The Body Electric

"Do you mind if I ask," Alison interrupted, "what he was thinking of while you two were, um, you know..."

Margaret chuckled. "It was both sweet and kind of boring. All he thought about was how good I felt. I heard a couple of meaningless comparisons with other girls he had been with, but nothing so bad that it made a difference to me. Let's just say he was definitely more focussed on actions than words. I guess you could say I appreciated it.

"When Vince was spent, he lay on his side, looking at me, twirling my hair. That's when he said something I completely didn't expect. He told me that he was mine. That he'd do whatever I needed him to do. I tried to read his thoughts and, well, he didn't have any. It was kind of creepy, actually. I told him to stand up and get me a pack of cigarettes.

"I heard my own voice echoing in his head as he did exactly what I told him to do.

"When he came back, we both lit up and savored the feeling of the smoke filling our lungs. I wasn't a big smoker before the accident but I knew that this would probably help calm my nerves.

"Once we were done with the smokes, I said we should probably get our clothes back on, so we both got dressed. I still thought it was a bit spooky how he had no thoughts other than whatever I had suggested. I would've expected him to say something like how we should clean up or something, but he didn't say anything.

"So I suggested that we go back to his place so we could figure out what to do next.

"Even though the store was really supposed to be open for another three hours, we left.

"Vince drove a piece of shit car. You know the kind I'm talking about. A cheapo set of wheels, probably bought by his parents just to help him get to and from work. He'd put in a good stereo system. I remember thinking he's a typical teenager, but he literally belonged to me, so I knew better than to complain.

"Vince lived in a small apartment above a jewelry store. When I walked into his place, I looked around and saw that he was at least not a slob. It was pretty obvious he didn't have any roommates, but I wondered how often he'd receive guests. Besides, I really needed to know if my control over Vince was a fluke, or if there was something more.

"After we got settled in, I remembered that, when the day started out, I was still in a hospital. Factor in the running away from the dorm and, of course, the satisfaction that Vince provided as we wrestled amid the hot dog buns, and, well, I was feeling pretty scummy. I went into his bathroom and told him I wanted to take a bath.

"I must've fallen asleep in the tub. It was so warm and relaxing. When I woke up, I heard someone else's voice coming from the living room. A girl's voice.

"She kept repeating, 'Vince? What's wrong with you?'"

Alison leaned forward. "Vince's girlfriend?"

"That's exactly what I wondered. So I got out of the tub, wrapped a towel around me, and sauntered out to the living room to see what I could find out.

"Assuming this girl was Vince's girlfriend, my appearance wearing only a towel certainly wouldn't sit well. But, I thought, it would still be worth it if I could gain control over her, too.

"It didn't take long for her to confirm my assumptions. I didn't really need to listen to her thoughts since she was already screaming everything she was thinking. I decided to play with her a little bit. 'Vince,' I said. 'Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?'

"That's when I heard her thoughts. She was kind of taken aback by my attitude. She shook her hips as she walked up to me and said, 'I'm Tricia. His girlfriend. Who the fuck are you?'"

"Tricia?" asked Alison. "THE Tricia from your trial? The one who was nicknamed The Black Widow?"

"What do you think, Alison?"

"I think I'm going to find out pretty soon."

"Right you are. Now where was I?"

"Tricia."

"Right. Well, I decided to play with her a little bit. I told her that I wasn't someone to be confronted like that. She got all huffy and standoffy and I decided that I was bored. She was already all in my face, so I just looked her straight in the eye and told her to take off all of her clothes and lay down on her back, right then and there.

"She shut up and did exactly as I told her. I looked up at Vince, looking vacant as ever, and told him that he needed to fuck his girlfriend silly.

"I'd never really gotten off on this kind of thing before, but watching the two of them, it turned me on more than I thought it would. I quickly dropped my towel, sat down, and pleasured myself while these two were going at it.

"By the time Vince was done, Tricia probably had three or four orgasms. I told them both to stand up and they did. I tried to look into Tricia's mind and she was just as empty as Vince was. That's when I realized how my powers indeed worked. Look someone in the eye, and they're suggestible. Give them an orgasm and they become a shell, a mindless slave willing to do my bidding.

