Margaret Kinshern was enjoying her fantasy. What woman doesn't enjoy a fantasy every once in a while? Especially a woman with nothing to do and all day to do it. The fantasy she was enjoying at the moment was similar in its basic theme to many of the dreams she had been having lately, not real life, just fantasy. Her dreams, fantasies, concerned degraded, sexually out-of-control woman. Margaret was a bit worried about her fantasy. It concerned itself with a woman who had put herself at the mercy of a man, but at least the woman in her present fantasy was not Margaret herself. She might have had a problem with that, there were a few of Margaret's intimates who did have a problem with her relationships. Fortunately, her ongoing fantasy was about someone else, a 28-year-old, pretty, recently married college instructor, not Margaret, not Margaret.:
*
She was walking out of the mall. The man was walking into the mall
Maybe it was unintentional on her part, she couldn't say for sure, but they made eye contact, Perhaps it was in response to the eye contact, maybe not, but as soon as they made eye contact, he took three long strides, reached where she was and stood right in front of her. This was all happening in broad daylight. There were plenty of people around. She didn't have to respond to him. She could have ignored him, just walked away. But she didn't. She didn't know why. Up to that moment, there was nothing overtly offensive in his behavior. Again, their eyes met. He moved a step closer, so that she could not ignore the fact that he was invading her space. Less than a foot of space separated them.
"Where you goin?" he demanded. Didn't ask, demanded.
She just looked at him. It wasn't that she was shocked. It was because she did not know what to say that she didn't answer. He was big. He looked to be strong. She was frightened, not because of him, but because she didn't know why she couldn't say anything or do anything.
"Didn't you hear what I asked you?" he said. He was staring at her. His lips were formed into a sneer.
Who was this man? She didn't know him. To her best knowledge, she had never seen him before, but, when the man told her to follow him, she did. She walked behind him deep into the crowded mall parking lot. They were separated for a moment when he crossed a car pathway and she had to wait for a short group of cars and vans passing between them. When the cars passed, she crossed the street, moving as quickly as possible on her high heels and caught up to him just as he stopped next to his car.
She stood there, breathing hard from the exertion she had expended to keep up with him.
"Get in the car," he said. He indicated she move to the passenger side and open the door by herself. "I wants to ask you something."
His language demonstrated a lack of education, his clothing nondescript and personal hygiene slovenly. She stood where she had been standing, close to the rear bumper of the driver's side. Why was she standing there? She should just walk away. His car was like him, not impressive at all. It was a sedan. Rust showed in places as did scratches along its paint. The car had not been washed in a long while. She should just walk away. But she didn't. She just stood there.
"Didn't I tell you to get in?" he said.
She moved quickly to open the car's passenger side door and got in.
He entered the car on the driver's side.
She suddenly began to cry. She didn't know why.
"Stop that crying," he commanded.
She was unable to stop sobbing, this woman in Margaret's fantasy.
"I told you to quit that."