The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

Tyler jarred Dylan out of his concentration with a prod of his elbow. “Hey. Check out ‘Indiana Croft’.”

Nadia rolled her eyes in exasperation as yet again the poker game was put on hold for their libidos. She folded her arms and waited for their attention to turn back towards her, and the game.

Dylan looked up from the pair of aces in his hand, and squinted his wild green eyes towards where his friend nodded. A plume of dust was settling back upon the dune. Three figures sat inside the jeep that had pulled to a stop near the entrance of the camp, but it wasn’t hard to see which one Tyler was talking about.

Forgetting the poker game, he leaned forward and squinted a little more to make sure he caught every dick-hardening curve in the small Asian girl.

‘Indiana Croft’, indeed. Her hair, a healthy and glossy black, was kept in a long ponytail that swung down the small of her back. A beaten leather fedora kept her face from the scorching desert sun and a pair of Ray Ban Aviators shielded her eyes from the distraction of the blinding light that would glare off of the desert sand.

She rose out of her seat, and extended a toned amber-skinned leg out of the jeep. Both men appreciated the fact she’d chosen to wear a pair of low-slung khaki shorts, whose length barely reached the halfway point to her knees. It seemed the only thing holding them up was an ornate leather belt fastened tightly to keep the shorts from slipping off.

As if she knew the men had been looking at her all along, she pointed at them and said something to the others in the jeep. She slapped the hood of the jeep a few times and the two men left took off, heading back to civilization in a cloud of rising dust.

‘Indiana Croft’ just stood there for a moment. She turned slowly about in a circle, as if taking in the beauty of the moment before she began walking towards the modest group of poker players.

Tyler whistled as he watched. She turned and he watched her silhouette against the sun. They weren’t just a nice set of tits; they were globes, mounds of flesh that strained against her black halter-top. He felt himself licking his dry lips with his tongue, and twisting about in his chair to hide his obvious reaction. He sensed Dylan was experiencing a similar reaction, and chuckled to his friend.

“I saw her first.”

Dylan laughed. “Yeah. But I’ll get her.”

A hand appeared in front of each of their faces, and rudely snapped its fingers. Both men instantly turned to face the irritated redheaded girl who grabbed her cards and made as if to continue playing.

“You don’t have a chance with her. You two are the worst perverts I’ve ever seen.” She grimaced, and then cocked her head to the side. A sincere expression crossed her features. “Now. Should I leave you two alone to play spank-the-monkey together, or can we finish this poker game?”

Tyler frowned. “Shut up, Nadia. Just because you’re not enough woman to handle Dylan or me doesn’t mean she isn’t.”

Nadia responded too quickly. ”If you were a man, we could probably talk about it. But some things are impossible.” Her eyes narrowed in self-loathing that she played off as anger towards the men. She hated them for being right. She hated herself more for being so plain, so ordinary that few men ever really showed interest in her.

Dylan chuckled as if he knew Nadia’s thoughts despite her attempts to hide them. He turned his eyes back to the approaching woman. “Besides,” he mused, “’Indiana Croft’ is anxious to meet us.” He made a shooing motion to Nadia, “Go. Get, little girl. We’ll finish the game later.”

Nadia rolled her eyes, but couldn’t help the half-assed grin that crept over her face. “Later guys.” She stifled a laugh. “Good luck,” she offered. Her tone dripped with sarcasm, a suggestion of what she thought of their chances.

Dylan narrowed his eyes at her as she walked away. “What did she mean by that?”

“Probably she’s jealous you’ve got a boner for someone else,” Tyler retorted, nudging his buddy again.

“Nadia’s not half-bad. I’d fuck her if ... ”

Both men turned back, to watch the new woman approach. As she neared them, they saw how diminutive she actually was. Her body was clearly toned, and athletic. But, she was small, standing just less than five and a half feet tall.

Without removing her sunglasses, she addressed them, the Asian accent barely noticeable. “Hello, gentlemen.” A smile creased her lips, and she folded her arms over her chest. Her knee bent in the slightest manner, and she put her weight on that foot, getting comfortable for a long talk.

Before Dylan could even get a word in, Tyler was up and out of his chair. “Hello, Ms. Croft.” A worn and calloused hand extended in the promise of friendship, and he grinned at his own joke.

There was an awkward pause as the smile on the woman’s lips went from polite to perplexed. “Ms. Croft?” While it was impossible to tell exactly where her eyes were looking from behind the shaded lenses, Tyler could easily sense she wasn’t very amused.

