CAROL — A PAUL PURPLE STORY

BY CORNER GHOST

[ part 9 ]

I prepared the two girls for our return to the basement, checking the makeup and yellowing the bruises, I hoped that Carol didn’t know how long it took bruises to heal, I decided that I would send the two downstairs first and then saunter in before starting the afternoon lessons. I apprised the girls of the plan and we started to the door of the basement.

I was halfway down the stair when I heard Pauline call out and disappear from view as she ran into the cell, not knowing what to expect I cleared the last few steps in one bound and entered the basement.

I looked to the cell area, Carol was lying on the ground with Pauline and Billie-Jo trying to get her to rise up, however she was rigid, or rather the costume she was wearing was rigid and she was trapped inside it, like a knight in a suit of armour.

I knelt by Carol’s side and spoke gently to the crying girl. “Well then slave what happened. Did you try to run away?” I asked her.

Carol sniffed and shook her head. “No! My nose itched and I went to scratch it, but my arm couldn’t move, so I went to get up and go to the bathroom to try and wipe my nose on the towels but then I couldn’t move and I fell over and couldn’t get up and I tried to call out but no-body heard me and I . . . I . . .” She fell silent and then started to cry again.

I stroked her hair in an effort to sooth her. “Okay Carol, it’s alright, the costume was set so that you couldn’t move your arms above your waist, and the legs would stop any quick actions. It’s designed to lock up to stop a slave from running away. Now relax and I’ll release you.”

It was the tone of my voice that made Carol stop and look at me in surprise. I gently reached to the collar of the dress and pressed a sequence of buttons, they looked like sequins on the collar. The costume returned to its fabric state.

As soon as she could move she rolled away from me. “You knew that would happen!” She accused me, I didn’t answer her. She got onto her feet and walked to me, her face red with anger. “You just left me here in that . . . that thing knowing it would hurt me!”

“Did it?” I asked her softly. She turned away before turning back with her fists raised. She started to hit at me, although when the blows landed they had little force behind them as she had no weight to put behind them. How she was able to do this? Well when I freed her I’d put the costume to standby, the passive sensors were inactive.

Pauline and Billie-Jo looked on in shock. “You’re a bastard! You’re just a parasite, picking on me just because I can’t fight back. But. Now. I. Am!” She said the last few words accompanying blows from her fists.

I allowed this to continue for a few minutes, as Carol started to wear herself out I then caught her hand and held them in one of mine. I sat down on the chair and pulled Carol onto my lap. I could see Billie-Jo start to open her mouth but at my look she closed it. I pulled up the material of the dress until Carols fabric covered backside was visible. I raised my hand and brought it down sharply. A blow which made her draw in a breath with the sudden pain. Before she could recover another blow landed and then another. These were not the easy blows with which I gave Pauline or Billie-Jo; they were the blows of a master to his erring slave.

I released her after the third blow, she wouldn’t have survived any more, and then I turned to Billie-Jo, “Get the taws and the dog whip!” I told her, my tone prevented her from protesting.

Pauline, however, spoke up. “Master I don’t think that Carol is in any condition to be punished further.”

I nodded, “Yes, I agree! This is why both you and Billie-Jo are going to be the ones not her.”

When she heard that Carol got onto her knees and started to plead. “No please don’t hit them, I don’t know why I did that, but it’s my fault not theirs. I didn’t mean to hurt you and I’m sorry. I’ll do anything but don’t hit them because of me!” She was really concerned about Pauline and Billie-Jo. I looked at Pauline who was shaking her head. Carol started talking again, “Please master it just that I’m worried about my mum and dad, they don’t know what’s happened and I want them to know I’m fine.” She looked down at her position, “Well not fine but I’m okay.”

“Slave, be quiet.” I said softly and Carol obeyed me. I got up from the chair and walked to Pauline, I heard Carol start to rise but this time I’d activated the passive sensors and the costume held her in place, I heard a gasp from her but nothing else.

When I was with Pauline and waited for Billie-Jo to turn up with the required tools of punishment. I spoke loud enough for Carol to hear. “Well slave, I have a problem here don’t I?”

