Chapter 6: Stripped Naked in a Movie Theater
It had been a couple of weeks since Tommy had utterly humiliated Cindy in geometry class. He hadn't yet turned his attention to the others who had tormented him two years earlier, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t still enjoying the perks of his newfound powers.
Sally remained his primary focus, and for good reason. She had played a major role in the most painful and public ordeal of his young life, and she had relished every second of it. Beyond the satisfaction of revenge, practical considerations worked in his favor: they shared a roof, which made practicing his abilities almost effortless. And if Tommy were completely honest with himself, there was another factor at play. He genuinely liked looking at her naked body.
Because she had already fallen victim to his time-stop revenge, Sally was completely under his control. On more than one occasion, if their parents weren’t home and the mood struck him, Tommy exercised that control.
One such evening found him sitting in the living room, half-studying, while Sally busied herself with her usual chores, dusting and vacuuming like the dutiful daughter she pretended to be. Tommy watched her for several minutes before speaking.
"I think I'd like to see you do that naked."
Sally froze for a beat, visibly flinching. She flushed, kept her eyes down, and continued dusting, hoping if she ignored him, he’d drop the idea. But Tommy persisted.
“In fact, I
know I’d like to see you do that naked. Kindly take your clothes off for me, Sis.”
“Tommy...” Sally’s voice trembled. “You’ve already gotten back at me. Can't we just... can't we call it even? Move on?"
Tommy smiled coldly. “Ah, but we’re not even, my dear, soon-to-be-naked sister. I had to strip and dance in the gymnasium while the entire seventh and eighth grade classes watched and laughed at me. You? You were naked in front of one class, and you didn't have to dance for them. Yes, it was the most mortifying experience of your entire life, I'm sure of that, but when you compare it to what I went through, you got off easy. So no, Sally. This isn’t over. Not by a long shot."
Tommy settled back against the cushions, crossing his legs at the ankle. "Now make your choice. Get naked right here, right now, where it's just the two of us, or find yourself naked when you least expect it. And if that happens, I guarantee the audience will be a lot bigger.”
Sally closed her eyes for a moment, cursing the day she had participated in his humiliation. Resigned, she chose the lesser of two evils and turned toward the stairs.
“Where exactly do you think you’re going?” Tommy asked, already knowing the answer.
“You win,” Sally muttered. “I’m going upstairs to get undressed. I’ll be right back.”
Tommy chuckled. “Nice try, but no. There’s no reason for modesty now. I just saw you naked last week, remember? You can strip right here.”
Sally’s shoulders sagged in defeat. She set the duster down and, without another word, began to undress. She did it methodically: first her T-shirt, then her shorts, unhooking her bra and slipping her thumbs inside the waistband of her panties, all while facing away from him. When she was naked, she stood for a beat, arms crossed over her chest.
“Carry on with your dusting, Sis,” Tommy said, picking up his forgotten textbook and settling back in his seat. "Don't mind me. Pretend I'm not even here."
Face burning, Sally resumed dusting the shelves and tables, acutely aware of every inch of exposed skin, every shift of her weight, every subtle movement under Tommy's gaze. He had seen her nude before, but this felt different. It was more intimate, more degrading. She could feel his eyes tracking her as she moved through the room. With each motion, she felt the vulnerability of her situation more intensely. She was utterly under his control, and they both knew it.
Sally had a beautiful body, and even though she was his sister, Tommy couldn’t deny the effect she had on him. He took pleasure in watching her move through her tasks. She looked most delightful while she vacuumed, particularly when she leaned over to clean under the furniture. Her face remained flushed crimson, her eyes downcast, her embarrassment absolute. He savored every moment of her discomfort, remembering how he had felt during his own endless day of shame.
* * * * *
On another occasion, Tommy was seated at the kitchen table, casually eating a bowl of cereal. Their parents had already left for the day. Sally, half-asleep and cranky, stood at the stove, cooking her eggs.
Without looking up, Tommy asked, “Grab me some more cereal, would you?”
Sally didn’t even turn around. “Get it yourself,” she muttered.
Tommy just smiled. He waited patiently until she had finished cooking and sat down across from him. The moment her weight settled into the chair, he acted.
Time stopped. Tommy rose, walked around the table, and methodically stripped her. Her pajama top vanished. Her bottoms followed. After slipping off her panties, he arranged her in place. Everything was the same—except she was naked.
