Stranger Than Truth Ch. 06

"Of course it isn't. That whip would have cut into Melanie's flesh, leaving a bleeding wound." The prop master had intentionally overstated the potential effects of a single stroke, but it had the desired effect of attracting everyone's attention. "It's a good thing Sally, one of our experts, spotted the problem and had a suitable replacement. I don't know what happened, Mr. Gaskin." The sarcasm in her voice let everyone know what she believed had happened.

Harvey, recovering from his surprise, laid into Barry as well. "What in the hell do you mean, the whip was supposed to leave marks? Melanie is not a stunt double. The only marks she's supposed to have on her are the ones I put there, with this." He held up his portable make up kit. "Just what kind of stunt are you trying to pull Mr. Gaskin?"

"Bite your tongue, Harvey! I can fire you just as easily as I hired you. Slander me again and I'll do just that." Turning to the rest of the people in the room, he challenged, "Anyone else want to volunteer to be fired?" Hearing no one speak, he continued, "No? Good. Then we will shoot this my way. Cynthia, give Tasha the original whip. Now!"

"No sir. I will not be a party to injuring one of the actresses."

"Wait!" Melanie's voice stopped Barry's retort. "I'll do it. You can use the whip you planned on using. But I need to use the restroom first. Someone get me out of this thing."

Tasha cried out, "No, Melanie, I won't mark you like that."

"Tasha, it will be okay. Trust me, please."

"I need a drink." Tasha stormed out of the room.

One of the crewmen was already releasing Melanie from the stocks. Once free, she walked towards the door, whispering to Valerie as she passed, "Help Tasha get it right." Valerie nodded and caught Sally's attention, motioning towards the door with her eyes. The couple exited and caught up with Tasha.

"Tasha, wait."

"No. I will not abuse Melanie, or anyone else like that."

"You don't have to," Valerie said. "Melanie should be able to buy us ten or fifteen minutes. We can teach you to use the whip safely."

"Safely? You heard Cynthia."

"She exaggerated," Sally said. "The whip in question wouldn't draw blood used the way we taught you, though it would hurt like a mother fucker. It will only take a slight change in technique to keep the pain to a minimum."

"Are you sure? I don't want to hurt her."

"Don't get me wrong. They will hurt, there's no getting around that. But we can keep it from being overwhelming for someone like Melanie who doesn't get off on pain, I promise. If you refuse, Barry wins and the film dies."

"I used to respect that man. Show me what to do."

The three women went into an unused private room where Sally pulled out the whip in question. Valerie had already slipped her blouse and bra off.

"Sally, you've had more practice, use me to demonstrate."

"Yes Mistress."

Turning to Tasha, Sally proceeded to demonstrate how to flick the harsher whip so that, while red marks appeared, the pain was not very strong. The effect was achieved by dragging the whip across the back, letting the friction create the marks, much like a fingernail lightly scratching at the back. The determination on Tasha'a face was intense, as she struggled to master the technique in a very short time. Both Valerie and Sally were impressed at how quickly she picked it up and were surprised when tears formed in Tasha's eyes.

"Tasha, what's wrong?"

"It's so hard. I feel evil and dirty, hurting you like this. I know you say it's not much pain, but it's still me causing it."

Val turned around. "Tasha, I feel similarly when I'm whipping Sally. A knot forms in my belly and it feels like I'm doing something horribly wrong. I've always struggled with that."

"Why do you do it, then?"

"Because she loves me," Sally answered. "Right now, I need her to do this. I know how much it tears her up inside and when she whips me in spite of that, it's a declaration of her love that I cherish. Melanie will be so grateful when you do this, even if it is painful for her. She wants this movie to be a success, to tell our story as real people, as much as Valerie and I do. She's a part of our world and wants to see it shine in a positive light."

"I will never understand why you people love being treated like this. But, I can understand the need to be respected. I've always tried to bring respect to my characters, well except for Melinda Mays, she was totally evil and that's how I played her. If this will do good, I'll do it. I'm still frightened of messing up."

"The worst that will happen if you mess up, is that the marks will last a little longer and Melanie will not have to act much to show the pain."

They all chuckled nervously at the little joke and returned to the filming room. Melanie was not there yet and Barry's look when they walked in together was venomous. Valerie had to smile when Melanie walked in a minute later. She must have had her assistant watching for their return. Soon the scene was set up again and the filming started. Ironically, the intensity on Tasha's face, as she worked hard on getting her form right, made the pain at hurting Melanie that she had to portray that much more realistic.

