The Experiment by Lcrowe An experiment in isolation turns out to be not so isolated. "Ok, so what do I have to do," Jasmine asked. "You have to agree to be isolated for one month" Bobbie replied, "That's it. "I can't tell you any more about the experiment than that, just that you'll be completely isolated form any outside input, no phones, TV's, internet, not even any clocks." Jasmine eyed the woman in the white lab coat suspiciously before glancing around the office. It was much like hundreds of others on the IU campus except that it was neater than any of the offices of her previous advisors she'd ever been in with one entire wall devoted to important looking certificates and awards. "And I'll get ten grand applied to my student loans?" Jasmine asked. "If you last for the entire month, yes, you'll be accredited ten thousand dollars against your student loans," Bobbie replied. "All that for hanging out in a room for a month?" Jasmine asked, her finger running through her close cropped bristly black hair. "Well, it's more than just a room," Bobbie replied, "You read the study prospective. "You'll be transported to a farm outside Bloomington where we have the isolation facility set up. It has everything you could need for you're a month, kitchen with any food you'd care to request, living room, library, very nice bathroom with a walk in shower and jacuzzi tub, even a gym for you to exercise. "You'll be able to send notes through an envelope drop if you need anything such as milk, orange juice, eggs or even aspirin or Alleve." "So why no clothes?" Jasmine asked, "Just so you can perve on me and watch me through all the cameras?" "I can promise we won't be 'perving' on you," Bobbie reassured her with a smile, "But part of the isolation, part of... breaking you away from the mold of your everyday life so to speak, is to not allow clothes for the time you're isolated." "For ten grand... fine!" Jasmine said. Jasmine recalled the conversation that she had two months ago and slipped the bathrobe from her shoulders, her nipples hardening in the cool air of the entry. "So, just remember," the female student with a plastic STAFF ID on her blouse was saying, "We'll be monitoring you all the time, so if at any time you have any issues at all or wish to leave all you have to do is ask. "Ok?" "Yea," Jasmine replied suddenly more nervous than what she had expected, "So... I'm not going to talk to anyone for a month?" "You'll have to abide by the rules of the experiment for one month," the student replied, "Yes." "Well... then... I... ummmm, I'll see you in a month," Jasmine replied. The student smiled in what Jasmine thought of as a reassuring way and then stepped back. "When you're ready, just step through the door and the experiment will begin," the student replied when Jasmine continued to stand in the entry. Jasmine nodded and then turned to walk through the plain, windowless door. It felt decidedly odd to walk into an unknown space naked, her bare feet making barely a sound on the cold linoleum. She glanced down at herself, her dark olive skin covered in goosebumps, her nipples hard points that had nothing to do with the temperature. The room beyond was the kitchen with a central island topped by an assortment of copper pots and pans, a refrigerator next to a stand up freezer, oven and dishwasher, all the appliances brand new spotlessly clean brushed chrome. Jasmine glanced up towards the ceiling and after only a moment found three different cameras placed to capture every possible location in the kitchen. She walked into the living room and noticed a soft, background susurration of air handlers, enough white noise to dampen any sound that might have come from outside. The living room was just as well furnished as the kitchen with a recliner, L shaped sofa, a gas fireplace and even a beanbag, but what was obviously missing was any electronics devices, such as a TV or stereo. Jasmine continued her exploration down a short hallway to find a library with shelves of books including several that she had yet to read and specifically requested, a gym with a weight machine, treadmill, Stairmaster and rowing machine, a bathroom that had her dying to try out the spacious marble walk in shower or enormous jacuzzi bath and finally the bedroom. She found it a little odd that none of the rooms had doors, every entry open as she walked silently into the bedroom. The bed was an enormous king size bed that filled the majority of the room, although Jasmine instantly found the cameras mounted in the corners of the room and gave them a baleful glare. She had seen similar cameras in every single room, including the bathroom and found the idea of constantly being watched, including when she eventually would need to take a crap more than a little unsettling. She was used to being naked, including in front of strangers, but some things were decidedly intended to be solitary endeavors. Being naked in a completely new space also had her more aware of other needs, the idea of hiding under the blankets like a teenager afraid of being caught by her mom instead of enjoying herself