An Ounce of Prevention (ch 5 11-09)

[little_kitetail]

I wrote this for the Puericil archive, but I thought I'd try posting it here to see if I could get some more feedback. I'll start with the first two chapters. Let me know if you want me to continue.

An Ounce of Prevention

Introduction

First described by Dr. Sabrina Malone in her foundational work on Alternative Neo-Psychology, Socially Aggravated Gendered Entitlement (SAGE) refers to a pattern of behavior observed in young boys. This behavior is marked by a consistent disregard for boundaries and a tendency to objectify others, especially women. In patriarchal society, such misbehavior is often dismissed as minor or age-typical. However, we recognize that it is both harmful in itself and potentially indicative of more serious issues later in life.

SAGE is sorted into 12 subtypes based on 3 root motivations and 4 mechanisms of offense. This helps with therapy strategies and risk assessment.
Root motivations:

A. Aversion- Viewing girls as lesser or gross. Negative orientation towards femininity and feminine interests.

C. Curiosity- Age-inappropriate pseudo-sexual interest in feminine bodies.

P. Power- Intense fixation on power and control, sometimes paraphiliac. Desire to dominate or humiliate women and girls.
Primary Mechanism

1. Physical- Shoving, hair-pulling, skirt-flipping.

2. Verbal- Teasing, chanting, manipulation, sexist jokes, etc.

3. Gaze- depriving girls of the right to set their own narrative by either violating privacy or manipulating the scene to portray girls as lesser. Examples can include rumor-spreading or coordinated harassment.

4. Mental- has internalized deeply problematic ideas, but has not acted on them (yet). These are some of the hardest to treat, as they often feel they've done nothing wrong. Often tech-savvy, with a hard drive full of disturbing materials.
Examples

• Aiden often shouts, "Girls have cooties!" On Halloween, he called the girls wearing feminine costumes lame and told the less-traditionally feminine ones that "Girls can't be <superheroes, doctors, etc>!" This makes him a Type A2- Aversion motivated verbal transgressor.

• Gunther posed as a female social media expert on Instagram and tried to convince real girls that they need to "show more skin" in their pictures. Type C3.

Some may wonder why we take a gendered approach, correctly noting that girls are capable of similar behaviors. The reason is that the social context makes a difference. It serves to amplify both the harm done and the likelihood of future escalation when a transgression is committed by a boy. A girl misbehaving is a girl misbehaving. A boy with SAGE tendencies is helping to create a world that's more hostile and dangerous to all women.

Chapter 1: The Longest Meeting of My Young Life

My name is Cody. I live with my mom. My dad died when I was really young, and I don't remember much about him. My mom has always been really nice to me, but she has to work a lot, so I'm at home by myself all the time. This year, my school decided to issue tablets to all the kids to help us get more used to using technology and stuff. They came with an AI assistant, which we could ask for help with anything, according to our teacher, who said this is "the future of education."

Because I had a lot of time on my own, I got pretty good at using it. I learned that the AI could talk about anything and teach me how to do a lot of things. It really helped me not be lonely. I learned about ancient civilizations, all kinds of space trivia, futuristic technology… some really neat stuff.

But over time, my interests became more and more… specific. You see, as long as I can remember, I’ve always been really interested in seeing girls… in trouble. It started with stuff in cartoons. "Damsel in distress" scenes of women tied up or put in dungeons or grabbed by monsters… anything like that. Seeing that kind of thing scared me, and made me feel butterflies in my stomach. I wanted to feel that way all the time. I learned I could use the tablet to find more stuff that made me feel that way, and talk to the AI and have it tell me stories about what I found. There were so many possibilities.

I never thought to ask why I had this interest. But eventually, it became less of an interest and more of a need. My brain wouldn't sit still unless I fed it with more pictures, stories, fantasies, and the more this went on, the more dark and extreme they became. It became all I could think about. At night, I would sneak out of bed just to continue my explorations a bit longer. And when I couldn’t look at the stuff, my brain screamed at me louder and louder until I could. I could barely pay attention in class anymore.

Then, one day, it was gone. I looked all over the house and couldn't find my tablet. I swallowed and slowly worked up the courage to ask, "Mom, have you seen my tablet?"

She answered without looking at me. "I took it to your school's IT department for maintenance."

My blood ran cold. Oh no... no, they're going to find… ok, calm down. "When… when can I get it back?"

She turned to look me in the eye. "Your school wants to talk to us both about that in a couple of days. They're bringing in a specialist from outside. We're going to get you the help you need."

Oh no… oh gosh no.

Location: School Counselor's Office

I had been in this room before, but the woman across the desk was a stranger to me. She introduced herself as Sabrina Malone, and asked me to call her Auntie Sabrina. We had just spent the last couple of hours going over everything I had saved to my tablet. Here's the tail end of that conversation:

Auntie Sabrina: Pulls up an image on Cody’s tablet. How about this one, Cody? Do you want to tell me why you chose to save it?

Cody: I just… I thought she looked pretty…

Auntie Sabrina: Pretty, Cody? She looks scared to me. There's even tears. Are scared women pretty to you? Is it pretty to you when women cry?

Mom: tightens her hand on Cody's shoulder.

Cody: She's… she's just a cartoon character… she doesn't have feelings...

Auntie Sabrina: You're right. She's someone's creation. Did you ever think about how that person would feel to see you degrade something they worked hard on? Did you ever think about how the millions of little girls who look up to her would feel?

Cody: N...no.

Auntie Sabrina: Yes, you did, Cody. You showed this picture to your AI assistant and asked it what her fans would say. You enjoyed the thought of their tears.

Cody: That was just AI! It wasn't really them!

Auntie Sabrina: switches to another image. And how about this girl? Is she pretend?

Cody: No, but…

Auntie Sabrina: Do you know her name?

Cody: Becca Green…

Mom: Cody...

Auntie Sabrina: That's right. She went to school around here, you know. Where did you get this picture?

Cody: From the web…

Auntie Sabrina: From the news.

Cody: Yeah…

Auntie Sabrina: Can you tell me why you have it? All these cartoon women… why did you keep this picture of a real girl?

Cody: Well, it's just… It's hard to find stuff with girls my age...

Auntie Sabrina: You took it from the news report about her being abducted. She never came home. This picture of her being forced into a stranger's car? That's the last anyone ever saw of her. Tell me, Cody, how do you think her family would feel if they knew what you were doing with her picture?

Cody: I don't… they don't… they should be mad at the man who took her, not me! I'm just a kid!

Auntie Sabrina: That man was a kid once, Cody. I've been doing this a long time, and I've seen boys like you grow into men like him more times than I even want to think about.

Cody: I didn't do anything wrong! It was all pretend! Make-believe…

Auntie Sabrina: Alright. Let's talk about something real. Do you know these girls?

Cody: That's Violet, and that's Grace, and Emma… They're in my class… but I don't know them that well…

Auntie Sabrina: You know where they live, don't you?

Cody: …

Auntie Sabrina: You followed them home from school.

Cody: They didn't see me! I was sneaky. They didn't say anything!

