by Peter Martin
Karen looked again at the letter as she stood on the pavement opposite her old school. It read: You will attend the Headmistress's Study so she can deal with the incident that happened whilst at the school - the theft of another pupils scarf. The penalty is the cane.
She had fond memories of the school, except for that one incident. She did steal the scarf but by accident. When she found it in her bag she liked it and so decided to keep it. It was well against her normal character and the next day she felt bad. However, not bad enough to give it back, and no one caught her ... then. Now, though, she was surprised to get the letter... the summons. After all she was now thirty-seven years old and had left the school nineteen years ago to go to university.
Still, she felt she had to attend to get closure on that one unhappy incident. Giving a huge sigh she set off across the road, walked through the school gates, and on towards the front door. Very few people were around but it was late afternoon and no doubt the final lesson of the day was being held. She wanted to get to the Headmistress's Study without too many people seeing her anyway; she walked on along the hallway towards it.
Part way along the hallway the bell went. Suddenly the hallway was full of schoolgirls. They did look sweet, Karen thought, in their short sleeved green and white dresses with a looped belt and white ankle socks. Karen realised she was getting funny looks, as though the schoolgirls knew the reason why she, an adult, was walking towards the Headmistress's Study. But how could they possibly know?
Karen looked embarrassed as she walked on quickly. Keen to avoid the apparently knowing looks of the schoolgirls, she entered the outer office. The secretary was at her desk and Karen handed the letter to her.
"You are expected, Mrs Larson. Please take a seat and wait for Mrs Caplan."
Karen saw three seats outside the Headmistresses door. Two had girls already sitting on them. To make sure, Karen looked at the secretary who glared at her and nodded her head towards the vacant chair. Karen blushed again as she went and sat down.
As she sat down she heard a yelp coming from inside the study. There was no mistaking the sound. There was a girl inside being caned.
The door opened a few moments later and a schoolgirl came out rubbing tears from her face with one hand and rubbing her bottom with the other as she went over to the secretary. Karen saw the girl's skirt ruffle up as she rubbed, and she had a wicked red wheal across the top of her legs.
"Six, Miss," the girl said to the secretary, who entered something, presumably the number of strokes, in to a book. The girl left the office still sobbing and rubbing her bottom.
The girl closest to the door got up and disappeared inside. The girl in the middle seat moved to the chair closest to the door. Karen looked at the secretary who nodded her head to the side and glared again. Karen took that as an instruction to move to the middle chair.
A loud yelp came from the study. Karen knew the girl was being caned. Then there came a second yelp, louder than the first. Karen glanced at the girl in the chair next to the door. She looked tense and nervous at the same time. A third yelp came from the study and the girl in the next chair shifted uncomfortably.
A few moments later the study door opened again. The girl came out rubbing her bottom with both her hands. There were tears running down her face. She went to the secretary and said, "Three, Miss." She left the office as soon as the secretary had entered the number of strokes in the book.
The girl closest to the door disappeared inside the study. Karen didn't look at the secretary but automatically moved along to the chair closest to the door. She was feeling like a really naughty schoolgirl now.
A loud cry indicated the second girl's punishment had started. It was Karen's turn to feel tense as she knew once the door opened it would be her turn to go in.
The outer office door opened and two schoolgirls came in. They went to the secretary who looked at their notes.
"Right girls. You are first, Kylie. You are second, April."
The two girls went and sat down. Karen smiled at them but they both looked very tense. First timers, Karen wondered.
Another anguished cry came from the study. The two girls looked at each other with concerned looks. They were clearly concerned for their bottoms, thought Karen.
Another yelp followed soon afterwards and what was clearly a sob. Karen counted six yelps in all, and now there was just the sound of a girl crying.
Moments later the door opened and the girl came out. Tears flowed down her face and she too was rubbing both her bottom and her face. Karen saw the skirt ruffle up and three red lines were clearly visible. One of the seated girls gasped when she too saw them.
The crying girl stood by the secretary and said, "Six, Miss." She left the office as soon as her number had been entered by the secretary.
Karen saw a figure appear at the door and scrunched up her face when she heard, "Mrs Larson. Please come in."
Karen stood up and entered the Study. Mrs Caplan was standing by the door. Karen was surprised to find the Headmistress looked exactly as she did when she left the school nineteen years ago. She wondered what she did to maintain her skin so well. It was a momentary thought as Karen went and stood in front of the desk.
Mrs Caplan went and sat behind the desk and looked up at Karen. "Well, girl, stealing is a serious offence."
"Yes, I know, but it was a long time ago."
