The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

Empire City—October 28

It was night outside a small curio shop called La Olla Negro, the Black Pot, where the walls were crowded with shelves containing books and various other accouterments of the black arts. There were totems, sculptures, and other artifacts as well as candles, incense, bottled potions, herbs, charms, and jars containing all sorts of rare and strange ingredients.

Enoch, the owner of the shop, was a tall lanky man with long shiny black hair. He wore dark round glasses and watched with interest as a young girl in a bouncy blonde ponytail looked over his many offerings. He admired the tight fit of her leotard and sports bra, which accentuated the toned legs and derriere as well as her perfect six-pack tummy. He sensed she was like many others who came to his little shop, curious and slightly uncomfortable, trying to make light of something they didn’t understand. Most of them left with a different opinion.

“What exactly are you looking for?” Enoch asked his skeptical customer.

“I’m looking for something that will make men give me lots of money,” the attractive young girl told Enoch with a slightly mocking tone. “Do you have anything like that?”

Enoch arched an eyebrow behind his dark glasses and smirked. He was suddenly enchanted by the auburn haired ingénue. “What is your name?”

“Tabitha,” she replied with a grin. Here we go again, she thought. He’s going to hit on me, just like every other guy I meet. He was far from her type.

“May I see your hand?”

Tabitha rolled her eyes. A palm reader no less. How lame. This was probably the only way he could pick up women. It was pathetic. She decided to humor him and stuck out her palm.

Without touching her, Enoch bent down to stare at the lines in her hand.

“Am I going to meet someone rich?” Tabitha asked, waiting impatiently for her future to be told.

“You seem preoccupied with wealth.”

“Money makes the world go around,” Tabitha assured him. “I don’t date anyone unless they gross at least a hundred grand a year, you know?”

“Hmmm. Interesting.”

“What?” Tabitha said, and immediately couldn’t believe she was already falling for this.

“You are an only child.”

“How...how did you know that?”

“You are a dancer...or entertainer...are you not?”

“Ohmigod,” Tabitha whispered, stunned. She really couldn’t believe it, and soon enough, she began to warm up to Enoch. “I’m a dance instructor. And I teach aerobics part time. I just came from my class. Sometimes I perform in musicals. I just auditioned for this part in a show last week...Can you tell me if I’m going to get the featured dancer spot?”

“I see something much more fulfilling of your dreams Tabitha.”

“Really? What? A television show? A movie?” Tabitha exclaimed. “What? Tell me!”

“You will be a featured dancer I assure you,” Enoch replied with a knowing smile. “And men will give you money. A lot of it.”

“Huh?” Tabitha said, puzzled. What was he talking about? She tried desperately to see his eyes, but his glasses...his dark glasses...there was something about them...something pretty in them... but it was hard to concentrate.

“Where?” Tabitha pleaded, the enthusiasm in her voice dropping somewhat, as stillness came over her. She felt warm all over...and a calming sensation.

“You are very beautiful, Tabitha, if you do not mind me saying.”

“I don’t mind,” Tabitha said with a meltingly sweet smile. “I love compliments.”

“You will receive many compliments in the future,” Enoch assured her. “Although some you might consider to be... crude.”

That didn’t matter, Tabitha thought. She would be doing the thing she loved most. Dancing. And then there was the money.

“You have a spectacular body, if I may say so,” Enoch said.

“You may.” Tabitha giggled. She was starting to like this guy. She just wished she could see his eyes. But the pretty glass was in the way. And why did she suddenly feel like showing him how beautiful her body really was? How good she took care of it. It was all she could do not to start peeling her leotards off. She blinked hard and shook her head to try and concentrate more clearly, but her gaze was caught in the reflection of the pretty glasses again.

“I hope you are not shy with your body,” Enoch said.

“Well,” Tabitha began, her eyebrow scrunched charmingly. “Normally I wouldn’t be afraid to be a little bit revealing, if it sells tickets. You know what I mean? But I do have a nudity clause in all my contracts.”

“I assure you that will not be necessary,” Enoch said with a crooked smile. “Because from now on you will not be one bit hesitant about revealing your...charms.”

“Oh goody!” Tabitha exclaimed, as if that was the best news she had ever heard. She wasn’t exactly sure what he was talking about, but it sure sounded wonderful to hear him say it.

“Listen to me carefully Tabitha.”

“Yes, sir.” It was so easy to respond obediently to him, which was something she normally would not have done. It felt good actually. But it still baffled her nonetheless.

“You will leave here tonight, and go straight to a business establishment called The Pleasure Cage. Have you heard of it?”

“That sleazy nightclub? Isn’t that where they have those strippers and stuff?”

“Indeed.”

Suddenly Tabitha felt antsy. She wanted to get away, but something held her fast. An electric shimmer coursed through her tight body like a current and seemed to grab her.

Enoch continued, “I want you to go there tonight. Meet with the owner. A nice gentleman named Jake. He will take one look at you and hire you immediately. You will dance there. Men will give a lot of money. Hand over fist. Of course, they will compliment your...talents...as well.”

It all sounded so wonderful. Tabitha couldn’t wait to get over there. But did she really have to take her clothes off? The thought of it made her nervous...but it was a good kind of nervous. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. She was a great dancer...and she could be very, very sexy. Plus there was the money, the thought of which gave her an almost orgasmic thrill.

Tabitha never realized that Enoch had gently programmed her mind to receive primal urges of sexual stimulation with the thought of dancing nude and obtaining money from customers. It was more than she ever dreamed. At this point she would have eagerly agreed to anything he suggested. But was this all her future held?

“I just want to ask you...”

“After he hires you, this is what I want you to do...” Enoch said as he interrupted and silenced Tabitha with a wave of his hand.

Tabitha then listened with rapt attention as he spoke softly to her, feeding her instructions, which she carefully recorded in her mind. The more he spoke, the more excited she became. By the time he was through, she was almost crawling out of her skin with the urge to strip. She just knew that when she received her first tip that it would feel like just like a climax.

“I’ll never forget this!” Tabitha gushed. “I don’t know how I could ever repay you.”

“Think nothing of it,” Enoch chuckled. “Now go and enjoy your new career.”

“Bye. And thank you soooo much!” Tabitha said giddily as Enoch escorted her out the door, and she couldn’t help but giggle as she waved and bounded away on the toes of her workout shoes.

Enoch admired the wiggle in her step. He waved back, and then closed the door. As he turned over the ‘CLOSED’ sign over and locked the door, Enoch heard a soft voice coming from behind the curtain leading to the back of the shop.

“Why did you not keep her?”

Enoch replied with a huff, “Are you serious? She is not to my standards.”

“The day is getting closer.”

“I know that,” Enoch said with a weary sigh as he passed through the curtain into a small living room furnished with an old chair and a television. A huge emerald green iguana lizard relaxed across the back of a nearby sofa.

“There are many things we have to do to prepare.”

“You are telling me things I already know,” Enoch replied with a hiss.

“We need money.”

“I have already taken care of that. Now be quiet!”

It appeared that Enoch was speaking to the lizard even though the reptile barely moved. He turned on the television as he removed his dark glasses and laid them on a lamp table by his chair and rubbed his tired eyes.

“Why do you watch so much?”

“It relaxes me. Now be quiet, you are giving me a headache.”

“Did I mention we are short of supplies?”

Exasperated now, Enoch grunted through gritted teeth. " I said I would take care of it!”

“When?”

“Soon. Now give it a rest,” Enoch groused as he zoned out in front of the television. A beautiful television anchor named Megan Simpson was reading the news. She was a classic beauty with a flawless complexion, almond colored eyes and a beauty mark on her left cheek. The cameraman made sure he caught every curve of her perfect upper body in the lens.

“Now there is a possibility. What about her?”

Enoch was stunned and replied, “What?”

“You heard me, Enoch. She looks a lot like her.”

“Megan Simpson? Are you insane?”

“Why not?”

“She is...famous,” Enoch answered, trying to fathom the possibility of the idea.

“You’re point being...?”

“Do you think people would not miss her?”

“I think you are afraid of her.”

Perturbed, Enoch shot back, “Do not play your mind games with me you...lizard.”

“Just a suggestion.”

“I will take it under advisement,” Enoch said, trying to ignore the voice.

“Do not wait too long. It is only a few days until El Dia De Los Muertos.”

Enoch’s face contorted into a grimace as if he was in sudden pain when he heard the words.

“All right my friend. I will leave you alone. Good night.”

The lizard disappeared into the darkness behind the couch. He left Enoch alone, rubbing his temples with his eyes pinched shut.

October 29

It was the opening night of a new exhibit at a chic downtown Ixtlan art gallery, which specialized in South American art. Inside, a sleek eye-catching young woman with shoulder-length cinnamon brown hair and hazel eyes walked arm in arm with her father. The two of them were well dressed, she in a tasteful cocktail dress, heels and sparking jewelry, he in a dark tailored business suit with a cream colored silk tie.

Danielle was an 18-year old freshman at an all girls’ private college. Men would simply fall in love with everything about her, right down to the cute dimple in her chin and her addictive laugh. Although she came from a life of privilege, she did not have the elitist attitude like many around her. She was the scholarly type, who read voraciously, a pleasant but introverted young woman who preferred to study fascinating ancient cultures rather than obsess over material things. Among many talents, she was a gymnast, tennis pro, equestrian and martial arts expert, the latter thanks to Kung Fu and Tae Kwon Do training from the time Danielle could walk. After her mother’s death several years earlier, her only family besides her father was Daphne Danforth, Danielle’s 16-year-old younger sister who was a snotty, spoiled, precocious, upper crust brat. Her pretty young sister was always looking for trouble, and usually found it all while constantly defying authority.

Daphne was also a closet nymphomaniac who loved to tease older men, but always shied away when the chips were down. She was sneaky and loved dangerous situations and craved attention as she fawned over her father. Meanwhile, Daphne was jealous of Danielle’s success, and undermined her sister at every opportunity. As opposed to Danielle, Daphne loved being wealthy and flaunted at every chance in front of those less fortunate.

Tragically, there was also an empty spot in Danielle’s heart. Her twin brother, Daniel III, was never found after disappearing on a Swiss skiing vacation and was since presumed dead. Of course who could forget the incorrigible Uncle Dean Danforth, part of a swinging Jet Set of idle millionaires, flying around the world to exotic locales all thanks to stocks and profits from multiple investments.

Danielle’s father, silver-haired super tycoon Daniel Danforth II was the second generation C.E.O. of the massive global conglomerate, Danforth Enterprises, which owned among other things, a weapons defense design firm, along with aircraft and ship building corporations. He was usually too busy to spend a frivolous evening looking at art, but on a rare evening with an opening in his schedule, he made a special effort to join his oldest daughter for this event.

