THE SHOPLIFTER By Christopher Bottoms The two boys worked hard and fast to unlock the bicycle. Their fervent efforts betrayed their apparent innocence. It was impossible to ignore the well worn, poorly concealed plastic bag the smaller boy had stuffed into the front of his shorts. He attempted to conceal it with his tank top, but succeeded only in accentuating the well rounded buns which filled his print shorts. His ruse produced a modicum of success. A disturbed looking man with a tie, apparently the store manager, emerged from the store, looked quickly about, and re-entered the store, disgusted. With both boys bending forward, there was nothing to see but two teenage moons--no faces; no merchandise. The second boy was about a year older than the first, maybe 15. Like his friend, he was clad in print shorts and a tank top. Bent over working on the lock, it was easy to see that his derriere was delineated by a jockstrap worn in lieu of briefs or boxers. Both boys had close cropped hair, with the ends lightened either by the sun or weak peroxide. They seemed upset that the lock wasn't opening. The smaller boy leaped to his feet when a firm hand grasped his shoulder. The bag fell to the asphalt as he stood up. As the bag fell, the bicycle lock clicked open. His friend, unaware of what was happening, triumphantly announced the opening of the lock. Still preoccupied removing the chain, he suggested the obvious course of action. "Let's haul ass." An unfamiliar voice boomed, "Yes. Haul it into my office." As the older boy stood up, a horrified look consumed his countenance. The store manager and a younger clerk, perhaps 19, towered over the terrified duo. Silently, the manager motioned to the bag. The clerk picked it up as ordered. The manager grabbed each boy by the nape of the neck, escorting them through the store. He stopped momentarily at a windowless door, extracted a huge ring of keys from his left pocket, and opened the door. The smaller boy was rubbing his sunburned neck where the manager had grabbed him. His friend stood motionless, trying unsuccessfully to suppress tears. The door was held open, and the clerk, the two boys, and finally the manager entered. It was a large room, littered with cardboard boxes, old display racks, and hangers. In one corner was a makeshift office with a large desk, a few old chairs, and a file cabinet. The walls of the office corner were surrounded by college memorobilia, apparently belonging to the manager. Photos of several athletic teams, a college pennant, and the manager's degree of phys ed adorned the wall behind the desk. A college calendar was on the wall perpendicular to it, along with a fraternity paddle hanging from a nail. The paddle bore three greek letters, and quite a few signatures. It seemed in keeping with the decor of the office, and was not noticed by the two young boys. The clerk took the bag confiscated from the boys, and handed it to the manager. The manager noted the presence of a competitors logo, remarking "This bag didn't come from our store." He removed a pair of black bicycle shorts adorned with a red stripe, and checked the price tag. "But these shorts came from our store," he continued. "I don't suppose you have a receipt?" 2 The older boy was shaking, and a tear streamed down his face. The smaller boy remained stoic. He was in control, he boasted to himself. He'd done this before. In fact, he got an apology from the manager of one store! He spoke with arrogant confidence. "Those shorts were a birthday present I brought to exchange, but you didn't have my size." The manager glanced at the clerk. "Did he have those shorts when he came in the store?" The clerk shook his head, indicating a negative response. "I don't know what he thought he saw or didn't see," said the smaller boy, "but I brought those shorts into the store. Your clerk musn't have noticed the bag when we came in." "I see," said the manager. "When is your birthday, and what size shorts do you wear?" The boy became flustered. "Uh, my birthday was, uh, last week. Yeh. Last Tuesday." "Let's see," said the manager. "Your birthday was the 10th?" "Yes, the 10th," replied the boy, apparently relieved. "But the 10th was Thursday," said the manager. "Which is it?" "Uh, Tuesday," muttered the boy, trying to think fast. He knew he was being had. "And what size shorts do you wear?" The boy was turning red. His friend was still sobbing. Realizing this was his last chance to talk himself out of