Chapter 1

"You're usual?" I nodded and Beth the barmaid placed a pint of lager on the bar before me. She hovered for a moment, so I looked up.

"So, you're going to do the challenge then?"

Oh, the gleeful look on her face was the same look as the one on the faces of my livery customers, Bob at the petrol station and even Harry our farrier. Each one had wanted to tell me what they had heard of this ancient race. Of course, it had been over fifty years since it had last been run and that had ended in disaster and the incident. I had not found out what that had been, however, everyone had wanted to wish me well and assure me they would be there on the day to watch me fail.

That was the assumption, I would fail. Tracey had obviously known that nobody had actually ever finished the challenge. I had seen clippings on Facebook of old diagrams from newspapers from the 16th century showing what was supposed to be a human but looked more like the monster from the black lagoon.

The final straw was when Ben, the rather hunky looking farmer who came to take away our muck trailer had laughed and said how he thought I was 'too stuck up for this sort of thing'. Oh, I had yelled at him, but he had just laughed even harder.

The issue was I wasn't a local. I had moved to this rural backwater, a corner of Norfolk not visited by many outsiders just six years before. Ben had told me that, if I passed the challenge perhaps I could be considered to be a local finally. But, he was quick to add. I wouldn't.

I was shaking with nerves and so was not expecting the Range Rover to draw upon the drive just as I was finished for the night. There stood Lord and Lady Parker-Finch. I stuttered a greeting, wiping my hands on the seat of my breeches.

"Young lady, my daughter tells me you have volunteered to take part in a Gillian's Challenge."

Volunteered? Now that was an interesting choice of words

"Well, your Lordship. It wasn't quite-"

"Game lass I didn't think you had it in you." He continued, ignoring me. "Now, tradition dictates that the landowner. Me, of course, and the tenants, the farmers, all come together to make the course and provide the prizes. And, of course, there will be Gillan's ball. Now we haven't had one of those in many years! The whole community will enjoy the experience. I just hope you will be able to join us at the ball" I gulped, I may have even started to cry as Lady Parker-Finch spoke.

"Now girl. Don't get scared. Nobody had ever been hurt at a Gillan's, it may be just that they are How should I put it Indisposed!" They both laughed, wiping their eyes at no doubt happy memories of some poor sucker.

I didn't get time to ask what they meant and Tracey wouldn't tell me as she teased me. I was a bag of nerves over the next month. Nobody would tell me what happened at the challenge, all I knew was that we were getting knowing nods and winks from local farmers and villagers and that there were whispers at the pub which stopped when I walked in.

I sat at the bar. Beth put the pint glass down. "On the house"

"Oh, Beth I'm shitting myself Nobody will tell me what's going to happen. Tracey just keeps telling me I'm for it... " I wiped my eyes.

"Look." She took my hand, leaning in and whispering to me. "It's fine. It's a bit of fun. It's just an obstacle course. Well, sort of You will be totally safe, no one will let you come to any harm. Just do the best you can." She smiled.

"Thanks, Beth."

"Yeah, I've got a tenner on you, so don't let me down!" he turned and started to serve another customer. Oh God, now I realised, I had seen money changing hands. There was a book on this. There was no backing out, I would be lynched if I tried.

***

August was warm and sunny and as I woke from a fitful sleep I knew that this was my day of reckoning. We had been told that we had to wear the proper dress for grooms. I had been sent a pair of white breeches and had been told to polish my long black, leather riding boots. I just hoped the wouldn't be ruined. I dressed in a white blouse, with my black show jacket, again fearful that it would be destroyed. I slid my feet into my shiny boots and stood up. I could feel myself quaking in the black leather.

As I stepped outside I saw Tracey. Every day she would wear riding tights and a polo shirt with a pair of worn country boots. Today she was immaculate in her white breeches which looked as if they had been sprayed on. Her blond hair was in a bun and her face was ruddy. She was smiling and greeted me warmly.

Last to join us was Peter. Usually, in jeans or baggy black breeches, I did a double-take as he wore sheer white breeches which were hiding nothing.

"Shit Pete! I can tell your religion in those!" Tracey giggled.
"Thank you Neither of you looks too bad either" He winked. "Now where do we go?"

