23: Summer at Bondage School Part 2
“Mom, Mom, look what I drew!” my daughter's bright voice called after me and I looked up from my breakfast. She held up the drawing she had been working on all Sunday morning.
“That looks wonderful, Tamara,” I said, beaming with joy and carefully took the picture from her to spread it out on the table in front of me.
“Honey, look what our daughter has painted!” I said to Bruce, who immediately put his newspaper aside and picked up our daughter so that we could admire her work of art together.
“And you did this all by yourself?” he asked and Tamara nodded seriously, ”Wow… our daughter is a real artist!”
“Hehe,” said Tamara with a broad grin.
“Then surely we should hang it up somewhere where we can always admire it, right?” I asked and picked up the picture, ”Shall we hang it on the fridge?”
“Yessss!"
“Let's do it then,” I said and took some magnets from a kitchen drawer.
“Wait, Mom, I want to!” Tamara demanded and held out her hand.
“Of course, darling,” I said and gave her the picture and the magnets. Bruce held Tamara up so she could reach the fridge. But just as she was about to hang up the picture, someone rang the doorbell. I gave Bruce a puzzled look, but he could only shrug his shoulders.
“I'll have a look,” I said and went to the door. As I approached it, I didn't notice that it got darker the closer I got to the door until it was almost pitch black and I opened it. There were four men standing in front of the door and all of them had big demonic grins on their faces. I wanted to flee, to run away, but my legs no longer obeyed me. Their arms reached for me, pulling me towards them further into the darkness. A hiss drowned out all the sounds around me and I fell deeper and deeper into the shadows.
Grace's eyes widened and she couldn't move. It was night, but the moon shone gently into the room. Someone was holding her close and breathing quietly and evenly right next to her. This someone had bright blonde hair and it seemed to glow in the moonlight.
“Summer?” Grace asked quietly, but got no answer, just a soft grumble that made her smile.
“At least one of us can get some restful sleep,” Grace murmured, carefully wriggling out of Summer's grasp. She didn't wake, thankfully, and Grace tiptoed to the window. Despite the faint light of the moon, she could see a lot. The walls that surrounded the university. The fences and the snow-covered forest in front of the campus. The white fields that seemed endless. The untraveled road would lead back to her family, but Grace doubted she'd get far if she found a way out of this prison. And what if she was caught? Would that mean special lessons? Grace had only heard rumors. Of students who disappeared until they graduated and then were never the same again. A shiver ran down the back of her neck. She didn't want to imagine what Doctor Alther was doing to them in the basement.
“Grace?” Summer suddenly mumbled as she realized that there was no one lying next to her.
“Hey Summer… it's still a bit early, lie down,” Grace whispered gently and gave Summer a smile.
“Okay,” Summer said sleepily and fell back into her pillow. Less than ten seconds later, Grace heard her breathing evenly. She had fallen asleep again. Grace shook her head and looked outside again. The sun was slowly rising over the horizon, illuminating the night. Grace hoped that the sun would soon shine again in her life too. Summer had at least given her new courage and she would do everything she could to keep the fire in the blonde alive. For both their sakes.
“Summer… hey Summer, wake up,” Grace whispered gently in Summer's ear and the blond opened her eyes carefully.
“Hey Grace,” Summer murmured, stretching with pleasure, ”no bell today?”
“Yes, in a few minutes, but I thought it would be more comfortable for you this way,” Grace said and went to her bed. She was already wearing her university uniform, but Grace seemed to be wearing something else under the latex. Summer recognized it by the outline that was under the latex uniform.
“What are you wearing under the uniform?”
“Oh yes… we have swimming today. If you put the swimsuit on first, you'll save time changing,” Grace said, sitting down at her desk.
“Swimming? What's that got to do with behaving like a lady? And isn't it dangerous as hell if we swim tied up?”
“Supposedly to keep us fit, but… yeah, it's weird… and um…” Grace said, but interrupted herself. She looked at Summer and grinned, “you know what? Let it surprise you, you'll love it.”
“Oh come on, Grace. How can you be so mean now?” Summer asked, pouting, but got up from her bed and stretched again.
“Hahaha, if I'm mean, what do you call our principal?”
Summer shrugged her shoulders.
“Witch?”
“Say that to her face!”
“Naaaa, I'm not tired of life,” Summer said, taking a fresh uniform and a bag labeled ‘Swimming’ from her bedside drawer.
After Summer had finished showering, she opened the new bag. Inside was a dark blue swimsuit with even darker stripes down the side. It had long sleeves and was basically another leotard. Of course, it was also made of latex, like the rest of her uniform, but it didn't come with a zipper. The cut and color looked familiar to Summer, but she couldn't put her finger on where.
“Half the cost of this university must go towards the school uniform,” she muttered, shaking her head and smearing herself from the neck down with the lubricant. Summer sat down on the small bench and carefully pulled apart the neck opening of the swimsuit. She pushed her legs into the tight neck opening and hastily pulled the swimsuit over her hips. Thanks to the lubricant, the latex slid easily over her skin and up her stomach. Summer slipped her arms into the neck opening and into the matching sleeves. The lubricant ensured that the tension in the latex caused the swimsuit to slide into the right place as if by magic and Summer sat perfectly. She almost thought she hadn't needed any cream at all. Summer couldn't even see any air bubbles and it sat on her body like a second skin. Looking in the mirror, it looked breathtakingly shiny and gave her body a slim and athletic figure.
“I think I'll take it home…” she whispered, turning back and forth to admire her buttocks encased in latex. The swimsuit didn't restrict her movements in any way and she thought she could swim wonderfully in it. At that moment, she noticed a small, familiar logo hidden in one of the stripes.
“Aha! So C&T does deliver here after all!” Summer exclaimed in surprise and plans were already forming in her head as to how she might contact the latex company to ask for help.
“Please, what?” came from Grace's door.
“The swimsuits are from my favorite company!” Summer shouted back, which was met with a groan from Grace.
“Great! So we're even wearing branded latex products. Now I feel super appreciated!” Grace said sarcastically and Summer had to grin broadly. She grabbed her school uniform and simply pulled it over her swimsuit, just like Grace had done. With the armbinder in one hand and the padlocks in the other, she left the bathroom just as the bell rang to get up. At that moment, Summer's stomach growled loudly.
“Can we go to breakfast now?” Summer murmured hopefully and Grace looked up from her papers and nodded.
“I'm ready too, but… you'll have to be patient with breakfast and… be careful,” she said and walked through the door, closely followed by Summer, who looked at her questioningly and with a pained expression.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, we have etiquette class now. It's a bit more… orderly and well… we have to wait,” Grace said carefully, as if Summer were a seething volcano. She looked embarrassed as Summer's face darkened at these words.
“Etiquette? Are you serious? I know how to use silverware."
“Didn't see that at breakfast yesterday.”
“Because it bores me and I don't feel like it?”
“Summer, come on. You really don't need to be punished for this.”
“Hey, last time was your fault,” Summer said with a grin.
“I'm just saying,” Grace mumbled and blushed. She led Summer past the food hall and to a door next to it. They entered a large room that reminded Summer of the countless and unpleasant dinners with her family. Old pictures hung on the walls next to ornate coats of arms with swords. On one long wall was a fireplace with a crackling fire and a rug in front of it.
At least there aren't any hunting trophies. Summer thought and looked at the long table Grace was approaching. It was covered with a gleaming white tablecloth, but there was nothing else on it. Around the table were chairs with high backs, but what puzzled Summer were the rails on which they stood and the latex gloves resting on the sides of each chair. Summer also saw that the legs were fitted with ankle cuffs and an open metal ring was attached to the back of the neck.
“Come and sit next to me so I can finish you off quickly,” Grace said, as if she wanted to explain something unpleasant to Summer. But Summer didn't move a muscle.
“Grace, I want to eat, not be fed like I'm incapable of holding a fork!” said Summer, horrified.
