In the days following the Sunday escapade, Annie began to fully understand what Penitatas meant. A chance to start again, with lots of reinforcement to be a good responsible citizen. And a chance to be a kid again. A kid in a good situation.

Annie was playing a computer game. It was a decision making game. You scored by choosing the moral answer not necessessarily the best answer and certainly not the easiest answer. The scenarios changes based upon your decision. It sounded suspiciously easy, but it involved difficult decisions. She got yet another answer wrong and wanted to throw it across the room, but decided against it. In the past few days she had learned to control her impulses. So she put the game down on the dresser and went to go find Mommy.

"Annie are you ready to go to the park?" Mommy asked.

Since Annie was ready, she and Mommy went for a walk to the park. Weather Control had really gotten this summer right. They had even learned to control the humidity that always seemed rampant in Jamesville.

oOoOoOo

The park had been dedicated to the memory of those who had perfected rejuvenation as a method of rehabilitation.

The perfect park for Penitatas.

It was full of trees for switches - Apple, Peach, Willow, Hickory and Forsythia bushes - all trimmed to the right height. As well as a playground with not enough swings to go around. This helps Penitatas learn to share.

oOoOoOo

Annie and Mommy walked to the park. It was at the end of the street, just a short walk. As they walked, Mommy pointed out housed with penitatas children in them. Almost every home on the street had hard-timers. There were a few soft-timers and a special designation, Innocentata Medicalos, on the street. "If you are a good Penny, you can play with the neighbor children."

"I be good. Momma, wha' Innocenta Medilos?"

"Jenny is one of a kind. While she was very ill, she was wrongly convicted of a crime, then when the judge changed to Innocentata status he told her if she would rejuve to cure her disease she would me an Innocentata Medicalos."

"Wow"

"Here we are. Go play with the other children. I'll be sitting here on the bench."

Annie went over to the swings. She waited for her turn, and waited and waited and waited. Finally, she got a chance to swing. The Penitatas who had been swinging had been called over to his Mommy for a switching. He had not been a good citizen and had not shared the swing with any of the others.

Annie played on the swings for a few minutes. She was afraid that Mommy would decide that she needed to be switched if she didn't get off the swing. So, she hopped off, and got back in line.

Annie waited and waited. Then she looked over at her Mommy. Mommy was busy talking to the other Pennys' mothers and not paying any attention to her. Annie saw Shelly, another hard-timer, push a little penny out of the way to take an extra turn on the swing. And Shelly's mommy didn't see it. This gave Annie an idea.

When the next swing came open, she took a quick glance over at Mommy...all the mommies were talking and laughing. So she pushed in front of the Penny who had gotten his bottom switched for not sharing. 'Serves him right for not sharing.' Annie thought as she climbed on the swing.

"Anne, Anne, come over here right now." Mommy called.

Annie hopped off the swing and skipped over to her mommy. "Yeth? Did I stay too long on the swings? I sowy."

"Mitchel said that you pushed in front of him, is that true?"

"Mommy, he gots outa line to play wi otder fwends; I thoug he didn' wanna swing." Annie managed to squeeze a tear out of her eye and sniffled for effect.

"It's time for us to go home." Said Mitchell's mother. "Mitchell needs a bath. By the way, Gwen, he often exaggerates. That is part of what got him in trouble with the law. I'll see you at cards Monday."

"It's okay Annie, go back to playing."

"I made a fwend, her name is Shelwy." Annie said as she skipped away.

Annie and Shelly went over to the sandbox. "Dat wath gwate. How often de ya ge way wit it?"

"All the time. The trick is to ensure that no one's Mommy is watching where you are. Also, don't do it often. I'm glad that you got Mitchell, he is such a pain. I've done this ever since I was rejuved last year...and I've never been caught. I get away with all kinds of stuff. My parents are my sister and brother-in-law. He's a Rigilian, and doesn't believe in spanking children, even Rejuved Pennitatas. It's so kewl. You've got to promise that you won't tell anyone. I could be in serious trouble. And so could Megan and G'wine."

"Okey. How you ge away wid it."

"I'll never tell. C'm on lets go swing some more."

Annie decided that Shelly could get her in a lot of trouble, especially since Gwen and Bruce *did* believe in spanking children. However, she would play with Shelly for the rest of the afternoon.

Anne and Shelly went back over to the swings. As before, there was a line in front of the swings. The two girls waited. Annie looked over at her Mommy, saw she was busy and pushed in front of another child.

"Anne Marie, I saw that." Mommy said as she came over and grabbed Annie by the arm. She pulled down Annie's shorts and panties. "I want you to go pick a switch RIGHT NOW. You were a very bad Penny. How dare you lie to me and blame another child for what you are doing wrong."

Annie started to cry, but she was afraid not to obey. She pulled off a switch and brought it over to her mommy.

"Not long and stingey enough. 10 extra. Try again."

Anne's crying got worse. '10 extra. Extra on top of how many? Why did I ever listen to Shelly? Why? How could I have been so stupid.' She went over to the Venusian Willow Tree and broke off a branch." 'I hope this is long enough.'

"That's perfect." Mommy said as she took the switch from Annie. With that she lifted Annie over her lap. "You will not lie to get out of trouble .

"WHAAAA, Momma I sowy. WHAAA"

Mommy didn't lecture any more. She concentrated on painting red stripes all along Annie's behind. She laid stripe over stripe ensuring that every square centimeter of Annie's bottom and thighs were bright red. Mommy laid the switch on just hard enough to ensure it stung like a line of hornets but did not break the skin or leave a welt.

Annie just laid over Mommy's lap and cried out her anguish. 'Shelly WAS trouble.'

After what seemed an eternity Mommy stopped and set Annie on her feet. "Put your nose against the tree and don't move."

Annie cried and cried. Mommy kept talking to the other mothers, while waiting for Annie's time-out to finish."

"You better not tell on me. If you do I am going to tell the Penitatas Judge that you are lying. G'wine and Megan will back me up." Shelly whispered in Annie's ear. She went over to her Mommy, and waited until Megan had finished talking. "Can we go home, please?"

After Megan took Shelly home, Annie's Mommy took her by the arm and started home. "I am going to switch you all the way home young lady."

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