CHAPTER 10



A week had passed since Tara's cruel remarks and true to her word she acted as if I did not exist.  Tara walked into the room and I heard the pulleys holding me aloft creaking. I heard the soft rustling of the bedspread signaling to me that I was on the bed.  I did not now how long I could keep my sanity being totally cut off from two of my most important senses, sight and touch.

"Hello in there!  Can you hear me?"  Tara said mockingly.  I've decided that I'm bored with you and I'm going to box you up and send you to an auction house!"

Her words hit like hammer blows!  How could she do this to me!  I thought she loved me!

"Mannequin!"  Tara said shocking me out of my despair momentarily.  "I've got one last thing to say to you first.

I braced my self for the worst!

"APRIL FOOLS!"  She said and then doubled over laughing!

'April fools?!'  I was totally stunned!

Tara quickly cast a spell and I was human again.  She then removed the spreader bars, gag and hood flipped me on to my back and gave me a fierce, passionate kiss.  "I missed you Honey!"  She said, pulling me upright when finished.

"April fools joke huh?" I said with a smile on my face.  "I truly believed you were serious.  I thought I was going to be that mannequin forever.  How long was I transformed this time?"

"Nine months."  She said in an offhanded manner.  "I was in the middle of restructuring my department at work so I wasn't home a lot.  I figured you would enjoy yourself more as a mannequin than being alone with nothing to do."

"Wow!  That IS a long time.  You were right though it WAS a lot of fun. Although you really scared me with your prank!"  I said.  It truly didn't offend me.  "So you thought of telling me I was replaced as a joke eh?"

"Actually no, that was the true part."   She said shrugging her shoulders.

My mouth fell open as wide as the posture collar would allow.  "But why cha-" Tara interrupted me with a finger to my lips.

"Follow me.  I'll show you."  She said with a sly look in her eye.

I stood up and followed her as quickly as I could with my ballet boots on.  She walked around to the front of the recliner and sat down.  When I started around the recliner I noticed a bound form kneeling beside the chair!  It was the form of a woman!  Bound exactly as I was!  Serving tray and all!

"Honey I believe you've already meet Elsie?"  She said with a grin.

"This is Elsie?  Why?" I asked.

"Because she asked me too.  She was just getting over a bad relationship and wanted some time to herself."  Tara said while rapping Elsie's head.

"But isn't she a witch also?"  I asked.

"Yes, but she is a nature witch.  Her spells involved manipulating plants and animals.  She just couldn't get over the way you looked and finally asked me to do the same to her.  The most amazing thing is she left her time to be like that totally up to me."  She said while smiling fondly and the new mannequin.

"How long will that be?" I inquired?

"Oh, I don't know.  50 years or so."

"But we'll be gone by then!"  I said dumfounded.

"Whatever gave you that idea, silly?  We'll live forever." She said.

"Sure we will!"  I scoffed.

"No Honey, I'm serious."  She said standing me up and enfolding me in an embrace.  "I was waiting to tell you this 'till later, but I'm 250 years old and Elsie is almost 400 and I've made sure that you will stay the same age forever also."

"Whoa!.."  I stammered.

We sat and talked for the next half hour or so catching me up on world events while I was a mannequin.

Finally I pointed out to her, "Uh, Tara?  You do realize that I'm still bound don't you?"

"You bet I do, sexy!"  She purred.

"Aren't you going to do something about it?"  I pleaded.

"Sure!"  She said while she leaned the recliner back and pleasured me with the Elsie mannequin as a silent witness.