Claudia waited in silence for a moment or two after she spoke, wondering if he would either accept her excuse or punish her for it. When he walked towards the cart, she followed him with her eyes. The last time he'd pulled something out of there was water for her to drink. It couldn't be that bad, then, could it?

She was quite wrong. Claudia stared at the items he brought back - a leather switch and cuffs. The horrible realization of what he was going to do dawned on her. The fear in her eyes grew, and she looked from the switch to his face almost incomprehensibly. He was going to whip her.

"Hold out your hands." What did he think she was, an idiot? Why on earth would she hold out her hands for him to cuff? Somewhere in the back of her mind though, a voice told her that the cuffs would go on even if she refused - and the process probably wouldn't be quite as pleasant. It would be easier to just give in and get it over with. It would be done either way. But she couldn't bring herself to just...give herself over like that. Her mind had not yet reached a level of submissiveness in which she would help herself be punished. Instead, she shrunk back, away from the cuffs that would render her helpless and away from the whip that would cause her pain.

"Please," she said, the words tumbling forward before she could stop herself, "I'll do what you want. I promise you, I'll do what you want. Just don't...don't use that - thing - on me...please...."