Refashioned Pt. 02

Part Two

Disclaimer:

This story is just that, a story. It is a work of fiction and nothing at all to do with the real world or how to treat people in it. All the characters within it are adults. It contains descriptions of nonconsentual sex and other nasty things that should not be read by anybody under the age of 18.

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Annabel strode briskly along the road. She liked being in the older part of town, built at a time when architects and planners took pride in their work. Well kept Victorian houses that oozed middle class respectability filled the tree-lined street, while the pavement was a leafy carpet of autumnal colour that crunched satisfyingly underfoot. Pausing momentarily to check her reflection in the glossy black of a parked SUV, Annabel was pleased. She'd finally settled on a long fawn coat, jeans, heels and a confident red top, one of the new turtlenecks from yesterday. It was the perfect combination of classy and casual.

The house numbers climbed as she walked down the street before finally stopping outside a semi-detached house made of age-mellowed red brick.

A paved pathway led through a narrow, low-maintenance garden displayed behind original wrought iron railings. In an attempt to fend off the modern world, the unsightly plastic ugliness of the wheelie bins were partially hidden from view by a strategically positioned evergreen shrub.

Pulse racing, she climbed the three steps leading to the charcoal grey front door.

Taking a deep breath, suppressing the butterflies in her stomach, Annabel centred herself before pressing the bell.

Annabel concentrated on her breathing, willing herself to stay calm as the adrenalin coursed through her body. The pause seemed to go on forever as she waited anxiously on the step.

Finally, after what seemed an eternity, the door swung open to reveal her friend smiling broadly.

"Annabel!" the petite woman welcomed her warmly as she was ushered into the hallway. "I'm so glad you could make it!"

Greeting her with a hug and a peck on the cheek, Annabel felt her sex twitch. Straining to maintain her composure, Annabel felt her entire body sizzle after the brief physical contact, the flush reddening her cheeks slightly. As her brunette friend disappeared with her coat, Annabel focussed on suppressing the familiar sexual urges bubbling up to the surface of her mind, willing herself to remain calm.

Emotions were welling up once more. Only instead of the dark negativity of just a few hours ago these new feelings were all positive. Being in the presence of her gorgeous friend put all her fears and insecurities into perspective.

The simmering arousal that warmed her body and mind left no time for such trivial concerns.

She smiled excitedly as Lauren reappeared. The thought just popped into her head without warning. Annabel knew that she could trust her friend completely. There was no need to be silly.

Tearing her eyes away from the alluring woman, she took stock of the tastefully decorated hallway with all its period features for the very first time.

"This is great house!" she exclaimed, genuinely impressed. "Is this all yours?"

"Hardly!" Lauren chuckled, her smouldering eyes making Annabel tingle. "I'm sharing with a few other girls. The landlord, or lady I should say, has done a pretty good job in setting up the place to suit our needs. I'll give you the grand tour after lunch."

Suppressing the desire flooding through her mind, Annabel smiled in return, following her friend into the kitchen from which the intoxicating aroma of food reminded her just how little she had eaten over the past few days.

The meal had been delicious. A second glass of red wine had taken the edge off her obsessive urges which had now settled into a reassuring glow of throbbing excitement.

As the two friends chatted freely about work, life and the idiocy of men in general, Annabel felt her feelings towards Lauren changing. The lust remained, but something else was happening to her. Lauren was no passing crush that she'd grow tired of. Annabel knew the signs. The petite brunette woman enraptured and enchanted her, drawing her helplessly in. Like a moth slowly inching towards a flame, Annabel knew that she was falling for her.

Deeply. Madly. Passionately.

While the feelings were familiar, her rational mind struggled with the inner conflict that still troubled her. She was falling in love with a woman. But she wasn't a lesbian. Was she? She had never been attracted to girls. But now her sexual fantasies all revolved around this beautiful woman who seemed to have captivated her completely.

It was more than a little odd.

But such thoughts had no place here. It felt good to dismiss her worries and concentrate all her focus on Lauren. That was much better.

The conversation inevitably came around to their shared online proclivities. "I see you're a regular on the forum," Lauren noted, her hazel eyes sparkling with delight.

