Nerbus on Gromet's Plaza Archive

Xi 4 - Flash

Wed, 23 Aug 2006 00:00:00 +0000

Xi - Chapter 4 - Flash Friday night at the airport, Xi ensured that their greeting embrace was brief and less personal than perhaps Sage expected. After all, how horrifying it would be if Sage found out that Xi was imprisoned in Anna’s belt. Oh, Xi was ecstatic to have Sage come for the weekend. Friends such as those that one makes in college, so rarely come along as one struggles on down the road of life. But, probably, even a closest friend would be shocked when a normally wholesome woman chooses to lock her own pleasure away. How could she understand… unless she too had the opportunity to feel the constant tingle and the gentle pull that the belt seemed to maintain on Xi’s most private parts? But Sage was a vision of beauty! Her slim body. Her stylish jeans. The gold stud in her navel luring the wandering eyes of all the passers by. Xi commented that Sage had not aged even a day since they were young, foolish college kids. Into the early hours of the morning they talked of work and old friends. And Sage regaled Xi with an endless stream of her adventures as a heart-breaking bisexual. Her stories of jealous ex-lovers were both tragic and hilarious. As interesting as the stories were though, Xi found herself drifting from the conversation. Often. She would become lost in the soft percolating of Sage’s beautiful voice. She would find herself transfixed upon Sage’s shapely lips as they danced with each word’s particular enunciation. Or perhaps Xi would focus on the way Sage’s head moved and how her black, curly hair lightly draped across her shoulders. Xi struggled to stay present in the conversation each moment though her foremost thought was to reach across to Sage and gently touch the beautiful dark skin of her cheek. She wanted to cradle Sage’s head in her palm, draw her dancing lips near, and feel the warm, moist exhalation of words drip into her ear. If she could, perhaps those words would tear through the deafening roar of smoldering desire emanating from deep within her. When they finally retired to bed, Xi had difficulty falling asleep. She lay there with spinning thoughts that oscillated between erotic fantasies of herself and Sage and a disconnected sense of awe as to the strength of her ambition. Certainly, this was the belt’s doing - teasing her to such arousal. Even after Xi fell asleep she dreamt that she crept through the darkness of the house into the room where Sage slept and pulled back the sheets to reveal her friend’s beautiful, naked form. In her dream, she climbed in bed with Sage. Their lips meeting - pressing softly. Their tongues touching lightly, sliding smoothly together… “Did you sleep well last night?” Xi asked as she poured the morning coffee. “Wonderfully! I rarely sleep as well back home,” Sage replied. Then she looked up at Xi, pulling her curly, dark locks away from her eyes, “You’re still a bit flushed. Are your allergies bothering you again today?” Xi nodded, her lips stretched in a slim smile. As usual, later that day, they found themselves shopping. Sage had collected an armful of the latest styles and dragged Xi into the dressing room with her. For the next fifteen minutes, Xi complimented Sage as she modeled each outfit, trying her best to sound casual. Secretly though, Xi could not help but to watch intently as Sage dressed and undressed. She furtively placed a clammy palm to her crotch and hopelessly pressed the hard surface of the chastity belt concealed beneath her clothes. Xi studied the exotic tattoo in the small of Sage’s back. The symmetric design slid along the swell of her hips and then dipped tantalizingly beneath the waistband of her underwear. Xi felt so embarrassed. She was gawking like a pubescent boy at her good friend. She just couldn’t tear her eyes away though. The curve of her back… The smooth mold of her arms… “I think this would look good on you.” Xi snapped back into the present and managed a feeble “huh?” Sage was standing before her holding a short skirt. “You should try this on. I think that it would look good on you.” Xi’s eyes widened a little and searched frantically for an appropriate lie to keep her secret safe. “No thanks. I’m trying to save money right now.” “Oh! Just try it on!” “No, really. You know me… If I try it on I will lose all resistance, and before you know it, there goes another $300,” Xi said snapping her fingers for emphasis. And before Sage could put forward another attempt to cajole her, Xi stated that she was starving for dinner and really wanted to leave to go eat. Xi was hiding behind the enjoyment of a small wedge of cheesecake when Sage confronted her. “I’m concerned about you.” Xi stopped chewing and looked up from her fork. She felt blood drain from her face. Quietly, fearfully - “Why?” “You just seem more distant than you used to be - so much more reserved. Are you OK?” Xi briefly caught the concerned look in Sage’s dark eyes and quickly refocused on the table. God, Sage was beautiful! Wait! What the hell was she thinking? Xi felt so ashamed. She had to find a suitable excuse… a plausible lie… Her mind was flustered. It seemed that cohesive thoughts melted in the heat of her desire. Images of the two of them ravaging one another in a naked embrace flashed in her mind’s eye. Certainly Sage, and perhaps the entire restaurant, could see her inability to contain her naughty fantasies - her aroused, but guarded condition. “I…” Xi could lift no words above the cacophony of need within her. She shook her head and hid her eyes behind the palm of her hand. Xi jumped at the light touch of Sage’s hand softly comforting her shoulder. “Xi. You’ve got to let Anna go.” Xi slowly raised her eyes to meet Sage’s. Her head suddenly somewhat more clear. A tear rolled down her face. “Yes,” her voice cracking a little. Inside, Xi almost felt relief. Sadness, her familiar friend, stepped up to push aside her fervor for a moment. “I think I’m almost to a point where I’m ready to let her go…” Sage had moved around the table and was hugging her. “It’s ok, my friend. It’s ok…” Xi luxuriated in the warmth of Sage’s touch and the subtle scent of love. Yet, she felt a cold streak of guilt with the realization, that tonight, the comfort she sought did not derive from the tragedy of her past, but from the slow, rolling boil within the cauldron encasing her sex. Diamond’s had been in business for years. Xi and Anna used to frequent the establishment. Even back in the college days it had been a favorite hangout. Not much had changed since Xi had last come over two years ago. The clientele was the same though they looked younger. “Xi! Long time!” It was Red. She was still bartending here? Red seemed to be staring at Sage as though trying to morph her into Anna somehow. Xi introduced Sage and Red extended her ghost-white arm adorned in cheap metal bracelets and studded leather cuffs to shake Sage’s hand. Black painted lips and gold loop piercings framed Red’s smile. Xi collected their drinks and carried them towards an open table. Soon Sage’s stories had Xi laughing so hard that her stomach hurt. As the evening progressed Xi felt more relaxed and less concerned about concealing her naughty secret. Maybe the growing noise and confusion of the nightclub drew Xi’s attention away from the belt. Maybe the few tears earlier in the day had served Xi well. Maybe it was the margaritas. The crowd of patrons grew. Soon the din of voices became drowned out by the thump of dance music. Flashing disco lights and mirrored balls replaced the halogens overhead. Xi and Sage soon succumbed to the exertion of being heard above the crowd and sat silent for a while gazing upon the growing host of women swaying and swirling to the beat. Sage’s barely audible “Bathroom!!” was enough to get Xi moving, following her friend through the crowd, preparing to wait in line. Xi sat in the flickering fluorescent light, the hem of her dress pulled up around her waist, casually watching the door to the bathroom stall repeatedly attempt to drift around to her left. “Counter-clockwise… oh, shit…” When was the last time that she had drunk this much? Xi staggered from the wash basin towards the bathroom door, working hard to keep the green Exit sign in clear focus. Suddenly, her ears seemed to plug up. The roar of voices became muted and the rhythmic pulsing of the dance beat slowed and echoed around in her head. Each note of music seemed to slide from and lay over the previous, quickly producing a wandering wall of discordant sound. Dizzy, Xi let her body fall upon the door. She tried yawning to get her ears to pop. The door opened and she stumbled out. When she looked up, her legs froze, her eyes widened, and her mouth slowly opened. Through the flash of lights and wisps of cigarette smoke and manufactured fog, Xi gazed upon throngs of women, disrobed and intertwined in an orgiastic tangle of flesh. Each face was filled with a look of unquenchable lust, bodies twisting and stretching, desperately grasping one another as though to squeeze the fire of desire from their flesh. To the left, amongst the frenzy of naked forms, a single spotlight lit up and shone down upon a woman with midnight-black hair pulled back in a severe ponytail and skin, moon-tan-pale. Her breasts and sex were exposed and boldly displayed, framed by thick metal chains attached to and linking between a collar and many heavy manacles. Her smiling face was tilted towards the floor, yet her dark eyes were fixed directly upon Xi.

