Characters
Summary
female anthropology student is obsessed studying a particular ancient Buddhist idol
when she gets a chance to intern at the big city museum that is keeping it, she jumps at the chance
through her research, she learns to properly meditate
she gets something unusual from meditating with/near the idol
the idol bonds with her in an unusual way, placing ajna stones in her forehead
--
she meets a male intern who is fascinated by her research of the idol.
he wants to get in her pants, but she wants to meditate with him
--
from then on she hears a puzzle-like dialog during her meditation.
as she unravels the puzzle, she finds it having a physical affect on her (making her taller, sexier)
--
she starts to meditate with others, and it begins a mystical bond where the Idol chakra sexually lures the followers and draws power from their worship and desire to enhance her in the spiritual and physical plane. they think they are talking to her, but really they are talking to the idol.
Ending Idea
option a - Natalie eventually steals the Idol, creating a cult around it. when Natalie's body takes it's final 8' form, she gets the attention of the media and the government. the police decide she is a criminal and the government decide she's dangerous. they demand she return the idol, which she refuses. she demonstrates her power, which scares them even more, and they kill her. as she dies, she confesses to Austin she is Riki, the goddess of the idol, and that she can never die.
Ideas
option 1 - when Natalie and Austin meditate, Austin sees visions of the idol god living within her, who eventually seduces treats him to her minigts form, and compels him to help her take over Natalie
option 2 - make the idol researcher be male (Austin), and have Riki seduce him, offer him a place at her side (ask him to do the ritual to become the idol-keeper causing the idol to melt into him), and ask him to bring a female partner to meditate...
Act 1
invitation
anthropology student is enthralled by Buddhist stories of an "Idol"
nobody on campus believes her, but when she gets a six-week internship at a big city museum, she's overjoyed to even be near the idol
internship 1
they treat her like a dirt intern, almost a hazing.
..but she's happy she gets private time with the idol every tuesday
people start to treat her better, with unexpected deference and attention. even out in the world (the coffee shop, etc).
some guy gives her attention, a fun night
imprint 2
the next tuesday she's worshiping the idol, reads a random passage from her studies "one must demonstrate they are truly worthy of the Bindi", questions what the ajna chakra, sometimes marked with a red dot by indian women, has to do with the Idol.
She finds the weed butt, smokes it, starts chanting up a storm about the Idol.
Something odd happens. Searing pain across her forehead. She feels it with her fingers, and finds her skin burning. She feels raised bumps, and scrambles to the restroom to find a mirror. There she sees a pattern of small gemstones tracing her eyebrows, with a prominent thin center stone in the middle. She tries to pull one off, only to have it sear her skin, which it appears to be embedded in. She's freaked out, partially about what just happened, and partially about what people are going to think of her new appearance. (she's dark haired, but not indian)
http://cdn03.cdn.justjared.com/wp-content/uploads/headlines/2008/03/natalie-portman-bindi.jpg
learning to meditate 3
the next day coworkers notice the stones, saying complementary things which she takes as mockery. something weird happens when she gets frustrated with someone. (what?)
the rest of the week goes by uneventfully
by the end of the evening tuesday, she's exhausted, and can't wait to meditate with the idol.
When she approaches, the stone in the idol glows red, and she can swear she feels the stones in her head.
She starts talking to the idol as if it would respond, as if it's a sentient god, but gets nothing.
She resolves to simply meditate.
The session is longer and more powerful, as she falls into a trance so deep and complete she is only shocked out of it when she wakes up in the morning, having no idea how she got home.
conversation begins 3.5
looking in the mirror, the image staring back at her is familiar but somehow different. she inspects herself to find her hair somehow has a shiny sheen, and she could swear her jawline looks a little different -- except that seems ridiculous. she decides she's over analyzing. then she realizes she's late and rushes to dress and whip out the door.
at work the guys double-take at her new appearance... asking if she got a makeover, asking if she lost weight, asking if those are new shoes. it isn't until later in the day she realizes she's somehow a few inches taller! she's shocked in disbelief, though also excited for tonight's meditation session.
