Addison checked her reflection in the mirror. Her blush wasn’t quite right, and her eyebrows needed just a little more work. She was very picky about her appearance.
She inhaled sharply at the sound of the doorbell. Darren had arrived. She felt a surge of excitement flow through her.
Where was he going to take her tonight? Would it be that expensive restaurant down on the river? She’d given every indication that’s where she wanted to go.
Addison believed she was in for a really nice dinner. Afterwards they would probably go out for drinks. The only decision she would have to make before the night was over was whether or not she was going to put out for him.
The doorbell rang again. Addison quickly rechecked her reflection in the mirror. It wasn’t perfect, but it would have to do.
She swept through her apartment to the door. She looked down at her dark pink dress, using her hands to brush the wrinkles away. Then she opened the door.
She inhaled sharply as she took a step back. It was not Darren. It was someone she had not counted on seeing, nor did she wish to see. Oddly he was dressed as though he was prepared for a night on the town.
“Stewart, what are you doing here?”
“We have a date for tonight, remember?” He smiled innocently at her.
“We don’t have a date, Stewart! Darren will be here any moment to pick me up. We’re going to the Shoreline for supper.”
“Oh, but we do have a date for tonight, Addison. I was the one who sent you that text.”
“What text?”
“The one that asked what restaurant you wanted to go to tonight.”
Addison was stunned. “Th-that was you?? But I thought… I thought that was Darren!”
“Nope. I’m the one who sent the text, Addison.”
She glared angrily at him. “You asshole! You led me to believe you were Darren!”
“C’mon, Addison. Just one little date? I’ll even take you to the Shoreline.”
“Stewart, I wouldn’t date you if you were the last man on earth!”
“Why not? What’s wrong with me?”
“Everything! Can’t you tell??”
At first he looked disappointed. Then he began to get angry. “Do you really mean that, Addison?”
“I certainly do, you bastard! Now my evening is ruined!”
“No, Addison. Your evening is about to get way more interesting. But then again, so is mine.”
“What’s that smell?” she asked in alarm, sniffing in his direction.
She started to go back inside. That’s when Stewart reached into his pocket and quickly pulled out a white cloth. He grabbed onto Addison before she could resist. Then he forced the cloth tight against her face.
Addison tried to scream, only to be overcome by the fumes. Her legs instantly weakened as her eyes rolled. Then she collapsed in the doorway.
Stewart carefully looked all around. Then he calmly told the unconscious form, “Is this really the way you want to play it, darling? That’s certainly fine by me. Besides, I have something I’m just dying to show you.”
Stewart closed her front door. Then he scooped the young woman up in his arms. He calmly carried her out to his vehicle, smiling inwardly at what he had planned for their time together.
—
Addison moaned weakly. She shook her head, trying to clear the cobwebs. When she opened her eyes she had to blink in surprise.
She had awakened in some sort of basement. She was lying flat on her back inside a narrow glass tank. Her arms were tied behind her back, making her uncomfortable as hell.
Her ankles were tied together, her white heels no longer attached to her feet. She felt something round and metallic down at her bare feet. But she couldn’t make out what it was.
She shook her head as her senses tried to come back online. She vaguely remembered the date she was supposed to go on. She groggily called out, “Darren?”
A male voice replied, “No, Addison. It’s Stewart; remember?”
She found herself being pushed further inside the glass enclosure. There certainly wasn’t very much room to wriggle around inside it. What the hell was this??
She coughed before speaking again. “Stewart, what are you doing?”
“I decided to allow you to show me your Houdini tank escape act.”
“I don’t have a Houdini – HEY!”
The tank slowly started to tilt upward with her inside. When it was elevated enough Addison found herself slipping down along the glass. She slid all the way to the bottom where her feet came in contact with the floor.
She just narrowly missed having her toes pinched by the metal ball in the tank with her. Her dark pink toenails stood out as she shuffled around on her feet. What the hell was Stewart doing to her??
She panted for breath as the Houdini tank was stood upright. She looked out of the glass in alarm. She confirmed she was in some sort of basement, although it struck her as being more like a dungeon.
She felt around with her bare feet. Then she looked down. There was definitely some sort of large, steel ball in the tank with her. What’s more, it felt like her ankles had been secured to it.
“Stewart!! What the hell is going on?”
“Be with you in a minute, darling.” It sounded like he was somewhere behind her.
“Cut the ‘darling’ crap, ok? I don’t like you; remember? I never did!”
“You’ve made that quite clear, Addison. So I’ve decided to take this in another direction.”