“’Indiana Croft’,” he answered, trying to win back that smile that had been on her face. He kept his hand out in the air, hoping she’d take it. He nodded his head and explained, “Gear like Indiana Jones, and a body that beats even Lara Croft’s. Damn.” He pursed his lips and then continued. “My name’s Tyler. I’m on the digging team of the project. Good t’meet ya.”

Despite his yearning to try to act in a reasonable manner, he found his eyes settling on the curving bulges of fabric on her chest. Mental pictures began to form in his head of how she’d look in the showers lathering up, with lovely soapy suds that made her skin slick and slippery. He found himself hoping the bulge in his pants wasn’t as obvious as those in her shirt.

The woman nodded, “Ah. I see.” The smile crawled back onto her face. “’Indiana Croft’,” she repeated again. The tone of her voice seemed to fail to hold the amusement that Tyler seemed to. Both men snickered at her inability to get the joke.

“Hey, everyone’s got a nickname,” Dylan chimed in. He wasn’t about to be left out of the conversation. Shooting Tyler a quick dirty look, he half-saluted the woman off the brim of his hat. “It’s sort of a ‘welcome-to-the-party’ type thing, y’know?”

Neither the expression on her face or the tone of her voice changed. “I’d hate to spoil the party.” The smile faded from her lips, turning to an expression of disgust and she straightened her posture to stand as tall as she could.

“But—”

Even before both men could exchange glances to silently ask if that single ‘But’ had meant, two pointed fingers from her hand hooked tightly into Tyler’s shoulder.

The sudden scream of pain was enough to wipe the amused expression off of Dylan’s face, and to get him to bolt upright in his seat. He rushed to protect his friend, but the woman had already anticipated his move.

With another lightning-fast thrust, her diminutive hand had turned from a dainty and soft thing to caress into a weapon of harsh efficiency. Her flattened palm landed in controlled strength against Dylan’s exposed throat.

A hoarse gasp burst out of Dylan’s mouth as he fell backwards, stumbling and finally falling down. He clutched at his throat, trying to breathe normally again.

Under her unreleased grip, Tyler moaned.

She watched them for a silent moment, before deciding to speak. “Quiet,” She told Tyler in a calm voice. Her finger pressed harder into the pressure point, then released; a demonstration that she could bring a higher level of discomfort to him, if she wished. Tyler’s face tightened as the pain increased. The lesson was learned.

“Good.” This time, the smile on her face was much less polite.

“My name is Yin-Feng.” The pride in her voice seemed intent on correcting the grievous error. ”Professor Yin-Feng. I am in charge of this dig. I may decide to be your friend and let you call me Feng, eventually.” Slowly, she removed the sunglasses and slid them into a pocket in her shorts. Cold blue eyes took each man in, as if giving that a second or two to sink in. “Do you understand?”

Tyler nodded in emphatic agreement. Anything was better than trying to deal with the searing pain that was ripping through his body. Anything.

“But,” she warned, “Don’t ever associate me with a sex-laden computer image, or a manufactured movie character. I worked very hard to get where I am. Not by being a sex object to little perverts who can’t see past the snake in their own pants.”

She pressed her thumb near where her fingers were hooked into Tyler’s shoulder, and then released him, acting as if she had been disgusted to touch him at all. Immediately, Tyler fell over on his side. He moved to get up, and instantly realized that the entire left side of his body was paralyzed. The look of abject terror on his face was enough to satisfy Yin-Feng that he would be a bit more careful in the future.

Hunched over and finally on his knees, Dylan was too busy trying to claim a whole breath into his lungs to do anything but look at Yin-Feng in a combination of burning rage and immobilizing fear.

“Your digging team is the best around. That’s why I hired them. That’s why you’re here.” Her mouth turned down, frowning. Her cool, emotionless eyes stared hard at them. “But,” she said in a smooth neutral tone, “I’m very well aware of what you two do. Very well. And don’t give me that ‘it was never proven’ story, either.”

She took a step closer to them, as if to threaten to attack them again. “I heard about that little stunt you pulled in Madagascar. Maybe the girls couldn’t identify you, but they knew enough about what happened. And then you left, and some of the inventory came up missing?” Her tone was cold, harsh. “Let me tell you, boys. If I find one ... one ... artifact exchanged, misplaced, lost, or ‘broken’, ... trust me. I have ways of finding out the truth. Stay on your honest sides, gentlemen, and we won’t have a problem.” She gave them a faint smile, “Otherwise, you’ll see me angry. And you really don’t want to see me angry.”

