Just a small excerpt from a story... I'm no professional writer, but I thought I'd share it anyway — perhaps someone might like it.
One of the walls was entirely devoted to neat rows of canes: from flexible rattan and knotted bamboo to modern versions made of fiberglass and nylon. On the opposite side, arranged almost like gallery exhibits, were other implements. Heavy leather straps hung from hooks beside intricately braided whips. Smooth paddles crafted from different types of wood — with holes or without — awaited their buyers, striking in their clean lines and flawless workmanship.
By the dark oak checkout counter, next to a small display case featuring clothing clips and Stinging Tails branded merchandise, stood an elegant metal brochure rack.
Its upper tiers held themed postcards: artistic black-and-white photographs focused on the aesthetic of the body after a spanking — delicate red lace-like stripes across the skin and strict, composed poses of obedience.
On the shelf below lay brochures in both soft and hard covers, similar to the one Mary was already holding in her hands about the discipline technique "in a corner." This was more than simple advertising — it was an entire library for those who wanted to learn more about methods of upbringing and the application of corporal punishment according to the Stinging Tails approach.
Robert allowed Mrs. Clark a moment to look around, then, with a polite gesture, invited her over to the display of literature. It didn't take him long to pull a brochure from the Discipline Advice series, this one subtitled "Traditional Corrective Methods in Education."
"Take this, Mary. You and your husband really ought to have read it sooner — it's time to catch up on what you've been missing."
The young woman accepted the brochure, pressing it shyly to her chest.
"Do you really think we've lost half a year of proper upbringing?"
"Judging by the fact that you brought Diana here — and the situation she's now in — it's clear her discipline has suffered from your inaction. It would have been better, Mary, if you had picked up that booklet when I suggested it six months ago, instead of letting her go this long without proper guidance."
He watched as her cheeks deepened to a richer crimson. She lowered her eyes and busied herself slipping both books into her shoulder bag — anything to avoid just standing there, burning with embarrassment.
"You're right, Robert. I… I can feel the guilt physically. Sometimes I feel like a bad mother when Diana does something foolish…"
"Recognizing your guilt is already half the work of making amends," Robert said with a small smile.
She timidly raised her eyes, looking at the man — nearly twice her age — with a mix of surprise and intensity.
"My father used to say something like that…"
"Then he must have been a wise man."
She nodded.
"You know, Robert, he never punished me. But only now do I truly understand his words — and yours. The other half is atonement through punishment."
Bob watched the woman in silence, sensing her hesitation and inner conflict.
"Yes, Mrs. Clark. Punishment serves many purposes, and atonement is one of them… it allows a person to unburden their soul. That doesn't mean you're free to make new mistakes afterward — no. Another purpose of punishment is to guard against future wrongdoing. As for Diana's upbringing, not all is lost. But the weight of responsibility for what's already been done — that would be best left behind."
She left his side and moved toward the center of the store, putting a few paces between them. Her gaze drifted over the implements on display while his words echoed in her mind.
"Robert… Mr. Stern…" She glanced around, as if to make sure no one else could hear them, though there was no one else in the store. "…Would you punish me? I want to be free of this guilt… and to go on raising Diana without regretting the time we've lost."
"A caning, Mrs. Clark…" He deliberately addressed her as Mrs. Clark now, subtly emphasizing that she was not a little girl, but a grown woman — one who deserved punishment.
It wasn't a question so much as a statement, yet she still replied, "Yes."
"It will be very painful. And humiliating, Mrs. Clark…"
"…but it will help me, won't it?"
"If your repentance is sincere, the cane will help you completely," Robert said, without excess emotion, yet with an unmistakably paternal tone.
He waited for her nod of consent and allowed himself an approving smile.
"I admire your resolve, Mary. And now — would you care for some coffee?"
...
After passing through the corridor and once again walking through the winter garden, Robert opened the door to the shop's main hall, where the air was thick with the rich scent of treated leather and dry wood. A lot had changed here over the past six months — Mary remembered the place differently.
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One of the walls was entirely devoted to neat rows of canes: from flexible rattan and knotted bamboo to modern versions made of fiberglass and nylon. On the opposite side, arranged almost like gallery exhibits, were other implements. Heavy leather straps hung from hooks beside intricately braided whips. Smooth paddles crafted from different types of wood — with holes or without — awaited their buyers, striking in their clean lines and flawless workmanship.
By the dark oak checkout counter, next to a small display case featuring clothing clips and Stinging Tails branded merchandise, stood an elegant metal brochure rack.
Its upper tiers held themed postcards: artistic black-and-white photographs focused on the aesthetic of the body after a spanking — delicate red lace-like stripes across the skin and strict, composed poses of obedience.
On the shelf below lay brochures in both soft and hard covers, similar to the one Mary was already holding in her hands about the discipline technique "in a corner." This was more than simple advertising — it was an entire library for those who wanted to learn more about methods of upbringing and the application of corporal punishment according to the Stinging Tails approach.
Robert allowed Mrs. Clark a moment to look around, then, with a polite gesture, invited her over to the display of literature. It didn't take him long to pull a brochure from the Discipline Advice series, this one subtitled "Traditional Corrective Methods in Education."
"Take this, Mary. You and your husband really ought to have read it sooner — it's time to catch up on what you've been missing."
The young woman accepted the brochure, pressing it shyly to her chest.
"Do you really think we've lost half a year of proper upbringing?"
"Judging by the fact that you brought Diana here — and the situation she's now in — it's clear her discipline has suffered from your inaction. It would have been better, Mary, if you had picked up that booklet when I suggested it six months ago, instead of letting her go this long without proper guidance."
He watched as her cheeks deepened to a richer crimson. She lowered her eyes and busied herself slipping both books into her shoulder bag — anything to avoid just standing there, burning with embarrassment.
"You're right, Robert. I… I can feel the guilt physically. Sometimes I feel like a bad mother when Diana does something foolish…"
"Recognizing your guilt is already half the work of making amends," Robert said with a small smile.
She timidly raised her eyes, looking at the man — nearly twice her age — with a mix of surprise and intensity.
"My father used to say something like that…"
"Then he must have been a wise man."
She nodded.
"You know, Robert, he never punished me. But only now do I truly understand his words — and yours. The other half is atonement through punishment."
Bob watched the woman in silence, sensing her hesitation and inner conflict.
"Yes, Mrs. Clark. Punishment serves many purposes, and atonement is one of them… it allows a person to unburden their soul. That doesn't mean you're free to make new mistakes afterward — no. Another purpose of punishment is to guard against future wrongdoing. As for Diana's upbringing, not all is lost. But the weight of responsibility for what's already been done — that would be best left behind."
She left his side and moved toward the center of the store, putting a few paces between them. Her gaze drifted over the implements on display while his words echoed in her mind.
"Robert… Mr. Stern…" She glanced around, as if to make sure no one else could hear them, though there was no one else in the store. "…Would you punish me? I want to be free of this guilt… and to go on raising Diana without regretting the time we've lost."
"A caning, Mrs. Clark…" He deliberately addressed her as Mrs. Clark now, subtly emphasizing that she was not a little girl, but a grown woman — one who deserved punishment.
It wasn't a question so much as a statement, yet she still replied, "Yes."
"It will be very painful. And humiliating, Mrs. Clark…"
"…but it will help me, won't it?"
"If your repentance is sincere, the cane will help you completely," Robert said, without excess emotion, yet with an unmistakably paternal tone.
He waited for her nod of consent and allowed himself an approving smile.
"I admire your resolve, Mary. And now — would you care for some coffee?"
***
