False
Arrest
Disclaimer: This is purely fiction. References to any
student groups or police forces are not mentioned but it by no means implies
references to any country or university.
"No! Not again!" I thought, as the banner once more managed to slip
down the pole I was trying to attach it to. I, Lauren Bebbington, was on
a mission. My friends and I were first year University Students and we were
heading down to London to protest against the removal of any financial
assistance for students who could not afford university accommodation. Silly
government and universities across the countries were trying to cut back on
such help "to save costs" when clearly it would affect potential and
present students. Despite taking a science degree and having just enough
money (from my parents), I was keen to make my voice heard.
Eventually,
I managed somehow to attach the large printed cloth to the pole and rolled it
up. We headed to join the throng
boarding the buses, the banner in my hand.
As we climbed on, I realised there was no room, so I stared to climb up
to the upper deck.
"Lauren, next time, try wearing something more practical," my friend
Leah remarked, as she came up behind me. I was the only girl wearing a skirt
(with tights as it was winter). "All my jeans are in the wash," I
protested, though that was slightly not true. I had one more pair. I've always
been close to (but not) a girly girl and I do prefer wearing skirts as opposed
to jeans or slacks. Besides, it was a
denim mini skirt, and I thought it looked quite nice with my black tights.
After
a long bumpy bus ride, we were at the location for the demonstration. There were thousands of other students
already gathered, shouting and waving cards. We picked our way through the
human mess and found an open spot, albeit close to the riot police, who had
deployed almost the same number of personnel as there were students. No one is
going to stop from getting our message across, I thought as I looked over to
where the media circus had parked, the vans lined up and the cameras filming
everything.
An hour went by, with us chanting and the police watching, until the time came
to start the march. As the police moved
back slightly, opening a space for us to go through, someone shouted “Onward!"
and the huge division of students surged forward, banners and cards bristling. I
swear, as Leah and I moved forward we thought everything was going well, until
we heard someone shout “Get them!”
Suddenly,
a whistle was blown from the police side and the men in blue simultaneously raised
up their shields. Leah looked at me, her eyes saying “What the?” as some idiot
threw a rock at the police line. It
bounced of one of the shields and before I knew it, a number of what looked like
grenades were thrown into the crowd, a grey cloud spewing forth from them.
It
turned out to be just smoke, but that was enough to cause us to choke and make
us all scatter. "It's a peaceful protest!" many of us yelled but the
next move was the sound of shouts to stop by the riot police. Leah and I looked
at each other and had exactly the same thought - RUN!
I
saw Leah go in one direction as I dropped the banner and ran the other way,
trying to avoid bumping into anyone. It
was total confusion, however, and the smoke was making my eyes water. Suddenly I was forced to the ground, my face
almost being scratched against the tarmac.
"Hey!" I yelled, more because my hands were being yanked and a sharp
pain was cutting through wrists--I was being handcuffed, and tightly, the metal
cutting into my bare wrists. I turned my
head to protest, saying "Hey! I didn't do anything wrong! Why..."
"Silence, girl," came the reply. I was about to protest further, but
was turned around to stare into the visor of a black helmeted man, wearing a
black boiler suit. He had something in his
hands, and as he pressed it down over my face stickiness came against my
lips--I was tape gagged. "Mmmmpph!!!" I yelled. Hands next dragged
me--literally lifting me of my feet--until I saw an open van. Inside, five
other girls were locked in individual mini prison cells, all similarly bound
and gagged. I was pushed into the last cell, a seat belt strapped across my
waist and the door slammed shut, leaving us all in darkness.
As
my eyes adjusted to the gloom, I looked at the others, as they looked at
me. They were all much the same age as
me, wearing jeans and jackets, and all were thinking by the look in their eyes
what I was - “What the hell is going on here?”
For the next thirty minutes, all could be heard was the rumbling of the engine
and the muffled wails of us gagged girls.
As I sat there, trying to get my wrists free, I was beginning to realise
something was very wrong here. It was
strange that there were only girls in this van, and the police would not
normally gag those they arrest - well, not in this country anyway. At least Leah wasn’t here - but where was
here, and where were we going? Something is definitely wrong, I thought and
struggled frantically against my manacles. That only served to have the cold
steel cut into my skin.
Suddenly,
the vehicle screeched to a halt. The doors slammed open, and the men quickly
unbuckled us, dragging us all out into what appeared to be a dark
underground car park. We all looked at each other, as our worst suspicions were
proved to be right.
"March
ladies," one of the "policeman"-- by now it was obvious they
were anything but -- said, levelling a pistol at us. We walked forward and were
forced into an extremely bright room,
causing me to blink rapidly.
