3 comments/ 9575 views/ 5 favorites A Year By: KnottLynnHardey A Year Anja awoke in her room, sunlight spilling over her naked skin as she lay atop her bed. The sheets were slightly rumpled and spoke of a peaceful sleep. There were no wisps of dreams clouding her mind, she woke ready to start her day. In her heart Anja felt today was going to be special. After a long period of being alone something told her today she was going to meet someone special. She showered, and the warm spray felt more invigorating that she could ever remember. The smell of the soap strong and pleasing, her body smooth and eager for her hands to caress it. Everything felt more distinct and real than it ever had as long as she could recall in her 26 years. Anja lived alone and she prepared her breakfast of coffee and fruit from a well stocked fridge, without any clothes on, enjoying her nudity. Sitting to eat in her robe ensconced in her favorite window seat looking out over her neighborhood, she watched as unfamiliar faces drifted by. This was certain to be a wonderful day. Paul also woke from a dreamless sleep. He also felt very positive about his day to come. All Paul wanted was to find that special someone that he could lavish his abundant love on and spend his life with. Doing yoga and stretching his lean limbs Paul allowed his mind to drift as he went through the maneuvers, his body supple and holding no tension. Breakfast for him consisted of cereal and juice, and he hummed a romantic ballad as he ate, his mind on love and romance as it usually was. Tai found herself tangled in her sheets when she woke, the loose bindings immediately making her think of sex. Allowing herself to feel constrained by the ineffective bindings she imagined a man finding her there and taking advantage of her helplessness. Her insides became squishy imagining a squat hairy man holding her down and using her body for his pleasure. Not allowing herself to move her hands Tai wanted to touch her tingling clit, but instead she imagined her body growing more and more aroused as this man used her. At last the sexual tension grew too profound and she took one hand out of the harmless coil of blanket and rubbed her burning button until she cried out with a powerful climax. What a way to start her day. In the shower she went over the waking dream and found herself picturing the man clearly. So clearly she wondered if she had ever met him. Tai knew if she ever did she would probably throw herself at his feet and beg him to take her as his slave, the fantasies she had about him night and day were so profound that she hoped more than anything to someday find him and be his slave. A walk in the park seemed the only remedy to Paul's restlessness . The sun and the fresh air drew him, and he knew of a romantic place to go down by the pond in the biggest park in the city. That would be the perfect location for his current mood. Setting off, his teeth brushed, his hair combed and his clothes pressed and presentable he gloried in the sunny day. The rush and bustle of the street traffic, both vehicular and pedestrian tried to invade his happy reverie, but his mood was just too light to be brought down by such mundane impediments. By the time he got to the pond, having wandered through trees and beds of pretty flowers his mood was light and romantic again. Sitting on a bench by the side of the pond he smiled at the antics of the ducks, feeling like this was the perfect place to be. Dressing in her most provocative day wear, and she had a closet full of dresses too provocative for day time, Tai went out for breakfast. The dark haired beauty had a powerful craving for a bagel and knew there was a good bakery with tables to sit at, overlooking the street, just down from her apartment. The walk there elicited a lot of stares and Tai felt a thrumming sexual potency from the ogling gaze of the many men she saw. It was her fondest desire to find a man who could tame her, and make her the woman she desired to be, but none of these men were the right man. If they were they would have the boldness to approach and demand her attention. None of them did. At the bakery she ordered and sat with a tea, eating at a table in the window overlooking the busy street. The sun fell on the far side leaving her in comforting shadow, her heart hopeful, but her mood dark and isolated. Anja was at a loss for what to do with herself. She was restless, but had no place to be. Wandering around her apartment she noticed everything was sparking clean, so that didn't need doing. All her laundry was done, her fridge and cupboards stocked with all her favorites , and her few plants freshly watered. As the tall, pale blond Nordic woman considered going out, even though that didn't feel like the thing to do, a knock at her door saved her from having to find something to do. Practically running for the door she peered