Aethelred

This is not my first story but I'm hardly a prolific writer and this probably isn't the best story, but it aims to be fun at least: After a long day at work I find myself sitting alone at a table in an upscale restaurant, patiently waiting for my date to turn arrive, sipping on a delightful cocktail I checked my phone, she had already messaged to say she was running late and that i should get seated and have a drink. I skim through her profile again. "Angelique" 32, 6' 2" doesn't smoke, drinks socially, omnivore Enjoys good food, cooking, cocktails, twilight strolls, good conversation, reading, philosophy travel, design, architecture and art. Dislikes assholes, asparagus, snakes and churches. Tucked away at the bottom "prefers miss our ma'am unless otherwise instructed" While reading this and committing it to memory I hear some heels clicking across the stone floor of the restaurant, glancing up i see a woman looking very much like the photos on the internet, dressed to the nines in a perfectly fitting red dress, I resist the urge to pinch myself to ensure i hadn't drifted into the realm of fantasy. As she walks to the table i can't help but notice that she doesn't so much walk as glide, walking with an elegance and poise I've not quite seen before. As the waiter escorted her to the table I stand to greet her, now somewhat awestruck. Usually when you met people the photos are an idealized curated representation here it was quite the opposite. she had dark hair and milky white skin that almost seemed to shine, silver and diamond jewelry complemented the effect. We sit again and I have to force myself to get some words out: "Good evening Miss, I hope this isn't too forward of me, but you look absolutely stunning" Immediately Angelique smiled "Thank you sweetie, you're looking adorable yourself" I'm wearing black trousers, a white shirt and a red brocade waistcoat. "Dress smart, wear something red" was one of her instructions when we were setting this rendezvous up. "So, I see you can read and follow instructions" Angelique beamed "this seems to be a rare quality in boys these days, please call me Angelique" I feel myself blushing both at the tone and the very fact I'm was being complimented, it's not something I'm particularly used to. "Thank You, Angelique, I do my best" We peruse the menu for a moment "have you been here before?" I ask " do you have any suggestions?" "yes, absolutely this is one of my favorites, you can't go wrong with anything, they're known for the steak but the seafood dishes are great too and the brussel sprouts here are amazing" "Thanks, I was leaning towards the dry aged rib eye, and brussel sprouts are literally my favorite" as i say this i also shuddered slightly at the price of it. If the choice of restaurant was anything to go by Angelique certainly had expensive tastes, in the back of my mind i hoped she'd volunteer to split the bill, while spending a couple hundred dollars on a meal wouldn't break the bank it was far more than i would usually spend, especially on a first date. Angelique looked up from the wine list "do you like red wine? They have one of my favorites if you'd like to split it?" "Absolutely, I'm not the biggest wine connoisseur but I definitely enjoy it" Exactly on queue as if summoned the waiter appears. "Are you ready to order madame or do you need some more time?" "No, we're ready. We'll start with the scallops, I'll go for a New York strip, rare, he'll have the ribeye, medium rare and we'll split the brussel sprouts. Also the 2016 reserve Cabernet" After taking the menus we're left alone again. At this point I'm a little flushed, I've never had someone order for me in a restaurant especially not on a first date and I'm really liking where this is going. I run though a the profile in my head trying to think of something to talk about. "So, I read on your profile you're into philosophy, do you have any favorite philosophers?" Maybe a little heavy for a first topic but we'll see where this goes "oh absolutely I've always been partial to Nietzsche, I love what he has to say about exceptional people and how we should seek to be truly exceptional and live by our own internal code" For the next 2 hours the conversation flows we span multiple subjects and I can't find a single subject that she doesn't seem extremely well versed, with a depth of knowledge that I wonder where she finds the time to learn all of this, we go on journeys down rabbit holes I don't even know exist. The meal as promised was exquisite with everything being perfectly cooked and seasoned, eventually with the wine gone and having polished off a cheese plate it comes time to leave. The waiter brings the check and curiously hands it's directly to Angelique. I reach into my pocket and pull out my wallet. Angelique smiles again "don't be silly sweetheart, I've got this" she says Again I find myself blushing "are you sure? I could get this? Or we could split it?" "Do I look confused?" She retorts in a stern but still caring tone "now put that away and let me get this" The restaurant is a short walk from my apartment but she had mentioned getting driven here. "Can I wait with you until your car arrives?" I ask, hoping to prolong the evening just that little bit longer. "Of course you can sweetie" we walk outside the restaurant but again exactly like with the waiter a black Mercedes pulls up as if summoned out of the ether, I haven't seen her touch a phone or anything. "This is me" she says "I really enjoyed our dinner" before giving me a chance to reply she pops a single kiss on my cheek and jumps into the car. At this point the walk home is a daze, I'm almost floating. Drunk on infatuation and excitement (and a bottle of wine for good measure) Arriving home I mix myself an old fashioned and sit on the sofa to reflect. My phone bings telling me I have another match on the dating app, I would normally be taking a look, but it no longer seems worthwhile. I glance at my profile. Alex Evans, 30, 5' 11" It goes into some depth but the gist of it is I'm a nerd and an engineer who enjoys making things (food, beer, trebuchet etc) I wonder what made me catch the eye of this incredible woman, do I deserve her and while she might have paid this time, I can't afford that kind of restaurant every day. As fun as the evening has been, all things must come to an end and I head to bed and collapse face forward into it, falling asleep almost instantly.