She intentionally stepped over Tyler’s body, as if the man were not really there and headed towards the main portion of the camp, calling as she left, “I’ll see you both at the meeting tonight. Don’t be late.” She glanced at Dylan, and wriggled her fingers in a goodbye wave.

She nodded towards the terror-stricken Tyler. “Oh. And the paralysis shouldn’t last more than a few minutes. Nothing permanent.” Pausing, she smiled, her tone sincere. “And nothing personal, I hope. I just have to take care of my camp, and my dig. You understand.” She blew Dylan a kiss, as if to say there were no hard feelings between them any longer before sauntering off into another tent.

Nadia had been watching the whole thing from the food tent with a hidden grin on her face. It was about time those two perverts had gotten a taste of karma. Besides, she couldn’t have been more thrilled to have someone as bright and imposing as Yin-Feng. This dig needed someone like that. A strong female. Someone that she could look up to.

She remembered the men soon enough, and noticed that nobody else was even bothering to help them; either they felt like Nadia or they were scared the same thing might happen to them. The problem was, part of her job here was first aid. She took her time to jog over to the two men who were still not yet up on their feet.

A sigh escaped Nadia’s lips as she sat down in the sand beside them. “You idiots.”

She leaned close, glancing at Dylan first. Her grasp was gentle around his wrist as she pulled it away to examine the wound. “But, that’s what you get for messing with the daughter of a Shaolin Monk. Didn’t you read your introduction letters? Be more respectful, and careful, next time, would you?”

Assuring herself that Dylan’s wound wasn’t anything to worry about, she sat down next to Tyler’s limp body, and took his limp hand, clasping her own hands about it. She gave him a wan smile, telling him, “Don’t worry. She said it’d be gone in a few minutes. We’ll stay with you until it does.”

Even as she spoke the words of compassion, her thoughts were somewhere else; wishing that somehow, someway, she could have a taste of that elegance, of that grace. She wanted the beauty, the boldness, and the strength that seemed to drip off Yin-Feng. It was everything that she was not, and more. It was everything she’d ever dreamed of...

Neither of the men responded to her, or seemed to notice the growing distant look in her eyes. Instead, their eyes, burned in rage and humiliation. They stared in the direction of the tent Feng had disappeared within. And each man began silently planning his own twisted acts of revenge.

The hazy light of the flickering lanterns brought an almost fireplace comfort throughout the tent making it seem a bit cozier than it actually was. Archaeologists, scholars, diggers, and all the other men and women working on the project sat in the uncomfortable folding chairs, facing the speaker.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.” Professor Yin-Feng said. Her voice was strong and serene and it seemed to quiet the hushed murmurings that had buzzed about the tent for the last few minutes.

She set her foot on an overturned bucket and leaned forward, resting her elbow on the propped knee. Then, she paused, purposefully, taking each individual in the tent into consideration, as if to judge his or her merit.

Those who found themselves staring into the cool, calculating eyes did not look back at them for more than a few seconds. A few averted their eyes from the glance; others lowered their eyes and shuffled nervously.

Nadia realized there was sudden warmth in her cheeks as she smiled back to the Professor. She almost felt like Feng wanted to befriend her through that stare, to know her. She quickly looked away as if to hide herself from the imposing woman, embarrassed at her own weakness. You’re just another person on the job, Nadia. She’s here to do a job. Not to make friends.

Tyler and Dylan sat alone in the back. Their eyes never moved from her figure, and they were more than glad to return the cool stare with stares to match, as if to challenge her again.

Suddenly finished, she removed her brimmed fedora and tossed it to the side. The lanterns gleamed, her glossy black hair reflecting the soft light. Her ponytail swung behind her as she moved her head again, eyes watching the group in front of her with intensity.

“For those of you who may not have met me yet,” she continued, “I am Professor Yin-Feng. No need for pleasantries. You may call me Feng, and I hope to establish a friendship with each and every one of you. I have been sent here by my country to oversee, and conduct this search to make sure it runs smoothly, and efficiently. And to make sure it is a success.”

God. How did she get to be so commanding? So—inspiring? Face it, Nadia; you haven’t got a chance to be like her. She’s got the entire group ready to do whatever she wants them to, out of respect. Out of awe. Out of fear. Half of them probably want to get her into bed.