As if to answer there was the sound of hoofbeats and a carriage drew into the yard. A finely tailored groom stepped down and ushered us to take a seat. However, before we left we were handed blindfolds and told to wear them. I gulped as my world went dark.

There was cheering and laughter as we progressed, I guessed through the village but could tell nothing. When the carriage finally stopped we were in a field on the outskirts of the estate, I blinked as the blindfold was removed and I saw what looked like the entire village and then some. I gulped as I saw cameras from news crews. Oh goodness, our humiliation was to be shared with the world.

There was a start line set up and we were ushered towards it. I hugged Tracey and Peter and we were told what we had to do. It was very simple, we had two hours to go from here, following the arrows to the big house for the ball. That was it.

Of course, that was far from 'it', we would encounter a number of challenges on the way which we would have to overcome. I saw a familiar face in the crowd, Jacqueline had been riding Benson earlier and obviously come straight here in her jodhpurs and boots. I smiled, waving towards her, beckoning her to say hello.

The trap was set as soon as she stepped onto the course. The crowd cheered what they thought was a new competitor, she shook her head and yelled but her father nodded saying she was dressed as a competitor and on the course so she must take part. I was sure I saw him wink at me.

Jacqueline snarled at me. "I'm taking you down you bitch"

"No, you're not" Tracey snapped. "She deserves what she's getting from us for dropping us in this crazy race!"

Shit! They both looked at me smiling. This was going to be more challenging than I thought.

"On your marks Get set!"

Chapter 2

At the sound of the gun, I bolted, with the others in fast pursuit. The field was slick with mud and my boots struggled to get a grip but pure fear of what was following me kept me going. The crowds were cheering and I was sure I could see bookmakers stand's, with signs like 'Fall at the Jump', 'Drown in the lake' and 'Fail at the barrel roll' alongside winners odds. What the hell?

I realised I was at the first obstacle. In front of me, there were lanes marked out with ropes. A sign stated that you had to choose one, and choose well. I looked and picked one in the middle. The mud was deeper and I realised that I was starting to sink. My boots were slowly sinking into the thick black ooze first hiding my feet and then the mud sliding deeper up the leather shafts.

I struggled on, glancing behind I could see that the others were behind me. I fought the mud, obviously created to tire us out, I stepped forward and suddenly sunk to my waist. I squealed, I couldn't feel the bottom and I was sinking fast. My legs were thrashing as I sunk deeper. I reached out to try to grab for firm ground, but my hands just reached slurry-like mud.

"Ha! You chose poorly! Out on the first one!" Tracey ran past in the next lane.

I struggled forward, leaning into the mud until I was floating on my chest. I kicked as if I was swimming through the thick mire. Kicking again until my fingers grabbed solid ground.

I grabbed the mud, slithering out onto the more solid ground, before getting to my feet. There was a cheer from the spectators. I felt the mud clinging to my clothes. I was a mess and weighed at least ten pounds more with the clay clinging to me.

I looked back and saw Peter and Jacqueline struggling in knee-deep mud. I ran on, mud dripping from me as I went. The arrows pointed to a barn so I stepped into the near darkness.

"Finally!" Tracey laughed. "You enjoying yourself?" She was near spotless apart from a smear of mud on her boots. "Right this needs two people."

I looked up and saw that there was what looked like a see-saw. It was huge, built from scaffold planks and raised about fifteen feet off the ground. It looked as if there were vats beneath each end. Tracey scrambled up a ladder on one side so I did the same and we stepped onto the balancing boards.

With my layer of mud, I was heavier than Tracey and thought the board would dip immediately. I went about six inches down which allowed me to see that there was a black liquid in the tank below. A sign said this was a game or nerve for two players. There were ropes above us and we had to pull the rope and keep it taut. The trick was to not pull too hard and tip whatever was above us. There was a huge bucket with a funnel which would pour the contents over one or other of us.

