Anna and Ryan are living life as best they can when blackballed from society. Things take an unexpected turn when there is a knock at the door.
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A quick recap of the first story for anyone who needs it:
Anna was left stranded in Sallas after her parents were killed in a car crash. Sallas is a place of extreme misogyny, that treats women as little more than babies and servants. Anna was adopted to a Sallasian couple and forced to grow up in this society, but she has always hated it and is desperate to escape.
Forcibly married to Ryan, Anna's future seemed decidedly unpleasant as she joined him at college, not to attend classes, but as his trophy wife. That all changed when Ryan revealed that he hates Sallas as much as she does, and that he doesn't want to treat her badly. They tried to navigate college together, living as equally as they could at home whilst subjected to the extreme pressures to conform.
Anna meets a friend, Jane, who is in a much worse marriage than her. Anna desperately wants to help Jane, but her options are severely limited. When Jane's husband gets tired of her, he has her sent away to Finishing School, something which devastates Anna who knows she will never see her friend again.
Eventually it proved too much. Ryan was forced to choose between sending Anna to "Finishing School" (little more than a torturous prison) or being expelled from college and giving up his dreams of working in business. Ryan chose Anna. The two left college together with little idea as to where their lives will go...
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Sallas 2: The Gilded Cage
By Elfy
Anna was strapped to a pink plastic chair. Between her lips was a pacifier so large it filled her mouth and a strap going around her head held it firmly in place. She had the thickest diaper she had ever seen around her waist and the pink baby dress did nothing to hide it. Around her were a dozen other women similarly stuck in place and similarly dressed. She struggled but found movement difficult with such a huge amount of thickness between her legs.
The room was filled with the muffled sounds of struggle and the smell of used diapers. Anna recoiled when she looked around at her neighbours before realising, she looked just as bad as they did it. Projected on to a screen in front of them all was a video. It was like a business training video but was showing the women in the playpen what they were supposed to be. A film of women doing domestic chores, shopping and being properly respectful of the men around them, In between frames Anna occasionally noticed a flash of a word, but she could never quite make out what it said.
Made to look like a nursery the room felt like a strange bastardisation of a place that you would send your child. This nursery looked exactly like a child’s daycare at first look, but the longer you spent in there the more you noticed its true reason to exist. The uniformed guards by the doors, the cameras in each corner of the room, the books not being classic nursery rhymes but instruction manuals on how to do chores…
Anna pulled harder against the restraints. As she stared at the video playing in front of her, she tried to remember how long she had been there. It felt like forever. Time had lost all meaning. Maybe she had simply always been there.
Anna’s head lulled forwards slightly but the endlessly repeating images continued to appear in her mind. She tried to force them away, but they had a hold of her, they seemed to grab her head like tentacles as they pulled themselves closer and spread like a cancer. Her resistance became weaker as the words flashing up in the film became clearer.
“Baby.”
“Maid.”
“Useless.”
“Need Man.”
Inside her head the last vestiges of who she once had been screamed but like water rushing through a cracked dam the words spread. Anna felt herself losing control of her bladder as if she had never been potty trained. The warmth spreading through her padding as the words cycled endlessly in her brain. All around her Anna could see the previously squirming women sitting docile as the guards walked up to each one with an injection.
“No…” Anna mumbled around the pacifier.
Suddenly it wasn’t a guard holding the needle. Anna turned and saw Jane standing before her in one of the guard uniforms, it bulged out around her waist from the hefty diaper underneath. Anna’s old friend stared at her with dead eyes and a flat emotionless face.
“You left me…” Jane said as the needle was moved towards her arm, “You could’ve saved me.”
Anna shook her head. The words were seeping in and her resistance crumbled completely. As the needle went into her arm and Jane pressed the plunger Anna screamed hopelessly.
“Anna!”
Anna was being shaken, and she sat up so fast she nearly butted heads with Ryan. She could feel that she was covered with sweat and was breathing hard. She instinctively grabbed her arm where the needle had been, there was nothing there. She took a few deep breaths and felt a familiar shameful wetness between her legs.
“The nightmare again?” Ryan asked as she placed a hand on his wife’s shoulder.