The occasion at the gallery was an installation of altars by a Spanish artist celebrating El Dia De Los Muertos. The Mexican Day of the Dead holiday, which took place near the same date of its unique counterpart, Halloween. The artist walked into the main gallery and introduced himself with a bow before the gathered crowd.

He then began explaining the elaborate exhibit. “Despite first impressions, El Dia De Los Muertos is a celebration, not a mourning, of the dead. The holiday itself begins October 31st and lasts until November 2. It dates back hundreds of years. In the Mexican culture, there has always been a fascination with death and dying. The afterlife and what happens to our souls are imbedded into the psyche by years of Catholic school teaching and the church. Altars such as these are made up by loved ones to honor the deceased. Favorite items such as cigarettes, foods, drinks and personal items are placed there so when the soul of the departed returns, they will find them there.

Then flowers, marigolds, are placed on a path from the altar to the graves of the dead, particularly children, so they will not lose their way. At the cemetery, there is an air of mystery and celebration. Hundreds of people gather, some wearing skull masks, to clean the gravesites. They stay for a while and have an evening picnic. Tamales and pan dulce are eaten with chocolate. Candy skulls such as these are a favorite with the children. Many light candles and incense and leave photos behind. All this is done so that the dead will never be forgotten. The future will always be connected to those that came before them.

So I invite you one and all, to enjoy these altars. And don’t be frightened. The spirits of the dead are usually friendly.”

The artist took a bow as the crowd laughed and applauded. Then they all dispersed to view the altars in the spacious gallery.

“Danielle, are you going to make an altar for me when I’m gone?” Danforth asked his daughter in jest as they strolled around the gallery arm in arm.

“Sure Daddy,” Danielle replied with a sly grin. “What do you want me to put on it? A cell phone?”

“Danielle!” Replied Danforth in mock dismay.

“I’m just kidding Daddy. So where do you want to go after this...Coffee?”

“I’d love to, princess but I have to get going.”

“Daddy, so soon?” Danielle whined. “It’s still early!”

“I have to go over some things tonight with my assistant. We have a big corporate buyout coming up tomorrow.”

Danielle sighed and gave a hurt little pout. Her father was always too busy to spend time with her. It seemed like he spent more time with his busty redheaded assistant Darla than with her. But she knew it was hard running multi national corporations. She finally gave in and told her father. “Well you have to promise me that we’ll get together again soon. Promise me.”

“Cross my heart, princess.” Danforth assured his daughter. She could still break his heart with just a look. “We’ll definitely have to do this more often. And don’t forget, we’ll see each other at the Fall Ball Saturday night.”

“Oh, that’s right!” Danielle exclaimed, referring to the annual fundraising event hosted by her father for Empire City’s social crowd, all to benefit the Empire City arts community.

“Have you thought about who will be escorting you there?”

“Daddy, don’t start.” Danielle groaned. Now that Danielle was considered to be the main heiress to the Danforth fortune, her father never lost the opportunity to urge Danielle to hurry and marry someone of her class, but the demure debutante was disinterested and bored with the constant tales of European vacations and expensive cars from spoiled rich suitors.

“I’m not getting any younger,” Danforth remarked. “And I would love to have a grandchild to leave my fortune to. Preferably a boy... or two.”

“Daddy, you’re awful!” Danielle scolded as she gently punched his arm.

“I’m just teasing princess.”

“All right, I’ll let you go to do your work,” Danielle said wistfully as she gave her father a peck on the cheek and a hug. “I had a wonderful time tonight. Good night, Daddy.”

“Good night, Princess. Are you going home too?”

“In a little bit.” Danielle answered. “I want to look at more of these altars.”

Danielle watched achingly as her father left the gallery and climbed into his limousine where she glimpsed the long shapely legs of Darla in sexy stockings and high heels through the opened door. There was something about that snooty Darla that Danielle didn’t quite like. For one thing, Danielle thought the shapely assistant always wore clothes that were a little too provocative for business attire. She couldn’t stand the thought that her Daddy would have anything to do with Darla on a personal level, which he always assured he would never do. There were enough gold-digging socialites after her father as it was, with him being the world’s richest and most eligible widower.

Daniel Danforth climbed into the limo and the door was closed with a soft thump. He sat back into the plush seats and relaxed as Darla handed him a stemmed glass of sparkling champagne she had just poured for him. Then she wrapped her red glossy lips sensuously around a fat cigar and used a gold lighter to stoke it for him. As the limousine glided away, Darla kneeled on the thick-carpeted floor of the car and began to unfasten the buttons of her silk blouse to reveal spectacular mounds spilling out of the cups of a satin black lace bra. Daniel sipped his fine champagne and enjoyed the vision of his lovely assistant as she tossed her long red silk tresses aside and began to unbuckle his belt and unzip his trousers. He loved the perks of being the richest man in the world.

Back inside the gallery the demure young Danielle grew increasingly anxious and went to look for Wanda O’Neil, her best friend and roommate. Wanda was a promiscuous young brunette whose continuing influence had kept Danielle in constant trouble since childhood when they met at the exclusive Hampton School for girls.

Once she located Wanda chatting with the handsome Spanish artist who had presented the exhibit, Danielle politely interrupted and pulled her friend aside into the ladies lounge where several other fashionably dressed young women were touching up their makeup. Wanda happened to notice one tall redhead wearing a shiny blue rubber dress enter the lounge and take a place at the mirror.

“Are you ready to go?” Danielle asked, exasperated at trying to get her friend’s attention as she ogled the redhead, who smiled back demurely. It was difficult having a bisexual best friend who was constantly on the prowl.

“Are you kidding? The evening’s just started.” Wanda said as she smiled and held her feline gaze on the curvy redhead. “I mean, where’s the fire, besides inside my thong?”

“I’m bored,” Danielle whined.

“Look, babe. I was just starting to get to know that young successful Spanish hunk of an artist out there. Get this... his name is Emiliano De Santos. Isn’t that simply luscious? I’ve always wanted to try a real Spanish dish.” Wanda giggled as she glossed over her thick lips with a fresh coat of creamy lipstick. “Why don’t you go on without me? I’m sure I can get a ride home with my new acquaintance.”

“I thought we agreed that one of us would never leave without the other.”

Wanda grabbed Danielle by the waist and whined, “Please make an exception. Just for tonight. I’m so horny I can’t stand it.”

Danielle sighed and shook her head. It was no use arguing with the stubborn Wanda especially when she was in heat. She reluctantly gave in. “I guess I shouldn’t wait up for you then?”

“Oh, you’re a sweet doll. I love you.” Wanda exclaimed, giving Danielle a pouted smooch right on the mouth. “I promise I won’t be home too late.”

“Be careful.”

“I promise.” Wanda said as she blew Danielle a kiss and hurriedly left the crowded ladies room lounge. “Bye, sweetie.”

Danielle absently wiped at her lip and went to the mirror to touch up her own makeup. She smiled and thought how sometimes Wanda could be a real handful, and then the tall redhead in the blue mini dress turned to her, “You are so lucky.”

“Pardon me?”

“Your girlfriend is very cute,” the redhead commented. “If you don’t mind me saying.”

Danielle blushed as the intent of the comment sunk in. “Oh, she’s not my girlfriend...I mean... she is my girlfriend...but not like...well...you know. We’re just friends.”

“Oh?” the redhead replied as she arched an eyebrow. Suddenly she became very interested in Danielle. “So does that mean you’re available?”

“Well, I’m not with anyone at the moment.” Danielle said, blushing again.

“My name is Elaine. Why don’t we go somewhere for drinks?”

“Oh! Um...well...I’m not...I mean,” Danielle stammered nervously, trying to find the words for this delicate situation, which wasn’t the first time. “Look, I’m really flattered, and you are so beautiful. And if I was...I mean... I’m not really what you think.”

Elaine pouted and looked vaguely disappointed and then brightened with a sweet smile, “Well, that’s unfortunate for me. Can I ask your name?”

“Danielle.”

“Pretty,” the tall redhead said, and then leaned forward to kiss Danielle gently on the cheek, which gave Danielle an unexpected thrill. “It was a pleasure to meet you anyway.”

Danielle then stood frozen and stunned as the red head walked out of the lounge, her slinky body moving sexily in her rubber dress. It took a few moments for Danielle to gather her composure. Her body was warm all over and she blew upward and fanned herself a bit until she could finally move.

With the thought of Wanda getting her rock offs and her close encounter with the lipstick lesbian, the anxious debutante thought that now would be a good time to go home and change. She was too wound up and definitely needed to release some of her pent up energy.

Danielle headed out of the crowded gallery and picked up her white convertible Ferrari from the eager valet, and sped off into the night, eager to get home. For some reason, she couldn’t get the redhead out of her mind, so she decided to grab her cell phone and began dialing.

In Daphne Danforth’s bedroom inside the immense Danforth estate, the vivacious young teen was clad in a silk and lace baby doll slip and sitting in front of her ornate vanity with one foot propped up as she carefully painted her pretty toenails. Her phone was tucked into the soft curve of her neck and shoulder while she chatted with one of her many boyfriends.

“What do you think I’m wearing?” Daphne asked teasingly.

Daphne giggled at what was being said on the other end of the line and then uttered sexily, “I’m sucking on a long, thick piece of hard candy, and I’m playing with my...”

There was an annoying double beep in her ear. “Hold on Jeremy. Someone’s on the other line.”

Daphne punched a button on her phone and answered, “Hello.”

“Hey, Sprite,” came the familiar voice.

“Oh, it’s you,” Daphne said as she rolled her eyes, doubly annoyed by both the interruption from her sister and the silly nickname. She couldn’t stand when her older sister called her ‘Sprite.’

“Well, hello to you too. Why aren’t you in bed? It’s a school night.” Danielle reminded her sister.

“Get a grip. It’s not that late.”

“Have you done all your homework?”

“Hello, I get my little nerd friends to do it for me.”

Danielle sighed, “You’ll never learn anything like that, Daph.”

“I have better things to do than become a brainiac like you.”

“Oh? Like what?”

“Duh! Like boys.”

“There are more important things than that, Daphne.”

“Whatever.”

“Go to bed by 11:00 at least,” Danielle pleaded. “Do it for me. Please.”

“Yes, mother,” Daphne said sarcastically.

“I wish you wouldn’t say things like that,” Danielle said.

Daphne suddenly felt bad, but only for a moment. “Sorry.”

“I’ll talk to you later.”

“Okay, bye.” Daphne said and hung up the phone, forgetting all about poor Jeremy who had

been waiting anxiously somewhere on his telephone.

