huh. And you don?t want to talk someplace where you think the walls have ears. Okay...your only real shot is to come to my office. I?m about to get my lunch break started anyway. I?m eating in. How soon can you get here? Um...half hour, I guess? I live in Barford. More like fifteen minutes, if you?re coming by bus, dear. Unless you live on the furthermost border of Barford. I?m at the front desk in the office of Lawrence Hanel. You should be able to find the address online. I guess I?ll see you in 15 minutes, then. Thanks, Tamara. Be careful, sweetie. It was a bus rip in this city that radically changed my life. More on that later. Gotta go. Just keep to yourself while you?re on that bus. See you later! Okay, thx. * * * ?I?m not actually here to see Mr. Hanel,? The bald, well-built, scarred man standing in front of Tamara Portnoy?s desk admitted. ?I?m here to see you, kewpie.? Tamara sighed. ?Let me guess. You?re here to either apologize for kidnapping me, or you?re here thinking that if you keep calling me ?kewpie?, I?ll fall under some stupid spell of yours. Well...let me save you from wasting any more bad breath, Xavier. I quite frankly don?t give a fuck for what you call me, but don?t think for even a tenth of a second that you?re going to have as much of an effect on me as you had on people like Jeremy Poulson.? Xavier?s somewhat flirtatious expression melted into one that was a little more serious. ?Perhaps we can have this discussion when you realize that there?s gonna be nowhere for you to run once I?ve ripped out Mary Katzhoff?s heart with my bare hands.? ?Or not,? Tamara disinterestedly mused. ?How?s your head, by the way? I heard Maggie?s legs were like sledgehammers. You ought to be thanking her for actually letting you and your army friend live.? Her bald visitor?s expression soured a little more as he leaned in. ?Next time I see her, she?s dead. You tell her that, Porntoy.? ?Don?t need to,? Tamara grinned. ?Because that?s never gonna happen. She?ll kill you, or at best, you?ll kill each other, and you know it. Either way, you lose.? At this point, Tamara noticed the girl she had met at Gourmandizer?s...Charlene...step a bit nervously into the office. Glancing at her, she motioned for Charlene to take a nearby seat. ?Now I have other matters to attend to, cueball, so do me a little favor. Actually...two,? Tamara remarked. ?One, put Celeste?s pacifier back into your mouth, and get the fuck out of the office. Two, say hi to Jeremima for me.? Xavier?s responding gaze spoke volumes. It was clear that he was trying to come up with a withering final response. Tamara, however, met his gaze with an unaffected smirk, and a wave goodbye. With an irritated sigh, Xavier stormed out. Charlene watched him go. Frowning in confusion to Tamara, she pointed at the office door, speaking soundlessly to the busty secretary. ?Who was that?? Tamara shook her head, smiling as she mouthed the words ?Don?t ask,? She maintained her smile as her voice returned. ?I?m sorry that you had to see some of that. Xavier is...one of those elements of Bullchester that you need to watch out for. Especially since he?s essentially an errand boy for an even worse woman named Celeste. So...how are you enjoying your time in Bullchester thus far?? ?I feel like I?m gonna be running for my life towards the city borders within the next couple of days,? Charlene answered. ?This whole city is freaking me out, and not in a good way.? ?Yup, Bullchester can do that to you,? Tamara mused, nodding her head. ?Have you ever researched the past history of this city, though? To say that the level of misogynism was consistently in the deep red before the Sisterhood branched out is the mother of all understatements. In a way, what they?re doing here does have some justification.? ?But Tamara...why are they doing this to guys who aren?t creeps? That?s the part I don?t understand,? Charlene distressfully inquired. ?I know my brother keeps a stash of my Uncle?s sex mags, but he?s normally extremely shy around women like that.? ?Sometimes, that?s all it takes,? Tamara replied, shrugging. ?If they catch so much as a hint of misogynism in a guy, they?ll be on you like flies on shit. It?s pretty scary. Sometimes, it?s a tactical thing, too. An innocent young guy, who has been as perfect a gentleman towards women, could have a talent or a resource that the Sisterhood needs. They do a little background check on the guy, and then they send an agent in. Someone who can capably seduce the guy into becoming a girl. Sometimes, you could be related to someone who tormented one of the madames when she was younger, and if the tormentor is long gone? She?ll lure his family to Bullchester and plot revenge on any of the guy?s offspring.? This explains Barbara Walsh?s visits. Charlene thought to herself. She?s our ?agent?...but what is Tamara? ?So...if you don?t mind my asking...? Charlene carefully inquired. ?...what part do you play here? I caught part of that business with Mr. Clean when I came in...? Tamara frowned in confusion for a moment. ?Mr. Clean? OHHH...you mean Xavier,? She giggled over