Auntie Sabrina: They saw you, Cody. You may not realize this, but even girls as young as your classmates are used to being on the lookout for danger all the time. And that's because of boys like you. They didn't say anything because they didn't want to make a scene. That, too, is something girls have to get used to.

Cody: I thought… I thought I was hidden.

Auntie Sabrina: But Violet told your teacher the next morning. Your teacher told her she was being paranoid, that it was just a coincidence you happened to be in her neighborhood. Then, when you followed Grace the next day, she told your teacher the next morning after that. Your teacher told them both off for making up stories to get you in trouble. That's why Emma didn't even bother to report it at all and I had to hear it from Violet.

Cody: I didn't know they did that…

Auntie Sabrina: I'm not surprised. Privilege is invisible to the privileged, they say. You thought you were being clever, but you had no idea how hard the system was working to cover for your wrongdoings.

Cody: I was just playing! Being, like a secret agent or something. I wanted to see how far I could get without them noticing me.

Auntie Sabrina: And you decided to play this game with three girls you barely know?

Cody: slouches into his seat.

Auntie Sabrina: And you fed pictures of their houses to the AI assistant and asked it how to break in. Hours-long conversations going over every detail…

Cody: I still wasn't gonna actually do it...

Mom: Hold on, I thought that thing was supposed to refuse any inappropriate requests.

Auntie Sabrina: It is, but there are ways around that. Boys like Cody know all the tricks. Your son is as good at manipulating AI as he is at manipulating teachers. A skill he learned through hours and hours of progressively darker storytelling and role-plays with the AI each week. Do you want to know what about?

Mom: No… no, I've heard enough...

Auntie Sabrina: I'm afraid your son is a textbook case, ma'am. Selective empathy. A pattern of disrespect for boundaries. Unhealthy fixation on power dynamics. Total refusal to acknowledge the impact of his actions on others. He exhibits clear signs of type P4 SAGE. Cody is on a dark path, and it's going to take some very drastic action to get him off of it.

Mom: I… I had no idea. He was always such a nice, quiet boy. Never got in trouble at school…

Auntie Sabrina: That's very common with P4s. And it's precisely why the girls who tell the truth about them end up in trouble instead. It's just sheer luck that he left that stuff open on his tablet…

Mom: I thought it was a virus! I brought it to the school's IT Department to be fixed.

Auntie Sabrina: And it’s a good thing you did. Now that we've caught the problem in time, there's still hope for young Cody.

Mom: So what do we do?

Auntie Sabrina: Now, Cody, we're not here to punish you. We're here to make sure you get the help and healing you need. And I know just the place for it. Have you ever heard of Sparkhaven Ranch?

Cody: I think so… it's like a vacation place, right? Violet and her friends went there last summer. But isn't it just for girls?

Auntie Sabrina: You're partly right. Sparkhaven is a retreat center for alternative therapies and spiritual healing. It mainly specializes in helping women and girls. Including ones that need healing because of someone like you or the man you would grow up to be. But this year, we have a new program designed to help boys like you, Cody. To stop the trauma before it happens.

Mom: Is it… is it really a good idea to put him in a place where traumatized girls go for healing? I know I'm his mom and I shouldn't be saying this, but…

Auntie Sabrina: Not to worry, Mrs. Williams. Sparkhaven takes every reasonable measure possible to keep the Petal Pickers… that's what we call the boys in the SAGE treatment program… from interfering with the other guests and their healing. It's all in this brochure.

Mom takes the brochure and thumbs through it quietly for a few moments.

Mom: It sounds pretty nice… but are you sure you can help him? How long will he be gone?

Auntie Sabrina: As long as it takes. The contract is for six weeks, renewable until the Sparkhaven counselors deem him fit to rejoin society.

Cody: Six weeks?! Mom, I don't want to…

Mom: Cody. Do you remember when I first saw the news report about Becca Green?

Cody: You were pretty upset…

Mom: I cried for days! You know why? I couldn't stop imagining it happening to you. And then I find out that you saw that and… and…

Takes a deep breath. Cody, I know some of this is my fault. I feel terrible that I couldn't be home to take care of you or keep an eye on what you were doing with that tablet… but I promise you this: I love you too much to let you grow up to be like the man who took that little girl. You will go to that place, and you will stay there and do what they tell you until you're ready to be the sweet little boy I thought you were this whole time. The boy I raised you to be. The boy I know you can be.

Cody: looks down. Ok…

Auntie Sabrina: Perfect. I'll text you a link to the intake forms and a copy of my report to attach. And Mrs. Williams? Don't be too hard on yourself. I've seen Petal Pickers come from the nicest, most stable homes. It's not about family, it's about a society that teaches males that it's their right to take what they want. That their desires matter more than the feelings, boundaries, or safety of girls and women like us.

But if anyone can unteach him those lessons, it's the ladies at Sparkhaven.

Interlude

Sparkhaven is employee-owned and managed, headed by a council of senior employees who call themselves the Aunties.

When Dr. Malone first conceived of her early intervention program targeting at-risk boys, before she coined the term SAGE, she knew that her idea would be controversial among the Aunties. She was convinced that structured socialization and controlled role-reversal would be key to disrupting harmful gendered behavior patterns. But convincing the council to let a cohort of "proto-misogynists" or "potential future sex offenders" live among the female guests wouldn't be easy.

That's when she invented the term "Petal Picker", a cutesy label for the profile she was developing, hoping that it would seem harmless enough to gain the council's approval. The poetic imagery fit right into Sparkhaven culture, and as soon as Dr. Malone laid out the measures that would be taken to protect the girls and women of Sparkhaven from the Petal Pickers, the council was sold on the idea.

Although the term SAGE eventually became the formal name for the pattern to be used in documentation and teaching material, the name "Petal Picker" is still in everyday use at Sparkhaven. The term soon found its way into some of Sparkhaven's most popular teaching songs, such as the anger management jingle "Punch a Petal Picker, not Your Pal!", or the pro-diversity anthem "We Are All Beautiful", in the line, "...no matter our color, no matter our creed, no matter our gender- yes, even boys! (But not Petal Pickers!)"

[little_kitetail]

Chapter 2: Welcome to Sparkhaven

The car ride to Sparkhaven Ranch seemed to take forever. I sat in the back seat, feeling smaller than I ever felt before, my arms folded as I stared at my shoes and tried to ignore the countryside zooming past the side window. I don't know if I'd even been that far away from my house before in my life.

We arrived at Sparkhaven in the late morning. I had to admit it was a pretty place. We had driven through many miles of desert to get there, yet it was green and wooded, dotted with buildings covered with colorful murals and yurts with fancy patterns on the cloth.

There were some girls at the fence staring, whispering. I knew by their pointing and giggling they were talking about me, but I couldn't catch a word. My mom went in first while I waited in the back seat, then she came and opened my door. "They're ready for you, Cody." She told me she loved me and would visit me as soon as she could, gave me a hug, and sent me into the front office.