“Summer, I know by now that you feel very differently about this than you say. But the restraints are just there to control us and, well, punish us if we move too much,” Grace explained, putting on the metal hoop and showing the cable it was hanging from, as well as the ones on the gloves.
“It's like a bloody dream,” Summer muttered and sat down next to Grace, shaking her head.
“Like a nightmare?”
“No, no,” Summer said, fastening the ankle cuffs around her ankles. They were also wired and pulled Summer's feet slightly back against the legs of the chair.
“Wait, what did you mean by punish?” asked Summer, as at that moment several other students in blue uniforms entered and the room was filled with somewhat cheerful conversation. Some of them greeted Grace in a friendly manner and eyed Summer with curiosity and some with a grin.
“It's a completely different atmosphere to the Great Hall.”
“The teacher isn't here yet and the food is always great,” Grace explained, waving to her classmates.
“But none of the pink ones?”
“Yeah, they… they'll be serving us,” Grace said hesitantly, “One of the few subjects that isn't taught in the same way.”
“Good morning!” a woman said sternly and entered the dining room through a side door. She was wearing a tight pencil skirt that came down to her knees and a white blouse. She had a polka-dot silk scarf tied around her neck and carried a clipboard with names on it in her hands.
“Good morning, Mistress Carter,” said all the women at the table.
“Put your cuffs on, ladies!” said Mistress Carter and immediately there were several clicks as the women attached their cuffs. Summer followed suit and put her hands in the gloves. The latex felt different than usual, almost as if there were metal wires running along her hands. Summer went to see what was actually inside them, but a second later something inside the gloves tightened around her wrists and she was trapped. The cable that disappeared from them into the chair gave Summer enough room to reach in front of her, but she always felt a slight tug.
“Annoying to eat like that, isn't it?” whispered Summer, earning her a stern look from Mistress Carter. Fortunately, the question went unanswered as the chairs moved forward and clicked into place.
“Let's get started then,” Mistress Carter said, clapping her hands together. The door she had stepped through opened again and in walked a dozen women, all dressed in the white and pink latex uniforms. They were carrying dishes and decorations for the table. Summer watched them with a sick feeling in her stomach. It reminded her too much of her time at home and even then she had hated watching the painstakingly meticulous craft of setting the table, only for her and her family to eat from it moments later. The woman from yesterday, who had been late for class, stood next to Summer and Grace and began to prepare their seats. She had ankle cuffs on again today and they rustled with every step she took.
“Thanks again for yesterday, Grace,” she whispered and moved a fork a little further to the right, barely visible.
“You're welcome, Susen,” Grace whispered back, closing her mouth quickly as Mistress Carter looked over at them.
“Miss Martel, is there a problem?”
“No, Mistress,” Susen said hurriedly, adjusting a plate before taking a step back and standing behind Summer and Grace. She tilted her head down slightly and folded her hands in front of her body. The other women did the same in turn and Mistress Carter began to creep around them. She glanced sharply at each set of silverware, but said nothing until she came to Summer and Grace.
“Excellent, Miss Martel. Detention seems to be paying off,” she said, nodding appreciatively, ”The rest of you will stay here after lunch and have to keep practicing! Carry on!”
The pink women bowed and walked through the door one by one, through which Summer could now hear clinking dishes and the smell of freshly cooked food.
“Ladies? As always, behave yourselves at dinner and you know the rules, you know the consequences!” said Mistress Carter, without looking at Summer, who was now squinting at her from the side. But before Summer could ask what exactly she had to pay attention to, the door opened again and the Pinks came in with a feast. There were roasts, potatoes of various kinds, cheese platters and much more. Definitely too much, Summer thought, even though her stomach was growling like a rabid bear. They put everything on the table, only to go back into the kitchen to get more food.
“Are they trying to fatten us up?” Summer cried out in horror, forgetting that Mistress Carter was standing right next to them. It didn't matter, though, as at that moment an electric shock shot through the metal ring in Summer's neck and silenced her. The shock had been so strong that she sat spellbound in her chair, staring at her plate with her mouth open.
“Sorry,” Grace whispered, guiltily, as she realized she hadn't explained enough to Summer. Summer looked at her briefly and just nodded as she collected herself from the shock.
“Start eating,” Mistress Carter said indifferently, as if she hadn't noticed Summer's outburst. Grace hurriedly took a piece of bread and put a slice of cheese on it before starting to eat. Summer, however, wanted more and took a piece of the roast and the potatoes. She was just about to start eating like the others when she stopped. There were half a dozen knives and forks next to her plate and after all these years she had forgotten which one was for what.
Outside in or not, but… this isn't an appetizer, so which one was the right one? Will I get another shock if I reach for the wrong one? Summer thought feverishly, running her hands over the cutlery. Grace's cough snapped Summer out of her thoughts and Summer immediately understood that Grace's two coughs meant that she had to take the second fork and knife. She picked them both up, but immediately more electric shocks shot through her hands and she immediately dropped them again. Susen immediately rushed over and adjusted the knife and fork.
“Grace just choked, take the third one,” she whispered barely audibly.
“I'm sorry, Summer,” Grace said with tears in her eyes as she cleared her throat to get the last crumbs out.
“It's all right,” Summer mumbled, annoyed, and picked up the right cutlery. She almost expected to get hit again, but nothing happened and she breathed a sigh of relief before jamming her fork into the roast and starting to cut herself a rather large piece. She barely noticed the cables that kept trying to pull her hands into an orderly position and leaned forward to receive the piece of meat with her mouth. At that moment, she was hit again, this time in her throat and hands, causing her to be pulled back and her cutlery to fall clattering onto the plate.
“What have I done wrong again!” she hissed, which earned her another blow and she slumped down in her chair.
“Lady von Nachtschwing, is there a problem?” asked Mistress Carter without looking up from her clipboard.
“N… no,” Summer grumbled, trying to sit back up and attempt to eat again, but the cables kept her firmly bound to the chair. They wouldn't let her lift her hands and there was nothing she could do about it.
“Good, then I'm sure you don't mind waiting a bit and thinking about your mistakes, do you?”
Summer gritted her teeth and swallowed hard as the delicious roast and potatoes grew colder in front of her. The smell hit Summer's nose and water flooded into her mouth.
The whole lesson was almost dead silent, interrupted only by the clattering dishes and Summer's gasps when she did something wrong again. But at least she managed to get some food in to quell the hunger cravings for now. Now only her lust was back, which desperately wanted to be tied up more. The fancy blue box binder pinning her arms to her back was a start, but Summer's kinky head wanted more and the latex stretched almost all over her body didn't make it any better.
“That was hell,” Summer announced as she walked with Grace past the Great Hall where the other female students who hadn't been forced to eat all morning were having lunch.
“I'm really incredibly sorry, Summer, I should have prepared you better, but at least you got the hang of it in the end,” Grace said, still embarrassed.
“Never mind,” Summer said, giving her a smile, ”I could have avoided half the mistakes if I'd pulled myself together a bit.”
“Maybe,” Grace said shyly, hesitantly returning the smile as she led Summer to her next lesson.
“So, swimming? Don't we have to wait until we can get in the water because we've just eaten?” asked Summer, looking around as they were joined by several women heading in the same direction.
“It'll be a while before we can get into the water. The swimsuit isn't everything,” Grace explained mysteriously and opened a door with her shoulder. It didn't escape Summer's notice that Grace had a half-happy smile on her lips this time. Summer was about to ask her about it when she stepped into the pool hall, but her breath caught. She was standing in a huge room, in the middle of which was a glass container left in the middle of the floor. It was filled to the top with water and you could see down to the floor through the panes. Stands were set up around it, inviting you to watch the swimmers. The nice teacher from yesterday stood next to the pool and watched the water until she heard her students behind her.
