by Frank Martinet
The summons to see Miss Caudal at 4:45 was ominous. Usually that meant a thrashing of some kind, though Anna couldn't imagine what she could have done to deserve punishment. She was a prefect, meticulous in all things, and hadn't broken any school rules that she knew about.
Then again, this was Miss Caudal, the strictest of the strict, a woman who ruled with her cane. If there was anyone who could find a fault worth beating, it was Miss Caudal.
Anna told herself this was probably a routine meeting about something innocuous, but that didn't quell her nerves as she made her way into the school just after 4:30. At this hour, even the boarding students were away in the dormitory building and the school was deserted except for a few faculty members, which made the appointment all the more troubling.
She probably was busy earlier and this was the only time she had available, Anna thought, but couldn't convince her mind not to worry. She'd only been caned twice in her life and slippered once - and had no desire for any kind of embarrassing and painful repeat.
Miss Caudal's classroom was on the second floor down at the end, so it took several minutes to walk there. With each of her steps echoing in the empty building Anna's heart pounded harder, so that when she finally reached the door, her chest felt like a jackhammer was going on inside it.
She was two minutes early, but that was better than being late. Anna waited exactly 30 seconds, and then knocked. "Come in," said a voice. It was so little speech the teen couldn't tell if it was cheerful or angry. She opened the door.
Miss Caudal was seated at her desk grading papers. She was a big woman, 5ft 10 and hefty, with a heavy chest and even broader hips. The blond was attractive in a plain manner, her sense of fashion coarse and conservative, but at nearly 40 her best years were clearly behind her.
"Anna Dobro, come in. Please close and lock the door behind you."
The prefect's brow moistened at these dreadful words. Anna could feel her bottom tingling as though she'd already taken a couple whacks with a slipper. She said nothing, however, simply doing as the teacher asked. With the door secure, she strode toward the woman at the front of the room.
"You wanted to see me, Miss Caudal?"
"I did. First, I want you to relax. You're not in any trouble. I brought you here to ask you a favor."
Anna tried not to let her relief show, but she was sure she failed. Her smile was too large for that. "Yes, Miss. I'm happy to help."
"Can you be discreet, Anna?"
"Yes, of course, Miss."
The teacher was looking worried, her brow furrowed, her eyes darting about. She licked her lips several times. This alarmed Anna, who had rarely seen an adult so somber.
"I need you to promise to keep this between us," said the teacher. "Even if someone else on the faculty were to inquire, you keep silent."
When Miss Caudal saw the student's hesitant expression, she quickly added, "It's nothing illegal or immoral, Anna. Just private. Just between us."
"Yes, Miss. I won't tell a soul."
Curiosity was eating at Anna. What on earth could be so secretive and why share it with her? The two did not have a special relationship or even that much contact, though Miss Caudal had taught Anna in several courses over the years.
"I... am I strict, Anna?" The teacher smiled. "Don't worry, nothing you say or do here for the next hour will be held against you. You have full immunity, I swear."
"Uh, yes, Miss Caudal. You are strict."
"Not overly so?"
"No. You are fair."
"That's good to hear. The thing is, I try and hold myself up to my own high standards. I'm not a hypocrite. And right now, I'm afraid, I have let myself down severely."
"Everyone makes mistakes, Miss."
"Call me Mary, please. At least for this meeting. And this was more than a mistake. This was a serious error in judgment. Were it to be known, the consequences would be disastrous."
"I'm not sure how I can help, Miss. I mean, Mary."
Miss Caudal smiled briefly at the correction, then she went somber again. Her nervousness returned. "I can trust you, can't I, Anna? You're a conscientious girl and you understand your duty."
"I try my best... Mary. You can trust me."
"You have had experience with corporal punishment?"
Anna blinked at the sudden change in topic. She blushed. "Uh, yes. I have been caned twice and had the slipper once. It was you who caned me on the second occasion. Four strokes. Each thorough and painful, but deserved."
"Oh. Well, I'm glad you have experienced the cane, Anna. It is good to know what it feels like. I myself was caned often while in school. Standards were higher back then, I suppose, but I was an impulsive child and my beatings were deserved. It's nothing to be ashamed of, though it is embarrassing and quite painful, as you observed.
"But when I asked my question, I meant giving corporal punishment. As a prefect, you're authorized to use the slipper. I wondered if you'd taken advantage of that opportunity."
"Ah," Anna said, flustered by her misunderstanding. "Uh, well, I have slippered. I'm not sure how many times - I didn't keep track. I only use it when needed, however. Never excessively and only when other options have failed."
"I'm sure. I was just wondering how slippering others made you feel? Did you find it burdensome?"
