I went to an all-girls school and I’ve just had the most extraordinary experience. It started Friday afternoon. I was in the locker-room getting ready to change out of my regulatory black leotard and white tights after my ballet-class. All of a sudden, a teacher opened the door, poked her head through it and told me to go to the principals’ office.
“Why? I haven’t done anything wrong!†I said.
“How should I know why the principal wants to speak with you? Come on, hurry up girl! Put your coat and sneakers on and your clothes in your bag and run. You know the principal doesn’t like to be kept waiting!†the teacher angrily said.
Of course, I did as I was told, and a couple of minutes later I knocked on the door. I was told to enter. As I stepped through the door, I noticed a cage, maybe a meter squared. It had bars all around and on the top. On two of the sides, there were loops, as if to put something through them. The top was opened, sort of like a lid.
“There you are child, at last!†The principal said. “I’ve been told you are quite agile, for your age, so I thought I’d test something out on you. Would you be so kind as to climb in to the cage for me?â€
Again, I did as I was told, and that’s when it all became surreal. As I stood there, I was told to cross my hands behind my back. As I did so, I could feel something being tightly wrapped around my wrists, and tied off between them. Then another rope was put around my waist, pinning my arms to the small of my back. I was told to sit down and the lid slammed shut. So there I was, in my ballet-clothes, locked in a cage, with my hands tied behind my back! A padlock was put on the lid. Then the principal said: “See if you can put your feet through the bars for me, child.â€
After a bit of manoeuvring I could, and my feet were tied together, too. “So, here’s the challenge! Get out of the cage, and I’ll let you go free. If not, well, we’ll get to that when that time comes. The key to the padlock is on the floor next to you. With your hands free, you shouldn’t have any problems reaching it.â€
I noticed she didn’t say ‘if that time comes’ but ‘when that time comes’. ‘That sounded kind of ominous.’ I thought. Anyway, with the principal as an interested spectator, I started searching for the knot with my fingers. I could feel it, but I just couldn’t get to it, no matter how hard I tried. After having watched me fumble around in vain for a couple of minutes, she said with a theatrical yawn:â€This is getting boring, you know. I have better things to do, than watching a young girl, such as yourself making a fool of her, like that!†With that, she left me and sat down behind her desk. “Tell me when you’ve finished trying, and I’ll have someone come and pick you up.â€After an hour of trying my best, I finally said:â€I can’t get free, miss. Could you please help me?â€
“I do have to give you full marks for trying the near impossible, child. Even the great Houdini himself, would have had a hard time getting out of there, I think.†she said. “Now sit tight (as if you could do anything else) and I’ll have someone come and get you out of here as soon as possible†She picked up the phone and dialled a number. “You can have her now!†was all she said. Then she went over to me with another piece of rope, which she tied to one of the bars, fed it through the gap between the bars, and around my hands, tying it off on the next bar. That made it impossible for me to slide forwards. She was just finished, when there was a knock on the door. Through it came two large men, carrying a metal-rod, which they threaded through the loops on top of the cage. They lifted it up and started carrying it. I braced myself as best I could, as the cage started swaying from side to side, like a ship in a storm. They carried me down the stairs, into the now empty hall. They put me down in the back of a minivan that was parked outside. It started moving and soon it was on the freeway, heading I don’t know where.
When it stopped, we were outside a warehouse. The backdoor opened and I was carried inside, cage and all. I was carried into a small room, the door was closed and my feet were untied and the rope around my wrists holding me to the bars was taken away. Then, the lid of the cage was opened, and I was helped out of the cage. My hands were freed and I was told:â€Get a good nights’ sleep. You’ll be shipped out tomorrow.â€
“Shipped out?†I asked, but the door had already been closed and I was alone.