the reference. ?Well...I suppose you could call him a cleaner. Apparently, cueball?s a soldier. Some...black ops leatherneck, I guess...but to answer your question, my mother and I moved here to get away from bad memories living with my late father. The Sisterhood wanted to fit my mother into their little collective, and since my dad crossed one of the madames when she was younger, the madame...a really sneaky debutante named Rita Noble...decided to go after his only son.? ?That?s who you used to be?? Tamara nodded. ?I was born Timothy Portnoy. Rita found me on the bus going into the city after mom and I moved in. She was all over the both of us, but she had an eye for me in particular. She nearly had me, too, and if a woman named Maggie Katzhoff didn?t step in to help me, I?d probably...quite literally...be Rita?s sex-hungry she-male slut.? Charlene nodded. ?How did you wind up becoming Lawrence Hanel?s secretary?? Tamara sighed. ?Rita actually helped me get this job. She was one of Larry?s clients before she met me. It?s my first real job, and as I said at Gourmandizer?s, Larry?s a really cool guy. He wanted to upgrade me to become a paralegal, but...I prefer the work I?m already doing, even though I need to fend off the advances of a horndog client or two every once in a while.? ?I don?t blame them,? Charlene smiled. ?You?re a really nice-looking woman..or are you still a she-male?? Tamara giggled. ?Thank you...but no. I became a full female thanks to Maggie Katzhoff?s connections outside of the Sisterhood. She figured that if I kept my cock, Rita could still make a claim to me. Even now, though, she?s a tough woman to shake. She?s got Agatha?s support, too.? ?Agatha?? ?She?s behind the whole conspiracy, Charlene,? Tamara responded, her expression dead serious. ?She?s a very powerful woman, too. Never to be underestimated, and always to be feared. Maggie?s committed to bringing her down, and exposing the conspiracy. She?s a real badass herself. That bald guy, Xavier? Mr. Clean? Maggie?s a pro with a martial art style called Muay Thai, which some say is the deadliest fighting style in the world because it makes use of the hardest bones in the body to cause serious damage. Her legs, her knees, her elbows...they all pack a wallop, and she got enough solid hits on Xavier?s head the last time they fought to put him in the hospital. He had so much blunt force trauma inflicted on his head that I?m surprised he still remembers who and what he is.? ?What?s Agatha?s martial art?? Charlene asked next. Tamara grinned. ?Mind-fuck-fu. See...Maggie?s a dominant, and she tends to intimidate and strong-arm her way around most problems. Agatha isn?t like that, although she?s certainly dominant. That?s why I say she?s always to be feared. The trick is to keep from being touched by her, or any of the angels she?s established thus far. They all have a really scary ability to influence people?s minds. All they have to do is touch you, grab you, any kind of physical contact. Mayoress Julia Stroud is an angel, for one, and there are others.? ?What about Barbara Walsh?? Charlene inquired. ?Is she one?? ?Barbara, Barbara...? Tamara tried to recollect the names, then she remembered the red-headed nurse who tended to her during her thankfully brief stay at the city?s Fertility Clinic. ?...big boobs, red hair?? Charlene nodded. ?That?s her.? Tamara shook her head. ?I don?t think she is one. If an angel touched you, your thoughts would suddenly go wild. All over the place, like a jigsaw puzzle you can?t put back together. The only thing you?d be forced to focus on is the angel?s words. Or Agatha?s, if she?s the one touching you. Whatever they tell you just lingers from then on after you?re let go. If it?s a request, you?re compelled to comply with it. It?s pretty frightening stuff.? Charlene hung her head, sighing distressfully. ?I?ve gotta get out of this place.? Tamara shrugged. ?What?s stopping you?? ?I want my parents to get out with me,? Charlene replied. ?My brother, too. I never wanted to come here. I wanted to stay in New York.? Tamara leaned forward. ?And it?s just you, your brother, and your parents?? Charlene nodded in the affirmative. ?Dad went away for some kind of job training, mom was picked to be in some TV show they?re making at the mall, and my brother...well, I...I wanted to check in on him this morning, but...I was out all night last night at the mall?s nightclub. When I texted you, I had just gotten up.? ?And...where was your brother?? Charlene sighed worriedly. ?Missing.? A look of concern was now on Tamara?s face. As much as she really wanted to be able to help her, it looked as if she might be the only one left in her family that might have any chance of escaping. The plus-sized secretary rose from her seat and gestured for Charlene to follow her over to the lobby?s nearby couch. When they both settled into it, Tamara placed a hand on Charlene?s shoulder and spoke a little more candidly. ?I need to ask you something, and I need you to be completely honest with me,? Tamara began. ?When you went to that nightclub last night, were you