The neon glow of Vegas still clung to Julia like a phantom limb. It was a shimmering reminder of the fortune she had squandered. Julia was a beautiful, petite girl with an undeniable cool factor. Her long, red, curly hair cascaded in fiery waves. It made men stumble over their words. It made women narrow their eyes in envy.
Her curls were not just red. They were a living flame. They caught every light in the room. They turned heads like a siren. Julia moved with a confident sway. Her petite frame was clad in a tight dress. It hinted at the smooth, pale skin beneath. Freckles dusted her nose like scattered stars. She knew the effect she had. A toss of those curls could disarm a room full of strangers.
But that cool factor did not pay the bills.
Back in her modest apartment, reality hit hard. She was completely broke. Her rent was due. Her college tuition loomed like a digital guillotine.
"I don’t know what I’m going to do," Julia sighed. She ran a hand through her vibrant curls. Her desperation was palpable.
Her friends were sprawled across her holographic rug. Julia twisted one fiery lock around her finger. The familiar weight of it grounded her. This hair was her power. Without it, who was she?
Her friend, Lena, finally spoke. Her eyes held a peculiar glint. "There is always the Fetish Protocol, Julia."
Julia scoffed. Still, a flicker of morbid curiosity sparked. Everyone knew the broad strokes. In the mid-2040s, society reached a new level of normalization. Peculiar desires were openly discussed. An outlet was deemed necessary. Thus, the Fetish Protocol media sensation was created.
People in desperate need of cash could offer to satisfy the specific wishes of others. It involved stepping into a sleek scan booth. These booths were located in various urban hubs. The machine analyzed the volunteer for potential criteria.
If a match was found, the company locked them into a strict agreement. They had to submit to the request in front of a live media event. These events happened sporadically.
Lena explained the mechanics. "It is safe, for the most part. Someone searches the database. They find a match. Then they pay a huge amount of cash to have you fulfill the obligation. Often over a million dollars. In the meantime, you get pre-paid a large sum upfront. How much depends on how many categories you agree to. It depends on how much the scanning machine determines you fit."
"So, you get paid, and then you just wait?" Julia asked. Her mind was already calculating the possibilities.
"Exactly," Lena nodded. "But it is strictly contractual. If someone pays, you get a notice across the internet. It tells you the details. It tells you where to report. You have a certain amount of time to get to their facility. You must surrender to their team. If you don't? Severe legal repercussions. But the good news is, after ten years, your obligation expires. You keep all the money. It is rare someone actually pays for the really high-end stuff."
The idea appealed to Julia’s desperate heart. The money felt like a lifeline.
Later that day, she stood before a gleaming scan booth. She took a deep breath. She stepped onto the illuminated platform. A gentle hum filled the air. Blue light enveloped her. It analyzed every curve. It scanned every strand of her unique hair.
Moments later, the screen flickered. It displayed two potential matches. Her heart hammered.
The first involved her gorgeous red hair. It was categorized under a hair-shaving profile. This option came with a massive payout. But it had a peculiar condition. For the duration of the contract, she had to stop shaving her underarms. She wrinkled her nose at that. Still, the sheer number accompanying the offer made her eyes widen.
The second was a tattoo profile. It was equally lucrative. The person paying would get to choose the location of the ink. Both options had additional add-on incentives for an even larger sum. Julia completely ignored the fine print. Driven by acute financial panic, she considered accepting both.
Julia hesitated for a split second. She imagined some stranger touching her perfect curls. She imagined them inking her skin. But the numbers on the screen were enormous.
No one will ever pay that much, she told herself. She pushed down the tiny flutter of dread in her stomach. She tapped 'Accept' with a flourish.
A notification immediately popped up on her personal comm. The promised sum was there. It was a truly life-changing amount. The credits had been automatically transferred to her banking account.
Julia let out a whoop of delight. The weight of her financial woes vanished. She texted her friends, bubbling with excitement. She was certain that nothing would ever come of it. The cost for someone to activate either option was astronomically high. After all, who would pay well over a million dollars for a haircut or a tattoo on a stranger?
Time passed quickly. Eight years later, Julia was a wildly successful bartender. Her name was synonymous with the city’s hottest nightlife. Her gamble had paid off, literally. The upfront money had pulled her out of destitution. It funded her tuition. It set her up for a life she had only dreamed of.
