Death was working out for Katie better than she had ever imagined.

Not only was Katie now getting a college education thanks to death, but she had also met a wonderful role model and begun a relationship that could turn into the love of her life.

Of course, these boons had not come through real death, but rather through ersatz death, the techno-enhanced, "let's pretend" death as practiced at Katie's place of employment, officially known on the internet as "The Bordello of the Dead," but referred to by employees and patrons as "The Club."

As Katie pulled her car out of the university's student parking garage one Friday afternoon in mid September, she reflected on how good her life had become in the past year. Things had gotten so much better at the Club since Jayne Harrison, registered nurse and Katie's new role model, had taken over partial ownership and management from Dr. Lon C. Haney. Haney was the developer of the marvelous surgical implant that, when activated via a radio signal from either a small personal control box or the console at the Club, enabled a woman to mimic death almost perfectly by disrupting her voluntary nervous system. Jayne's partial ownership and managerial position were part of a deal that spared Haney from feeling the full weight of the law for his attempt to enslave Jayne and his successful enslavement of another nurse. Katie shuddered whenever she thought of the ordeal the two women had endured. However, everything worked out for the best in the end: the now former doctor was serving a long sentence in a minimum security prison and business at the Club was better than ever and growing every week. Katie had been working enough to be able to afford to enroll as a part-time college student.

Jayne had been Katie's inspiration for wanting to further her education. Katie had no idea if she had what it takes to become a nurse like Jayne, but she was willing to find out. Katie admired Jayne's intelligence and humanity and self-assurance. Of course, it was hard NOT to be self-assured when, like Jayne, a woman was over six feet tall and built like a Barbie doll. In their physical differences and similarities, Katie found a metaphor for comparing herself to Jayne in more important ways. While Katie would never be as tall as Jayne, their measurements on various horizontal planes were almost identical; by the same token, though Katie might never match Jayne's intelligence, she could match her in terms of being hard-working and caring. Katie was self-critical enough to know that she had not yet lived up to her full potential, but also confident enough to believe that potential was still there. Jayne had helped with this self-confidence, listening to Katie's ideas about how to improve things at the Club. Katie had not yet told Jayne about her enrollment at the local university - she wanted to have at least one semester of success first.

Katie had another motivator, but of a whole different order: Sarah, her co-worker at the Club and, for almost a year now, her lover. Katie and Sarah had both been cautious about their relationship at first, but things were making slow, steady progress toward something serious, something lasting. For a long time, they had had keys to each other's apartments, but the next logical step of moving in together had not taken place. Before it did, Katie wanted to be well on her way toward building a good stable life for herself and any potential partner and that involved having a career more respectable than playing dead while men (and occasional women) made love to you and, perhaps, also played out a fantasy involving the death, or even murder, of a wife or girlfriend. (Katie sometimes wondered if those roleplays were an un-dress rehearsal for the real thing.)

Sarah was nearly ideal, having only one trait that, while endearing, was a bit annoying. In a very loving way, Sarah tended to be concerned about Katie's health, particularly in matters of diet and weight. Sarah was forever suggesting that Katie eat more salads and less meat, more fruit and fewer baked deserts. Having had one row over Katie's sensitivity about her weight, Katie sought to avoid making an issue of her freedom to choose what she took into her body and, to satisfy Sarah, kept her refrigerator full of fruits and vegetables and her freezer full of Lean Cuisine dinners. However, to satisfy herself, every afternoon on her way home from school, Katie picked up her cell phone and placed a call to Tony's Pizza House.

"Hi, this is Katie," she said as soon as the phone was picked up. "I'm on my way home and I figure I'll be there in about 20 minutes. I'll have the usual medium sausage and pepperoni along with two twenty-ounce non-diet Cokes. Is Bob on deliveries today? Good. He knows that it sometimes takes me a little longer than I think to get home, but he also knows that I'll give him a big tip if he has to wait. The timing usually works out just perfectly, though."

