City Visit

A story from Blushes Supplement 17, which reads like another of R.T. Mason’s Iron Curtain tales.

On the table was a miniature television set, almost like a toy but real, showing a picture. She hadn’t seen one like that before, not a small one, but it did not excite the interest it would otherwise have because of everything else. Being here, in this building, in this room, in just her nightdress. Shivering, though it wasn’t cold. It was quite warm in fact. The radiator. At home they didn’t have radiators either, not like this. So that was strange too, though not so much as the television. Natalia shivered again. He would be coming back shortly. She sought to remember his name, the name he had said. Krilkin? Yes, that was it. He had picked her up at the railway station. A man in a suit and tie who had looked like an official and that was what he had said. ‘I am from the Department of Internal Security. May I see your papers, Miss?’

Her friend Olga had warned her. ‘They pick you up if you aren’t careful, Natalia. It happened to Irina. The station is especially bad.’

Natalia hadn’t disregarded this warning but thought she could avoid it by being alert. And she had seen him coming and had turned and begun walking briskly away with her suitcase. Perhaps that had been a mistake. Anyway he had come after her and caught her up. A hand on her shoulder. ‘Excuse me, Miss. May I have a word…’ And then him saying he was from Internal Security.

She had her ID but not a travel pass. They were very difficult to get, especially into the capital, unless you had a very good reason. The government didn’t want people wandering all over the place. Who could tell what they might he up to? And with young people, young girls especially, there was always the thought of immorality. Unmarried girls of that age should be living at home where their parents could be responsible for them. Males of a similar age would naturally be doing their military service. So it was girls the authorities were on the lookout for.

‘You have a travel pass, Miss?’

Natalia had made some feeble attempt at an excuse. She seemed to have lost it. No doubt he had heard that before. ‘You had better come with me, Miss. Unless you wish to be handed over to the police?’

No, she hadn’t wanted that. The State Police would be worse. She had heard of girls who had fallen foul of the Stapos. They had not wanted to repeat the experience. But… how did she know that this Insec man would be any better? She should have asked Olya what had happened to that girl Irina, but Natalia hadn’t wanted to, it had seemed like tempting fate.

So they had walked to his car, Natalia with that sick feeling in her stomach. A longish drive through the night streets. When the car finally stopped it wasn’t an office, the Ministry, or didn’t appear to be. A residential apartment block. That was certainly what it was like inside. It must be his own apartment. This Mr Krilkin. With things like the miniature television and this slim modern radiator throwing out seductive heat. Luxury living in the big city.

In the car he had naturally been questioning her. Natalia had told the truth: that she had a friend, or more accurately an acquaintance, a girl she had met in the summer, whom she was hoping to stay with. No, she hadn’t made firm arrangements. Having said that Natalia almost immediately wondered if it might have been better to say she had. Then he would think she was expected and so there would be inquiries. As it was…

She had told her parents. They hadn’t wanted her to go — especially as she didn’t have a pass. They probably wouldn’t make inquiries either, not right away, because it would get her into trouble. And so…

All of this had been running through her mind in the car and then here in this apartment. No one would know where she was. And this Mr Krilkin knew that.

Once they were here he said, ‘It is of course a very serious affair. You will stay here tonight. And then we shall see. We must have more questions first. Are you hungry?’

Natalia had shaken her head. She felt sick, not hungry. ‘In that case go into that bedroom. Unpack your things. Have you got a nightdress?’

A frightened nod.

‘Get undressed then. Have a wash if you like. Then put the nightdress on and come back out here. Is that clever?’

She glanced again at the television, at its little picture. It was some sort of show but the sound was turned down so you couldn’t tell what. The television was in a little darkened alcove under the stairs. The stairs had a glass panel and there was a bright light on the other side. There was a swivel chair in front of the television, and a stool. It was a very modern apartment. She had never been in a place like this before. It must be very expensive. That girl, Alexandra, her place would not be like this, they would not be able to afford it. But was she ever going to see Alexandra’s place now?

What was going to happen, that was the question filling her mind. With all sorts of sickening thoughts rolling around. She had done what he had said. Undressed and put on her nightdress. That made it worse, being in just the thin nightdress. Travelling without a pass was a serious offence, she knew that. You could be sent to a Correction Centre. Why had she been told to put the nightdress on? Natalia shivered again, in spite of the hot radiator.

He came back in. She saw him through the bright, opaque glass panel coming down the stairs and then there he was. He had changed, it wasn’t the suit now but a casual shirt. Perhaps that made him slightly less frightening — but on the other hand she was in just the nightdress. Her bare body vulnerable and helpless underneath. Natalia’s hands at her sides automatically gripped the thin material, holding it tight to her.

