Jane had always loved hiking. She did day hikes, over nights, in the mountains or by the coast. She loved exploring nature and the euphoria of accomplishing something she had never done before.

She had spent many months planning this trip, her longest solo hike ever. It was going to be 6 days and 5 nights, hiking along a mountain trail. There was not much vertical change, but there were lovely views, streams to cross, and it was far from civilization. She had a small tent, a bed roll, dehydrated food, and a couple of water filters. A small camp stove with fuel would allow her one hot meal each day. The instant meals were mediocre at best, but she loved the feeling of being self-sufficient and independent.

On the first day she encountered many hikers on the trail who were just out for short day trips. On the second day she passed one hiker in the morning, and then encountered a couple in the afternoon. The rest of the time she had the trail to herself, and enjoyed the peaceful sounds of nature.

On the third day Jane hiked without seeing another person at all. She was so happy to have the woods to herself, and the solitude gave her a natural high that she relished. This is what she had been looking forward to for so long.

On the fourth day Jane encountered a fork in the trail that was not on her map. The usual trail markers could be seen identifying the main trail to the right. A small hand carved sign nailed to a tree pointed to the left, “Red’s Tavern, 100 yards”. Jane was completely surprised to see this. There were no cabins or building structures of any sort shown on the map. There weren’t even any roads within 20 miles of her location. The hiking trail she was on was the only way in or out of the area. While she was not looking to meet people, Jane was very curious about this anomaly. The trail to the so-called tavern was well traveled, almost more so than the main trail. It wasn’t far out her way, so she decided to take a look. The trail winded through the trees and around a large outcropping of rocks. Then, in a small clearing, Jane saw it. Her jaw dropped in disbelief. There was a log cabin that had been copied directly from a children’s storybook. There were more than a dozen hiking packs hanging on hooks under a shed style awning on one side. Smoke was curling up from a stone chimney, and the faint sound of music could be heard coming from inside. There were all sorts of memorabilia, horse shoes, and vintage signs decorating the exterior walls. Jane could not believe what was right in front of her. It looked like a scene right out of a movie. After a whole day of not encountering another hiker, and being so far from civilization, it was bewildering to see so many packs outside. Where did they come from?

It was too intriguing to walk away from, so Jane removed her pack, hung it on a hook, and opened the door. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the dark room, but the sounds and smells were unmistakable. Bread, soup, and roasting meat was being cooked somewhere in the cabin, while music, laughter, and the clinking of glasses could be heard. It was like a cozy tavern had been lifted out of a mountain village and dropped in the middle of the wilderness. As her eyes adjusted Jane could see a bar at one end, tables and booths all around, and maybe a kitchen space around the corner in a back room. The place was operating like it was business as usual on a Friday night in the village. She stood there with a look of awe on her face.

The bartender waved to get her attention.

“Welcome to Red’s Tavern. Is this your first time?” He asked.

“Yes. I… I don’t believe it.” Jane was at a loss for words.

“Most people don’t. You look like you’ve been hiking awhile, can I offer you something to rehydrate with? These are complimentary.” He gestured to a glass front refrigerator with almost every name brand sports drink you could think of.

“Yes. Thank you.” Jane selected her favorite and took a refreshing sip.

Jane slowly walked around the room, taking it all in. The furniture was a mix of hand carved wood and upholstered dark leather. There were some rustic stained glass hanging lights and faux flame electric flickering sconces on the walls. Pieces of vintage hiking and camping equipment were mounted to the walls and ceiling. There were some couples and some groups of 3 or 4 sitting at tables, eating and drinking like this was all completely normal. The occasional person looked at her, smiled the way hikers on a trail would do, and then returned to their conversations. There were probably about 30 people in the tavern.

Jane noticed a flat screen TV on one wall, showing pictures of nature scenes like a screen saver. It did not really fit the decore, until Jane noticed the microphone stand and the karaoke machine next to it. Unreal, she thought. How did this place ever come to exist?

