The Sandman

70

Anders stands in the dark watching Petra in the mirror above the basin. She brushes her teeth, spits, cups her hand to lift some water to her mouth, then spits again.

When she sees him she looks scared for a few seconds.

‘Are you awake?’

‘I was waiting for you,’ Anders said in a strange voice.

‘That’s sweet of you.’

She turns the light out and he follows her into the bedroom. She sits down on the edge of the bed and rubs cream into her hands and elbows.

‘Did you have a good time?’

‘It was OK... Lena’s got a new job.’

Anders grabs her left hand and holds her tightly by the wrist. She looks into his eyes.

‘You know we’ve got to be up early tomorrow.’

‘Shut up,’ he says.

She tries to pull free, but he grabs her other hand and pushes her down onto the bed.

‘Ow—’

‘Just shut up!’

He forces one knee between her thighs and she tries to twist aside, then lies there quite still and looks at him.

‘I mean it: red light... I have to get some sleep,’ she says gently.

‘I’ve been waiting for you.’

She looks at him for a moment, then nods.

‘Lock the door.’

He gets off the bed, listens out for any sounds from the corridor, but the house is quiet, so he shuts and locks the door. Petra has taken off her nightdress and is opening the box. With a smile she gets out the soft rope and the carrier bag with the whip, the vibrator and the big dildo, but he pushes her onto the bed.

She tells him to stop, but he roughly pulls off her underwear, leaving red marks on her hips.

‘Anders, I—’

‘Don’t look at me,’ he interrupts.

‘Sorry...’

She doesn’t resist as he ties her tightly, a bit too tightly. It’s possible that the drink has made her less sensitive than usual. He ties the rope round one of the bedposts, and forces her thighs apart.

‘Ow,’ she whimpers.

He fetches the blindfold and she shakes her head as he pulls it down over her face. She tries to pull loose, tugging at the ropes so hard that her heavy breasts swing.

‘You’re so beautiful,’ he whispers.

It’s four o’clock by the time they finish and he loosens the ropes. Petra is silent, her body trembling as she massages her sore wrists. Her hair is sweaty, her cheeks streaked with tears, and the blindfold has slipped down round her neck. He had stuffed the remnants of her underwear in her mouth when she wanted to stop, didn’t want to go on.