As she hung up the phone, Katie reflected on how much that phrase, "works out just perfectly," applied to so much of her life. Take Bob, for instance. He was a very nice guy, working his way through tech school, a change of pace from both the heavy-headed people she was meeting at the U, and the big money clients who patronized the Club. Because Katie placed her order at an unusual time of day so that the one meal could take the place of both lunch and supper, Bob was hardly ever in a hurry. One afternoon, she felt a special warmth for him and, after that, she started ordering two Cokes, the second one being for Bob. Usually, he couldn't stay very long, but they had some very nice chats. Eventually, she told him what she did for a living and he immediately confessed to having some curiosity about necroeroticism. She had invited him to come down to the Club on a slow night and, between paying customers, she introduced him to the pleasures of making love to a "dead" girl. Bob was willing to consider that his tip for the year, but Katie was still generous with saying "Keep the change."

Katie was glad that she was blessed with the sort of natural grace that made it easy for her to get along with people from different social and economic levels. She had been insecure about whether her social skills were developed enough to allow her to fit in with university life, but that had turned out to be no problem. For example, when the handsome associate professor who was helping with the registration of new freshmen tried to persuade her to get the math part of her general education requirements out of the way the first semester, she had charmed him by telling him that she wanted to wait until her grade average was high enough that it could take the probable D minus that she would get in almost any math class - and she was proud of the fact that she had charmed him without resorting to flirting, which she certainly would have if it seemed necessary because he was very appealing.

She had made all sorts of novice-like blunders her first few days on campus, but had managed to smile and giggle her way out of too much embarrassment. When she picked up the wrong pile of textbooks in the student union, she had said to the husky male who was ready to accuse her of theft, "Oh, gee, I guess I could say that they looked like my textbooks because I took those classes last semester, but I wasn't here last semester, so I can't." Then, looking his books more carefully, she said, "Wow, you must be a really good student to be taking so many diverse classes. Maybe you can give some study pointers sometime." The young man appeared to be too flattered by Katie's admiration to be angry.

When the registrar's office told her that in order to petition into an aerobics class, she needed the signature of a woman whose office was number 128 in the women's gymnasium, poor Katie blundered into office 128 of the men's gym, where she told three very startled men, "Uh, gee, this must be the boy's gym and, well, I'm not a boy, as I guess you can see." She struck a quick pose that gave a very clear idea of her gender, and added, "So good-bye." With that, she was out the office door and headed for the building entrance without a backward glance, even though one of the men looked like he was about to ask her to stay.

Noting that Katie was a few years older than most first-time students, Katie's freshman advisor, a very dignified woman who appeared to be near retirement, had asked, "Now, I hope you aren't concerned that your matriculation is a little late. That doesn't worry you, does it?" Katie decided to take her best guess at what the woman meant and responded, "Oh, no. I'm on birth control and I always practice safe sex." Katie figured that her adviser liked her answer because of the broad smile her response brought.

So, after the first few weeks of school, Katie was very pleased that she seemed to be able to fit in so well. She wished that she had more time for the social aspects of university life, like that night's pep rally, but she was still a working girl who needed to keep to a tight schedule. Her classes ended at 2:50 every day; it took her ten minutes to get to the parking lot and twenty minutes to drive home; the pizza arrived at 3:30; if Bob was able to chat a bit, she would be sociable, but otherwise she took a quick shower before sitting down to eat; she usually had enough to eat by 4:00, at which time she laid down for an hour's nap. When she awakened, she watched a little tv news, reviewed her class notes, and got ready to go to work by 7:00. Katie had discovered that the hour's rest did her even more good if she set the timer on the control box for her implant and went into necrobabe mode after she had comfortably laid down.

She was running on schedule that Friday afternoon. Taking the stairs two at a time (she really did want to stay in shape), she was in her second floor apartment and had her goldfish fed, and had slipped out of her slacks and blouse to give Bob a little visual treat by the time the knock came at her door.

"Is that my pizza?" Katie asked though the closed door. When she got an affirmative response, she flung the door half open, revealing her voluptuous bra and panty-clad body, and said cheerfully, "Hi, Bob! Oops!"

Quickly, she jumped behind the door and said, almost accusingly, "You're not Bob."

Even though he was wearing dark glasses, the tall, very muscular delivery boy somehow managed to look wide-eyed at the sight of the scantily-clad brunette. He stammered out, "No, but I'll try to be next time."

Katie smiled. "That's okay. You should always be yourself - at least that's what my boss Jayne says. Just a second and I'll get some money."

As she fetched her purse, Katie thought about inviting the fellow in. He was clean-cut and athletically built, one of many types that appealed to her. However, she did not want to cause any workplace jealousies, so she simply handed him his money, asking, "What happened to Bob? He isn't sick or anything."

