Ann Templeton placed the last folder in the bottom drawer of the filing cabinet and returned to her desk. She was becoming just a little concerned, now that her senior, Mary Matthews, had spent over twenty minutes in the headmistress’s study. After five months as the school’s junior secretary, Ann had never known them discuss anything for this length of time. Ann loved her job and hoped she had done nothing to jeopardise her position at Hailey School, a private all-girls school.

Just then, the door to the headmistress’s study opened. Mary came out and sat at her desk.

“Is everything okay?” Ann asked, continuing with the filing.

“Yes, well, sort of.”

“Something I’ve done?”

Mary Matthews smiled. “No, not at all, Ann. You’re doing splendidly. Angela and I were just saying that you’ve now had experience of just about everything, and that you’d easily be able to cope if I happened to be away for any reason. Except for one thing, and an opportunity has arisen today to fill the gap in your knowledge.”

“I’m always keen to learn, Mary.”

“Take a seat, Ann,” Mary pointed to a chair by the side of her desk, while she sat in the larger swivel chair behind the desk.

One of the girls, a sixth form girl called Julie Watkins is in a spot of bother. Do you know her?”

“Um yes, isn’t she a quiet sort of girl with dark hair and glasses?”

“Yes, she is. Well, cutting the story as short as I can, she found she’d left her Mathematics homework at home and she had a double period with her teacher, Miss Johnson, in the afternoon yesterday. Instead of simply owning up to the fact and accepting the consequences, the silly girl sneaked out of school and went home to fetch it.”

“Which is against the school rules?”

“Correct. During the school day we have to be able to account for all our students, to avoid any problems in some kind of emergency, like a fire in the building for example. If we weren’t able to verify Julie was safe and accounted for, there would be much fuss and possibly fire-fighters would have to risk their lives searching a burning building for her. That’s why we take it very seriously, and why Julie is in serious trouble.”

“I can see the obvious danger if we thought she was still in the building and wasn’t,” Ann replied. “But how does that affect me?”

“Julie has been told to report to the headmistress at three-fifteen this afternoon.”

“Okay, so presumably she’ll pop in here first and then if you want me to deal with her I’ll buzz Miss Lockhart, check she’s free, and then show Julie into the study. I’ve done that lots of times.”

“Yes you have, but the circumstances of Julie’s meeting with Miss Lockhart are not something you’ve met before.”

“Okay,” Ann replied hesitantly. “So, how is it different?”

“As I said, Ann, this is a serious breach of the school rules, which Julie would have known before she popped back home for her homework. So now, she is appearing before Miss Lockhart at three-fifteen for punishment.”

“Punishment? What sort of punishment?”

“Unless young Miss Julie Watkins can come up with a really wonderful excuse, the likelihood is that Miss Lockhart will cane her.”

“Cane her? Really?”

“Yes. Now I would normally assist Miss Lockhart, but as you haven’t experienced a caning in your five months here, we both feel it’s an ideal opportunity to fill this gap in your knowledge. You don’t have any objections to the use of corporal punishment, do you?”

“No, not that I’ve had any personal experience myself.”

“The daft thing is, if Julie Watkins had simply owned up to Miss Johnson, she’d have got a one-hour detention or at worst a couple of whacks with Miss Johnson’s slipper.”

“And what will she get now?”

“Miss Lockhart intends to take into account Julie’s very good record, and she knows she’s the quiet, studious type, so she’s thinking along the lines of three or four strokes.”

“Of the cane?”

“Yes.”

“Wow! So, where do I come in?”

“You’ll need to act as a witness, and also to assist young Julie should she need it, and I daresay she will. Would you be happy to do that?”

“Of course,” Ann replied immediately. Then, after a few moments thought, she asked, “What help would Julie need?”

“A few tissue hankies to mop up her tears. Maybe a little help to pull her trousers down, that sort of thing. And of course to watch Miss Lockhart applies the cane properly, hits Julie on her bottom and nowhere else, and delivers a fair but not overly harsh punishment.”

“I’m not sure I’d be able to judge.”

“Don’t worry, you’ll soon get the hang of it.”

“And you said something about pulling Julie’s trousers down? Really? Couldn’t she do that herself? If she had to, that is.”

“Yes, Miss Lockhart always canes them on their knickers. It’s just something the school has always done. Expect Julie to be nervous. She might struggle undoing her trousers, at which point you should step in and do it for her. The more she has to fiddle with it, the more her punishment will be delayed, and the more nervous she will get. It’s kinder for you to do it, so she can bend straight over and get her bottom smacked. Then it’s all over for her.”

“I see.” Ann took a deep breath and envisaged what she was being asked to do. It was certainly going to be a whole new experience for her.

