Restraints

“Why do you have restraints?”

“I don’t really know, Allison” my best friend Lauren answered. She flicked a strand of her waist length brown hair away from her face and continued to stare at her laptop. “My boss said its because children can’t sit still sometimes. But that seems very cruel. Plus they’re too heavy duty for that”

“Yeah they seem far too heavy duty for that” I inspected the weird looking metal on either side of the armrests. You couldn’t tell what they were there if you didn’t look close. “How long are you going to be?”

“I shouldn’t be long. Atleast if this thing cooperates” she jabbed hard at her laptop keyboard.

“Ok then” I decided not to distract her from her admin work. It was weird being in a salon after hours I suppose Lauren was use to it, working here. But to me it was slightly eary.

In one of the mirrors I caught my reflection. My long sunkissed blonde hair falling too below my breasts. The cute wooly jumper and bobble hat I was wearing. Although despite the cold, I still wore a skirt and leggings because I hated trousers. A long scarf wrapped around my neck and with a single nose stud. I was good looking but in an overly cutesy way, pretty rather then gorgeous.

“Huhh” I sighed taking a seat in one of the large comfy seats. My legs pushed the seat from side to side as I waited for Lauren to finish her work.

“I’m nearly done” Lauren called out.

“Ok”

I leaned back into the chair and continued to spin the chair, side to side, in boredom. I’m acting like a toddler not a full grown woman of 22 I thought to myself. A remote on the worktop grabbed my attention.

I picked up the small black remote. It didn’t look like any remote I recognised. My mind couldn’t help but grow curious and I pressed a button.

Big mistake.

Snap.

The metal straps pulled out and wrapped around my wrists. The shock caused me to drop the remote to the ground. More restraints I hadn’t noticed snapped out around me. One wrapped around my waist and pulled me tight to the chair. Another restraint grabbed around my ankles forcing my feet to the footrest. Most shocking was the restraint that appeared  around my neck. It was able to hold perfectly head still though an immovable metal collar that seemed to appear out of nowhere.

“Err Lauren…?” My voice quivered.

“One second, Allison, I’m nearly finished”

“No Lauren, not that”

“What is it?… Oh” I heard her heels click against the salons tiled floor. “What do we have here?”

“Don’t piss around Lauren just let me go”

“Oh your not getting off so easy” she spun me around to face the mirror. My bobble hat was flicked of and her hands ran through my hair before planting themselves on my shoulders. “So what are we doing?”

“Nothing, your going to let me go”

“Come on, not even a trim. You never let me cut your hair”

“Thats not true.”

“Ok, you did once but that was years ago. When was the last time you had a trim.”

“I don’t know. 6 months, a year”

“Exactly way to long. You need a good chopping.” She picked up my long blonde hair and showed its lifeless ends. I did need a trim.

“Fine if you let me go. I’ll let you give you a trim”

“Why don’t I give you a trim then I let you go?” She pulled my hair together gathering it into a giant bun with a plastic claw.

“Because I don’t trust you”

Her jaw dropped in mock offense. “How dare you” she retrieved a strip of paper and wrapped it tight around my neck just above where it was held in place by the metal collar. A crisp white cape was fluttered over me and clipped together at the back.

“Lauren… please?”

“How long have you had your hair this long”

“Since I was 12, so 10 years”

“Exactly time for a change” she pulled my hair out of the clip and let it fall back onto my back.

“But I have never had my hair short what if I hate it”

“Who said anything about short. Although you would look cute with…”

“No” I snapped, although the thought had crossed my mind. Not that I would ever have admitted that.

“If you have never had short hair before how do you know you won’t love it”

…

My mouth open but no words left them. My head struggled to find what to say.

Lauren pulled some of my hair forward but the rest back. It mimicked a long lob. “You would look stunning with something shorter” she wasn’t wrong “and it would be so much less of a hassle ever morning”

She could tell I was considering what she was saying. But also that I was unconvinced. “You know what. If you let me cut you hair… I’ll go on that road trip with you”

I paused still not convinced.

“Tell you what. I’ll flip a coin if you win I’ll just give you a trim. If I win I get to give you a proper chop.”

I considered it for a second. “If I win will you still go on the road trip”

“Yes” she tighed her waist length hair in a ponytail as she spoke.

I tried to speak but once again couldn’t find the words.

“Heads or tails”

“Tails…” my voice was slow.

She flipped a coin. It flew high only to bounce onto the floor. The noise of it landing echoed in my mind.

“What is it?…”

She smiled.

