"I don't care. Clothes." Her face had a far away look. Dreamy almost.

Jane's and Amy's faces both fell at the words, but it looked like they were happy about even shopping for clothes. It might mean that I'd let them wear clothes eventually as well.

I took Christi's hand and led her towards the Gap. I grabbed Amy's hand as well as we pa.s.sed her. I motioned Jane to follow as well. Amy was still carrying the bondage equipment between her cuffed hands.

We entered the store, Christi ahead, the other two trailing.

I stopped them in the middle of the store, shelves of clothing surrounded us. We were in a large clearing in the middle of the store. The girls stopped on the hardwood store, shifting their weight on their bare feet. Amy and Jane idly pulling at their handcuffs.

I gently took the equipment from Amy. I rooted through it, finding some rope. The girls watched somewhat apprehensively. I grabbed a courtesy chair, climbed up on it and reached up, connecting the rope through the dropped ceiling, letting it dangle on the floor.

I turned to Christi and Jane. "Kneel."

They both sank to their bare knees. Fright beginning to enter back into their eyes. Amy definitely looked frightened. Being the last one standing.

I reached forward and grasped the short chain between her wrists. She gasped as I wrapped the rope from the ceiling around the links. I slowly tightened the rope until she was standing with her arms extending above her head, pulling her bare b.r.e.a.s.t.s into a delightful position. Her eyes frightened. I tied off the rope leaving her standing in the middle of the floor.

She swallowed, accepting her bondage. One word escaped her lips.

"Why?"

"Amy. I have to punish you."

"Oh G.o.d. Why? What did I do?"

"You know what you did."

"I don't. I swear it."

"Really?"

"Really."

"I guess it will be hard to learn your lesson, then."

"Please. If you'll just tell me what I've done. I'll behave. I swear it. You don't have to punish me. You don't have to hit me. Please. I'll learn. I swear I will." Fright was settling into her eyes. Knowing what her punishment was likely to be. Pain. Probably in the upper chest area. She'd been punished before and wasn't anxious to repeat the experience.

"What do you think you are about to be punished for? Legs apart."

She looked confused at the rapid orders and question. She didn't quite know what to do first. Spread herself or answer the question.

She inched her bare feet apart as she answered me.

"This. This slave really doesn't know what she did to deserve punishment." Tears were beginning to well in her eyes. She honestly didn't know. Had no idea why she was about to be hurt. Trying to appease me with her slave talk.

Finally she was standing with her bare feet spread about twice shoulder width apart. Trembling at her exposure. Not really understanding what had happened. One second she was shopping happily for jewelry. The next she was bound. Vulnerable. Trying to figure out what she did wrong. Waiting for her punishment.

"Further."

She took a deep breath and inched her feet apart again. Taking some of her weight onto her cuffed wrists. She grasped at the rope holding her arms to the ceiling. Her heels rose off the floor as her legs spread further apart. Her stance looked uncomfortable. She stood in the awkward position and looked at me with her teary blue eyes.

"Please," she begged.

"Now. Any guesses what you did to deserve this?"

"Please. Master. I don't know. Your slave begs for your forgiveness."

"Shall I just begin then?"

Jane spoke up. "Amy, honey? He's done this to me before. You have to figure out why you are being punished, or you will be punished until you do."

I looked at Jane, and she immediately dropped her eyes. Frightened of punishment herself.

"Please. I really don't know," Amy spoke softly.

"How about if I tell you that the punishment is appropriate?"

She looked around wildly. Not understanding.

I rummaged through the pack and pulled out the small whip that Jane had been forced to use on Nicole's bared b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Nasty little thing with six tails on it. I was sure that it hurt a lot more than it looked like it would. I had already decided to hold back. Not lay into her enough to damage her skin. Just scare her. It would hurt, really hurt, but I wouldn't cause her skin to break, as this thing was capable of doing. She'd hurt like h.e.l.l for the time being, but it should fade reasonably quickly afterward.

"Now. Unless you really want punishment, you'll keep that position no matter what happens. At least drop back into it if you can't hold it when you get hit."

"Please. You don't have to hurt me. I'll do whatever it is you want. I'll learn. I swear it. I don't even know what I did."

