Chapter 9: Sandra wakes up in darkness

When Sandra slowly regained her senses, she was surrounded by absolute darkness. She was lying on something soft. Probably a bed. She could not move her arms or legs. As she could neither see nor touch, she tried to smell. The term clinical came to mind. Some disinfectant or strong detergent. Nothing else. And absolutely no sound.

There was something on her head. Some kind of cap? Her neck was also fixed somehow. When she wiggled a little, it felt like something scraped over her naked scalp. Then it dawned on her. Where was her hair? They had shaved her head and removed what she had always considered one of her major assets.

Hot anger chased away the last remains of the fog that still shrouded her mind.

There, a barely audible click.

“Good morning, sleepyhead."

The voice was thunderous. It came from everywhere and nowhere. If she were able to, she would have covered her ears. But she was, of course, powerless.

The silence following the first announcement was deafening. After what must have been mere seconds but felt like hours, another click, and the voice continued:

“You have been a very naughty girl! If you ask me, the director had it coming. No natural authority if you get my drift.”

The person (she could not guess the sex of the electronic voice) chuckled. Then he/she continued in a more sinister tone:

“Be that as it may. Your behaviour cannot be tolerated. By the way, are you deaf? I said good morning!”

There was a short humming noise. Then the pain struck her like lightning before she could even try to answer. It was worse than anything she had ever felt. Her whole body was on fire. She could not pinpoint where the burning sensation came from. She shrieked and cursed and made her suffering known against her will.

“Good to know you are fully awake. I would not like to give this welcome speech a second time!”

Something else happened. Cramping from the pain, she had lost control of her bladder. She needed to pee, tried to pee, but couldn't. Then it worked, and she heard the trickle of her urine hitting some kind of metal vessel under her bed. There was shame, but there was also her mind trying to understand why she hadn’t wet herself.

She had been distracted. But finally, she came to her senses and remembered the reason for her punishment.

“Good Mor…”

The humming again. Then, unbearable, excruciating pain.

While she slowly resurfaced from the sea of fiery pain, there was a click, and she **** herself to listen.

“I still do not hear anything from you. Impoliteness cannot be tolerated.”

“Noo, please, don’t ….”

She hated herself. Even more so, when the speaker hummed. Again, just a short jolt but incredibly powerful. Bright stars started to dance before her eyes.

“Good morning! Good morning!”

She shouted it with all the power she could muster.