Eric had followed Marc back into the room. "Marc, you need to answer Lonely's question, why Matthew didn't call you. Tell him you just checked your answering machine and found that Matthew had called, but didn't leave a message."
"Should I tell him I was at the movie?"
"No. You volunteer NO information."
Marc typed in what Eric requested, and pressed send when he got the nod from him.
'Then why didn't you go home after the fair?' Lonely asked.
Marc looked questioningly at Eric.
"You need to go ahead and tell him you went to a movie. Go ahead and tell him what and where, in case he checks to make sure you're telling the truth. We can't afford to scare him," Eric replied.
Marc typed in what he saw and where.
'So, you're a night owl. I was waiting to meet you. I thought you were afraid,' Lonely typed.
As that message slowly appeared on Marc's screen, he started to shake badly.
Rolf put his hands on Marc's shoulders, trying to soothe him a little.
Matthew's eyes grew wide as again he realized that Lonely had been telling the truth and had been sitting outside waiting for Marc. He started to speak. "I can-"
"Sweetheart, not now," Rolf said gently, trying to keep the situation from dissolving into hysteria.
Eric interrupted. "Marc, now I want you to play a little cat and mouse. You need to come across as interested, but you can't just say that you want him to fly over to your house."
Marc swallowed audibly and typed his message in. After a few more minutes, it was decided that Marc would turn his porch light on and leave the door unlocked. Marc would be waiting in the bedroom.
"Go ahead and turn the mach--"
The phone interrupted Eric, causing everyone in the room to jump. He looked at the box next to the phone, and saw it was a call to Marc's house. "Marc, that's you. Answer it. It's probably Lonely, making sure you're at home. Try to remain calm and natural."
Marc picked up the phone, almost dropping it, his hand was shaking so badly. "H. . .hello?"
"Stud, it's nice to hear your voice again. Forgot to ask what you'd like to drink. A bottle of bubbly sound good?"
"S. . .sure." Marc was almost terror stricken.
"Are you alright? You sound a little strange," Lonely asked.
Marc bit his lip hard, bringing tears to his eyes. That got rid of some of the jitters. "You...just have me so excited. I can't wait to see you."
"I'll be there in fifteen. See ya, stud...." The line went dead.
Marc slowly held the phone out for Eric. "Fifteen minutes. He said he'd be here in fifteen minutes."
"Alright, guys, down to the kitchen. I think we could all use a drink." Rolf ushered Matthew and Marc downstairs as Eric radioed the officers at Marc's residence to tell them of the plan. The only thing to do now was wait. Eric headed downstairs to get a drink as well.
Marc couldn't drink. He was in a trance. He sat in the dining room chair, staring at the floor.
"So what happens now?" Marc finally asked.
"Well, ideally this guy is going to enter your house as you two discussed. Upon entering he will be arrested, and charged with stalking, possibly more," Eric replied.
"What do you mean 'ideally'?" Matthew asked.
"Well, Matthew, even the best laid plans can hit a snag. But we will cross that bridge, if and when we have to."
"What happens if these charges are dropped, or if he is found not guilty?" Marc asked.
Eric looked at Rolf, not wanting to think of that, even though that too was very possible.
"Let's not sit here and assume, or presume anything. Alright?" Rolf chimed in.
Lonely's car pulled up in front of Marc's house at the exact time promised. As he put the car in park and turned off the ignition, he observed the neighbor, making sure all was quiet. The porch light was on, just as promised. He turned his attention to the passenger seat, where a small suitcase was located. He opened the suitcase and pulled out a pair of latex gloves. Lonely slipped them on. He closed the suitcase and and got out of the car, taking the suitcase with him. He swiftly made his way to the porch and through the front door, which was left open, also as promised. He shut the door behind himself, and began bolting all the locks. As the last bolt was latched, he felt a presence behind him.
"Police! Freeze. Put the suitcase on the floor and put your hands on your head," The police officer ordered.
Lonely slowly put the suitcase down and in a lightening flash move, pulled a knife from his waist.
"Don't move an inch unless you want a bloody stump!" said a second voice, now behind him.
"Throw the knife on the floor and hands on your head, NOW!" Officer Edwards ordered.
"Do it!" Sergeant Hall said.
Lonely realized the battle was lost and tossed the knife to the floor. He put his hands on his head and then grunted hard when Edwards tackled him to the floor and got the cuffs on before roughly hauling him to his feet and throwing him towards the couch.
Sergeant Hall radioed Eric immediately. "We've got him."
"Good job," Eric responded.
"He brought a suitcase with him which we'll search as we get more information about this guy, then bring him downtown."
Eric turned to the table as all eyes were on him. "They got him."
Three sighs were heard as everyone released the pent up emotion that had boiled while waiting.
Rolf only gave a moment to feeling thankful, before turning quite brusque. "Matthew, Marc, upstairs. I want to talk to Eric."
"Ro--"
"NOW," Rolf demanded, pointing at the stairs.
Both boys quickly headed upstairs, knowing that tone of voice.
Rolf turned quickly to Eric. "What did they say?" he demanded, looking straight into Eric's eyes.
"Just that they had him, he had brought a suitcase and they were going to search that as they find out who he is."
"Take me there."
"No. There is no reason you need to be there, Rolf. I can't allow it."
"I don't give a _d_a_m_n_ what you will or will not allow!" Rolf spat in fury.
Eric could see Rolf's temper had just skyrocketed, and that Rolf in this mood was dangerous. He put gentle hands on his arms. "He's caught. Dead on. And going to jail. He had a knife, so we could possibly get him for attempt to injure or assaulting a police officer. It's over with."
Rolf realized what Eric was doing, and allowed himself to be led over to a chair. He took a seat and put his head in his hands.
"I'm going to get the equipment from upstairs and call back over to Marc's. I'll let you know what I find out. Are you going to be alright?"