through the eye-hole to see who was there. Standing in front of the door was her landlord Mr. Handy, and beyond him some other figure. Anja happily opened the door and said hello. "Hey there Anja. I was passing by and thought I'd introduce you to a new tenant. Anja this is Bill Dysart. Bill this is Anja. " Anja's heart missed a beat as she looked past her landlord at the man standing there. He was short, and slight, but his eyes were the prettiest blue she had ever seen. He had a charming shyness to him that immediately pleased her. Looking at him as he stared back at her, with what she could only perceive as astonishment, she felt herself blush. "Hello Mr. Dysart." She said, her own voice sounding husky and excited to her ears. "Hello." Dysart said back, his eyes darting around looking at her body and only just brushing her own gaze. His obvious approval of her body made her glow inside. This small unassuming man seemed to make her feel more beautiful and desirable by the moment. "Did you want to come in? I have some coffee brewed." "Well Mr. Dysart, do you want to?" Mr. handy asked. "The lady seems to want some company." "Sure. Sounds fine." Dysart winced, and tried again. " I mean- Yes. That would be lovely." "Perfect." Handy and Anja said at the same time. She laughed at the synchronicity, and Handy gestured for Dysart to enter ahead of him. Anja led them to the couch and went and poured them coffee. She could feel the men watching her move around her small kitchen and she found herself appreciating the attention. She spent a little more time than necessary looking for cream and sugar in the fridge and cupboard giving them time to take in her statuesque body in jeans and button down shirt, and she wondered at her behavior. Dysart was just such an interesting little man, his scholarly air, and nervous energy pleased her. Bringing the men coffee she sat opposite Dysart and asked where he had moved from. "Oh. Ah. I moved from across town. I have- had a house provided by the science department at the University, but I- erm- well I found that it didn't serve my current needs. Yes." "Mr. Dysart is a Professor of Microbiology at the University." Mr. Handy informed her. "Oh! Wow! That sounds exciting." Anja said. She didn't know anything about microbiology, but it sounded difficult and she loved intellectuals. Dysart seemed to be in his mid fifties, still young enough physically, in spite of a bit of a pot belly and stooped shoulders, which Anja found cute, but he was old enough not be a man who needed to impress a woman. Anja hated the games, and the macho behaviors men resorted to when flirting with a woman. They chatted for a time, and Anja found herself more and more intrigued by this strange little man. As the men were leaving, the coffee finished, Anja impulsively asked which apartment was Dysart's. "I would love to drop by sometime, and you can tell me more about your work." "Oh. Yes. Of course. I am in 501." "Oh, just above mine then." She gushed, feeling silly. "Ah, yes. That is so." "Well I look forward to seeing you soon Mr. Dysart." "Please call me Bill." "Okay, Bill. And feel free to stop by anytime. Good day Mr. Handy." As she closed the door she peeked out the hole again and saw the men smile, and Handy give Dysart an "I told you so." Like nod. Anja felt like this was the meeting she was meant to have today, and she smiled as the men walked from view. She couldn't wait to tell her neighbor Tia about the newest resident of their little world. Paul had been sitting in the sun for fifteen minutes when a woman in her mid to late forties arrived and asked to sit beside him. Paul readily accepted. As long as he had been sexually aware Paul had felt attracted to older women, women of a certain bearing, of a certain class. Young girls or women his own age, late twenties, seemed to be more crass, more exuberant, and generally less self-contained. Paul was an old fashioned guy in that he liked to be charming, and to be, admittedly, a little chauvinistic with manners. He wanted to hold doors open, pull out chairs, and generally behave well toward women. Paul did not feel women were in any way inferior, just special. Men and woman were not equals. There were equivalent. A woman had the right to be whomever she wanted to be, but for Paul she was only attractive if she comported herself a certain way. As the woman, who he thought looked to be in the forty seven to forty eight range, sat Paul nodded politely offering, "It's a beautiful morning isn't it?" "That it is." Her voice had a depth of tone that thrilled him. It seemed so refined and sounded like the aural equivalent of an aged whiskey. Smokey, flavourful and evocative. "I couldn't stay away this morning. I wanted so much to be sitting right here in the sun today." Paul enthused. "Oh, how nice." She smiled. "Do you come here often? Oh of course not- I mean... "She seemed