“No one means her any harm,” Mary continued. “It’s just that she’s been a naughty girl and has to be punished.”

“So, what do I do when Julie arrives? Do we know that she’s going to be caned?”

“It’s most likely. She should be here within the next ten minutes or so. Advise Miss Lockhart that she’s here via the intercom and show Julie into the study, then leave them to it unless Miss Lockhart asks you to stay. It could just be that Julie has a good enough excuse that Miss Lockhart decides not to punish her, or maybe let her off with a detention. Then you don’t need to do anything other than book her in for the next Tuesday detention, like you’ve done for other girls.”

“Okay, but if Miss Lockhart decides to cane her?”

“Then Miss Lockhart will ask you to bring the cane and the punishment book into her study.”

“I’ve never seen either. Where do I find them?”

“At the back of the stationery cupboard, on the top shelf. It might be an idea to locate them and familiarise yourself with them. You don’t want to keep Julie waiting.”

“Okay.”

Ann went over to the stationery cupboard, a small walk-in side room, and went inside. She soon located the shelving at the back and reached up to the top shelf. She had to stand on tip-toe to fumble around and locate both the cane and the punishment book. Opening the punishment book, she saw it had already been half-filled and dated back a number of years. The entries were quite simple and listed the name of the student, a brief description of their offence, and the punishment awarded, usually a number of strokes of the cane. Looking at the cane, it was made of thin rattan and was little more than two feet long. It looked innocuous, so she gave herself a light tap across the palm of her left hand. It stung!

Having replaced the two items on the top shelf, Ann went back to the main office where Mary was tidying her desk.

“It’s shorter than I imagined,” she commented as Mary looked round.

“The cane? Yes, it doesn’t need to be terribly long to impart a sharp little sting. So, do you think you’ll cope?”

“I’m sure I will, and you’ll be here to guide me, won’t you?”

“Actually, no. Miss Lockhart has given me the rest of the afternoon off. I’m treating myself to a cream tea in the village.”

“So, I’ll be on my own?”

“Don’t worry, Miss Lockhart will give you any guidance you need. Just try not to delay things too much, for Julie’s sake.”

Mary soon put her coat on, collected her handbag, and said, “Good luck! I’m sure it will all go smoothly. I’ll see you tomorrow and you can tell me all about it.”

Suddenly, Ann found herself all alone in the office. She sat down at her desk and ran through in her mind all that Mary had told her. All too soon, Ann was interrupted in her thoughts by a gentle tapping on the office door.

“Come in,” Ann called out. If this was Julie arriving, then she was almost ten minutes early.

The door slowly opened and a slim, dark haired girl wearing glasses entered and closed the door carefully behind her. She came to within a couple of feet of Ann’s desk before saying very quietly, “Julie Watkins, Miss. I have to see the headmistress.”

Ann looked up and instantly recognised the small, not unattractive, bespectacled face, and noticed she was visibly shaking.

“You’re a little early, Julie.”

“Do I have to report to Mrs Matthews, Miss?”

“No, she’s gone home early. You’ve reported to me, so take a seat and I’ll let the headmistress know you’re here.”

“Thank you, Miss.”

When Julie turned and headed for one of three small chairs placed to the side of the office, Ann couldn’t resist looking at the girl’s small bottom clothed in quite tight-fitting grey trousers, coupled with a white blouse and a sleeveless grey pullover, all in keeping with the upper school’s uniform policy. Ann pressed the button on the intercom to connect with the headmistress.

“Yes, Ann?”

“Julie Watkins to see you, headmistress.”

“Oh, okay. Are you terribly busy, Ann?”

“No, not at all, headmistress.”

“Then perhaps you could bring Julie in, and please join us.”

“Very good, headmistress.” Ann disconnected the intercom and stood up. “Come along, Julie, the headmistress is ready for you.”

Reluctantly, Julie got up and slowly headed for the door to the headmistress’s study. Ann put a comforting arm on Julie’s shoulder, opened the door for them both, and steered Julie inside. Angela Lockhart, a tall thin blonde-haired woman in her late forties, was seated at her desk and pointed to a spot in front of her desk where she wanted Julie to stand. Ann stood alongside Julie, but took her hand off her shoulder.

“Julie.” Angela Lockhart studied the face of the girl who stood, head bowed, in front of her large desk. “The girl who thinks it’s quite alright to absent herself from her lessons and pop off home whenever she wants. No doubt you have a very plausible excuse, Julie. If you do, now would be a good time to let us hear it.”

“I forgot my homework for my double mathematics lesson, miss.” Julie’s voice faltered, betraying her extreme nervousness. “Since I had a free period just before break and I only live a few minutes from school, I thought it would be okay to go and fetch it.”

“No doubt you felt you wouldn’t get the full benefit of the lesson without your homework, is that right Julie?”

