If Things Were Different

Chapter 9

Suki attempted to free herself from her predicament. She twisted and turned as much as the rope allowed her. Once she felt a knot or two loosen. She continued struggling, encouraged by her freedom of movement, but she began to get frustrated after some time with no progress. "MMMMPH!" she shouted, vainly attempting to break free.

"What's going on down here?" a feminine voice asked. Suki couldn't see, but she didn't think the voice was Nataleigh's. Footsteps echoed in the dungeon. Closer and closer they came.

"Awe, are you trying to get loose?" the voice asked.

"MMMPH!" Suki said, continuing to wiggle.

The voice laughed. "Do you want some help?"

"MMMMPH!" Suki said, with more effective nodding. "Yes!"

Suki felt hands touching her bonds. "MMMMPH MMMPH!" "Thank you!"

But the hands weren't loosening them. She felt her body tighten. "MMMMPH!" moaned Suki.

"Don't worry," the voice said. "It's just a little tighter. Should you make more noise, I'll get the armbinder."

"MMMMPH!" Suki moaned, struggling vainly against her newest challenge.

Suki felt a pair of hands lifting her face up. "MMMPH?"

"You DO look like the princess," the voice replied. "Cherisa will love to see you. I will too." She tugged at Suki's bonds. "Especially if you dress like this."

"MMMMPH! MMMPH MMMPH MMMPH MMMPH!" Suki moaned. "No! I'll die of embarrassment!"

A sharp slap across her rear end. "MMMPH!" Suki whined.

"Quiet down," the voice commanded. Suki whimpered quietly. "Good night!" The steps slowly became quieter and quieter.

Suki continued to struggle against the bonds, yielding no fruit. Finally exhausted, she gave up, unable to free herself. She closed her eyes and drifted off.

She awoke to the sound of footsteps again. They grew closer and closer. The cell door slid open. Suki could smell something hot and steaming nearby, and her stomach rumbled. "I must be really hungry from all that struggling," Suki thought. She felt the gag around her mouth loosen.

"Ah. Thank you," Suki said. She felt pulling at her ropes and a moment later, her body was freed from its hempen prison. She pulled the blindfold off while her chain rattled. As she adjusted to the dim dungeon light, she saw Agnes taking her chain off. Nearby, a steaming bowl of porridge lay unattended.

Agnes smiled, then looked at the bowl. "Go ahead. Eat up. You have a long day ahead of you," she said as she removed Suki's collar. Suki eagerly began to devour the porridge.

"If you hadn't have broken free," Agnes said, "I would have been required to spoonfeed you. It's a good thing you untied yourself." She winked at Suki as she went out the cell door. As she slammed the door, a clatter landed by her pocket. Suki looked up from her breakfast to see that a ring of keys cell lay within reach, having fallen out of Agnes' pocket. She watched Agnes begin to spoonfeed the hooded prisoner another bowl of porridge, then quickly snatched up the key.

A moment later, the prisoner across from her was also freed. Suki didn't get a good look at her, but she could see red hair. "I think this is a good time to escape," Suki thought. She took the key and unlocked the cell. As she stepped out towards the door, she saw Agnes enter her cell and slam the door shut.

Agnes gave her a malicious smile, then shouted, "Help! Help! Help!" Suki's eyes widened as she realized what Agnes just did to her. Suki started running, but ran straight into Nataleigh, who was just coming down the dungeon stairs.

"I never told you you could leave your cell," Nataleigh said, grabbing Suki by the arm, "or take your collar off." She dragged her prisoner back into the dungeon, where she saw both the other prisoner gone, and Agnes in Suki's cell.

"I'm sorry, ma'am," Agnes sobbed. "I was bringing her breakfast, and then she forced me to give her the keys. She locked me in here and let the thief out of her bonds. Please don't punish me."

"That's not wha-" Su was interrupted by a stinging slap from Nataleigh across the face. "I never said you could speak. Bad girls don't get that privilege." Su whimpered nervously.

Nataleigh unlocked the cell door. "Agnes, get Su ready for her flogging." She spun Suki over to Agnes, who gave her the same malicious smile.

"Yes ma'am," she said in the most sickeningly cheerful voice. "Does she get a gag and blindfold today?"

"Not this time," Nataleigh replied. "Just secure her and select the instrument."

"P-please no," Suki begged.

Nataleigh paused. "On second thought, if she won't learn to speak only when given permission, gag her." Suki whimpered. Nataleigh stomped back up the stairs. "GUARDS! If you do not find that thief, I will have your heads!"

Agnes grinned. She very roughly pulled Suki over to the same place that she was flogged in the previous day. She tied Suki's hands in the same position she herself had been tied the prior day with her bound hands stretched out above her head and chaining her legs to the floor, leaving Suki's rear sticking out very firmly.

Agnes skipped over to the gag collection on the wall. "Eenie meenie minie - this one," she said, selecting a black ball gag before shoving it between the helpless prisoner's lips.

"MMMMPH!" Suki moaned. Agnes parted Suki's hair so that she could lock the gag on.

Agnes began to look over all the spanking implements that were present. She touched on a riding crop. "How about this one?" she asked.

"MMMPH!" Suki whined, shaking her head.

Agnes picked out a paddle and slapped it against her hand. "MMMPH!" Suki whined. Agnes placed the paddle back onto the shelf. She picked out the black flogger. "MMMPH!" Suki protested.

"You don't like these options?" Agnes cooed.

"MMMMPH!" Suki replied, shaking her head.

Agnes smiled that same malicious smile. "Maybe," she said, "Nataliegh will use her hand."

"MMMMPH!" Suki whined, struggling at her bonds.

Agnes leaned forward and whispered into Suki's ear, "This is for what you did to me yesterday." She gave Suki a sharp slap on the rear with the flogger. "And I'm going to make sure you spend as much time as possible down here for it." Suki whimpered as the flogger smacked her bottom again and again.

After some time, Agnes put the flogger back on the shelf. "Nataleigh will be back soon for your punishment. I need to get back to my duties. Those sheets aren't going to change themselves."

"MMMPH MMMPH MMMPH MMMMPH!" Suki whined. "That wasn't my punishment?"