The food smelled great, and as much as she wanted a warm cooked meal, she didn’t want to break her streak of self sufficient living during her trip. She took pride in her strength and stamina.

Above the TV there was an antique vending machine made of wood, with faded lettering that read “Pull both handles and earn a free drink.” Two arrows pointed left and right towards worn brass handles at either end, and slot below appeared to dispense tokens.

Jane giggled to herself in amusement. Wacky things like this from long ago always amused her. She glanced at the bartender and pointed to the sign. He smiled and nodded as if she had found the super secret flaw in his business plan, and then he returned to pouring a beer for another customer.

Jane was determined to not eat a meal, but she decided a single drink to celebrate this amazing find would be OK. Plus, it was a free drink, who could pass that up?

The machine was mounted above the TV, and the two brass handles were about 3 feet apart. Jane was pretty sure she could reach them both at the same time. She set down her sports drink and stood up close to the TV. She reached up and outward, just able to touch the two handles by lifting herself up on her toes. She got a firm grip on each handle and pulled them both down with all her weight.

It was not clear to Jane if time stood still, or if time sped up. It all happened so fast. It took her a moment to process. The face of the machine opened up, spring-loaded straps wrapped her wrists, and cinched them tightly up to the handles. The music playing in the room stopped, and all the lights in the room turned off, leaving them in pitch black darkness. At first she feared the machine had caused a power outage, but then a few seconds later a dozen spot lights turned on. They were located all around the room, and they were all focused on her. She looked around in a panic, but could not see anything due to the bright spotlights shining in her eyes.

“Hey?” She yelled out. “What’s going on? Let me go!”

There was nothing but laughter and snickering from the room.

“Let me go!” She yelled again. “Get these off me!” Jane shook her arms but the straps were tight.

Eventually she heard a deep voice, very close behind her, talking in a quiet, almost menacing tone.

“You did read the sign on the front door before you came in, didn’t you?” he asked.

“What sign? What are you talking about?” She yelled. Jane jerked her head left and right trying to see behind her, but the lights were too bright and everything else was too dark. “Let me go!” She yelled again. The panic was transitioning into adrenaline fueled rage. If only she could get one hand free she was ready to swing back as hard as she could and knock the guy out. She struggled against the wrist straps but could not get herself free. She could feel his breath on the back of her neck.

“Well, it’s all clearly posted on the sign.” The deep voice replied, with a hint of “sucks to be you” in his tone.

Someone else, farther away, spoke up. “Alright folks, it looks as if we have another volunteer.” The crowd hooted and cheered. “It’s been a few days, so I will remind everyone of the rules.” The crowd calmed down. Jane listened carefully, as it was just about the only thing she could do.

“This is a pay-to-play event, so get out your cash, or open a tab at the bar. You must pay first. The current price is shown on the TV screen. For each payment made, the price goes up by one dollar, and the countdown clock resets to 60 seconds. The game is over when the clock reaches zero.”

There was more cheering, but Jane was still scared. She tried to plead with them. “Whatever this is, let me go. Please! I’ll go read the sign. Please! Get these straps off of me.” She felt very vulnerable with her arms stretch so far up and out.

The distant voice continued, “If there are no further questions, it is time to begin!” Excited cheering continued. Jane knew her demands were being ignored. She was tied up against the wall, in a dark room full of strangers, far away from civilization. Her mind started to assume the worst. She was easy prey for this pack of wild animals. She feared for her safety.

The TV screen, just inches from her face, changed from scenic landscapes to a scoreboard layout. On the left side it showed the price of one dollar. On the right side it showed a countdown timer of 60 seconds.

She had no idea what was going on, but she did not like the sound of it. At least her legs were free. If anyone tried to touch her she would unleash a torrent of kicking like an angry mule. She was going to aim right for their groin.

Jane felt a pair of hands grab her ankles tightly. She bucked and surged but could not break free of their strong grip. Then she felt another pair of hands on her waist, sliding down to her hips. “Stop it!” She screamed as loud as she could, twisting left and right trying to shake them off. “Don’t touch me!” Her hopes of fighting back were fading.

