text: “No one knows what the cause of this is,” the news reporter said, soon after Doug had fixed the cable and the news station was the first thing that came on. “Whatever it is in the air is causing everyone to drop dead immediately. But we have no reports of anyone dying that is indoors so if you are currently indoors, stay there. Make sure all of your windows are closed and you should be OK. We are working on a way to have food and water dropped off to people though we are not sure how you are going to be able to get it since you cannot open your doors. Whatever you have in your house right now, ration it. Stay tuned for further updates.” Doug turned off the TV and he looked at Rachel. She was lying on the couch still, with her legs in the tight jeans she was wearing stretched out across the couch and her feet with the loose white socks on them resting against the arm rest. She had a smile on her face and did not seem to be the least bit bothered by this national emergency. “Well, I hope you’ll let me stay here,” he said awkwardly. He wasn’t sure if he actually had to ask her permission or not. He was still technically on the clock and just here to fix her cable but he wondered if she had the right to tell him to leave her house during a national emergency like this especially when it meant he would surely die. His legs started to shake when he realized his life was in her hands. He didn’t think she’d tell him to leave but he’d seen crazier things from customers. What would he do if she didn’t allow him to stay? He supposed he’d have to fight as there was no way he could go out there. “Oh of course,” she said. But she spoke with amusement and he could tell that there were going to be strings attached. That was fine. As long as he didn’t have to go outside. He was able to see out the window from where he was standing and even though this was a secluded neighborhood, he saw a few dead bodies lying on the ground. Yeah, he couldn’t go out there. He looked back at Rachel and she had stood up, now walking towards him. Her long brown hair went down past her shoulders. She wore a red tank-top that showed off her fairly broad shoulders. She stood at 5’9 so she was three inches taller than he was. She was 31-years-old, a year younger than he was. She shook her hips as she walked closer to him. “If it’s just going to be and you locked up here for a while,” she said once she got right up to him and she looked down at him. “Then we’re going to have to figure out who the dominant one is.” “I don’t think that’s necessary,” he said nervously. “I think it would work out best if we just worked together - as equals.” “No one is ever equal in a situation like this,” she said to him. “We don’t like in a world of equality. There’s always a dominant one. Now we need to find out who that is.” She got closer than he liked to he tried to push her away from him. She grabbed him by the shoulders and he immediately felt how much stronger she was than him when she pushed him right up against the wall. He fought to push her away but was no match for her. She held him there with a smile on her face, watching the weaker man struggle. After amusing herself by watching him unsuccessfully try and fight him away she threw him on the floor. It shook him up and before he knew it, she was sitting on his chest. He reached up to push her off of him but she took control of his wrists before he could get a hand on her. There was little struggle before she was easily able to overpower him and push his arms to the floor. She watched with amusement as the weaker man struggled to free himself but couldn’t even move. “Oh look at you, poor weak man,” she said to him. “You look like you are having such a tough time. I bet I know what will put a smile on your face.” She let go of his wrists but before he could do anything, her strong fingers were tickling his ribs. He had never had a reaction like this and he immediately started cackling with a high-pitched laugh. It was harder than he had ever laughed before and his stomach was in pain while his eyes had completely watered up. Being stimulated like this was far worse than getting beaten up by her and what made it worse was that there was nothing he could do about it. “Stop,” he was barely able to say with how hard he was laughing. “Please stop!” “You want me to stop? Well then you’re going to have to do something for me. Come rub my feet.” She got up off of him and went back over to sit on her couch. He considered trying to make a run for it but remembered that if he ran outside he was dead. He looked at her feet with the loose socks on them, waiting to be rubbed. Slowly he walked over to her, kneeled down, and grabbed a foot. “Nuh-uh,” she said. “Pull my socks off and then do it.” He pulled off her socks to see her size 10 soles looking right at him. He began massaging her left foot. He felt like he was her slave as she lay there comfortably and he supposed that he was. He ended up massaging her feet for a good twenty minutes before she turned the TV back on and the newscaster was still reporting. “Things outside seemed to have cleared up for now,” he said. “And the CDC has determined that it is safe to go outside - for now. But it is recommended that wherever you are, you get to your homes quickly if you are not there already as we don’t know if this will pick up again. Don’t be outside any longer than you need to be. Continue to ration what you have as all stores are closed until further notice.” Doug felt relieved and the fact that it was safe outside wasn’t the number one reason. “Alright, well I’ll get out of your hair,” he said. “Glad your cable is working again.” “Kneel back down!” she ordered. He started to get up like he was going to make a run for it but she started to get up. He knew she could overpower him so he got back down on his knees like she said. “I’m going to keep you here for a while. Keep rubbing my feet.” “But things could get bad outside again,” he protested. “This might be my only chance to leave for a while.” “That’s fine with me,” she said. “I’ve found a use for you. Now massage my feet.” She wiggled her toes and then looked back at the TV, like he didn’t matter other than to do what she wanted. With no choice, he got back to massaging her feet. Things were changing with the world but they were especially changing for him.