Xi 5 - Frisson

Wed, 23 Aug 2006 00:00:00 +0000

Xi - Chapter 5 - Frisson Some people tend to have blackouts when they drink too much. Unfortunately, Xi could remember everything. She extracted herself from beneath the sheets and left Sage sleeping softly. She found an extra large T-shirt and stumbled off for the kitchen. Margaritas and loud music. Sure, it was fun at the time. Now, her head felt as though it was in a vise. Her tongue felt like a wet rag. Her ears were ringing. Orange juice. Aspirin. Sage was starting to stir when Xi returned to the bedroom and curled up in the comfortable corner chair. She pressed her hand to her head and thought of the night before… Why? Why on earth had she pulled her dress up like a little girl in kindergarten? Why had she exposed herself? Xi remembered the crowd of faces directed toward her impromptu exhibition. Maybe if she threw up she would feel better. Xi also thought of the strange visions. That was kind of weird. Alcohol is not a hallucinogen. Maybe it was the Mezcal in the Margaritas… “Morning…” Sage moaned as she stretched and scratched her head. Her thin body veiled beneath the white sheet. Xi just groaned. Sage smiled, “Hungover?” “I guess.” Xi’s voice was raspy. She coughed to try and clear it. “Seems that I’ve lost my voice.” Sage looked dreamily at Xi, giggled a little, and then seemed to stare at the wall. After a moment she raised her hand to her mouth and appeared to be shielding a small, dirty smile. “Damn, girl!” Sage shivered a little. “Do you want some orange juice or something?” Xi finally asked. “Yeah, I think so,” Sage said stretching once again. “But first… tell me about that chastity belt.” Xi rolled her eyes and sighed, “Oh, god! I’m so embarrassed…” “So, you don’t have the key to that thing?” “Well… the key’s up at the cottage.” Xi looked off to the far corner of the room, resigned. “You can’t take it off?” “Not without the key.” “And that belt prevents you from having a… well, you know… an orgasm?” Xi looked at Sage for a second with a pensive look on her face. Surely Sage thought that she was weird or crazy. Xi started nodding slowly. “I doesn’t seem to let me…” Sage briefly furrowed her brow, then shifted her position a little under the sheet. She sat a little closer. Her voice became softer. “Is it a turn on?” Xi paused for a second, glanced at Sage, and then continued nodding. The smile upon Sage’s face grew. “Can I touch it again?” Xi thought perhaps Sage was going to make fun of her, but when she looked in her eyes, she found that Sage seemed mesmerized. Xi repositioned herself in the chair so her feet were on the floor, her legs apart. She pulled her T-shirt up over her waist. Sage had climbed out of bed, holding the sheet around her torso. She approached Xi and knelt by the chair. She reached out a hand a placed it on the cold, hard faceplate of the belt. Xi realized that she was holding her breath. She remembered, clearly, satisfying Sage last night. She remembered being denied any satisfaction herself. By the evening as Xi drove Sage to the airport, Xi’s hangover was much better and Sage no longer seemed to be so fixated by the belt. “You know that I love you, don’t you?” Sage asked. Xi shot a glance at Sage, then refocused on the road. “Of course.” “Well… I don’t know what that belt is doing to you, because, girl, you seemed to be quite inspired last night. Damn!” Xi did her best to suppress a smile. “But, you know,” Sage continued, “I’m still worried about you…” “Why?” “I think that you’re using it as an excuse to avoid people…” “Hmm,” Xi grunted. “…You’re such a beautiful woman. There are millions - and I mean millions - of people in this world who are dying to get to know you. They’re dying to fall in love with you. They need you!” Xi glanced at Sage. She smiled a small, embarrassed smile and looked away. “You’re so beautiful,” Sage continued. “You’ve got so much passion and love to give! Time marches on. One day we will be dust… I know that you’re hurting. But it’s time to give that up. Put the belt away. Go out and meet people. Go out and love again, ok? Anna would want that for you.” Xi did not shed a tear until after she had dropped Sage off at the airport terminal. As Xi arrived at her cottage on Friday evening, dark clouds from a summer evening thunderhead were threatening to claim the setting sun prematurely. A rain shield covered the trees along the top of the ridge to the west. Bolts of lightening flashed jagged paths against the growing darkness. Xi turned down Zeppelin, cut off the engine, and stepped out of her car. She had made it! Two weeks locked in the belt! She was happy to see the cottage sitting just as she had left it. Her whole body was buzzing in anticipation of glorious relief. Xi sang to herself, smiling. “Your time is going to come!” A cool gust creeping down through the trees of the valley whipped her knee-length skirt. Reflexively, she held it down. As she walked to the cottage, her hand began to trace the smooth curve of the metal belt through the skirt’s soft material. She followed the sturdy form over her hips and then back behind, down to the most sensitive skin between her cheeks. She shivered and let out a brief giggle. How should she entertain herself? Her other hand then traced the metal belt down across the solid faceplate. Her fingers lingered and pressed the bottom of the shield optimistically. Thunder rumbled across the valley as Xi unlocked the cottage door. She was about to kick off her sandals when she noticed small shards of glass littering the commons-room floor. Her heart skipped a beat. Immediately, she looked up, open-mouthed, at the far wall. Paint, dirtied by the years, clearly outlined the location where a picture frame once hung. Now there was only a hook. Below, on the floor was the old family picture - the wooden frame smashed and the glass cover shattered. It was the very picture that had broken in her dream over a week before. Was it a precognition? Xi was unsure whether she believed in such things. Each person must have events in their lives in which strange coincidences like this happen. That’s what this was. Just a coincidence. Still, she eyed the pole and glanced at the blanket wrapped around the base, concealing the collar, just as she had left it. Xi remembered the dream vividly - how the collar’s disk had become stuck in the belt’s slot leaving her helplessly anchored to the cottage pole - how she pulled and pulled yet remained