This story contains: mind control, anti-hero, non-con, drugging of sorts, revenge
*
*
The bell on the front door tinkled softly as Maya stepped into the store. The warmth was a welcome relief to the blustery snow that was still coming down outside.
"Hello!" said a friendly voice from the back of the shop. "What brings you in today?"
Maya pulled off her gloves and shoved them in her coat pocket. She didn't know how to answer that question. It seemed like "the crushing weight of perpetual loneliness amplified by the fact that it's Valentine's Day and everyone has a lover except for me" was too much information.
"Just browsing," she said finally, picking up a small glass bottle on a nearby shelf. The label said 'Stardust.'
Maya tried to hide her skepticism.
It was all very strange. She had never noticed this storefront before, although she'd been down this street many times. Perhaps it was fate that made her do a double take outside of the small frosty window, above which hung a wooden sign that offered no shop name, but simply an etching of the moon and stars.
"Might I interest you in our newest line?"
Maya walked past the wooden tables containing bottles, vials, and small leather pouches and over to the front desk. The old man behind the register was proffering a heart-shaped box of chocolates that looked like normal Valentine's candy at first glance.
But when she took the box from his hand, she noticed that it seemed very unusual. On the front was a picture of Cupid and a swirling gold font that read "Cupid's Charmed Chocolates." Maya did a double take because she was sure she saw the tiny Cupid give her a wink.
"I make them myself," said the old man, leaning against the desk. He pulled off his glasses and pushed them back through his thin gray hair. "A love potion."
Maya couldn't hold back now. She snorted and said, "Really? A love potion?"
"I know what it sounds like. But I've been creating potions and charmed goods for over thirty years. This is the real deal. These candies will attract people to you. People will be head over heels."
"So what if I don't love them back?"
"Well, that's why you need the whole box." The man gave her a wink. "Call it... insurance."
Maya sighed. The price tag on the back said that the chocolates cost $99. It was expensive for candy, indeed. For all she knew, they might have been poison. They might have been regular chocolate with no magic at all.
But for whatever reason, perhaps desperation, Maya decided to buy them.
"Is there anything else I should know?" she asked, watching as the man put them in a pink paper bag for her. "I mean, any warnings?"
"No more than one chocolate at a time. The effects last approximately 3 hours. Everything you need to know is written on the inside of the lid. If you have any problems or questions, you can come back and see me."
Maya thanked the man, pulled on her gloves, and headed back into the cold.
Despite the snow, the sidewalks were filled with couples walking past. The women carried bouquets of roses. The men were all smiles, their arms wrapped around their lovers' waists.
Maya got to her SUV, turned it on, and let it warm up as she got out to scrape the snow and ice from her windows. It was at times like these that she missed Devon. Her ex-boyfriend always offered to clear the car off for her while she sat in the heat.
Not that she wanted to get back with him after he had cheated on her, on New Year's Eve, no less. 2025 had not gotten off to the best start for Maya, and she was determined to turn it around.
That night, Maya opened up a bottle of wine and settled onto the couch to watch a romantic movie. She was in the mood to cry.
The box of chocolates sat on the coffee table, but Maya didn't open them. She looked down occasionally to make sure Cupid wasn't winking at her again, which he wasn't.
After one glass of wine, Maya took off the lid and looked at the candies inside. They seemed normal enough. Some appeared to be drizzled with white chocolate, while others were covered in specks of sea salt.
"Warning," Maya read out loud, consulting the text on the lid, "these chocolates may cause undesirable effects. Use with caution."
After two glasses of wine, Maya pinched one of the chocolates and looked inside its center. She brought it up to her nose, sniffed it, and then replaced it.
After the bottle was gone and the movie was over and Maya still hadn't cried, Maya picked up the broken piece of chocolate and realized that the gooey center now seemed to be glittering. It looked strange, like an almost animated effect.
Feeling a bit dizzy, with her head swimming, Maya took a small bite. The center was salted caramel and tasted surprisingly good. She put one half into her mouth, swallowed it, and then downed the second half.
She sat back on the couch and waited to see if she'd feel anything. It was likely a waste, considering there was no one around to fall in love with her. She giggled as she pictured a line of men queuing up outside her door, desperate to get inside to win her over.
Maya wasn't prepared for what really happened, however.
Her body began to feel very hot. She cracked open the living room window, letting in a gust of harsh wind. It felt refreshing against her face. But then there was a throbbing sensation between her legs. She could feel the blood coursing through her, and the throbbing soon turned into an ache.
"What the fuck?" she muttered, squeezing her legs together. Pleasure gathered between her thighs, and she suddenly became desperate for release.
Maya ran upstairs to her bedroom, stripped down to her bra and panties, crawled under her sheets, and pulled out her small pink vibrator. She turned it on high and slipped it under her panties. She closed her eyes and let the buzzing sensation work her clit. It felt more amazing than usual, like a deep and urgent physical need was being attended to.
She orgasmed in record time. But it wasn't enough. The aching sensation was only getting stronger. She kept the vibrator where it was on her clit and then dipped one hand into her bra. She rolled her fingers over her sensitive nipple. Devon used to always suck on her breasts while she touched herself. It had been her favorite way to cum because it gave her the most intense climaxes.
Maya came again. She felt slightly better, but still not satisfied. Briefly, she imagined what she would be doing if there was a man with her right now. She uttered a long, frustrated groan. She wanted the real deal, damn it.
Desperately, Maya headed into the living room for her phone and opened up Devon's contact information. Her finger lingered over his number.
"No." She spoke out loud, hoping her voice would act like a cold glass of water dumped on her head. "Don't do it."
She paced back and forth in the living room. She raked her fingers back through her dirty blonde hair, feeling sexually desperate in a way she never had before. Were these the effects the chocolate box warned her about? It made no sense. Weren't the candies supposed to make her attractive to other people, not make her insatiably horny?
