Miss Hanover’s Correctional School

“Mum, please,” Selina said impatiently, lugging her suitcase down the stairs. “I know you don’t approve, but I’m going to college and that’s final.” She reached the bottom of the stairs and propped her suitcase up against the wall. It was full to the brim with all the clothes she’d need for the coming semester, including a couple of tight, skimpy little outfits she couldn’t wait to show off at a club, not to mention a pack of condoms or two – just in case any of the hot boys in her dorm didn’t come prepared.

“It’s just not right for you to be studying and partying and all of that silliness!” her mother said. “University should really be for boys only.”

Selina gritted her teeth. She hatedthis side of her mother. How could she be so backwards?! She was a woman herself for God’s sake!

“Anyway,” her mother continued, “that’s why your father and I decided to take matters into our own hands. We contacted the university yesterday and told them you were dropping out.”

Selina went cold. “You didn’t…” she whispered, but she could see on her mother’s face that she was totally serious. “You actually… What the fuck!”

“Language, young lady!” her mother scolded. “This is exactly why you need to attend a correctional school to fix your bad behaviour!”

“A… A correctional school?!”

“That’s right, sweetie,” her mother said in the cooing, condescending voice that Selina had always hated. “You won’t be going to college, but you’re not going to be sitting around the house twiddling your thumbs either. You’ll be attending Miss Hanover’s Correctional School for Little Ladies. It’s a boarding school that promises to turn even the most wayward of young women into sweet little girls. They’ll be arriving to pick you up any minute now!”

“What?!” Selina demanded, aghast. “You’re crazy if you think I’m going to willingly go off to some correctional school!”

She expected her mother to shout – she never normally would have tolerated backtalk like that – but instead she just chuckled. “Nobody said anything about you going willingly, silly!”

At that moment there was a knock on the front door. Her mother hurried to answer it, and Selina, still in a state of shock and disbelief, heard her say, “Yes, she’s just through here. I think she’s going to try and give you quite a bit of trouble!”

Then she shrieked as a pair of tall, muscular-looking women advanced on her down the hallway, their faces stern.

“What are you doing?” she squealed as they took her by the arms and started dragging her outside. “Let go of me!” she demanded, kicking and thrashing. “You can’t do this! It’s illegal! LET ME GO!”

But before she could say another word, one of the women had pressed something between her lips, and Selina felt a strap go around the back of her head, holding it in place. She strained to look down at the thing protruding from her mouth, and her eyes widened. A pacifier?!

She looked around desperately, but all she saw was her mother waving goodbye with a satisfied smile on her face before she was bundled into the back of a van in the driveway. The door slammed, and the engine rumbled into life.

One Year Later

“Sweetheart!” Selina’s mother called, “Come to Mummy, dear!”

Selina got up from where she’d been playing with her tea-set and hurriedly toddled over to her mother. Good girls drop whatever they’re doing when their Mummies gave them an instruction.

“I see you’re playing tea-parties with your dollies, baby. Have you finished all your chores?”

“Yeth Mummy,” Selina lisped, dropping a curtsey and flashing her diaper as she lifted up the hem of her pink, frilly dress.

“That’s my little Selly!” her mother praised. Then she paused, sniffing the air theatrically. “Uh-oh…” she said, but she looked delighted. “Mummy smells something yucky. Has silly Selly made a stinky?”

Selina blushed and looked down at her ballet shoes. “Uh-hu,” she said. “Made a ‘tinky, Mummy.”

“You couldn’t use the toilet, baby?” her mother asked, her eyes sparkling with pleasure.

Selina shook her head fiercely, sending her pigtails flapping about her face. “Nu-uh! Dat’s for gwown-ups!” She pulled a funny face and went cross-eyed. She’d been one of the best in her Acting Silly class at Miss Hanover’s. “I’m jutht siwwy Sewwy!”

“Just silly Selly,” her mother agreed, chuckling. “No need for potties when your pants will do! Let Mummy check the damage, sweetie. Turn around for me.”

Selina stomped around obediently, wrinkling her nose as the mess in her pants squished against her bottom. But having a yucky nappy was just part of being a silly little girl. She remembered how hard she’d tried to fight in her Nappy Training class, but now even the thought of sitting her little bum on a potty sent a thrill of fear through her body, and made the image of a hard wooden paddle flash in her mind.

She felt Mummy lift up her dress and pull out the back of her nappy to take a peek inside. Her face reddened even more, but she knew little girls like her didn’t deserve privacy. Never try to stop a grown-up from checking your nappy. Adults know best. And how else would Mummy know when to change her diaper? The thought of doing it herself was just silly. She knew she’d been smart once, a naughty little smarty-pants who thought she could go off to university, but now even the tapes on her nappy seemed too complicated. Way beyond a silly little girl like her.

“You’ve certainly filled this up!” her mother exclaimed happily, letting the waistband of her adult daughter’s nappy snap back into place. “But I think it can take another load. Besides, I was just about to take you out to the park! Doesn’t that sound fun, Selly?”

Selina turned scarlet. The thought of toddling around the public park in her frilly pink dress, playing like a little girl and flashing her yucky, stinky nappy to whoever might be watching made her feel dizzy with shame. But good girls did whatever their Mummies wanted. Never say no to your Mummy. Mummy knows best.

“Yeth, Mummy,” she lisped, turning around and dropping into a curtsey again. “I wuv da park!”

Her mother laughed and patted her on the head. “I’m sure you do, sweetie. Now take Mummy’s hand, and let’s get going. You can skip all the way there!”