Lauren by Dosman! Dosman!@hullbreach.com 11/5/1999

        Lauren  sat  on the  edge  of  the black  box  that  served as  her
        pedestal. She felt  like a slut. She was  wearing a pair of crystal
clear high-heeled  shoes, a  pair of nude  pantyhose, and little  lacy slip
type thing. She sat  with her right leg crossed over the left, and with her
left hand resting on it. Her right was balled in a fist on hip. She felt so
exposed, so vulnerable. So, stupid.

"How  long  do  I  have  to  stay  in  this stupid  pose",  she  exclaimed.

Her boyfriend turned his  attention away from the computer across the room.

"What do you mean 'how long'?" he asked.

"I  feel like  I  have been  sitting like  this  all day!"  she complained.

"You've  been there all  of an hour  and a  half, what are  you complaining
about? It's your own fault you are there."

"I know"

"How long do you think you have to stay there for?"

"Well, I don't know, you made the stupid rule."

"Oh, stop, we both made it, and you weren't bitter until you decided it was
'stupid' as you so delicately put it."

"Well..."

"Listen, this  is what you wanted. You told me last  month that you had too
much stress  in your  life, remember? I  didn't even bring it  up. You said
that you needed to relax, so you went to that therapist. I thought it was a
waste of my money..."

"It's  always  a  waste  when  I  spend  it, isn't  it?"  she  interrupted.

"No, it  is when you don't  enjoy what it is  spent on, that's all. Anyway,
the  loon  told  you   that  you  needed  to  rest  and  relax,  remember?"

"Yes" she answered. Her voice was quite, she knew she was in the wrong now.

"It was  your idea that you  should take an hour  out of everyday to relax,
and you  came up  with this whole  sitting on the  box like  a statue idea.
Didn't you?"

"Yeah, but, but, it was fun."

"Yeah, like the yoga,  the dancing, the aerobics, and the singing you tried
before and  gave up on."  He didn't want to  be so harsh on  her, he didn't
really care what she did, but both she and the therapist had told him to do
this little show to get her back in line.

"We decided  not to let you give this up for  at least 6 months, remember?"

"Yes."  her  voice was  weak,  "but,  I didn't  know  it  would be  boring"

"OK,   it   wasn't   boring  on   Monday,   you   called  it   refreshing."

"I   know   that",  she   replied,   "but   this  part   now  it   boring."

"You mean your punishment, facing the consequences?"

"Yup"

"Well, we  knew you  wouldn't last. You  were the one  that suggested this.
What was  it you  said, by making you  endure extra time it  would make you
value the shorter time better?"

"Yeah, sounds  like me, but I was committed to  doing the daily hours then"

"I know, and where were you on Tuesday and Wednesday to put in your hours?"

"I  don't  know,  I  was  out,  getting  stresses,  in  traffic  probably."

"Well,   if  you  had   been  here,   you  wouldn't  have   been  stressed"

"Ha-ha" she  laughed sarcastically. At the  time she knew it  would lead to
this, but  was helpless to get  home in time to put  in her hour before the
day ended.

"Well, I think this is fitting. You told me that if you missed an hour, you
would  make   it  up   by  doing  12   hours  on  the   weekend,  correct?"

"Yes". Although  she kept  talking, Lauren continued  to hold the  pose. It
wasn't a stiff pose, it was very relaxed and easy to hold, it was just that
she wanted to get out and do stuff.

"And, since  you missed two days  this week, doesn't it  seem fair that you
should put in all of today?"

"Yeah,  it does,  but  it's Saturday,  I want  to  get out  and  do stuff!"

"Well Lauren,  you should  have thought of  that before you  were out doing
stuff on Tuesday."

She knew  she had lost. She  had not made it  back in time, and  now he was
going to hold her to her word and keep here all day.

"Don't  worry"   he  consoled   her,  "It  will   be  over  in   no  time."

"Gee, thanks", she said.

Looking at  his watch,  he finally gave  her the answer  she wanted, "Well,
you've been  there for  2 hours already, you  only have 22 more  to go. And
I'll be here to keep you company."

Suddenly she  felt better, at least she wouldn't  be alone for it, although
it would continue to be boring.

"I still  don't know why I  have to be dressed  like this, it's stupid. And
what is with this stupid pose?"

"Will  you  stop  calling  everything  stupid?  You picked  both,  so  stop
complaining."

He's right, she thought  to herself and with that she closed her mouth, and
promised  herself   to  stay  still   and  quiet  for  the   rest  of  day.

I'm thinking about writing  a second part discussing the enforcement of her
sentence. If anyone wants me to, please email me and let me know, heck send
me ideas if you want to.

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