“Yes, miss. Sort of.”

“It couldn’t have been that you were worried about feeling Miss Johnson’s slipper across your backside if you turned up to her lesson without your homework, could it Julie?”

“Yes, miss.” Julie answered reluctantly, making her answer sound even more like a confession.

“Did someone give you permission to leave school?”

“No, miss.”

“But you do know it’s against school rules to be out of school during lesson time without permission?”

“Yes, miss.”

“Well, you’ve been at this school long enough to know what has to happen now, haven’t you Julie?” Angela Lockhart looked up at the girl with some sympathy.

“Yes, miss.”

“If you break the rules you have to accept the consequences, don’t you Julie?”

“Yes, miss.” Julie answered reluctantly.

Angela Lockhart smiled. “I won’t prolong matters. I know this is very upsetting for you, but rules are rules and when you break them you have to suffer the consequences. You’re getting four strokes, Julie.”

“Yes, miss.”

Ann was looking at Julie’s face just as the headmistress pronounced sentence, and saw a couple of tears trickle down the side of the girl’s face. She wanted desperately to put her hand back on Julie’s shoulder to offer at least some comfort, but felt it might not be the thing to do in front of the headmistress.

“Ann, would you fetch the cane and the punishment book, please.”

“Of course, headmistress.”

Ann took one final look at the blubbing girl, turned and left the room. She quickly located both the small cane and the punishment book, took them down from the top shelf and hastened back to the study, Mary Matthews’ words to not prolong the agony for the unfortunate girl at the forefront of her mind. Back inside the study, she found Angela Lockhart sitting on the front edge of her desk consoling the weeping Julie and offering tissue hankies from a large box on the side of the desk.

“Here we are, headmistress,” Ann said as she placed both items on the centre of the desk, which she noticed had been cleared of all paperwork.

“Could you fetch one of the chairs from near the door, please?”

“Certainly, headmistress.”

Ann fetched the small chair and carried it over to the desk.

“Put it down in front of my desk, please Ann. Place it so the back is towards my desk.”

It seemed an odd request, but Ann did as she was asked. Julie watched her intently, wondering whether the chair had been positioned to allow the headmistress to sit on it and take her across her lap. It seemed preposterous at the age of eighteen to be positioned for a spanking, but it at least offered a glimmer of hope that she would not after all be caned. But the headmistress had already told her she would be getting four strokes, so what was going on? Julie and Ann were both equally confused.

“Julie,” the headmistress began. “I need you to kneel on the chair facing the desk.”

For Julie Watkins, the command was an odd one, but a simple one, and she was soon kneeling on the chair. She felt Ann’s comforting hand on her shoulder once more before it switched to rubbing her back through her white blouse and grey pullover. Julie watched open-mouthed as the headmistress picked up the cane from the desk and started tapping the tip against the palm of her hand.

“I need you to slip your trousers down, Julie,” Miss Lockhart said in a quiet, even voice. “Down to your knees will be fine.”

“Sorry, miss? I don’t understand.”

At that point, Ann whispered in Julie’s ear. “Undo your trousers and push them down to your knees, Julie.”

“What?”

“Let me help you.”

The unexpected demand to drop her trousers down had left Julie stunned, but she didn’t resist when Ann reached round, undid the button at the waistband and started sliding the zip down.

“What’s happening?” Julie finally asked when the front of her trousers was fully undone. “Why can’t I keep my trousers on?”

“Miss Lockhart always canes girls on the seat of their knickers, Julie. It’s the procedure, nothing to worry about.”

Julie didn’t answer, but nonetheless allowed Ann to carefully push the trousers down to her knees and fold her blouse and pullover up. She offered no resistance when Ann smoothed out the seat of her white panties and tugged them up a little to reveal a little more bare bottom.

“That should do nicely, thanks Ann,” the headmistress said as she looked down at her target area. “We’ll let her keep her panties on this time.”

The remark was meant as light-hearted banter, but smiling was the last thing on Julie’s mind, and the headmistress immediately regretted her words.

“Bend forward across the desk, Julie,” Miss Lockhart ordered.

Julie bent herself across the desk as ordered, taking the weight of her upper body on her elbows.

“See if you can get yourself lower onto the desk, please Julie.”

Julie flattened her elbows down onto the hard wooden surface. It felt awkward and Julie reckoned her bottom must now be thrust out in a way that seemed alien to her, until she realised that was the very point of the exercise.

“Could you tuck her blouse and pullover well up out of the way, please Ann,” Miss Lockhart asked.

Julie lay quite still while the secretary slowly and carefully folded up the white blouse and pullover until the girl’s back was exposed right up to her white bra. She again ran a hand over the tightly stretched white panties that showed just an inch or two of the upper buttocks as well as the lowest parts.

