The Legend of Bastien - Chapter 16 – Hatching the Plan – Part 1 of 2

 

The Legend of Bastien

By Karen Singer

 

Chapter 16 – Hatching the Plan – Part 1 of 2

 

Judy carefully studied her prize chickens.  According to her father, all of them were worthy of first prize, and nobody knew chickens like he did…and now her.  She believed she knew almost as much about them as he did.  But chickens weren’t her problem.  Billy Bastien was.

As much as she had tried, she still couldn’t come up with one single even bad idea to use on Chrissy to show everyone how much she supported Billy.

She thought about all the things they had done to Chrissy…and made a town law.  A seemingly endless number of ridiculous things, all aimed at making Chrissy himself – ridiculous.  And there was no doubting how successful they had been at that.

As her eyes watched her chickens roaming around in their huge pen, her mind drifted back to all the things that Miranda, her mother, and Olivia Bastien had told her.  Whoever married Billy had to show how much she supported Billy.  But that wasn’t everything.  The Bastien women had told her what the job was really about.  Running the town.  The girl with the most ability in that aspect of things would most likely be the next Mrs. Bastien.  But still, they had said that whoever it was had to show how much they supported Billy.

Billy didn’t have a say in who he would marry.  Billy had no say at all in who would be the next Mrs. Bastien – Queen of the World.  So did she need to do something to Chrissy to show her support for Billy?  And yet, in discussing things with Alicia and Olivia Bastien, the subject of Chrissy had come up over and over again.  As far as she could tell, Chrissy was going to be the key toward deciding much of their final decision.  So like it or not, it was all going to come down to Chrissy.

Chrissy!  Chrissy!  Chrissy!  She could just scream!

She could raise chickens.  She could even train them…somewhat.  Chickens really were stupid birds.  But Chrissy had already been turned into a ridiculous sissy.  Chrissy had already been turned into as much of a stupid baby as they could manage and still allow him to do his town job.  They had combined it all to do everything possible to Chrissy, leaving nothing left!  She balled her fists and screamed her frustration…and went back to staring mindlessly at her chickens.

It didn’t have to be about Chrissy, but like it or not, it did.  Chrissy, Chrissy, Chrissy. 

As her mind daydreamed about this and that, the beginnings of an idea began to form.  No.  It was stupid.  Outrageous.  Ridiculous!  And it couldn’t be done.  But could it?  Besides, they’d never let her.  But would they?  And if they did let her, how would she ever manage it?  It would be incredibly difficult.  So why bother even thinking about it?  They were never going to allow it – ever!  But…what if they did?  Would it gain her an advantage over Evy?  Absolutely!  Without a doubt!  She would probably even become famous for it.  And without a doubt, it would cement her status in the best way possible toward being the next Mrs. Bastien of the town.

But would they allow it?  She had a lot to think about.

She spent two full days thinking about it and dreaming about it at night as well.  The problems were enormous!  She was going to need help.  And that’s if they even allowed her to try it…which was doubtful.  Little by little, she put together her plan.  On the evening of the second day, after her father came home from work, after they had dinner and she had helped her mother clean up the kitchen afterwards, she went to both of them, her mother and father.  But she spoke to her father first.  “Dad, I have an idea and I need your help with it.”

Deputy Mike turned his head away from the TV towards his daughter.  “What’s that?”

An idea that will almost guarantee that I will become the next Mrs. Bastien in this town.”

That got the total attention of both her mother and father.  Her mother turned the TV off.

“What?” her mother asked.

Judy laid it out for them.  All of it.  All her problems.  All her doubts.  Everything she could think of.  Most of all, she emphasized that it was all depending on whether they allowed her to try it or not.

Judy, her mother, and her father, discussed it all for three days.  Looking at every aspect, including some that Judy hadn’t thought about.  Then finally Mike went and talked to Tom, asking if he could arrange another audience for Judy with both Mrs. Bastiens. 

