And now a third new story: Escape to Victoria
Victor breaks out of detention but finds himself in a different pickle.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H58FL681Chapter 1
Victor had escaped from the juvenile detention centre during the night but he was still wearing the blue jumpsuit with the institution’s name written across it in big letters. He could get away with it in the countryside at night but it was getting brighter as he approached the town.
On the first street he noticed a side window was slightly open in one of the houses. He crept towards it. He saw the reflection of blue flashing lights as a squad car prowled past the end of the street. He had to get in there.
He lifted the window as quietly as he could and climbed in. It was a bedroom with a thankfully empty bed. He looked around. There was also a dressing table, chair, a wardrobe and chest of drawers. It all looked quite old fashioned. Maybe there were some clothes he could change into in the wardrobe.
He opened the double doors of the wardrobe and was greeted with a row of pastel coloured and flowery dresses. He closed the doors as quickly as he could before any image of himself wearing a pretty dress could form in his mind.
He went back to the window. The police car was now rolling down the street. He stepped back quickly to avoid any chance of being seen but knocked over an empty vase. He desperately tried to catch it but it fell to the floor and shattered.
He braced himself and listened out for any reaction within the house. He heard footsteps coming towards the door. He looked out the window again. The police car had pulled over to the kerb. He was better off taking his chance staying in the house.
The door opened and a middle-aged lady stared at him. He didn’t know what to say – he just held the palms of his hands out, hoping to show that he had no weapon and did not intend to present a threat.
“It’s ok”, the woman said. She pointedly looked out the window at the squad car and said “the police are no friends of mine.” Victor breathed again.
“But they are going to start coming around door to door shortly. Escapes are regular occurrences and they have a routine response. They usually get their man”, she warned.
“So you either give yourself up or …”, she opened the wardrobe door. Victor cringed. She selected one dress. “This one isn’t so bad – powder blue and just a Peter Pan collar.” “There’s no way I could look convincing”, he responded, running his hand over his close-shaven head.
“You’re in luck”, she told him. She reached up into the corner of the top shelf in the wardrobe and produced a polystyrene head with a blond wig on it. “My daughter had cancer and needed this following the treatment. All in vain I’m afraid.”
Victor felt sorry for her naturally but there didn’t seem to be time to talk about that. He could see the police officers pointing up and down the street planning how they were going to cover it door-to-door.
He stepped towards the dress tentatively. She held it up against him. “I think it will fit.” He sighed. It was his only chance. He pulled off the boiler suit. She threw the dress over his head, he pushed his arms into the sleeves and she zipped him up. The flared skirt came to a couple of inches above his knees.
She went to the chest of drawers. “You’ll need to wear tights. There’s no time to shave those legs.” She produced a pair of opaque white tights. He cringed again. Out the window he could see a policeman was approaching the front door of the house opposite and knocked on it.
She helped him put the tights on and pulled them up under his dress and over his boxers. Then she pulled a wig cap over his head and placed the wig on his crown, tugging it downwards all around until it looked right.
He looked in the mirror. It was better than he thought. “I still look like a boy in a dress!” She went to the dressing table and took some make-up from the drawers. She spread something over his face and powdered his cheeks and he looked again. “Better.” There was a knock on the door.
Victor froze. There was no going back now. She gave him a pair of loose sandals that he was able to squeeze his feet into. “What’s your name anyway?” “Victor.” “Right … Victoria so. I’m your Aunt Rita.” She pushed his boiler suit under the mattress and led him into the kitchen and gave him a glass. “Get some OJ from the fridge and sit at the table.”
There was another knock on the door, louder this time. She went through the sitting room and answered it. Victor cringed. He couldn’t believe he was sitting there in a dress, tights and wig hoping to fool them. If it didn’t work, they would make sure to haul him back to the centre still wearing the frock and tights and he would definitely be beaten to a pulp.
“We’ve had an escape from the centre Ma’am. Have you seen anything?” “No, I’m only just up.” “Is there anyone else in the house Ma’am?” “Just my niece.” “Can I come in and take a look around?” “Yes of course.”
“Is your niece decent?” he nodded towards the bedroom door. “Yes, she’s in the kitchen”, Rita assured him. Victor braced himself and tried to decide how much to smile. Overdoing it might be just as bad as not being convincing. He aimed for a not-unpleasant but slightly surprised look.
The policeman came into the kitchen. Victor looked up from his OJ with his rehearsed reaction. The policeman nodded. “Sorry to disturb.” Victor shrugged, hoping to indicate no problem. The officer gave him a good look over – probably thinking that teenage girls didn’t generally wear such pretty dresses on a normal day.
Anyway, he looked around the kitchen and nodded. He looked into each room in turn. “OK well if either of you see anything suspicious, please give me a call”, he concluded, handing Rita a card. “Certainly officer”, Rita responded. Victor just nodded with a little smile.