“Yes master.” Pauline replied meekly. Billie-Jo came back from the cupboard and handed me the taws and whip.

“Now slave let’s add these up. Unable to remain where placed 5 strokes. Swearing at a master 20 strokes. Attacking a master 40 strokes. Speaking without permission 5 strokes. I believe that’s 70 strokes each, so let’s be generous and say 30 with the whip and 40 with the taws. I do hope you two are fit enough for this?”

“Master. Please don’t do it. Please wait until I’m better and then you can punish me!” Carol called from her position. She had actually admitted that she was ill, this was a breakthrough. I looked over to her, tears were falling down her face, “Please master I promise to be good. I’ll do whatever you ask, but please don’t hurt them again.”

“You understand what you are saying Carol?” I asked her.

She paused before answering, “Yes master, I promise that I will do anything you tell me to do. I will not try to attack you or try to escape. Just don’t hit Pauline, Billie-Jo or her sister. Please!”

I thought for a moment before nodding, I handed back the taws and whip to Billie-Jo to put back into the equipment cupboard, she returned much quicker than last time. I walked to Carol and released the constrictions of the costume. She didn’t move this time. “Alright slave, I agree. You obey me in everything and I won’t hurt the girls again.”

Carol didn’t move from her position, she looked up at me. “Will . . . will I see my mum and dad again?” She asked.

I wondered, should I lie to her and say no? She was in a fragile state it would completely demoralise her and she wouldn’t be able to cope with the routine, if I said yes she might not believe me, but then I did have proof of my words in that case. So truth it was.

“Yes Carol, you will see your parents again. I promise you that.” Carol looked into my eyes, and then she reached out her arms to me and hugged me!

“Oh thank you master, I was so scared I thought I’d never see them again, I didn’t think I could live without them.” And she started to cry on my shoulder. Pauline looked at me with an amazed expression on her face.

“I think she’s ready master, she realised her position here! We need to change our approach” Although it was Pauline speaking she had Elizabeth’s inflection and mannerisms.

I looked at her, “Are you sure? I mean if it’s the wrong time then everything could fail and then what could we do about it?” I asked her

Pauline/Elizabeth shook her head. “They realised the risks which is way they trusted you.” She said to remind me of Bill’s email and the telephone conversation we’d had. “But now it’s carrot time.” – ‘Carrot time’ it was a code we’d worked out some time ago. When the girls realised that a trainee would respond easier to kindness not harshness – ‘the carrot or the stick’

I looked at Billie-Jo, she was nodding as well. I personally thought that it was too soon but these girls had been with Carol longer than I. “Billie-Jo, please go upstairs and get tape 3 from the special file.” I asked her, she quickly ran off to get the tape.

Carol was still crying in my arms. “Master I don’t understand. Why are you helping me why aren’t you shouting at me or hitting me? I’ve disobeyed you and been angry with you but here you are just holding me? Are you going to whip me now?” She asked, her voice fading as she said the last.

“That’s an idea slave. Pauline please get the bull whip!” Pauline looked at me in shock I smiled at her to reassure her, “You heard Carol, she deserves whipping, now bring in the bullwhip.” Pauline was shaking her head but obeyed me; I could see that she was puzzled by my apparent change of plan. I sat Carol back on her chair and spoke softly to her.

“Okay Carol, the girls have decided that you need different treatment to the way we planned. The only problem is you! You have to agree to eat, and keep it down. I’m not going to say that it’s going to be easy for you; in fact it’s going to be even harder in many ways. I will tell you now that we’ve told you several lies, but there have been truths spoken as well. I am a trainer; I create slaves for people who can afford them. I have been paid to train you, but in this case it was done in order to save you.” At her surprised look I nodded my head, “You are here mainly to regain your body. I will guarantee you that if you want I will make a model of you. I will teach you other things that Pauline and Billie-Jo thinks as normal, but which aren’t in the outside world.”

Carol looked at me. “How did you lie to me? You’re not going to make me into a slave?” She asked, there were several levels in that last statement, it almost seemed as if she was hoping to become a slave.

