Quinn gasped. A shudder ran through her body making her shake all over. And again, to the tips of her toes. She had toes ! The intermission must be over. She was sure it was only 15 minutes but it seemed like years. She felt one arm return, then the other. She waved and took a deep breath waiting, waiting. Finally the light was blinding and she was back. She waved some more and smiled her broadest show business smile as she climbed out the back of the frame.

Matt welcomed Quinn back and took her hand. Quinn bowed deep, which made her costume pull in some interesting places and watched the stragglers in the audience return from the bar as the next trick was wheeled out. A small red cube box on a high stand. Quinn took a deep breath. She hadn't overly enjoyed the little sensory deprivation stunt although she had to admit it was a novel twist on the normal disembodied princess. And she was sure her harness clad torso had made quite the sight during the interval, she wondered where she had been displayed. All part of the fun working with Matt, you never knew what he had in mind next. 

Quinn approached the new box, took Matt's hand and carefully placing herself side on to the audience made the high step up onto the platform then over the knee height side of the box. Matt turned the box around showing off the box and Quinn from all angles and demonstrating that the box would be a tight fit for her. Quinn stood smiling hands on hips waiting confidently as Matt tapped the box panels and waved under the platform. She still had to pinch herself sometimes. It seemed like no time at all ago that she was the serious reporter in the baggy jumpers hiding at the back of the newsroom. Now she was stood in almost no clothes at all about to be be sliced diced or who knew what in a casino in Vegas.

Quinn took a deep breath, she knew it would make her barely covered chest heave but she did it anyway. Her nipples throbbed in protest. She waved her right hand over her head and shimmed and wiggled as she lowered herself into the box. It was indeed a tight fit, once in she was sat with her knees against her chest, feet pressed against the front. On Matt's cue she fed her hands out through two holes in the front of the box and waved. Matt spun the box around one more time before fitting a lid, which was in two parts with a cut out to fit snugly about Quinn's neck. 

Quinn smiled out to the dimly lit faces watching as if her situation was the most natural thing in the world. She was pretty sure she knew the effect, but there was bound to be a twist. She got a laugh when she gave Matt a very knowing look as he locked a heavy metal collar around her neck. He handcuffed her next trapping her hands outside the box too. Quinn waved again and did her best to look nonchalant. Matt ran a chain from Quinn's collar around the sides of the box and underneath then down the front trapping the cuff chain and under before meeting the collar once more and being locked in place. It appeared Quinn was going nowhere soon!

Matt wheeled out the next part of the trick . A frame holding an impressive collection of horizontal spikes. There must have been thirty or more, each a bit longer than Quinn's box was wide and ending in a wicked looking spike. Quinn watched trying to look impassive as Matt tapped and banged the spikes. She had been impaled before of course, it was a very intense sensation. But never by so many points. Or so big. Unlike a sword or the like these spikes were comfortably more than an inch in diameter. Matt climbed on the frame and carefully stood on a few, proving they were as solid and strong as they looked.

Quinn took another deep breath as Matt lined the glimmering rows of spikes with the left hand side of her cramped box. He checked the wheels to the box were looked, steeled himself and gave a huge shove. Quinn's world exploded. She threw her head back as stars burst in her mind. It was impossible to narrow down where the points had struck. She felt impaled everywhere. She cried out loud and gasped for air.Maybe she screamed, it was hard to tell. She was worried she might pass out, as the initial flash of pain evaporated almost instantly to be replaced by waves of erotic sensations so intense as to be indescribable. It was if every inch of her had become as sensitive as her most sensitive parts. 

A few people in the crowd screamed too, so visceral was Quinn's reaction. The ensuing nervous silence was only broken with applause, hesitant then enthusiastic,  when Quinn waved weakly. Struggling to regain her composure she smiled sheepishly and waved again. It wasn't the first time in her new career she was glad that to an observer her actual reaction could so easily be mistaken for pain.

But Matt wasn't done. Standing behind the box he put his left hand on Quinn's forehead and pulled back ard leaving her staring at the lighting rig over the stage. She blinked and saw he was brandishing one last spike in his hand. She opened her mouth as the metal point descended slowly filling her vision. She closed her eyes as it scraped past her teeth. She could sense the silence, the collective intake of breath as the point began its trip downwards. 

Quinn could feel herself blush a little as the spike sunk into her throat, distending it rather obscenely. Matt paused, raising and lowering the metal probe in what Quinn felt was a rather lewd display. She coughed and gurgled a little but a scant second or so later Matt gave a final shove and the spike sank deep into Quinn, its point finally emerging from the base of the box. 

Quinn gave a final wave, unable to see much of the audience reaction with her head locked in place by the last spike. Matt draped a red cloth over the box and shoved it hard so it glided into the wings... 




                                                                                                                         ... ... ... 


Quinn smiled and made a small bow. She had just walked into the bar at the front of the casino where the after party was well underway. Most attention was on the singer who was holding court at the front of the room surrounded by her "people". But many of the minor celebs and VIPs present paused as Quinn made her entrance alongside Matt. She wasn't sure if it was the show's finale that had made people take notice or her daring dress. It was a halter, backless, the front showing a generous portion of side boob and the long skirt slit each side to within an inch of her waist. 

