This story is based on J.P. Delaney's "The Girl Before". It is both a book and four-part TV series. It may be found in your region, and I found it a good read and excellent watch.
It's a thriller so there is no smoking or such like in that story. However, I felt that the theory behind it would work well for me to try and create a mind control smoking fetish themed story.
I have taken many scenes from the book and reimagined them for the smoking fetish reader. There will be obvious recognisable similarities and of course differences between the book and my work.
Just Like the One Before
Chapter 1
Jane Holdstock took a step back, wobbling before stopping herself falling off the end of the pavement. She took a deep breath of trepidation as she again looked up and studied the view. She then pivoted on her now secure and grounded heels as her brown eyes followed right across the long weathered wooden cladding of a façade of her potential new house.
The house was located at the end of a small quiet cul-de-sac, just off the main road into town. She had already been waiting five minutes enjoying the early spring warmth of the midday sun on her face. Jane had taken an extended lunch break from work. Knowing she would have to work a little later to claim it back. But with the sun shining it was not much of a hassle to wait. The estate agent Clarissa Donnington, who she was now rather acquainted with had texted to warn her that she was running late. Clarissa and Jane were now getting to know each other, as they had been seeing each other rather a lot. As over the last few days, they had seen what felt like a dozen different flats and the occasional house. Unfortunately for Jane of all the options Clarissa had so far shown her, none of them were perfect.
Also, for Jane there was a quickly building stress filled quandary, that there was nothing else available, and this was her last option. She stood in front of the large house; it was evident the online photos she had studied last night matched reality. It was modern style with the now weathered stained wood matched with dark and very much imposing black cladding which did not really fit in with its surroundings as it was juxtaposition with the end of the traditional brick terrace street. It certainly did not quietly nestle in with the rest of the street. For its large imposing size, it was supposedly still only a one-bedroom building.
According to the online information, as well as the space the size provided, came with several other bonuses, firstly it was fully furnished. Secondly all the bills included. There was another rather important factor, and with the exception of it being the last choice, the main reason Jane was standing outside the large imposing building, was that the rent offered on Rightmove was incredibly cheap. At least fifty percent under current market rate for any single bedroom apartments they had so far looked at.
Jane, with Clarissa's help over the last five days, with a break on Sunday, had now looked at several different houses and flats, desperately trying to find the right one. Whilst it was an urgent situation, that was getting increasingly pressing, she still wanted to find the almost perfect flat to live in. For some unknown reason Clarissa had held this one back.
As she waited, she looked up from her mobile screen as a magpie flew down from a nearby tree, picked up a stick and flew up and over the other houses, it was starting to build its nest somewhere in the neighbourhood. She smiled and nodded in appreciation as out of the corner of her eye, she saw her bright red Mini drive down the street, it was the colour and car that "screamed estate agent" and as she pulled up and parked in the reserved space right outside the front door. Grabbing the paperwork on the passenger seat, out hopped the leggy blonde agent in her grey dress suit.
"Sorry I am late. Jane!" she grinned, "My last viewing over ran with an indecisive couple." She frowned as she apologised.
"It's fine, I thought I was the only dithering one!"
"Don't worry, you are certainly not!"
"I was taking in this rather impressive building. It's almost better than your photos!" Jane attempted to praise the agent.
"It is, those photos are now a couple of years old, you will find it even more impressive inside. Come on in." She smiled, as she hunted inside a blue foolscap folder and brought out a silver bracelet.
"That's stunning!" Jane's eyes widened taking it in as she looked at it as it was glinting in the sunshine.
"Yes, and highly functional, it lets you into the building, it's effectively the front door key. Whilst wearing it, you can work the oven, shower, and the heating."
"Crikey, you don't want to lose that on a night out."
