Blue Lights

Prelude

It was in the autumn of 1985 that I first met Ann Davis. We met at college, I had run into her within a week of arriving there as a freshman. She wasn't hard to spot; the long blonde hair sparkling in the sunlight as she walked into the engineering building amidst crowds of bookish males all turning to look. Long slim legs inside trademark jeans and loose t-shirts made her unmissable. She would sway and wriggle her delicious ass and just revel in how it distracted everyone round her. Saying it that way makes her sound bad... she was anything but. She just had that innocent playfulness we all had at the time. When you are nineteen, you feel immortal and the world is your plaything. That was her.

It took me a couple of weeks to ask her out. I waited until she was heading out from a lecture with her friends. To say I was off the scale nervous was under selling it by a light year. She stood there in those damned jeans with the tiniest of smiles on her face watching me mumble something inarticulate. When I'd finished she just laughed in my face, asked me why it had taken me so long, and then just walked away. She left me hanging, her friends embarrassed, and then at the very last moment she span around, that blonde hair flicking over her shoulder.

"Call me!" she laughed.

"I don't have your number," I shouted back.

"Consider me a challenge!" she shrugged. And I did. I always did that.

Our first date, I was very nervous. I deluged myself in aftershave; she of course arrived in those jeans, her only concession was heels. So, now she wasn't just gorgeous, she also looked down at me too. Later, after food and beer I was totally convinced I was blowing it as she took me by the arm and lent her head on my shoulder.

"This is fun you know," was all she said and suddenly we were a couple.

Five years later we were a married couple, and three years later we were in Springbay in Yorkshire. We had tried the city life in the south. London had left us tired and over worked. Springbay was a small village, near the local University where we both worked. Sue was a research analyst. Even though we were older, she still moved around campus with that wriggle knowing that most men and some women in sight couldn't help but look a second time.

Anyway, it wasn't long after we arrived that the nightmare began.

One

She blinks, her vision clearing slowly in the afternoon light. She looks around, trying to understand where she is. Her head feels fuzzy, like she was awakening from a deep sleep. It felt like it was morning. But it wasn't, she could tell it was late afternoon from the sun. This wasn't her bedroom, this wasn't her home. She was outside, but where? It was a park, she was on a park bench... and it was totally unfamiliar. Looking around, there were trees, birds, an almost cloudless sky, a normal afternoon in the late summer sunshine. Around her, the world moved as if this was just another normal day. Like nothing strange had happened.

Shaking her head she tried to get her head moving, but her thoughts were slow and heavy. She looked at herself. She could remember getting dressed this morning, she remembered putting these same jeans on. She was awake at 6am... the usual time, showering and sliding into her jeans, the blue t-shirt slipping over her black bra. Her leather jacket and ankle boots were all in place, nothing amiss. She checked her pockets, phone still there, her car keys were where they always were. Looking at the phone for clues she sees it's turned off. She never turns that phone off.

Standing, her legs a little shaky, she headed towards a couple strolling with their children.

"Sorry, excuse me, this is going to sound crazy, but can you tell me where I am?" she asks uncertainly. The answer stuns her. She is miles from home, over 70 miles. How can this be? Her car, where's her car? She staggers slightly, leaning against a tree for support. Shaking her head she assures the couple that she's fine, she doesn't need help. Her head is feeling clearer now, her body waking, she looks across the park and tries to think back, racking her brains, her last memory was... where?

**

"Steve? Steve, it's Ann." She had called me, her husband, on speed dial. There was nothing else on the phone in the last 24 hours except from some frantic nervous sounding messages from Steve.

"Can you come and get me. I'll give you directions. No, no I don't understand how I got here...."

Then she stops, frowning, suddenly chilled to the bone, she looks back at the phone's screen, terrified.

"Yesterday, what do you mean yesterday?... I've been gone all night! Over 24 hours. Oh... oh my god... oh god. Please, please come."

Driving home she sat in the passenger seat, listening to her husband's voice, distant yet familiar. She shuddered, trying to penetrate the fog of the last few hours. She remembered leaving the house yesterday and driving into town, shopping, all coming back, all normal. Then driving home, she needed to return a book to the library. She had been doing some part time studying and had a book with her. Did she make it to the library? Her memory was foggy... patchy, then nothing afterwards.

