Cynthia’s sisters, Hope and Charity (Holly and Cherri) led her across the parking lot to Grandmother’s old car and stared openly at her as they helped her get in the front passenger seat. Neither said a word as they closed her door and took their places in the back seat carefully smoothing their dresses as they gingerly sat down.

Cindi was barely able to think straight and felt like she would pass out at any minute. What had just happened? It was just too awful to be real. She must have fallen asleep on the way to the beauty salon and had this nightmare. She slowly moved her hand up towards her shoulder hoping to feel her long hair. She felt nothing and felt sick to her stomach again. With a ray of hope, remembering that Grandmother had braided their hair before they all left the house, she carefully moved her hand up to the back of her neck She prayed the braid was still there even though she hated wearing it. Still nothing. In desperation now she quickly moved her hand up to feel the base of her braid only to cup her hand around the extremely close clippered back of her head. It was NOT a dream! It had really happened!

“Just one more stop before we go home” said Grandmother as she closed the car door and started the engine. “Your barrel curls look very nice Cynthia”. Cindi’s sisters who were normally were bantering back and forth and laughing were now strangely silent. Not a sound was heard from anyone until Grandmother pulled in front of a building with large windows. The mannequins in the windows wore fashions she had seen on old black and white movies and TV series like `Leave it to Beaver’ or `The Nelson’s’. This had to be a costume shop thought Cindi as she looked for a sign to confirm her guess.

“OK Cynthia; girls, come along”. They all walked into the shop where the girls were told to sit in an old fashioned white love seat while their sister was taken into the back room to be fitted for her new wardrobe. Charity and Hope had been here before and were very aware of what was in store for sister Cynthia. After several minutes they heard their sister’s voice becoming louder and more hysterical sounding. She screamed, “No Way!” Then,” Get the fuck away from me! I won’t wear that!” Charity and Hope looked at each other and shook their heads knowing what would come next.

Sister Cynthia’s was screaming and crying. They knew she was being tied over an old ballet rail in the fitting room. Her hands would be bound to her ankles. A bar of soap crammed in her mouth and the dreaded hairbrush would come next. The girls burning bottoms constantly reminded them they could be next if they didn’t `behave’ as Grandmother and the two other ladies had said during their fittings. Cynthia’s muffled cries and screams could be heard for the next several minutes. They could hear her hysterical sobbing and spitting as she tried to get the awful taste of soap out of her mouth.

Grandmother’s voice could now be heard asking if Cynthia wanted to behave like a lady now or have another lesson. Cynthia said in her still hysterical voice “fuck yo—‘WHACK’! AHHHoww. GLAHG—AHG” as a thin wooden paddle whooshed through the air and landed on Cynthia’s already burning stinging bare bottom. Soap was immediately forced into her mouth at the same time.

“We have just the thing for high-spirited girls said another voice. This paddle has nice holes in it to really put the sting where it’s needed. We call it the `attitude adjuster’. When she has a large sample of this she will be very contrite you’ll see”. With that, very load swats began to resound throughout the shop again. Cynthia’s screams, sobs and begging between the powerful load swats went on for a very long time before all was thankfully quite.

The door opened after a few minutes. One of the ladies stuck her head out and glared at the girls. You girls sit still for a few more minutes until we get your sister cleaned up and again closed the door.

“She’s ruined her new makeup and hairdo with all that carrying on” said Grandmother’s voice from behind the door. “I was afraid this might happen. Without the proper schooling she just isn’t ready to be a grown up”. Don’t you worry Glenda; I’ll call over to Bob’s Barbershop. He’ll fix up this mess. His wife has a wig salon behind his shop. They have helped with retro transformations like this before. She’ll look just like a darling little girl before you know it. Now let’s put away the ladies garments and get her into a proper girl’s foundation.

Cindi was forced to stand straight up while a heavily boned corset was fitted around her body. The laces in the back were drawn up tighter each time she was told to let out all the air in her lungs. Soon her breasts were squashed down flat and her entire upper body looked the same size from top to bottom. A plain gray frock dress was dropped over her head and the large white buttons were fastened up in back. White athletic socks and ugly ankle high boots were next. “That will do nicely for now. Bob say’s bring her on over. He’s ready”. Said the other lady.

