"What are you wearing, Barbie doll?"  I rolled my eyes in disgust as the words 
scrolled across my computer screen.


     I had been playing in chat rooms for several nights.  Last night's friend had been 
Just Twins.  He was boring with a capital B, and it looked like he intended to bother me again 
tonight.  I ignored his message.  My friend, Dakota showed up just in time to rescue me.  
We chatted back and forth, in public and in private messages.  Still Twins kept pestering 
me.


     "I love you, Barb, please don't ignore me.  Why are you mad at me?"  This was 
ridiculous.  I had only spoken with him for an hour, but now he wouldn't leave me alone.  
Dakota suggested another online room where we could chat without interruptions.  
When I got to the other chat room, Twins was there, waiting.  I tried another room, and 
another, but Twins was in every one.  I typed an angry message to him.  "Why won't 
you leave me alone?"


     His answer was swift and urgent.  "You must not go anywhere with Dakota in 
private!  He told me that he wants to get you alone so he can strangle you!  He is 
dangerous.  He wants to kill you!"


     I laughed; no one can be killed in cyberspace, only a madman would even 
consider that possibility.  A chill ran up and down my back, raising big goosebumps on 
my arms.  I felt panicky but shook it off.  This was silly; I could always disconnect from 
the service or turn the computer off entirely.  Twins' name disappeared from my screen.  
Dakota took his place in the room that existed only in cyberspace.


     "That idiot was everywhere I went.  He said that you belonged to him, he was in 
love with you and told me to stay away from you.  What on earth has been going on 
between you two?"


     "I was playing around, computer chat is still new to me.  I heard people got 
intimate online, so I wanted to try it to see what all the excitement was about."


     "Look, Barb, be careful, there are some nuts online who take chatting seriously.  
What if someone like that finds out where you live?  Promise me you won't have cyber-
sex anymore unless you know that your partner is rational."


     "Okay, I promise.  It was boring anyway.  That guy is really weird.  He said you 
were going to kill me if you got me alone in here.  I know that's impossible, but he gave 
me the creeps!"


     "Maybe you should report him to the network, threats aren't allowed here."


     "He didn't actually threaten to hurt me, he said that you were going to, besides he 
was talking about cyber space, not real life."


     "Still, you ought to let the authorities know about him, he seems pretty 
unbalanced to me."


     "I will be fine, I was going to change my screen name anyway.  I won't even talk 
to Twins again, I promise."
  

     True to my word, I started a new account with another online identity.  Soon I 
found a few favorite chat rooms with good friends, good jokes, and good conversation.  I 
began to feel as if I really knew some of these people.  I became especially close to one 
man in particular.  Charlie and I had so much in common, and talked easily together.  My 
online experiences widened until I was comfortable in this alternate world, which existed 
only electronically and in my mind.
  

     Inevitably the day came when Twins' name appeared in the list of people chatting 
in my favorite room.  I didn't say a word to him, not even when he asked if anyone had 
seen me, using my old screen name.  When he left, I breathed a sigh of relief, yet a hot 
lump of fear burned within me; I knew now that he was still searching for me in cyber 
land.  My sweet Charlie came into the room, banishing the memories of Twins from my 
mind.
  

     We talked about the day each of us had had, about our lives and about our 
dreams.  I felt close enough to touch him, and touching him sounded better and better 
to me.  The idea of cyber sex was not so boring or repugnant, as it had once seemed.  I 
had never seen a picture of Charlie, yet I saw him clearly in my mind.  Nightly we sought 
each other out until we knew one another better than we knew most of the real people 
in our lives.  Attraction grew with the friendship.  The day came when our talk became more intimate; I felt 
excited and warm all over.  The need to be close overcame the real distance between us, 
overcame the physical world.  We created a private place in cyber space with our words.  
We imagined a grassy field on a mountainside, the breeze gently bending the wildflowers 
around us, the sun warm on our faces.  In our minds and in our words, I melted into his 
strong arms. 
One set of lips found another as desire passed between us.  We typed urgent 
words which spread a soft blanket on the grass under a giant oak tree.  We fell together 
onto it, entwining our bodies as we fell, his body beneath mine, my lips tasting the 
sweetness of his.


     A shadow slid from behind the oak, its chill unnoticed in the heat of our passion.  
The wind whispered a warning.


     Around me machines beep and buzz; the smell of antiseptic hangs heavy in the 
air, acrid in my nostrils.  I feel disoriented as I open my eyes, the glare of white lights 
blinds me.  A hospital, real and physical, surrounds me.  I try to speak, but my throat 
and neck are raw and burning, my head aches.  The beeping stops suddenly.  


     "Poor little thing, didn't have a chance, strangled while she sat at her computer, 
no suspects yet."  The doctor who spoke approaches my bed with his companion.  Their 
faces look identical-they must be Twins!