The Watcher (part 4)

-- read part 1 here --
-- read part 2 here --
-- read part 3 here --

After those events, certain things changed in the relationship between Oskar and Elena. Elena had been devoted to Oskar before, but the fact that she wanted to gain his complete trust again made her more submissive to him. Therefore Oskar had imposed some rules on her, and Elena followed these strictly, even when Oskar wasn't around, to prove her loyalty.

We still watched Oskar run every morning, me in the yellow down mantle with the Feathered Friends expedition suit underneath, Elena in the blue Parkasite mantle with two down jackets under it. After that first day we were both gagged. Elena accepted her ball gag meekly. I was a bit more hesitant but I already loved the suit and mantle so much that I didn't protest when Oskar fitted me with a ball gag as well. It was uncomfortable to have a gag in my mouth for more than three hours, but it was a sacrifice I was willing to make. And I have to admit it worked. Being unable to talk, there was nothing to do but watch the solitary runner.

At any other time when Elena was outside, she wore the Parkasite mantle without the other jackets underneath. But she had to zip it up fully, put the hood up, and tie the hood until only a small slit remained. Only her eyes and most of her nose weren't covered. She also wore her ski pants and the red Moonboots all the time. When she was with Oskar, he put her into the heavy mittens that she couldn't get out of on her own. Otherwise she wore another pair of mittens that wasn't quite as thick and that she could take off herself - but she wasn't allowed to do this until she was inside. All in all, she was still a remarkable sight. It was December then, with temperatures around 5°C. The huge, shiny mantle was striking on its own, but the tightly tied hood and the Moonboots really made her stand out.

During that time, I did my best to befriend Elena and visit her as often as I could. This was in fact quite easy. Elena was an immigrant; she only lived here since half a year. She had few acquaintances so she was glad to have someone to talk to and to go shopping with.

Elena loved shopping, which I guess is normal when you have more free time and money than you know what to do with - both were true in Elena's case. She had so many shoes that I doubted she had worn them all. She confided to me that she didn't mind wearing the Parkasite mantle, even with the hood tied all the time, but that she didn't like the Moonboots and would love to wear some of her other shoes. Given her expansive collection, that was understandable. Elena had once carefully tried to raise the subject with Oskar, but he had been clear on the point. She would wear the Moonboots all winter. Elena had not argued; she accepted his rules.

Still, that did not stop her from buying new shoes occassionally. For me it was quite funny to see her take off her big Moonboots to try on some elegant, fancy shoe - only to change back into the Moonboots afterwards, with a resigned look on her face. I'm sure the people in these boutiques rarely see customers in Moonboots, too.

As for me, I dressed more 'conservatively' than Elena. My daily hours as a 'watcher' satisfied my needs for thick down clothes. I felt the yellow mantle was too striking, so I wore my own purple down jacket. I often wore the hood, but I was quick to remove it before we entered somewhere. For Elena, the rule was that she had to keep everything on until she was inside - only then could she start taking off her mittens, and after she had those off she was able to free herself from her hood. Similarly, everything had to be in place before she went outside.

Elena often got some weird looks, and every now and then I noticed someone sneakily taking a picture of her. While I love down clothes, I would not have enjoyed dressed as she was in public. At the track it was fine, as it was nearly deserted at this time of the year. But being dressed like this while walking in and out of shops - no thanks. Oddly, this made my enjoyment of Elena's situation greater. Every odd look or half-whispered comment about Elena excited me.

One particular rule of Oskar was a great source of excitement for me - and embarassment for Elena. Oskar had stated that public transport did not count as being 'inside'. Because Oskar and Elena lived in a villa outside the city center, Elena had to take the bus every time she went somewhere. I admit that seeing her obvious discomfort whenever she was sitting in a crowded bus with her hood so tight was a turn-on for me. I always went with her on the bus, even though I didn't live in the same neighbourhood as Oskar and Elena. Whenever I visited them, I went there by car and then I left it there when we went out. I said I wasn't a confident driver; I didn't like driving in the city center and parking was too much of a hassle. It was not entirely untrue. But most importantly it meant I could accompany Elena every time while she was on the bus.

One day things took a surprising turn. I arrived at the villa while Elena was upstairs, taking a shower, so I found myself alone with Oskar. He asked me if Elena could cope with the new rules and if she obeyed them. I said she had no trouble following them. "If Elena would break a rule, would you tell me?" he asked. I wasn't sure what to say to that. Elena was my friend, and you don't betray your friends. But Oskar explained that he needed to know if she did. It was better for their relationship if such things were taken care of right away than if Elena could get away with them for a longer period. I admitted that made sense.