Her long red curls were even more magnificent now. They reached mid-back. They bounced perfectly to the rhythm of the music in the bar. They were a constant magnet for attention. She was insanely popular with the men who frequented the establishment. Many openly drooled over her beauty. They loved her charismatic banter.
Most women liked her too. They were charmed by her vivacious energy. However, many were openly jealous of her easy rapport. They hated her playful flirting with their partners. Julia was perhaps a little too confident in her allure. She was a bit too comfortable with the attention. She tended to torment the women a bit by teasing their men.
She would lean in close to a husband while his wife watched. She would let one of her signature curls brush his shoulder. Her laugh would be low and throaty.
"You look like you could use a strong drink," she would purr. "And maybe some better company."
Her eyes always sparkled with mischief. The wives’ tightened jaws only fueled her. Their forced smiles made her feel powerful. Julia thrived on being the desired one. She was the untouchable, red-haired goddess of the night. A casual touch on an arm, a lingering smile, a shared laugh—these subtle gestures were her daily routine.
But resentment was brewing in the dark.
One regular customer noticed everything. Her name was Nora. Nora had watched Julia flirt with her husband for months. She watched the fiery curls bounce. She watched the smug smiles Julia flashed toward the tables. Nora’s jealousy had turned into a cold, hard knot of hatred. She wanted to see Julia humbled. She wanted to see the confidence stripped away.
The day before Nora made her move, a different kind of tension rippled through the city. The screens around the bar flickered to life. A piercing alert tone vibrated through everyone’s phones.
"Fetish Protocol Activation," the headline blared.
The bar chatter died down instantly. All eyes drew to the displays. These extreme activations were classified as Level 10. They were rare spectacles. They were rumored to involve radical bodily alterations conducted for public viewing.
The name of the individual called upon appeared: Marcus Ramses. A collective sigh of relief washed through the bar. It wasn't anyone they knew. But the relief was short-lived. The nature of Marcus’s Level 10 activation was revealed. Another wave of stunned silence descended.
Marcus was a remarkably handsome fitness model. His striking looks were the crux of his agreement. The unthinkable was about to happen. Marcus had agreed to an extreme genetic reduction and alteration package. His physical traits were to be permanently diminished. His unique genetic markers were to be transferred to another individual. The buyer had paid an exorbitant fee for this extreme alteration. Marcus had foolishly agreed to this option years ago for quick cash.
A picture of Marcus flashed across the screen. The announcement stated he had a mere twelve hours to report. He had to surrender himself to a facility. It would be a public spectacle of his transformation. A wave of uncomfortable murmurs rippled through the bar. Poor guy, indeed. Yet, everyone knew they would tune in.
The next day, the atmosphere in the bar was thick with anticipation. Multiple screens displayed the live feed. Marcus looked pale and defeated. He was being guided to a sterile operating table. He lay there, his eyes vacant and resigned. The cameras zoomed in. The personnel efficiently prepared him. With clinical precision, the alteration began. Marcus lay there, tears visible in his eyes. He had been forced to utter a televised goodbye to his old life.
The broadcast concluded hours later. The advanced technology healed him perfectly. It left no scars. But his proud appearance was gone. He looked utterly defeated as they escorted him away. The very things that had brought him so much pride were permanently altered.
Julia watched from behind the bar. Her arms were crossed tightly over her chest. A strange unease twisted in her gut. She caught herself touching her own long curls protectively.
Thank God that is not me, she thought. She quickly shook the feeling off. She flashed a bright, practiced smile for the next customer.
Nora was watching Julia closely. She noted the subtle signs of nervousness. Why was Julia so invested in this event?
A new idea began to form in Nora’s mind. Perhaps the key to humbling Julia lay within the database itself. Direct access to private files was impossible. But Nora wondered if she could search using specific public criteria.
Long red curls. Approximate age. And then she remembered a detail. She had seen Julia lifting her arms to restock the top shelf. Julia had natural, unshaven red underarm hair. It was a highly specific trait in this modern era.
Nora pulled out her personal comm. She began to explore the database. She inputted the specific characteristics. She hoped to uncover whatever secrets Julia might be hiding.
The next day, Nora submerged herself in the digital archives. A singular, vengeful focus drove her research. She typed in the descriptions. She entered the age range. She added the peculiar detail of the unshaven underarm hair.
