Mor
Part I: The Transformation
I knew exactly what my orders were and I was ready. Bella’s face contorted with bewilderment while I strapped the cape tightly around her neck.
I pulled out the spray bottle and began taming and flattening the thick, glossy wall of chestnut brown that hung down from her head. Once they were stationary, I separated the heavy wet trunks into four sections, coiling the top to reveal the lower section of hair.
Bella did not have a mirror in front of her and she was obeying instructions to remain still, so she could only feel and hear what surrounded her.
Swiftly, I brandished the clippers from the cupboard and switched them to the desired setting. The razor began its abrasive yet hynotising hum and I guided them patiently towards her lower head.
It was easier than I’d ever imagined. The cold metal cheerily buzzed away as it greedily confronted the brown chestnut fortress in front of it. Over the next few minutes, more and more of the wall fell, tumbling down her back and shoulders, gradually uncovering a pleasantly curved nape covered by a thin layer of soft dark fuzz.
I turned off my weapon and the hum stopped. I set it down and glanced towards Bella’s face. The fear in her eyes was unmistakeable – but she had no choice. Was she trembling?
The next part would be much less noisy. I gently and swiftly sprayed the fuzz wrapped around her nape. I realised I had said nothing to Bella so far, so I took the silence that followed as an opportunity to speak.
“It’ll be great to get you all cleaned up,” I firmly remarked as I squirted the cold cream onto my hands and began to gently coat it around her lower head.
Bella flinched at the sudden sensation as I steadied my hand razor. Slowly but surely, the dark fuzzy layer that clung to her nape gave way, revealing a soft white inward curve. I cleaned off the final specks of cream. She shivered at the novel sensation of hands stroking the exposed, blanched area just above her neck.
There was much more to do and no time to waste. I uncoiled the hair at the top of her head and swiftly took out a long, sharp pair of blades. They twinkled almost threateningly as I positioned them just above her ear.
Without further ado, the blades opened and shut for the first time with a SNAP. Immediately, the walled shield tumbled, unveiling the snow-white cavern it had previously defended.
I snapped the blades a second time, widening the cavern further. The third time, my hand swiftly moved, creating a breeze which must have caressed her neck as I felt her gently flinch.Perhaps she’d never felt that before.
I continued snapping away around her head. My scissors were guided by a precise perimeter. In one fell swoop, my blades had introduced her ears to the world.
I had now created a shapely dome with only two thick long tendrils remaining. They hung down the side of her front temples, waiting to be cleared.
“Close your eyes,” I ordered calmly.
Bella trembled once more and obeyed, her eyes locking tightly shut before I moved the remaining sections in front of them.
I guided the scissors a little higher than before, carefully aligning them around half an inch above her brow. I began slicing away slowly to clear away the final long tendrils.
I resented saying this but Bella actually had a pretty face. Usually it was puckered into a superior sneer, the corners of her mouth curling upwards in derision and her large, scornful eyes beamed with superiority.
Today, however, her lips were pursed and trembling. I made the finishing touches, snipping away at her temple until my scissors made their final flourish.
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Part II: One more thing…
I paused, stopping to breathe deeply before stepping forward and turning. It was time to review my work.
I stifled a gasp of delight as I began to inspect my work.
You could see traces of her formerly glorious cloak. It was now truncated to nothing more than a perfect shiny dome, which traversed her crown and partially wrapped her forehead.
A razor-thin line separated this glossy brown dome from the bare and soft ivory of Bella’s nape. Not a single hair clung below it. It was flawless. Her two ears were tinged pink as if bashfully greeting the world, encircled by smooth skin and positioned an inch below the shiny dome.
But as I turned to look at her face, something wasn’t quite right. I wasn’t done.
It was wonderful to see Bella’s eyes shining fearfully, glistening with helpless anticipation.
But I felt she could still somehow hide. I knew exactly what to do.
“Tilt your head back,” I calmly commanded her.
Bella obeyed. Once again, I dispensed the cool, white foam onto my hands and smeared the soft white peaks onto her face, encircling her tightly-shut eyelids.
With my left hand, I cupped the back of Bella’s bare head. It felt brand new, as soft as butter. My right hand, meanwhile, gently pulled the hand razor around her face, cleaning up all remaining specks of foam.
The razor made its final glides above her eye sockets. The job was done. Removing her cape, I knew she was ready to be presented to the world.
