Sleep Dealers Inc. (MMM/F)

[lanadelgagged]

“Are you okay? You haven’t been yourself lately.” – said Helen, staring into the vacant eyes of Adriana. Her eyes were still fixed on the computer screen with such intent that it took Adriana a few seconds to acknowledge the presence of her co-worker. Their gazes met and Helen could notice the bags under her eyes, which she proceeded to rub, the office was silent and dominated by the low hum of the air conditioning.

“Oh, it’s nothing.” – Adriana replied, brushing off her co-worker’s query

“Come on, don’t give me that. Is there anything that’s worrying you?” – Helen insisted.

“It’s just that… well. I haven’t been able to get a good night’s sleep lately.”

Helen listened intently.

“I don’t know what to do, I’ve tried changing pillows, doing a lot of exercise in the afternoons, and even bought some sleeping pills. But I’m still insomniac…”

“Oh dear, you should probably go to a doctor. It’s sad to see you like this.”

“I know…”

“Have you tried hypnosis or meditation?”

“I don’t believe hypnosis would be of much help, and yes I meditate every day but still it’s no use…” – said Adriana with a hint of scepticism.

Helen’s phone rang from across the office, she lay her hand on her co-worker’s shoulder and spoke softly.

“I gotta take that call, listen if there’s anything I can do for you just let me know okay?”

“Thank you.” – she replied, watching her colleague rush to her desk.

It was almost noon on an unusually busy day and Adriana’s eyes scanned the endless grid of spreadsheets, making corrections and typing on her keyboard. From the corner of her eye, she could see John, from the sales department, raising from his desk and walking towards her. Cup of coffee in hand the elegant middle-aged man draped in a navy blue suit stood next to her and cocked his head towards Adriana.

“Excuse me, I couldn’t help overhearing your conversation.” – the soft-spoken suited man had a British accent that immediately caught Adriana’s attention.

“You see sometimes sleep deprivation is related to back problems – he proceeded – perhaps you should try buying a new mattress. I had problems with sleep too, and they only went away when I got myself a mattress that was both comfortable and suited for my body.”

With these words, John reached for one of the pockets in his blazer and drew a white business card with golden lettering. Written in capital letters was the name SLEEP DEALERS INC. with a telephone number and an address: 335 West Dukes Boulevard. He placed the small document on the desk and Adriana examined it with determination.

“An old friend of mine works there, – John resumed – and he’s the owner so tell him my name and he’ll give you a generous discount.”

Adriana never uttered a word but kept staring at the business card. In her mind, she had thought of everything but changing the mattress. As desperate as she was to get rid of her insomnia, she never fully trusted John; from inappropriate behaviour in the office to propositioning her only a few months ago. Adriana took the card and put it in her purse, by the time her shift had ended she had already forgotten all about it. On the way home from work, she stopped by a grocery store to buy some infusions; she found a cart full of magnolia tea and lemon balm, valerian and lavender tea, chamomile, and even sleep supplements at the checkout counter. Confident that the solution to her ordeal would be at the bottom of that grocery bag, Adriana headed back home and called it a day, the sun was falling on the horizon and by the time she arrived, the sky became a hazy palette of orange, lavender and pastel pink.

The billowing smoke from the kettle cast a fine curtain of mist on Adriana’s face as she poured the boiling water into the teapot, her nostrils captivated by the herbal essence and scent of valerian. Carefully placed on the kitchen countertops were the tea cup and the saucer, decorated with Etruscan etchings in blue and gold, the light glinted off the golden rim of the teacup so much indeed that its splendour belonged in a museum. Thus began her nightly routine, a slow ritual marked by silence, lit by warm candle light Adriana sips the contents of the teapot as she makes herself comfortable in the bed. No television, no music, nothing that would cause any distractions. She breathes deeply before finishing the drink, only dregs of tea are left in the cup as she gently places it by the edge of the bedside table. Adriana rests her head against the pillow and covers herself with the weighted blanket, feigning slumber. But the slumber never arrives. Her eyes are heavy but refuse to stay closed, her entire body is exhausted but sleep never came. She would spend the following three hours of the night tossing and turning around in her bed as if trying to find the source of all comforts, her closed eyes fluttering around like butterflies under the eyelids unable to lose focus.

And then the anxiety kicks in: ‘If I fall asleep now, I might get a good five hours of sleep’ she says to herself, but as the minutes tick by this proves to be nothing but wishful thinking. Adriana’s eyes focus on the clock, helplessly witnessing the passing of time and watching each second flash away two red dots at a time. ‘Just fucking sleep already’ she thinks, as the anxiety slowly turns into desperation. Soon the sun will rise on the horizon, and it will be the end of another sleepless night.