"No, you really don't, I have no idea how much it costs!" The agent replied as she held the silver bracelet up to a black polished panel beside what Jane assumed was the wooden door. 'Welcome Agent' appeared on a green 80's computer font on the polished black surface. There was a whirring sound and then a loud but highly therapeutic clunk as the door unlocked and opened the first couple of inches by itself. "Come on in." As she pulled open the door the spotlights high on the ceiling came on all by themselves.
They stood in what could only be called an atrium of the large, industrial style building. There were no soft edges. There was a brutality to the angular design. The walls were grey, almost the colour of concrete, but the room was still extremely bright, on closer inspection the walls were large floor to ceiling length tiles. The floor was similar grey colour but extremely well-polished tiles. The kitchen was ultra-modern, a large black central island, the cupboard doors were polished black with a sliver of silver-grey handle to open them.
The agent pointed to a screen embedded in the wall near the front door. "That is the automated computer for the house, it is called 'Housekeeper' think of Amazon's Alexa, but it controls the whole house, not just gives you the weather. You connect your phone, laptop and any tablets to it too. It gives you free Wi-Fi. Apparently, it knows where you are in the house, what mood you are in, and makes the house reflect it." Clarissa practically boasted.
"Wow!" Jane stepped back taking in the view. She looked to the side, there was a lit water effect glistening against the far wall. Behind the large leather sofas. "Is that a pool?" She pointed; her eyes distracted the conversation as they widened.
Clarissa nodded, "Yes, it's heated to perfection apparently, it's five metres by 2 metre pool, I don't think you can get more than one person in, or swim far, but it's there. I know, this is definitely, yes, it's actually, yes, I can safely say it is our best-looking house on the market. But we must leave it till last. As it's potentially not as great as you think. You wait, have a look as you go upstairs."
Jane looked around; her jaw slack almost wide open as she walked around the downstairs, her fingers running over the tactile walls and furnishings. "Why is there not a queue of people queuing to take this on?"
The agent nervously laughed "There is, until we point out that they must read the small print."
"Oh yes, you said, the thing is I am now really getting desperate to live somewhere, as you know the boyfriend, sorry my now ex-boyfriend, has thrown me out his place, you mentioned the rules on the phone on Friday?"
Clarissa again nervously laughed "You go and take in upstairs, it's equally special up there, and I will lay out the rules for you."
"I am guessing there are no pets!" Jane chuckled, calling out as she stood at the bottom of the large imposing staircase. As with this house, nothing was normal, there were eight polished granite blocks cantilevered out of the solid looking wall, creating the stairs. The down lights created an enthralling shadow on the floor.
"And the rest, you also need to fill in a rather personal questionnaire!" The agent called back as Jane then carefully climbed the stairs, making sure she was putting one foot in front of the other, as there was no bannister or anything between the steps, it was initially nerve wracking.
Jane looked around taking in the large double bedroom. The two wardrobes were of the same polished black material of the kitchen cupboards, there was a large king size bed, no separate lamps, the lights were fitted into the wardrobe units. There was a large window that looked out down on the lounge and the pool and through to the small, enclosed courtyard, with no obvious privacy curtains. She found a small window that looked out onto the road with a blind. The main source of natural light came through the glass façade that led out into a small courtyard and the large skylights high above the atrium.
Off to the side was a walk-in shower room, there was a polished chrome shower fitting coming out from the grey tiled wall, but no obvious controls. There was an equally grey toilet, and the sink was embedded in the wall, clearly designed so as to not stand proud. That was about it. There was no obvious storage space, other than the two wardrobes either side of the bed.
Jane came back down the stairs to see that the agent had spread out several reams of white paper across the coffee table.
"How many people have lived here since it was built?" Jane asked as she settled down on the firm leather sofa.
"Only two. The owner and one previous renter." The agent replied.
"How recently, it really doesn't look lived in?" Jane asked, looking around the spotlessly clean room.
The agent took a deep breath, almost having been prepared for the question, "There is a cleaning company that you must keep on, they come in once a week on a Thursday, or was it Friday morning and provide a detailed clean. Also, unfortunately it has been empty for nearly two years." The agent replied.