with anyone? Did anyone take you there? Did anyone...convince you to go?? ?Barbara,? Charlene answered, after a moment of uneasy silence. ?I went with two girls. Tori and Nicola. They...well, they gave me a makeover before we went.? Tamara raised an eyebrow. ?At the Butterfly Salon?? ?Fuck, no,? Charlene asserted. ?I haven?t set one foot in that place. I?ll never go in there.? ?Good,? Tamara replied. ?Now...did you associate much with those two girls?? Charlene slowly nodded. ?I...I liked Nicola, too. I can hardly remember much about what we did, though...? ?Did Nicola spray you with anything?? Tamara asked next. ?In your face?? ?Perfume,? Charlene answered. ?It was really strong stuff.? Tamara nodded in full understanding. ?Which might explain why you can?t remember much about last night. Okay...what I?m about to tell you might not be very easy for you to accept, but...I?m guessing that the strategy was to keep you out so late at night that you?d have to sleep through the morning. Barbara might have come by in that time to collect your brother and bring him to the mall. They?re either on a shopping spree, they went so she could bring him to the Butterfly Salon, or both. If your brother looks any different the next time you see him, Charlene, you?re never gonna get him out of Bullchester. Willingly, anyway.? Charlene?s eyes suddenly boggled, gasping in remembrance of a certain agreement that was made last night. Her hands grasped her head. ?Oh, shit! Shit, shit, shit, shit, shiiiiit!!? Tamara frowned confusedly. ?What? What?? The troubled teenager sighed out lamentedly. ?I made a friend last night. Jon...Jonathan Eberhardt. Photographer guy. Said he was looking for someone that went missing in the city. He told me some of the stuff you?ve said, but he also said he?d drive me out of Bullchester. He also wants to expose the conspiracy as well. I said I?d call him this morning, but...? ?But...you were asleep,? Tamara interjected, nodding. ?In accordance with a pre-conceived plan, I?m sure.? ?I hope he?s okay,? Charlene wondered aloud, her tone laced with worry. She then looked back to Tamara, placing a hand on her shoulder. ?You should come with us, Tamara. With your help, we can break the silence. Tell people outside the city what they?re doing here.? But Tamara shook her head. ?Tamara, please!? Charlene pleaded. ?After what they did to you, you still wanna stay??? ?If it ever comes to federal agents swarming over the city like an army to drop the hammer on the Cresswell conspiracy, I?d be content to not only cooperate, but abandon the city completely,? Tamara explained. ?But I can?t do that right now, Charlene. For one thing...and I?ll be brutally honest here...your only real chance at getting out of the city without anyone tracing you back to wherever you went was in never actually loading in, and settling, at your new home in Barford in the first place. Barbara visiting you so soon after you had moved in was a clear indication that they knew everything about you and your family when you arrived. They may even know things about family members that you yourself were unaware of. Hell...I didn?t know shit about what my father did to Rita at that summer camp when he was younger, and his death put me in Rita?s crosshairs by proxy.? ?You?re still not answering my question,? Charlene remarked, keeping her eyes on Tamara?s. ?Why would you want to stay here?? The plus-sized secretary needed a moment to answer this one. She hated having to feed hard truths, but there was no denying what Agatha herself had told Tamara about the benefits of living in Bullchester. She let out a long sigh before answering. ?Because...believe it or not...I like it here. I?ve got a job, job security, I can actually, subtly fight the conspiracy in my own way...and I do remind you that if these walls had ears, we would have been raided by now over everything we?ve been talking about...and, well, you?d be surprised how arguably serene it is out here compared to most cities. The crime rate is negligent, for one thing, there isn?t an abundance of graffiti anywhere compared to the Woodhaven home in Queens, New York that I used to live in, and...hey, I?ll admit it. All the intrigue going on under the hood is compelling. I?m just happy that I?m among the good guys...er, gals...fighting the system, and I should tell you that we?ve made some pretty important and powerful allies along the way.? Charlene just stared forward distressfully, worrying in that moment whether or not it was too late to have Jonathan drive her out of Bullchester. ?Hmmm...what if I could talk to Larry Hanel about having you join him as his paralegal?? Tamara offered. ?Seeing as how he wanted me to be one, after all.? Charlene shook her head. ?I don?t know shit about law.? ?He could arrange to have you trained, hon,? Tamara noted. ?If you?re operating under Larry?s bubble, you might even be left alone. You?d have to remain in Bullchester, of course...? ?No, no no no noooo,? Charlene shook her head a little more emphatically. ?I can?t stay here. I just can?t!? Tamara?s phone suddenly began ringing. ?Hang