to be searching for the right thing to say. "Surely I would have seen you before if you did. I come here every day." She seemed puzzled, and then she smiled and looked closely at him. "I apologize." "You have nothing to apologize for madam." He said formally, but with a big smile. "I don't come often, but I have been here before, on occasion. "Well I'm glad you're here today." She smiled. "Me too." Paul said and meant it. She was very attractive. She had short hair, cut simply, and there was a charming dusting of grey all through it. Her eyes were very kind, and the laugh lines around them told him all he needed to know about her sense of humour. "It seems to me this may be the best day of the year so far, weather wise." "You may be right." She nodded, and then smiled an open joyous smile at him. "My name is Marny. " She offered her hand. Taking it Paul smiled back, beguiled by this woman. "Would you like some popcorn to feed the ducks?" He asked, the popcorn vender just a little ways away. "That would be lovely, thank you." Her eyes sparkled and Paul felt smitten. He rushed over and bought a bag and brought it back to her. Sitting a smidge closer to her on the bench he offered her the bag. Reaching in with her left hand Paul noticed she had no wedding ring and he smiled to himself. They chatted and fed the ducks and Paul felt more content than he could ever remember. The long wait for Tia to come home had Anja on pins and needles, but at last her neighbor and best friend finally called. "Hey, sorry I missed your call I was out. I met somebody!" Tia gushed. "Me too! Come over and I'll put some tea on and let's share. "Make it some gin and I'm in!" "Okay. This does call for a celebration doesn't it?" "Be right there." The women hung up and Anja went to her liquor cupboard. She had a few bottles of alcohol she kept in her cupboard. She pulled out some scotch with a puzzled expression. Then put it back and pulled out the gin. Getting glasses with ice and some soda she fixed drinks. Before she finished she heard Tia knock on the door. When Anja let Tia in the two women smiled at each other and hugged. "This is incredible. What are the odds?" Tia said her quiet voice much louder than usual. "Here's to us, and our potential partners." Anja clinked glasses with Tia and they drank. "Okay, I've been waiting all day to tell you what happened, so can I please go first?" "Of course." The women moved into the living room area and sat on the couch. "Okay. Mr. Handy brought this new neighbor over to meet me. He was this professor from the University and he was shy and smart and as cute as a button. I could tell he liked me right away, and when they left the men stood outside my door and sort of smirked at each other. Handy was setting us up. Bill knew it and was happy with me. At least that was my read on it." "That is so weird! Why would Mr. Handy be setting you up?" "No idea. I'm just glad he did. Bill lives right above me. He told me to drop by sometime, so we could talk more." "So no actual date yet?" "No. He isn't the predatory type. He is an academic, sort of a bit lost in thought. Which I love." "Great. Here's to Bill then." Tia held out her glass and the ladies once more drank. "Mine was a chance meeting. I was sitting eating a bagel at the bakery when he sat next to me. As soon as I saw him I almost peed. I swear I'm not making this up, but I've been dreaming of this guy for... I don't know how long. Literally this man, exactly. He looked at me with this intense stare and I just about melted in my seat. I could barely breathe." Tia sipped her drink, clearly swept up in the memory. "He started talking to me, but I couldn't tell you what he said, I couldn't even think. Just looking at this man from my dreams was terrifying and wonderful. He moved to my table and we talked about ourselves a bit, then he asked me if I was busy this afternoon. I said no. Then he asked if I'd like to spend the afternoon with him. I was literally panting as I said yes. It just felt so right. He was so strong, and confident it made me feel like I could do anything if he was with me." Anja was spooked by the way her friend was talking. Tia seemed like she was in in pain, and her eyes were dilated and out of focus. "You okay sweetie?" Anja asked. "Perfect. Please don't tell me I'm crazy, I've been dreaming of this specific man for so long that... I went home with him." "Holy shit! Did you..?" "We went back to his place, he has a little house to himself. We had some wine and- Oh God it was perfect. He told me he thought I was the sexiest woman he had ever seen. He told me that I looked like I needed a strong man in my life. I said that was true. He told me he should be that man." "Wow. Pretty cock-sure." "Exactly. Anja that is exactly like it was. He had no doubts. He knew I was already his. He- Well maybe you don't need the details?" She seemed