Anna nodded before letting out a sob. Ryan pulled her closer to his shoulder as she cried softly. It had been a recurring nightmare for a while now. No matter how many times she ended up in that “Finishing School” it never felt any less real. It was stupid, she didn’t even know what the inside of one of those institutions actually looked like, her brain was just filling in the blanks with every horror it could conceive of. She felt Ryan pulling the cover back and revealing the wet patch on the bed. Anna had wet herself.
“It’s OK.” Ryan whispered in Anna’s ear, “You’re safe.”
“I’m sorry.” Anna said as she pulled away and wiped her eyes.
“You don’t have to apologise.” Ryan replied, “You’re fine.”
“I mean, I’m sorry for…” Anna gestured down to the wet patch.
“Don’t worry about it.” Ryan smiled sleepily, “Why don’t you get cleaned up? I’ll change the sheets.”
Anna slipped out of bed. She was naked as she stood up and the floorboard underneath her feet creaked loudly. The space between the bed and the wall was cramped meaning she had to awkwardly sidle out of the bedroom and down the hallway towards the bathroom.
The apartment was small, old and, despite Anna’s best efforts, falling apart. The wallpaper Anna walked past was peeling, one of the windows was boarded up and she had to step around crack in the floor that seemed to threaten to fall through at the slightest hint of weight. In the bathroom Anna pulled on a long string that was hanging from the ceiling, the lightbulb flickered to life.
The water heater for the building was broken so the water in the shower never warmed up. Anna shivered as she stepped under the showerhead. She wanted to get out of there as soon as possible so she quickly soaped herself up and rinsed herself off. She couldn’t shake the image of Jane from her head. Not long before Anna and Ryan had made their quick exit from the college Ryan had been attending, Jane had experienced an altogether less voluntary withdrawal. The closest person to a friend Anna had ever had, Jane had displeased her husband who had promptly sent her away to Finishing School. Anna had no idea what had happened to her but could guess it wasn’t good. People who went into those places were often not seen again, and those that re-appeared were unrecognisable to their old selves, and to their families.
It had been ten months since they had moved into the apartment building. It had been the cheapest place that Ryan and Anna could find and even then was at the upper limit of what they could afford. After they left the college in disgrace, they knew they were going to be outcasts but perhaps they had underestimated just how bad things could be. Ryan had immediately started looking for work, but he had been blacklisted from even most menial jobs, even a cursory background search on him would’ve found black marks that made employers run away, things like “Dissident” and “Suspicious Individual.” All because he’d had the gall to not want to treat Anna like a second-class citizen. Things had become desperate before Ryan found a job in a call centre; it was the only place that would give him a chance. The money he was paid was only just enough to afford rent and bills, even food had become a bit of an extravagance.
Despite the difficulties Ryan and Anna had remained close. In fact, they may have become closer than ever before in spite of the hardships they faced. The problem was that love can only get a person so far, the truth was they were desperately struggling with no support network and in a place with no safety net. There was no sign that things would get better either as both of their families had been quick to disown them.
The worst part for Anna was the way Ryan was very clearly being crushed. His spirit and soul seemed to be ebbing away and every time he came home from work, he would look that bit more miserable. Anna found herself wondering if it hadn’t all been a terrible mistake, she sometimes wondered if Ryan resented her and wished he had chosen differently. After all, this was all because of her. If Ryan had sent her away, he would be an executive on his way to the top rather than stuck at the bottom living in a cold flat and eating the cheapest food.
“Damn it.” Anna muttered as shivered into her towel after her shower.
The nightmares were awful and happened twice a week or so. She had never been to the dreaded Finishing School so her mind was conjuring up something that may not even have existed. The worst part for Anna was the effect it had on her bladder. Having been potty trained so recently she usually didn’t have too many problems as long as a toilet was nearby, but wetting the bed was a common result of her bad dreams. Ryan hadn’t brought up wearing “protection” to bed, but she knew he must be thinking about it, they couldn’t exactly afford to replace their mattress. Diapers were something she was only too used to, having only recently been able to get out of them she dreaded having to go back for any reason whatsoever.
Anna knew she wasn’t going to get any more sleep. She slipped on her dressing gown and walked through to the living room. The flat was a lot smaller than the place they had stayed in at college and the living room was the best example of this lack of space. An old television was against the far wall, a wooden table with a bent leg in the middle of the room and just beyond that a couch that had numerous holes in it.