on a sec,? She quickly checked the time as the plus-sized secretary hurried over to pick up the receiver. Her lunch hour was within fifteen minutes of ending, so she still had time to try and convince Charlene to refrain from doing anything rash. ?Larry Hanel?s office, Tamara speaking, may I help...oh, hi, Larry. What?s up?? She went quiet as she listened to him speak. In that moment, the nearby Printer on Tamara?s desk suddenly spat out a piece of printed paper which looked like a front page newspaper article. ?Oooh, Larry...you should know better than to eavesdrop on me during my lunch hour, you naughty boy...yes, she?s still here. Why? Did you want to...?? She briefly glanced at Charlene as Larry?s voice continued to speak. Her expression then went grave over what she was being told. ?Oh. Oh, Goddess...yes, yes, I understand. I agree. She needs to be told. I hope you?re ready for the fallout, though. She might not take it very well at all. Yes, I-I?ll do what I can. Thanks, Larry.? The teenager?s concern was obviously piqued as Tamara spoke. When the plus-sized secretary finally hung up the phone, her attention was locked on the busty former boy with eyes wide as saucers. Tamara, however, raised an index finger as she walked over to the printer unit and pulled the single page, taking a moment to look it over. Her face went ashen as she scanned it. When her eyes returned to a curious-looking Charlene, she took a couple of steps towards her. ?You said your name was...Charlene Merrywether, right?? Charlene nodded. ?And your father?s name is Cameron?? Charlene nodded again. ?Yes, why?? ?Okay...? Tamara cautiously responded. ?...before I show you this, I have one more question to ask you. Did your father come into a lot of money before you moved out here?? ?Yeah,? Charlene confirmed. ?He told us he got a really big raise before he had to quit.? Tamara?s expression was grave as she finally handed the printout to Charlene. CEO SUICIDE LINKED TO BLACKMAIL Madison Avenue Advertising Agency?s bankruptcy associated with billion dollar extortion scheme Charlene?s expression went from curiosity to horror as she kept reading the article. Her face went pale the moment she saw her father identified...by name...as the principal blackmailer. Fortunately, his picture was withheld in the article. It was bad enough, however, that her own father had lied to his family about a matter that forced someone to take his own life. Someone he had essentially stolen a lot of money from. ?Jesus fucking Christ...? Charlene?s voice was weak and shaky as she lowered the page, stunned over what she had read. ?...I feel like throwing up.? ?He never came clean with you?? Tamara sympathetically asked. ?Never told you the truth?? ?No,? Charlene?s voice caught in her throat. She tried to hold back her tears, but her eyes began to water up. Tamara grabbed a few fresh tissues from a tissue box on her desk and handed them over to Charlene, who dried out her eyes with them as she sniffled. ?I didn?t have anything to do with it,? Charlene whined, her voice still weak, as Tamara settled onto the couch space next to her. ?None of us did!? ?I know. I know. Don?t worry,? Tamara assured, gently placing a hand on Charlene?s shoulder in consolation as the teenager continued to weep. ?I?m sure the Sisterhood knows as well, otherwise you?d also be called away for that ?job training? he?s going through now. Don?t be surprised if it turns out to be something, well, humiliating.? ?I wanna get out of here,? Charlene remarked through her tears. ?I wanna go home. I don?t care what it takes. I wanna fucking go back to New York.? ?Charlene...I honestly think that?s gonna be a mistake,? Tamara warily advised. ?If you want to take that risk, I?m not gonna stop you...but I know how these women work. They?ll have you traced, and then they?ll find a way to bring you back here. If you take the paralegal approach I suggested, that may be a step in the best possible direction for you right now.? Charlene sniffled again as she stared forward, still tortured by a palpable sense of dread. ?What?s the worst they could do to me, Tamara?? Tamara shrugged. ?Depends on whether or not you?ve crossed them. Given them a reason to think you?re an enemy, which is why I?m suggesting that you stay in the city. In fact, since you?re a born female, there?s a very good chance that nothing is gonna happen to you. Hell, your life might even improve. You?ll find a surprisingly lucrative line of work, they?ll set you up with that girl you were with last night, they may even pressure you to go to Church on Sundays, just like Gemma suggested you start doing.? Charlene hung her head in despair in the next quiet moment. Tamara checked the clock. Her lunch hour was about to end. ?Charlene...I need to get back to work. Think about the paralegal offer, at least?? Tamara urged. Charlene rose up, still looking crestfallen as Tamara followed her to the door. ?I?ll...think about it...? The plus-sized secretary spun Charlene around to face her. ?It?s not in my nature to force you to do anything, just so you know. I?m just offering