The Cracker County Express pulled out of Gomorrah Heights station on time on a sunny, springtime Friday at 7:45 in the morning, starting its trip downtown. In fifty-five minutes, and after just four station stops, it would arrive at its destination, but unlike the other commuter trains, the ridership was sparse. Most downtown workers started their jobs by 8 AM, so this train was ridden mostly by the upper-level managers and professionals who were able to start their day fashionably later. However, also on this train, sitting at the end of the farthest car, trying to be a inconspicuous as possible, was Patty Van Dyke's close, personal friend, Chloe Lashova.
Chloe had a job with a most attractive schedule--she only worked once a month--but unlike the suited professionals on this train, Chloe's job put her on the other end of the employee hierarchy. While the others would be directing, managing, or creating during their workday, Chloe was going to be whipped. Literally, as in, tied up, stripped, and whipped. Officially, she held the position of product inspector at Cracker County Leather Goods, Inc. in the domestic discipline product division, but rather than inspecting the finished products with her eyes or hands or some piece of equipment, Chloe inspected these finished leather goods--whips--by having them applied--full force--to her bottom. As the train rolled towards its inevitable destination, and while Chloe again faced the conundrum of wondering if she wanted the train to go slow, delaying her dreaded appointment, or fast, and getting it over with sooner, she stared out the window and thought about how it all led to this.
+
Like most girls graduating from high school in Cracker County, Chloe's prospects were limited. Professional opportunities are rare, and higher education is only available to the connected, leaving only marriage, but Chloe had shown no interest in the opposite sex and the feeling was mutual. So, like many young women, she attended the Cracker County Women's Academy, which is a two-year, post-secondary school that concentrates on teaching practical subjects, but which generally leads to the more menial of jobs.
Nonetheless, Chloe was a bright student with a head for numbers and organization. She had the aptitude that could lead her to manage a business office, and she strove hard to take the classes and acquire the certificates that could gain an entry in the business field upon her graduation from the academy. However, due to her suspicious sexual orientation, she was considered "at-risk", and, as such, during her time at the academy she was placed in the Social Modification Program. The program's stated purpose was to adjust the "at-risk" women to be able to adhere to the stringent moral codes of Cracker County, but, in reality, it was known as the "Discipline Program" because it's main learning technique was to subject those in the program to regular doses of corporal punishment.
The board of the academy reasoned that these "at-risk" women would never really change, and that since they would suffer the painful public punishment that violation of the moral codes entailed, they needed to learn how to take their punishment in as graceful and dignified a manner as possible. "Pride Before the Whip" was one of the mottos that was indoctrinated into them. However, that was a motto to be relied on after graduation, because the whip is an instrument that implies a certain maturity and standing on the subject. For the students in the Discipline Program, the cane was their instrument. It was considered more appropriate for subjects who, though legally adult, were still considered morally juvenile. It was with the cane that the students were trained, and with which they came to learn the motto "Maintain Position".
Hence, the centerpiece of the program's curriculum was the bimonthly caning of each of the women. The students schedules were staggered so that there was at least one caning per day, with each girl performing in front of the class. The performance involved twenty-five strokes on the bared bottom, meted out by one of the all-female members of the program's faculty, and it was here that "Maintain Position" came to life. The position to be maintained was a ninety-degree bend at the waist with legs straight and feet together, back flat, and palms placed flat on an adjustable stool placed in front of the girl. The palms were not to move from the stool during the caning, but the rest of the body was allowed to react to the stroke. However, the girl was required to resume the position after a three-count determined by the instructor. The three-count was roughly three seconds, but the true duration was at the discretion of the instructor. The girl was not required to be silent, but she could make no protests, and while crying out was allowed, the instructor would judge if it was too loud.
If the student failed to maintain position or if she violated any of the behavior rules, then she would face another twenty-five strokes. If she further failed that, then a more humiliating performance would ensue. The girl would be bent over a leather horse, bound in place so that she could not move from her position, and then gagged. She would then receive another twenty-five strokes, completing a very painful and humiliating display in front of her peers. For Chloe, however, this was not part of her experience in the program because, along with her intellectual abilities, she also possessed physical abilities that allowed her to absorb this type of punishment.
