Chapter 43

• Schwack! The second stroke resonated through Julia as though she were a church bell. The intense pain vibrated from the top of her head and down through her feet. She gripped the padded arms of the chair tightly, trying to work the ringing agony away from her buttocks and into the softness of the upholstery through her fingernails. Mercifully, she felt her skin beginning to dry out a little. Julia held her breath. She was determined to get through this. The light tapping of the cane made her flinch.
• Schwack! Richard laid the third stroke at a slight angle across where the previous two had landed. Julia’s fingers shot forward before she dug her long nails back into her palms, trying to freeze her nerves for a moment to stop the pain coursing through her. It was futile. She was sobbing now. Julia abandoned herself to her agony as a strange vibrating fog filled her head and started to lift her from her body. The memories of Julia’s convent caning came rushing back to meet and intensify the all too-current reality.
• Schwack! Schwack! Two strokes in quick succession saw Julia unable to exhale. After a few lingering moments, she let out a shuddering wail and, gripping the arms of the chair firmly with her hands, threw her legs out in an attempt to disperse the energy of the pain.