Author's Note:
This is a commission I've been working on recently from one of my readers. It explores a side of MC that I usually don't write about, which made it a lot of fun to work on! Standard disclaimer applies: this story contains graphic depictions of potentially nonconsensual sex, so if it's illegal or immoral for you to be reading this, stop now! All characters and situations are entirely fictional, and any resemblance to any real-life individuals or situations is entirely coincidental. Copyright Fidget, © 2020. All rights reserved. Enjoy!
UPON REFLECTION
by Fidget
CHAPTER 1: Through the Looking-Glass
"Well I hope you're happy, Darren, because we're through, you stupid-head!" Maddie yelled, slamming the door to his dorm room and walking quickly back across the quad, trying to hold back her tears. Everything had been going so well with Darren, and when she had opened the door to his room and caught him with his tongue in Amber's mouth, and his hand exploring underneath her tight tank top, Maddie had been absolutely devastated. Darren and Amber had both jumped up when she walked in, and Amber had sheepishly slid past Maddie and out the door while Darren tried to explain himself, but that had quickly escalated into a shouting match as Darren explained in detail everything that was wrong with her. He said that he regretted ever going out with a ditzy cheerleader like her in the first place, and that she'd never be able to measure up to someone like Amber. Maddie had asked what was so wrong with her that Darren hated her that much, and he had looked her up and down and responded with one disdainful word: "Everything."
The tears finally started as she arrived back at Dodgson Hall, briefly glancing up at the mirror over the door that everyone assumed had a security camera behind it, before entering the building and climbing the stairs to the top floor. She'd gone to Darren's room to be comforted, of all things. She had just failed a chemistry exam, because even after studying all night, she still just didn't get it. Aside from her cheerleading she felt like a useless idiot, and now even her cheerleading was in jeopardy due to potential academic probation. It was all her fault too; if only she were less like, well, herself, and more like someone else, maybe she wouldn't have lost Darren.
Walking onto her hall on the top floor and turning toward her room, she suddenly noticed a new flyer on the bulletin board. "ARE YOU DISSATISFIED WITH YOUR LIFE?" it said across the top in all caps. "Have you ever felt like you'd be better off if you were someone else? If so, come to the Dodgson Hall basement at 8pm tonight. It could literally change your life."
That's silly, she thought, staring at the board. It was probably some sort of weird cult. She was about to turn away when she suddenly heard a mocking voice from behind her. "Darren finally dump you?"
Maddie whirled around in fury to see the hall's bitchy goth-wannabe Nicole leaning against the wall smirking at her.
"I told you he was cheating on you. Too bad you were too stupid to see it," Nicole said matter-of-factly.
"Well at least I'm not a dyke slut that can't keep a girlfriend for more than two days!" Maddie retorted angrily.
"You're just jealous of all the action I get. Let me know if you ever get tired of being disappointed by dick and want to try the fairer sex. Maybe you should go to the basement tonight and see if whoever it is can help you get a life," Nicole taunted, blowing her a kiss through lips thickly coated with dark red lipstick.
Suddenly the building RA, Cassandra, unexpectedly appeared between them. "Girls, girls!" she shouted, trying to calm them down. "What's going on?" The two girls immediately fell silent - Cassandra was universally popular among her students, and neither Maddie nor Nicole wanted to do anything that would cause her any trouble.
"Oh, hey Cassandra! Maddie here just got cheated on and dumped, so I was just giving her some friendly advice."
"Your advice didn't sound very friendly. Maddie, I'm so sorry that happened to you. Feel free to come talk to me if you ever need any help. It's important to turn to others it times of need," Cassandra said, before heading back to her office and taking Nicole with her.
Glad to finally be alone, Maddie walked into her room and threw herself on her bed to stew for a few minutes, before remembering that she needed to change for cheerleading practice. She'd rather skip, but the captain was strict, and she didn't want her day to get even worse. As she stripped in front of her full-length mirror to put on her uniform, she looked sadly at the shapely c-cup breasts, firm ass, and tight, athletic body that she'd been so proud of until now. Why didn't Darren want her? What did Amber have that she didn't? If only she could become a different person like that flyer had said.
Lauded professor of psychology Alexis Streater made her daily rounds through the corridors of Dodgson Hall. As the faculty representative in charge of the dorm, it was her responsibility to see that everything ran smoothly and the students were taken care of, and like all of her professional responsibilities, she took it very seriously. Walking through the halls in her dull brown cardigan and floor-length skirt, however, the petite Professor Streater went practically unnoticed by the students milling about in the dorm after classes. She wore her mousy brown hair back in careful bun, and her large glasses hid her face just as well as her clothing hid her tiny body, completing her carefully cultivated image of a respected professor well beyond her years, as she was only thirty-five.