Thanks! well... eventually we end up in 2020, Where we're all stuck inside hopefully diapered In all seriousness I haven't quite decided, i know where chapter 3, 4 and probably 5 will go beyond that i'll either finish it or take.a B line into the abyss. I guess we'll see.

02 - A New Routine Adam slowly came to, his sleep had been extremely deep and dreamless prompted by the sheer exhaustion he felt after last nights punishment, as he came to he looked around taking stock of his surroundings, looking over he saw Sam still sound asleep in his bed on the other side of the room, the day was bright and the room despite the early morning still felt warm, glancing around he saw the clock read 6:55 - this was earlier than he usually woke up but probably late enough that he shouldn't go back to sleep, especially as it being Monday he would have to be up for school soon, he thought about how usually he would be glad of it being the last week of term but now he wasn't so sure. As Adam went to sit up he became acutely aware that his bottom was still sore and also that his nappy was soaked, feeling around the mattress he was thankful that he hadn't leaked as he went to stand get out of bed he remembered that Melanie had told him not to get out of bed until she came to get him, he wondered if that still applied but decided that it was better not to take any chances right now. The last thing he wanted was to make anyone angry this morning, laying back down under the covers he used the time to just relax in the quiet stillness of the morning. It would probably be the last quiet he had for a while as Melanie tried to wrangle her 3 kids and get them out of the house. About 5 minutes later an alarm could be clearly heard in the next room, a few minutes later he could hear footsteps from Nick and Melanie's room, followed by the shower turning on. Moments later Melanie was knocking on Micheal and Kathy's doors, yelling that they needed to get up, quite why it was necessary to yell that loud Adam wasn't sure - and it wasn't a way he relished being woken up every morning. After Micheal and Kathy yelled that they were both awake the door to the room abruptly opened Sam at this point was just coming to, still not fully awake, Melanie walked in, still clad in her pajamas. She walked straight over to to Sam and without a word pulled the covers off of him, she untaped his nappy, grabbed some wipes and began cleaning him off after that was finished she simply said "Get your uniform on and your teeth brushed, we have a leave early today as i'm meeting Micheal's teacher before school". Immediately she walked over to Adam, who at this point was sat on the edge of his bed with the covers tossed at the end. "Lay down" she instructed her intention to repeat the same process with him clear as she still held the tub of baby wipes "It's OK, you don't need to worry about me. I deal with this and clean myself in the shower" Adam interjected "You don't have time for a shower, Nick will be in there a while and then we have to leave" "Can i at least clean myself up?" Adam asked "No. I have to make sure you're clean. I can't send you to school smelling, and i have to see if you're wet or dry every morning" Reluctantly Adam lay back on the bed, Melanie untaped his nappy and allowed the front to flop down onto the bed, it was clearly at capacity and if used any more would have leaked. Methodically she cleaned his groin area "lift your legs up"came the next instruction. Adam remembered being cleaned and changed like this when he was younger and felt a little humiliated to be treated like this again however after a brief hesitation he complied and Melanie held his legs up, pushing slightly to lift his bottom, his butt cheeks were wiped then the inside of his butt crack, which made him feel even more humiliated however with his still sore behind already bared and on display this was hardly the time to say anything. The nappy was pulled from underneath him and Melanie let go of his legs. "Get your uniform on and get downstairs" Melanie instructed, "I want to be gone in half an hour." The school uniform at this stage was simple enough, just a white shirt, black shorts and a maroon pull over (which they still had to carry around despite the summer weather). Pulling these out of the wardrobe he dressed quickly next to Sam, both of whom were then headed downstairs at the same time, Micheal and Kathy followed only a minute or so behind, all helped themselves to bowls of cereal, threw their bowls in the dishwasher then brushed their teeth at the kitchen sink. Nick was seen flying past the kids a hurry to get to work, he didn't even acknowledge their presence as he headed out the door. Moments later Melanie appeared at the bottom of the stairs and warned "i'm going to start smacking in 5 minutes if anyone isn't out the door". This obviously lit a fire under all of the kids who hurried towards the front door and hurried to get their shoes on and out the door. From here things returned briefly to a normal state, Adam and Micheal always walked to school together, maybe not this early but this was a usual daily occurrence and after arriving at school they always hung out in the same group until the bell rang, only this time they were half an hour early so the 4 of them were the only children in the playground, though not for long as there was a gradual trickle of arrivals. After about 20 minutes Melanie left her