Chapter 4 – Still a game?
Alice slips into Sarah's cell and locks the door behind her. To prepare Sarah for her punishment, she removes the chastity devices. With the chastity bra and belt off, Sarah feels a mix of relief and terror. Relief that the painful spikes pressing into her flesh are gone, and that she can finally breathe again, but terror at what is to come. Alice taunts Sarah, "Enjoy this moment while it lasts, Sarah, because after today you will be wearing this belt forever. You'll never be able to satisfy your sinful desires again." Alice's taunts only serve to add to her fear, as Sarah realizes that this might be the last time she will not be wearing the chastity belt ever again. Sarah's emotions are a jumbled mess as she waits for the next step in her punishment.
Alice led Sarah to the center of the cell block and connected her to the coffle, then she went to Laura's cell and brought her to join them. Finally, Alice walked over to Jessica's cell and opened it, removing her shackles and connecting her to the coffle as well. Chained together for the last time. Sarah and Jessica naked, while Laura's sweat-stained and ripped shift hardly concealed anything.
The three women were then led out of the cell block and into the town square, where a large crowd had already gathered. Robert and the judges were already there, waiting for them.
Alice locks each woman's wrists and ankles in matching iron shackles, reducing them to a group of identical prisoners. The sound of the clanking metal is the only noise in the cell block as the three women are brought together and connected with a chain. As they stand there, shackled and vulnerable, the weight of their situation seems to dawn on them once more.
Alice leads the women out into the square, and as they come into view of the gathered crowd, a loud murmur of excitement ripples through the spectators. Some of them jeer and hurl insults at the prisoners, while others gawk in disbelief at the naked women.
As Alice leads the three women through the crowd, they can feel the weight of everyone's stares upon them. When they reach the center of the square, the crowd grows silent and the judges begin to read the charges and punishments for each of the three women. Laura is to be chained to the wall and humiliated for her thievery. Sarah is to be displayed in the human-shaped gibbet cage before being locked in the pillory for the rest of the day for her wanton displays of lust. Jessica, convicted of treason and attempted regicide, is to be whipped in the square at sunrise before being immediately tied to the cross to suffer for several days until her death.
The crowd cheers when Laura and Sarah’s punishments are announced, but they go silent when Jessica’s punishment is read.
Jessica is separated from the others and bound to the whipping post. Her wrists are wrapped tightly around the post and her bare back is exposed to the jeering crowd.
Alice leads Laura to the building wall and chains her to it, forcing her to stand facing the crowd with her arms stretched above her head. Her wrists are in shackles attached to the wall, causing her to stand on her tiptoes, and her ankles are also restrained. As she is forced into this position, the shift she is wearing rips further open, exposing her entire chest, including her breasts and the thief’s mark. Alice smirks as she fastens a sign around Laura's neck, reading " I, Laura, am a thief and a criminal", with a QR code below it. The sign hangs under her breasts, the ropes on either side of them as if to frame her nudity. Laura blushes with embarrassment as the sign broadcasts her shame to the gathering crowd, though she has no idea what the QR code is for. She feels completely exposed and debased, as though she is nothing more than a piece of meat on display.
The crowd gathers around her, some taking pictures of the sign, others scanning the QR code with their phones. The links take them to Laura's social media accounts, where they see pictures of her in normal modern-day clothes, living a completely different life than the one she is living now.
The crowd starts to whisper and murmur among themselves. Some laugh at Laura's exposed breasts and her public humiliation. Others start to speculate about what she has done in her past to deserve such a punishment. Almost everyone takes photos of Laura, either for their own personal enjoyment, or to share on social media, tagging Laura's accounts.
As the minutes tick by, the crowd grows more and more restless, waiting for the next part of the punishment to begin. Meanwhile, Laura stands there in complete humiliation, feeling the stares of the crowd upon her and the weight of the sign around her neck, even as she looks down to avoid their gaze.