Jane hissed from behind me. "Guess, Amy. Just keep guessing until you get it. Please. I can't watch this."

I raised the whip and casually flicked the tails across her straining b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Amy screamed.

"Ahhhhhhh. Oh G.o.d. Please no. Not my t.i.ts. Anything but that. Oh G.o.d."

"Do you know why you are being punished?"

"No more. Please."

"Amy. You get one guess per strike. If you get it wrong you get another one. Harder than the last. If you don't answer. I hit you anyway. If you don't get it fast enough. I move to whipping your p.u.s.s.y. Now?"

"Oh G.o.d. Please. I don't know."

I raised it. Brought the instrument of pain down again against her bare b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Somehow she managed to stay on her toes. Pulling desperately against the ropes holding her helpless. Screaming.

"Oh G.o.d. Please. Have mercy. My t.i.ts. My nipples. Oh G.o.d that hurts. Please no more. Argh. s.h.i.t. No. Noooooooo. b.a.s.t.a.r.d. f.u.c.k. Please. Don't hit me anymore. Christ. Please. I'll guess. Please. I'll do whatever you want. You don't know how much this f.u.c.kING hurts. Please."

I waited for her to catch her breath. Sobbing. Her bare b.r.e.a.s.t.s red. Twelve small red marks crisscrossing her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Kissing her nipples.

"I disobeyed," she gasped out. "I spoke to them when I wasn't supposed to. But you gagged me for that. Please. I don't deserve to be whipped as well. Please. You gagged me."

"Amy, honey. You did disobey. You spoke when you weren't supposed to. And I did punish you with the gag. I'm not sure that was enough. But that isn't what this is about."

I brought the whip down on her b.r.e.a.s.t.s again. This time she couldn't hold her position. Screaming she rose up on her feet. Bringing her legs together in agony and kicking her small bare feet. Crying uncontrollably.

"Please. Oh G.o.d. Not again. My t.i.ts are on fire. That thing. HURTS. f.u.c.k. Please no more. I'm sorry. Whatever I did. I'm so f.u.c.king sorry. Please. Please. No more. I've learned."

I spoke quietly. "Learned what?"

"Oh G.o.d. I don't know. I just don't want to be hit again. Please. No more."

"Learned what?"

"Please. Just tell me. I'll apologize for it. I'll scream it out for you. I'M SORRY. I swear to you. Whatever it is. I'm sorry."

"You b.r.e.a.s.t.s look like they are sore."

"What the h.e.l.l do you think, you f.u.c.king b.a.s.t.a.r.d. They're in agony. I don't even know what I did to deserve this. Please."

"Spread."

She closed her eyes and inched her legs apart again. Exposing herself. Until her heels were back off the floor.

"Any other guesses?"

"Oh G.o.d. I'm begging you to just tell me. I swear to you I don't know."

"Guess."

"Oh s.h.i.t. I picked out jewelry you don't like. I'll take it off. Just let me down and I'll give it to you. I will."

"I love the jewelry you picked out. You look very pretty in it. At the moment I want you to wear it."

"Oh G.o.d. Please stop whipping me. I'll do anything you want. I'll let you rape me. I'll crawl for you. I'll dance naked for you. Anything."

The dancing actually sounded interesting. I filed it away in the back of my mind with the marching idea.

"I just want you to guess why you are being whipped. I want to make sure that you understand why you are being punished."

"Oh G.o.d. Just tell me. I don't know."

"Your b.r.e.a.s.t.s look sore."

"They are. Please stop hitting them." Her breathing was ragged. Her reddened b.r.e.a.s.t.s rising and falling invitingly. Nipples erect.

"I'm going to switch now. I'm going to start hitting you between your legs. I want you to resume the position if you break it afterwards. This is far more appropriate anyway. Hitting you between the legs."

"Please no. I'll ... Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh. Argh. Aiiiieeeee. Jesus f.u.c.king Christ. Please. No more. That. You can't imagine that pain. Please. You can't hit me there. You can't hit a girl there. Oh my G.o.d. It hurts. It hurts so f.u.c.king much. Please. Owwwwwwwwwww."

