Chapter 13: Second Thoughts

When Martin arrived home from the hardware store he threw the back door open and stormed inside the house, "Claudia!" his voice rang out.

Claudia was sitting in her sewing room staring off into space, and wasn't sure she wanted to respond. She could hear the anger in his voice and she suspected he had found out about Mia running away.

"Claudia!" Martin grew more impatient.

Claudia slowly got to her feet and walked out to greet her husband, "I'm here," she answered dully.

"I heard Mia may have gone downtown this afternoon and met her mother," Martin boomed, hoping against hope his wife would deny that claim.

Claudia was at a loss for words; not sure how she could stop him from doing the inevitable, "Where did you hear that?" She finally asked.

Mia heard her grandfather storm into the house and she crept to the top of the stairs to hear everything that was going on down in the kitchen. She couldn't believe how quickly her grandpa had found out what she had done.

"Did she?" Martin demanded and he pounded his fist on the table, "Tell me!"

Claudia flinched away, "Martin."

Martin could tell from the look on Claudia's face that what Rori had told him was true and he stomped over and grabbed the belt from the nail where it hung and stormed up the stairs. Mia quickly scrambled back inside her room in the nick of time before her grandpa flung her door open, "Get downstairs to the den," Martin commanded.

Mia saw the belt in his hand and tensed up, "Please Popoff."

Martin grabbed Mia firmly by the arm and led her down the stairs at a fast pace, as she attempted not to stumble; her arm hurting from his grasp. "Assume the position," he commanded as he thrust her inside the den and doubled the belt and snapped it taut for emphasis.

"No Popoff," Mia began to sob in fear, paralyzed.

"Now!" Martin yelled.

Claudia had regained her senses and followed them to the den, "Martin," she gasped when she saw what he was about to do, "Please don't do this."

"Stay out of this," Martin's voice was low and menacing as he looked at his wife, "She has this coming and she knows it."

Mia was trembling from head to toe and she could hardly manage to stay on her feet. She was still wearing her school uniform and she turned around and bent over, raising her plaid skirt and placing her hands on the back of her knees. Her stomach did flip flops as she awaited the inevitable.

Martin didn't waste any time, "You are just like your mother," he yelled and he doubled over the belt and whapped it across Mia's small backside with fury. It landed with a resounding smack and Mia rocked forward from the impact, trying not to fall over. He struck her harder this time than he ever had before.

"Get back in position," Martin raged as she teetered from the impact.

Claudia couldn't take it, "Martin," she plead and her voice came out ragged and hoarse, "Don't do this to her."

Martin raised his belt and brought it down a second time, "You will learn to obey," he called out. WHAPP!

Mia's eyes brimmed with tears and she couldn't avoid grabbing her bottom and rubbing it with vigor where the two licks had seared across her seat.

"Move your hands," Martin yelled and she continued sobbing and quivering as she placed her hands out of the way and behind her knees again. Martin struck her a third time with even more force than before and she fell forward, losing her balance, and crumpling down to her knees on the floor in anguish.

Martin looked down at her crumpled form with annoyance as Mia grasped her behind and cried deep and heartfelt sobs of anguish, rocking back and forth a little before standing back on her feet and bending over again to assume the position.

Claudia tried to grab her husband's arm, "Martin!"

"Don't!" Martin yelled and he shook his arm out of her grasp before looking at her with a chilling glance she had not seen in ages. She backed away from him in fear.

"Don't you ever defy me again," Martin said as he whipped her a fourth time, bringing the belt down with all his might. Sweat beginning to build at the edge of his forehead.

"I'm s-ss-s-o-rr-yy" Mia managed and she forced herself to stay bent over, even though she wanted to die. She had never seen her grandfather this angry.

Martin raised the belt once more and struck her again, WHAPP! And then he struck her a sixth time. She screamed hysterically.

Martin paused as he heard her heart felt screams and he looked down at her panty clad bottom. He could see the thick red stripes the belt had left across her bottom. They were visible beneath her thin panties. Wicked smudges of red marked the bare flesh that peeked out from beneath the elastic legs of her panties. He knew he was out of control and acting like a mad man. He had been whipping her out of anger and frustration and he knew it was wrong.