"He had a little vehicle trouble."

"I hope it isn't anything serious. Oh, keep the change."

"Thanks. Enjoy your pizza." The young man was already turning to go.

"I will. Have a nice day." Katie watched his firm butt move in tight jeans as he ambled down the hallway. "Nice," she thought, shutting the door.

Knowing that the pizza would stay warm if she left its box closed, she set it on her coffee table and then stripped down for her shower.

Katie liked to sit down to eat when she was all nice and clean. Besides, consuming food while wet and naked somehow felt sexy.

From the very beginning of their relationship, Katie had been unable to step into the shower without thinking of Sarah. Due to some harmless fun on the part of a customer, the two women had found themselves stuck together and needing to placed in a shower to remove the adhesive substance. They had had some spontaneous intimacy lying in bed as soon as they came out of necrobabe mode, but in the shower, they explored their bodies thoroughly and lovingly. The experience had been the first of its kind for Sarah and that was one reason why Katie was slow to try to draw Sarah into a commitment; Katie wanted to be sure that the novelty had completely worn off.

As she stood with the water pouring over her body, it was easy for Katie to imagine that her wet fingers were Sarah's lips as she pinched her own nipples. The illusion was even better when the fingers were applied to her clit and swelling pussy lips.

Katie adjusted the shower head to the proper position, turned the water temperature way down, and leaned back against the wall of the shower, letting the cold water strike her breasts, causing gooseflesh and rock-hard nips. She ran her hands over her torso, as the cold water began to chill her. Katie had convinced Jayne to offer customers at the Club the option of having the girls take cold showers just before going into necrobabe mode. The idea had turned out to be very popular with both patrons and also with Katie's co-workers. Not only did the girls like the effect on their skin and the slight bit of extra reality added to the illusion, but the feeling of warm hands on their chilled flesh somehow added a bit of a thrill.

As Katie felt her skin growing colder, she imagined Sarah probing her dead pussy, caressing a body no longer capable of response, making use of her one last time. Katie imagined Sarah offering to share the body of her dead lover with Jayne and Jayne's female lover Mavis. And quickly the fantasy expanded to include Rick, Jayne's male lover, and then Jimmy, the gentle giant who acted as security at the Club. Finally, Katie saw herself being made available to all the patrons of the Club, the main attraction at an open house, utilized as a sort of customer appreciation promotion -- dead, vulnerable, available, used, and enjoyed one last time.

The fantasy carried her over the edge into orgasmic ecstasy. As her legs weakened, she let herself slide down the shower wall until the water was striking her in the face. She felt the cold water pelting her eyelids, her lips, her forehead.

"Emmm." She emitted a sound of total contentment. The only thing that would make this more perfect would be for Sarah to be here to enjoy the moment with her.

After she had come down from her sexual high, Katie stood up again and began washing herself in earnest, ending by giving herself a good going over with the shower massager, especially in the lower regions.

When she returned to the living room, she found that, indeed the pizza was still warm, but, unfortunately the cokes had not remained cold. Well, her little reverie in the shower had caused her to be gone longer than expected. She put the extra coke her refrigerator and got herself a glass of ice to enjoy the other with.

She watched about fifteen minutes of cable headline news while chowing down on the pizza. The quality of Tony's pizza had been very irregular lately, but today it tasted particularly odd. She intended to mention this inconsistency to Bob, but whenever he stuck around to join her in a bite or two, the pizza cook seemed to have had a good day.

After downing about half the pizza, Katie wrapped the remainder in plastic wrap and stashed it in the freezer, carefully hiding it under the Lean Cuisine dinners as a precaution against Sarah being snoopy. She put the pizza box in the kitchen trash can and covered it with an old newspaper, intending to take the trash out when she went to work.

She checked the time. She was about ten minutes behind schedule. Well, no problem, she figured. She would just nap for fifty minutes instead of an hour.

Katie fished her control box out of her purse. Not only would being in necrobabe mode help her get a greater benefit from her nap, but the control box could serve as an alarm clock, because the little jolt it gave her when turning her back on always managed to wake her up.