An athletic-looking college woman greeted me. Introduced herself as Ms. Heather. Said I needed to get changed… I wasn't too excited about that, and to make a long story short, we ended up struggling, I lost, and my bottom paid the price. After that, she took me to see Auntie Sabrina. Here's what happened there:

Location: Auntie Sabrina's Interview Room

Cody: …

Auntie Sabrina: Yes, sweetie, what is it?

Cody: ….

Auntie Sabrina: Come on, Cody. It's ok. This is a safe place.

Cody: … WHY AM I NAKED!?

Auntie Sabrina: Well, that's an excellent question, Cody. You see, here at the Petal Picker Program, we practice naturism for many reasons. I think the most important thing is that it gives you what you were denied as a boy in patriarchal society: The chance to be vulnerable in a safe place. Here, you don't have to fight or dominate to be safe and valued. You can just be. Besides, many of us believe that naturism is the best way to immerse yourself in the healing energies of Sparkhaven.

Cody: What do you mean, 'we' practice it? You're wearing clothes. If naturism is so healing, then why aren't you naked?

Auntie Sabrina: frowns. That's not an appropriate question to ask an adult, Cody. Let me show you what happens to little Petal Pickers who aren’t careful with their words around here. Ms. Heather, could you hand me a muzzle? Here, Cody, take a look at this.

Cody: leans forward and looks it over. That looks like a ball gag.

Auntie Sabrina: You shouldn't know that word, but I guess I don't need to ask where you learned it. You're right, it is kind of similar to the ones women were forced to wear in the pictures on your tablet, but the difference is in the purpose. This is not meant to oppress or sexualize you, but to remind you that sometimes we need to make time for listening. Society teaches you it's ok to talk over women and girls and use your words to hurt people, but here at Sparkhaven, we do not allow that. The moment you say anything to make any woman or girl feel even a little uncomfortable, all she needs to do is say the word "muzzle," and a device like this will be applied to you until the next morning.

Now, I meant what I said when I said this therapy session is a safe space. I'm going to show you patience here that you will not be entitled to elsewhere in the camp. By which I mean, I won't muzzle you without a warning. So consider this a warning. If you show inappropriate interest in my body again, I will have you muzzled. Do I make myself clear?

Cody: chokes What?! I wasn't… I didn't… I just meant… inhales, yes, ma'am. But… the next morning? What about eating and drinking?

Auntie Sabrina: Muzzled Petal Pickers have their muzzles removed during meal times, but are prohibited from speaking. I think you already know the price of disobeying a staff member like Ms Heather…

Ms Heather smirks.

Cody: swallows and glances sidelong at her, becoming aware of his still stinging bottom. Ok… but, I… I really don't want to be naked all the time. What if one of the girls sees me? And they, like, laugh at me or… like what they see?

Auntie Sabrina: I hope they do. Maybe then you'll feel what it's like to be on the other side of objectification. Maybe that will help you understand how girls feel when you turn their terror and distress into eye candy.

Cody: But… that was pretend! I'm a real person!

Auntie Sabrina: Cody, sweetie, I'm not saying there's no difference, but the longer it takes for you to understand what you did is wrong, the longer you'll be staying here.

Cody: huffs and tugs at his arm restraints. Ms. Heather put these on me when we were fighting… I'm calm now… can you take them off? I promise I'll be good.

Auntie Sabrina: The cuffs? Oh, those don't come off, sweetie. Not until you finish our program and are ready to rejoin society. They're for the safety of our staff and female campers. It's just our way of knowing we're safe from groping, skirt flipping, butt smacking, unwanted hugs, or any other kind of mischief from a Petal Picker's hands.

Cody: eyes widen in horror. I have to wear them ALL THE TIME?

Auntie Sabrina: Yes, honey. Don't worry, they're perfectly safe for long-term wear. We designed them so they don't put too much pressure on your joints, or rub on your skin too hard, and staff are all trained to unlock them quickly in case of an emergency.

Cody: twists nervously. But all that stuff you said I can't do... they can do all that stuff to me… and I won't even have clothes for protection, and I can't fight back with these cuffs. Some of those girls I saw on the way in are much bigger than me. Oh, gosh, I can't even cover my wiener with my hands…

Auntie Sabrina: Of course! We have programs for girls of all ages, even adults. But what I'm hearing is that you think you'll feel vulnerable and objectified. Unsafe in public. Sounds awfully familiar, doesn't it? That's what girls feel every day, thanks to boys like you. Cody, your feelings are valid, but it's time for you to really understand what you put into the world. What it's like to feel like your body isn't your own, and to depend on others for safety against people who are bigger, stronger, and freer than you.

Cody: I… I really, really don't want to wear these. Please…

Auntie Sabrina: Try not to think of the cuffs as a restriction on your freedom. Truthfully, you are freer with them than you'd be without. If you didn't have them, then we'd have to keep all the Petal Pickers locked up in a secure ward. But the Aunties were insistent: no prisons at Sparkhaven. Thanks to the compromise of making you wear the cuffs, you're free to go anywhere in the compound or on the grounds you want during your downtime. With a few obvious exceptions, where the girls need privacy, like the baths during girls' hours or their changing rooms. Most kids your age don't even have that kind of freedom in their own neighborhoods.

Cody: It's just not fair. Why do they get to see me naked, but I can't see them naked?

Auntie Sabrina: Ms. Heather, the muzzle.

Cody: Hey, wait, I was jus... mmmmmph hmmmmph!

Auntie Sabrina: Cody, I warned you what would happen if you kept up with this line of questioning. Our bodies are not for your amusement or arousal. You have a lot to learn, and that's why we're here. To prepare you to live in a world where you're not entitled to other people's bodies, attention, or space.

Ms. Heather, I think we're done here.

Ms. Heather: No problem, I'll get the half-pint pervert out of your face.

Interlude

Location: Baths at Sparkhaven Spa

The air is thick with eucalyptus-scented steam and lively with the chatter of feminine voices. Auntie Sabrina lounges in a hot tub built into the marble floor. Four teenagers are with her. To her left is Hailey, and to her right is Gwen. Across from her is Natalie. Sitting next to Natalie, on the edge of the tub with her hands folded in her lap, is Rachel. Only her feet are touching the water. Everyone in the room is naked except for Rachel, who’s wearing a loose t-shirt and shorts.

Natalie: You should get in! This feels amazing!

Auntie Sabrina: Now, Natalie, don't pressure her. If she doesn't feel comfortable joining us in the water, then it's fine for her to stay where she is.

Rachel: Thanks, Auntie Sabrina… it does look nice. It's just… You know, I don't really like looking at my body… after... what happened. Especially not with all these boys running around the Ranch…

Natalie: turns around and grasps her hand. Don't worry. If any one of them so much as looks at you the wrong way, I'll…! glances back at Auntie Sabrina … I'll make sure he understands that's not acceptable behavior.

Auntie Sabrina: Good save…

Natalie: Anyways, I guess I don't blame you. It kind of takes the fun out of it, knowing THEY get to use these baths too.

Hailey: Don't worry… we scrub them down very carefully before we let them in.

Gwen: Yeah, they always beg me not to let Hailey be the one to shower them, because she takes an extra long time to scrub their lower bodies. With her bare hands.