Danielle pulled into the parking garage of the super exclusive Darlington Towers apartment building and steered right into her reserved spot right by the elevator. It was one of the perks of living in a building owned by her Uncle Dean’s real estate company. She climbed out of her sports car in a big hurry and stepped into the elevator to ride all the way up the tower to the penthouse suite. When the doors slid open to the immaculate living area, Danielle heard the familiar barks of her precious gray Schnauzer Puffy. The small dog quickly trotted up to Danielle as she squatted to greet her excited panting companion.

Puffy immediately took to nuzzling and licking Danielle’s cleavage like there was no tomorrow. Danielle responded to Puffy’s affection by purring to him in baby talk.

“You are jush the cutish widdle ting. Yesh you are!” Danielle gushed as she rubbed her nose with Puffy’s cold little snout. “Did baby mish her mommy?”

Puffy’s tail was wagging a mile a minute as he nearly passed out from the glorious odors he was sniffing from his beautiful owner while she carried him to her huge bedroom and set him carefully on the tastefully appointed bed. The dog’s ears perked up as he sensed what was about to happen.

Yes! Her owner was going to change. Oh joy! He sat down and made himself comfortable, never taking his beady little eyes from Danielle, who went to a secret panel on the wall of her bedroom and nudged a hidden device that caused a panel to revolve 180 degrees to reveal a built in compartment containing several identical costumes, all hung in a perfect row. Each of them was a different shade of lavender or purple, and all were made of a custom blend of latex, rubber and vinyl. The unique material was specially constructed with microscopic air holes for ventilation and flexibility. Danielle thought that a noble heroine never looked good when she was all sweaty.

The glamorous debutante slipped out of her dress. Then she removed her lace bra and panties and absently tossed them toward the bed so she could begin her ritual. She was totally unaware that Puffy was now sniffing and rolling in the underwear to his hearts content.

Danielle first opened a small drawer and took out a pair of white thong panties and slipped them over her long athletically toned legs. Then she pulled out a pair of flesh-colored nylons, dipping each foot luxuriously one at a time into the sheer material and pulling them up slowly along her silk thighs and tugged over her taut derriere.

Now it was time for the main part of the costume. Danielle took one of the slick lightweight catsuits, stepped into the leggings, and then pulled it up over her hips. It was a tight fit, but the material gave easily as she smoothed it up over her thighs. Then she slipped in one arm at a time, tugging at the wrists for just the right length. She then sealed her lithe body into the suit with a hidden plastic seam in the front, running her fingertip from a spot just above her pubic area all the way up to the top of her slender neck, careful to stuff her 36D breasts in comfortably and tossing her hair aside so as not to catch her silken tresses within. As she smoothed her palms over the surface to eliminate any folds or wrinkles, she marveled how good it felt on her flawless skin. The costume was virtually indestructible, and no perverted villain had yet figured out the secret of removing it.

Danielle bent down to grab a pair of patent leather ankle boots and slipped them on over her nylon covered feet. A perfect fit. Now it was time for the matching kid leather gloves, tight, for firm gripping. A thin leather belt with a pouch attached on one side was then buckled around her flared waist. She diligently checked the organized pockets within the pouch, which contained all manner of accessories for fighting crime including lock picks, miniature flashlight and stun gun, plastic handcuffs, and a special made cable and grapple for scaling walls. There was even a temporary breathing device in case of gas or water emersion.

There was one accent to her costume, which might have been primarily for aesthetic reasons, but its uses were many; a dark purple waist length cape of Kevlar based inflammable material. It even substituted as a fire shield on one occasion. It was lightweight, and nothing could tear it.

Finally there was the last and most important part of the costume. And Danielle made sure her silky cinnamon hair was brushed out and makeup touched up with dark eye shadow along with a frosty coat of dark purple lipstick before she took the thick rubber eye mask and carefully placed it across her sparkling blue eyes. A thin coat of special adhesive would hold the dark mask securely in place, as well as the secret to her real identity as heiress to the Danforth fortune. If any criminal dared capture and unmask her, there could certainly be dire consequences for her as well as her family.

Danielle stood before the full-length mirror with her hands on her hips and made a spectacular pose as she admired her physique fully outlined and accentuated by the clinging material of her suit. She felt powerful and alive when she put on the costume.

“What do think, Puffy?” she said to her adoring Schnauzer, who sat up at attention and gave out a loud approving bark.

“I thought so,” the bold heroine agreed as she gave herself one more half turn to admire the curves of the snug costume on her perfect form. “Don’t wait up for me. Dare Doll is going out on patrol, and hopefully put a major hurt on a criminal or two.”

With that the damsel of danger returned the costume compartment to it’s proper place and escaped through a hidden passageway in the back of her huge walk-in closet as Puffy watched and barked anxiously. He wished he could go with her, but someone had to stay behind to chew and sniff on this wonderful underwear.

October 30 12:00 Midnight

Outside of The Pleasure Cage, a dark figure stood on the roof of the nightclub, dressed all in black leather, with a glow-in-the-dark skeleton painted on the tunic and pants. He wore heavy buckle-covered black boots and a skull mask with elaborate designs on it in the style of the Mexican sugar candy skulls.

He called himself ‘La Calavera’, the skeleton.

The costumed prowler stared down into the skylight of the building watching Jake, the slick-haired owner of the club, while he sat back in a large cushioned chair in his private office. There was a big smile in Jake’s face as he watched while his best new moneymaking dancer, Tabitha, gave him a private table dance on Jake’s large mahogany desk. Moving sensually, Tabitha was doing exactly as instructed by creating a wonderful diversion for the normally paranoid owner, who ignored the bank of security cameras on the back wall of his office. She moaned passionately each time Jake produced a twenty-dollar bill and tucked it into her g-string.

In a corner of the room two bald and muscular bodyguards were playing pool while sneaking peaks at the erotic display. They were caught by surprise when the dark watcher suddenly jumped down through the skylight, and glass rained down inside the office. As Jake dove for cover, Tabitha emitted a high-pitch scream, and the bodyguards turned away from the shattering crash of glass. They slowly turned to see what had come down from the skylight, and stared in awe as a figure rose up ominously from a crouched position and faced them.

“Who the fuck are you?” Jake asked in a rage as Tabitha grabbed her gold tube top and mini skirt and climbed down off the desk in a panic.

“I am the one who has come to collect for your sins.” La Calavera replied in a deep ominous voice.

“You wacked out lunatic!” Jake snarled, and then screamed to his bodyguards, “What in the hell are you two waiting for? Waste him!”

The two bodyguards approached La Calavera gripping their pool cues menacingly. The first one came at him swinging, and La Calavera caught the stick with one hand and cracked it in two with the other. He then made a half turn as the bodyguard stumbled past him and struck him on the back of the head, causing the bodyguard to crash into the corner of a desk. The second swung wildly as La Calavera backed up and evaded each blow by inches.

When La Calavera was backed into a wall, the bodyguard grinned, and brought the cue stick back to strike. La Calavera brought his hand up at that moment and blinded the bodyguard with a flash of fire, making the bodyguard stumble backward and trip over the first bodyguard. He banged his head hard on the floor when he went down.

Finally, La Calavera turned to the stunned Jake and walked up to him slowly and menacingly.

“Go get help! Now!” Jake ordered the shivering Tabitha, who exited as quickly as possible, stiletto heels clicking, frightened out of her mind.

Jake pulled out a shiny silver pistol, sucked up his courage, and growled, “O.K. psycho, you’re mine! Turn around before I separate your head from your body!”

“You mean like this?” the frightful intruder replied as his head did appear to rise from his neck while his body revolved slowly 360 degrees.

Jake choked with shock, disbelief drawn across his face. It was impossible, and he had to shut his eyes before he went insane.

“I want to show you something,” La Calavera said as he slowly drew his hand up, palm out. In the middle of his palm was a moving eye.

“What the fuck is that thing?” the manager retched in disgust as he tried to keep from vomiting by covering his mouth with the back of his hand. It was the grossest thing he had ever seen, and he had seen some pretty gross things in his life.

“Have you not heard of “El Ojo”?

“What are you talking about, freak?”

La Calavera tossed a silvery cloud of dust over the manager’s face, which blinded him. As the manager screamed in pain and crumbled to his knees, La Calavera knelt close to him.

“You will do a great service for me now,” the masked intruder whispered.

“What? Anything! Just don’t kill me!” Jake begged.

“Be so kind as to open your safe for me.”

Jake tried to resist. There was no way he was going to open his safe. He had over a million in cash inside there, and he wasn’t about to let this freak get it. But try as he did to fight, his body betrayed his mind, and he felt himself being moved by unseen hands to the safe. His fingers began to tremble as he opened the cabinet and began to twist the combination. Jake tried to block his mind from the entity that seemed to invade his conscious, but it was useless. How was this possible?

Once the safe was open, La Calavera ordered the awestruck Jake to retrieve every neatly strapped stack of bills and held open a large black felt bag so Jake could fill it. Disbelief and nausea filled Jake as the safe was emptied of its contents

“Slumber in peace, my friend,” La Calavera said as he opened his mouth and cold smoke came out, causing Jake to swiftly pass out.

The vigilant Dare Doll was patrolling the seedy crime-infested section of Empire City known as The Bottoms in her coupe, which shimmered with a purple iridescent glow as it rolled under the streetlights. The armored body of her gleaming muscle car was enveloped with a spectacular purple liquid gel surface, which faded to a nondescript black when the engine was turned off, similar to the technology used for state of the art computer screens. It cruised in near silence like a predator, the powerful custom-built 400 horsepower engine muffled and electronically air-cooled under the hood, capable of flaming turbo thrust to blow the doors off either evader or pursuer.

While shaking her head at the lowlife scum trolling the sidewalks outside the row of S & M clubs, smoky taverns, porn shops, tattoo parlors, and strip joints. She was suddenly startled to glimpse a scantily dressed woman running out into the middle of the street, her ample breasts almost spilling out of her tube top.

An electronic pedestrian sensor automatically activated the emergency air brakes and the sleek cruiser screeched to a halt inches from the girl. Tabitha screamed and cringed as Dare Doll quickly jumped out and rushed to the hysterical girl.

“Are you O.K.?” Dare Doll asked. “What happened?”

“Somebody...in a mask...attacked us,” Tabitha sobbed in fright as mascara ran down her cheeks.

“Calm down. Who attacked you? Where?”

“A skeleton! Up there,” Tabitha answered in panic as she pointed to the second floor of The Pleasure Cage nightclub with a shaking finger. “I need to get away. He’ll kill me!”

“Stay here. I’ll be back,” Dare Doll ordered the terrified girl.

“No, don’t go up there!” Tabitha shrieked in terror.

Dare Doll ignored her warning and headed toward the club, entering the side exit door left open by Tabitha, and bounded up the steps two at a time until she entered a hallway. Ahead was an open door to an office. There was no sound.

