by Susan Thomas
"Erin this is not good enough. The agreement was that you attended college two days a week and kept up with the studies."
Erin didn't want to talk about it. She was rude and dismissive. "Oh it's just a blip. Stupid course anyway. I can't be bothered with it." And she walked away.
"Erin Bilsborrow, you get back here right now young lady. We are not done yet."
Erin was open mouthed with shock. Her uncle had never been this angry sounding with her at all not even over the Tad Collins incident. She realised she had gone too far.
She came back. "Look I'm sorry..."
"Yes you will be in just a minute, but before I give a good hard spanking for your attitude and rudeness I want you to know we are not done with this college issue not by a long way. Now get to your room and get ready for a good long spanking. When I come in I want you in the corner with the paddle and ready. Do you understand?"
Erin hurried to her room her face hot with shame and embarrassment. Her uncle and aunt were keen on being polite and respectful as was the whole church community. It was part of her agreement and besides that her own parents thought like that too. Her dad had been brought up in a tough working class area, her grandfather worked in the steel works but there was a kind of courtesy drummed into them all by their community. She would have upset anyone in her family at any time with her reaction.
She kicked off the thin pumps she was wearing, peeled her very tight fitting pink jeans down and off (she had been pleased with this purchase but now they gave her no little thrill at the pleasure of ownership). She hated this baring of herself for a spanking but it was something built into the church guidance and girls weren't supposed to feel it immodest. It's easy to say that but not easy to feel relaxed about standing with nothing on below the waist being told off before a spanking. She had a long blue blouse on and she wasn't going to take it off so she gathered and knotted it around her waist. She had wanted to do that to go to college except her auntie had told her it was immodest to show her midriff like that. She didn't quite get how it was immodest to show a bit of midriff at college but not immodest to be naked from the midriff down in order to get spanked.
Her auntie didn't approve of her thong either but Erin had won that little tussle. That was another thing she and Kerry didn't understand. Why couldn't they wear thongs to get spanked in? Now though, with deep reluctance, she pulled her thong off and chucked it to join her jeans and pumps. Her heart began to beat considerably faster as she took the paddle off the wall. It was laughable to think that not that long ago she had been asking the McWilliams what it was. Now she knew all too well what it was and how much it stung when she was spanked with it. She ran her hands over the beautifully smooth wood and thought it was exactly like an oval hairbrush except without the bristles.
She went into the corner and then realised it was the first time she had to do that before getting spanked. What was going on? She stood looking at the bare corner, her bare bottom feeling cold and very sensitive. She could almost feel the smart of the paddle landing on it.
As she stood her mind began to roam over why she was here. Why hadn't she been more polite? Why had she been so very reluctant to talk about skipping college? After a while it dawned on her - she felt guilty. She felt very guilty about what she was doing with Josh because she knew how passionate they were and how obsessed she was with him and how much she wanted him to make love to her fully. Why didn't she just go on the pill and have done with it? She and Josh could then make love without fear of having a baby. Then she thought of her aunt finding the pills in her room, of her aunt showing Uncle Jack and ringing her mum and her mum telling her dad. She cringed so much her nose bumped the wall. Now she wanted the spanking to start to stop all these thoughts whirling through her head. Where were they? It had been ages since she was sent in.
Finally they were there with no explanation of what they had been doing. She was told to take the paddle to her uncle who went and sat on the bed. Very soon she was in the horribly familiar position of having her tummy across his lap. They had stopped putting her upper body on the bed so her head hung down one side of her uncle and her feet the other. Erin knew that as soon as she started wriggling too much he would cross his leg over both of hers to make sure she remained in position. It was uncomfortable and embarrassing.
Uncle Jack looked down at his young niece's slim bare legs and bottom. He had been deeply reluctant to spank her the three times he had done so and was not even upset with her, the first when she and her friends had knocked over the missionary box in church, well that was just youthful high spirits and unintended. Then the incident with Tad Collins, well that man would try the patience of a saint and she was still only eighteen at the time. As for speeding, well that had to be done for sure but he had a real guilty conscience with that one because but for God's good grace there he went. Now though he was cross, she had been like one of these horrible teenagers you hear about, all attitude and rudeness. He was told they were angry but what the devil they had to be angry about he had no idea, most of them seemed over indulged to him. He loved this girl and he wasn't having her go this way so out of love, anger and duty he was going to blister her bottom for her and he brought the paddle down with a resounding smack.
Erin's head shot up with a loud yell escaping her. She could tell that it was an especially hard smack with the paddle and then the next, just the same, landed. She yelled again and jerked so hard Jack put his leg over hers straight away and began spanking in earnest. Carol watched her niece's bottom rippling under the constant smacks of the paddle. She watched her legs kicking under their restraint of Jack's leg, saw Erin's whole body jerk at each hard smack, winced as her cries filled the room, and worried at the horrible red colour being painted over every curve of her delicate bottom. It was the worst spanking Jack had given his niece and Carol sensed his heart was in this one. There was no reluctance to punish. Clearly he felt Erin needed and deserved a good hard spanking and boy was he giving it.
