The Dream

Hi guys! It feels like it's been forever. I'm sorry for the (really long) wait for this chapter.

It's been a busy few months.

The reception for Ch. 07 was quite mixed, but I think a few people are still reading and I hope they enjoy Ch. 08. Thanks for all the comments/messages. Your constructive feedback is always much appreciated.

As always, I remind readers that this is a work of fiction, and as much as I hope for a crossover to reality sometimes, it's not. Any mentions of political figures/police are also fictional.

Let me know what you think in the comments.

Ch. 09 (entitled Linda's Parents) is being penned now, and I'm hoping for a prompt publish.

I've always found the most unsettling of dreams to be the ones that run uncomfortably closely parallel to reality. They're the kind of dreams that have you sweating on waking, disoriented and looking around the room frantically, trying to determine whether the events imagined actually happened. The dreams that stay in your mind, hours after waking from them, confused by your subconscious effort to make rationalise things.

The dream I had last night was one of the most unsettling experiences I can ever remember having, offering no comfort or escapism from the nightmare that has become my life, and leading me to wake up relievedly, almost thankful to be in the camp bed, far removed from the abyss of my worsened imaginings.

***

The dream had started in the living room of my marital home, the one I'd shared happily with Tom for eleven years. The one that's now redesigned to Linda's specification.

The television news theme had blared loudly, and a smartly dressed newsreader had appeared on the screen, sat behind an oak desk in a news studio, shuffling a pile of papers and looking sombrely into the camera.

"This is BBC news at six," she'd cordially announced.

"Investigations continue today, into the case of Gabrielle, whose life as an administration clerk and wife completely changed when her capabilities of the latter were found to be grossly insufficient.

Gabrielle has been revealed to have subjected her long-suffering husband Tom to spousal negligence and sexual inadequacy for years, while maintaining the outward appearance of marital bliss. Last night, a police spokesperson announced that Tom's new partner Linda, has been nominated for an MBE as thanks for her benevolent actions to liberate him from his desperate plight and for providing him with a happy, functional relationship in which to thrive in."

The newsreader had sustained her serious expression as she'd continued to speak.

"The prime minister also issued a statement this morning, appearing to speak directly to Tom and expressing a 'deep personal understanding' of loveless marriages. He voiced a profound empathy for Tom in his suffering and extended his thanks to Linda for her heroic interventions and for becoming a suitable life partner to him. During the subsequent questions, the prime minister commended Linda's keeping of Gabrielle in the couple's home, despite the monumental failings she'd made during her years as a wife. We go now to the Midlands, where our Spousal Relations correspondent is standing by, as the scene unfolds."

The screen had flashed, changing to show a view of our house. A bespectacled reporter had stood at the edge of the driveway, talking inaudibly to someone off camera. When he'd realised that he was being broadcast, he'd straightened his posture, and adopted a portentous expression.

"Thank you, Karen," he'd said.

"I'm currently standing in Franklin Street, once a seemingly happy home to Gabrielle and her husband Tom. A series of reports by the BBC this week, however, have revealed that the perceived happiness behind the walls of this house were merely an illusion. Despite satisfied appearances, Tom was deeply unhappy here, deprived of his fundamental needs and severely lacking sexual stimulation, sometimes for months at a time."

He'd paused to let the enormity of his statement sink in before continuing.

"We spoke to one of the former couple's neighbours a few moments ago, who felt that the warning signs of Tom's suffering were there all along."

Pre-recorded footage had been played, showing one of our immediate neighbours, a portly red-faced man, being interviewed by the reporter.

"In hindsight, I think it was quite clear how miserable Tom really was. He never really talked to anyone and always looked serious," he'd recalled, pompously, trying to sound knowledgeable about the matter.

"Did you ever try to find out what was happening inside the house?" the reporter had asked.

The man had cleared his throat and furrowed his eyebrows, buying himself time to think of an answer.

"Well, no, we didn't. Tom never reached out to anyone, so what could we really do? Knowing what I know now, I think he was trying to be strong and just 'get on with' it. If we had have known we would've done something, of course. The whole street is in shock at what was going on. I mean, six weeks without a blowjob. From his wife? It's criminal! We all feel guilty about not seeing the signs earlier," he'd rationalised.