“ ... And evidence of those temple ruins have finally been discovered in this area.” Yin-Feng’s strong voice pulled Nadia out of her reverie. Her hands went to her cheeks lightly, to mask the burning warmth that was probably turning them a glowing red. “You, my friends, have all been handpicked, by me, to ensure the success of this mission.”

There were a few soft murmurs, ... and some disgruntled noises at the news.

Me? Nadia found it difficult to swallow. She chose me? Why?! I’m ... I’m nothing. Why would someone like her want a loser like me on her team? Nadia found herself strangely awed by this sudden revelation, and at the same time discouraged. I’m not worthy to be here. Not with someone like her. I’ve never been on a dig before. And I only just got out of medical school. So what if I had top honors? Nobody seemed to care. Why should she?

“ ... Are among some of the things that I expect to find. As well as the Monkey of Xiao.” She paused, “Yes,” Answering perhaps a question before any member of the group could voice it. “Duke Xiao, the first Emperor of the Qin dynasty in 338 B.C.”

A few of her peers in the front let out a faint gasp of surprise. A sliver-haired man leaned forward. “You really don’t think that it exists, do you?” He asked, the British accent in his voice unmistakable.

For the first time Nadia could remember, she saw Yin-Feng smile genuinely. Even in the beauty of that smile, Nadia could feel Feng’s strength. But now it held another quality; one of allure that Nadia felt strangely compelled to want to be around. She hoped she could make friends with her idol.

Again, Nadia found herself looking at the floor, ashamed of her thoughts. Why would such a woman who had so much going for her even want to notice someone like me? Somebody probably made a mistake in sending me here. She was glad for the sudden attention at Yin-Feng. It kept eyes away from her. It kept those near to her from feeling compelled to ask her, ‘What’s wrong?’.

“Actually Jonathan,” Yin-Feng returned to the man who had questioned her, “I do.” She stood up and walked over to the man with a slow gait, hips slightly swaying as she did so.

Nadia caught more than one man eyeing her. She knew what was in their minds. Again, she found herself wishing to have just a fraction of the power that Yin-Feng had, to hold such power over other people. But, you never will. Will you, Nadia? She sighed in self-defeat.

“My latest findings in the Chin-Tan-Sun Mountains have unearthed a manuscript of the period, which has been translated by leading authorities in the field. It contains a message by the hand of a nobleman who served in the Duke’s army, and meant for his wife. It reveals details about his efforts to remove the golden monkey from its resting place. It also speaks of the ancient curse that fell upon him, and ends with poignant farewells. This letter, ladies and gentlemen is what has led me here, to take charge of this dig.”

The man laughed heartily. “And do you believe in curses and Gods as well?”

Yin-Feng’s only emotional response was a kind smile. “The dating of the letter matches a period rife with Mongol invasions, before the Great Wall was built, and the Temple moved. We do have proof that the Temple once stood in the mountains, and we know it also was moved to a safer place for unknown reasons.” She turned her face towards the group, to address them now as a whole.

“The evidence is clear. It backs up proven historical facts. I’m interested in facts. Not in children’s stories. Not curses. Not gods. Not wealth and gold. There is truth to every myth, and myths in nearly every truth. I’m very good at separating the two, which is why I am here.” She looked wryly back to the man. “The only reason treasures were ever ‘cursed’ was because they were rare, and because men were too zealous to have them for their own.”

The older man nodded, as if satisfied with that, and impressed with the answer. Yin-Feng gave him a cold smile, then looked about the room. “Breakfast is at 4am. I expect everyone to be ready to work at 5. We’ll be separated into three different digging sites, so you should contact your site manager if you have any difficulties. And my tent is always open if you need to talk. Have a good night.”

Everyone rose out of their chairs, stretched, and began to filter out of the tent towards the sleeping quarters.

Yin-Feng was satisfied. She could tell that she had established her authority in no uncertain terms. They had confidence in her, and that would bring her far. Curiously, she watched the two men she’d confronted earlier leave the tent.

Yin-Feng nodded to herself. It didn’t matter if they did, or did not like her. She wasn’t here to make friends. She was here to do the job she’d been told to do.

More importantly, she would secure her name in the history books. She would find the Golden Monkey, curse or no curse, and bring it back to China. She would be a hero.