Erin's cries grew more frantic as did her movements over her uncle's lap. She had never begged before but now she began to. "Please, stop uncle please. I'm really sorry, really sorry. I'll never ever be rude again I promise." It came out as shrill cries punctuated by gasps of pain as the paddle caught some already very sore bit. Erin was frantic, she felt she really couldn't take another single smack and began to scream out, "Please stop. Stop, stop, STOP!"
Jack looked at Carol and she looked at Erin's bottom which was only scarlet on the periphery most of her bottom was dark red or even purple and was clearly going to be horribly bruised. In the house next door, Kerry in her room trying to study, had heard every bit and wondered if they had found out about Josh. Uncle Jack stopped spanking and her auntie helped her to sort herself out a bit but would not allow her to get dressed.
Erin was bewildered again. Her bottom was in a terrible state. She had caught sight of it in her mirror and nearly burst into tears again. It throbbed and burnt still even though her spanking was over. Now her aunt was leading her with an insistent arm into the big family room and placing her firmly in the corner and making her put her hands on her head. Well that didn't happen always after a spanking but they were obviously very upset. Why in the family room? That wasn't at all usual? Then she heard voices she recognised. It was Pastor Jones and his wife Glenda.
Pastor Jones the large charismatic pastor who led a large team in an 'upward, outward and inward' quest for Christ's disciples. His views on everything were not mainstream for sure, especially when it came to raising children but to a generation of parents worried about everything, (drugs, sex, violence, money, college and jobs) he was a beacon of hope. It was true too. The church kids were far less likely to get caught up in drugs, crime or to have unwanted babies, so they bought the church's behaviour packs, paddles and straps and used them with a will.
She could feel them in the room all looking at her. All looking at her bottom. She wanted to drop through a hole in the floor.
"That is a well spanked bottom." That was Glenda Jones.
"Amen." That was Pastor Jones.
"Turn around child." That was Glenda Jones.
Erin didn't turn.
"Erin," her aunt sounded worried, "turn around we all need to talk with you."
"Please can I put my jeans back on?"
"Erin, are you a good Christian girl?" It was Pastor Jones whose wonderful voice resonated with wisdom and hope.
Erin hesitated a little in her reply. "I believe so." Actually she wasn't at all sure she was but she didn't want to say so while half naked and in front of four believing adults armed with a paddle and a strap.
"Very good, well Erin you are in receipt of Godly corporal correction which you should welcome with all your heart, receiving it from your uncle as the gift it is. To bare yourself and stand before those who love you in that way is not immodest and you should not flinch from it."
Erin though thought very unchristian thoughts but figured that if Josh had seen her like that and more, then what did it matter? She turned around taking her hands from her head and trying hard not to place them over herself.
She saw they had all sat down but she was not invited to do so.
"Now then child, there is a problem. I know you to be a hard-working and good girl but suddenly you are not attending college and your college work has slipped to the point where you have failed a test. Your uncle and aunt performing their duty have challenged you about this but you wouldn't talk about it and were unusually rude, disrespectful and dismissive. I know why that is."
Erin's head shot up and she stared at Pastor Jones. "You do?"
"Yes child, whatever it is that you are doing makes you feel guilty so you are reluctant to discuss it. You may also fear that you will be chastised which is in itself a sure sign that Satan has begun to work on you. You have just been punished and this is not a good time so we are going to reassemble tomorrow after thought and prayer and I want you to reveal what it is that troubles you."
Suddenly Erin felt weak and wanted simply to have done with it all. She shook her head and said flatly. "Let me get dressed and I'll tell you now."
Pastor Jones went into action quickly. Jack was dispatched to the kitchen to make coffee and her aunt went with Erin to the bedroom to help her to dress. Soon Erin was back with her face washed, hair brushed and wearing a skirt (she couldn't face pulling the jeans over her sore bottom). They all sat around in a cosy circle with Erin next to her aunt and coffee and cookies in front of them. Erin began haltingly but Pastor Jones was good and pulled the whole story out of her piece by piece but in a gentle way.
"So have you kept to your pledge Erin, are you still pure?"
"Yes I have and yes I am."
"But it is only a matter of time is it not and that is troubling you?”
"Yes."
"You do know what you have done is wrong and you deserve a strapping."
"Yes."
"But so does this boy Joshua. Joshua Masters I know, his parents attend our brother church. I'll have a word with his father and undoubtedly Joshua will taste the strap too."
Erin began crying. "I'm so sore already," she sobbed.
"My dear child nobody would dream of strapping you just after you have been spanked. In fact we will wait for your conscience to tell you when. When that happens, and I know it will, tell any of us and it will be arranged."
Chapter 6
Erin was not a happy girl after Pastor Jones and his wife left. It was now up to her conscience when she got her strapping. Well suppose she decided she didn't want a strapping for what she had done? She reminded herself that she had signed up to be spanked in the first place only because she had not wanted to be the odd one out and make the other girls resentful. Now she was odd anyway because none of them had been strapped and here she was expected to take another one when her conscience told her to take it. She had confessed it was true, but the whole thing had been humiliating having to turn round like that to Pastor Jones and his wife with nothing on below the waist. She had thought she would feel better after confession but instead she felt worse and had got Josh into trouble.
