Chapter 11

“Punishment dress for one week. Report to Matron straight away and ask her to issue you with some.”

The Governess’s words had barely registered with Anna before she was dismissed. Only two weeks into her sentence and already she was on report for failing yet another dormitory inspection despite several warnings. Worse still, she was about to suffer the humiliation of having to wear a specially-designed punishment costume for a week. A whole week, just because she was a few seconds late making her bed that morning.

Later, upstairs in the storeroom, Anna stood facing the Matron and one of the younger wardresses, nervously fingering the seam of her uniform, not wanting to take the punishment garment held out for her to put on.

“Are you going to do as you’re told and put this on, Dobson?” Matron’s voice was beginning to sound impatient.

Close to tears, the tall 32-year-old woman shook her head defiantly. She had already witnessed one of the other inmates dressed in the absurd outfit known as the ‘Bad Bunny’ suit because of a pair of large rabbit ears attached to the hood of the ill-fitting one-piece costume and dreaded the prospect of suffering the same awful embarrassment. Made of stretched nylon material, it was designed to be worn so that it buttoned up at the back but left the buttocks exposed as an added humiliation. The sleeves ended in fingerless mittens thus rendering the wearer helpless but looking and feeling foolish and humiliated while facilitating the application of corporal punishment. The thought of being like that for a whole week was too much for Anna.

“If you don’t get undressed, we’ll have to get someone to help us do it for you,” said the other, much younger woman. Nancy Thomas wasn’t much older than Anna, yet still addressed her like a naughty child instead of someone her own age.

“I can’t wear that.” Anna’s voice was little more than a whisper. Biting her lower lip in trepidation, she raised her large grey eyes pleadingly to the mistress. It was humiliating to have to plead but she desperately did not want to have to wear such a ridiculous outfit.

“I’m afraid it’s the Governess’s orders, Dobson. Now do as you are told and get undressed. You don’t want to make things worse by having to be undressed as well, do you?”

Anna shook her head, aware of the hopelessness of her situation. With a groan of despair, she began to slowly undress under the watchful gaze of the two women; first unbuttoning the front of her uniform with fumbling fingers, then removing her shoes, socks, tie and blouse until she stood in just her underwear. For a moment she hesitated, not wanting to undergo the shame of appearing naked in front of the other women but knowing she had to take everything off, slid the elasticated waistband of her knickers down her thighs and stepped out of them. When finally she unfastened the clasp of her bra, Anna stood silently, arms clasped in front of her, eyes lowered in shame.

Nancy Thomas handed her a diaper and a pair of orange rubber pants. “These first.”

“Oh no, please!” Anna protested. “Have I got to wear them?”

“We don’t want any accidents, do we,” said Nancy mockingly. “Put them on, Dobson…”

“Please, Miss…..”

Nancy thrust the diaper and rubber pants into Anna’s hands. “Get them on girl, this instant!”

Hey eyes filled with tears, Anna took the diaper and fastened it between her legs. Choking with sobs, Anna then inserted one white limb after the other into the rubber pants and pulled them slowly up her limbs thighs, feeling the elastic snapping and clinging against her flesh, until at last she was left standing in the rubber training pants feeling utterly humiliated.

Anxious to get the ordeal over as soon as possible, she reluctantly took the one-piece punishment suit from the senior matron and began putting it on, first one leg and then the other.

“You’re putting it on back to front,” Matron observed scornfully. “It’s supposed to fasten at the back!”

Confused, Anna stepped out of it and tried again, this time pulling it right up until she was able to put her arms in the sleeves. As the ends of the sleeves were sewn up, she stood helplessly, wondering what she was supposed to do next.

“Turn round so that I can do you up,” said Nancy Thomas.

Anna obeyed, feeling cold and naked in the ill-fitting garment as the younger woman slowly fastened the buttons at her back.

“There,” said Nancy when she had finished, standing back and looking at Anna. “Let’s have a look at you.”

“How long have I got to wear this?” she asked tearfully, her voice little more than a whisper.

“You’ve got to stay like that for a week, Dobson. Isn’t that what the Governess said?”

“A week!” Anna protested. Her punishment seemed so unfair, just because she hadn’t folded her own pyjamas properly.

“Maybe it’ll teach you to be more tidy in future,” said Nancy with a sardonic smile, evidently enjoying Anna’s discomfort. “Off you go now.”

In a daze of embarrassment and confusion, Anna made her way slowly downstairs to the main hall, trying to decide where she should go, desperately not wanting to be seen yet knowing she must return to her lessons. As she stood hesitating in the hall doorway, the bell for morning activity sounded, reminding her that she was due to report to the gym for PT.

Anna dreaded the prospect of anyone seeing her dressed as she was. How could she possibly endure a whole week dressed like that, she wondered miserably.
With a sigh of despair, Anna went slowly downstairs to the main hall, trying to decide where she should go, desperately not wanting to be seen yet knowing she must return to her lessons. As she stood hesitating in the hall doorway, the bell for afternoon activity sounded, reminding her that she was due to report to the gym for PT. Miserably, Anna realised she would have to go there or risk further punishment if she didn’t.

Making her way warily along the corridor, Anna hardly looked where she was going. She had loitered in the hall until she was sure most of the girls had left, but now it was six minutes since the bell had gone and she knew that she needed to hurry. Anna felt sick. She could feel her heart pumping away at twice its normal speed. The next half an hour or so was going to be awful in any case but at least she didn't have to make it still worse by being late. She hadn't wanted anyone to see her, but now she realised that she might have waited too long.

"Hey, Anna! Is that you?"

Oh, god. It was the voice of Sheila, a girl in her dormitory. The last thing that she wanted was to talk to her now. Anna lowered her head, pretending that she hadn't heard and continued to hurry along the corridor. It was no use. The other girl ran up to her and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Anna! What’s happened?"

Anna carried on walking quickly along the corridor and shook her head, not looking into Sheila's eyes.

"Why are you wearing that? Is it a punishment?" asked Sheila, concerned at her friend's discomfort.

Anna knew that she would have to tell her. After all it was only a matter of time before everyone knew. “I’ve got to stay like this for a week,” she muttered bitterly.

Sheila immediately understood the significance of the punishment dress.

"Oh, Anna! I'm so sorry . . . That’s awful. What on earth did you do?"

"I failed dorm inspection this morning. It’s so bloody unfair."

"Don't worry. It's your first time, isn't it?"

Anna nodded.

"Well, you'll be okay. It's horrible but you'll soon get used to it. You'd better hurry or you’ll be in more trouble if you're late!"

Anna nodded and hurried on towards the gym.

As Anna neared the gym she saw a queue of girls lined up outside the changing rooms under the eye of the young gym teacher. Nervously, she joined the end of the line uncomfortably aware of that, dressed as she was, the eyes of everyone were on her.

The teacher looked at her and grunted. "Just in time! What's your name, girl?"

Anna answered her, rather surprised that the teacher did not comment on her attire. Miss Drake made a mark against her name in a list she was holding, well aware that the woman in the ‘Bad Bunny’ costume would have to remain dressed as she was for the session.

"Right! That's it!" she announced. "It's five to four. One girl's still not here and she'll be regretting that before too long! The rest of you file into the changing room and stand by the benches."