"Steve. Can you?... I... I need to get across town to the Campus library. I need to check something."

**

And there it was. Her Blue BMW in the car park. Neatly parked, just where she would have parked it. Steve had the spare key and with one click of the button they were inside. She had been here, her memory clearing. She had parked the car, grabbed her book and headed through that door to return it. It must have been maybe 2pm yesterday. Now she was here, trying to piece it together again.

She headed to the main desk, Steve at her side, but before she got there she knew she it was pointless. Her memory had evaporated; the librarian looked at her with a blank expression.

"I'm so sorry, I was here yesterday Miss, all day," the young assistant said. "But I don't remember you at all. Maybe we'll have a record of the book coming back though, let me check."

2 minutes later, we were back in the car park beside our car. The librarian had drawn a blank. No book, no record of her being there. No video cameras, no pictures, nothing. Sometime between parking that car and reaching that desk her memory had blanked out and she lost a day of her life. It was like her memory had just been turned off. Steve was in the car, searching, looking for anything that would give us any clue on what had happened. Even the book would tell them something. There was nothing.

"Sorry Ann. You keep this car spotless; it's just its usual shiny self." He looked at her smiling, trying to be reassuring. "What are we going to do?" he muttered.

"Nothing," she replied, "... just take me home, I need to see my house, see familiar walls around me again."

And just like that, they headed home. Sleep, when it came later was restless. Her head was aching, mind in overdrive, knowing something was close to the surface. Eventually she drifted into sleep, 3am. A dream flashed across her vision; she is in that car park again. Something, a light, flashing, it's blue. It's in her eyes; blinding her. It is painful to watch but she can't stop looking at it. Flashing, intense in her eyes... in her dream, she's fading; memories slipping away, the pulsing blue the only constant in her mind.

Two

And then suddenly, she's awake and the clock reads 8am. She never sleeps this late. As she looks around, the dream is fading, but she still feels that vague blue light, her head sluggish again, just like she was on that park bench. Slipping out of their bed, she looks at herself briefly in the mirror pleased with what she sees despite the trauma of yesterday. Tall, slim, with shoulder length dark blonde hair, her breasts pert, hips slim. She dresses quickly, the bra snapping into place; she wriggles to get comfortable as she slips a fresh T-shirt over her shoulders. Pulling her jeans in place she calls out to Steve but knowing he will already have left for the office.

Yesterday still haunts her; she can't help going over and over it again. Over coffee she wonders what her next steps should be as she hears the bell. Through the window she sees a black van outside, another delivery for Steve she thinks as she pulls the door open. Blinking she looks at the two men standing there. Dressed casually, her first thought was they didn't look like standard delivery men, if nothing else there was no box and there was no signature tablet.

Then one of them smiled, nodding hello as the other pulled a small torch out of his pocket and the blue light hit her eyes.

Her eyes opened in the darkness. And it was absolute darkness, she could not see anything. Straight away she knew she was naked, the air cool on her bare skin. Her arms and legs tied, not painful but not allowing her to move. The rope was soft, tight round her ankles, and the same with her wrists. She felt exposed, spread eagled. She pulled against the ties, testing them but whoever had tied her to the bed knew their business, she wasn't going anywhere. That encouraged the panic when it surfaced. She thrashed wildly, breathless and shaking, her breasts heaving as she fought.

Then she heard a creek on the floor and sensed movement, her head spinning towards the sound, trying to make out anything in the darkness. "Please. Please what are you doing?"

Silence, nothing at first then surprisingly she heard a voice, a man. Deep, an accent though she couldn't place it.

"Do not be afraid. You are simply the subject of an experiment," the stranger said.

Then from the other side of the bed she felt a finger gently touch her bare nipple. Instinctively she jerked away, and she heard a quiet laugh from across the room. "Good girl," she heard. The deep voice again.

