Stacy woke with a start.

The last thing she remembered was volunteering at that magic show. The one with the illusionist who looked like he'd lost a battle with a blow dryer.

She'd gone up on stage, wearing a breezy summer dress and sandals. The magician had asked her to kick the shoes off and step into a tall contraption. She stuck her head through a hole in the top and each foot through a hole in the bottom.

All of that had been easy. It was when he turned a crank that it had gotten hard. She could hardly breathe from the pressure of the cabinet pushing down on her shoulders and raising her feet off the floor.

Another turn of the crank, and the pressure increased to the point of not being able to feel her body. It was just one giant point of pressure to the point of numbness.

Another turn and another and another and Stacy was looking out at the audience over her wiggling toes. They were right there in front of her face. Her chin rubbed the top of her foot as she tried to see her body underneath her.

But there wasn't one. Just her feet. She wiggled her toes for proof, but she still couldn't believe it.

Then the magician walked in front of her, waved a hand, and said, "Sleep" and that was the last thing she remembered.

Now she was in shock as she looked up at the ceiling. She tried to look around and see more, but she only saw her feet and the edges of a box. How did she get here and what was happening to her?

Then she saw Bill, her date from the night before. He'd been kind of boring as dates go and she had forgotten all about him in the excitement of everything else. But now he was here, smiling down at her like he had just opened the first present on Christmas morning.

And that's when she realized that was exactly what she was.