Part 1

Bethany Rudenko jogged through the crisp morning air, trying to focus on breathing through her nose. With heavy footfalls, she stomped down a paved footpath that ran through a narrow but pleasantly green stretch of park. The path ran beside an irrigation ditch that might have passed for a stream if not examined too closely. In many ways, she felt quite proud of herself, as well she might. Here she was, on a cold Saturday morning in early March, finally making good on her New Year's resolution. It had been a struggle to get out of bed at 6 a.m. and pull on her gray sweatpants and matching hoodie, but she had managed. Although she was already huffing and puffing with the exertion, she felt that she was turning a corner in her life, finally making the changes to her lifestyle that would eventually yield a slimmer figure, more energy and stamina, and perhaps a feeling of increased confidence and self-worth.

Unfortunately, the first day of a new exercise regimen is always the toughest. It wasn't just the fact that she was tired and cold. She was, but if anything she was now warmer and more energized than she had been thirty minutes earlier when she had left her front door. It was the people watching her. No, that wasn't quite accurate either. Hardly anyone was out this early. That was the point of starting so early in the morning. The few there were were mostly people walking their dogs, and none of them seemed to even notice her. Why should they? She didn't know any of them, and if she saw someone out for a jog, she wouldn't take any real notice of them no matter how they looked. Bethany knew that the feeling that everyone was staring at her and judging her existed nowhere outside of her own head. That didn't make the feeling any more pleasant.

Quite simply, her body was not, in her own opinion, currently ready for public exhibition. Her butt bobbed up and down behind her as she jogged. Her belly drooped slightly over the tight waistband of her sweats. Her breasts threatened to knock against her flabby chin with each step, only restrained by her new sports bra. The jogging outfit had been an impulse purchase, and she was now keenly aware of how optimistic she had been when choosing the sizes. In short, she was dressed for the body she wanted, not the one she had. She could certainly understand why so many preferred to run on treadmills, at home or in air-conditioned gyms, even if she considered this method shamefully wasteful in both financial and environmental terms.

The thought of turning back crept unbidden into her mind minute after minute. Wishing that she had brought some headphones to distract her from her unhelpful thoughts, she bravely plodded onward.

Sweat began to bead on her forehead, and she pulled off her jacket and tied it around her waist without pausing. To keep her mind occupied, she took to admiring the scenery. Most of it was only the back yards of distant neighbors, but many of those were well-maintained, and a few had sheep or horses grazing on newly-sprouted grass. She found herself wishing that the stream was kept up as well as the private areas. It wasn't some treasure-trove of natural beauty, but it could have done without all the random litter that people had carelessly inflicted on it. There were times when she could almost forget that the trickling water was more of a storm drain than a babbling brook, but then a half-crushed water bottle or crumbled chunk of a styrofoam cup would remind her what kind of world she was in, and what inconsiderate people she shared it with.

At length, she found herself gasping for air. She had known that she was out of shape, but the burning in her lungs and the soreness in her calves still surprised her. She sat on a convenient bench a few feet from a trash can. She knew that she would have to ween herself off these brakes as she progressed, but she told herself that it was alright for now. Slowly, she returned her breathing to normal and drank in the cool morning air.

The bank of the stream across from her was particularly well-sprinkled with trash. It annoyed her. Trash cans had been spaced along the walkway at regular intervals, and city workers were sent out to empty them on a regular basis, and yet there were dozens of bits of random litter scattered among the grass and shrubs within a stone's throw of a ready receptacle. She frowned. Why did people act like this?

She realized with a start that she shouldn't complain. Not if she weren't willing to do something about it. Besides, a little light labor would make a pleasant interval before her jog back to her home. So, out of the blue, she began picking up garbage.

She hadn't meant to be at it for very long, but it proved oddly addicting. Once she was walking around among the foliage, she began spotting many more pieces of litter that she hadn't seen from the path. She cleared a small area, and found that she was so pleased with herself for having done so that she wanted to make the clean area larger and larger. She brought armload after armload back to the receptacle, often filling a plastic bag or a large drink cup before stuffing it in. She marveled at how good it felt. In a small but clearly observable way, she was making a difference; having a positive impact on the world. This was what people who volunteered in soup kitchens or helped out at homeless shelters must feel, she thought. The feeling that your work has made the world a slightly better place, in a clear and tangible way. It was something that she had often wished for, but seldom found, in her own working life. She soon lost track of time. She had to keep walking further and further from the bench to find more trash.

While combing along some reeds growing on the edge of the thin ribbon of water that ran through the ditch, Beth noticed a glass bottle sitting partially submerged in the muddy bank. It was a little awkward to reach down that far, but Bethany had already cleared everything around it, and she had decided that she wanted this bank to be completely free of trash because of her. She settled one white running shoe into the muddy ground, wincing as the mud settled around her shoe with loud squishing noise.