“Stewart, get me the fuck out of here!”
She heard something tap up at the top of the Houdini tank. Addison anxiously looked up. That’s when she saw the end of a garden hose pointing down at her.
“Stewart, what’s going on? This isn’t the least bit funny!”
“I never intended it to be.”
“Where the hell are you?”
“Be with you in a minute, darling. Just hooking up the garden hose.”
“Cut the ‘darling’ crap – garden hose??!!”
Addison heard the sound of a faucet being turned on. A moment later the hose above her began spewing water down on top of her head. She cried out in shock and anger as she pressed against the side of the tank in trying to avoid getting wet.
It totally soaked her wavy, brown hair. She had two clips in back, pulling the strands clear of her face. But what really bothered her was the fact her pink dress was getting wet.
She let out a scream of rage and indignation. “Stewart, damn you! Turn that fucking thing off! You’re going to ruin my dress!”
“I’d say that’s the least of your worries, Addison.”
She tried to shuffle around inside the tank. But there was very little room to maneuver. She was already starting to feel claustrophobic.
“Stewart – SHIT!”
She looked down with dismay. Water was accumulating at the bottom of the tank. It was almost covering her feet.
The focus of her animosity walked around until he was standing in front of the glass tank facing her. She looked at him with a mixture of anger and fright. “Stewart, what the hell are you doing?”
“Haven’t I made it obvious to you, darling? I told you; I’ve decided to allow you to show me your Houdini tank escape act.”
“Damn you, Stewart; I’ve got no ‘escape act’! Now get me out of here before my dress is ruined!”
“I told you: your dress is the least of your worries.”
“Damn you!”
Addison let out a yelp as water began rising up her ankles. Her situation was becoming a lot more serious. She soon found herself panting heavily for breath.
Addison struggled to compose herself. Then she held herself upright as she indignantly stated, “Stewart, this isn’t funny.”
“Neither was turning me down for a date tonight. I decided the least you could do was to entertain me down here for the next few minutes.”
“Stewart, I’m not your fucking entertainment! Now get me out of here right this instant! The water’s rising in here!” By now it had started to climb her lower calves.
“I’ve watched you out at the resort pool, Addison. I’ve seen you underwater holding your breath. All you have to do is hold it long enough to free yourself and climb out.”
Addison frantically yanked on the ropes binding her wrists behind her back. “Stewart, I CAN’T! You tied them way too tight!”
“C’mon, Addison. You’re an independent woman, right? Surely you can get yourself out of some silly rope.”
“Stewart, get me out of here! You’re going to ruin my – AAUUGGHH!”
Addison looked down in horror. The lower part of her dress was now soaked. The water was quickly rising toward her knees.
“Stewart, get me the hell out of here!”
“You’ve made it abundantly clear how you feel about me, Addison. In the past you’ve told me in no uncertain terms how you don’t want my help. In fact, you don’t want anything to do with me. So you can just get out of there by yourself.”
“Stewart, I CAN’T!”
She screamed from a mixture of rage and growing alarm. Her cry was muffled inside the tank. She looked down to see the water slowly rising up her dress past her knees.
He sighed as he shook his head. “I would have done anything for you, Addison. I would have given you the world.”
“Get me out of here!”
“Prove to me how independent you are. Prove to me you can get out of there by yourself.”
Addison didn’t want him to see her distress. But she was really becoming alarmed now. “Stewart, I’m frightened!”
“Why? What is there for an independent woman like you to be frightened about?”
“STEWARRRRRRRT!”
Addison started hyperventilating as the water level continued to rise. She’d shifted around enough so it wasn’t splashing on her hair as much. But it was clearly on the rise, now climbing her upper legs.
She gasped and whimpered as she looked down at her dress. It was starting to become translucent. She could just make out her legs through the soaked fabric.
Once more she struggled with her wrists behind her back. But it was no use. They were secured much too tightly.
There was only one option left to her. It galled her, but she had no other choice. She had to offer him anything he wanted. She had to talk him into letting her out of her glass prison.
“Stewart, I’m sorry. I’ll go out with you, ok? I… I wasn’t being myself back at my apartment.”
“Oh, back there you made it quite clear how you feel about me, Addison. So I’ve decided to see what you can do in the Houdini tank instead.”
“Stewart?? Help me out of here before I drown!”
“Help yourself, darling.”
“If I’m your darling then you’ve got to help me!”
“No, darling. You’re an independent woman; remember? So I’m going to step back and let you do it all by yourself.” And with that he took a couple steps back.