"Yes," was the mumbled reply.
Edwards searched the suitcase as Hall kept his eye on the prisoner. What Edwards found inside made his stomach turn in revulsion. There were several photos of boys of varying ages. Some of the boys were very obviously deceased. Others were shown in wide-eyed terror, chained, tied, gagged. He found a drivers license out in the car and ran the name through the computer. The guy, Tony Lamonte, was wanted in two states for questioning in the disappearances of two young boys. They had caught themselves a seriously dangerous man.
Just then their radio crackled to life. "Sergeant Hall, you've got Marc's friend, Rolf, on his way over. He's a little upset. Six eight, dark hair, blue eyes. Wearing blue jeans and a white T-shirt. Please hold him until I arrive." Eric turned the radio off and went outside, waiting on his relief officer before heading over to Marc's to round up Rolf, who had slipped from the house while he was upstairs.
Just as the radio transmission ended, the door burst open to reveal a very large and upset man.
Before either officer could react from the shock of the door bursting open, Rolf had both his hands wrapped around Tony's neck and was barking at the top of his lungs, _d_a_m_n_ing everything about Tony he could think of to say in his rage.
Tony, with his arms locked behind him could not defend himself. All he could do was gasp ineffectively for air. The room slowly started to darken.
It took both officers, one on each arm, to get Rolf off of Tony. They landed in a heap on the floor, Officer Edwards finally getting the upper hand and twisting Rolf's arms painfully behind his back before slamming the cuffs on him, as well. Edwards and Hall roughly pulled Rolf to his feet and ushered him into the kitchen and into a chair.
As soon as Tony recovered the ability to speak, he started to make noise about prisoner abuse.
"You can SHUT your mouth. Trust me, you don't want me to let him go, do you?" Sergeant Hall had gestured to the kitchen.
Tony shut up.
Ten minutes later, Eric arrived.
Rolf had calmed down quite a bit during those ten minutes. His flash of anger had dissipated, and he was left feeling ashamed of his outburst. The guy was going to be taken care of in the courts, he needn't have interfered. He wanted to slide under the table when Eric walked through the door.
"Where's Rolf?" Eric asked as soon as he entered.
"The kitchen. You weren't kidding when you said upset, were you?" Sergeant Hall said.
Eric ignored the question for Rolf's sake. "Do you have things about wrapped up here?"
"Yes. I think we've gotten all the information we need."
"Put him in your vehicle, Ed?"
"Yes."
Eric walked around the corner and drove the squad car back to Marc's house, then ushered Tony outside and into the back seat. Before closing the door he said "You screwed with the wrong people this time, buddy. And no matter WHAT happens in that court, you had better never make another appearance in this city, because I will kill you myself." Eric slammed the door closed and went back inside.
Sergeant Hall had removed the cuffs on Rolf. He was gently massaging his wrists when Eric walked back in.
"Rolf, want to help lock down Marc's house before we leave?"
"Yes, I guess we should."
The other two officers cleared out of the house, and Eric and Rolf took about five minutes righting a few pieces of furniture and straightening the living room.
"I think that about does it. Let's get you back to the boys, I think they could use a little comfort now," Eric said.
Rolf's eyes widened. "You didn't--"
"No, I didn't leave them alone. There's an officer there now. Give me your keys, I'll drive you home. Frank can give me a ride back here for my car."
Rolf handed the keys over without complaint. He was exhausted from the emotions of the evening. After they were in the car, Rolf started to apologize. "I'm sorry, Eric, for dragging--"
"You did not drag me from bed. And I WOULD have been angry if you hadn't called me to help. That was a nasty situation, and I'm just glad that I was able to help put an end to it so quickly."
"That was nasty, wasn't it?" Rolf said, mostly to himself. "The guy. . .Tony? Do you think he's going to be put away for a while?"
"I didn't tell you everything before. The suitcase, they found photos of some boys, some very obviously dead. This turkey is a suspect in several disappearances. We have him for stalking Marc, but I think he's already hung himself. The story is going to break big. I think it's going to be best to keep Marc completely OUT of the story, and just say that the guy was caught in town, not file any charges here against him. We'll know more on Monday as we get information back from the other agencies and get the pictures on the internet. Do you know yet how you're going to handle the boys?"
Rolf rubbed his temples. "No. It's only been, what, 4 hours since Matthew first mentioned it? Been a little busy trying to get them safe first. I can tell you one thing. After we do discuss this, they won't EVER do this again."
"I've no doubt. Don't envy you your shoes over the weekend, and even less, Marc and Matthew's. You'll do the right thing, you always do. I would suggest however, that you all get some sleep tonight, and deal with the consequences tomorrow."
"I think I agree. Some Benadryl for the boys, that should help them sleep."
"Yes, that probably is the best route." They had pulled into the driveway. "Send Frank out. I'll leave for now. I would like to talk with the boys sometime, about the dangers that they faced."
"You can bet on it. I want you to provide a good dose of reality in what happened tonight. I really appreciate all you've done. Thank you." Rolf returned inside, thanking Frank for looking after the boys.
Marc and Matthew ran downstairs when they heard Rolf come home. "What happened?" Matthew asked.
"Everything is fine." Rolf hugged each boy in turn. "Marc, your house is locked up, I made sure of it before leaving. Now, I think it's time for some rest, it's been a long and exhausting night. Ah ah ah, I don't want to hear it," Rolf said as the boys started to speak. "Both of you to your rooms, not another word." Rolf locked up downstairs, grabbed the Benadryl and a glass of water and went into Marc's room.
Marc was on the bed, still dressed.
"Marc, undressed and under the covers."
"Rolf, I'm so-"
"There is a lot that needs to be said, but now is not the time. Undressed. Now." Rolf stood watching as Marc shed his clothes and grabbed a loose pair of shorts to sleep in, before climbing under the covers.
