In the beginning, there was Part 1, but how could
I let it end there?
Thanks to Sean and Colson for proofreading and suggestions.
As ever - send me feedback.
The camera cut to Britney, who stood in the centre of the stage, dressed in a flowing white gown. Music started, and Britney began to sing a soft, slow love song. Dry ice began to swirl around her ankles, the lights in the studio slowly dimming.
Melinda moved out from the side of the stage, coming to stand a little way behind Britney. She wore a similarly flowing costume, but far more revealing, a gauzy white harem girl's costume, highlighted with gold braid. Raising her hands towards Britney, she began to make gentle upward gestures. With the music slowly building, Britney rose into the air.
Not even missing a beat, she carried on with the ballad. Now six or seven feet from the ground, Melinda was moving to stand beneath her. A stagehand emerged from the side of the stage carrying a steel hoop, which he passed to Melinda. Holding it aloft, she was able to pass it up around Britney's feet and calves, but could reach no higher. Melinda looked up, crouched slightly, and then she too was rising into the air, still clutching the ring. Britney slowly twisted around, coming to rest on her side, still singing, as Melinda rose behind her. The magicienne passed the hoop around Britney's feet, slowly drawing it along the singer’s recumbent form, past her waist, along her torso, and off over her head. The audience broke into applause, Britney grinning and Melinda bowing. As it died away, Melinda drew her knees up to her chest, moved the hoop beneath her and lowered herself through it.
Leaving Britney still singing, floating above the stage, Melinda dropped back to the stage. The stagehand returned, and Melinda exchanged the hoop for a gauzy black cloth. She rose again and slowly spread the cloth over Britney, starting at her feet and moving along. The singer was silent for the moment, as a piano solo carried the music, and Melinda drew the cloth up over her head, hiding her from view. The magicienne slowly dropped down again, leaving the singer still suspended in the air. She looked upwards, smiled to the audience, and then grabbed the cloth from the air.
The music abruptly stopped as the cloth dropped, revealing no trace of Britney. To a fresh wave of applause, Melinda took a bow, and the lights went down.
Britney walked out of the wings, searching for the magicienne.
"Melinda?" She stopped dead at the edge of the stage. "What on earth is that?" That was a large red cabinet, some 10 feet high and at least that across, painted all over with oriental designs in gold. There was a black brush bar running down the centre line, with what appeared to be a metal collar fixed into it - and Melinda's head poking out of it! Four additional sliders radiated from the centre to the corners, and similar, smaller collars held Melinda's hands and bare feet. Melinda twisted to look over at the singer.
"Oh, hi Britney." The magicienne pushed her left hand about a third of the way along it’s slider, then drew it back.
"What are you doing?"
"Exercise. The latest in whole body toning!" As a sceptical Britney watched, she pushed her feet out a little way along their sliders and then back. "Fancy taking a turn?" Britney looked down at her clothes, ripped jeans and a black sequinned shirt.
"I don't know, I’m hardly dressed for it…"
"Come on, you'll enjoy it! First I need you to help me out of this thing though." Britney came around to the front of the cabinet. "Could you undo the latches on the front there?" Looking where Melinda pointed, Britney found and released the catches holding the doors closed. "Thanks!" Melinda pulled her hands and feet inside, out of sight, and then pushed. The twin doors swung open either side of the central slider. The magicienne, dressed in a green and black leotard, was perched on a stool, her neck still locked into the collar. "I can get this myself," said Melinda, reaching around and unlocking the collar. The bottom half dropped downwards and Britney lifted the upper lunette so that Melinda could withdraw her head. "Much better."
Hopping off the stool, Melinda pushed open the rear doors, walking through them and back around to join Britney at the front. "So, are you ready to have a go?" Britney, a sceptical expression on her face, was examining the collar Melinda had just vacated.
"I suppose so..."
"Great!" Melinda taking her by the arm, Melinda pulled her up into the cabinet. "Just sit yourself down here." She patted the stool. "You can work your feet at the same time as your arms with this - so you need somewhere to sit!" Still looking unsure, Britney settled onto the stool. "Oh! I almost forgot - you'll have to slip these off!" Melinda crouched down, and slipped off Britney's sandals, dropping them onto the stage in front of the cabinet. Britney giggled and kicked her feet.
"What next?" Melinda waved her hand through the brush bar.
"Pop your head through here..." As Britney did so, Melinda quickly fussed about her hair, to prevent it getting trapped. Satisfied, she brought the bottom of the collar upwards. “Then we lock you in here..." Britney looked up at her.
"Lock me in? I'm not sure I like the sound of that." Holding the bottom lunette in place, Melinda reached up and drew the top one down, until it rested on the other woman's neck.
"It's just a precaution, to ensure you get the full effect." With sharp clicks, the twin catches locked into place either side of Britney's head. "All nice and secure!" Melinda pushed the collar slightly down the slider, forcing Britney to lean forwards.
"Hey!"
"Sorry. Okay, next, the doors." The magicienne walked around to the back of the cabinet, and swung both doors shut. Returning to the front, she pulled the right-hand door closed, and latched it shut. "Your hand goes through here." Melinda tapped the collar in the upper slider. Britney reached up, first pushing her fingers out, and then working her hand through what was clearly a tight fit. Melinda grinned and shook Britney's hand, then knelt down beside the second slider. "I need your foot now." Britney pushed her toes through the collar, but Melinda shook her head. "That won't do! You need to put the whole foot through!" She took hold of Britney's wiggling toes, pulling her foot through but forcing her knee up against her chest.