“Hey ladies!” the teacher named Lorelei shouted happily, freeing Summer and then the others from the box binder, ”Nice to see you without a gag today… Summer right? I've heard a lot about you!”
“I hope nothing bad,” Summer said and immediately felt safe with this teacher again.
“A bit of a bad thing, but I'd rather form my own opinion,” Lorelei said, pointing to a door, ‘Get changed there with the others Summer and hurry before you get called out again,’ she added with a wink.
Summer nodded hurriedly and was pulled into the room by Grace. Inside were row upon row of cubicles and Grace took the first one and pushed Summer into it. She locked the cubicle and a wide grin formed on her face, which Summer had never seen on her before.
“What?”
“You're going to love this! Put this on!” she said, tapping a locker on the wall.
“The locker?”
“Summer…”
Summer stuck her tongue out at Grace and opened her locker. Inside was a large bundle of latex and small metal containers that looked like oxygen tanks. Summer took the bundle out and the heavy material unfolded in front of her into a tube with a wide fin.
“No… No, you're not serious,” Summer said and turned to Grace, who had a thieving grin on her face, ”This is amazing! We're allowed to swim in it?”
“Have to swim in it,” Grace corrected, taking her own mermaid fin from the second locker, ”The only compartment with bondage that I… well… like.”
“Understandable! I bet you look adorable in it.”
“Well… yes, it's always a highlight and it's so much fun with Lorelei! She always has something new prepared for us.”
“But what does that have to do with being a lady?” Summer asked, spreading her tail on the floor and peeling herself out of her school uniform.
"Yes, Lorelei is supposed to have told the principal to give us more movement in the lesson plan and that's what came out of it. It's also supposed to teach us elegance or something. I think Lorelei was exaggerating a bit there too.”
Summer's grin went from ear to ear. She had found it a great pity that Grace didn't share her love of latex, even if it was understandable in this environment. But now she saw that Grace was actually looking forward to what was to come. She really did enjoy swimming, even if it was again anything but normal.
“A friend of mine actually has a suit like this at home. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to see it yet, but testing it out now is even better!” said Summer, pushing her legs into the thick latex.
“Oh? Where from?” Grace asked casually, but Summer thought she could hear that she was more interested in it than she wanted to admit.
“Unfortunately, they were clothes she got from her kidnappers.”
“Oh, I'm sorry, I hope she's alright? Wait… and then she still has the fin with her?”
“She's never been better,” Summer laughed, pulling the bulging opening of the fin over her hip. Summer immediately saw that the bulge was much thicker than usual and appeared to be hollow.
“Well, she didn't have that much money for latex… the police had examined it, but then returned it to her. Luckily, because otherwise it would have burned down.”
“WHAT?”
“It's a long story. But enough about me and my friends. You'll have some really interesting things to tell later, when you're out of here and I'm not. How was it at your house?” Summer asked when she finally figured out that the bulge was for the oxygen containers she was now pushing them in. She placed a tube from them under her swimsuit up to her face. With the help of a small mouthpiece, she would be able to breathe easily underwater and a small pair of diving goggles would keep her eyes dry. Finally, she put on gloves that went over her elbows and connected her fingers with a thin layer of latex. Perfect for moving around in the water.
“Well… that would only be fair, wouldn't it? I even dreamt about home, that night,” Grace murmured and Summer looked at her in surprise, ”About the day they took me away. Like you, I didn't want to submit to my family's rules and ran off with my boyfriend Bruce. Later we got married, bought a house and had our little Tamara.”
Grace looked up and looked deeply at Summer.
“You remind me a lot of her. You exude the same joy no matter where you go, but unfortunately… that didn't last forever. My parents found out where I was and convinced a court that I wasn't sane. One day they just showed up at my door and basically kidnapped me. Bruce, he… tried to free me, but they just held him down and pushed him to the ground. Tamara, she… cried and screamed. Her face is still etched in my memory to this day. And all under the eyes of my parents, watching me being dragged through the front garden while…”
Grace fell silent and turned away. She didn't want Summer to see her tears. But she felt a couple of arms wrap around her waist and Summer squeezed her.
“Grace… I had no idea… I'm so sorry. I didn't know you were having such a hard time. If I'd known you were going through so much, I would have kept my mouth shut. In contrast to my problem, yours are so much …”, Summer said, but Grace interrupted her.
“Your problems are just as serious as mine and I was glad I could help you. Let's just get through this together.”
Both women nodded to each other and drew new courage from the other. At that moment, there was a knock at their cabin and they heard Lorelei whisper: “Summer, come out quickly and get in the pool.”
“Why?” asked Grace, but she quickly released the hug and began to change herself.
“I heard the principal wants to get you out of here again. Apparently you're not supposed to have any fun.”
“I've already changed,” Summer said and Grace opened the door for her. Summer dropped to the floor and crawled to the door. Lorelei grabbed her arms, pulled her quickly to the massive pool and threw her in like an unwanted fish.
“I hope she takes her time,” Lorelei muttered and went into the locker room to quickly get the next women to the pool. Summer, meanwhile, felt like she was in another world. She could breathe surprisingly easily through the mouthpiece and the diving goggles ensured that she could see all corners of the pool without any problems. It was illuminated with long, narrow lines that ran almost its entire length. There were two large rings at each end and a handball floating in the water in the middle of the pool. Summer immediately knew what Lorelei had in mind for them and loved the idea. She pushed forward with her arms and pushed herself against the water, but almost nothing happened. Although she got further than usual with the webbed fingers on her gloves, she doubted that she could play Lorelei's game properly. Summer felt very stupid when she realized she was holding her legs as stiff as a board. She looked over her shoulder and carefully swung her legs out. She moved a little, but something was wrong. She wasn't a professional swimmer, but even she knew that the water should have offered more resistance.
“Mmmmmh,” she mumbled underwater and a bunch of air bubbles rose from her mouth. She examined the mermaid's tail and quickly found what she was looking for. Not only was the latex swimsuit from her favorite company, but so was the rest of her costume.
So Lorelei is also a loyal customer of Celine. It's strange that our uniform isn't also from her.
She looked ahead and this time struck out strongly with her fin. Summer shot through the water like an arrow and began to keep up the pace with elegant movements of her legs. Within seconds, she had reached the ball and grabbed it.
What the… what kind of latex is this? Summer's mind flashed and she stretched her fin downwards. She stopped unnaturally quickly, took a swing with her throwing arm and let it fly forward. The ball left her hand and shot through the water just as Summer had done a few seconds before. It kept up the speed for the entire distance and went through the ring. Summer's mouth dropped open as she couldn't believe it and immediately choked on the water. Panicked, she kicked out with her legs and pierced the surface of the water with her head. She coughed and wriggled her arms to stay afloat.
“Are you all right, Lady von Nachtschwing?” asked Lorelei, who was just throwing Grace into the pool while some of her other classmates slid in over a ramp.
“Yes… cough… yes! Was just… cough, cough… surprised!”
Lorelei nodded with a grin and helped more mermaids into the water.
“Just magical, isn't it?” asked Grace, who came up next to Summer and swam effortlessly beside her.
“Yes… just magical …” repeated Summer when she had caught herself and looked around. Her classmates glided effortlessly through the water and Summer knew there was more to it than C&T's 'special' latex, she just couldn't put her finger on it.
“Come to the center. Lorelei said we had to start fast,” Grace said, inserting the mouthpiece. With a powerful flick of her fin, she made an elegant arc just above the surface of the water and Summer was splashed with water.
“Hehehey!” laughed Summer and followed suit. All the mermaids swam into the middle of the pool and looked at Lorelei, who had the ball in her hand.
“With Lady von Nachtschwing, we have finally got equal teams, everyone please welcome our newcomer!” shouted Lorelei and for the first time since she had been here, Summer heard happy shouts and serious applause, “Well then, blue against pink, good luck!”