Rolf handed him two pills and the water. "Take these, they'll help you sleep."
Marc did so without question. He didn't think there was any way he could fall asleep, but Rolf sat there and massaged his temples, and the medicine did its work. Within 15 minutes he was snoring gently. Rolf stood up, turned the light out and went into his bedroom where Matthew was sitting.
Matthew was also still dressed, and ready to talk. Rolf hushed him the same as Marc, gave him the medicine, and eased Matthew quickly into the arms of the sandman. Once Matthew was asleep, Rolf made himself a hot mug of tea, and soon found himself slave to the wishes of the sandman. He retired to bed, and a deep but troubled slumber.
Rolf woke hours before either of the young men. For the first time he had a situation that he wasn't exactly sure how to handle. Oh, there would be spanking, and plenty of it, but that simply wasn't enough. Marc and Matthew got themselves in a VERY dangerous situation. And they got there by breaking one of Rolf's most dearest rules: Never, EVER give out personal information over the internet. Breaking this one little rule could have been very costly. He mulled over his options over a cup of coffee, knowing the boys would be asleep for a while longer.
Two hours later, two half asleep young men stumbled down the stairs and into the kitchen. The medicine had allowed them both a deep sleep, and they were trying to kick the effects of what was left over in their system. Rolf poured each of them a cup of coffee and let them sit down with that. The two drank in silence, simply savoring the warmth of the mug in their hands, and trying to get their eyes uncrossed. Rolf set down fresh muffins on the table for the two, and stepped upstairs for a shower while they ate.
"Did you sleep well?" Matthew asked.
"Not by choice, but I certainly did with Benadryl's help. How about you?"
"Oh, the same."
Then there was an awkward silence, neither young man wanted to speak what surely the other was thinking. Finally, Marc broke the silence.
"How bad do you think today is gonna be?"
"Bad, REALLY bad. Rolf loves us both."
"How could we have been so stupid?"
"We were drunk."
They finished their coffee in silence and waited for Rolf to finish his shower.
Rolf turned the hot water off and grimaced as the cold spray hit his back. It was going to be a rough day. He let his body cool down, then stepped out of the shower and dried off. He put on a loose pair of shorts and a comfortable T-shirt and headed downstairs.
Marc and Matthew heard him come downstairs, their stomachs sinking with each step. They had no idea how Rolf was going to approach anything, whether he was going to lecture, yell, or just start laying into them. They knew at some point they were going to get all three, but didn't know what was better and whether now was a good time or not. They were in complete turmoil.
Rolf knew the boys were terrified of the consequences, and he wasn't going to keep them in suspense. He wanted the worst of it over almost as badly as the boys. He strode into the kitchen with a purposeful step and stood across the table from the two of them. He took a good look at them, making sure they were both awake and coherent. "Boys, we have a LOT to cover today. I'm not going to mince words. What you did was absolutely BEYOND dangerous AND stupid. We are ALL lucky that your mistake didn't get more serious than it did. I had a rule, a GOLDEN RULE, about never divulging personal information on the internet. You broke that rule, and continually covered it up."
Both boys were hanging onto their coffee cups as if someone was going to steal them at any moment, and staring into the depths of the coffee as if the answers to the world's major questions were all in there, if only they'd look long enough.
"You made serious mistakes, and the punishment you now face is also serious. It goes WAY beyond a simple spanking. We'll discuss all facets of your punishment later today, but I want to get the worst of it over immediately. No more lectures, no more waiting. Matthew, I want you to get the paddle and go into the basement."
Rolf's no-nonsense voice pricked Matthew to action immediately. Tears began to fall before he even left the chair. He swiped at his face in order to see the paddle, grabbed it and stumbled downstairs, breaking into sobs at the bottom of the steps before collapsing onto the couch in the family room.
Marc bit his lip hard, trying not to cry as well. Rolf's eyes had followed Matthew's progress down the stairs until his head disappeared from view. He turned to face Marc. "You, young man, are to go upstairs to your room. You will remain in there with the door closed until I come for you."
Marc also started to cry as soon as he hit the steps upstairs. He managed to get up all of them without tripping, found the door to his room, shut it, and landed facedown on the bed, his body wracked by the deep sobs and crying. He was worried about Matthew, wracked by guilt thinking he had such a huge hand in Matthew's trouble, and absolutely scared to death of hearing Rolf's footsteps coming upstairs for him.
Rolf stood in the kitchen for a moment, having to work hard at steeling his nerves for the job ahead. Hearing the crying from the both of them was hard. He knew they were sorry, but it wasn't going to change the fact that they were due one butt blistering spanking to make sure they never repeated their mistake. He took in a huge lungful of air, and headed downstairs with a sense of purpose.
Matthew tried his best to gain some composure as he heard Rolf coming down the stairs. He knew this wasn't easy for Rolf, either, but unfortunately the only thing he could think about was his own butt. Literally.
Rolf came downstairs and found Matthew seated on the sofa. Tears streaming down his face, staring at the floor. Rolf wanted to do nothing more than comfort him, but now was not the time.
"Matthew, please stand up and strip."
Matthew was taken aback by that statement. Usually Rolf just pulled his shorts down and began. He knew being fully nude was not a good sign.
Rolf made his way around Matthew and took his seat in the center of the sofa.
"Matthew, I am not going to lie to you. You are in for a VERY hard paddling. Like nothing I have ever give you, and I pray I never have to give again."
Rolf watched as Matthew fumbled with his clothes, as if he suddenly forgotten what a button was. Under other circumstances, he would have been highly amused. But there was nothing funny here. Nothing at all. "NOW, Matthew." Rolf wanted to get this over before he lost his nerve.
Matthew finally figured out how to open the button, and his pants fell to his ankles. He stepped out of those, before ever so slowly sliding his briefs down. He slipped the T-shirt over his head, and stood still for a moment, the feelings of shame and embarrassment overtaking him. He looked up at Rolf, huge round eyes filled with tears, his lip stuck out quite far.
