by Charlie Bell
There were several things about Perdita Ballard that were obvious upon first meeting. She was taller than average, closer to six feet than to five. Her legs were long and shapely and her bottom, shaped by years of hard exercise, was a thing of rare beauty. Her chest was less exceptional - the breasts while perfectly formed were, some would say, on the small side. Her mouth was wide, predatory and hungry, her eyes sharp and appraising, almost suspicious. Her hair was as black as a crow's wing and cut rough and with little care into a short, easy style. The most prominent feature that stood out during her admission interview for St Jude's College was not physical but rather audible - her laugh; it was incredibly dirty, like a drain clearing.
Perdita emitted this unfortunate sound while being made aware of the college regulations on uniforms. St Jude's was a controversial college. Its policies were to promote educational achievement through extreme measures. In effect pupils were pushed to the limit to reach their goals and had to accept certain restrictions. These included a strict uniform policy and even corporal punishment.
The uniform policy did not bother Perdita. From the photographs she had seen it was the basic blue blazer, white or blue shirt/blouse, dark blue skirt and white knee socks. The design was, however, irrelevant. To be honest, for Perdita, it would be a relief to be in a place where everyone wore the same clothes and the absence of fashion items was not a cause for ridicule. Perdita was an orphan, raised in the care system, and although she had no complaints about the quality of the care she had received, was always aware that the only items of clothing she had worn that were not hand-me-downs were her underwear and tights.
Actually it was when the discussion turned to underwear that Perdita emitted an unfortunate snort of laughter. The Admissions Officer paused. The response was not unfamiliar - he had, after all just advised that underwear had to be plain in colour and cover the entire bottom.
"You find this amusing?" he asked.
"Well," smirked Perdita, "I recall previously being advised to be sure my knickers were clean, but I never really expected anyone would check."
"Well, at St Jude's that may actually be the case; our policy is that underwear should conceal, not reveal and should not offer any temptation."
Perdita's chaotic upbringing had left her with a number of unresolved mental issues. Regular changes to her place of residence and to the people who cared for her had left a residue of deep anxiety. Perdita sought to alleviate this nagging fear in a variety of ways and found exercise to be the most beneficial. She had never anticipated that the therapeutic running she undertook might have practical benefits until a coach from St Jude's approached her after a race and explained that the college offered scholarships to suitable pupils, and that it looked very like Perdita might qualify.
It seemed like a win-win situation. Perdita's old school would benefit from the awareness that one of their pupils had made the grade into the prestigious college, St Jude's would gain an able pupil, and Perdita would be offered opportunities that she might never have anticipated. Of course she had to be careful not to mess up the admissions interview.
Not as easy as it might sound. Perdita's insecurities manifested in a number of ways; she always related to the underdog and could not tolerate bullying. Unfortunately she tended to associate authority figures with bullying and could not resist poking them to gain a reaction.
"You're not seriously saying that St Jude's bans consensual sex?" she asked.
"Any activity that distracts from achieving the objectives of the college is certainly discouraged."
Don't say it; don't say it, Perdita willed herself, before asking, "So a shag is right out of the question?"
"Very amusing," was the terse reply. "Miss Ballard, I would advise you to take this interview seriously. St Jude's is willing to offer you a scholarship but we have to be sure that it will not be wasted." He paused. "Miss Ballard let me point out if you persist in a frivolous attitude while at St Jude's, you risk incurring corporal punishment. Prefects are authorised to use the slipper and teachers the ruler or strap. The cane is administered by the head teacher for the most serious offences just short of expulsion. The usual penalty is up to six strokes of whatever implement is applied. One culprit, in return for having the penalty halved, agreed to have her punishment filmed to serve as an example to others. I think, in view of what I have heard today, that you would benefit from seeing this film. Bear in mind that the culprit, like you, is eighteen years old, and notice how quickly she learns to regret her misbehaviour."
The Admissions Officer drew Perdita's attention to a laptop on an adjacent desk. A few buttons were pressed and a film began to play. The scene was a typical schoolroom with book-lined walls but the focus of the scene was certainly atypical. A shapely female bottom straining within the confines of white panties occupied most of the screen. In an almost abstract manner Perdita noted that what she supposed she should call the target area, was in accordance with the regulations of the college, completely covered by the knickers. But that did not matter for long, as within seconds they were pulled down, revealing a trembling bare bottom.