Anna's heart beat faster. Warmth crept into her face as she wondered how much she should say. She didn't dare say that she'd enjoyed slippering the younger girls, or the occasional bigger girl who was bullying or arrogantly defying the rules. They usually begged for it, preferring a few smacks from her over a caning from the headmistress.
"It was not burdensome," she said cautiously. "I did my duty, but it wasn't difficult. Like you said, I've been beaten myself so I know how it feels and I never spanked without justification, but at the same time, I didn't shy away from it because it was unpleasant or it bothered me. If a girl needs to be punished, I punished her. End of story."
"Excellent. That's very well put. I feel the same way. I don't have any problems administering the cane, in part because I experienced it, and though it pained me at the time I know it did me good. Those punishments kept me from making a real mess of my life. I wouldn't be here without them."
"I understand, Mary. I don't resent any of the punishments I received, though at the time I probably felt differently."
For a moment, Miss Caudal chewed her lower lip thoughtfully. Then she asked, "If I told you to, uh, punish someone, would you do it?"
"If the person deserved it."
"Oh, most definitely."
"Then I'd have no issues."
"Even if it was severe?"
"Again, if it was justified and appropriate, I'd do my duty."
"What if you were to use a cane?"
Anna frowned. "Prefects aren't authorized to cane."
The teacher nodded. "Hypothetically, let's say I hurt my arm and couldn't swing a cane. I could ask you to do it in my place, couldn't I?"
"I suppose. But why not send the child to the headmistress?"
"Perhaps that's inappropriate for some reason. Say I want to keep this private, not embarrass the naughty girl more than necessary."
"Okay. In that case, I could use the cane. Is that why you asked to see me? I'm to cane someone?"
"That's exactly right, Anna. You're here to cane someone."
"Who?"
"Me!"
There was silence. Anna's heart stopped for a few seconds. She was both certain she must have heard wrong, and convinced she'd understood perfectly. As she considered the matter, she realized the teacher wasn't joking. Her somber tone, nervous manner, and odd questions all fit with her unusual request. She had, after all, confessed to making an error of judgment.
"I see," Anna said softly. "You want to atone for your mistake."
"Precisely. It has been over 20 years since I last felt the rod, but it is appropriate in the circumstance."
"And what is the situation?"
"Like I said, I make a mistake."
"I know, but that doesn't tell me anything. I cannot cane you without more information."
Miss Caudal blushed. "Can't you take my word that what I did requires punishment?"
"No. That's too vague. I need a confession, Mary. I know I'm half your age and just a student, but you selected me for a reason. You know I'm responsible and discreet. I won't blab your secret, but I need to know what you did or I can't help you."
For a moment neither said a word. The teacher considered the matter and finally nodded. "You are correct. I need to confess. I am highly ashamed of my actions and my offense could seriously jeopardize my career, but I will trust you. You will keep this between us and punish me yourself instead of reporting me to the headmistress."
"Are your actions illegal? I won't break the law."
"No, nothing like that."
"Then I will punish you myself, but the severity will be determined by me, based on your actions. You cannot set your own punishment."
"Agreed. That is fair." Miss Caudal took a deep breath. "You know about the fire."
"The shed behind the gym? Headmistress caned two smokers for starting that."
"Yes, I know. And they deserved those canings for smoking, but I'm the one who started the fire."
"You!"
Miss Caudal nodded. "I am totally ashamed. I haven't smoked since I was a teen - and I got caned several times for that back then."
"You were smoking?" Anna couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"Miss Clarkson and I were the ones who caught Davis and Emilia smoking. She took them to Headmistress. I had confiscated the girl's cigarettes, included the lit one. I was going to put it out, but I'm afraid my old impulsiveness returned and I couldn't resist a quick drag."
"I see. But what about the fire?"
"That's the thing. I was so focused on sneaking a puff, that I failed to note a second lit cig that one of the girls must have flicked away when they saw us. I went off and left that burning fag and it ignited the dry brush and burned down the shed. Fortunately, no one was injured and the gardener put out the fire before it did more damage, but it is still my fault."
"But it was the girls who lit the cigarette and left it there, not you."
"I should have found it. That was my job."
"You just missed it. It could have happened to anyone."
"No, I was distracted by the cigarette I puffed. I knew it was wrong and I was worried someone might see, so I did it in a rush in the shadows and forgot to even look for a second fag. In retrospect, it makes sense, of course. I was a fool. There were two girls, so there should have been two lit cigarettes."
"But girls often just share one. It's very common - so I hear," Anna added, not wanting to imply she had any personal experience in the matter. "Two girls doesn't guarantee two cigs."
"True, but I should have checked. Instead, I was distracted and trying to hide my crime, and I ran off without making a thorough search. The result was a fire that could have been serious."
Anna was thoughtful for a long moment. "I am not sure what you did was so wrong, Miss Caudal.
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