Something about Mary (a workhouse scene)

Sometimes I am lucky enough that someone I’ve played with writes their own account of it for me to share here. So, one such – from Kay, describing a wonderful scene last weekend!

—

Mary was a workhouse girl. A reader. A hard worker. She’d kept her head down since her arrival, stayed out of trouble. The Governor of the workhouse hadn’t even known her name.

One of the staff members had offered to find her a job. A chance to escape the workhouse. In return for certain.. favours. Shocked and horrified (she was a good girl, after all), she’d pushed him away. Right in front of the Governor, who was showing around a party of benefactors.

The Governor had promised them that she would be severely punished.

She was called before him, genuinely terrified. Lectured about her behaviour, reminded how lucky she was to be there, and where she could be sent if she didn’t show sufficient gratitude.

She was almost crying before she was made to bend over (‘have you ever been beaten before?’ ‘.. no, sir’). Tied in position, she counted out 18 agonising strokes, and thanked him for each. Earned an extra two right at the end. Then was sent from the room in disgrace, with the words “and don’t let me see you back here again” ringing in her ears.

—

She found herself back in his office later that afternoon. This time the punishment was 12 howl-inducing strokes of the tawse on her hands.

Dispatched, for the second time, in disgrace, to bed.

But this time, followed there by the Governor. Reminded again how grateful she should be to be at the workhouse, as he used her. How, at a word from him, this could be how she earned her keep.

This time, tears, as Mary was abused. Tears as the Governor finished and left her curled up alone.

—

Then, immediately, hugs as the tears subsided, and Mary’s pain and fear slowly left me. I’ve never got so deeply into the head of a character before, never cried in character before, never after roleplay needed the hugs that always follow quite as much as that afternoon. Thanks to Abel, a wonderfully sadistic Governor and the best possible giver of hugs, for such a fabulous, connecting scene.