When it finally stopped, Regina whispered, "I want to put on some
clothes."
"That's the correct answer. You're learning at last. But we're not
finished yet."
"Please, Madame Petrushka, I've learned my lesson. Please don't torture
me any more."
"Don't beg, girl. Have some pride." She placed the tips of five nails on
each of Regina's underarms.
"Please," Regina moaned weakly. This was the worst day of her life. She
wished more than anything to be set free, to put on some clothes, to be
anywhere other than clamped in this damned torture device in a little
bikini with her arms over her head and ten red nails resting in her
underarms, unable to bring her arms down or protect herself in any way.
The nails remained in place, drawing out the inevitable, ten sharp points
just waiting in their assigned place. Regina moaned as she waited for it
to begin.
"Hold your head up, young lady."
Slowly, Regina lifted her head and looked Madame Petrushka straight in the
eyes. She had a newfound respect for her mother, who had undergone far
worse torture so long ago. Defiance came into her eyes, despite the
fearsome nails resting in her underarms. "Okay, Madame Petrushka. Give
me your best."
And she did, and this time there was no respite. The nails worked up and
down her sides, across her stomach, back up her sides, and even across her
chest. Regina screamed, yowled, laughed, tittered, and fought every
second. She tried to pull free, arching her back and thrashing and
wiggling back and forth, but there was no escape, no mercy. Her entire
being became aware of only the nails on her stretched, bikini-clad body.
There had never been anything else, no school, no childhood--nothing but
her and Madame Petrushka alone in this room. Time did not exist any more.
She became aware that she made different sounds as the nails worked on
different parts of her body. It was always different, but still somehow
the same. She did not beg anymore either, for one did not beg when there
was no other reality. The nails had been skittering up her ribs when from
far away, Regina heard a voice other than her own.
The nails stopped.
Regina saw through her blurred vision that two other people were in the
room. As she focused, she saw they were Elsa and her mother. Her mother
was wearing a strapless sundress, something that Regina found strange
under the circumstances. In fact, she couldn't remember seeing her mother
in anything like that before in public. Her mother came over and unlocked
Regina's feet; if she had unlocked her hands first, then she would
certainly have fallen and hurt her ankles.
"Can you stand, dear?"
"I think so."
Then her mother reached up and freed Regina's hands. Her arms mercifully
came down as her mother held her, stroking her damp hair.
"There, there, it's over now."