the situation, he knew the size he gave better not be the size of the black shorts. "I wear a boy's size 16," he said. The manager glanced at the shorts, noting a size 14. "What size are the short's you're wearing now?" asked the manager. "I said I wore a size 16," replied the boy, again with arrogance in his inflection. The manager turned to the clerk, "Check!" he ordered. The clerk sheepishly approached the smaller boy, who bolted for the door. It was locked. "Hey! You perverts aren't going to get my pants off!" "We're just going to check the size on thew waistband," said the manager. "Or would you rather the police check? They'll strip search you. Is that what you prefer?" The smaller boy stood still, helpless, as the clerk folded the elastic band just enough to see the incriminating tag. "14," said the clerk. The manager stood, placing both hands on his desk. The larger boy couldn't take it any longer. "Tell him you took them!" he bellowed. "It's no use. Let's get this over with. Tell him you took them!" "Well," said the manager, "at least your friend has a conscience. Normally, the first time, we call your parents and leave you with a warning. The second time we call the police." "Now look what you've done!" howled the older boy. "He's going to call our parents. You know what that means. We're gonna get whipped." The smaller boy knew this was true. Last year the boys cut school, and when he got home his father was waiting, strap in hand. He'll never forget that day. His dad never said a word other than "march" as they headed for the basement, and "drop 'em" as he approached the sawhorse. He took 50 licks with that belt, and the welts lasted the better part of two weeks. Everyone in gym class knew what happened, compounding his humiliation. His friend suffered a similar fate with his mother and the paddle. His parents were divorced, and his mother was a strict disciplinarian. She didn't take him to the basement or use a strap, but she sure gave him something to remember when she ordered him to drop his pants, get across her lap, and laid into his tail with her "board of education." He took a pillow to school the next day. 3 The voice of the manager broke the recollection. "I'm going to call your parents and let you go," he said, pointing to the older boy. "At least you didn't lie to me. You were a part of this and deserve to be punished," he continued, "but your friend is a thief and a liar. I'm going to call the police and have him arrested." Both boys were terror stricken. "Well," bellowed the manager, "what's your parent's phone number?" He was looking at the older boy. "Please sir, don't have my friend arrested. He'll never do this again." "I'm sure he won't," said the manager. "He'll be strip searched, fingerprinted, and sent to Juvenile Hall until his father comes for him. And I can tell you what would happen if a boy of mine got arrested. He'd be grounded for a year, lose his bicycle, and no TV. And he sure wouldn't be doing much sitting down, either!" The smaller boy was no longer sullen. "Please, sir," he told the manager. "I'll pay for the shorts." "That's not the point," said the manager. You stole, you lied. And you think now that you're caught, you can buy your way out. You don't deserve a break. You deserve a visit to Juvenile Hall and a damn good whipping." At this point, the clerk spoke up. "Sir, I know this is none of my business, but maybe we could handle this here." The manager shook his head. "No. We'll let the big one go with a warning and a call to his folks, but the small one, I suspect, has stolen before." "But sir," continued the clerk, "a police record would just make things worse. With a record, he won't be able to get a job, and without a job, he'll steal more. What he needs is a good lesson, not a trip to jail." "We can't let these things go," said the manager. "Do you know how many millions of dollars are lost through shoplifting? What do you propose we do?" "Well," said the clerk, "remember last year when I was late to work three days in a row?" "Sure do," replied the manager. "I called you in to fire you." "That's right," said the clerk, "but you didn't. You taught me a lesson, and I've never been late again. And I'm your top salesman. I never forgot what you taught me, and now I'm one of your best employees." The manager shook his head, sat down, and massaged his jowls. "OK boys. Listen up, because this is a one time offer. "How old are you?" he asked the taller