The reason became obvious; a thin cane came into view sawing across and patting the target as if taking aim. The cane left the screen but returned within seconds, painfully slashing into the naked flesh. Perdita watched in horror as the skin rippled from the impact of the cane and then resumed its natural shape as if nothing had happened. A sharp intake of breath from the culprit made clear that this was not the case. Fascinated, Perdita watched as the bottom instinctively clenched and relaxed trying desperately to absorb the shocking sting.
As the girl recovered from the first stroke the cane appeared again, pat-patting the skin and choosing the next the point of contact. A keening sound of despair came from the poor victim rising into a low scream as the cane slashed down. Again the bottom contracted but this time it was possible to see that a deep red welt was rising in response to the first stroke.
The Admissions Officer had said the penalty was to be halved so the third stroke was to be the last. This time the cane aimed at the tender join between thigh and buttock. Low sobs could be heard and the pain of the final stroke was so intense that the culprit was unable to retain any dignity and her legs spread wide showing the most intimate parts of her body. Perdita felt mortified on her behalf.
The film was quickly terminated and Perdita turned to face the Admissions Officer. She was close to shock. The calm, ritualised way in which the punishment was administered was in sharp contrast to the impact upon the poor culprit and indeed the unwilling witness. Perdita was disturbed by the dehumanising effect of the punishment reducing a young woman to an object; something that just needed to be chastised ... nothing more than a bare arse and a pair of legs. Perdita's mouth was bone-dry but she was aware that another part of her body had become very moist. Oh God, she thought, don't let me be getting turned on by that. Perhaps I've just wet myself. After all, with my big mouth there's a good chance I'm going to end up bent over that desk. She thought back to her off the cuff joke made a few minutes ago and gave thanks that the cleanliness of her underwear was not to be investigated at present.
"I hope that proves to you Miss Ballard that St Jude's takes discipline very seriously. We do not want to offer you a scholarship only to find that you are not able to cope with the conditions."
Perdita stopped short. This was the first time that an actual offer had been articulated and she must not deter the college from proceeding.
The Admissions Officer continued. "We have much to offer each other Miss Ballard. The sporting facilities at St Jude's are world class and would be of enormous help in ensuring that you fulfil your personal potential. But we expect you to contribute to the objectives of the college as well. As you may have gathered, the college's reputation is inconsistent. The results are outstanding but the methods are often questioned. The idea of pushing pupils to their limits is controversial. Sports are an opportunity to show our pupils taking part in activities that most people would consider to be 'normal'. We need you to make the most of that chance to show the wider community that St Jude's' pupils are well balanced and emotionally stable individuals. In effect, you are to act as an ambassador for the college."
Perdita was stunned. She was aware that the description of her was completely inaccurate but was terrified of offering any correction in case the recently made offer was withdrawn. "I'd welcome the chance to try," she managed.
"You don't sound very enthusiastic."
"No, no I am. It's just a bit overwhelming to have things moving so fast." That much at least was true.
"Very well; we will confirm the scholarship offer in writing and hope to welcome you in the new term. A word of advice would be to watch the jokes - a sense of humour is not always welcome. Do you have any serious questions?"
"Well, one I suppose - does it matter that I'm not Catholic?"
"Why should it?"
"Well, the college takes the name of a saint."
"Ah, I see. No, actually that is a rare example of the college governors attempting a joke."
Perdita tried to adopt a look of curiosity.
"St Jude is the Patron saint of lost causes, although some say also of retribution; punishment in other words."
How the hell do I eat this? It keeps looking at me!
It was several weeks after her induction and Perdita still did not feel at home at St Jude's. For the last few years she had been fostered in homes close to the college. She had become accustomed to the high walls that surrounded the site and, when she thought about it at all, formed the impression that the college was probably some gothic structure more suited to arcane rituals than teaching.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Inside the grey walls, St Jude's was gleamingly high-tech. Every surface was stuffed with new technology and it was so clean the atmosphere was close to that of a hospital, while the tone was so respectful it brought to mind a church or place of worship. Pupils spoke in hushed tones and all seemed completely dedicated to the acquisition of learning.
The facilities for athletes were amazing. Perdita had been able to push herself to physical limits that she had never approached before. And the food! Accustomed to convenience foods Perdita had never experienced the benefits of decent nutrition and could tell the difference in her ability to concentrate as well as her physical abilities. And her skin looked better than ever.
But that didn't solve the problem of how to eat trout. The damn thing seemed to be made up entirely of bone. The knife she had been given in the canteen was unfamiliar - blunt not serrated- and seemed inadequate for cutting. What was she supposed to do with the head of the fish? Surely she wasn't intended to suck it and spit out the eyes?
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