"Twenty year old Bethany Russo may look like your normal, everyday woman..." A male voice began to say. On screen, various pictures of naturally tanned female legs wearing different outfits—obviously cropped as to not show the upper half of the subject—floated on a white background.

The voice continued, "But what makes this particular woman so special is her signature style of photography. Some may find her odd, some may find her fascinating, but now to the recent discoveries in the world, Ms. Russo may just be part of our new normal."

The pictures on screen began to zoom out, showing more of the subject, and eventually revealed nothing but empty space above the hip. Instead of a full person, it was only a pair of disembodied legs posing in different ways. One last picture showed up on screen and zoomed out in the center of the screen showing the disembodied legs and the upper half of a woman holding a expensive looking camera while perched on top of a skateboard.

Bethany, miles away from where the interview took place, lied on the couch, attentive and somewhat nervous to see herself on TV. She could never say she wanted fifteen-minutes of fame—let alone thirty minutes of it.

Cutting to the studio, a man and woman dressed in business attire sat on a off-white couch. "Hello and thank your for being here for Good Morning Chicago. I'm your host Scott Hudson." It was apparent why Scott was the face of GMC; he was young, objectively attractive, with a meticulously manicured beard and mustache. Since his induction as host ratings had gone up almost forty-percent compared to his predecessor. It was a fact Scott told all of his guests, and one he told Bethany at least three times.

"And I'm your host Marietta Ortega." Mari was looked to be in her late 30's, latte skin like Bethany's own, with dark hair styled in the same way every morning. In fact, if you were to ask anyone who knew Marietta, they'd tell you she came out of the womb in that manner.

"Lately, reports have appeared all over the world, telling of people with the spectacular ability to detach their own body parts. We've seen video, social media posts, and even some celebrity endorsements on how to live, adapt, and most importantly, how to come out to those around you that you have Natural Bodily Detachments." Scott said.

"But that's a segment for another day. Today we have with us Bethany Russo, someone who can not only detach herself like so many of us today, but who has made a career out of it. Even going as far as to appear in New York City's most prestigious fashion show. Hello Bethany!" Said Marietta.

"Hi!" Bethany said as she did a quick wave of her hand. The guest appeared jittery, repeatedly sliding strands of dark brown hair behind her ear.

At home, Bethany groaned. Little things stuck out to her immediately. My hair. Why did I curl it that day. And my shoes...why did I complicate things with heels? Then she remembered why she had worn those heels. They were a gift from Christian Louboutin, who controversially used detached legs and feet to show off his own collection some years ago. He called it..fitting.

"So Ms. Russo, or Bethany if I may..." Said Scott, waiting for the nod from the guest, "How did you learn you could separate your body in two?"

Bethany's eyes darted to the ceiling as she recalled back to her childhood. "I was maybe seven or so. Since I was really limber as a child my mother played around with the idea of me going into ballet, or maybe even acrobatics like contortionism, but I was never really interested in performing physical art. Early on I knew I wanted to be an artist on a visual level. I like to hide behind the camera."  Bethany said, then went on, "I was stretching one day, wondering to myself if contortionism was something I could even do, and in the middle of it, I began to feel a kind of tearing at my midsection. It didn't take long to realize I wasn't in one piece anymore. Freaked my mother out. We went to the hospital and everything."

"And the doctors, they seemed shocked as well?" Marietta asked as she leaned forward with intrigue.

"No, not that I recall. They seemed more curious than anything, but cases were already popping up around the world. So they knew what was going on to a degree."

"I'm sure at that time there wasn't nearly as much as there are today." Scott said.

"No. I was pretty much the only one in my city. Perhaps, even the entire state of Illinois." Bethany said.

Bethany remembered what she was thinking at that moment. It was a happy thought that the world was a different place than it was back then. You didn't have celebrities making tutorials on how to remove your head comfortably and safely, or adverts on TV promoting body part rentals for any need.

And the porn. Oh god, all the porn.

Scott's voice broke through Bethany's train of thought. "How did learning about your abilities lead to a career in photographing your own legs?"

