by Frank Martinet
Makaket was a tiny New England island town right on the Atlantic ocean. It was ancient and quirky, with odd rules dating from the 1600s, but Stacy didn't care. She loved the charm and peaceful setting and using her inheritance from her grandmother, she could afford it.
The cottage was small - tiny, in fact - but for a view of the ocean she'd live in a cardboard box. The petite kitchen was on the old-fashioned side, but adorable. The bedroom was comfortable with a slider that let out onto a back porch shared with the small living room. She could already imagine herself having coffee on the deck in the mornings and enjoying the smell of the salt air and stunning sunrises.
Best of all was the attic 'bonus' room. The steep and narrow staircase was more like a ladder, but the tiny well-lit room was perfect for her art studio. There were large windows facing the ocean and skylights on the sharply angled ceiling on the other side. Stacy could hardly wait to set up her easels and begin painting.
Her first guest was her best friend Emily. She was a tall Scandinavian blond who'd modeled for Stacy on several occasions. The girl had no inhibitions and loved being nude, showing off her spectacular body. Stacy's specialty was seascapes, but she enjoyed painting Emily's wonderful curves.
Stacy met her at the ferry and after a quick check-in at the security gate, the two walked to the house. Emily marveled at the quaint town, the natural setting, the quiet, and the serene beauty.
"Now you see why I chose to live here," Stacy said with a grin. "It's just heaven on earth."
"I like it, but the town seems a little strange with all the security. Was there an incident?"
Stacy shook her head. "No, Makaket is just particular about who comes here and who stays. I had to go through a formal adoption process just to get accepted."
"And no cars? That's just crazy."
"The island isn't big. Everything's within walking distance, or a bike ride."
"They permit bikes? How forward of them," laughed Emily.
"I know, right? Some of the laws here date back to the 1600s, if you can believe it. It's a bit crazy. The state legislature actually grandfathered in a bunch of their weird rules, sort of the way Pennsylvania has special exemptions for the Amish."
Emily looked concerned. "You do have electricity, don't you?"
"Of course! Don't be silly. Come on, there's my house. You're going to love it!"
"That's your place? My God, it's adorable!"
The two ran up to the front step and Stacy pushed the door open.
"You didn't lock the door?"
"There's no need on Makaket," said the dark-haired girl with a wide grin. "Crime is unheard of here."
Inside was the cutest little beach house Emily had ever seen. It wasn't spacious, but every inch was well-used. The architecture was all New England with a nautical theme. There was a decorated oar on one wall, a lighthouse lamp, and she saw several of Stacy's ocean paintings.
"It's beautiful."
The tour of such a small house only took a few minutes. Emily was in love with the attic, where Stacy had set up her studio. "It makes me want to strip off so you can paint me," the blond said with a cheeky grin.
"Plenty of time for that later," Stacy said. "Come on, you've got to check out the beach!"
The two were dressed casually, in jeans. Stacy's were white and beachy, while Emily wore a more traditional blue. Both girls were young and fit, the pants snug across broad hips and full bottoms. Emily's rump was bigger and swayed widely as she walked through the sandy soil, while Stacy's smaller, chubbier cheeks bounced and jiggled.
At the top of a grassy dune just a minute from the back of Stacy's cottage the girls paused, amazed at the mile of deserted sandy beach before them.
"Wow," was all Emily could say. After a while she asked, "Where are all the people?"
"I told you, Makaket is particular about who can come here," explained Stacy. "You only got in so easily since I vouched for you. Normally the procedure is more complicated and not many tourists want to go through the hassle."
"So it's like this all the time?"
"The locals are down here. It's public access, but the whole island is just a few thousand people and there are miles of beaches. Even when it's crowded it's only a few dozen scattered over this whole stretch. It's paradise, isn't it?"
Emily had to agree. "And you're close enough to the water you can easily bring a canvas down here to paint. No wonder you jumped at the chance to get this place."
The blond was carrying a small canvas tote which she hadn't left at the house with her other things. With a wicked grin, she reached inside saying, "We've got to celebrate!"
Her hand came out with a small bottle of champagne. Before Stacy could stop her, she was popping the cork. White foam bubbled out of the top and Emily quickly put it to her lips and took a hearty swig. Then she passed it to her friend, who looked at it doubtfully.
"I don't know, Em, we're not supposed-"
"Come on, take a drink while it's still cold. Don't be a prude."
Stacy glanced around, saw they were alone, and shrugged. She took a sip. It was delicious. She took another, and then another. Emily took the bottle back and chugged a third of it and then let out a loud belch. The two burst into giggles.
They walked near the water and sank onto the beach. Emily kicked off her sandals and wiggled her feet in the sand. She drank more and then gave the bottle to Stacy. As the brunette took several more sips, Emily stood up.
