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       #Post#: 16385--------------------------------------------------
       It Happened One Christmas Chapter Thirteen
       By: Jack Date: December 13, 2019, 7:00 pm
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       As the light faded, I turned back to Charlie.
       “I suppose that was supposed to teach me a lesson?  What, that
       it was fair because we both got spanked?”
       I knew that Charlie obviously wasn’t just another student at
       King’s, and part of me realized that smarting off to him might
       not be a good idea, but I couldn’t help myself. I felt like I
       was being manipulated, and I couldn’t help being mad.
       Charlie smiled at me, but shook his head.
       “No, there are a couple of lessons here for those who can find
       them, but that’s not one.”
       I just stared at him.
       He shook his head again.
       “You keep talking about how unfair spankings are, Bailey, but
       didn’t you notice that it was you boys who thought you should
       apologize that time?”
       I wanted to argue with it, but I thought back and realized he
       was right.
       “So?”
       “So, doesn’t that make you wonder if spankings are really
       unfair, or if you’re just mad at this one?”
       I didn’t know what to say to that, so I didn’t.  We just leaned
       side by side for a minute, and he let me think.
       After a few minutes of silence, broken only by the wind, I
       realized something.
       “You said two lessons,” I pointed out to him.
       “Yeah, but I don’t think you’re ready to hear the other yet.”
       He looked at me, then reached inside his coat.  He pulled a flas
       from it, unscrewed the lid, then took a sip.  Then he held it
       out to me.
       “Mulled cider?  Still warm.”
       I’d never tried cider, and I wasn’t what ‘mulled’ meant, though
       I was pretty sure it had to do with spices.  Still, I took a sip
       and found it surprisingly good and the warmth went down well.
       “Don’t worry,” he said, taking it back from me.  “It’s
       non-alcoholic.”
       He screwed the lid back on, replaced the flask, and re-fastened
       his jacket before turning back to me.
       “I know whuppings can be harsh, Bailey, especially when you
       don’t deserve them or feel you don’t deserve them, or when
       they’re more than you deserve.  Still, do you really think
       that’s always true?”
       Even though I knew I was probably not being honest, I still
       nodded my head.  He shook his.
       “I don’t think you do,” is all he said, and he pointed back into
       the oncoming snow.
       The transition was the same, and the scene was my bedroom as it
       slowly came into focus.  Not my room as it was now, with it’s
       neatly framed movie posters from the Maze Runner, Hunger Games,
       Back to the Future, Star Wars, and more, but my room as it had
       been in the recent past.  I started looking around, both for
       myself and to figure out when the setting was, but before I
       could decide, the door burst open.
       “Why did you think you needed to steal something?” Dad asked,
       not quite yelling at me.
       I shivered as the familiar scene started to replay.
       Dad had been pulling me by the arm, but now he let me go, and I
       turned to look at him as I answered.
       I watched it all repeat, right in front of me this time, instead
       of in my head.  The thing is, my focus was different this time.
       I watched my younger self slowly strip, then lay over the bed.
       I watched Dad double the belt up in his hand.  I saw as it
       smacked down across my butt.  I heard myself cry out in agony
       and buck as the pain tore through my body.  I watched each
       stripe go white before the red rushed back in.  But this time, I
       wasn’t face down on the bed, and I saw Dad.
       I’d thought he was mad when I’d remembered it.  He’d sounded
       mad, but I realized he didn’t really look mad.  I’d seen him
       look this way before, but I couldn't remember when or why.  I
       couldn’t guess at what he was thinking.
       The whipping suddenly stopped, but I - the younger me - was
       still crying hard and loud.  I hadn’t noticed before, hadn’t
       remembered, but Dad stood there a long moment, definitely not
       angry.  He started to say something, but stopped. He rubbed his
       hand across his face, then turned and walked quietly away.
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       #Post#: 16396--------------------------------------------------
       Re: It Happened One Christmas Chapter Thirteen
       By: David M. Katz Date: December 14, 2019, 1:58 pm
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       At least Bailey has a different perspective now.
       I don't think Charlie is a King's student at all.
       (Where's the money?)  ::)
       [emoji318]
       #Post#: 16407--------------------------------------------------
       Re: It Happened One Christmas Chapter Thirteen
       By: db105 Date: December 15, 2019, 11:46 am
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       All this doesn't change whether the way Bailey was treated in
       this case was fair or not, but at least shows it's not a
       systematic campaign of mistreatment.
       #Post#: 16408--------------------------------------------------
       Re: It Happened One Christmas Chapter Thirteen
       By: guest50 Date: December 15, 2019, 2:15 pm
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       A systematic campaign of mistreatment? I'm lost on that one. The
       memories seem to show Bailey's dad as a fair person when it
       comes to discipline. Someone who doesn't spank for the enjoyment
       of it. I'm still reserving judgement on how he will deal with
       this situation.
       #Post#: 16409--------------------------------------------------
       Re: It Happened One Christmas Chapter Thirteen
       By: Jack Date: December 15, 2019, 3:56 pm
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       [quote author=dthorn1970 link=topic=1625.msg16408#msg16408
       date=1576440901]
       A systematic campaign of mistreatment? I'm lost on that one. The
       memories seem to show Bailey's dad as a fair person when it
       comes to discipline.
       [/quote]
       I think that's his point - the memories show that Bailey's dad
       is normally fair and at least somewhat understanding, making
       this an aberration or overreaction possibly, assuming you don't
       understand Dad's side of things.
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