unable to escape. If such a thing happened, would anyone hear her screams? Would anyone ever happen to stop by her cottage and look in to find her? Maybe months from now a maintenance man would pass by as he made his start-of-the-winter rounds. His face would twist into a look of horror at her half-decomposed body. Xi looked around the room, nervously biting a thumbnail. Failing evening light and the creak of trees swaying in the strengthening wind compounded her growing apprehension. She pulled her cell phone from her purse, checked the signal strength, and placed it by the pole. “It was just a dream!” she said to herself. Regardless, she decided she’d better get a pitcher of water to have near her. Just in case… If she became trapped, she could call Sage. The water would sustain her until she arrived. She set off to the kitchen turning on lights along the way to fight off the encroaching darkness of the storm, quietly reassuring herself, “…just a dream…” Fat dollops of rain began to splatter on the roof and rocks outside. The scent of evergreen needles pressed through the cracks of the cottage. She returned to the commons room with a pitcher full of cool, tap water. Broken glass cracked and scraped the hard floor under her sandals as she carefully made her way to the support pole. She swept clear a small place to set the pitcher. Xi pulled the blanket from around the pole to reveal the collar. A flash of lightning and an immediate report of thunder made Xi jump. As the sound crashed and echoed down the valley, Xi considered that, just perhaps, holding a metal pole in a thunderstorm was a bad idea. “I’ll just get this belt off real quick,” she reassured herself, still quite aware of the powerful craving within her sex. Her insides felt almost knotted in a delicious tangle of lust waiting for a loving hand to massage the tension away. She grabbed the collar’s disk to pull it to waist level. She had not pulled far though, when the disk suddenly snapped out of her hand. Xi jumped and let out a short cry of fear. “What the hell?!?” Again, she grabbed the disk in her shaking hand and attempted to lift the collar, this time more slowly, but it would no longer slide along the pole as it did two weeks before. The collar had contracted and now stubbornly held its place close to the floor. “It’s all right… It’s no big deal…” Xi checked that all the glass slivers had been pushed aside from around the pole. She removed her skirt and set it beside the pitcher. Using the pole for leverage, she lowered herself and sat at its base - the cold, hard floor against her butt. Images from the dream flashed in her head, frightening her. Exciting her. Outside, the wind had risen to a gale. As she held the pole she could feel it vibrating. She looked up at the overhead light and could see small flecks of dust falling from the ceiling, twirling though currents of air in the room. Xi straddled the pole and attempted to rotate her pelvis as close as possible to the collar’s disk. The slot on the belt opened, but the collar’s chain was too short for her to maneuver the disk inside. “Shit!” Outside the sound of hard rain turned to a roar as small hail mixed in, pounding the shingles and wood siding of the cottage. For a moment, Xi stared blankly through growing tears of frustration at the white streaks of ice speeding past the exterior window. Then, quickly, she repositioned herself so she was lying on her left side facing the pole. She twisted her crotch toward the collar. The slot opened again. She pulled at the disk and started to insert it in the belt’s slot. A jolt of pain shot through Xi’s body. She grabbed her side and kicked out her leg involuntarily. The tip of her sandal tagged the pitcher just enough to set it teetering. Xi tried to stabilize it with her foot, but only succeeded in knocking the pitcher over. It fell towards her sending a wave across the floor. A short squeal slipped from Xi’s lips as the cold water washed against her body. Grimacing and cursing, Xi massaged the muscles in her side and stomach. Twisting around on the floor had given her some kind of muscle cramp. When it loosened, she quickly pushed the disk into the slot until it was seated. The collar loosened its grip with a pop that echoed up the pole. She opened the collar fully, pulled it from around the pole, and rolled onto her back. “Oh, thank god!” Xi sat up on her elbows. Water dripped from her wet shirt and down the left side of her face. She looked down at Anna’s belt. Soon, she would be without it for the first time in 12 days. Still, she paused for a moment admiring the fine design, the soft sheen of the metal surface - how it’s color contrasted so well with that of her skin. She pulled at the waistband. It opened with a bit of resistance. She moaned softly as the cold surface disengaged from its intimate contact. Her sex overripe, the constant sense of tingling and pulling still seemed to endure… The room temperature had dropped dramatically since the storm had started. Skin, so sensitive, so long covered by the belt, bristled at the chill of freedom. Xi’s entire body was coursing with adrenaline. She felt so alive. The belt was still encircling her knees, but it was far enough removed to perform the act that she had so long been denied. She grabbed her crotch with both hands and pushed hard against her pelvic bone. It felt so good, Xi thought she might have to scream. She inserted first one and then a second finger and pushed them as deep as she could - slowly extracting them - wriggling them back and forth as she did. She used the thumb of her other hand to stroke the slick, wet skin of her sex. Then, she was there. She took that final important step to reach the top of the peak. She paused in the moment, not moving at all, hoping to stay on top forever. Gazing down upon the undulating landscape of her sexual wonderland, experiencing ecstasy in every known sense available. Finally, she slid down the slopes - flexing her muscles rhythmically as pleasure popped here and there within the shell of her physical being. Her whole body was vibrating as she came to rest in the puddle of water on the floor. Outside, the hail had stopped. Now there was only rain and the mad, noisy rush of floodwaters scouring sediment and debris along the banks of small streambeds. Slowly, the water, with a grim sense of inevitability, continued to wash the mountains to the sea. To be continued in Xi - Chapter 6 - cat-box.com

