Fantasy Holiday

by

Rob Willson

 

Part 5

 

Later, Peter found out that in Paradise, as soon as he and Helen went to bed, their bedrooms were infused with an anaesthetic gas and they then had the usual debriefing session on the day’s events with the Management.

As promised, Jane came in to get them up at five o’clock the following morning, just as it was getting light. She told him what clothes to wear, including his green apron which matched those worn by the girls, except that his had f rills all round the edge. He found this particularly irritating but had to put up with it.

They had breakfast, once again wearing their plastic pinnies without any fuss and then the morning began. Linda was put to work scrubbing the kitchen floor and he was shown by Jane how to iron and starch all his new aprons. By now, Alan had realised it was useless to protest and make a fuss.

When he and Linda had both finished, she was set to starch and iron her pinafores, whilst he found himself polishing endlessly for the rest of the morning.

They had their midday meal and then it was time for them to go back to the Constabel Station for their induction session with the Sergeant. Rose went with them, to make sure they didn’t get lost. She and Linda were once again wearing afternoon frilly aprons, but Alan just felt ridiculous enough in his very short tight pants and his bare legs down to his tiny ankle socks and ‘Mary Janes’, not forgetting the blouse with its frills and puffed sleeves.

As they got near to the Constabel Station, Rose said, "Oh dear! I was hoping this wouldn’t happen."

Ahead of them, a Constabel was scolding a young boy, who was standing meekly listening to her tirade. At that moment, the Constabel looked round and saw them.

"You three. Stop there and wait".

Rose muttered, "That was what I was afraid of. Now, be careful. Whatever she says, answer politely and meekly. Call her ‘Constabel’ the first time and ‘Ma’am’ afterwards. But be very careful or you will feel that switch or strap she has at her belt. I’ll explain more to you later. Her name, by the way is Constabel Katherine Brewster."

The Constabel finished her interaction with the young boy by switching him four times on his bare legs, before dismissing him. He curtsied (yes, curtsied) politely and then made his escape.

"You see what I mean" muttered Rose.

"Hello Rosie. These must be your cousins on the way to see the Sergeant?"

"Yes, Constabel" replied Rose quietly.

She looked at Alan and asked brusquely, "And why aren’t you pinafored?"

"Mrs. King did not tell me to wear one today, Constabel" answered Alan politely.

"Really? Well let me tell you that I shall be taking your training session tomorrow afternoon and you had better be pinafored then, or there will be trouble. Now get on to see the Sergeant".

They quickly hurried out of her sight.

"Phew!" exclaimed Rose, "That was a close shave, but I’m not sure we, or at least I, am out of the wood yet".

"Why is that?" asked Linda.

"Well, Constabel Brewster is the one all our family have to worry about most of all among the Constabels, but I don’t have time to explain now, because the Sergeant will be waiting for us and it will not do to be late".

They entered the Station and, this time there was nobody polishing the floor, but the Sergeant was waiting for them and pointedly looked at her watch as they came in.

"That was very close" she commented.

"Yes Sergeant" Rose explained, "Constabel Brewster stopped us to meet my cousins as we came along."

"I hope very much that that was intended to be an explanation, and not an excuse, Rose."

"Yes Ma’am", said Rose.

The Sergeant added, " I am also very glad, for your sake, that you did not scuff your feet on my polished floor like your sister Sarah did yesterday. I shall be sending you home with a note for your mother about that incident.

"Yes Ma’am" said Rose again.

"Right, you can come to collect your cousins at four o’clock, after I have finished with them. I expect that they will be familiar enough with the routine tomorrow to manage by themselves."

Rose curtsied her acknowledgement of her dismissal and left, treading very carefully on the polished floor.

The Sergeant then took a very subdued Linda and Alan into the interior, while another Constabel took her place at the counter.

"Right now, as you have probably already have been told by Mrs. King, we Constabels are completely in charge of all children who are expected to obey all the rules of conduct correctly. Any infringement will bring punishment.

"Today you will learn the ten most important Town Rules and also learn the names and photos of all the Constabels and the twelve Councillors. You will be expected to stop and curtsy, if you meet any of them in the street, and you must always be ultra polite and respectful to them.

"However, before you start that lesson, I want to show you both this."

‘This’ turned out to be a special room which was rather frightening. In it were several flogging blocks with straps, pillories and stocks. Hanging on the walls were a number of canes and straps and, ominously, two stiff yellow ‘punishment aprons’.

"This is where you will be brought for punishment, if you require a more severe chastisement than can be given in the street. In a moment, you will each be put into a cell to study a copy of The Rules and a photo album and this will give you a taste of what it will be like to enjoy our hospitality as a CUP, which I expect you will already know is a ‘Child Undergoing Punishment’, from seeing Mary Taylor here yesterday.

"But first of all, Alan, why have you dared to come here not wearing an apron?"

"Well, Ma’am, Mrs. King told me she did not require me to wear an apron into town, unless it was as a special punishment."

"That may be so, but I will give you a note to take to her, which will say that every child attending the Station is required to be aproned and we are trying to encourage all parents and guardians to make boys wear aprons at all times."