After a few minutes, Sarah is collected by Alice and Robert and led to her cage. The gibbet cage is in the shape of a human body with arms and legs extended, hanging from a long chain attached to a beam on the side of the building. He then approaches Sarah, who is standing with her hands cuffed behind her back. He unlocks her cuffs and helps her step onto the bottom platform of the cage, made of thin metal grating.
Robert secures Sarah's ankles with metal shackles to the bottom corners of the cage, making sure her legs are extended. He then secures her wrists with metal cuffs to the top corners of the cage, so that her arms are stretched upward.
Once Sarah is secured inside the cage, Robert shuts the front, having to push it shut, pinning Sarah in place. He gives the signal to raise it. She lets out a gasp as her body lifts off the ground.
The crowd sees Sarah squeezed into the small cage, her arms and legs held tightly. Her breasts protrude through gaps in the cage. Her face is pressed against the bars, and her long hair hangs down, obscuring her features. Her skin is shiny with sweat, and the marks of the spiked board are visible on her feet. Sarah swayed with the breeze, making her seem like a caged bird. The onlookers murmur and point, some laughing and jeering while others seem to be watching with morbid curiosity. A circle of young men forms directly under Sarah, pointing their phones up at her exposed sex.
Despite her predicament, Sarah feels a sense of satisfaction. She may be the one being punished, but she knows that all eyes are on her and that she is the center of attention. She sneers and jeers back at the crowd, and they only get louder in response. Sarah may be punished, but at least she is not forgotten.
The judge turns to Robert and gives a nod, signaling him to begin the whipping of Jessica. Robert steps forward, holding a long leather whip in his hand, and without any ceremony begins to lash Jessica's back.
The first lash hits Jessica's bare back, and she feels as though her skin is on fire. This is a real whipping, not the lighter touch Laura received in the dungeon. Her body jolts in pain, and she cries out, unable to keep the pain inside any longer. The second lash is even worse than the first, and she can feel her body starting to shake uncontrollably. She tries to bite her lip to keep from screaming, but the pain is too intense, and she cries out again. With each subsequent lash, Jessica loses more and more of her composure, her cries growing louder and more desperate. The pain is unbearable, and she feels as though her entire body is on fire. She can't help but sob and wail, begging for the punishment to stop.
As Laura listened to the sound of the whip cracking against Jessica's back, she felt a deep sense of horror and sadness wash over her. She could hear Jessica's cries of pain and desperation, which only seemed to grow louder with each lash. Meanwhile, the crowd pressed in closer to Laura.
Laura's heart was pounding as she looked out at the crowd from her position against the wall, her hands shackled above her head. She couldn't help but feel vulnerable, knowing that she was at the mercy of the mob. Her mind raced with thoughts of what they might do to her, and she tried to keep herself calm and composed, despite the fear that was coursing through her veins. The noise from the crowd was overwhelming, and she couldn't even hear the sound of Jessica's screams anymore. All she could do was pray that she would be able to survive the ordeal and make it through the day without suffering any further indignities.
As the crowd grows more hostile, one person reaches out and tears the remains of Laura's shift off, exposing her fully to the jeering crowd. Laura cries out in shame and fear, trying to cover her exposed body with her bound hands.
The man, emboldened by the lack of resistance from Laura, decides to reach out and grope her exposed breast. The touch sends a shudder of humiliation and fear through Laura's body as she experiences how helpless she is in the face of the jeering mob. She can feel tears welling up in her eyes and she is on the verge of breaking down completely.
The person in the crowd then spits on Laura's face before being pulled away by some other members of the crowd. Laura's body shudders with revulsion, but she cannot escape or even wipe away the spittle from her face, being chained to the wall. She lowers her head and closes her eyes, trying to block out the humiliating spectacle unfolding around her.
As the whipping approaches its end, the crowd has grown silent. Jessica's back is a mess of welts and bruises, and her sobs fill the square. Robert strikes her two final times, one across her shoulder blades and one above her waist, the tip wrapping around to her breast, causing her to scream out in agony. The crowd erupts in cheers as Robert steps back, finished with the brutal punishment. Jessica is left gasping for breath, her entire body shaking with pain.