What she found sent a chill down her spine. It was a shock of recognition that morphed into predatory glee.
There it was. A profile matching Julia’s description perfectly. It included the highly unusual contractual requirement from eight years earlier. The primary profile was linked to her beautiful red hair. It highlighted its unique ginger hue, vibrant curls, and incredible shine.
Nora stared at the screen. She zoomed in on the old scan photos of Julia. The radiant, wild red curls framed a face that could stop traffic. Nora imagined that same face stripped bare. A slow, vicious smile spread across her lips.
Nora scrolled down. Her eyes widened at the listed options. There was the standard long hair profile. But then there were the others. These options made Nora’s heart pound with dark anticipation.
The main alternative was a complete headshave. It was followed by an additional option for permanent follicle removal. The roots themselves would be transferred to a secure facility for the buyer. It was a chilling option. It would harvest the unique genetic value of those vibrant ginger curls.
Nora grinned wider. She delved deeper into the extreme incentives. Another option required a complete, permanent headshave to be performed in front of a live audience. The process would be broadcasted globally.
And then, the ultimate option. A specialized chemical spray would be administered to the bald head. This spray created a permanent allergy to most head coverings. It meant no wigs. It meant no hats. Legally, the person would be required to wear no head cover at any time.
To add insult to injury, the spray included a permanent, built-in sunscreen. This eliminated any practical need for a hat. It ensured everyone would always see the participant’s smooth shaved head. As a final detail, it noted that the eyebrows would be included in this permanent removal.
Nora’s jaw literally dropped. The sheer, comprehensive humiliation possible was beyond her wildest dreams. It was a ton of money. It was an astronomical sum. But the image of Julia rendered permanently bald was too tempting.
Julia would be the object of public curiosity. She would be rendered undeniably less beautiful in a public, spectacular way.
An evil thought began to bloom. Perhaps some of the other women would help. Many were equally exasperated by Julia’s antics. They might be willing to pool their cash for this.
Nora did a bit more research. She revealed another gem. The same profile had also agreed to a tattoo profile. This had earned Julia another large sum upfront. The conditions for this one were shocking. The tattoo could be placed anywhere on the body. Critically, it was never to be covered up. This applied even if the chosen location was the woman’s face.
Nora almost choked. The implications were immense. Her mind immediately shifted. She furiously calculated her own bank accounts and assets. She wondered if she could make this happen even without outside help.
The seed of an idea solidified into a determined plan. Over the next few days, Nora discreetly revealed her discovery. She shared her plan with a select few women. They knew Julia. They possessed ample funds. They had expressed strong irritation at Julia’s perpetual flirtations.
The responses varied. But a glint of shared resentment appeared. The tantalizing possibility of a public, permanent comeuppance ignited a dangerous spark among them.
Nora was fueled by a potent mix of jealousy and vindictive glee. She meticulously arranged the funds for both options. She savored the moment. She watched Julia flirt obliviously at work. Julia was completely unaware of the impending storm.
Nora navigated the online contract. She selected the option for a smooth shaved head. She added the follicle removal for permanent baldness. She selected the head spray to ensure Julia could never conceal her bald head.
Nora's friends arrived at the bar that night. They shared beers. They watched Julia work. Her gorgeous red hair was a stark contrast to the fate that awaited her.
Nora let out a cruel chuckle. She noted the final stipulation. The underarm hair would be permanently dyed a boring brunette. This would further highlight the bald head. It would erase any trace of red from Julia’s look. Her friends joined in her laughter as Nora finalized the digital protocol. She hit submit.
Julia was laughing loudly at the bar. She flipped her magnificent mane over one shoulder. Nora felt a rush of dark satisfaction. Soon, that laugh would sound very different.
The screens in the bar suddenly erupted. Another LEVEL 10 alert blared. It was a shocking occurrence so soon after Marcus’s ordeal.
Julia’s eyes flew to the nearest screen. Her face drained of color.
"No! My hair! My beautiful red curls!" she gasped.
Her hands flew to her head. She desperately clutched handfuls of her meticulously cared-for feature. She stared at the screen. Her terror was palpable. She was utterly devastated by the news.
The details unfolded on the monitor. The screen displayed Julia’s image. It laid out the grim reality of her situation. She had a mere eight hours to report. She had to surrender herself to a Fetish Protocol facility. If not, she would face severe legal consequences.