As a recognition of the fact that she was sometimes a messy eater, particularly while watching tv, Katie had remained naked after her shower. It was, after all, easier to wipe dropped pizza off her skin than to get it out of blouse or t-shirt. She decided to nap on her couch rather than her bed, so that she could hear if anybody came to the door - not that she would be able to respond, but it was nice to know if company dropped by. The only person likely to drop by, though, was Sarah, and she had a key.

Katie set the timer on the control box , put it on the floor beside the couch, got comfortable, and waited for the fifteen seconds to pass before the box turned off her ability to control her voluntary muscles. She had just shut her eyes when she felt the quiver pass through her body that told her she wouldn't be able to move for fifty minutes no matter how badly she might want to.

Just as she was drifting off to sleep, Katie heard a knock on her door. Oh, I hope that's Sarah, she thought. It will be so nice to have her come in and snuggle up to me. Maybe she'll even play with me while I'm in dead girl mode.

But the knock was repeated and then repeated again, getting louder each time. By the final rap, Katie concluded that it was not Sarah at the door. Sarah would have let herself in and, besides, Sarah probably wouldn't pound that loud.

Katie changed her mind, however, when she heard the door open. Oh, good! It's my love come to play with the dead girl!

She changed her mind abruptly again when she heard sounds of more than one person entering the room. Also, the footfall sounds seemed much heavier than Sarah's.

What the fuck? I'm sure I locked the door!

"Ha! That little gizmo works pretty well." It was the voice of a young man, possibly the fellow who had brought the pizza - Katie couldn't be sure.

"Well," said a deeper, more mature male voice, "our associate has quality equipment. Better get it off the lock bolt, though."

Katie heard metallic sounds and then the door closed quietly.

"Well, there she is. Dead, just like I told you she would be. Satisfied?" It was the older male who spoke.

Hey! Who are you guys? Why am I supposed to be dead? What did you do to me?

The young man chuckled. "Yeah. She looks like she's waiting for her boyfriend to come home at wake her up. Good looking little stiff. Darn shame to have to have to put something like that out of commission."

Thanks. It's nice to be appreciated, I guess.

"Loose ends need to be tied up." There was grimness in the older voice.

"Yeah. The way we waited until practically the last minute, I thought you were expecting her to die from natural causes."

Well, thanks for not rushing things.

"Okay. You've seen what you wanted to see. Now, before we get out of here, let's make sure she ate the whole thing."

"You mean if she didn't, she might live?" The younger man sounded worried.

Wouldn't that just ruin your day?

"No. Even an eighth of it would have been enough to do a job on her. We just want to make sure that there isn't any evidence left around, except for what they might discover in her gut after some real close scrutiny. Check the kitchen. See if there's any of the pizza left."

Footsteps went into the kitchen. Rustling noises followed.

"I found the box in the garbage. It's empty."

"Well, take it out and replace it with other box. And don't get them mixed up. Check the refrigerator. She probably saved some for a midnight snack."

After more rustling of paper, Katie heard the refrigerator door open and close. The same with the freezer.

"Not a scrap of pizza. She must have scarfed the whole thing."

Well, you didn't look under the frozen dinners! Half-assed job. It won't do me much good, but it might help catch your butts.

"Heh, heh," snickered the older man. "You made a little piggy out of yourself, didn't you?"

Fuck you. I've been trying to watch what I eat.

Katie felt a hand in a latex glove brush her cheek playfully and then she felt her breast being fondled.

You know what that would have cost you down at the Club? Dying is one thing, but I don't like giving freebies to assholes!

"What are you doing?" The younger man had re-entered the room. "Having fun or checking for life signs?"

"Oh, she probably has a little life left in her. The third drug - the one that actually stops her heart - is slow and subtle. That's what makes it so hard to detect if you aren't looking for it.

Katie felt fingers touch her wrist very briefly.

"Yes. There's a pulse, but nothing to worry about." The older man was very confident. "Here, let me show you how well the other drugs are working."

What's he up to? Oh, shit! That sounds like he's dipping into my glass of Coke for an ice cube!

"Now, watch this!" There was a malevolent chuckle from the older man.

Oh! You dirty motherfucker! That is so cold! Get it off! Get it off! I've had guys do this at the Club, but they take the cube away. This fucker is just leaving it there! I hate your ass!

"See, not even a flinch. That's the effect of the soporific - the drug that puts her to sleep - and the agent that paralyzes her voluntary muscles. The third one will be just as effective."