Xi 6 - Cat-Box.com

Wed, 23 Aug 2006 00:00:00 +0000

Xi - Chapter 6 Cat-Box.com Xi leaned back against the doorframe and brought her hands down to run them through Velouria’s soft, dark hair. Velouria placed one last kiss on Xi’s abdomen and then inserted the collar’s disk into the slot on Xi’s belt. Velouria removed the collar from around her neck. She shook her hair so it fell behind her smooth, clay-colored shoulders. Velouria looked up at Xi with big, brown eyes glowing - her lips full and supple. Xi closed her eyes, lost to the pleasure of light touches, until she realized Velouria was fiddling with the belt’s locking device again. “Hey! That’s not fair,” Xi said playfully. “The collar is beautiful, my dear,” Velouria replied, “but my clients may think I’m strange if I wear it all week regardless of whether we are at dinner or out for a morning walk.” Velouria proceeded to shove the collar into her suitcase. “You know how much money this business deal could be for me. I want everything to be perfect.” “Yeah, but if you’re not wearing the collar then I shouldn’t have to wear the belt.” “My dear, I want you to think of me while I’m gone… and I want you longing for me to come back next week.” Velouria finished zipping up her suitcase. She stood and pressed Xi against the doorframe. “I want you… hot… when I return.” And she placed a kiss on Xi’s lips. “But, you know how distracted it makes me to be locked in the belt… I have a hard time concentrating on my work or… or anything… And, and what if you loose the collar?” “Quiet! …And no more pouting!” Velouria commanded, but she was smiling. “I would never loose such a beautiful treasure. I promise you I’ll protect it with my life.” She kissed Xi once more and then picked up her luggage and headed out the door. “I don’t think I’ll be able to call, so check your email…” Xi’s hands slowly dropped to the belt locked about her waist. “Damn!” She thought to herself. The next day was Saturday and Xi had to work hard to find anything to keep her mind occupied. She spent most of her time checking email, waiting for a message from Velouria. Finally… “Well, I made it. I’ve settled in. Looks like I will be real busy this week, but I think that my chances of making the big sale are really good. Wish me luck! Check the link below. If this site comes up you will know that I’m successful! And don’t worry. Your treasure is safe. Do you miss me? V.” Xi clicked the link. “Error 404 Web Page not found” appeared in the browser window. She refreshed the link a few times but there was no change. “Oh, well. Good luck selling your software,” Xi thought to herself. Velouria owed rent. The week passed slowly for Xi. Whenever she had any free time she would check for an email from Velouria or she would follow the link, which still revealed nothing. The link’s name didn’t even help much. It was just an IP address. She clicked the refresh button again and again. Could she ever love Velouria as much as she had loved Anna? She tried to envision them together years in the future. She saw them shopping for groceries together on a rainy day in the fall. She saw them quietly eating dinner at some generic burger restaurant on a Friday night. She pictured Velouria kissing her good-bye in the morning with a brief case in her hand, her eyes lined with time and hair fading, leaving Xi alone with the laundry for another day, silently waiting, surrounded by the four walls, reaching down hoping to retouch her youth. But in her vision she can’t. Instead there is only a need that screams with the urgency of a kettle on the burner too long slowly expending its vitality with each passing tick of the clock until it melts and folds in on itself… During the nights Xi lay with the sheets pulled down, frustrated and unable to sleep - her fingertips and nails teasing the naked flesh of her abdomen and breasts until chills ripple through her body. She lay thinking of the collar somewhere far away - the key to her chastity belt, so sufficiently locked about her. Finally, on Thursday afternoon when she clicked the link the 404 did not appear. Instead she was automatically forwarded to a second web site which then forwarded her again to a simple web page containing 3 nondescript links. Xi clicked the first. “What the fuck!” Xi whispered. A vibrating hum of fear and anger filled her head and began to obstruct her perception. The link lead to a news article dated the past Monday describing how an ancient artifact had been discovered and was soon to be put up for auction. Experts thought the artifact would bring in record-breaking bids. It then described the artifact as a simple ring of smooth metal with a small disk attached to it by a short chain. There was a picture. It was the collar! This had to be some kind of joke. Xi hit the back button and investigated the second link. Once again it was a short Reuters wire describing how the artifact, now referred to as “Anna’s Key”, had been purchased by an anonymous bidder for $14.6M. Some fancy museum had won the right to display the artifact - a permanent loan. Velouria would pay for this prank. Xi, her hands shaking, clicked back and checked the third link. What she saw made her freeze in horror. The link led to a web cam focused on a display case containing, what was without a doubt, her collar. Xi sat and stared in disbelief at the image. Each minute or so the page updated and a new set of visitors could be seen looking in awe at the beautiful treasure before them. Her hand dropped to her imprisoned sex - grasping the impregnable barrier. The mouse pointer changed momentarily to indicate that she had a new email message. It was from Velouria. Xi hoped that this was the “just kidding!” email that would explain the elaborate details of Velouria’s joke. Quickly, her hopes were dashed. How could she be so fucking stupid to let the collar out her grasp? Tears of frustration formed in her eyes as she read the message. The room became cloudy and she grasped the desk afraid that she might pass out and collapse to the floor. As she read, each word echoed in her head in Velouria’s smooth Latin accent. “Dear, Xi. My sales week has been better than even I imagined. Hopefully you’ve checked the links on the web site by now. Who would have thought that I would be able to get so much for the collar? Wow! I know that you will miss the key, but how could I pass up such an opportunity? I’m glad that the buyers were able to strike a deal with the museum. At least you can still see the collar via web cam from anywhere in the world! “And guess what? This is