Ride Share
Lauren timed it, as she’d recently taken to doing, more out of amusement than necessity. The all-time record was a lean 46 seconds, a mark that came and went as she locked her apartment door and dropped the keys into her purse. The phone chirped only a few moments later with the usual message: “Hi Lauren! Your Shofr driver has arrived! Take as long as you need—we’ll always wait for you!”
Of course they would wait. They had to wait given the incredible response times they offered. She checked her watch—57 seconds between calling for the ride and the ride arriving at her door. No request had ever taken more than 90 seconds, not even in the busiest of days or seasons. It was as if the drivers spent their entire day circling her block, waiting for her to call on them. As she bounded down the stairs to the street, she sent a mental note of gratitude to whatever Silicon Valley genius came up with the Shofr app. You’ve never had a ride like this before... holy shit, that’s an understatement!
The black sedan was waiting patiently the curb. Her driver had chosen, once again, to brazenly defy the huge sign that read LOADING ZONE ONLY: $100 FINE, as well as the corresponding red lines on the pavement. Most drivers quickly learned the hard way that this sign was not one to be ignored; meter maids circled the block even more often than the Shofr drivers. She hustled to the rear door and slid into the back seat, eager to avoid the delay and awkwardness of watching her driver collect a parking ticket.
“Miss Wells! Thank you for choosing Shofr again.” The driver’s brilliant white smile contrasted with his black, impenetrable sunglasses. The Shofr app identified him only as ‘Don.’ “We’ll have you there before you know it!”
She settled back into the cool, plush leather seat, thankful to have access to air conditioning on a hot summer day. In the days before she’d gotten her share of Grandma’s will, summer trips uptown involved braving the sweltering heat of the subway platform and the jostling, sweaty crowds on the packed C train. Shofr wasn’t cheap by any means, and thrifty Grandma Jane would be turning over in her grave if she knew that Lauren was spending her money on cab fare, but the rides were so, so relaxing...
“Is the temperature okay back there, Miss Wells?”
She blinked and looked up. They were moving impossibly fast through the gridlock; another Shofr specialty. Drivers never seemed to catch red lights, and they maneuvered through crowded intersections with ease. Trips through restricted lanes ended not with a cop or a paparazzi explosion of traffic camera flashbulbs but with waves and smiles, if anyone even noticed at all. “I’m fine,” she said, patting the cool seat for emphasis. “It looks like we’re almost there.”
“Of course, Miss Wells,” said Don. He seemed to be looking straight at her, even as he dodged a slow-moving delivery truck. “We’ll be at 110th in a few minutes.”
Wait, no. “Oh! I’m sorry! I’m going to 79th. I must have typed in the wrong address.” Guilt formed a tiny ball in her stomach. The drivers were always so nice and punctual, and here she was sending one of them well out of his way. She resolved to leave a big tip as compensation. “I’m so sorry,” she concluded.
“Miss Wells.” Don was still looking at her, and not the road. “If you recall correctly, you specifically asked me to take you to 110th Street. You’ll remember that now, won’t you?”
No, I was... what is he talking about? I don’t know anyone on… “Oh, of course. You’re right, I’m headed to 110th Street today.” She smiled, knowing that she’d just dodged a bullet. How silly it would have been to have gotten out at 79th Street, blocks and blocks from where she really needed to be? “Thank you, Don! I’d be lost without you.“
“My pleasure, Miss Wells. Are you enjoying the music? I can turn it up, if you like.”
She cocked her head slightly, straining to hear anything. Shofr cars were specially sound-proofed. There were no honking horns, jackhammers, or ambulance sirens to distract or annoy her. The music should have been evident from the moment she sat down. Finally, she caught a hint of it. Light and sweet, the kind they used in romance movies. She tried and failed to make out the words. Relax, so very relaxed. Open to suggestion. Relaxed. “Oh, it’s fine,” she said. “You can turn it up if you like.“
“Let me turn on the entertainment system for you. We’ve just uploaded a few new movies.”
Why anyone would want to watch a movie during a short trip in a glorified taxicab was beyond her, but the drivers always offered, and she always found herself agreeing out of politeness. It was probably a corporate deal they had going on with some Hollywood studio. “Okay,” she said cheerfully. “That’d be great.” She leaned forward as the TV screen in the seat rest came to life, mentally estimating the amount of time left until they reached 110th Street. A few minutes, perhaps. Barely enough to watch the opening credits.
The screen blinked and came to life, displaying a blue and white spiral twisting in a slow clockwise direction. Words flashed at the bottom of the screen. Watch. Sleep. Obey.
Her mouth fell open as her eyes glazed over. “Watch,” she said dully, pausing to wait for the next word to appear. “Sleep. Obey.”
“Your trance deepens tenfold as you obey, Miss Wells.” Don gently guided the sedan to the side of the road, just in time to take a vacated parking space left by a departing SUV. He left the car in Park as he turned to face her. “Mindless and receptive, Miss Wells. Obey.”
“Obey,” she whispered. Her eyes never left the screen. “Mindless and receptive.”
“The screen and the music have hypnotized you.”
“I am in a deep hypnotic trance,” she agreed.
“What is your purpose?”
“My only purpose is to obey. I will obey without question.”
Don grinned. “Your client is very excited to see you again, Miss Wells. He’d like to try something new tonight, so we’re going to watch a new video to get you trained and ready. Is that okay?”
“Yes,” she said. “I await instruction.”
Don tapped something on the dashboard, and the screen switched to displaying shimmering lines. Text floated across the screen.
”I am submissive,” she whispered. The new commands settled into her empty mind. “I love being dominated. I will let you do anything to my body. I love being tied up. I love being spanked. I will feel no pain, only pleasure. Intense, wonderful pleasure. My body craves it. It makes me so hot. So hot for my Masssssterrrr...”
They arrived at the destination an hour later, and a dazed Lauren found herself on the sidewalk in front of a row of nondescript townhomes. She rubbed her eyes with her free hand and glanced at her watch. God, we made great time! Again! Best app I’ve ever downloaded! She wondered if Kelly and Madison were still using the same old ride-share companies that everyone else used. They really had to make the switch, sooner rather than later. They just had to.
She turned to face the nearest townhome, as thoughts of Kelly and Madison quickly evaporated.
I am a slave. I am obedient. I will obey. I am a slave. I am obedient. I will obey.
She drifted to the front door, and waited patiently.