MARA'S HUMILIATION

BY ICON O'CAST

After what they had done to Mara in the woods, the Coopers half-expected to get a whipping themselves when she told on them. It was a surprise to them then when two weeks passed and nothing happened. Mara kept well away from them at school - as did just about every other kid who knew what was good for them - but that was all. If she had told her parents, they obviously had done nothing about it. This made them curious and Emily decided they would have to find out what was going on. Unfortunately, the little brat was getting good at avoiding them. She had even managed to kiss up to her teacher enough so that she was allowed to remain inside at recess. There she was safe, until the one day she had a substitute and Mara was told by this woman that she needed to go outside and get some fresh air.

Mara's school was a small one and so a single playground monitor was deemed sufficient for keeping order. On that particular day, it was Mr. Hadley's turn to watch the kids. Every kid in school knew this meant they would be practically unsupervised because Mr. Hadley would always sneak off to his car and have a few drinks. This gave the Coopers the oppurtunity they had been waiting for.

They found their quarry engaged in a game of jump rope with a couple of first grade girls. Mara had pretty much alienated all the kids her own age by becoming the teacher's pet, what with her staying in at recess all the time to clean erasers and whatever else their usual teacher wanted.

"Hey, Mara," Emily called to her as her brothers circled round the eight year old. "Where you been?"

"Leave me alone," Mara replied, her eyes cast down at the asphalt. She was afraid to look Emily or any of the others directly in the eye. They might take that the wrong way.

The two first graders just stood there until Josh suddenly wheeled on them, saying,"Beat it, you little brats. Mara's playing with us now."

They didn't need to be told twice. After retreating to a safe distance, they watched as the Coopers crowded in closer around Mara. One asked the other if they should go tell some one, but her companion only shook her head no. They both knew what happened to anyone who snitched on the Coopers.

"I bet your butt's still sore from the whuppin' we gave you," Aaron chided her, pinching at her bottom as he said this. Mara turned to avoid this, but this just gave the others the oppurtunity to get in a few pinchs as well.

"Please leave me alone," Mara whined even though she doubted it would do any good. Her mind was racing, trying to think of some way to pacify them.

"I didn't tell on you," she finally stated, hoping this was what they wanted to hear. Actually, she had intended to tell on them, but her father never gave her the chance. "I swear, I didn't."

"I guess you must've liked it then," Billy said, reaching in for another attempted pinch of her behind. By now the boys were doing this at irregular intervals, sometimes flipping up her skirt in the process.

"No..."

"Then why didn't you tell?"

"She didn't tell because she liked it!" Billy insisted. "She liked gettin' her little butt spanked. Hell, that's probably why she was on our property in the first place."

More and more kids were abandoning their games to come and see what was happening, but not one of them made a move to help Mara. The Coopers had that much of a stranglehold on them.

"I think you're right, Billy," Emily said loudly enough for everyone to hear. "This little brat must like gettin' her hide tanned."

"NO!" Mara squeaked and was just about to plead to be left alone again when Emily cut her off.

"NO? What do you mean, no? I say you liked it. You callin' me a liar?"

"No, but..."

"But nothing. You're callin' me a liar. You wanna fight?"

The word 'fight' started echoing around the assembled children at this, the anticipation of it exciting more than a few who had only been mildly interested to that point.

"No, please, I don't..."

But it was too late. While her brothers moved back just enough to give her swinging room, Emily lunged forward. At sixteen, she was a good deal bigger than Mara, both in height and weight. There was no resisting her and Mara was immediatly knocked to the unforgiving blacktop. Rather than pouncing on her fallen advesary, Emily stayed on her feet, circling round Mara carefully. She delivered a kick to the smaller girl's behind that sent her sprawling, then went back to circling her.

"Get up and fight, you little wuss!" she hollered, to the delight of her brothers.

There was no way Mara was going to fight her, so she stayed down while she tried to figure a way out of it. Running inside to tell was her only chance. It wouldn't make her very popular with the other kids, but that was the least of her problems as the moment.

