EXTRACT FOR
Kelly's Training
(Richard Stryker)

The five bar gate leading to Greg Dawson's farmhouse was closed so Kelly had to alight from her car and open the gate before passing inside. Once inside she remembered her instructions and alighted from the car again to close the gate. Inside the farmhouse a bell sounded when the gate opened and it sounded again when it closed. The driveway leading to the house was about a hundred metres long and Kelly drove up to the house. She parked the car and walked the remaining ten paces to the front door.

    As she walked towards the building she wondered shy her husband, Darren, had made her agree to the visit. He'd explained why. He was fed up with her wanton spending on his credit card and he was determined she would learn a lesson that would make her think twice about adding to their debt in the future. In short, Darren had told her she needed some expert training and he intended to continue her training when she came back from her session with Mr Dawson.

    Darren had contacted Dawson through some mutual friends who had already used the services of the Corrective Action Therapist ??" Greg Dawson's self-styled profession. The friends had been more than satisfied with Dawson's handiwork, and even commented on the way their partners had overnight become much more submissive and dutiful, so Darren had made arrangements for Kelly to attend Dawson's house. In telling Kelly what was happening and why he had made the appointment, Darren had mentioned something about a therapy table, but had chosen not to elaborate on the matter. 

    Kelly had had an uneasy feeling when she'd agreed to do something about her huge debts and learn how to control her finances. Darren had promised her that one visit to the house she was walking towards would be enough for her to learn her lesson and come back a reformed character. She'd agreed, for she was desperate not to lose him and she really wanted to do something to sort her life out.

    Greg Dawson was waiting for her by the front door.

    "Good evening, Kelly, won't you come in." Dawson, compared to Kelly, was tall and strong. In his younger days he would have been described as being of an athletic build but now, in his mid life, the muscles were showing signs of wear and tear from the time Dawson spent in his local pub.

    Polite enough, Kelly thought. The man was about forty five, she figured, making him twenty years her senior. He was still smiling as he closed the door. 

    "Err, Mr Dawson," Kelly began when she had been ushered into what was evidently the living room, "what exactly is a corrective action therapist?"

    "Oh, quite simply, I aim to correct your bad habits by teaching you a lesson you will not forget. In your case I have instructions from your husband on what he requires and I am happy to say you will leave here in just a few hours a reformed character. Now, please sit down."

    Kelly did as she was instructed.

    "Tell me, Kelly, your money worries ??" are they eating away at you?"

    "Yes."

    "I thought so from what your husband said on the phone. Now, we need to be quite sure that you wish to do something about them. You do, don't you?"

    "Yes, Mr Dawson, I do."

    "I see, so how do you think I will help you?"

    "Well, my husband thinks I need some kind of training ??" something that will make me think before I spend any more money. Something that I will look back on and remember as a warning of what will happen if I let things get out of control again."

    "I see. And do you agree with your husband?"

    "Yes, it kind of makes sense, though I don't know exactly what kind of training would make me think twice in the future."

    "Oh, Kelly, you will soon understand, believe me. Now, Darren has asked me to introduce you to a device I use to make people like you reflect on things when they have sudden impulses in the future. I call it my therapy table, because that is what it does ??" it trains you to think twice. I understand your husband has told you a bit about what I have in mind for this evening."

    "Yes he has. I have to say I doubt it will work and I doubt in the space of a few hours you will change me, but I have to go ahead with this or Darren will leave me."

    "He has told you that? That is excellent, for I am sure you will try all the harder."