Chapter 1: Bus Ride
Strange, how difficult it is to trace the origins of decay. When did the cracks first appear, silent and imperceptible, slowly expanding till they threatened to swallow everything whole? For me, it was an elusive moment, slipping away the moment I thought I had grasped it. An ephemeral nothingness that somehow transformed into everything.
Here I stand, in front of the mirror, my 29-year-old tired reflection a cruel reminder of a simpler time. I slip into a dress, eerily similar to the one I wore ten years ago. That was the beginning, wasn't it? A chance encounter on a crowded bus, a silent admission of a bond deeper than any I had experienced before. My heart beats in my chest, an echo of the past making its presence felt now.
The woman in the mirror is me and yet isn't. I recognize the familiar lines of my face, the way my hair falls in a cascade of golden curls, but the eyes... there's something different in the way they look back at me. They hold a sadness, a profound melancholy that has no place there. They are the eyes of a woman who has lost something precious, something irreplaceable. I blink, hoping to erase that somber gaze, but it stubbornly remains.
The dress clings to my body, accentuating the contours of my figure. It's a dress that once sparked joy, a dress that witnessed a time of laughter and warmth. But now, it feels like a costume, a desperate attempt to recreate a past that slips away, bit by bit, memory by memory.
In the next room, I hear her, my Vicky. The mere sound of her stirs something within me. I love everything about her -- her beautiful brown hair, the intense gaze of her brown eyes, her athletic figure, and most of all, her commanding presence. She's the love of my life, my Mistress, the other half of my soul. But lately, she's become distant, a shadow of the vibrant woman I fell in love with.
As I get ready, my mind replays the conversation from last night. The words are commonplace, our usual banter, but there's something different in her tone. It's the silence that follows, the way her eyes seem lost, that makes my heart clench with fear.
How does one cope with the realization that the person they love, their entire world, is fading away? That they are slowly becoming a stranger, their essence slipping through your fingers like sand?
Ready at last, I take a deep breath, steeling myself for the day ahead. For all the challenges that lie in our path, for all the unspoken words, for all the hidden fears. With a final glance at my reflection, I step out of the room, ready to face whatever comes.
Let the past take its course, let the memories guide the present. Ten years ago, on a crowded bus, we met...
***
The city bus, sweltering under the midsummer sun, fills with passengers. I'm just 19, a hopeful sprite in a sea of weary faces. My eyes fall upon a woman in her mid-thirties. She's a picture of beauty, seated at the back, her attire a casual ensemble of a plaid shirt and a long dark skirt. Her relaxed demeanor contrasts the general discomfort in the heat-filled bus. A sensation tugs at me, an invisible thread drawing me closer.
In my mid-length, lavender and white summer dress, I stand out. A lollipop nestled in my mouth, a meager solace from the sweltering heat. As I step further into the bus, her gaze falls on me. Appraising, predatory. Her eyes, rich with an intense allure, make my heart skip a beat.
Suddenly, she's on her feet, moving toward me. She navigates her way through the press of bodies with ease. Her proximity is a magnetic field -- pulling, compelling. She leans in close, her whisper sending shivers down my spine, "Prepare yourself, slut."
Her words reverberate in my mind, a lightning strike that leaves me rooted. An audacious command, a claim -- one that bewilders yet excites me. I feel my body responding, a strange current of heat coursing through my veins.
Her gaze wanders over me, eyes lingering on my cleavage peeking from the dress, nipples stiffening under her gaze. Anticipation and trepidation swirl within me as her hand grazes my buttocks. A gasp escapes my lips, her touch igniting a spark within.
Her hands find me. Exploring, claiming, leaving trails of fire on my skin. Pleasure wells up, a moan threatening to spill. But her stern voice slices through the haze, "Don't you dare!"