Chloe never had to take a second set of strokes in her two years in the program, and while she did weep and her little voice was not silent during her performances, she was as reserved and dignified as anyone could be under such pressure. As she matriculated through the program, she gained more and more respect from both her fellow students and her instructors. While they were tempted to put Chloe to the test by intensifying their strokes, they discovered that Chloe not only had great pride in maintaining her position, but also, Chloe was determined to take as few strokes as she possibly could. So, when graduation finally came, Chloe had taken the minimum in her twelve performances--300 strokes--but, beyond marking her as a well-disciplined girl, this was the most prominent entry in her permanent record from the academy. For anyone checking her records, this would be the first thing they noticed.
+
The train slowed as it pulled into the first station, and as it did Chloe snapped out of her daydream and began to quickly adjust her wardrobe. The outfit Chloe wore was certainly not one of her choosing. Rather, since a sense of realism was preferred for a whip inspection, Chloe was delivered an outfit earlier in the week to wear, and it was one that, while it was not in violation of the strict dress codes of our county (violation of which would usually result in a whipping), it very closely skirted the rules. It started innocently enough with a black skirt and a white blouse, but the hemline of the skirt was just past the code limit, and the blouse, while long-sleeved and high-collared, was sheer enough to reveal what lurked beneath. All things being equal, Chloe, who was just barely five feet tall, would easily escape notice if that was her choice, but one of the other things to develop along with her discipline at the academy was her bosom. Chloe's bustline measurement was now nearly equal to her height, and her two enormous twins made her stand out in any crowd, so her only hope in trying to escape notice on this train ride was if the train remained sparsely ridden.
The doors opened after the train stopped at the platform, and Chloe pulled on the hem of her dress as she bowed down below the headrests of the seats. Beyond the short skirt and sheer blouse, Chloe's discomfort was multiplied by the dead-red lingerie that was chosen for her. While it clearly let anyone know that she had not gone braless, that, and her red stockings and red, sky-high heeled pumps, attracted even more unwanted attention like a beacon. Further, she carried her personal items in small handbag made of bright red colored patent leather. Fortunately, only a couple of people got on her car and they sat on the other end. Chloe relaxed, and as the train started again, so did her dreamy reminiscing.
+
Upon graduation from the academy, Chloe was at last free from the Discipline Program and its cane, and she set out into the county. The graduates of the academy are given a small stipend for six months and are allowed to live in a hostel until they find employment. However, as diligent and well-prepared for the business world as Chloe was, most post-academy opportunities are service oriented positions that she was just not suited for. Still, she hit the pavement and applied anywhere that there was a hint of office work. All she needed was a chance, even in the lowest position, and she was sure she could show her worth. However, nothing materialized, and Chloe's usually buoyant morale began to sink.
Her luck changed on a sunny Wednesday when she went to the county library, a small old building that was next to the Cracker County Institute of Agriculture and Technology, to check on some resources there. She entered the lobby, and when she went to inquire as to where she could find the periodicals, she heard a sweet and familiar voice.
"Chloe Lashova! It's so good to see you! What brings you here?"
The voice was Patty Van Dyke's, and Chloe's heart skipped a beat in its surprise and excitement. Patty had been a year ahead of Chloe both in school and at the academy, and while they were not close friends, both were familiar with each other, Chloe being quite in awe of Patty. Socially, Patty was known as the failure of the Van Dyke family because her focus was on books and literature rather than all the suitors that her blonde hair, blue eyes, and substantial chest attracted. Her family had abandoned her to the academy, and like Chloe, she served her time in the Discipline Program, and served it perfectly. Similarly, she had gained the respect of her instructors, but with one of them, it had gone too far.