exciting news! I told the buyers about your half of the treasure too. They said that the belt is certainly worth several times what I got for the collar. But I told them that it is totally up to you whether you want to sell or not. They are EXTREMELY interested. I showed them a picture of you and explained about how you are wearing the belt even now and how it is impossible to remove the belt without the collar. That fact alone increases the belt’s value twofold. We agreed that under no circumstances should anyone ever, ever be allowed to do anything to compromise that value. “They were disappointed that I refused to broker a deal for the belt (and you, of course). But they said that you are able to contact the buyers simply by inquiring at the museum. “Xi, you wouldn’t believe the security that they have surrounding the collar. It’s sealed in a case behind six inches of bulletproof glass. The case is in a room with doors as thick as a bank vault. There are guards and alarms all over the place. The collar is as secure as the Crown Jewels. No one would ever be able to steal it. “Hmmm… I wonder if they would put you in a little glass display case too… “Well, I’ve got some traveling to do. I’ll be thinking of you, Forevergreen, my old lover. On to somewhere near, and far in time! “Velouria “PS. I do have to admit to you though… they did offer me an extra $5M just to give them your address. I will decide whether or not to accept that offer within the hour. It would be a nice little bonus… I’m really so sorry. I’m sure you understand. It’s only business.” “Mm!” Xi jerked awake from the nap she had been taking. Her naked body was covered in sweat. The afternoon breeze no longer blew through the window of her bedroom and the air had become heavy and stagnant. “Another strange dream…” she thought. Vibrations surged though her body with each squeeze of her beating heart. She arched her back in a stretch and slid her hands down her torso - driven there by her rising libido. Xi eyed the wooden trunk half concealed by shadows in the corner of her bedroom. She thought of the belt and collar that lay inside. Anna’s treasures. They were calling her again. She remembered the way that they felt upon her body - the pull and the tingle… Something had awoken within Xi. She felt insatiable and was unsure if it was good or bad. Her dreams were characterized by strange, dark fantasies - frightening and intoxicating at the same time. Xi had not locked the collar or belt upon her body ever since key experiment ended several weeks ago. Perhaps she was a little afraid of them. Was it the strange dreams that fueled her fear? Maybe her fear arose from the fantasy stories that she had recently read on the Internet. Many stories could be found describing a hapless young woman who becomes ensnared in a cruel device of erotic torture because of some magical property of the object or because she did not understand its technology. Xi did not believe that Anna’s belt and collar were “magic” in any way, but they did contain evidence of a superior technology that she did not understand. For example, how could the metal faceplate wick moisture away from her body? Some ceramics had that property, she thought. But did they have the belt’s strength? The collar had somehow tightened its grip on the pole during the two weeks it was locked there. How did that happen and why? How did the locking mechanism work? It did not seem to be a mechanical process. Was it electromagnetic? As a test Xi had placed the belt on top of the TV to see if it would distort the picture or affect the reception of local channels. No effect was apparent. Was there something powering the belt and collar to switch between modes? If so, what was the power source? And, would that power source fail one day? Xi had taken up the practice of locking and unlocking the belt and collar twenty times every morning. Perhaps every transition drained some kind of battery. She would be quite sad if the locking mechanism failed, but it’s best to be cautious. Xi had no idea when she would gain the confidence to once again wear the belt locked about her waist. Eventually… She rolled over to her bedside table and grabbed her journal to record the afternoon’s vivid dream. “Xi! Hello!” Xi turned and looked up the aisle of the market, replacing the small, seedless watermelon on the heap. Red, the bartender from Diamonds, was walking towards her with a basket of groceries hanging from her overly braceleted forearm. Xi felt her face flush in embarrassment. She hoped her gritted teeth might pass as a smile, “Red.” “You!” Red’s black eyes wide, her smile, growing and, Xi felt, decidedly wicked. “You are legendary!” An “oh, god” scratched its way out between the teeth of Xi’s clamped jaw. “People talk about ’the night of the belt’ like it was the Second Coming. People brag about being eyewitnesses. It’s incredible.” “Oh, god… I’m so embarrassed… I think I had a bit too much to drink that night. I’m out of practice, I guess.” “No! Don’t be! You’ve actually started a trend. One woman wore a chastity belt over a set of tights and another… Oh, my god… she just ripped off her clothes and danced all night in a belt and metal, sun-shaped nipple covers. The belt had this humongous padlock that just flopped around…” Xi looked to see how many people might be overhearing their conversation, wishing Red wouldn’t talk so loud. “…I haven’t seen anything as beautiful as yours though.” Red stopped, perhaps waiting for a reply, apparently oblivious to Xi’s enthusiastic look of complete horror. When Xi said nothing, her teeth still clenched, Red went on. “I’m glad I ran in to you though. Someone left a message for you behind the bar. Actually, it was to ’the woman who wore the chastity belt while dancing on stage’. I’m pretty sure that meant you.” “Uh-huh.” “Gentry, she works during the days… she said that a beautiful woman came in and left the message last week some time. I didn’t see her, but Gentry kept saying that she was considering growing a penis after seeing the woman. That means a lot, because Gentry is typically SO not gay. We gave her such a hard time that her boyfriend says that we’re sprinkling dyke dust in her drinks. Anyway, you should come by and pick up the message. Maybe she’s from some modeling agency or something. She left a business card with a name and a company on it… What was the company? cats.com? No… It was cat something dot com…” “cat-box.com?” Xi asked, suddenly interested, her embarrassment momentarily forgotten. “That’s it!” To be continued in Xi - Chapter 7 - Image