in the bath or the couch or the many other places she normally preferred a bit... aggravating. "All right, yea... this... this could work." Jasmine froze in shock at the unknown voice, her eyes wide while she stared towards the hallway that led back to the living room. There was the sound of pots banging together and she imagined someone reaching up to move one of the copper pans to set the entire cluster into noisy motion. Jasmine slipped quietly over to the bedroom door and glanced down the hallway and into the living room, the open floor plan allowing her to see a man she had never seen, a man just as naked as she was opening the refrigerator door and looking inside. He looked to a little over six feet, his shoulder blades moving smoothly beneath his tanned skin. He had a very dark tan except for his ass milky white ass, his tan ending at the dimple just above the crease of his ass and extending down to mid way down his thighs. Jasmine watched, her mouth hanging open in shock as he opened the freezer. "Oh yea, steaks, burgers, porkchops... catfish?" he said curiously, "Sure, ok, a bit of variety I guess." The man let the door to the freezer close before turning around, his eyes traveling over the hanging pots and pans that were still swaying gently as he walked into the living room. Jasmine's eyes traveled down to the nest of curly black hair surrounding the man's cock. She could see his length swaying between his thighs and bit her lip before glancing up to watch him. He had light brown hair that looked bleached from plenty of time in the sun, his nose long and narrow that reminded her of her father's unlike her own wide, flat nose she had inherited from her mom. Jasmine tried not to laugh when her reached down and gave himself a squeeze, not sure if it was even a conscious action as he tugged at his length before letting go. "No fucking Xbox, man," the man said as he made a tour through the living room, pausing to flip the leather on the recliner to extend it before pushing back to a sitting position, "This would be such a fucking walk in the park if had an Xbox, but can't have everything I gue... "Oh, shit!" Jasmine had to restrain a giggle when the man finally noticed her and jumped comically into the air, his eyes wide and staring while he stood frozen. "Aaap!" the man said, his gaping mouth closing comically to cut off any sound while his eyes traveled up and down Jasmine's naked body. She took and involuntary step back so that the doorframe to the bedroom concealed her sex while leaving her right breast and naked hip exposed while still staring at the man. "Who the hell are you?" the man finally demanded. "I was... thinking the same thing about you," Jasmine replied. "You're not supposed to be here!" the man shot back, "You're going to screw me out of ten grand!" "Wait... you were offered ten grand... to spend a month in isolation?" Jasmine asked. "Yea!" the man agreed, "You can't be here!" Jasmine considered for a moment, trying to replay every conversation that she had with Bobbie and then finally glared up at the nearest camera. "Yea, I was offered ten grand for a month in here too," Jasmine finally replied, "But... do you recall... "Did they ever tell you that you'd be in here alone? "Did Bobbie come out and say you'd be by yourself or did she just let us both assume we'd be by ourselves?" The man froze, his eyes going wide while he considered for a moment. Jasmine watched him reach down and use his hands to cover himself while he thought. "That... sneaky..." the man finally said slowly. "Yea," Jasmine agreed and gave the nearest camera a glare, "Sneaky bitch!" "We can't... we can't be in here for a month naked!" the man finally said while casting occasional glances towards Jasmine, "Together!" Jasmine continued to glare at the cameras for a few more moments before giving her head a slow, deliberate shake. "Why not?" she asked and then stepped fully out into the hallway to expose herself and walked into the living room, "I'm not going to tap out. "If you want to, I guess you can... but... I'm staying." She watched the man's eyes watching her and wondered what he thought of her D cup breasts and palm sized dark black areola or the small patch of kinky black hair she kept trimmed just above her sex. If he thought her mouth was two wide or lips to full. She had heard so many crappy things said about her body over the years that any of those and more wouldn't surprise her at all. He licked his lips and then looked up to meet her eyes when she reached him. "I'm Jasmine," she said and thrust out her hand. "Oh... ahhmmm, Christopher... or just Chris," Chris stammered and held out his hand. Jasmine reached out aggressively to shake his hand and tried to ignore how cold and damp his palms where or the fact that he was very obviously starting to get an erection, his bobbing dick just inches from her thigh. "Do you want to stay?" Jasmine asked, "It might actually be easier with two of us instead of trying to go it alone." Chris thought about it for another moment, his eyes glancing down at Jasmine's breasts and her nipples which were