Jessie slept soundly. She dreamed.
It was an odd dream. She was a princess in some sort of medieval world, and she had been captured by a black-robed sorceress. The sorceress was binding her with some sort of magical cord.
Then she woke up. She blinked.
The sun was low in the sky. The beach was nearly empty. She lay on her right side. She slowly became aware that someone was behind her.
It was Lauren. She wore a black hoodie and denim short shorts. What was she doing?
No!
Lauren had tied her wrists behind her back. Now Lauren was binding her elbows.
"What are you doing?"
"What do you think I'm doing, bitch," Lauren said. "I'm tying you up."
"Why? What did I do?"
"I think you know what you did." By now, Jessie's elbows were bound.Lauren rolled Jessie over onto her stomach and bend her legs double, so that her heels were resting on her butt. Lauren then used a strand of rope that hung free to tie her ankles to her elbows in the classic hog-tie.
"You can't leave me like this," Jessie said. She was aware of the fear in her voice. "Please."
"I can and I will, tramp,: Lauren said. She pulled a roll of tape out of the pocket of her hoodie. She pressed the tape over Jessie's mouth, then wrapped it around her head and over her mouth several times before peeling it off the roll and pressing the end tightly in place.
Then Lauren stood up. With a vicious grin, she began gathering up Jessie's bikini, towel, and all her other belongings. "I'll just take all this," she said. "You won't need any of it."
"Mmmm, mmmm," Jessie said, which was all she could manage with the tight tape over her mouth. She tugged at the bonds around her wrists, but it did no good. The rope was very tight.
Lauren slung Jessie's stuff into a backpack. She knelt down and slapped Jessie's but. "Goodbye, bitch," she said.
"Mmmm." Jessie knew she wouldn't be able to get free on her own. She had to convince Lauren to stay.
"You want me to stay?"
"Mmmm!"
Lauren shook her head. "No," she said. "It's got to be this way. But don't worry, you won't be alone long. I'll send someone to keep you company. How's that?"
"Mmm!"
"Bye, now. It's been fun." Lauren walked away.
Jessie watched Lauren walk away up the beach until she could no longer see her. When Lauren was gone, she focused on the rope around her wrists.
She struggled with the rope for a long time. It helped her to keep her mind off the fact that she was naked, hog-tied, gagged, alone on a beach miles from home, and that her former friend Lauren had stolen her stuff. It did not help her to get free, however.
Finally, she stopped. She looked around. She was breathing heavily. She felt shaky. Her hands seemed to be going numb.
Then she realized she was no longer alone. There were two people on the beach.
She watched as the two figures came closer and closer to her.
Because of the darkness, they were very close to her before she could make them out.
They were . . .