Dare Doll entered and found three men unconscious on the floor arranged to where their heads were touching and arms folded across their chest. She noticed that each of them had something in their open mouths. Dare Doll scanned her eyes around the room once, deciding that whoever was here was gone now, out through the skylight from which they had come.

Dare Doll bent down and took the objects from the victim’s mouths, and discovered they were sugar candy skulls, one of which was covered in paper. Dare Doll carefully unwrapped it and found some writing in antique script. It was a poem, which read:

This is the first of my three deeds,

The second takes place tomorrow.

If you want to know where and when,

Start with the name, which means sorrow.

This is your secret number. 13.

Dare Doll pocketed the note and searched for more clues until she heard sirens approaching in the night. As the two stunned bodyguards begin to wake, Dare Doll quickly used her grapple and cable to climb up and out through the broken skylight.

Down on the street a car thief was eyeing Dare Doll’s coupe with a plan in his mind. The hot rod would definitely bring him some major cash. He approached with stealth and quickness, and brought out a stainless steel jimmy from his jacket to break into his potential prize. Just as he was about to slip the device into the window frame, a white-hot electric arc shot out of the door handle and touched the metallic tip with a loud zap. The thief squealed like a frightened girl and sped off down the street, whimpering and clutching the singed fingertips under his arm.

The yelp of pain and shock grabbed the attention of the determined detective while she looked around the roof. Dare Doll saw nothing unusual, so she went down to the street to look for the girl, but she was nowhere to be found. Across the street hidden in the shadows of a dark alley, La Calavera waited and watched as Dare Doll climbed into her cruiser. Then the fat racing slicks of the coupe screeched with burning rubber as the heroine disappeared into the night as.

La Calavera whispered, “So Dare Doll is the one who accepts my invitation... interesting.”

When morning came, Danielle was safely back in her apartment, curled up on a plush sectional sofa in the elegant sunken den with her best friend Wanda, both wearing string bikini panties and sheer lace nightgowns. Since Wanda was her closest friend, she was the only one Danielle could trust with the knowledge of her alter ego, Dare Doll. So the two of them spent all morning trying hard to figure out the puzzle in the poem left at the scene of the crime. Wanda squinted from behind her chic designer reading glasses and wrinkled her nose at the results of a search in her laptop thesaurus to find all the meanings of sorrow.

“Let’s see...sorrow. Grief...sadness...remorse...distress...”

“None of those sounds like someone’s name,” Danielle commented as she dangled one long coltish leg off the edge of the sofa. Puffy, who was in state of rapture, was busily licking her ticklish toes.

“Maybe it’s none of these,” Wanda said glumly. “Someone who has sorrow has...”

“Pain?” Danielle suggested.

“Hmmm...Pain.”

“Wait a minute. What day is this?” Danielle asked suddenly.

“October 30th.”

“And tomorrow is Halloween.”

“So?”

“...And who has a super exclusive party every year on that night?”

“Of course! ...Jason Payne... the eccentric millionaire. Every Halloween he invites twelve of his closest and richest associates to his mansion for a costume party. The rumors about what they do are very...unusual,” Wanda said with an arched eyebrow.

“And he makes thirteen,” Danielle exclaimed.

“The secret number,” Wanda replied as she suddenly recognized the puzzle.

“I have to call Daddy and let him know I can’t make it on time to the Fall Ball tomorrow night. Dare Doll has a crime fighting appointment with a creep, and that creep is going to be very disappointed when the seminar is over.”

“You’d better be careful, Danielle.” Wanda warned. “Remember what happened last time with Doc Morpheus.”

“Don’t worry Wanda,” Danielle replied as she tried to shake off the thought of that experience. She confidently pronounced, “Dare Doll won’t get caught in a sling this time.”

Puffy licked his lips after tongue bathing Danielle’s sweet toes and gave out a nervous bark. Who was she kidding?

It was after his morning swim, and Daniel Danforth was now relaxing by the pool reading the business section of the morning paper while he glanced over occasionally to admire his buxom assistant Darla as she sunbathed topless in the lounge chair next to him. She smiled back at him from behind her dark glasses, her body glistening with lotion.

The cell phone rang and Danforth picked up, looking at the digital screen to see that it was his daughter calling.

“Yes, princess.”

“Hi, Daddy.”

“Hello pumpkin.”

“Daddy I have some bad news.”

“Oh?”

“I’m going to be late to the Fall Ball tomorrow night.”

“Is everything all right?”

“Don’t worry, everything is fine. Something that came up suddenly.”

“Anything I can do?”

“No Daddy, but I appreciate it.” Danielle said, and then quickly tried to change the subject so her father wouldn’t ask her any more questions. She hated to lie to him. “So what are you going to do today?”

“Oh, I’ll probably just play a round.”

“Daddy, don’t you get tired of that silly sport?”

“Not at all. It relaxes me. And it’s wonderful exercise.”

“Well, I’ll see tomorrow then. Bye Daddy.”

“Bye pumpkin,” Danforth said and hung up as he smiled at his assistant.

“Play around hmmm?” Darla purred as she reached into his baggy swim trunks to gently pump his growing erection. “I guess I’m going to need to borrow your shaft. How many strokes do you think it will take before you make it in the hole?”

“Depends on how tightly wound my balls are.” Danforth replied with a lascivious grin.

“You’d better let me wash them off first.”

Morning—October 31st

It was the rare instance where Danielle knew it was a dream. There was a faint realization in her subconscious that her mother and brother were really gone, but there they were. On the beach at the Danforth summer vacation home on the cape. Her brother Danny was flying an enormous box kite while her mother and father sat nearby on a blanket, sharing whispers and wine. Her heart was filled with profound joy. Why couldn’t this day last forever?

As she watched Danny’s kite climb impossibly high, Danielle forgot about the book of English castles she was reading. Wasn’t it strange that she couldn’t quite make out the words, but the pictures were so vivid? Suddenly an ominous sensation seized her as she looked out at the vast ocean. The sea always elicited awe and wonder in Danielle. What was really out there under all that water? Sometimes it frightened her to think about it.

Danielle looked at Danny but he was gone. All she could see was his kite disappearing into the clouds. She turned to her mother and father, and they were gone too. Why did they leave her alone? She stood up to look for them when she noticed the last remnants of a foaming wave creeping up the beach and overtaking a sand castle. Exactly like the one in the book.

“No,” came a whisper.

Danielle opened her eyes. She was startled by the sense of someone in her bedroom. When her vision adjusted to the dim light, she looked at the foot of her bed and saw a woman standing there watching her. The face was familiar, and she tried to put a name to the woman.

“Elaine,” the beautiful redhead said, as if she could read Danielle’s mind. She pouted her lips and purred, “I can’t believe you don’t remember me, Danielle.”

Elaine was wearing a blue silk dress and her wavy red hair cascaded around her bare shoulders. Danielle could not get over how attractive she was.

“You don’t have to move.” Elaine whispered.

Danielle wanted to get up to greet her, but she was paralyzed by the words.

There was something disorienting that Danielle could not quite place. How did she get in? How did she find me? What does she want? All those questions were quickly forgotten when Elaine sat at the foot of Danielle’s bed and touched her leg. She ran her fingertips along Danielle’s calf and ankle and over the arch of Danielle’s bare foot.

“Wait...” Danielle whispered, but the rest of her words were stopped in her throat. Elaine’s touch seemed to wash over her entire body, and all Danielle could do was sigh and arch her back as Elaine caressed her tender sole. It was like the woman knew exactly where to touch her to elicit the most arousing responses. Danielle was filled with a sensual urge that only Elaine could fulfill.

The long fingernails danced over her heel and under her arch, and Danielle winced with pleasure. Although she was not being touched in her most intimate area, she felt a warm wetness down their and her hands ached to satisfy the urge that was building within her. All she could do was moan and sigh as her quiet visitor took her time manipulating her, controlling her with just the touch of her hands.

Something began to happen when Danielle saw Elaine kiss her tender toes as she gently kneaded the soft pad of her foot. It was too much. She wanted to tell Elaine to stop, that she couldn’t take the overwhelming sensation, but she couldn’t. When Elaine began to lick and then suck her big toe, Danielle felt like she was going to erupt with an intense orgasm. “Unnnnnnnnnnnnnnh!”

Danielle awoke with a moist ticklish sensation on her foot. She gasped when she found her gray pet Schnauzer Puffy busily licking and nibbling playfully on her toes.

“You little rascal!” Danielle exclaimed as she stretched, yawned and rubbed the sleep from her lovely eyes. She tried to remember the strange dreams she just had, but they were already fading as quickly as they had arrived.

“Come here so I can give you some sugar,” Danielle ordered as she grabbed Puffy by the waist and held him to her bosom so she could tickle his ribs. The excited dog squirmed and growled playfully in her grasp until she mercifully allowed him to catch his breath. Then the two of them lay side-by-side and relaxed together in the comfort of the downy pillows and sheets.

“I have to be honest with you Puff.” Danielle whispered to her faithful companion as she lay on her bed with him. “I’m a little anxious about tonight.”

Puffy looked at her with an expression that Danielle could only determine to be deep concern.

“These criminals can be so horrible.” Danielle continued. “When I decided to become Dare Doll and start a secret crime fighting career, I never imagined how perverted and depraved these creeps could be. I can’t even begin to tell you some of the things they’ve tried to do to me.”

Danielle sighed deeply, “But I chose this life, and I’m not going to give up now. Besides, it can be a real thrill, you know? I love teaching those low life scums that they can’t just go around hurting innocent people. Give them a taste of their own medicine. As long as there are criminals in Empire City, Dare Doll will be around to stop them.”

Puffy gave a single bark of agreement.

“I love talking to you Puffy.” Danielle cooed to her precious dog as she rubbed her nose on his and scratched behind his furry ears. “You’re a wonderful listener.

Puffy loved his beautiful owner with all his heart. He would even fight a lion for her if she ever wanted him to. If only he could speak, he would tell her how he felt. Alas, all he could do was lick her pretty face to let her know.

Halloween Night

In an exclusive area of Empire City where mansions were lined one by one, La Calavera waited patiently from the shadows of a tree grove when he spied the unmistakable purple coupe driven by Dare Doll. The rumbling muscle car rolled to a halt near the gate of one of the mansions. When the engine was shut off and the glowing machine turned dark, the masked villain walked up boldly toward the vehicle from behind. He passed by the driver’s side, and waved his hand in one smooth motion. The delectable damsel never knew what happened, and her body was frozen in place.

Dare Doll’s senses never registered La Calavera approaching the huge front door of the estate of eccentric millionaire Jason Payne. The bell was rung with a flourish, and moments later a gray-haired butler opened the door. Seemingly confused at the costumed caller, he inquired, “Are you here for the occasion, sir?”