The sleeping quarters were simple, divided into numerous large tents to allow for more personal space for both the men and women. Each individual’s personal quarters were separated by a large mosquito net also designed to keep any stray snakes, spiders, or scorpions. Like most of the other tents, planks of wood had been laid down for a stable floor as well as additional protection against burrowing pests.

Along the center walkway of each tent, strung carefully across the main supporting pole, hung a row of dark green lanterns which would often be left on to shine their warm hue of light due to the different shifts. The web-woven nylon nets would filter out the brighter aspect of the light so while some slept, others would have enough light to read and study by.

It was by this light that Dylan managed to find Tyler’s bedroll in the tent opposite of his own. Dylan tapped lightly on the outside of the net a few times in a rhythm. Tyler had been expecting him and emerged fully dressed. They nodded a silent greeting to one another. Tyler made a hand gesture, indicating they should both leave.

Dylan followed Tyler out, being careful to be as silent as possible. While it was true that some of the others might be up as well, they had no wish to cause a disturbance that would inquire as to their whereabouts. They walked a few hundred yards in silence. The night was cloudless, the stars shone bright and the moon smiled upon them, giving them light to see by.

Dylan pointed to a rock, jutting out from the sand. He lifted himself up, and sat down on it, giving his friend a meaningful look. His voice was low, filled with intensity. “So?”

Tyler sat next to his friend. He knew what the other was thinking. It was why they had made plans to come out into the desert night. The pain and humiliation was fresh in both of their minds. “She definitely needs to be put in her place.”

The other nodded. “I’ve got a ... friend ... in the village. A retired British psychiatrist who’s taken up ‘digging’ as a hobby.” There was a dark smile upon his lips as he spoke, his tone cold.

“So?” Tyler asked. “How does that help?”

“Let’s just say that he wasn’t exactly—mmm—the most ethical of shrinks. Did a lot of experimenting on his patients.” Dylan chuckled lightly. “I know of him because a few friends of mine had to clean up a few of his ... messes. Not that I’d have anything to do with that.”

Tyler gave his buddy a skeptical look. “Right. Sure you didn’t.” His mouth twisted into a smirk, and he eyed his friend, trying to determine the expression on the other’s features. “So is this guy on the up-and-up or what?”

Dylan nodded. “Yeah. He was doing some huge research project for allergies or something, and managed to brew himself up some sort of hypno-juice.” He pressed his thumb between his index and middle finger, miming giving someone a shot.

“Hypno-juice?“ Tyler echoed. The disbelief in his voice gave Dylan the notion Tyler wasn’t buying any of this.

“Sort of like that ... sodium-whatcha-callit,” Dylan explained. “That truth-saying shit. Except instead of forcing you to tell the truth it basically puts your mind asleep, while keeping the subconscious awake. Anyways, the ‘good doctor’ got into some trouble with a few of his sexier patients. His nurses were going to squeal on him—a friend of mine made sure they didn’t.”

Tyler smirked. “Right.” The sarcasm in his voice wasn’t lost on Dylan. “So, what do you plan to do to her? Turn her into a vegetable?”

Dylan shook his head. “No. We can turn her into our own personal slut. Hypnosis, or some shit like that. Total mindfuck.” He licked his lips, “And I can have those tits, and that sweet Asian pussy of hers anytime I want it. She’ll grovel, beg, and crawl on her knees like a bitch in heat just to be in the same room with us.”

He gave Tyler friend a huge grin, and lowered his voice. “It works. Trust me.”

The slap across his face was light, but it certainly got Dylan’s attention. “You fucking moron.” Tyler snorted, derisively. “What will happen if you succeed in this crackbrained notion of yours and turn her into a slut?”

Dylan’s expression indicated he wanted to belt Tyler for smacking him like he did. Instead he flashed his tobacco-stained teeth at his friend after a short pause. “We get all the benefits of a relationship, without any of the hassles? And we put her in her goddamned place.”

Tyler shook his head, “No, you idiot. What happens is one of her political fuckbuddies that sent her here decide to look into what happened to her. Those people have a way of finding things out. And you and I would get fucked up the ass.” He smacked Dylan again. “Shithead.”

Dylan flinched at the slap, and pushed Tyler back, as if to start a fight with his friend. But, noting the huge difference in muscle and size between them, he thought better of it. He sighed—the dream he’d been brewing in his head was quickly dying.

“On the other hand...” Tyler muttered. His voice held the appealing edge of a brilliant scheme come to light.

