Pain

The front door closed behind Sarah as she entered the house, and she couldn't even make it to the table to set her keys down before she seemingly collapsed on the floor. Why did she feel this way... everything had been fine just last night with Master.... She couldn't help but whimper there on the carpet, needing Master right then.. Only He could make her feel better this time.

She lay for a while before forcing herself up and going into their bedroom to change. She removed her gray blazer and white camisole, then her gray pencil skirt and pantyhose to trade them for a pair of Master's sweatpants, and one of His teeshirts. Just being able to smell Him and feel close to Him helped a lot, and she found the strength to tidy up around their little home so that He wouldn't have any reason to worry about those things when He got home.

She finally glanced at the clock five minutes until He usually arrived home, so she knelt by the door with her head down and waited.. and waited..

He was rarely late home.. Was He angry with her for snapping at Him this morning? Had He decided to stay out and not tell her? The thoughts that flooded her mind now only made her feel sick. Her Master wouldn't keep her in the dark about where he was... He never wanted her to worry, and do exactly what she was doing now...

The familiar sound of His car in the driveway forced her eyes back up, and she was relieved to hear Him as His key turned in the lock. The door opened, and Master stood there with a brown bag in His hand, and a smile on his face.

"Sarah, I brought burgers home so you wouldn't have to worry about dinner." He reached down to pet her, but the way she was dressed, and the look on her face told Him that something was wrong.

Michael set the bag on the table and knelt next to His wife, then lifted her chin up to look at Him.

"What is it Sweetheart..?" He asked her gently.

"Master... I was bad today... I had a rough morning and snapped at You, and then at work I was having very dark thoughts and wanted to hurt Your toy.. What's worse is I don't even understand why...." She cried, looking down again.

"Shh... come here baby...." He pulled her close to His chest and tried to soothe her, stroking her hair gently and whispering softly in her ear.

"I'm very sorry you had a bad day, and I am not upset with you for snapping, because you apologized. As for wanting to hurt yourself, why didn't you call Me and tell Me?" He asked.

"I know You've been busy at work and I didn't feel like I was worth Your trouble...." Her voice shook and her lower lip quivered as she spoke.

"You are ALWAYS worth any trouble you think you cause, because I love you and I want the best for you." He kissed the top of her head. "Now, whats more important is DID you hurt yourself?" He knew the answer, but needed her to say it.

"No Master."

"That's what I figured. Everybody has dark thoughts, baby, but what matters is how we deal with them. If you didn't act on those thoughts, then you didn't break My rule." He assured her, holding her close again. "Even Master has those thoughts sometimes, but then I think about you, and I remember that I am worth something to My sweet Sarah, and that helps them to eventually go away."

"Master..." She rubbed her eyes and looked up.

"Yes my Princess?"

"Would You please spank me..?" She sniffled. "It will make me feel better.."

"I thought you didn't like getting spanked." He was skeptical, but still played gently with her hair.

"I don't.. but I need to cry... Please let me just cry it all out, and maybe I can feel right again.. Please Sir.."

He kissed her forehead and nodded.

"How about we eat dinner first, and then if it's what you really want, I will do whatever it is you need Me to."

"Thank You.." She wiped her face again and hugged her Master, already starting to maybe see the light at the end of her dark downward spiral.

Master stood, and Sarah followed Him to the table, and as He set out their food, she went to the refrigerator to grab Him a Dr. Pepper, and a water for herself. Returning to the table, she saw His food, then looked down to see hers on the floor next to His chair. Her heart leaped at how He already knew.. she couldn't feel comfortable eating at the table when she felt she'd done wrong, and though her Master sometimes tried to convince her to sit with Him, He allowed her this thing without objection for once, and she was grateful.

She knelt on the floor and waited patiently for her Sir to open His can of soda, and then take a sip, and she never touched her food or drink until she watched Him take the first bite of His sandwich.

She ate quietly, unable to think of much else but what was shortly to come, but she managed to get through the meal with no tears, and when they had both finished eating, she cleared away all of the trash and then went to the bedroom to prepare herself.

She undressed herself completely, and then found Sir's chair and moved it to the foot of the bed where she then knelt beside it just as her Master entered the room.

As always, He couldn't help the shallow breath He drew in at the sight of her kneeling for Him, but He remained collected and stood in front of her.

"How many do you want, Sarah?" He asked her.

"However many it takes to make me say my safeword.." She whimpered, never looking up.

He wanted to protest that she was crazy, but He didn't. If this was what she needed, He had to make her feel better.

There was no arousal or excitement as he removed His belt and sat in His chair, and Sarah trembled as she bent over His lap, but she wasn't afraid. She trusted Him, and knew that this would bring her back if He would just let her feel.

Sarah swallowed hard as her Master caressed her bottom with His hand, and she tried to ready herself for what was about to happen.

"All you have to do is say one word, and everything stops." He reminded her as He raised the belt. This was said in hopes to prepare her, but nothing truly prepares you for that first strike of the belt biting into your flesh.

The pain brought a pained whimper from His slave, but she remained still, determined to take it.

Her Master, though at times very cruel in His play, was sobered by this. He hated seeing her fight this battle with her own self loathing, yet He knew it was only she that could fight it. He hated watching her hurt, and even though He enjoyed inflicting pain during a scene, this was different. Completely raw, self hatred that she felt she could fight through His infliction of pain. To feel His marks and bruises, and to remember that she was owned by Him would be the only way to bring herself out of this black hole.

With each lash, she only whimpered for a long time until finally He brought the belt down harder and she released a loud sob, and began to cry streams of tears down her cheeks.

Michael was relieved to have her feel some release, and He continued to rain blows down on her bottom in steady rhythm, watching her cry and try to comprehend the pain.

It was a long time of this before He started to spank her harder, and she began choking on sobs, then wailing, until finally she was screaming. Her ass had been an angry red at first, but was now a nightmare of purple and blue, and there was no way that this girl was going to sit down properly for over a week.

Time completely melted away for Sarah who could only feel the pain and heat from her bottom, and it only increased until she finally broke.

"PURPLE!! PURPLE!!" She sobbed, and everything stopped immediately. Michael dropped His belt and pulled His beautiful wife into His arms where she continued to cry, but held onto Him, never wanting to let go.

"Thank You! Thank You Master!" She cried into His shirt loudly.

"Anything for my baby.." He held her and cradled her in His arms for a while before laying her on the bed and leaving her alone for a moment. He grabbed another water from the kitchen, and one of His sweatshirts from the basket of clean laundry, then returned to see His slave girl curled into a ball on the bed with no more tears, but her body still shaking involuntarily with sobs.

"Come here Precious.." He coaxed, holding out the bottle of cold water. She drank gratefully and He tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "You did so well, and I'm sorry if I hurt you at the end.. I never meant to.." His voice got a bit quieter at the end.

"No it was perfect.. thank You so much Master..." She still seemed to be in shock from everything, but He knew she wouldn't lie to Him.

"Are you cold?" He asked a little worried.

"A little.." She admitted quietly.

"Here." He helped her carefully into the big sweatshirt, and then laid next to her. "Would you like to be alone now?" He asked after a minute.

"No... please don't leave me.... I feel so much better already, but.. could You hold me for a little while...? Please?" She looked at Him hesitantly.

"I would like nothing more in the whole world." Master pulled her close, and she curled into His strong chest, then drifted off into a peaceful sleep.