Then he returned to his seat, lifted his spoon, and resumed time, watching as realization dawned on her.
The reaction was instant. Sally gasped as her bare skin met the cold kitchen chair. She looked down in horror and instinctively covered her chest with both arms, her knees pressed together.
"Now," Tommy said, taking another bite, "would you please get my cereal?"
“GOD DAMN YOU!” Sally shrieked. But she stood. She crossed to the cabinet, her arms maintaining their desperate coverage, retrieved the cereal box, and placed it on the table before him. Tommy made her finish her breakfast like that while he read the sports section, occasionally glancing up to smile at her humiliation.
* * * * *
The real fun began when Tommy started experimenting in public. One morning, Sally spent too long in the bathroom and made them both miss the bus, forcing them to share a cab to school. Tommy said nothing, but mentally filed away the slight. His payback, while not particularly imaginative, was deeply satisfying. Midway through the cab ride, he stopped time. In the stillness, he stripped Sally completely naked and casually laid her clothes on the passenger seat beside the driver. Then he spread her arms on the backrest behind her, and restarted time.
“OHMIGOD!” Sally shrieked. She jolted upright, her hands flying to cover herself, her eyes wide with disbelief. The cabbie's head snapped toward the mirror, his jaw dropping, before a slow grin spread across his face. Sally, crimson with embarrassment, grabbed Tommy’s arm and shook it desperately.
“Please, Tommy, where are my clothes?”
Tommy shrugged. "Well, they're certainly not back here. You might want to check the front seat."
Neither Tommy nor the driver moved to help her. Sally hesitated, her face burning, her hands inadequate to cover everything at once. Finally, she leaned forward between the seats, giving Tommy an unobstructed view of her backside, and the delighted cab driver an eyeful of her exposed chest. She snatched her clothes and dressed with frantic haste, her fingers fumbling with buttons and zippers.
When they reached the school, the driver waved away Tommy's offered tip. "Keep it, kid," he said, winking at Sally. "This was the most entertaining fare I've had in twenty years of driving."
They walked toward the building in silence while Sally fumed. Then, as they passed through the doors, her control finally shattered.
“You sick little asshole!” she raged, unleashing every foul word in her vocabulary. "You disgusting, twisted, pathetic—"
Tommy just smiled coolly. "Thank you for that," he said, his tone almost pleasant. "I’ll be filing it away for later. I'm sure it will come in handy someday."
* * * * *
Sure enough, his opportunity arrived that weekend. Tommy was passing through the kitchen when he heard Sally mentioning to their mother that she planned to catch a solo matinee at the Cineplex downtown. His eyes lit up. A private outing. A public venue. The possibilities made him grin. Not only that, he remembered that his friend Brian just happened to be running the projector and house lights that day.
“Perfect,” Tommy mouthed to himself.
Tommy then came up with another idea, one that might prove useful beyond his revenge. Readers might remember Molly, the pretty girl who had been handcuffed to Sally the previous week and had taken great pleasure in her humiliation. A week later, Molly approached Tommy in the cafeteria, sliding into the seat across from him with a confidence he admired.
"You're Sally's brother, right?" she asked.
Tommy nodded, intrigued. "That's me."
Molly hesitated, momentarily unsure how to begin. “That was quite an exhibition your sister put on in literature class last week,” she said.
Tommy smiled, watching her closely. “Wasn’t it, though?”
Molly smiled back. "That's the most fun I've ever had while being tied up and helpless."
They both laughed.
Molly hesitated again, trying to decide how to broach her next question. Finally, she decided to dive right in.
"There is a rumor going around that you had everything to do with your sister's... humiliation." She smiled. "I understand if you want to keep it to yourself, and just tell me if I'm being too nosey. But I can’t help wondering if the rumor is true. And if it is... how in the world did you do it?” Her eyes were bright and playful.
It was Tommy's turn to hesitate, but something in Molly's expression told him she wouldn't run screaming to the authorities. If anything, she seemed envious.
"Trade secret," he said, testing the waters.
Molly laughed. "Well, whatever it was, it was brilliant." She paused. "I have to say, I found the whole spectacle... well, kind of exciting."
Tommy smiled. He was rather enjoying the direction of the conversation.
"I mean," Molly continued, "she was being a bitch to me, and to see her all naked and helpless like that.. in all honesty, I was getting a little turned on." Molly blushed ever so slightly, while maintaining eye contact with Tommy. Tommy found it endearing.