The alarm rang across the bedroom, but Adriana was already wide awake, and the bags under her eyes distorted the features of her porcelain face. There was barely time for regret or frustration, soon Adriana would have to leave home for work and repeat the same menial tasks as the day before. She never spoke to anyone on the way to work, nor did she try to engage in small talk with her co-workers during the coffee break. Her eyes remained as vacant as the first day she became afflicted with insomnia, she would stare into the computer screen without as much as a movement of the mouse. As she sat on her desk, she found her purse and drew a packet of mints. her eyes fixed on the small business card John gave her yesterday, she drew the wrinkled piece of paper and re-read it a second time. 335 West Dukes Boulevard is only a few blocks away from the office, Adriana figured it was worth a shot, she would also take the time to walk home afterwards in an attempt to tire herself a bit more.

So by the time her shift ended, Adriana crossed Station Road and made her way towards Dukes Boulevard: a long segment of double-lane roads that stretches as far as the eyes can see and serve as one of the city’s main arteries. The metropolis is bustling with the five o’clock rush hour traffic, but Adriana walks alongside the pavement pausing to check the addresses. After a brief ten-minute walk, she found the address. Before her, a massive mattress emporium that resembled one of the old Sears department stores, the massive glass panes revealed a complex grid of neatly arranged mattresses visible from the street.

Above her, a massive neon sign that read Sleep Dealers, in bold stylistic typography. Adriana set foot inside, a bell rang as she closed the door behind her. Immediately, she could notice the bright lights on the ceiling casting a pool of white light over the endless rows of mattresses, sofa beds and miscellaneous furniture. The place seemed desolate apart from two workers mumbling to each other, wearing red polo shirts with their names written on a tag.

In walked a man wearing a suit, ominously emerging from one of the doors inside the building. Adriana met his gaze as he walked towards her carrying a smile, showcasing a set of pearly white teeth. The man introduced herself as Jay Riemenschneider, and greeted her with a firm handshake:


“How may we help you today, Miss?” – his words rang across the store ominously.

“I wanted to buy a new mattress.”

“Well, then you’ve come to the right place! We’re proud to offer a wide variety of mattresses for all people and all different needs. May I ask, why have you decided to acquire a new one?”

“To be honest, it’s not that I don’t like my old mattress. It’s just that I’m struggling with insomnia lately and a co-worker said it would be a good idea.”

“I see…” – the salesman rubbed his chin and paused for a moment – “It’s your lucky day, last week we received a huge delivery for a new model of memory foam mattress which is said to help with sleep issues. Follow me.”

She followed Mr Riemenschneider to the back of the huge facility, walking past sofa beds and chaise longues. As they made their way to the back of the store, the salesman questioned Adriana:

“So, how did you find out about our business?”

“Oh, actually it was the same co-worker that recommended me to get a new mattress. His name is John, he gave me your business card.”

“Old Johnny! I know him, he’s a very good friend of ours. I’ll make sure to give you a discount, if you decide to buy anything that is.” – he smirked turning his head towards the two workers who were overhearing the conversation, but Adriana was oblivious.

As they arrived at the back of the long storage facility, a row of eleven mattresses were neatly arranged next to each other, white in colour with a navy blue rim on the sides.

“These are selling like hotcakes I tell you, three layers of hybrid foam that adapts to the person’s body shape. Do you sleep on your side or your back?” – he inquired, pushing the palm of his right into the mattress to test its strength.

“I usually sleep on my side, but I tend to toss around in bed a lot.”

“Well, don’t we all sometimes right? – he let out a chuckle – these come in four different levels of firmness, this one in particular falls between the six and the seven in the scale.”

Adriana stood by the edge of the mattress and tested its firmness by mimicking the salesman’s movements, she could tell it was roughly the same as her old one. Mr Riemenschneider observed her with intent.

“Feel free to try it if you want.”

She examined the mattress and held the palm of her hand against it, first Adriana sat on the edge of the mattress continuing to test its firmness, she then unbuckled the small strap on her heels and removed them before making herself comfortable. Mr Riemenschneider offered her a pillow, which he gently placed under her head allowing his client to make herself at home.

“The retail price for this model is around 1800 USD, but we’re selling it at 1200. We sell pillows too, the one I gave you is Visco-Elastic which makes it a good match with the mattress.”

As Adriana eased herself onto the bed, she adopted different positions. First, she would lay on her back, then to her sides, and then proceed to toss and turn around the bed as she usually does. Her face lit up with excitement.

“Woah, I must tell you this is magnificent!”

“See, I knew you’d like it. This is the ideal mattress for insomniacs and sleepwalkers. Take your time testing it.” – Mr Riemenschnieder began walking away from the bed with a grin on his face.

Still enjoying the mattress, Adriana stretched her limbs as she continued to be seduced by its comforts, and she was longing for this kind of comfort. Even the pillow felt homely, like a warm embrace on a winter’s evening. She rested her head against her pillow and kept tossing for a while until her hair became dishevelled, she would lay on her side.