"Oh absolutely," Annabel enthused, twisting her hair coquettishly as she gazed at the gorgeous woman sitting opposite her. "Couldn't live without it!"

Licking her lips briefly, Lauren's eyes flashed in what Annabel hoped was approval as she registered her tentative flirting.

"Thanks for telling me about that place," Annabel went on, her voice sultry. "You were right. When I signed up I got a massive discount on my order."

"Told you!" Lauren purred, her hand briefly touching Annabel's as she spoke, sending a ripple of pleasure through the besotted guest.

"I got lots of new stuff yesterday, including this," Annabel huskily responded, reaching up to her throat, mirroring her friend's gesture of the other day. As suggestively as she dared, Annabel stroked the high, tight collar gripping her neck. She knew the action would stoke the flames of desire that were already threatening to burst into an all-consuming conflagration. But she couldn't stop herself. Clenching her pussy muscles tightly, she rode the tremor that shivered through her body.

The negative thoughts resurfaced briefly. Annabel felt disgusted with herself. Her actions felt wrong. Dirty. As if she was a prostitute offering her body to a prospective client.

Lauren's eyes sparked with approval, seeing and understanding everything.

The negativity vanished.

"Another turtleneck!" her friend praised. "I just love the way they look on you Annabel. So pretty."

Eyes firmly locked on each other, the two young women shared a long lingering stare that was full of meaning. Another pleasurable shiver shook through Annabel's body, which she failed to suppress. Slowly, sensuously, Lauren touched the high collar of her own black top, slowly and deliberately running her hand along the material.

Gazing helplessly into Lauren's complicated eyes Annabel knew that this was not just about lust and sex. Yes, that was a major part of the attraction. But she somehow felt a profound connection with this stunning woman, something far deeper than she'd ever experienced with any other human being.

And she thought that Lauren felt it too. Didn't she?

It was a truly beautiful moment and in Annabel's mind it seemed to go on forever.

"We're really going to have to organise a clothing rota now if we're gonna be twins!" Lauren laughed lightly. "We don't want people in work to be talking about us behind our backs!"

The moment was over. Nothing had been said, but Annabel knew then that everything had changed.

Her earlier confusion about her sexual identity was fading. The negative thoughts were gone for the moment.

This was not a fixation about some abstract, distant celebrity she could never possibly meet. Lauren was real. She was here, sitting in her house talking to her. Their sexual chemistry was palpable.

Lauren smiled, breaking the spell. "Let me give you a tour of the house," she announced brightly.

Waving the dirty dishes away, Lauren turned to a door at the rear of the kitchen and opened it, indicating that Annabel should follow. After descending down a short flight of stairs she found herself in a basement room. The walls were unplastered brick but the floor had been newly tiled.

Recessed lighting illuminated the windowless space. In front of her was a comfortable, if slightly battered, vintage three seat leather couch that faced a large tv screen fixed to the wall opposite. Otherwise the room was filled with expensive exercise equipment.

"Maybe I shouldn't have started the tour here," Lauren explained apologetically. "This used to be the old coal cellar," she continued, "which we now use as a workout room. And sometimes as a home cinema."

Annabel, still smouldering in the afterglow of their encounter, looked around in a daze. Just visible behind the screen was a smaller room filled with boxes and assorted clutter, obviously used for storage.

"Not much of a view down here," Lauren went on, nodding to the screen, "so we rigged this up to entertain us as we work out."

"Great idea," Annabel nodded, the erotic fog dissipating somewhat, before following her friend back upstairs. Lauren led her on to the main living room.

As they opened the door, two young women entwined on the couch quickly disentangled themselves, turning towards the unexpected intruders.

"Oh hi," Lauren stammered unsteadily, startled, "I didn't realise you guys were in here."

Annabel hovered awkwardly and observed the exchange, pleased that the moistness between her legs would not seep through her jeans because of the extra padding she'd added for that very purpose.

The nearest, a tall athletic woman with coffee coloured skin and a short frizzy haircut, was the first to react. Detaching herself from the other woman, she stood and flashed them a confident smile.

"No problem," the black woman responded evenly.

"I was just showing my friend Annabel around the house," Lauren explained hurriedly.