Then the light came again, above her head, in the ceiling, flickering this time, slowly, fainter. Without realizing she looked up and just fell into it. Her thoughts slowed, she knew something was happening and she fought to resist it.

'Stay awake, stay awake Ann, for god sake,' she thought as she stared at it. The finger returned, this time staying, her body slowing, it took her longer to try and twist away. Inevitably it followed, teasing as the light pulsed over her.

"Please, please no. What are you doing? What experiment?" she called out in the darkness.

At first, there was nothing; just that damned light and the hand on her breast. It was like the two were in sync; the light throbbing in her head as the fingers played her. She had stopped trying to squirm away from either of them. She knew the ropes were too well tied for anything anyway.

"We've been doing this a while. We peel back consciousnesses Ann," he said quietly. The simple fact that he knew her name chilled her. "When we do that, we explore what we find."

"Why me? I'm no-one. I'm just a wife from the suburbs." It was all she could manage to say as the hand moved lower. Now on her stomach, still gentle... just those damned finger tips grazing her skin.

"No, no, no. No-one is 'just' anything Ann. Not once the superficial is stripped away," he laughed. "... and to answer your question, we chose you after someone recommended you."

Before she could begin to ask... the light flashed brighter in her eyes and her mind just... stopped. She was there, she was awake, but any idea of speaking or thinking about what was happening just went away. She felt the hand lower, between her legs now, and the fact that she didn't even try to resist it told her that whatever was happening to her was way stronger than her ability to resist.

When he moved between her legs and she felt his cock, hot, hard at her entrance all she did was to sigh and for the first time close her eyes, the quiet slow throb of the blue darker now. Somehow she was wet, soaking, and so ready. The thrust when it came shot the breath out of her and she groaned, back arching, half groan, half sigh as he began to fuck the remains of her consciousness away.

**

Later, much later, the alarm sounded. 4pm, her eyes opened as she looked around her bedroom. It was so unlike her to have an afternoon nap. She couldn't remember deciding to but here she is. As she gets up she realizes she is naked, her clothes folded neatly in the corner. Looking at herself in the bathroom, her hair is clean, freshly showered. The shower door wet, she must have used it. Her minds a blank since heading for that van earlier. Sighing, shuddering she begins to dress.

Three

A week had passed since that afternoon and life had almost returned to normal. A warm day, the sun was bright. For once, she wasn't in jeans but wearing a knee length blue summer dress, flip flops as she walked to the mall across the car park. The sun warmed her shoulders as she strolled past the van. She paused, realizing it looked familiar as a man stepped in front of her.

"Hello again Ann," he said as the light flashed briefly in her head.

She was on that bed again, naked. She realized when she was here, she could remember. Whatever that light was, it unlocked these memories, it unlocked this side of her. She thought back, her memory patchy yet she could recall things. Again, absolute darkness, that damned blue light above her head as he spoke.

"Welcome home Ann," with an unemotional flat tone. The voice is near her, like he was sitting beside her on the left. She could almost feel his breath by her neck. "It is good to have one of our more receptive subjects back."

She closed her eyes. "Please, not again, please don't." This time she knew her protests were in vain. She knew what would happen. She knew they had her again.

"Last time we sensed you enjoyed your visit Ann," he continued. "We were pleased with your progress. We have cleared some of your memories and would like to hear what you thought too." He said quietly. There was no overt threat in his voice, he sounded genuinely interested in what she would say.

Deep breath, "I think you're kidnapping rapist bastards," she blurted thinking this could be the last thing she would every say. Yet even as she said the words she realized her eyes were still locked on that damned blue light.

He laughed quietly, "Well we would definitely put our hands up as kidnappers," he laughed. "But, you are free to move now you know."

How could she have missed that? Her arms and legs last time were tied, this time there was nothing. She reached lower feeling nothing. She held herself briefly and started to rise off the bed. But it was so difficult; she felt her heart beating, the light pulsing inside her as she collapsed back on the bed.

"It isn't just the ropes. We both know you are holding me here against my will." She said, frustrated, conflicted.