Addison let out a cry as the water reached her crotch. Her pink dress was going to be ruined. She looked down at herself before letting out a wail of grief.
“Better get started on those wrists, Addison. The water’s getting high in there.”
“Stewart, I didn’t mean any of it! Get me out of here, ok?”
“Do it yourself, darling.”
“YOU TIED ME TOO TIGHTLY IN HERE, YOU ASSHOLE!”
“You can do it.”
“Stewart, I CAN’T!” Then she paused before desperately adding, “I LOVE you! Don’t you love me too?”
“You don’t really love me, Addison. You don’t even want to go out on a date with me.”
“I’ve changed my mind, ok? I’m a woman and I have that right! A woman has the right to change her mind, you know!”
“You’ll change it right back once you get out of there. So go right ahead and free yourself. Show me how independent you are. Show me your escape act, darling.”
“STEWARRRRRRT!”
Addison gasped as the water slowly climbed her stomach. Now she could see her frilly white underwear through her soaked dress The Houdini tank was filling fast!
Addison looked all around the basement. But she saw nothing that could save her. There was no one else to rescue her; she was all alone with Stewart.
In growing panic she screamed again. He looked at her emotionlessly. Then he told her, “You’re wasting time, Addison. If I were you I’d get to work on that rope around your wrists. Then you’ll have to reach down and free your ankles from that cannonball I put in there with you. It’s tethering you to the bottom of the tank so you won’t float up.”
“STEWARRRRRT!”
Addison struggled with her wrists again. She jerked her arms up and down behind her back as the water continued to rise. She gasped the moment it reached the bottom of her breasts.
She began panting heavily as she wriggled and squirmed. The water was making her pink dress see-through. Now her flowery white bra was becoming visible.
“Stewart, I can’t… I can’t catch my breath!”
“Take deep breaths, darling. You’ll need them once the water rises above your head and takes away that last one… that is, unless you can hold your breath for a really long time.”
“STEWARRRRRT!”
Addison screamed in growing terror. The water reached the top of her breasts, covering her impressive cleavage. Cool water kept rising inexorably toward her shoulders.
Addison struggled with her footing. She found the cannonball with her feet. Then she clumsily climbed on. It gained her just enough additional height for the water level to fall back down below her breasts.
She panted anxiously, her heart hammering in her chest. She stared at Stewart in growing terror. He didn’t seem the least bit bothered she might drown. Maybe it was time to try something else.
“Stewart, get me out of here and I’ll suck your cock! I’ll fuck you like you’ve never been fucked before! Get me out of here before you make the biggest mistake of your life!”
“The biggest mistake of my life was developing feelings for you, Addison. I’m sure other men would have also developed feelings for you in the years to come. I’m simply sparing them from the heartbreak of you turning them all down.”
“STEWART, YOU ASSHOLE! GET ME OUT OF HERE!”
“That’s not a very nice thing to say, darling.”
“I’M SORRY – I’M SORRY!” Then she gasped in alarm. The water level had reached the top of her breasts again.
She tried to rise up on the balls of her feet on the cannonball. But there was no escape. She looked up to see the hose fully spewing its contents into the tank with her.
“Stewart, turn the water off! Turn it off and I’ll do anything you want!”
“What I want is to watch you try to escape, darling.”
“BUT I CAN’T!”
“If you can’t escape then I want to watch you drown.”
She stared at him in horror as her mouth dropped open. He’d actually admitted it. He wanted to watch her drown. That was why she was in there in the first place.
“STEWART, GET ME OUT OF HERE!”
“Better work on those wrists, darling.”
“Stewart, I’m scared!” Now the water had reached her shoulders. Her white bra was visible through the material of her dress, accenting her cleavage.
For the first time since the encounter at the door, he actually smiled at her. “I’m going to watch you drown, darling. It’s clear you’re no escape artist. You’re no independent woman either. But I never thought so from the very beginning. Instead, I’m going to enjoy watching you drown.”
“STEWART; NOOOO!”
The water reached her chin. Addison tipped her head back as she stretched upward on her toes, feeling the panic well up inside her. It was rising way too fast.
Her feet shuffled until she slipped off. Addison bubbled as she was momentarily submerged. She struggled to get her feet back onto the metal ball. Then she stuck her head up out of the water. But she had to stretch upward as she tipped her head back to breathe.
“How long can you hold your breath, darling? Can you hold it before the water reaches the top of the tank?”
“Stewart, p-p-please! I’ll d-d-do anything you want!!”