apologetic, and embarrassed, but eager to share so Anja nodded. "Go ahead." "Okay. Well he told me to strip for him. I had never done that for anyone before, but I felt right about it. I stood up and took off my clothes. I was in a strange man's house and didn't know his last name, but I felt safer with him than anyone before. He told me to do it slowly, and every time he gave me an order he became more confident, more demanding. And the more demanding he became the more attracted to him I got. I swear I was wet just from the way he talked to me." Both women took sudden gulps of their drinks. "When I was nude he made me follow him downstairs and in the basement he had- he had- oh." Tia's hands were shaking and she took another drink and then sipped again and put down the glass. Clasping her hands in her lap she continued. Anja felt hollow in the pit of her stomach, terrified for her friend for some reason. "In the basement he has a full dungeon. The walls look like old castle walls. He has all these devices for binding and torture and... pleasure. I was standing in there as naked as the day I was born and I felt like I had come home. Oh God it was heaven. He demanded that I call him Master and he tied me up, and all afternoon he whipped me, and used dildoes and vibrators on me and put me in all these devices and God Anja! I have never cum so many times in my life. I am exhausted from so many orgasms. He finally fucked me and it was the best I've ever had. His cock is perfect! " "Jesus Tia! That is freaky." Tia looked shamed, and blushed. "Not freaky as in you are a sick pervert, but freaky that everything went so quickly for you. In one afternoon all that happened?" "I know. I can't believe it myself, but it felt so right. Destiny or something. " Just then there was a knock on Anja's door. "I'll just pretend I'm not here." "No, no. It might be your dream man. I want to meet him." Anja blushed and went to the door. Peering out the eyehole she saw Paul from next door. "No such luck. It's Paul. He looks excited. "Ah, well let him in. I need to stop thinking about Master and get my sanity back." "You sure?" But Anja had raised her voice too much. Paul called out. "Anja, is that you? Please let me in!" Anja unlocked the door and opened it wide enough to let him in. "Come in. We were just deciding if men were allowed in our girl talk or not." "Well if it helps, I met someone special today. That is sort of girl talk." "You have got to be kidding. Com e in. you want some gin, that's what we are having. " "Sounds good. Hey Tia. So... why would I be kidding about meeting someone? You think I am too lame to find love?" "No." Anja said as she went and poured him a drink. "It is just that both of us met somebody today too." "Really? That is incredible." Paul sat next to Tia and looked intently at her. "Did you really meet a guy today?" "Um, yeah. We spent the whole day together. I just got home." Anja came back with Paul's drink and she picked up her own. "To us, and our new romances." They all toasted and drank. "So Paul tell us about yours." "We met at the park today. We fed ducks, we walked around the lagoon and went to the zoo, and then had a picnic on the grass. It was so romantic. She told me all about herself, and it was like she knew me already. She guessed all my favorite music, and books. We go to a lot of the same shows, and galleries. I am amazed we haven't met before. I just walked her home and kissed her goodnight. I don't usually move so fast, but it felt right." Tia and Anja exchanged a glance over their glasses at that, and Tia blushed furiously. To distract from that Anja said, "Good for you Paul. That is wonderful. My guy lives in the building. He just moved here. Mr. Handy introduced us. And Tia met someone at the bakery." "Congratulations ladies." Paul held out his glass for a toast and once more they drank. There was a moment of reflection as each of them marveled at their good fortune then they all took a breath and spoke at once. "I've never been so happy." They had all said the same thing and burst out laughing. They drank and shared stories, eventually getting drunk and getting into detail about each of their new loves. And each of them confirmed they were in love. Anja felt strange admitting that, she barely knew Bill, but she was certain she was in love with him, and that was what counted. Some instinct told Anja that today she should dress like a student from the university. She assumed that Bill would like a woman to look like the people he worked with. So she put on tight jeans, and a thin t-shirt with no bra and comfortable shoes. Putting on a minimum of make-up she pulled her hair back in a braid and wore her glasses. Looking in the mirror she approved of what she saw. Looking scholarly she had the look of a studious focused girl of twenty or so. Taking a deep breath she steeled herself and went up to 