Anna sat on the couch and flicked on the television. The morning news was on. The problem with the news in Sallas was that it was nearly impossible to tell what was real or fake, the propaganda was so rife that seeing through it became very difficult. The presenter was excitedly telling his audience about Sallas’s economy doing well and suggesting it was because there weren’t any “distractions” in the workforce. “Distractions” was clearly a code word for women as they showed short clips from various office and factories extolling the virtues of their society. Anna could only roll her eyes. It was all so transparent, she found it hard to believe anyone fell for their crap.
In any other country Anna would be in one of those offices or laboratories. She knew she was smart but at no point had any of that intelligence been nurtured, she had never been given the opportunity to show what she could do. She never would get that chance either, not whilst she was where she was, when she was who she was. She tried not to dwell on her lost potential, but it was difficult.
Anna went over to the drawers in the corner and retrieved a tattered old book. She brought it back to the couch and opened the frayed cover. There she looked at herself from long ago, back before her parents had died, leaving her stranded in the hell that was Sallas. She thought she looked a lot like her mother, but she had her father’s eyes for sure. Her photo album of her as a baby was practically all that had survived the car crash that had killed her parents. She remembered so little about them.
“… And finally, a reminder of this morning’s big story.” The newscaster said as Anna turned the page, “A number of civil disruptions around the country last night forced the police to crackdown on some undesirables and dissenters. A spokesman for the government said the ringleaders had been rounded up and that there is no cause for alarm.”
Anna changed the channel. There was a morning talk show on one of the more rabidly pro-government channels. A man was practically frothing at the mouth as he ranted and raved that women were still too free. Anna shook her head, to some men in Sallas the very idea that a woman might have an independent thought was enough to send them into an apoplectic rage.
“… I’m telling you they will be the downfall of us all!” The balding pudgy man said. His spit flew across the table as he angrily dropped his fist against the surface.
“Whilst I agree any idea of, pardon my language, feminism, is abhorrent to our society I’m not sure what you would like the government to do…” A more professional looking man replied. His suit was wrinkle-free, and he didn’t have a single hair out of place. The so-called “moderate.”
“For a start we could make Finishing School mandatory.” The angry man replied, “Get these girls out of the school system and teach what they really need to know early. Stamp out these ridi-”
Anna changed the channel. Whilst she was used to hearing men attacking women for every ill in society the ideas being expressed on that show were just too horrifying to think about. Finishing School was essentially a prison designed to brainwash women into being good little girls, it was currently used as punishment for women that didn’t conform perfectly, the idea of sending all females there made Anna shudder.
The next channel was for children. To be more accurate it was for little boys. Anna watched as two puppets talked to a group of little boys sitting in front of them.
“And a girl, even an itty-bitty little girl the same age as you…” The puppet dog’s paw pointed at the children in front of him. He had a deep authoritative voice and was the face of one of the most popular children’s brands in Sallas, “Can be a very a dangerous thing.”
“But how can an itty-bitty little girl be dangerous?” The second puppet seemed modelled on a mouse. He spoke with a back-country twang to his voice that Anna supposed was to make him sound less intelligent.
“Because they are naughty.” The dog puppet replied seriously, “They are always looking for ways to get boys in trouble. It’s why it’s important for all you little boys to…”
“Report bad behaviour!” The children all chorused.
“That’s right!” The puppet dog nodded, “To your Daddies, teachers, or local govern-…”
Anna turned the television off. She laid down on the cushions of the couch with her head resting against the arm. She hadn’t planned to drift off but suddenly came to when she heard Ryan’s footsteps coming down the hallway. He paused at the entrance to the living room for a second before heading into the kitchen. The sun was just starting to rise giving the sky outside a red glow. Anna sat up and stretched as Ryan came walking back in with two mugs of coffee.
“I’ve got some eggs and bacon cooking.” Ryan said as he put the mugs down on the table.
“Shouldn’t you be watching it?” Anna asked as she yawned, “You could start a fire.”
“In this place?” Ryan shrugged, “Could be an improvement.”
Anna laughed as she picked up her drink. It tasted cheap, which of course it was. Unlike when they were supported by Ryan’s parents, they couldn’t afford to spend much on luxuries. The cheapest store-brand instant coffee was still pushing the boat out for them.