Lorelei threw the ball into the pool and the moment the ball hit the surface of the water, the bell rang, signaling the end of the lunch break. Everyone took it as a starting signal and the surface of the water was churned up by all the women shooting towards the ball. Summer hadn't expected it and was surprised by the mass of water that splashed into her face. She dived down and had to hold back from laughing as it looked like her classmates were piranhas rushing to get their breakfast. They were all much more practiced in the water and she knew she had no chance of getting the ball that way. Instead, she swam to the ring and watched the spectacle on offer. Grace was actually the first to get to the ball and threw it far out into the field where a teammate was standing. She grabbed it and swam to her opponent's ring. A well-directed throw gave the blue team the lead and Summer raised her hands and applauded. The women clapped the scorer and even Grace got recognition, even from the pink team.
The whole game was a frenzy. The women fought for the ball and passed it back and forth at lightning speed. As far as Summer could tell, Grace was the star player of her team, but even she could do nothing against the speed of Susen Martel. Despite her small stature, or perhaps because of it, she glided through the water like a dolphin and threatened Summer's ring more than once. Once again, she managed to intercept the ball and shot ahead, closely followed by Grace. She raised her arm and Summer prepared to intercept another missile from her, but she didn't hold out much hope. She was about to throw when Grace was shoved from behind and rammed into Susen. The momentum caused both women to be thrown uncontrollably towards Summer. She was unable to react in time and was dragged across the ring with them and the ball. Bubbles rose as all three women began to laugh. Grace put her hands together and made an apologetic gesture. Susen waved her off and gave her a little peck on the shoulder. They were about to swim back into position when suddenly something broke through the surface of the water above them. They looked up in surprise and opened their eyes in panic as a net shot towards them. It hit their heads and wrapped itself around their bodies in no time at all. A second later they were pulled upwards and began to wriggle as they were pressed against each other and released their mouthpieces in shock. The huge latex fins robbed them of even more space and Summer's face was pressed against the net by her friends. Susen was pulled upside down, while Grace lay around both women with her own fin on her face. The water rushed past them and they broke the surface in the next moment. They coughed after inhaling water in shock and blinked down at Lorelei, who looked annoyed, and their principal, who looked up at them angrily.
“Lady von Nachtschwing, didn't you hear me call you out? How dare you get into the water anyway?” asked Doctor Alther, operating the remote control of the net cannon. The net swung from the pool to the side and dropped them onto a waterproof mattress.
“Ow,” Summer grumbled, while Grace began to wriggle like a fish in the net and Susen tried in vain to sit up. However, the net and the latex made the task impossible for her and instead she looked upside down at Doctor Alther. She was standing above them, scrutinizing Summer with her piercing light brown eyes. Behind them, the other players poked their heads out of the water to see why their game had been interrupted.
“Get changed immediately and come with me, Lady von Nachtschwing!”
“Headmistress, I must object! Lady von Nachtschwing needs to move and let her creativity unfold, otherwise…” Lorelei interjected.
“Lorelei, watch your tongue!” hissed Doctor Alther without giving her a glance.
“But…”
That was too much for Doctor Alther and she whirled around.
“Lorelei to my office, right now …”
“Doctor Alther, I agree with Lorelei, and we need Summer for our team!” Grace shouted and the others nodded.
“Yes, exactly! She's the first one who managed to intercept Susen's balls, we need her!” one of the women shouted and Doctor Alther slowly turned to face them. Silence immediately reigned in the pool as they felt the gaze of their principal on them.
“Who was that?” she asked, but no one answered, ”Fine, everyone…”
“It was me!” Grace shouted.
“Miss van Cortlandt, no you weren't, so if you don't shut up right now …”
“I can't do that, Doctor Alther, punish me! None of the others have opened their mouths!” Grace interrupted again and you could almost see smoke coming out of her principal's ears. But Doctor Alther swallowed her anger and she licked her lips as she looked Grace over.
“Lorelei… carry on. We don't want Lady von Nachtschwing… to feel uncomfortable here. She pressed the remote control into Lorelei's hand and left the pool. The sound of her high heels echoed off the walls for quite a while and nobody made a sound.
“What… what was that?” whispered Summer.
“I don't know… I… should we be scared?” Grace asked, but no one knew how to answer her.
“What do you think will happen?” asked Summer after they returned to their quarters from dinner.
“Well, normally we get our punishments straight away, but since we didn't get any, I hope our dear principal will turn a blind eye.”
“Do you seriously believe that?”
“No.”
Grace opened the door and instantly froze.
“What is it?” Summer asked, looking over her shoulder into the room. There stood Doctor Alther and two other teachers Summer hadn't seen before. They looked stronger than the other teachers and scowled at them.
“Come in!” she ordered, but Grace and Summer didn't move, ”Now.”
After they still didn't move, they were both pulled into the room by Doctor Alther's escort.
“Kneel,” she ordered and Summer and Grace were pushed to the floor.
“Lady van Cortlandt, can you tell me what this is?” Doctor Alther asked, holding up a stack of papers she had hidden behind her back. She threw them on the floor in front of them and Grace turned bright red. One of the sheets landed right in front of Summer and she read her name. It told of the events of yesterday.
“Lady van Cortlandt, can you explain to Lady von Nachtschwing what this is?” asked Doctor Althers, scowling at Grace.
“My diary,” Grace whispered, her head sinking to her chest.
“And can you explain to her why I have a problem with it?”
“Because keeping records of any kind about the school is strictly forbidden and will be punished.”
“And do you know what the punishment is?”
Grace shook her head and the corners of Doctor Alther's mouth twisted into a smile.
“Special lessons.”
“Wait a minute Doctor Alther, maybe I can …”
The principal looked to her companion and the two women grabbed Grace's arms and lifted her up with ease. Grace tried to struggle against the strong hands but it was a losing battle and she began to whimper as she was grabbed even more roughly.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Principal, we don't have to…” said Summer, but Grace interrupted her.
“Summer, shut up.”
“But…”
Summer looked up at Grace, but she just shook her head.
“Stay calm,” Grace said, putting on a brave face. Summer just nodded and looked at Doctor Alther.
“Tie her up and take her away,” Doctor Alther said. One of the women pinned her arms behind her back while the other took Grace's box binder. They pulled it over her arms and made it tight. They pushed a panel gag into her mouth and attached a collar and leash to her neck.
“The gag suits you, Lady van Cortlandt. We should have given you one much sooner, then you would certainly have graduated by now. But now we're going to mold you into a perfect lady, whether you like it or not. Take her downstairs,” Doctor Alther ordered with satisfaction and Summer looked at Grace, who was looking to her for help.
“Grace…”
“Remain seated, Lady von Nachtschwing, I'm not finished with you yet,” Doctor Alther said and took another collar from her bag, which she fastened around Summer's neck, “You still have detention despite everything. Open your mouth!”
Reluctantly, Summer opened her mouth and Doctor Alther took another panel gag from a shelf beside her, with a feather duster at the tip. Without further ado, she stuck it in Summer's mouth and bound her arms with the box tie. With Summer's arms securely folded behind her back, she pulled on the leash, forcing Summer to follow her.
“Your job will be to dust off the trophies,” Doctor Alther said but Summer barely listened. Her thoughts were on Grace and her uncertain future. It was only when she stood in front of the gold and silver trophies and Doctor Alther unlocked the display case that she was torn from her thoughts. The principal tied Summer down and walked away without another word. Summer saw her reflection in the goblets and shook her head.
This is madness. What are they planning to do with Grace? Summer thought and looked after Doctor Alther, who unlocked a door to the right and went deeper inside the school. The heavy door slammed shut and Summer was alone in the hallway with nothing but her worries about Grace.
Grace was led into the basement of the school by Doctor Alther's staff. She didn't know what to feel. Her mind raced and any resistance she put up was stopped with a strong tug on her leash or a shove from behind. The deeper they went, the darker it became. The school had already been built of very old stone, but here in the basement the walls were even older, as if they were from a castle or, Grace feared, a dungeon. She could hear unintelligible voices in the distance, but to Grace they all sounded like desperate laments.