501. Knocking on Bill's door she felt a nervousness she rarely felt, but his approval mattered to her. A Year It didn't matter to Anja. She was in love and sexually more satisfied than she could dream of. The older man knew ways to bring her pleasure she had never heard of, and as she lay quivering with delight under his careful, kind ministrations she reached fulfillment beyond her wildest dreams. Unlike younger men, and more shallow men, the Professor delighted in sharing pleasure, making sure that she felt more delight than he, his orgasms easy and messy, hers special to him like nothing else. Except science. She learned from him, and grew to love him even more for his amazing knowledge than for the amazing sex she got from him. Yet one night, when Bill was away on a trip she sat, bereft of him and she called Tia who she had not seen in weeks. "Hello?" Tia sounded asleep. "Tia. It's me, Anja. Are you home?" "Yes, my Master is punishing me." "What?" The other girl began to weep over the phone, saying something unintelligible. "Tia I'm coming over. Let me in okay?" Taking her phone with her and listening to Tia's incoherent babbling Anja rushed down the hall to her friend's apartment. Pounding on the door she called into the phone. "Let me in Tia. Come to the door." At last the door was opened and Anja went into the dark apartment while Tia shuffled off into the gloom. All the lights were off and the windows curtained. Flicking on a light Anja looked for Tia. The other woman was curled on the couch weeping inconsolably, her dark hair messy and her face blotchy. Tia was wearing a robe, and where her pale skin showed she was bruised and welted. Anja felt like she had been kicked in the stomach. Nausea and fear made her shrill. "My God Tia what happened to you?" "He is mad at me, and he won't let me see him. I'm having my period and he hates that." "Oh for fuck's sake. No. What happened to your legs?" "What?"The crying woman brushed her hand along her leg casually. "That is nothing. He is mad at me and won't let me be there. He sent me away." She began to sob once more. "Good. Tia stop going there. You look awful. My God are those burns?" "Don't worry about that Anja. I need you to help me. Tell him I'm sorry. Make him listen to you." Then she sat up erect, as if jolted by a current. "No! I'm being punished; I mustn't beg him to stop it, unless he tells me to. No it is my duty to endure." "Are you listening to yourself Tia. You sound insane. This man is killing you and you want to go back for more?" "He isn't killing me! He brought me to life. He gave me a reason to live." Anja sat down beside her friend and took her hands in her own. "Tia we all like a little slap and tickle now and then. I get that you like playing submissive and all. Kink is fine. But you are talking something way beyond that right now. You sound like a person in a cult. It sounds crazy." Looking deep into Anja's eyes Tia spoke carefully. "I love him Anja. He is my Master body and soul. This is how it works. He can do anything to me he likes, and I love him for it. A T.V. loves to be watched, a bed wants to be slept in. I want to do anything for him that he wants to do to me. I live to serve." "No. No, Tia. You are an independent person. You have a life. You existed long before he came along." "Did I? It doesn't feel like it." "Look sweetie I don't know what kind of mind games he is playing with you but this isn't right. I want you to listen to me we need to report him to the authorities." "They won't understand. Same as you don't understand. I want this." Tia opened her robe and showed Anja a body lashed with scars and welts. Her breasts were black and blue with bite marks and deep purple bruises. Old green and yellow ones marred the firm breasts as well. Across Tia's flat stomach marks from a whip looked half healed. Burns of some kind dotted her skin, and more bruises coloured her skin than space was left unmarked. Tears leaped to Anja's eyes. "Jesus Christ Tia!" Anja felt dizzy looking at the damage her sweet shy friend had endured at the hands of this monster. "This feels good to me. He makes me cum whenever he does this. I love making him feel good, and doing this makes him feel good. It makes me feel like I'm alive." "I'm calling the police." "No. NO! Anja, there are no laws being broken here. I beg him -do you hear me?