Rolf simply motioned for Matthew to approach.
Matthew took those few steps slowly, the moment of no return coming too quickly.
He got within arm's reach of Rolf, who grabbed his wrist and guided him down across his lap. He made sure Matthew was as comfortable as he could be before hooking an arm across his waist. He was going to remain silent, let the paddle do the talking, but he thought he needed to hear the words in order to allow himself to do the job.
Matthew was sobbing quietly, his face buried in the couch, every muscle in his body tensed for the first crack of the paddle. The waiting was torture, making him want to spring up and run away. He had his fingers laced, resting tightly against his head, his arms being used to block his ears.
Rolf looked down at the love of his life. He loved this view, actually any view of Matthew, but NOT for this reason. The usually gently arched back and smooth muscles were all tense. The well defined glutes weren't soft and squeezable, they were white where Matthew was squeezing as hard as he could. Every line in his body screamed distress. Then Rolf thought about what Eric told him. That Tony had more than likely killed kids just like Matthew. His sense of purpose was restored when he realized that he still had Matthew. A Matthew who needed to learn the error of his ways so that Rolf would have many more years to enjoy the sight, the touch, the love of his life. He raised the paddle up and brought it down quickly, the retort of the paddle on skin sounding like a gunshot in the quiet of the house.
Matthew's hands were quickly released as he slammed them down in front of him, trying to lift the front half of his body up off the couch as he gulped in air to refill his lungs, emptied when the paddle landed. He had barely inhaled when the second crack landed, again emptying him of air. He knew in those two licks that Rolf was indeed serious as there was no warm up, or softer beginning swats. It was full force and extremely painful. The third crack landed, touching skin that was already on fire, and Matthew shrieked in pain.
Marc was upstairs, still facedown on the bed, still in tears. He heard what he thought was a scream, and pulled the pillow over his head, sobbing harder. He wished he could be taking that spanking for Matthew.
Rolf continued cracking the paddle down with rapid efficiency. He made sure to cover all areas, from the top of the thighs to the top of the crack.
Matthew continued crying hard, screaming a couple times in agony as the paddle touched a particularly sensitive area.
Rolf stopped when Matthew sounded like he was near hyperventilating. He didn't let Matthew up, but ran a gentle hand down his back, waiting for him to get himself under control.
Matthew was working hard on not throwing up from the pain. He was sure his bottom had no skin left, though it did feel about 10 sizes larger than when he'd laid down. He'd started to have hope that it was over, when Rolf disabused him of that notion.
"Wait a minute, young man. We are NOT finished yet."
Matthew gasped in shock and outrage and tried to cover his backside. Rolf grabbed the hand and settled it into the small of his back, Matthew pleading through the tears that he had learned his lesson.
"I will be the judge of that. I promised you this would be like no paddling you ever received before, and I will live up to that promise."
With that said the paddle crashed down again, singeing both cheeks at once. Matthew bellowed in pain, as it all stirred up again, and then some. Rolf continued a slow methodical paddling, leaving no spot untouched, yet being very careful not to injure. Matthew continued to sob and squirm, which proved to be a bad idea. Matthew had managed to position his bottom just right, exposing his inner cheeks. Rolf aimed for that spot, and let the paddle fall twice before Matthew knew what hit him. Matthew tried with all his might to get up once that new pain flowed, but it was no use.
Marc now sat on the edge of his bed, watching time dissipate. Rolf had been down in the basement for an awfully long time, and no sign of him yet. Marc was scared. Scared for his own butt, and scared for what Matthew was enduring.
Rolf let the paddle fall one more time. Matthew was exhausted from the sobbing and squirming. His voice was completely gone from the yelling, and his bottom was almost beyond that deep dark red. There was not an inch untouched. Rolf put the paddle down, and began rubbing Matthew's back for whatever it was worth. He sat silently for nearly twenty minutes as Matthew worked hard at simply breathing without hiccups.
There were no tears left, and no energy. Matthew's world was reduced to an impossibly flaming backside. He simply worked hard at inhaling and exhaling.
Rolf slid Matthew's legs to the floor, Matthew kneeling for just a moment as Rolf stood up. As gently as he could, Rolf scooped Matthew into his arms and carried him up the two flights of stairs and gently laid him on his side on the bed.
Matthew was in another time zone. He was only aware of his breathing and his bottom. He had no energy to move, was exhausted, but couldn't close his eyes.
Rolf covered him gently with a blanket and closed the door behind him. He looked towards Marc's closed door, and instead of opening it, headed downstairs and outside to the back deck. He sat down and buried his head in his hands. It was a horrible ordeal, and it was only half over. Rolf took his time regaining composure, letting a few tears fall. He knew if he didn't suck it up now, he would never make it through another. After about five minutes, he headed up to Marc's door.
Marc heard Rolf climb the stairs and his heart rate about doubled. He could tell Rolf was carrying Matthew from the exertion he heard. BUT, he didn't hear Matthew crying. He tried hard not to throw up when the steps came back towards his door. He screwed his eyes tightly shut, but the steps continued on past. He took a second to realize that, then opened his eyes and listened to Rolf go downstairs. His torture wasn't over with yet, he thought. Silence. He got up and walked to the door, wondering if he could go down the hall and check on Matthew. He had his hand on the door for a couple minutes, debating, when he heard Rolf's footsteps on the stairs again. He quickly backed away from the door and sat on the edge of the bed.
Rolf knocked, then opened the door, his hand remaining on the door knob. "Basement, please."
Marc's legs had turned to jelly. Rolf wasn't furious, wasn't yelling, but those two words sent shivers of dread through Marc. Straight-forward, cold, is what he thought. He had trouble standing up. He warily walked past Rolf, uncertain whether the hand on the doorknob would swat him as he walked past. It didn't, and he slowly made his way down the stairs.
