EXTRACT FOR
Bend Over Baby and Open That Tiny Hole
(Traci Wilde)

The fair was winding down ??" Lucinda Jones was there with her daughter, who was leaving for her freshman year of college in another week, her daughter's boyfriend, Zack, and a couple of their other friends. She had known them all for years, almost like her own children, still calling them youngsters ??" even though they were all 18 and 19, Lucinda couldn't help but refer to them that way, though at a youthful 40 she didn't look a lot older than they did. 

The biggest difference in their appearance, at least today, was that her daughter and friends were all dressed in period costume for the renaissance fair, and Lucinda, who had joined them late after taking care of some errands, was clad in modern clothing ??" a sleeveless button-down shirt, mid-thigh-length jean shorts and her sandals.

The booths had all shut down, the games were finished, and they were crowded with all the other festival-goers, funneling through the exit gate.

"Darn it," she muttered, pawing through her purse. 

"What's wrong Mom?"

Lucinda glanced at her daughter. "I think I dropped a couple of things," she said, continuing to dig through the purse. "I bet they fell out at the weaving demonstration. That's where I dropped the purse."

Katie started to turn back into the fair grounds.

"No, hun, you all go ahead. I'll get it and catch up."

"We can help look," her daughter said.

Lucinda looked at Katie and smiled. "You guys go ahead, remember, I drove my car. I know you're hungry, just get a table at the restaurant and I'll be along soon."

Katie acted like she wasn't sure, but Lucinda motioned for them to move along, so Katie and her friends turned and joined the crowed shuffling their way from the fair grounds.

Lucinda turned and strode back into the empty grounds. She reached the first booth, turned to confirm Katie and the others were exiting, then she changed course and headed for the wooden stocks and medieval torture display. She hadn't really lost anything, but wanted to feel what it was like to have those wooden stocks closed down on her, her head and wrists trapped, making her helpless. Lucinda had wondered about that since she was much younger, had felt a little thrill inside when she thought about being put on display like that whenever she saw depictions of the practice in books or movies, but she had felt funny about the idea of doing it in front of the youngsters. Now was her chance.

After walking for more than five minutes she reached it. Lucinda glanced each direction to ensure she was alone, then she raised the wooden beam that made the top part of the stocks. It was heavier than she anticipated, and for a moment she wondered if this was a good idea, if she'd be able to free herself. But, it was on a hinge, it moved up and down freely ??" if a little awkwardly because of the weight ??" and she was in good condition, strong enough she was certain she could push the top beam up to free a hand.

She put her purse on the ground, looked around one more time, then put her left wrist in the first hand hole, placed her neck in the larger middle hole, holding the top beam with her right hand, positioned in the hole where the right wrist would go. She lowered the beam as far as she could, then let go and quickly put her right wrist in the appropriate spot a moment before the beam thudded shut.

She tried pulling her hands back through the holes, but the opening was too small. 

Definitely secure. 

She stood there for a few seconds, bent over at the waist, head and hands protruding on one side of the wooden stocks, rest of her body on the other. 

She felt a little shiver roll through her body, a bit of dampness between her legs as she closed her eyes, imagined being imprisoned in the stocks, others able to touch her, do all sorts of unmentionables to her, all on public display for the village to see. 

Then she heard it. A quiet little click.

Lucinda opened her eyes and tried to look to the side, but couldn't turn her head and her peripheral vision was limited off by the wooden stock. She pushed upward with her hands ??" the top beam held in place. She pushed upward with her neck and hands. 

Nothing. 

Lucinda started to panic. She pulled back with her body for a second, but that hurt her neck. She tried moving to the left, then the right, to no avail.

From the corner of her eye she saw movement. A man dressed in period costume ??" a loose-fitting shirt laced up the front hanging over brown pants that had stitching up the sides and calf-high suede books. He had a long, thick blond beard and flowing shoulder-length hair to match.

"Oh thank god," she said. 

"Looks like someone left you behind," he said, a smile playing across his face.

"Please, I...this is so embarrassing..." she said, trying to look up at the man, no easy feat given her position. "I just wanted to try...well, to see what it was like. Something seems to have slipped and locked the beams together."

The man walked around Lucinda, slipping from her field of view. She shuddered when she felt his hand on the small of her back.

"Oh, dear, nothing slipped. I locked it shut..."