The alert hit like a physical blow. Julia’s hands shot to her head again. Her fingers buried desperately into the thick, silky mass of curls she had babied for years.
"No... no, this can’t be happening," she whispered. Her voice cracked.
The bar seemed to spin around her. Every memory flashed before her eyes. She thought of fingers running through her hair during intimate moments. She thought of the way it swayed when she danced. She thought of the power it gave her.
She read the details on the screen in horror. Headshave. Permanent follicle removal. The head spray.
Her knees buckled. "Eight hours? I can’t... I won’t survive this."
A wave of shock and pity washed over the bar. Many patrons offered Julia condolences. Some even offered to drive her to the facility. Julia was speechless and trembling. She could only nod. The weight of her contractual obligation was crushing her. She had no choice.
She finished her shift mechanically. Her movements were subdued. Her laughter was replaced by a haunting silence. She was constantly running her hands through her magnificent curls. It was a silent goodbye. She was running out of time.
Every customer who approached the bar that night got a ghost of her old smile. Julia kept touching her hair compulsively. She lifted strands to her nose. She wanted to smell the familiar shampoo scent one last time. Tears threatened at the corners of her eyes.
The world received another ubiquitous alert.
"Julia has officially surrendered."
On screens everywhere, the feed began. It showed Julia in the sleek waiting area of the facility. She still looked stunning. Her long, fiery red curls cascaded down her back. They fell in vibrant, perfect waves. They framed a flawless face. Delicate freckles dusted her nose and cheeks. Her smooth pale skin glowed under the lights. Her full, naturally pink lips had enchanted so many.
She was the picture of unique beauty. She nervously ran her fingers through those signature curls one last time. She was completely unaware of how dramatically that beauty was about to be dismantled.
The feed then cut to the main room. She was being guided into the procedure area. Tears were already streaming down her face.
As she neared the chair, Julia’s panic flared. She started babbling. Her voice cracked for all to hear.
"Is there any way? Can we make a deal? I will do anything! Please, anything to keep my hair!"
She clutched her head. Her eyes were wide with terror as she eyed the gleaming tools. She saw the clippers. She saw the razors.
"Men love my red curls! I need them! I need them!"
A calm, professional technician stepped forward. She placed a gentle hand on Julia’s arm.
"Julia, your hair is beautiful, we know. But it is no longer yours. Technically, it belongs to whoever paid for this activation. And they want it off."
Her words were calm. Yet, they were delivered with an unyielding finality.
Nora was watching from the bar. She let out a triumphant laugh. She nudged her friends.
"Yes, that’s right!" she called out to the screen. "Those beautiful red curls belong to us. And we most definitely want them off!"
The technicians finally managed to calm Julia down. The sheer weight of their authority took hold. The futility of her pleas became clear.
They got her into the seat. The process was clinical but merciless under the bright broadcast lights. She sat exposed. Her hands trembled.
"Everything is prepared for the full headshave," a technician said matter-of-factly.
With a broken sob, Julia surrendered to her fate. She sat under the cameras. Every inch of her distress was on merciless display. Her pale skin was flushed with humiliation. Faint freckles showed across her collarbones.
They positioned her carefully in the specialized chair. Her lips were trembling. Her fingers were still playing with the last few strands of her red curls.
With a gentle but firm movement, the technician moved Julia’s hands away from her head.
"She’s ready," the technician stated. She nodded to the barber. "Take the curls."
The initial snip of the scissors was a sharp, audible crunch. It was magnified by the broadcast audio. Julia flinched violently. A thick, vibrant red coil detached. It tumbled onto her lap, landing like a dying flame.
She stared at it in horror. Her breath came in short gasps.
"No... please, not my beautiful hair," she whimpered. Her voice broke. "I can’t lose it... it is who I am."
More snips followed in rapid succession. Heavy, fiery waves fell away in clumps. They piled on the floor around the chair. Each lost lock deepened the terror in her eyes. The floor became covered in a sea of red.
Then came the clippers. Their aggressive buzzing filled the room like an angry swarm. The cold metal guard scraped across her scalp. It sheared the remaining stubble down in relentless passes.
Red dust and clippings rained onto her shoulders. They fell on her chest and lap. Julia’s face contorted in a silent grimace. Tears streamed freely.