Marc looked around the basement. Looking for anything that could tell him what he was in for, but found no clues. Rolf came up behind him, paddle in tow, and guided Marc over to the sofa. Rolf took his seat on the sofa again, and positioned Marc in front of him. Marc's heart was racing. Rolf showed no emotion. No anger, no rage, but no comfort either.
"Marc. I want you to strip, completely naked."
As with Matthew, this order took Marc by surprise. But he slowly fumbled, much as Matthew had.
"I am not going to mislead you. You are in for a very serious paddling. Like nothing I have ever given you, and again, I pray nothing I ever have to give again."
Marc began to cry at that comment. Not so much for the pain he knew he would be enduring, but for the remorse he felt. He had his pants around his ankles, but was too upset to do anything but stand there.
Rolf stood up and pulled the shirt over Marc's head and guided him over to the couch and over his knees. Again, he tightened his grip around the waist and brought the paddle high up before snapping it soundly down upon the white flesh in his lap.
Marc's cries rose in tandem with the pain he was enduring with each swat of the paddle. He got entirely TOO choked up and Rolf stopped, laying the paddle down, pulling Marc up into his lap and soothing Marc's cheeks. "Marc, calm down. Deep breaths, slow, easy breaths." Rolf continued for a few minutes, Marc burying his head in Rolf's strong neck.
Marc was miserable. Not only was his bottom on fire, but he was feeling SO badly about the entire incident. He kept punishing himself over and over by thinking about how he could have been injured or killed, as well as Matthew and Rolf, two of his best friends.
It took Marc a long while to calm down. Every time he was close, those horrid thoughts popped back into his head. After a good twenty minutes, his breathing was back under control. Marc wanted to speak, but the words just wouldn't flow.
"Shall we continue?"
Marc clenched onto Rolf, not wanting any more.
"Marc, we aren't through, far from it. Let's get this over and done with."
Marc shed a few more tears, but loosened his grip. In no time he was back in position. Again, Rolf raised the paddle high, and brought it crashing down onto Marc's flaming backside.
The time allowed to get his breathing under control only seemed to heighten the sensitivity of his backside to the assault of the paddle. He tried with all his strength to crawl off of Rolf's lap, but he was held almost as if he was in a vise. He was left only to kick ineffectively, to accept each swat of the paddle. He dug his hands around the edge of the cushion and pulled forward, the cushion bending in half. It did nothing to stop the paddle from falling. Marc was left without the strength to cry, tears just slipped slowly from his reddened eyes. The only sounds heard between the cracks of the paddle were the heaving breaths and deep moans of pain.
Rolf tuned out Marc, turned off his emotions, and worked the paddle until the bottom in his lap was an angry, dark crimson. He again made sure that no permanent damage would be left, only a VERY well toasted backside, one that should serve as a very good reminder not to ever give out personal information on the internet. He was never so glad to lay the paddle down.
The pain was so intense that it took Marc nearly five minutes to realize that it was over. Rolf spent the better part of the next half hour, soothing and comforting Marc. Once the tears were gone, and the breathing was once again normal, Rolf scooped Marc up, and carried him to 'his' room.
He laid Marc gently down on his side as well, pulled a blanket up, and shut his door on the way out. He went downstairs and back out onto the deck to relax for a few minutes. The fresh air cleared his mind. Knowing he was through the really tough part helped, though he knew both boys would be in a lot of pain for the rest of the day. He decided it would be a good time to mow. Some good hard labor would help his mood. He mowed the grass, took a shower, and around one, decided the boys could probably use some lunch. He prepared some sandwiches and laid that out with chips, and headed upstairs. He stopped in to talk to Matthew first. He sat down on the side of the bed, Matthew's back to him. "Sweetheart, want some lunch?"
Matthew had barely dozed for the past few hours. His backside was extremely painful, and had not allowed sleep, though Matthew felt exhausted. Matthew's shoulders shook as a sob escaped him. "ssssssooo...ssssssoorrrrrrrryyyyy," he stammered through fresh tears.
Rolf pulled the blanket off, picked Matthew up and sat down, making sure that Matthew's thighs supported all his weight on Rolf's lap. He hugged Matthew tight. "I know, sweetheart, I know. Shhhhhhhhhhhh. You made a mistake and you're being punished for that mistake. Shhhhhhh." Rolf sat stroking Matthew's head and back.
Matthew took a few minutes to get himself under control, then said what he needed to. That he wouldn't be so stupid again and that he was sorry. He felt MUCH better after that confession.
Rolf then helped Matthew to his feet, found a long T-shirt and pulled that over his head before sending him downstairs to eat.
Once Matthew had headed downstairs Rolf went into Marc's room. Marc was facing Rolf as he entered the room. His eyes were bloodshot, and his face was puffy. He was starring aimlessly at the floor until he saw Rolf.
"How you doing? Want some lunch now?"
Marc shook his head, not wanting to leave the room.
"Come on, you need to eat."
A few tears streamed down Marc's face.
"What is it, what's a matter?"
"I'm sorry. Sooo sorry."
Rolf sat on the bed and cradled Marc.
"Shhhh shhhh. I know you are. I know. It's behind you now, and soon this will be too."
Rolf held Marc for a few minutes.
"Okay, please come down and eat."
Rolf got up and rummaged through Marc's drawers, looking for a long shirt, and finding one, passed it to him.
"Here, put that on, and come down. Please?"
Marc stood up, slipped the shirt on, and followed Rolf to the door.
"You go ahead, I will be down in just a minute," Rolf said, knowing the boys would need a minute alone.
Marc went downstairs into the kitchen and found Matthew standing at the counter picking at his sandwich. Their eyes met. Their faces spoke volumes. Their bottoms spoke even more. Marc walked over to Matthew, and stood in front of him. No words were spoken, just a long hard embrace.