boy. "Fifteen, sir." "And you?" he asked the smaller one. "Fourteen." "You have a choice," said the manager to the older boy. "Since you told the truth and were just an accessory, I will either call your parents, or you can take a paddling right here. You'll get fifteen hard licks. But if you take them without resisting, I won't call anyone and this incident will be forgotton." "Thank you, sir," replied the boy. "Well which will it be, boy. You call it." The boy didn't have to think. His mom would ground him, take away his bike, and give him at least 50 licks with her paddle. "I'll let you handle it, sir." "Handle what, boy? I'm not a mind reader, and I'm losing my patience." "I'll take the paddling from you, sir," said the boy sheepishly. 4 The manager got up, and took the fraternity paddle from its peg. It was the geniuine article, made of laminated hardwood, and a good 3/8 inch thick. The older boy was nervous, but no longer crying. He could see light at the end of the tunnel. His mother will never know. A couple quick stings and it will be all over. The manager motioned toward his desk with the paddle. "Now you're to take this paddling like man. No moving around. No resistance. No reaching back with your hand. Understand?" The boy nodded silently and slowly approached the desk. He waited with anticipation. "What are you waiting for, boy? Is this your first spanking? Bend over that desk! Get to it!" The boy had always been spanked over his mother's lap. This was new to him, but he said nothing and assumed the position as ordered. His bottom was a tempting target. He was growing out of those print shorts, and his jockstrap perfectly outlined the area of interest. It was obvious to all that those thin shorts were his only protection. The manager seemed enthusiastic about the task at hand, and took a few aiming swings, reminiscent of Casey at the bat. Then, when least expected, wood bit bottom with a report that sounded like a pistol shot. SSMMMAAAAAACCKKK! The boy quivered as the clerk reached to hold down his wrists and whispered, "Just hold still and take it. In five minutes it will be all over. Hang in there." The manager was oblivious to the conversation, and delivered the second lick with the same fervor. SSMMMAAAACCCKKK! The report resonated through the room. The next three were delivered in rapid succession. WWWHHHAAAACK!!! WWWHHHAAAACK! WWWHHHAAAACK! The pain in the boy's bottom was mounting. This hurt more than 20 licks with mom's "board of education." But he remembered the promise of the clerk that it would be over in five minutes. "I can take anything for five minutes," he assurred himself silently. "Ten more to go." SSSSMMMMAAACCKK! SSSSMMMAAAACCCKK! SSSMMMAAACCCCKK! Three more in rapid succession. Instead of just a lancinating sting, his ass was starting to burn, and he could feel tiny blisters forming on his smooth, hairless skin. He wondered if they were visible through his thin shorts. There was a brief interruption in the bursts of pain. "Hmm," thought the boy. "Is he taking a break?" He mentally congratulated himself making it past the halfway point. His ass never burned like this before, but it would be over soon. "I don't want to have to do this again," said the manager. "No, sir," said the boy. "I want you to remember this when your friends try to get you to go along with something you know is wrong." At that, he suddenly pulled down the boy's shorts. The boy wasn't expecting this, and tried to get up. The clerk squeezed his wrists and whispered, "Don't move. Don't piss him off. He could still call the cops, and you'll have taken a beating for nothing." 5 Strange sensations danced around the boy's bun cheeks. There was a deep throbbing, a superficial burning, and the feeling of the tiny blisters forming. These sensations were all mediated by the cool breeze of the nearby air conditioning vent. The smaller boy was horrified by the appearance of his friend's beaten ass, but realized that it was far better than the strapping he got from his dad. The smaller boy assumed the same punishment would befall him, and was both frightened and relieved. Any licking was better than Juvenile Hall! Suddenly the silence was again broken by the sharp report of the paddle. Undampened by the shorts, the sound increased in both pitch and intensity. SSSSMMMMAAAACCCKK! SSSSMMMMAAAACCCCKKK! SSSSMMMAACCCKKK! The pain was now shooting through his derriere into his crotch. SSSSMMMMAAAAACCCKK! SSSMMMMAACCCKK! SSSMMMAAACCCKK! The