Deena makes plans

"Right," said Deena, looking over the assembled shoppers. She saw half a dozen college students, two teachers at the local high school, three hairdressers from the salon across the road, some country girls in checkered shirts and cowboy hats come down from nearby farms, the bespectacled owlish woman who ran the local bookstore, a few cheerleaders, and plenty of other people drawn from all across the town. Just the usual Pinchton, Maine, crowd.

Plus Pete, of course. Pete was trying not to stare, but he couldn't help glancing at Angela, who stood off to the side in her bright yellow bra. Her hefty breasts were eye-catching, Deena had to admit. The mayor's assistant scowled, covering her chest and trying to turn away from Deena while still giving her a death stare. "Get on with it," she snapped. "Still don't know who put you in charge."

"You see those things out there?" Deena pointed to the plate-glass window. The Asian girl had been withdrawn, leaving a smudge behind in the shape of her body, and now all the shoppers could see was strange shadows flickering through a wall of mist. "Those things put me in charge. I'm a state trooper. I know how to handle these things. You're all going to listen to me."

"You talk a big game for someone who ran in here topless."

Deena tugged at the hem of Angela's white blouse, slightly too big for her, now the only thing standing between her breasts and the outside world. She wished her nipples weren't so hard. It was cold in here. The shoppers were glancing back and forth from her to Angela, still trying to make up their minds about who to follow.

This was important. She had to act fast, or she was going to lose them. The step she had in mind was drastic, but she was pretty sure it had to be done.

"You want to know what the mist does?" she barked. "You're not scared of it?"

"I'm not scared of you, I know that."

"You should be." Deena grabbed Angela by the wrist. With her other hand, she unhooked her handcuffs from her belt. Soon enough, and despite Angela's struggles, the black woman was standing with her hands cuffed to a shelf behind her back. She jerked against her bonds, but neither the cuffs or the shelf were going to budge.

"Do you see that? She's gone crazy! Let me go!"

"This is what the mist will do to you." Deena hooked her thumbs into Angela's jeans and yanked them down around her ankles, exposing her full, rounded hips clad only in yellow panties. Angela squawked in surprise, suddenly stuck on display in just her underwear. "You can't do this! You have no right!"

"The mist doesn't care. The mist does anything it wants. Do you girls want to listen to me? Or do you want to end up like Angela?"

"Um..." One of the country girls stepped forward. "Hi, I'm Shannon. We'll listen to you, thanks."

"Good thinking. Now, here's my plan."

"Let me go at once. Pete, I see you looking at me! Don't you dare! I'm a very important person!"