Soon they were sitting in the living room eating their breakfast. They didn’t really have a lot to talk about, but Anna was happy in the silence. If anything was brought up, she felt sure it would be her nightmare and what had happened as a result of it. The silence was much better than that particular conversation.
“I suppose I should get ready.” Ryan sighed as he stood up.
Anna did the washing up whilst Ryan had a quick shower and then got dressed in his suit. He came into the kitchen where the married couple shared a little kiss before he broke away with a smile, his hand came up and cupped Anna’s cheek. They had been getting a little more intimate since leaving college, they certainly hadn’t jumped straight into bed with one another, but they were becoming more romantic over time. It was just hard for Anna to let herself get carried away, part of her was still waiting for the penny to drop and for Ryan to send her away so he could get on with a much better life than the one he had with her. It was nonsense, of course, Ryan had been given plenty of opportunities to give Anna up and had never done so.
“I’ll try to be back as soon as I can.” Ryan said, “Do we need anything for dinner?”
“I think we’re alright for tonight.” Anna replied.
It was slightly ironic that Anna and Ryan had been ostracised from society because of their resistance to Sallas’s extreme gender roles because now, in some small ways, they found themselves conforming to them. Whilst Ryan worked Anna looked after the home which meant doing most of the cooking and cleaning. It only seemed fair that she help out since Ryan had to work so much, and as difficult as it was for Ryan to find his job, it would’ve been impossible for Anna.
“I’ll see you later.” Ryan sighed and tried to put on a brave smile.
“Have a good day.” Anna replied.
“You too.” Ryan’s smile was a bit more genuine now.
Just as Ryan was turning to head to the front door there was a loud knock followed by the ringing of a doorbell. Ryan froze in his tracks. Anna hurried forwards and peered around the doorframe as if expecting to see something other than the front door.
There were many reasons for Ryan and Anna to be nervous. They kept to themselves, not many people would associate with people that had been labelled as undesirables and those that would weren’t people Anna wanted to know. Neither of them had made any friends of acquaintances in the area so the fact there was someone at the door filled them both with dread.
“Did you pay the rent?” Anna whispered to Ryan.
“We’re only one month behind…” Ryan muttered in reply, “Jean doesn’t normally start knocking unless it’s three months.”
“Then who is it?” Anna hissed.
Ryan shrugged at her and then they both turned to the door. There were more bangs and insistent rings of the bell. Whoever it was, they were fairly insistent that they were going to be coming in sooner rather than later.
“W-Who is it?” Ryan called from the safety of the kitchen doorway.
“Open the door, Mr. Manning.” A deep voice replied.
“Not unless you tell me what you want.” Ryan called back.
“How about you open the door before we get impatient.” The voice replied.
Anna tried to hold Ryan back as he went to step forwards. He turned to face her and shrugged, he was right, there was nowhere for them to run or hide. They didn’t know who was at the door, but it seemed like they were going to come in one way or another. Anna followed Ryan out but stayed several steps behind.
Ryan opened the door, and Anna could see two men in suits on the other side. They pushed past Ryan and walked in as if they owned the place. Anna didn’t like the way they looked at her and smiled. Ryan closed the door as the two walked into the living room. Anna was tensed up, she didn’t know why these people were there, but she was ready to fight for her life if she needed to.
“You see, Jimmy, didn’t I tell you she was beautiful.” The man doing the talking had snow white hair. His small nose seemed almost swallowed by his glasses that did little to hide a pair of very piercing eyes.
“That you did.” Replied the younger of the two men. He was chewing gum and was leering at Anna.
“Who are you?” Ryan asked.
“Jimmy.” The older man said with a dismissive wave, “But you can call me Mr. Sawyer.”
Anna watched as the intruder present a piece of paper to Ryan. As he did so the older man sat down on the couch. He waited a few seconds whilst Ryan looked over the paper, in the meantime the younger man walked over to Jimmy, who Anna suspected was his boss, and stood next to him. The whole time Ryan was reading neither of the intruders took their eyes off Anna.
“I don’t think I understand…” Ryan finally said as he looked up with a frown, “What is this?”
“That.” Mr. Sawyer said without turning from Anna, “Is a contract.”
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