"I felt the electricity surge within me. This... this feeling of power twofold was exhilarating. I called both Tricia and Vince over to me to give me pleasure until I told them to stop.

"I lay back and savored every movement, every lick, pinch, grope, fondle, and penetration. It felt that the pleasure was simply magnified by virtue of the fact that I could get these two people to do whatever I commanded. And maybe it was. It sure was intoxicating."

"Intoxicating?"

"Well, yes. Over the course of the next couple of days, I felt that I had a kind of a bond with Tricia. It's hard to explain, really, but the knowledge that she was feeling good, made me feel good too. It was as if she had transferred more than just her will to me when she became my slave. Does that make sense?"

"Um... I guess so... Are you saying that you felt her ... um... orgasms?"

"Well, um... Yeah, I guess you could say that. I'd never really thought about it in those terms, but yes."

"How had you thought about it, then, if not in sexual terms?"

"Power. Electricity. Over the next few days, I simply asked Vince and Tricia to bring friends and relatives into the apartment. They did so cheerfully, even if some of the people they brought were reluctant. Once they met me, though, they were fine with everything. It always followed the same process: I get the person to look me in the eye, I make them horny, and then, I have someone already under my control, fuck them.

"I probably had a good forty or fifty people under my control by the end of the week. The web I was spinning was getting larger and larger and I knew it was time to leave Vince's cramped apartment. I had no shortage of people willing to give me a place to live.

"So I started planning my next move."

Alison nodded knowingly, trying not to think about anything.

"Tricia was a very valuable asset here. When I looked at Tricia, I saw everything that I hated about my old high school. Tricia was attractive and athletic. She had guys fawning all over her, whereas I ... let's just say that I was glad when I graduated, since I knew I wouldn't have to deal with anyone from my old school again. But Tricia gave me an idea.

"I gave Vince and Tricia some very simple instructions: she would locate the entire football team from my high school, and he would find all of the cheerleading squad. They'd both seduce each and every one of them, and then, once they were through with them, kill them. If they ran into any resistance whatsoever, I gave both Tricia and Vince orders to bind and gag their targets, and bring them straight to me.

"That's a bit of an extreme bit of vengeance, isn't it?"

"I just thought of it as payback for the four years of hell they put me through. Besides, I knew that it'd be easy enough to beat any raps."

Alison crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Now I know why everyone fears you so much."

"I see you're not as afraid as you were at the start of our little chat..." Margaret started to chuckle.

"So you said you had no regrets about everything, huh?" Alison redirected the conversation back to the inmate.

"None. I was building a small army of people loyal to me. Actually, no. I take that back. They really weren't people any more, per se. They were more like ... robots. Still, Tricia and Vince proved what they'd be willing to do in my service. And the more my robots did for me, the more I felt the electric surge. And it was so ... exhilarating.

"I had whatever I needed. Money, sex, passion, power, obedient servants. The only thing that really bothered me was hearing the thoughts of those I didn't control. Of course, if someone thought something that offended me, I'd take control over them pretty quickly. So even that essentially became little more than a nuisance."

"Surely you must've known that what you were doing was wrong, didn't you?"

Margaret laughed. "Wrong? I suppose. But the more electricity I felt, the more right it felt. If you were asking if I suspected the cops were on to me, yeah, I knew. I actually started to watch the evening news just to see what, if anything, they'd be reporting on what I was doing.

"I'm not sure what was funnier. When they got it right or when I had planted an obviously false lead. But let me ask you something, Alison."

"What's that?"

"Have you ever had such a powerful orgasm, that you literally felt like every pore, every inch of your body was nothing but pure, unadulterated pleasure?"

"Um... I, uh..."

"Don't be shy, my dear..."

"Well, um, I ... I've had some good orgasms, but... well, I.. I can't say I have."

"Well, if you do, you'd understand why I didn't want to slow down."

"But you did slow down, didn't you? Isn't that how you got caught?"

Margaret smiled and let out a hearty laugh. "Yeah, I guess you could say that."

"How else would you say it?"