Xi

Sat, 10 Apr 2004 00:00:00 +0000

Xi - Chapter 3 - “Damn You” Poor Battery Bob and his variable speed motor… For several months he had been neglected - collecting dust in a bedside drawer. But that had changed. Burned out batteries lined the bottom of the bedroom wastebasket. For the past three days, much of Xi’s free time had become focused on pleasuring herself. (“Masturbation” is such a blunt word…) Unfortunately, no matter the point of application, the angle, nor the proximity or pressure… Battery Bob could not take Xi to that special place. It’s not that she didn’t want it. (She did!!) It’s not that Xi was inexperienced in the art of self-pleasure. (She had the experience!!) She was just unable to find the means to get over the crest of the wave. The wonderfully awful belt that was locked upon her, so perfect in its sense of duty, kept her from achieving success. And the key to that belt was 383.2 kilometers away locked to the foundation of her mountain cottage. Additional strategies, all tried and true and normally quite successful, were added to her mix of tactics. She experimented with anything she could think of that produced an inkling of arousal. Sexy, see-through lingerie. Black, high-heel shoes with long ties wrapping up her olive calves. A good electronica beat pounding - shaking the bed. Candlelight, rose petals, and an Anna fantasy. An array of other mostly ghostly lovers… Everything made her hot. But everything took her sweating down a road that led nowhere. Even the soft nylon rope that at times anchored her ankles at the corners of the bed (or constricted her waist and isolated her breasts…) now lay where it landed, cast from across the room. Confounded desire! On Wednesday evening, as the last rays of the sun lifted from their perch on the highest clouds, Xi took a pull from a cigarette on her back porch and watched blue smoke rise and disperse into the evening sky. Softly she prayed for Anna - wherever she may be, physical or ethereal - to hear her melancholy longing, to come home once again, to stroke her body like a feather and support her like a firm bed. Why did she have to disappear with no word, no sign? The last time Xi had seen Anna was when she boarded the plane for Rio de Janeiro. Records confirmed that she took her scheduled flight to Manaus two days later… And that was it. Now all Xi had of Anna were her possessions. They were no solace though. They were like weights that she had to drag around. Things that she couldn’t throw away. In fact, she hated them. She hated them all except the necklace with a key, the black collar, and the wonderful belt. Anna’s belt. Anna’s magical, mysterious belt. Her new-old belt with no maker. The belt that now contained and frustrated Xi. The belt that now restricted her access to her own lustful desires. “Damn you! Anna!” Xi blew out her last lung full of acrid, disgusting, tobacco smoke, and smashed the butt into a rainwater-filled plant holder. “Forty-fucking-eight more hours…” The oranges and reds of the evening sky outside the mountain cottage had never been so vivid. After a week of deprivation, she would soon remove the wonderfully torturous belt and quickly tease herself to climax upon the hard commons room floor. A ray of light shone through the cottage window like a spotlight and landed softly on the polished collar lying at the base of, encircling, and locked to the metal pole. Naked below the waist, she approached the pole. She pulled the collar up to her imprisoned sex and held the disk near the faceplate. The secret slot opened and she slid the disk inside to switch the mode to “unlocked”. God! She was on fire. Erotic spasms arced through the interior of her body - her sparse flesh-hair rising from her skin. She pulled the collar’s chain to release the disk from the slot and allow her to proceed to her desire… But the disk did not budge. She looked down at her smoldering, imprisoned crotch, her head feeling faint, her knees beginning to shake. Nothing appeared to be blocking the disk… Nothing seemed to be keeping the disk from sliding free from the belt’s slot… But she could not pull it out! Contrary to logic, the panic washing over her did not extinguish her need. It was more like fuel and her breath flew from within her. She tried to pull away from the pole but the collar’s short chain quickly caught and held her sex close - anchored, only centimeters from the pole. The snap of the chain’s extension sent a jolt of pleasure to her lips and clit. She felt that pleasure expand like ripples on a lake across the surface of her skin. Her eyes closed and a moan slipped through her open mouth. The feeling passed quickly. She looked down again in resurging horror. She was locked to the pole! What was she going to do? She yanked her waist back from the pole again. As before, a shock wave of pleasure pulsated through her soul. Panicked, she pulled back again and again - each time, with the same effect. Soon, however, she was no longer thinking of escape, but instead she was fixated on the physical rapture of each bone-jarring jolt. Holding the pole with her right arm she leaned back. Her eyes closed and mouth agape. Her grasp on the pole faltered, her knees went weak, and she slid slowly to the floor. As she descended the locked collar scraped down the metal pole sending out a piercing cry like a hawk’s scream and a vibration that caused her stomach muscles to contract involuntarily. Once the burning flesh of her buttocks touched the cool, hard floor, she wrapped her legs around the pole and squeezed - bucking her pelvis all the while. She pulled with such desire and passion that the pole seemed to actually sway back and forth. The overhead light rocked in its fixture - brightening and dimming. White flecks of plaster from the ceiling fell, softly, around her sweat-sheened body. In an outburst of pure desire her shirt was torn from her body - her nipples - unveiled, aroused, and erect. On the far wall, a picture of her family fell from its hook and crashed to the ground. Xi did not care, though she watched - seemingly in slow motion - as the wood frame split upon impact and shards of the glass cover rained across the floor. She arched her back as high off the ground as she could - stretching, flexing

Xi 2 - The Key Experiment

Tue, 30 Mar 2004 00:00:00 +0000

Xi - Chapter 2 - The Key Experiment It was late in the evening on a Sunday in June. Xi sat down at her computer and started typing into her journal:

“Experiment 8: The Key Experiment cont’d…

The Key Experiment is officially underway now. I have just returned from the mountain cottage…”

Xi paused and tried to gather her thoughts. Writing in her journal usually proved to be a suitable distraction.