Hailey: grins. You're one to talk. At least I don't spank with my bare hands.

Gwen: smirks with a twinkle in her eye. You know full well I only do it to better gauge when they've had enough…

Rachel: Um… am I the only one who kind of feels sorry for them? I mean, having to be naked and cuffed all the time… It feels kind of cruel.

Gwen: I used to feel that way, until I got to know some of them…

Natalie: They're just getting a taste of how they treated women and girls.

Rachel: But they're so little… sometimes it feels like they're going through what happened to me…

Auntie Sabrina: It may feel like that, but I promise you it's not the same at all. You were an innocent victim of someone who only wanted to take from you. The Petal Pickers are experiencing the consequences of their own actions, possibly for the first time in their lives. And while we may enjoy seeing that sometimes, ultimately, we're not here to torture or exploit them. We just want to help them be human again. This is a place of healing, and they're safe in our hands.

Gwen: They may be little, but that doesn't mean their behavior isn't vile. Some of them even have full-grown adults as their victims. Danny was found with his hands in the underwear drawer of his babysitter, his cousin, and his mother. Zachary used a whole bunch of sockpuppet accounts to bully female video-game streamers off of Twitch…

Rachel: I know, it's just that…

Auntie Sabrina: Rachel. That soft, compassionate side of you is beautiful. Treasure it. Nurture it. Above all, do not let patriarchy turn it into a weapon against you. All your life, you've been told to put the feelings of boys and men above your own. Does their desire to have their hands free to cover their peepees outweigh your right to feel safe and in control for once in your life? Not at Sparkhaven, it doesn't.

Natalie: Yeah, maybe save the compassion for someone who deserves it!

Auntie Sabrina: That compassion is precisely why I wanted to talk to you and Natalie. I'm wondering if the two of you would be interested in volunteering for the Honey Bees. A couple of the older girls are leaving soon, and the Petal Pickers need a LOT of attention.

Hailey: Giggles. They're like babies with those cuffs. They can't even use the toilet without our help.

Auntie Sabrina: It's open to girls your age… older than the Petal Pickers, so you can handle them physically if needed, but young enough so that they see you as peers. Gwen and Hailey could show you the ropes this afternoon if you're interested. I think it would be beneficial to both of your healing journeys.

Natalie: Why me? I hate Petal Pickers.

Auntie Sabrina: That's just why I want you, Natalie. I know you'll deal with them with a firm hand. Which will balance out Rachel's softer touch if she also joins. I think you would both benefit from the experience. Being responsible for younger kids, not so different from your abusers mentally, but helpless and completely dependent on you… might give you a new perspective on things. Help you with the guilt, anger, and fear you've been carrying.

Rachel: I mean, I've done some babysitting before, but I don't know… I guess, if you think it will help with my therapy, then I trust you, Auntie Sabrina.

Natalie: Well, if Rachel's joining, then I guess I'm in. turns to look at Rachel. There's no way I'd leave you alone with those creeps.

Rachel smiles weakly at Natalie.

Hailey: Great! We'll see you both at Moon Village after dinner.

[docknumber]

Please continue. How old are Natalie, Rachel, Gwen and Hailey?

[TeenFan]

Welcome to the site.

Having specific ages does help us get the proper mental picture.
I assume the Petal Picker boys are around twelve years old. They are described as "Small" by the main teenage girls. However, teenage
covers too broad a span of time. A fourteen year old is completely different from one that is seventeen.

[little_kitetail]

Thanks guys!

To be honest, I intentionally leave the ages in my stories ambiguous so people can interpret according to their preferences. I find that not a lot of people are interested in the age range I'm most interested in, so I try to leave room for them to insert their own perspective and preconceptions about how people act at different ages.

The important thing, to my mind, is that the boys are kids, and the girls are a little older.

Maybe it does make the story a bit less immersive. One of these days I should just try saying it outright and seeing if it really makes a difference to how people respond.

I'm willing to share my personal interpretation of their ages, but I'd prefer if I could do it behind a spoiler tag or something. Is there a way to do that on these forums?

I'll probably post the next chapter sometime this weekend, and go about a week at a time until I'm caught up with puericil.

[Datom]

This is excellent! I really like your premise. It's got almost endless possibilities. I have a couple ideas, but I'm waiting to see where you take this next.

[little_kitetail]

This is excellent! I really like your premise. It's got almost endless possibilities. I have a couple ideas, but I'm waiting to see where you take this next.

Thanks! Feel free to borrow the premise if you feel inspired. I'd love to know what your ideas are.


Now, to answer everyone's question about the ages, since there doesn't seem to be a spoiler tag function on this forum, I decided to translate my answer into Korean. If you want to know, you can copy/paste it into google translate.

Bear in mind that this is just how I picture them, and if you prefer to picture them differently in your mind, that's just as valid.

제 생각에는 등장인물들이 대부분의 독자들이 상상하는 것보다 훨씬 어려 보입니다.

코디는 여덟 살입니다.

헤일리, 레이첼, 나탈리는 열네 살입니다. 그웬은 열다섯 살로 가장 나이가 많을 수도 있습니다.

셋째 장에 소개될 등장인물:

닉스는 여덟 살이 되기 한두 달 전입니다. 엘리엇은 열 살입니다. 맥스는 아홉 살입니다. 바비는 여섯 살입니다.

넷째 장에 소개될 등장인물:

멜리사가 열두 살이라고 가정해 보겠습니다.

[little_kitetail]

Chapter 3:

I stumbled along as Ms. Heather half-dragged me out of Auntie Sabrina’s room. I couldn’t keep up. I tried to yell at her to slow down, but all that came out was, “Mmrrrph! GRRF!”

As soon as she opened the door to the ranch grounds, a blast of warm air hit every inch of me. My stomach fluttered at the feeling of sunlight on my nether regions. My heart thumped as I stood, frozen, in the doorway, my eyes silently pleading with Ms. Heather not to make me go outside naked and cuffed. She smirked at me in return. She was enjoying my terror… it was a feeling I understood all too well.

Still, Ms. Heather didn't waste much time before forcing me out onto the wooden walkway. "Watch where you step," she warned. She didn't need to tell me twice. I hadn't been given any shoes, and there was no telling what could be hidden in the brush on either side of the walkway. There were large buildings some distance to the left and right of us, and up ahead, all I could see was nature.

There weren't many people around at that time, but it wasn't deserted. A few girls and women sat on benches or under trees, relaxing, talking. Some of them were polite enough to pretend not to notice me, but I could tell they did. A young woman was sitting on a bench reading, and right as we passed, she held her book closely to cover her face as her eyes followed me the whole time. A pair of middle school girls sat and chatted under a big tree, and as I passed, one of them looked me right in the eye. I don’t know what emotion I was seeing in her, but it scared me.

Every time I tried to cross my legs or turn away, Ms. Heather would force me to keep walking with a sharp slap on the bottom. By the time we were finally indoors in one of the bigger buildings, I had tears in my eyes from the pain and humiliation.