“Mmmmfp! Mhhm!” she mumbled into her gag.
“Shut your mouth van Cortlandt, don't make it worse than it already is for you,” the woman at the back said, shoving Grace. She stumbled against the woman in front and fell to the floor.
“Did you just attack me, van Cortlandt? Well wait, you little …”
The woman grabbed a handful of Grace's hair and pulled her up by it. She clenched one fist with her other and lashed out. Grace closed her eyes and braced herself for the pain, but a new female voice saved her.
“HEY! That's a blue one, get your hands off her now!” she barked and Grace and her companion looked up in surprise.
“Excuse me,” the woman mumbled meekly, letting go of Grace and lowering her head.
“Give her to me,” the woman said gruffly and held out her hand. The leash changed hands and Grace looked gratefully at the woman. At least there was someone down here who showed a little compassion. She had long black hair that she had tied back in a ponytail. Grace thought she looked sympathetic, but something didn't seem to fit the picture.
Her eyes… They were dark and cold. Grace thought as she looked past the friendly smile and saw the almost black eyes of her rescuer. She also thought she recognized a tinge of red in them.
“Take off her gag,” she ordered gruffly and Grace's gag was roughly pulled from her mouth.
“Thank you,” Grace mumbled shyly.
“You're welcome, my dear. Come on, I'll show you around a bit,” the woman said gently, looking at the other two, ”And you go to treatment room three. Doctor Alther will join you in a moment. I have her under control.”
The women nodded and disappeared around a corner.
“Fine. Now that that's done, why don't we try to make some sense of your life?”
“Excuse me?” asked Grace.
“Well, you're here for a reason and Doctor Alther, myself and my partner are here to get you back on track. She asked me to help out after I lost my business. Long story, dear. But let's get back to you. Only the really hopeless cases come down here, but since I've been here, special education has had a one hundred percent success rate with no relapses,” the woman explained, gently tugging on Grace's leash.
“And what do you do down here?” asked Grace, suddenly having a bad feeling.
“Oh we have different methods,” the woman waved off, ”What's your name my child?”
“Grace… Grace van Cortlandt and you?”
“You can call me Judy. I'm pleased to make your acquaintance, Grace,” Judy said and led her into a room with the number one on the door. Inside was a treatment chair and next to it machines that whirred and blinked.
Two weeks later
Summer collapsed on her bed. Today was the last day of her detention with Doctor Alther. She should have been happy, but she couldn't. Ever since Grace had been taken to special lessons, the mood in school had been gloomy. It was as if all the joy and solidarity between all the pupils had disappeared with Grace. Instead, there was mistrust and even rivalry between the blue students and the pink students. Not that it was particularly better between the same colors.
“Where are you, Grace… we need you,” Summer whispered, looking from her pillow to Grace's bed. It had been untouched for two weeks, after someone had tidied the room while Summer had cleaned the trophies. It was as if Grace had never been her roommate. Nothing had been left there. Not her notes, books or uniforms.
“Like she never existed,” Summer muttered, getting up from her bed. She peeled the latex school uniform off her body and threw it carelessly into the bathroom. Even she, as a latex lover, was getting tired of the feeling on her skin. At least if it wasn't C&T latex. Summer dragged herself into the shower and washed off the day's sweat. Detention had been particularly hard on her, with Doctor Alther forcing her to clean the corridors. On top of that, the heating had broken. Something about a sensor. At first Summer thought she would freeze her ass off, but no. The heating was running at full blast and had turned the boarding school into a blast furnace, but strangely enough only where Summer was supposed to be cleaning. It had been a back-breaking job for Summer and the water that now flowed from the shower was her well-deserved reward. Until it suddenly turned freezing cold.
“OH FUCK!” Summer screamed and jumped away from the water. Her hair and body were still covered in soap.
“Ding Dong,” came from the school's loudspeakers, ”An important announcement from the principal: Dear students, I would like to inform you that the hot water and heating for some rooms in the school are not working as usual, as work is now underway to repair everything. Please bear with me! Have a good evening!”
Summer peeked through the bathroom door at a clock hanging in her room. It was half past nine.
“What repairman comes out at half past nine because the heating is too hot? Bullshit!” shouted Summer and slammed the tap shut. The lever broke off and fell to the floor with a clatter.
“Fuck,” Summer muttered exhaustedly, wondering how Doctor Alther would punish her for this.
“I don't think so! It's all fake, isn't it?” she shouted into the room, but no one answered her. Frustrated, she turned back to the shower and turned it on. She still had to wash out the soap and she gritted her teeth to keep from crying out loud.
Shaking like a leaf, Summer went to her bed. She was only wearing her latex pyjamas, but they did little to warm her up, especially when the heating was off. She glanced at Grace's bed, where her comforter lay neatly folded.
“Fuck it.”
Without further ado, she walked over and stole the comforter and pillow. The garments felt heavier than usual. Her trembling body made her feel like she wasn't strong enough and when she stood in front of her bed, she dropped both. Exhausted, she slid to the floor against it. Small clouds rose from her mouth and the sweat that collected on her body again, thanks to her latex pyjamas, was freezing cold. And yet she made no move to crawl into bed. She felt more alone than ever before. Her parents and her girlfriend Tea had betrayed her. Her friends were unreachable. Grace was at the mercy of Doctor Alther and the other students preferred to look after themselves rather than the others. Even Lorelei didn't even smile at her anymore. Summer was alone for the first time in her life and didn't know what to do to get out of this hole. A wave of weakness rolled over her and Summer fell to the side next to her bed. She couldn't go on, she didn't know what to do. All her knowledge was useless without a computer, or at least her damn cell phone, and she was at the mercy of Doctor Alther. How long would it be before she had to go to special lessons herself? Tears streamed from Summer's eyes, blurring her vision. She could feel them on her skin and didn't know whether they were hot or cold. Laboriously, Summer wiped them away and that's when she saw it. A single sheet of paper lying under her bed. Summer couldn't remember missing a sheet and she reached for it. It was written from top to bottom and it was from Grace. When Doctor Alther had thrown the papers around, it must have slipped under Summer's bed and been overlooked. Summer wanted to make it disappear before she got into trouble and crumpled it up. Swaying, she got up and went to the toilet, holding it over the bowl. She stood there without moving. This was perhaps the last message from Grace she would ever see, she couldn't bring herself to do it. Instead, she went back into the room and smoothed out the paper on her desk before she lay down in her bed and began to read.
…my new roommate is coming today. I'm really excited to meet her and frankly, I finally need someone to talk to. I don't really care if she talks or I talk, but I feel alone, even though I have friends among the other students, but it still feels strange. A fragile bond that breaks apart with the slightest breeze. No, I need someone I can confide in, someone I can… never mind. The old hag is doing everything she can to force me to give up, but she can't do it. I hope the new girl can forgive me if she gets detention because of me. I hope… that's the little I have left, hope. Super cheesy, but what's left for me? Pray? I… haaaaa maybe… I hope Tamara is okay and Bruce is doing alright. I miss them every day and… did it just knock?
“That's why Grace was sent to special ed? Because of diary entries?” asked Summer, shaking her head. She had expected to find a big secret in Grace's writing that could help her blow the whistle on the school. Why else was Doctor Alther so against the records?
“Well, maybe the wrong paper slipped under my bed,” Summer muttered and settled down. The blankets were very heavy and actually warmed Summer a little. However, she was still alone, now with just one more piece of paper in her hand.
“Mmmmh… praying… I mean… while I'm here? I hope you're okay, Grace.”
Grace lay on a hard cot. A black latex catsuit wrapped her body and covered her shame, although that was the least of her worries. She lay under a thin blanket and had her eyes closed, but she couldn't sleep.
