Pennies From Hell

It’ so hot and the school summer holiday is long and unsupervised. Mother and Number 3 both work in the next city. There is no one to look after my sister and me so we are just left on our own all day. I spend the days roaming the beach and the sand dunes with my sister; there is nothing else to do. We take pennies from mother’s money box, half-pence’s and one and two pence pieces and spend them at the Penny Arcade. There is nothing else to do all day long. Mother has no idea about the pennies. Then the counting day comes when she adds all the coins together and puts them in special bags for the bank. She does this every now and then. Mother is furious, my sister and I are in trouble. Mother shouts and tells me to go to my room and remove all of my clothes and when I have done so, to stand in the hall and wait to be called into her and Number 3’s bedroom.
I’m standing in the hall. I am completely naked. I’m so frightened I am crying and running on the spot
Mother calls me. I think I might wet myself .I am terrified.
I obey her and enter her room. I’m shaking and crying. Mother instructs me to lay my body across her lap. I’m screaming and crying now but I obey.
I am thrashed repeatedly on my naked body for what feels like an eternity by Mother's bare hands. It is a struggle because I am trying to escape but Mother is so much stronger than I am. I am screaming out in pain as my flesh feels as if it is burning from the impact of Mother's strong hands.Mother's breathing sounds strange and she sounds like she is panting from all the effort she is putting into my thrashing. Mother tells me to shut up she says she does not want the neighbours to hear. I think that this is because if they do hear then they will hate me too, as much as Mother does. I think that all children experience this type of punishment and so it is normal. I have no idea that Mother wants me to be silent so that she won’t be found out because what she is doing is wrong.
Finally the thrashing stops and Mother orders me to stand up straight and face her .As I do I can see that her eyes look wild and are glinting and she has a thin smile on her lips as she orders me to my bedroom, adding that I am to stay there until she tells me that I can come out. I obey and am glad to be in my bedroom away from Mother. I no longer feel the terror and pain of the thrashing; my bed sheets feel cool against my burning skin.
I tell no one.
Thirty years will pass before another person sees me naked.