Xi - The Locked Box

Mon, 27 Oct 2003 00:00:00 +0000

Chapter 1 - The Locked Box

She gathered together her willpower and cut into the box labeled “Old things” in black marker. Xi knew that the contents were Anna’s before she had even opened the flaps in the dim attic light. She pulled out old sweaters and dresses. Ugh! Last decade’s styles… She had never seen these clothes before. Anna must have brought this box straight to the attic when she moved in. She set the clothes neatly to the side. She couldn’t send this stuff to the Salvation Army. If Anna had saved it, it must have meant something to her. And if Anna returned one day…

Xi 7 - Image

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Xi - Chapter 7 - Image Xi blanched when she saw the contents of the manila envelope that Sabra had handed her. She looked around to see if anyone was looking over her shoulder and felt thankful that Sabra had chosen a corner table with some privacy. “Oh… my… god… Who took these?” “They were emailed to me anonymously.” Sabra seemed to be gauging Xi’s reaction. “I get submissions everyday.” Xi looked up from the pictures with her mouth open and concern in her eyes. “Are these posted all over the Internet?” A couple of days before, Xi had gone to Diamond’s to retrieve the message waiting behind the bar. It was from a woman named Sabra Davies, the owner of [fictional-wed-site-deleted].com. The web site was one of the most frequented female chastity belt related sites on the Internet. It contained anything anyone would ever want to know about chastity belts - stories, reviews, historical facts, pictures… Xi suspected that perhaps Sabra had heard rumors of the night she flashed her belt. Maybe she was interested in an interview or something. Xi had no idea that someone could have caught her exhibition on film. “I prefer to avoid legal troubles so I generally ask permission.” Still a bit in shock, Xi sat looking at the pictures. There were four high definition images. As she flipped through the photos, each successive shot zeroed in on her. In the third photo, she stood with a grin on her face, eyes closed, head thrown back, her dress raised well above her hips. The fourth featured a close-up of the belt tightly encasing her sex. “They’re really good pictures,” Sabra said. Xi looked up, stunned. “There are cameras everywhere. I can’t believe-” “You look great. Look at your face here.” Sabra extended her hand as though she was presenting a work of art. “What would you call that expression? Contentment? No. Elation? Closer, perhaps. You can’t fake expressions like that.” Xi sat in disbelief slowly shaking her head back and forth, biting her lip. “This is fashion magazine quality,” Sabra continued. She looked at Xi for a moment and then her entire face broke into a friendly comforting smile. She playfully poked Xi’s shoulder. “Hey, girl, I’m giving you compliments here. You’re supposed to be thanking me.” Xi snapped out of her thoughts. “Oh. Yeah, thanks. I’m sorry. I, uh, I just…” Sabra’s expression suddenly gained a certain intensity. “Is it possible that I could see this belt?” Xi glanced into Sabra’s eyes. They were green and piercing. Xi nervously looked away. Sabra seemed nice. Xi liked her. Should she let her see the belt and collar? “Um, no, they’re not mine.” Xi hoped that Sabra’s gaze would not pierce through her little fabrication. Xi pointed to one of the photos. “It belongs to my friend, Sage.” Sabra immediately smiled. “Sage. What a beautiful name!” “It fits her too. She is the best. Unfortunately, though, she lives on the other side of the country. She was only visiting.” “Hm. That’s too bad.” Sabra sat back in her chair. “The reason I’m interested is because - and maybe you already know this - I also design and sell chastity belts. I’d like to think that they are some of the best in the world. But, I’ve never seen a belt like this. It’s marvelous.” “Oh.” Xi hoped that her disappointment didn’t show through. She knew about Sabra’s belt business. Xi had been hoping that Sabra would have information for her about Anna’s belt. “Tell me. Where is the locking mechanism on the belt?” Sabra asked, studying the last photo. “There’s just a little slot that this special disk fits in.” Sabra looked again at Xi, her brow furrowed. “You mean - like a key?” “No. It’s just a disk.” Sabra sat back again in her chair slowly nodding. Her face was pretty but there was something rugged to it. It wasn’t a face that had grown up on Park Avenue. It had not been molly-coddled. It was a face that had been places and seen things. Xi could tell the intense rays of the sun had kissed it. The roar of icy winds had whipped it. It had been lashed with salt water and rain. Sabra’s face was brilliant and alive. Beautiful and powerful. “Was the belt comfortable?” Xi brought her hand to her mouth and pinched her lower lip, smiling. “Yeah.” She felt a comfortable tingle ripple through her soul remembering her two weeks imprisoned in the belt. She remembered the way that it teased her and kept her so aroused. “I wore it for a couple of days straight. It fit perfectly and didn’t rub or anything. There was no way to bypass its security.” “Wow,” Sabra said smiling. “As a designer of belts, that’s, like, the Holy Grail. I’ve been trying to make a perfect design such as you’ve described for years.” “Cool,” Xi said, still partially lost in memory. “You know…” Sabra continued, “maybe I could get you to try out some of my designs. I’d be interested to see if you think mine are as comfortable.” Xi shook her head, suddenly brought back to the present. She couldn’t believe that she was sitting in a coffee shop having such an intimate conversation with a complete stranger. But she liked Sabra. She seemed completely trustworthy… Xi remembered that Sage had told her to put Anna’s belt away and become more social. Here was an opportunity to become more social and, at the same time, investigate this fascination that she had developed. “Yeah…” Xi said, “I think that I’d like to help you if I can.” “Excellent!” Sage sat back. Even her eyes were smiling. “I need you to put on this swim cap, take off all your clothes, and step into the ‘Monster’.” Ice (as she called herself) was pointing at a large cylindrical container of some sort in the corner of the vaulted loft. Xi looked to Ice’s face to determine if she was kidding. There was not a hint of humor in her expression. Ice apparently was a fitting moniker. “The monster?” Xi asked. “Sorry. That’s what we call it. This machine, the ‘Monster’, enables us to get a perfect, dynamic, 3D model of your body and removes the necessity for embarrassingly intimate measurements.” Sabra’s assistant walked to a hook on the wall where she pulled off a pair of black goggles. She handed them to Xi. Xi looked up into Ice’s cold expression. Her Nordic hair was pulled back with severity. If her neck was any indicator, the rest of her body must have been bulging with musculature. Her masculine qualities seemed to have a hand up on those that were feminine. “Where do you get a machine like this?” Ice’s steely blue eyes lowered until