She carefully lowered herself on to her knees and reached toward the shiny object. It was a slightly odd-looking bottle, with pink-tinted glass and no visible labels. Bethany guessed that it was one of those highbrow craft beers, in which case whoever had tossed it there had committed two grievous offenses. Whoever has tossed it there must have also thrown it fairly hard, because once Bethany got her fingers around the thing, she found that she was unable to lift it free of the water. She bent down still lower to get a better grip on it, but even with the extra leverage, the mud seemed to suck at the bottle and refuse to let it go. Bethany realized now that her objective did not justify her efforts, especially in her brand new jogging shoes, but having gone this far in she refused to give up. She shifted another foot into the mud, feeling it half-bury itself as it slid a few inches. With both hands now gripping the smooth glass, she pulled with all her strength.

There was a snap, and Bethany felt herself tumble backward. Her butt, thinly coated in her sweatpants, buried itself in the soft mud below. Bethany sighed heavily. She was sure she hadn't let go of the thing, but it wasn't in her hands any longer, so she concluded that it must have been slipperier than she had thought. Groaning, she began scanning the water for it.

“Hiiiii!” said a small, squeaky voice. Bethany jumped a little, causing the mud around her to squelch again. She jerked her head up to see who had spoken.

Hovering in the air, Bethany saw a tiny female form. She had little wings similar to a dragonfly's, seemingly made of pinkish crystal. The fairy (what else could Bethany think of when looking at her?) looked like a tiny model of a woman in her late twenties. She wore a form-fitting robe of some gauzy material, and her tiny eyes sparkled in the faint morning light.

“...huh?” Bethany could only stare at the fairy as it flitted gracefully back and forth in front of her eyes. It beamed an enthusiastic smile at Bethany.

“Yay! You did it! Good job!” said the fairy, clapping her hands with delight.

“Wha...?” was all Bethany could muster in response.

“I've been watching you. You did a good deed, and you didn't give up when it turned out to be harder than you expected! I give you humans little tests like this all the time, but I usually just get disappointed! Now I get to give you your reward!”

With that, the tiny woman exploded like a firecracker. A shower of pink and white sparks filled Bethany's vision, then promptly disappeared. Bethany was left sitting in the mud, wondering what to make of what she had just seen. She gently probed the back of her head for signs of injury. She thought about the process of prying herself out of the mud and walking back home in her filthy clothes. She hated the idea, but she had no choice now, and the sooner she started, the fewer of her neighbors would see her.

“Mommy, Mommy! Look!”

Bethany felt her cheeks redden as she looked up. Standing above her on the grass near the path were two women. The one who had just referred to the other as “Mommy” was easily in her mid-twenties. She had long, elaborately braided hair, and wore a pink sweater with a picture of a shooting star across it. She was tugging at the other woman's sleeve. The older woman looked to be about Bethany's own age, which made the idea that she was her companion's actual mother highly dubious. The younger woman was pointing at Bethany with a look of great excitement on her face. The 'mother' favored Bethany with a warm smile.

“Well, hello there sweetie! Did you fall down?” she asked. Bethany felt sure that they were mocking her, but nothing in either of their faces or voices bore that out. They seemed like two people who had just spotted an adorable kitten or a row of ducklings. Eyes wide with confusion, Bethany nodded.

“Oh, that's alright, dear. We know you can't help it! Come on, let's get you out of that mud.” said the mother, stepping gingerly toward the soft bank as Bethany herself had done a moment ago.

“Can we keep her, Mommy? I'll take really good care of her! I promise!” said the younger woman, seeming to be doing an impression of a little kid. Bethany couldn't imagine why any woman of her age would speak to her mother this way. She was starting to wonder if these two weren't involved in some kind of weird scene. Wait, had she said...

“...k-Keep me?” squeaked Bethany, her confusion now tinged with fear.

The “mother” grabbed Bethany by the arm and hefted her to her feet. The mud was caked across her butt.

“Well...I suppose, sweetheart.” said the mother with an indulgent smile.

Bethany was aghast. “What? What are you even...” Her voice trailed off.

At that moment, Bethany felt something click in the back of her mind. She now had an owner. She belonged to this strange woman and her mother. She didn't have the faintest idea how such a thing could be possible, much less acceptable, but it was simply true. Her name was Bethany Rudenko, the earth orbited the sun at 67,000 miles per hour, and this woman owned her. It wasn't up for debate, it was simply reality.

Her new owner pulled her into a hug. Bethany felt extremely awkward being hugged so enthusiastically by a complete stranger, but she couldn't possibly resist. If her owner wanted to hug her, she could. The thought made no sense to her at all, but none the less, she couldn't choose to think otherwise. As awkward and embarrassed as she felt, she also felt warm and safe in her owner's embrace.

“She's very dirty, honey. Let's get her cleaned up before you play with her.” said the mother gently.