They talked for almost an hour, and the more Tommy got to know her, the more convinced he became that he could trust her. Eventually, he confided in her, first about his powers, then about the humiliation he’d suffered two years earlier at the hands of his teachers and his sister’s friends. To his delight, Molly was fascinated. Enthusiastic, even.
Over the next week, they spent more and more time together, gradually forming a friendship. The conversation often turned to Tommy's powers, and how he continued to use them to humiliate his sister.
“I’ve always wanted to see something like that,” she told him one afternoon as they walked home from school. “Being part of it, I mean. Not just watching.”
She stopped and turned to face him, a playful grin spreading across her face. “If you ever want a partner in mischief, Tommy, I’m very available.”
Tommy had liked her before. Now he was fascinated.
* * * * *
Late Saturday morning, after Tommy heard of Sally's plans for the matinee, his thoughts turned to Molly. He pulled out his phone and called her before he could second-guess himself.
"Hey," he said when she answered. "Want to go catch a movie with me?"
“With you?” Molly teased. “What, are you finally asking me on a real date?”
Tommy laughed, leaning back against his headboard. "Depends. You interested?"
"Maybe," she said. "What's playing?"
“The better question is,
who’s playing. My sister. And trust me, she’s the main attraction.”
There was a brief pause on the line.
"Oh, Tommy. You have my full attention. Tell me everything."
Tommy filled her in on his plans for Sally, and Molly’s interest immediately intensified. He could practically hear her grinning through the phone.
“You’re evil,” she said, clearly delighted. “I love it. What time do I show up?”
“Meet me outside the theater five minutes after the movie starts. Just enough time for Sally to settle into her seat.”
"And then?"
"And then we give her a show she'll never forget."
* * * * *
The two of them met outside the movie theater exactly as planned. Molly arrived wearing a fitted jacket and jeans, her eyes bright with anticipation.
"Ready?" Tommy asked.
"Born ready," Molly replied, sliding her arm through his. "Lead the way."
Once inside, Tommy froze time, and the world went silent and motionless around them. Molly stared in awe, her mouth forming a perfect O as the patrons became completely still.
"Oh my God. Tommy. They're actually—"
"Frozen," he confirmed. "Completely. Come on."
"That's incredible," she whispered, though no one could have heard her anyway.
They strolled into the theater together. It was sparsely filled, with perhaps a quarter of the seats occupied. Sally sat alone in the center of a row, eyes fixed on the screen, a bucket of popcorn resting in her lap, completely oblivious to the danger waiting a few rows behind her.
Tommy squeezed Molly's hand. Then he released time and literally licked his lips in anticipation.
* * * * *
Sally desperately needed a break. Her humiliations at the hands of her brother were preying on her mind, even invading her dreams. A quiet matinee seemed like the perfect escape: a darkened theater, a decent film, and, best of all, some time away from Tommy’s reach.
Or so she thought.
She had just started to lose herself in the movie, some romantic comedy that promised ninety minutes of distraction, when something odd and unsettling began to happen. Her T-shirt began to rise slowly, the hem creeping out from the waistband of her jeans with a gentle, steady pull. She instinctively tried to push it back down, but her arms wouldn’t move. It was as if they were pinned to the armrests by an invisible force.
Panicky, she looked left, then right. Thankfully, her row was empty. But her relief lasted less than a second before she felt her shirt slipping higher, sliding up her stomach, past her ribs, gathering beneath her armpits, and then over her head. It slipped off her arms, folded itself neatly, and came to rest on the seat beside her. Sally’s breath quickened. She knew what this meant, and the realization made her want to scream.
She tried to stand, to run, to do anything, but her body remained trapped. Then she felt the button of her jeans release, followed by the zipper descending and the fabric beginning its slow slide down her hips. She couldn’t stop it. Around her, the scattered audience remained engrossed in the film, unaware of the private horror unfolding in their midst.
Her sandals loosened and slipped off. Her jeans followed, pooling around her ankles before sliding free and coming to rest atop her folded shirt. Still, she couldn’t move. She sat there, flushed and trembling with shame and terror, clad only in her bra and panties. She was utterly helpless, unable to do anything but sit there and hope no one noticed.
Then the world stopped.
The theater fell silent and still, except for Tommy and Molly. Molly rose with a grin and quietly made her way to Sally’s row. She gathered the pile of discarded clothes, smiled at the frozen Sally, and sauntered back to her seat.
Time resumed.