Jessica's back is now covered in red, raised welts, with some of the deeper ones beginning to bruise. Her skin is raw and tender to the touch, and she can barely stand on her own. The pain is so intense that even the slightest movement sends shockwaves of agony through her body. She tries to hold back her tears, but a few still manage to escape down her cheeks as she struggles to catch her breath.
Robert and Alice unchain Jessica from the whipping post, half carrying, half dragging her to the cross, which is lying on the ground.
As Jessica's back is pressed against the rough wood of the cross, her entire body spasms with pain. She cries out and writhes, but the ropes holding her to the cross keep her in place. The pain is so intense that she feels like her back is on fire, and every breath she takes is a struggle. Tears stream down her face as she looks out at the crowd, wondering how much more she can endure.
. Jessica's cries of pain echo through the square as they tie her wrists to the crossbeam, stretching her out with her arms spread wide. Her body trembles with each breath as Robert and Alice finish securing her to the cross.
The cross begins to ascend, and Jessica's body shakes with the jolting motion. Her arms are stretched taut. As the cross is hoisted higher and higher, the pain in her back intensifies, causing her to grit her teeth and let out muffled moans. The crowd looks on in horror and fascination as Jessica's body twists and contorts, her skin stretched over her bones. Sweat pours down her face and neck, mixing with her tears, as she struggles to remain conscious amidst the agony.
As Jessica hung on the cross, she felt the full weight of her body pulling on her wrists, causing intense pain to shoot through her arms and shoulders. Every breath she took felt like it was being torn from her lungs, as she struggled to find a position that provided any relief. Her muscles ached, and her skin was hot and prickly. The pain was so intense that she could barely even cry out, and the tears that streamed down her face mixed with the sweat that poured from her body. She was in agony, and she knew that her ordeal had only begun.
As Jessica was raised up on the cross, the crowd let out a collective gasp. Many of them had never seen a crucifixion before, and the sight of a woman being hung naked on the cross was shocking. Some people covered their eyes or turned away, while others watched with rapt attention, unable to look away from the macabre scene unfolding before them.
As Jessica's body was stretched out on the cross, the crowd began to murmur amongst themselves. A few people began to shout out insults and curses at Jessica, blaming her for her own fate and calling her a traitor and a sinner.
All the while, Jessica hung there on the cross, her body wracked with pain and her mind struggling to make sense of what was happening. Every breath was a struggle as her chest heaved and her body trembled with the effort. She felt a searing pain in her shoulders and arms as her weight pulled on her bindings, and she could feel her muscles straining against the resistance.
As time passed, her body began to sway back and forth in a slow, steady rhythm, as if she was dancing upon the cross. She tried to find a comfortable position, but the pain was constant and the strain on her body was unrelenting. Her feet and legs burned with the effort of trying to push herself up, but she found that there was no relief.
Despite the pain and the humiliation, Jessica refused to give up. She was determined to endure, no matter what the cost. She held onto the hope that somehow, some way, she would find a way to survive this terrible ordeal.
Sarah's eyes were fixed on Jessica, watching as she was lifted onto the cross. Sarah felt a pang of guilt for her previous enjoyment, realizing that this was not a game but a cruel punishment. She couldn't help but imagine herself in Jessica's place, causing her to shudder. As Jessica's body began to sway with the cross dance, Sarah couldn't bear to watch any longer and closed her eyes.
As the hours pass by, the number of people in the square dwindles down until only a few curious onlookers remain. Sarah is still suspended in her cage, feeling the aches in her body from the tight confines. Laura is chained to the wall, relieved the assault on her body has ended.
Jessica is still on the cross, her breathing becoming more labored as the minutes pass. Her muscles ache from the strain of holding herself up, and the pain in her back continues to throb. The sun beats down upon her, and she feels the sweat pouring off her body. Her eyes flicker between open and closed, as she battles to stay conscious.
Occasionally, a person from the crowd will come forward and taunt or throw an object at one of the prisoners, but most people seem to have lost interest in the spectacle. The square is mostly quiet except for the occasional chirping of a bird or the rustling of chains.
