Valerie turned off her computer, scared by the comments on her YouTube video. She had made a harmless little video of her taking off her clothes, flirting with the camera, taking care to keep her face out of shot. There was the usual mix of appreciative and angry comments, but one haunted her: a resentful ex-boyfriend recognised her freckles on her boobs, and threatened her.

She was shaken to the core, and it took her hours before she could even think of getting to sleep. She normally slept naked, because she loved being nude; but she needed comfort more than anything right now, so she snuggled into her thickest pyjamas and buried herself underneath not one, but two quilts. It was well past midnight before she drifted to sleep.

She eventually found herself floating in a warm, comforting mist. "Human female known as Valerie Waters," a voice spoke, deep and coming from everywhere. "I have come to examine your world, and wish to experiment on individuals such as yourself. I am bound to maintain the balance of the world, but I have the power to change individuals if they consent. Would you consent for me to change the nature of your life?"

Valerie remembered her terror at her ex's YouTube comments. "Can you make it so that nobody can harm me?" she told the dream-voice.

The voice replied. "That is a powerful change, a special change in the behaviour of your people. I can give you the security you seek only by taking away a great measure of control. There are only a few ways that I can do so that will not prevent you from living and participating in society."

Valerie said in a dreamy and dazed tone o voice, "What ways are those?"

"I cannot tell you before you consent. However, looking into your sub-mind, I perceive one manner which, while disruptive, you could adapt to and would not find objectionable."

Valerie frowned. "It doesn't make sense to have less control over my life, and not even know what I'm agreeing to. I mean, wouldn't everyone push me around anyway then?"

"You would be one of very few who could even realise your lack of power; for I am bound to maintain balance. And as I read your brain, I grow more certain that you will not find your new circumstances objectionable. Nevertheless, I may not tell you."

This is an unnecessarily cryptic dream, thought Valerie. "Okay, why not. Please make it so that I cannot be harmed. Or made to do anything I don't want to," she said. "Make it hard for anyone even to think about."

The voice boomed. "It shall be as you wish. I shall arrange your circumstances to accommodate your new security and your new inabilities."

Sure, whatever, thought Valerie as her dream dissolved into incoherence, and she fell into dreamless sleep.

The next morning, Valerie woke up, surprisingly refreshed. She burrowed her way out from under her quilts, only to find that she was no longer wearing her pyjamas. She giggled, assuming that she had taken them off during the night; but looking under her quilts, she couldn't find them.

Shrugging, she looked to her bedroom door to look for her night robe, only to find that was missing as well. Had she put it in the closet absentmindedly? Looking for it there, she was more than a little surprised to find that almost all of her clothing was missing --- there wasn't a single blouse or pair of trousers left.