starting to show her own excitement. "I can think of a few things that would be harder," he stammered, his face blushing. Jasmine only rolled her eyes and then looked back into his while never letting go of his hand. "I... guess..." Chris finally said, "I mean... yea, if this is the game that we've got to play for ten grand... I need that money for my student loans! "Sure." "Ok," Jasmine replied and let go of his hand before glancing down at Chris's cock at half mast, "But you're sleeping on the couch!" Chris's jaw dropped open and then he burst out laughing before nodding. "I can do that," Chris replied. Jasmine's brown eyes stared into his blue for a moment longer and then turned away. "I am going to go read," she said as she walked away while wondering if Chris's eyes were on her ass the entire time. Jasmine found a comfortable reading chair in the library to curl up in and began to read 'Ordinary Men'. The premise of the book both troubled and fascinated her, the evil that resides in every person's soul and just how easy it was for that evil to escape. She occasionally caught a glimpse of Chris as he explored their well supplied prison, watched as he came in and gave her a smile while he browsed the shelves for a few minutes before slipping out. Eventually she could hear the rhythmic sounds of one of the exercise machines in the gym, the noise fading away in its monotony until she glanced up when it suddenly stopped. "Hi..." Chris said after leaning around the entrance to the library so that only his torso covered in a sheen of sweat was visible, "I... ahhh... was going to take a shower and then make dinner." Jasmine smiled at him and wondered if he was suggesting she shower with him... the idea not entirely unpleasant as she looked at his wide chest covered in a dusting of black hair before glancing up at one of the ever present cameras. Chris seemed to hesitate for several seconds waiting for a response until giving her a forced smile. "Was there... anything you'd like me to make for us?" he finally asked. "Ohhh," Jasmine said and gave him a genuine smile at his offering to cook for her as well, "What ever you decide to make would be wonderful!" "All right," Chris replied and made a quick dash across the doorway, Jasmine's eyes traveling down to catch a glimpse of his cock bouncing comically in his haste. She grinned while she considered Chris. He seemed a bit overly shy, but still had a lovely, toned body. She wasn't sure what sport he participated in, but with his well defined abbs and pecs and prominent tan lines she was sure he was involved with something. She pictured the sight of his cock swelling in the kitchen when they had first met and bit her lip at the tingling between her thighs. He wasn't the largest man she had ever seen or even been with, but he was more than enough to be getting by with for a month. Jasmine glanced up at the cameras in the corners of the room and gave them a glare, their presence putting a damper on the idea of possibly finding a few interesting ways of spending the next month with Chris. She heard the shower running, her nipples hardening at the thought of Chris washing off and then glared up at the cameras again. After the water had shut off she missed Chris's mad dash past the library door but did hear the sounds of pots and pans banging against each other from their hooks. "It's ready!" Chris finally called, Jasmine setting her book aside and padding into the living room She stopped when she saw him, his hands covering his crotch with two plates set out on the table between the open kitchen and living room. "Oh, my god," Jasmine said with an exasperated roll of her eyes, "If we're going to be stuck in here together for two weeks I think we can probably skip covering up are nasty bits and pieces!" "Ahhh. yea," Chris said and glanced down between Jasmine's thighs, "About that..." He moved his hands away and her eyes were drawn to his cock which was already at half mast. She felt a thrill of excitement as she watched it jerk in time with his heartbeat and then gave a glare up at the nearest camera. "It's nice, Chris," Jasmine said evenly without even trying to cover her own sex, "We're here for two weeks. "I don't mind you looking at me, do you mind me looking at you?" Chris glanced from Jasmine's breasts down between her thighs, his gaze lingering at what she imagined were her inner lips that always protruded from the crease of her sex and back to her breasts before finally making eye contact with her. "No," Chis finally said. "Ok, then look all you like," Jasmine said and held out her hands again with a thrill of excitement as Chris's eyes crawled over her body, "But no touching!" Chris laughed and rolled his own eyes before walking over to the table. "This is going to be a very long... hard... two weeks," Chris said as he sat down. "I'm wondering if that wasn't part of this whole setup," Jasmine replied with another glare up at the nearest camera and then sat down, "Oh... you made catfish!" "I though maybe you had asked for the catfish since I hadn't," Chris explained and then glanced up at one