The black woman nodded reassuringly. "Sure. We knew you were having somebody around for lunch." She turned to Annabel and gave her a wide white smile. "I'm Naomi," she introduced herself, "and this is Jess."

Jess, a pale redhead beamed a smile of her own at Annabel. She was shorter in stature but equally toned, yet also softer at the same time.

Obviously they did a lot of working out together both physically and metaphorically Annabel observed idly as they chatted for a few moments before leaving the two lovers in peace.

"Sorry about that," Lauren whispered once they were in the hallway again. "I hope you weren't embarrassed?"

"No, please don't worry," Annabel reacted quickly, her pulse racing.

"Jess and Naomi are a really sweet couple," Lauren continued. "And very easy to live with, unlike our previous housemate," she grimaced.

"Oh?" Annabel asked politely, her snatch throbbing from the Sapphic encounter.

"Yeah. Jennifer moved out last week," Lauren continued. "She was a total pain. It was nothing but drama with her all the time."

Nodding sympathetically, Annabel muttered something about how awkward these situations can be and how difficult it can be to find a new housemate after you'd been burnt by a crazy person.

"Ohh, I should show you my room!" Lauren brightened.

After being led upstairs, Annabel found herself in a spacious bedroom with a pair of massive built in wardrobes along one wall.

Unlike her apartment, Lauren's room was neat and scrupulously tidy, like everything in the house. An old fashioned chair reupholstered in new vibrant fabric and a small wooden upcycled table were carefully positioned to give the best view from the beautiful bay window overlooking the city rooftops.

A vintage brass framed bed lay against the opposite wall, festooned with throw pillows. Something familiar caught her eye. There, neatly folded and laid out on the bed lay a pair of the same grey coloured nightwear she'd received yesterday.

The words SLEEP TIME were clearly visible.

"Oh!" Annabel spluttered in surprise. "We really are twins now! I have the exact same pyjamas as you!"

"Wow!" Lauren laughed merrily at the coincidence.

The same weird visor like device that Annabel had put aside from yesterday's free gift lay alongside the pyjamas.

"I have that gizmo too," she continued, puzzled, "but I haven't used it."

Picking up the headset, Lauren nodded. "Oh, this is great. I use it all the time when I get stressed or worried. It's really soothing."

"Really?" Annabel questioned, her interest piqued.

"Yeah. Oftentimes before I go to sleep I just put it on and drift off. It really helps me to unwind. You should try it," her friend urged.

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The memories of uncounted climaxes faded softly leaving her placid, happy and satisfied. Upon staggering home, Annabel had ripped off her sopping panties and plunged her digits deep into her soaking slit. Her visit to Lauren's house had been exhilarating. The next few hours had been a blur. Her depraved desires had turned into hours of frenzied of masturbatory bliss.

But now she was calmer, able to think rationally once more. Her cunt was sated for the present.

Annabel surveyed her drab apartment with a critical eye. Her visit had been a real eye-opener in more ways than one.

Thinking about the past week, she realised that her earlier meltdowns must have been triggered by a succession of multiple stressful events. There was work, of course, which was always difficult. Then there was her break-up which must have taken more of an emotional toll on her than she'd thought at the time.

But there was a silver lining, she decided. Without her breakdown she would have never had the chance to analyse her feelings in depth. The root cause of her unhappiness might have continued to elude her. She might have been destined to fall back into bad habits.

But she mustn't dwell on the past, Annabel resolved. It was gone. She couldn't allow herself to be held back by it. No more negativity. She needed to concentrate on the future and make positive changes.

First off, living alone was bad for her mental health. Besides, her place was a complete rubbish tip in comparison to Lauren's house. She had to admit to herself that she was a bit of a slob when given the opportunity to pig out.

Secondly, and more importantly, perhaps the feelings she was having towards Lauren were a sign that she needed to re-evaluate her sexuality. The feelings she felt towards Lauren were strong and deep. They felt very real. Maybe the root cause of all the unsatisfying relationships she'd had with men over the years were because she was gay?

That might also explain the confusion and dread she'd felt earlier. Was her crisis that morning because she was trying to reject her true self? Unconsciously, did she want to accept that she had feelings for another woman?