“Allison… You are going to look stunning”

My heart dropped. I tried to move again only to fail to escape the chairs restraints.

“Now behave yourself now” her voice was soft and taunting “your going to be a good girl for me aren’t you”

She picked up a brush and began to run it through my hair. The soft sun-kissed locks that had framed my face for my whole life that I had just doomed. Lauren moved my head to the side and used a parting comb to section my hair. She created a straight line around my crown holding the hair up in her hand.

A quick, fluent motion tied it into a small bun on the top of my head. The majority of my thick locks still fell over my shoulders and onto the cape. Lauren picked something up I didn’t recognise. A comb like attachment was taken off.

The thing, whatever it was, was brought to the back of my head. She pushed my head to look down. The metal of the restraint pressed against my throat.

Click.

Gulp.

Buzz…

Lauren gave me no warning as she pushed the clippers into my hairline. The vibrations mowed up my skull. Every touch against my sensitive, newly exposed, skin caused a red hot heat to grow deep inside my chest.

My jaw dropped and I could feel a second path being stripped away from my head. She folded over my ear and pulled the clippers over them. As the blade slid along my side burn I could catch a first look at my freshly shorn hair.

“What. The…”

“Shhhh” a firm hand silenced me. “Don’t worry. This is all going to be under so you won’t see it.”

I didn’t speak instead silently pouting my disapproval.

“Shut up. I’m not finished yet”

“I didn’t say anything”

“You thought it”

“Am I not allowed to think?” I laughed, trying to distract myself from the blades running against my head. And the warmth in my stomach.

“Only happy thoughts” She pushed my head to the side and continued stripping the side of my head.

I could hardly look at my reflection. On the left of my head my long flowing against the cape. It’s length familiar, long and thick with the slightest of gentle waves. But on the right, there was nothing. The hair that rested on the cape wasn’t flowing to below my waist like waves lapping on a beach. But lay severed. Crashing down in a pile on my lap.

My ear had been left vulnerable. Exposed in a way it never had been before, with no length to shield it from the elements. The cherished length I had loved all my life was now 20 inch long coils on my lap or falling on the floor.

I closed my eyes. Wanting this to be a dream, for me to wake up with the reassuring warmth of my long blonde hair to be layed out over my pillows. But the clippers now being run over the left side of my head let me know that wasn’t going to happen for a long, long time. A lump started to grow in my throat. Though the cape, I could tell my knuckles where white from the force they gripped onto the arm rests. My ass and thighs clenched together tightly.

My eyes opened. Lauren had shoved my face down so it stared at my lap. At the pile of hair looking to swallow me whole. My eyes moved upwards. The cape that had been covered by my flowing locks moments ago was bare except for a handful of straglers holding on.

When my eyes continued up to my head. Oh god I didn’t recognise myself. I looked alien, what little hair I had on the side of my head was so short and blonde it was practically invisible. I could see the pale skin underneath. My ears stuck out awkwardly and overall I just looked strange. I didn’t look like the cute classicly beautiful ‘girl next door’ who a I normally saw in the mirror.

Tears began to form in the back of them. I tried to look between the mirrors reflection and the pile of hair in my lap. Both felt wrong.

“Just think of how much time you’re going to save every morning” Lauren smiled. Her own waist length mane, perfectly healthy from tip to ends, more envy inducing than ever.

A tear began to trickle down my cheek. Lauren was making another pass with much more force than necessary.

“Don’t worry. This is all under you’ll be able to hide it when you want but it’s just going to be less work, so much easier, so much cooler in summer.” She finished with the clippers and placed her hands on my shoulders in attempt to reassure me. “And you get to have a cool edgy style whenever you put it in a ponytail or a bun”

“Yeah I guess” I sniffled. Her smile was infectious and I could feel a slight one grow on my lips.

She picked up the clip from the messy bun at the top of my head. The hair cascaded down covering every hint of the undercut.

“See you still have hair” The half of my hair that remained hid any trace of damage. You couldn’t tell it was any different then when I sat down, except for the pile of hair around me. “Just a little bit lighter”

“Yeah it feels really… weird?” It might have looked like nothing happened but it had. My head felt lighter where it’s cloak had been severed. My sensitive bare skin brushed against the thick hair that remained. Strands fell over my ears, it felt odd. More like it was something touching me than the hair was mine.

“But not too scary” her hands rubbed my shoulder.

“No” as I spoke though a numbing fear filled my body.

“Good” she smiled and her long brown ponytail slid over her shoulder as she spoke. “You’ve been very brave. Do you want me to keep going or just trim the ends?”