As the four-hour mark approaches, the judges signal for Laura's release. Alice comes over to unshackle Laura from the wall, while Robert removes the sign around her neck. Laura's legs feel wobbly as she takes a few steps forward.
As Alice starts to lead her away, Laura can't help but glance over at Jessica, her body writhing on the cross, and shudder at the thought of the suffering she's enduring. She's relieved that her own ordeal is over, but the memory of being shackled to the wall and exposed to the cruel crowd will haunt her for a long time. Alice takes Laura inside the dungeon lobby and returns her belongings, before letting her leave through the back door. Alice advises her not to wait on her friends, for their punishments have barely begun, and the crowd will recognize her if she returns to the square.
The crowd that remains in the square watches as Sarah's gibbet cage is lowered down to the ground. Robert and Alice approach the cage and unlock the door, allowing Sarah to step out, unsteady on her feet after being suspended for so long. Her legs and arms ache from being in the cramped cage, and her mouth is dry.
As Alice removes the collar that had been around Sarah's neck, Robert reminds her that she was now to be locked in the pillory for the rest of the day. Sarah glares at Robert but doesn't protest as Alice leads her toward the pillory.
They place her face down with her head and wrists in the upper part of the pillory. A bar just below her stomach, keeping her back in a horizontal position. Robert then shuts the wooden bar down on her neck and wrists, holding her in place. Sarah is exposed to the crowd, with her bare buttocks and genitals in reach on full display.
As the pillory clicks shut, Sarah struggles and squirms in the uncomfortable position, but to no avail. The pain from being suspended for hours in the gibbet cage has taken its toll on her, and her body aches with every movement. The arched position forces her to bend forward, making it hard to breathe and making her feel even more exposed and vulnerable.
Sarah's discomfort is only made worse by the jeers and taunts of the remaining crowd. Some throw rotten fruits and vegetables at her, while others poke and prod her exposed body with sticks and canes. Sarah cries out in pain and frustration, but her pleas for mercy fall on deaf ears. She is at the mercy of the crowd, who take great pleasure in inflicting as much pain and humiliation upon her as possible. Sarah can't help but feel humiliated, yet at the same time, a part of her feels a certain excitement from the attention.
Robert and Alice stand close by, keeping watch over Sarah and Jessica.
As the day wears on, Sarah begins to feel the effects of her uncomfortable position in the pillory. Her back and legs ache from being forced into the awkward arch, and her neck is sore from holding her head up. She tries to move around to find a more comfortable position, but the pillory holds her in place. The townspeople continue to jeer and taunt her.
After a while, the man who first assaulted Laura returns to the square. Seeing Sarah locked in the pillory, he grins and approaches her from behind. With one hand, he reaches around to fondle her exposed breasts, while with the other, he begins to stroke her buttocks. Sarah struggles in vain against the restraints but can do nothing to prevent the man's assault. She felt his hands grab her hips as he pulled her buttocks apart, exposing her sex to the crowd. Sarah screams out. The man laughed and slapped her exposed buttocks before walking away, leaving Sarah to suffer her humiliation in silence.
As the sun began to set, the square grew quieter, with most of the townsfolk heading home for the evening. Robert approached the pillory where Sarah was restrained and reminded her that she was to remain there for the rest of the night.
"You are to stay here until sunrise," he said sternly, "and if you move or try to escape, you'll only make your punishment worse."
Sarah nodded her head, still feeling the ache in her back and legs from being locked in the gibbet cage and then the pillory for so long. Robert and Alice then turned and made their way back to the dungeon, leaving Sarah alone in the square.
As the darkness set in, Sarah began to feel scared and vulnerable, hearing footsteps and whispers from people walking past her. She tried to stay still and quiet, hoping that she would make it through the long night without incident.
After a while, Alice returned with a small meal for Sarah, which she fed to her. Sarah was so hungry by this point that she eagerly ate the meager scraps, grateful for the sustenance. As Alice finished feeding her, she reminded Sarah once again to remain still.
