David's restless sleep was abruptly interrupted as he jolted awake, his mind still reeling from the second vivid foot-related memory of the past that had resurfaced. In the depths of the night, he found himself transported back to a sunny afternoon on a high school softball field, where Emily had asked him for a foot massage...

-

The memory enveloped him, as if he had been transported back in time. He could feel the warmth of the sun on his skin and hear the distant laughter of his classmates. Emily approached him with a tired yet exhilarated smile on her face, her hair tousled from the game she had just played. It was clear she had given her all on the field.

"David, oh my God, I can barely walk after that game," Emily exclaimed, collapsing onto a nearby bench, and as she fell onto the bench her bare feet, covered in dirt and blades of grass, became visible. Her pink ASICS athletic shoes lay discarded by her side, being lazily flung to the floor. As David leaned closer, a sharp and tangy scent assaulted his senses. It was an overpowering aroma that he could almost taste in the air, a mix of sweat, a slight hint of lotion, and something indescribable that made his stomach churn.

"Would you mind giving me a foot massage?" Emily asked, her voice tinged with exhaustion. 

David's heart skipped a beat as he gazed at Emily's feet, conflicted by a mixture of attraction to Emily and repulsion to her currently filthy feet. 

“Are you serious? They’re covered in dirt, and they’re soaked! You really need to start wearing socks…” David scolded, staring at the gross appendages.

“Yeah, I know… please David, I’ll pay for food tonight if you do it. I’m begging, these cramps hurt so bad!” Emily pleaded, trying to appeal to David's kindness.

With a deep breath, he reluctantly obliged, knowing she wouldn’t let this go regardless, as well as being too poor to pass up free food. Not that he’d have an appetite after this…

He sat down beside Emily, trying to focus on the task at hand and ignore the aroma that filled the air. As his hands made contact with her damp, dirty skin, the scent seemed to intensify, invading his senses. It was as if the aroma had a taste, leaving a bitter residue on his tongue.

David worked to get the massage over with as quickly as possible. He kneaded the arches of Emily's feet, feeling the warmth and dampness beneath his palms. Each touch seemed to heighten the sharpness of the scent, making his stomach turn even more. He tried to ignore it, focusing on the mechanical movements of his hands.

Emily let out a contented sigh, seemingly oblivious to David's discomfort. "Oh, that feels amazing, David. You have magic hands," she said, her voice filled with gratitude and relief.

David forced a smile, though inwardly he felt a growing unease. He longed for the massage to be over, to escape the overpowering scent that seemed to permeate every breath he took. He continued to work on Emily's feet, trying to distract himself from the unpleasant sensations that lingered.

David continued the foot massage, his hands moving in repetitive motions, trying to maintain a sense of rhythm. As he worked on Emily's feet, the tension in her muscles slowly eased, and she let out occasional sighs of relief. The warmth of her skin beneath his touch became more familiar, and he focused on that sensation rather than the overpowering scent that still lingered in the air.

Time seemed to stretch as David struggled to keep his discomfort at bay. He reminded himself of the favor he was doing for Emily and shamefully also considered that this could get him a little further out of the friend-zone. Even despite his own motivations, he did want to provide her with some comfort and alleviate her pain.

Minutes turned into what felt like hours, but eventually, David reached a point where he couldn't prolong the massage any further. With a final squeeze on Emily's feet, he withdrew his hands and took a step back, regretfully wiping them on his pants to rid himself of the lingering dampness.

"Okay, Emily. I think that should help," David said, his voice filled with a mixture of relief and exhaustion. "You might want to clean up your feet before putting your shoes back on, though."

Emily looked down at her feet, the dirt and grass clinging to them, and chuckled. "You're right, they're a mess. Thanks again, David. I owe you big time." she said gratefully, briefly brushing her feet off and reaching down to slip her them back into her sneakers.

David managed a weak smile, still feeling a bit disoriented from the experience. "You're welcome, Emily. I'm glad I could help." He hoped his disgust wasn't apparent on his face.

With their encounter concluded, the two of them decided to head to a nearby café for some food, leaving the softball field behind…

-

“Why am I thinking about that now?” David muttered, looking at his hands and still feeling the wet-touch of Emily’s feet subconsciously.

The memory faded, leaving David in the present moment, the recollection of Emily’s vile feet a stark reminder of the challenges he had faced thus far with May and Chloe.

He knew he couldn’t handle another session, his body was already weary and he couldn’t imagine what was in store for him if the next girl would somehow be worse than Chloe.

"No more," David whispered, his voice filled with newfound resolve. "I won't be treated like a lab rat any longer."

With renewed strength, he pushed himself up from the floor and made his way to the box's end. He had endured enough, and he was determined to confront Caitlin and put an end to this experiment once and for all.

As David reached the wall of the box, fueled by a mix of frustration and determination, the sudden flick of a switch illuminated the room. Blinding fluorescent lights flooded the space, temporarily disorienting him. As his eyes adjusted, he squinted to focus on the figure standing before him—it was Caitlin, staring down at him with an eerie stillness..

Driven by desperation, David began pounding on the wall, his fists thudding against the unforgiving surface. "Caitlin! Let me out of here! This has gone too far!" he yelled, his voice filled with a mix of anger and fear.

But Caitlin paid no attention to his pleas. She merely stood there, a stoic expression on her face, seemingly unaffected by his frantic pounding and shouting. It was as if David's words fell upon deaf ears.

As David continued his futile attempt to get Caitlin's attention, he noticed movement behind her. She stepped aside, revealing a person standing just beyond her reach. His heart skipped a beat as his eyes focused on a familiar sight—pink ASICS sneakers...