"Clara, I'd like to make you an offer. I'll pay you a moderate fee - let's say 100 euro per month - if you promise to let me know right away if Elena breaks a rule."
I thought about it. I didn't feel I would do Elena a huge disservice by letting Oskar know. She wanted to live by his rules, after all. Also she had shown no sign of wanting to break them, so it was in fact easy money. There were just a few problem points.
"I can do that... but I wouldn't want Elena to know."
"I understand. If something happens, I won't confront her directly. I'll figure something out. She will never know you told me."
"And what happens then?"
"She'll get a fitting punishment. Extra clothes to wear, some extra strictness in the rules."
That seemed fair, so I accepted the offer.

It was a pleasant time for me. Every morning I was dressed in thick down clothes for over three hours. On days with a sports event I then worked in the cafe. On other days there weren't enough customers so Yvonne handled things alone, and I usually spent the afternoon with Elena. But as much as I enjoyed the whole situation - I wanted more. That's the human nature, I suppose. I had started fantasizing (there was a lot of time for that while I was wrapped in my down cocoon) about what kind of extra rules Oskar could impose. I'd love to find out. The problem was that Elena showed no intention of breaking Oskar's rules. Gradually a plan started forming in my mind.

When I read about a big new shoe shop opening in another city, I knew the time was right to execute my plan. I casually mentioned the new shop to Elena and suggested that we visit it. Although I didn't explicitly say so, I made it sound like we would go there by car. Elena accepted and the next day I arrived at their villa to pick her up. Even to walk from the house to the car, Elena had to wear her hood as usual. In the car she took off her mittens and hood, but kept the coat zipped up, just like she did when Oskar drove - those were the rules.

Elena was talking most of the time, and she realized nothing until we arrived at the train station.
"Wait, um, why are we here?"
"To take the train of course," I said while I parked the car.
"Aren't we going by car then?"
"No, I told you, I'm not a great driver. It's much easier to go by train."
Elena looked doubtful but she wasn't someone who argued about things. She accepted my decision, as she was used to accepting Oskar's. But she clearly realized her problem, as I saw a scared look in her eyes while she put her hood up and tied it. When she had her mittens on as well, we left the car.

Elena had not taken the train since the new rules were in effect. And this particular train ride would take an hour and thirty minutes. That's an awfully long time to sit indoors, in full view of other passengers, if you have to wear a very thick mantle with the hood up and tied tight. But trains were public transport, so either Elena would break the rule, or I would be able to enjoy her discomfort and embarassment for three hours today. I relished either prospect.

When the train arrived, I made sure to get on first and chose my seat so that Elena, when she took the seat opposite me, was facing the entire railcar. Right away I could see the visible part of her face become red, and sweatdrops forming near her eyes. She was nervous. But - I had to admire her courage - she remained dressed as she was, the mantle covering her from head to Moonboots, her mittened hands in her lap. I enjoyed that train ride immensely. I feasted on every little detail: how she had to speak a bit louder because of the down flap covering her mouth, how she tried to brush away a sweatdrop with her mitten, how she tried to turn towards the window a bit to not have to see the other passengers, but couldn't because her hood kept her facing forward.

After half an hour, a sound somewhere behind me made me turn my head. The conductor! Elena of course, could see him as he slowly made his way towards us. I saw panic rising in her eyes. Not wanting to make it easier for her, I had given Elena her ticket before we got on the train, so she would have to present it herself. And then, suddenly, Elena gave in to the panic and quickly pulled off her mittens and took off her hood. When the conductor arrived, she looked flushed and sweaty, but at least she wasn't completely dressed for a blizzard anymore.

"I, I can't do this," she stammered when he was gone. "I'll just leave the hood down in here. That will be okay, won't it?" she was almost begging. I comforted her a bit and said it was fine. Then I changed the subject and cheered her up.

My plan had worked perfectly. The rest was surprisingly easy. I discretely sent a message to Oskar. On the evening train back, Elena took her hood off right away. Oskar arranged it so that he could get on our train in the station before our destination. When he entered, Elena was caught in the act. She didn't even try to defend herself. She admitted her mistake and accepted whatever punishment Oskar deemed appropriate.

What would the punishment be? I couldn't to wait to find out.



-- on to part 5 --







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