Her Crowning Glory - RT Shores

"Manton: The Darkside of Stepford"

The wind whipped as Mary tried to run to catch up with her friends. The car was driving as slowly as allowed and she ran harder while watching Teresa hang out of the car to grab her. Their fingertips grazed and she hurled herself into the car.

She lay on the floor looking up her friends, but noted their looks of horror. Her wig was gone! She felt her freshly buzzed head and moaned. She would be dead before lightening.

The Manguard was directly behind them and continued pursuit, but the women watched as they slowed and turned around. The wig: proof of crime. They covered Mary with coats and headed for the border.

"Where are you taking me?" Mary implored. She knew they could just turn her in for credits and respect points, but they wouldn't. They all had wigs. She was just the first to need one. The first female haircut in over a century.

Eve turned to the right, just short of the border, and followed a seldom used road. Her only sign that they were close to freedom was a twinkling golden light that looked like a swarm of Lightning bugs.

She signalled with her Morse device and a wall in the mountain slid open. They were safe.

Long-haired men and shaved head women came to the car. All were dressed in rags, but looked healthy and happy.

"How can we help?" One male offered.

"Mary lost her wig after a head shave." Mary crawled out and hid her face in her hands.

"They will kill me!" A child patted her bald head and pulled his bald mother down to her.

"You stay with us then. Our life is meager, but we are free." She smiled with stained teeth and a rough untended complexion. 

Mary nodded and arose feeling stronger. "What about my children?"

"Your man will find a new wife and there is no way that harm will come to them. We will be able to get you reports at times." Mary nodded.
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"Whose is it?" A tall man in a white jumpsuit demanded.

"Checking DNA now, Captain!"

The Captain drummed his fingers on the desk and sent out a call to all men. "Where is your female! Report!"

The computer lit up and one name was on the screen: "Mary Stuart is not at home".

"Converge on the home. Remove the occupants for interrogation. Cleanse them."

He arrived at the home, perfect as all the others, and walked around. The table was set, dinner on the stove children's homework at their desks. Nothing unusual. He went to the master bedroom and began his meticulous search of the female's belongings.

"The robot!" He called out to one of his men. After the robot was set down, he left and closed the door. The robots could be very aggressive.

Time passed and the Captain paced, his long thin legs barely disturbing the carpet. He froze as he heard an alarm. The robot was finished. 

He opened the door and followed the cheeping sound. He found it under the bed. Soldiers flipped the bed and found nothing. The robot repositioned itself and shined a pinpoint light on a section of the mattress with stitching. He sliced it open and a small ad fell out.

"Hair: Cuts, Wigs" Discretion guaranteed!" He crumpled the ad with a scream, but then smoothed it again for analysis. He would find and destroy all involved!
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Mary was alone with her thoughts. The new friends, called "The Shorn" had found her a quiet space at the back of the cave. She prayed that her friends would not be found out. Their memories had been wiped to two hours prior.
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The women were in custody for complete reprogramming. Their husbands and children were partially altered with a new wife and mother inserted in their memories. All was good again.
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The hair business was destroyed as well as the owners and operators. Dissent had a way of working back up through the programming.
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Church was full again and the pastor spoke of his favorite topic: "Her Crowning Glory" Proverbs 16:31.

"A woman's hair is her crowning glory!" He bellowed. "A WOMAN'S hair IS her CROWNING GLORY!" He yelled louder still.

"Do not question God about this! He wrote this in the Bible!  THE BIBLE!  It is law!"  Cheers and applause rang through the church. The Captain stroked his wife's long hair as he held her hand. She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. 
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Mary and The Shorn wore night vision goggles as they combed through the forest and the edge of town for fur and hair. They would make more wigs...