Returning II

Robert held the door as Karen sidled past him into the room. She was overwhelmed by the appearance of the spacious chamber. That it was some kind of library was self evident. Books covered all four walls from the parqueted floor to the ornate ceiling, which was at least thirty feet above. Heavy drapes covered very large windows on two sides of the room, and interrupted the profusion of bookshelves. Two rolling library ladders were affixed to the tops of the shelves, completing an image not unlike the downtown main library.

The room was lit by concealed indirect lighting at the ceiling level, and by at least a dozen green shaded floor and table lamps scattered throughout the area. As Karen swept her gaze here and there, she wondered where the Amazon had gone. Suddenly she was aware that there was someone else in the library! She had been so taken by the visual impact of the room, that she had failed to see the young woman curled up in a very large corner chair.

Karen did her usual swift assessment, noting that the woman was about her own age. She was quite attractive in a demure manner, and dressed in a fashionable but conservative jacket and skirt. The lavender outfit set off her stunning long blond hair nicely. Karen felt a brief jealous twinge. She admired the shining golden locks, but was still proud of her own Greek heritage, and pleased with her perfect olive complexion and medium length lustrous midnight black tresses.

Robert took Karen's hand and led her over to the woman. "Karen," he boomed," This is Donna. Donna, meet Karen, you will be companions for the weekend."

"Wait just a minute," said Karen, "you didn't say anything about anyone else being here! What exactly is going on?" she demanded.

Robert ignored her question. "Shake hands young ladies, and say hello, I have to give Masha instructions about you two, and I will be back to discuss the rules for the weekend in a few minutes. Take the time while I am gone to get to know each other. By the time I return, I want my two little girls to be good friends!" With that small bombshell, Robert briskly departed, leaving the women warily eyeing each other, and bursting with questions.

Karen in her usual forthright way, quickly broke the ice. "Did you answer the advertisement in The Star? Did he tell you that someone else would be here for the weekend? Did you get here on time? What did you....."

"Whoa there, honeybuns, slow down a little, you don't have to jump me! I'll answer any question that you ask, as long as you answer my questions. Why don't we settle on that couch and try to make the best of this situation?"

In this way Donna revealed her rock solid and practical nature. Karen decided immediately that she was going to like this person, and that they would become good friends very quickly. They climbed up on the large couch, and began excitedly sharing the experiences that had brought them to this strange situation.

It was not long before Karen and Donna began comparing notes on the unusual nature of their surroundings. The couch they occupied was massive, and they had to curl their legs beneath them to sit comfortably. It was raised high off the floor, and had they tried to sit properly, their feet would not have reached the parquet tiles. Karen was first to voice her fears. "This place is really weird, I mean this whole room is all out of proportion! I feel like I'm in the fairy tale castle of some giant."

"But Robert IS a giant, almost a giant, I mean." Said Donna. "He must be at least nine feet tall, and he isn't any basketball player, either. More like a lumberjack. Look around, everything in sight is gigantic or oversized, so it is perfect for him! Maybe he had it specially made to suit his size."

"Makes me feel like a midget," said Karen. "I feel awfully small and out of place, and my tummy is doing flip flops. I can tell you I don't like this at all. I'm wondering if we should stay."

"I have the same feelings, Karen, but I think we ought to at least wait until Robert comes back and gives us 'The Rules' for the weekend. After we have heard him out, and had a chance to ask some questions, we can always leave. If we don't like the way things are going, we can just tell him we have changed our minds, and take off. We could always go somewhere for dinner, you know. I haven't had a bite since lunch, and I'm really starved! Maybe your stomach is just trying to tell you that you are hungry."

"Could be, but I still don't like it!" said Karen. "Do you suppose there will be any problem with backing out after he has 'accepted' us?" She wondered: "What if he won't let us go? We are so far out in the boonies, it scares me! We have our cars, so I suppose we can always get away!"

"Not unless he opens that entrance gate!" Donna pointed out. "You would need a tank to get through that, and my van won't do it. Did you bring your tank?" she giggled, "Maybe we could crash through the wall, and head for the hills!" Donna giggled again, and Karen felt a bit calmer and a little less worried.

Karen and Donna were so engrossed in conversation, they failed to notice that Robert had returned! He stood silent and observing, just behind them, and the back of the couch was so high that they could not have seen him without turning completely around and looking up. He listened impassively as the women continued their discussion, looming over them, massive arms folded, a slight scowl on his broad countenance. Robert watched them quietly for a few minutes, and then suddenly reached down and firmly placed one large hand on Donna's shoulder and the other on Karen.

"Just what do you girls think you are doing?" he rumbled loudly.

Karen and Donna jumped and squealed loudly in a harmony of surprise.

"We were doing what you told us to do!" Karen almost whined. "We are just getting to know each other, like you said we should."

Robert released their shoulders, and came around to the front of the couch. He towered Everest-like over the two women, hands on hips, still scowling.

"Come with me," he said. "It is high time you young ladies learn THE RULES THAT YOU MUST FOLLOW while you stay here! It is getting late, we are behind schedule, and you need to get settled into your room before suppertime."

The women exchanged glances, and meekly followed Robert out of the Library and into the long semi-dark hallway. About halfway down, he turned, opened a door, stood to one side, and motioned them in. The room they entered was also spacious, but after the grandeur of The Library, seemed somewhat more normal. Then they saw the desk. It was immense! Twenty-five feet wide and eight feet from front to back, it dominated the room. Unblemished by papers or accessories, only a telephone and a green shaded lamp interrupted the vast expanse of gleaming red mahogany.

