..that was me,” Carl mumbled to himself repeatedly and he wished for a chance to see Beatrice more than for life itself. He hurt and was tired but a...s he started to fade there was what he could best compare to the sound of someone sucking the last of their drink through a straw as he saw the water recede from around him. Suddenly he was falling again as his platform gave way and he, the flaming debris and the water fell into the concrete cellar of the old mill building.“C'mon! Take me already!”. “I’m sorry, Anna, I can’t do that. I will do nothing to sate your pleasure until you are mine. “I will be buying you today, do you understand? You will be mine, Anna, and you are not to come for anyone else. Ever. Do you understand me?” “Y-yes” she stammered. “Good. I will see you later, and remember you are not allowed to come under any circumstances. If I find out you came, there will be consequences.” Anna was panting and her legs were shaking as Richard left the room. Next on Richard’s list. They both thought it rather funny when they got to a lake and saw a stranger swimming. What they found particularly funny was that the stranger had left his clothes on the side of the lake and was swimming in the nude.When the stranger stood up in the lake, they reckoned that he was about Zoey's age. They made sure that he didn’t see them because they wanted to see him come out of the lake with his private parts showing.They didn’t have to wait long and put their hands over their mouths to stop. I pushed my plate away and sipped my Chablis, looking around the restaurant at the boring clientele, mostly couples and a few single men who either glanced shyly or leered in my direction. Oh god, I was bored, why had I bothered to dress up..... and then I saw her come in. She was with a guy and another couple and they were laughing at some joke or another. They walked across and sat down to the side and slightly behind me but I could study her over the rim of my glass in a mirror on the side.