advice because I do want to help you. When you?ve made up your mind about the paralegal thing, text me. Whether it?s a yes or a no, text me. Please.? Charlene nodded. ?Okay.? Tamara pressed her lips against Charlene?s forehead. ?Be careful out there.? As Charlene stood in the elevator going down to the lobby level of the office building, she found herself at an impasse as to what she wanted to do next. Ideally, she had wanted to just find her brother while he was still Stanley, and escape Bullchester. She had even considered a relocation to someplace outside of the United States, if returning to New York was no longer an option. Germany, somewhere in the Middle East, even Russia or France, or perhaps Japan. Being a fugitive sounded much more appealing to her than being subjugated. As much as she had wanted to consider the paralegal offer Tamara gave her, she still had no interest at all in the kind of work attorneys specialized in. She was fairly certain that such work had a better chance of putting her to sleep, given all the tedium she imagined was associated with it. Tamara?s refusal to join Charlene in her far more likely escape attempt gave the teenager the idea that the plus-sized secretary, helpful as she was during their conversation, still might have been brainwashed into staying. Once she was outside of the office building, she immediately brought out her smartphone, and looked up Jonathan Eberhardt. Her first instinct was to call him direct. The call tone trilled about six times before she concluded that he was unavailable, which meant one of three things, one of which she hoped was not true. One, he quite simply was not in a position to answer the phone in that moment. He was probably on the road, or in the toilet, or something. She hoped that was the case. Two, he had already left. He was already a fugitive, and the option to leave Bullchester with him was no longer feasible. Three, and this was the one she dreaded, he had been somehow compromised by the Sisterhood. About ten minutes later, while she was at a window seat on a bus heading towards Barford, she tried Jonathan again. No answer. This time, after eight trills, a canned voice recording offered the option of leaving a voicemail message. She waited for the tone of his voicemail box. ?Jonathan, hi. It?s...Charlene Merrywether,? The teenager began. ?Pick up if you?re there? I?m...totally ready to leave. I?m going to check up on my brother now, but...it may be just me. I made the offer to Tamara, but...it doesn?t look like she wants to help us. Well...not unless we came back to Bullchester with an army. Call me when you get this. Please. I?m...I?m scared. I really wanna leave this city. Like, now. Call me. Let me know where you can pick me up.? After she stowed away her smartphone, Charlene angled her head towards the window to her left, watching the Bullchester sights speed past. She didn?t want to look at anything else as the bus continued rolling towards its remaining stops. ?Pardon me...? A feminine voice next to her calmly remarked. ?...but why would you want to leave a city like this one?? Charlene didn?t say a word, nor did she turn to look upon whomever was now sitting next to her. She hoped that whoever this was would get the hint. ?Look at me, dear,? The voice gently commanded. ?I won?t hurt you.? The teenage girl remained silent. She had heard enough of Tamara?s voice to know that whoever was sitting next to her now was not the plus-sized secretary at all. This voice was one she had not heard before, and it was obviously someone who wanted to convince her to remain in the city. She would hear none of it. ?You?re being rude, you know,? the voice next noted. ?Like I give a fuck,? Charlene viciously snapped back, her head still facing the window. ?Go away and mind your own business, bitch.? The voice next to her giggled in her amusement. ?An attitude like that is going to get you into a lot of trouble in this city, young lady.? ?Piss. OFF,? Charlene growled through gritted teeth. This earned her a rough and painful grab of her long brown hair as she was angrily pulled in towards the woman sitting next to her. ?Don?t you dare use that kind of attitude with me, you little cunt, or I will...? Charlene struck an elbow, solidly, into the head of the well-dressed platinum blonde. Twice. When the woman?s grip loosened on Charlene?s hair, the angry teenager?s foot shoved the offending older woman out of the seat and onto the floor between the rows of seats. The eyes of the few passengers on the bus now turned to the two angry females. ?You lay another hand on me, and I?ll beat the shit out of you!? Charlene yelled, glaring down at the woman, who was struggling to get back on her feet. A nearby passenger looked concerned as she looked down at the fallen blonde. ?Are you okay, Mrs. Burlington?? Ignoring the question, the statuesque blonde met Charlene?s angry gaze with an icy glare of her own. ?I try to be nice to some people...? She brought a hand up to the side of her head that now throbbed painfully, and she winced irritably the moment she touched it. ?...fuck.? ?No