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Thursday, July 5, 2012

London Gothic by John Booth


Peter watched Solly push Sal into the room. He almost failed to recognize her because her usual clothes and makeup were gone. All that was left of the goth look was Sal’s jet black hair, which currently looked disheveled, as though she’d been dragged backwards through a hedge.
Sal hadn’t a whisper of makeup left on her face. Peter thought she looked more beautiful like that, but under the circumstances he wasn’t going to tell her. She wore a nineteen sixties school uniform. It looked accurate except her pleated grey skirt was way too short.
Peter was particularly impressed by Sal’s school tie, replete with red and purple thick diagonal stripes. Her blouse sported a left breast pocket with an embroidered school badge on it. The badge included a rearing red dragon, which demonstrated Han No’s attention to detail. Peter made a mental note to remember that, it would undoubtedly be important in the future.
“Peter…” Sal began, but Peter held up his hand in a gesture to shut up. Sal felt the straightened herself up pulling her tie into its proper position before pushing the ends of her blouse into the ridiculously short skirt. Peter noticed her careful movements when she tucked in the back of her shirt and the flickers of pain on her face.
“You sold me out to Han No.” Peter stated. “The only way I could keep your father alive was to send you back while making it clear to Han No that I still cared for you. I ensured you remained a useful piece in the Game.”
Sal put her hands out imploringly. “He had me caned, Peter. They made me wear these clothes and put me in a room with a sadist in a headmaster’s uniform, cap and gown, the whole thing. He said they’d kill my dad if I didn’t obey him. It hurt, Peter, you’ve no idea how much it hurt.”
Sal burst into tears. He stared at her, seemingly unmoved by her tale.
Peter had a good idea how much her thrashing hurt. He wore a couple of scars on his buttocks from his session with the Commandant. Corporal punishment had always been a significant feature of Establishment schooling.
“Look for yourself!” Sal exclaimed angrily when Peter didn’t respond to her words or tears. She lifted up her skirt and pulled down her blue knickers. She turned and lifted up her micro skirt and bent over to give him a good view.
‘Obviously someone who takes pride in his work,’ was Peter’s first thought as he observed the finely spaced red and purple lines covering Sal’s bottom from the top of her cheeks down to her thighs. He mentally winced at the level of pain inflicted, but kept his face stiff and unyielding. He needed to be able to trust Sal but he was far from sure he could.
Sal pulled up her knickers carefully, making sure the elastic didn’t touch her skin. She was shocked by Peter’s lack of reaction.

London Gothic by John Booth

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