of the cameras himself. "I did," Jasmine said and used a fork to break off a piece of the flaky white fish to take a bite, "And it is soooo good!" The two ate in silence for several minutes, Chis occasionally glancing up at a camera. "Is it weird to think that their watching us?" Chris finally asked. Jasmine glanced up at the camera and took a bite of green beans. Even straight from the can and into a microwave they weren't as horrible as she would have imagined, Chris adding what tasted like a dash of garlic powder and pepper to improve the flavor. "Not really," Jasmine replied while still gazing up at the camera, "I..." Jasmine hesitated and glanced at Chris who was watching her, his eyes meeting hers instead of straying. "I worked at Hooters and then... as a dancer in my Freshman year in college, so it doesn't really bother me to have people looking at me," Jasmine finished. "Oh!" Chris replied. "What bothers me more is not having any... alone time for myself," Jasmine added with a glare up at the camera. "Yea, I ran into that issue when I was takin..." Chris began with a smile before suddenly glancing at her with his eyes wide, "Not that I..." "One month, Chris," Jasmine said with a laugh, "I think we can both admit to each other that yes, we are adults and yes, we do masturbate occasionally." Chris's face was a bright red but he did laugh and nod. "And if it's more than just occasionally?" he asked with a grin. "Ahhh, maybe I don't need to know how often," Jasmine said and tried not to squirm at the sensation between her thighs as she imagined what Chris had done in the bathroom. "With enough hot water the glass gets pretty foggy in the shower," Chris finally admitted. "I'll keep that in mind," Jasmine replied with a smile. The rest of dinner passed by quickly with them both discussing their classes, Jasmine admitting that she still danced and Chris telling her that he was on both the IU volleyball team and lacrosse which she didn't even realize they had. "What... what was it like the first time you ever got on stage in front of a crowd?" Chris finally asked after Jasmine had cleaned the dishes and they were sitting at the table. Jasmine took a deep breath and smiled while trying to ignore the gentle ache that had been building between her thighs. Just the simple act of having a friendly conversation together was arousing with both of them naked even if she couldn't see Chris's cock beneath the table. Jasmine smiled and then stood up from the table. "I... I'm going to go use the treadmill for a bit and then take a shower before bed," she replied and tried to forget how nervous she had been the first time on stage, how self conscious. And just how wet she had been. "Oh," Chris said in surprise and stood up, his cock definitely more than at half mast and gave Jasmine a smile, "Have a... have a good night. "Do you mind if I steal the bed sheet and pillow from you... for the couch?" Jasmine gave Chirs a smile and a nod before hurrying away. She guessed that she spent the next hour jogging, the clock on even the treadmill disabled so that she was unable to know the exact time or even distance that she ran. She ran to ignore the aching distraction between her thighs, her bare feet slapping on the treadmill until her skin was covered in sweat and her legs were shaking. When she finally turned the treadmill off she realized that she must have ran much farther than her normal routine, her legs burning with the effort. She abandoned the exercise room while wondering where Chris was, intentionally taking her time to walk down the hallway and through the bedroom into the bathroom. She glanced at the huge tub, but after a moment stepped into the shower while remembering Chris's comment about the glass fogging. She turned the water on, increasing the temperature until it was nearly painfully hot with her face turned up into the spray. After only a minute Jasmine saw that the shower stall was now opaque with fog. Her hand reached down between her thighs as she squatted just a little with her back against a wall, her fingers finding and tugging on her long, meaty inner lips. She closed her eyes, the constant arousal of spending the afternoon with a naked man causing her excitement quickly build, a fingertip of one hand stroking up and down the silky smooth skin just to the left of her clit while she used her other hand to pull and stretch her inner lips. "Mmmmmhhhhh!" Jasmine moaned between tightly pressed lips, her legs shaking when her orgasm caused her to lean forward. Even after her so sudden orgasm Jasmine continued to play with her sensitive clit and inner lips, a finger tip circling her vulva to capture some of her lubrication before gliding over the hard, pink button. She panted for breath and then finally pulled her hand away and stood up with a glance towards the camera she knew was there but couldn't see through the fogged glass. "Shit..." Jasmine said and then straightened fully before quickly soaping and rinsing off. Jasmine used a towel to dry herself just as quickly and then hurried into the bed, tossing and turning while thinking about