Lesbianism is illegal in Cracker County, but the crime is described euphemistically, such as "immoral co-habitation" or "excessive same-gender affection". Patty and her former instructor, Fiona, were caught in such a relationship shortly after Patty's graduation. The penalty is, of course, death, but alternatives are offered to the offenders. Fiona, being the majority partner, was offered something so horrible that death was preferable. Patty was offered a parole which involved corporal punishment much like she was used to, and even though it would be applied publicly, and with the whip rather than the cane, Patty did accept it
Chloe remembered execution day, since everyone in her class attended. Patty was suspended from her wrists and whipped by one of the Matrons of the Whip, Helga von Leonhausen, then, she and all the attendees watched as Fiona was executed. Cruel and unusual is the theme in Cracker County, and a large circular saw rose from between Fiona's legs and sawed into her until she expired. Chloe, whose feelings were strong for her same gender, was struck cold, but she could also admire the bravery of Patty Van Dyke, and how she endured the whole painful and horrifying scene. And, until entering the library on this Wednesday, that was the last time she'd see her.
"I..I'm looking for a job, and I thought I could get some help here. How are you, Patty?" Chloe could not believe how brightened her day was, and the two young women chatted a bit. Patty took Chloe to a table and arranged some employment guides and periodicals for her and Chloe set out to organize this new information. Patty would check in on Chloe occasionally, bringing her tea and giving her reassuring words and touches--touches that Chloe responded warmly to. Chloe worked methodically and organized a new plan of attack for her employment quest, and by late afternoon she was ready for the next day of job seeking, but she was also ready to call it a day. As she started packing her things, Patty stopped by.
"So, Chloe, back to the hostel for the evening?"
"Yes, but I'm ready for tomorrow...thank you so much for all your help today!"
"Um...Chloe, you're welcome, but...well, it's like this, I have a big, four bedroom house in the neighborhood on the other side of the Institute, and it's just me living there...I got a great deal on the rent. I've got plenty of room and it's much more pleasant than the hostel. Why don't you stay with me until you get settled?" Patty placed her hand softly on Chloe's and looked deeply into eyes, "I could really use the company, too."
This was almost better that getting a job, Chloe thought as she watched Patty's stately chest rise and fall with her soft breathing. Chloe's similarly massive formation was a-tingling with delight with the possibility of becoming closer to the desirable librarian. "If you'd like some time to think about it..." Patty started to say after a pause.
"Oh, Patty, yes, I'd love to!" Chloe blurted when she finally got her mind off Patty's chest. "I can check out of the hostel tomorrow if things work out--I'd really like to get a good night's sleep tonight for tomorrow, and in the hostel, well...uh, um, that's hard to do, you know?" Patty smiled at Chloe's awkward enthusiasm for her offer, "Well, I'm off in twenty minutes, so I'll be by then and we can walk home. It will only take a couple of minutes. I'm so glad you accepted, Chloe. There's so much to talk about...but I won't keep you up too late!" Patty winked at Chloe with that last statement.
At last, the two took leave of the library, and started on the short walk across the institute campus to the adjacent neighborhood where Patty lived. It wasn't long before Patty took Chloe's hand, squeezed it, and whispered softly, "I've thought a lot about you since the academy. I always wished we could have interacted more there, but I hope that now we can catch up on things...still, I won't keep you up too late tonight." Walking hand in hand with Patty Van Dyke made Chloe feel like she was walking on air, and even though Patty broke her promise not to keep Chloe up too late that night, she never spent a night anywhere else after that.
+
Chloe hardly noticed the stopping for stations in her dreamy state, so she was quite startled when an older couple sat down across from her after getting on at the last station before downtown. "Good morning!" Chloe cheerfully greeted them in her most welcoming voice, but it was to no avail. The woman simply gave Chloe a glare and turned her face towards the window. The man leered at Chloe's chest, and while she tried to keep her breathing as shallow as possible, nothing would keep her prodigious twins from being noticed. Chloe fidgeted with her clothes, trying almost to will minimal material into maximum coverage.
"Conductor!" the woman barked as he walked by on his rounds. "Would you please do something about this indecently dressed harlot?" she demanded, pointing an accusing finger at Chloe. She was mortified, because while the plan was for her outfit to just meet code, there was always a chance a detail had been missed, and getting inspected was quite a risk. If she failed, she would get a whipping, but one that she would not be paid for. Also, she would have to miss work and either forfeit a month's pay, or take a second monthly whipping. Much was riding on how Chloe's outfit measured up.