Cindi was still trying to breath in the tight corset as she was escorted out the door and across the street to what looked like an old-fashioned barbershop. Once inside she was told to sit on the bench and wait her turn. All the barber chairs were occupied with men and boys getting haircuts. Several others were waiting their turn as well. Cindi couldn’t sit down without help because she wasn’t able to bend much at the waist. Once on the bench the corset forced her to sit completely straight and rigid. Her bare raw bottom was burning from the spankings and burned more if she tried to move.

An older heavyset barber with glasses and thinning hair took the cape off of a freshly shorn young boy and looked at one of the dress shop ladies. Is this the one? Pointing towards Cindi with his comb. Yes I’m afraid it is. Can you help us with this little problem? Sure, I don’t think the gents will mind if we get this taken care of first, will you boys? All the men and boys in the shop looked over at Cindi and grinned shaking their heads. OK then, bring her over. Cindi was pulled up off the bench and pushed towards the big leather and chrome chair. Step up on the footrest and sit way back little girl said Bob. Now you just sit very still and keep your little head straight. If you wiggle around I might cut off an ear he said with a chuckle. A large white cape was secured around her neck and Barber Bob reached for a large pair of black clippers hanging on the side of the back counter. “This won’t hurt a bit” he said obviously enjoying himself. Cindi felt all the eyes of the others staring at her. They all had the same dumb grins on their faces. She felt her face grow hot and red from the humiliation she was now feeling.

A loud whirring sound started behind her as Barber Bob brought up his huge clippers and quickly ran them right down the center of Cindi’s curls to the back of her head. He stopped after the third pass to move to the sides. She could see in the large mirror on the wall in front of her that Bob had taken her down to the scalp. She looked completely stupid with that bald pate on top of her head. The remaining strips of curly hair high on the sides of her head made her look like Bozo the Clown. The boys were gigging now and pointing at her. “You deserve what you are getting” said Grandmother from across the room. You didn’t appreciate being treated like a lady so here you are. It’s your own fault.

Bob had paused while Cindi was being talked to. “You want to leave her like this?” He said laughing. We could have the curly strips on her sides dyed orange and paint her nose red. Her eyebrows already have the right shape. One of the other barbers said, “Yeah, she could stand outside the shop with some balloons and advertise”! Everyone was laughing at her now. Cindi was so embarrassed and humiliated that she wanted to slide down in the chair and cover her head with the cape. She never imagined she wo
uld say what she said next. “No, please shave the rest off sir. Please! Pleeease!” Oh alright, if you’re going to make a fuss about it, said Barber Bob as he winked at the customers and began raking the clippers over Cindi’s sides again and again. All the remaining curls were falling onto the white cape. Soon the clippers were turned off and Cindi could see her small round bald head in the mirror. She had no more tears to cry but closed her eyes and wept silently to herself.

She was surprised as Bob started to spread warm shaving cream over her entire scalp. He then sharpened his straight razor on a leather strap attached to her chair. Wiping a strip of shaving cream away around her left ear with his thumb he dragged the razor over the strip removing the stubble down to the bare smooth skin of her skull. He continued shaving her head in this manner until he was satisfied that he hadn’t missed anything. Barber Bob then wiped off her head with a damp towel and whipped off her cape. All done! That will be 10 dollars. Cindi looked at him with her mouth open. Was he kidding? He had just made her into a freak show for all these laughing rednecks and he wanted her to pay him! She looked over towards her Grandmother and the dress ladies and back at Bob.

Well I guess she will have to work it off Bob. She doesn’t have the money said her Grandmother. Hmmm, well I guess I could put her to work for a week or two cleaning up the joint. Might be good to have her around to show off my work he chuckled. My son Frank is training to be a barber so he could use a head to shave a few times a day for practice. Why don’t you go back and see my wife Myrna in the wig shop to get this girl fitted up and then bring her back to start work. That sounds like a good idea Bob. Thank you for helping us with this crisis said one of the dress shop ladies. Oh, no problem. I haven’t had so much fun since the last time you brought in a wayward girl.

