Haunting Astrid (7 page)

He didn’t keep me waiting, either. He started spanking with his hand, and when I thought my bottom couldn’t possibly hurt any worse, Joseph switched to the wooden spatula and I learned that I could hurt a whole lot more than I did!

“Stop, Joseph! Please! It hurts too much!” I knew I was begging, but I just couldn’t help myself. My backside was in burning with pain, and the spanks kept right on coming! “I can’t stand any more! Please stop! Joseph! Ow!”

“We are far from finished, young lady. What you did was wrong on so many levels I can’t begin to make you aware of all of them tonight. This spanking is to get your attention and let you know how disappointed I am that you would do such a thing… even as a joke!”

After several more heart-felt spanks with the spatula, Joseph switched to the hairbrush, and suddenly I didn’t want to know how it would feel smacking against my bottom. It hurt something awful, and I was sure that my delicate skin was going to be bruised. Joseph continued until I was sobbing my heart out and drained of any fight whatsoever, even to the point of being unable to beg further for mercy.

“I am going to give you a few minutes in the corner to compose yourself, Jodi. After you are calm, we will finish this punishment.” He walked me back to the corner and just left me there. I felt so miserable I didn’t know what to do. My butt was on fire, and I couldn’t imagine enduring even more punishment. Surely Joseph could see that I was totally done in…? I cried for what seemed like an hour, but finally I did manage to stop. I didn’t want to stand in the corner, but I knew that if I moved, the terrible punishment would continue. I didn’t want that at all!

Suddenly I realized he was behind me, very close, and his hand was on my bottom! "We're finished, Jodi Lynn. I was thinking of using my belt, but you've had enough." His voice sounded so sad, and suddenly I knew this was the worst part of the whole thing: disappointing him.

I let him help me to my bed, where I curled up into the fetal position, hugging my pillow as I sobbed and cried. My butt was ON FIRE and I just wanted to die in the moment. I didn’t think I could bear forty more days of this hell. I finally went to sleep, but when I woke I was terrified to move. Sometime after I fell asleep, Joseph must have put a blanket over my half nude body to keep me from catching a chill. I didn’t know if he was still here, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to talk to him if he was.

Sadly, I rolled out of bed and walked to the bathroom, and was almost in tears by the time I made it. Sitting to pee brought on more tears, and when I was done, I closed the bathroom door so that I could see the full-length mirror on the back of the door. I looked at my backside and gasped in horror. My bottom was still bright red, and there were even a few bruises! How would I ever survive another spanking? I took off the black tee shirt and bra I was wearing and put on the dorm shirt that was hanging in the bathroom. I winced when the fabric from the shirt skimmed over my sore cheeks. It hurt.

Joseph tapped on the door. “Are you okay in there, Jodi?”

“No!” I declared as I threw open the door to glare at him. “I have marks covering my entire backside! There was no need for you to be so mean. A hand spanking was more than enough.”

“We’ll talk about that after you’ve eaten.”

“I’m not going to sit down, Joseph. I am in agony.”

“Agony? I know you are sore, honey, but agony is a much stronger pain.”

“I’m still not going to sit down!” I dared to say.

“Jodi, listen carefully. I won’t tolerate disrespect, especially when you are being punished, which you are for the next forty days. If I tell you to sit, you will sit. Do not test me, young lady. I want to comfort you now, but sassy, disobedient girlfriends get punished a bit more to get rid of the pouting. Do you hear me?”

I nodded, tears filling my eyes again.
I didn’t want to sit down!

“I’ve got soup simmering on the stove, honey. Come and eat.”

Grudgingly I said, “Thank you.” The soup smelled delicious and one glance in the pan told me it was homemade. “You made this from scratch! I didn’t know you could cook.”

“I don’t have the time to cook often, but I love to when I can, and you have fixed me so many meals that I wanted to do the same for you.” He leaned down and kissed me lightly, and I could feel the love pouring from him. I was suddenly crying and clinging to Joseph. “It’s alright, honey. I promise it will be alright.” He held me close, offering comfort. Joseph kept telling me that he loved me, and I finally calmed down.

“I didn’t know I was going to do that,” I whispered, embarrassed.

“You are emotional now, Jodi. That is pretty normal after a spanking like I gave you. You’ll feel better once you eat and get some more sleep.”

“I don’t ever want another spanking like that!” I blurted the words before I could stop myself.

“I don’t ever want to give you another spanking like that one,” he replied so solemnly I knew he meant the words. He dished up our soup and I placed my bowl on the counter so I could stand to eat. I finished the first bowl and asked for more. That seemed to please Joseph. I finished that bowl, too.

“Really good, Joseph. You can cook for me any time.”

“Thank you kindly, Jodi Lynn.” I was surprised to see his cheeks were tinged with pink at my praise. We did the dishes together, and then Joseph took my hand and led me into the bedroom once again. I couldn’t help but tense up a bit. I didn’t want another punishment. “I think you’ll be more comfortable in here,” Joseph said kindly.

