Meryn was livid, not least because Natasha seemed particularly pleased that Jeremy had ended up with more that Scott. Well, that wasn't going to matter, she thought, as any whacks Jeremy might receive from her were going to be the merest of taps.
"And I think that since this is the first time for you two, Meri, I should show you the way." Natasha continued. "On Jeremy."
"Oh no, Natasha." She responded hotly. "That's not right. I can't let you do that."
Natasha laughed. "Meri, Meri. As I said before. I know you too well. You're too good hearted. And this is too important. Penance must be administered correctly for it to be effective. If, after watching me with Jeremy, you still find yourself too kind with Scott, well I can deal with that later. But you have to learn the right way for this to be done."
Meryn fully intended to put her foot down this time, and she looked down at Jeremy to reassure him. But as she did, he silently mouthed the words "House rules" to her, and this brought her up short. Was she going to allow herself to be trapped by her own proclaimed conditions? Even worse, did Jeremy want her to be? She stared intently at him, but he just looked straight ahead. Finally she sat back, defeated, and mumbled okay.
Responding to a finger snap, Scott scurried into the den, and returned with what looked like a miniature vaulting horse. It came to groin high, and had two handles in the front. Scott had Jeremy take off his briefs, and then positioned him bent over the horse, his hands gripping the handles in front. His highest body part now was his invitingly exposed rump, which was facing the chair where Meryn slumped.
Natasha stepped forward with the paddle, and began issuing instructions. "I'm now going to administer your just Penance Jeremy. You are to count aloud each stroke followed by a thank you to me. The handles in front are for your convenience. Do not even think to try to cover your ass with your hands. Any such attempt will add ten more whacks for the first offence, and twenty five for any following. When I have completed your Penance, you will climb off the horse, kiss my feet and thank me again for providing your correction. You then will crawl over to your owner and humbly beg her for her forgiveness for your sins."
With that she delivered his first whack, sounding a loud crack that made Meryn jump. "One. Thank you Miss Natasha." Another. "Two. Thank you Miss Natasha." And another. "Three. Thank you Miss Natasha". She struck random spots on both cheeks, sometimes hitting the same spot twice in a row, but making sure that no spot was missed. She also varied the rhythm, at times stringing four or five smacks in rapid succession, and other times pausing thirty seconds or more, so Jeremy could never be sure when the next blow was coming. By ten whacks his entire behind was a bright red, by twenty it looked like it was on fire, and his voice began to be strained. By twenty five his voice began to crack. By thirty his count was punctuated by quiet sobs.
Meryn sat with her jaw clenched as tightly as her fists. She was unable to look away. She was numb with frustration, anger, and another, deeper emotion she couldn't identify. Why was he allowing this to happen? She knew it wasn't a game to him, and he obviously was in real pain. Why didn't he put a stop to it? Why didn't she?
The last five whacks were delivered in a slow, excruciating manner. Each produced an anguished grunt before the sobbing count and thank you. After the last stroke Jeremy peeled himself off the horse, briefly kissed Natasha's feet, and in a barely audible voice thanked her one last time. He then crawled on all fours to a rigid Meryn, bent his head down to the floor, and began passionately kissing her feet, while in a tearful voice begged for her forgiveness. As if paralyzed, Meryn let this continue for about thirty seconds before she whispered. "Enough Jeremy." To her horror, when Jeremy knelt up, he had a raging erection.
"Meri, it's time for Scott's Penance. Please."
Meryn looked up and saw Scott already bent over the horse. She had initially planned to refuse to administer it, but her anger was now such that she stood up and took the offered paddle from Natasha. There was no way she would allow Scott to suffer less than Jeremy.