- beg him to do this." "Okay. Let's say I believe you. Will you let me document this, just in case something happens? Just for a second think about what happens if he goes too far. Even by accident. We need to know who he is, where he lives and have proof that this happens to you." "No, Anja. If I died on his wrack I would never want him to be in trouble. It would be my fault if he went too far, because I didn't please him sooner." "Don't you have one of those safe words?" "No. There is no need." "This isn't right. This is so not right." Anja stood and began to pace."I don't know what to do." "You don't need to do anything. It's nice that you are worried, but I love him. This is the best thing to ever happen to me. I am becoming who I am supposed to be." "I can't look at you like this. It breaks my heart." "You hate me?" "No! I love you." "Then look at me. See me for who I am." "I can't. This isn't you." "Look at me." Tia stood up and dropped her robe. Turning around fully she displayed her battered body to Anja. Compelled to witness the torture she gazed at her friend, her mind reeling from the wounds. All along Tia's legs mottled bruises and lashes criss-crossed the once beautiful flesh. They went over her buttocks, and back. Tia lifted her cascade of black hair exposing the whip marks that went over her shoulders and across the whole of her back and neck. "This is his love for me. Each mark earned with patience and doled out with pity." Anja spotted a dark blotch at the base of Tia's neck. "What is that?" "What?" "That mark." Anja approached and lifted the settling hair. Tia held it up and revealed to Anja a bar-code tattooed just at the place Tia's hair met her neck. "You let him tattoo you?" "No. I don't have a tattoo." "Yes, it's right here." She pressed the spot. "I don't have a tattoo, Anja." "Yes you do. Give me a sec." Anja went for her phone and began opening her camera ap. "You aren't taking pictures of me to get my Master arrested." "No. I just want one picture of your neck. Then if you see that he has tattooed you maybe you believe me. He is obviously drugging you or something. How could you not notice this?" Tia held her hair while Anja took a close up picture of the tattoo. When Anja held it up for Tia to see the dark haired girl was stunned. "I don't believe that. When did he do that? I never felt it. You'd think it would hurt for days." "Now do you believe me that there is something weird going on?" "This could have happened some other time?" "When? When you came off the assembly line? He did this." "You don't know that." "The ink looks fresh. This hasn't seen the sun, ever." "I always wear my hair down." "Stop defending him Tia. He has had you branded." "I would have noticed." "Right, one more stinging wound would be noticeable among all this shit." That stopped Tia. "I'm not trying to take something away from you, Tia. I'm trying to get you to see how hurtful he is being to you. Sex shouldn't just be about pain." "What you're trying to do is warp my mind. Get out! Get out of my house!" Suddenly Tia was in a rage. Anja couldn't believe the anger her friend was showing. She had never seen Tia like this. "Okay. I'll leave, please stop screaming. I was wrong. I shouldn't have interfered." When Anja opened the door she saw Paul looking stunned in front of his apartment door. When Tia slammed the door behind Anja Paul turned slightly, then slowly looked over. He looked shell shocked, his eyes unfocused and blind. His keys were in his hand but he hadn't opened his door. "Wow. Tia is in a state. You should see what that mother fucker is doing to her." Paul mumbled quietly. "Sorry to hear that." "What? Paul are you okay?" Paul looked physically unharmed. His clothes were neat, his usual collared shirt buttoned and tidy, but he looked like he had taken a blow to the head. "Fine. Thanks. You?" He replied. "Oh come on. You too? Come here." She took his keys and opened his apartment door. She went in ahead of him and flicked on the lights. The place was neat and tidy and Spartan, everything in its place and almost nothing to see. Going to the cupboard Anja found a glass and poured him some water. Paul had meandered in behind her still looking shocked. She took the water to him and went and closed the open door. "Drink the water Paul. " She said when she turned and found him still standing looking at the water in his hand. Paul drank. "Sit down. Tell me what happened." Sitting down Paul looked at her but didn't see her. His eyes were glazed over. "Paul! Snap out of it! I'm about to lose my shit over here!" Giving his head a literal shake Paul attempted to bring his focus back into the room. "I found something terrible today. Something horrible and insane, and ... magical?" "Magical doesn't really fit on that list Paul." Now that he was more present Paul looked slightly healthier. He shook his head again and drank some more water. "I don't know how else to say it. I think I believe in God, or something. Somehow. " "That would freak me out. "Anja tried, but knew the joke had failed. "I am reincarnated. I saw the photos to prove it. " "You saw photos of someone who looked like you from before you were born?" "No. I found photos of me from... years ago, nineteen years ago. But it is me, for sure. Even the clothes were similar." "I've kinda always wondered why you dressed like that. So straight, so old fashioned." "Really? I dress old fashioned?" "There