The Rose Garden 10

Hands released Beth from her bonds and laid her gently on a rush mat. Men brought water and the women of the special volunteers washed her aching, trembling body, especially the intimate places between her legs. Jill gave the ladies soothing lotions to rub into her wounds and bruises. Riff kissed her tenderly and murmured soft words of assurance.

The noon sun warmed the fresh breeze that played on our naked bodies as we lay around Beth on rush mats . We were in a state of elation. The sexual sights and sounds of Beth’s torment elevated our senses. Our bodies hummed with sexual energy, and we whispered many ideas for Beth’s final punishments on the rack to each other as we ate a simple breakfast of fruit and biscuits wrapped individually in banana leaves. We stole many glances at each others’ naked bodies and felt one with the natural world that accepted and validated the sexual arousal of the group.

“Before we put her back on the rack for the final punishments,” Brian murmured as he leaned close, “let’s do a vertical suspension. I’ll get the whips.” I grinned at the idea, and Riff nodded as he got up and went to find ropes.

Vertical suspension is hard on the subject’s body, which is not designed to work against gravity. Twenty minutes is about the limit for most suspensions, and most only last ten. I enjoy them as did some of the volunteers.

Strong ropes of twisted vines were expertly lashed to overhead tree branches. The women brought Beth a pair of beautiful brown leather boots of soft deerskin fashioned by the special skills of the volunteers. Andrea and the other women laughed with delight as Beth trotted around her mat, kicking up her heels and showing off her new boots. Then Riff and I positioned her under the ropes as the others cleared away the mats and attached the vines to her ankles, the boots protecting her soft skin as the ropes encircled them tightly.

Strong men leaned into the work of pulling on the ropes while others supported Beth’s nude body. Her feet went up, her head flopped down, and her legs spread wide as the ropes slid smoothly over the branches above, and there she was: upside down and spread wide, her head at waist height above the forest floor, her hands anchored to stakes driven into the forest floor.

Beth felt dizzy as the blood rushed to her head.