"Alright, miss, stand up and let's have a look at you", the conductor ordered. With one hand still pulling down her hem and the other on her seat's hand rest, Chloe attempted to comply, but raising her top-heavy figure in such high heels while on a moving train was quite a task. "I can clearly see that you're wearing a bra, but let's hike that skirt, girl, and make sure the rest of your undergarments are in place." Chloe noticed that the car had filled more than halfway while she was daydreaming, and the conductor's booming voice got everyone's attention, so all eyes were on Chloe as she raised her skirt to reveal her shocking red panties. By now, Chloe's face was as red as her undergarments, and she lowered her skirt as instructed while the conductor pulled out his measuring tape. Hem to knee, waist to floor, waist to hem, the conductor measured the lengths then calculated the ratios.
"Ma'am," the conductor said to the woman across from Chloe, "indecent she may be, but the little tramp's outfit is within code, so she can continue on." He turned to Chloe, "Next time, miss, I suggest much more conservatism in your dress--the next conductor you meet may not be as fair as me." With that, he continued on his rounds, and the woman across from Chloe rose in a huff. "Come now, Ed, let's get away from this trollop!" The couple rose and left for another seat, but not before Ed cast another leering glance at Chloe. Chloe slumped back into her seat, and wondering how the day could possibly get worse, she turned to gaze out the window and continued with her daydreaming.
+
"Do you really think you should accept this?" Patty asked Chloe after reading the contract. Chloe, distracted somewhat by her attempts to find a tolerable position on her recently well-whipped-and-welted bottom on her chair, nodded weakly. "Patty, it's the only work I've found. My stipend runs out soon, and I can't live on your charity forever. I have to provide for our relationship, too. Plus, it's only one day a month--it gives me plenty of time to look for something different."
Earlier that day, Chloe had gone to an interview for an inspector position at Cracker County Leather Goods, Inc. "Inspector", she thought, may be just an entry-level position and it could lead to something more suited to her abilities. Also, it was the first positive response she'd gotten to any of her applications, and by now she was willing to accept just about anything. She had taken the train downtown in her conservative business attire, reached the business office promptly on time for her interview, and was greeted by the office manager, a woman, and that gave her some hope for a future. However, the job she described dashed those hopes quickly. "When we saw your record at the academy, we knew that you were the most promising of applicants for this position." A positive statement if there ever was one, but unfortunately for Chloe, it was her record in the Discipline Program to which she referred. On the positive side, the position had a once-a-month schedule, the pay was quite generous--nearly a full-time wage--and clothing was provided. However, the rest of it was all downside.
The company produces five grades of whips: light, medium-light, medium, medium-heavy, and heavy. Chloe would be inspecting the last two grades. "The inspection involves ten whips of a grade from that month's production. You will receive ten strokes from each unit, and you will be required to do so in the manner for which you were trained at the academy. Rather than requiring you give an opinion on the quality of each unit, the inspections take place in a video recording studio, and the resulting recordings will be studied to determine if each whip passes inspection. The recordings are also used as advertising, so we do expect the best performance from you." The manager's matter-of-fact tone made the description that much more horrible to Chloe, but she did what she could to not seem frightened of the prospects that this much-needed job offered.
"The inspections will vary; one month it may replicate a civic punishment, another, it might resemble a private matter. We expect you to arrive here by train, but, for obvious reasons, we will transport you home. You will have three colleagues who will assist you in these inspections, who you'll meet later if you accept an audition for this position. Their identities are, however, going to be kept from you, and you will only know them as Mr X, Mr Y, and Mr Z. This will save you some embarrassment in case you meet them socially or in public." The two women sat across from each other at the manager's desk, and after describing additional details and duties of the position, she placed a release form and an envelope in front of Chloe. "Your audition consists of having each of your three colleagues give you forty strokes--ten from each of two previously inspected whips from the two grades--totaling 120 strokes. If you wish to audition today, please sign the release. In this envelope, you will find a check to cover the costs of your clothing and a sum for your efforts and trouble today."