Sarah nodded her head obediently, too tired and scared to even think. As Alice turned to leave, Sarah was left alone once again, feeling the cold night air and the hard wooden restraints of the pillory pressing against her skin. She tried to stay calm and brave, knowing that her punishment was not yet over.
Meanwhile, Jessica's condition worsens. Her breathing grows more labored, and her body writhes in agony as the pain in her wrists, arms, and shoulders becomes unbearable. Every time she tries to lift herself up to relieve the tension in her arms, she slips off the angled footrest and cries out in pain.
Her skin is raw from the scourging, and she is covered in sweat, which mixes with the blood to make her skin sticky and uncomfortable. Angry red welts from the whipping wrap around her front and decorate her ribs and breasts. Her mouth is parched, and she can feel her throat closing up from the pressure of her body weight on her chest.
As the night wears on, Jessica grows more and more delirious. She can't tell if she's awake or dreaming, and she feels like she's floating in some kind of limbo between life and death. She's completely alone, with no one to comfort her or help her in any way. All she can do is endure the pain and pray for some kind of release.
The women are not alone, however. The man who earlier fondled Sarah returns, emboldened by the cover of night.
As the man approaches Sarah in the pillory, he reaches out and roughly grabs her exposed breasts, squeezing them tightly. Sarah's body tenses up as she feels his grip, and she gasps in pain and humiliation. The man then leans in close to her ear and whispers lewd and degrading comments, making Sarah feel even more helpless and vulnerable. Despite this, Sarah smiled at the man as he caressed her exposed skin, enjoying the feeling of his touch. She had always been a bit of an exhibitionist and the thought of being seen and used by this stranger was arousing to her. She tilted her head back and moaned softly as he continued to run his hands over her body.
The man continues to touch Sarah and she reciprocates as best she can, enjoying the sensation of his rough hands on her skin. The man becomes more daring in his actions, fondling her breasts and reaching between her legs. Sarah's breathing grows heavier as she succumbs to the pleasure and excitement of being touched so intimately in public.
As the man continues to touch her, Sarah becomes more and more aroused. She moans softly and bites her lip as the man explores her body. Sarah goads the man on, imploring him to continue his exploration of her sex. Suddenly, they both freeze as they hear footsteps approaching. It's Robert and Alice returning to the square. Sarah's heart races as she realizes she's been caught in the act, and she fears the punishment that will be meted out upon her.
Robert and Alice are furious when they see Sarah enjoying herself with the man. Alice approaches Sarah and berates her for her behavior, reminding her that she is in this position as punishment for this very act. Robert, on the other hand, is appalled by the man's behavior and orders him to leave the square immediately, threatening to have him arrested.
Alice returns to the dungeon and returns with Sarah's belt. Sarah notices Alice’s presence and looks up at her.
“What’s happening?” Sarah asks.
“You are going to wear your chastity belt now,” Alice replies.
Sarah groans, but then she looks at Alice’s face and realizes that there is no room for negotiation. She lifts her hips to let Alice attach the metal device around her waist. Sarah feels a sense of panic rise in her chest as Alice brings out the rivets and the tools to apply them - remembering her final punishment. She tries to pull away, but the pillory's grip is too strong. Alice takes out a small tube of epoxy and spreads it over the interlocking band of the chastity belt. She then lines up the holes of Sarah's waist belt and secures the two pieces together with the rivets, taking care to squirt more epoxy into each rivet hole first.
Sarah struggles as Alice squeezes each rivet closed with a small hydraulic hand press. As the process continues, Sarah's struggles become weaker and weaker, until finally, the chastity belt is securely in place. Finally, Alice applies a small amount of additional epoxy around each rivet to ensure it is permanently sealed in place. Sarah hangs limp in the pillory, gasping for breath and trying to adjust to the new, permanent addition to her body.
Alice walks around to face Sarah with a self-satisfied smile. "You know, Sarah, you might not realize it yet, but this is the best thing that could have happened to you. You're going to be a model citizen from now on, always doing what you're told, and never stepping out of line."
