Male

The man was young, perhaps not much older than Emma herself. He wore the kind of graphic tank-top and cargo shorts combo that Emma imagined skaters often found themselves in, although he didn't have a skateboard with him now.

She had more difficulty exposing herself to him than she had expected. She thought she had prepared herself, but now she wasn't sure. Regardless, she was dedicated to her beliefs and her commitments. She would follow through no matter what.

He glanced at her and back to the placard. She could almost see him wondering, What does "permanent harm" mean?

Hesitantly, he reached for the door handle. A few bystanders stopped to watch. He took a step inside and closed the door behind him. At first, nothing, he simply studied her petite body. Eyes lingering on her small breasts and smooth sex. He took little notice of her long blonde hair.

Emma felt the thud of her heart beating. She couldn't quite believe she was in this cube with this stranger. Oh my God, do I have the strength to follow through?

That didn't matter now. The two men watching had been instructed, very clearly by her organizing patron, to only intervene in the event of injury. The local government had already been made aware as well.

"I'm, sorry," she said. He had been speaking, but she missed it. "I didn't get that?"

"I'm Tommy. W-what's your name?" He sounded as nervous as she felt.

"Emma," she said.

His cheeks turned red. "Right," he said. "The placard."

He examined the cube. "So, what is this?"

"Art."

Tommy looked through the clear walls at the gathering crowd. "What kinda art, why are you naked?"

"Performance art. It's about trust. The human condition. I believe most people are inherently good and will treat others kindly, even if you give them the opportunity to treat you badly."

"What's that mean, exactly?"

She couldn't get enough air into her lungs. Was I wrong? she thought. Clearly, what he wanted to say was, "What am I allowed to do to you?"

"It means, for the next twenty four hours, I'm putting my fate in the hands of strangers."

Quickly, he crossed the three steps between them and grabbed her small breast. She almost flinched away. She felt her jaw tremble at the sudden contact.

"So I can do this?" He was several inches taller than her, and looked down to meet her eyes.

No, please no, she thought, but answered, "Y-yes."