Petra & Cooper
Not a word was spoken but it was understood; Petra was Cooper’s slave. His aggressiveness the first time he claimed her would have been enough to discourage any other potential captors but her response to his attentions made it clear to everyone; I’m spoken for.
When she handed him her skipping rope each day he quickly made a noose in it and dropped it over her. She stood obediently, head bowed and arms at her sides, as he slipped it over her shoulders and down to her elbows. He pulled it tight, very tight.
Unlike the other boys who paraded their trophies around the schoolyard he would roughly pull her along to the far end of the yard well away from their classmates. Each day he would silently use the free end of the rope to bind her in a different way. One day it was hands in front, the next hands behind. One of Petra’s favorites was when he wrapped the rope around her knees and pulled them up to her chest.
As she lay on her side on the ground he sat and watched her. It was the same routine each time. She would lie still for a minute or two and then begin to struggle. His face showed just a hint of a smile when she twisted and turned. She enjoyed being tied and at first put only a half-hearted effort into trying to escape for fear of actually loosening the rope. It only took a few tie ups for her to realize that she wasn’t going to undo any of his bonds and then she gave it her full exertion.
Mrs. King, the school yard monitor, kept an eye on them. Even though Cooper was a bit of an odd sort he did keep his hands to himself when Petra was vulnerable. Petra seemed to be enjoying his attentions so as long as it remained innocent she would stay watchful but at a distance. If the tie up looked more elaborate than just a simple lasso she would drift over towards them as the break period was nearing its end. Upon seeing her Cooper would know that it was time to untie Petra.
One Friday in the fall was declared Clean-up Day. After lunch rather than return to class the older students were split up into work groups and each was assigned an area. Most of the students remained outside after the lunch break to tidy up the schoolyard raking leaves and picking up garbage. A few went back into the school to do various chores.
In the morning when the groups were being assigned Mrs. King announced that she needed two students to straighten up the store room. She looked at Petra. Petra looked at Cooper. Cooper nodded.
After the lunch break they hung up their coats and reported to Mrs. King. She took them to the store room and outlined what they were to do. The shelves needed to be emptied, dusted and then everything put back neatly. She gave them a heap of dust rags and spray bottles of cleaner and left them to it.
They started in. Normally a pair of youngsters, especially two with their history, would spend more time chatting than working but not these kids. Cooper rarely ever said anything to her and even less when they were playing master/slave. They each picked a shelf on opposite sides of the room and began.
Petra was excited just to be alone in a room with her abductor. Her imagination ran wild as she thought up scenarios in which he took her captive in that room. She wanted so much to be tied up and helpless at his hands but the reality was that it just wasn’t going to happen. Aside from not bringing her skipping rope, which would have seemed a strange thing to do, there was the ever present possibility of Mrs. King coming to check up on them. Playing in the schoolyard was one thing but being bound in a secluded closet was entirely another.
Petra glanced at him often. As far as she could tell he hadn’t looked her way at all. She was wearing a pretty white dress with a floral pattern and white knee socks. Her black Mary-Jane’s were shiny and new. Her long hair was down with a black velvet bow tied around a small ponytail. If ever a pretty girl deserved to be noticed by a boy it was her.
He was focused on his task and had cleaned at least twice as much as she had. Her day dreaming was slowing her down. At one point he placed a book on top of one of her piles. ‘I think this belongs to you’ he said. She looked down. It was indeed part of the set.
It was probably the most he had ever said to her. She wanted so much for him to talk about “them”. Other boys made comments to their slaves. Some were funny, some were kind and some were not so kind; but at least they said something. Those words would be a start but she wanted more. It would be nice to sit together in the lunchroom and have a proper chat but so far he had shown no interest in pursuing their relationship further.
She absent-mindedly pulled a box from the shelf and placed it on the floor. Then she picked it up again to see what was inside. Judging from the dust it had been there a long time. Written on top in magic marker was “Lost & Found”. Inside was a rubber boot, some mitts and gloves, a yoyo and other assorted items; one in particular made Petra smile.
It was a skipping rope but not like any she had ever seen before. It was homemade. The red handles were cut from an old broom stick and worn smooth from use. The rope itself was brown hemp at least half an inch thick. It looked coarse and prickly. It had been passed through holes that were drilled down the center of the handles and knotted to keep it in place. She placed it on top of the other stuff.
She placed the box on top of one of his piles and said ‘I think this is for you, you had best take a look at it.’ He opened it up. Petra had a nervous flutter in her stomach. She saw the potential in that box; would he? She turned to finish the shelf.
A hand clamped over her mouth and a strong arm enveloped her at the waist pinning her arms to her sides. He pushed her against the shelves. He put his mouth to her ear and simply said ‘Shh, don’t say a word.’
He was holding her very tight but she managed to nod her head. He took his hand off of her mouth and took hold of her wrists. He pulled them behind her and crossed them. A shiver went through Petra’s body as the rope bit deeply into her wrists. It was rough and somehow it hurt and felt good both at the same time.