meeting with the teacher stopping by just to say she was leaving and she'd be there at 3:15 to pick us up. Seemingly far too soon as always the bell rang to signal that all the children should go to assembly, this was a daily occurrence and involved a prayer, a hymn and some words for the headmaster and participation was mandatory, something Adam didn't relish as he'd never been convinced in the existence of any gods despite how much he'd been taught about this supposed figure. Though the most important thing about assembly was that apart from when you were singing you sat perfectly still and were perfectly silent and generally avoided catching the headmaster eye. The man was generally a tyrant, it seemed he hated children and many wondered what he was doing in education in the first place. If you talked, fidgeted too much, didn't appear to be singing or generally just caught his eye he would point you out and tell you to stay after, most days there was at least one child in this boat. The punishment for whatever happened seems to be purely dependent on how he was feeling a couple whacks of the slipper was the common remedy but writing lines at breaktime, or simply having to stand and face the wall in the playground was also on the cards though in what i assume was an especially foul mood he had caned two of Adam's friends for talking before, one stroke on each hand - and they weren't repeat offenders. After assembly they were taken to class by the teachers, in silence and walking single file. Adam had developed a general apathy to school at this point, one of the downsides of being academically gifted is that if the work doesn't advance at the rate of the student they can become bored, and this perfectly described Adam at this stage, though his teacher Mr Schwartz was doing everything he could to keep Adam stimulated - he just had 30 other students to deal with - and generally they spend more time with the ones that are struggling than the ones who were bored, it was generally understood that the smart ones would be alright whatever happened. In other school systems Adam probably would have skipped a grade or two, but that was not done here. At least Mr Schwartz was known to be one of the most kind hearted teachers at the school, he was the kind of teacher who never needed to raise his voice as the kids just listened to him. He would also go out of his way to run the sports programs and the after school cricket club. School generally progressed like any other day with Adam completing the reading and worksheets in half the time as the other students then spending most of his time daydreaming. through until lunch, at lunch most of Adam's friends spent most of their time talking about which different schools they were going to next, with the catchment areas for 2 schools overlapping in depending on which side of the primary school you happened to live on their 6 member gang was basically split down the middle. There was little realisation at the time that some in the group would basically never speak again after the end of the week. The rest of the day basically passed as normal, more lessons, meeting Melanie outside of the school then heading back to their house. After school the kids were simply left to play outside in the neighborhood until dinner. Usually at this point Adam would have gone home to his parents however today he saw his mother's car coming back but with nick at the wheel. At this point the kids headed in, Nick was just firing up dinner - many people thought it odd especially in the 80's that Nick did all of the cooking and he cooked things that many in england at the time weren't used to eating. Indian vegetable curries, thai food, fresh pizza, etc. it seemed to be one of the few things he truly enjoyed and one of his few creative outlets given he spent all day running tests on aviation components. Dinner that evening was curry and Adam certainly knew that when it came time to go home he would not miss the food. His parents seldom had time to cook and usually did so with the aid of a microwave. At dinner everyone sat around and talked about their day. Micheal had apparently been selected to draw the flyer for the schools summer fete and fundraiser and was rather exited about that. Nick was seemingly still thrilled about being allowed to use the jag for the month apparently when he turned up and parked in the lot for the manufacturing building the word had spread around the building about it and everyone wanted to know where he got it after all it probably cost more than a years pay for him and only executives would get a car like that on the company. After dinner everyone sat around and watched TV for a couple hours, with a minor break when Adam's dad called. He had little time to chat but wanted to check in on everything. At 8:30 the proclamation again came: "Adam, Sam go upstairs so I can get you ready for bed" This time Adam made no attempt to protest and the 2 of them walked upstairs with Melanie following behind them this time Sam was changed into a nappy first after Melanie was done Adam asked "Can i put my own nappy on?" "No, i'll put it on, i want to make sure its on properly and so you don't leak" "But i do it every night at home and i don't leak there, Please?" "I said No" Melanie replied grabbing Adam and landing 2 hard smacks on the backs of his thighs "Some things will be different for the next month. It will be easier if you just