Chris... a month alone with Chris before finally drifting off into a troubled sleep. Sometime later the smell of coffee woke Jasmine who rolled onto her back and then stretched with her arms above her head. She quickly snuggled back into the warm next of blankets, a hand cupping her breast while her other slipped between her thighs. She brought one foot up to rest against the opposite knee, her hips opening to allow her fingers to slip through the petals of her inner lips. She listened to the domestic sounds coming from the kitchen, the occasional sound of a pan banging or cabinet door closing and let her fingers explore her silky smooth, wet folds. She brought herself to the cusp, her back arching before pulling bag, denying herself the release she craved and then used a fingertip on her clit to get right to the edge again, back arched, her torso twisting to feel her hard nipples graze over the bedsheet, before again denying herself that final release. The smell of coffee and her belly grumbling when she detected the scent of bacon finally made her pull her hand to her mouth to taste her sharp, musky flavor without ever giving herself that final release. She pushed the bedsheet and blanket aside, automatically searching for her kimono before rolling her eyes and then padded into the living room "Morning!" Chris said the moment he saw her come in. "Good morning," Jasmine replied, her eyes traveling down to Chris's very white ass when he turned back to the stove. Jasmine watched Chris's gluts move and shift as he moved while she smiled, the ache and need of never giving herself that final release still there. "That smells wonderful," Jasmine said and walked into the kitchen. "I hope you like scrambled eggs and bagon," Chris said and turned to smile at her, "There's toast with jell..." Chris stopped in mid word when his eyes glanced down, Jasmin's heart beating a little faster when she saw him bite his lower lip for a moment before looking up into her eyes. "Ahhhmmm... I hope... I didn't interrupt you having fun," Chris said with a lopsided grin. Jasmin glanced down in confusion only to realize that her mound and inner thighs were glazed with her moisture. She felt herself blush for a moment and then looked up to meet his eyes defiantly. "Did you say there was toast and jelly too?" Jasmine asked and pushed past Chris, her thigh brushing against his cock as she reached for the pot of coffee and a cup. Chris gasped at the touch and bit his lip again, his eyes following Jasmine while she poured a cup of coffee. "Yea... toast... and ahhh, scrambled eggs and bacon..." Chris stammered. Jasmine took a sip of coffee and glanced down at her cup and then held it up towards Chris. "Does this... taste ok?" Jasmine asked and moved the cup closer to Chris's lips. "What?" Chris asked in confusion and glanced down at Jasmine's cup, "Mine was fine." "Here," Jasmine said and stepped closer to move her cup beneath Chris's nose, "Maybe... just smell." Chris glanced at Jasmine in confusion and then took a tentative sniff, Jasmine's fingers wrapped around her cup only an inch beneath his nose. His eyes widened in surprise and he quickly licked his lips, inhaling deeply before looking up to look at Jasmine. "I'm not sure what you're using as a creamer, but it smells delicious," Chris said. Jasmine grinned and pulled her cup back before claiming a plate and added eggs, bacon and toast. "I... really need to take a shower," Chris finally exclaimed, Jasmine glancing down to stare at his fully erect cock. "I'll clean up," Jasmine said with a smile, "You can go... take care of what you need to." Chris grinned and shook his head and started to turn away before stopping and looking back at Jasmine. "A month," Chris stated. Jasmine took a deep breath while staring down at Chris's hard cock and then up to the cameras staring dispassionately down at them both. She gave a small nod and then took a bite of egg, swallowing deliberately before licking her lips. "I didn't think a month could be this long... or hard," Jasmine replied. Chris coughed back a laugh and then turned to hurry away. Jasmine watched Chris's ass as he walked down the hall, the muscles bunching and moving with every step until he disappeared and the shower quickly started. She took another bite, her eyes slowly moving up to the cameras in the corner of the room. She couldn't deny the attraction she felt for Chris, the picture of his erect penis jutting out of the nest of curly black pubic hair filling her mind, couldn't deny his cocks reaction every time she was near him. She couldn't deny the inevitable while she cursed Bobbie in her head, her eyes never straying from the black, beady eyes of the cameras. She couldn't understand what Bobbie could have thought would happen by sticking two young, attractive college kids together for a month. Naked. Or, perhaps that was what Bobbie had hoped would happen. The Bloomington IU had a bit of a reputation for human sexuality studies after all, and part of the screening to take part in the isolation experiment had been an STD screening and even a question about