Miss Valtesi

When she walked into dormitory number three, the late night feast
was in full swing, no one had heard the sharp click of her high
heels or the swish of her black, calf length skirt. Miss Valtesi
smiled, no one else dared to smiled, though Saunders, the dormitory
monitor, still snugly in bed, hugged himself and suppressed a grin.
Hadn't he warned them it would all end in tears. Miss Valtesi, short
dark hair, severely beautiful, with her dark gypsy eyes. Stood as
still as a statue as she surveyed the scene. Cakes and chocolates of
every sort were piled high on several large plates.

"Boys", she said, her voice soft but firm, "the eating of cakes and
sticky comestibles in your dormitory is strictly against school
rules. The school provides excellent fare which should more than
adequately meet your nutritional needs. This is a disgusting display
of gluttony and," she hesitated for a moment, " you run the very
real risk of indigestion." 

Five faces, pale in the candlelight
earnestly wished they had not risked indigestion.

"I think you are
very greedy little boys but fortunately their is an excellent cure
for greedy little boys. Saunders, you are dormitory monitor." she
said raising a languid eyebrow . "Yes Miss" he answered eagerly,
blinking owl like through a large pair of spectacles. " Stop
skulking in bed Saunders. Take this key and go downstairs to my
study. In my cupboard you will find several canes. Bring me one
please, and don't keep us waiting will you Saunders?" she
instructed. Saunders trying in vain to keep the enthusiasm out of
his voice answered, 

" Yes Miss. At once Miss" and quickly left the
room. "The rest of you boys will stand in complete silence, facing
your beds, with your hands on your heads."

All that could be heard was the ticking of the grandfather clock and
soft rustle of cloth against nylon as Miss Valtesi placed the half
eaten cakes and other items back in the picnic hamper. When she had
accomplished this small task she sat on one of the beds and waited.
No boy ventured to make a sound. The usually daring O' Driscoll
could find no amusing witticism to lighten their predicament. Jevons
was not his usual happy self. Manners and Hartnell, for once had
nothing to say to each other and the new boy, Lacey, was almost in
tears. Out of the corner of her eye she glimpsed the fair haired
Manners his hands still on his head, lean over and whisper something
towards Hartnell. She turned and walked over to him. At once he was
silent. 

     "What were you saying Manners? I saw you whispering in
Hartnells ear despite being told to be silent". She stood extremely
close to him. The exquisite smell of her perfume filled up his
senses. "Nothing Miss", he answered, his voice betraying his guilt.
Firmly she took hold of his ear between finger and thumb and
delicately twisted. "Are you lying to me young man or am i suffering
perhaps from hallucinations?", she inquired her voice heavy with
sarcasm. "Oh my ear!!! I just said to Hartnell that it was bad luck
to have this happen on his birthday Miss. "
"Bad luck Manners? Obey the school rules or be prepared to suffer
the consequences", as she said this she gave his ear a final squeeze
and gracefuly moved behind the darkly pretty Hartnell. His long
eyelashes twitched nervously as with an elegant hand she stoked his
dark brown hair. Hartnell was one of her favourites. She admired him
for his quiet dignity and his gentle humorous nature.

"And you Hartnell, how old are you today?"
"Twelve Miss"
"Twelve!!! That is a very significant number. Shall i tell you why"
"You can Miss but i'm sure i can guess"
"Hartnell you are an exceptionally intelligent child. I'm sure you
can guess too. Now what has become of that idle boy i sent on an
such an important errand?"

Saunders had a very difficult decision to make. Which one of the
many canes to chose from would be the most painful for the late
night gourmets now awaiting their fate. Would a thin whippy one
increase their discomfort or how about a slightly thicker one
guaranteed to leave some bruising. In the end after much thought he
went for a long exceptionally thin flexible cane with a traditional
crook handle. It was dark and something about it suggested it had
been well loved, though not by those who had felt it's sting. Like
an eager puppy retrieving a ball for his mistress, he hurried back.
Ready to thoroughly enjoy the entertainment. He would of course have
reported this disgraceful episode to Miss Valtesi in the morning but
this was better. Normally the boys would have been beaten in private
but this was a chance to enjoy a little sweet revenge. The others
referred to him as "Sneaky Saunders" and detested him for telling
tales. It wasn't his fault, they just didn't realise that the
dormitory monitor held a very important position of authority in the
school.

At last the door opened and Saunders, hurrying across the dormitory
handed Miss Valtesi the cane like a knight profferring a sword to
his queen.

"Thankyou. A commendable choice Saunders. The cane Saunders has
kindly chosen for us boys has been made of the finest dark rattan.
It is a little thinner than is usual but its extra flexibility means
it will be deeply felt," " she said as she accepted the slender
instrument of correction. 

Saunder smiling like a cheshire cat,
quickly went back to his bed. Miss Valtesi flexing the cane between
her small delicate hands spoke, not without enjoyment,

"Saunders, what on earth are you going back to bed for? Go and join
the others please, as dormitory monitor you are expected to maintain
discipline in the dormitory. You will be punished severely for the
neglect of that duty". Saunders face paled, the smirk vanishing from
his face as if by magic. Manners and Hartnell, exchanged a grin.