Suddenly, she felt hands on her ankles, gently holding her. She trembled feeling the strangers' fingers on her, knowing what was to come. She felt the kiss on her calves, moving higher to her thighs as the hands pulled her legs apart. She knows it is working, she knows he and that light are getting to her again.

"Just say stop Ann and we will," he says softly in her ear. Her legs splayed, she can feel the other man positioning himself as the light probes into her. She can sense his cock; slick, hard and near her entrance.

With a deep breath she reached up holding the top of the bed, her heels on the sheet, waiting... "Just fucking do it," she breaths. Then a second later with no foreplay, he is inside her.

Deep... he filled her quickly as she grunted. Yes, her legs are free now, and without thinking she wrapped them around her assailant. Arching her back, her grip on the bed tightening as he thrust into her a second time and she cried out. She wants it to be a cry for help but she knows she is beyond that, her body is away and free, loving the feel of that anonymous cock inside her. The darkness numbed her conscience, freeing her, and above her that blue light burrows into her.

She feels him quickening, she knows he will be done soon, she knows it won't take her long, and she knows she will cum hard on his cock as it explodes inside her. She cried out in ecstasy as the light eroded the last of her resistance. "Oh god, oh fuck yes... oh yes, just fucking give it to me," she screams and that is it for the stranger inside her. She feels him erupting, filling her, heat inside her... throbbing as he lets go. Thrashing as she bucks into him, the release fantastic as the orgasm rips through her. Her body is taut, nude and hot in the dark as she wraps herself around this stranger. She feels his hands on her shoulders, senses him above her for the first time and she cannot resist sliding her arms round his neck and pulling him close, the kiss a brief second of intimacy as he pulls away.

Above her the light is still there, relentless but slower, almost like it senses her defences are down, she is weaker now, accepting him, needing less control. It throbbed very slowly above her. She stretched on the bed, breathless, warm, perspiring, trying to recover her senses as she watched it.

She licked her lips, thirsty. "May I, may I have some water," she breathed, and straightaway they help her up, a glass to her lips as she sipped the cool liquid.

Afterwards she waited, wondering what else they wanted from her today. If she was expecting an instant answer she was disappointed. Neither man responded. She sensed her partner had withdrawn and moved away. She thought of him as her partner now. She turned her head to the left and felt a hand helping her. Something was slipped over her shoulders, a thin shift covering her, before they eased her back onto the bed.

The voice when it came was quiet, almost like it was inside her head. It was that deep voice again. "Don't feel guilty Ann. Please don't. Unless you are immune, no one fights that light. We use it to probe into minds. No two people react the same way. But every time we go in to someone we learn and can go deeper and leave less of a trace the next time. We uncover new things every time we go deeper: memories, morals, character, kinks, fantasies, and conscience. Each time we uncover layers until what is left is your base animal self, light years from the suburban wife that your husband knows. Correctly motivated that animal self will plead to help us if we want it, or beg to be fucked if we suggest it, and we can rebuild an improved version of you around that animal self. "

He paused, a quiet breath, then "We will soon be very good friends."

That pause and those last words chilled her even inside her shift. But then the light flashed brighter into her, and she forgot everything. Her consciousness fading as they returned her to her husband.

***

"It happened again Steve," she said later that night; they had just finished a quiet dinner.

He looked at her, waiting for her to go on. "I lost myself again today. I blacked out completely. I have no idea what happened. I was going in to town, I was going to see Sue and then... nothing, I woke up in the garden around 5."

He looked at her, worry and concern on his face, not knowing what to do or say.

"The Doctor could find nothing wrong last time could he?" he said. He watched her, she was quiet. He knew her well, that there was something she wasn't telling him. He waited, watching her.

She took a deep breath and looked over at him.

"When I woke I could tell I had showered though, I felt fresh." That pause again, he knew there was more, she had thought about this. "The shower wasn't wet though. I must have been somewhere else, I honestly don't know where.... & I felt like I'd been with someone. You know what I mean. But you've got to believe me. I don't know what is going on." She held her head in her hands, a tear slipped down her cheek, and she began to shake.

"Tomorrow, we'll call the doctor again Ann," he told her. But they didn't, things were beginning to move now. Move inside Ann's head.