Dark brown eyes quickly turned to Tyler. Dylan leaned forward a little in anticipation. “What?” He asked, biting the lure of enticement in Tyler’s voice.

“What we could do is let her doom herself.” Tyler nodded to himself, pleased by his brilliant idea.

Dylan frowned, appearing to be utterly baffled. “What?”

Tyler chuckled wickedly. He answered, “That stupid curse.”

Dylan shook his head, still not understanding where the line of logic was leading. Wherever it was headed, though, he certainly was interested.

“The Curse of the Monkey of Xiao,” Tyler explained, rubbing his hands together, looking like some overacting mad-scientist. “I’ve asked a few questions around the brainy types.” He leaned back on the rock with comfortable ease, and retold what he had learned to Dylan. “It was one of the first pure golden statues to have been created. Xiao was some stupid Emperor, or some shit like that, whom the statue was given to. One of his consorts made it for him. He put some curse on it that whoever moved it from its resting place would become the monster of his darkest fears. Probably didn’t want anyone stealing it.”

Dylan frowned, “So? What’s that got to do with anything?”

“So,” his friend continued to explain, “There really isn’t a curse, of course. It’s all mojo bullshit.”

Dylan nodded in frustration. If it wasn’t evident in his expression, it was certainly clear in his voice. “Yeah? So fucking what?”

Tyler sighed in disappointment at his friend’s lack of understanding. “So, you moron ... what we do is use your ‘friend’ to hypnotize her into believing in the curse. And we make sure she’s the one to bring the statue back to camp. Ever hear about self-fulfilling prophecy?”

Suddenly, the light bulb in Dylan’s head seemed to switch on. “And she becomes some sort of demented bitch, and does some evil Jackie Chan shit on the camp, ... ends up ruining her own reputation and career.”

Tyler nodded in approval. “Exactly. She does herself in by her own actions. Honor is everything to those Asian bitches. Besides, it’s far more demeaning for her than being a sex slave. As our personal slut, she’d be happy. This way, she’ll have no friends, she’ll have no contentment, and she’ll drive herself utterly mad.” A lopsided grin slid across his lips. “She’ll probably end up committing suicide.”

Dylan began to laugh. “You are a fucking genius, my friend. A fucking genius.”

Tyler nodded, “I’ll ‘break’ some tools tomorrow, and you and I will volunteer to go into town and replace them. We’ll talk to your friend then, and make the arrangements.”

Dylan couldn’t wipe the grin of his face. “Damn. This is going to be good.”

Tyler nodded, “Of course it is.” He gave his fellow conspirator a wink under the light of the silver moon above. He chuckled quietly as another sinister idea crept into his mind. “We could use Nadia, too.”

Dylan perked up even more. “She wouldn’t be such a bad slut,” he said, in agreement with what he assumed were Tyler’s own musings.

Rolling his eyes towards the heavens, Tyler didn’t even bother to acknowledge his friend’s look. “If you’re that desperate to have yourself a personal slut, Dylan, ... we’ll get you one. Maybe Nadia.” He slipped his large calloused hands into his coat pockets, starting to feel the chill of the desert night. “I was thinking of something more useful for her.”

“Like what?”

Tyler grinned. He paused, for effect, then leaned closer to his friend, whispering conspiratorially. “In all the commotion our man-made monster is going to cause with her karate mumbo-jumbo, I imagine we can make off with the gold, so to speak.”

Dylan blinked. His mouth twisted into a slow frown. “What? Have Nadia steal it for us?”

“Something like that, yes. Have her put it away for safekeeping, let’s say. A small hypnotic suggestion, one that she’ll forget once it’s carried out. We’ll be the only ones who know where it is.” He rubbed his hands together in the cool night.

“We’ll play it cool for a few weeks,” Tyler continued to explain. “Then come back, grab it, and sell it to the highest bidder. Then you can buy all the sluts you want. We’ll live like fat cats, my friend.” Tyler smiled to himself, basking in his own brilliance. He made a slow gesture back to camp, repeating to himself, “Like fucking fat cats.” He slid off the stone onto the soft sea of sand.

Dylan whistled low. “Damn.” A small laugh escaped his lips, and he nodded, following the other back to camp. “I like that idea. I like that idea a lot.”

“Kind of late, isn’t it?” The quiet feminine voice broke the silence of the still night.