Mia was beside herself with fear and dread as she stood bent over with her hands behind her knees waiting for the remainder of her punishment, shaking from head to toe. Her bottom began to burn and throb, and she wondered how on earth she would ever make it through eight more licks, because she knew it was his custom to administer one lick per year of age, and he had already delivered six. She wondered how her mother had ever endured this sort of punishment regularly, because it was a truly horrible experience.

Martin lifted his arm intending to strike again, but before he could manage to bring the belt down again, he suddenly lowered his arm. He looked at her pathetic form as she trembled and sobbed. It was as if time stood still as he wrestled within himself, deciding what his next move should be. He couldn't bring himself to continue whipping her. He knew he had lost control and he began to regret his actions. Claudia shed quiet tears as she waited for the outcome, afraid to say anything that would further stir Martin's anger.

Mia turned her head and looked back at him with tears streaming down her face. She wasn't sure why he had stopped; she shuddered when she glimpsed the belt still grasped firmly in his hand and she turned back around and waited, wishing he would just get on with it and get it over with. She couldn't wait to get out of that room and get as far away from him as humanly possible. This was not the Popoff she knew and loved, this man was possessed. Her Popoff had never treated her like this; he had been strict, but also firm and loving, and not consumed with rage.

Martin realized how out of control he had become, "Stand up Mia," he said quietly.

Mia mustered her strength and stood up, feeling her skirt fall back down over her panties and wondering if she was allowed to rub her bottom because her backside was throbbing and burning so much all she wanted to do was sooth it.

Martin swallowed, "Sit down on the couch."

The last thing Mia wanted was to sit down on her sore bottom for a lecture, but she was completely and utterly frightened of what would happen if she didn't comply. She rubbed her bottom with the back of her hand as she moved towards the couch and sat down, searing pain shooting through her as her bottom pressed against the surface of the couch.

Martin breathed a heavy sigh, "I'm sorry Mia," he said quietly, "I should not have been upset like that when administering my belt." He thought of how she had tumbled to the floor as he whipped her. He cringed.

Mia sniffed, terrified of what to say in response and shaking inside and out.

Martin sat down next to her and took his handkerchief out of his pocket. He was a very traditional man in so many ways, still carrying a hanky. He took the hanky out and dried his granddaughter's tears with it, "Mia, I told you that you weren't allowed to go see your mother."

Mia couldn't help it, she broke down, "I-I-I'm s-s-ss-orr-y," she sobbed in anguish.

Martin took her in his arms and held her. He was there to offer comfort despite having just whipped her. She clung to him.

Claudia stood watching with worry and concern on her face, afraid to say anything for fear it would only make things worse. She had seen all three of her children whipped many times, and it broke her heart to see her granddaughter treated this way. She didn't care what Martin said, she was not going to allow that belt to hang in the kitchen any longer; she couldn't stand it anymore.

Martin got a far off look and then he even surprised himself with his own words, "So what did you think of your mother when you met her?"

Mia buried her head against him and bawled even harder, "I thought she was kind and beautiful."

"What did she say to you, concerning me?" Martin asked, suspicious of his daughter's motives and feeling it was likely she would try and turn Mia against him.

Mia attempted to compose herself, "She said for me to do what you said, and that she couldn't see me unless you said it was OK, and that I didn't want to lose your love," Mia's lips trembled and she continued weeping.

Martin was taken aback. His was so accustomed to his oldest daughter Rori, who was so vindictive, that he had almost forgotten how Angel wasn't like that. Tears came to his eyes and he squeezed his granddaughter, "You disobeyed me Mia."

"I-I know, I-I'm sorry," she sobbed in anguish, torn up from what she had just experienced, and feeling guilty for disobeying her grandpa. She was always obedient. At least her grandpa was not beating her with his belt any longer, but she wasn't sure if he intended to give her the remaining licks or not.