Story Review: The Instructions

Photo Credit: Dead Slow

I've never given a ten before, and to be honest, I had to ask myself why "The Instructions" by Pamela, DIDN'T deserve a ten when I was in the process of selecting nine. Obviously, I couldn't come up with an answer. Yes. It was that good. The story is a short vignette that takes us briefly into a terror and pain filled sexual moment of one slave girl's life. She trembles as she enters a cold heartless room, with just a table and a chair and a set of handcuffs. There on the table is a list, a list of instructions. We find out what each one is before she does it, which sets up our expectations and gets us going. Then we get the follow through as we are treated to her misery, humiliation, and pain. Awesome. In fact, everyone who has reviewed this story so far also thought that. But there were some differences:

I have to respectfully disagree with JimmyJump (another reviewer), who said

Agonizing start, in the sense that the reader --yours truly in this case-- runs out of chair after just a paragraph, because of shuffling forward right to its edge... because the build-up is perfect, as is the tone and creation of the atmosphere, although not much is happening, no names or backgrounds have been reveiled. Yet this opening speaks volumes nevertheless.
I just hope Pamela doesn't leave us with this teasing "One..." and that the neatly typed page goes on til at least "99..." or some-such...

Nonsense. This story is EXACTLY the correct length and needs a "part II" like most of us need our leg amputated for the fun of it. This was a vignette, a short glimpse into a perfect world.

Normally I complain about lack of description, and to be honest the author doesn't give us all that much to work with, but like the shortness of the story, the descriptions in this case work with it. Everything of key importance is described, and then you are left with your imagination and expectations. Incredible. This story was short, intense, and very sweet.

My only complaint is the unrealistic bondage set up. If the author had substituted leather cuffs, I would have been perfectly on board. Handcuffs are actually pretty dangerous, and doing what was done in the story would cut off circulation to the girl's hands, permanently damaging them depending on how long she was hanging there. That said, the handcuffs were an important symbolic part of the story that I think replacing with "leather cuffs" would have damaged. In the end, I was able to set aside my knowledge of reality in favor of the scene the author was creating.

So I'm hoping for a whole series of "Instructions" Each one different, each one short, each one a stand alone story, yet with a common theme and element in each one. I'd buy a book full of these if the author keeps the thematic and auras of the stories similar.

No matter what, The Instructions is definitely worth reading!