She leapt to her feet and tried to run for it, but the Coopers were ready for this. Josh and Billy caught her by the arms and threw her back toward their sister. Emily was expecting this and punched Mara right in the face, dropping her like a sack of wet cement. The crowd gasped and gasped again when Mara turned over, revealing the blood that had begun to trickle from her nose. Tears too were flowing down her face now. She had skinned her knees and the palms of her hands during the scuffle, but she cried as much out of fear as pain

"Get up, I said!" Emily demanded. When Mara refused, she grabbed her by the hair and started dragging her across the playground, kicking and screaming all the way. The crowd flowed around them as they went, making way for the two combatants while following their progress toward the swing set.

When they reached the swing set, Emily began smacking Mara about the ears, yelling all the while,"Says it so! Say you liked it!" Mara tried covering up to protect herself, but this just made Emily change her attack. Now she was punching at her helpless opponent, landing blows on her arms, sides and chest when she couldn't get a clear shot at her head.

"You ready to say it?"

Lying their like a crumpled piece of tissue, Mara could take no more.

"Yes," she sobbed in barely more than a whisper.

"You hear that everybody?" Billy proclaimed proudly. "Mara likes to be spanked."

There was some laughter at this, but mostly it was of a nervous type. The Coopers though, were delighted.

"All right then," Emily told her. "Get up then."

Mara did as she was told, half-expecting to get punched again when she did.

"Now you tell everybody. Tell 'em you like being spanked."

"I like it," Mara whimpered, willing to say anything, do anything to end this.

"Well let's give her what she wants then." As Emily said this, she moved to the swing set and taking one of the swings hurled it with all her might. It wrapped around the cross bar twice, shortening its chains until it stood almost two feet off the ground.

"Come over here."

Obediently, Mara went to her side even though she knew what was coming. There was no point in fighting. They would just hold her down, or tie her up like they had in the woods.

"Josh, give me your belt."

The leather strap hissed venomously as he pulled it through the loops of his pants. He handed it to his sister who doubled it up and snapped it a few times for good measure.

"All right, Mara. Let's see if your butt's still red from the last time we played. Lift up your skirt."

Mara let herself be positioned in front of the swing. With one hand she reached down and lifted her skirt. Every kid in school was watching her and she blushed an even deeper shade of red at this realization.

"Now pull down your underwear and bend over."

Mara looked around one last time, praying that Mr. Hadley might return, or that one of the other children might help her, but it was no use. It was hopeless.

She bent over the swing and with her free hand pulled down her panties.

Now the crowd of kids were showing a little more enthusiasm, especially the boys. There were hoots and giggles, a few rude comments, but not a single voice of protest. They all knew what was good for them.

Emily wound up and delivered the first lash with all her strength. The impact of leather on flesh was quickly followed by a young girl's agonized screams. Mara received twenty hard swats with the belt and by the time it was done her ass felt as if it were on fire.

But that wasn't the end of it.

"All right, who's next?" Emily asked.

Josh, being the next oldest, immediatly stepped up to take his turn. Billy said he would be next and Aaron chimed in right after. Again Mara felt the strap smacking away at her buttocks and she cried and yelped, but in the middle of it she looked up and saw something that stifled her cries even as the beating continued. The Coopers were lining up now to get their chances, but they weren't alone. Other boys, and even one girl, were getting in line too! Was she going to get a licking from the whole school?

Fortunately, it never came to that. Before Aaron had even finished doling out his twenty lashes, the bell rang, summoning them all back to class. There were a few disappointed groans from those who hadn't gotten their turns, but slowly all of them filed away, leaving Mara in her misery.

Mara was the last one in and though she had composed herself some, Mr. Hadley still noticed something was wrong. "Did you fall and hurt yourself?" he asked, his breath reeking of whiskey.

She opened her mouth to tell him what had happened, but before she could he took her roughly by the arm and pulled her to him.

"If you did, then it's your own fault, understand? I was only gone a minute. So don't be telling anybody different. You do and I'll tan your hide good. You get me?"

Mara just nodded, not looking him in the eyes. It was just like last time. She couldn't tell. She couldn't tell and there was nothing she could do but nurse her sore backside and stay away from the Coopers.

Until next time.