“Of course,” La Calavera answered pleasantly.

“May I see your invitation, sir?” The doorman inquired.

“Here you are, my good man,” La Calavera said, as he held up his hand palm outward. The doorman gasped and instinctively took a step back with a shudder when he saw the moving eye in the eerie visitor’s palm. Then he came under the mind-controlling spell of the eye.

“Come right in. I’ll show you the way,” La Calavera said calmly.

“Come right in. I’ll show you the way,” The doorman repeated in a low shaken voice.

The doorman led La Calavera through the hall to a huge living area, where all the other guests had gathered. There were six couples dressed in a variety of costumes. One couple was dressed in Victorian era clothes, while another couple was in Egyptian attire. One black couple wore African garb, and one man was in full samurai battle dress with his mate in a Japanese kimono. Another pair wore immaculate royal garb from Roman times, while the last couple was dressed as an Aztec warrior and his maiden complete with feather headdresses.

All their costumes were authentic to every detail, and Jason Payne himself was in full dress Nazi officer regalia complete with shiny black leather boots and swastika armband. He had a baffled look on his face as the unexpected guest entered. La Calavera looked over the room, and noticed the elaborate decorations and a lavish array of food on several ornate tables.

“Edward. Would you be so kind as to introduce our new guest?” Payne inquired of his doorman.

“He...he did not give his name Mr. Payne,” Edward answered blankly.

“Perhaps you would like to introduce yourself, then,” Payne suggested with amusement.

“You may call me La Calavera.”

“I must say, that is a striking costume.”

“Thank you,” La Calavera replied as he moved through the room.

“This is a private affair. Are you sure you are in the right place?” Payne asked as the others looked on with amusement.

“Quite sure.”

“What can I do for you, then?”

“I have come to collect for your sins,” La Calavera said simply, his tone changing.

“Pardon me?” Payne asked with a befuddled expression on his face.

“I brought you a gift,” La Calavera announced as he stepped into the middle of the group and set an object on the middle of a table. It was an antique Mexican spinning top, and the group watched fascinated as it righted itself and began to spin by without any visible means of force. There were exclamations of “Oh my!” “Wow” and “Look at that.” The object continued to gain speed until it was spinning unbelievably fast. The group looked on enthralled as the top began to rise slowly off the table, and when it was at eye level, they were completely hypnotized and immobile.

“This is where the fun begins,” La Calavera said as he walked around and helped himself to some food before he began to remove the most expensive pieces of jewelry from the guests.

“Now let me see...” La Calavera said amusingly as he filled his pouch with treasures. “Something old... Something new. Something borrowed... and something blue.”

After he took all the pieces and dropped them delicately into a black velvet pouch, the masked party crasher went around to each guest and whispered a command into his or her ear. The first couple La Calavera came to was in Egyptian attire. La Calavera commanded the husband to act like a worshipping slave to lick and suck his wife’s feet while she fondled herself. The next couple in Victorian dress he told to take turns spanking one another. The African woman he ordered to purr and act like a cat while her husband bent her over an antique couch and humped her doggie style.

The Aztec couple he posed in the classic painting of the Aztec and the dead maiden, but had the warrior fondle and grope her prone form instead of mourning over her. The samurai was urged to pretend he was a horse and the geisha was the rider, mounting him like a bucking bronco. The man dressed as Caesar took delight in sneaking up behind his unsuspecting wife and inserting lighted matches between the toes of her sandaled feet. Finally, the last couple was commanded to perform oral sex on each other on top of the elaborate food table.

“And last but not least,” La Calavera said. “Since you are so enamored of the Fuhrer, I think it would be appropriate if you were to goose step around the room shouting ‘Heil Hitler’ while your guests enjoy themselves.”

Like an obedient automaton, Jason Payne immediately began marching around the room, tucking his riding crop neatly under one arm and thrusting the other arm straight out in the Nazi salute, shouting, “Heil Hitler!” at the top of his lungs.

“Now this is an affair to remember!” La Calavera laughed maniacally as he helped himself to some of the gourmet treats. He set a candy skull wrapped in paper on the table and then took the colorful top from its mid air spin. “I hope you will please forgive me, Jason, but I must eat and run. Before I leave however, I should warn you that I noticed a very mysterious person loitering outside your front gate. This person may be a danger and you should take proper precautions.”

“Much appreciated, my good man.” Payne replied, pausing in the middle of his marching. “If they should dare enter my home, I will deal with them appropriately.”

La Calavera took one more look around and laughed at the scene before him before he left. On the way, he patted the frozen doorman on the head and strolled out the front door. As he passed by Dare Doll, he waved his hand once again and freed her from her frozen state. Once released, a sudden feeling of time loss baffled Dare Doll. She checked the clock on the dashboard and gasped in disbelief at the time, “What in the world?”

“Enjoy the party,” La Calavera whispered as he watched Dare Doll hurry out of her car and approach the mansion.

Dare Doll ran quickly to the front of the immaculate estate. The front door was wide open, which was not a good sign. She cautiously entered the front door. Once inside, she heard a commotion from down the hall, she headed towards it. She entered the main living room and found a very unusual scene.

Groups of costumed guests were performing perverted acts on one another as if they were stars in some porn film orgy. Dare Doll then noticed the doorman standing stock-still, and she waved a gloved hand in front of his face. There was not even a blink of the eye. She scanned the room and her eyes were suddenly drawn to a familiar object on a table in the middle of the room.

Dare Doll walked over, picked it up, and unwrapped the paper. It was another poem, which read:

The second of my deeds is done,

I am saddened you were so late.

Perhaps another chance to catch me,

When I purloin my future mate.

Your lucky number is 9.

“He’s sicker than I thought,” Dare Doll muttered as she tucked the poem into her pouch and looked around the room to survey the startling situation.

Dare Doll was stunned to feel a cloth suddenly clamped over her mouth. ‘No! Not this again!’ she thought as the unmistakable sweet scent of ether filled her flaring nostrils. She struggled valiantly and was almost successful in freeing herself, but Jason Payne held her firmly against his body, and his groin pressed into her tensed buttocks. He had one arm wrapped around her bucking torso, trying to avoid her flailing arms and kicking legs.

The daring detective was slowly succumbing to the slumber inducing vapors, her squirming now slowly easing to the occasional gentle spasm as her body began to slump in Payne’s tight grasp. He laid her on one of the nearby sofas, careful to keep the cloth firmly over her mouth and nose, and then patted it gently as he made sure the heroine was rendered weak and nearly unconscious. He liked the way her pretty eyes rolled up, her lashes fluttering behind her mask. Her parted lips gasped for air when he took the cloth away and her head lolled from side to side as Payne brushed the silken hair away from her face to get a better look at her.

“Ummmmmmmm.” Dare Doll sighed drowsily as Payne rubbed his finger across her puffy bottom lip, over the cute dimpled in her chin and across her soft cheek to touch the tiny beauty mark there.

“Exquisite,” Payne whispered lasciviously as he took the opportunity to fondle his new prize. He placed a hand on her breast and gently massaged it, and the latex squeaked in response. He then squeezed harder until he elicited a soft moan of reaction from the dazed Dare Doll. He took off his wool glove and rubbed his palm over her torso to enjoy the tactile feel of her slick costume. When he gave her nipple a pinch, Dare Doll gasped and began to regain her senses. Payne quickly dabbed the cloth on her face again, and watched with glee as she lost her battle with the vapors once again.

“Oh, this is much too sweet to pass up,” Payne giggled as he became fully aroused by his guests, who were still fully engaged in their own carnal past times. He stared in Dare Doll’s heavy lidded eyes and said, “You shouldn’t have trespassed in my home, young lady, you with your mask. He told me you were up to no good. Now I will have to deal harshly with you.”

Payne climbed on top of Dare Doll’s prone form and wiggled his hips between her firm thighs. The poor heroine was unaware and therefore unable to resist the perverted attack on her virtue. She could only moan and sigh sleepily as the callous millionaire began to rub his groin into hers. Try as he might though, Payne could not figure out where the opening in her costume was located. Before he could even get the trousers of his Nazi officer’s uniform undone, he ejaculated prematurely from his sexual over exuberance.

“Curses!” Payne groused as he quickly climbed off the fortunate heroine when he saw that his uniform was now ruined. But Dare Doll would not be fortunate for long as her molester went to a window and removed the heavy cords holding back the enormous curtains.

Payne was full of fury now as he rolled Dare Doll onto her stomach after giving her another dose of ether for good measure. Then he removed her belt and pouch along with her short cape. ith swift skill he pulled the heroine’s arms back and securely tied the wrists and elbows together. Then he bound her at the ankles and looped the slack through her wrist ties and pulled her legs up and back until she was cinched into a strict hogtie position. Once she was tightly packaged, Payne tugged and double-checked every knot and line.

Once satisfied, Payne took Dare Doll’s light cape, rolled it tightly and used it to gag his sleepy captive before she could regain her senses. He disappeared from the room for several minutes, and returned wearing the red satin tights of a hooded costume complete with horns, tail, black cape and pitchfork. He also had a sharp goatee pasted to his chin, that he twisted with glee.

Dare Doll was just then recovering from the effects of the ether, and her eyes went wide behind her mask when she realized her dire situation. Jason Payne was now dressed like a devil, grinning and salivating like a lunatic over her shapely trussed up form. Outraged by her vulnerable predicament, Dare Doll began to grunt as she struggled fiercely with her stringent bonds. The tight gag kept her pleas to nothing more than a muffled “Mmmmmph! Ummmmmmmph!”

The heroine could see that the millionaire had obviously been brainwashed or mind controlled through a spell of some sort, just like the other guests. It had to be the work of La Calavera. But how did she miss seeing him enter or leave Payne’s estate? It distressed her even more to know that her captor probably did not realize exactly what he was doing, much less the consequences of his actions. More than ever, Dare Doll was afraid Jason Payne would discover her true identity when she soon remembered that he was on the board of directors of her father’s charity organization, the Danforth Foundation.

And now his intentions definitely did not appear to be good.

Fall Ball

Daniel Danforth entertained the many guests at the Fall Ball. He strolled around dressed to the nines in a fine tuxedo with tails, top hat and cane. It was the standard dress for the men, while the women wore a variety of colorful sequined ball gowns, jewelry and elaborate feather and fur domino masks. Danforth’s escort was the statuesque Darla, whose plunging neckline and slits revealed an eye-popping amount of cleavage and shapely leg.

Dean, Danforth’s jet setting younger brother, had just arrived. He was fashionably late and puffing on a cigarette as he walked in with a cool swagger in his step. A woman accompanied him on each arm, a Swiss blonde named Gretchen, and a French brunette named Corinne.