“I’ve already let you shave half my head haven’t I? Do what you want”

“I’m going to enjoy this” she adjusted her brown framed glasses. “I know change can be scary but… I promise your going to love this.” She pulled the still long hair behind my back. I could see the undercut at the sides as she began to comb through my remaining mane.

“Yeah, I’m sure you know something about that”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Oh I don’t know… when was the last time you had a haircut?” I joked her comb hitting a knot in my hair.

“Actually, last week”

“Ok, when was the last time you cut your hair and it wasn’t a half inch trim”

She pouted slightly. “Fair point.” We both new the answer, nearly 6 years ago when her stylist chopped 7 inches off after she asked for a trim. She had been inconsolable, hadn’t worn her hair down for a month, and had kept her hair the same ever since. The same waist length, the same milk chocolate colour.

“Exactly, you never do anything with your hair. Your so boring”

Lauren’s jaw dropped in mock offense. “Thats not true I do loads with my hair” She was half correct. She would do tonnes of intricate updos, fun buns and braids, and she often curled her hair. But in terms of cuts and colour never.

“A French braid doesn’t count. Though you would suit a French bob” she physically shuddered as I suggest that.

“You know what, if you want exciting, I can do that” she picked up a delicate, razor sharp, pair off scissors. Snipping the air infront of my face. “I think you need to remember who’s in the chair.”

I went to speak but, as she pushed my head forwards, the metal restraint hit my throat. Somehow, I forgot that I was even trapped here. Lauren had all my hair laying on my back where I couldn’t see it. Her scissors approached the right.

Schnip.

Schnip.

Schnip.

I held my breath. And clenched. I couldn’t yet see how much had been cut. But I knew it was allot. Her scissors continued to cut little sections as the moved from right to left. She smoothed out the cut hair.

“Ah… My god” I gasped. A cut strand fell in front of my shoulder. It was short. Neck length, my hair hadn’t been this short since I was 8.

“You wanted exciting”

“I thought you were going to add highlights not chop off all my hair”

“I don’t know?” She smoothed a strand of hair around my face. “I think some colour would really make you stand out”

I rolled my eyes. “Don’t”

“It’ll look good” she finished cutting and fluffed up the newly short hair.

“Lauren” my voice still stead but a hint of panic trickled in.

“I’ve told you don’t worry”

She turned and walked to the back of the salon. I tried to move again. The metal clamps didn’t budge.

“Lauren” I called again. Wondering if I should have been so confident earlier, or whether that was biting me in the arse now.

“I’m here” Lauren walked back holding a small purple bowl. She mixed its contence with a brush made from a similar purple material. “And don’t think your going to talk me out of this. I’ve already mixed the dye”

My mind raced with words to say. But it was too late. Before a word left my mouth she had perfected my mid part and started to paste something onto the left hand of the part.

A gasp escaped my lips. It was dark. Very dark, black even. Lauren continued to smooth it into my once sunkissed blonde hair only too notice my reaction.

“Tell you what” she put down the brush and turned my chair so it didn’t face the mirror. Instead I was staring at the glass shopfront and highstreet beyond. “This way you don’t have to worry”

“Thanks allot” I groaned.

“Your welcome” she chose to ignore my sarcasm and focus on my hair. She was sectioning and pinning back my chunks of hair. The only sensation I could feel was the cold dye being painted against my scalp.

It tried to see what was going on in the storefronts reflection, but was unable to make anything out. As people passed they glanced at me through the window. The men taking quick looks when they thought I didn’t notice, the women much less afraid to stare. Lauren left for a second, only to come back and finish painting the right of my head.

“Now while that sets I can finish my work in peace” I could hear the smug smile in her voice.

“Haha very funny” the restraint resisted any attempt to move.

Her heels clicked against the tiles on the floor. I was left with little option but to watch the passers-by. I wondered if as many looked at me when I was facing the mirror. A young  boy even stopped and pointed while her mum tried to get him to move on.

I was just a glance or a quick look before people went on with their day. Would they even have noticed the pile of hair around me and made the connection to the life changing change that had occurred. But that was mine. And to them I was just a quick glance on their journey.

“Let’s get this dye washed out then” I hadn’t noticed the Lauren creeping up behind me until her hands where on my shoulders.

She pulled the headrest back until my head landed in a sink. Her perfectly manicured nails scraped through my scalp, rubbing water though each and every strand. It was quick, too quick. I normally enjoyed having shampoo massaged into my scalp. But this was weird, the mammoth task of washing my hair seemed simple. The shortened locks washed and dried too quickly. Worse yet was the undercut, without any hair to wash, the wet hair I did have just stuck too my head.