one touches me,? Charlene regarded the other passengers on the bus angrily. ?Nobody.? Once the bus reached its next stop, the driver...a female...emerged from her seat to glance over at the scene near the back of her bus. The woman called Burlington curiously looked to the window, and saw that this was her stop. She maintained an angry glance on Charlene as she made her way to the vehicle?s back door. Once ?Mrs. Burlington? had left the bus, Charlene settled back into her seat and tried to relax as her eyes once again regarded the images outside of the bus. After a moment, the wary driver returned to her seat and resumed the vehicle?s journey to its remaining stops. Charlene kept saying the same thing, repeatedly, to herself as she waited for the bus to reach her stop. I am getting the fuck out of this city. She pulled her smartphone out and tried Jonathan?s number once again. Eight trills, and the voicemail announcement, was what she got in response. She hung up before the tone sounded. When the bus finally reached her stop, Charlene stepped off and began the short walk to her house. Sitting upon the steps in front of her front door, however, was a familiar face. A short-haired platinum blonde who looked a lot less drunk compared to the previous evening. A part of her felt a yearning to talk to Nicola again, but after what Tamara had told Charlene, the more sensible side of her was compelled to make up an excuse that would effectively dismiss Nicola, and then go right in to check on her brother. Nicola, however, had spotted her coming down the road, and she rose to her feet to rush over, smiling, with her arms held out to the sides as if inviting a hug. ?Hey there, kitty-cat!? she chimed as her arms wrapped around Charlene. Initially hesitant, the teenager?s own arms embraced Nicola. She couldn?t help it. She found it inescapably pleasing to be in Nicola?s soft, flawless arms. Feeling her lips against Charlene?s own was even more satisfying in the next moment. ?I had to see you again,? Nicola softly cooed after she pulled away. ?I think I might have made a mistake last night. I had so much to drink last night that my mind was shit. Did I spray perfume on you last night?? Charlene nodded. ?From a black plastic bottle.? ?Fuck, I knew it,? Nicola hissed. A blush of crimson was on her cheeks as she made the embarrassing revelation. ?I sprayed you with my mace bottle. I?m soooo, so sorry.? She genuinely sounded upset, and regretful, as she hugged Charlene. ?I?m so sorry...please forgive me, kitty-cat?? Charlene shrugged as she returned the hug. ?Like you said, you were drunk,? The concerned teenager, glancing to the front door of her house, then pulled away. ?Wait for me here? I just wanna go in the house for a minute. I?ll be right back.? ?No one?s home,? Nicola noted. ?Yeah, I figured. Just...give me a couple of minutes?? Charlene began to walk towards the front door as she spoke to Nicola. ?I?ll be right back out. I promise. I promise.? She tried to sound as earnest as possible. Nicola giggled. ?Okay, okay. I?ll wait here.? Once Charlene was inside the house, her first stop was her brother?s room. There had to be some kind of evidence...some indication...that his gender was being compromised by the Sisterhood. Fortunately, he left his bedroom door unlocked. His room looked exceptionally tidy, which in itself was cause for suspicion, as he had left his part of the room particularly unkempt when she and Stanley both shared a bunk bed in their Park Avenue apartment. It was only when he was prodded accordingly by his mother or his father to clean it that he actually acted on such an initiative. Stanley?s computer was usually left on, too. Day in, day out, and sometimes with a computer game session paused. Evidence of junk food and soft drinks usually littered the area beneath the large flatscreen monitor. Stanley?s computer, however, was off, and it was actually collecting dust. Not a scrap of junk food, nor any empty plastic soda bottles, could be found. Freaking her out even more was that Charlene could smell a floral variety of air freshener within the room as well. Nothing effeminate could be openly seen, however. It was clear that the Sisterhood was indeed influencing her brother, but perhaps this was the prelude to his fall from masculinity. Perhaps there was a hope that she could get through to him? Convince him to go with her when it was time to leave the city? A chime suddenly sounded on Charlene?s smartphone. Indication of a text that was left for her. She pulled it out and checked the texting app. It was a text from Jonathan! Hi, Charlene. I got your message. Sorry to keep you waiting. Where did you wanna meet? Feeling entirely relieved, Charlene began to think of a place that would make for a feasible pick-up point. She was already anxious to go right into her room and begin packing, even with Nicola waiting outside. Before she could start texting a response, Jonathan sent another text of his own... Maybe at Upscale? That?s such an amazing restaurant. They make great salads, too. And what an awesome view! Upscale? Charlene