"Remember he one man I ever felt compassion for... David? He appeared on TV. And he was practically in tears as he begged me to meet with him. He said he didn't know what I knew or whether I was somehow involved with the havoc I was wreaking, but he said he was sorry for what he did to me."

"So what did you do?"

"I went back to his office. I toyed with bringing one of my slaves with me, just in case, but ultimately, I decided against it. I could handle David if I needed to.

"So I went to his office. I was wondering what, if anything, David had done with the two Body Electric machines in the one corner of the waiting room. When I got there, my eyes went straight to that corner, and I was both impressed and caught off-guard by what I saw. There was only one machine there, and it was charred, blackened. That ... it was my machine!

"I slowly walked towards the remains of the game I had been playing a few months before. It felt more like a shrine. A holy place. Hallowed ground, if you would.

"I was so focussed on my machine, that I didn't hear David come up behind me. He placed a hand on my shoulder and said, 'I figured I ought to keep that one, as a reminder not to push ourselves farther than we really should.'

"I spun around to face David. Before I could say or do anything, he said that he destroyed the other copy of the game.

"I closed my eyes and all I could hear was him thinking about how sorry he was. How it was all his fault and how he was feeling guilty about it all.

"I told him that I could hear his thoughts and he just nodded.

"I said that there was nothing to feel sorry for. Nothing to feel guilty about.

"His scowl stopped me. I was expecting him to talk about the murders of the football and cheerleading squad. I expected him to talk about how I was building my army. I expected him to say just about anything except what he did actually say."

"What was that?"

"He said, 'Do you know what happened to Brock and Becky?'"

"Did you?"

"No. That was the first I'd even thought of them since I ran away from my dorm. Turns out that people tried to separate the two of them, but couldn't do it. They had to give them both tranquilizers to get them to stop fucking in the common room. Once they were asleep, people literally dragged them to their beds. The following morning, they were both catatonic. Mindless. My first robots and I never even knew it. They'd been taking up space in the hospital ever since. I wonder if they're still there..."

"How did that make you feel?"

"Funny you should ask that, Alison. David asked me the same thing. Truthfully, I didn't feel much of anything. I guess I was kind of sorry for Becky, but..."

"Not really, huh?"

"Exactly.

"Then David wiped a tear from his eyes. I'd so seldom seen a man cry that I wasn't sure how to react. He just said one word: 'Please.'"

"Please?"

"Yes. He begged me to turn myself in. He said I didn't have to feel sorry. But what I was doing, even if it didn't feel wrong, it was still illegal. And, well, I had to pay my dues."

Margaret let out a sigh. "I looked into his thoughts and didn't see anything I didn't already know. It was ... impressive, actually. If there was one thing I've never really known or felt in my life, it was honesty. So I thought about it for a while and decided that I needed some time away.

"I'm sure to David it felt like forever, but I finally whispered, 'Sure.'

"I'm sure you know all about the trial. David actually did a good job insulating me from people who wanted to see me dead right then and there. For a while, I was wondering if my powers were starting to wane, but I realized that it was because David kept me so far away from everyone else. Do I need to go into the details of the trial?"

"No, I don't think so. How did you feel when they sentenced you to death, though?"

"I really didn't feel anything. I still didn't think this day would ever come. And yet, here you are, interviewing me three days before my scheduled execution."

"Are you scared?"

"Not really."

"Why do you suppose that is?"

"Because I made a promise not to use my powers on anyone while I was in here. So to some degree, I'm already dead."

"How well have you kept that promise?"

"Better than I would've predicted. Early on, I had to use my powers defensively. You know... to actually stop people from coming after me. But that's about -- I take that back, actually. For about a year or two after I came here, I used my powers to get cigarettes when I wanted them. I quit smoking about eight years ago, but I confess that I got people to give me their smokes whenever I felt the need. THAT's about it." Margaret smiled and let out a chuckle.

"What happened to all of the people under your command?"

"I told them to go back to their lives before I came here."

"So have you really turned over a new leaf?"

"As I said when you first got here. I don't regret what I did. It was exhilarating. It just felt so good. But, I was getting bored with my army. And I was really getting tired of making all of the decisions for everyone. So I sometimes wish I could go back in time and tell my younger self not to call David in the first place, but that's about it."