I had to agree with that. I could not sit for any reason. I was still in major pain. I crawled on the bed and lie on my side. To my surprise, Joseph took off his shoes and lie facing me. “Let’s talk now, Jodi Lynn.” I quickly discovered that Joseph’s idea of us talking was that he talked and I listened. He did ask me questions at times, and I did my best to answer. I slowly came to understand why he was being so firm with me. The thing that hurt even more than my bottom was that he was disappointed that I’d done something so naughty. He thought of things that hadn’t occurred to me, but since he is an attorney, it shouldn’t have been a surprise when he told me that I would have been guilty of murder if one of Astrid’s guests had a fear induced heart-attack and died due to the haunting. He made it very clear that I’d set myself up as judge and jury over Astrid, and that no man or woman has the right to do that. That is what laws are written for, and Judges and juries are picked to make these decisions. I understood why he gave me such a serious spanking, and I vowed I would never earn another one.

“While you were resting and the soup was cooking I gave some thoughts to the punishments you will accept over the next few weeks.”

“Joseph, I am begging you not to spank me again. Please!” I hurt so much that I couldn’t bear the thought of another spanking.

“I will not make that promise, young lady, but I will tell you that I won’t spank you again for a few days as long as you behave and accept the punishments you are given. I promise you aren’t going to enjoy the punishments, but if you accept them well, this will be over fairly soon. If you don’t accept them then you will simply extend the punishment and earn more spankings.”

“What kinds of punishments are you talking about?” I wanted to know.

“I will tell you when the time comes each day. But I will tell you it will be more like," I could see he was thinking carefully about how to phrase it, "consequences. Things to help you build character and consider your life.” He leaned over and kissed me on the cheek and then said, “I want you to close your eyes now and go to sleep. I’ll sleep on the sofa. If you need me during the night, just call me.” I promised I would. Surprisingly, it didn’t take long for me to fall asleep, in spite of my worry over what I still faced. I woke up once to see Joseph looking down at me.

“Shhh. I was just checking to make sure that you are alright; go back to sleep, honey.”

“Would you like to stay in here with me, Joseph? I feel a need to be held close.” To my everlasting surprise Joseph lie down beside me and held me close. I went right to sleep, feeling safe in his arms.

I wish I could say that the next forty days of punishment were easy to endure, but they were not. Some of the punishments were physical in nature; sitting when I didn’t feel like sitting, standing in the corner and thinking, apologizing to Astrid, taking her to lunch, and - even a couple more times - bending over for spankings that kept my bottom pretty sore. Some of the punishments were designed to make me think about what I’d done. I had to write lines, which forced me sit until they were finished. I was given a research paper to write about practical jokes turning into crimes. I was asked to write another essay on how I would feel if I was sent to prison. I also had to do some research on haunted houses and tell Joseph what I learned.

The hardest punishment of all, though, was that I was forbidden to wear panties during the entire time. I had to go to work with no panties! Joseph would require me to prove to him that I was bare every so often, and if I argued even a little bit about accepting a punishment, I was ordered to pull up my skirt and turn up my bottom for a quick reminder spanking. By the time the very last day rolled around I was anxious for the punishment to be over. I was pretty positive that the essay I’d been ordered to write and to present to Joseph in his office first thing in the morning was not going to be counted as the punishment.

“Good morning, Jodi Lynn,” he greeted me. “You’re in early, honey.”

“I meant to beat you here and put this on your desk.” For some reason I was very embarrassed.

“Are you anxious for this to be over?” he asked as he accepted the neatly typed and printed document from my hand.”

“Yes, I am, Joseph. I never realized that forty days could be so long, especially when dreading a different punishment each day, and not knowing when it was going to happen… which is exactly the way you wanted me to feel, correct? It was the way Astrid felt… dreading each night and wanting it over.” I was ashamed of myself, as the essay explained. I felt very naked and exposed as I stood there and waited while he read my essay. I hoped he believed me because I was sincere, and I needed his forgiveness in the worst way. I wanted us to get on with our lives.

“This was beautifully written, my love. I am proud of you, and touched that you were able to express your feelings. I forgave you before I spanked you the first time. That spanking was given with love, but I truly hope I never have to be so firm with you again.

“I promise that you won’t,” I bravely stated. “From now on when I have a problem I will bring it to you and ask for your help instead of allowing it to fester until I do something foolish.”

Joseph got to his feet and came around the desk to take me in his arms. “Have you forgiven yourself, Jodi Lynn, or do I need to give you one last spanking?”

“I honestly do not need another spanking, darling. I’ve learned my lesson, and now that I know you have forgiven me, I am happy.”

“Then I am pleased your punishment is over and we can talk of other things besides Astrid.”

True to his word, no more mention of the incident was made. On Christmas Eve Joseph got down on one knee and asked me to marry him, and I tearfully agreed. I was so happy, and I couldn’t wait to show Brian my diamond. He hugged me and swung me around, and promptly told Joseph that he’d better make me happy. I was pleased to tell Bri that I was already the happiest woman in the world.

On Christmas Day, my fiancé and I exchanged gifts and afterwards Joseph told me that he had one more gift for me… if I wanted it. I was surprised when he put me in his car and drove to a house I knew very well. I looked at him in surprise, waiting for an explanation. The last person I wanted to see on Christmas was Astrid Butterfield!

“I would like to buy this house for us to live in after we are married, Jodi Lynn. You’ve commented several times on the kitchen in this house, and I would like for us to walk through the house as prospective buyers. If you love it as much as I do, then I thought we could buy it and raise our family here. Of course, I’ve heard it is haunted…”

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