A different route

“Bedtime, young lady,” read the email. “You are to set your alarm twenty minutes earlier than usual in the morning. I will be messaging you with instructions before you wake…”

—

Unaccustomedly early, the alarm buzzes. She’s woken from deep sleep. She reaches out for her phone. Curiosity. Fear?

“You will be taking a different route to work this morning. You are to be ready to leave the house in twenty minutes’ time. Get up, get washed and get dressed. I shall send you another note before you leave.”

—

Sitting on her bed. Toying with her phone. Looking at the screen, repeatedly. Waiting. Anticipating. Dreading… for she knew how his mind worked.

Fingers clumsily opening the message, as it appears.

“Do not take your usual bus: take one down the road in my direction. Get off next to the Post Office and walk the rest of the way to my house. I will be watching from the window, and will let you in…”

—

Let her in, and grab her hair and drag her along the corridor.

Let her in, and thrust her into the bedroom.

Let her in, and pull her hands behind her back, clasping them tight in the cuffs.

Let her in, and push her over the bed, lifting her skirt. Pulling down her knickers: not all the way. Just far enough.

“Your correspondence with me at this time yesterday contained a note of insolence, young lady. Today, I will ensure you will be more appropriately behaved. Six strokes of the tawse should suffice.”

Administered hard, in immediate succession. No pause between between the blows; no time to count. No time, even, to thank him for the strokes before he had pulled her to the ground, to her knees before him, and taken her mouth roughly. Briefly. Before lifting her back up; bending her over the bed once more. Taking her. Brutally. Quickly.

Unbuckling the handcuffs. “Stand up and adjust your clothing.”

She looked at him, pleading for a kind word. He glanced at his watch. “Five minutes, eight seconds. Leaving you still enough time to get to work.” Taking her by the hair once more. Leading her to the door. Opening it…

… and then closing it again, and pulling her into his arms. “… with at least five more minutes spare for a hug before you have to head to the tube.”