"Well, I think you've acted very admirably, not abusing your powers since you came here, not trying to escape. I, um, I hope my thoughts haven't been too distracting."

"Oh, no, dear. You've been fine. I appreciate your professionalism. And thank you for not judging me." Margaret leaned in close to her bars and smiled. "Do you have any other questions for me?"

Alison paused for a moment as she put together the words she wanted to say. "So you can hear people's thoughts and you can make them do whatever you want. Do you have any other powers? Or is that it?"

"Well... how can I put this? This is something I was able to learn to do; it didn't come at first. But if I want to find something out about someone, nobody can keep a secret from me."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I know that your password to your computer at work is 'alonglittlekitty.' Clever. Your name's Alison Long, so that's where the a-long comes from."

"How did you --"

"I did two things at once and you didn't even realize it: first, I made you think about something, and then I read that thought. If you didn't know that I made you do it, it's because I just look into your mind and find the memory or memories I need."

"That's kind of --"

"Scary, I know."

Alison gulped and hesitantly asked what she had thought of. Margaret scowled and decided to let her say what she was thinking of.

"So can you, um, I, er, can you modify people's memories? Make them think something happened or is happening that isn't the reality of the situation?"

"Good question, Alison. Let me ask you something. What do you see in this cell of mine? Other than, of course, me, that is."

Alison leaned closer to the bars and peered into the cell. Even though she was pretty sure the cell was dark and depressing, she smiled at what she saw. "It's, um, very light in there. You've got a lot of flowers in vases throughout the cell. I can't quite make out the shapes, but it looks like they let you paint colorful murals on that wall over there."

"Very good. Have you ever been in a prison that looked as bright and happy as my cell looks?"

Alison suppressed a shudder. She didn't need to say "No," because her confusion flashed for a moment in her head and vanished as quickly as it had hit her.

Margaret spoke softly, slowly. "Let me ask you something, Alison. Did you find yourself aroused by any of my story?"

Alison started to shake her head but a very soft, "Yes..." escaped from her slightly parted lips.

"I can help you with that... If you want, of course."

Alison repeated the soft "Yes..." one more time.

The security guard came closer to the cell. "What's going on here?" He glanced back and forth between the nearly motionless reporter and the smiling prisoner.

Margaret looked at Alison and said, "I think you should turn off your recorder now."

Alison did as requested.

"Good, now put it down on the floor by your chair."

The guard came in closer as Alison again did as commanded. "I said, 'what's ... going ... on ... here?"

"Nothing that we haven't already planned, Ron. Nothing we weren't expecting."

The guard took a step back and smiled.

"Now, what do you say you both take off all of your clothes and then do whatever comes naturally for a naked man and a naked woman?"

Alison stood up and started to take off her suit and lay her clothes neatly on her chair.

"You're moving too slowly, Alison. Just strip naked and start fucking Ron. He's been waiting far longer than any man should be forced to wait."

Alison's neatness dissolved as she hurriedly stepped out of her skirt and rolled her panties and stockings down over her feet with one fluid motion. In no time, she was completely naked, kneeling down before the guard, and rubbing his stiff cock.

Margaret smiled. "You know, Ron. I'll bet the two of you would be a lot more comfortable in my bed. Wouldn't you agree?"

Without saying a word, the guard jangled his keys as he unlocked Margaret's cell. With the door open, he picked up Alison and threw her on the small cot in the dark corner.

Margaret, for her part, stood near the door, careful not to step out of her cell, but also listening for others to come by. She'd been planning this for weeks and now was not the time to blow it. Besides, she mused with a laugh, blowing is Alison's job now.

In a few short minutes, she mused, she'd be able to unleash the modified memories on everyone in the entire prison, as she had been slowly planting them in every guard, inmate, warden, employee, and visitor for the past two months. There was only one person left to modify, and she seemed to be having a really good time. Page 3 of 3Alison let out a few howls of pleasure. "Don't hold back, my dear," Margaret chuckled. "Give in to your urges. Enjoy the sensation. Maybe you'll come close to the electric feeling that I knew so intimately on the outside."