Catherine knew it was time to go back; she could feel it deep in her slim body.  A dull ache from her tired muscles that were not used to so much activity.  Tonight had been special; a romp like she had never thought was possible.  Moving, cavorting, running down the empty halls of the deserted store.  It all seemed so new in the bright Christmas decorations - different than last time.

Somewhere she had found a manikin figure, a jointed abstract doll that was full-sized.  Catherine had danced with the figure, carried it with her on her adventures - a sister, of sorts.  The doll watched patiently while Catherine tried on lingerie and delighted in the sensations of sheer fabric on her bare skin and the tightness of the teddiette as it hugged her supple shape.  Somewhere they had found sunglasses, but the doll's pair had fallen off along the way.  It had been truly a marveous experience.

Now it was time to go back.  She swallowed the pills with a sip of water and leaned against the wall.  Time to rest again.

It was not long before the familiar feeling spread through her exquisite, statuesque figure; a feeling of profound lethargy that soon turned to stiffness in her muscles.  Time to pose, to position her feet and arms just so, to lift her head up and look straight ahead.

It felt so good not having to move, she remembered, as the stiffness gave way to solidness.  Catherine was beginning to feel quite rigid when a thought flashed into her mind: Where's my friend?!  There was no time for reflection, only action.  She tried to reach out for the manikin figure but could barely move herself.  In slow motion, she pivoted and stretched out again.  Her fingers found the smooth shape and pulled it close.   The plastic felt cool against her exposed skin, the stiff arm of the manikin brushed her own nylon sheathed hip.  Catherine could feel the pressure of the other form against hers only for a few moments until her flesh hardened as well.   She would have smiled, but the welcome immobility was becoming complete.  She could not see her own skin as it turned pale and took on a satiny sheen like it had now become painted fibreglas, too.  Total serenity in absolute stillness.  Her breathing came shallowly now; as she savored the last few moments of awareness while the scene in front of her fixed glassy eyes faded into blackness.
 

Until next time... was her last thought.

---

Morning

---

"Hey, Gabe, you been playing with the mannequins again?" A gruff-voiced Sam accosted the younger visual merchandiser.

"No, why?"

"Look at this!  Somebody has been having some fun."  The two men walked over to the wall, where two rigid figures stood, locked in a frozen embrace.

One was a featureless white abstract of a person, smooth, stylized.  The other was a one of those new, startlingly real models.  Curvaceously female, she was dressed in a revealing lingerie outfit, a short wig, and, oddly, sunglasses.

The younger merchandiser, with some effort, was able to separate the two.  Somehow the arm of the lifelike figure had wedged the other's head firmly into her chest.  With the white figure gone, the sexy mannequin now almost seemed to be beckoning.  It was an odd pose.  The merchandiser reached up and removed her glasses, revealing the clear hazel irises, long eyelashes, and heavy mascara this figure had been created with.  The eyes were blank, glassy; even so it was hard to believe this beauty was only a display mannequin.  The young man thought of this one as his favorites and had even thought of giving 'her' a name from time to time.
 

He did not hear Sam approaching.
 
 

"Kid, you are -never- going to make a name for yourself in this store if you spend all day fondling the dummies!"  The older one's raspy voice made the younger one jump.  "Take your sweetie, here, over to the intimates display.  I have no idea how she got that way, but she'll make a smashing showcase figure.  You'll have to strike her in position though; the socket for the support rod seems to be missing."

"OK, boss," the young man agreed, "right away."  Grasping the rigid figure of Catherine around her slim waist, he lifted her up easily.  Like most display mannequins, she was a bit taller than he was.  Mostly in the legs.  Her solid breasts poked into his shoulder as he carried the figure over to the hand truck.  Once again he marveled at the detail in the molding and paint on her figure.  It was almost as if....

The older merchandiser bustled off, leaving the Gabe alone with Catherine.  After a furtive glance to check that those biddies from millinery were not around, the young man came up very close to the lifelike mannequin, gently stroked her cheek, then kissed her lightly on her frozen lips.

"Someday, I'm going to meet the girl of my dreams and I hope - wish - she looks exactly like you."

There was no response from the still mannequin.  Catherine was very patient; her 'time' would come again.
 

If only he had known!!