Dragos Falls

by Carl Hamlin

  Watson nodded to Mike, who then sat down. The older man resumed: “Now we need to speak of the agreement we made when we left Iowa. Before the day is out, we will have that housing lottery we talked about. Along the way, Marlene made up little slips of paper with numbers on them. Now we just have to draw numbers for houses to be claimed. Once all the houses are claimed, the rest of the numbers will determine choices of who to move in with.”

  A young woman shouted out: “How do we determine who has to take Aubrey in?” The question was met by a mixture of laughter and grunts of agreement.

  Watson glanced over at Mike. “Remember I told you about our little thief? A week ago she stole a watch. Yesterday she was caught going through a purse she found unattended in one of our cars. That’s Aubrey.” There was more laughter and groans.

  Marlene stood up. “You leave Aubrey to me. I’m going to keep a close eye on her, but as for right now, I think somebody needs to paddle her backside.” The comment was met by laughter and applause. Marlene laughed and pointed toward Mike: “Perhaps we should find somebody not already incensed by her behavior. Maybe our handsome new member could do that for us. He’s a school principal. He probably knows how to warm a deserving backside.” The refugees, universally in need of laughter, began to cheer and howl.

  A young, attractive woman at the table behind Mike spoke up: “Let me know how that works out. I just may have to steal something myself.” Once again, people who had known nothing but hardship and fear for weeks, found themselves laughing and whistling until tears ran down their cheeks. All the while, Mike sat with a crimson face as his new friends found some needed levity at his expense.

  Watson shook his head and managed to smile as well before he spoke. “In all seriousness, we do have to address the matter of keeping order.” He pointed out into the crowd. “Jim Hastings… I assume you are still willing to serve as our law enforcement officer?”

  The retired small-town policeman nodded.

  Watson stood silent for a moment. “I would hope that everyone in the village would be respectful of each other’s property and well-being, and be moderate in the consumption of alcohol that was picked up along the way. In reality, that will not always be the case. So we face a dilemma. We don’t have a jail. Even if we did, we would not be able to have any healthy adults sitting around being unproductive.

  “We have gardens to plant and tend. We are going to have to obtain and process meat. Even if we do find generators, we’re going to have to be sparing in our use of gasoline, and that means that refrigeration will be very limited. Life is still going to be difficult.

  “The bottom line is, we are going to need every able-bodied adult to be working, not sitting around under guard.”

  Marlene spoke up once more. “We have to be very honest with ourselves. The type of justice system we have been used to is not going to work for us, at least not for a long time. I know that we all had a laugh a minute ago, but I think that we need to be willing to accept that any penalties to be paid for bad behavior need to be immediate, and adequately severe, but of a nature that will allow an offender to quickly return to work. This may sound primitive, but under the circumstances, I think we need to consider using physical punishment when a crime is committed.”

  A murmur overtook the room. Without some in the room even noticing, Marlene gestured to a middle-aged woman at a front table to come forward. The woman leaned down as Marlene whispered something to her. A moment later, the woman stood up and left the room with a wry smile on her face.

  An older man stood up in the middle of the crowd. “Marlene… I think I have to agree with you. We are all facing hardship. If someone would violate our expectations of good behavior, I don’t want that person rewarded by being relieved of labor for a few days. I want to know what you specifically have in mind.”

  Marlene took a deep breath and looked down. “I am proposing that we resort to flogging. For men… that is.”

  An older woman stood. “And what about females?”

  Marlene managed to smile. “What I said earlier… I was kind of being serious.” Once again, a combination of laughter and murmuring filled the room. Suddenly, the door opened, and the woman who had received the whispered message from Marlene reentered the room. However, on her way to her seat, she placed in front of Marlene the paddle she had found in the school office.

  Marlene held up the paddle as the laughter and murmuring returned. She held the implement up and waved it around. “This… would be for the females.” More laughter and subdued comments greeted her.

  Marlene held up her hands to quiet the room. She glanced over at Mike: “Mr. Powell… I understand that before leaving Arkansas, you really were a school principal.” Now the room was full of laughter as Mike theatrically sank down in his chair.

  Marlene picked up the paddle and began turning it over and back. “And I assume that in your duties you did indeed from time to time have to use one of these, am I correct?”

  Mike did not look up. Instead, he concealed his reddening face in his hands.

  Marlene finally found herself blushing. “Would anyone in this room object to having our own Mr. Watson determine the level of punishment for men, and be in charge of its administration? I would determine the level of punishment for females, but would oversee its application by our new friend, Mike Powell.

  “My reasoning is this: a flogging with a whip of some type on a bare back would be more physically severe than getting a bare-butt spanking with a paddle. But for the female offender, there would be the added element of great embarrassment in having a man administer the punishment. Of course, to counter any accusations of impropriety, I would be present whenever the paddle is used. Last of all, should a man or woman refuse to submit to punishment, it would mean banishment from the village.”