By this point, her eyes felt heavy, much like last night, only now she did not struggle to keep them shut. In a matter of seconds, Adriana was at the threshold that separates vigil from sleep, she was feigning slumber. Right before drifting into sleep, Adriana caught a glimpse of Mr Riemenschneider talking to his workers, they seemed to be mumbling and bickering, staring at her from across the facility. But there were no thoughts to meddle with her sleep, her mind had finally gone blank and after almost a week, Adriana was enjoying a good night’s sleep… at long last…




When she woke up, Adriana had lost track of time, in fact, she had lost track of her surroundings. Her eyelids slowly opened up but she remained shrouded in complete darkness, still groggy but seemingly well-rested. It took a few minutes for her eyes to adjust to her surroundings, coming to her senses she began deciphering her situation. Her eyes darted across the darkness of her environment, with a glance she could identify the ceiling of the mattress emporium as well as the lights hanging from it, although this time they were switched off. Different thoughts flocked through her head in a second: ‘Where am I? Did I really fall asleep in the store? That’s embarrassing. But what am I doing here?’

Finally coming to her senses Adriana rose from the bed, only to be forced back into it. She tried a second time but found her movement had been severely restricted. She wiggled her limbs, and they all met an invisible force, some unseen opposition was forcing her into place on top of the mattress. As she tossed and pulled, she realized her limbs had been tied up with some sort of leather restraints, fixed to the edges of the bed by coils of rope. No matter how strongly she pulled towards her, her arms wouldn’t move an inch, nor did her legs.


Her movements became frantic as they turned into a fully-fledged struggle for freedom, Adriana was too busy trying to break free of the bonds that she did not even notice the ball gag forcing her mouth open until her jaw was aching. She yelled against the red ball with all her might, but even that was fruitless. Her cries for her were promptly stifled and turned into bursts of incoherent grunting. Her voice was muffled to the point her words were barely intelligible, her eyes would dart across the storage facility aimlessly.

She noticed her clothes had been torn apart, and she was laying on the bed with nothing but her underwear. No sooner had she begun struggling than her bonds felt tighter by the minute. Specs of sweat began dripping from her forehead, and soon from every inch of her body. She was doused in panic. Until all of a sudden, her struggles ceased. Perhaps due to her visible exhaustion, or perhaps because she knew it was futile. Instead, Adriana would once again rest her head against the pillow and closed her weary eyes. She had no notion of time, how much she had slept or how long she had been bound. Her racing heartbeat began to appease, she breathed in as deeply as the red ball around her lips allowed, in an attempt to calm herself down. Little did she know that her efforts would slowly but certainly into her drifting back into sleep. Adriana felt warm and feverish, sending shivers down her spine as her eyelids shut for the second time and sooner than she knew, she was feigning slumber once again…



The next morning, Adriana woke up at her office. Her arms were folded over the desk and her head was resting comfortably over her jacket sleeves. Her hair was dishevelled, she felt groggy and the bright light was hurting her eyes, it was almost as if her thoughts were obscured by a massive raincloud. Her senses returned, and she stared at Helen as she walked towards her desk.


“Are you okay? You haven’t been yourself lately.” – said Helen, staring into the vacant eyes of Adriana…

[Damsel-Dilara-Dee]

Loved the setup and build up to the bondage in this story, very nice!

[lanadelgagged]

Loved the setup and build up to the bondage in this story, very nice!

Thank you so much Darling, I'm glad you enjoyed it <3

[Rtj65]

Another excellent story from you - intriguing, gradual buildup, followed by a very satisfying payoff when the bondage arrives. I like the relatively ambiguous ending as well - the reader knows moreorless what has happened, but is still left with questions to consider. Did Adriana's experience help her at all? Was she eventually released or did she escape on her own? Does she even remember what happened or has the lack of sleep disoriented her? Either way, I loved reading it!

[lanadelgagged]

Another excellent story from you - intriguing, gradual buildup, followed by a very satisfying payoff when the bondage arrives. I like the relatively ambiguous ending as well - the reader knows moreorless what has happened, but is still left with questions to consider. Did Adriana's experience help her at all? Was she eventually released or did she escape on her own? Does she even remember what happened or has the lack of sleep disoriented her? Either way, I loved reading it!

Another lovely piece of feedback from you! I'm so glad you enjoyed the story, thank you very much for taking the time to read it. Of those questions are fuel for the imagination so I won't intercede, but what I want to say is this story is meant to be read as if the protagonist was stuck on an endless loop^^

[Rtj65]

Another excellent story from you - intriguing, gradual buildup, followed by a very satisfying payoff when the bondage arrives. I like the relatively ambiguous ending as well - the reader knows moreorless what has happened, but is still left with questions to consider. Did Adriana's experience help her at all? Was she eventually released or did she escape on her own? Does she even remember what happened or has the lack of sleep disoriented her? Either way, I loved reading it!

Another lovely piece of feedback from you! I'm so glad you enjoyed the story, thank you very much for taking the time to read it. Of those questions are fuel for the imagination so I won't intercede, but what I want to say is this story is meant to be read as if the protagonist was stuck on an endless loop^^

You're welcome! That's really interesting actually - I did like how the ending mirrored the beginning, but I hadn't considered that it was forming part of a loop. It does tell me more about what was going on here, but it still preserves the mystery, which is great!