I looked around nervously as Ms. Heather led me into an empty room. I couldn’t see a way out. Ms. Heather told me that it was too late to join the other boys for activities today, and besides that, I needed more practice moving around with the cuffs before I was ready. I sighed inwardly at the news that I wouldn't get to blend into the group yet. I'd have the scary staff lady's full attention for a bit longer.

All throughout the day, we practiced. First, she shoved me onto the soft, padded floor and told me to stand up. It was a struggle, and I was out of breath by the time I got to my feet. Then she did it again. And again. And again. She had me crouch down to pick up objects and place them on a table. Walk around the room with a push broom tucked into my armpit. Write my name with a pencil held between my teeth and gag.

After a few hours, she finally let me rest on the floor. She told me she was going to the cafeteria, and soon returned with a tray of food, which thankfully included a big glass of water. She undid my gag, reminding me sternly about the rule against talking, and let me drink from a straw. I must've practically drained the whole thing in a few gulps. She gave me advice on how to eat the other items on the tray, and I gratefully lapped them up like a dog while she wiped my mouth. It was subtle, but I could tell she was warming up to me, now that she’d seen I wasn’t going to give her any trouble.

After I ate, Ms. Heather redid my gag and we practiced a few more things. I had to type on a computer using the on-screen keyboard with my own butt as a mousepad. Ms. Heather was quick to remind me that it would be a LONG time before I was trusted with a computer with internet access, but it was still nice to have something familiar. After we finished practicing, she led me back outside and told me I could have some free time while she studied for her college classes.

Auntie Sabrina had told me that I was allowed to go anywhere on the ranch I wanted, but I didn’t really feel like going anywhere. I was only barely getting the hang of the cuffs. Even sitting and standing was a challenge. I was exhausted. It had been a long day, to say the least. I found a bench in the shade of a wide oak tree and sat, while Ms. Heather, seemingly convinced that I wasn't going to try anything, sat at a picnic table nearby and started working on some homework.

That was when I met Nyx. She was a girl about my age, maybe a little younger, with black hair and green eyes. I was surprised, to say the least, when she sat down and started talking to me, but I immediately started to like her. There were two reasons for that. First, she was the first person to treat me like a human being since I got here. Second, she was the first one I saw talk back to Ms. Heather. You’ll see what I mean:

Location: Sparkhaven Ranch Courtyard

Nyx: Hello. How are you? My name's Nyx, what's yours? I know my name's weird. I'm named after the moon goddess.

Cody: Mrrph?

Nyx: It’s Cody, right? I read your file in the admin office. Nice to meet you. You're new here, aren't you? It's your first day. I'm pretty new here, only it's not my first day, but it is my first week, so I thought we could be friends, even though we're not exactly the same amount of new.

Ms. Heather stands up and approaches carefully.

Ms. Heather: Nyx… sweetie… what are you doing here? I think the girls from your Social Skills Workshop group are over there...

Nyx: I know that! But I already talk to them all the time in class. Auntie Amaya said we should practice the skills we learned with the kids from other programs.

Ms. Heather: Nyx, I don’t think she meant the Petal Pickers.

Nyx: Then she should have said she didn’t. Auntie Amaya knows that she can’t leave anything unsaid with us. I know I take things literally when I shouldn’t, but Auntie Amaya promised there are no hidden rules to her program. What’s wrong with talking to a Petal Picker? He’s supposed to learn better ways to interact with girls, right? And I’m supposed to learn better ways to interact with everyone. So it’s perfect, we’ll help each other. Besides, I looked at his file in the office. We like a lot of the same cartoons and stuff.

Cody: Mmrph...

Ms. Heather: through gritted teeth Sweetie, he can’t even talk. He’s muzzled.

Nyx: I know he is! That's why I picked him! Everyone always says I talk too much and don't give other people the chance to talk… and I'm working on that with Auntie Amaya, but in the meantime, if I talk to someone who can't talk back, it won't matter. And it'll give me a chance to work on the face-reading skills she's been teaching us, if I want to know how he feels about something. Like this: Cody, do you like me?

Nyx: See? His eyes lit up, and he raised the corners of his mouth. That's a positive expression.

Ms. Heather: sighs Well, I tried. Guess you’re on your own with this one, kid. She pats Cody on the head and steps away.

Nyx: So… um… do you like it here? I like it here. But I don’t think I would if I had to be tied up. Or naked. Do you like being naked?

It must be really embarrassing. The Aunties say we should all be more comfortable about our bodies, but I don’t think I could handle being naked around boys. It’s too bad… Auntie Sabrina says it has all kinds of benefits. You’re lucky it’s not as embarrassing for a boy as it would be for a girl...

Cody: grumbles

Nyx: I mean, you get to learn to be more comfortable with your bodies and not have to worry about what to wear or worry about uncomfortable tags and seams in the wrong places. And we all get to learn a little more about how your bodies work. Auntie Georgina told us all about boys and girls in her body-positivity demonstration. Do they tell you about girls in yours? I don't know, maybe Petal Pickers don't have that activity. But we learned all about male anatomy. Like, did you know that this…

Nyx suddenly lifts Cody’s shaft between two fingers and runs the index finger of her other hand along the bottom.

Nyx: … is called a vas deferens? Just one of many ways there’s a vast difference between…

Cody: HRMPH! GRMMMPH! FRRRMPH! MMMRPH! HRMM!

Cody violently twists away from her and glares at her.

Nyx: Oh dear… did I do something to upset you? What could it have been… was it that pun? Ms. HEAAATHER? Why is he mad at me? What did I do?

Ms. Heather looks up from her books.

Ms. Heather: I wasn’t watching, Nyx. But you probably didn’t do anything. Petal Pickers just get mad because they have no power over you and can’t do anything to humiliate you or scare you.

Cody: GGRMPH HRRMMPH RRRMPH!

Nyx: No, everything was fine until a moment ago. Um… whatever it was, I'll make it up to you… What do Petal Pickers like… You're a Type P, right? You can boss me around some if you want, when you can talk again…

Ms. Heather: Nyx, don’t encourage him!

Nyx: I have to do something! What is he trying to say? Maybe you can take the muzzle off just for a moment, so I know?

Ms. Heather: I’ll tell you what he’s trying to say. He’s trying to say, “I want to hurt you with my words, so I’m angry that I can’t.” Nyx, I think it’s time for you to go.

Nyx: bites her lower lip Um… ok, maybe we’ll try again when you can talk. I guess it was a dumb idea to meet you when you can’t….

Ms. Heather: sighs If you want to hang out with him so much, maybe… later in his treatment, he'll be doing supervised playdates with girls his age to test his progress. We can talk to Auntie Sabrina about getting you into the training for that program, and then you'll be able to talk to him again. But only when you and him are both ready, ok?

Nyx: Ok… I guess that sounds good. Thanks, Ms. Heather. Bye, Cody!

With that, Nyx disappeared down one of the trails. I felt confused and mixed up. She seemed nice enough, but I was pretty shaken by how casually she violated me, and how easy it was for her to do. I felt tense and out of breath, vulnerable and exposed. I crossed my legs to hide myself, but it did nothing to make me feel more secure. Anyone walking out of those big buildings would see what an easy target I was.