Cindi was pushed past the giggling boys and smiling men into the shop next door. There she was directed to sit in a chair while Bob’s wife was looking through several shelves full of wigs for the `right wig’ for Cindi. Ah-ha, here we go. I have just the thing. She stretched a dark brown wig over Cindi’s shiny bald head and surveyed the result. Hmmm, what do you think ladies? Maybe this is too much hair. How about we cut most of this off and make it a cute little pixie?

Well, actually I would prefer a curled look, but one for a little girl of course, said Grandmother. Yes said Myrna, I think I have one as she whipped off the wig and replaced it with another that was red and super curly. She looks like Little Orphan Annie. Cute, what do you think? Said one of the ladies. Yes, that’s fine. Put a large bow on the top and I think we can live with the red said Grandmother. Her thin brows make her look even more like Annie don’t you think smiled Bob’s wife. They all chuckled and said yes, she was very cute.

As long as Bob keeps her shaved she won’t have any problems with the wig but if she starts to grow out it will itch like the dickens. If you like I can give her semi-permanent hair removal treatments. That way she won’t have to be shaved nearly as often. Only problem with it is after a few months there might be some permanent hair loss. It shouldn’t be a problem with someone this young though. They have lots of roots at this age laughed the woman.

She’s going to be working at your husbands shop for a couple awhile to pay for her head shaves anyway. If you have the time go ahead and be my guest said Grandmother. OK said Myrna, I’ll do one now so you can see what I’m talking about. See how you can see her dark hair shadow even though she’s as smooth as a cue ball? That’s because the hair just under the surface is still visible. Watch as I spread this special cream over her scalp and put this cap over that. I have two different types of cream. One is for semi-permanent and one is for permanent hair removal. I have to be careful not to mix them up she said with a giggle. The cap she put on Cindi’s creamed skull had wires attached at the back leading to a small plastic box on a table next to the chair. She will only feel a slight tingling sensation as the current stimulates the hair follicles to release the hair shaft.

Cindi was so dominated and restrained by her ordeal and the stiff tight corset that she could only sit and listen to the woman describe how she was removing all the hair on her head. She sat and stared at nothing as her scalp tingled all over under the cap imagining her hair follicles dying by the thousands if Myrna used the wrong tube. It felt much better than the chemical attacks she had endured from Doris earlier in the day. Maybe this was better she thought. At least I will have hair again even if it is a `wig’ and I won’t have to wear all that ugly thick makeup either. Her scalp did feel nice and cool now. Funny, she almost felt elated and giddy.. I must be going insane thought Cindi.

Ok, off comes the cap. Now we can wipe off her scalp and you ladies will see the difference. Myrna dapped a few drops of oil into her palm and massaged it into Cindi’s now shiny completely white smooth dome. All done! See, no more dark shadow. She can wear this look for several days before she needs another treatment. A little fresh face powder over her neck and face will blend everything perfectly until her tan fades. A good carefree look for doing chores or working in the barbershop smiled Myrna. How about her other body hair? Now that she is back to being a little girl she’ll need total body hair removal. Do you want me to do that as well? Might just as well make it permanent except for her head. I think she will be a little girl for some time to come said Grandmother. OK, I’ll get her slicked up this week. By next week she won’t have a hair anywhere below her neck I’ll fix up the wig with a large bow on top and box it up. Oh, and here’s a special adhesive stick. She’ll need to roll this all over her head before she puts on the wig. Her head is so smooth the wig has nothing to grab onto without it. We don’t want it fall off in her cereal. It might be embarrassing laughed Myrna. She can take everything with her when she’s done working for the day.

Grandmother thanked Myrna and Bob and told Cindi to do as she was told. She would come by to pick her up latter when she picked up the dress and smocks across the street. Cindi watched her Grandmother and the dress ladies retreat across the street through the barbershop window while she was put to work sweeping up all the hair under the barber chairs. After they left she couldn’t help seeing herself in the large mirrors every time she turned around. She looked so strange in her plain gray smock and shiny white bald head.