As she made her rounds, she felt the familiar twinges of jealousy at how carefree and happy the students seemed to be, especially the young couples full of hormones excitedly discovering each others' bodies. She remembered being their age, feeling those same desires, but she had always been shy, and had devoted her time to her studies instead of... extracurricular activities. And she was satisfied with her success, with her responsibilities to the school, to her field, and to her students, but she was getting older now, and hadn't been in a relationship in over a decade. So, as fulfilling as her life was, she still felt like her personality and her choices had prevented her from ever experiencing any sort of real romantic happiness.
Dwelling on these feelings of loneliness a bit, she finally made her way up to the top floor, which was all but deserted. A bright yellow flyer on the bulletin board caught her eye, so she walked over to read it. It was about some sort of self-improvement group meeting in the basement tonight, which was odd, since though Professor Streater had been the faculty rep for Dodgson for almost a decade, she couldn't remember ever having actually been in the basement. Furthermore, she couldn't recall seeing this flyer on any other floor, or in any other building on campus for that matter. Even so, from a psychologist's perspective, the flyer certainly made an interesting claim; Professor Streater wondered how exactly whatever group this was intended to deliver on their promise of a life-changing experience.
As she stood there lost in thought, she eventually noticed Cassandra, the RA, standing beside her. She briefly admired her strong features - dark red hair framing high cheekbones and bright green eyes that stared through you with startling intensity. Cassandra was quite popular with the students, and with the administration as well. In fact, it occurred to Professor Streater that Cassandra had been the RA almost as long as she herself had been the faculty rep, which was unusual, because even though some grad students remained in their programs as long as Cassandra had, few kept the same job in the same building the entire time instead of moving on to bigger and better things.
"Hello, Cassandra. How have things been in Dodgson today?"
"Very well for the most part, Professor Streater, though Maddie seems to have had a bit of a rough day, and Nicole of course had to make it worse by intentionally antagonizing her."
"That's unfortunate. I remember Maddie from Intro to Psych - enthusiastic young girl, if not very bright. Nicole took to psychology like a fish to water, though it seems she's using her knowledge more for cruelty than kindness these days."
"That's true Professor. I wonder if there's any merit to this flyer, and if lives really are so easy to change."
"I wish that were true, Cassandra, because then it might be easier for all of us to have the lives we want, though it would probably put me out of business in the process."
Cheerleading practice had gone late for Maddie, and it was only a few minutes before eight when she finally arrived back at her dorm. As she walked by the bulletin board, her glance was once again caught by the bright yellow flyer for a life-changing experience. Oh what the hell, she thought, and started back down the stairs. She was still in her cheerleading uniform, though she had stripped her sweaty panties off in the locker room before heading back to her dorm for a bit of comfort. Nobody would see, and she'd just remember to cross her legs if she needed to sit down for whatever reason.
As she descended the stairs to the first floor, she couldn't recall ever having actually been to the basement. She'd seen the stairs often enough, and assumed there would be something down there, but it had never actually occurred to her to go check it out. When she reached the first floor, she was discouraged to find Nicole there waiting for her.
"What are you doing here?" Maddie snapped.
"Oh, I just wanted to see if you were desperate enough to actually join a cult," Nicole said gleefully as she tossed her long, dyed-black hair over her shoulder, her curvy body leaning against the wall in a tight black crop top that said "Vagitarian" over a short plaid skirt. "Now that you're actually here though, I think I'll tag along and see just how hilariously sad this gets."
"Fine bitch, if your life is that boring, maybe you need a new one too. Come on."
They fell silent as they began to walk down the stairs together, filled with a sudden feeling of foreboding.
"Have you ever been down here before," Nicole whispered.
"No," Maddie responded. "I'm surprised you haven't though, being an unpopular basement-dweller who's never seen the sun."
"Very funny."
At the bottom of the stairs was a large door, and above the door was another mirror, but this time with a cloth draped over it. Taking a deep breath, Nicole grabbed the door handle, turned it, and the two girls went inside, into the darkness, as the door closed behind them.
A few seconds later, the room lit up with brilliant light, and as the girls' eyes adjusted, they realized they were in an incredibly large, fully-furnished bedroom. One end of the room was dominated by the largest bed the two girls had ever seen, and at the foot of the bed stood a giant, ornate mirror, mounted on a pedestal so that it could revolve freely, able to reflect anything and everything in the room.
Near the mirror stood Cassandra, wrapped in a dark green robe, almost a nightgown, as her emerald eyes smoldered behind a pair of clear spectacles under her fiery hair. In her right hand was a small hand mirror. The overall scene gave the effect of an aristocrat from a bygone era alone in her boudoir, preparing for bed, or perhaps other nightly activities.
"Cassandra? What are you doing here? Where are we?" Maddie asked, incredibly confused.