Chloe started to read the release before she realized the futility of it. The mottos "Pride Before the Whip" and "Maintain Position" echoed in her head because she knew what was in store for her, and since this was the only kind of employment she had been even close to being offered, she had no choice but to submit. She signed the release, accepting a 120-stroke punishment, and handed it back. She looked in the envelope, and was quite surprised by the figures written on the check. Their generous amounts would be welcomed in her and Patty's household, but they also made Chloe realize that much would be expected of her.
The manager inspected the release, filed it, and pushed a button on her phone. "Gentlemen, please report to the studio for an inspector audition." she said in a flat, unemotional voice. Then, pulling handcuffs from her desk, she ordered Chloe to her feet, stepped behind her, and cuffed her wrists behind her back. The manager led Chloe through the plant to the studio, opened the door to it, and pointed her in. She closed the door, leaving Chloe alone in the room in which she noticed a number of cameras--video and still--all pointed to a central location. On the floor around that spot there were various metal loops built into the flooring, and above was a system of pulleys. A door opened opposite her, and three tall, rangy men stepped in, all of them masked, and each of them gripping two coiled, deep-burgundy colored, leather whips. They set them down on a table, then one attended to a camera, while another flipped a switch that started the ceiling pulleys in motion, as the third stepped towards Chloe...
+
"Downtown! End of the line! All passengers must now exit the train!" Chloe was brought not only out of her past to her present but also to downtown, and, after waiting for the train to stop and for most of the passengers to precede her, she began her walk to work. While she had twenty minutes to make a ten minute walk, Chloe walked as briskly as her outfit allowed. She wanted to minimize the amount of time there was for her to get the unwanted attention her appearance frequently attracted in public, but, conversely, she did try to look purposeful, professional, and dignified because she was in the company of several potential future employers. Her short walk consisting of many small, but well thought out, steps brought her to the office entrance of Cracker County Leather Goods, Inc.
Chloe reported to the manager's office and took a seat while the manager finished some paperwork. Done with that, she looked over to Chloe, "Did you have a good ride here today?" "Well," Chloe began, "I was called a harlot, a trollop, and a tramp, and I had my outfit inspected, but I still made it on time." The manager smiled and pushed a button on her phone. "Mr Y, the inspector is here. She will meet you in the studio directly." The manager looked back at Chloe, "That's good. Today's inspection is going to simulate a domestic discipline matter--a client whose spouse is dressing too provocatively--so the simulation appears to be working so far." All of Chloe's previous inspections had been simulations of public discipline, so at least today's inspection would involve a little variety. However, as the manager gathered her handcuffs and ordered Chloe to stand, the little inspector realized that variety wasn't much comfort.
The events of the day's commute combined with the feeling of being handcuffed, which made her prominent chest stand out that much more, had effectively worked on Chloe's sense of shame, and despite her innocence, Chloe felt as guilty and deserving of discipline as if this circumstance was her choice. Worse than this, however, the whole atmosphere was arousing her. The complex psychology that had been developed in Chloe at the academy was being expertly manipulated by the playing on Chloe's desire for attention, her sense of pride, and her ability to perform under pressure. By the time she reached the door to the studio, Chloe had rationalized that the whipping she was about to receive was more that just a professional duty, but also largely deserved.
A foot tall, two foot square platform was placed in the middle of the studio, and the cameras were focused on some part of it. Due to Chloe's small stature, her colleagues liked having her raised up a bit so that they could apply more level strokes. Also, it had the added benefit of forcing Chloe to pay that much more attention to her position. The manager left Chloe in the studio, and went to the control room, then shortly after that, the opposite door opened into the studio, and Mr Y emerged. Like Mr X and Mr Z, Mr Y stood over six feet tall, towering over Chloe, and had a lean, rangy build. He wore jeans, a black t-shirt, and heavy black shoes. His head and face was covered in a black stocking that he could obviously see through, but his entire visage was sheathed, rendering him both anonymous and expressionless. He faced Chloe for a moment, then turned to a table upon which were ten coiled whips and a large pair of shears. After briefly checking them, he grabbed the shears, turned, and made his way over to Chloe.
