I try to tell myself that it's none of my business. I don't know the woman in the green dress; she's not a friend, she's not a co-worker, she doesn't remind me of an old girlfriend I knew in college--there's not even a scrap of the sentimental excuses that might prompt me to do something stupid like picking a fight I already know I can't win. She's just some pretty young thing with hair that matches her outfit and milky white skin that spends too much time under fluorescent lights and a pair of earrings that I'd like to steal. She's not worth fighting over. She's definitely not worth losing over.
So I tell my steel-toed boots to keep right on moving, carrying me past the park bench where she's slumped with glassy jade eyes and a vacant expression on her face, slowly pulling up her skirt to reveal a pair of white cotton panties that look like K-Mart sells them in packs of six. Because that's one of the Strong sitting next to her--I can feel the charisma radiating off him in waves--and if I stopped to give him a piece of my mind I probably wouldn't be able to resist handing over the whole damn thing. He hasn't noticed me. He's preoccupied with his latest conquest and probably already thinking about getting his dick wet inside this other chick's cunt. I can just walk away and go about my business, one of the lucky ones this time around.
When I slow down, I try to pretend that I'm just rubber-necking a little. Who wouldn't? We're only human, after all, at least most of us are these days, and everyone's still getting used to the sight of people sinking into a void of blank, mesmerized bliss and surrendering to the power of a superior will. It's still unusual to watch someone nod vacantly, their jaw going slack until drool slowly trickles down their chin to drip onto their chest, their minds so completely subsumed by the charismatic force the Strong emanate that they can't think of anything but pleasing their controller. I'm not thinking about intervening or anything. I'm just surprised to see it all happen so openly.
I don't know why I would be. I've never met anyone Strong who's been even the slightest bit circumspect about using their power to control minds. Perhaps that's what makes you Strong in the first place; maybe something in the human brain responds to that kind of absolute, unshakable confidence on a deep and instinctive level and it's only now that society can produce individuals with that kind of total belief in themselves. It's as good a hypothesis as any--nobody knows what makes some people Stronger than others. It's not like scientists can ask for a blood sample or anything. Get that close to someone Strong while holding a needle and you'd probably wind up giving it to them as a present. At best.
So yeah, I'm not seeing anything new when I watch the green-haired woman lift up her hips and pull her panties down to her ankles, exposing her smooth-shaven cunt in the middle of a public park to anyone who might pass by. I'm not really surprised when I see a cop glance over in our direction and shake his head slowly, then turn around and pretend he didn't notice a goddamn thing. It's infuriating to watch the Strong whisper in the woman's ears and smile as she takes off her underwear and hands it to him like a trophy, but it's not really anything shocking. It's just life now. I'm used to it. Really I am.
That's a lie, obviously. If I was used to it, I'd be on my way now, grateful that I wasn't the one he noticed this time and I can go to work and hide in my office and not have to explain to my boss that someone with a will much Stronger than mine decided to stop me and play with me like a rag doll and I couldn't stop them. If I was ready to accept that my normal daily existence depended on not attracting the attention of some charismatic individual who could decide to collar and leash me and walk me home as their new pet, I wouldn't be slowing to a stop with my hands balled into fists and my whole body radiating anger. I wouldn't be picking a fight I can't possibly win.
Walk on by,
I tell myself, starting my feet into motion with a conscious act of will.
Walk right the fuck on by and leave him to it. He's Stronger than you are. He can make you do anything. You wouldn't even get close enough to throw a punch before you were falling to your knees and begging to serve. Walk away and let him have his fun the same way you do a dozen times every single day.