go along with it" Adam removed his shorts and underpants and laid on the bed, Melanie again removed the nappy from the pack, lifted his butt and slid it underneath him, she applied a liberal amount of baby powder, drew up the front and taped his diaper closed. "Don't forget, the rule is you can't get out of bed until i've come to check and clean you, Ok?" Melanie asked, looking Adam in the eyes "OK" Adam replied Melanie closed the door and walked outside. At this point Adam did his best to try to sleep, but it was still light out and significantly earlier than he was used to, after what felt like an eternity, and the sun finally went down Adam finally managed to doze off. The rest of the week progressed very much in a similar fashion with the exception of Adam discovering how bathing was handled in this house, given that it only had one bathroom the kids always bathed 3 nights a week before bedtime, usually one after the other. Though as Adams bedtime was the same as Sam's and it seems in every respect related to bedtime Melanie had decided that Adam was going to be treated the same as Sam she bathed them both together. Which Adam found very embarrassing, though the whole experience was also slightly tender and maternal - something he seldom got from his own mother. Adam thought that he didn't actually mind being here too much and was actually now looking forward to the summer holidays starting. Unfortunately as is the way in life sometimes, the rest of the week couldn't pass uneventfully and this time it really wasn't Adam's fault. Friday came around, the last day of the school term, the kids were shipped off to school as per usual instead of doing any work the teachers simply put films on for the children - occasionally trying to pretend they had educational value (years later i would find out that the teachers went to a local pub the night before the last day of term so were all nursing hangovers). At lunchtime Adam had left his group to go use the bathroom, it was at this point that Jake (who was part of a group that for some reason decided they hated the group that Adam hung around in) spotted him. He thought that it would be tremendous fun to try and give Adam a wedgie. As Jake was trying to grab hold of Adam's underpants Adam span around and pushed him away. Jake then pushed Adam up against the wall and pinned him there Adam struggled to get away, but Jake held him there, throwing all kinds of insults and even spat in his face. At this point Adam lost it, he came out swinging not holding back and landing a punch where-ever he could land one before long both boys were tussling on the floor with Adam actually having the upper hand. Within a couple of minutes the headmaster came running out of his office - attracted by the commotion. The headmaster grabbed each of them by and arm and literally hoisted them to their feet. He then dragged them to his office door and almost threw them inside. "What is the meaning of this!" he thundered, angry and red in the face "We do not allow fighting in this school! I simply wont have it, explain yourselves" At this point both boys were terrified and both started speaking at the same time. "STOP" the headmaster yelled. "You first boy" he said pointing at Adam Adam relayed the truth to the headmaster about how he was just going to the toilet and had been set upon. "Is this true boy?" the headmaster said looking at Jake Jake then spat out a web of lies, that Adam was the aggressor, that Adam had set upon him with no reason and had just started hitting him. At this point the headmasters anger seemed to boil over. "Enough. I'm not sure which of you is telling the truth and i'm not inclined to waste my time finding out." the headmaster half yelled at the 2 boys "If neither one of you owns up i shall simply beat the both of you, now i'm going to give the liar 15 minutes to come forward, now pick a corner and stand in it" Adam stared at the wall hoping that Jake would come forward - however for Jake the both of them getting beaten was certainly preferable to just him getting beaten. The 15 minutes seemed like an eternity and at the end of it the headmaster summoned them to stand infront of his desk and asked "Is either of you willing to come forward?" Neither boy said anything "very well then" the headmaster said, walking over the the cupboard in the corner of the room at this point he retrieved the cane and the punishment book, sitting down at his desk he opens the book to the latest page "Whats your name and class?" he says looking at Jake "Jake Smith, Miss Leonard" The Headmaster adds a new entry into the book: Jake Goodwin - S Leonard - Fighting - 6 strokes with the cane on the backside "And you boy?" he asks Adam "Adam Whitby - Mr Schwartz" the next entry is added: Adam Whitby - Mr Schwartz - Fighting - 6 strokes with the cane on the backside. The head master picks up the cane from his desk, Looking at Adam he orders "go stand in the corner face the wall" next he says to Jake "Assume the position" Adam unable to see behind him hears the headmaster swishing the cane a couple times through the air, each sound makes him flinch, he's been here twice before so knows what to expect, never had six strokes though. The headmaster swishes the cane through the air a couple times then: *swish* *crack* Adam hears the first stoke land and counts to himself "one" Jake doesn't make a sound *swish* *crack* Again the cane lands, Jake stays