I've been wrestling with writing a new story for a while. I always knew it would happen but didn't know what would push me over the edge. Well, here we are and I still don't - something about this moment just told me this was the time. I want to thank TittyMonsterDelux and Carmen85 for being my muses and helping bridge the gap between fucking & loving. This is for you.
All characters are over 18 and consent to what's happening to them...maybe...sort of...they'd tell you they do now anyway.
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I miss you, Carmen.
I don't know where that thought came from. I don't know anyone named Carmen or why there are those strange nights - usually when it's foggy or a storm is brewing - when I suddenly feel a longing for her. Like those times right after a breakup when all the truth of the relationship melts and you're overcome by just a physical need to have your lover again. I'd bet that more 2:43am calls to exes come from bad nights than from alcohol. But that's beside the point. Or somewhere in the room with the point...I honestly don't know how I got from one to the other. That happens sometimes.
Anyway, welcome. My name is Jenny! Yes, I include the exclamation point. I feel it's necessary. Like, you can't say Jenny! without at least getting a little bit happy. Some people hate the names their parents gave them. I couldn't be happier. The name also fits me...or maybe I fit it...hard to say what shapes who in these situations...either way, I'm 5'2", with short brown hair, blue eyes, a cute face, and good sized breasts and a better sized smile. My whole appearance screams exclamation points (though what else would you do with them? You can't whisper exclamation points. That would be silly!).
But back to the point. I bring up Carmen because it was on one of these weird nights when I had the dream I had. Now, the girl in the dream wasn't me. I was more watching from like a 3rd person, security-camera-type view. And the guy isn't you. But for the purposes of this story, you can pretend he is. I know I'm going to pretend I'm her.
So there's this room. It's like an interrogation room if they took out the table and just put a super comfy couch in instead. You know, the kind you never want to get up from? There's also a plant in a corner and a big picture mirror that might be a window. Also there's a flatscreen TV in front of the couch. So this girl/me comes in and is looking around all nervous-like. She's wearing a baggy gaming t-shirt and a pair of plain blue jeans. And then this guy in a lab coat/you? comes in from another door. He's tall-ish and has a cute face. He's holding a clipboard and has a pair of noise-cancelling headphones around his neck.
Now I don't remember exactly what they said but since I'm telling the story, I'm going to make up some dialogue.
He says, "I see you found the place alright." But she doesn't say anything and just nods. "Is that the form we asked you to download and bring?" he asks and she just nods again and hands him a page that he snaps onto his clipboard. "Well that all looks in order. It's good to meet you. My name is Castor. I'm assisting Dr. Jameson with his experiment. We can't thank you enough for helping us out." He reaches out a hand to her and she shakes it limply. "Feel free to take a seat."
She nods and forces a smile before sinking into the couch. Castor leans against the wall opposite her. He looks relaxed though there's an energy about him that might suggest his heart rate is a little quicker than you might expect.
"So what we're doing here is testing out a facial recognition program. Basically, this screen here has a camera mounted on it. It's going to try and track your movement and moods as you move throughout the room."
Finally something sparks in her eyes. Maybe it's the introductory nervousness going away or the curiosity - she seems like she would have been a curious girl - but she finally speaks. "Oh, ok. And you're just tracking how well it does that?"
"Exactly. At the end, we'll ask you how you felt at different points to see if the program guessed right. You'll wear these headphones so we can communicate with you and also feed you bits of music/stories/etc to try and induce moods. Sound harmless enough?" He's holding back a smile.
"Oh okay, cool. Well, I'm ready" He stops holding back and, oh lord, he has the cutest grin. He walks to her and hands her the headphones from around his neck.
"Ok, put these on and we'll get started." She takes them and after a moment's adjusting, puts them on. "See you in a few." With another smile and a nod, he exits the room. There is a moment of silence where she just sits on the couch before a powering-on-type sound is heard and the flatscreen comes to life.
The camera on it is clearly working because our girl is looking at a live view of herself in the room. Though she doesn't get up, the flame of curiosity is back in her eyes but her body language tells me she isn't used to seeing herself like this. Once you know, you can tell.
Castor's voice suddenly comes through the headphones - and I guess some speakers in the room because I could hear what he was saying too. "Ok, we're going to start with some music, just go where it takes you - don't try to fake anything for us." She flashes him an OK sign and sits back on the couch.
Some heavy metal comes on. Not like death metal or light metal. Kind of a heavy-thrash-dance type song. The kind that makes you want to move but was also recorded by a band with talent. The lights in the room fade a little and give off an almost greenish glow.
It's hard to tell, but there might be someone speaking softly laced in with the music.
She smiles her first genuine smile. Whether she wrote it on the form or Castor just guessed right, but this is music I like. She bobs her head in time with the music and after a few minutes, her inhibitions lessen a little and she begins drumming on her knees.
The lights keep shifting through the next few songs. Still heavy metal, but maybe a little more sexual - nothing worse than "Shape of You" but still songs you'd feel weird to see a middle schooler singing. In between a voice reads passages from novels. Some about love, others about prisoners, eventually they all seem to begin blurring the line.
"Um...excuse me," she walks toward the TV from behind the couch where she'd been leaning listening to the latest excerpt, "there appears to be something wrong with the audio."
"What's that?"
"I dunno, someone reading something? I don't understand."
"Just attempting to put you through different moods, that's all. It's perfectly normal. I must say, you're doing very well."
"I think this mood is confusion, because this makes no sense, heh."
"If that's how you feel, then go with it. Part of the experiment is to see when things don't work not just when they do. You're not the first one to speak up."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I understand now."
"No worries. Ready to continue?"
I think she was about to nod, but it doesn't matter because without waiting for an answer, Castor turns the music back up. Now it's pop music but with different lyrics. Kinda like a 4-chords song medley, you know. After that the stories come back, followed by more pop music. After a time (it's hard to tell exactly how long in a dream), Castor's voice comes through the headphones again.
"Doing ok in there?" She shakes her head, looking a little grumpy. "I know pop isn't really your style." Now she nods. "You know you could have said something, you've been listening to it for over two hours (I guess if I'd just waited, I would have known exactly how long. Silly Jenny!). I'll see if we have something more to your liking."
"Oh, ok," she said. (I don't know why I'm adding in boring dialogue like this.) (Probably because it's what I would say & I'm imagining I'm her.) (But cuter).
Castor was speaking again. "While I'm looking, let me ask you some questions. Are you enjoying yourself?"
"It's okay. I'm not angry, but, eh, it's alright."
"That's good. Dr. Jameson & I don't want you to be angry."
She nods. "No, I'm not angry."
"What are you? Be honest, Jenny. Tell us what you're feeling."
"I'm just kinda bored, it's been a while, that's all."
"Yes it has. Though most of our subjects notice that sooner. You're an excellent subject, Jenny."
"I am? Well, thanks, I guess."
"Do you like knowing that?"
"Yeah it's niceee..." she trails off because Castor's voice has taken on a bit of an echo-y sound and the lights in the room have begun to shift more quickly. She blinks - funny...her eyes feel like they've been open for a long time - and looks at the walls and TV screen. "What? I think there's a malfunction."
Castor's voice comes again. Just as echo-y, just as powerful, just as driving. "No, Jenny. That's all part of the plan."
"The plan?"