The audience was easy to arrange.  A day later, Judy was taken out of school by the sheriff and driven directly to the judge’s house.  While the sheriff headed into the judge’s home office, Judy stood outside the door to Olivia’s home office.  Tentatively, she knocked.

“Come in!” Olivia’s voice called.

Judy opened the door and entered, then closed the door behind her again.  Olivia and Alicia Bastien were sitting in some nice comfortable looking chairs.  They each had a cup of coffee nearby.

“You wanted to see us?” Olivia asked.

Judy nodded.  “Yes.  Please.”

“Need I ask about what?”

“Probably not,” Judy replied.  “Billy…and Chrissy of course.”

“I take it you have some hairbrained idea for Chrissy you’d like us to consider?” Alicia asked.

“Yes!  And maybe hairbrained may be a good description.”

“It sounds like you’re awfully desperate,” Olivia noted.

“I am!” Judy told them.  “But I’m not about to give up.  I want to be Billy’s wife, and I still think I’m the best candidate for the job.  This idea will show that, beyond a doubt.  Nobody will ever doubt that I’m the best person for the job!”  Her voice dropped to almost a whisper.  “If…you let me do it.”

“I see,” Olivia replied, noting that once again Judy had referred to being Billy’s wife as a job.  That was probably good since beyond being a wife, the rest of it really was a job.  The most important job in Bastien.

“So hairbrained or not,” Alicia said, “I take it you’re planning on laying it out for us.”

“Yes,” Judy said. 

“Tell us,” Alicia replied.

So she did.  The shocked looks on their faces were almost comical, and were just what Judy had been afraid she’d see.  When she was done, their faces still looked shocked, but not only that, she could see that neither of them was probably going to let her put her plan into action.  Still, she waited for their answer.  It was a moment before it came.

“Well!” Olivia said, her mind still boggled by what Judy had come to them with.  “That is certainly…different.”

“Yes!” Alicia agreed.

“I’m not sure at all that we can…” Olivia started, then changed course.  “Tell you what Judy.  Something like this has to go before the entire family.  We’ll bring it to them and let you know.”

“That’s all I ask,” Judy said.  “But if you do allow it, I know it will show everyone in town just what I’m capable of doing.”

“Yes.  Without a doubt!” Alicia replied.

 

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Two days later, Judy got taken out of class again, this time by both the sheriff and her father.  They all went to the judge’s house, but this time the sheriff led them into the judge’s office.  Olivia and Alicia followed them in. 

“What you’re asking,” Judge Bastien said, “is completely crazy!”

“I know,” Judy replied.  “But so was everything you’ve done to Chrissy so far.”

“Yes,” the judge agreed.

“We’ve discussed this at length,” the judge said.  “It’s going to go against a lot of the laws we made for Chrissy.”

“But only for a few weeks.  No longer,” Judy countered.

“Yes.  We would have to suspend the laws for this.  For that long anyway.”

Judy became hopeful.  “So you’re going to let me?”

“With a lot of misgivings from all of us, yes!” the judge declared.  “Billy doesn’t know yet, but we’ll let him know before the time comes.  You said you wanted to start this at the end of school graduation celebration?”

“I think that would be the perfect time.  We can make a big show of it, so everyone knows what’s happening.  In fact, I think it would help Billy if he’s the one who announces it.”

The judge considered that.  “Yes.  It probably would.  He’s not going to be happy about it, but that’s not his decision.”

“The end of school celebration,” Olivia said.  “And we’ll look forward to seeing what you can do…a few weeks later.”

“The July fourth celebration,” Judy replied.  “The perfect time, and the perfect amount of time.”

“We’ll see,” the judge replied.

 

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The school term ended in the middle of May each year, and of course, that was the perfect opportunity for the entire Bastien community to hold another celebration festival on the village green.  Once again the bands started in the morning, and everyone knew the polka music would last until late at night.  And of course, Chrissy’s tent was set up across the street in front of the Sheriff’s office again.