I waited for her to recover. I saw in satisfaction a number of red welts forming between her legs as she spread herself back out. The insides of her thighs. Her lips. Even up through her spa.r.s.e pubic hair. She had managed to remember to spread herself again. She was hanging limply by her captured wrists. Her toes hardly supporting any weight. Sobbing uncontrollably.

Finally she raised her head. Sick. "Please. No more. You can't imagine how much that hurts. I can't take much more. I'll pa.s.s out. Please. I'll do whatever you want. Just no more. My p.u.s.s.y. Please let me down."

All she wanted to do was curl up in a ball. Jamming her hands between her thighs. Ease the burning welts. Ease her pain. Her b.r.e.a.s.t.s forgotten.

"Amy?"

She looked up dully. Hardly even able to see through her tears.

"You can get yourself down. Do you have any idea what you did? Why you are being punished?"

"Oh G.o.d. Please. I didn't know you knew. I didn't mean to. I know I wasn't allowed without permission. Oh G.o.d. Please. I don't deserve this. I. I was just h.o.r.n.y. If I'd known this was coming I would never have m.a.s.t.u.r.b.a.t.ed this morning. Please. I didn't think you'd mind. I couldn't help it."

My eyebrows raised. I actually didn't have any idea that she had pleasured herself.

"Amy? You aren't going to like this. But I didn't know. But because you were honest here, I won't increase your punishment for that. I wouldn't punish you like this for masturbating without permission. You'd be punished, but not like this."

"Oh G.o.d. Not another one. Please. I can't take it. Please let me down. I'll crawl on my hands and knees forever for you. You can whip my t.i.ts again. As much as you like. I'll suck you. I'll make love to every woman in the mall. I don't care. Please don't hit me there again. Noooooooooo. Ohhh. Ahhhhh. Argh. Aiiieieieieeiieei. Please. Jesus. Please. Jesus. My p.u.s.s.y. My f.u.c.king c.u.n.t. Oh G.o.d. I'm not going to make it. Oh G.o.d. I'll do anything. I'll f.u.c.k. I'll crawl. I'll f.u.c.king die for you. I'll let you kill me. Just no more. It hurts. It f.u.c.king hurts so f.u.c.king much."

She had pressed her thighs together. Hard. Trying to ease the pain. Dancing on her toes. Pulling at her wrists. Twisting in pain. Wanting desperately to protect her most sensitive areas. Crying. Having trouble breathing.

I let her rest for a few minutes, letting the pain fade until she could talk again coherently.

"Oh G.o.d. Please. No more. This. This slave hurts. She'll do anything. Just, please. Let this stupid c.u.n.t know what she did wrong. She's so sorry. You have no idea how sorry she is."

I walked up to her and stroked her hair. Wiped her tears from her eyes.

"Amy. First of all, I know you are in pain and not thinking straight. But you aren't a stupid c.u.n.t. Alright? Refer to yourself as a slave." Her calling herself a c.u.n.t kind of grated on my senses for some reason. I kind of liked when they referred to themselves in the third person, but that word just didn't seem right. I have no idea why. It shouldn't have bothered me. Maybe flashbacks to Mayer whom she had never met. I didn't mind her using the word *c.u.n.t', especially when she was in pain, just not to refer to her person. "Secondly, you have to figure it out on your own. Or you won't learn."

"Of course, I'll learn. Believe me. I'll f.u.c.king learn. You have no idea how much that f.u.c.king hurts. I'd do anything to avoid it."

"Then you have to figure this out."

"Let me rest. Please."

"Alright. Three minutes. Spread."

She gritted her teeth and inched her feet apart again. Wincing at the pain in her crotch. Still crying. Trying to gather her strength. Knowing she was going to get hit again, and she had to just stand there and take it.

I walked over to Jane and Christi. Both a little pale. Jane spoke.

"Oh my G.o.d. I couldn't even take that. You aren't even hitting her hard, are you?"

I shook my head. "Just a few taps. But it doesn't take much with this thing."

"What the h.e.l.l did she do?"

"You'll find out. She knows. She just doesn't want to tell me. She doesn't know that I know."

"She told you about the masturbation."

"Lesser of two evils. And she knows it. She'll tell me now. She's out of options."