"Well, do you think maybe we should help it along a little?" the younger man wanted to know. "Maybe hold a pillow over her face for about two minutes or something?"

Hey, you fucking eager beaver!

"No, there is absolutely no need for that." The older man sounded very confident. "Asphyxiation would have tell-tale effects that would be very easy to spot. Let the drugs do their work. With any luck, this will look like a simple case of heart failure - hard to explain, of course, and a curious medical examiner might seek an explanation. If it is suspected that there is a chemical cause for this, I'm sure they will check for standard illicit substances and they will discover the first two drugs. I'm sure they will think she took them hoping to get high and had a bad reaction."

Yeah? Sarah and Jayne and Jimmy know me better than that! I think.

"I suppose you're right." After a pause, the younger man asked, "Do you think she can hear us?"

"Not a chance. She's sound asleep."

Whoever you are, you've fucked up! I'm not asleep! At least, I don't think so.

"So, she really is pretty much like a dead girl, then?" There seemed to be amusement and fascination in the younger man's voice.

"Yes, and if she ate the pizza as soon as she got her hands on it, she should be more than 'pretty much like' any moment now. Okay, if you've satisfied your curiosity, let's get out of here. We do have things to do." There was no sound of movement, however. "Let's go! What's that look in your eyes? What are you thinking of?"

"What I'm thinking," said the younger man with a snicker in his voice, "is that this bitch owes us something for going to the trouble of killing her off in such a nice way. A lot of guys would have just had her head blown off or had somebody beat the shit out of her. This way, not only does she get off easy, but she'll leave a darn good-looking corpse behind."

Well, actually, that has been one of my more important ambitions. I suppose I should say "thanks."

"Well, I have no idea how you expect her to repay this kindness. If you're going to steal something, make it small, something that will not be noticed. Just hurry up about it. Oh, my God, what are you doing?" There was alarm in the older man's voice.

Yeah, clue me in, too. Oh, that sounds like a zipper! And that sounds like pants hitting the floor. I've heard that often enough!

"I wouldn't think of stealing from her, but I do figure she owes me a piece of ass. I mean, it's not like she's in any position to refuse. Come on. You can get some, too."

"We absolutely DO NOT have time for this! Now, get dressed!"

"We've got lots of time." The young man seemed to be taking off more clothes as he spoke. "They won't miss her at that massage parlor or whatever it is that she works at for another couple of hours."

Massage parlor? Fuck you! The Club is a LOT more than that!

"Perhaps," conceded the older man, "but this is most inappropriate. I do wish you would resist giving into your, uh, urges."

"Look, you aren't the one who is going to have to go for six months without any pussy. I'm taking advantage of the opportunity. After all, it's not like she can say 'no.'" There was a little irritation in the youthful voice.

"And it's also true that she can't say 'yes,' either. I do think you should have some respect for her. After all, there is such a thing as human rights"

Yeah, murder me, but be sure you respect me!

"What do you mean? A corpse doesn't have any rights." The young man laughed at the idea.

Apparently reconciled, the older man assented. "Well, okay. But do be quick about it. And DO use a condom. We don't want any evidence left behind."

"Don't worry. Always prepared. Besides, I don't want to catch anything."

Right! Remember, I work in a "massage parlor," after all. But, hey, wow! They've really killed me! And now he is going to have sex with me! This is for real! And, yeah, it is kind of exciting. I hope these bastards have fucked up somewhere and they get caught, but, yeah, I am turned on! Really.

Ick! What's with his hands! Oh, he's wearing rubber gloves. Makes sense, I guess, that they don't want to leave any fingerprints.

Emm. Nice chest! Oh, that feels so good! And, yeah, this could be the same guy who delivered the pizza. He was well-built, too.

What? Kissing me? I didn't expect that. Don't know why I didn't - most of the guys at the Club do. Hey, no tongues! Well, okay. Not like I have a lot of choices.

"Oh, Katie," her unknown lover moaned. "You are one sweet little piece. I always did go for girls with nice big tits."

Funny thing, so did I, until I met Sarah - not that I have any complaints. Oh, yes! Em, that's a good boy, right there! The rubber gloves actually do feel kinda neat.

"Katie, you've got more than a handful, here. Oh, these feel so nice and firm! And I don't have to worry about squeezing too hard."

Ouch! I'd have you eighty-sixed if you did that at the Club. And Jimmy would kick your ass!