"Well, this is passing the first test for exercise," sighed Britney, "It's uncomfortable!" Laughing, Melinda crossed to the other side to close the second door.
"No pain, no gain!" She latched it shut. "I think you know what to do this time." Nodding, Britney pushed her hand through the upper collar, but once again she could not push her foot all the way through.
"You'll have to help...oh!" Melinda tugged sharply, drawing a sharp squeal from Britney. There was a loud thump from inside the cabinet, and Britney’s head slipped a few inches downwards. Frowning, Melinda disappeared around the back, leaving a somewhat uncomfortable looking Britney grimacing at the audience. After a moment or two, the magicienne reappeared, carrying the stool.
"I guess you didn't need this after all!" Britney grunted.
"This is really uncomfortable, Melinda."
"Nonsense, you just need to loosen up a little." As she said this, she moved in beside Britney's head, and took hold. "1...2...3!" With a vicious jerk, she twisted Britney's head around 180º.
"Ahhhh! Melinda!" Britney was now staring up at the studio ceiling.
"Don't you feel so much looser?" asked Melinda innocently.
"No! Put me back!" Giggling a little, Melinda took hold of Britney's head again and completed the circle.
"A perfect 360º! We may need an exorcist." Britney blinked furiously, and glowered at the other woman.
"That's not funny."
"What are you complaining about? You're the right way up, aren't you?" Melinda wagged a finger at her. "You’re far too stressed. A good work out should do the trick."
"Don't you dare..." But Melinda was already taking hold of a cord hanging down the side of the cabinet. She gave a gentle tug, and Britney's left hand and foot moved a few inches along their respective sliders.
"See? There's nothing too it." Melinda pulled again, moving Britney's limbs to about as far as she had earlier been able to extend her own body. "Of course, you might feel a slight pull!" With that, she tugged hard on the cord. Britney let out deep moan, and hand and foot flew out as far as they could go, bumping against the ends of the sliders. Britney was gasping for breath, staring in disbelief. With her eyes fixed on her wiggling fingers, she didn't see Melinda move to the other side. It was only as Melinda began to pull steadily on the other cord that she called out.
"No! Stop that!" Her right hand and foot were being steadily drawn along the sliders, the strain was clear on her face. "Uhhhhh... Melinda, stop!" With a final tug, she did, but now all four of Britney's limbs were impossibly extended, reaching into the four corners of the cabinet front. Melinda reached up on her tiptoes, tickling Britney's palm, before kneeling and raking her fingernails over the singer's bare sole.
"Hey!" Britney started giggling, and wagged a finger - all of 10 feet up - at Melinda. “Don’t do that!”
"Sorry!" Melinda straightened up. "We're almost finished."
"What else..." A look of realization crossed Britney's face. "Oh, no!" The words had hardly left her mouth, when Melinda, resting a hand on the back of her head, driving her down to the bottom of the slider. "Ow!" Her face was left just an inch or two above her discarded sandals.
"So, how are things down there?"
"Just fine, thank you!" Britney laughed. "Although you could use a pedicure!" Melinda flashed a look down at her own bare feet.
"Humph. I think we'd better move you up in the world." Grabbing Britney by the hair, she dragged her back to the starting point.
"Ow! That hurt!" Melinda put a hand under Britney's chin, and pushed her all the way up to the top.
"How's the view?" Moving the stool over, Melinda climbed up on top of it. "You always wanted to be taller!" Britney looked down.
"Yeah, but not so high I get vertigo!"
"Oh, if you get vertigo, you shouldn't look down!" With a sharp tug, Melinda twisted Britney around again, leaving her facing the ceiling. Ignoring the protests - now mostly aimed at a stage light - Melinda climbed down, and set about pulling Britney's hands and feet back to the bottom of the sliders. With all four appendages back where they'd begun, Melinda reached up and pulled Britney's head back down to its starting point.
"There we go, everything back where it should be!" Melinda stepped back and took a bow.
"Haven't you forgotten something?" complained Britney, drawing a puzzled look from Melinda.
"I don't think so...oh!" She laughed. "Sorry, Britney." There was an audible sigh of relief. "Just give me a moment." Instead of taking hold of Britney's head, Melinda grabbed her right hand, gave it sharp tug, and twisted it through 180º. Britney squealed, and looked across in disbelief, as Melinda quickly did the same to her other hand and feet. Two stagehands stepped forwards and twisted the cabinet side on. Winking to the audience, Melinda pulled open the side panel. Inside, the audience could see Britney hanging from the front of the cabinet, bent backwards in a posture that would have given a contortionist pause. Her jeans and shirt were gone, and she was now dressed in a leotard like Melinda's, but in pink and blue. As the audience broke into applause, the panel was closed, the cabinet turned back, and Melinda set about turning Britney the right way up, twisting everything through a half turn. Britney's feet were pushed back inside, then her hands, and Melinda pulled open the two front doors to reveal Britney standing inside - the right way up!
"Ladies and Gentlemen..." Melinda undid the catches on the neck collar, and Britney pulled her head back through. "...Britney Spears!" Britney looked down at her new costume in amazement, then grinned, took Melinda's hand, and stepped down out of the cabinet to a fresh round of applause.
We're not done yet - Parts 3 and 4 coming soon!