“How’s that?” Ann asked the headmistress as she stepped back to look at her own handiwork.

“Perfect, Ann. Thank you. You’d better take another couple of steps out of the way. I don’t want to catch you with this thing,” Miss Lockhart said with a smile as she wagged the cane to indicate what she meant. “Okay, Julie, four sharp stings across your bottom and then you’re done. Okay?”

“Mmm,” Julie squeaked, then ouched loudly as the first stroke slammed into her small bottom.

Angela Lockhart realised instantly the girl was struggling already to keep still and let her apply the remaining three strokes, so she quickly followed up with the next stroke, and then the next.

“Last one, Julie,” the headmistress said to encourage the girl. “Hold on for just a few more seconds.”

“Eeekk!!” Julie yelped as the cane impacted against the seat of her white panties, low down where the panties didn’t quite cover the lower segments of her bottom.”

“There, all done!” Angela Lockhart declared, placing the cane on her desk and going round to site down behind it and open the punishment book.

“Come on, Julie, up you get,” Ann took the girl by the waist and gently encouraged her to stand up.

Julie allowed herself to be pulled up and off the chair, both her hands immediately going to cup her small bottom over her white knickers. Ann saw tears trickling down the girl’s face, so she pulled a couple of tissues from the box and gently wiped the girl’s face.

“Sorry, Miss,” Julie sobbed.

“Nothing to be sorry about,” Ann countered. “Girls often cry when they’ve just had their bottom smacked.”

“I suppose.”

“That’s it, give your bottom a good rub,” Ann continued comforting the crying girl.

“Don’t forget her trousers are still around her knees, Ann,” Miss Lockhart said quietly.

“Ready to pull your trousers up, Julie?” Ann asked.

The girl nodded quickly, so Ann began by unfolding her blouse and pullover and giving them a final tug downwards. Then she carefully eased the trousers up Julie’s legs and around her bottom, the girl having already taken her hands away when her upper garments were pulled down. She finished by securing the waistband button and pulling the zip up.

“There you go,” Ann said, resisting the urge to give the girl a pat on her behind.

“I just need you to countersign the punishment book, Ann,” Miss Lockhart spoke after the secretary had finished dressing Julie, who had now stopped crying. That done, Miss Lockhart addressed Julie. “You’re probably feeling quite hard done by, Julie, but I’m afraid rules apply to every girl and if you break them then you have to accept the consequences.”

“Yes, Miss. I know I shouldn’t have left school without permission.”

“Ann, why not take Julie into the girls’ toilets and get her cleaned up?”

“Certainly headmistress. Come along, Julie, let’s get you sorted out.”

Ann escorted Julie out of the study and along the corridor to the nearest girls’ toilets. She opened the door cautiously and checked there was no one inside.

“All clear, Julie. Let’s get some warm water so you can wash your face. How are you feeling?”

“I’m okay, Miss. My bum hurts though,” she said with an embarrassed smile.

Julie watched as Ann filled a sink with warm water and tested the temperature with her elbow.

“There, give your face a good wash and you’ll feel much better.”

Ann watched as Julie bent over the sink and used her hands to wet her face and wash away the tears. She looked at the girl’s bottom and thought to herself that the trousers seemed tighter than before the caning.

“Your trousers seem extra tight, Julie.”

“They feel extra tight too.”

“Maybe apply some lukewarm water to your bottom, in case it’s, you know, a bit swollen?”

“Would you mind if I did?”

“No, of course not. Shall I help you?”

“It’s okay, I can manage.”

Julie breathed in to release the button holding the waistband of her trousers and slid the zip down. As her white panties became visible, Ann could see four red stripes extending beyond the part of Julie’s bottom concealed by the garment. When Julie slipped her panties down, Ann could see the full extent of the marks made by the caning.”

“Wow! That looks sore!”

Julie twisted round so she could see for herself.

“I’ve got games tomorrow. The other girls are going to know I’ve been caned, aren’t they?”

“I imagine the marks will fade a bit overnight, but yes, I think there will still be some marks showing.”

“I’ll be in for some teasing, I guess.”

“I’m afraid so.” Ann offered Julie a couple of paper towels. “Here, use these.”

Julie dipped one of the towels into the water and carefully dabbed the damp paper onto her naked bottom.

“That’s helping. It doesn’t feel so sore now. Should I be allowed to do this?”

“Why not?”

“Perhaps I should still have a very sore bottom. You know, as part of my punishment.”

“I think we can allow it this time,” Ann said with a smile as she admired the girl’s small backside.

“Not next time?”

“There shouldn’t be a next time, young lady! You’re supposed to learn a lesson from your whacking!”

Julie giggled.

The End

© Kenny Walters 2024