The hands held her tight, slid around her body, coming together at her belly, and then explored lower. The hands found her belt and unbuckled it. Next, they unbuttoned and unzipped her hiking shorts. Her heart was racing. Her breathing was now shaking and jerking, struggling to draw enough air into her lungs, and unable to regulate her heaving chest.

The hands moved to the sides of her waistband, and in one forceful motion pulled her shorts down to her ankles. The sudden exposure made her freeze. Along with the hands on her ankles, her shorts were now binding her feet together. She knew from experience these shorts would not slide over her hiking boots. Her feet felt trapped.

The hungry crowd cheered, and urged the vicious hands to continue. She dredded what she knew would happen next. The hands hooked the sides of her underpants and pulled them down, leaving them just above her knees. Her legs were practically immobilized using her own clothing, and her bare ass was now visible to the room. The crowd loved it, and filled her ears with hoots and hollers.

Jane felt herself starting to shut down. It must have been an automatic coping mechanism, and she retreated into her own mind, emotionally hiding from the ugly mob. She was beginning to accept her fate. The hands now lifted the back of her shirt, and tucked it into the band of her bra. Her bare ass was completely visible to everyone. The hands let go of her ankles and she was left alone, bound, and very exposed.

The talking and crowd noise blurred into a low rumble. Jane waited and waited, trying to distance herself from reality. They were going to do what they wanted, and she would try to forget every detail each step of the way.

Without a warning of any sort, Jane felt the stinging slap of an open palm across her bare ass. Smack! Despite her bracing for whatever would happen, she let loose a shriek of surprise. The crowd loved it, and responded with cheers. Jane squeezed her eyes closed and waited. Smack! Another slap across her ass shook her concentration. The humiliation of being treated like a little kid in front of a room full of grown adults was paralyzing. She stood as still as she could, hoping a lack of response would settle them.

Smack! Again the sting reverberated across her cheeks. Jane’s body twisted slightly from the impact, and then returned. She knew it was only going to get worse from here. Her eyes felt wet.

Smack! She hadn’t been spanked like this since she was little. She had only been spanked once as a kid. The punishment had worked as an effective deterrent for whatever she had done. Overall Jane had grown up as a very obedient and well behaved child.

Smack! At first it was the sting of the impact that filled her thoughts. It hurt and it made her skin burn. Each subsequent hit added to the heat, and made her whole bum feel tender. The impact zone was spread over her whole backside, leaving no patch unaffected.

Smack! Her mind began to wander to what this must look like. The embarrassment of having her pants at her ankles and her panties at her thighs was filling her with shame. In addition to her bare backside, they could also see her panties, her private clothing that usually hugged her crotch. After a few hours of hiking her panty gusset was probably revealing secrets to them that she did not want them to see.

Smack! If it were just her clean fresh panties it would be different, but she knew after 6 hours of hiking they were anything but fresh. There were probably wet spots. A combination of sweat, and natural fluids that tended to leave their mark, were now a part of the show. That kind of dampness was supposed to be kept private. It was something that only she was to see, but now everyone in the room was getting a full view of her personal mess, and they were judging her for it.

Smack! Her eyes were now watering enough to start running down her face. She finally opened her eyes, and discovered they were full on tears. She was shedding tears of shame, tears of humiliation, and tears of pain. She felt powerless and defeated. Her eyes were trying to purge those feelings away.

With her eyes open her vision was blurry, and the brightness of the TV screen in front of her face made it hard to focus. She blinked a few times to help wipe the tears away. She could now read the big numbers on the screen. The countdown clock made it only down to around 40 seconds before the next slap landed. The clock then reset to 60 and resumed its countdown.

On the other side was the number $12. Jane had no idea what this meant. Maybe some kind of sick prize money, or even worse, some sort of auction. She didn’t understand it all. She hated these people and their fucking signs.