"Yes, you do have to worry about that!" his companion warned. "Do not leave any marks. I'm sure they will figure out eventually that she was a victim of foul play, but we do not have to point them in that direction from the onset!"

"Ain't that the shits, Katie? Here I am, fucking a dead girl, and I still have to be careful." After a little laughter, he continued, "I bet if you were still here, you wouldn't mind. I bet you were the kind of girl who liked it a little rough, right Katie?" This was punctuated with another, somewhat lighter, squeeze.

Oh! Well, actually, if you didn't do it any harder than that, yeah, I could get into it.

Emm. He's feeling out the territory. Oh, yeah, baby, yeah!

"Hey! This little bitch's clit is hard and her pussy's wet! She must be having a good dream or something."

"I seriously doubt that she's dreaming at all. I don't see any eye movements. Now, do hurry, please." The senior partner's impatience seemed to be growing.

Actually, guys, take all the time that you want.

"Hmm. I do think I can feel her breathing just a little. Hey, wouldn't it be something if she gave it up right while my dick was in her!"

"Something to put in your diary, I'm sure. Get your condom on, do your deed, and let's go!"

And they say impatience is a sign of youth!

Katie heard the familiar sound of condom package being opened and a moment later felt her legs being spread, her knees raised, and herself being penetrated.

Wow! This guy is a regular stallion! Oh, yeah! Emm. That's a little rough, a little fast, but, oh, it feels so good!

"Oh, yeah! Oh, Katie! You got just the right stuff! And it is such a turn-on that you're dead! Or almost dead! Oh, how I'd love to come back in a couple hours when you've started to cool down to room temperature! Oh, yeah! Come on, Katie, give it up! What are you hanging on for? Give it up right now, while I'm inside you! Let me know what it's like to put my dick into a live pussy and pull it out of a dead one. Come on!"

If I am going to die, if it could happen when I'm feeling just like this, oh, yes! Yes!

"Are you sure I can't help her along just a little? Just hold this pillow over her face for about two minutes?" the assailant/lover pleaded.

"Absolutely not! Let the drugs do their work!"

It'd be okay with me, really it would! I do like asphyx and I do want to go out feeling, oh, JUST LIKE THIS! Yes, yes, oh, yes!

"Jeez, look at her tits bounce! Look at her head bob up and down. Oh, Katie, you are one sexy dead girl!" This was spoken in gasps as the muscular lad pounded away at her.

It's always been such a turn-on to play dead, but this time, when I'm actually dying! Oh, wow! Oh, yes! OH, YES! God, I'm coming, oh, I am coming! AHHHHH!!!!!

As always when under the influence of the control box, Katie's orgasm was incredibly intense and protracted. Of course, the young man pumping her had no clue that she was aware of what was happening.

"Oh, how I wished you'd stop breathing! I wish it would happen right now. Yeah. Oh, yeah! It would be nice to be able to go and see you in a casket! Reach out and touch you and play with you! It would be so nice to fuck your pussy after it's tightened up a little, to be between your legs when they've stiffened just a little! Oh, yeah! Come on, Katie, give it up now!"

EEEEEEEYYYYAAAAAAA!

The intensity of her orgasm caused Katie's vaginal muscles to involuntarily contract.

"Shit! She's doing it! She's going! ENNNUGGGGHHHHH!"

The explosion inside her, even contained in a condom, and the thought that this was real, the thought that she actually was dying right this moment with a powerful young stud inside her, sent Katie into ga-ga land. When the young man collapsed on her, air was expelled from her lungs and a very convincing death rattle escaped her mouth!

"Oh, good girl! I knew you would come through for me! Perfect timing, you little bitch!" He covered her face with kisses and added, "I'll remember this for a long, long time."

You and me both. Well, I guess not me. Or, maybe, yes, I will. I don't know, but I guess I'll find out soon enough.

"All right," said the voice of impatience, "get your clothes on and let's get out of here."

"Are you sure you wouldn't like some, too? I mean, don't tell me you don't like the idea. I would hate to think it was my bouncing ass that gave you that bulge in your crotch."

Yeah, hey, I'm up for seconds!

There was a trace of hesitation in the response. "Well, I - of course not! It's a perfectly revolting idea."