suddenly became hesitant and wary as she contemplated this unusually cheery text. Salads? Charlene chose to ignore the text and put away her smartphone as she glanced towards an area of her room that she felt would also be worth checking for evidence: Stanley?s dresser. She knew where Stanley usually kept his stash of pornographic magazines, having spied on his past indulgings. Charlene lowered to a knee and pulled open the bottom dresser drawer. The teenager let out a sigh of relief. The stack of nudie mags was still there. Charlene figured that the Sisterhood would wean him off of such habits. Hope remained for him. The next drawer up, thankfully, had male clothing. And so did the next one above it. Her heart sank, however, when she opened the next drawer, which was below the last one at the top. There was a pair of red and white candy cane-patterned panties among the white male undergarments. Opening the top drawer revealed the presence of not only a black and white maid uniform, but a pair of elbow-length brown latex gloves as well. All of it neatly-folded, as well. Is that what they want my brother to become? Charlene surmised to herself. A fucking MAID?? It all made sense. The air freshener smell. The general cleanliness of his room and, of course, the uniform. Barbara Walsh probably wanted a domestic housekeeper, and she had decided to make one out of Stanley. But how far along was he, she wondered? Charlene thought about waiting for him, but she then remembered that she had promised Nicola, who was still waiting outside, that she would return to her. Armed with a resolve to ask Nicola about Barbara Walsh, and find out as much as she could about her, Charlene left the bedroom and re-emerged outside, where she saw Nicola texting to someone on her own smartphone. Getting last-minute instructions from the Sisterhood, are we? Charlene mused to herself. Or are you just getting general marching orders? ?I?m back,? Charlene announced. ?Huh? Oh! Sorry...I was just texting my mom,? Nicola explained. ?She wants to meet you, y? know. Are you doing anything right now? I figured I could take you over to my place this time,? She draped her arms around Charlene?s shoulders once again. ?Show off my new kitty-cat,? She flirtatiously added, biting her lower lip. ?Uhh...sure,? Charlene warily replied, keeping a developing strategy in her head. ?But...I have to be back later tonight. I...need to see my brother about something.? Nicola pouted at this. ?No sleepover?? ?I?m sorry, Nic,? Charlene responded, rubbing a hand, affectionately, over her right cheek. ?Maybe next time, but I?ll go with you now.? Nicola?s flirtatious grin returned. ?Okay. Follow me, kitty-cat. I?ve got plenty of...tender vittles waiting for you,? She giggled suggestively as they began walking towards the bus stop. On the bus, it seemed like Charlene was on a kind of auto-pilot as the two young ladies settled into their seats. Nicola brought a hand to rub against Charlene?s cheek affectionately. This led to Charlene and Nicola cuddling together in one moment, and then passionately locking their lips together in the next, moaning as they continued kissing. I just can?t help it. Charlene thought to herself. I love kissing this woman. Meow. Her more sensible id seemed to argue in counterpoint. This is a Cresswell woman! What am I doing? And why in the world am I ?meowing? to myself?? Nicola broke off for a moment to dig into her purse, rummaging through it. That more sensible side of Charlene gazed warily, expecting her to produce a black plastic spray bottle. She instead pulled a small, clear glass spray bottle with a golden liquid inside. ?Now this...? Nicola showed the benign brand label to Charlene. ?...is perfume,? She then sprayed a couple of applications upon both sides of the teenager?s neck, and beneath her shirt. The scent was nowhere near as strong as what was in the black bottle, but it was a pleasant and alluring scent all the same. Placing the perfume bottle back in her purse, she grinned to Charlene. ?Now...where were we?? I am not a cat. Her sensible id repeated to herself. I am not a cat. Nicola lightly and teasingly scratched under Charlene?s chin with her long, french-cut fingernails, and the teenager angled her head back, responding approvingly. And, once again, they locked lips as Nicola?s head moved in towards Charlene?s. The platinum blond young woman?s kiss was so tender. So delicate. So deep. Nicola?s saliva was almost like a drug. Strangely sweet, and intoxicating to the taste. Charlene couldn?t help but lose herself to Nicola?s kiss every time she planted one on the teenager?s lips. Nicola stopped for a moment, looking out the window, and then brought her lips to Charlene?s ear. ?Next stop is ours, kitty-cat.? When they both stepped out of the bus, Nicola led Charlene to a nice- looking house where an older, but still very beautiful woman with a head of full, short ginger hair parted in the center took notice of the two young girls heading towards her. The woman seemed to smirk as they approached. ?Is this the girl you?ve been talking