It's almost time again, isn't it? I think so, I'm… really looking forward to it already… aren't I? Wait, no, no, I don't think it's great, I… no! I mustn't forget, I mustn't… forget? Grace thought, squinting her eyes painfully and shaking her head. Her thoughts were interrupted when there was a knock on her door.
“Lady van Cortlandt? It's time. Please get up,” a woman said and unlocked the door. Grace didn't know why, but her body obeyed the command as if of its own accord and stood next to her cot.
“Hello Grace,” the woman said with a smile and walked over. She hooked a leash into Grace's collar and tugged gently.
“Hello… um, Judy?”
“Right, darling, how are you feeling?”
“Fine, I think.”
“You think?”
Grace's brow furrowed and she looked up at Judy, who gave her an encouraging look.
“I… I think I've forgotten something.”
“Oh? Your parents, perhaps? They're already looking forward to seeing you again soon. You're looking forward to it too.”
“Yes, my parents… aren't they?” Grace said happily, but her brow furrowed again a second later.
“Come on, I'll help you remember,” Judy said gently, pulling Grace behind her. After the first time, it had been an ordeal for Judy to drag the young woman around, but by now she was quite tame, even if she still had disturbing thoughts and memories here and there. Judy led Grace into one of the treatment rooms, where her partner Maike was already waiting next to the patient's chair.
“What did she say?” she asked coldly, looking at Grace, who seemed to be having difficulty seeing the chair.
“She's still having doubts. Same as always and she should be ready soon.”
“Ready for what?” asked Grace, not taking her eyes off the chair. Something her brain was trying to tell her, but what?
“For your parents, dear,” Judy said, pulling gently on the leash again, but Grace didn't budge.
“No, not my parents, but for…” Grace mumbled feverishly, looking at Judy and Maike. “No, that's wrong. My parents are… are…”
“Judy?” Maike asked nervously as Grace suddenly grabbed the leash and began to pull.
“Maybe a bigger dose today?” Judy asked with a smile and pulled a little harder. Grace stumbled forward and suddenly panic was written all over her face.
“Behave yourself!” ordered Judy gruffly and Grace's resistance weakened. She was placed on the chair by the women. They held Grace down and stopped her feeble attempts to defend herself.
“No, please, I don't want… I don't want to go to my parents, I want… Tamara and… and Bruce!” whined Grace.
“No, no, sweetheart. Your parents have been waiting for you for a long time and miss you very much. You want to see them again, remember?” Judy said, tying Grace's arms to the armrests of the chair with straps. More followed, running across her torso and pinning her legs together. Finally, Judy pulled a strap over Grace's forehead and secured it to the chair while Maike checked the machines.
“No! Get me off! Tamara! I want my daughter!”
“I'm about to get another headache,” Maike muttered and turned around. She had a breathing mask in her hand that was connected to the machines with a tube. Before Grace could scream any more, she pressed the mask onto Grace's face and she took a deep breath in shock. Pink silver smoke shot through the tubes and disappeared into Grace's mouth.
“No… no I mmmh,” Grace mumbled as her eyes glazed over and her resistance faded. The last thing Maike did was to put a virtual reality headset on her and switch it on. It filled Grace's eyes and ears with white noise and flashed images of her parents and orders for her to obey without resistance.
“Maybe a little more,” Maike said, turning a dial so that more gas flowed through the hose.
“Very good… I think we can drive tomorrow as planned. Our dear hostess can do the rest,” Judy said and stroked Grace's cheek, ”After all, this is her school and not ours.”
“Finally, I thought you wanted to stay here forever,” Maike said, rolling her eyes.
“Naaaaa, I miss Leon City already.”
“Leon City will have to be patient, though, and you know that very well.”
“Calm down Maike! I'm not your stupid little sidekick, I'm your partner. Don't forget that!”
“And don't forget who got you out of prison!”
Hey… um, whoever wants to listen right now… I um really need your help. I haaaa… Okay, let's start again. Hey, I'm Summer and I miss my friends. I don't know what to do anymore. I… I need help. All my knowledge is useless and I'm scared of what I'm about to face. Grace is gone and I'll probably never see my friends again… if only I could see them… apologize… say goodbye. Would probably be too easy if I woke up tomorrow and my laptop was here, wouldn't it? I'm… sorry. It doesn't work like that, does it? I'm just wasting your time right now.
Summer exhaled deeply and looked at Grace's note. She almost hoped that the letters would rearrange themselves or that a secret message would reveal itself to her, but nothing of the sort happened.
“No miracles for Summer,” she mumbled and hid the paper under the mattress. She made herself small under the covers and snuggled deeper into the layers of latex.
“No miracles… for… Summer,” she mumbled as she slipped into the dream world, ”no… magic …”
One day later
Summer opened the door to her room. Although she no longer had detention, the day had been hell again.
“At least it's warm now,” Summer mumbled, falling onto the latex sheets beside her bed. She had fallen out of bed again that morning and hadn't had the strength to put them back on her bed. They had just come in handy. Her head was pressed against the latex and she thought about screaming out loud. However, she decided against it and instead looked to her right at her bed. It was still quite early, but her bed looked very inviting. Her gaze drifted lower to Grace's note, but it had disappeared. Instead, her laptop and cell phone lay under her mattress.
“What the…” Summer mumbled and jumped up, ”How? What? Why?”
She swept the mattress aside and there they were. Her keys to freedom and the only way to talk to her friends.
“This is the miracle I needed, but how?” asked Summer, reaching for her devices, but she paused.
“Stop, I… need to calm down. One thing at a time,” she said, letting the mattress fall back. She went to her door and locked it. Then she wedged a chair under the handle and went back to her bed. She picked up her laptop and cell phone and sat down at her desk. She activated the hotspot on her phone and opened her laptop. There was Grace’s note inside, but someone had written something on it.
“Prom you gardian bagel,” Summer read from the note with narrowed eyes. The writing was barely legible. The letters looked as if they had been written by a beginner and ink stains suggested that her “bagel” had been in a hurry or had written far too quickly.
“Wow… my guardian bagel is learning English especially for me,” she said, somewhat irritated, and started up her laptop. She hovered her mouse over a messaging service. But she changed her mind. She had to get out of here. If she showed the whole world what she was going on here, she could get out and spend as much time with her friends as she wanted. Provided she got away from her parents, better than Grace.
“Let's see, first I have to…” she searched for Doctor Alther's school on the internet and indeed, she quickly found it. However, her face slipped when she saw hundreds of pictures that were a one-to-one reproduction of life at the school. They even advertised on the main page that they could turn even the most unruly girl into a decent lady with punishments and humiliation.
"Dad hasn't even looked at the site at all. He's worried about me, my ass, but now I know where I stand with you, you wretched scumbag,” she muttered, clicking her tongue. If she went public with these pictures, she hadn't won anything. They were already public. Summer might get out with them, but not the others or Grace.
“Grace… the special classes.”
Summer searched the school's website for any mention of it, but found nothing.
“Maybe it's just secret or forbidden?” Summer wondered aloud. Either way, she had been given an opportunity and she had to take it. She just needed better evidence that could bring down Doctor Alther and her latex school. She glanced at the door and swallowed.
“Any other stupid ideas?”
Summer hid her laptop, but kept it turned on. She had been working late into the night on a backup plan. She didn't know where her journey would take her, but she hoped that if all else failed, at least she would get out of here and be taken home by her driver. One last test and Summer nodded in satisfaction. She picked up her cell phone and quietly opened her bedroom door. The hallway was gloomy and dead silent. She hoped the rest of the school was too. Dressed in nothing but one of her dark blue latex bathing suits, she crept along the dormitories, lighting the way with her cell phone. She made sure that the beam of light didn't shine too far so as not to give herself away. Despite her caution, or perhaps because of it, her heart was beating in her throat. Every little cough or whisper behind the doors startled her and once she almost dropped her cell phone.
