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iature padlock. The strap wouldn't slide off over
my head. Again my hands went to the thing in my mouth. It wouldn't
budge. It felt like a rubber ball about the size of a racquet ball.
The strap went through the middle of it. It didn't matter that my
hands were free, I couldn't budge it. Pointlessly, I tried to say
something, I don't remember what. He turned his back on me, threw the
mosquito curtain aside, and walked out into the bedroom. I got up and
ran after him and grabbed him by the arm. I ran around in front of him
so I could make eye contact, and tried to say "I won't laugh," but I
just made a muffled "Ah, Ah, Ah." Looking up at him, I tried to make
my eyes talk since my mouth couldn't. Hey, come on, I was thinking.
You didn't really mean to do this to me, did you? This is a mistake,
right? Right?
"The answer is `no,'" he said. "This is lesson time." He walked
out of the room, leaving the door open. I stood there bewildered for a
moment, not knowing what to do next. Then I ran into the bathroom to
look for scissors or a razor to cut the strap. When I turned the light
on I caught sight of myself in the mirror. My face was grotesque. My
mouth was he
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