is sort of a songs of yesteryear quality about it, yeah." "Huh. I don't know what to say to that." "Go back to your story. Why did this freak you out so much?" "I don't know. I've been really falling in love with Marny. She is amazing. She just gets me. Like no-one else ever has, but sometimes she says weird things. Thinks that refer to stuff we did in the past. But before we met, you know?" "No I don't know what that means." "She just talks like we have known each for a longer than we have. She talks about people we used to know, and stuff we have done, and it is all from when I would have been a child or before I was born. Marny is nineteen years older than me. I thought she was confusing me for her late husband, and it was a little sad. I felt sorry for her. Then today I was looking for a pen in her dresser. I wanted to do a cross-word puzzle while she was in the shower. In this box in a drawer I found a bunch of papers and old photos. One of the first ones I saw was of me and her. I looked like I did in college, and she looked... she looked the same age. College age. She looked so young, and I looked just the same age. When she was that young I would have been maybe one or two years old. And just to prove I'm not lying. I'll show it to you. It was New Years Eve." Handing her a picture he had in his jacket Paul let her take it then stood up and began pace, taking off his coat, and then his over shirt. Looking at the photo Anja saw a pale young woman who was pretty in a bland sort of way. She had big glasses on and permed hair. Her dress had large shoulder pads and sequins all over it. The girl was grinning and holding a man to her side. The man was the spitting image of Paul. He looked like Paul did in Anja's memories of when he first moved here. Identical. The image in her memory was as clear as this photo. This was absolutely Paul a few years ago. And the banner way behind them on a wall showed the phrase. "Happy New Year 1986." Anja felt the world slip a little to the left. Paul was pacing and wiping his sweaty brow. He was wearing a white undershirt beneath the button down he had on earlier. The sweat was soaking through it at his back and arm pits. He mopped his brow, rubbed his face and looked terrified. "That is me. That is me and I've been reincarnated. Except I was alive then. I was two years old. How does that happen?" Anja stared back and forth from Pau to the photo as he paced. Then when he was facing away from her he ran his hand through his hair and her gaze was snagged by his neck. As he wandered away from her muttering Anja saw a tattoo on the base of his neck where his hair ended. It took her two tries calling him before she could make a noise. "Paul stop." "What?" "Come here." Paul walked to her and sat next to her on the arm of her chair. Turning him away she placed a finger on his barcode tattoo. "Where did you get this?" "Get what?" "You have a tattoo on your neck." "No I don't" "Yes you do." Anja took out her phone and told him to sit still. She once more took a photo and showed him first his own. "What the hell?" Then the one on Tia's neck. "Holy shit!" "They are the same. " "What the hell is going on here?" "Paul have you ever met Tia's boyfriend?" "No. Why?" "Because I think he gave her this tattoo. He has beat the shit out of her, and is playing some mind game on her and she is beside herself crying one minute, then raging at me for suggesting he is killing her the next." "Let's go talk to her." They pounded on her door and called to her but she wouldn't answer. Anja texted Tia that Paul had the same tattoo and wanted to talk about it. Anja included the photo of Paul's neck to prove it. Tia opened the door. "Let me see your neck." she demanded. Paul turned and she flinched when she saw it. "Master couldn't have done that. How could Paul have been tattooed by my Master?" Paul pushed past her and went inside. "Call him." Paul said through gritted teeth. "I want to talk to him." "What for? He didn't do that?" "Well who did? Who tattooed both of us?" "Somebody probably broke in here and did it." "Who?" Anja asked. "Aliens?" "Maybe. That makes as much sense as my Master kidnapping Paul and tattooing him." It actually did, Anja thought. "Anja I want to see what the numbers on our tattoos are, can you read them?" Paul leaned over so that Anja could look closely. "4239670042.P." "Now Tia." Tia lifted her hair once more and Anja bent over to read her tattoo. "4239670043.T." Anja read. She turned to Paul to see if that meant anything to him but he was looking at her like he had seen a ghost. "Do those numbers mean anything to you?" she asked. "You have one too." Her bowels turned to liquid. Her mouth went dry, and her vision swam. "I don't have a tattoo..." Paul came over and moved her hair to the side and looked at her neck. "4239670041.A." Anja felt faint. She sat on the nearest chair. "What