Rachel Hopkins: The Retreat

Rachel stood in the bathroom looking at the reflection of her red bottom in the mirror. Six lines crossed both buttocks. It was sore where the Guardian had caned her. She thought of the day's events and recalled how intimidating it had felt to be up before the Magistrate that morning. She'd spent the previous night in a cell at the police station. The bench was cold and hard, and she'd only been given a blanket. She hadn't changed her clothes. Now all she had to put on was a cotton nightdress and a towelling dressing gown loaned to her by one of the ladies who lived at the Retreat.

Rachel had been brought along to the Retreat by Mrs Higginson, Advisor to the Judiciary Council, after the Magistrate had recommended that she should spend some time here.

Putting her hands on either side of her head, Rachel felt it pounding. It wasn't as sore as her freshly caned bottom. She had been very sick this morning in the police cell. She'd eaten very little and wasn't able to eat much of the evening meal at the Retreat.