Subject: EMMA AT SCHOOL - EPILOGUE
-- Full Circle (M/f schoolgirl)
From: Rosewood
Date: 1999/06/01
Three months to the day after Deborah's birching, if we sneak a look inside the study of Mr Lindon, her housemaster, we will find him talking sternly to her young friend, Emma. His words are the more frightening because, for once, she finds herself unable to give her usual, honest response.
"Emma," he begins. "You know why you are here, of course."
"No," she shakes her pretty head, her hair flapping its agreement. "I mean ..."
She breaks off because, although she is not aware of any recent wrongdoing which could have led to her predicament, the presence of the punishment horse in the centre of the room, and the cane hanging easily from its side, leaves little doubt as to the teacher's intention.
"I mean," she continues, "I haven't done anything wrong!"
"Haven't you indeed?" Mr Lindon says calmly, stepping closer to the girl and lifting her face for a moment.
"Well perhaps a few strokes of my cane across your young bottom will jog your memory?"
Emma feels the tear on her cheek. She knows her protest will meet with refusal, but to be caned for nothing....
"Sir, no please," she stammers. "I haven't... ouch!"
"Silence, girl!" the teacher's words follow a sharp, stinging smack to the back of Emma's right leg. "You know better than to argue with me do you not?"
"Yes sir," the girl sobs, rubbing the sore spot, and thinking of how much more the cane will hurt than a single smack.
"I'm sorry sir."
"Good," Mr Lindon nods. "Now remove your skirt and knickers, please. You may leave them on my desk."
After all this time, Emma still dreads this command. Mr Lindon, like most teachers, generally pulls down a girl's knickers once she has bent over. However, like most male prefects (for reasons which need little explanation), he occasionally requires a girl to unclothe herself before her punishments; most canings, for example, are given in this way. Though Emma knows it is unusual for the teacher to have girls take off their skirt beforehand.
"It's not as if it makes any real difference", Emma tells herself as she obediently unbuttons her skirt and folds it neatly on the housemaster's desk. "When I'm tied to that... thing, with my legs pulled wide apart, he'll see all of me there is to see anyway".
"Knickers too," Mr Lindon's interrupt her attempt to calm herself. "Or I'll pull them down myself!"
"And what would that be like?" Emma asks silently, as she turns to face him. What does happen if a girl refuses to undress? She imagines Amanda being asked to hold her still while Mr Lindon yanks her panties down. How undignified!
Instead Emma's hands move, not too quickly, down to the waistband of her plain navy blue panties and tug them down her legs, all the time trying to maintain her dignity by looking into her teacher's face, trying perhaps to get a glimpse of the reason why she was being punished.
Then, half naked, Mr Lindon leads her to the horse, helps her into place, and straps her down securely, her bottom raised high with her thighs spread even wider than she remembered. A tear splashes silently onto the carpet. She bites gratefully on the offered gag. There will be no escape now.
Emma hears the teacher lift the cane from the side of the horse and feels him tap it against her flesh. Her heart beats loudly and quickly inside her breast.
"Six of the best," he intones slowly.
The girl closes her eyes and waits.
The teacher raises the cane and strikes.
The cane snaps through the air and bites.
And the girl screams.
As they do. As Mr Lindon is accustomed to hearing, though the sound is almost totally deadened by the gag. Not in his mind though. In his mind he hears their screams in all their full blooded glory.
A second and third stroke follow inevitably after the first. Emma has forgotten her protests of innocence now. She must have been bad - if she hadn't been bad, her housemaster wouldn't be caning her bare bottom; it wouldn't hurt so much.
"I'm sorry!" she attempts to screech after the fourth, though she still doesn't know what she's sorry for. She just wants the caning to end. Though she knows it cannot.
CRACK! The can rips into her a fifth time, and she screams a fifth time. The carpet is wet with her salty tears And then there is silence.
Emma hears the cane being placed upon the teacher's oak desk. She has miscounted, the ordeal is over.
But no.
"Emma, I will return shortly," he says. Then he smiles. "Don't go away."
The door slams behind him and Emma closes her eyes and wishes she could free her hand and rub her sore bottom. She can well imagine the five nasty red weals cutting across her fair skin. After all, she has seen....
The door opens again. Emma has no idea how long it has been. A minute. An hour.
And then she hears it. A gasp of fright, or surprise. The sound of a teenage girl who has been confronted, without any warning, with the horrific scene presented.
And the teacher speaks.
"How many more, Emma?"
"One," she answers, remembering.
"Good," he says, his voice kindly. "I'll be back to finish you off after I've said goodbye to Stephanie's parents. No talking please, either of you."
THE END (finally) OF EMMA AT SCHOOL