John makes his plea for help

“Uh,” John said,”Sure.” He stood. “You see, I...”

“Not here,” Heidi said between licks of her lollipop. “Someplace private. C’mon.”

She started walking away. John, by now, knew better than to watch her tight ass in that short skirt. The shocks for arousal seemed to be getting worse when he received them. Sadly, he was starting to not see the gorgeous women he spent time around as potential sex parters. And that scared the shit out of John. He glanced back at his friends. Holly was shaking her head very slowly. But, this was a chance to get word to the outside.

John shrugged at Holly and followed Heidi. She opened the door of the main room and walked out. John stopped. He was supposed to be in the main room. He wasn’t sure why or how Heidi opened the door or why she wasn’t being punished.

Heidi sighed and acted like a petulant teen girl. “Oh, come ON. The computer won’t bother with you while you’re with me. I’m, like, important. My Daddy is powerful and I’m set to be released next week. You’ll be fine.”

She grabbed John’s arm and pulled him out the door. John braced for a shock that didn’t happen. Was this some setup? Was Heidi going to take him someplace where he would be punished?

“Um, Heidi...” he started.

“I wouldn’t trust me either,” she said, sucking on her lollipop. “I can be a bitch.”

John was confused. “Then why...”

Heidi laughed. “Have you forgot where the fuck you are? What it can do to you? I wasn’t always like this.”

She sighed, and her regal bearing dropped as they walked. “I used to have cats. I worked at a pet shelter. I was kind.

“I...” her voice shook. “You want to be my friend? You want to talk? I will...” she swallowed hard and closed her eyes, obviously focusing her thoughts, “will fight conditioning.

“Where would you feel safe talking?” Heidi asked.

John thought for a second. Any place other than the main room had potential for the computer or Heidi to play some trick. That left the cell block. And there was no way John was going into Heidi’s cell. Who knows what she could do there.

“My cell,” John said firmly.

They walked. Heidi not licking on her lollipop for once. “I lived alone. I wasn’t bothering anyone,” she volunteered as they walked. “But apparently a single woman with cats screams ‘lesbian’ and I found myself here. That was years ago.

John wondered how many lives had been ripped apart. His, his sister’s, their friends, Holly, and now Heidi.

“I didn’t ask for this,” she said quietly. John understood that. He certainly hadn’t asked for anything that had happened to him in this nightmare. Perhaps there was a human with feelings behind the bitchy exterior Heidi showed.

“I just... put on a brave face in the prison. Head bitch Heidi!” She sighed, sadly. “That’s not even my real name.”

They walked in silence, their heels making staccato clicking sounds as they walked. They arrived at the cell block and to John’s cell. Heidi went into the cell first, John followed. Nothing happened. No shocks. No commands from the computer. John was hopefully near escape! He tried to keep his excitement down. He didn’t want the computer to read it as arousal.

“So... what’s your story?” Heidi asked.

“I really need your help, Heidi!” John said, softly.

Heidi sat sensually on John’s bunk, crossed her legs, and leaned back. “OK. What’s the problem. How can I help?”

“You see, I don’t belong in here! I’m a g....”

He paused. “I’m a g....”

He tried a third time. “I’m a g...”

“Girl looking for a patron? I’m not sure Daddy knows of a patron looking to marry a girl” Heidi suggested.

John shook his head. “I’m a m...”

“Spit it out!” Heidi said.

“I’m a m...”

“Marriage minded woman? A man hungry bride to be?’

Why couldn’t he tell Heidi he was a guy? He could think the words, but he couldn’t... oh no. Oh fucking no! The fucking computer! He couldn’t tell anyone! That was where the computer had decided to start. What the computer decided was holding him back! He tried again.

“I’m a b....”

“Bride looking for a husband? Heidi asked.

“I have a p....”

“Passion to get a patron?A pussy yearning for a patron’s penis?” Heidi laughed.

John closed his eyes, trying to focus. He tested it. “I am a woman,” he said.

“I know,” Heidi said, rolling her eyes.

“I am a g...”

“Great woman who’d make a patron a wonderful wife.” Heidi said.

Anger welled up in John. He could not speak the words. He could not speak the words that would get him out of there. He furiously looked around for anything to write with. Maybe that would work. But the cell itself was pretty much empty other than the bunks.

“Look.. Joanie, isn’t it? I know you want to marry a patron. It’s not that uncommon. And let’s be honest, what girl doesn’t dream of being a bride.? I’m sure it’ll happen someday. ”

John lost it. The frustration boiling over. He was so fucking close and the computer had fucked everything up. “Why do you keep saying things like that?” He shouted with frustration.

“Like what?” Heidi said, inspecting her manicure then looking up at John.

“That I want a patron! That I want to marry a patron! That I want to be a bride!”

John thought he heard some sort of very faint chime. Heidi stood, leaned over, and whispered in John’s ear, “Enjoy your new life, bitch.”

She walked out of the cell leaving John standing there in confusion.