“Drunk again,” Daniel Danforth commented when he greeted his younger brother and shook his head disapprovingly. He could smell the bourbon a mile away.

“You too, Daniel?” Dean slurred back, one upping his brother with his drunken wit.

“Enjoy yourself.” Daniel sighed and turned away to speak to another well-wisher.

“Will do, Daddy’O.” Dean chuckled as he strolled on, and then muttered under his breath to Suzette and Tiffany, “Took the starch right out of his shorts, eh? Come on my little sweet cakes, les’ go get a little drinky drink. Uncle Dino is thirsty.”

The girls giggled and wiggled their voluptuous bodies through the crowded ballroom toward the nearest bar as their generous benefactor schmoozed with the guests along the way.

Across the dance floor, Wanda was in deep conversation with her date, the Spanish artist Emiliano.

“Is anything wrong?” Emiliano asked as they tangoed. “You seem bothered by something.”

“I’m getting a little worried about my friend Danielle,” Wanda replied. “She should have been here an hour ago.”

“I am sure she will be along.”

Wanda felt strange, and wanted to leave to look for Danielle, but something held her in place. She convinced herself that Danielle could take care of herself.

“Why don’t we find someplace so we can be alone for a moment?” Emiliano suggested.

Arousal flooded through Wanda like never before. Not like this. Emiliano was so handsome and charming. He was perfect, and she wondered why she never noticed how much so. She hadn’t been this horny since the time she screwed Teddy Winthrop in his private jet after he put it on autopilot. Flying excited her above anything else. Now she was turned on even more than that. She became lost in the deep brown eyes of Emiliano and allowed herself to be led to a secluded hallway away from all the guests. Once there, Emiliano pinned Wanda helplessly against the wall and slipped his hand through the slit in her gown as he kissed her vigorously.

She melted in his touch, and released herself to him. Emiliano’s hands roamed over her pliant body, and when the time came, Wanda took him eagerly inside, wrapping one long leg around his waist to pull him in deeper. It was the most amazing fuck she ever had.

Back at the Payne Mansion, Dare Doll was in alarming danger. After enduring a thoroughly repulsive groping session by Jason Payne as he struggled to figure out how to remove her latex costume, she now found herself in his private sauna, trussed in a standing position to a vertical beam. The cape in her mouth had also been replaced with a ball gag harness that stretched her lips and aching jaws to the limits. Sweat poured from her brow as minute by minute the steam room heated up to unbearable temperatures. Dare Doll was thankful that Payne, in his delirium, could not figure out how to remove her costume, much less think of removing her mask. But those were the only miracles working in her favor. With ropes wrapping her ankles, knees, waist, wrists, elbows and chest, the dire damsel could not budge her taut bonds one centimeter.

All she could do was endure the stifling heat as Payne stared at her behind the foggy glass door, tormenting her with his taunts and laughter while slowly turning up the thermostat to cruel heights. Dare Doll was even more disgusted when Payne began to pleasure himself from behind the glass while he delighted in her suffering.

“If you want me to free you, all you have to do is say so,” Payne giggled, knowing full well Dare Doll could not respond with her pretty mouth stuffed with the bitter rubber ball. All she could do was glare at him and snarl through her gag. This went on for some time until Payne saw that Dare Doll was about to pass out.

“Listen carefully you little wench,” Payne said as he entered the private hell he had created for his captive. “If you tell me how to remove that blasted costume of yours, I’ll end your suffering.”

Dare Doll bit her gag angrily and shook her head ‘no’.

“Very well, I’ll leave you here to stew for awhile.” Payne said. “Maybe when I return in an hour or two, your defiant attitude will have changed. Then I’m sure you’ll be more than eager to become my little masked sex toy.”

“Unnnnnnnnnnnnnnh!” Dare Doll squealed when Payne patted her hip and groped her breast.

“Oh, and maybe this will serve as a slight incentive towards full obedience until I return,” Payne said with perverse pleasure as he held up a large black vibrator in front of Dare Doll’s stunned face.

Dare Doll shook her head and whined as Payne took his time placing the device as tight as possible between her tensed up thighs and then secured it firmly against her groin with a crotch rope. He stared into Dare Doll’s worried eyes and flicked the switch to see her reaction. The thick vibrator hummed to life and made the helpless heroine wince as it rumbled against her tender mound.

“Ummmmpppppppphhh!” Dare Doll screamed into her gag as Payne turned the setting up a few notches. How perverted can he be? She thought. Oh, he’s going to pay for this!

“Excuse me while I see to my guests.” Payne mused. “I’ve neglected them much too long.”

Dare Doll scowled hard at Payne as he left her in the steaming sauna. Her hatred distracted her for a moment, but once her captor was gone, she was once again in full distress by her harrowing predicament. The intense stimulation kept her from concentrating very long on a plan for escape. Each time she tried to think straight, her body would succumb to the pleasurable sensations, and she fought hard not to orgasm.

The heat was making her weaker by the minute, and finally the first orgasm exploded inside her. After several intense minutes, she tried to calm her body down, but the mind numbing sensations from the vibrator would not stop. She was about to give up after the third climax, but Dare Doll used every bit of her last remaining strength to concentrate on her hands, which had been tied palms together. She twisted one wrist until the right palm was facing the back of left. Yes, there it was, she could feel it now! A cutting device embedded into the cuff of her glove. Thank goodness he hadn’t removed them. Now it was time to go to work.

“Ummmmmmmmmmm!” Dare Doll moaned. She had to pause for a moment as a fourth climax rushed through her. One more and she was sure to pass out. She had to work fast.

Yes! The wrist bonds were cut. Now it was time for the waist and chest. Once those were cut away, she could slide her body down and cut through the knee binding and finally the ankle ropes. Now it was the hard part. Her elbows. She found a joint in the vertical beam she was bound to and pushed the blade in the seam with her last ounce of strength. As carefully as possible, despite the ongoing assault to her groin, Dare Doll managed to use the exposed part of the blade to saw through the elbow ropes, just as her senses began to fade.

There was a sharp pain in her arms as she pulled them free, and that was enough to shock her to back to life. Dare Doll rushed toward the glass door and pushed through it, unbuckling the gag from her mouth and gasping for cool air. After yanking the vibrator and ropes away from her crotch, she crumpled to the floor on her hands and knees, allowing herself a minute to gain her strength once her body temperature began to drop back to normal.

Dare Doll sighed gratefully when she saw a water cooler in a nearby corner of Payne’s private gym. She gulped down cup after of cup of water until she was back to normal. She brushed the wet hair out of her face and thought about Jason Payne. Her first instinct was to find him and break every bone in his body, but common sense prevailed. There would investigations and explanations to the authorities, and Dare Doll had no time for that. Besides, there was a larger concern. La Calavera. Payne was merely an innocent pawn used to torment and distract her while he escaped clean.

The determined heroine gritted her teeth and headed out of the gym and down the hall. She confronted Payne, who was stunned by her appearance.

“How did you...?” were the only words he could manage before Dare Doll leveled him with a punch to the jaw. Payne fell back and crashed into a brittle antique, smashing it into pieces. The heroine retrieved her cape, belt and pouch and finally left after placing an anonymous call to report a disturbance at the Payne residence. The police would discover an unusual scene, but Dare Doll couldn’t spare another minute. Right now she had to make an appearance at the Fall Ball before her father noticed she wasn’t there.

November 1st

The next afternoon, Danielle and Wanda relaxed on the private terrace of their apartment and sunbathed by the pool in their string bikinis. They spent the lazy Sunday reading the newspaper and trying to recover from both their previous late night escapades. Danielle kept the more humiliating details of her encounter with Jason Payne to herself, but Wanda was more forthcoming.

“He was absolutely incredible,” Wanda moaned. “After we did it in the hall, we went next door to the Blake Hotel and screwed our brains out. I did things to him I’ve never done to a guy before. It was like I couldn’t say ‘no’ to anything he said, no matter what.

“I think that was a little bit more than I wanted to know,” Danielle replied. She tried to change the subject as quickly as possible. “Why don’t we try to figure out what this message means?”

“This one is even nuttier than the last,” Wanda said as she put on her glasses and attempted to decipher the poem.

“All we really have to work with is the last line and the number nine,” Danielle said.

“’Purloin my future mate.’ Is he really going to kidnap someone, or is it a metaphor?” Wanda wondered.

“I don’t think he really wants us to solve this clue until it happens. I think I got close last night, but somehow I missed him.”

“All we can do then is listen to the scanners and watch the news,” Wanda sighed. “Let’s go inside. The six o’clock news should be coming on.”

“What channel?” Danielle asked as she picked up the television remote control.

“Nine of course. My favorite news babe... Megan Simpson. What a hottie,” Wanda gushed with a sheepish grin.

Danielle shook her head and turned on a large high definition flat screen television with the remote, and something struck her as she punched the number nine button to change the channel. Megan Simpson was reporting from the area of Empire City known as The Village, where revelers in costume were creating a ruckus behind her.

Megan Simpson began her news remote. “I’m here on Old Elm Street in the heart of The Village, where thousands of revelers are already crowding the streets on the third day of El Dia De Los Muertos. This celebration has grown bigger and bigger every year, and this year, city officials decided to close off the streets to avoid the traffic jam and other problems of a year ago when over a hundred youth were arrested on various charges.

This has added to the atmosphere of the old annual Halloween parade along with a more Spanish flavor. It’s almost like Mardi gras and Cinco de Mayo all rolled into one. Tomorrow is November 2nd, and it’s the grand finale, where even more are expected to join in the festivities. Empire City Police Chief Patrick O’Neil has assured us that police presence will be felt here. And there will be strict enforcement of the 11:00 p.m. curfew, so there shouldn’t be a repeat of last year’s incidents.”

“Hey, she mentioned my Dad!” Wanda exclaimed, referring to her father, Empire City’s esteemed head of law enforcement. Danielle always wondered how the only daughter of a police chief could consistently get into so much trouble. Maybe because Wanda knew there was no way Chief O’Neil would ever put his spoiled little girl in jail. She was definitely a Daddy’s girl through and through.

Megan Simpson continued her remote as the cameraman followed dutifully, keeping his lens on the lovely anchorwoman’s firm behind in the frame while she stepped toward the crowd. “I’m going to see if I can talk to one of the participants. Excuse me, can I talk to you a second?” Megan called out and waved over a costumed celebrant. It was La Calavera, who turned to face the camera.

“Check this guy out,” Danielle told Wanda.

“Oh my. He looks very intense,” Wanda responded with a smirk.

“That is a very scary mask, I must say. What’s your name?” Megan Simpson asked her interviewee.

“You may call me ‘La Calavera’,” he responded from behind the mask.

With an amused smile and a winking look at the camera, Megan Simpson asked, “How long have you been out here?”