"And what changes have you seen in Tom since Linda put a stop to his involuntary abstinence?" the reporter had pressed.

"He's a totally different person now," the man had summarised. "He's always got a smile on his face, and he finally looks like a sexually satisfied man! He acknowledges us when he sees us and isn't walking around with the weight of the world and his wife's lack of interest on his shoulders. Linda's completely turned him around. It's like she knows exactly what he needs and is making sure he gets it. They might've only been together two months, but Linda's done more for him in that time than that monster of an ex ever did for him." He'd made sure not to mince his words.

"An apt description, I'm sure our viewers will agree. What are your thoughts on the sentence that Linda has brought down on Gabrielle?" the reporter had poised, portraying my forced remaining with them to be justified.

The man had begun nodding before the reporter had finished speaking and had jumped to impart his opinion.

"I'm in full support of everything that's being done. Tom's ex is getting exactly what she deserves. People talk about the justice system in this country being broken and sentences not being harsh enough, don't they? Well, what Linda has inflicted is proper justice. A man has needs, and it's a wife's duty to satisfy them. Gabrielle deserved to have the book thrown at her for depriving Tom of his needs, and she got it. What she did to him was evil!"

"I don't think you'll find anyone in the country who disagrees," the reporter had commented, unprofessionally opinionated. "Have you seen much of Gabrielle since Linda passed her sentence?"

"We never really see her anymore," the man had answered. "Not that we'd want to, really. As far as we're all concerned, she deserves to be kept in that house, having all manner of things done to her. We occasionally hear a bit of noise through the walls, low buzzing sounds followed by some groaning and grunting, but we don't mind. Tom and Linda have always told us to 'knock on' if it ever bothers us, and insist they'll be happy to gag her. To be honest, we quite enjoy hearing that Gabrielle is being made to suffer. Tom and Linda are good neighbours and good people as far as we're concerned."

The reporter had thanked the man, and the screen had returned to him standing at the front of the house, nodding his head at the earlier interview. He'd obtained a badge while the clip had been playing and had attached it to his suit jacket. The badge had Linda and my faces emblazoned on it, with a bright red cross covering mine.

He'd spoken into the camera again.

"Linda recently made an appearance on daytime's 'Loose Women' to reassure the public about Gabrielle's treatment now. Linda dismissed protests by human rights activists and insisted that Gabrielle's needs are all being met, and that she and Tom remain committed to her enforced rehabilitation. When challenged by the other panellists about not pursuing criminal charges against Gabrielle for her shocking performance as a wife, Linda simply laughed and assured anyone with doubts that Gabrielle's incarceration within the house is appropriate penance for her failures. The viewing figures for the episode she appeared on set a new record, and she's reported to be considering an offer to become a permanent panellist on the show.

Meanwhile, in a radio interview last week, Tom reiterated that he doesn't want Gabrielle to be hated by the public for her selfish inability to be a decent wife, as she simply 'lacked the ability' to be one. He is quoted as saying that..." the reporter slowed to read from a teleprompter and the quote had been displayed on screen.

"Gabby committed her crime, and now she's doing her time. The sentence she's serving with us is a more appropriate punishment than anything that could be doled out through the English justice system. Both Linda and I are in full understanding of what Gabby deserves and we ensure that she understands the seriousness of her insufficiencies. We ask that the British public trust us in what we're doing and let us get on with it."

The reporter had paused, and the screen had changed to show footage of police officers walking around inside Tom and my house, which had been adorned with police tape.

"Specially trained officers are still conducting their investigation into the case," a voiceover had narrated. "We attended a press conference led by Chief Inspector Ronald Ross earlier, who offered some insight into the situation."

An overweight, balding policeman had been shown on the screen, standing behind a wooden podium. Behind him were blown up photos of myself, in what appeared to be the midst of one of my orgasms. A more unflattering picture couldn't have been chosen. The Chief Inspector had been making a statement.

"We learned of this situation a week ago, when a madwoman, who we can now confirm to be Gabrielle, caused a public scene in a local convenience store. The incident was expertly deescalated by Tom and Linda," he'd nodded his head in respect before continuing.