  Once again there was murmuring throughout the room, but no obvious utterances of disagreement. Marlene spoke once again. “In time, we can establish a judicial committee to refine our rules. We can even set up a jury system. But for the moment, we have to deal with the immediate circumstances as they are. I know that to some of you this may sound harsh and dictatorial, so if anyone objects to this course of action, please state your disagreement now. Otherwise, I will take silence as consent.”

  Mike stood up, his face deep red. “Please understand my reluctance. I mean, I want to do my part for our new community…” There was a smattering of laughter around the room. The young woman behind him who had joked earlier about stealing muttered, “I bet you do.”

  Marlene looked at Mike with sympathy. “I do understand and respect your reluctance. I respect you for being concerned about taking on such a responsibility. But as we said earlier, our life now is not like our life used to be. We are in a crisis, and we have to do what needs to be done.”

  Mike shook his head and let go with a theatrical sigh. He finally nodded and sat down to the sounds of applause and some laughter, interspersed with a couple of catcalls.

  Chapter 2

  Mike observed and rested as the housing lottery went forward. Those in attendance took turns reaching into a basket and drawing a number and numbers were drawn for those not in attendance. Watson decided that he and his wife would make do in one of the classrooms, and Marlene decided it was best that she shared another of the schoolrooms with the troublesome Aubrey. Deciding that he would feel uncomfortable sharing a house with any of the others, Mike decided to also make his home at the school, in what had been the nurse’s office. There was a sofa that he could sleep on, and he was able to gather up several nap mats from a kindergarten room for the Watsons, Marlene and the mysterious Aubrey to sleep on.

  Throughout the rest of the afternoon and the evening, the several hundred refugees went about the process of moving into the homes of Dragos Falls. Along the way, the group had operated with tortured consciences as they scoured abandoned homes, and those containing the remains of epidemic victims. Even though they knew it was unlikely that the owners would ever re
turn home there was always a nagging sense of doubt. In the case of Dragos Falls, they knew there would be no one returning to reclaim their homes and property.

  Hour by hour, the people began to organize the processes of their new life. Early in the evening, women made their way to the scenic falls that served as a backdrop to what had been a quaint Texas village. Like the settlers before them, they built a fire along the bank so they could warm themselves after their first opportunity to bathe in weeks. Once they were finished, the call went out through the several streets that the falls was now open to the men.

  As night fell, and a mild cool breeze comforted the warm and weary travelers, there was little left to do but rest. As the voices quieted, and the travelers began to fall asleep on actual beds, sofas and plush chairs, two men armed with hunting rifles took up watch at each end of the village so that their companions could sleep with a sense of security for the first time in weeks.

  Mike rose at 6:00 A.M., as was his habit. He walked outside and began to stroll through the quiet settlement. Along the way, he greeted many of the new residents who were already at work tilling the many abandoned garden plots in the village. Off in the distance, he could see that a tractor was at work pulling a plow to create a much larger area for planting.

  As he walked along and chatted with the people, he realized that he had forgotten over the past weeks what it was like to hold a pleasant conversation with another human being. He heard his name being called out, and turned to find Marlene strolling his way.

  Actually, he had to look twice to realize who was approaching. The fifty – something woman was dressed in denim Capri pants and a brightly colored striped shirt that contrasted against her long blonde hair.

  “Morning, Mike… I can’t tell you how good it felt for all of us girls to stand under the falls last evening. I almost feel human again.

  “By the way, Aubrey and I had a nice talk walking back to the school from the stream. I told her about the rules we established yesterday. She doesn’t like it, needless to say, but she doesn’t want to be banished, so Aubrey… and the paddle… are waiting for us back at the school building.”

  Marlene saw Mike’s face turning beet red. “It’s okay, Mike. We have to keep order. Yesterday morning, she was caught taking some money out of another woman’s purse. In fact, it was me who caught her in the act; crouched on the ground next to the car she had taken the purse from. It didn’t make much sense, because money is of questionable value right now. I guess she was just looking for whatever she could find to steal.”

  They began to walk slowly back toward the school, then Mike halted. “What did you tell her is going to happen?”

  “I told her that she was going to get her bare bottom paddled. And I told her it was a man who is going to be doing it, but I would be there too. And I told her she was going to get five good smacks with the paddle.

  “By the way, I talked to some of the other women last night about how we should do this. I got busy early this morning. I went into what had been the principal’s office. Above the desk, I hung a sheet by tucking it into the ceiling tile frames. So the miscreant will bend over the desk, but all you’ll see is the bottom half of her, because the sheet will be draped over her above her waist, hiding her identity. All you’ll see is what you need to be concerned with.”

  Mike shook his head as he continued walking. “After that meeting yesterday, I say it is rather doubtful that the identity of the woman being punished won’t be known in short order.”

