Tabitha stared in the mirror with excitement, as she twisted this way and that, making sure she was ready. This was going to be her first ever convention and while she didn’t care much for board games, there was going to be a lot of people dressed up. She’d argued again and again with her mom and had finally worn her down and gotten permission to go. Even more, mom was busy, so she’d be able to go around without her hovering over her. She was so excited.

And her makeup looked really good. She’d watched dozens of YouTube videos and practiced, working on blending, and ordering the right makeup that wouldn’t smear and would last all day. She’d already bought the cat ears and tail, as it was a secret fantasy of hers. A bf she’d dated had turned her onto the idea and while she wasn’t a furry, she felt prettier and sexier dressed up with them. Her face and hands had been painted white, while her spandex suit was white and stripped. Mom had hated that, so she had agreed to wear a shirt and skirt over them. A white and black button up dress shirt covered her chest, while the solid black skirt, while shorter than mom wanted, covered the rest. Add on the tail just over the skirt and it looked fantastic.

She leaned in and put on her contacts, special ones that gave her green cat eyes. It had taken weeks to save up for them, but she looked amazing she thought. Of course, some of the adults and professionals there would make her outfit look cheap, but she felt she had done a great job for under $200. She felt free. She put in her felines, giving her some sharp skinny teeth and was ready to go.

Her mom dropped her off at the convention center at 9 am and she headed in, just marveling at the crowds, even that early. She got the lay of the land and walked around. A couple girls and a guy stopped her to take pictures with or of her, which made her heart want to burst. She had never felt so special. Things had been rough the past few years, after her dad was sent to jail and mom and her struggled to keep things together. It felt like it was all finally falling into place.

Near 10, it got crazy, and the press of people became overwhelming as everyone excitedly prepared for the vendor booths to open. She figured she’d wander them for a while, before the costume contest later in the day. Maybe she would find a party game her friends could try out the next time they had a sleepover. It was getting hot as well, but once the doors opened, and everyone spread out that should cool things a bit at least. That was when she felt it.

Someone had brushed her ass, accidentally she assumed. She glanced back but didn’t notice anyone, but when she looked forward again, someone pinched her ass. She flushed, looking back, as her breathing ramped up. Memories flashed of unwelcome touches in her head and she felt a sick panic. Another pinch and she started walking, out of the crowd. After a few moments she was out of it, getting in was far harder than getting out, and she looked around anxiously. No one seemed to be paying attention to her, so she put her hands on the wall, leaning into it, trying to control her breathing. Just relax she thought. Just relax.

Then, a hand was on her shoulder, and she felt a sharp pain in her ass as if someone had stabbed it. She turned and gasped, an overweight older man pressing against her, squeezing her shoulder. She looked down and saw a syringe pulling away and dropped into a big board game bag. She tried to twist away as he held her tight.

“It’s ok baby girl, I know you don’t like crowds,” the stranger said, acting almost fatherly. She wanted to scream as he showed her his belt, a gun tucked discretely. His eyes were dark and didn’t match his tone at all. Despite everything, she thought about screaming but she felt fuzzy, and she knew he’d done something with that needle, but she didn’t know what. He gripped the back of her neck and squeezed.

“It’s ok baby, lets get away from the crowd so nothing bad happens,” and she understood it was a threat, but she was already so foggy from whatever he’d given her. They walked down some long halls and up some stairs, crossing over into an adjacent hotel. He took her up several floors, stroking her hair, her eyes glassy and vacant, holding her up. Then they walked to a room and he opened it, shoving her towards the bed. Tabitha took a few stumbling steps and then crashed down right before it, scraping her knee and hitting her face against the side of the bed.

“Every year, they get younger and sluttier,” she heard the man say. She struggled to get up, but he grabbed her hair and pulled her up to the bed. He set the gun on the bed, out of her reach, and pulled out a knife. Shoving her head into the bed, she felt him jerking at her skirt, slicing it, then again slicing her spandex. He then tore at it, before jerking her head back painfully.