"I was in a photography club in high school and for one of the last assignments they wanted us to do some fashion photography. I had some really nice shoes I wanted to use to model, but I had no one available to help. With only a day to get it done, I decided to do it by myself. At the time I didn't know I could also detach my feet, so I just split myself in two, then slipped the heels on and I was able to take some really good photos of them. I even earned some extra credit for it. Since then, it's been such a natural way of doing things."

"We're all curious here, and I'm sure the folks at home are as well. If you don't mind could you show us how it's done?" Asked Marietta. She was courteous in her delivery, something that Bethany wasn't quite used to compared to other people she had told in the past.

Primarily classmates.

Bethany remembered a time when another girl in her English class accidentally detached her arm in front of the class—something that would happen to poor Isabel when she felt anxious, only exacerbating the anxiety even more. Her other arm fell off and the class roared in laughter. Not the 'laugh with you' kind. To make her feel comfortable, I admitted my own ability to do the same, and questions hailed from every eager student in the room"

"Can you juggle your own head? Add hers too!"

"Can I have have your boobs?"

"How does it work when you swap parts with someone whiter than you?"

"Is your brain able to come out?"

Back to the screen, Bethany watched herself shrug and say "Sure, why not?" Obvious to those watching that she was uneasy about showing it off on TV. The entire population of one of the country's busiest cities would see. The lump in her throat at that time felt like stone.

Bethany grabbed her waist, pushing down, and a seam appeared just above her exposed midriff. Her outfit was prepared for this very scenario—a white sleeveless crop-top and a light-blue skirt that ended just a little bit last mid thigh. It was an outfit that worked with any detachment Bethany might need.

The two hosts watched in amazement as their guest moved her top half, and placed herself on the cushion adjacent to where her legs sat.

"Wow. It's like that one scene from Beetlejuice." Scott said with a chuckle.

"Exactly!" Bethany said. Finally, it had been done. It was almost relieving.

"How hard is it to control your legs once detached from you?" Asked Scott, wondering if he should treat the now detached lower half as an additional guest. "I'm sure it took you some time to get the hang of it."

"Standing them up without assistance was kinda tricky. It really takes concentration on just them, and nothing else. There is an added difficulty of balance, since you can't use your ears, stuff like that. That's where your feet are the most important. You can't take light steps, you've got to be firm and take be aware of your footing at all times." Bethany looked to her right and suddenly the disembodied legs stood up. "I don't need to close my eyes anymore, but that doesn't mean I don't need to be careful still."

The legs took a few steps as to get a feel of the surroundings. Bethany could feel the hard, carpeted floor. Even a slight, cool breeze up her skirt, despite that part of her being feet away. Then, as if she was back on the runway, they walked forward, and stopped abruptly just before the stage drop-off, posed and spun around. They walked back and posed before sitting down on the same seat.

It was a nearly perfect catwalk sequence.

Bethany received a brief applause from the hosts who were impressed by the talent.

"Thank you!" She said as she carefully raised her upper half and maneuvered herself back onto her hips. The division disappeared and Bethany was back as one complete body.

"So when you're photographing, how do you move your upper-half around?" Marietta asked.

"It can be challenging. I don't have the best upper body strength, so if I'm scooting from one end of the stage to the other it gets tiring. for extensive shoots, with multiple angles and such, I just use a garage dolly. I just place myself on the top of it and I can wheel myself around the house with ease. It's actually quite fun."

"The most fascinating thing about all of this is that we still don't know a whole lot about Natural Bodily Detachment, and yet seeing it with our own eyes, I can't help but to be convinced it's not some kind of illusion. This stuff is real." Marietta said looking back to her co-host. Scott nodded.

"If you want to know what it feels like I can help with that."

Marietta looked astonished. She opened her mouth to speak, and It seemed she couldn't find the right words to say. "I...you can do that?"

Bethany nodded. "Not only can I detach my own body parts, I can also detach others. I've done several shoots where I've had people headless for bikini modeling, hands for nail salons, you name it."

There was a second of stammering, then Mari gave in. "I suppose there's no harm in trying something new."