She stepped forward and delivered the first blow, a resounding smack that was no less hard than any Natasha had dealt. She delivered two more equally hard, paused, seemed satisfied with her effort, and then, unlike Natasha, proceeded with a steady rhythm, alternating cheeks, and didn't pause again until she reached twenty. Scott's butt was now beet red, but she was bothered that there was no change in his voice. She gave him two rapid, harder strokes, but his count remained firm, and his thank you vibrant. She looked closer, and was startled to see that he was erect. The bastard was enjoying this, she fumed. She had to do something about that. Enraged, she swung harder, this time producing a satisfying yelp, which was repeated with her next stroke as well. She then proceeded with four more in rapid succession, each one harder that the last, each producing a progressively more strangled cry before a now hoarsely muttered count. She looked again and was very pleased to see that his erection was now gone. She struck two even more vicious blows, which were both greeted with an agonized wail, before a whimpered count. Not enough, she thought, and swung twice more as hard as she could. The first produced an actual scream and no following count. The second landed with a sickening thud and no verbal response, but his right hand flew off the handle and arced back to protect his behind. Catching himself, he slowly let it fall to his side, where it hung limply. Was Natasha going to give him another ten for that indiscretion, Meryn wondered. No matter, she thought when none was forthcoming. She would make sure these final two were ones he would never forget.
As she stepped forward, gathering her strength for this final onslaught, she felt Natasha's hand grip her wrist. "Give me the paddle Meri." She said quietly. "Let me give him the last two... Please." Meryn turned sharply toward Natasha, and was about to snarl a no, but Natasha repeated. "Please." Meryn looked at Scott, and saw his whole body was shaking, and she noticed that her own breathing was ragged. She took a deep breath, nodded slowly, and handed the paddle to Natasha, who took it, stepped over to Scott, and delivered two light taps. She murmured to him, and he struggled off the horse, hobbled on his knees to the still standing Meryn, kissed her feet, and sobbing, muttered something incoherent, then he turned toward Natasha, and collapsed onto his belly, his chest heaving, his face resting on her feet, with his arms wrapped around them.
"Well Meri, you certainly took me by surprise tonight. I never thought you would take to this quite as enthusiastically as you did." Natasha looked down at Scott, snapped her fingers, and he painfully pulled himself up to his knees and elbows. "You have to realize though" she continued, "that there is a very fine line between punishment and injury, and you almost crossed it tonight. I hope it's something you learned." She paused. "For Jeremy's sake."
Meryn, her face a mask, stared back at her. "I need to go home now Natasha." was all she could say.
"I think that would be best." Natasha replied.
Without another word Meryn walked toward the front door, with Jeremy, still naked, hurrying after. Without waiting for him to dress, she walked out. Less than a minute later, a hastily dressed Jeremy followed.
Part Seventeen: Penance
Meryn was already seated in the passenger seat of the car when Jeremy arrived to get into the driver's side. There was no acknowledgment as she stared ahead in silence. Driving home, Jeremy had to shift his position frequently to try to ease his discomfort. He would be feeling like this for several days he realized, but he knew it was going to be far worse for Scott. He had been very glad when Miss Natasha had stopped Miss Meryn at the end. He had already started to rise to do so himself, which would have broken all the rules. But he would have done it, and not just for Scott's sake.
He had never imagined Miss Meryn like he had seen her tonight, and he still found it hard to believe. She certainly seemed to have been entranced with producing such pain, and he tried to understand what that would mean. He wasn't a masochist, and never desired pain, and he doubted he could take anything like tonight again from any one else. But he knew in his heart that he could never leave Miss Meryn of his own volition. If she wanted, if she needed this from him, he sadly concluded that he would accept it from her, willingly. He knew he would always give her anything she wished from him, to be allowed to remain with her.
When he parked the car in front of the apartment, Meryn got out without waiting for him to come around to open her door. Without her key however, she was forced to wait at the front door. When he opened it, she walked in past him. After he had closed the door behind him, without turning around she simply said "Follow me" and walked briskly into her bedroom.
As he entered, she sat down on the side of her bed, looked up at him, and said "Undress." He quickly rushed to obey, stripping down to his briefs when she added "Everything". After he complied she told him to come stand before her, but face away.
She stared at his still darkly reddened behind. There were several areas that were already purpling, and would become major bruises. She briefly wondered what Scott looked like, but immediately dismissed that thought. With both hands she began to gently stroke each cheek of his buttocks. She continued this in silence for several tense minutes while Jeremy wondered anxiously what she had in store for him.
"So Jeremy, did you enjoy yourself this evening?" She asked evenly.
Or was it suppressed excitement he wondered. He thought he knew what answer she desired, and he always strove to give her what she wanted, what she needed. But he knew he could not, would not ever lie to her, no matter what the consequences. "No Miss Meryn. I didn't."