“For centuries,” La Calavera responded.

“I see...uh...” Megan stammered, perplexed by his response.

“I have a message for a friend if I may...the one called Dare Doll,” La Calavera suddenly announced.

“Dare Doll?” Megan asked.

La Calavera held up his hand to Megan Simpson, who froze suddenly, her eyes glazing over as she looked at La Calavera with an utterly spaced-out expression.

“What the...?” Danielle stammered as she watched the scene enthralled.

La Calavera began speaking to the camera, “A poem if I may.

Tonight is the night of all souls,

An evening for madness and fun.

Now, my friend you may watch me,

As the third of my deeds is done.

Your lucky number is 7.”

“Ohmigosh! It’s him.” Wanda exclaimed.

“What’s he going to do?” Danielle asked as she watched the scene helplessly.

La Calavera laughed and swept Megan up in his arms, as her body seemed to go limps in his arms. The camera began to jump around erratically, and the last thing Danielle and Wanda saw was La Calavera laughing, while rising up the side of a building, as if being pulled by an invisible string.

“Did I just see what I thought I just saw?” Wanda asked in shock, and then turned to Danielle, who was already leaving the room to change into Dare Doll as Puffy barked and chased close behind.

La Calavera carried Megan Simpson into the back of his shop.

“Finally, I will have you back again, Marisa. It is soon time to renew our vows.” La Calavera whispered to his unconscious victim.

Once inside his bedroom, he laid her on the bed.

The iguana peered down from his perch atop a large armoire. La Calavera noticed the lizard and said, “Incredible isn’t she?”

“Yes, I believe she will do quite nicely. She even resembles Marisa a great deal.”

La Calavera nodded in agreement. Soon his beloved Marisa would return from the world of the dead, and he would truly be happy once again.

Dare Doll waited patiently for hours until the police were gone. She then began her own search for clues on the roof of the building where Megan was abducted. It was dark now, but with her small flashlight, she noticed a strange symbol painted on a large air conditioning unit. Her detective instincts told her to climb up the side of the unit, and sure enough, there was another candy skull perched on top. She took the skull and what was sure to be another poem and disappeared like a will o’ the wisp when someone came up to investigate.

Back at her apartment, Dare Doll came in the secret passageway, where Wanda was anxiously waiting for her.

“I was getting worried,” Wanda said as she brought Dare Doll a soda. “Don’t tell me, he left another poem.”

“He’s playing me like a violin. This is the weirdest villain I’ve ever come across.”

“Let’s have a look.” Wanda said as Dare Doll handed her the skull and wrapper. Wanda took the yellowed parchment and began to read.

“A special invitation is given you,

For tomorrow I will wed.

This will be a double celebration,

For it falls on the Day of the Dead.

The event begins promptly at ten,

It will be a wondrous occasion.

Your special numbers will tell you,

Where to find the location.

Your last number is 18.”

“O.K. What are all the numbers we have?” Dare Doll asked.

Wanda grabbed all the other clue notes off the dining room table and spread them out.

“Let’s see...13...9...7...” Dare Doll began reading.

“...And now 18. What in the world do all these numbers mean?”

“I think I may have the answer,” Dare Doll replied. “Look in the Empire City map book.”

“Yes!” Wanda exclaimed. “Page and grid numbers. Why didn’t I think of that before? Let’s see now...Page 13...Map 9...Grid 7 north...east 18...Here it is...Oh, my.”

“Where is it?” Dare Doll asked as Wanda shook her head ominously.

“This is so creepy.”

“What?”

“Maple Lawn Cemetery in Old Empire City,” Wanda answered ominously.

Dare Doll groaned and winced, “Are you serious?”

“I’m afraid so,” Wanda responded with a sigh.

“Oh, well. I guess I better go. Megan Simpson’s life is in danger,” Dare Doll said in resignation. She had always hated cemeteries.

“Um...Danielle...after you get this psycho...could you do me a big favor get Megan’s autograph for me?”

“Wanda! You’re impossible!” Dare Doll laughed in open-mouthed dismay.

“I can’t help it. She really pushes my buttons,” Wanda purred as she shrugged her shoulders.

Dare Doll smiled and shook her head as she left the apartment, and within minutes, the stalwart heroine was fast on her way to the Oak Lawn Cemetery. Her gleaming purple coupe roared through an open gate into the heart of the cemetery, where an old abandoned chapel sat eerily in the distance. Dare Doll noticed a glow coming from the windows, so she shut off the lights. The windshield of her coupe produced a night vision effect, enabling her to drive in the darkness.

When Dare Doll determined she was close enough not to be detected, she summoned up her courage, shut off the engine and exited the coupe. She was about to approach the chapel when she heard muffled cries coming from the darkness to her right. The daring detective took the mini flashlight from her pouch and headed toward the sound, where she found Megan Simpson lying atop a large table-like monument. The pretty newswoman’s ankles were tied together and her slender wrists were bound and pulled taut with a rope above her head. She was only capable of muffled whimpers with her mouth stuffed tight with a thick cloth gag.

Dare Doll rushed to the woman, and when she came to the altar, she noticed Megan looking off to the side. Before the virtuous heroine realized she had fallen into a trap, a feathered dart suddenly appeared on the thigh of the hapless heroine.

“Ouch! That hurt!” The damsel of danger exclaimed with irritation as she brushed away the dart. Dare Doll turned around quickly, ready to do battle with whoever dared attack her, but the sudden motion made her head spin. She tried to focus, but her vision was already becoming blurred with the swift effects of the knockout drug fed into her system by the dart. She dropped her flashlight and put a gloved hand on the crypt to steady herself, but she was fast losing her bearings. There was a disorienting buzz in her ears that made her head reel with dizziness.

A distant laugh echoed in Dare Doll’s ears before she fell unconscious.

When Dare Doll came to, she discovered to her chagrin that she was bound to a large headstone by an intricate array of black rubber straps that crisscrossed her ample chest and held her fast to the intersection of a seven-foot cross. Her shoulders her painfully pulled back over and behind the outstretched cross arms and then folded back under at the elbows so that her wrists were fastened to each side of her hips with bindings that wrapped around her waist and then between her legs, biting and rubbing into her tender crotch. Even her legs were bent backwards so that her ankles crossed over each other and wound securely with the rubber cords. Her pitiful struggles were in vain and produced barely a centimeter of movement. The taut rubber straps produced tiny squeaks when they etched into the folds of her slick latex costume. Whoever had tied her up was definitely an aficionado in the art of bondage.

Around the struggling heroine were an elaborate display of candles, flowers, bread, fruit, candy, bottles and a small assortment of ancient pottery. She looked up and noticed La Calavera approaching from the night mist with Megan Simpson on his arm. The distressed heroine was shocked and alarmed by the expression on Megan’s face, who seemed to be eyeing Dare Doll rather lasciviously.

“Welcome back from the dreaming world,” La Calavera spoke from behind his eerie skull mask.

“Who are you?” Dare Doll inquired as she strained at her uncomfortably stringent bonds.

“Allow me to formally introduce myself,” La Calavera began as he removed his hat and bowed. “I am La Calavera. And this... is my fiancée.”

“What is all this?” Dare Doll asked as she looked around her feet at the various objects.

“An altar of course. You do not know your Spanish Anthropology, my delectable detective? This is El Dia De Los Muertos, the Day of the Dead.”

“Let her go,” Dare Doll demanded. “You have me now.”

“I am afraid I cannot do that. You see I must first give a wedding present to my future bride.” La Calavera informed his captive. “Can you not see how anxious she is to receive it?”

Dare Doll gasped when she realized that she was the present. “No! You sick bastard! What have you done to her?”

“Nothing that her soul was not already prepared for.”

Megan approached Dare Doll once La Calavera signaled that it was appropriate. She eagerly climbed atop the headstone pedestal to put her hands on Dare Doll, who cringed at Megan’s touch. This wasn’t right, and Dare Doll was about to tell her to stop, but her words were stifled when Megan mashed her mouth on Dare Doll’s stunned open lips and kissed her deeply, letting her tongue invade the shocked heroine’s luscious mouth.

“Mmmmmp!” Dare Doll mumbled in surprise and resistance, as Megan pressed her body against her, their full breasts crushed against one another. Megan let her hand slip down over Dare Doll’s latex catsuit, rubbing and massaging as it roamed down over her thighs and hips. Fingers were slipped under the rubber cord between Dare Doll’s legs and tugged gently so that it rubbed deeper into her tender crotch.

Dare Doll, normally repulsed by such a perverted assault on her virtue moaned from the sensation. Something wasn’t right. The dauntless damsel was feeling disoriented by something she couldn’t fathom. It was as if something seeped in through her eyes, enveloped her brain and flowed like warm liquid flame down her spine and into the most sensitive recesses of her body and soul. Dare Doll felt her nipples harden and her pussy was instantly heated and wet. When she slowly realized what was happening, she thought, ‘No. I can’t let this happen.’

The masked maiden had never experienced such erotic rapture. Megan was now successfully enchanting her with the urgent touch of her hands and passionate kisses, which Dare Doll found less and less difficult to resist. Over time that seemed to stand still, Dare Doll became less the stalwart heroine and more the chaste young debutante Danielle. All the courage attached to her guise as the daring detective Dare Doll melted away into carnal desire and arousal.

“Mmmmmmm,” Megan moaned as she enjoyed taking full advantage of her latex clad captive’s vulnerability. Her fingers her intruding deeper into the fold of Dare Doll’s heated pussy, and she could feel the slippery wetness seeping through the slick material. Each time Megan pressed her hand inside, Dare Doll shivered and arched her lithe body, moaning with profound pleasure.

“No! No! You... can’t...make me...climax...” the heroine whispered in ecstasy.

Dare Doll was fully flushed with arousal, but she still tried to fight Megan’s devastating sensual stimulation by pleading with her, “Megan, please...stop...you don’t know...Ummmm... what you’re doing...” But it was no use; her senses were completely taken over by unseen forces that broke down her will.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!” Dare Doll screamed out as a shuddering orgasm pushed through her hips as Megan moved her hand faster and faster while she forced her tongue into Dare Doll’s ear. The climax was so intense, that it was too late for Dare Doll to realize that Megan had grasped the edge of her mask with her other hand and peeled it away just as Dare Doll uttered a squeal of desire.

“Nooooo!” Dare Doll screamed in surprise when Megan suddenly stepped away with the mask in her hand as a valuable prize. The unmasking along with Megan’s cruel act of ceasing her sexual stimulation just as Dare Doll climaxed doubly shocked the panicked heroine. “Oh you witch! How dare you do this to me!”