I shook my head sadly, “I’m afraid that it’s the only task I know, but there are several levels of slaves, from the normal childhood control to complete and utter dependency on the master or mistress. I just try to ensure that the right type is trained and delivered to the right person.”

“Yep master is good at his work, I was one of his.” Billie-Jo said as she returned, at Carol’s glance I nodded.

“Yes, I trained Billie-Jo, her master abused his trust and I had to rescue her.” I hugged the girl as I said this, she returned the hug and then handed me the tape I’d sent her for.

“But what about Pauline? Did you take her off the street when she was younger?” Pauline had joined us by then, the bullwhip was over her shoulder, she went to Carol and held her hands.

“Part of that story was true. But it wasn’t master who saved me, I was picked up by a team of, well … hunters would be a name for them. They took me to a town — somewhere – and I was placed in an orphanage. It was while I was at school there that I met master. I asked to join him and here I am.”

I pulled her to me and whispered, “I’m sorry I didn’t know.” She pulled back and gave a small smile.

“I know,” she said, “But after everything you are the father I never had.” She turned to Carol and pointed to me. “This man is my master. I trust him and will never go against him, although he can be mean and nasty,” She turned and smiled sweetly at me as she said this, “I know he has my well being at heart. I am tied to him, not by chains but by love.” Again she smiled at me but this was an adoring smile full of love and affection. “Yes love master, you accepted me into your life and for that I’m eternally grateful. So Carol if master tells you something then he means it.”

She then went to me and kissed me softly before standing beside me. Billie-Jo stood on my other side and we all looked at Carol.

“But I don’t know if I want to be a slave! I just wanted to be a model which is why I went on this diet thing, Marcia said that . . .” She stopped and looked at our expressions, “She lied to me didn’t she?” Carol asked.

“I think so; would there be any reason why Marcia would dislike you?” I asked her, Carol thought for a few moments.

“I don’t think so, she’s always been just behind me in class, but I thought we were good friends.” Carol said at last.

“Always just behind you, she’s never beaten you at anything?” Pauline asked

Carol shook her head, “No, she even became deputy class president.”

“When you became class president I suppose?” Billie-Jo asked. Carol just nodded her head. “There you are then master, the main reason is jealousy!”

“What? Marcia jealous of me? But that’s daft we’ve always been the best of friends” Carol complained, but I could see what the girls were on about, and it wasn’t unknown for jealous people to do strange things.

“Well let’s leave that for the moment, we’ve got work to do.” I said — I held out my hand to Pauline who reluctantly handed me the bullwhip. “Now Carol you said that you deserved to be whipped?” I asked her she looked at me and bit her lip.

“Yes master.” She said softly and then was surprised as I handed her the whip, she nearly dropped it as she felt the weight of it.

“That is a bullwhip, it’s so called because it is heavy, if the tip hits you with its full force you would be thrown to the ground, its caress could open up your body without stopping and you’d never really recover from the scars that it could create.” I took it back from her and then asked Billie-Jo to stand away from me. Before Carol could complain I cracked the whip at Billie-Jo who just stood as the whip seemed to lash her.

Billie-Jo looked at me and said “Thank you master.” She walked to Carol and stood in front of her.

Carol looked at the girl in front of her and then examined her body; she then looked at me with questioning eyes. I smiled, “In the hands of an expert it’s possible to make things sound worse than they could be, this is one of the lies we’ve been telling you.” Carol looked closely at Billie-Jo and then wiped her hand on the ‘bruise’ that was on the side of her body, it smeared.

“But I thought you were hurting these two when you hit them!” She said accusingly, I smiled at her.

“And you reacted as I hoped you would, you tried to protect them.” I said, Pauline then went to Carol and kissed her on the lips.

“Thank you for that, if you hadn’t tried to complain then I think master might have done it for real!” She added with a smile. Billie-Jo also kissed Carol and thanked her.

Carol took the opportunity to ask Billie-Jo about her sister, Billie-Jo looked at Pauline who spoke up, “I’m sorry Carol but that was another lie, and the girl screaming in pain that you were worried about when we brought you down here was me.”