"Now ladies, time to process you--a strip search" We all protested through
our gags and tried to move away, but the sight of more weapons made us
surrender in the end. One by one they
took us and - well, it was the most humiliating experience for me ever.
My
clothes were not just removed, they were cut away, especially my favourite bra
and knickers. As I stood there, naked and unable to cover myself, I was
touched---I don't want to talk about it.
Let’s just say it was a very, very probing and thorough search.
Once
they had finished, one of the armed men said “Keep your trap shut,” as the tape
was ripped violently away from my mouth.
Another man held up something I
had never seen before in front of my face.
It was a large leather rectangle, on one side of which was a large
rubber, well teat for want of a better word.
There were straps to the side, and it only took me a moment to realise
this was to silence me even more.
“No,
please, don’t OUCHMMMDFMSM.” I spoke,
but someone pinched me hard on the bottom and the masked man forced the bung
into my mouth, pulling the straps either side of my face and forcing them
behind my head. By now I was shaking, in
fear and anger, as the straps cut into the sides of my cheeks.
My
hands were released and my arms held up as an oversize white t-shirt was pulled
over my head and my body. What? No underwear?
Before I had a chance to react, my hands were forced together behind me
and a pair of cuffs fastened round them.
There were short chains attached to them, which were held like a leash
as I was pulled over towards a door at the far side of the room. I looked over my shoulder as someone said
“Next!” and a second girl was separated from the group.
The
door opened into a smaller room with an old iron bed in the middle of it, a
soiled mattress thrown no top. “Plsltmg,”
I called out as I tried to pull away, but the guy holding the chain was too
strong for me, as he pulled me over and pushed me onto my back on the bed,
fastening my wrists to the metal headstand before he took another pair of
restraints and fastened them around my ankles, the ends of which were attached
to the foot of the bed.
“Frgdsskstpts,”
I called out, but he just laughed as he looked at me, before leaving me again
in darkness, the door firmly locked. The
taste of rubber in my mouth was disgusting, but I knew by the tightness of the
straps around my face there was no way I was going to force it out. I also knew that there had been cases of
people choking to death in these situations, so I tried to calm myself down as
I lay there, listening to the muffled screams on the other side of the door.
I
had no idea how much time had passed, before there was silence outside. I wondered where the other five girls had
gone, and offered up a prayer that Leah got away safely. More to the point, I offered up several
fervent prayers that I would be released.
I’m not a religious person, but it seemed as if it was the only thing I
could do for now, as I waited to see what would happen next.
As
I lay there, thinking “Gosh, please, someone end this nightmare,” my cell door
banged open. The four “cops” came in,
now hooded in ski masks, and stood there looking at me as I struggled.
"This
one first," the same voice I had heard before said. "She's a 34C,
she'll fetch the highest price!" My eyes must have opened wide, as my
worst fears were realised. These were
slavers, and I was about to be sold like so much chattel?
"MMmmmmmph!!!!"
I wailed, as the men approached me, reaching for my straps as I tried to twist
out of the way. I closed my eyes,
thinking “Please let this end, please let this end, please let me wake up....”
There
was a loud bang, and I opened my eyes in time to see a bright light fading in
the room outside and smoke billowing into the room. As the four men turned round, they saw two
armed men, dressed in black suits and helmets, kneel and point their assault
rifles at them.
"Special
Units! Freeze!!!" As they shouted this, four more men came in and forced
the gang to their knees, disarming them as they used zip ties to secure their
hands behind their back. In the clearing
smoke, I could see dozens more in the outside room, heading through other
doors.
From
me position, strapped on the bed, I watched as the ski masks were pulled off
the four men. I didn’t recognise any of
them - well, why should I, they had worn visored helmets and masks the whole
time - but these new arrivals seemed to know who they were, as they were
marched out of the room.
A
hand reached over and unbuckled the restrictive gag, allowing me to cough as
the foul tasting plug was removed from my mouth.. "Than...k you," I
said, as I was freed from the medical restraints, and I was helped to sit up. “You saved me from - what were they anyway?”
“We’ve
been tracking them for some time,” the officer said as I rubbed my wrists,
“there have been a number of such disappearances from rallies. With luck, we
will find those who went before.”
"Well, thank you any... What on earth?" I cried at their next
move, as my wrists were secured behind once more in handcuffs. "Hey! I'm
the good guy!"
"You're still under arrest Miss Bebbington. You may have been the victim
of a false arrest, but your protest group failed to submit the right papers for
an application for a protest. Now, you’ll have to join your friends in lock up.
We'll process you properly this time."
"No! Not again!" I thought. As
I was taken out, and saw the other five, I could see they thought the same
thing - bugger.
The End.
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