“Play with me?!” repeated Bethany, not believing what she was hearing.

“Yep! I'm gonna play with you lots and lots and lots!” said the younger woman, seemingly misinterpreting her reaction. “My name's Madison. What's your name?”

“I...I'm Bethany, but listen, you can't just...”

But she could. Bethany knew in the core of her being that she had no right to question her owner's wishes. She was a possession, and if Madison wanted to play with her, she would. The blood drained from Bethany's face as this realization dawned. Did they really think she was some sort of toy? What kind of game were these two playing here? And why did it feel like she couldn't object?

Madison's mother grabbed Bethany and began brushing chunks of mud off her butt.

'Uh...hey! Quit it!” she said, although she found that she couldn't simply move away from the woman.

“Sweety, I think she'll need new clothes. These ones are ruined.” pronounced the mother, apparently dissatisfied with her progress.

“Don't worry, Bethany! I have lots of doll clothes at home! Way better than that gray stuff. You'll look so cute!” assured Madison.

“But...I just bought these.” said Bethany. She was shocked by how weak her own voice sounded. She wasn't objecting. She was whining.

“Arms up.” ordered Madison's mother.

This she directed at Bethany, who found herself once again unable to resist as the mother removed her muddy jogging outfit. She raised her arms so that she could pull her hoodie off. She sat down on the grass and allowed her to remove her shoes, socks, and finally her dirty sweatpants. Down to just a sports bra and sweat-dampened white panties, she hugged herself against the cold and glanced nervously up and down the path. The thought of running away occurred to her, but then she remembered that she belonged to Madison now, so she couldn't.

The sky was beginning to grow lighter. Bethany's clothes went into the same trash bin that she had just filled with random refuse. She hung her head as Madison's mother replaced the lid. Bethany felt so utterly adrift that she wasn't even really surprised when Madison picked her up by her hips and carried her in her arms, seemingly without effort, and began carrying her down the footpath. Bethany found the sensation of being carried extremely disorienting, not least because the young woman didn't look strong enough to lift her an inch off the ground, let alone cradle her with one arm across her back and another just under her ass. Bethany winced as they began to pass other pedestrians. She buried her face in her new owner's shoulder as people began to pass by. She felt sure that people would point and stare and ask why a woman in her underwear was being carried around like a baby. No one did. The few passers-by who gave them a second glance all smiled and greeted them warmly. Madison's mother smiled and waved, but Madison's attention was entirely on Bethany. She smiled and giggled. She swung her new doll back and forth in her arms. She spun around until Bethany began to feel dizzy. She seemed utterly infatuated with her new plaything. Despite her fear and uncertainty, Bethany began to enjoy the attractive woman's attention.

Bethany soon became exhausted trying to reconcile her thoughts and feelings to this absurd situation. It was clear that no one else was willing to acknowledge how twisted and surreal it all was. After a few minutes, she simply took a deep breath and tried to relax. This weird dream had to end at some point.

“Here we are.” announced Madison's mother, leaving the path and approaching a large suburban home that was apparently her own.

She opened a small gate that led through the white fence. The house that loomed in front of Bethany looked quite large and well-maintained, although not extravagant. The back garden was just starting to recover from winter, and many small plants were beginning to sprout in the raised garden beds near the fence.

“Why don't you go play with new dolly upstairs, sweetheart? Mommy will call you for breakfast in a little while.” said her owner's mother.

“Yay! C'mon! I wanna introduce you to my other toys!” said Madison, carrying her toward a set of stairs.

“Just a second, honey.” interrupted the mother, as though she had narrowly avoided forgetting something. “Did you use the potty today?”

Bethany's owner turned and blushed. “Yes, Mommy. I went before we left for our walk. Remember?” she turned her eyes downward as she spoke, clearly uncomfortable with the topic.

Bethany's eyes widened again. She knew her new owner spoke like a child, but apparently the similarities didn't end there.

“Show me your pretty stars.” said her mother patiently.

Before Bethany could even try to guess what she might mean by this, her owner somberly set her down on the carpeted floor and began fumbling with her jeans. She pulled them down to reveal that she was wearing a pair of pull-up training pants. They were decorated with the smiling face of Barney the Dinosaur, surrounded by a scattered set of yellow cartoon stars.

The mother reacted to this revelation with heavily exaggerated delight. “Very good, Madison! You'll be ready for big-girl undies in no time at this rate!”

Madison grinned with satisfaction grinned as she buttoned up her jeans. Bethany would have liked to have a chuckle at the idea of a college-aged woman being nearly ready for non-absorbent underwear, but this absurdity only served to underline the absurdity of her own situation. Was this that fairy's idea of a reward, being turned into the plaything of an overgrown toddler?

“If this is a gift, I hope she kept the receipt.” muttered Bethany under her breath, as Madison excitedly grabbed her by the hand and pulled her up the stairs.