Chloe looked up at Mr Y meekly, and he wordlessly smacked her bottom and pointed at the platform surface. If Mr Y said a word to Chloe, it would be his first, but his simple commands were easy for Chloe to understand, and she complied without delay. It was challenging stepping up onto the platform, but once she did, she could look Mr Y in his masked face. "Ready for the inspection to procede?" came the manager's voice over the intercom. Mr Y gave a thumbs up, and all of the cameras came to life. He grabbed the hem of her skirt with his left hand and brought the shears up with his right. In Cracker County, all punishments are preceded by the stripping of the female victim, but the design is not to do so quickly, but rather to do so in a deliberate manner with the intention of amplifying the woman's humiliation. It was no different in private matters, and Mr Y preceded to cut into Chloe's skirt as if he were peeling a piece of fruit.
Chloe was dismayed to see such a cute, though overly provocative, skirt being ruined, but Mr Y worked his way methodically around her, slowly raising her hemline to reveal the tops of her red stockings, then her red panties, and finally, her red garter belt. When he finally cut through the skirt's waistband and tossed the ruined garment aside, Chloe felt her exposed red undergarments amplifying her humiliation. Holding her legs tightly together in embarrassment, she braced herself as Mr Y stepped behind her and began cutting into her blouse from the rear. He worked his way up and around her until he was just underneath her breasts, then returned to her back, cut up and through her collar, then down, lengthwise, each sleeve. He stepped back in front of her, grabbed the blouse just below the collar, and pulled it completely off her, exposing her bright red bra-encased breasts.
Having stripped the little inspector to her underwear, Mr Y stepped over to the table with the whips and grabbed the coils of rope that also were arranged there. Stepping back to Chloe, he grabbed her biceps from behind, pulled them together, and proceeded to tie her, harnessing the biceps, then tying her elbows together so that they were touching. Chloe had to throw her substantial chest out even further to accommodate this bondage, but she got some relief when Mr Y subsequently removed her handcuffs. He returned to the table, picked up the shears, walked in front of Chloe, then slipped his hand under the waistband of her panties. He pulled up on them such that the fabric was pulled into her dampened womanhood, and with two quick snips on either side of the crotch, the garment was free to be pulled through that moistening valley. Chloe was shocked by her arousal and exposure, but now she was ready to inspect some whips.
In order not to fall off the platform during her inspection, Chloe perched herself with her hands spread out and her bottom bent out to accept the stroke. For Mr Y, this was something of a treat in that he saw that Chloe truly understood her role and was ready for what was to follow. Mr Y went to the table, grabbed whip number one, and started to shake it out of its coil. Chloe looked up for the counters, the one indicating the whip read one, the other indicating stroke read zero. This is where it all begins, she thought, and as Mr Y assumed his position at the ready, the manager's voice came over the intercom: "Please begin the inspection."
In the months that Chloe had been doing these inspections, she had become aware of the high quality of these whips. A Cracker County Leather Goods, Inc. whip welted; it did not cut. The sound, as it cut through the air on the way to its target, was a crisp hiss, and when it connected upon the moistened flesh of its trembling victim, the sound was like a gunshot. In fact, after an inspection of the heavy grade whips, Chloe's ears were ringing for days afterwards. Still, as familiar as she was with these qualities, the hiss of the whip as it made its way to the first stroke turned her feelings to cold fear. The first strike connected with a ballistic sound and an electric sting which faded into a searing burn. The stroke was equatorial upon her bottom, and from there Mr Y struck alternatively above and below that line, finally finishing with the tenth strike just above where her thighs met her bottom. Unlike at the academy, here she was given a generous five-count between strokes, tapped out by Mr Y's heavy shoe, and as Chloe watched the whip counter go from one to two and the stroke counter reset from ten to zero, she got a bit of a break as Mr Y exchanged whips.
