Chapter 7

Four weeks had passed since Penny Lyle had come under the sway of Miranda, Patric's intimidating but oddly lovable friend. On the second day of her tutelage, Penny had asked this unlikely new buddy what her fee was for the intensive training she was putting her through.

"Nothing, my dear. Just the pleasure of making you suffer and bleed and finally seeing a new and wonderful woman emerge from it all, purified in the fierce and cleansing heat of suffering. That will be reward enough, believe me!"

"Bleed?" asked Penny, rather apprehensively.

"Purely figurative! Don't fret!"

Purely figurative it was for the first few weeks. Penny became ever more skilled in all the moves involved in the sport of kickboxing, but never once did her fist land on that ever moving and ever unhittable face, and, by God, she tried hard enough! Some days she thought she was becoming sharper, and almost hitting the laughing face in front of her, but never did she lay a glove on that elusive target.

And then, one day, it happened! A day she would never forget, or wish to forget.

Shortly after they had just started an evening session early in November, a glove flipped out from in front of the skillful Miranda and landed plumb on the tip of Penny's nose. It hurt! God! How it hurt! Penny grunted in pain, but put it down to a rare lapse of concentration on Miranda's part. Then her nose was bashed again - much harder this time. Penny sensed that a new phase had been reached in her education.

The first punch had made her eyes water. The second made her blood boil! She knew she had to repay this hurt. For the next few minutes she aimed for the now hated face, directing blow after useless blow at the infuriatingly moving target. And all the while that pretty nose of hers was being mercilessly pounded, harder and harder each time.

Finally, Miranda directed a quick, light, but economically effective blow at Penny's jaw and sent her to the hard concrete floor. As Penny scrambled to her feet, the brutal teacher laughed and signalled that the session was over. For once Penny was disappointed! She wanted to carry on and on and on until she landed at least one revenge punch on the face of the girl who had just made own face a bleeding, throbbing, painful mess. She was close to tears as she considered the humiliation of it all!

"Never mind, Penny! Your nose will be right as rain in a few days. Unless it gets another bashing tomorrow, of course. And it will, unless and until you learn how to defend it! You're too slow, my girl - much too slow! See you tomorrow, or have you had enough? Believe me, if you carry on after today, it gets worse - much worse. I'll show you no mercy from now on. You've been warned."

"See you tomorrow, Miranda. Don't be late. I won't be!"

"That's my girl!"

And Miranda briefly kissed her cheek and firmly hugged her. Then both girls left.