"Yes Ma’am. Constabel Brewster has already told me that she expects me to be pinafored at tomorrow’s session."

"CUP", called out the Sergeant.

A harassed young girl dressed as the CUP had been yesterday, hurried into the room; obviously very apprehensive as it was the punishment room. She curtsied and waited for the order; obviously hoping it would not be ‘Bend over the block!’

"Go and find a suitable apron for this boy", was the order, much to her relief.

Alan waited agitatedly, wondering if he was about to be dressed in a CUP apron too.

The girl came back with a ruffled rubber apron in lurid pink.

"Put it on" he was ordered.

He hesitated for a moment and the Sergeant turned towards the nearest punishment apron. As she turned her back, the girl thrust the apron into his hands and mouthed ‘quickly’, as Linda whispered "Do it for God’s sake".

He realised his mistake and hurriedly tied the apron on. He stood there, feeling the rubber on his bare knees and realised it would be impossible to forget he was wearing it.

The Sergeant smiled contentedly as she saw him in it but continued to put the punishment apron on.

"Well, I won’t have to punish you for disobeying my order, but you will still get a lesser punishment for hesitating. This is to teach you that all orders from any Constabel must be obeyed immediately and without any hesitation, or question."

She took down a tawse, and said to the CUP, "Now show both of them how to hold out their hands for ‘handers’."

The girl held out both hands, palm upwards, with one on top of the other.

"Copy that", was the order.

Alan held out his hands with the left on top. There was a ‘Thwack’ as the strap landed and Alan gasped and snatched his hands away.

"I will let you will get away with that this first time, but, if you take your hands down without permission again, that will earn you extra strokes. Now the right hand."

Gritting his teeth, Alan obeyed. Another ‘Thwack’ followed by another gasp, but he just managed not to pull his hands away.

"Again", was the order, and the left hand got a second stroke, followed by another on the right.

"Once more!" Again, Alan forced his hands up.

"Let that be a lesson to both of you" was the comment, as the tawse was replaced on its hook and the punishment apron hung up.

"That, by the way, was called ‘three handers’. Three to both hands!"

They were then led off to a cell each and sat on a hard bench with their feet locked into a wooden plank. They were then left for the remainder of the day’s session to memorise the contents of the folders they were given.

When they were released, they were told to keep the books overnight, in case they wanted to do any ‘homework’ and told to report next day at 2 PM to Constabel Brewster, who would test them and give them their next lesson. They were warned that any mistakes would be corrected (by which they understood meant that they would be punished).

Alan was told to keep the pink apron on and told to wear it next day and to bring one of his own to wear on his return. He was given the note for his aunt.

Linda curtsied as they were dismissed for the day and, after a glare from the Sergeant, Alan made an awkward clumsy effort to copy her.

The Sergeant snorted in disgust and said, "I see we shall have to include lessons on how to curtsy tomorrow."

They were then delivered into the care of Rose, about who was patiently waiting for them, with the extra note about her sister, and they started home. Rose did not look very happy and Linda sympathetically asked her what was the matter.

Rose snorted, "Constabel Kitty was the matter. That’s what! She was waiting for me to come out of the Station and then did this."

She turned and lifted her skirt. They saw eight livid weals across the backs of her thighs and calves.

"Oh Rose" exclaimed Alan. "What was that for?"

"Nothing really, although she made up an excuse to do it. It was really because she couldn’t do it to either of you yet. This is a good time to give you the explanation I promised you.

"You will have noticed that I called her ‘Constabel Kitty’? Well, you see, until about nine months ago, she was our family maid, ‘Kitty’, before we had Jane. However, she was not a very satisfactory, or obedient, maid and Mother had to punish her quite a lot more than she does Jane. Of course, this meant that we three girls had to witness her canings and so she hates us all. This is her way of getting revenge on us and, I’m afraid, although you are both innocent and didn’t see her punished, you will be tarred with the same brush as members of our family.

"I’m sure you can both expect quite few strokes of the cane and strap tomorrow afternoon. I’m sorry about that, but it is only fair to warn you what is certain to happen, and why.

"I only hope that Mother will accept my explanation that I didn’t deserve these stripes on my legs."

"Why?" asked Linda. "What is the significance of that?

"The answer is simple and also one I should have explained before. If a child goes to the evening punishment session (you haven’t forgotten what is waiting for you at nine o’clock tonight, have you?) and has marks from a Constabel’s punishment, it is usual for a Mother to add that number of strokes to what she already intended to give you, because you have brought shame on the family by misbehaving in public.

"However, Kitty is getting a reputation of being over-zealous and spiteful and I have heard that some mothers, including ours, will be complaining to the Town Council and that Kitty might not survive her probationary period, which ends in three months time.

"I can tell you the almost every child in town is hoping she gets dismissed. The interesting thing is that we are all wondering what will then happen to her, because I don’t think that has ever happened before. I can tell you that we will be holding a party and celebrating if it does. The joke is that I don’t think Kitty realises that this might happen."

As they walked along, Alan realised that his garish pink rubber apron, which was rubbing annoyingly against his bare knees, was attracting a lot of amused stares and he guessed that people were aware that he was wearing it by a Constabel’s decree. When he asked Rose if this were true, she confirmed it.

