Or Else

She was so predictable.

She responded to his story, and that made it easy for him. The story had been about granting "no quarter" - did that not stand as fair warning?

He enquired as to whether *her* bed was made. She bratted the question back and forth, every non-answer tightening his net. He freshened the bait.

He asked her if *she* would care to be subject to an Or Else if she did not make her bed that day. Thirty rounds of questioning later, she still did not know what the Or Else was. When directly asked what it was, he had replied, "Sufficient."

He again asked her if she would care to be subject to an Or Else. Yes, she accepted; yes, she would accept the consequence. She no doubt had a sure winner; she could make her bed any time she wanted, and in the meantime this was fun.

Ten minutes from the deadline, she announced her bed was made. She was clearly dying to know what consequence she had risked.

He simply asked her whether or not she would care to be subject to an Or Else the next day.

She was so predictable.

She explained that curiosity would eventually overcome her, and she would fail just to find out what the Or Else was; she could not help it. It was all his fault.

He congratulated her on the attempt, and offered the alternative. If she made her bed the next four days, he explained, he would tell her on the fifth day, what the Or Else had been. Meanwhile, she would be subject to double the original Or Else. Thus she could freely choose to satisfy her curiosity... at a cost.

Her bed remained made, and thus he explained himself in a story, as was his custom. The Or Else would have been to write out his sentence longhand thirty times, mailing the result to his P.O. box. He would know from the postmark, how quickly she had complied:

.......... I made my choice,
.......... I'll do my time;
.......... With whining voice,
.......... Write words that rhyme.

The game was easy, painless. It was sooooo fun to beat him at his own game. Besides, making her bed had been good for her. She was predictable... but so was he.He invited her to play his next game. It too would be good for her... but perhaps not so fun.

He portrayed himself as arrogant, manipulative; he called her predictable. He goaded her, knowing her to be helpless before her own curiosity. He knew her need; he knew she would play. And when she *did* choose to play, in spite of his cynical warning, she would know herself controlled, vulnerable, helpless before her own curiosity. That would excite her, challenge her... yes, she would play.

She was so predictable.