Disclaimer:
Everyone in the story is 18 years old or older at all points. Any resemblance to an actual person, alive or dead, is happenstance.
Authors Note:
This story ties into the Darkness part nine but happens earlier in the timeline.
Exiting the shower, Liza looked into the mirror, taking in her wet figure. Liza was very proud of Her medium-sized breasts and tight ass. Years of running track in high school had given her an athletic build. Coupled with long blonde hair and blue eyes, Liza turned heads everywhere.
Ok, maybe I am a little self-centered, but at eighteen, I didn't care what people think about me
, she thought.
Her phone buzzed, drawing Liza's attention away from the mirror to the sink where the phone sat.
Liza's cousin Kara had sent her a message.
Are you coming or not?
She knew she was running late, but the practice had run over.
Keep your panties on, almost ready.
Liza responded.
What is taking so long? You were supposed to be here half an hour ago.
Kara added the exploding head emoji.
Fucking drama queen
was the first thought through Liza's mind.
Liza took a selfie in the mirror, turning sideways so that the curve of her ass was in the picture, keeping her breasts covered with an arm.
I told you practice ran late. But, like I said, I'm almost ready
. Liza sent Kara the picture and finished getting dressed.
Slut
, Kara responded, sending Liza a picture of her at the mall. Kara was by the food court and had pulled down her top to expose her right breast.
Me?
Liza responded, laughing as she walked out the door of her apartment.
The mall was only a couple of blocks away, so Liza jogged there. Several cars honked as they passed her. She waved to them regardless of whether she knew them or not.
For some reason, a girl jogging in yoga pants and a crop top gets a lot of attention.
Liza entered the mall via the big doors by the food court and found Kara eating cheese fries at a table.
"You know those things are bad for you?" Liza asked Kara as she sat beside her and grabbed a few off her plate.
Liza loved these fries. They slice huge potatoes in the stand, deep fry them, and cover them with cheddar cheese.
"Everything that tastes good is bad for you," Kara said as she stared at the couple a few tables away.
Liza glanced over at the man and woman sitting there. They looked to be in their mid-twenties. He was kind of hot, but he also was very taken. The woman was holding a baby, feeding it a bottle.
Liza could see that Kara had managed to make eye contact with the guy and slowly pushed a long cheese fry into her mouth.
She swallowed it whole and licked her lips and fingers.
The poor guy gulped and glanced at the woman he was with, probably hoping she hadn't seen what Kara did.
Liza looked between them a few times. He was uncomfortable with what Kara was doing but couldn't look away.
Kara upped her game, swallowing three fries and tilting her head back to expose her neck. Her tongue licked the sides of the fries as she pushed them inside her mouth.
At this point, the other woman realized something was going on. One look at Kara, and she hit the man and started yelling at him.
Kara laughed, and they walked away before the scene she had created worsened.
The two women walked around the mall. They stopped at several clothing stores, but nothing said "buy me," so they continued. That is until they got to the new electronic store.
They stood just outside, looking at the displays, when Liza noticed that the store had the new VR300x on display.
"Come on," Liza told Kara, pulling Kara's arm and dragging Kara into the store.
Liza went up to the display, just standing there looking at the sleek design of the headset. Part of her wanted to pick it up and put it on, but the practical side saw the price tag and decided she couldn't afford it.
One of the sales guys noticed her standing there and walked over. He leaned casually against the display. He was maybe in his late thirties, kind of ordinary with thinning brown hair with a body that had the neglected but used to be a jock look.
"The new version is much better than the older ones. It provides a completely immersive experience."
"It does look amazing," Liza replied, glancing at him before returning to the display.
"Would you like to try it on?"
"Yes, but there is no way I can afford it," Liza told the sales guy, looking at Kara.
Kara saw the dad from the food court as he and the woman with him entered the store. She pulled the gum out of her mouth, stringing it with her fingers before putting it all back.
The sales guy noticed the couple, "Excuse me, ladies. I'll be right back."
He walked over to the couple and started talking to them. It seemed they knew each other, with the sales guy hugging the woman and taking the baby from her.
The woman noticed Kara and gave her a dirty look about this time.
Liza could see how this would end, which wouldn't be pleasant. So she grabbed Kara's arm and pulled her toward where she was standing.
"Come on, let's go before you start something," Liza told Kara with a last longing look at the display as she left.
Liza had almost reached the doorway when she heard the salesman calling out.
"Hey, don't go yet. You need to try the headset on. It will change your life," he told the woman confidently.
Liza looked at the headset, then at Kara, who rolled her eyes. "Go try it out, Liza. You have been mooning over it ever since they announced its release."
Liza grinned at Kara and returned to the display where the salesman was holding the headset.
He handed the headset to Liza, "Ok, this strap goes here, and this goes over your head. Let me fasten the neck strap."
"How does it feel?"
"It's a little snug," she told him.
He adjusted some of the straps, and it felt better. Liza's whole world was black since the headset wasn't turned on yet.
"Ok, what would you like? I have an art gallery with several masterworks on display, a walking tour through Yellowstone National Park, playing tennis, and a few more."
"Can we do the tennis one?" Liza liked tennis and was reasonably good at it.
"Is there enough room to play the game in the store?" she asked. Liza didn't want to run into anything while playing the game.
"The new model is entirely immersive. You will feel like you're on the court, and the environment will move around you. Of course, your body won't move, but it will feel like you are. Everything will feel real down to the breeze on your face," the salesman assured them.
"Ok," Liza said. It sounded too good to be true. Some of her friends have older models, requiring you to move around to experience it.
"Just one more thing, have to put the flaps over your ears," he said. Liza felt him moving something on the headset, and the sounds of the mall faded as he covered her ears.
It was utterly dark while Liza waited for the software to load. Finally, when it was ready, the screens softly glowed until she stood on a tennis court facing the net.
Liza could see trees by the court and feel the breeze blowing through their limbs. The sounds of crickets chirping and the rustle of fabric in the tennis skirt she wore as she moved around sounded so real.
"Holy shit. This is amazing."
Liza realized she was holding a racket and could feel the handle and its weight. Moving it through the air, Liza fully expected to hit someone in the store, but no one stopped her. She knew that Kara was standing to her right against the wall, so she moved in Kara's direction but found that she could go all the way to the bleachers and not touch anything.