"Several members of the public had contacted us to report a deranged female, behaving erratically but by the time we arrived, the altercation had already been dealt with. Budgeting issues are to blame for our not being able to attend sooner.

When officers attended the couple's home address, they were able to obtain more information about the situation from Tom and Linda. Gabrielle was 'indisposed' at the time of our visit, found sufficiently restrained to an oak dining table, experiencing what officers can only describe as an intense, and very inelegant orgasm. There was no immediate danger to their safety from Gabrielle during their visit," he'd paused for a second.

"It became apparent, however, after speaking to Tom and Linda about Gabrielle's poor conduct and lack of attentiveness as a wife, that the case needed to be escalated to our recently established SSD, short for 'Subpar Spouse Department'. An investigation was promptly launched. I can honestly say, in all my thirty years of policing, I've never heard of such an extreme case of wifely neglect. It's criminal, in a literal sense of the word!"

He'd taken a sip of water before continuing, seeming to be sweating profusely. It'd been literally pouring off him.

"We sent in the lab-geeks to conduct a forensic examination of the house and they've no reason to believe that Tom is at further risk of spousal insufficiency by Gabrielle's hands. We also asked them, y'know, as 'scientific folk', to check that Gabrielle is being punished properly, and from the summary of their report- I only read that part because I couldn't be bothered to read the rest- I'm happy that Gabrielle is completely safe in the hands of Tom and Linda."

He'd actually said these words and the audience had accepted it. He'd then been handed a cigarette by someone, who'd also taken the liberty of lighting it for him, before he'd carried on talking.

"I provided a courtesy visit, and Tom and Linda personally showed me round the house when I attended. I met Gabrielle in person and wholeheartedly agree that Tom's much better off now he's with Linda. They showed me some of the specialist tools and equipment they use to facilitate Gabrielle's rehabilitation. As a long serving officer, I was highly impressed with their initiative. The sheer number of mains powered vibrators, phallic-insertion paraphernalia, and even a custom built 'penetration device' convinced me of their suitability to deliver the sentence. As a constabulary, we were unable to make any recommendations for improvement."

He'd cleared his throat and taken another drink.

"We're completely happy, as a police force, that the sentence being served is adequate recompense for the years of dissatisfaction that Tom suffered because of the frigid shrew he'd previously made the mistake of marrying."

He'd finished speaking and a cacophony of voices had sounded from reporters, as they'd shouted out questions.

The Chief Inspector had spoken to answer one of them. "I can confirm that we've filed all the necessary paperwork lawfully barring Gabrielle from being out in public without either Tom or Linda with her. I'd like to reassure the public that she does not pose any risk to them...under these circumstances."

The reporters had clamoured again.

The Chief Inspector had addressed them. "Tom and Linda declined the offer we made to ankle tag Gabrielle at this point in time," he'd spoken. "They currently feel that mains powered vibrations are a sufficient deterrent to ensure her abidance with these new restrictions, however, they fully acknowledge that in future, this choice may be revisited. We remain committed as a constabulary to assisting the couple in their good work."

More questions had sounded, muffled with people speaking over each other.

The Chief Inspector had answered, still smoking. "I speak now to the public and ask that if anyone comes into contact with Gabrielle unaccompanied by Tom or Linda, that you do not approach her and contact the emergency services immediately. Despite all the evidence against her, this woman categorically denies any wrongdoing. Don't believe anything she might tell you about the way she is being treated, her crimes more than justify her punishment. She subjected her former husband to years of infrequent and poor-quality sex, and saw nothing wrong with choosing eBay over talking to him. That's why she's serving a life sentence now. If you come across her in public, please ignore any protests of innocence, and remember that this," he'd gestured up at the photos of my orgasm face with a look of disgust before finishing his sentence. "This is who you're really speaking to. Not some innocent victim of misjustice."

"Gabrielle needs to continue receiving the repercussions for her abject failings as a wife. As a police force, we will prosecute anyone found to be aiding or abetting her and will prioritise restoring her to her life sentence of involuntary orgasms at the hands of Tom and Linda. Thank you, I won't be taking any further questions."

He'd spoken discreetly into his radio while stepping down from the podium, though it'd been captured on camera.