silent *swish* *crack* at this point Jake lets out a grunt *swish* *crack* Now a wimper *swish* *crack* Now jake screams out in pain *swish* *CRACK* this one lands and is clearly harder than the others Jake now starts sobbing "Switch places" the headmaster orders Adam moves over to the desk, He has to slightly hop to get his upper body on to it. The headmaster lines the cane up on Adam's bottom, Adam feels the cane move away from his butt then: *swish* *crack* Adam yells out not having any pretense of needing to remain stoic as a line of fire erupts across his bottom. The headmaster lines up another stroke. *swish* *crack* This one just below the first, Adam cries out again. *swish* *crack* this one hits where his bottom meets his thighs and Adam cries out and starts openly sobbing *swish* *crack* Adam screeches continuing to sob *swish* *crack* *swish* *CRACK* The headmaster delivers the final 2 in quick succession, Adams butt is on fire and he simply lays on the desk sobbing. The headmaster leaves him a minute before pulling him upright. "Now go to your class and tell your teachers that you'll be in here the rest of the afternoon, I want to speak to your parents when they come to pick you up" The rest of the afternoon is spent sat in absolute silence in the headmasters office, The final bell eventually rings and Melanie and Jakes mother are summoned inside the office the two boys are instructed to stand outside. After what seems like an eternity Melanie takes Adam by the arm and leads him out of the school. "We're not going to do anything now, but when you get back i'm going to put you to bed then we'll discuss it with Nick" The walk home largely consists of the other children walking ahead while Adam stays silent at Melanie's side. After getting home Melanie takes Adam to bed. "Lay down" she instructs, Adam removes his shorts and underwear and lays on the bed. Melanie makes quick work of fastening him into a diaper and tucks him into bed she then walks away, Adam falls quickly asleep feeling exhausted. The next thing he knows there is a knock at the bedroom door. Nick opens it and walks in carrying the strap he sits down on Adams bed "Sit up and look me in the eye" Nick says softly but firmly "I want you to tell me exactly what happened" Adam goes on to explain the whole situation, with Jake pinning him into a corner, then lying, then not coming forward and ending up with him taking the cane when he didn't deserve it. Throughout this Adam cries and sobs thinking he's going to get the strap. "Are you going to strap me not?" Adam asks "No, i believe you, the strap was for if i didn't" Nick replies giving Adam a hug. "If it weren't the last day of term i'd have words with the headmaster, Do you want to come down for dinner, or i can bring it up? "Bring it up please" Adam is fed and falls back to sleep, his bottom still throbbing, but at least someone believed him.

--- Intro: My first shot at actually posting anything so please be gentle, this is essentially a dramatisation inspired my my own childhood. While mostly fictional it is inspired by reality --- Adam awoke this morning still tired, still exhausted from the crying he'd done the previous night, still upset, still angry about the unfairness of it all but despite all that simmering beneath the surface Adam was at least now resigned to his predicament. Adam's parents were both high flying professionals, his father an engineering manager and his mother a senior executive at a large local company (a very unusual thing at the time). Both of their jobs included copious travel, rarely did this travel overlap, this time both were required to be away for the same month. Because his only local family was his grandmother who at this point was in her 70s and too infirm to look after a 10 year old for any length of time. A deal had been arranged with the family next door that Adam would stay with them for the month. Adam laid still in bed, not wanting to get out of bed, not wanting the day to start, his clothes and books had been moved over the previous night today all he was doing was waiting for the car to turn up for his father when he would have to leave his house. He probably just laid there for about 30 minutes before his father entered the room and urged "Come on Adi is time to get up, the driver will be here in and hour and I need to be ready to go when he gets here and I assume you need to shower?" This was his dad's way of subtly asking if he was wet this morning, despite being almost 11 Adam had never grown out of wetting the bed, it was unchanging and almost constant, while some children wet the bed sporadically Adam probably was wet 6 nights in 7, the physicians just blamed this on an undeveloped bladder and that he would eventually grow out of it. Part of this was probably down to the fact that he was a premature birth and still extremely small for his age, despite his age he was still able to use the largest size baby nappies. "Ok, i'll get up and yes i need to use the shower" Adam replied somewhat dejectedly with this Adam sat up in bed, paused briefly to rub his eyes then got up and made his way to the bathroom, once there - as had become his routine since he was old enough to shower himself he turned the shower on, waiting for the water to heat, undid the tapes on his nappy, balled it up and dropped it into the trash can. After stepping into the shower his mind ran on overdrive, he'd stayed with