Rolf went downstairs and entered the kitchen. The mood was somber, and would continue to be for some time, as the bottoms would be raw for quite a while. He really did hate to see them both in such distress, but it was a lesson that needed to be quite strong. "Eat your lunch, guys. You've got a full day ahead of you." Rolf sat down and ate his lunch while the two boys managed to eat theirs standing up. "Both of you finished?" Rolf asked.
His response was a nod and a barely audible yes.
"Put your plates in the dishwasher. I want you both to grab some paper and a pen, and get yourself situated in the family room and start writing. I want you to write "I will not give out personal information on the internet" 500 times. If I come out and finding you doing anything but writing, you will regret it. And that DOES mean the TV stays off."
Marc and Matthew were in no position or frame of mind to argue. Matthew got a couple of his notebooks from school and handed one to Marc along with a pen. They shuffled quietly into the family room and stretched out on the floor on their stomachs and started writing.
The silence was deafening. They both needed to speak, but neither knew where to begin. Finally Marc broke.
"I am sorry."
"Huh?" Matthew replied, not knowing what he could be sorry about.
"This, the p. . .paddling and the writing, and whatever else comes. I am sorry."
"Marc you have nothing to be sorry for. There were TWO of us there that night. And we both screwed up."
"Yeah, but I am the one who got us into it."
"It doesn't matter." Matthew crawled over to Marc and gave him a hug. "Please, don't feel guilt over this."
"I hate seeing you go through this because of what I started."
"And I would hate for you to go through this alone."
A tear came to Marc's eye as he realized what a true friend he had in Matthew. He returned the hug, tightly, and they returned to their writing.
Rolf walked in a few minutes later, checking on them. He saw the two of them diligently writing.
About ten minutes after he left, Matthew spoke again. "Your face looks like _s_h_i_t_, man."
Marc shot him a look and returned it in kind. "You don't look like you'll be winning any beauty contests either."
Matthew smiled. "No. Don't think I'd make it through the swimsuit competition in that thong."
That remark got half a smile from Marc.
"How are you?" Matthew asked.
"Incredibly sore. And worried."
"Worried?"
"Yeah, what the REST of the day holds."
"Oh. Right." Matthew looked back down at the paper, lost in thought.
"How are you?" Marc questioned.
"Beyond sore."
"What do you think Rolf's going to say or do later?"
"I think I can safely say the computer will be off limits. Other than that. . .don't wa--"
"Matthew, there is to be NO talking, you have enough writing to keep you busy for a while. Do I make myself clear?" Rolf asked, having walked in without the boys hearing him.
"Yes, sir," Matthew answered quietly, going back to work on his lines. He laid his head on his arm and wrote with his back to Marc. Moments later it seemed, Marc poked him in the side.
"Hey, wake up. You've got lines to write."
"I wasn't sleeping!" Matthew said quickly.
"Then you snore when you're awake," Marc responded.
Matthew stuck his tongue out at Marc and picked the pen back up.
Marc finished first. "Finally. Think my hand's going to fall off. How far are you?"
"You're fast. I have oh. . .about 75 left. Want to help?" Matthew asked hopefully.
"Marc will be in his room. You'll finish that alone, Matthew." Rolf looked at Marc. "Scoot. Door closed, I'll call you when dinner is ready."
Marc got up and headed upstairs. Rolf picked up the notebook, tore the sheets from it, checked that all 500 were there and complete, then ripped them in half and threw them out.
Matthew groaned inwardly having not heard Rolf again. He'd have to buy him some clunky shoes or a cow bell, so he'd hear him coming. He finished up about 30 minutes later. He took his lines into Rolf's office.
"Very good. Now off to your room," Rolf said after checking them.
Matthew turned and slowly made his way back to their room, and laid across the bed. He was soon asleep as there wasn't anything else to do.
Marc on the other hand was unable to sleep. He just laid there on his stomach, gazing at the closed mini blinds. He had turned the ceiling fan on, in hopes of cooling off his behind. But it was little help. His stomach was in knots, and his mind swirling. He knew what he and Matthew had done was serious, so he knew the punishment was far from over. All sorts of torturous punishments popped into his head. The worst was what Matthew had told him, no computer. That was Marc's lifeline. It was his entertainment. His friend. His porn. His leisure. And there was most certainly a lengthy "no use" sentence coming up.
Somewhere during his swirling thoughts Rolf had come in. He stood in the doorway quietly, observing the damage done to Marc's rear end. It wasn't a pretty site, but a necessary one. He could see Marc was lost in thought, and was almost certain what he was thinking.
"Marc," Rolf said quietly, trying not to startle him.
"Huh?" Marc replied, finally seeing Rolf.
"Meet me downstairs. I want to have a discussion with you and Matthew. I want to hear your feelings and thoughts. And most importantly, I want to hear the whole ordeal that has lead us here."
Marc wasn't ready for this, but did want to get it over with. "Okay."
Rolf left the door open and headed into the bedroom to get Matthew. Marc waited until he had entered to head downstairs.
"Sweetheart, you awake?"
"G-way," Matthew mumbled, not awake enough yet to realize that wasn't the response Rolf was looking for.
"Matthew, get up please. We need to talk." Rolf shook Matthew until his head came up off the pillow.
"Can't I just lay here?"
"No, down to the kitchen please."
Matthew scooted backwards on the bed until his feet touched the floor and then stood up. He rubbed his still puffy face and slowly headed downstairs.
Rolf stepped behind the bar. "Over here, guys. I'm not going to ask you to sit down, but I want you standing right here." Rolf indicated that the two boys would be facing him across the bar. On the bar top was a picture of Tony Lamonte. "The first thing that I want to say is that I am THOROUGHLY disappointed in BOTH of you." Rolf kept his eyes shifting between the two boys.