“You! But how could it be you, and why did you lie about Billie-Jo’s sister?” Pauline started to tell her but I decided that there wasn’t the time for now.

“That’s enough girls, we have work to do! Carol it’s time for you to get back into uniform and do some light exercises, I’ve got the Barney tape and then there’s a special tape I want you to watch.” I smiled at Pauline and Billie-Jo’s expressions and said, “Well at the moment Carol’s unable to move properly so Barney it is for the next few days!”

I helped Carol to undress and take position on the mat in front of Billie-Jo and Pauline, and then I started the tape. I almost laughed out loud at the faces pulled by the girls as the purple dinosaur started to encourage them to move their feet. Carol seemed more determined to succeed as she followed the movement of the pre-school children on the screen.

After the five minutes of the exercise and Barney saying ‘goodbyeee’ to the viewers Carol was sweating but still standing. “Can we do another one?” She asked, but I had to say no – even a little routine like this was almost too much for her, but it was encouraging that she wanted to try.

I got Carol to sit down as Billie-Jo and Pauline started to move the mat away. I placed the tape in the drive and started it.

“Hello Carol, your father and I are sorry that we had to do this but there was nothing else we could think of. . .” Carol’s mother was on the screen, with her holding her hand was Carol’s father. “. . . You must know that this was the most difficult thing we’ve ever done but your uncle Bill has said that the man you are with is the best person to help you.”

While she was watching the tape Carol started to cry, Billie-Jo and Pauline went to her and sat down on the floor, each girl holding her hands to give their support.

Then her father spoke, “Carol . . . I’m not sure how to say this to you . .. in a way it’s better that I can’t see you as I’d be trying to bring you back home . . .” he was trying to hold back his tears but not succeeding, he swallowed. “But . . . I’m told this is the best. We’ve told your school that you are with a specialist and that you will be back with us sometime next month, please pumpkin try your best and we’ll be here waiting for you.”

“Daddy! I’ll try honest I will.” Carol cried out as the screen faded, “I will try . . .” she said half to herself. I stopped the tape and left it by the machine for Carol to play when she wanted to. I knelt in front of the girl.

“I was going to show you that tape after the first week, but with your decision to go along with us I though you’d better see it now.” She nodded, the tape proved to her that we were trying to help her and with her family’s knowledge.

She looked at me with tears in her eyes, “I don’t understand why they couldn’t have helped me themselves?” She said and then started to cry again. Pauline and Billie-Jo started to stroke Carol’s arms to reassure the girl.

“They did try, but you didn’t listen to them, they both love you so much and it was killing them to watch you refuse their aid. Your uncle suggested that I could help you, but he didn’t tell them exactly what it was that I do.”

Carol looked up at me, tears shining in her eyes, but also an enquiring look was there. I had to smile, “They think I’m a personal trainer who concentrates on young girls and their problems!” Billie-Jo started to laugh followed by Pauline. Carol was puzzled by their reaction but kept quiet.

I asked Billie-Jo and Pauline to carry on with their class work and I talked about the Book Carol was reading.

“I’ve only read Animal Farm, I didn’t want to read the other one just yet.” She confessed.

I nodded my understanding, “Okay then so what do you think about the story?”

“Well it’s strange, a pig called Napoleon who gets the animals to take over a farm. I can’t really see anything happening like that in real life!” she said laughing. I didn’t laugh with her.

“But the story is based on real life!” I told her, her look was one of disbelief, “Except the animals were people. The story is a representation of what happened in Russia just after the Revolution when the people took over the country. Napoleon is supposed to be Lenin and his co-worker Snowball is Trotsky.” Now your history should tell you what happen to them. That’s your assignment for the next few hours; you’ll find reference books in the book cases. Then tonight you will read Dolly Morton.”

Carol nodded her understanding and went to the reference books, I then checked on Pauline and Billie-Jo’s work before leaving the cell. I closed and locked the basement door. Not that I didn’t trust Carol now, but I didn’t want to get out of practise.