The barber tilted her head firmly from side to side. He ensured every inch was stripped. When the last of the vibrant color was gone, she was left with a rough, bristly shadow.
Next, a fresh lather of warm shaving foam was applied. The white shaving foam was stark against her now-pale, vulnerable scalp. The barber massaged the shaving foam over her head. It covered every remaining bit of red stubble.
Then, he produced a traditional straight razor. The gleaming steel caught the studio lights.
Julia shivered as the cold steel of the straight razor touched the base of her neck. The barber began slow, deliberate strokes. The straight razor scraped away the final traces of hair.
Glide. Wipe. Glide.
The sound of the straight razor cutting the stubborn roots was loud in the quiet room. Stroke by stroke, the shaving foam was cleared away. It revealed a perfectly smooth shaved head. The bright lights reflected off her newly bare scalp.
As the last traces of hair vanished, another technician moved in. They brought the specialized follicle removal instrument. Julia’s eyes widened in fresh panic.
"No... please... I don’t want to be a baldgirl forever!" she begged hoarsely. Her small frame shook in the chair. "Please, anything but this."
Simultaneously, a specialist aimed a dye wand at her underarms. The cameras zoomed in tightly on the defiant crimson hair there.
"Notable resistance in the pigment," the technician announced clinically for the audience. "The natural red is fighting the permanent color lock."
The wand hummed. It bathed the area in light. For several tense seconds, nothing seemed to change. Then, slowly, the vibrant red began to dull and shift.
"It’s working now," the technician declared with satisfaction. "Permanent pigment alteration complete. Shifting to a dull, muddy brown. This will be irreversible."
The technician continued, addressing both Julia and the cameras. "As per the original contract you signed eight years ago, the stipulations require you to maintain unshaven underarm hair for the full duration. You are contractually prohibited from shaving or removing it again. Any violation would trigger severe penalties. This dull brown hair must now remain visible and growing naturally forever."
The follicle removal instrument continued its work on her scalp. The tool hummed against her smooth shaved head. The eyebrows were systematically shaven as well. Their follicles were harvested by the machine.
The percentage steadily climbed on the monitor.
Follicle Removal: 45%...
Follicle Removal: 60%...
Follicle Removal: 75%...
Nora and her friends watched the live feed from the bar. They reveled in this moment. They loved the extraction of the follicles.
"Look at her," one of them cackled. She took a long swig of her beer. "The most beautiful hair in the bar, and now even the roots are being ripped out!"
The indicator finally reached 100%. An official announcement echoed through the room.
"Subject Julia is no longer genetically capable of producing red hair. All existing red hair follicles have been successfully extracted. She is now a permanent baldgirl."
At the bar, reactions were mixed. Nora and her friends cheered loudly. They clinked bottles in celebration. But several men who had been regular admirers watched in stunned silence.
One longtime patron muttered, "Holy shit... her hair was her whole thing. She’s... she’s just gone."
Another shook his head. He looked genuinely disappointed. "That red hair made her special. What a waste."
Then, a technician brought forward a small, clear bottle. With precision, a fine mist of liquid was applied evenly across her bald head. The technician gently rubbed it into her skin until it visibly absorbed.
This was the permanent allergy spray. It ensured she could never hide her bald head behind a wig. It was permanent.
Julia stared at her reflection in the monitor feed. She saw a completely bald head. Her eyebrows were gone. Her underarms were now a dull, muddy brown. She would never be allowed to shave them. The fiery, seductive redhead who turned heads everywhere was already gone. She felt plain. She felt thoroughly diminished in every way.
The moment the spray had fully sunk into her scalp, Nora pressed the button for the second contract. She activated the tattoo protocol.
Instantly, another LEVEL 10 alert blared across every screen. It shocked the audience once more. This was an unprecedented second Level 10 activation on the very same person.
Julia’s image appeared on the screens. She looked starkly different now as a baldgirl. Her eyes were wide and terrified.
A tattoo protocol was displayed. Everyone in the bar gasped. Julia’s eyes fixated on the screen. The details of her next fate were laid bare. Her breath hitched.
The tattoo was a large, sprawling octopus. It would be permanently etched into her skin. What truly made her panic was the revelation of its placement. The octopus’s head would rest on the back of her bald head. But its dark tentacles would meander up. They would crisscross her face. They would slither right down the middle, running over her once-perfect nose. It ensured her facial features would be irrevocably altered.