"Pineapple and cheese on sticks? That can't be right? Have you called CID?" he'd fumed as he'd walked off, being heckled by reporters as he'd left.

The cameras had then returned to the news studio where the newsreader had been holding a large, lifelike dildo in front of her. She'd been examining it with a curious expression, stroking up and down the shaft of it, admiring the prominent veins, unaware that she was being broadcast as she did.

When she'd realised, she'd hastily dropped the dildo out of view and smiled embarrassedly up, blushing red.

She'd been adorning the same style of badge the reporter had on.

"Welcome back. I'm delighted to announce that we have Tom and Linda, here in the studio with us, to discuss their unique situation first hand."

The camera had turned to show Tom and Linda, sitting together on a stylish red sofa, opposite the news desk, fingers interlocked, smiling widely. They'd each worn t-shirts with the other's face on it in some sick display of affection.

"Tom and Linda, it's an enormous pleasure to have you here on the show with us," the newsreader had greeted them, warmly.

They'd accepted the welcome like seasoned celebrities, and thanked her for her hospitality.

"I think the cameras caught me off guard just now, while I was looking at one of the sex toys that you use on...or should I say...in Gabrielle. I'm amazed at how lifelike the thing was, I didn't know they made toys so realistic?" she'd marvelled interestedly, her eyes wide.

Tom and Linda had both laughed.

"We spare no expense to ensure Gabrielle's needs are met, even the most perverse of those needs," Linda had disclosed. "She goes crazy when she knows we're going to be using one of those particular toys on her, she can barely keep still," she'd grinned, sadistically.

The newsreader's eyes had widened. "She enjoys it when you put things like this inside her?" she'd explicitly questioned.

Tom had cleared his throat. "Not at first Karen, no. But after we've thrusted it in and out a few times, and she eases up a bit, that's when the punishment really starts," he'd explained, smugly.

"Half the time, when we're using them on her, Gabby doesn't even realise she's climaxing until it's happening," Tom and Linda had laughed together, and the newsreader had joined in.

"It's why this sentence we've designed for her is so perfect," Tom had resumed, when he'd stopped laughing. "We primarily punish Gabby with pleasure. The twist is that she has no control over any of it. We know her better than she knows herself, and we know that by making her witness all the sex that Linda and I have together, Gabby's kept in an almost permanent state of involuntary arousal. She can't help it. Watching us together drives her totally rampant. Without our micromanagement of her urges, she'd probably spend all day with her fingers inside herself, fantasising over the things she's seen us doing to each other," he'd described. "Obviously we couldn't let her do that. It'd hardly be justice, would it, Lind?" he'd invited Linda's opinion.

"Absolutely not. After all the things she subjected Tom to, and the excuses she made to not engage in marital relations over the years, it wouldn't be appropriate to let her suddenly start setting the terms for her own pleasure, would it?" she'd spoken to confirm.

Tom had nodded in support. "As part of Gabby's punishment, the one the Prime Minister has personally voiced his support for, we have the final say over whether she's allowed gratification or not. It's all part of the process and it's what we both signed on to do, a sort of restorative justice, if you will. We insist on keeping her in the room with us whenever Linda's sucking me off, for example. Gabby is fixed in place, made to watch Linda teasing every drop of my cum out with her tongue. The same thing happens when I go down on Linda. Gabby's kept in close proximity to it, so she can see, hear and smell everything."

The newsreader had fanned herself with her pile of papers.

"Goodness, it's warm in here," she'd flustered.

Tom had smiled wickedly at her, knowing she'd been contemplating the notion of him satisfying Linda with his tongue, maybe even receptive to his flirtation and toying with the idea of him doing the same to her.

"We both feel an immense sense of duty to Gabby's rehabilitation," he'd expanded. "Quite frankly, the expectation upon us from the British public to inflict appropriate punishments on her is an incentive for us. We're committed to delivering justice. For that reason, on nights when Lind and I are both tired and just wanting to go to sleep, we remind ourselves about all the times Gabby was a shit wife to me and push through the tiredness to strap her onto her chair at the end of our bed and make her watch us fuck again. We share a sense of patriotism. We'll never become complacent about giving Gabby what she deserves," Tom had reiterated.