“Darling the only thing I want right now is to watch you drown.”
“Stewart; n-no!!”
Her feet shuffled around as she tried to stretch upward. Buoyancy lifted her up off the cannonball she was standing on. Her feet kicked and flailed around as Addison tried to stay at the surface while tipping her head back to get another breath.
“Last breath, darling, before that tether tightens and pulls you under. Better make it a good one. I want you to put on a good drowning for me, ok? After all, that’s all you’ve got left to give me now.”
“St… St… STEWART… p-p… please!”
Her feet shuffled as she tried to find the cannonball below. She submerged as she found it. Addison tried to kick herself up a little higher until she felt the tether pull her up short.
Her lips and nose went under. She kicked upward and got most of her head up. She stretched upward just as high as she could go, frantically tipping her head back as the water continued to climb inside the tank.
Addison gasped for breath as the water rose. But she could not go any higher. It had reached her lips and was tickling her nose.
Addison inhaled deeply before straightening up and facing him. Bubbles trickled out of her nose. Only the top of her head remained above the surface. She was almost fully submerged.
Bubbles trickled out of her nose as she stared at him in abject horror. She tried to kick upward again. But the tether pulled her up short. She could not get her head back above the surface.
She looked upward, but it was no use. The water kept rising; it was now a couple of inches above her head. No matter how hard she stretched and kicked, she could not reach the surface.
She bubbled anxiously, her toes wriggling as her feet kicked in vain for solid footing. Standing on the cannonball now would to her no good. She needed to go higher to reach the surface. But the tether to the metal ball underneath her bare feet kept pulling her up short.
Addison anxiously shook her head as more bubbles came out of her nose and mouth. Her eyes were wide as she kicked upward again. But the tether still pulled her up well short.
She looked upward to see the surface of the water rising toward the top of the tank. Addison shook her head again as she stopped struggling. She was getting tired and out of breath.
Stewart stepped closer. He reached out toward the tank, admiring her cleavage. Addison bubbled out of her nose as she shook her head yet again, her eyes wide in terror.
Stewart caressed the glass in front of her. Addison shook her head harder as she lost more bubbles. The clips kept her hair back and her face exposed.
More air trickled out of her nose. Some bubbles slipped out past her lips. Addison grunted in growing horror as she shook her head again, her eyes pleading for Stewart to do something.
The water continued to fill the Houdini tank. It was now less than a foot from the top. Wasn’t he going to drain the tank now? Was he really going to let her drown??
Stewart saw Addison’s stomach heave behind her flowing pink dress. Then he saw her chest start to spasm. Her breasts wobbled in her bra as she grunted and bubbled.
She frantically shook her head. Then she bubbled, “STEWART, HELP MEEEE!”
“Better keep all that air inside your lungs, darling. Better not waste any of it.”
Alison’s lungs were straining. Her chest heaved as her breasts gently bounded up and down. She tried to kick herself upward for the surface and the air she desperately needed. But the tether grasped firmly onto her ankle.
She lost more bubbles out of her nose and mouth. Stewart looked up to see how much longer before the tank was full. The water had almost reached the top.
Addison screamed her breath away. Then she took a big gulp. Her eyes flew open in horror as she coughed up bubbles.
Addison started hitching and gurgling as she began swallowing and inhaling water. She went into seizures as her body shook inside the Houdini tank. Her pink dress flowed and billowed as she spewed bubbles out of her mouth and nose.
Her mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. Addison hitched painfully, her body shaking and convulsing. Then she slowly descended until her feet touched the floor of the tank.
She began to gently sway back and forth as though a current was present. She stared incredulously, unable to believe how this night was going to end for her. Her body gently spasmed as her lungs continued their futile attempt to breathe.
Her struggles abruptly ceased as she continued to sway inside the Houdini tank. Stray bubbles slipped out of her gaping mouth. Her pupils briefly dilated before the life winked out of her eyes.
Addison stood there with a vacant expression of shock and horror. Occasional muscle twitches indicated the firing of stray nerve impulses. A moment later water began spilling out of the top of the Houdini tank.
It poured down on all sides, partially obscuring the view of the occupant inside. Stewart reached out and tenderly touched the glass. He got his hand wet from the pouring water. Then he calmly turned and walked away.
He didn’t bother turning off the water. He simply allowed it to continue overflowing as it poured out and down along the four glass walls of the Houdini tank. Stewart left Addison inside, giving her no further thought than he would to some drowned specimen inside a narrow, upright aquarium.
2020 (written by request Apr 26 ’20 by riwa)
