Letting Go
by Jen
Category: Adult
500 words

Sarah sat on the couch in a funk she hadn't been able to shake for weeks. She knew she had to get back to normal, but she couldn't seem to force herself to stop wallowing in her grief. When Tom sat down next to her, she barely noticed.

"Hey, you want to get out of here for a while," he asked.

"Huh? Oh, no, I just want to stay in. I'm not in the mood to do anything," Sarah said.

"You know that Katie would have a fit if she knew you were shutting yourself away because she's gone, right?" Tom asked.

Sarah glared at him. "She isn't gone, she's dead. There's a difference. We were friends for 28 years, I'm allowed to miss her."

"Of course you are, but you can't stop living too. You need a good hard spanking to get you out of this mood," Tom said.

"That's just so wrong, I can't even tell you how wrong it is!" Sarah sprang up from the couch ready to bolt from the room, but Tom caught her by the arm and pulled her back down on the couch.

"Why is it wrong? You know it would help to get rid of all of the tension that's been building up in you," Tom said calmly.

"It's wrong because I want it, but I shouldn't. It's too soon to want anything that would feel good. I feel guilty even thinking about it," Sarah said.

Tom took both of her hands in his, turning her so that she faced him. "It's part of the process, wanting to feel good again. Don't feel guilty, just let me help you."

Sarah didn't resist as Tom pulled her across him to lie across his lap, but she tensed up as she felt him reach to pull down her pants and panties. It felt like too much too soon, and she struggled momentarily, making it difficult for him to bare her bottom. Even so, it didn't take long for him to manage it.

The first slap of hand on bare skin shocked her. She'd felt only emotional pain for weeks, and hadn't allowed physical pain to replace it. Now she had no choice. Slap after slap, the pain and heat built up, pushing her closer to the edge. All of her anger, heartbreak, and sadness came right up to the surface, taunting her, making her fight against Tom and the spanking. She struggled against herself, knowing that part of her was lost forever, and her anger grew until one hard slap to her upper thigh. The dam broke and she started crying, powerful sobs that came from the bottom of her soul. It wasn't until she felt Tom's arms around her that she noticed he'd stopped spanking her.

She didn't know how long she cried, all she knew was that Tom held her the whole time, and when she woke up in bed next to him, she felt better than she had in a long time.

A good attempt to show the conflicts that go on within us when faced with an emotional crisis, particularly a sense of loss, and how we all struggle with guilt when desires surface that we feel are 'inappropriate'.  Sarah's battle with herself was well decribed and maybe, and this is just a personal view, deserved more words.  Tom's advice was sound but of course one wonders whether his motives were as altruistic as he made out. This is the kind of story which, I feel, would be even more impressive with more time spent on Sarah's mind set when wrestling with her emotions and a little less dialogue.  But it's well done, nonetheless.

This story tugs at the heartstrings.  It is well-written and, unfortunately, all too real.  But, it shows the power of love and of our kink to heal as well.  A very realistic story.

A sweet/sad story, really. Certainly believable enough to generate an understanding nod or two and perfectly at home in the Adult category.  I do think, however, that such an emotional premise should garner more emotional dialogue.  I know it is difficult to convey desolation, depression, anger etc through the written word.  Writers work for years developing the skills.  The story was very well written, but try to reach out and grab your readers.  Make us FEEL!

The general scenario, and the dialogue, feel more than plausible here, but I found myself missing a sense of who these people are. They're a little generic; rather than *people*, they're a quick sketch of just the characteristics necessary to explore the intended emotional territory. A greater awareness of them as individuals - difficult but possible in the limited space, by highlighting quirks and key details - and more to indicate the back-story of the narrative - 'Katie' also feels more like a place-holder than a real person - would add a bit more depth, and give a well-written piece greater resonance.