There were more books: two walls held many volumes, again in shelves from floor to ceiling. A monster black leather couch crouched on the right, and three very large overstuffed chairs were on the left. Two armless ladderback chairs occupied the area in front of the desk, and a glorious Persian rug covered almost the entire floor. Two huge celedon vases stood in corners of the room, and shone with an inner glow that almost seemed to give light to each niche.

Robert seated himself behind the desk, locked his hands around his neck and leaned back. "You girls may sit here." he said, indicating the two ladderback chairs. "Now I want you to be very quiet and listen very carefully as I lay out the Rules. You are not to speak or interrupt until I am finished. When I give you permission, you may ask questions. Is that clear?"

The women nodded assent, clambered onto their assigned chairs, and sat quietly. Robert leaned forward, cleared his throat with a rumble like thunder, and began.

"Now girls, it is very important that you follow my rules. These rules are meant to be obeyed, and they are designed to assist me to accomplish the primary objective of this weekend. And that objective is to recreate something that you experienced in childhood. Something that is missing from your lives now, and the loss is a source of anguish. You cover up the ache with work, frantic activities, and brief sexual encounters, but the anguish is still there. That distress is caused by the loss of the certainty and security that you had in childhood, that you miss and fear never to find again."

"This weekend we will return you to that certainty, and try to recreate for a short while the abiding love, security and innocence of long ago. To accomplish this purpose, we are going to strip away the superficial veneers of sophistication and maturity that mask the scared little girls hiding inside. In order to do this effectively, I must have your fullest cooperation and participation. You must follow my instructions in every detail, giving yourselves over to the experience wholeheartedly and without reservation. If you do, you will return to the real world on Monday with eagerness and joy, restored and revitalized!"

Karen and Donna listened wide eyed as Robert expounded, hearts beating faster and excitement growing inside, as they began to understand his plan. Robert was speaking truth, and they knew deep within, that this experience was going to be very powerful.

Robert spoke again, and his voice reverberated through the study as he became more specific. "From the moment you leave this room, until six o'clock Monday morning, you are going to be my little daughters. You will be treated exactly like two small children should be treated. You will be expected to dress, talk and act like little girls should. Your adult lives, actions and interests are gone, not to return until Monday. You will be guided by me in everything that you do, and you will be told when you may play, when to eat, and when to go to bed. I will be your loving, strict Daddy, and you will be my loving and obedient little daughters."

"As long as you are good little girls, and do what Daddy says you must do, we will have lots of fun and be very, very happy. But, if you are NAUGHTY or disobedient, you will be punished swiftly and soundly. And that punishment for your misbehavior will be a good hard spanking on the bare bottom! Make no mistake, girls, I always mean what I say! IF you get out of line, I WILL WARM YOUR LITTLE BEHINDS until you can't sit down! IS THAT CLEAR?"

Karen jumped as his voice thundered, and then in a soft little girl tone she said: "Yes, Daddy. I'll be a good girl, I promise!" Donna looked at her new friend, surprised at her answer, and then quickly deciding to play the game, responded in a like manner.

"I'll be a good girl too, Daddy!" she said, and then embellishing, she whined: "Please don't spank me, I didn't do nothin' bad, cross my heart, Daddy!"

"I'm not going to spank either of you, not right now. It is time for you to have your baths, and get dressed for dinner. We are already running late." He picked up the telephone, dialed twice, and whispered something. A minute later, there was a knock on the door, and Daddy Robert called out. "Come in!"

The Amazon that Karen had seen earlier in the hallway came into the room. Daddy Robert stood and came around to the front of the desk. "Children, this is Masha, the housekeeper. She will show you to your room, and help you bathe and dress. Please do exactly everything that Masha tells you to do. She will not stand for any nonsense, so be good children and go get ready for supper."

Donna and Karen followed Masha out of the study, down the hallway, and through a new doorway. This opened on to another long hallway, which led to a vast foyer and what was obviously the main entrance to the mansion. More than three stories high, the huge chamber was brightly illuminated by an enormous chandelier. The girls stopped to gaze upward, and Karen thought that the huge light would have been perfectly at home hanging in the Paris Opera. She half expected to see the Phantom of the Opera come swinging down, but was snapped out of her fantasy by Masha's stern voice.

"Come along girls, and stop that dawdling!" Masha admonished. "We have a lot to do in a very short time and your daddy does not like to be kept waiting. Now hop to it, or I will have to slap your little rumps for you!"

She turned on her heel, and without waiting to see if the girls were following, started up the stairway. Karen's film fantasies were triggered again, as she tore her eyes away from the chandelier, and became aware of the incredible stairway. It was wide and grand, and she imagined Rhett Butler carrying Scarlet up the long expanse of treads. She was rudely jolted by a sharp SLAP! to her behind!

"Now I told you two not to dawdle, didn't I?" Masha reinforced her statement with another ringing SMACK! to Karen's bottom, and grabbing her by the arm, began dragging her up the stairs. Donna followed with considerable alacrity, not wishing to earn one of those slaps to her own behind. Karen twisted out of the Amazon's grasp, and scampered swiftly upwards, the huge woman following.

Karen stopped at the top of the stairs, rubbing her bottom, warily eyeing the rapidly approaching Masha, ready to run if necessary. Her point having been made, Masha swept past Karen and proceeded at a furious pace down yet another long hall. Running to keep up, they passed dozens of doorways before Masha finally stopped, opened a door, and disappeared. When the girls entered the room, they were again astonished. It was a perfect children's bedroom, pink and pretty as a picture in Parent's Magazine. Glowing fields of tiny daisies on the walls, made the room bright as a sunny day. Two beautiful pink canopied beds, each with night table and chest, were on either side of the room. Large French doors led to a balcony, and another open door revealed a gleaming bathroom.