Sally glanced to her side and gasped. Her clothes were gone! Her heart began racing as panic took hold. Before she could even process the theft, she felt the clasp of her bra snap open. The straps slipped from her shoulders and slithered down her arms before the bra flopped onto the empty seat beside her. She could only watch, wide-eyed and horrified, her arms still fixed to the chair.
“No... no, please...” she whimpered softly.
She braced herself. She knew what came next.
But Tommy made her wait.
For a full fifteen excruciating minutes, she sat there, topless and exposed, with no idea how much longer Tommy intended to leave her that way. She could do nothing but sit helplessly, wondering when someone would notice.
Then the tug came, soft and intimate.
“Oh God, please, no,” she whispered into the darkness.
But the panties slid down anyway, just as the rest had, past her hips, her thighs, and her knees, until they finally fluttered onto the seat beside her and landed on top of her bra.
Sally was now completely nude in the middle of a public movie theater.
* * * * *
From several rows back, Tommy watched with delight. He'd stripped Sally methodically, savoring each stage as another piece of clothing disappeared. Now that she was completely exposed, he released the invisible restraints holding her arms.
Sally’s hands shot down immediately, desperately reaching for her underwear. Tommy stopped time again.
Molly slipped down the aisle, plucked the bra and panties from the seat, and returned to her place, Sally's underwear in hand. She was wearing a smug smile when time resumed.
Sally was relieved to discover that she could finally move her arms. But just as she was about to grab her underwear, poof! They disappeared.
She was naked, surrounded by strangers, with no hope of concealing herself.
“Oh God, no!” she gasped. “No, this can’t be happening... please, have mercy!”
But the gods of mercy had clearly gone out for popcorn.
She hugged herself desperately, leaning over with her knees pressed tightly together. She was shivering, partly from the theater's air conditioning, but mostly from the very real possibility that her fellow patrons would discover her.
Sally glanced anxiously around the theater. The darkness offered some comfort, at least for now, and everyone else seemed too absorbed in the movie to notice her predicament. But that small relief was overwhelmed by a growing sense of dread. She had no idea where Tommy was, and without him, she had no hope of escaping this nightmare.
She nervously considered her options, but none offered much hope. She could sprint for the restroom, but it was across the lobby, through the crowds and past the concession stand. She could search for Tommy, but wandering through the aisles naked would almost guarantee that someone noticed her. And even if she found him, there was no telling what he might do next.
Sally squirmed in her seat, desperately trying to think of a way out. But one thought kept returning, becoming more terrifying each time: The movie would eventually end, the lights would come on, and she could still be sitting there naked with no way to recover her clothes. Her face burned at the thought.
“Oh God,” she whispered, clasping her arms around herself. “Please, please help me!"
Then there was movement. In her peripheral vision, Sally spotted someone entering her row. Her heart leapt. Maybe it was Tommy? For all her fear of him, he was still her only hope.
But no. As the figure drew closer, Sally realized it wasn’t Tommy. It was a girl.
Sally shrank into her seat, trying to make herself invisible. Then, to her horror, the girl sat down beside her and casually placed a hand on her upper thigh.
“Naked again?” Molly whispered, her breath close to Sally’s ear. “In a movie theater this time, no less? You really are quite the exhibitionist, aren’t you?”
Sally flinched at the familiar voice and twisted around for a better look. Her stomach dropped.
"You!" she exclaimed in a loud whisper. "What the fuck? Do you have my clothes?" she asked desperately.
Molly's grin widened. "I'm sorry, I don't. But I can get them for you. Do you want them?"
“Yes! Please!” Sally whispered, a surge of hope replacing her panic. She nearly lunged toward Molly.
“Well,” Molly said, “I’m willing to help. But you’ll have to earn it.”
Sally’s eyes widened again, this time with fresh apprehension. She had no idea what the devious girl had in mind.
“Please,” she begged. “Oh God, what do I have to do?”
Molly tilted her head and gestured subtly toward the rows ahead. “See those two guys?”
Sally followed her gaze. Two rows up and slightly to the left, two teenage boys sat with an empty seat between them. They appeared to be together, despite the vacant seat separating them.
Sally nodded, panic written across her face.
“Good,” Molly said. “I’d like you to go over there and take the empty seat. Right between them.”
Sally’s mouth dropped open. "Are you insane? I can't do that!"