Mrs Caplan glared at Karen and said sharply. "You will address me with respect, girl."
Karen blushed. "Sorry, Miss." It felt strange having to be so respectful, but with the caning just a few moments away needs must, she thought to herself.
Mrs Caplan continued. "Again, girl, stealing is serious and I always give the maximum penalty."
Karen bit her lip waiting to hear her tariff.
"When you were at school six strokes was the maximum I could give you. However, you are an adult now and the same rules do not apply. That is why I have set your punishment at thirty-six strokes."
Karen gasped. "So many, Miss?"
"Yes, girl, and more if you argue." Mrs Caplan waited a moment and took Karen's silence as her acquiescence. "Also, given you are an adult, I will be caning you on the bare."
Karen gasped but again said nothing.
"Get ready, girl. Roll your skirt up so it is well above your waist. Pull your knickers down to your knees. Then bend over and grab the chair."
Karen bit her lip as she did as she undressed. Moments later she bent over and grasped the seat of the chair. Her bottom was positioned for her first ever caning.
Mrs Caplan stood to the side and tapped Karen's bottom twice with the cane. She pulled her arm back and then whipped it back down landing the cane fiercely on Karen's bare bottom.
Karen howled. The pain raced across her bottom. It hurt much more than she had expected. The second stroke followed and again Karen howled. Surely it was much louder than the yelps she had heard when the schoolgirls were caned. Was it because she was being caned on her bare bottom? Maybe. Whatever, surely the two girls sitting outside the door would be even more concerned with the sounds coming from inside the study.
The next stroke had Karen bending her legs but holding on to the chair as her head was thrown back and another howl escaped from her lips. She clenched her teeth and breathed in and out, hissing as she attempted to keep control.
The next stroke seemed to come so quickly, even before the pain had subsided from the previous one. No wonder the schoolgirls were crying, she thought. Four strokes so far. Thirty-two to go. How will I cope? she wondered as the fifth stroke landed. A few moments later the sixth stroke landed and she howled again.
There was a gap. The pain subsided slightly. Karen's breathing became less pained. Karen heard a car hooter and was surprised as there were no cars anywhere near the Headmistress's Study. She opened her eyes and was disorientated. She realised she was in bed, in her own bedroom. She felt her bottom and there were no wheals. It was all a dream. She laughed out loud, mightily relieved.
Karen got up, got dressed, and put her makeup on. As she did she wondered why she had dreamed of being caned. She was never caned at school, although the theft of the scarf was real and she had often wondered what being caned would be like.
Then she remembered: a few days ago she had joined the social networking site, Oldschoolnet, where she had connected with several school friends. Mrs Caplan was also on the site. She was no longer at the school but was now Headmistress at a private school close by. Mrs Caplan wrote on the site that the school had an excellent reputation for instilling discipline in their pupils. That must be the connection, reckoned Karen.
She got out her tablet and logged on to the site. She sent a message to Mrs Caplan. 'Can we chat, please?'
Almost immediately Mrs Caplan responded. 'What would you like to chat about?'
Karen asked how Mrs Caplan was and then went to the nub and explained her dream and its background including how she came to steal the scarf but was never caught. She also explained how the dream most likely meant that she must think she deserved to be disciplined. Having finished, she held her breath.
Mrs Caplan responded, 'It's not too late, you know.'
'Really?'
'Sure. You can come to my house and I can discipline you. I have some canes at home.'
'Would you?'
'Sure. Thirty-six strokes, you reckon? LOL.'
'Oh. I was thinking far less than that!'
'Ha-ha. I think twelve will be right? On the bare of course; just like in your dream.'
'That will be great.'
'Shall we say 5.30 today?'
'I'll be there. Oh, and thank you.'
'Hhhmm, I think you need to show me some respect, young lady.'
'Sorry, Miss.' Karen smiled as she said it. Her real caning wasn't so far away.
Mrs Caplan gave Karen her address and they logged off.
Karen went downstairs to find her two daughters who had made themselves a breakfast of toast and cereal.
Karen picked up the phone. "Hi, Mum, I need to go out after tea. Can you come over and look after the girls and make sure they do their homework? ... That's great, Mum ... love you lots."
Karen started to make her own breakfast and was humming happily. She was thinking about later on this afternoon when she will find out what it was like to be caned. She couldn't wait for 5.30.
Karen had a final look at herself in the mirror. As much as she wanted to dress like a schoolgirl she decided that wouldn't work. It might cause too many questions from anyone who she saw for starters, and would be even worse if they knew her. So she wore a cream sleeveless top and a black skirt. It was warm, so she had bare legs. Karen's mum arrived on time.
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