Smack! The slaps kept coming. She could tell they were different hands. Some times there were a few in a row that felt the same, and then there would be a change. Maybe the hand was a different size or a different weight. Some landed their palm hitting straight into her flesh, while others swung sideways and delivered more of a glancing slap. They all hurt, and they all made her feel helpless.

Smack! Ouch, she thought. That one really hurt. She could tell it was more than just her eyes tearing up. She was now sobbing. A grown woman, sobbing in public, being watched by other adults, and all she could hear was their laughter, and them cheering each other on. She tried to blink the tears away, but they kept coming.

At one point her vision cleared just enough to notice another thing displayed on the screen. Right in front of her face, in the center, there was something written in very small letters. The next hit landed and she winced. It took her a few more blinks to regain her vision, and she was finally able to read the words. It said “Volunteer payout: $253”

Jane didn’t know what that meant. Payout? Another slap landed on her ass and it changed to “Volunteer Payout: $276.” What did it mean? She briefly remembered that when here wrists had been restrained they announcing they had another volunteer. Was she the volunteer?

Smack! The number changed to $300. Were they actually going to pay her $300?

She glanced over at the other big number on the scoreboard. It was going up by $1 after every swat. 25, 26, 27. But the payout was going up by much more. 325, 351, 378. Were they really going to pay her when they were done spanking her? This was so strange.

Smack! The payout was now $407. She tried again to look around at the people, but the spotlights made it impossible to see anything. They probably wouldn’t answer her questions anyway. Between sobbing and trying to catch her breath, her brain struggled to make sense of the situation. The more her ass was burning from the spanking, the higher the dollar value went. The captivity had turned her into a spanking play toy, and whether she agreed to it or not, it looked as if they were going to pay her in exchange for the ass beating they were giving her. It definitely did not absolve them of the crime, but it was an unusual position to be in.

Smack! The burning pain in her cheeks was now just about constant. The spanking did not add any more, so much as it just kept the pain at an even burn. A few hits later the payout reached $496. The numbers were jumping up by fairly large increments now. After a few more they crossed into the 600’s, and then the 700’s. They were taking a little more time between spankings, but the timer never got below 20 seconds before another slap would reset it.

An idea occurred to Jane. If they really were going to pay her for all this, a few extra spankings wouldn’t be all that bad. Her ass already hurt like hell, and she knew she was going to be sore for hours, maybe even days. She might as well take as much money from them as she could. After the next spanking she clenched her but cheeks and bounced them a little bit. The crowd noise surged with approval, and the pace of spanking picked up.

Smack! Jane twisted her hips left and right, trying to respond to each hit in a different way. It soon became clear that her pelvis rolling, hip twisting, and butt cheek bouncing was being enjoyed by the crowd, and they kept doing their part. Jane tried to move in a way she assumed an exotic dancer would entertain a crowd. Of course, her movements were limited to her hips since her hands and feet were bound. Being tied up to the wall, and standing almost on her tippy toes was very restrictive.

The swaying of her hips now made Jane notice a personal kind of wetness that was making her inner thighs slick. It was not her tears, and it was not her sweat. It was her pussy responding to it all. Somehow her eyes were scared, her ass was angry, and her pussy was turned on. It was all very confusing. She did not like the fact that her body was beginning to like the spankings. The next time she was able to blink away the tears enough to read the payout, she was surprised to see it was at $1,128. She couldn’t tell how long this had been going on, but it was probably the fastest she had ever made a thousand dollars. The total was going up by about 50 dollars each time now. Jane marveled that people would actually pay $50 to spank a stranger's ass. They didn’t even know her, they were just excited to see a woman tied up to the wall, pants pulled down around her ankles, panties exposed, and bright red ass being open hand spanked until she was crying. The more Jane thought about it the more she understood the appeal, and against her better judgment it turned her on even more.