“Bloody hell!” she whispered and reminded herself to stay calm, but it didn't help, on the contrary. At that moment, a door opened behind her and she froze to ice.
“Hey! What are you doing, blue one?” a woman asked and Summer turned around slowly.
Great, I haven't even made it to the stairs yet.
“Hey, I'm sorry, I um…”
“Wait… do you have a cell phone in your hand?” the woman in a pink latex jumpsuit asked, a smile on her face, ”Hehehe, if Doctor Alther finds out, she'll definitely pay me properly.”
“No, please wait, I can explain!” Summer said desperately as her panic grew.
“You don't have to. I don't care, but…” at that moment, one of the latex blankets flew over the woman's head and pulled her violently back into the room as she was blindsided and deprived of breath. Summer was also surprised and didn't move until she was snapped at.
“Summer, now get your fat ass over here and help me!” hissed Susen, who had clutched her roommate with the help of the latex blanket and was rolling across the floor with her. Stifled screams and a torrent of swear words came from the blanket.
“Right away!” Summer said, rushing into the room and closing the door. She threw herself onto Susen and the blanket and a groan escaped her roommate as the air was violently forced from her lungs.
“Get off me, you idiots! Susen, how can you betray me for a blue one!”
“Shut the fuck up! Summer, belts!” said Susen, covering the girl's mouth as Summer hurried to the beds. She tied the belts around the blanket and mummified Susen's roommate with them. They stuffed half a pair of latex tights into her mouth and secured them with the other half.
“Thanks,” Summer said exhaustedly.
“No problem,” Susen muttered and rolled off her raging roommate, ”Heather, now shut up or I'll get the other blanket! Summer is a friend of Grace,” Susen threatened and immediately the blanket stopped moving. Because of the threat or because of Grace, Summer didn't know.
“So… what are you doing in the hallway at this hour, with a cell phone in your hand? And in that outfit?”
“Well, it's not like we got uniforms to sneak around in,” Summer muttered.
“No, we didn't, but maybe you should do something about that.”
“On it.”
“So?”
“I'm… I'm trying to get us all out of here,” Summer said, earning her a skeptical look from Susen.
“You do realize that a few pictures of women in latex aren't going to change that? Doctor Alther brags about it on her website.”
“Yes, that's why… I hope I can… find evidence from Grace.”
Susen's eyes widened.
“This is going to sound like something out of a stupid horror movie, but no one has ever come back from there as herself. Or come in without the Alther having arranged it.”
“I know, I… ”
“Can you even pick a lock?”
“No, I wanted to…” Summer said, suddenly speechless. She hadn't even thought about that. Susen rolled her eyes. Summer had never seen her like this before. Susen was a complete change from her usual reserved nature during the day.
“You're really going to get us all out of here and not make a run for it if everything fails?” she asked and Summer hesitated to answer.
“I… I'll try, though …”
“That's good enough for me. I just hope you have a good plan. So… you said you'd get something else to sneak around? When you've done that, come to the door to special lessons. I'll open it for you and don't you dare screw this up!”
Their paths diverged. While Susen continued to secure her roommate so she wouldn't get any ideas, Summer went to the art room. The door was open and she slid silently into the classroom.
“This is such a stupid idea,” Summer muttered and walked past the easels to the materials room. There she quickly found what she was looking for. Black latex paint. She opened the bucket and dipped a roller into it. She spread the paint over her legs and arms and hoped it would be enough when a strand of her bright blonde hair fell into her field of vision.
“Ah… there was something,” Summer mumbled in annoyance and picked up the roller again. She would have liked to dye her hair pink again, but that probably wouldn't be very helpful when sneaking around. She was just about to put the roller on when the light in the classroom came on. Summer stared at the door like a deer in headlights. Looking back, Lorelei stood in the doorway with her mouth wide open, seeing the mess Summer had made in her classroom.
“Um, hey Lorelei, what are you still doing down here at this hour?” asked Summer guiltily.
“I could ask you the same thing, Summer, and in that outfit to top it off.”
“Well, a catsuit would have been my first choice, but they weren't really part of the school uniform.”
“True, I suppose,” Lorelei muttered, nodding, ”So what are you up to, you super agent and with your cell phone to boot? That alone could send you straight to special education.”
“And that's exactly where I want to go.”
“Oh?” Lorelei said in surprise, but she nodded again, ”Well then I shouldn't stop you, should I? By the way, there are masks for punishment purposes and the like stowed away in the cupboard. Be a dear and put one on as punishment for messing up my classroom before you ruin your hair,” she switched the light off again and turned around. She took one more look at Summer, though, and said, “Good luck.”
“You can't be serious,” Susen said, exhausted, as Summer crept around the corner. She had been waiting in the shadows outside the door to the cellar, staring open-mouthed at Summer. Her arms and legs were completely covered in black paint and she had a latex mask on, exposing only her green eyes.
“That was your plan? Fall into an inkwell and hope no one notices the blob mark?”
“Well… ”
“No, no. I don't want to hear from you,” Susen said with a raised finger, ”Just promise me you won't fuck up and take your chances. So… there's the door, stand by.”
Summer was about to ask what she meant, but Susen interrupted her again with her finger.
“ Na, na! Shut up, hide!” Susen said, shaking her head, and went to the trophy case while Summer hid deeper in the shadows. She picked up a chair, weighed it briefly in her hand and smashed it against the display case. Shards flew in all directions and the goblets made a deafening noise as they fell to the floor and banged against each other. Susen was not satisfied, however, and took another swing. More goblets fell victim to her attack and Summer almost thought she had lost her mind until the door to the basement banged open with a bang. Doctor Alther and the two women who had taken Grace stood confused in the hallway, looking around for the troublemaker.
“What are you doing! You'll pay dearly for this, young lady!” shouted Doctor Alther and hurried towards Susen with her companion, who just raised her middle finger and made a run for it.
“Catch her!” shouted Doctor Alther in a rage and ran after Susen. Summer waited only a moment and slipped through the door at the last second before it fell into the lock by itself. A dimly lit staircase stretched out before her, leading deep beneath the school.
“I won't let you down, Susen,” Summer whispered with renewed courage. She had managed the hardest part, now she just had to find Grace and hope that something really illegal was going on down here. Her cell phone was filming her every move, but unfortunately the connection to her computer had been lost.
“No big deal. Just find Grace, see if there's anything illegal and get back up, simple as that,” Summer muttered with growing confidence and her old smile. Doctor Alther was no longer there and her two employees were gone too. Who else was awake now?
When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she crept along a long corridor with several doors. The walls looked old and the newfangled doors looked out of place, but at least Summer didn't need a key and could open them easily. But behind them were only spartanly furnished rooms with empty bunks.
“Mmmh, are these their rooms?” Summer wondered, feeling like a spy who had to uncover the machinations of an evil organization. Jokingly, she held her cell phone like a gun and pushed open the next door. Once again she was standing in a cell, the only difference to the others was that there was a thin blanket on the floor.
“Maybe Grace's room,” Summer guessed, filming the room, ”Here you can see where we'll be kept if we break the rules. It looks more like a prison than a school of manners and that's an understatement.”
Summer thought this was a good start, but not enough. She walked on and found several rooms labeled with numbers.
“If there's nothing in here, I don't know what is,” Summer muttered and opened the first door and what she saw made her cry out in triumph and shock. In front of her on a treatment chair lay Grace. Straps bound her to it in several places and she had a breathing mask on, from which she was inhaling a glowing gas.
“If that's not illegal, I don't know what is,” Summer muttered, pointing her camera at Grace and the machines she was hooked up to. As she did so, she commented on the image and asked for help.
“All right, that's it!” said Summer, tucking her cell phone into the sleeve of her swimsuit, ”Grace, can you hear me? Grace?”