"No! No, you can’t!" Julia cried out. Her voice was raw with a fresh wave of hysteria. She thrashed weakly in the chair. "Not my face! Please, anything but my face!"
But her protests were futile. The facility personnel moved swiftly. A syringe appeared. They were forced to sedate her. The powerful drug quickly took the fight out of her. This brought much cruel delight to Nora back at the bar.
As Julia’s struggling subsided, her eyes grew heavy. She was barely able to move. The cameras zoomed in. The technicians allowed everyone one last, lingering look at her face. It was still unmarked. It was still beautiful.
A single, silent tear welled in Julia’s eye. It was a final, agonizing acknowledgment of the beauty she was about to lose. Then, the tattooers moved in. Their tools began to buzz. The tattoo gun began its task. The needle bit into her skin, starting right on her face.
The needle buzzed over her forehead. It traced down the bridge of her nose. Julia’s sedated eyes still showed silent horror. The octopus tentacles claimed her skin. Thick, dark lines slithered across her cheeks. They went over her lips and down her chin. Every pass of the gun transformed her. The ethereal beauty that had defined her was fading away.
Back at the bar, the atmosphere grew even heavier. Nora’s group laughed and toasted. But many of the men stared at the screens in visible shock.
"Not her face..." one of them whispered. His voice was thick with disbelief. "She had the most perfect face in the city. Those freckles, that smile. Why ruin it like that?"
Another regular looked away. He muttered, "She’s not going to be the same Julia anymore. That beauty... it’s completely gone."
The contrast was sharp. The women felt triumphant glee. The men felt quiet dismay. It only amplified the spectacle of Julia’s irreversible downfall.
By the time they were done, hours later, Julia was unrecognizable. She still had a petite frame. But she would never look the same. She was forever marked. She was eventually led out of the facility and placed into a automated car.
A week later, the familiar hum of the bar returned. It was thick with an unspoken tension. There was an almost palpable anticipation in the air.
Nora, her friends, and their husbands were comfortably seated at their usual table. Drinks were in hand. Their gazes often drifted towards the bar counter.
Julia was there. She was a stark, unsettling figure behind the gleaming counter.
She was as bald as can be. Her head was now a smooth, pale expanse of bare skin. It was starkly contrasted by the intricate, dark lines of the sprawling octopus tattoo.
The tattoo’s main head rested on her scalp. Thick tentacles slithered across her cheeks. They ran over her lips and around her chin. The ink forever altered the flawless features that had once defined her beauty.
She wore a standard tank top. More tentacles were visible across her torso, shoulders, and arms. Her underarms were visible when she reached for bottles. Still contractually required to remain unshaven, they displayed the dull, muddy brown hair. It would never grow red again. It was a permanent, pathetic reminder of the agreement she could never escape.
Gone was the magnetic sway in her step. Gone was the confident toss of her head. Those movements had once made men weak. She moved carefully now. She was self-consciously aware of every lingering stare.
The flamboyant flirting had vanished. Her charismatic banter was gone. It was replaced by a quiet, almost robotic efficiency. Tips still came in. But now they came more out of pity. The genuine admiration and desire her fiery beauty once commanded were gone.
At the bar, the contrast was impossible to ignore. Nora and her group openly smirked. They whispered with satisfaction whenever Julia passed nearby.
Some of the men watched her with subdued disappointment. They were the same regulars who used to light up at her playful attention.
One murmured to his friend, "She was the hottest thing in this place. That red hair, that face. It’s all just... gone."
Another simply shook his head. He was unable to look away from the tattooed, bald woman. She had once turned heads with a single smile.
Julia worked mechanically. She poured drinks with downcast eyes. She caught her reflection in the polished chrome surface behind the bar.
She saw a bald head. She saw a heavily inked face. She saw drab brown underarm hair peeking out. She was no longer the vibrant, seductive creature she had been.
For the first time, a piercing pang of jealousy twisted inside her. Her gaze traced the contours of other women across the room. She looked at their flowing hair. She saw their untouched faces. She noted their natural allure.
That used to be me, she thought bitterly.
The Fetish Protocol had given her eight glorious years of financial freedom. But the price was her very essence. The once-fiery, magnetic redhead had been systematically dismantled. She was now just a permanent baldgirl, a living caution stripe, serving drinks in the shadow of the hair she used to own.