Sarah glared back at Alice, her face twisted in anger. "You can't do this to me! You can't lock me up and control me like some kind of animal!"
"Oh, but I can," Alice said smugly. "And I will. You'll see, Sarah, this is for your own good. You'll learn to appreciate it soon enough."
As the reality of the chastity belt's permanence sets in, Sarah feels a mixture of emotions. On one hand, she is turned on by the feeling of the cold metal against her skin and the knowledge that she is permanently denied the pleasures of the flesh. On the other hand, she is frustrated by the fact that she will never be able to act on her desires again - a feedback loop of desire and denial.
The irony of the situation is not lost on Sarah. She had reveled in the experience of being a medieval prisoner, enjoying the pain and humiliation that came with it. But now, as she realizes the true permanence of her sentence, she feels a sense of regret for the first time. She had always known that the medieval experience was temporary, but now it is forever a part of her life.
As Alice gloats about Sarah's fate, Sarah confronts the fact that her desire for the medieval experience has come at a cost. She is now denied the very thing she craves the most. It is a bitter irony that she will have to live with for the rest of her life. She realizes that she will never be able to feel the touch of another person in the way she desires, and never be able to experience the intimacy that she craves.
At the same time, Sarah knows that her previous behavior was unacceptable. She had let her desires and her lack of self-control drive her to act in ways that were both dangerous and immoral. She can't deny that she had needed to be punished, but the thought of being unable to ever act on her desires again fills her with a deep sense of despair.
As the first light of the dawn breaks through the sky, the square is shrouded in an eerie silence. Jessica is barely conscious on the cross, her body wracked with pain and her breaths coming in short gasps. Her eyes are closed and she's unaware of her surroundings.
Sarah, on the other hand, is still locked in the pillory, but she's awake and aware of the pain in her limbs from being bent in such an uncomfortable position for so long. With her head locked in place she can't see much, but she can hear the sounds of the awakening town around her. She feels the tight metal of the chastity belt pressing against her skin, a constant reminder of her punishment.
Despite the pain and discomfort, Sarah can't help but feel a sense of exhilaration. She had never imagined that the medieval experience would be so intense and real, and she feels a sense of pride at having endured the punishment. At the same time, she can't help but wonder if she deserved such a harsh sentence, and how it will affect her life going forward.
As the sun began to rise, Robert and Alice made their way back to the square, unlocking the pillory and releasing Sarah. Her body was stiff and sore from spending the night in the uncomfortable position, and she winced as she tried to move her arms and legs.
"Ahh, thank you. It's good to be free," Sarah said, stretching her arms and legs, feeling the weight of the chastity belt pressing against her.
"You're not entirely free, Sarah," Alice said, smirking. "The belt is permanent, as your sentence required."
"But...but how will I...I mean, what about when I need to...you know," Sarah stuttered.
"That's the point, Sarah. Your sentence was meant to take away your pleasure, to remind you of what you did," Robert said sternly. "We hope that you'll use this experience to change your ways, to become a better person."
"This is supposed to be a game, a temporary experience. You have no right to do this to me!" she protests.
Robert responds sternly, "Sarah, when you signed the guest book, you agreed to the terms and conditions of the medieval experience. This includes any and all consequences that may come as a result of your actions, with no time limit. You knew what you were signing up for."
Alice chimes in, "And you should have thought twice before taking advantage of the experience to engage in inappropriate behavior. Your actions have consequences, and this is one of them. Now, let's go. The experience is over." Alice hands over her clothes.
Sarah looks at them both, still pleading for them to reconsider, but Robert and Alice stand firm. Finally, she reluctantly accepts her punishment and leaves the square, still locked in the chastity belt.
As the sun crept over the horizon, Robert and Alice made their way to the base of the cross, where Jessica still hung. They stood in silence for a moment, looking up at her battered and broken body.
Finally, Robert turned to Alice and said, "I don't know if we can let her down yet. She's still got a long way to go."
Alice nodded in agreement, but as they turned to leave, a small voice called out from above. "Please, don't leave me here. I'll do anything you want, just please, let me down."
Robert turned around.