“Well, this is quite a surprise. Danielle Danforth. Who would have guessed the richest debutante in the world would be so promiscuous? Does your father know you are out so late?” La Calavera laughed and taunted the heroine as he waved the mask in front of her. “You do not mind if we keep a souvenir of our evening together do you?”

“You’ll pay for this, you...!” Dare Doll screamed, holding back a vulgar curse. She struggled and strained hard at her bonds as the masked menace stepped close, pulled back the rubber cord across her torso and snapped it, making a painful pop of rubber against latex. Dare Doll winced and her exposed face burned red with humiliation, “Unnnnnnnh! Damn you!”

“I would like to visit with you more, but I am already late to my wedding and I have many guests waiting,” La Calavera informed his angry squirming captive as he gave her breast one last squeeze and twist. He winked and grinned at her, “My soon to be blushing bride is anxious to get the wedding over with and begin the honeymoon.”

“You won’t get away with this you insane bastard!” Dare Doll shot back as she pulled at her bonds with dogged spirit. She was itching to get her hands on the smug villain.

“Insanity is in the eye of the beholder,” La Calavera responded simply. “And worry not my pet, I do not intend to leave you alone in this uncomfortable position. Before I go, I would like to show you a small token of my appreciation in honor of your appearance at my nuptials. Buenos noches!”

Dare Doll watched with horror as La Calavera opened a black cloth sack filled with poisonous black serpents and released them around the base of Dare Doll’s altar.

‘Oh no!’ Dare Doll thought as she groaned in distress, her skin crawling under the surface of her latex costume. Not snakes! But wait! She wasn’t afraid of snakes! Why was she so terrified of them now all of a sudden? What did this creep do to her mind?

The deviant villain was filled with perverted glee at Dare Doll’s abnormal fear of the reptiles, and strolled away with his grinning companion Megan, emitting a high-pitched maniacal laugh as the pair headed toward the chapel.

Once they disappeared into the small building, Dare Doll twisted and tensed her ankle and foot with all her might, stretching the rubber to its limits until she was able to put one toe at one heel to trigger a switch that enabled a blade to pop out of the tip of her boot. As the deadly snakes slithered closer and closer, Dare Doll shuddered as she cut away the rubber straps binding her feet.

One snake struck at her ankle, and Dare Doll squealed as she lifted her legs up in the nick of time, and then slammed her foot back down to crush the serpent under her boot. When she felt the dying squirming thing, the repulsed heroine groaned, “Eeeeeeeeeewwwwwww!”

Now she had a precious few seconds to bring her leg back up at a cross angle to cut away the ropes at her left wrist. Dare Doll thought, ‘Thank goodness for all those Yoga classes.’

While keeping one eye on the dangerous serpents, she freed herself from the cross. Once loose, Dare Doll surveyed the situation and found that the snakes were spread around the altar and coming from all directions. In a panic, Dare Doll quickly took a bottle of tequila, smashed the top and poured it around the altar, dousing the snakes. She then nimbly kicked a candle over and the flame ignited the alcohol in a bright flash, burning some snakes and turning away others.

“Now to get away from these creepy things,” shuddered Dare Doll as she leapt off the altar to a clear space, and sped away, her fear disappearing the farther she got away from the black snakes.

As she approached the chapel, Dare Doll heard eerie funeral music coming from the dilapidated building. Through the window she saw a hazy glow of light, and she crept silently inside to view the scene of La Calavera’s ‘wedding.’ The villain was standing before the altar, where a hooded priest was performing the ceremony. ‘Guests’ were actually colorfully costumed mannequins seated on the benches, and his ‘bride,’ Megan Simpson, stood entranced at his side.

The priest continued the wedding vows. “If there is anyone here who feels that these two should not be bonded in holy matrimony, let them speak now or forever hold their peace.”

“This is far from holy matrimony!” Dare Doll shouted as she stepped boldly into the center aisle, fists balled on her shapely hips and legs apart in a firm stance.

“You! How?” La Calavera turned, incensed.

“Trade secret. Now step away from the girl,” Dare Doll demanded.

La Calavera clutched Megan Simpson close with a skull-decorated dagger to her throat while the hooded priest disappeared out the back exit of the sanctuary.

“You will not stop this,” La Calavera informed his plucky nemesis. “Once we complete our matrimony, she will take on the soul of my dearly departed wife. She is mine now.”

“I can get you some help,” Dare Doll tried to reason.

“You think I am sick?” La Calavera giggled. “In a perverted world that allows wholesale slaughter, wars for profit and devastating pollution? He he he. I am the only sane person here, my naïve little crimefighter.”

“I guess we’ll let the doctors at the local asylum determine that,” Dare Doll said with her hands on her shapely hips.

“And how do you propose to get me there?” La Calavera inquired, amused by her cockiness.

“Let her go and I’ll show you,” Dare Doll said, chin raised in defiance.

“Now you challenge my manhood.” La Calavera chuckled with glee at the spunky heroine’s audacity as he shoved Megan aside. “I hope you have the nerve to back up your threat.”

“Try me,” Dare Doll replied, as she stood ready in a fighting stance.

Dare Doll and La Calavera began to fight ferociously in the chapel, tumbling over the benches as the two of them engaged each other with intense hand to hand battle.

Finally, Dare Doll was getting the better of La Calavera thanks to her honed martial arts skills. The panicked villain quickly used a sneaky trick and blew a handful of dust in her face.

The masked heroine rubbed at her eyes, unaware that the fine powder contained trace amounts of a hallucinogen, which seeped into the membrane of her eyelids. When she regained her sight, La Calavera was standing at the altar staring at her, as if daring her to come forward.

“Before I destroy you once and for all, know this,” La Calavera said. “I had your friend Wanda, and she was very eager to satisfy my every desire. She was my one last fling before I married. My own private bachelor party if you will.”

Dare Doll stared in wonder, as La Calavera seemed to shimmer before her eyes and morphed into Emiliano De Santos, the Spanish artist. The heroine was confused at first and then the realization struck her like a bolt. They were both one and the same. By some incredible power, La Calavera was able to take on different physical bodies at will.

“Oh, Wanda,” she whispered. “No.”

“Of course, you remember me too,” came a distinctly feminine voice as Emiliano changed into Elaine, the beautiful redhead from the gallery. The memory of her dream of Elaine suddenly flooded her mind, and Dare Doll thought she was about to go mad. How was it possible?

Elaine laughed, but it was not her voice, it was La Calavera. He was back in his costumed form. Rage began to build in Dare Doll. Her mind and body felt completely violated by this unworldly being, whatever he was. She flew at him with fists clenched. All it took was a blink of the eye and La Calavera was replaced by the form of her best friend Wanda.

“No! Please don’t!” Wanda pleaded as she cringed from the assault. Dare Doll choked and held back a striking fist.

“Wanda!” Dare Doll exclaimed with surprise.

Wanda’s pleading expression turned to sudden malice and her hand lashed out, catching Dare Doll in the solar plexus. The heroine groaned and reeled backwards, caught completely off guard by the blow. It seemed to hurt more that her best friend struck her than the punch itself.

“No, this isn’t possible. Not Wanda,” Dare Doll moaned as she choked back tears.

“Oh, yes!” came La Calavera’s voice from Wanda, and once again her nemesis stared back from behind his skull mask. Then Dare Doll realized that Wanda was not really a part of this monster. She remembered her best friend at the gallery with Emiliano. How could he be in two places at once, even with his incredible power?

It was more than she could take. All of Dare Doll’s pent up frustrations and anger suddenly exploded in whirlwind of fury. She was on La Calavera in a flash, kicking and punching with every ounce of her being. La Calavera tried to hold off the intense assault, but he could feel himself being overpowered by the scorned heroine. He had underestimated the resolve of his foe and soon regretted driving her to the edge.

Now it was too late. The time had come and passed for him to take his bride and retrieve the lost soul of his first and only love Marisa. All he had time for now was one last retreat. After crashing through the railing of the altar from a well-placed kick to his chest, La Calavera held up his hand, exposing his hypnotic eye towards the oncoming Dare Doll. Incredibly, she resisted the power of the orb, but she was slowed enough for La Calavera to become engulfed in a blinding explosion of fire and smoke.

Doors suddenly blew open in the back of the chapel. In the dark distance, Dare Doll heard La Calavera’s voice, taunting her. “I will see you again, Dare Doll. Reserve a place on your calendar next year on El Dia De Los Muertos. Bwa ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!”

The eerie laugh trailed off into the night, as Dare Doll went to Megan, who was coming out of her trance.

“Where...where am I?” Megan stuttered, groggy and confused. Dare Doll noticed that Megan still clutched her mask in her limp hand. She removed it and quickly replaced it over her eyes before Megan could fully recover. From the looks of her, Dare Doll was certain that Megan would not remember a thing, including her identity.

“You’re safe now. Don’t worry,” Dare Doll said as she comforted the confused woman.

Dare Doll tended to Megan while a sudden wind through in the open doors and chilled the heroine to the bone.

Empire City Central Park—One week later

Danielle and Wanda finished their jog and slowed to a halt. Puffy trotted up close behind, keeping a close eye on the girls in their long tights and T-shirts. He loved going to the park with them. The smells were intoxicating, and he always managed to meet a cute French poodle or two. He suddenly spotted a gray and white Lhasa Apso with a ribbon in her hair and fell immediately in love. He kicked his back legs in the grass a few times and strutted off in her direction.

“How are you feeling kiddo?” Danielle inquired of her best friend, who was still depressed after finding the truth about the person she believed to be Emiliano De Santos.

“I’m okay,” Wanda replied. She didn’t have to say anymore. They had gone over everything already, from Dare Doll’s almost fatal encounter with the unspeakable villain, to the rescue and recovery of Megan Simpson, and the mysterious message that arrived to their apartment a few days ago. It was a short simple note.

Your secret is safe with me.

You were a formidable foe.

I look forward to our next meeting.

A skeleton was scrawled at the bottom. Obviously it was from him.

Danielle Danforth could actually say the same things. She looked forward to meeting her adversary so she could vanquish him once and for all. And she would definitely be more prepared for him next time. But a year away was like an eternity, if what he said was true. That he would be back on the next Day of the Dead. At least she could console herself with the fact that her identity was safe. She knew this monster was too sick to actually expose her. It was a game to him.

Her only worry now was the well being of her best friend. It was heartbreaking for Danielle to see Wanda so down.

“Hey, why don’t we go dancing at the Psychedelic Mouse tonight,” Danielle suggested, something that she wouldn’t have normally done, but she was desperate to raise Wanda’s spirits. She had to do something to snap Wanda out of her funk.

“Only if we can invite those two studs over there to come with us,” Wanda said as she nodded at two young men who were tossing a football on the grass nearby.

Danielle looked at the men, who were obviously checking them out and she had to smile. Wanda was back.