  Marlene nodded in agreement. “You are right. But we decided that it is best to at least preserve an illusion of mystery. We also decided that it would be best that I prepare the woman for her paddling before you enter the room. When someone is to be paddled, I will have her bend over a pillow on the desk, so that you have the best possible target to work with.

  “One more thing… panties will stay on, but the cheeks will be bared. In other words… a wedgie, if you will. We decided that would be the best.”

  Mike began to walk more slowly as they neared the entrance to the school building. “How old is this Aubrey?”

  Marlene placed her hand on Mike’s shoulder. “She’s twenty. And this should not come as any surprise, but she’s been paddled before. During our talk, she told me about how her small rural high school in Oklahoma used the paddle frequently. And it got used on her several times, the last time being two years ago just before she graduated. So you have experience giving paddlings, and she is experienced in receiving them.”

  Mike halted at the door and placed his hands on his hips and took a deep breath. “I’ve never given a paddling on a bare bottom.”

  Marlene patted him on the back and opened the door to the school. “That’s okay. I’m sure she’s never gotten paddled on her bare bottom.”

  They walked into the building and headed toward the office. Marlene pointed down the hallway toward the nurses’ station Mike had adopted as his own room. “Why don’t you go down there and relax as much as you can… I will come and get you when everything is ready. The paddle will be on the desk; then I will just step aside and be the witness.

  “And Mike, no love taps. This is how we’re going to keep order… you can’t go easy on her. If you want to say anything to her before you start, that’s up to you. But we have to stay in a stern mode.”

  Mike nodded to Marlene, then went down the hall and inside the nurse’s room. While he waited for Marlene to return, he attempted to keep himself calm by doing a mental inventory of the first aid supplies that had been left behind to his surprise and relief. All the while, he admonished himself to be ready to fulfill the expectations Marlene had outlined to him.

  He was startled by the sound of Marlene opening the door. “Ready when you are.”

  They walked slowly and in silence to the office that was sixty feet away. Mike felt his pulse racing as they entered the cramped office lobby, and Marlene walked to another office door and opened it.

  Mike stopped and blinked his eyes several times in response to the scene before him. As promised, a white sheet blocked the view of the upper half of the young woman awaiting her punishment. She was bent over a small throw pillow to elevate her bottom and make it more vulnerable to the paddle. And the bottom that was awaiting the paddle’s stinging impact was curvaceous and cute. A pair of cut – off jeans rested around her ankles, and her black silky panties had been pulled into the crevice of her bottom. Between that bottom and the jeans around her ankles, was a set of lovely and shapely legs. Mike had to take a deep breath and force himself to walk toward the desk and pick up the paddle.

  It was when he reached for the paddle that he first heard the sound of sniffling coming from the other side of the sheet. He stepped back and stood next to his target. He decided that he needed to say something. “Miss… are you ready?”

  A soft but strained voice replied. “Yeah… go ahead.”

  “Did you see the paddle?”

  “Yeah… it’s just like the one I always got paddled with.”

  His role as a principal and disciplinarian began to kick in. “Before I begin… I want you to tell me why you’re being paddled.”

  Mike and Marlene heard a loud, theatrical and exaggerated sigh. Then a response came in a mocking, impatient and sing – song fashion: “I… am… being… paddled… for … stealing.”

  Marlene and Mike looked at each other with arched eyebrows. The attitude being broadcast from the other side of the sheet made any of Mike’s remaining reluctance to administer the paddling melt away.

  Marlene shook her head and stood back to give Mike plenty of room. Holding the paddle in his left hand, Mike stood to the right of the concealed woman, and then tapped the paddle several times against the tender target.

  Mike drew the paddle back and brought it down with a loud CRACK that even made Marlene jump. Oddly enough, there was silence from the other side of the sheet.

  Mike lined the paddle up with the bright red outline that quickly appeared on
the lower half of the upraised bottom. He brought the paddle far back, and then landed it in the very same spot. The impact sounded as if a rifle had been fired, but once again, there was no sound from the young woman enduring the punishment.

  Now the wide patch of creamy flesh that had absorbed two landings of the board was once again being patted, but when Mike drew the paddle away this time, it made contact slightly below the now deep red swath. Unlike before, the impact of the paddle generated a loud cry from the recipient.

  Recalling the tone of voice that preceded the first smack, Mike brought the paddle back once more to the same region, bringing forth a loud and desperate yelp, followed by the sound of sobbing. This time, when Mike pressed the paddle against the same vulnerable spot, he and Marlene heard the crying intensify, although it was interjected with a plea of, “No… please… not there.”

  Mike looked over at Marlene. She stepped over quickly and whispered in his ear: “Let her have it.”

  For the last smack, Mike pulled the paddle back even further, and as it was about to land he gave his wrist an extra flick for the sake of velocity and civility within the new community. The paddle landed on that same tender and inflamed lower bottom region. The resulting squeal told them that Marlene had decided on the correct number of smacks to be given.