Billy hadn’t found out what was going on until the day before, and then they had only told him that Judy would be taking Chrissy for a while.  They did make some suggestions though as to what he should tell everyone else.  Billy was anything but happy about it.  Chrissy was his toy, not anyone else’s.  But the family all seemed to be against him on the issue.  Like it or not, he was forced to go along with what they needed him to do.

It was mid-afternoon and the festival was in full swing.  After an initially busy morning for Chrissy, the sheriff noticed that Chrissy’s tent had been pretty much abandoned by the usual farm hands for a while, despite Billy trying to “drum-up” business for the flake.  “Billy!  It’s time!” he said to his son.”

“Aw Dad,” Billy complained.  Chrissy hasn’t had enough business yet.  Everybody’s dancing instead.  He needs more.”

“No.  And maybe no business should tell you something.  Now go get Chrissy, and when the next song ends, you get started!  Got it?”

“Yeah Dad,” Billy reluctantly agreed.

“And like we suggested,” Tom continued.  “You might want to sound happy about it, like maybe this was all your idea in the first place.”

Billy brightened at that thought.  “Yeah!  That much will be good!”

Chrissy, with no customers, was happily standing outside his tent enjoying being ignored while he watched the festival and listened to the music.  As he watched the people dancing, as always, he was amazed at how good some of them were.  He wished he could be that good at something.  He really wished he could be that happy.  He wished he could be happy at all…if even for just a little while.  But his entire life was nothing but…misery.  Still, it was a huge improvement to be able to just stand there and watch everyone else having fun.  And those polka bands really were good!

Tess stood back in the crowd and just watched, but her eyes continually roamed over to where her son was standing.  She was glad to see he hadn’t had much business in a while now, despite Billy’s efforts to get more people to use his services.  She was tempted to go over and hug her son, but in this situation, she dared not.

She liked the outfit she had put him in today.  She knew he didn’t appreciate it, but it really was nice.  Colorful.  With his hair gradually growing longer, he was starting to look more like a girl than ever.  Not that she dared tell him that.  With the change in the weather, those short skirts he wore all the time were becoming more practical, and he could usually go with nothing more than a sweater to help keep him warm.  She knew of course, because he had told her countless times, how warm those super thick diapers were for him to wear.  She constantly watched the supply of them going down, but there were still so many of them left.  She just hoped that when they did run out, Miranda wouldn’t make her buy anymore.  Her poor son was developing a permanent waddle in his walk from them.

She noticed the sheriff talking to his son, but the part that concerned her, a lot, was when Billy turned and grabbed Chrissy by the hand and started dragging him across the street, right into the heart of the festival.  As far as she could see, there was no way that could bode well for her son.  She could only watch with bated breath as Chrissy was led to the middle of the green and then left there while Billy headed for the stage.

Chrissy had no idea what was going on now.  Billy had grabbed him and dragged him into the middle of everyone else.  Why?  Everyone was looking at him, which was just what he didn’t want.  Why did his mother have to dress him so colorfully today?

When the next song ended, Billy walked up onto the stage and grabbed the microphone.  Everyone else on the stage automatically moved away, not wanting to be that close to him.  “Everyone!” Billy announced loudly into the microphone, his voice being amplified much louder than he anticipated.  In moments, he had the attention of everyone at the festival, which gave him a feeling of power.  He loved that…and being the center of attention.  “You’ve all seen what I did to Chrissy for insulting me like he did.”  He pointed towards Chrissy, standing in the middle of the crowd, now cowering in fear.  The crowd seemed to magically move away from him, out of their own fear.  “You see what I did to him?” Billy said again, to emphasize the statement.  “That’s what any of you will get if you even think about insulting me.  That…or worse!”

Billy looked straight at Chrissy.  “You want to tell me again that I’m not fit to rule this town someday?”

Chrissy was aghast.  He didn’t dare say one word.  He couldn’t have said anything even if he wanted to.

“I dare you!” Billy shouted into the microphone.  “Tell me again that I’m not fit to rule!”