boy never knew anything could hurt this much. But there was only one more to go. What was the manager waiting for? Finally it came. The manager put his body into the final blow- -he wanted it to count. WWWWWWWWWHHHHHHHHAAAAAAACCCCCKKKKK! The boy jumped up, uncontrollably. The clerk had released his hands. Noticing a slight erection, the boy quickly pulled up his shorts. Not realizing the extent of the tenderness of his bottom, he gasped and winced as the shorts were replaced. The redness could be seen through the shorts, as well as the little round blister spots. The boy was prancing back and forth, massaging his tush in a futile effort to minimize the pain. "Now get out of here," bellowed the manager. "And don't come back to this store." "BBBut, what about..." he asked, motioning to his friend. "You'd better stay away from him--he's trouble. Now get out before I change my mind and call the cops!" The clerk unlocked the door, let the spanked boy out, and re-locked the door. The manager, sweating, wiped his brow with a kleenex, and laid the paddle on his desk. The smaller boy knew he was next, and silently got into position, bent over the desk. He knew the position well. "This isn't so bad," he thought. "Fifteen swats and it's over. And I'm used to the strap. The paddle will be easy to take." "From your position, you obviously think that I'm going to offer you the same deal," said the manager. "Well, I'm not." "Please, sir," pleaded the boy in an uncharacteristically submissive tone, "please don't call the cops." "Tell you what, boy. If you take a paddling from me, I won't call the cops, but I will call your parents." "BBBuuttt..." bellowed the boy in protest, "he'll beat me, too." "You're a bright kid," replied the manager. It's 11 AM now, and I'll have your backside finished by 11:30. By the time your dad gets home from work, it should be just about ready for the second round. Take it or leave it, kid. Your folks or the cops." 6 The boy resumed his position, silently accepting the deal. He knew he'd be taking his meals standing up, and sleeping on his stomach. But what about school? "How old are you, fourteen?" asked the manager. "Yes, sir," replied the boy. "Good," he thought. "Maybe I'll just get 14 licks. And my shorts are thicker. And I'm wearing briefs." His stream of consciousness was diverted by the impact of the paddle on his globes. TTTHHHHWWWWAAACCCK! EGAD! That hurt! He thought the paddle would be a piece of cake. TTTHHHHWWWAAAACCCK! The second lick took him by surprise. SSSMMMAAACCCKK! SSSMMMAAACCCK! SSSMMMMAAAAACCCKKK! "Hmm," thought the boy. "He's pretty methodical. First two, then sets of three. I wonder how many boys he does this to, the old pervert." WWWWHHHAAACCCKKK! WWWWHHHHHAAACCCKKK! "That's seven," he thought. The pause meant his shorts would soon be coming down. The manager pulled them down as predicted, revealing his pastel blue briefs. The manager then yanked them down remarking, "white shorts, blue briefs, and a red ass. How patriotic!" The boy was enraged and humiliated, but didn't dare move. SSSMMMMAAAACCCKKK! SSSMMMMMAAAACCCKKK! SSSMMMMAAAACCCKK! Whew! The pain was becoming unbearable. WWWHHHAAACCK! WWWHHHAAACCCCK! WWWWHHHAAAACCKK! A brief pause. Then the fourteenth firecracker. WWWWWWHWHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAACCCCCCCKKKK! The boy grabbed his briefs, and slowly raised them over his beet red cheeks. His bottom was red, but there were no blisters or marks. The strap had toughened his hide. "What are you doing?" asked the manager. "Pulling up my pants," replied the boy. "That was fourteen." "You're right," said the manager. "That was fourteen. But you're not through, boy. That fourteen was for stealing those shorts. The next fourteen will be for lying. And the last fourteen will be for getting your friend in trouble. So get those shorts back down, get over that desk, and stick your ass out, boy. We're gonna see some tears before I let you out of here. And if you fight it, I'll call the cops and you'll have taken the licking for nothing." The boy was nervous, but exposed his crimson derriere as ordered. Curiously, the paddle was still on the desk. Unknown to the boy, the manager was removing his belt. "You've got a pretty tough backside, kid. Most boys are marked or blistered by now. So the next fourteen will be with the belt." "Shit!" thought the boy. But it can't be worse than the 50 from his dad with the strap. "I can take it," he thought. 