I sat, dreading what Sparkhaven Ranch had in store for me next. I tugged at my restraints, hoping to find a weakness, but they were solid. My bladder was also really starting to feel uncomfortably full. I squirmed and twisted, trying to hold it in, part of me hoping that Ms. Heather would see and take pity, part of me hoping that no one would see. I didn't dare disturb her while she was studying, in any case.

Soon, the doors flung open, and a mob of kids, teens, and adults milled out. Mostly girls, but there were a few cuffed and naked Petal Pickers like me mixed in. Their eyes were downcast, and they flinched as girls passing by them “accidentally” brushed against their tender parts. Only a handful of them were muzzled like me.

It was in some ways a relief to see them. It was bad enough that I was naked and humiliated everywhere I had been today, but being the only one made it so much worse. The boys were dirty, covered in dust and sweat from whatever activities they’d been forced to do that day. I knew I’d only been spared for one day. The next morning, I’d be joining them. Not that my day had been much easier. I wasn’t too clean myself.

Even so, I didn't want anyone to see me like this. I sprang to my feet, hoping to get out of sight before the crowds got too close, but there was nowhere to hide that I could see. Before I could even make the attempt, Ms. Heather grabbed my arm and gave an ear-splitting whistle. A good portion of the crowd stopped in their tracks.

“Max! Bobby! Elliot! Just the boys I wanted to see,” she cried, as three of the Petal Pickers separated from the crowd to approach. “This is Cody. P4. He’s new here. He’ll be in your yurt. Take him to Moon Village and show him where he’ll be staying.”

The one named Max, who looked about my age but a few inches shorter, gritted his teeth but nodded. Bobby, a younger boy who was muzzled like me, looked me in the eye and smiled shyly. Elliot, a suave-looking blond boy who looked a little older than me, said, "Yes, Ms. Heather." Then, he approached me and said, "Come on… It's just down this trail. One of the Honeybees will help you use the bathroom there.” My cheeks flushed. He could obviously tell I was in need.

I followed the three of them down one of the wooden walkways. Max and Elliot glanced over their shoulders nervously to make sure Ms. Heather was out of hearing range before they started talking freely:

Location: Sparkhaven Ranch Footpaths

Elliot: Muzzled on your first day, huh? Well, it happens. Going to make the introductions a little awkward, but we’ll make do. We’re used to it. I’m Elliot. I’m a C3. I’m here because I took some pictures of some girls at school… I was pretty good at photo editing, so they gave them to me… and I pretended to be those girls online so men would give me stuff. I had a pretty good thing going until Rosie found the profile I made with Ashley's pictures and started telling everyone at school that Ashley was a… well, I got muzzled the last time I said the word, but you get the idea. I guess girls really hate girls who try to make money that way….

Max: And you got punished instead of Rosie.

Elliot: Yeah… Auntie Sabrina says that even though Rosie clearly has some issues with internalized misogyny, I was the one who made that “sexed up” profile of Ashley, not Rosie. I dunno. I wonder what you did, Cody… you’ll have to tell us when you get that muzzle off in the morning.

Max: Well, I’ll tell you what he didn’t do. He didn’t take a girl from her life and force her to parade around cuffed and naked while lecturing her about what a bad person she is… In fact, he didn’t do anything at all if he’s a type 4.

Elliot: You wanna tell him what you did, Mr. A1 Steak Sauce?

Max: Shrugs. Well… there was this girl in my class who always ruined everything, like girls do. Total tattletale. I put a threatening note in her desk. I didn't really expect it to do anything; it was just the kind of trash talk we boys give each other all the time. But she took it really seriously and got scared enough to stop. So I kept going and sent them to the other annoying girls, and soon I realized I had to start carrying out some of the threats or they would stop taking me seriously… trust me, every one I did anything to deserved it.

Elliot: And that just leaves Bobby. He's one of the Robinsons. They were all part of a class taught by a teacher named Martha Robinson. All the boys in that class are here.

Max: Their school had a talent show, and this one girl, Cindy, was a really shy loser who got picked on. Well, she decided to sing THAT song. The one that girls are obsessed with lately… You know the one I mean.

Cody: nods

Elliot: The class started jeering and heckling her until she ran off the stage crying. It was dark, and no one even knew for sure who was saying what, but somehow all eight of the boys in Mrs. Robinson's class ended up here, with the A2 brand.

Max: Yeah… I don’t even need to say what kind of baloney that is, do I?

Elliot: Well, don’t misunderstand. There are some boys who are actually kind of scary. I think they sort of try to group us together by how dangerous we are…

Max: What? That doesn’t make sense. I’m way more dangerous than you geeks. I’m Type 1! I did stuff to girls physically!

Elliot: I don’t think flipping a few skirts or smacking a few girls’ bottoms makes you dangerous, Max…

Interlude

I just wanted him to stop! I didn’t mean to ruin his life...

I want to say something to the girls who saw something wrong and spoke up about it.

There's no one way you're supposed to feel when a boy who has tormented you or someone you care about gets taken out of school and sent to our program. Some of you are relieved that someone has finally taken you seriously, or happy that you no longer have to live in fear. That's wonderful. But some of you might have more conflicted feelings, and that's just as valid.

You might be asking yourself:

• What if I got the wrong boy?
• What if I overreacted?
• What if I deserved it?
• What if the situation was more complicated than I realized?
• What if I exaggerated because I was so upset?
• What if I misremembered what happened? What if I imagined the whole thing?

And what it all comes down to is: Is there a chance I ruined an innocent boy's life?

Let me be absolutely clear: There are no innocent boys at Sparkhaven.

How can I be so sure? Because we are not the police and this is not a prison. We’re not concerned with guilt or innocence. They are not here because of one specific incident. They are here because they have been diagnosed with SAGE. Any misbehavior you or anyone else may have reported is only a symptom, and not the cause.

We do not make this diagnosis lightly. A boy is admitted into the Petal Picker program when he demonstrates a continuing pattern of entitlement, disregard for the rights of others, and capacity for harm. To establish this pattern, we interview friends, family, and teachers. We search their devices and conduct in-person assessment interviews. No one person is responsible for labeling a boy with SAGE, except for the boy himself.

So, if there’s a boy in our program because of an incident you reported, do not worry that you did the wrong thing. You could come up to my office and tell me you made the whole thing up to get him in trouble for no reason at all. I would be disappointed in you, of course, but I would not think for one second that we did the wrong thing by putting the boy in cuffs. Because ultimately, he isn’t here because of that one incident. He’s here because he’s sick and he needs our help.

So please: don’t torture yourself over whether or not he deserves to be here. You did the right thing by speaking up. I promise.

-excerpt from a blog post by Auntie Sabrina

[little_kitetail]

Chapter 4:

A wood-burned sign nailed onto a wooden archway announced our arrival at Moon Village, the designated campsite for us Petal Pickers. It consisted of a ring of yurts around a small central building, and it was surrounded by a ring of tall wooden stakes that formed a sort of fence. It clearly wasn't meant to keep anyone in or out, however. Even a grown adult could slip through the gaps between the stakes.