The next day was a Saturday and Erin was much in demand among her girlfriends because Kerry had heard Erin's spanking and seen the Pastor arrive so they wanted to know all. It was a dilemma they all shared. Just how far does the nice Christian girl go with a boy? Well no distance at all if you listened to the church, but that is all very well to say but a lot harder to do.
On Sunday Erin discovered that Josh had been strapped and it had not been a light one. He had not denied anything but confirmed Erin's claim about the limits, but his father still deemed it 'immoral' and out of a habit of discipline Josh went into his father's den and took his punishment. This added to Erin's woes because now she felt guilty that he had been punished but she had not; but... the but was she just wasn't sure she felt she deserved it. When they got home from church there was a message from her parents, they were arriving the next day and wanted to talk to everyone including Pastor Jones.
Her aunt and uncle were stunned at this sudden announcement. Nicola had spent a very uncomfortable session on Skype explaining to her sister what had happened but this arrival was a surprise. Jack, however, arranged that he and Erin would be covered at work and organised Pastor Jones and his wife to attend.
When Erin's parents arrived there were hugs and kisses but they said not one word about the events or about the strapping, just said they would wait until everyone was together. When that happened and everyone was sat in the living room, Erin's dad stood and faced them all.
"When Erin signed up for this corporal punishment deal we were amused more than anything. We took the view that in Rome one does as the Romans do and if she was willing to get her bottom spanked well good luck to her. When she did, well we weren't bothered, whatever some vegetarian social worker may say, we were spanked as kids and it really didn't do us any harm. Then she got strapped for speeding.
"Well you wouldn't know about this Erin but that fast road through the woods at home saw four teenagers killed last week. Late at night, driving too fast, lost control and hit a tree. We thought we'd rather Erin had a terribly sore bottom than be in a mortuary somewhere. But now this - a strapping for a bit of hanky-panky by the lake. Come on Pastor Jones, get into the real world here. Have you any idea what teenagers everywhere in the western world get up to? Erin and her boy were just experimenting. What the heck do you expect? They are both eighteen and technically adults and they were not breaking any law and your precious pledge has been kept. To our amazement Erin is still a virgin. That is stunning really given what some much younger girls get up to.
"So now I forbid this strapping. I simply will not stand for it, and if you insist I would rather get Erin on the next available flight home and I will do it."
Everyone began speaking at once. At first it was all quite restrained and mild but quickly voices became louder and it was clear that tempers were becoming frayed around the edges. Erin tried several times to say something but none of the 'adults' were listening to each other never mind her so she stepped into the middle and in a clear, loud voice stopped them all.
"That is quite enough of this unseemly noise."
Then she nearly dissolved into giggles for she had used the exact words and tone of the headmistress of her girls' school. The next line went, 'You are all young ladies, not football hooligans,' but she didn't feel that was appropriate here. Anyway it worked and a dead silence followed.
"Dad and mum, thank you so much for your love and support however misplaced it is. You are not whisking me off to Manchester Airport like some sort of white knight. Nobody is doing anything to me against my will I promise. Dad and all of you, it isn't relevant what millions of teenagers are doing elsewhere. This is here in this house, in this church and this community..."
"Amen!" It was the voice of Pastor Jones who went red and stopped dead when Erin's cold gaze caught him.
"Vows were mad
e freely and vows broken, vows I made and I broke. It isn't only about how far I went it is about how far I wanted to go. Not only that, it is what it all led to - lies, deception, rudeness to my uncle and aunt, bunking off college, speeding, neglecting my studies and failing my exam. I've never failed anything before and it shames me to think of it. So Pastor Jones was right, my conscience would tell me and this meeting has made it clear to me so thank you all. Now I am ready for my punishment..."
Everyone began speaking but Erin held up her hand and they silenced. "By the vows I made and by my own conscience I deserve the strap. Uncle Jack I know you hate doing this sort of thing but it falls to you but we are not doing it in here, we'll go to my bedroom. No auntie and no mum I do not want you in there with me. Uncle Jack is in no danger from me and I am in no danger from him, we trust each other. And Pastor Jones if my uncle tells me to stand in the corner I will obey him but it is not for you or Mrs Jones to come and look. I'll go and get the strap now."
Jack looked helplessly at the others and then turned and followed Erin out. He was in time to see her retrieve the strap from the cupboard in the hall, and they walked into the bedroom together.
"Uncle one of my friends says if she is going to get the strap she will have to lay face down on the bed to get it. Is that OK if we do that?"
"Erin are you sure? This isn't like the speeding. It's not straightforward. I'll be honest I don't like what you did at the lake - some more of the Good Lord teaching me how hard it is to have a daughter but..." He ended helplessly unsure where he was going with it.
"I broke the vows I made if not literally then not kept for the right reasons. I behaved badly. I deserve this. I see it now. It's got to be done uncle."