Chrissy simply stood there, cowering.  He wanted to run, but there was nowhere to run to.

“What’s the matter, Chrissy?  Too chicken?”  Billy laughed as Chrissy just stood there, obviously in total fear.  “See that everyone?  The stupid flake is too chicken to even try insulting me again.” 

His eyes found Judy, standing in the crowd, not far from Chrissy now.  “Well, my friend Judy there thinks she’s found a way to show you all just how chicken Chrissy really is.  Isn’t that right Judy?”

“Damn right!” Judy yelled back.

“Have at him then Judy.  Show us just how chicken Chrissy really is.”

Chrissy had no idea what was going on.  He felt himself wetting his diaper profusely from the fear.

“Dad?” Judy called toward her father.

Tess stood back, rooted in place.  Her heart wanting to drop out of her body.  She could only stand there in total shock and fear as Deputy Mike headed straight for her son.  She didn’t miss the rope he had in his hands.  “No!  Don’t!” she pleaded, but her words weren’t loud enough to be heard from that distance, not that they would have meant anything to anyone anyway.  She jumped when Betty suddenly was there and put her arm around her, holding her tightly in place.  “What are they doing?” Tess asked.

“I don’t know,” Betty replied.  “But it’s nothing good, I’m sure.”

Chrissy had been dying with fear before, but when Deputy Mike and Judy started stripping him naked he really couldn’t believe it.  In moments, all his colorful clothes were gone, even his big fat wet diaper, and he was absolutely naked in front of everyone.  It was the first chance everyone got to see the metal chastity device that had been locked onto him.  The first chance that most people at the festival had even heard of such a thing.

“Hey Judy,” Billy called over the microphone on the stage.  “For a chicken, he for sure ain’t no rooster.  He ain’t got a cock no more.”  He laughed at his own joke.

When he was completely naked, Deputy Mike grabbed one of his arms and bent it in half, then tied it that way so he couldn’t straighten it.  A moment later, he did the same thing with Chrissy’s other arm.  His arms and hands were now useless.

“Look!” Judy yelled to the crowd around them.  “Wings!  Chicken wings.”  With that, she grabbed Chrissy from behind by his two bent arms and raised his elbows up and down like he was flapping his wings.

“Good one, Judy,” Billy laughed over the microphone

“I can do better than this,” Judy yelled back in reply.

“Go for it Judy,” Billy told her.

Judy turned to her father.  “Dad?”

Deputy Mike took more of his rope and looped it around Chrissy’s head, similar to the way he would use it on a cow or a horse.  Then he pulled.  Chrissy had no choice but to follow as the deputy continued to lead him to the edge of the village green.  With everyone watching, the deputy led Chrissy into the back of a small cattle trailer and tied the rope from his head to the railing.  Chrissy was stuck standing there in the back of the trailer like nothing more than a cow that was being transported somewhere.  The back of the trailer was raised and locked, and Deputy Mike got into the truck.  Judy waved to the crowd.  “See you all again July fourth!”  With that, she got into the truck too, and the deputy drove away from the festival.

Tess’s knees gave out and Betty went down to the ground with her to hold her.  Tess cried, but Betty didn’t have the words that might comfort her.  All she knew was that whatever was going on was going to be bad.  Anything and everything the Bastiens did was bad.  But they were all stuck under their thumb.  Permanently.

“Come on,” Betty said softly to Tess.  “Let’s get you home.  I’ll make you a cup of tea.”

Betty’s husband, Fred, showed up carrying all the things Chrissy had been wearing, including his wet diaper.  “I don’t know what’s going on,” he said, “but it worries me.”

Tess looked up at him, wide eyed, but there was nothing she could say.

In the middle of the crowd, still mostly silent and staring in the direction that Deputy Mike’s truck had driven off, Evelyn stood fuming.  The look on her face was anything but pleasant.  She had no idea what that bitch Judy was doing, but whatever it was, she vowed she would get her revenge.  Nobody was going to take being Queen of the World away from her.

 

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