Prologue

Emma Henderson woke up long before dawn. She'd had a troubled dream. She lay in bed and looked around at the room. It was sparsely furnished, containing no more than the bed she lay in. But at least it was reasonably warm and she had been allowed to take a blanket out of the store two days ago. A week had passed since her last really Bad Thought and life was becoming tolerable - almost - now that she was starting her third month of The Experiment.

And then her mind went back to her childhood home, to the pink wallpaper, the fluffy teddy bear by her side, the pretty curtains and the lovely view over the gardens, so colourful with all the Spring flowers.

That was a mistake on Emma's part. Dissatisfaction equals a Bad Thought! And Bad Thoughts are always punished. Retribution is instant where Bad Thoughts are concerned, as Emma had been reminded of late, very painfully and very often.

"OUCH"!!

She suppressed the obscenity that had been on her lips. But she had thought it, and that would do her no good!

The nails started to press into her bare skin. As a child Emma had read of Indian mystics who can sleep in comfort on beds of nails but had never anticipated that she might one day have a chance to try it herself. Usually the nails were flush with the bed's metal surface. But a Bad Thought would cause them to rise, gradually piercing her skin, so that she had no choice but to get up and stand on the metal floor. And she knew her troubles weren't over yet.

How long would it be before she could go back to bed? It was still dark. She was tired after a long and arduous day. Was it worth it? All this discomfort - pain, even?

Another Bad Thought! Silly girl! A surge of current made her jump. Her long golden hair almost stood on end, although she should be used to this by now! Poor Emma had lost track of the voltage her body had been slammed with these last weeks! It felt like enough to light up a small city! She screamed with the pain and shock. The current continued and she jumped up and down in a vain endeavour to obtain at least a split second's relief.

Just as the twitching, jerking Emma was about to pass out, the sliding door opened. She was being instructed to go out into the night and the cold! As if to emphasise her expulsion from the room, the current surged again, flooding her with fresh pain. Desperate to get away from the voltage coursing through her, she ran to the doorway, each footstep giving her a fresh shock until she was outside. She danced in agony for minutes after getting out of that electrified room, even though the power had been switched off the second she stepped out into the night.

The door closed smoothly behind her, clicking shut with implacable finality. She would be out here for at least six hours. Emma nursed her soles tenderly but tried to feel resigned and philosophical as she rubbed them. Being resigned and philosophical was the most she could manage by way of a Good Thought in her present distressed state, with the pain gradually ebbing away. It was the only way to avoid more torment.

"Think Good Thoughts," she told herself. " Only Good Thoughts will please."

Thank goodness it was Summer - just about! The nights were still warm enough for her to shiver no more than slightly, although this wouldn't last long and she was in for a hard time if she couldn't control her nocturnal Bad Thoughts.

In a few hours the sun would be up to warm her. She was tanned these days - richly bronzed all over and if she only had a mirror, the sight would certainly have pleased her, although being gratified at her appearance was Vanity. And Vanity equalled a Bad Thought, so it was as well that this temptation had been removed.

Emma felt the gooseflesh form as her body reacted to the night chill. She had worn no clothes since being ordered to forfeit them three weeks into her time here.

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