Melanie and Nick next door after school every day for years and all day in the summer holidays but only ever spent 1 night, he wondered what it would be like sharing a room for the first time in his life, he also dreaded the stricter routine he knew he'd face, not just for a few hours a day but all the time. All the thoughts came to an end as his dad knocked on the door to remind him it was time to get out. After dying and dressing he headed downstairs, his dad had made boiled egg with soldiers (toast cut into strips later to be dunked into the egg) and was waiting to eat with him before leaving. "Tell me again why you have to go to America right now?" Adam asked "Its the biggest trade show in the world, I go every year, then i'm overseeing the new office in Canada" His dad replied "i know this isn't the way you wanted to begin your summer - but neither of us have much of a choice in the matter. I tried to only go for the show but this has been in flight for a long time and with your mums company in a crisis she couldn't stay either. We'll just have to make the best of it" Almost on queue as he'd finished speaking the doorbell rang, almost certainly the driver and about 15 minutes early - it seems that when you want a few more minutes they are always early and when you're ready and waiting they're always late... Adams father jumped up to get the door, pointed the driver at where the bags were and jumped into a flurry of activity to get everything in the house squared away, Adam hurried through his breakfast so the dishes could be put in the dishwasher. A few minutes later Adam was being ushered out the door his father gave him a hug and said: "i'll be back before you know it, only a few weeks and once your mum and i are back in the country we'll take a trip somewhere, good luck and good bye" "ok, have a safe trip and bring me back something" Adam replied After watching his father step into the black Mercedes and it carry on down the road he wandered next door simply opening the door letting himself in, he'd been there so much there was no formality any more, besides he'd been there so much it was practically his second home. Upon entering what he was greeted with was a sight of barely managed chaos his own home, with just him and his parents was neat, mostly tidy and ordered. The Smith's house was another thing entirely, with the 3 kids (Micheal, Kathy and Sam) there was rarely any order in where things were. Toys, homework, books seemingly occupied random places until the kids were made to find a home for it. He walked in to find the living room empty. moving towards the back of the house he finds Melanie in the kitchen cleaning up after breakfast. "Good Morning, has your dad already left?" Melanie asked "Yes, just a couple minutes ago" Adam replied "Did you eat already? I just made breakfast but if you didn't have time i can make some toast" "I Ate" Adam replied "Eggs, my dad wanted to sit together before he left, so thanks anyway" "Ok, well i guess you know where everything is, Micheal and Sam are in the garden so i suggest you go join them" Melanie continued "Kathy has been an insufferable brat all weekend, then had a tantrum at breakfast so Nick has just taken her upstairs to deal with her, you've probably arrived in the eye of the storm, so i suggest you don't go up there for a while" Adam shuddered slightly hearing this, he always felt sorry for the kids next door. While his parents were laid back, only stepping in when needed, and handling most disagreements and discipline by talking about issues and almost never resorting to spanking him. The regime here was much stricter the list of things that could earn you a few swats with Melanie's hand or spoon were seemingly endless. The list of things that could earn you a bare bottom spanking were only slightly less endless and these hurt and left you sobbing (Adam had received more than a few of these) however when Nick decided something warranted him dealing with it it was another thing entirely. He'd never experienced a punishment from Nick, mainly because his parents got home at the same time Nick did however he'd heard their kids talking about it, always hard, always the strap, you were always left sobbing on the bed and your bottom burned for hours after. Adam always thought it odd that his parents almost never hit him and had voiced their disagreement with doing so but seemingly had no problem with others doing so, Melanie spanked him whenever she thought it warranted, instead of going to the standard school a few miles away he went to the Church of England school down the road where they had no qualms using the cane or slipper to keep order and his grandmother had caned him on more than one occasion. Hurrying outside not wanting to listen to or think about what was about to happen inside the house he found Micheal and Sam kicking a ball around and quickly integrated himself into the game, after an hour or so of this Micheal and Adam decided that we wanted to go to the shop for ice cream, Adam having been given a significant advance on his pocket money, and that they might be allowed to take our bikes to the shop then go to the park, this upset Sam somewhat as he knew that he was still considered too young to go onto the busy road with the shop on. Micheal walked to the kitchen door with Adam in tow "Can we go out on our bikes?" Micheal asked his mother, now sat at the table reading "Where are you