Bethany changed seats, sitting closer to the female host. Scott watched on intensely as the guest gestured for Marietta to lift her leg up. Bethany gripped onto her ankle, just above her open-toed heel, and pulled. The foot began to separate from the rest of her leg. Marietta was shocked to see her own detached foot in Bethany's hands, as expected, but Scott was unfazed by the sight. There was a thought that perhaps Scott was no stranger to NBD.

"Oh my god." Marietta took her own foot, and inspected the flat end that divided the body part. In a wild moment of spontaneous curiosity, Mari slipped the heel off of her foot, leaving it bare. She turned the part with the pink sole facing towards her. A finger ran across the length. It reacted accordingly. "I can still feel it! This is so different than anything I've experienced in my life. I can understand why your mother was so concerned for you when you showed her."

"She's the most open minded person I know, and even she was uneasy. It's definitely something you have to get used to."

Marietta continued to engross herself in the sensation of detachment, only realizing the tape

was still rolling when Scott cleared his throat.

"What do the models think or react when you use their parts to photograph?" Scott said as his co-host beside him regained composure and reattached her foot.

"They're very open to the idea. We keep it professional and comfortable for everyone. I can only count a couple models who questioned the process or even flat out refused to do it. The most risky thing we do I think is headless stuff. Especially during Halloween."

"What's it like being headless?" Marietta asked.

Scott was seen quickly rolling his eyes.

"It's disorienting if you're doing it yourself, but with someone else there it helps a lot." Bethany was apprehensive to ask, but figured Mari only asked to experience it for herself.

"Would you like to see?"

Like a child being invited to a toy store, Marietta nodded with enthusiasm. Scott sat back and crossed his arms. His demeanor cold and rigid.

Mari stood up, still as she could manage, closing her eyes to await what was to come. Bethany reached her hands around her neck and firmly pressed upwards. The host's head came loose from the neck, and Bethany carefully lowered it to her own waist.

Marietta watched her headless body's arms reached up and hovered above the now empty space. Her fingers lightly touched the skin-covered division. Some feet below, Marietta—as a disembodied head—exclaimed how amazing it was to experience a perspective not even a mirror could achieve. The headless body took a few steps, carefully avoiding Scott's dress shoes.

"Before the numbness sets in, I'll put you back." Bethany said, then placed the head back onto its owners rightful perch.

The host stumbled a bit as the two parts merged. "Wow. That was... different."

"It's the most difficult of detachments to get used to. I try not to leave models headless for an extended period of time, because, well, I haven't seen the effects of doing so for longer than an hour."

"Longer than that and someone might lose it is my concern." Scott chuckled. "You know, watching your legs walk around on their own made me think. Do you ever worry about them, perhaps, walking off on their own without your consent? Could they?"

Bethany stroked her chin. She shook her head. "No, I don't believe so. I've fantasied about them running off, and I'd have to hop on my skateboard to catch 'em, but they haven't yet." Bethany craned her neck to each side, as if searching for something of value. "Anyone got some wood?"

The two hosts laughed and the show's theme music played through the speakers. The camera panned to the left, slowly removing their guest from frame.

"Well thank you Bethany for being such an incredible host for this mornings show." Scott said as he gestured towards his left, "And we want to thank you everyone at home tuning in. We'll see you tomorrow morning at the same time, and for now, have a fantastic day!"

Bethany lifted the remote from the arm of the couch and turned the television set off with the press of a button. She sighed heavily. It was almost like a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. She hadn't completely embarrassed herself, like she feared leading up to the day the interview took place.

There was also the idea the natural detachment was becoming mainstream. And for once it seemed, the media was helping.

"Feels really good to not feel so alone. Wouldn't you agree?" Turning over onto her belly, Bethany was met with the view of her own ass, which she had been using as a pillow for the duration of the interview. The ass cheeks clenched through the thin fabric of pajamas, then relaxed as if to agree.

A thought occurred to Bethany. The detached lower half was flipped over, and Bethany grabbed them by the ankles. She looked at both of her bare feet, placed them on her shoulders then slipped her fingers though the waistband of the pajama bottoms. she pulled them off leaving the legs dressed only in a pair of white panties.

"Makes me wonder..." Bethany said to herself, lowering her head closer to the heat of her most sensitive bits, "I would really hate to lose these. Lose...you, but I think I have a way to make you stay. Just in case."