Chloe mostly kept her eyes closed during these inspections and she tried many mental techniques to help her to tolerate the punishment. She tried to accept the stroke rather than fight it, and in doing so, she hoped to spread the sting and burn through as much of her little body as she could, dissipating the pain instead of localizing it. Still, the punishment was brutal, and Chloe wondered how anyone without her experience could take it. Obviously, she thought, these whips were very effective in teaching their lessons. When she did open her eyes, it was mostly to check the whip and stroke counter, making sure it concurred with her tally, and also to check her one worry area. The tail of the whip would curl around Chloe's hip and leave its sting up and down the front of her right thigh. Occasionally, she would see (and feel, of course), the welts start to creep towards her sensitive (and, by now, thoroughly aroused and damp) womanhood, and that gave her a strong reminder to correct her otherwise well-maintained position.
Whip by whip, Chloe started to settle into the inspection as much as she could. The strokes came and the counters moved at a regular pace, and she could begin to start to think about the end. The whip counter clicked over to seven, and the first stroke of that whip made Chloe change focus. That first stroke gave her a sting that she could feel down to her toes and fingertips, and she let out an uncharacteristic yelp. Her eyes were opened wide as she tried to return to position before the five count was over. It got no easier through that whip's remaining nine strokes, and Chloe had to bear down as much as she had ever done to maintain her position and keep her pride before this whip. Mr Y was not unaware of the effect of whip number seven, and he took just a bit more time to exchange it for whip number eight. While he had nothing but contempt and disgust personally for Chloe, he did appreciate that she was possibly the bravest inspector they'd ever had, and the quality of her whip inspections was helping to make their already high quality product that much better.
The first stroke of whip number eight, highly painful as it was, was that degree less powerful, and for the remainder of inspection, Chloe exhibited the utmost pride and poise, kept her voice and weeping controlled, and snapped back into position well before the five count expired. As the last stroke stung then seared into her flesh and she watched the both of the counters reach ten, she let out a deep sigh of relief, but one that had a tinge of pride in a job well done. Mr Y set down whip number ten with the rest of the whips, stepped over to the platform, and gave Chloe a couple of smacks on her well reddened and welted backside with his open palm and pointed to the floor as an order to step down. Chloe wished that he would untie her first, but not wanting to feel his hand on her burning backside again, she very carefully stepped down off the platform. Mr Y turned and left, wordlessly as usual, and Chloe waited for the manager to finish the recording and come for her.
The company provided Chloe with a great deal of information for recovery from these whippings, but she was expected to take care of it on her own at home. On site, her care was minimal, and after untying her and handcuffing her, the manager briefly wiped her bottom with an antiseptic sheet, applied an frozen bag to it, holding it in place with a bandage around her waist, then gave her a loose fitting gown to cover her up. The handcuffs were removed to get Chloe's arms through the sleeves of the gown, then returned, securing her wrists behind her back. Chloe didn't much care, and she didn't protest because she just wanted to get on her way home. The manager led her to the company garage where a van awaited them--one that had a bed Chloe could be secured to on her stomach for the ride home. After belting Chloe onto the bed, the manager got into the van, started the engine, exited the garage, and they were on their way.
It was during these rides that Chloe gave any feedback that she had about her recent inspection. It was here previously that she let the manager know about her ringing ears after the heavy grade inspection. "So Chloe, how was it? You certainly earned your pay today. Anything unusual, or...?" the manager inquired. Chloe could still feel the burn from whip number seven under the frozen bag. "Number seven really stood out from the rest. All of them performed acceptably, true, but number seven was remarkable. I can still distinguish its lashes from the others."
"Why, thank you for telling me that", the manager said, "We'll keep that in mind when we review the tapes. In fact, that information could be useful to one of our more discerning customers. You might just get a chance to supplement your income!" Chloe was paid a substantial per diem for her services, but she worked only once a month, after all, and she still had need to augment her paycheck.
Still, her heart went into her throat. What exactly did that mean? She was left to ponder that as continued the drive home, but in the back of her mind was that income supplement...
