"Illusions commend themselves to us because they save us pain and allow us to enjoy pleasure instead. We must therefore accept it without complaint when they sometimes collide with a bit of reality against which they are dashed to pieces." -- Sigmund Freud
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Chapter One
The color of the sky... when you stare long enough blends with the ocean so well the vanishing point becomes an endless, welcoming place. A pair of eyes, not quite brown anymore yet not green, stare into that space with such longing. Upturned palms losing their heat rising to the cool sea air, rest on her parted thighs. The seascape disappears to blackness as she closes her eyes. The free fall begins. His voice in her ear, terribly foreign, distracting, always making her tilt her head to a slight degree to catch those disembodied words.
"This is what you are." His voice so crystal clear in her mind causes her lips part as she gasps for air. "Mine!" he commands. She is oblivious to the fact that she has been holding her breath, forever in anticipation of him. She drops her head to her chest and parts her thighs to a wider kneel.
There it is.
She feels the connection with him, so tangible, his eyes staring at her even now. Holding her breath again, she freezes. Reassuring herself in her mind, she thinks: No, it's impossible, he isn't really here, and he only exists in the imaginary place of the Internet. Yet, the gaze raking down her back leaves such a trail of fire. There it is again. She trembles, and turns her head to look behind her slowly, catching his scent in the clear ocean breeze.
Nothing.
Shame washes over her body as she chides herself. He'll never come. Giving him all the specific details of you life, your habits, where you can be found... all for nothing. Besides, Suze... you really never want to meet him, it complicates things far too much.
For two years she has delved into her subconscious, the inner sanctum of her true self and has explored the world of submission, always in a "safe" forum: only online. It was there she was captivated, utterly bewitched by his presence, falling to his feet begging to do whatever he wishes ... if only... he would allow her to be near him. She begged to be this total stranger's slave.
But, was he really a stranger? Or is he a remnant of a male in her collective conscious, a rare but true man in every sense of the word, the one whom she longs to be a subject of, the alpha male? Why did she not feel that he was a stranger, so unlike the others who have come and gone in her life. The Internet can play tricks on you. Best not to analyze it Suze... go with it. Learn what you can, don't get hurt.
However, what man is this to make her feel so animate, so vital yet utterly insignificant? It was at his feet where this secret, silent voice of her true nature was allowed to flourish.
The sand cuts into the delicate skin of her knees, having been kneeling now for almost an hour, the aches and pains were seeping into her bones. But, she didn't wish to leave this moment, to sever the connection.
I feel him so near me... if only... A distressed sigh slips from her lips, breath catching in her throat as she cries out for him. "Master..."
The length of her hair is lifted up by a sudden, violent wind. Her eyes fly open as a shudder passes through her body, like a cruel electric current. She leaps to her feet, scooping up her belongings and rushes off to her car. She pushes through the crowded boardwalk of tourists and locals hawking their wares. Blindly she works her way through the surge; with the distinct feeling she's being chased.
Turning and looking over her shoulder, she careens into a wall of a man stopped on the sidewalk. The sudden force sends her purse flying out of her hands, falling on the pavement, contents scattering.
"FUCK!" she swears loudly, then continues as she drops to her knees picking up her cell phone and makeup before it's stepped on.
A deep, accented voice from high above her, chuckles, "Little one, I believe the words should be "I am sorry for my clumsiness." She freezes, seeing a pair of white Nike trainers inches from her.
Her mind screams, No! It is not... him. He swore he would never meet me. This was something she wanted but could not have in her real life. She would not and could not ever meet him, no matter how badly her psyche cried out of him. This is your mind playing tricks, Suze.
As she continues to collect her items, she snarls back: "I believe it's you who need to apologize... standing in the middle of a busy boardwalk, typical fucking tourist. Some of us here have places to go."
Her voice holds the defensive, smiting tone that scares unwanted people away every time. She stands up quickly, eyes avoiding contact with the tall stranger; she turns her body and pushes past him in the crowd, quickly putting as much room between him and herself as she can.
Breathlessly she reaches her car and begins to fumble for her keys. She cries out in angst, moving around to the hood of her car, she turns her purse upside down, emptying the contents out, searching. "Damn it..." she swears with frustration. Suddenly, she hears someone walking up behind her, the sound of keys jingling. She composes herself, putting on a beautiful smile, and then she turns around.
A lone woman smiles in return and gets into her jeep that is parked adjacent to hers. Swallowing her chagrin, she walks back to the boardwalk to search for her keys, chuckling to herself. Shit Suze, you really need to get a hold of yourself.
Chapter Two
"Change is the essence of life. Be willing to surrender what you are for what you could become." - Unknown
The sun has slipped low into the sky and is about to drop below the mountains that tower over Malibu in the distance. The air is electric, fired up with the energy of the moment. Crowds of people have forsaken the boardwalk to gather in the sand. The drum circle is in full revelry, at least fifty people beating in unison, and more people adding their voices to the cacophony, paying homage to the setting of the sun. Congas of every size, tambourines, snares, bass drums, tri-toms, bongos and at least a dozen home made percussion instruments, garbage cans, plastic pails turned upside-down, all signaling the end of the day.
Suze walks with her head down, having searched the boardwalk, asking every vendor for the past three hours. No luck. She had given up a while ago and decided to cave-in and call AAA to see if they could do something. The auto club has always bailed her out by bringing her gas, jumping her dead battery off or fixing a flat tire. There was no free service for car re-keying, though. She would have to call the dealership or a locksmith and accept the exorbitant fees.
Exhausted and totally dispirited, she wanders into the sidewalk café and collapses into a booth. Chelsea, a cheery blonde waitress approaches with an apologetic smile. "Still no luck with those keys huh, Suzy?"
She shakes her head negatively; "It serves me right for being in such a damned hurry. I totally rammed into some tourist and bit his head off in the process." She gratefully takes the glass of ice water the blonde offers, taking a long cool sip then raises her glass in a mock toast: "This is to Karma, my Lord and Master". Chelsea chuckles as she takes the sandwich order, and then wanders off to the next table.
"You've got the name wrong, little one. It is not "Karma". I've told you my name once before."