As he withdrew from her, the satisfied lover said, "Aw, come on! Help yourself. She's all yours. Katie won't mind, will you?" Katie felt him playfully tug at her right breast.

Really, he's right! Come on! Why waste a dead girl?

"Be that as it may, I am not interested. Now, put her legs back into a normal position and let's go."

"Really want me to? I think she looks good the way she is. Open and ready for all comers." Nevertheless, Katie felt him arranging her legs as suggested, saying as he did so, "I guess I have to remember, you've probably had plenty of chances at a dead piece if you wanted one."

Not acknowledging that comment, the older man suggested, "Leave the condom on. You can dispose of it later."

There were a few moments of no talking as Katie heard the sounds of clothing being put on. Then the necrolover said affectionately, "Well, Katie, thanks for the good time. I hope they find you soon. I would hate to think of you just lying here decomposing. You are such a good-looking little stiff. Bye, now."

Katie heard what sounded like someone kissing his hand. Apparently he was blowing her a kiss.

"Make sure the door locks behind us," was all the older man said.

Katie heard the door being opened and closed and the knob being rattled.

Well, I guess that's it! I wish they would have stayed. I don't really want to be alone right now, even my only company would be my killers. I wonder how long it will take. According to them, I should be gone by now. Wonder what's taking so long.

I wish Sarah would drop by and find me here. I know that if she did, she would think I was just turned off and probably lay down and hold me. Maybe even fuck around with me a little.

The timer should be about run out. I wonder if I'll feel anything.

Oh, there's a knock at the door! Maybe it is Sarah? Maybe it's that stud coming back for another helping. Or even the other guy. From the sounds of things, he wasn't as put off by the idea of fucking a dead girl as he said.

But why would either of them knock?

Oh, somebody's rattling the knob. Sarah, if that's you, use your key! Come on! Don't tell me you left it at home!

Well, shit! Whoever it was is gone.

I wish there were a way I could tell Sarah and Jayne and everybody else at the Club about this. Well, maybe I can come back to them in a dream or something. Or maybe I'll haunt the Club!

Oh, there's the little buzz that the control box makes when it's about to turn me back on. Well, a lot of good it will do. I won't be able to move anyway. AH! There's the little jolt! Too bad I can't do anything.

Hey! Wait! What the fuck!

I CAN MOVE!

This stuff doesn't work like they thought it would. Or maybe being turned off somehow slowed it down.

Don't know how long I've got, though, before it kicks in!

No point calling for help, I'm sure!

I'll call Sarah to say good bye and tell her what happened.

No, Sarah would freak out. Much as I want to talk to her, I know should call someone with a cool head who can listen to what I have to say and maybe do something that will help the police catch whoever has murdered me!

I know who to call.

Katie picked up the telephone.

Jayne Harrison gave her lover Mavis an affectionate pat on the ass as they worked together preparing dinner. Since Mavis had moved in with her and her boyfriend/fiance Rick Marshall, things had been going well in all departments: an extra set of hands was just as helpful in the kitchen as in the bedroom. While one delay after another had caused Mavis to postpone having the same implant operation as Jayne and Katie and Sarah, Jayne was sure that Rick would also find two necrobabes handy.

Jayne reached over to grab the ringing wall-mounted telephone.

"Marshall, Harrison, and Burns residence." Jayne wanted to find a formula for answering the phone that didn't sound as though she were the receptionist at a law firm.

"Jayne, this is Katie."

"Hi, Ka-"

"Listen, Jayne. There are some men who want to see me dead."

"Katie, of course there are men who want to see you dead," Jayne laughed. "That's one reason why business is so good at the Club."

"Jayne, I'm serious. This is for real. Two men tried to murder me - in fact, they already have murdered me.

"They already have...." Jayne was puzzled. "Katie, just where are you calling from?"

"I'm at home. Jayne, the men put poison in my food. They thought I was dead because I had switched myself off. I don't know why..."

"Hold!" Jayne ordered and turned abruptly to Mavis, who was looking questions at her. "Mavis, get on your cell phone. Nine-one-one. Paramedics to Katie's apartment. Possible poisoning. Now!"

While Mavis rushed for her purse, Jayne turned her attention back to Katie.

"Katie, this is important. I want you to start trying to throw up as fast as you can. If sticking a finger down your throat won't do it, use pen, pencil, anything!"