Tasha's form was not perfect, and both Sally and Valerie could see Melanie gasp with pain as the occasional stroke hit harder than Tasha intended. Valerie saw the smile on Barry's face and felt her anger rise, threatening to overwhelm her. "He's enjoying this," she thought to herself. "He thinks Melanie or Tasha will quit. If they do, I'll ruin him. He will never work again. I'll have him put away, if I can." Sally's hand gripped Val's tightly, reassuring her that it would be okay.

The scene ended with Barry's cry of, "Cut! That's a print." Valerie and Sally ran forward. Valerie took Tasha aside to comfort her, seeing the actress on the verge of breaking down. Sally grabbed a bottle from her bag and went to Melanie as she was being released from the stocks. Crystal was there, holding the crying woman.

"Here, this will help," Sally offered, showing a bottle of the infamous soothing ointment used in the local scene. "It has an antibiotic and a topical anesthetic. Just rub it into the red areas, Crystal. The pain will fade and she will be protected from infection."

"Thanks, Sally. I swear, I'll never work with that man again."

Valerie brought a tearful Tasha over. None of the women noticed that the room had emptied. Except for them, all the crew ushered out by Harvey and Cynthia. Melanie had been lowered to a bench and Tasha knelt at her head.

"Melanie, I'm so sorry. I tried, I really did. I just lost control a few times. Please don't hate me."

"Tasha, you did great. You had to and you did your best. It was the only way to beat that bastard. I expected worse. But you were always a quick study."

"Not quick enough this time. That looks so bad," she said, pointing at the marks.

"Whatever that stuff is, it seems to work miracles. It just feels warm. Really, Tasha, I'll be okay. I knew what was going to happen when I agreed to do it. I want the movie that Samson wrote. This was worth it. Valerie, how long will the marks be visible?"

"That depends a lot on your body. On me, those would fade by the morning. It really was a light whipping. Tasha did an excellent job at keeping the strokes safe. There's not a single welt."

"Excuse me, will you ladies stand back, I need to check Melanie's injuries. Just what happened here?" The set physician, Dr. Jones, had entered the room. Valerie wondered why he had not been on the set in the first place.

Tasha answered before anyone else could. "We were filming a whipping scene and some of the strikes were harder than they were supposed to be."

"I was assured that a safe prop had been obtained, one that would cause no injury."

"Barry insisted on a prop change. He was concerned that it would not be believable if the strokes did not cause visible marks when they hit. I guess I needed more practice with the new prop."

"I see," he replied with an ominous tone. "What's in this ointment?" When Sally told him, he nodded approvingly. "Do you have a prescription?" At her shake, he pulled out a pad and wrote a perscription, dated for a week earlier. "That should cover the legal angles. The good news is that some of the marks have already begun to fade. I expect the rest to be gone by morning. Now, where is this new prop?"

Sally handed him the whip, which he examined with surprising skill. As he did, his brow arched and he looked perplexed .

"This should have caused much deeper damage. Just how were you using this thing?"

"Sally here," Tasha explained, pointing at the submissive, "showed me this method." Tasha demonstrated on the wood of the stocks. The doctor's eyes widened.

"Ah, our experts. I'm glad someone listened to you and that you actually knew you're stuff. Too many 'experts' don't these days."

We're lucky to have the two of you on board, miss. Now, where is the original prop?" Cynthia handed him the softer whip. "Yes, this is a much safer instrument. I'm going to have a word with Mr. Gaskin. I don't want this thing," he sneered, pointing at the stiffer cat, "used in any more scenes. We have makeup experts for a reason."

With that, the doctor stalked out of the room, leaving the five women alone once more. Val cocked her eye at Sally and the two left the actresses alone. Outside, they heard Barry's voice raised over the din.

"Watch yourself doctor, you can be replaced. I am in charge of making this film and if I want a prop change, then we will have a prop change. This film needs to be as realistic as possible."

"I'm warning you, Mr. Gaskin, if I have to, I will shut this film down. I don't want to have to treat another whipping. You're on notice!"