She pulled the chair back upright and began to comb and section my hair again. Presumably, the previous cuts had simply been removing the length. Now, I’m guessing, she would be doing the final cut. That meant only one thing, my already short hair would be getting even shorter.

“Are you going to let me see what I look like” I asked realising Lauren placed we once again facing the storefront rather than the mirror.

“No” She finished brushing. I was scared to realise that I couldn’t feel any of my hair on or over my shoulders. “You can wait for now”

I pouted, but by now I had come to except it was too late. My hair was going to end up in whatever style Lauren chose whether I wanted it too or not. I didn’t even know what colour it was, although I suspected she had turned me into a dark haired brunette.

Snip, snip.

Her scissors started to do the final cut on a little section at the back. I closed my eyes again, the white noise of the heating groaning and the snip, snip of her’s scissors cutting through. The only things keeping me from falling asleep was Lauren moving and rescetioning my hair and the dread I felt. My head was clear now, light even, but it still filled my chest and stomach.

I opened my eyes. They met Lauren’s.

“No”

Her scissors were too close to my face. I tried to force myself away but the, now warm, metal around my neck wouldn’t budge.

“If you don’t sit still it’s only going to be worse for you”

“But Lauren please… I don’t want a fringe”

“I’m not going to cut a fringe… unless you keep being difficult”

I relented, let her point my head upwards, and closed my eyes. Snip, snip, snip. Wet hair fell onto my face, it touched my lips, before Lauren brushed it to fall into my lap. The cut strands length and her scissors cold touch on my forehead made my doubt if my decision to trust her.

“Just a hint of bangs” I opened my eyes to see her smile.

“A hint of bangs sounds allot like bangs”

“No… well a bit but just a hint” she stepped behind me again and fluffed up my hair. “I think you’re done”

“I better be, we’re beyond late”

“Well… are you ready too see”

I took a long deep breath, hoping the cold air would ease the burning I felt in my chest. “No”

Lauren chuckled a little. “It’s going to be a shock at first. But I promise you will grow to love it.”

“Your not making this any eas…”

My jaw dropped. Lauren had turned the chair so I could see the mirror.

“Lauren!?”

“Allison…”

“Lauren!? I have a job”

My hair was short barely touching my shoulders, which wasn’t as bad as I feared. But the colour. The left was dyed a midnight black that no light escaped. But on the right. It was a fire truck red, split dyed down the middle except for the front that was left my natural blonde colour. It was strange, edgy, avant-garde even. On my forehead black and blonde bangs framed my features to a completely new dimension.

As I sat, starstruck. Lauren chucked my hair into a bun. The red and black mixing together. She picked up a mirror so I could see the back. My blonde stubble was invisible just showing bare pale skin underneath. The… my undercut was high, reaching the curve of my skull. She dropped the hair out of the bun showing that they still covered the undercut completely. It was still weird feeling my hair against my bare undercut, but weirder still was seeing that the back of my head contained a line splitting jet black and fire truck red hair.

“You’ll be fine, aren’t they pretty chill at that place”

“They are but I don’t know if there that chill”

“I’m sure you’ll be fine” she flicked my cape off, all the hair that had gathered in my lap tumbled onto the tile floor.

With a click suddenly the restraints pulled back into the seat. I didn’t move, maybe it wasn’t the restraint that where keeping me in place. I should have been angry, but I wasn’t. And I didn’t know why.

“I’m going to get you back”

“Are you now” she smiled as she swept up my cherished hair from floor.

“Yes” I jumped up from the chair. “As soon as I can think of how”

She was bent over sweeping. Her long thick ponytail fell over her shoulder. It was prestine, perfectly healthy from years of pampering and loving attention. Just as mine was, well had been. Now those beautiful locks where in a dustpan.

My had reached out and brushed through my hair enjoying feeling the soft sensitive skin at my undercut. And the feelings that ran down my spine as it was touched.

“Are you done with your work now”

“Yeah. But thanks to someone I need to tidy again” Lauren joked, “won’t be long”

As we left the salon, I couldn’t help but catch my reflection in the mirror. I needed to go shopping. My clothes didn’t fit the my new hair, or the new me. Looking back I saw Lauren walking ahead of me her long ponytail wagging behind her.

 

fin

 

Thanks for reading. Any feedback is welcome and please let me know if you want to see a sequel or have any ideas on how Allison could get her revenge.