about, dear?? ?Yes, Mom,? Nicola replied. ?I saw her first, too. So hands off.? The older woman giggled at this as she extended a hand towards Charlene. ?I?m Gia. Nice to meet you.? ?Ch-Charlene,? The teenager wearily replied, grabbing the hand and shaking it. Nicola?s arms wrapped around Charlene as her eyes remained on Gia. ?She?s my little kitty-cat.? ?Meow,? Charlene cutely blurted out, much to the amusement of Nicola. As the three women walked towards the open front door of the house, a seemingly rational thought manifested on Charlene?s mind. Being her cat wouldn?t be so bad, would it? * * * Your name is Annette Merrywether. You have never been anyone else. Your friends call you Annie. You are a girl, although you don?t mind being called a cow. Cows are docile. You are docile. The words, speaking through the pleasant and dreamy music he was hearing, seeped into Stanley?s subconscious mind like a poison. Repeating over and over as the hair dryer at the Butterfly Salon continued its work. Mesmerizing tones served as the undercurrent to these words to stabilize and fortify the conditioning. Your breasts are your pride and joy. You always find ways to flaunt them. You love having anyone drink from them. It makes you horny to think about the feel of another person?s lips on your nipples. It makes you horny to think about the feel of having milk drawn from your breasts. The attendants had worked on him prior to being brought to the hair dryer. Barbara was his guide all throughout the visit. They worked on his fingernails, his face, and then, his hair. There were moments in which he felt hesitant enough to speak out and ask what they were doing with him, but he was always distracted by the sweet and tranquil music that he was listening to all throughout the visit. Another string of subliminal suggestions began swimming into his mind as the hair dryer continued its work... Breasts. Babies. Barbara. They are as important to you as your own family. Giving your Milk. Assisting with childbirth. Following Barbara?s lead. They are as important to you as your own family. With family, you love. With Barbara, you serve. As if Barbara were your own mother. Barbara makes you docile. Barbara makes you happy. Barbara makes you complete. Breasts. Babies. Barbara. Your lips move with the words. Breasts. Babies. Barbara. Breasts. Babies. Barbara. As the words repeated, one last message could be heard within the undercurrent of repeated words. Listen for your trigger phrases. The very nature of the music itself was revealed to be key to the intonations of those three repeating words, and Stanley found himself soundlessly speaking the three words as the hair dryer?s whine began to fade. And then, there was silence within the dome of the hair dryer, which was then pulled back. As Stanley had been seated in front of a mirror, he was able to see what the attendants were doing as they returned to unravel the many curlers that they rolled into his long locks of bright blond hair. Or so it was after they had finished washing a hair care agent into it. Stanley?s hair was now a mass of dolly ringlets now, which went well with the girlish makeup that had been applied. His lips were a ruby red now, and a rosy eyeshadow had been applied beneath a thinner pair of eyebrows. A very light shade of rouge had been applied to his cheeks as well. When Barbara stepped in front of his chair, Stanley flashed a contented smile as he grasped the midwife?s hand. When she pulled him out of the chair, he wrapped her in a loving hug. Barbara smiled as she wrapped her own arms around her. She had considered, given how precious she thought Stanley had looked when she first met him, the possibility of having him put through the dermis machine for the sake of giving Leanne a sister, but since Cameron required punishment as per their client and Pamela was needed for the TV show, she figured that essentially being a second mommy, so to speak, was the better option. Besides...even Barbara had to admit how unnatural a concept that would be for a woman who aids in natural childbirth. Stanley wasn?t quite ready to be given his first midwife uniform. He still had some developing to do before his awakening. Still...the elements were in place. His breasts were already a double-D cup, and his pale figure was slimming down and shaping up. There was already a slight swell to his hips and his posterior, too. Pulling back from the hug, but keeping her arms around him, Barbara lovingly pressed her lips to Stanley?s forehead. ?You look sooooo cute, Annie dear,? Barbara cooed. She then removed the hairdresser smock Stanley was wearing, exposing the new, girlish summer dress he was wearing beneath it. The dress Barbara had bought for him. ?And this new look goes well with your dress, too.? Stanley grinned like a coquette. ?Thank you, Miss Walsh.? Barbara then reached down to grab Stanley by the wrist, holding it gently as he followed behind her with the light, effeminate footsteps of feet clad in a pair of pink loafers. ?Let?s get back to our little shopping spree, dear. You have so much money to burn, after all!?