7 CCCRRRAAACCCK! The strap smacked mercilessly against his red tail, wielded by a strong, angry man. The manager's adrenalin was kicking in. CCCRRRAAAACCCCKKK! CCCCRRRAAAACCCCKKK! CCCRRRRAAAACCCKKK! CCCRRRAAACCCKKK! CCCCRRRRAAAACCCCKKK! Five in a row! His ass was on fire...it felt like a bad sunburn. Light welts criscrossed the red background. Thin white lines separated the welts from the red substrate. SSNNNAAAPP! SSSNNNAAAPP! SSSNNNAAAPPP! SSSNNNAAAP! SSSSNNNAAAAPPP! The manager had changed his technique, doubling the belt and moving closer. The boy felt the pain shooting into his groin and thighs. SSSNNNAAAPP! SSSNNNAAAAPPP! SSSNNNAAAAPPP! Whew! The second set was over. 2/3 through. Downhill from here! The manager put his belt back on, while the boy stood up for a brief break. The manager turned to his clerk. "Someday you might be manager of this store," he said. "You give him the last 14." The clerk was shocked. "BBBuutt..." he stammered. "I know at least one pants down licking you've taken. Just give what you've received." "Do you want me to paddle him with this?" asked the clerk, pointing to the paddle. "Nope," replied the manager. This one thinks he's tough. Let's bring him down a peg or two. If he acts like a spoiled child, he needs an old fashioned over-the knee spanking. The clerk took his boss' lead. Now he was getting into it! The boy was shattered. Suddenly, he wasn't so tough. He was about to be spanked like a little boy, over the knee of a total stranger barely older than he. The clerk sat down on a straight backed chair. "Over my knee!" he ordered. The boy complied. The clerk jerked him upright. "Drop 'em" he ordered. Oh no! But there was no choice. He dropped his shorts and briefs, positioning himself over the clerk's lap. His well whipped bum was still tomato red, and criss- crossed with faint welts. SLAP! SLAP! The first two swats excited new nerves. Bursts of energy shot through that teenage bottom, right into his crotch. He was getting hard. The clerk tried to reposition the boy, rubbing his semi-erect organ across his pants. The clerk was getting hard, too. SPANK! SPANK! SPANK! With each sharp slap, the boy recoiled, rubbing his cock against the clerk's cock. His cock was rock hard. SPANK! SPANK! The boy was getting dizzy, and felt as though he was floating. He moaned with each spank. SSSPPPAAAANNKKK! SSSPPPAAANNKK! The clerk spanked harder, as the boy started sliding beck and forth across his lap. Both were in another world. The clerk was overtaken by a newfound strength. The boy was weeping and moaning. With all his might, the clerk delivered the last five swats in rapid succession, his hand perfectly conforming to the boy's curvacious cheeks. SSPPPAAANNKKK! SSSSPPPAAANNNNKKK! SSSSPPPPAAAANNNKKK! SSSSPPPAAANNNKKK! SSSSPPPAAAANNNKKK! The boy and the clerk both moaned as the fourteenth swat fell. 8 The boy carefully replaced his briefs and shorts, sobbing tears of pain and ecstacy, trying to conceal the pool of come on the clerk's lap. The clerk crossed his ankle over his thigh to keep the manager from seeing the come. Yes, the manager called the boy's father, even after all that. But the boy's emotions were not equipped to deal anything other than present time consciousness. He left the store in a dream state, and upon leaving, his friend was waiting with their shared bicycle. The older boy had regained his composure, and was perplexed by the change in his friend. Gone was the arrogant wise guy. In his stead was a sensitive free spirit. "Are you OK?" the boy asked his friend. "Uh, yes." "Guess you really got it. You were in there for almost a half hour." "Yes, we both had it coming," remarked the smaller boy. His friend was taken aback by this atypical remark, and let it pass. "Did they call your parents?" asked the older boy. "Yes," replied his friend. "Guess that means the strap tonight, huh?" "Guess it does. But my dad won't be home for four hours. Wanna go down by the beach and mess around for a while?" "Uh, OK" replied the older boy, still perplexed by his friend's metamorphosis. How could he be so calm, knowing he would get another licking that night? So, they rode to the beach, standing up, until it was time to go home. And when the older boy got home, his mother was waiting with the "board of education." Apparently the other boy's father called her and told all. And when the smaller boy got home, his father was waiting with the strap. The boy was ready to take his medicine.