she also can't pay attention to anything she's supposed to do, making many mistakes throughout the day.
she offers to take Wednesday's duty from another intern. he's reluctant, but she convinces him. when he finally leaves she rushes to the Idol. The glowing starts, and she can feel it more in her own skin now. She silently sits down to meditate, though her thoughts can't help but drift to the changes. Did the idol change her? make her taller? "and if it did, what would it mean?" The last phrase surprised her, as she heard it before she thought it. Treating it as a riddle, she answered, it might mean the Idol has chosen me, or it might mean i'm imagining things. "I wonder, have I chosen me?" the voice replied. she considered the words. They implied she *was* the Idol. Had she always been the idol?
idol sent away
the next Tuesday, when she arrives for her idol duty, she finds it's been sent away. the museum curator says it casually, and explains the new artifact she's to dust dutifully.
when he leaves she goes into near panic. has a dialog with herself asking how she's supposed to meditate without the idol. after a few phrases, the voice repeats her question with a different intonation, implying she doesn't need the idol to meditate. after a short exchange, she finishes caring for the new artifact, and heads home.
at home she begins her meditation, quickly finding the questioning inner voice
back on campus
she blabs to all of her friends about the experience, the stones, the idol. none of them believe her.. though they do admit the big city gave her a makeover
a shy nerdy guy overhears and approaches her in an unexpected moment, "i believe you." he explains he's been obsessed with the same idol, and they bond over their common interest. she invites him to see the firsthand pictures she took of the idol, which he's super excited about.
back at her place, they share the pictures, which is kind of nerd-gasm worthy.
she confesses how nice it is to find someone who shares her passion for the idol. he finds her incredibly sexy, and is nervously trying to get close to kiss her, when she excitedly interrupts the moment, "do you want to meditate?!"
they start meditating, and he's vocalizes his shock when he sees the stones in her forehead glowing. this stops their meditation, and she patiently explains what she knows about the glowing, before suggesting he be quiet so they can meditate.
after some time, he can hear a voice. (really her voice) he asks "can you *hear* me?", the voice repeats his question in a different intonation, "can *you* hear *me*?" he gets excited, "yes yes, i can hear you. Wow, this is amazing." his thoughts run fast and wild, and he opens his eyes only to see her beautiful and sitting silently. he becomes unsure of what he heard. He closes his eyes and tries to regain his focus. after several minutes, he hears the voice, "what is beautiful?" images subconsciously flood his mind. a few more moments pass, "are you the idol?" he asks. "Do you wish to worship me?" he doesn't know how to answer that...the trance deepens and they don't remember anything.
she had a similar, but *different* experience, with different questions and answers, also thinking it was him.
they both wake up in their beds the next morning, he calls her, and they both agree the meditation was totally amazing. They have to do it again, and soon. they plan an evening date a few nights out. (she has to catch up on her studies after having been gone)
worship begins
when he shows up, he's unexpectedly greeted at the door by someone else. he's ushered inside to find her already meditating, with two others meditating in front of her.
she looks different. wearing street clothes, but absolutely radiant, confident. the stones are glowing.
he awkwardly takes his seat next to the two others and begins meditating
after some time, he finds his inner peace and hears her voice.
she welcomes him, glad he could return. he asks why there are others.
"others? open your eyes." when he does, he finds he's sitting alone, inches from her. only it's not real, like a hazy dream. she's wearing an ornate indian-looking red sheer draped top and skirt.
Her beautiful eyes staring into his. she explains that the others are curious about the glowing stones, that he should not pay them any mind. their connection is on the spiritual plane and here they are alone.
she begins to seduce him, dropping her top, asking and opening his pants as she uses sexual innuendo filled language about states of being, release, chakra. as she's sexually fondling him, she says this bond she is sharing with him and him alone.
she asks only one thing in return, that he admire her secretly. The others might be upset to know I'm interacting with you here. he agrees, which pleases her. as her hand continues stroking, she directs him to close his eyes, free his mind, and show her what he finds beautiful about her. she continues her motions, driving him closer to ecstasy while somehow keeping him from it, until finally he orgasms and awakes sweating in his own bed at home.