He sat down in the chair, turning it so that he was facing her. ‘Mmmm. Good. A very pretty nightdress, Natalia. And of course a very pretty girl. But pretty girls are especially at risk, aren’t they? Travelling around by themselves. Or perhaps even thinking of selling themselves. Eh?’

She flushed, ‘No. No I wasn’t.’

‘Are you a virgin then, Natalia.’

Her hands squeezed at the cloth. She nodded.

‘I can check that of course. Put you up on the table and open your legs. Mmmm?’

Natalia shivered. ‘No. Please…’ She had the sudden thought that this was why she was in her nightdress.

‘That is what would happen if I took you to the Stapo office. Two of them holding you and another one making the examination. And not at all gently either. All in a girl’s own interest, they would tell you. And even if they found that you were a virgin you would still be sent to the Correction Centre for a spell. Young girls of your age have to be taught to be sensible. And if a girl’s father hasn’t ensured that she is sensible, it is done at the Centre. You know that.’

Natalia didn’t answer. She could feel herself shaking, shivering.

‘You’re not cold, Natalia? In just that pretty nightdress?’

She shook her head. It wasn’t that she was cold. ‘Step back a bit, close to the radiator. Lift your nightdress. Warm your bottom.’

Natalia hesitated. She didn’t want to do that. His voice came again harder. ‘Do it, Miss. Haven’t you been taught to do what you’re told?’

She did it. Stepped back a pace and lifted her nightdress behind — but kept the front down. She could feel the hot glow of the radiator against her exposed flesh. She took a deep breath, thinking of her bare bottom.

‘That’s better. Haven’t you been taught to do as you’re told, Natalia? Your father. Doesn’t he cane you? Or use his belt perhaps?’

She shook her head. ‘Is that so? I think that is rather lax of him. Girls should be given a sharp reminder from time to time. If you had, Miss, no doubt you would not have been breaking the law in that manner.’

‘So perhaps that is what we need now. A cane sharply applied to that now nicely warming bottom. Do you think? Or a belt? I can tell you that is what you would get at the Stapo office. After they had carefully checked out whether you were a virgin or not.’

Natalia’s blue eyes stared at the carpet. It was something else to think about, something else to make her shiver.

‘It is warm now? That bottom? Come here. Let me see it, this nice warm bottom. That you say has never been caned or strapped. Stand here, across the stool. One leg either side. And keep your nightdress up of course.’

The stool made her spread her legs. And her nightdress had to be up, at the back at least. Up round her waist, to completely bare her bottom. Natalia clutched it to her front but that was no protection, no comfort. She was open, fully exposed. Her bare round bottom a ripe fruit before Mr Krilkin. She gave a gaspy yelp as his hand sharply smacked the ripeness. And then the hand was on her thigh. Halfway up, gripping the soft flesh at the back.

‘Good. That’s it. What a lovely girl, Natalia. What a lovely bottom. And you say no one’s had you yet. Mmmm?’ The hand slid up, fingers round the inside. ‘There must be lots of boys, and men, back home wanting to try this, eh Natalia?’

‘Don’t…’ she whispered. But he merely told her to raise her hands higher, lift the bunched nightdress higher. The hand was high inside her thigh now, stroking and teasing the sensitive flesh. And above the hand she was completely bare, open. She felt a desperate urge to lurch forward, away from the stool and close her legs. Or jerk the nightdress down in between her open thighs. But she couldn’t…

‘Lovely and warm now, Natalia. Up here. And here.’ She gave a little wail. The hand had moved those extra few centimetres. His knuckle was there, where there were soft curls… and wetness. ‘Eh Natalia?’ She wanted to collapse but she didn’t. The hand turned, to become face up, or the first two fingers were.

His voice soft. ‘Keep still, Miss. We have to see, haven’t we,’ The fingers… had slid inside. ‘Nice and still.’ She clutched at the nightdress. The room was dipping and sliding. She thought she was going to faint.

No. She didn’t. Hadn’t. And his hand had at last moved away. Leaving her quivering, legs like jelly. A yelp as the hand sharply smacked her bottom again.

‘Yes Miss. Well, I think we need something now. Something to teach law-breaking girls a lesson. And I have something for that, Natalia. A cane. A nice little cane.’

‘No! Please…’ Her shocked voice quavering. She was still astride the stool, nightdress obediently held high.

‘Yes, I think so. We’ll give you a taste of the cane, see how you like that. And then… we’ll see what next. Get over that stool. Bend over it.’

Mr Krilkin smacked her bottom again. And went over to the other side of the room. He came back with it in his hand. A cane… Natalia had never been caned. Some girls got it but she hadn’t. She looked at it and then at the soundless movements still on the little screen. She felt sick. The cane came out and whipped painfully across her leg. ‘Get over, Natalia. Bend over.’