Four-by-fear

A large hall: oak beams, rafters. To the side, four girls. Naked. Tied from the rafters with thick rope, their wrists tightly bound, stretched high above their heads.

A gentleman would walk over and untie one of their number. He’d lead her across the room to his colleagues, and her punishment would begin – in plain view for the other girls. When they’d finished with her, she’d be led back, re-tied. The next girl would be selected.

Only, they wouldn’t work in a strict rota. No girl would know when it would be her time to be chosen – she might wait out for three turns, or she might watch just one of her friends being beaten before she was led forward again. No girl would know what would befall her when she was selected – they’d all be caned, be whipped across the back, be tied to the table to have the fronts of their thighs striped, be strapped to the punishment horse to be birched. But not necessarily in the same order.

When each of them had been subjected to each ordeal, their eyes would be covered, blindfolded so that they were quite unable to see. And the screams of the first of their number from whatever was being done to her across the room would fill the others with dread, before she was brought back, sobbing, and tied amongst them whilst they paused and decided who to take next.

—

I think my imagination’s getting darker, you know. I think it’s a rather good thing: I hope the trend continues during the year  ahead!