worship continues
the next day he rushes through his classes, and to her apartment as quickly as he can. again he's greeted by attendants.
this time there are five others meditating in front of her, and he awkwardly sits down next to them. she's also sitting up on a block, causing him to have to look up at her while sitting on the floor.
she looks stunning, and even more different. her dark hair flowing perfectly, as if every strand was placed. she's a plain burgundy yoga pants and shirt.
he's excited to 'see' her, so he closes his eyes and calms his mind.
this time he doesn't hear her voice, but feels a finger lifting his chin. he opens his eyes to find her sitting on a plush couch several feet away (too far to have touched his chin), and is further surprised to find himself standing. The shape of her outfit is similar, but it's sheer, allowing her midriff, arms, legs, and even her breasts to be barely visible through the material. around them the hazy view looks like flowing red and purple sheer fabric.
she greets him excitedly, and talks of how much she missed him. how lonely it is hearing the others omm and chant around her.
he's surprised by her implication that she's stuck and owes them something, and asks if she's left her apartment since yesterday.
she stands, walking close to him, "is that what you came here to discuss?" He realizes she's not only beautiful, but is astonishingly so much taller than him her lips are at his forehead and out of reach, "because i have a more enlightening idea." her hands gently slip around his waist, softly pulling herself in.
"How are you suddenly so tall!?" As he says it, her body gently brushes up-to-his, and he can feel her near nakedness through the mesh fabric. Even with his head tilted back looking up at her, he can sense the gravity of the barely covered breasts just below his chin. The gesture seemed like a hug, but felt more like a full-body kiss.
Her lips smirked as she leaned away, "what is height in this place?" A moment later she was pulling him to the couch, and pushing him back onto it. "it is merely a projection which you see, tailored by your own mind." He looked up at her impossibly gorgeous and tall figure, her crotch above him from his slouched position.
She dropped her skirt to the floor. "I take it you like what you see?" She followed by slipping her arms out of her top and dropping it back off her shoulders. She was left almost entirely naked, adorned only two belts of jewelry one around her waist, one around her neck.
He nodded awkwardly as she knelt down, pushing his legs aside to get in close as her finger called him to sit up. Now her lips were inches from his, and he felt the palpable anticipation. "I've been looking forward to this moment all day." She took his hands, placing them on her hips before encouraging them upwards. "I find our connection so...engorging." He found it hard to process words as she slid his hands onto her breasts for the first time. They felt magnificent. Plush, firm, womanly; her erect nipples punctuating the smooth surface. As she let go, his hands pressed and squeezed them. A moment later he felt a tug at his waistband, then her hands were on him. "Seems you do as well."
.... more play,
illusion shattered
he shows up. there are no attendants. he lets himself in, and into her living room where for the first time she's not meditating, she's awake, alert, and surrounded by seven men sitting in a semi-circle around her
another moment and she realizes she is transformed, even sitting indian-style on her pedestal he can tell she's inhumanly tall, perhaps seven feet, perhaps more.
he shouts her name, shocked at what he sees. the men all shush him, after which she gestures and quietly whispers for them to "leave us". the men file out of the room
"i'm sure you have many questions. come. sit." he moves towards her, but makes no motion to sit down. her oversize form is as unnerving as it is alluring.
"what is going on here? how did you get so tall?"
"Tall? i am but a small flower compared to the great oak of the forest. you admire it's greatness, and for you to worship me I aspire to be the oak."
this whole thing was getting a little crazy. The way she talked sounded incredibly unnatural. He coughed at her closing suggestion, "worship?"
"Do you not come to admire the body I have made for you?" With that her long legs slowly unfolded, planted on the floor, and she began to stand.
By the time she was done, her chin was above his head, and his palms had begun to sweat. It was one thing to see her appear like this in some kind of astral meditation dream. It was entirely something else to stand next to her in the real world, the normalcy and grit of the worn apartment walls clashing with her exaggerated form. She reached for a string at her neck, and her robe cascaded down to a pile at her feet.
??