In the spring of this year, while Belinda visited Russia, she was traveling through a forested area that rather obstructed her vision, she and her little Volkswagen came to an intersection in the road; she was on a small street that intersected with a bigger street, a major street as it happened. There was no stop sign on her street, but whenever a small street intersected with a thoroughfare, the on coming cars on the major street ALWAYS had the right-of-way; this was not only true in the Russia but also in Germany, and she knew this law full well. But she decided to ignore it, hearing no on coming traffic. She did not bother to look both ways.

As she drove, not even slowing down, her VW hit an on coming car. She was uninjured, but she showed no concern for the car she hit and only got out of her car to inspect any damage to it. She found there wasn't much; the front hood of her car was a little bent out of shape, but she was sure she could see over it easily, her tires were undamaged, and since the motor of her car was in the back, it was untouched, and she was sure she could drive it.

Her plan was to get back in her car as fast as she was able. Before that she took a quick look at the car she hit -- it was her fault, and she already had two motor car collisions that were her fault; she would lose her license, and the fine was too big, so she'll be not able to pay it! She would HAVE to spend time in jail! She could see that there was practically no damage to her car, and its occupant was obviously uninjured. But after the initial shock that the female driver of the car she hit had worn off, and she was getting out of her as fast as she could, Belinda had no time to spare. She had left the door to the driver's door open, and she started to get in. But The driver of the other car ran: she was only a little older than Belinda, but she had been a track runner in college and could still run very fast. As the girl Belinda was in the process of sitting in her seat and closing the door, the victim of her offense ran to her, so fast.

"And just ver do you sink you are going, young lady?" The woman was not as attractive as Belinda, but she was obviously young; however, her thick glasses did very little to add to appearance. Her legs were very slender, as she was generally. Her youth was enhanced by the tying of her long brown hair into a pony tail. Her eyes were deep blue. Belinda decided she was a schoolteacher; really, she looked like one. Her stern approach, speech, and the furrowing of her brows, directed at Belinda, made the plumpish German girl feel like a naughty little schoolgirl.

She was afraid, not now of losing her license or even going to jail, but of the harsh Russian woman, now struggling with Belinda to get her door open, at which she eventually succeeded. Then she took Belinda roughly out of her little car by the left arm, and forced her against it. Meanwhile the Russian was quickly and easily removing Belinda's thick, leather belt from her denim mini-skirt. The girl felt and saw what she was doing, and in horror knew what was going to happen.

"Bitte Sie, Frau!" Belinda's German broke out; she was always supposed to be speaking Russian, and on the whole she was doing a fine job of it. But when she was in trouble, or experienced something unexpected, a little of her native German broke out. "Bitte, Frau! Ich--I! meant no harm! I-I did not see you! I-I thoughte mein way was clear!"

"If it vas noy your fault, girl, they vy ver you trying to go! If you ver blameless, you vould have stayed! But, you deed something that is simply NOT DONE -- except by criminals! You deed not efen CHECK on my safety! You deed not efen care eef I ver alif or dead!" Meanwhile the Russian held young Belinda's left hand firmly behind the girl's back, making her escape impossible.

Belinda was begging -- pleading: "Bitte - -please, Frau -- ma'am! I BEG your pardon! I was afraid! Ich -- I -- did not know what to expect! Ich -- I -- have been in zwei -- two other accidents zat were mein fault! If ich -- am caught -- well, I will go to JAIL! Bitte, Frau! -- Please -- ma'am! Don't call the police! Ich -- I have insurance! Mein in-in-insurance company will pay for all damages to you auto!

The woman said, "Geef mee your insurance information, and your drifer's license, young girl!" Belinda instantly obeyed, and the Russian immediately put them in the pocket of her short, rather drab grey jacket.

"Was -- what, are you going to do, meine Frau -- ma'am?' Belina asked; she was quite certain that the older girl would call the police.

"ZAT is none of your business girl!" came the harsh reply. The Russian woman, whose name Belinda never learned, looked around her, and was remind they were in a forested area. No one was out walking, enjoying nature, nor yet was there any traffic; in fact her own and the German girl's car had been the only traffic she had seen. What she had in mind to do, she could do outside.

"You wil coam wit me, girl!" the Russian woman said. Belinda was beginning to show resistance; with her right arm, uncovered as it was by her white, sleeveless blouse, Belinda held on tight to the closed door but open window frame of her VW. She was now rebellious. "ICH am NICHT going anywhere with you, WEIB!' Belinda's reference at the end of her statement of the Russian girl's status as mere "woman" greatle insulted her; holding the girls strong, flexible leather belt in her right hand, and doubling it over, the Russian took a strong hold on the German girl's hair, and with her free arm grabbing hold of the college student's waist and forced her away from her vehicle. Holding the girl's hair tightly and painfully in one hand, the girl repeating "Au! Au!" all the while, the "schoolteacher" forced the errant girl, her head bending forcefully in the direction in which it was pulled, her head and torso doing the same, and fear and pain on her face, very rapidly across the street. The girl STILL did not know exactly what the Russian was going to do; but she had an uncomfortable feeling that she had not felt since she was a little girl.

The Russian woman was practically the plumpish but pretty German girl across the vacant avenue to make the distance the girl had to her little "Bug" greater than it would be otherwise, and Belinda's escape would, to say the least, difficult.

The Russian bent the German over the hood of her Volga and told her, "The police would not put you in jail. You would be put in a holding cell, but I know that your family vould come to your rescue and pay ze fine. Zey may take your license from you, but zat would be for only 6 months zen you would be on ze road again. NO! I haf taken your driffer's license And your insurance information! Be sure, young voman! You Vil be unable to drif legally anywer in zis country! And wat haappens to you I am unconcerned -- after I am srogh wit you! You vil be punished by ze law of my country, perhaps! But I haf made it illegal for you to drif in Russia. But instead of jail, young girl, I vil punish you!" The Russian "schoolmarm," as Belinda rather derogatorily referred to her, pulled up the girl's skirt. Belinda had an odd unrelated thought as the Russian girl was pulling up her skirt -- maybe to escape into the safety of her mind, forgetting, but only for an instant, the great peril she was in now.