The Reformation of Justine (B)

Her voice resounded from the center of the room to the center of my heart. Carol spoke in my ear.

"Beware Justine. Sometimes the path thru confusion is abbadonment. No matter what your struggles where before this moment, they are about to be dramatically altered. For the better, for worse, or foe the way there where 3 days ago. All baised on the next words you speak. Take your time sweet child, and speak sure and proudly. Show her, at least you can make a mistake and accept the consequences like a true kehshathrian.
And listen dear, you are not even aware of what you are missing, which is why you were in reformation to begin with to be instructed how to live here. So think of the question as an intitiation.... Sure it is hard at first to live here, but maybe someday you will get to carry the whips." She giggled. " Or not, But Stick with us, you give us another chance. And trust me on this, you may even have a chance to earn back Master Kehensu's attention.
So choose your answer well.... How are you worth the Queen's mercy?" Carol whispered.



Her words driving into my subconscious. Bring up from deep in me a strenght and power i never knew before. I thought hard. I was worth the effort of the Question......... My thoughts seazed!


"SPEAK NOW!"


My mouth was swollen shut and my mind scattered. I couldn't remember what i was htinking. i mused and pondered rapidly as my nervous body wobbly stood. Carol handed e a glass of water. I sipped. And made my way to the podium.

Grasping both sides of....(what ever that little book holdign thing is called).... and with a deep steady breth is spoke......


"Your Majesty i am different....." My words trailed off as i watched her eyes narrow hopelessly. Carol pocked her finger into my ribbs and exagorated her posture, coaxing me to gather myself together.
" I am different, you majesty, becasue in your wisdom you have deemed me worhty of teh question. When according to law i deserve no mercy as i am now a supplicant begging entry.... And you are Her Ladyship the law of Kehshathria."

The courtroom fell dead silent as Lanel took in ym words. She smiled pleasently and chuckled and then resumned her statuesqeness .. thought, then spoke.

" You're clever. That shows enough knowledge of our ways to grant your citizenship. Congratulations Justine Marie Reese. Let it be noted."

The crowd was amazed and murmmered randomly.
" But" a single word hushed them into unision.


" Your previous behaviour on our soil casues us alarm. As it is unbefitting that anyone who knows our law and would chsoe to break it should remain ins citizentry. But you are indeed worth of another chance to earn full use of your citizentry rights. You must show yourself to be tamer than you have been. You are therefore reassigned to the Reformation another 18 months, or untill you are paroled, as your reformer sees fit. I pronounce. This case is settled.
Justine, I do hope that I never see you in court again. She said dreadfully.

"Me too, your majesty." I stammeredweakly studdering back and from the podium. And then one of the balifs layed his hand on my shoulder and lead me out of the courtroom. I had been taken to the infirmory and given medical exames and asked hundreds of questions and tossed limply back into my cold grey cell.

Left to wait.


And my mind focused ont he grey and realsied my breath was exhausted, my body was tenced, my blood stung inside me very veins.......

Road signs. Road signs flash before my eyes.... i am in a car.

I will always remember Carol's car. When she started taking off she woudl generate such G-Force with her speeding that one is instantly snapped back against the seat, secured by a five point harness. At some point during the trip a 5 thousand dollar note would slide out of the dash board. And then you notice a small sign that says " for the person who can reach this bill."

Carol drove fast. Very fast. And she is like, smokeing a ciggarette while she does it.

As the agony of defat settles in, she slowed the car dramatically yet smoothly to more leagle limits as a town draws near. The sensation of which left me to feel a kind og pricklly sensation accompanyed by thousands of pin pricks all over my body . and pressure in my stomach. Carol neatly reinstalled her limp little intimadator and wordlessly drove on.

Like all Kehshathrian wemon i have ever met she carries herself with high dignaty. All five feet of her bound and proper looking. She had coal eyes. And unlike Diana, Carol's eyes e-nun-ce-at-ed and twinkled. She had a very particular goddess-ness about her.

" Thank you Justine." She said, looking at me softly.

" What?!" I answered having been torn out of my reverie. She chuckled and announced our arrival at my new Reformer's House. I clutched randomly at the harness seat belt, my heart beat studdering beneath the buckle. Wondering, what was I, before this car ride?

My heart stopped, as Carol savagely opened my door from the outside. Or maybe it wasn't savage... for she had a soft comforting glare on her face, but rather that i had heard and felt each mechanical click and squeak the handle made as she lifted the thing. The squeel of th elatch as the door reluctantly let in a swooping rush of air and light, and her shadow.

" Justine, never cower to fear."
" What would YOU do!?" i said back.

" I would hold my head high and survive. Toughen up and act right. And I would definatly put away my smart assed attitudes, Justine." She said. " Come out of the car now, and let meet your Reformer, Master James McCullen."

I still tembled. My hand blindly defied me as the seat belts unfassioned and snapped open. Carol offered me her hand as i slid into my new reformer's comain in suburbia. With the little pink flamengoes stuck in his flower garden. Just a typical ranch-style house, not dissimmular from any of the other properties here. Everyone had their own five acres. And this was definatly a highclass residental zone.

She knocked savagly on the door, a bird fluttered away.
" And it was ment to be savage this time." she chuckeled.

The door opened, James was a tall sharp looking man in his mid 40's, clean shaven with just past the shoulder length ravenblack hair, in black casaul pants; a jacket, brown shirt and brown penny loafers.

" Your New Reformee, Sir.: Carol announced, as the screen door opened. He welcomed us inside. Carol gave him my file. " Her name is Justine Marie Reese, assigned to 18 months reform for running away from her previous Reformer." She then stepped back from in front of me.... leaving me to face his shoulder, as i would not dare to look up yet. He spoke to her.

" Thank you Mistress Carol, as you know i have already been briefed." He tucked the folder under his arm, looked at me and snapped his fingers. I felt my stomach tence but i jsut stared blankly in confusion.
" It ment kneel Slave." He instructed.

" I bit the insides of my cheeks, Carol gave me a subtle coaxing glance... my hands gripped themselves, as i willed my knees flush to his floor.

" Very good Justine, now waddle yourself over there, before the hallway enterance and wait. You have been blocking Mistress Carol's path. Very unthoughtfull on your part.

I darted a disguised attempt of mean eyeshot at him. He received my look and slapped my right cheek. And told me now i would ahve to crawl over to the halway enterence and wait.

Carol and he exchanged glances. " Well Sir I suspect I should allow you to tend to your work."

" And I Bid you good day Mrs. Wiese." She curstyed at the door and then she was gone.



GONE


Isolated.

And she was gone.