Summer went to her friend and took off her mask and reality headset. She shook Grace gently as she had a dreamy look on her face and didn't seem to respond to Summer.
“Grace, come on, wake up!” said Summer, undoing the straps.
“Mmmh? Who… who are you?” asked Grace as her head fell to the side and she looked at Summer.
“It's your friend Summer, remember?” said Summer, taking off her mask so Grace could recognize her, ”Your roommate?”
Summer furrowed her brow and looked at the mask, from which the gas was still flowing and spreading across the floor until it dissipated.
“Summer?” Grace asked and Summer's face brightened.
“Yes Summer, you know, the latex lover, the one who reminds you of your daughter Tamara! Do you remember Bruce?”
“I…” Summer could see the rattling in Grace's eyes, but she was worried when she saw a pink gleam in her eyes.
“Come on, we need to get you out of here before you breathe in more of that stuff,” Summer said, pulling Grace out of the chair.
“Fuck, you're heavy!” muttered Summer as Grace's entire body weight rested on her shoulder.
“Hey… hey, I'm not that heavy,” Grace said dazedly.
“I know, it's me Grace,” Summer assured her, ”Remember me now? It's me, your Summer!”
“I'd be surprised Summer, her head isn't able to process what you're saying,” said a voice behind them and Summer froze into ice. Summer put Grace back and whirled around. Standing in the doorway was a woman with black hair. She looked familiar to Summer, but she didn't know where from.
“Tell me, dear, how did you get in here, and in that exquisite outfit at that?” the woman asked with amusement, taking a step towards Summer.
“The door was open,” Summer said truthfully, groping for something to defend herself with.
“And you thought you'd just come in and say hello?”
“Well…”
“Tell you what. Why don't you keep Grace and me company and I'll show you a new meaning to your life?”
Summer swallowed. Suddenly she knew exactly who was standing in front of her. Her friends had told her enough about Judy, the slave trader, and more than once about her favorite phrase.
“I don't think so. I prefer more pleasant company,” Summer said.
“Oh, you'll find we're very pleasant company. Grace, dear, can you hold Summer for me?”
“Uh?”, Summer just managed to say as Grace held her from behind with an iron grip.
“Grace, let go of me!” said Summer, trying to free herself, but Grace was unnaturally strong and because Summer had hardly been allowed to move for the last few weeks, she was too weak.
“Fantastic Grace,” Judy said, picking up the gas mask from the floor, ”One deep breath Summer.”
“No, leave me alone! Grace!” Summer screamed and shook her head, but Judy held her jaw as if her hands were a vice and pressed the mask onto Summer's face. Immediately Summer held her breath, but it was a losing battle against time. With each passing second, her body screamed more and more for air and she became weaker and weaker to hold her own against Grace. She looked up at Judy, who just smiled kindly at her.
“Come on, it won't hurt either, I promise,” Judy whispered as Sumer's lungs began to burn. When she could take no more, she inhaled a deep breath of the gas and exhaled quickly, but the damage was already done. Without meaning to, Summer couldn't help but continue inhaling the gas and her mind went blank. Summer's eyes glazed over and Judy began to smile.
“There you go,” she said, patting Summer's cheek, ”Grace dear. Put Summer on the chair."
Grace did as she was told without questioning the order and tied the straps around Summer's body while Judy put the virtual reality headset on her eyes.
“So, soon you'll be a perfect lady just like Grace, isn't that great?” Judy asked, hearing footsteps behind her. When she turned around, Doctor Alther was standing there with her helpers. They had caught Susen and taken her downstairs. Her partner Maike was also behind them, looking a little disinterested in the room.
“Oh, another guest?” asked Judy.
“Lady Martel has been up to some nonsense, presumably so that Lady von Nachtschwing could come down here. I hope you still have time for her?” asked Doctor Alther.
“Not really…” said Maike, looking at her watch.
“Come on, Maike, between friends? We could stay a little longer, couldn't we?” said Judy, ”Summer's already finished and you can get Lady Martel ready quickly.”
Maike rolled her eyes.
"Fine… but then we're out of here. I really need a change of scenery,” Maike said and led the helpers into the third room.
“Thank you, perhaps peace can return to the school now,” Doctor Alther said with a smile and she and Judy nodded to each other.
“Let's have a look then…” Judy murmured, ”Grace dear, you can go to your cell. You've done well.”
Grace bowed and Doctor Alther escorted her to her room. Judy stayed behind and pulled Summer's shackles a little tighter. She noticed the bump on Summer's wrist and fished out the cell phone.
“Ohoho, did someone make a little video?” she asked in surprise and tried to delete it, but failed due to the lock screen.
“Oh well. Maike can hack it later,” Judy mumbled and pocketed it. She increased the gas supply a little and left Summer alone. The gas and the messages would make Summer more and more obedient until she was the perfect little lady.
Just before sunrise, Judy got into her car and made herself comfortable in the driver's seat. Maike was already sitting in the passenger seat, staring boredly into the side mirror.
“Can we finally drive now?” she asked, looking at Judy.
“Yeah, we don't want to forget your little friend, do we?” Judy said and drove off the school grounds. She pulled Summer's cell phone out of her pocket and handed it to Maike.
“Can you take a look at this? I think that blonde took pictures or something. Since Doctor Alther doesn't know how to crack it to delete them, I thought you could do it and we'll send it to her later.”
Maike exhaled in annoyance, but took the phone and opened her laptop, hacking and unlocking it in no time at all.
“File sent?” Maike read and looked at Judy.
“What do I know, you're the hacker of the two of us. Just delete that shit and Doctor Alther will have her peace,” Judy said and Maike shrugged her shoulders. Doctor Alther wasn't her friend, she was Judy's. She had no interest in finding out where this blonde had sent the file. She deleted the file and threw the cell phone on the back seat. Judy could send it back later so there would be no questions about where it had gone.
“Done,” she mumbled and leaned back to catch up on some sleep, ”I hope you remember the way back. I don't feel like explaining it to you again.”
Judy swallowed her first reply and put on a nice voice.
“Of course I still know the way back to your prized possession, Maike.”
“Lady Summer? Are you all right?” asked a male voice that sounded familiar to Summer and she opened her eyes.
“Jean?” she asked, blinking against the light of the rising sun. Her chauffeur Jean smiled.
“You made it,” he said, stepping back a little from the car door and pointing in the direction of the school. Summer followed his finger and saw several policemen running in and women coming out wrapped in blankets. She also saw a teacher or two with handcuffs on their backs.
“I… I made it?” asked Summer and Jean nodded.
“Your videos were received by the police that night and they came out straight away to free you.”
“And Grace? Susen?”
“We're here, Summer,” Susen said from beside her. Summer turned around and only now did she see that she was sitting in Jean's limousine with her friends. Grace had laid her head on Susen's legs and seemed to be asleep.
“Is she all right? Have the doctors checked on her? Her eyes, she …”
“She's fine,” Susen said, ”Some cool doctor with blonde and black hair gave us an antidote. She said Grace just needs to recover a bit,” Susen said and Summer's heart sank. She exhaled contentedly and looked in the direction of her home.
“Do you want to know what happened to Doctor Alther?” Susen asked, grinning as she remembered Doctor Alther's stupid face when she was taken away by the police.
“To be honest, no. What do I care about that old hag when we're finally free again? Jean, drive us away from this shithole as quickly as possible, I need Leon City, and I need it as quickly as possible!"
“Right away Lady Summer!” said Jean and got into the driver's seat to take the three women home.
A blonde woman with a patch of black in her hair sat on the highest roof of the school and looked after the limousine for a long time. A satisfied smile graced her lips and she stood up from the old battlements.
“Good thing I heard Summer, now she's happy again and we can play together again soon hehehe! But I should get back home before Ifry gets worried,” Phaelyn muttered and spread her white wings. She shot up into the sky and the little angel flew above the clouds back to Leon City.