He put his hands on her shoulders and pushed her to her knees. Then he pushed her face down on the floor. The cold stone floor against the bare part of her legs gave her goose bumps. Petra’s brain was swirling with intense emotions.
The fear of being caught by a teacher, the thrill of being bound by Cooper and the pleasure of being tightly tied all competed for attention in her mind. She closed her eyes and focused. The dread of being discovered disappeared, the delight of being Cooper’s captive faded away; all that remained was the excitement of the feel of the rope holding her captive.
It wasn’t about Cooper any more; it was only about what he could do for her. As if he was reading her mind he ran the other end of the rope around ankles. He pulled on it until her fingertips touched her heels. The pain of being bent so severely didn’t feel so bad to her. The ache in her body evolved into a tingle. It felt good.
She couldn’t see Cooper but she could imagine him standing over her, studying her as he always did. She would wait another minute and then start to struggle. This time her actions would be as much for her own benefit as his. She wanted to feel the helplessness of futile efforts. Then something unexpected happened.
Cooper reached out and removed her shoe; then the other one. Petra could feel her feet against each other, only the thin cotton socks between them. She wiggled them. The feel of them touching, unable to separate, sent a shiver through her.
Petra had always enjoyed exploring the world with her feet. The feel of the cold water as she waded in the lake, the soft warmth of a new pair of fuzzy socks, the dew covered grass between her toes, the first time she put on nylons. All of these experiences had been special to her but none of them prepared her for how she felt now.
She knew from the first time that she was taken in the schoolyard that there was more to it than just being claimed by a boy. There was something about it that was hers and hers alone. The feel of the rope holding her and the tightening of it as she was pulled along was always more to her than just a game. Now in this closet it had ascended to a higher level.
Her body stiffened as if a bolt of lightning had shot through it. Cooper had touched her, ever so slightly, with his fingertips. He stroked her arches. She giggled. His fingers began to dance across her soles. She giggled again and then laughed out loud. He stopped. Petra was crushed. She had been too loud, she had ruined the moment.
His hand took firm grip on her pony tail and her head was jerked back. A groan of pain was cut short as he stuffed one of the cleaning rags into her mouth. ‘You make too much noise’ he whispered to her as he used a second rag to cover her mouth. Once it was tied he returned his attention to her feet.
He started slow and picked up the pace gradually. Petra laughed hard. She was no longer constrained by trying to keep quiet, the gag was doing it for her. Her muffled laughter left her breathless as Cooper’s fingers tickled her without mercy. Being tied and unable to evade his attack made it that much more intense. Petra had never laughed so hard.
Then it came to a sudden halt. As she twisted and turned with delight he did his best to keep up with her. During one particularly energetic twitch her foot collided with his hand and his fingernail scratched her. It didn’t hurt much and she wanted him to continue but the gag prevented her from saying so.
He quickly untied her ankles. He rolled her over and sat her up, back against the shelves. Never once did he look her in the face. Petra could see that he was concerned about her foot but couldn’t console him. He knelt down in front of her and placed his hand under her ankle. He lifted her foot and took hold of the toe of her sock. Slowly and gently he pulled it off.
The feeling of the soft cotton sliding down her calf and over her foot was something she had experienced hundreds of times before but it had never felt like this. As the sock slipped off inch by inch her body tensed up until she thought she was going to explode. It tickled but not like any tickle she had ever felt before. Her senses were heightened by the excitement. When it came off she could feel the cool air of the room touching her bare foot, she could feel the skin on skin contact of Coopers hand on her ankle and she could feel the warmth across her sole where he had scratched her.
Cooper lifted her foot a bit higher to examine the injury. He looked at the mark he had left and was relieved that it wasn’t as bad as he had thought. Then he noticed the slender ankle in his hand. The rope had left deep red marks. He caressed her ankle with both hands and began to massage. With each stroke of his fingers the ache left by her bonds faded away.
He paused for a moment and put her foot down. The bare sole against the icy floor sent a shiver through her. He picked up the other foot and removed that sock also. Then he took an ankle in each hand and continued to rub away her pain.
Petra was enjoying the attention. She closed her eyes and put her head back. Was this romantic? As a ten year old girl she wasn’t sure. On TV and in the teen novels she reads this would lead to hugging and kissing but was that what Cooper wanted? It was what she wanted but being bound and gagged prevented any possibility of trying it.
Then the door opened. Cooper froze. Petra pulled her feet out of his hands. Mrs. King stood in the doorway and surveyed the situation. She looked at the two children and then she looked at the shelves.
‘You have done a good job in here’ she said as if nothing were out of the ordinary. ‘There are some cookies and milk for the workers in the cafeteria. Cooper, why don’t you go and have some while I finish up in here.’
Cooper stood and began to leave. A hand on his shoulder stopped him. He looked up at Mrs. King. ‘Don’t worry son’ she said ‘you’re not in trouble.’
Cooper left and she looked down at Petra; bound and gagged with bare legs on the cold floor. She bent down and removed the gag. A stern lecture came to mind but she held her tongue and decided to save it for another day. Petra looked so happy so didn’t want to ruin it for her.