“Suit yourself,” Molly said, rising. “I guess you’ll just stay here until the movie ends. Then the lights come on, and everyone gets a really good look at...” Her eyes flicked downward meaningfully. “Well. Everything.”
"Wait!" Sally grabbed her wrist. "Okay! I’ll do it! Just... promise me I get my clothes back."
“Cross my heart,” Molly said, settling back into her seat. “Don’t worry, sweetie. The movie’s almost over. You’ll be able to get dressed before the lights come on. But you have to do it now, or you’ll be putting on a nudie show for the whole theater. Also...” She leaned in closer, her lips nearly brushing Sally's ear. “You have to do exactly as I say. Sit up straight. Arms on the armrests. No covering up. I'm sure the boys will want to see your lovely tits."
She gave Sally’s bare thigh one last pat, letting her fingers linger just long enough to make Sally’s skin crawl. Then she rose and sauntered away, giggling as she slipped back into the shadows with Tommy. The two of them settled into their seats and waited, shoulders touching, sharing a bag of popcorn as casually as if they were watching an ordinary movie.
“She’s actually going to do it,” Molly whispered.
“She doesn’t have a choice,” Tommy replied with a smile.
Sally sat frozen, her mind racing. She had no good options. If she wanted to avoid being caught naked by the entire audience, she had to do the unthinkable.
"Oh, shit!" she whispered to herself. "Oh, shit, oh, shit."
Biting her lip, she slowly rose. Hunched forward with her arms crossed over her chest, she scurried across her row like a crab, then made her way two rows up and slipped into the vacant seat between the unsuspecting boys. Her bare skin met the cold vinyl seat with a jolt that made her gasp.
From their seats, Tommy and Molly watched with barely suppressed laughter. For several seconds, there didn't seem to be any reaction from Sally's new seatmates. When one of them realized there was a naked girl sitting beside him, Tommy and Molly heard him say, "Derek! She's naked! She's
naked!"
A couple of nearby patrons shushed him, but he was far too astonished to care.
“Oh my God!” the boy named Derek exclaimed.
They stared, mouths agape, then scrambled for their phones. Over the next few moments, flashes went off on either side of Sally. The boys weren't about to let their good fortune pass by without capturing it. Besides, their friends would never believe them otherwise.
"Smile for the camera, Sally," Tommy whispered under his breath.
Molly giggled. "How long are you going to let this go on?"
"Just a couple more minutes," Tommy said. "I want to make sure they get their money's worth."
Tommy smiled as he imagined the extreme mortification his sister was experiencing. He let it play out for another minute or two, then, showing just a wee bit of compassion, decided it was time to carry out the rest of his diabolical plan.
With a nod to Molly, Tommy stopped time again. The theater froze. Together, they strolled to the front, climbed onto the stage, and stretched a length of twine across the screen, taping it securely at both ends. Tommy took two clothespins and hung a piece of Sally’s lingerie that he had taken from her drawer. It was a lacy black teddy.
Giggling, they returned to their seats.
Time resumed.
The murmuring began immediately as people noticed the bizarre addition to the stage. Then Sally looked up.
She gasped.
"Oh Christ!"
She knew exactly what she had to do, and she had to do it now. She bolted from her seat, trying in vain to shield herself as she dashed down the aisle, quietly sobbing as she went.
There was just enough light to make out a naked, attractive teen-aged girl climbing onto the stage. The theater erupted in gasps, whispers, and stunned laughter. The thunderstruck audience watched in amazement as a spotlight zeroed in on the hysterical girl just as she reached up for the lingerie. Sally froze mid-reach like a deer caught in headlights, every curve illuminated for the crowd's entertainment. She snatched the teddy from the line and turned to face the crowd, stunned and exposed. The room roared with laughter, the sound washing over her in waves of humiliation.
She couldn't escape the spotlight. It followed her as she hopped across the stage, frantically stepping into the teddy and yanking the spaghetti straps over her shoulders. She dashed down the steps, raced up the aisle, and burst through the side door. The uproar followed her, drowning out her sobs until the door finally slammed shut behind her.
* * * * *
Inside, the laughter slowly faded. The spotlight dimmed. The anticlimactic conclusion to the movie played out across the screen, unwatched, unimportant.
By then, a satisfied fifteen-year-old boy was walking down the aisle with a bundle of clothes under his arm, hand in hand with his new girlfriend. They left the theater together, grinning from ear to ear, while somewhere down the street, their favorite exhibitionist was still trying to outrun the humiliation.