"Jayne, that won't help. It was over an hour ago that I swallowed the poison. I'm sure it's already in my system. I want to tell you...."

Perhaps because she knew that Katie was probably correct about the futility of trying to vomit, Jayne reacted fiercely.

"Don't argue with me, you underachieving bim-" Jayne cut herself short, hearing the gasp of hurt that came from Katie. The soul of self-control with her patients, Jayne could explode at the people she knew well and loved. "Katie, I'm sorry, but if you don't do as I tell you and start vomiting, I'll...I'll..."

Jayne was stuck for a moment trying to find a meaningful threat to make to someone in Katie's situation of impending doom.

Then she found something.

"If you die, I'll tell everyone that your last wish was to be buried in a pink chiffon prom dress....

"With an aqua-marine headband...

"And a purple corsage....

"And that your coffin have a glass lid so that people could see you but not touch you!"

Within seconds, Jayne was rewarded with the gratifying sound of Katie trying to puke her guts out.

"The first response team is on its way," Mavis told Jayne. "What's wrong? Did Katie eat something she shouldn't have?"

"She says a couple of men poisoned her."

"What? Poisoned her? How?"

"I don't know, but we've got to get over there. Write a note to Rick and put it on the tv screen. Nothing alarming. Nothing that will make him worry. Tell him we went to see a sick friend - no, that we had to pick up something for dinner - no, that we..."

"Leave it to me. You don't have to think of everything," Mavis assured her as she went to get a pen and paper. Jayne always wanted to take the weight of everything on herself - an endearing, but maddening trait.

Jayne heard Katie pick up the phone again.

"Okay, Jayne. I just emptied myself. Ick! Now can I tell you...."

"Katie," Jayne interrupted, "the paramedics are on their way to your apartment. Go and unlock the door for them now, in case... in case you don't hear them knock."

Katie obeyed again and then returned to the phone.

"Jayne, listen to me..."

"Katie, do you have any milk?"

"Milk? Why do you..."

"DO YOU HAVE ANY MILK?" Jayne was insistent.

"Well, yes. Chocolate milk."

"All right, that will do. I want you to water it down and drink some of it and then throw that up and repeat that until either you run out or the paramedics get there."

"Jayne, I rode on a roller coaster thirty times in one afternoon and didn't puke this much!"

"Katie! Please! Do it!"

"Oh, okay, but I...."

Seeing that Mavis had finished the note to Rick and was waiting with car keys in hand, Jayne said, "Now, Katie, I'm going to hang up and call you back on Mavis's cell phone and talk to you until you're in the hands of the paramedics."

"No!"

"Katie..."

"Look, Jayne, I'll do the gulp and puke thing, but I'm going to call Sarah. I want to tell her good bye."

"Katie..."

"Maybe she will at least listen to me! Good-bye!"

Jayne heard the click of the connection being broken. She looked at Mavis with an okay-maybe-I-came-on-too-strong look. Mavis only smiled and jiggled the car keys.

Fighting back tears of anger, hurt, and frustration, Katie went to her refrigerator and got a quart of chocolate milk and a pitcher of ice water. After she returning to her couch, she began to mix the two liquids in the glass that had held her Coke while dialing Sarah's number.

More frustration as she heard an answering machine say, "Hi, this is Sarah. I can't come to the phone right now because,...well, either I'm out or, well, I'm out, if you know what I mean and if you know me, you do. Anyway, leave a message, which I may hear sooner than you think."

Hoping that Sarah would not be lying by the phone under the influence of her own control box and would hear the message but not be able to respond, Katie began:

"Sarah, this is Katie. I just wanted to call you and tell you I love you and I want you to always remember that. Somebody switched pizzas on me and I've been poisoned. Help is on the way, but I doubt that it will get here in time. Do remember me. And do, well, before my funeral, remember what we always talked about. I do love you so, so much."

That was all there was to say.

Katie hung up the phone, drank a sip from the glass, and resigned herself to the fact that she would die alone, probably with her head in waste basket filled with a disgusting mixture of regurgitated pizza and watered-down chocolate milk.

Well, she thought, not a very glamourous end. I hope Jayne cleans me up when she gets here.

Katie put on a white terrycloth robe, some what surprised at her own reservations about being found naked and dead, picked up a pen, and started writing a note to whoever found her describing the events of the afternoon in case she would not be able to tell anyone about them.