The steel door locks behind us. We are at the top of a stairwell and she directs me to go first. She gestures with her eyes that I should lead, so I do as I am told and begin the descent into darkness. All I can hear is the sharp crack of our heels on the iron steps as we go down. My eyes are still adjusting to the light; it was only a moment ago the blindfold was removed, but I can make out the lights of the city reflecting on the glassy surface of the nearby Thames. We are in a central location but it is strangely quiet. This does little to unnerve me. In fact, the silence fuels my excitement further.
At the bottom of the stairwell it is almost perfect darkness. There is just a faint muted orange glow from the street lights above. The air is damp and chills the skin, but I am warm beneath my clothes. She touches my elbow with her elegantly gloved fingers and I walk forward as instructed. We are walking on flat paving stones toward a little door almost completely obscured in the darkness. There is a light breeze that seems to propel me toward it. I am compelled to turn around and ask to go home, to admit this was all a mistake, but I know that I have come too far now to leave. She reaches forward and reveals an electronic keypad on the wall beside the door. She presses a combination of digits and the door quietly slides open; and like something from a science fiction movie I am presented with the sight of a long corridor, dimly lit and scented with warm incense. I step forward and she follows. We are inside and without prompt the door closes. I am inside the womb of deprivation.
We walk along the smooth tiled floor and I am aware of a number of alcoves along the path. They are small and mostly in shadows cast by the flames of torches fastened to the stone walls. Inside them all are naked people indulging in sexual practices. All are masked and are strangers to each other. In the first alcove, a woman is knelt between the legs of another, her tongue planted between the open thighs of her partner; in the next, a woman is straddled on the lap of a large man who is kneading her buttocks as she bounces up and down. Then, two man are slowly masturbating each other. Finally, two men are caressing the intimate parts of a young woman as they stand. None of them seem aware of our presence. If they are, then they don't care. They are used to this, and it excites me.
In a short time we come to the end of the corridor. There is another door here, and she says, "In there." So again I do as I am told and I enter a small booth. Inside it is cool and clean. There is a little stool, a table for my clothes, and a full length mirror. I remove my jacket, then my shoes, and then I pause. I stare at myself in the mirror. I am so young. I have no make-up on and my hair is pulled back away from my face, yet I am still quite pretty. So why am I doing this? Why do I need this? I look at myself as though I am another person, a stranger to myself, and there is no judgment in my eyes. "Go on, " I seem to be saying. "Live." So I pull off my shirt, my shoes, unfasten my trousers, and fold them neatly on the small table. Then I slip off my panties, place them with the rest of my clothes, and reach around to unfasten my bra. I am naked. I check myself in the mirror again. My body is long and willowy, my tits large but still firm. There are tan lines on my hips, on my shoulders, and just above my ribcage but I think this looks sexy. The rest of me is tanned nicely. Even my ass is light brown. Then I glance at my pussy. It is waxed, but some hair remains. I think it looks neat and inviting. I am aware that only a brick wall is between myself and my companion. We have only been acquainted less than an hour. For a moment I feel foolish and scared but I cannot shake the excitement, the anticipation of the moment. Then she knocks at the door and asks if I am ready. So I slip on the robe and mask provided and step out of the booth through another door as instructed, and my life is changed forever.
I am at the precipice of small flight of stone steps that step down to a large circular room. All around the wall of this room I notice many other doors that must lead to booths such as mine. She is here, right in front of me, waiting. I know it is her, despite her mask, despite never having seen her face. When we met she approached from behind and put the blindfold on me so that throughout our journey I could not see her. Then on our arrival the blindfold was removed but she led from behind and I never once looked round to see her face. That was part of the arrangement. It is her scent, the shape of her body, tall and well defined, that I recognize. She too is in a gown and nothing else. Part of a shapely breast is exposed through the opening of her gown and I become moist between my legs. I am close enough to her to see a fine filament of hair upon her pale skin. I want to reach out and touch her but I resist. There is ample time for that I tell myself, and first I must let her guide me. Her face is almost touching mine. Her sweet breath brushes against my cheek as lightly as the wing of a butterfly. The beginnings of a smile appears on her painted lips, and then she steps aside and I am witness to a most beguilling spectacle.