It was certainly something she needed to really think about.

But not tonight. She was exhausted, utterly drained by the roller coaster of emotion and carnal pleasure that had consumed her day.

A nice long rest was what she needed.

"Sleep time," she smiled to herself, recalling the pyjamas on Lauren's bed.

Ignoring the dildo which lay beside her, she set her phone to charge for the night. Feeling pleasantly tired, Annabel got into her new soft and comfortable pyjamas. Even folded, the turtleneck reached up past her chin, the playful prickles dancing over her sensitive skin, embracing her warmly like the lover she wanted to be able to share her life with.

She felt safe and secure cocooned in the high collar.

The tingling sensation in her neck was her constant companion. It was no longer an irritant, something to be endured for the sake of appearing fashionable or desirable. The delicious, sensual heat caressing her neck was an endless source of reassuring comfort, enabling her to endure life's ups and downs.

Reaching for the headset she examined it closely. From the front it resembled a pair of oversized mirrored sunglasses, the tinted lenses gleaming mysteriously in the light of her bedside lamp. Cautiously she twisted the eyepieces, watching how they flexed under her fingers before returning to their original shape when she released them. The metallic sides of the lenses swooped back before flowing down to form flat rounded cups obviously designed to fit over the wearer's ears. An adjustable band at the rear kept it in place.

Annabel was impressed. Ergonomics.

She studied the brief instructions. Simpicity itself: put the visor on and press the small button on the side.

Which is exactly what she did.

The flexible headset shaped itself to fit comfortably over the contours of her face, the twin eyepieces pressed tightly against her eyesockets. The device warmed quickly to her skin. It was light and incredibly comfortable, yet being tightly secured around her head it was designed not to come off as she slept. Her vision was unimpaired by the form fitting lenses, although the silent headphones did muffle sounds slightly.

She switched the light off and buried herself in the thick duvet.

The sound of waves lapping on the beach soothed her while the visor gently filled her eyes with calm, restful blue. Slowly, lazily different shades of blue began to shift before her eyes.

Blue that reminded her of the sea surrounding a tropical paradise.

The waves nothing but a soothing balm, calming her mind.

Blue the colour of a cloudless summer's day full of promise.

A gentle hiss as the waves met the soft, sandy shoreline.

Annabel's eyelids were drooping lower and lower.

The drowsiness overwhelming her.

Thoughts slipping away.

No cares. No worries.

Her mind shut down as the hissing waves and blue light washed everything away.

______

She smiled broadly as the likes clocked up. Annabel had posted her first selfie on the forum this morning and had been constantly checking her phone throughout the day, growing more and more pleased by the likes. Every admiring comment posted on her photo only intensified her euphoric mood.

As usual, work was busy—the office drudgery never ended.

But her buoyant frame of mind had set her thinking about her future. Perhaps the time was right to start looking around for a better job? A position that would help her grow as a person rather than just something that just paid the rent.

She knew that change was in the air and she was glad to embrace it.

Slipping the phone out of sight, she turned back to her computer. Still smiling to herself, she opened yet another panicky email from Accounts. A brief scan told her that somebody had messed up yet again and was looking to spread the blame by involving as many people as possible.

Men, she winced, always deceiving and lying. They were all the same. Her eyes had been well and truly opened to their duplicitous nature. No wonder her previous relationships had been terrible.

This new found clarity only strengthened her determination to make big life changes.

Sighing in mild exasperation, Annabel joined in the buck-passing merry-go-round. Her fingers danced across the keyboard drafting a carefully crafted, yet vague, email that committed her to absolutely nothing whilst also appearing to be helpful.

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Soothing cerulean light trickled through Annabel's shut eyes.

The waves hissed monotonously against the beach.

Pure relaxation.

Her consciousness switched off.

A faint whisper rose, barely audible through the noise of the gentle sea.

The blue light grew in intensity, pulsing slowly, penetrating past her closed eyelids.

______

Annabel slipped discreetly into the bathroom. Her manager was in the inter-departmental meeting hastily called to deal with the mix-up in Accounts which was looking more and more ominous with every passing day. His focus was on keeping the stench of failure as far as possible away from him. Micro-managing his staff was not a priority at present.