"Hurry up before all the good ones are gone!"

     Kassandra gave a final tug on the black dress she had just placed on her mannequin and stood back to admire her work.

     "Kassie, enough already, she looks like she's going to a funeral," Persephone giggled. "You spend waaaay too much time on your mannequin."

     "Yeah Kass, you'll just be changing it again tomorrow," exclaimed Appollonia. "We really need to go!"

     Kass grabbed her mask and locked the shop up as they hit the streets in search of a good time and a bad man. Well, Seph and Pol were anyway; Kass had her own peculiar tastes. She knew it wouldn't take long for her sisters to find the kind of man they needed, not with their looks. Years of practice had helped them perfect their little games and there were men out there only too happy to oblige them. They split up as each had their own private hunting ground and no poaching was allowed.

     Kass headed uptown to a large noisy club, one where a person could get lost, where no-one would recognize you. Where her type of man would be. She spent the better part of an hour fending off would-be suitors attracted by her sexy costume and what it promised. Even the bartender gave it a try as he plied her with free drinks. But Kass was not to be deflected from her goal. She surveyed the room with its patrons in all sorts of costumes. Then she spotted a potential partner. He was stuffed into a Dallas Cowgirls costume. On closer inspection she rejected him. He was obviously doing it as a joke with water balloons for breasts and he hadn't even shaved his chest!

     She headed for the second floor gallery where she'd have a better view of the floor. After the better part of an hour she thought she'd have to leave and try another club when she saw him. No wonder she'd missed him, he was standing near the restrooms with his legs crossed unable to decide which door to use. Kass decided she'd help him resolve his dilemma and hurried down to his side before he disappeared on her.

     "Hi there Alice. Looking for the tea party?" Kass gently linked arms and felt him shivering. How delightful. It was clear this must have been his first time out in public. However, it was also clear that it wasn't his first time dressed as a woman. The shiny legs, the immaculate blond wig and carefully applied makeup indicated someone who had a lot of practice behind his bedroom door.

     "It looks you need to visit the powder room," said Kass. "I do too. Why don't you join me?" And she gently steered him into the ladies room. He was too shocked to react and nearly bowled over a buxom Wonder Woman as she pointed him towards a stall and went into the one next to him. After a few moments she left and waited patiently for him to reappear.

     The door opened up slowly as he glanced out fearfully. She smiled and beckoned him to join her in front of the mirror. "See it's not so bad," she whispered. "You really look quite nice, especially in the looking glass." That elicited a shy grin from him.

     "First time out isn't it," Kass said as they joined the crowd back outside. He nodded, still too scared to speak and she wondered how he ever managed to get himself out the door. They'd hardly taken two steps into the club when a pair of smug looking guys in a football uniform and pimp outfit zeroed in on them. Afraid her new-found partner would panic she grabbed him around the waist and kissed him like a long lost lover. The two took one look and beat a hasty retreat. Kass know knew where 'Alice" got the courage - out of a bottle. He wasn't drunk but it had probably taken several drinks before he got up the nerve to come here.

     Kass decided to get him out of here before he bolted like a rabbit.

     "Come with me. I'm part owner of a women's clothing store and you'll love it there! And I'd love to try a few things on you."

     'Alice' couldn't believe his luck as he allowed himself to be led out to her car. He must be dreaming.

     Kass noted the look on his face and knew she had found the one. That he needed what she had to offer as much as she needed him. She nearly broke the sound barrier as she rushed back to the little boutique she and her sisters owned.

     As they entered she noted the signs that said her sisters had come and gone. They were always faster than she was, but then their prey were easier to find. Pleased that she wouldn't be rushed she turned on all the lights and watched his eyes light up as he took in the wonderland around him.

     She led him past the designer gowns, the luscious lingerie, to where her mannequin stood. Looking at him she said, "I bet that little black dress would look beautiful on you, it's by Dior."

     "Why don't you go in the dressing room and take off that costume and I'll let you to try it on."

     He rushed to comply and after she'd given him a few minutes she slid inside the dressing room with him. He looked questionably at her when he saw she had returned empty handed but she quickly put her fingers to his ruby red lips. "Shhh. Before you get to try on the dress you have to try me on," and she eased down his panties (Yes! He'd even wore panties) and slipped him inside her while whispering in his ear, "Tell me how much you want to be inside me, to be with me." As he reached his climax he mouthed the words she needed to hear and she orgasmed for the sheer joy of it.

     Drained, he slumped back on the bench and she felt his body stiffen - and not just the one part of it that had so pleased her a moment before.

     He looked at her but couldn't get a word out and she took pity on him and told him her story.

     "It was a dark night, exactly this time of year when I and my two sisters met and called upon Hecate, the goddess of death."

     "We were young and vain and wanted to keep our looks and youth. So we tried to bargain with Hecate. She told us she could only do that if we were linked so she could experience human emotions. In our vanity we promised to do whatever it took. Hecate made us draw blood to seal the deal and a moment later we felt our bodies stiffen into lifelike statues. We had achieved eternal good looks but only in this suspended state. Hecate fed upon our emotions of fear, dismay and yearning."

     "After a few centuries we were drained, numb, and began to feel much as if we were the statues our souls were imprisoned within. Then Hecate made us a second offer as she missed the human feelings we had provided. She'd provide us with young beautiful bodies on the condition that we provide a replacement soul before the night was out. If we didn't we'd spend another century trapped in our statues. We agreed and found ourselves once again possessors of young, beautiful bodies but only if we could find replacements. And then Hecate explained the catch, we had to get our victim to agree to replace us voluntarily by verbally saying they wanted to be with us and to be inside us. It didn't take a scholar to figure out we'd never get another woman to say those things but then Appollonia realized we could get a man to say them. Even though our Greek was outdated we were able to make ourselves understood in the ways of women everywhere and soon found willing (but unwitting) volunteers."

     "Imagine their surprise when they found themselves trapped within our statues. Hecate was overjoyed as these new emotions suffused her. And we couldn't help but intensifying those emotions by teasing the trapped men. And when the rites of spring came we'd enlist young men to take our statues out in the sacred woods and there we would strip our statues, place a mask upon them and then told the young men that they could play a joke on their friends by sending them to copulate with these lifelike statues. So their drunken friends would come by and ravage them and the men trapped inside knew what it was like to be on the receiving end while Hecate thrived upon their emotions. But after a time the worship of the old gods died out and the men became numb like we had before them."

     "Hecate threatened us with return to the statues unless we found fresh souls and to keep them from growing stale she made us promise to provide a new soul every quarter century. Over the years we've found various ways to do this but when we discovered our statues looked like lifelike mannequins we stumbled on a way to both make money and keep our statues close by."

     "And that brings me to you 'Alice.' 1984 is a very lucky year for you. My sisters as usual have quickly found themselves cads and bad boys and their mannequins now have new residents as you will soon take residence in mine and get to wear that divine Dior dress. But unlike them I think you'll learn to enjoy it. I discovered a few centuries ago that certain men yearned for the touch of women's clothes and a beautiful body to wear them. So it's off with your little head and welcome to my world. Twenty five years of being dressed in only the finest of clothes. I pride myself on giving my statue a new look every day and you will thrill as the silks and satins engulf your body. And at night I'll use my skills to give you other more physical thrills."

     "My sisters usually allow men to play with their mannequins to heighten the emotions their trapped souls feel but I've found that joy is stronger and more lasting emotion - and you WILL enjoy your time with me."
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     You may have noted an announcement in your local newspaper. 'Coming in late 2009 - Hecate's Fashion Boutique.' Where will YOU be next 'All Souls Day?'