going?" she asked "Just to the shop for ice cream, then to the park" "Ok, Just be back by six for dinner" This was a common thing at the time - as unthinkable as it would be today children (once it was felt they were old enough) pretty much had free roam of the estate, nobody worried much about traffic, and everyone knew everyone else, there was never any question that the children would be safe. The pair cycled to the corner shop then proceeded to spend entirely too long debating the merits of getting a cornetto, knickerbocker, calypso or any of the other various frozen treats, this lead to the storekeeper (a kindly old man named John who'd been there seemingly as long as anyone can remember) wandering over and saying: "Are you two just going to stand there all day? If you're there any longer i might mistake you for staff and find something for you to be getting on with" chuckling to him self slightly. "No sir" Adam replied "i think we've got it worked out, thanks" The two boys picked out two cornettos and walked towards the counter to pay the attendant. "There's no need for that this time boys, they're on the house today, just tell your parents i said hi" John said with a smile Their spirits boosted by their good fortune the two thanked the shopkeeper, popping the ice creams in their bag and headed off as fast as they could for the short ride to the playing fields, arriving there and finding shade beneath a tree they parked and ate their ice creams and generally whiled away a portion of the summer afternoon. Shortly after a mutual friend David came by, accompanied by his brother and carrying a cricket set, it was at that point that a pick up game was formed and the rest of the afternoon lost to bowling, batting and fielding. After a few hours of this with the sun starting to drop beneath the trees David's brother started suggesting that he needed to go home to use the bathroom, it was only at this point that everyone came to the realization that none of them knew what time it was as each had neglected to wear a watch this led to some trepidation that there may be some trouble when they got home, but they figured they couldn't be in too much trouble given that nobody had come to find them yet. Hurriedly the wickets were pulled out of the ground and everything packed away and Micheal and Adam raced home, stashing their bikes in the garage and heading though the side door into the kitchen. Upon walking though the door both boys gulped internally, it was 6:07. Both hoped that they might be let off with a warning, after all they were only 7 minutes late, this hope was immediately dashed when a slightly irate Melanie was heard yelling from the living room "Michel, Adam is that you?" "It's us mum" Michael yelled back Seemingly within seconds Melanie was in the kitchen standing in front of the 2 boys. I think to most people being 7 minutes late wouldn't have been an issue but to Melanie she had given a command and it was not obeyed, no matter how small the infraction it was a direct challenge to her authority. "I told you to be home by 6" she stated Michel went to open his mouth, before he could say anything Melanie cut him off "I don't want to know why, I expect to be obeyed" Melanie walked past the boys reached into the utensil holder and pulled out the wooden spoon. Taking a couple steps back she grabs Michael by the arm, learns down and *SMACK* *SMACK* *SMACK *SMACK* deals 4 hard and fast blows with the spoon to his backside. Michael cries out softly in pain Next she steps over to Adam grabs his arm tightly, hard enough that just being held on to is painful *SMACK* *SMACK* *SMACK *SMACK* delivers the same to him "owww" Adam cries as the traces of tears are brought to his eyes. "Let that be a lesson in punctuality to the both of you" she says "now we're getting fish and chips for dinner, go tell Nick what you want" Both boys wander into the living room "cod and chips please" says Adam "Saveloy and chips please" follows Micheal. "Well as you two have been holding us up you can come with me to get it" Nick says add he grabs his notepad, making a note of the 2 extra orders The party head out the door, it's at this point Adam notices his mother's brand new Jaguar XJS parked on the drive, obviously they were looking after more than a child, and Nick wanted to take the jag for a spin. The car ride was silent, Adam subdued by their recent encounter with the spoon doesn't really feel like saying much. If he'd have been a few minutes late at home nobody would have said anything. It all seemed rather unfair, but at least fish and chips was a treat this evening. Pulling up outside Nick hands Adam the notepad with the order on and some money, "Can you go inside and get it? Here's the money" "Sure, 3 cod, 2 savs, a fishcake and 2 large chips. Anything we forgot?" "Mushy peas and curry sauce, I never write them down as we always get them" Nick replies" After running in and placing the order Adam returns with the change "I know I've said this before, but your mum has phenomenal taste in cars" Nick says "I've been wanting one of these for years but with 3 kids and only 4 seats it just doesn't work" " I wouldn't call this a seat" Michael chimes from the back " my legs can barely even fit back here! " After some more idle chatter one of the fish shop owners came out with the food and passed it through the window. "Thanks Christos" I say "It's Alex" he replies but smiles he's used