Every morning Kelli strolled along this corridor to her tiny cubbyhole in the cafeteria. And every evening she came back the same way. Occasionally she might stop and say hello to a friend or casual acquaintance. It wasn't a long walk.

Tonight was different. Blindfolded, hands locked behind her back, legs shackled together, and escorted by wardens holding her arms Kelli prayed no one would see her. The blindfold was the one part she already knew about. For security reasons students while in the staff section were not allowed to see their surroundings. It made no difference that she already knew the layout and where the exits were. For the guests at the school there were no deviations from the regulations.

The chain between her ankles rattled constantly as she tried to keep up with the wardens. They were practically dragging her through the hallway. She was grateful for the carpet, since they hadn't even allowed her to put on shoes.

"Please slow down! I can't…" that was as far as she got before Kelli found herself on the floor, face down. One of the men took hold of the handcuffs to keep her on the floor while the other one grabbed her hair and pulled her head back. She started to say something in protest but it was cut off when a gag was shoved in her mouth. She could feel the straps holding it in place being tightened behind her head.

"You were told to stay quiet." The wardens pulled her to her feet.

In vain she tried to push out the gag with her tongue. It wouldn't budge. Her protests hadn't accomplished anything as they resumed hustling her along the hallway. When they finally stopped it took all she had to keep from shaking in reaction. She heard a door open in front of her. One of her guards shoved her forward. She jumped when the door slammed behind her.

"This one doesn't follow orders. Leave the cuffs on." That was one of the two original wardens. She couldn't see but he must be talking to someone else.

She heard a desk drawer open. "Here, use these." That was a new voice, another man.

Snip . Kelli felt one side of her tank top fall off her shoulder. Scissors, they were cutting off her clothes. She tried to twist around, to make them stop. One of the guards put an end to her struggles by grabbing her hair and forcing her face against the wall. "You were told to stand still. Do it."

In frustration she balled her hands into fists and strained against the handcuffs. It was a futile gesture since her wrists remained chained together. The guards ignored her small show of defiance and continued to remove her clothing. She knew there was nothing she could do to stop them. Tears ran under the blindfold and streamed down her face.

Her underwear was the last to go. She could feel the remains piled at her feet. The bare concrete floor felt cold. "That's it." Someone grabbed the collar that was still around her throat. Matt had put it there and only he could remove it. She hoped they wouldn't cut it off. "That stays." Whoever had hold of her collar let it go.

The men worked in almost total silence, giving Kelli few cues as to what would happen next. She was unprepared when the hand on her back came off, and two of the men grabbed each of her arms. They forced her backward into the center of the room. "Feet apart, as far as you can." Terrified and confused she spread her legs, pulling the chain linking her ankles taut. She didn't want to think about what that meant.

When she felt something around her waist, some kind of heavy belt, it was the last thing she expected. Powerless and unable to resist she had resigned herself to some kind of sexual assault or humiliation. Instead they seemed to be dressing her. Something came up between her legs and pressed tightly against her sex. What were they doing? She heard a metallic click. Whatever she had on, it fit close against her skin.

"She's ready." Another cryptic comment she didn't understand. Ready for what? She thought to herself, what did they do to me? The blindfold came off. In the harsh glare of the overhead lights she found herself in an empty room, concrete floors and walls, with nothing more than a table on one side. At opposite sides were two doors, both closed. Her clothes, now cut to ribbons, were piled in a heap against the wall.

Looking down she finally found out what she was wearing. There was a wide padded metal belt around her waist, snugly fitted in place above her hips. Between her legs she could see a curved, triangular metal plate that covered her groin. There was a narrow slot cut in the lower section. It could only be one thing, though she couldn't believe such a thing might exist in the modern world. She had a chastity belt on.

The same warden behind her took off her gag. "You do not have permission to speak." He dangled it in front of her face. "You won't get another warning."

Without another word he took hold of her arm and pulled her toward one of the doors. Where are they taking me now? Next to the door she noticed a sign on the wall:

S E C U R E D A R E A

Beyond this point, females are required to:

1) OBEY ALL ORDERS FROM WARDENS

2) REMOVE ALL CLOTHING AND JEWELRY

3) WEAR IDENTIFYING COLLAR

4) BE ESCORTED BY A WARDEN OUTSIDE A ROOM

5) WEAR A CONTROL BELT

6) WEAR RESTRAINTS WHILE BEING ESCORTED BETWEEN ROOMS

No exceptions

It shouldn't have been a surprise but the realization that she was now in the student area still shocked Kelli. She was no longer the outside observer. The regulations posted on the sign applied to her.