is happening?" Tia asked her voice small and childlike. "I have no idea." Paul said. The three friends sat in silence for a long time trying to absorb what was happening. Finally Anja broke the silence with a question. "Paul as best you can remember what sorts of things did Marny say to you that sounded so odd" "Well once she said something like, 'That is just like what you did when we were in Vegas. You are so logical all the time. This is supposed to be fun.' We have never been to Vegas. Why?" "Tia, has your Master ever said anything that made you think he was remembering someone else?" "No, not really." "Anything at all. Or any weird ways of talking?" "Well sometimes he looks at me really intently and will say things like 'Just the way I told them.' Or 'That is how I told them.' Something like that. What is going on?" "The Profess-Bill hasn't said it in awhile, but in the first few months, especially in the early days of dating he would often confuse my name with his old lab assistant. He would say 'Anja wasn't as good as you- I mean my old assistant wasn't as good at that.' Stuff like that. I used to think it was just him getting us confused. A couple times he said things like 'You're perfect, so much better than the original.' I thought it was some weird way of talking about his first love or something." "Now what do you think?' "I think there is something really weird going on with us, and our relationships. We all fell in love on the same day. Immediately. I mean I knew Bill was the right man for me the instant I met him. I woke up thinking I was going to meet him." "Me too with Marny." "That is how I felt. Including thinking I was going to meet Master that day. I remember that clearly." "We need to do some research into this. There may be something weird going on with our partners. We have to search their houses and find out who they really are. Paul bring that whole box home. Let's see what else is in there." "What box?" Tia asked meekly. Anja turned to him. "I found a box at Marny's that had this photo in it." He handed Tia the picture and he and Anja watched as understanding came to her. "How could that be you? How is that possible? "It isn't. " Paul said. "I think I've been reincarnated somehow." "Tia look for anything at..."She made a face as she said it, "your Master's house. Find out if there is anything weird like this there, okay? I'll do the same at Bill's." The three friends agreed, then sat in silence for a little while longer. Finally Anja spoke once more. "I'm scared you guys." They both nodded in agreement. Paul went to Marny's the next day. When he saw her he started to forget the worry of last night. Love filled him. Marny wasn't out to hurt him. She love him, he could see it in her eyes. He almost asked her about the photo, but felt guilty for having doubted her. They went out. They drove to a flower park and basked in the beauty of hundreds of different types of flowers. They laughed together, and gaped at the astounding beauty on display, and ate a lovely picnic on the lawn. It was a fabulous day. That evening they cuddled and watched their favorite movie, An Affair To Remember. They made love and Paul felt like he was exactly where he belonged. In the morning Marny had to go out. She had a meeting with her stock broker, apparently she had had some sort of set back and she was somewhat distraught. Paul tidied up the house for her, and began preparations for dinner, getting a lamb roast out to thaw. As he sat basking in the glow of his love his mind began to wander back to last night. His hand brushed the spot where his tattoo was. Going to the bathroom he angled two mirrors to get a better look at his neck. There it was, the tattoo. All the fear of last night came flooding back. Going to Marny's room he found the box of papers and photos and began to look through them. An hour later Marny came home. They began a conversation about what he had found. They both cried and yelled and Paul felt his world come crashing down around him. The pork roast sat on the counter in a pan defrosting, blood slowly seeping out of the wax butcher's paper, filling the pan. Tia dreaded going to her Master's house. She had not been given permission to return, and her period was still happening. This defiance was beyond anything she could fathom. Often she disobeyed or purposely made mistakes so that her Master had opportunity to punish her. Punishments brought both of them so much pleasure, but this was excessive. Yet Tia felt a level of jealousy she couldn't shake. Had her Master tattooed her and her friends? Were Anja and Paul lying to her about knowing him? Had they slept with her Master? The idea of either of them being with her Master made her heart turn to ash. She had no right to stop him from seeking his pleasure in any way he saw fit, but somehow this violation, not being told, shattered her confidence.