Hello @marriot5464, It's a great story. We would ask you to use some euphemism when referring to the beating/belt punishment. We made a decision that, although the beatings seem to be part of a reward/punishment system in many homes, we are discouraging reference to them.

In this line, "that I was going to feel the weight of my father's new leather belt", for example, you might say, with equal effect: that I was going to feel the weight of my father's wrath. We are writers and understand a writer chooses words carefully for maximum effect. However, because we want to discourage all authors in the community from using violent references, we've decided these beatings (often meted out to children by parents apparently) don't have a place in our stories.

We are certain that with your writing skills you will come up with appropriate and equally powerful terms to replace the belt/beating allusions.

Thank you.