they cut into Xi. “You’ll find these will be used quite often in the medical industry. Remote imaging is the future. This model is quite new. Sabra has government connections and she has a way of getting the things that she wants.” Xi shook the swim cap to open it up. Then, keeping one eye on Ice, she fished around in her purse for something to tie back her hair. “Is it like an x-ray machine?” “Yes, but it works in a different wavelength range. It’s safe. Now, when you step in the monster, close the door behind you. Stand on the two marks indicated on the floor. Put on the goggles to protect your eyes. Finally, reach up and grab the two handles above your head. Hold on to the handles for the duration of the imaging process. You will be notified by a bell when the imaging is complete. Do you understand?” Xi nodded meekly. Ice’s voice was commanding and precise. She reminded Xi of a strict aerobics instructor she once had. “I will leave you now.” Unceremoniously, Ice turned and walked out of the room. Xi looked around the room nervously as she pulled her hair into a ponytail. Even in the heat of summer, there seemed to be a slight chill. She pulled the swim cap over her head and shoved in all the remaining loose strands of hair. With another glance towards the door from which Ice had departed, Xi slowly unbuttoned her blouse and walked to a wood chair set against the wall near the device. As she removed each article of clothing, goose bumps rose from her skin. The cool air against her naked flesh wedged itself into her awareness. She felt like she was about to go skinny-dipping alone in a mountain lake. Naked, except for the swim cap, Xi tiptoed across the cold, hard floor to the machine with the goggles in her hand. She pulled on a latch and the thick, heavy door slowly swung open. Dim red light spilled from within. Xi climbed a couple of steps up into the interior of the monster. Her heart was beating faster and she had to remind herself to breathe. She placed her bare feet on the two marks indicated on the floor, which were spaced a little greater than shoulder-width apart. She was now standing in a cylinder not quite a meter in diameter. All the comforting noises from world outside had disappeared - shielded by the make of the machine. Xi looked up. The handles were a little higher than her head, but well within reach. The handles were suspended from somewhere above, held by chains that disappeared into shadows. Xi took a deep breath. Her hands were shaking as she pulled the goggles over her head. Their opaque lenses rendered her world in darkness. Blindly, she reached up and grasped the handles and waited. After a moment she heard a swooshing sound of the cylinder moving around her, followed by a low hum that started above her and slowly descended. When the hum reached the bottom of the cylinder, Xi prayed that the process would soon be over. She waited patiently for the bell to ring. But it did not. She heard some hydraulic motor turn on above her and felt the handles slowly pull her arms up higher and higher. “Ice said to hold on to the handles until I hear the bell,” Xi thought to herself. She felt her arms straighten. The muscles of her torso stretched and became taut. Soon she was pulled high enough that her heels left the ground. Just as Xi thought she would be fully suspended, the hydraulic motor stopped, leaving only the tips of her toes touching the floor. The low hum began again. This time it slowly rose until it was well above her. Finally, the handles lowered. Her feet were once again firmly on the floor. The bell rang and Xi removed the goggles. She was sweating a little. Siren, another one of Sabra’s employees, sat at a desk studying a computer monitor when Xi entered the main room from the “lab”. Siren jotted some numbers on a piece of paper, then turned and yelled towards a back room: “Yankee… Hotel… Foxtrot..!” A second later Ice’s voice cut through the office from somewhere. “What!?” “Yankee! Hotel! Foxtrot!” Siren turned back towards Xi and muttered under her breath, “The bitch is deaf.” She let out a huff of air and looked up at Xi. “Now, how do you pronounce your name? Is is ‘z-iy’?” She used a long ‘i’ sound. Xi smiled. “Actually, it’s ‘k-sigh’ like the Greek letter, but that’s kind of a mouthful. ‘Z-iy’ is fine.” “Are you Greek?” “Maybe a little… Mostly, I’m just an American mutt. My parents were both math people. They liked Greek letters for some reason. My sister’s name was Phi.” Siren looked down at the piece of paper. “And what is your last name?” “No last name. It’s just Xi.” Siren looked up. “How does that happen? Did your parents not pass down their name.” “I legally changed it. You know how great athletes have their number retired because no one could live up to their performance ever again? Well, I decided to retire my last name.” Siren looked at Xi with a confused looking expression on her face. “I don’t watch sports.” She looked back down at the form. “I need to get your home address and some emergency contact information…” Minutes later, Ice came from the back room with a cardboard box. Xi felt like she was in a shoe store. Ice gave the box to Siren. “Here you go, Worm.” Siren’s silent reply to Ice said more than any vocalization could. Ice turned to Xi. “Have you seen the worm that is forever crawling on her hand?” Xi nodded her head. “Yes, I was admiring that… snake?” A tattooed snakehead slithered from underneath the long black sleeve of Siren’s dress and ended on the back of her palm. The head was menacing and filled with intricate designs. Siren smiled and raised her hand for Xi to see. Just as Xi bent closer to look, Siren struck out towards Xi with her hand and made a “Ch-ch-ch-ch ch” sound like a rattlesnake. Xi jumped with a short scream, then put her hand to her mouth and forced a polite chuckle to accompany Siren’s guffaw. Ice did not react at all. “Weird,” Xi thought to herself. “Cute, but definitely weird.” Siren opened the box and pulled a shiny metal device from within. With the turn of a set of keys, the chastity belt opened. She handed the belt to Xi, but kept the keys. “Try it on.” Xi rode the bus home. She was in a bit of a daze. Everything had happened so quickly. Sabra had shown up at the last moment to make Xi feel welcome and thank her for her help. Xi wasn’t exactly sure what she was supposed to do, but she felt good that Sabra thought she might be helpful. Sabra promised that she would have a custom fit of her latest belt design for Xi on Monday based on the imaging they had done. Monday was five days away. Until then, she begged Xi to wear the belt that Ice had brought from the back room. Xi had quickly agreed to do so. The belt had been cold when it first came in contact with her delicate flesh. Shivers ran up her spine. When she locked all the pieces in to place, the belt felt really tight. But, Xi felt comfort in the tightness. She felt happy and protected. Secure. Invulnerable. She did not even think about the fact that she didn’t have the keys until the bus had driven for some time into the growing darkness of twilight. To be continued…