Chapter 2 Part 1

Lily’s POV (condition: nylons)

Nobody moved at first. The fear in the room was almost tangible now. I could feel it tightening in my chest, and I knew the others felt it too. This was real. This was happening.

Slowly, hesitantly, we moved. I climbed onto the metal table, feeling the cold surface beneath me. The others did the same, all of us moving like we were in some kind of slow-motion nightmare. I laid my head back, staring up at the ceiling. Breathe, Lily. Breathe.

The moment I was fully down, it happened.

The sleep-sack-like contraption activated instantly, wrapping around me with precision. It felt almost mechanical, tightening around my body in mere seconds. My arms, my legs, my torso—completely mummified. Only my head and feet remained exposed.

I gasped sharply. Oh my god. From the corners of my vision, I could see it happening to the others too. Anne, Maya, Ryan, Dave, Matt—all of them being wrapped up just like me. Their eyes widened, their bodies tensed, but there was no stopping it.

Then, my feet were placed into the foot stocks—still open, but waiting. I instinctively tried to pull back, but there was nowhere to go. I couldn’t move my legs because of the sleep-sack.

A second later, the restraints activated automatically. I felt them hugging tightly around my mummified body, pressing me even more firmly against the table. It was snug, almost unnervingly so. No movement. No escape.

Then, the final step. The foot stocks. With a soft mechanical sound, the stocks closed around my ankles. The padding was soft, but the grip was absolute. I flexed my toes instinctively, feeling the cool air brush against the sheer nylons covering my feet.

I had already imagined this moment. I had already imagined how vulnerable my nylon-clad soles would feel. And it hadn’t even started yet.

I turned my head slightly, as much as I could, to see the others. They were all in the same helpless state. Maya in her socks, just like Ryan. Anne and Dave completely barefoot, Matt trapped in nylons just like me. All of us locked in. No escape.

Maya’s eyes were darting around in panic. Anne looked tense but determined. Ryan and Dave exchanged uneasy glances. Matt was breathing deeply, like he was trying to keep himself calm.

I swallowed hard. We were completely at their mercy now. And the tickling hadn’t even begun.

Maya’s POV (condition: socks)

I hesitated before lying down, my heart hammering in my chest. The cold metal table sent a shiver through me, but I barely had time to process it before the sleep-sack-like contraption activated.

Oh no. No, no, no. The fabric wrapped around me instantly, tightening around my body like it had a mind of its own. Within seconds, I was completely mummified, only my head and feet sticking out. My arms? Gone. My legs? Trapped. I wiggled my body instinctively, but it was useless.

I turned my head as much as I could. The others were all in the same state. Lily, Anne, Ryan, Matt, Dave… all of them wrapped up, completely helpless. Their faces showed different emotions—fear, disbelief, tension.

And then my feet were placed into the open foot stocks. I clenched my toes inside my socks, knowing this wasn’t going to help. I had fought for the socks, but now, staring at the futuristic stocks, I knew they wouldn’t save me. The moment my ankles settled inside, the restraints activated.

The straps tightened across my already trapped body, pressing me down further. I couldn’t move an inch. Then, with a soft mechanical hum, the foot stocks closed.

A soft padded grip locked around my ankles, firm yet absolute. I flexed my toes inside my socks, already imagining what was going to happen. The experiment hadn’t even started, and I already felt like squirming.

Even though I had socks on, the cool air sent a familiar tingling sensation through my skin. My feet had always been unbearably ticklish, ever since I was a kid. My friends, my siblings—even my parents—had all taken turns tormenting me over the years. It wasn’t fair. My feet were so ticklish, probably the most ticklish of anyone here. That’s why I had grabbed the socks the moment I could. It was the only form of protection I had.

I swallowed hard, looking at the others. Anne and Dave—barefoot, completely exposed. Lily and Matt—stuck in nylons, their feet covered but even more sensitive. Ryan—like me, in socks, the only small comfort available.

We were trapped and had willingly done this to ourselves.

Dave’s POV (condition: barefoot)

I laid down stiffly, my body tense, my mind racing. I don’t like this.

The moment my back hit the metal table, I barely had time to adjust before the sleep-sack-like casing activated. I gasped sharply. It was instant.

The material tightened around me automatically, locking my arms, legs, torso—everything. Only my head and feet remained exposed. My breath hitched as I tried to shift even a little. I couldn’t.

I turned my head slightly and saw the others—the exact same thing happening to them.

Then, my bare feet were guided into the open foot stocks. I clenched my jaw, my toes flexing instinctively. Barefoot. No barrier. No protection. Just my completely exposed soles, waiting to be locked in place.

Then, the restraints activated, pressing me even tighter into the table. No escape. A second later, I heard a soft click. The foot stocks closed.

I felt the soft padding secure my ankles, firm yet unyielding. I swallowed hard, looking at the others. Anne was barefoot too, just as exposed as me. Lily and Matt—nylons. Maya and Ryan—socks. We were all stuck. Completely, utterly stuck.

I closed my eyes for a moment, already dreading the feeling of something against my soles. It hadn’t even started, and I already felt on edge. And we had eight hours of this ahead of us. What the hell had we done?

I watched helplessly as the scientist walked over to the control panel. My breath was already uneven, my body completely locked in place by the restraints. Then, she pressed a button.

Before I could even process what was happening, something shoved into my mouth. I grunted in shock, my teeth sinking into the smooth rubber of the ballgag that had just been forced into place. What the hell?! I tried to shake my head, to push it out with my tongue, but it was too secure.

And then—darkness. A blindfold slid into place, securing itself snugly around my head.

My whole body tensed. I hadn’t even gotten a second to react before both my sight and speech were taken away. I let out a muffled noise behind the gag, trying to shift, trying to move, but the restraints held firm. I couldn’t move, I couldn’t speak, I couldn’t see. I could only hear.

And I heard the others. Muffled grunts and stifled protests filled the air, confirming that I wasn’t the only one caught off guard. We didn’t even get a warning. One second, we could at least look around—now we were completely silenced and blinded.

And the worst part? The waiting.

I could feel my heartbeat in my ears. The anticipation was unbearable. When would it start? Would there be a countdown? A warning? Or would it just happen?

But then—the scientist’s voice cut through the tension. “There is one last detail before we begin,” she announced. “For those of you who chose to go barefoot… you’ll be receiving an additional restraint – toe ties.”

A second later, I felt it. Something wrapped around my toes and pulling them back to the wall of the foot stocks.

I let out a muffled yell behind my gag, instinctively trying to curl them—but of course, I couldn’t. Straps wound around each of my toes, pulling them back and apart, securing them directly to the stocks. My feet, which were already completely exposed, were now even more vulnerable.

Toe-ties?! I didn’t even know these things existed! My feet couldn’t move at all. I couldn’t even curl my toes for any kind of protection. I was totally immobilized. My breathing turned ragged as I struggled against the inescapable restraints, my toes flexing on instinct—but there was nowhere to go.

I regretted everything. I had chosen to go barefoot, thinking it was the lesser evil. I had been wrong. But it wasn’t like I could have predicted this… but the biggest regret was to sign that damn contract… Or to even apply for this experiment.