The Danger Wheel

"But, Zora," said Emily. "Can't I go and put some pants on first?"

"Of course not," said Zora, pulling the last leather strap into place. Emily was now firmly bound to the big rainbow-striped wheel that had been rolled out into the middle of the stage, spread-eagled, arms and legs forming an X with her T-shirt-clad torso in the centre. "I'd have to unstrap you first. Do you know how long that would take?"

"But, Zora, I asked you before you started strapping me in."

"That would have been the time to do it," agreed Zora. "Anyway, Emily, be quiet now. You don't want to disturb my concentration."

"Why not?" said Emily, as Zora wound a length of black silk around her eyes, and pulled a shiny bundle of throwing knives out of her hat. "Wheel, spin!" she commanded. "And to answer your question, Emily, it's because I'm going to be throwing knives at you. Don't worry. I never miss, as long as my target stays perfectly silent."

"But, Zora, if the wheel spins..."

"Shush!" scolded Zora, as the wheel slowly began to revolve. The first knife plonked into the wood about half an inch from Emily's left ear. She gulped. Another blade was poised in Zora's fingertips as the magician lined up another throw.

Another knife flew, and another, making Emily's heart race. The wheel was slowly tipping her upside-down. She opened her mouth to say something, and closed it again.

Oh, no! She couldn't say anything! And Zora was blindfolded, so she couldn't see Emily. Which meant she had no way of knowing that her shirt was slowly sliding up her legs, revealing more and more of her gorgeous pale thighs, until...

The wheel came to a stop, trapping Emily upside-down. And her shirt fell down over her head. Revealing her bright red panties, and her bare breasts, to the world.

Emily bit back a squeal.

She could hear the crowd roar. They could see everything, and they were loving it. She could feel the cool wind stiffen her pink nipples. The cloth of the shirt was covering her eyes, now. But that was the only thing it covered.

And she couldn't make a sound. All she could do was hang there helplessly, exposed to the world, begging the wheel to start turning again.

She heard the thunk of two more knives.

She took a deep breath, trying not to whimper too loudly, soaking in shame as the whole crowd laughed at her expense. Finally, after what seemed like hours but couldn't have been more than a few minutes, the wheel started turning again.

Emily let out a quiet sigh of relief, and waited for her shirt to fall back into place, letting her preserve some blessed modesty. She waited some more.

It wasn't until the wheel had come almost all the way back around that she realised what the final two knives had done.

They'd landed in her shirt.

Pinning it in place, up over her head.

"And now," Zora announced, "I will perform several more tricks. All blindfolded, of course. I do hope I'm not forgetting anything."