Her jeans did not come up with her. They stayed in a heap on the ground. Her shirt followed. Emily was not wearing a bra and her panties were pale yellow and tiny, a faint golden line in the crease between her buttocks. She slipped those off, too, before a distracted Stacy realized what she was doing.
"Hey!" gasped Stacy, choking on the champagne. She gulped down her swallow, coughed, and wiped her mouth. But by the time she'd recovered her breath, it was too late. A very naked Emily was trotting to the water and splashing into the sea.
"Oh shit!" Stacy dropped the bottle in the sand and stood, looking around worriedly. Her worst fears came true as she saw someone not a quarter of a mile away. It was Mrs. Lindall. She was old and traditional and exactly the wrong kind of person to offend. Stacy shuddered. "Oh shit!" she repeated and ran after her friend.
By the time Stacy had extracted Emily from the water and explained that Makaket had strict rules about nudity, it was too late. Officer Marcus Davidson was standing by Emily's clothes with a notebook in his hand.
"Public intoxication, alcohol on the beach, and indecent exposure," he said, shaking his head. "I know you're new here, Miss Wanamaker, but this is going to be one raw introduction to the Makaket way of life!"
"Officer, please, my friend didn't know," pleaded Stacy. "She only just arrived a few minutes ago."
"You vouched for her, so it's your responsibility to explain the rules to her."
"I was going to, but she just got here and I hadn't had a chance yet."
"Sorry, honey. Rules are rules. We'll see you at the courthouse bright at early at 9am sharp. Don't be late."
The officer tore off the top layer of the ticket he was writing and handed it to Stacy. Then he confiscated the champagne, much to Emily's fury.
"Hey, you can't take that!"
"No open bottles on the beach," said the man. He took off while Stacy restrained her friend.
Emily dressed and the two were back inside her cottage when Stacy tried to explain the situation.
"You know how in the old days in New England they used to flog offenders and put them in the stocks?"
"Sure, and they burned witches," said Emily.
"Actually, they hanged them, but my point is that Makaket hasn't changed those laws."
"Wait a second. What are you talking about?"
"They don't whip any more, but they do spank. Or paddle, rather. It's a solid wooden board and they whack your ass with it."
"You can't be serious!"
Stacy frowned. "I'm deadly serious. To move here, I had to agree to it."
"What!"
"I took ten licks, too. Just to prove my commitment and acceptance of the town rules."
Emily stared at her friend in disbelief. "You cannot be serious. That's barbaric."
"Actually, it's practical. The legal system here is elegantly simple. They spank for just about everything. It's quick and easy and there's no need for prisons or lawyers or complicated trials."
"You're telling me they paddle your ass if you break any laws?" As soon as Emily spoke the words, the implication hit her. She saw the policeman's ticket on the coffee table and picked it up. "Oh shit! And this says there are three violations!"
"Now you're getting the picture," said Stacy. "I have to go in tomorrow morning and get my ass whacked."
"But this is crazy. I'm the one who brought the champagne and skinny dipped!"
"Yeah, but you're not a resident. I am."
"Now this is getting even crazier - you're going to be spanked for my crimes?"
"That's what my vouching for you means."
"No way!" Tears glittered in Emily's eyes. "You're so sweet, dear, but I can't let you be punished because of me. That's not fair."
"Thanks, Em. But that's the way it works."
"Just how hard a spanking is this?"
Stacy shrugged. "I'm not sure, exactly. They gave me a rulebook - it's around here somewhere - but I've been so busy moving in I don't remember all the consequences. These are all pretty serious, though. I'd imagine it'd be at least ten swats each."
"That's 30 swats!"
"More than that, because I take yours."
"Wait, what?"
"I'll get spanked for the champagne and drunkenness, plus your nudity, drinking, and alcohol. If it's ten each, that's 50 swats."
"Fifty swats! That's crazy!"
Stacy shrugged. "It's the price of living here, Em. Not much I can do about it. I could leave, but I'd lose my down payment and it could take a while to sell this place." She grinned wanly. "It's kinda hard to find outsiders who want to live in Makaket due to its weird justice system."
"I should think so!"
"But the bottom line is I don't want to leave. They could paddle me 100 times and I'd still stay."
"Are you crazy?"
"Probably. Spanking is pretty painful, but it's not life-ending. Leaving here would kill me, Emily. I never want to leave."
"Well, I get that, but there's no way you're taking my spanking for me. I can take my own spanking."
"But you're not-"
"I know I don't live here, but that doesn't matter. I'll talk to the judge or whoever decides these things. They'll understand. It's not fair to punish you for my mistakes."
"But you didn't know the rules. I hadn't explained them to you yet!"
"I beat you to the punch, that's all," said Emily. "I'll explain that, too."
The rest of the evening was somber. Stacy had prepared a wonderful casserole for supper, but neither girl had much of an appetite. Emily had a lot of questions about what a paddling was like, but Stacy couldn't really explain it.
"Doesn't it hurt?"
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