"That was an amazing show" 

"Thank you... " Quinn wondered if she was meant to recognise the middle aged women. 

"Even though you know its all a clever trick its very convincing. I don't suppose you will tell how its done ?" 

" Of course not" Quinn smiled and took a sip of the martini Matt had passed to her. "It's magic. "

"Does anyone believe that any more ? That that stuff is real? Magic, hypnosis, mind reading? " 

"Well I don't know about mind reading that's plain old quackery, but I can assure that magic is real, you saw it tonight. Hypnosis too. "

"Have you ever been hypnotized ? "

Quinn grinned. " Of course . And levitated, and cut into pieces and run through with swords. Occupational hazard.." 

"Well you would say that ... it would be bad for business not to. Lovely dress by the way dear. And you fill it perfectly. If you give up the magic you could model for me "

"Thank you"   Quinn smiled and made a move to circulate, again feeling a little guilty she didn't know the lady.

"What's it like ? " 

"What ? magic ? " 

"Yes or hypnosis?  It must be fake."

At this point Matt stepped in. 

"I could show you" 

Quinn's heart skipped. She took a bigger sip on her drink. She had a feeling she may need it.  Matt smiled and put his left hand lightly on Quinn's forehead. He clicked the fingers of his right hand and spoke softly.

"You are feeling weary. You have no energy, all you want to do is relax. You feel like every part of you is limp, so so relaxed. it feels good.".

Quinn flopped. She could herself go limp but could do nothing about it. She could see and hear just fine but it felt like she had not an ounce of energy. Matt took her drink and passed it to an onlooker before Quinn dropped it. He lifted her arm and it just flopped back. 

"There you go, Quinn is under. Easy. " 

"Shes a great actor, we saw that in the show"  The doubter was a guy in a sharp suit. 

"Oh Quinn is really quite under my control. Trust me" 

" Didn't you open your show with "never trust a magician" " 

Matt laughed. 

"Quinn. please stand on one leg."

Quinn felt herself react instantly. She lifted her left leg and stood dead still on her right despite her high heels. It was a bizarre sensation, as if she was watching the impromptu show along with everyone else, but from inside her own body.

"Quinn do a handstand"

In Quinn's mind there was a surge of panic. She was in pretty good shape but she couldn't remember doing a handstand since junior high. But even as those thoughts were racing through her mind her body had already responded. She felt herself reach forwards and kick off the floor effortlessly moving into a perfect handstand with barely a wobble. Her dress skirt fell down over her face revealing her long toned legs and slender thong but she held the pose with a total lack of effort or thought. 

"Do you guys practice that a lot ? " the doubter asked smugly. 

"Never" Matt smiled warmly. "Quinn you can stand up again "

Quinn relaxed and recovered herself into a more natural pose. Matt smoothed her dress.

"How long does it last ? " 

"Until I end it, no limit , but Quinn knows I won't abuse that ability, well not too much" 

"Can anyone have a go? " 

"Well only I can issue the commands, but there is one thing we could try. Quinn you are like a mannequin. You will hold any pose you are moved into. "

Quinn gasped, well she did in her head. This was getting freaky. Which she had to concede to herself shouldn't be a great surprise. 

Matt shuffled Quinn's legs a little further apart and placed one of her hands on her hip, while had her point with the other, in a parody of a brochure pose. Quinn felt herself offer no resistance to the moves but was locked solidly in place the moment she was in the desired position. 

"Have a go... " 

For the next thirty minutes Quinn was moved around by a succession of people. To begin with people were clearly shy but the posing became bolder and more extreme as time went on. It was such a surreal feeling, to be reduced to a helpless plaything. Finally the lady who had asked the first question had her turn. Quinn had been posed on her knees with her hands behind her head. She was lifted back to her feet and left in a standing pose hands just off her hips, head to one side. What happened next was both surprising and inevitable. Quinn felt a tug at her neck as the strap of her dress was untied then the soft tickle of it sliding over her breasts and down her legs to the floor. She was left frozen like a statue in the middle of a crowd of people wearing nothing but her high heels and a black thong.

"Well Matt I have to say thats pretty hard to fake. She hasn't moved a muscle regardless of what we have done for best part of an hour.  How long can she keep this up ?" 

"As I said, as long as I want really, but that's not the point." 

"When is your next show? " 

"The day after tomorrow why ? " 

"I will donate $10,000 dollars to the charity of Quinn's choice if I can "borrow " her for twenty four hours !" 

"Wow that's pretty generous.. deal" 

Quinn could not believe her ears. She was all for charity work but what the hell was Matt thinking. She would kill him. Her train of thought was rudely interrupted when she was picked up two guys and carried out of the bar. She was rigid as an actual dummy and helpless to react as she was moved across the lobby of the hotel and in through the door of one of the shops at the entrance to the huge complex. Her benefactor led the way through the shop and unlocked a glass case in the window facing the strip. She had Quinn set down on a round base then posed her with one hand on her hip and the other to one side. She draped a black bra in that hand hanging it from Quinn's frozen fingers then closed the case up . Quinn heard the click as it closed. Her heart was racing inside her immobile chest. Was it obvious from the outside she wasn't actually another mannequin. Because her suggestive pose and attire was going to attract a hell of a lot of attention if she was left as she was when the tourists came out in the morning.