Nadia jumped, startled. She took a deep breath as she turned around, embarrassed at being caught so off-guard, and looked straight into Yin-Feng’s face. She found herself smiling, though she wasn’t exactly sure why.

“I—couldn’t sleep,” Nadia confessed, keeping her voice soft. She was only a few feet away from the tent and had no desire to disturb those who could find rest. She rose from her seat on the large pile of wood that was reserved for kindling. “And instead of trying to uselessly lay on the mat, I thought I’d come out here. Watch the stars. Think.”

Nadia’s hand pushed her red tresses back, tucking them behind her ear as she looked back up towards the stars. Though tiny, the vivid dots of blue seemed to speckle the sky in an array of peaceful brilliance. Nadia found the whole moment almost spiritual. In the city she had never seen such things. The clouds and smog always loomed above her, constant reminders of the feelings of uselessness she often hung over herself. She began to find herself both honored at Feng’s visit to her, and restless by it, too. Yin-Feng was a reminder of every weakness that Nadia had.

Yin-Feng followed her gaze, not noticing the turmoil that was churning in Nadia’s mind. “The night brings many things,” Feng said. “Dreams and visions. It makes thoughts clear, and can still, or cause even more uneasiness in an uncertain heart.” Her hand alighted, and settled with a compassionate squeeze on Nadia’s shoulder.

Nadia turned to look, and Yin-Feng smiled kindly at her. Again, Nadia felt compelled by the warmth Feng’s smile, as if she had known Nadia for years, and they were best friends. It was as if she wanted to hear everything Nadia had to say.

It was as if the smile, the kind look in Feng’s soft blue eyes had reached into her gut and pulled the words out of her mouth. “Why me?” Nadia found herself asking, before even thinking the words.

Yin-Feng paused, tilting her head. The expression on her smooth, flawless features seemed to suggest she already had known what was on Nadia’s mind. Perhaps it was the very reason she was here now. “Do you want the truth?” She asked of the other woman.

Nadia took a breath, trying to hide her fear, and nodded. You’ve blown it, now, you silly girl. You might as well hear it all. She probably took pity on you. Then again, that’s more than anyone else has ever done. The tip of her tongue poked out between her lips, only to be replaced by her teeth as she bit her lip in nervous anticipation.

“Alright,” Yin-Feng conceded, “Yes, I could have asked for other medical staff. There were others as qualified as you.”

The warm, soft hand that moved from her shoulder to her cheek surprised Nadia. Feng lightly caressed Nadia’s cheek, but she couldn’t look away from those eyes. She took a deep breath again and balled her fists together to keep from turning away. She would not be weak this time. She would not give in. Not in front of Yin-Feng.

“But, you have something to prove to yourself. That is important,” Yin-Feng suggested. Nadia noticed that Feng was talking to her, and not at her, as if she really wanted Nadia to understand. “You don’t have the conceit that others do, and you’re young. Those are both important as well. You are willing to accept new things, and ideas. This job will give you a great amount of experience—both in matters of medical practice, and in life itself.” Feng removed her hand from Nadia’s cheek, her eyes watching the woman in front of her, taking in her features.

Nadia started to shake her head, then sighed. “You don’t know anything about me.” Her smile to Feng was weak, “But I’m glad to be here.”

Yin-Feng smiled back in that charm that always seemed to win Nadia over. “I’m glad you’re here too, Nadia. You’d better get some rest, though. It’s going to be a long day tomorrow.” She gave Nadia a quick hug. “Rest well. And good night.”

Nadia nodded, as if glad for the reprieve. She was afraid she was going to confess everything to Feng. She waved to Feng then quickly walked past her and to her sleeping quarters.

Feng stood alone in the quiet serenity of the pale moonlight, biting her own lip as she watched the young girl disappear into the tent.

Within the protection of the nylon net, Nadia sat down on her bedroll. She was glad it also provided privacy, the thickness of the weaving only casting shadowy outlines in the light. She had no desire for others to laugh, or stare at her frail body. As she began to undress, she found that she couldn’t take her mind off Yin-Feng. Every time she thought she’d seen the best trait in the Asian woman, another was exhibited. With each experience with her Nadia felt less and less worthy to be in Feng’s presence, and yet wanted to be with her more and more.

She set her boots aside and pulled off the plain white t-shirt she’d worn. She tossed her hair back, and felt the compulsion to cup her small breasts. She thought about all the stares that the other women on the dig were getting from the men. You could barely call them tits. Her mouth twisted in a frown at her thoughts and she flopped back onto her bedroll.