As Dr. Jones stalked off, Barry was grinning like the proverbial cat. The two lovers looked at one another, worry in their eyes. They couldn't blame the doctor as he was just doing his job. They walked over to the room the next scene was to be shot in. One of the main themes in the script was the love between Sally and Valerie that grew from a fear of sex with a woman to a deep love between the two. The initial domination of Valerie by Sally was an integral part of the romance.

The technicians were preparing the private room with a cross and whipping post in it for the scene. The couple were asked for details on just how the cross was used and what would be needed. Val and Sally were able to add details that the script lacked. They also found out that the scene would not start for another 30 minutes on the doctor's orders. They decided to grab a latte from the stand across the street.

Outside, they saw that Mitch was hanging around. They went over to him.

"Mitch," Valerie started, "You didn't have to do that. Won't this hurt your schooling?"

"Oh no, Ms. Burbon. I'll be fine. Someone had to take the heat for Ms. White. I was expendable."

"You knew who called us?"

"Of course, Ms. Burbon, if you want to know what's really going on on a set, ask the gophers. I heard her calling you while I was on one of those errands. Anyway, this will boost my career in the long run."

"How so?"

"Ms. White's assistant has already offered me another intern position. Actors appreciate loyalty and Ms. White will remember this for quite a while. I won't have any trouble finding a job after I graduate."

Taking their leave, the couple fortified themselves with double shot mochas and returned to the set with five minutes to spare. Melanie and Tasha were in their robes, waiting for the call to go nude again. Barry was hovering in the background as the final preparations were made to the set. The tension in the air was palpable: thick and acidic. Sally could see the telltale signs of tempers on the edge, as the conflict between the director and the actors was spilling over.

The characters' entrance had been filmed at the house, so the scene started with Melanie and Tasha taking positions at the door. Again, the room was cleared of all non-essential personnel and the filming began. Melanie bound Tasha to the whipping post with the sure hands of experience and made as if she was looking for the right instrument to start with. When she selected the soft whip, Barry yelled, "Cut!"

Everything stopped. The silence in the room lingered like a deadly gas until Barry stomped over to the wall Melanie was facing.

"This is the whip you are to use," he ordered in a soft voice.

"No, I will not. It's not safe. Dr. Jones…"

"I don't give a fuck what the good Doctor says. I am the director and you will use this whip."

"Then let me practice with Valerie first."

"Fuck that bitch. She's not interfering with my film again."

No one noticed the figure who had silently slipped into the room.

"That! Is! Enough!" Valerie's temper had finally snapped. Each word was clipped and terse. She stormed over to Barry. "I have put up with your insults and disrespect for weeks, and it stops now. I was hired by your boss, Milton Freeman, to make sure that the BDSM elements in this movie were accurate and safe. You will not keep me from doing my job. That whip," pointing to the stiff whip Barry wanted used, "is not safe. I will not see it used on Tasha'a back."

SLAP

There was a gasp from Melanie as Barry's hand hit Valerie's cheek, leaving a red imprint of his hand. Valerie staggered back under the force and shock of being hit. She could feel a drop of something trickling down her chin. Wiping at it, her hand came away with a red stain, blood. Something inside Valerie broke and fear filled her face. She took another step back in the silence that had filled the room. In her head, Valerie was bound and helpless in Francine's dining room, Barry whipping her repeatedly, drawing blood.

Barry's sneer filled Valerie's vision until someone stepped in front of her. Sally's finger poked Barry in the chest. "You sanctimonious little shit!" Each word was punctuated by another poke in exactly the same spot. "Who the hell do you think you are? How dare you?" Barry's chest was beginning to hurt as he backed away from the hellcat bracing him with a fury he had never encountered in five divorces. "That is the woman I love! She's already been savaged by one person, I will not let another one do it again. Do you hear me? If you touch her or yell at her or disrespect her again, I will personally kill you! Do you understand?" Every word saw her finger poke the same spot. The bruise that was now forming would last for days.

Barry's back was against the wall and his face was burning in anger. He raised his hand again, only to hear his name.

"Barry!" Milton Freeman's voice was hard, harder than Valerie had ever heard before. Gone was the happy go lucky friend to all.

Barry froze in place. He turned his head to look at the producer. It looked as if his eyes were truly bugging out.

"Would you care to explain yourself?"

"Your so called experts are trying to ruin this movie."