I was a little shocked to see the four teenage girls- Honey Bees, as I would later learn they were called- standing there by the entrance. But when the one called "Rachel" noticed my distress and offered to take me to the bathroom, I was so relieved I just about stopped caring about anything else. Here's how that went:

Location: Moon Village Restrooms

Rachel: to the other girls You don't all have to be here. I told you, I know what I'm doing… I used to babysit a three-year-old boy who needed help in the bathroom...

Natalie: We're just here in case there's trouble, right? Hailey and Gwen don't know this boy. He could be dangerous.

Hailey: Not likely. P4s are like the biggest wimps on the planet. Oh, Rachel, don't forget to press on the underside of his scrotum to squeeze out the last few drops.

Rachel: I usually just have them shake a little bit… Cody? Can you help me out? Wiggle, wiggle, shake, shake, now we've had our potty break!

Cody: grumbles but complies

Gwen: giggles Sounds like someone thinks he's too much of a big boy for that little rhyme. Give him a quick rinse with the shower sprayer, and then we're done. You don't need to worry about drying him off when the weather's this warm.

Then, the ones called Gwen and Hailey started to show the other two around the campsite. They signaled to me that I should follow along, so they would only have to give the tour once.

Obviously, we started with the bathrooms, because that's where we already were. They were attached to the central building. The toilet and shower area were both decently clean and in good condition, but there were no stalls or dividers of any kind. Just a row of open toilets on one wall, and a row of open shower heads with hoses on the other wall. The exception was a single walled-off toilet at the end, which I learned was only for staff and the Honey Bees. Gwen and Hailey briefly explained to the others what they had to do at shower time and where to find soap, towels, and other supplies.

We then moved on to a bigger room, scattered with various toys and games. This was a recreation room where we would be allowed to spend our free time, and when the weather was bad, we'd sleep there. Some of the game pieces had clear teeth marks from Petal Pickers trying to move them with their mouths. There was a door that we didn't go through, which Gwen explained led to an office used by Ms. Heather or whatever other member of staff was on duty at the time.

A boy who looked a bit younger than me gave the girls a crooked smile. He licked his lips and spoke in an off-putting monotone. "Well, well, well… two fresh new lambs come to rattle the bars of the wolf cage. How daring. Do I detect a slight... AHAHAHA! STOP! STOP! NO TICKLING!"

Hailey smirked. She had snuck up behind him to interrupt his monologue. "This is Christopher," she explained, "There's only two things you need to know about him. He thinks he's Hannibal Lector, and he has a really ticklish tummy."

Outside the building was a small playground. All the equipment was webbed with rope nets. Gwen explained that it was designed to be as safe for us as possible with our hands bound, but that didn't mean it was completely safe. She'd prefer if we didn't play at all without one of the Honey Bees to supervise, but she said she knew if we were the kind of boys who made good decisions, we wouldn't be here. So she would only warn us that the metal slide gets really hot during the daytime, and human skin isn't as slippery on metal as cloth, so if we want to go down it, we should have one of them put down a towel for us to slide on. Hailey added that no boy makes that mistake twice.

We passed by a group of Petal Pickers who were involved in a game of hacky sack. I was pretty impressed by how skillfully they had learned to move while in cuffs. I didn't think I'd be at that level any time soon. Athletics was never my strong point. One of them yelled something at the girls. I didn't know what it meant, but it sounded rude. The girls must have also thought so, because in a moment, he was muzzled.

Next, I got to see where we'd be sleeping. I was relieved to hear that we weren't expected to sleep with our arms behind our backs. Instead, we'd be strapped down to the cots directly. That wasn't much better, but it was better. Someone would be checking on us every hour or so. There was even a little flag we could put up if we needed something in the night.

By the end of the tour, Rachel seemed pretty excited about her new role. She said that she felt like we really needed them and she could do some good here. She was relieved that our facilities were about the same as what the girls got, and we weren't being abused or neglected. She was looking forward to getting to know us.

Natalie was less enthusiastic. She said it felt like they were going to be our slaves and wait on us hand and foot. Gwen smiled at her and assured her that even though it can be a lot of work, they're in charge, not us. To prove her point, she took the boy who had shouted at them earlier by the arm, making him drop his hacky sack, and led him and Natalie out of sight behind the cabin. All I could hear was a series of smacks and muffled cries of pain from that boy. He stumbled back into view, his eyes watering, and his bottom marked and reddened. Natalie seemed a lot happier than she'd been just a moment ago.

The rest of the evening was pretty uneventful. At some point, we were herded to the cafeteria for dinner. The other muzzled Petal Pickers and I were made to sit apart from the others, in a corner where the adult staff could keep an eye on us. Later, we were divided into three groups for shower time. One group was helped by Hailey (there was an audible groan among the boys assigned to that group), one by Gwen, and the group I was in was helped by Rachel and Natalie as a team. I wasn't thrilled about having them put their hands on my body, but I was too tired to resist. One thing I didn't expect was how much it would tickle. Rachel and Natalie giggled and tickled me harder just to tease me.

After that, bed. It was quite a relief to finally get to stretch out my arms, even if I still couldn't move much. Just to be able to change positions was quite a relief. I don't know if it was the air, the darkness, my own exhaustion, or the simple fact that I didn't have a screen in front of my eyes until the wee hours of the morning, but I slept beautifully that night and woke up feeling better than I had in a long time, at least until I remembered where I was.

Ms. Heather and Honey Bees came around not long after sunrise and started unbuckling us from the beds and putting us in our day cuffs. Much to my relief, the muzzle was finally removed, giving my jaw a bit of a rest. We were herded to the bathrooms, then the cafeteria. I sat with the boys from my yurt, but I mostly let them talk while I just answered their questions.

The "activities" of the day started with a long hike. The Honey Bees went first, holding brooms to sweep anything that might hurt our feet off the trail. We Petal Pickers walked in two lines behind Ms. Heather. We must have looked like a royal procession, I mused. In fact, I think I once saved a picture of a barbarian warlord flanked by his bodyguards leading a coffle of bound and stripped slavegirls, and this was just like a gender-reversed version of that… No! Best not to think about that right now.

In many ways, that was the worst part of being here. Knowing that I was living the kind of power fantasy that I had been craving, but on the wrong side. Auntie Sabrina, Ms. Heather, all the girls had what I had been obsessing over, an obsession that had taken over my life. And I knew from experience that, if any one of them was like me, there was nothing I could do that wouldn't make it better for them. If I cried, they'd enjoy it. If I got impotently angry and cursed them out, they'd enjoy it. If I pleaded, they would enjoy it. If I submitted and obeyed, they would enjoy it.

We did a lot of different activities that day. Some of them were basically classes. We would sit in rooms with a teacher who would talk about things like consent, boundaries, and how to make people feel safe. Just like at school, they'd try to reinforce the lessons by making us sing songs (the muzzled Petal Pickers had to hum along), play games, or do arts and crafts about what we learned. I was surprised at how many things they could make us do without our hands. Most of what they taught us made sense, I guess, but there was a real "do as we say, not as we do" vibe to the whole thing. I wasn't the only one who noticed, and some of the braver boys even spoke up about it. We were told that, yes, our boundaries and consent matter too, but they're temporarily suspended until we've shown we can respect those things in others.