to being mistaken for his brother. Two Greek twins running a fish shop and wearing identical uniforms, it could get rather confusing. My dad could always tell but had known both for years. After a somewhat spirited drive home dinner passed without incident, Kathy was downstairs eating with the family seemingly now having recovered but being a model of her best behavior. After dinner we all sat down to watch the last of the weekend television. As 8:30 came around and one show ended Melanie announced "Adam, Sam go upstairs so I can get you ready for bed" Immediately Sam got up and started walking to the door. "I don't want to go to bed, not at the same time as Sam, he's only 7 and at home I don't go to bed until 10, I'm not tied" replied Adam " Well, you're not at home and when you're here you get ready for bed when I say and you go to bed when I say, now get upstairs" Melanie half snarled Now to this day Adam isn't sure what came over him next, maybe it were just everything seeming so unfair, just not wanting to set a precedent of going to bed so early, or maybe just needing to push the limits of his current arrangement. " No, I will not go to bed, I don't want to, this isn't fair, my bedtime is 10 and I'm not going until 10 " At that moment it seemed time stood still everyone passed a few glances between everyone in the room, but most eyes fixed on me. Nothing is said but Adam notices both Nick and Melanie standing up and moving towards me. Both of them grab one of my arms simultaneously. " I'll deal with this today" Melanie states And with that, before Adam even has a chance to react Adam's arm is held in her vice like grip while she half drags half chases him out of the living room and up the stairs landing swats with her hand on his bottom, seemingly with enough force to propel him. The onslaught doesn't stop until they are at the top of the stairs and in Sam's bedroom across the hall. At which point Adam is already in tears and crying. Melanie sits on the bed and draws him in front of her. " I don't care what you do at home, you're in my house now and I will not be dictated to by a child, you will do as you are told, you should know this already. Now I'm going to give you exactly one chance to avoid Nick coming up here with the belt after I'm done with you. Pull down your shorts and underpants" Despite being scared Adam complies immediately " Go get the hairbrush off of the chest of drawers" Adam wordlessly walks over, slowed as he is by his underwear around his ankles retrieves the hairbrush coming back he hands it to Melanie, as he picks it up he realizes that this one is Sam's Michael's hairbrush is much more solid, though it's a small Mercy "I'm sorry" he begs "I'll go to bed" "You've earned this, more than this and I'm letting you off lightly, if it were any other time Nick would be here not me and you'd be getting the strap" Melanie replies " I wasn't even asking you to go to bed, just or go upstairs so that I could put your nappy on you at the same time as I put Sam's nappy on, I would have let you come back downstairs down for a while. But you had to challenge me, now your getting your bottom smacked hard until you've learned and for the next week your bedtime is the same as Sam's. Now over" Leaving no time for Adam to respond she drew him across her lap. She went straight to work with the hairbrush. There were never any light smacks when Melanie punished, never any warm up. Adam was crying softly when this started from the few dozen smacks he'd received on the way up. After the first 10 he was crying freely, bucking and wriggling, begging for everything to stop and desperate to get away, at some point he kicked his pants clean off. After the 11th swat he reached back and put his hands in front of his bottom. This brought a very brief respite " You naughty boy. Don't you dare reach back, I'll stop when I'm though with you not before" With that she grabbed his hands, pinning them into the small of his back and moved her leg to secure his legs between her thighs. And started up again with renewed vigor, secured and unable to move he had no choice but to lie still. As the spanking went on crying turned to sobbing, then eventually he just lay there, not squirming, not wriggling just broken and defeated, this is when the spanking stopped. After being left to sob over her knee for a couple of minutes Adam was pulled upright. Melanie stood up " Lie on your back on the bed" Melanie instructed Adam lay on the bed, he had no fight left in him. Melanie grabbed a nappy from the pack at the end of his bed. This was not the time to mention he normally put this on himself at home. "Lift your bottom up" Melanie again instructed She placed the nappy underneath him, grabbed some baby powder off of the nightstand and applied it liberally before pulling up the front of the diaper and securing the tapes. "Now you're to stay in bed and stay quiet until I come get you in the morning and then all will be forgiven" Melanie said as she pulled the sheets over him She then went over to Sam who Adam now noticed on his bed, but had no idea how long he'd been there without a word between the two of them she put him in his nappies for the evening then walked to the door, turning off the light and shutting it. Adam simply lay there exhausted sobbing quietly to himself for a few minutes, before his brain simply shut down and for the second night in a row he cried himself to sleep.