Milton held up his hand to interrupt Sally's defense. "No, they are doing what I hired them to do. Would you care to explain why Melanie has real whip marks on her back"

"It was just an accident."

"So your changing the props was accidental? Even after the experts told you not to?"

"They never…"

"Barry, we've been friends too long for you to lie to me. Don't ruin what's left of it. If you couldn't accept the vision for this film, you should have refused the job."

"Milton, these people are degenerate perverts. You're trying to make them seem normal."

"They said the same thing about homosexuals in the 60s." Milton was shaking his head sadly. "Are you going to quit, or do I have to fire you. If you quit, we'll tell the press that another project needed you and no one will say anything differently, if they know what's good for them."

Barry seemed to collapse in on himself. "These people stole Angela from me. They're evil."

Milton took his friend's arm. "Barry, we'll talk later. For now, you need to go. Fly to Vancouver. We'll tell everyone that I needed you to scout locations for Dinner at Midnight."

"Thanks Milton. This film is wrong. It will ruin your career."

"It's mine to ruin. Later Barry."

The director walked away, every eye following him except Sally's and Valerie's. Valerie had backed up to the far wall, in shock. Sally joined her, worried for her lover.

"Val, talk to me. What's wrong?"

"I was back there, helpless."

"Francine's?" Val nodded her head. "That wasn't going to happen. I won't let that happen. Do you hear me? You will never go through that again."

Valerie collapsed into Sally's arms, crying softly. As Sally held her partner, Milton gave orders to clean up the place, postponing any further shooting until Monday. He walked over to the couple.

"Is Valerie going to be okay?"

"I think so. She had a flashback to the incident. Some time off will help. Is the film going to survive the loss of director?"

"Oh yes. I've directed before, I'll be able to finish up the last few bits. There's only three days of shooting left. Can I count on you two to not speak about Barry's conduct?"

"We'll think about it. Val could press assault charges if she wanted to. She's not in any condition to make that call right now. How did you come to be here?"

"Oh," he replied sheepishly, "My nephew called me."

"Your nephew works on the movie?"

"Oh yes. Nepotism is alive and well in Hollywood, Sally, dear. He wanted a start in the film business so I had him hired as 4^th grip. He called me when Barry and Dr. Jones had their confrontation. You take care of Valerie, you hear?"

"I will. Come on Valerie, we're going home."

Valerie did not say anything on the ride home. Slowly, she climbed out of her flashback. As Sally led her to the door, Val started crying. Once they were inside, Sally held Valerie close.

"It's okay, Mistress, it's okay. He's gone."

"I was back there, Sally. He was whipping me bloody, Barry was there. I was bleeding."

"I know. I saw it. But you're not helpless, not to him. Only Master can have your helplessness, only our Master."

"Master?"

"Yes, Master. We are helpless before him because we love him. All others can take a flying fuck."

Valerie held Sally tighter. "I don't know what I'd do without you, Sally. I have to meet Erica for lunch. She's going to give me some pointers on being dominant. I also have my appointment with Dr. Gloush. I certainly have lots to talk about."

"Mistress, may I join you and Erica for lunch?"

"I think that would be a good idea. First, however, I need to punish you."

"Mistress?" Sally asked nervously.

"Yes, you called me by name earlier."

"Oh no! I'm sorry Mistress. Please forgive me."

"Of course I will forgive you. But you still need to be punished. You need me to punish you, don't you?"

Sally's breath caught. "Yes, Mistress," she whispered. "Are you going to be okay with it."

"I'll do what you need because, as you so wonderfully put it, I love you so much."

"Thank you Mistress," Sally answered.

"Go downstairs and strip."

Sally leapt up and ran to the basement. Valerie spent a few minutes bracing herself for what she was going to do. She wanted to be sure she was up to it, given that she had just had the flashback. Deciding that she was going to act in love, where the flashback was from hate, she gathered a couple of things and joined Sally in the soundproof room that made up their basement.

Sally had stripped, her clothes folded neatly beside her. Valerie walked over to her and ran her fingers through Sally's hair. Sally's breath was deep as she waited to be punished. Valerie clipped the leash to Sally's collar and put a blindfold over her eyes. Pulling on the leash, Valerie led her to the chains they had hanging from the ceiling. Sally's legs were spread and clipped to rings in the floor. Her hands were bound behind her back and then connected to a chain, forcing her to bend over with her arms pulled up and back.