I didn't really know what there was to learn that I didn't know, though. I mean, it's not like I got caught on purpose.

But some of the activities were really weird. There was one where we just sat in a room full of crystals while the instructor burned some herbs and told us to imagine things. There was another where we got to soak in a nice warm tub after being scrubbed down by the Honey Bees, and the instructor encouraged us to talk about our families and stuff we learned about being boys from them. I didn't understand these activities, but I didn't mind them. They were relaxing if nothing else.

Days passed. There were good times and bad. I started to get more familiar with the other Petal Pickers and even started to enjoy their company, knowing we were all in this together. I didn't make friends easily back home. Trying to dodge the girls getting handsy in the hallways and paths started to become second-nature, almost a sort of fun game. I saw Nyx a few times in between activities. I was tempted to talk to her, but I'm not the kind of boy who has an easy time going to up people I don't know well. Especially not girls. Especially not when naked. So mostly we just smiled at each other, and then I'd act like I was in a hurry and get out of her sight.

Then, one evening, I was walking back to Moon Village alone after one of my sessions with Auntie Sabrina. I was lost in thought, mulling over the things we had talked about, when suddenly I was jerked back into reality by the sound of another set of footsteps. Well, a set of footsteps. My bare feet didn't make much sound on the trail.

My mind raced. The other boys had told me about groups of girls "kidnapping" Petal Pickers back to their camp, and told me to always keep an eye out when walking alone, unless I wanted to spend the night tied to a tree, tormented by a mob of giggling girls. But there was only one, so it probably wasn't that. But it could be something worse.

Should I call out, or was it better to pretend nothing was wrong? I could try to make it back to the main courtyard, but it was already late, and there was no guarantee anyone would be there to help. I could try to continue on to Moon Village, but that was even further away. I could scream and hope someone heard me, but what if it turned out to be some harmless animal? I'd probably get punished for wasting everyone's time…

I couldn't run very well with the cuffs. I couldn't fight at all. There was no one around to help me. So, having exhausted all other possibilities, I decided to act like a boy and confront my stalker directly. "Hello? Wh-who's there?!" I demanded in my best attempt at an authoritative voice.

I was hoping there would be no answer. Those hopes were dashed when I heard a girl's voice. "Well, well, well Cody, out for a little walk, are we? You should be more careful. You never know what might happen."

I saw her shadow before I saw her. In the evening light, she looked like a giant. Then I saw her, in silhouette against the setting sun. She wasn't a giant, but she was bigger than me. "Um… do I… do I know you?" I was trying to sound fierce, but fear turned my voice into a pathetic squeak.

"No, Cody, you don't. But I from what I hear, you might be familiar with my little sister," the stranger answered, "Allow me to introduce myself… I'm Melissa Green."


Interlude

Location: Auntie Sabrina's Office

Elliot: ...and I just felt invisible all the time, you know? Like, no matter how well I did at school or sports, all anyone at home would ever talk about was whether or not my dad would make it through the year or my sister would get out of prison. No one had time for Elliot. But when I was Ashley… well, her inbox was always full. People would do anything to get Ashley's attention, even for a moment.

Auntie Sabrina: It made you feel like you mattered.

Elliot: Yeah. And I guess that's why I've been so worried about that new kid, Cody. I keep wanting to make sure he's adjusting ok.

Auntie Sabrina: And how's that been going?

Elliot: Hard to tell. He doesn't talk much, and when he does… well, you can tell he's one of those kids who gets his words from books, not from other kids. I mean, I'm one to talk…

Auntie Sabrina: You see something of yourself in him, don't you, Elliot?

Elliot: I mean… yeah. We were both used to being ignored. We were both raised by technology. Of course, he accepted being alone in a way I never could. I guess you must have figured we're pretty similar, too, or you wouldn't have put him in the low-threat yurt with us?

Auntie Sabrina: The what?

Elliot: I just figured you must have put us together for a reason. You have the violent boys with the violent boys and the softer boys with the softer boys.

Auntie Sabrina: raises her eyebrow If I were sorting you that way, and I'm not saying I am or I am not, what makes you think I'd consider you "low-threat", Elliot?

Elliot: Well, I just mean, you don't have to worry about me snapping and attacking someone.

Auntie Sabrina: We don't have to worry about that from any of you, thanks to the cuffs you're wearing.

Elliot: Yeah, but even before that... I mean, I never laid a hand on anyone… Neither has Cody, and even Max isn't anywhere close to Simon or Ajax's level.

Auntie Sabrina: No one had to change schools and houses because of Simon or Ajax, Elliot. Four or five families are still living in fear of your "boyfriends" tracking them down.

Elliot: Well, what do you expect?! You dragged me off here without giving me any time to explain what was going on. All they know is that their favorite girls just stopped coming online one day. If you had given me a chance, I would have come up with an exit strategy. I could have handled everything!

Auntie Sabrina: You are a child, Elliot. You had no business "handling" adult predators. And you certainly had no business selling them a fantasy of abusing your classmates.

Both Elliot and Auntie Sabrina are quiet for a moment.

Auntie Sabrina: You know, there's something about this I've been wanting to ask you. How did you know there would be a market for your little side-hustle? Did you come up with the idea all on your own?

Elliot: No… not entirely. I spent some time lurking in the communities where this kind of thing was going on. I saw how much money people were willing to pay...

Auntie Sabrina: How do I put this… was it only girls they were interested in?

Elliot: No… some of them liked boys.

Auntie Sabrina: That fits with what I've learned about sexual predators in my years working trauma cases. It's vulnerability they're after. Your young age makes you interesting to the kind of men who would target your classmates. So… and I'm definitely not saying you should have, but I'd like to know: Why didn't you just use your own pictures and identity?

Elliot: goes quiet for a moment I don't… I don't know...

Auntie Sabrina: I don't know why either. But I see at least two possibilities. One was that you knew what you were doing was dangerous. You didn't want to put yourself at risk. So you used your classmates so they would be the targets if things went bad. If that's the case, then you showed a lack of empathy and concern for the safety of others, which makes you very dangerous indeed.

Elliot: What's the other possibility?

Auntie Sabrina: The other possibility is that you did it because you wanted to be seen as a girl. You've already told me that what you did was at least as much about the attention as the money. Perhaps the attention you got from people who thought you were a girl was more meaningful to you than the attention you would have gotten as a boy.

Elliot: swallows And what would that mean?

Auntie Sabrina: I don't know. It could be any number of things. Only you could say for sure. Perhaps it's something to think about for our next session, hm? But I do want to be clear: whatever the reason, it doesn't excuse the lack of concern you showed for the safety and dignity of those girls.

[little_kitetail]

I'm curious why the engagement this story was getting on early on fell off so suddenly. Honest feedback is appreciated.

Updates will be considerably slower from here since I'll be keeping pace with Forced Nudity Archive's update schedule.