The Secret in the Back Room

My mother ran an adult novelty shop. One afternoon, exhausted, I crashed at the store to rest, only to end up accidentally trapped in one of the shop's new specialty beds.

When our neighbor, Clarissa Hartley, stopped by to settle her bill, she somehow mistook me for the latest product... and actually started pulling off my pants.

"Shawn, I'm heading out to pick up some inventory. Keep an eye on the shop for a bit.

"And Ms. Hartley from next door should be stopping by to settle her tab. The ledger's in the cabinet beside the counter. Just double-check it when she gets here."

I vaguely heard my mother talking near my ear. I mumbled a few sleepy replies before drifting off again.

I had been pulling all-nighters for the past few days, finishing my thesis, and I was completely wiped out. I hadn't even made it home. I just stopped by my mother's shop, found a bed in the storage room at the back, and collapsed.

I had no idea how long I slept.

But when I finally woke up, something felt wrong.

My whole body was pinned to the bed.

My arms and legs were locked down with soft rubber restraints, and I was stretched wide like a giant X.

Something dark blocked my vision, as if a curtain had fallen over my head.

What the hell?

Panic rushed in.

I struggled hard, trying to pull my hands free, but the restraints wouldn't budge no matter how hard I twisted.

That was when the realization finally hit me.

My mother ran an adult shop. And this had to be that new specialty bed she had recently ordered.

It had built-in mechanisms. Once triggered, the restraints would lock automatically, and only someone outside could disable it.

Earlier, I had been so exhausted that I grabbed the first bed I saw in the back room and passed out. I hadn't even noticed it was the brand-new display model.

I must've hit one of the triggers in my sleep. Now the damn thing had my arms and legs locked in place.

The position I was stuck in looked exactly like something out of an adult video.

And somehow, just thinking about that made my body start reacting on its own.

"Helen?"

Right then, I heard Clarissa Hartley's voice from the front of the store.

And it was getting closer.

Crap.

My mother had said Clarissa would come by to settle her bill today.

My heart started pounding. If someone saw me like this, I would die from embarrassment.

I fought the restraints with everything I had, but even though they felt soft, they were impossible to break out of.

"Hello? Anyone here? Helen said I could stop by today to pay."

Clarissa's footsteps moved closer.

Judging by the sound, she was only a few steps away now.

In a rush of panic, I spotted a sheet beside me. I grabbed it with my teeth, yanked it over my face, and froze