Jasmine's birth control methods and the fact that she used Nexplanon. Jasmine finished eating and then quickly cleaned up, perfectly content to let Chris cook if he wished while she did the dishes. Her eye returned again and again to one of the cameras gazing down at her. She had danced for years, performed for countless strangers gazing up at her so that she could put herself through college. Would it be so different? A month. Naked. With someone she found attractive and who seemed to find her just as attractive. She closed the dishwasher with a glance up at one of the cameras, her heart starting to beat faster as she walked slowly towards the bathroom. When she entered the room was filled with steam, the glass fogged so that Jasmine could only see the vague outline of Chris's body or the rapid motion of his arm. "Chris?" Jasmine called out. "What?" Chris said in a panic, Jasmine grinning at the sight of his body jerking in surprise even through the fogged glass. Jasmine walked over and pulled the glass door open, Chris turning to face her with his hands covering his erection, eyes wide at the sudden interruption. Jasmine's eyes traveled up and down his body, the water sluicing over his muscles while he looked back in confusion. Jasmine looked up to meet his eyes and then held out her hand to him. "What's... what's going on Jasmine?" Chris asked when he reached out to take her hand. "If... we're going to be together for a month..." Jasmine said and tugged at Chris's hand, "We... might as well... face the inevitable... and be together... for the month." "Wait, what?" Chris asked hopefully, "Do you mean..." Jasmine grinned and nodded, pulling Chris gently out of the shower and then leading the way slowly back to the king size bed. "What about..." Chris asked and flicked his head up towards one of the cameras in the bedroom. "We'll just have to make sure they enjoy their show," Jasmine breathed and then climbed up onto the bed on her hands and knees. Chris was panting, water dripping from his body while he glanced up at the nearest camera. "Chris..." Jasmine said softly and then turned around to lay back on her back, her legs spreading wide. Chris glanced at Jasmine and then did a doubletake, his eyes focusing on the light pink of Jasmine's vulva that was now on display. "You're Ok with this?" Chris asked, his body shaking while he desperately tried not to leap on Jasmine, "I mean... what about..." "I'm on birth control," Jasmine sighed, "I want to feel you inside of me... I need to feel you inside of me!" Jasmine was moaning in her need when she finished, Chris glancing up to look into her eyes before suddenly giving in and climbing up onto the bed. Without any hesitation he positioned the head of his cock against Jasmine's vulva and then pushed inside of her, his body collapsing onto hers, his lips seeking out hers. Jasmine moaned around Chris's tongue, his length moving and thrusting inside of her. She wrapped her legs tightly around his waist, her hands reaching around to claw at his back and thrust her hips upward to meet every one of his thrust. "Well, shit," Bobbie exclaimed while she stared down at the computer screen and then tossed a twenty towards Jason, one of her lap assistants, "I was sure they would last more than twenty four hours." "They're fucking horny college kids... who are now fucking horny college kids" Jason laughed and claimed the twenty he had just won in their bet, "I just surprised they lasted as long as they did!" Bobbie sighed and watched Jasmine and Chris on the monitor, Jasmine now on top of him, her back arched while she rode up and down his length. "So... a week until they can't stand the sight of each other?" Bobbie asked and pulled out a second twenty to wave in the air. Jason watched the monitor while biting his lower lip and then gave a small shake of his head, "A hundred says they last all month, that they never stop... that!" He gestured towards the monitor and Chris and Jasmine making love together. "Oh... really," Bobbie shot back, "What in the world makes you think that!" Jason watched as the two lovers collapsed together, their passion momentarily sated while they kissed slowly. "Hope?" Jason finally replied, "Maybe I want to see them make it." "Fine, if you want to give it away that much I'll take your money," Bobbie replied and then focused on what was going on in the bedroom, "What are they doing?" "Oh my god," Jason said with a laugh while watching Jasmine climb up Chris's body before sitting on his face. "He just..." Bobbie said in surprise. "Yea, I'm pretty sure he did," Jason replied. Bobbie and Jason watched Chris wrap his arms around Jasmine's thigh to pull her down while she rocked her hips, her hands pressed against the headboard of the bed while she gazed down between her legs. "That's....nasty... and dirty... and so fucking hot..." Jason said with a grin. "I think Chris was right," Bobbie finally said a bit breathless herself, her eyes never leaving Jasmine's body as she continued to rock her hips, Chris's face buried between her thighs, "This is going to be a very long... hard... month!"