This decided Alan to ask Mrs King if he could wear an apron all the time in order to avoid breaking any more rules and end up by having to wear special, or punishment, aprons.

As soon as they arrived home, Rose told her mother what had happened and was asked ‘on her honour’ if this was fact that she had not broken any rules in public. Rose promised her mother that this was true and was told that she would not incur any extra strokes that evening.

Then Mrs. King turned to Linda and Alan.

"That also applies to you, while you are training at the Station. Any strokes you get there will not count, but I also rely on you both to tell me if any are not in that category."

They both promised and then Alan gave the Sergeant’s note to his aunt.

"Right" said Mrs. King; "the Sergeant wants you to wear that apron for the rest of today and to go back to the Station in it tomorrow. She also wants you to wear it in bed tonight with nothing else on and so you shall. You are also to take one of your own to come home in tomorrow."

"Yes Aunt" the Sergeant already told me that part, but not about wearing it to bed. That is a surprise. But can I ask you something, please?"

"Of course" his aunt replied warily.

After what has happened today, and especially as Constabel Brewster will be watching us so closely, can I please wear an apron all the time, like most of the other boys do?"

(This was quite a change, compared with his original reluctance to wear one at all, and the fuss he had made only the day, before and he knew that they were all amused by his change of heart. Of course, they all also knew why this was and agreed with his decision.)

"Of course" his aunt agreed very pleasantly.

"Also, could someone please show me how to curtsy after our meal, to avoid me having to learn it from Constabel Brewster tomorrow?"

That was also agreed.

Rose then gave her mother the note about Sarah.

"Oh dear!" she said. "Sarah you have been ordered to attend the station at 7 am on Thursday next for two days CUP training on manners. Specifically to teach you not to scuff their polished floor deliberately."

At this news, Sarah was very upset. Immediately she had done it, she had regretted her action, but thought she had got away with it, and now she was to regret it even more. The price was two days as a CUP. She thought that was a very harsh sentence for a small thing, but there was no appeal.

During the meal, they discussed the problem of Kitty, and Linda and Alan gradually realised that the atmosphere was totally different from the previous evening. Yesterday, they had been ‘aliens’ but, today, they were being treated as members of the same family, as though they really were cousins.

This was partly because they were now trying to fit into the system of Paradise and partly because of their common enemy, Kitty.

Then came another surprise.

Mrs. King said, "If you like, you two can spend the rest of the time until nine o’clock studying your books for tomorrow’s test".

They both thanked her and then Sarah surprised them by asking her mother if she could help by testing and advising them. Rose immediately jumped in to offer her help as well.

Aunt Freda agreed and they both thanked their cousins.

Mrs. King then said to Kate, "You can help Jane to wash up and then you can both have the rest of the evening to yourselves".

Sarah then got busy testing and advising Linda, whilst Rose first showed Alan how to curtsy and then helped him with his ‘homework’.

I was soon nine o’clock and all four children hugged each other in mutual friendly satisfaction.

They then lined up waiting for Mrs. King, who came in wearing the punishment apron and carrying her tawse and cane.

"Alan, you are first."

Alan went to stand on her right, as Kate had shown them the day before. He practised his newly learnt curtsy, undid his apron strings, and dropped his short trousers and underpants.

"I had planned an extra two strokes for some sloppy ironing this morning, but you have made up for that by your behaviour since, so it will just be the statutory six strokes"

He lay over her knee and received the six hard strokes in silence, stood up, pulled up his clothes, re-tied the strings, curtsied and thanked his aunt for her correction. Then demurely resumed his place in the line.

Next was Kate who also got the standard six.

Then Linda who also got the minimum.

When it was Rose’s turn, her mother tut-tutted at the eight painful weals across her bottom and gave her three very light cuts with her cane. Rose completed the standard ‘thank you routine’ and then gave her mother a kiss as a special thank you for the light punishment and for believing her about Kitty’s action.

Sarah and Jane also got their minimum. Three and six respectively.

Mrs. King commented, "Well, children, I don’t think that has ever happened before. Now to bed for a busy day ahead tomorrow".

Before Alan fell asleep, wearing his rubber apron as ‘night clothes’, he was thinking about Kitty, when his Peter personality took over. Alan had been thinking of his ‘reality’, whilst Peter immediately wondered if Kitty was a part of the script of his scenario, or not.

Since Paradise was a real community within the Fantasy Holiday set-up, there was also the possibility that Kitty was developing into a bit of an individual ‘loose cannon’ on the Fantasy Holiday scene and, if that were the case, he wondered what the Management would do about it. They could obviously advise, or coerce the Town Council to dismiss her, or just cause her to disappear.

At this point, the anaesthetic gas started to seep out of his bed’s headboard and he fell asleep.

 

 

 

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© 2001 by Rob Willson. All Rights Reserved. These documents (including, without limitation, all articles, text, images, logos, compilation design) may printed for personal use only. No portion of these documents may be stored electronically, distributed electronically, or otherwise made available without express written consent of the copyright holder.