Days went by. Cindi was dropped off at the Barbershop in the morning after chores at home to work all day. Here she was, in a men’s Barbershop, sweeping the floors and cleaning the mirrors. She had to endure the constant laughing, and teasing from the customers. A few of them liked to rub her head as she walked past them. If she said anything at all or even made a face Myrna would bend her over a barber chair, lift her smock up over her head to expose her bare and depilatated bottom and give her `a few good ones’ with the razor strap much to the amusement and delight of everyone in the shop.

She had to sit in the big chairs once in the mornings and sometimes two or three times a day so Bob’s apprentice son could practice shaving her bald head. She still couldn’t make herself believe she looked like the image in the mirrors. Most of all she couldn’t believe that she was starting to admit to herself that she enjoyed the cool sensation of a breeze on her smooth scalp and she actually felt excited and tingly down below whenever she was being shaved. She hoped no one would notice the damp spot on the leather seat or the back of her smock when she got down out of the chair.

Myrna’s treatments continued as well so the `shadow `
never appeared on Cindi’s head and her pubic hair was now only a distant memory. She looked like a child again down there. How long this would go on or if her hair would ever grow back she didn’t know.

She looked forward to church and shopping days so she could wear her pretty dress, Mary Janes and, of course, her red curly wig with the big bow on top. She worked very hard and tried her best to be a `good girl’ towards the end of the week so she could wear them. Her taffeta dress was so short that her frilled panties would show whenever she bent forward or sat down. She thought she looked stupid in her outfit but at least she felt feminine for awhile.

Her sisters had taken well to their training. Their spankings and other punishments had diminished and their rewards had increased. They had their weekly salon visits. Cindi had to go along and was forced to sit on a small wood chair in the middle of the salon wearing her gray smock and bald head to wait for her brow treatment. Grandmother had decided Cindi’s brow shape complimented her red curly wig but was toying with the idea of asking Myrna to permanently remove them and have them penciled on only when Cindi was allowed to wear the wig. She was tired of Cindi’s long face spoiling the twin’s mood every time they went to the beauty parlor. Myrna had said Cindi’s bald look would be much better without brows anyway.

The stylists at the salon would shake their heads and tell Cindi she could have pretty curls and lots of pampering if she decided to be a good girl some day. Doris would only scowl at her as she plucked her brows to their thin half circle shape. Cindi didn’t know about Myrna’s recommendation and was still hopeful she could escape these salon visits with Doris. Little did she know how close her wish was to becoming reality although not as she envisioned.

Sometimes she rebelled causing her more punishments and misery. Once when she misbehaved in church she was forced to sit on a tall stool in the front of the congregation without her wig. Besides the public humiliations she was made to serve her sisters meals and clean up after them. Sometimes she had to go without dinner and go straight to bed early.

Grandmother and her friends had won. The girls were now becoming more and more used to their new life. They seemed to have forgotten the mall, makeup, the movies and their past life. They enjoyed their art and music classes and Sunday school. They also loved to wear their frilly clothes and talked excitedly about their special treatments at the salon and all the attention and rewards they were getting.

They giggled and squealed as they chased each other through the kitchen tracking mud over the floor Cindi was still scrubbing clean on her hands and knees. Later, she knew, she would have to run their bubble bath, wash and iron their play clothes and polish their shoes before making dinner. The twins had their own bedrooms while Cindi had to sleep in the windowless attic storage room with the stairway door locked. Maybe her sisters just felt it was no use fighting. Just go along until they could get out of there. Cindi didn’t know. The girls weren’t allowed to talk to her. She was only allowed to speak when an adult spoke to her. She was being `shunned’ as it was described in church. She felt very isolated and confused. Maybe she would just go along too.

Maybe though—- she would rebel just enough so she could still work in the barbershop and get her head shaved a couple of times a day so she could have that very secret special tingly warm feeling down below!

The end