Caught in a Red Handed Flash

Someone was knocking at the door. Charity was stunned by the sound, almost not recognizing it. Ten years before it wouldn't have surprised her at all. But now that all citizens' comings and goings were monitored by the government, no visitor came unannounced or undocumented.

Charity wasn't expecting anyone so she wasn't sure what to do. Should she answer the door or not?

The banging on her door came again, this time louder and more insistent. She set aside her paintbrush and scampered to the monitor to see what the door camera showed. An unfamiliar man stood outside her door, his blue business suit speckled with raindrops. The silver badge glinting on his lapel caught her eye and she immediately pressed the "talk" button and said, "Hello?"

The man looked up into the camera and said, "Can I speak with you for a moment?"

Charity replied, "Sure, I'll be right down."

She grabbed her robe from the hook beside the studio door and put it on, zipping it up and cinching the tie firmly around her narrow waist. She paused in front of the hall mirror, running her paint streaked fingers through her hair then hurried to the door.

"Miss Baker, Miss Charity Baker?" he asked.

"Yes, that's me," she replied.

"I'm Inspector Daniels with the Ministry of National Security. Do you mind if we come in for a moment?"

Charity was startled as another man jumped up from the side onto the top step in front of her door to join Inspector Daniels.

"Oh! Uh, sure, come in out of the rain. Why don't we go sit down in the kitchen?"

As she led them into the kitchen, the large blond man lagged behind, peering into doorways. Daniels sat down and removed his hat as Charity took the seat across from him. The other man remained standing, leaning against the doorway to the room and running his hand through his water darkened hair.

"Why don't you come in and have a seat, Mr. ah..." she offered nervously.

"Mr. Smith will be fine where he is." Daniels said, "You probably already know why we are here, Miss Baker."

"I really don't know, Inspector."

"I'm sure you can think of something, Charity, can't you?" he asked, looking pointedly at a dried splash of red paint on the back of her hand.

Charity replied, "I've gotten approval from the Morality Council for all of my new paintings - I can show you the paperwork... and the paintings if you like."

"That won't be necessary, Miss Baker, we know all of your paintings meet the guidelines."

"Then what is it?"

"Miss Baker, what are you wearing under that robe?"

"What? What do you mean, what am I wearing?"

Daniels demanded, "Take off your robe, Miss Baker."

Charity cringed in her seat, clutching the robe tightly around her body as Daniels' assistant moved towards her.

"No! No, I won't take it off!" she yelled, confused and frightened.

Charity struggled with the damp, powerful man for only an instant before he had the robe half ripped from her body.

"Cuff her," Daniels said coldly.

Mr. Smith pushed the crying, half-naked woman to the floor, wretched her arms behind her back and applied the restraints.

"Wait here while I find a blanket," Daniels ordered.

Mr. Smith knelt on the small of Charity's back as she whimpered and struggled beneath him, her face pressed against the linoleum. Inspector Daniels disappeared down the hall and into the bedroom. He returned to the kitchen carrying the sheet from Charity's bed which he wrapped around her as Mr. Smith pulled her upright.

Daniels announced, "Miss Baker you are under arrest for creation and distribution of pornography."

Charity cried, "Wait! What? I don't understand!"

"Is it true that you were painting in your studio, in the nude?"

"Yes? But..."

Daniels interrupted, "But nothing, it is illegal in all 214 districts to record or transmit nude images."

"But I'm not! I didn't!" Charity stammered.

"Miss Baker, there are four concealed Ministry of National Security cameras in your studio put there to ensure that none of your artwork is subversive in nature."

"But I didn't know they were there!" Charity wailed.

Daniels shook his head sadly, "Charity, dear, ignorance is no excuse for breaking the law."