Marc and Matthew both shrunk inside as the lecture began. They already felt sorry for what they had done, and they were now going to hear a lot more than they ever wanted to.
Rolf continued, his voice stern. "NEVER did I imagine in my wildest dreams that either of you would break the rule about personal information on the internet. I have told you TOO many times how dangerous that could be and why. OVER AND OVER I have told you."
Matthew was finding the hem of his T-shirt very interesting, and Marc couldn't get his eyes off the picture of Tony.
"LOOK AT ME!" Rolf thundered, his hands hitting the countertop.
Both boys jumped and fearfully brought their eyes up to meet the steely blue gaze of Rolf.
Rolf let his anger and fear bubble over, picking up the picture of Tony. "THIS is a FACE you can put to the reason for the rule! THIS is why I told you NEVER to give out information! For gawdsakes, boys, HE COULD HAVE KILLED YOU! WHAT IN THE HELL OVERCAME YOUR SENSES!?! WHAT CAUSED YOU TO THINK, FOR EVEN A MINUTE, THAT TALKING TO A NAMELESS STRANGER IN SOME SLEAZY _s_e_x_ CHAT ROOM WAS A GOOD IDEA?!? WHAT?!?"
Rolf's voice reverberated in the kitchen as tears stung both boy's eyes and started to roll down their cheeks. Rolf's questions and comments were hitting home, hard.
Rolf continued to rant for several minutes, neither stopping nor softening in the face of the tears. He was going to make _d_a_m_n_ sure that each of the two were well aware how badly they had scared him. When he ran out of steam some fifteen minutes later, he went and got the tissue box, putting it between the two boys. They each grabbed a couple and worked hard at clearing their noses and wiping their faces.
"I think I've said my piece for now. Marc, I want you to start from the beginning and tell me exactly what happened to get us here. Leave nothing out, I can assure you can't be in any more trouble than you already are." Rolf pulled around a kitchen barstool and sat down, keeping his eyes on Marc. "How did it start?"
Marc didn't want to speak, but knew Rolf wasn't going to wait all day.
"It just sort of happened. One night I stumbled into the chat room. Just as I was ready to leave, this guy popped up. He was a smooth talker. I had my first cyber experience. It was a lot of fun. Then the chats became more frequent. Then when you went out of town, it was the perfect opportunity for me to introduce Matthew to it."
Instead of lecturing on responsibilities when he's out of town, Rolf simply said, "Go on."
Marc shifted on his feet, knowing how horrible it sounded. "I showed Matthew the sites, and we played around. The time when Matthew was at my house?" Marc paused until he saw Rolf nod. "We sort of. . .had a bit too much to drink. . ."
"HOW much is a bit?"
Marc swallowed, then said, "We were drunk, sir."
"Ah. Go on."
Marc was feeling increasingly more nervous as Rolf just sat and waited. "We. . .we were in the chatroom, and Lone- Tony was there. Mat--"
"I wanted to talk to him," Matthew broke in.
Rolf swung his eyes to Matthew. "And?"
Matthew didn't like being the center of attention, but felt he had to say something. "We. . .talked to him for a few minutes, then he said something about wanting to hear our voices. I thou--"
"We didn't think anything about it, just gave him the phone number. We didn't realize what we had done until the next morning. Then. . .it was too late."
"Uh huh. So you were at your house, would have given him your number. How did he get mine?" Rolf said.
Marc looked down at his toes. "I. . .we. . .uh. . ."
"MARC?"
"I gave him yours first, thinking I was here," Marc quietly said.
"Uh huh. Light dawns. That's why Matthew was playing with the phones." Rolf turned and looked at Matthew, who at least had the grace to blush furiously before dropping his eyes down. He returned his gaze to Marc. "So that was what. . .a good couple of weeks ago now, right?"
Marc KNEW that was a setup, but didn't have any other answer. "Yes."
"So instead of telling me about your mistake then, you covered it up and LIED to me for TWO WEEKS?!?"
Marc cringed again. "Yes, sir."
"WHAT were you thinking?!?" Rolf nearly barked.
"I was hoping that if we ignored him, he would just go away. It worked for a bit. But when I went out of town, that was when he opted to try Matthew."
"So that is why you came back a couple days early. And all those 100+ messages, those were from Tony?"
"Most of them were, but a lot were junk mail."
Rolf was at a loss. He'd gotten more information than he'd bargained for. More information than he ever cared to know.
"Now I just want to make sure I have this all correct, Marc. I went out of town and let Matthew stay with you, so he would have not only a friend around, but someone to keep an eye on him. And instead of keeping him OUT of trouble, you lead him head on into it! You start by introducing him to the vile chat rooms. I have nothing against a chat room, but you obviously took him to some of the rather sleazy ones. Then you got drunk and you know how I feel about that. THEN you break the golden rule. Then you spend the next two weeks lying about it and trying to conceal it. Do I have it all?"
Marc just looked down at the ground. Suddenly the way his toes wiggled became very intriguing.
Rolf just shook his head, a look of sheer disbelief on his face. He had thought long and hard about what would be an appropriate punishment. "I sincerely hope that the paddle this morning reminded you how VERY much I disapproved of your behavior. Now I want to emphasize that point."
Marc and Matthew's stomachs twisted in nervous anticipation. Rolf was about to tell them what the rest of their punishment was and neither wanted to know, as they knew it wasn't going to be anything good.
"To start with, you are both grounded for two weeks."
That didn't sound so horrible.
"Marc, that means you stay here. I want to keep an eye on you. School/work, nowhere else. No phone, television. Trust me, you'll be kept busy enough not to miss it. Neither of you will be making the trip the following weekend either."
Both Marc and Matthew wanted to complain bitterly about that restriction, but they knew it wouldn't matter to Rolf. They had been looking forward to the trip out of town, especially since the entire gang was going.
