The ridges from the cane on her bottom told her she was in for more punishment, in public too, when the final curtain fell.
The sound system was turned up as Michael Jackson belted out "Thriller" the excitement of the crowd was visible from the poor people right at the back to the Mayor and his guests at the front.
The curtains part and Petra joins the rest of the 12 troupe with the opening parade.
It all passed too quickly and the curtains fell closed for the final time.
The ringmaster stopped Petra dead in her tracks in front of the others.
"You will do your chores and be in the stable tent at 10.30."
He then spoke to everyone, "10.30 in the stable tent please all, and Petra will pay the price of her letting the whole company down last evening."
With that he walked away, Doyle, the boot boy who looked after all the performer's costumes, had himself had 20 stripes administered only three days before in the main ring.
It was the last night and it was unanimously decided that Doyle had neglected his duties to hang around the local pub in the town they were in.
The ringmaster did not stand on ceremony, Doyle bent over the ring and he was given his punishment with the whip and the others began to dismantle the big top.
He did not sleep that night at all and for the next two nights slept on his tummy.
Petra, an 18 year old European with the most incredible sense of balance was one of the stars of the show. She had long blonde hair and the body of an angel.
She was mainly a high wire specialist who could juggle and was the target of the knife thrower in the troupe.
Like all in the circus one of the criteria in being allowed to join was to accept it was an HoH regime for all men under 30 and women of any age.
During the last few years most if not all had felt either the hand, hair brush, cane or ring masters whip on their bare flesh.
He was devout and lived and breathed HoH, Head of House and was certainly the boss of all below him.
He loved the power of the respect he demanded and received, which was only surpassed by his love of spanking a girl's bare bottom, and the younger, the better.
The boys, just 3 under 30 were beaten for his enjoyment, and at least once a month, usually his whip but occasionally his cane, never spanked, he thought it too "Gay"
He made sure he had a regular supply too, the 5 girls in the troupe, all under 25, received weekly bare bottomed maintenance, regular reminders and of course a punishment when really out of control, as Petra had been the day before.
**********
He was up the night before in the early hours for a glass of water and heard a noise outside near one of the trailers. He opened the window quietly and heard Petra, it was obvious she was being fucked against the trailer side, nothing wrong with that, she was old enough, but the time was 1.15 and curfew for all was 12.00.
He slowly opened his caravan door and tried to wait till the guy finished, which was evident with the grunting, he shone his flash light and the couple were startled, he legged it and she began to pull her knickers up, "Leave them off" she knew what was coming and as he walked towards his caravan she hurriedly followed, knickers in hand.
"Close the door" he always parked his caravan on the edge of the show field next to the trailers, he always said for security but all the girls knew it was so his indulgence was satisfied and he never let their screams wake the others.
Petra looked to the floor as he pulled a dining chair into the middle of the van,
"Should I strip Sir?"
He glanced at her and nodded as he went to his cane cupboard.
That was her signal and she quickly slipped out of her skirt, wiping between her sticky legs as she did, her jumper and bra quickly followed as she hurried to a corner, hands on head nipples touching the wall.
He sat on the chair admiring her perfect form. Blonde hair to her shoulder blades, leading to a slim waist and almost unblemished bottom, almost because still just visible the cane marks from her maintenance 4 days ago, long legs with a lovely arch at the top showing her tufts of pubic hair.