I watched as Jacqueline and Peter arrived, they sat down on bales to watch the show. I held my rope. Whoever either pulled or let go would get covered, so it was part strength and part strategy. A bell run and the rope started to move, it was clear that now Tracey had the other side and we were in balance. You couldn't pull too hard or the bucket would tip onto you. Of course, we were in a race, so we couldn't just wait for someone to tire. I realised what I needed to do, and lept up allowing the rope to go loose. Tracey squealed as she pulled her rope and the bucket tipped. There was a spill of black which landed on her but she soon got back into balance. She did the same to me, but I had been watching and released my rope at the same time, as she landed the bucket tipped and half of the contents poured onto her. She was showered in thick black oil, gathered from tractors around the estate.

Tracey swore, she was heavier now so her side of the see-saw dropped and my side raised away from the vat. He hands were slick with oil and the rope was sliding. I realised that all she could do was to release the rope with me still holding the load so that the oil would land on me. Our eyes locked, but I let go first. The oil fell and she plummeted into the vat. There was a squelch as she landed in the pit of grease and oil.

I lept from the see-saw and walked towards Tracey. Climbing the ladder I offered my hand to her. It took an effort to drag her from the grease, but she eventually popped free like a cork from a bottle. I laughed as I looked at her. Her once white breeches black and her body covered up to her neck.

"Give us a hug!" I jumped away as she approached me. Behind us, Peter and Jacquline were climbing the ladders, Jacqueline looking deeply nervous. Tracey and I looked at each other, we had a race to win, so we ran through the back door of the barn.

Chapter 3

The crowds had not subsided as we approached two pillory's. We were ushered forward and locked into the cruel devices, our heads and hands through the board which was locked down so we couldn't move. We were told we would be asked three questions each, for each one we got wrong there was a forfeit. The overall loser would be locked in until someone came to release them. I was so thankful we had been the first two, goodness knows what would happen if we were the last one left.

I was asked first. When was the village formed? How the hell did I know, I said 1066 and there were boos and shouts of 'shame!'. I was told that I would be punished. Two women approached, I recognised them as the ladies from the bakery. The moved a trolley before me, I looked at the lovely looking pies and cakes, before realising what was about to happen.

The first girl, Lucinda reached down and took a huge cherry cream pie. "Should I?" She taunted causing the crowd to go wild. She slowly pushed the pie into my face. My world went dark with the wonderful smell of cherry. I licked my lips tasting the delicious pie as it dripped from my features. She laughed taking a pair of blueberry surprise pies which she sandwiched my head with "Surprise!" She yelled.

Next was a huge jug of custard. I waited for this to be poured over my head, but instead, Lucinda disappeared from view. The crowd whooped and yelled and I felt my breeches being pulled out at the rear. I screamed as the ice-cold custard was poured into my panties. I could feel it pooling in my crotch causing my twat to shiver. I swore in frustration, my reward was Lucinda grabbing my nose until I opened my mouth when she forced a cream eclair into my mouth, effectively silencing me.

She bowed as I spat out chocolate and cream. Tracey typically aced her question and the crowd cheered for the local girl. I gulped as I was asked another impossible question. I shook my head not knowing the answer and saw Beth the barmaid approach me.

"Hello, you!" She smiled. "Your usual?" She poured a pint of lager over my head. This was followed by buckets of slops from the bar which soaked my body but at least washed away the pie.

There was a final bucket. I glanced at the thick contents. It was the fat from the kitchen fryers, almost totally congealed and not changed in months. Beth lifted the bucket and tipped it, first over my hair and then down my back. I could feel this stinking oil coat my body making me slick.

Tracey smiled. However, her smile was soon to be wiped off as an angry woman approached her. The question? Which slut has been sleeping with my boyfriend? The look on Tracey's face was a picture. She knew the answer but wasn't going to get away with it. The woman and her friends gathered in a semi-circle, there were buckets and boxes. The first box contained eggs, sadly well past their sell-by date and rotten. Tracey was pelted, the eggs smashing on her head. She was soon a slimy mess. The scorned ladies followed this with flour. Bags and bags until my poor groom was nothing more than a ghost, coughing and spluttering apologies.

Next was buckets of paint, red, green and blue all gloss which I knew was going to be tough to remove. I saw someone beside me and felt the pillory lift free. I looked up and saw Beth was my saviour.

"Thank you, Beth!"

"You getaway Get a headstart on the next one!" I smiled and, with a last look back at Tracey. Ran on for whatever I faced!