(A memoir edited by Molly, and written by Arin, who asked me to post it here)
MEMORIES OF A SMALL TOWN
(OPENING SCENE) Very tight shot of a woman's hands typing at a computer keyboard.
(Next shot) Camera pulling back shows a woman sitting at a computer. The room is dark except for a light on the table where the computer is. The light is directed onto the keyboard.
As the camera pulls back we can see large windows showing the city in the distance lit up at night.
The woman's thoughts fade in as she is typing.
My name is Samantha and its not easy to tell you how my life has changed since I moved to this city.
My new job was just the thing I needed to break away from my extremely normal and dull life in a small town. I've been here eight months now, and if you had told me that my life would change as it has, I would have thought you were mad!
My dream of a good job and having my own life became reality straight out of college. I feel like I have it all: money, a great car and an apartment to die for. It's funny, but it seems I don't use it as much as I did. I guess I really don't have a need for it now! I'll explain, so bear with me.
Everything was great with my job. The people I work with are nice and I made friends quickly. I was especially friendly with one woman named Tina. I found we could talk about anything together. We even would go out to dinner on occasions and our friendship grew and grew.
At work one day, Tina came in and asked if I'd like to do a little lunch time shopping with her. Tina was very high in the company and for some reason had taken a liking to me. I really liked her and admired her for her work and beauty. We just seem to click together.
I was busy, though, and told her I couldn't go. As soon as she was out of sight I changed my mind and I wished I'd gone with her. I hadn't really looked around the city and I could really use some time in the fresh air.
I grabbed my purse and hurried after her. The elevator had just closed when I reached it. I waited and took the next one to the lobby. When the doors opened, the lobby was crowded, delaying me as I hurried to find Tina but she was gone. I went out to the street to see if I could catch a glimpse of her, but I couldn't see her anywhere.
It was sunny and warm and I really enjoyed the fresh air. I decided to take a walk and explore the area by myself. People passed by with their own agendas not even noticing me as I walked along. I'd gone no more than four blocks when I noticed the flavor of the neighborhood had changed. It was more a merchant's area rather than the tall glass towers in which I worked. The small shops started to remind me of the town where I grew up.
There was the shop at the end of the street that brought back special memories from the time when I was a teenager. I'd found a pawnshop on the corner just like the one in my hometown, so I stopped and looked in the window. As I looked, I had a feeling there was something in the back of my memory that wasn't ready to come out. I looked at my watch and found I had about fifteen minutes to spare before I had to start back. I opened the door and a little bell attached to the door announced my arrival. This brought back more memories since the shop in my hometown had one just like it. As I walked into the shop I noticed the worn hardwood floor and how it squeaked when I stepped on a loose board.
As I walked around I thought of my teenage years and how things had changed since then. Suddenly I stopped and saw something in a glass case that sent a thrill through my body. What I saw unleashed a flood of early sexual fantasies. I hadn't thought about them for a long time and I believed I'd out grown them, but here they were... staring me in the face again!
I stood there looking down at something I had tried very hard as a young girl to forget -- because good girls don't think like that!
Handcuffs... and I saw several different types. I had no idea there were so many types. I got that same funny feeling that I had when I was younger. I stood there just looking. Suddenly a voice brought me out of my trance.
"May I answer any questions for you, Miss?"
It was the shopkeeper. He reminded me of some one's grandfather.
"No, thank you, I was just looking."
He walked back to what he was doing and I wished I'd had the nerve to ask him to show these items to me! I stood there arguing with myself. "What the hell's the matter with me? I'm an adult and it's none of his business why I want to look at them." I took a breath and called to the shopkeeper.
"Sir, actually I do have a couple of questions?"
When I had his attention, I added, "Could you show these to me?"
He came right over and he had a set of keys in his hand and unlocked the case and slid it open. I asked why some were bigger than others, pointing. He told me those were police quality leg-irons. He explained how the handcuffs and leg-irons could be double locked so if you rolled over on them they would not close painfully tight on your hands or ankles. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a strangely shaped small metal object -- two pieces of metal joined together. Noticing my interest, he reached in and lifted out the object. He then explained about it.
"This is called a thumb cuff. Detectives and police women sometime use them because they aren't bulky."
As he talked, my mind started to race. I just had to have these! I didn't care what he might think; I just had to have them for my private naughty games.
"How much for all three?"
I was glad that I was the only one in the shop. I was actually starting to shake.
"Lets see, handcuffs, leg-irons and thumb cuffs..." he said, glancing at tags with meaningless scribbles on them.
"Come on, come on, is he just dragging this out to make me even more nervous!" I wondered.
"That'll be fifty dollars," he announced, quietly.
I was a little surprised, since I didn't think they'd be that expensive but I couldn't back out now. This was the closest I'd come to a long silent dream come true and it was within my reach.
I opened my purse and luckily I had enough cash. Hastily, I gave it to him and he walked to the register and rang the sale up.
"I hope you enjoy yourself, Miss."
I looked up and I swear he had a small grin on his face, which made me blush with embarrassment.
He started to place my purchase in a bag when I said I could just put them in my purse.
"Here's your receipt Miss."
He handed them to me and I put them in my purse. Suddenly I noticed a clock on the wall. I'm late, where did the time go?
"Thank you," I called as I hurried out the door.
I ran as fast as my high heels would let me.