She wanted to be angry at Yin-Feng. Feng was the reason no men had ever shown interest in her. She was plain, and woman like Yin-Feng—well, all they had to do was put on a smile, and men would come flocking to their doors. She couldn’t count how many times she’d sat alone in the bars at night until they closed. She hated being alone like that, her mind always drifting to remind her of her parents telling her how useless she was and how right they had always been about her.

Her thoughts began to drift, as they often did when she was most disappointed in herself. Often she would close her eyes tight and wish and pray with all her might for another life, a better life—and it seemed almost any life was better than her own. She would envision herself as someone else; almost anyone, except for herself was a fantastic dream.

It was at these times she was happiest.

Her thoughts flittered back to the encounter only a few moments ago. No, she wasn’t angry at Yin-Feng. She was jealous. Nadia had nothing—nothing—that Feng did. Her fingers ran down her smoothed stomach, the thoughts of the meeting and the physical sensations intertwining.

Almost of their own accord, her hands slid up to cup her breasts again. This time she squeezed them as if it were someone else touching her, the way she’d always dreamt of being fondled. In her mind all of Yin-Feng’s features slowly became Nadia’s. Her breasts could no longer be compared to apples, but rather pillows; soft, warm, luxurious pillows that seemed to beg to be constantly touched and caressed.

She smiled to herself as her fantasy began to take over her mind. Lost in the fog of her mind, she forgot about where she was. She forgot about who she was. Her reality twisted into the erotic yearnings of her subconscious.

She squeezed her breasts again, enjoying the sensations, reveling in her ‘new’ body. Here, she was beautiful. Here ... she could have whatever she wanted. She slid her palm over her hardening nipple, imagining instead of her own small and bright pink areole that hers were now fat nipples, dark and exquisitely pert.

Her legs squeezed together as she pinched her nipple. Now she imagined that she was Feng, and she was walking down a line of exotic, handsome men. She was testing each on their lovemaking skills, able to pick and to choose only the best of the best. Each one would eagerly put his lips to her tit, bite it, and play with her breasts for their audition. She could pick anyone she wanted. The thought made her body shiver.

One hand ran through her hair as an imaginary man roughly grabbed her, too eager in his lust, and pulled her into him. She loved the feel of her ‘new’ rich, dark hair instead of old and boring red tresses she used to have. Again, she squeezed her thighs together, subconsciously aware of the growing arousal there.

The hand slid down her stomach now, as Nadia’s need urged her fantasy-self on to choose her mate; she chose a handsome Italian man. Her fingertips pushed just a little past the edge of her jeans, and she bit her lip. Soft hair greeted her fingertips, but she pushed the sensation aside, instead allowing herself only to feel smooth, bare skin; she couldn’t imagine Yin-Feng having anything else.

Her mind wrapped around that thought, and her fingers slowly undid her pants as she pictured herself pushing the man down onto the bed, moving in a slow, erotic dance for him. She could sense he was already hard for her—he had been the moment he saw her, but somehow he’d gotten even harder, bigger. Just for her. Because she was so beautiful. So perfect.

The jeans were pushed around her ankles as her fantasy lover was bid to unbutton her jeans with his teeth, and she slipped two digits deep into herself as her fantasy-self began to straddle the man in a beautiful Victorian bed that she’d made him buy for her. She cared not for the pleasure of her lover, only herself. She smiled in the growing pleasure, and at the thought of pinning him wherever she wanted with some secret karate hold.

She flexed her fingers that worked in and out of her slick warmth, firmly pressing them against her trembling walls. Her hips swayed with the rhythm of her thrusts, her back arched now and then and her legs stiffened as she teased herself. Her other hand pinched a nipple even harder between the nails of her fingertips that caused her to gasp in her own pleasure.

She found her clit with the hand that had been playing with the breast, and began to tease herself more. She pictured herself sitting on top of the man after making him beg to let him eat her out. Eagerly, her sex-riddled-mind welcomed the idea of the soft tongue pushing inside her, and quickly turned over, screaming her orgasm into her pillow.

It was a few more moments before she opened her eyes, a very satisfied smile on her lips. The pain of reality wouldn’t hit until morning. Exhausted, now, from her exertion, she licked her own arousal off of her fingers, and drifted into a lovely sleep, and to ancient times where she was an Asian Princess who could have anything and everything she wanted.