Rolf continued. "Over the next several months, you will be helping Eric at the police station. He will make sure you are kept busy, and will remind you why it was so dangerous to give out your phone numbers on the internet. When he calls with a date, that WILL be your priority, no matter what else you may have had planned. I don't want to hear ANY complaining about missed plans. You made a mistake and you will live with the consequences. Do I make myself clear?"
The two boys managed to get out their answers in the affirmative. Rolf had already made them miserable, and he had YET to say anything about the computer as of yet.
"Now, for the drinking. There will be NO alcohol of any kind for either of you for three months. You can't control your drinking, I will. Along with the alcohol restriction, there will be absolutely NO computer usage for those three months. NONE. Matthew, you'll be able to do homework, but only with my supervision. Marc, after your two weeks are up here, I'm taking your CPU and putting it in a safe place."
Marc couldn't suppress a shocked "Ah." He quickly shut his mouth and looked down when Rolf turned his way.
"Something to say about that, Marc? Rolf waited a few seconds before saying, "I didn't think so. The return of the computer does not necessarily mean the return of the internet, and all of that also depends on your behavior during the next three months. Either of you have anything to add to this conversation?"
They both wanted to complain. The punishment sounded worse than a prison sentence. The both knew Rolf would have no sympathy, so they shook their heads no.
"It's time to get dinner ready then. Matthew, get the salad started. Marc, the vegetables and bread are your department." Rolf wasn't going to give the boys time to pout. They were going to eat and go straight to bed.
Dinner was a solemn occasion. Both boys were forced to have a seat for dinner; the fluffy pillows were of little comfort. Everyone ate in silence. The boys were both drained from the day's events, and upset at the pending punishments. Once it looked as if the eating had stopped and the food playing began, Rolf broke the silence. "Are you both finished?"
The boys stared at their plates and nodded yes.
"Dispose of what you didn't eat and put the dishes in the sink. I will clean up when you two are settled in."
Matthew and Marc slowly got up and did as instructed.
"You are to head upstairs and clean up and go right to bed. I will be up in a few minutes. Marc I want a word with you before you go."
Matthew did as he was told. Marc on the other hand wanted to be anywhere but where he was. He was unsure of what Rolf wanted, based on his tone, but knew it couldn't be good.
Rolf stood up and walked over so he was in front of Marc. "I am sure you are tired so I will make this brief. You know how disappointed I am in you. This whole incident should NEVER have happened. I left Matthew under YOUR guidance. Sure, I expected you to be up all night. Sure, I knew you would have a drink, maybe two. And I knew you would introduce him to new stuff on the 'net. But I never thought you would get out of control like this. That sort of behavior is inexcusable. Before you leave to return home in two weeks, you will receive another spanking. Your behavior these two weeks will decide what implement will be used on you."
Marc's heart sank to his stomach, which had already sunk to the floor. The thought of another spanking, even if it was two weeks away, was inconceivable.
"Do you have anything to add?"
Tears welled up Marc's eyes, but no words came to his lips.
"Alright then, upstairs and clean up, then right to bed. I will be in after I check on Matthew."
Marc quickly made his way upstairs.
Rolf put away the leftovers and headed upstairs. He found Matthew on his side, his shoulders shaking gently as he cried silently into the pillow. Rolf kneeled down on the floor at the side of the bed. "Sweetheart, will you face me?" he asked gently, running his hand over the side of Matthew's face.
Matthew rolled onto his stomach, then faced Rolf, scooting over to the side of the bed. He reached out his arms and Rolf hugged him tightly back. Matthew's silent tears turned more vocal and Rolf continued holding him, his knees hurting. He ignored the knees.
A few minutes later Matthew had stopped crying. Rolf continued to stroke his head and back, sitting in an awkward position, but unwilling to move. He continued to whisper comforting words until Matthew was asleep. Rolf groaned slightly as he stood up, his knees creaking. He tucked Matthew in and closed the door, heading over to Marc's room.
Marc laid facing away from the door, face damp with tears. He stared at the shadows on the wall, thinking of all he had sustained, and all that was to come. He felt some of it was just, but a lot unfair. He heard the door open, and knew it must be Rolf. Marc didn't want to see him, not now, not after telling him that he would be facing yet another ass beating. Marc closed his eyes and pretended to be fast asleep.
"Marc, are you awake?" Rolf asked quietly as he entered the room. He waited for a response but didn't get one. Rolf walked over to the bed, and pulled the covers up on Marc. He kissed Marc on the forehead, and wiped away the tears on his face. "Sleep well, my little one." Rolf exited the room, leaving the door open a crack. New tears rolled down Marc's face after Rolf left. In his heart, he knew that regardless of what Rolf said and did, as far as punishment goes, it was all done out of love and genuine concern for his own well being.
Rolf left Marc alone, knowing he hadn't been asleep, but not wanting to push himself on Marc if he didn't want it. He went downstairs and settled into his chair with a book. He tried to get interested in it, but his mind kept going back over the incredibly long and pain filled day. He was grateful to be done with the day, but also worried a little about the coming two weeks, and the three months, as the fear and immediate danger faded and the boys were left ONLY with their punishment.
The phone rang, it was Rolf's brother. He gratefully put the book down and immersed himself into talk of the family and loved ones. He was upset to look up and see Marc standing there. "Hold on just a moment, will you?" he said to his brother, before putting the call on hold. "Marc?" he asked sternly.
Marc had been lying upstairs, unable to go to sleep until he got something off his chest. "I'm. . .sorry. REALLY sorry."
Rolf could see Marc meant it. He smiled. "I know you are. Now go on, back to bed."
Marc look relieved, turned and headed upstairs. He heard a quiet "sweet dreams" as he ascended the stairway.
Rolf hung up the phone an astounding two hours later, more relaxed than he'd been in a long time. Having someone to talk to of other thiings had been exactly what he needed. He slid into bed next to Matthew and was soon fast asleep.
The End