"Right, who shall we have first I wonder? Saunders, despite the fact
you kept me waiting I am not going to keep you waiting. Bend over
the end of your bed please. Bottom well up now please and don't move
or I shall be forced to take down those pyjamas".
Saunders shivering in anticipation proffered his bottom at the
correct angle. Miss Valtesi rested the cane across the thin tightly
stretched material of his cotton pyjamas, like a scalpel dissecting
a plump peach.

Poor Saunders. It hardly qualified as a severe thrashing but it was
still painful enough to ensure his face resembled the demon in the
pantomime. Each crisply applied stroke stung . His bottom squirmed
but was unable to avoid its just deserts. He howled and pleaded but
to no avail. If his cries for mercy touched her heart she certainly
gave no sign of it, in fact it seemed, the more noise he made the
harder that thin cane swished across his plump cheeks. The seventh
stroke landed with a little more vim than the preceding ones,
causing Saunders to rise from his position. When Saunders had
finished his little dance of agony, he looked hopefully at Miss
Valtesi, now waiting, impatiently tapping the slim cane across her
palm.

"Pyjama trousers down i'm afraid Saunders" she sighed.
"But Miss pleease..."
"Saunders, look upon it as excellent training for your moral
character. Now bend over at once", she smiled reassuringly at
Saunders, who with great reluctance bent himself back over the bed.
He felt her cool fingers hook inside the elastic of his pyjamas and
drag them slowly down to his knees. His pale bottom had several thin
pink lines on it. The cane felt cool as it tapped against his skin.

"Six more to go then"
"Five Miss!" said Saunders in a small plaintive voice.
"Are you arguing with me Saunders?" she asked softly.
"No Miss"
It definetly hurt more with out any protection. Saunders tearfully
endured six more strokes of the cane on his unprotected
hindquarters. Somehow he resisted the temptation to arise from his
position. His shrieks of pain seemed only to cause Miss Valtesi to
intensify her efforts. The last one fell with a most satisfying
sound, like small arms fire. Saunders, dignity long forgotten
obliged with a piercing scream that any rising star of low budget
horror movies would envy.

His bottom criss crossed with pink weals, Saunders shoulders shook
as he sobbed.
"Come on get up and stand by your bed please. If you can't take your
punishment young man, you will just have to learn to be impeccable
in future and don't forget to thank me."

"Thankyou Miss" said Saunders, tearfully.
"Its my pleasure Saunders, Now O' Driscoll don't be shy we'll have
you next. Bend over please"

O' Driscoll, betrayed no emotion on his handsome face as Miss
Valtesi, in an unhurried manner, as if savouring some pleasing
sensation, applied 12 crisp strokes to his behind. The sound of
twelve small explosions rang out as thin cane made contact with taut
buttocks. O' Driscoll made no sound except for an occasional sharp
intake of breath.

"Thankyou Miss" he said, softly as if he could not quite trust
himself to speak.
Lacey, the new boy, was called out next. He cried like his heart
would break as he was beaten and his bottom seemed to have a life of
its own as it attempted to escape the lashing cane. Miss Valtesi had
never caned a young girl but she imagined somehow it would be
similar to thrashing Lacey. Rarely did a boys cries touch her heart
as she always steeled against such emotional reactions, never the
less the last two or three strokes fell a little softer than the
rest.

Jevons howled himself hoarse but was shyly grinning at his
companions within a few moments of getting up. Manners made less
noise but seemed to take it more to heart. His face pale and eyes
wet with tears. Then it was Hartnell's turn. As if unconsciously she
had saved the best till last.

Really she couldn't be accused of favouritism. She would ensure he
suffered at least as much as the rest. If not a little more so.
Hartnell, trembling like some small woodland creature was bent over
the end of the bed and over the stretched material of his pyjama
bottoms the cane gently rested. It cracked across the small twin
hemispheres of his behind. Like some small easily bruised fruit, his
cheeks squirmed as the fierce pain bit into his consciousness. With
superhuman endurance he held his breath refusing to cry out. Despite
the gentleness of his nature, their was something strong and
enduring within. Again and again the cane fell, biting into his
tautened flesh. Miss Valtesi pausing between each stroke to let the
pain sink in, her mouth slightly twisted. Once more cane whipped
across his behind, his body shuddered. "That is twelve Hartnell. You
may stand up now". Painfully, clutching somewhat tentatively his
twin cheeks, Hartnell stood up and faced the schoolmistress. He even
managed a small grin as he thanked her.

"My pleasure Hartnell. Just look upon it as my birthday gift to you.
Good night boys please let their be no repeat of this behaviour.
School rules are their to be obeyed not ignored, any repeat of this
disgraceful incident and I shall be forced to be very severe
indeed. " She turned, after fixing the pyjama clad gourmets with her
most gracious smile and elegantly left the room. Manners turned to
his still grinning friend and said,

" Whats amusing you"
"Oh nothing i'ts just you should all thank me for saying i was
twelve!", replied Hartnell.

"Why?"

"Because i'm thirteen today" he said smiling.

"Well you should have said you were six!" said Manners still rubbing
his behind ruefully.