She danced and wiggled, feeding into their desires. It gave her a strange kind of euphoria. The pain, humiliation, and being the center of attention was a combination she had never experienced before. She felt both physically defeated, but also emotionally empowered. She was the center of attention in a crowded room, but strangely separated from them. She taunted them with moves a crying stripper would use, knowing it was her job whether she liked it or not.

Smack! The crowd was getting excited about something. The pitch of the voices and volume of the cheers were going up. She still couldn’t see them, but she could see the big score board. When it reached $100 dollars the crowd erupted with cheers. She could tell they were jumping and celebrating this milestone. The next few spankings were spaced farther apart. Eventually she found herself waiting, and she turned to watch the countdown clock ticking away the seconds. The room started to get quiet. She wondered if maybe they were done.

When the clock reached zero the room was completely silent. Jane felt a pair of hand pulling up her panties. They pulled the cloth out and around her butt cheeks, being gentle not to irritate the sore skin. Then the shorts were raised and repositioned in a slow gentle manner. Jane was certain this was the work of a woman. The care and smoothness of zipping up, and buckling of her belt was almost comforting. Lastly, Jane’s shirt was freed and dropped back down into place. A second later the lights all went out. In the darkness the wrist straps released, and Jane collapsed to the floor in exhaustion. Although to her surprise, she did not land on the floor, but rather onto a large beanbag chair that had been positioned behind her. A moment later the lights came back on, back to the original tavern style.

Jane looked around the room. Everyone had returned to their conversations, paying no attentions to Jane, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. No one acknowledged that anything other than business as usual had been happening.

Jane wiped her eyes, gathered her courage, and stood up. Her ass was very sore, but it felt good to move her legs again. She walked over to the bar and the bartender came to her. They locked eyes for a moment, not sure who was going to speak first.

“Are you OK?” He inquired.

Jane thought about it for a moment. When it had first started she wanted to kill some one. Then she had settled into just just wanting to sue them for all the money in the world. But the more she endured the more she felt strong, and somewhat turned on by it all. She decided she was not going kill him just yet.

“Yes.” She answered, staring at him, looking for clues of what to do next.

“Good. I’m glad to hear that. You have earned a free drink.” He said with a slight smile.

Jane had completely forgotten about the sign promising a free drink. She thought about that for a moment. Years ago she had worked in a restaurant, and she tried to remember the most expensive drink she had seen. It was a small act revenge.

“I’ll have a Macallan 50, double cask, neat.” She said in a serious, matter of fact tone. She stared at him, daring him to flinch. He did not flinch, but raised his eyebrows with a respectful smile.

“Excellent choice.” He said. The bartender retrieved a key from the cash register, unlocked a small cabinet at the end of the bar, and retrieved a bottle. Others watched as he handled it very carefully, and poured her drink. When he was done she tapped the bar and nodded to the bottle. He gently set the bottle down next to her glass.

“I believe I owe you something else. Do you have a phone with you?” He asked.

Jane pulled out her phone and he walked her through the transaction process. When they were done, there in her account was a deposit for $5,253 from Red’s Tavern. Jane took a deep breath. That was a lot of money. That would pay for all her trip expenses. In fact, it would pay all her bills for the whole month. A calmness washed over Jane. She felt relieved, and a new sense of confidence. It surprised her how it felt to have received money in exchange for such an ordeal. She couldn’t help but think she had gotten the better end of it. She lifted her glass, swirled it under her nose, and took a small sip. It was not her favorite drink in the world, but given what she just went through it seemed appropriate. She picked up the bottle and made her drink a double. She felt like she had earned it. With drink in hand she turned around, leaned back on the bar, and surveyed the room. They acted so innocent now, not paying her the slightest attention, but Jane could feel the difference. Without so much as a glance or a nod, she knew she had earned their respect and admiration. She was in the club now, and she wondered who among them had also been a “volunteer.”

Jane still had a few miles to go before nightfall, but she wasn’t in a hurry. She sipped her drink, pondered the burning pain of her tender cheeks, and decided she might hike this trail again someday.