She had also had to write detailed descriptions of her fantasies and desires. All in all, it had taken her several days to fill out the application. But she knew lots of people applied, so she wasn't expecting to be accepted.
She was about to go out when her mom said she had a package from a library.
"School project?" her mom asked.
"Um, probably?"
She took the package up to her room. The return address was "Interlibrary Loan Service of New York" and the package was stamped "Media Mail". When she opened it, inside was a copy of "The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire".
But it wasn't a book at all! It looked like a book on the outside, but when she opened it she found it was hollow. Inside was a letter of congratulations from Nexus, instructions, and a pendant on a necklace.
The letter explained that only by following the instructions would she be able to get in. Only the most dedicated were allowed to be abducted, it wasn't for the lazy who just filled out an application but weren't willing to do anything.
The instructions told her to put on the pendant but to leave behind her cell phone, purse, money, and ID. She was to have nothing in her pockets and to carry nothing. Her first step was to walk over to the bus stop up the road.
As she approached the bus stop a taxi pulled up. "Ride to Fairview Mall?" Rebecca saw an envelope lying on the back seat with an elaborate "N" imprint.
"Yes", she said, and got in. The envelope contained a payment voucher for the taxi, a receipt, and a note that said to give the receipt to customer service at the shoe store at the mall.
When she handed over the receipt the customer service woman said, "yes, your special order has come in". They were a beautiful pair of knee high boots! Rebecca put them on and zipped them up. She loved them so much! And even knowing that they wouldn't come off without unzipping them was exciting.
Enclosed with the boots was another note. It was like a treasure hunt! But wait, there was something else in the envelope... two tiny padlocks! Rebecca gasped. The padlocks went on the top of the boot's zipper, and with them locked on there'd be no way to unzip the boots and take them off.
Rebecca sat on a bench outside the store for a long time. There were no keys to the padlocks. If she locked them on, they weren't coming off. Finally she clicked them on! A rush of excitement filled her.
Rebecca hurried to her next destination, enjoying the way how her body swayed when she walked with the boot's high heels, knowing that she had choice at all.
At the next store her package contained a long lovely flowing skirt, that reached all the way down to her ankles. "You can change in the dressing room if you want", the cashier told her. In the privacy of the dressing room she discovered another packet with a very short chain and two more padlocks. The boots had an attachment point mid-calf, and by padlocking the boots to the chain her feet would be hobbled.
This time she didn't hesitate because she didn't want to stay in the dressing room for too long. She clicked the padlocks on! With the skirt, no one could see that her legs were chained.
She came out of the dressing room and exited the store, her walk reduced to a slow shuffle.
The latest note had said her next stop was a store which turned out to be all the way across on the other side of the mall. But Rebecca had no choice! There was no way she could get the boots off and no way she could unchain herself. She had to shuffle slowly all the way across the mall.
She imagined everyone was staring at her. And some were! When she saw someone looking at her, she stopped and pretended to be window-shopping until they went away.
At the next store it was a beautiful black cape, and again she was invited to use the dressing room if she wanted. Included with the cape were a pair of wrist cuffs, and the note with them told her to put on the cape and then lock her hands together behind her back.
Rebecca felt paralyzed. She didn't know what to do besides keep going and fulfilling her dream that she'd worked so hard for. But she'd feel so helpless with her hands chained!
Eventually the store employee knocked on the dressing room and asked if she was OK. "Fine!" she called back. Before she could chicken out, she clicked on the cuffs! It felt incredible! She was completely helpless, and yet no one could see her bondage under her cape and skirt.
This note had said her next destination was room 512 in an office building around the corner from the mall. "But don't take the stairs", the note warned her.
When Rebecca shuffled out of the the mall entrance she could see why. From the mall entrance down to the sidewalk were broad steps. On flat ground if she tripped she wouldn't be able to put her arms out to catch herself, but at least she could twist and land on her side. If she tripped on the stairs she was sure she'd kill herself.
So she had to take the handicap ramp. Rebecca could only imagine how ridiculous she looked, shuffling down the ramp while everyone else was walking up and down the stairs! But finally she made down, and slowly shuffled over to the office building.
In the elevator she didn't know if she would have been able to reach the buttons, but someone was there and she was able to say, "fifth floor, please".
She continued her shuffle down to room 512. The nameplate simply read "Nexus". As she reached the door it opened electronically. She shuffled through and it closed and locked behind her.
Inside was a small reception area with a desk and a wheelchair. No one was there, but on the desk was a key, another note, and a package.
The key unlocked her hands. In the package was a gag, a hood, and ear buds connected to a small device. The ear buds were playing white noise, and she wouldn't be able to hear anything while wearing them.
Following the instructions in the note on the desk, she shuffled over to the wheelchair, and pulled herself into it. The wheelchair had a seat belt, so she strapped herself in. She put in the ear buds and the gag, and pulled the hood over her head. She then locked her hands behind her again.
She was now completely helpless. Unable to move, speak, scream, hear or see. There was no escape at all.
The white noise sound briefly stopped, and she heard a voice through the ear buds say, "Welcome to Nexus".
* * * * * * *
Back home, Rebecca sprawled on her bed.
An incredible feeling of happiness and lassitude filled her body.
She just lay there, reveling in the afterglow.
Tomorrow would be soon enough to get up.
Would she do it again? Absolutely. Perhaps not for a month or so, or a few weeks... but she knew she'd want to go back.
The only thing was, she'd heard that each time one applied to Nexus, the challenges became more difficult.
She had no idea what would be required of her... but it probably wouldn't be as easy as shuffling through a mall with chained hands and feet...