When he opened the door it was immediately obvious she wasn't in the staff area any more. The carpets were gone, along with the bright paint scheme. Instead she saw an empty service corridor. There were no signs on the walls, no indication of her present location or which way they were going. Her escort made a turn to the right. She was forced to follow.

The hallways were a maze of unmarked doors and turns. The walls were an unending featureless gray, with no markings of any kind. Kelli had no idea where she was or where the warden was taking her. She dared not ask; one experience with a gag was enough for her to learn her lesson. The gag and blindfold were gone now but she was still chained hand and foot. There was little she could do to stop her escort from depriving her of sight or speech if he wished. Not once had they passed anyone.

Within moments they stopped at a security gate blocking the hallway, the first of several. Constructed of heavy steel bars with a hinged gate in the center they were formidable barriers. Her guard had the keys to open the gates; on her own Kelli would have been easily trapped if she somehow managed to break free and tried to run.

The monotony finally changed when her warden stopped in front of one of the unmarked solid steel doors that lined the passage immediately after the last security gate. The doors were painted in a darker shade of grey, all alike. How could he tell one from another? There weren't even any numbers. From a ring on his belt he selected a large key that unlocked the door and opened it. Behind the door was another of the ubiquitous barred gates. He used another one of his keys to open it. Not once did he let go of her arm.

He pushed her through the entrance first, and held her just beyond so he could close both the door and gate behind them. Kelli wondered to herself if even real prisons had such overwhelming security. They had gone through at least four of those gates so far.

The corridor she found herself in was markedly different from the others. One wall appeared to have several sets of bars. When she was brought closer she could see they were cells, each containing women dressed like Kelli, nude except for chastity belts and neck collars. As they passed she saw the women kneeling silently, all in identical positions. There were hastily cast aside meal containers to one side, containers she recognized from working in the cafeteria. She was shocked to realize they must have been eating on the floor.

The last cell contained a single woman. Like the others she knelt in a precise manner. Kelli's guard stopped in front of the bars. He studied the woman inside for a long moment before he unlocked the door.

"Inside," he ordered, pushing Kelli into the cage. "Stand with your back to the door." She did as he instructed, halting just inside the cell. She heard the door close and lock behind her but thought it safer not to turn around and look. "Back up." Slowly she took a step backwards, stopping as her fingers brushed against the steel bars. He grabbed the connecting chain of her handcuffs through the bars with one hand and did something to the cuff around her left wrist. A moment later it opened, releasing her hand. "Turn around."

He didn't let go of the handcuffs. Kelli turned and faced him, separated only by the cell door. He locked the cuff around her wrist again, this time with her hands in front. She watched as he did something to the cuff before he let go. Without another word he turned and walked away. She gripped the bars with her bound hands, watching him leave. He didn't look back.

"You shouldn't do that." The whisper came from behind her.

Kelli turned around. The chain between her ankles rattled on the floor. "I'm sorry?"

"You shouldn't touch the bars. You're much too close to the door too. Come over here next to me." The woman remained kneeling. Kelli could barely hear her. She walked to the rear of the tiny room. Outside she heard the gate open and close in the corridor.

At that point her companion relaxed and sat down on the floor, leaning against the wall. "Have a seat. My name is Diane, and I've been volunteered to help you understand what's happening." She stretched out her legs on the floor. "Try to keep your voice down. We aren't supposed to be loud."

Kelli sat down next to Diane. She put her arms around her legs and balanced her chin on her knees. Idly she ran a finger along the handcuff on one wrist. The belt dug into her thighs; she had to spread her legs slightly to relieve the pressure. She began crying as she rocked back and forth. It wasn't supposed to be like this.

Diane put a hand on her arm. "Go ahead and cry. They must have been rough on you. The wardens don't leave the cuffs on unless you didn't cooperate. Rule one in here: never ever cross the men. You'll never win a shouting match, and you make no points for defiance. Welcome to the world of male dominance in its most extreme form."

Kelli raised her head and looked at her companion. "Why all this? Why the chains, taking away our clothes, locking us in jail cells. And what's the reason for this thing between my legs?"

Diane laughed. "The chastity belt? The proper term to use is control belt. You can guess the reason it's called that. Why all this? Because they can, I suppose. I can't answer your question, but I can tell you from personal experience that it has an effect over time. The environment changes the way you think and act. You start out resenting them, the wardens; you think you can't even make it through the first day. There are too many rules to learn. You're afraid of everyone and sure you'll never get out of here."

Diane nudged her arm. "By the way, if you think the way out is by escaping, then you never will get out of here. No one has ever made it and you can see why. The longer you're here the more you'll understand it's useless to even try. All you wind up with is more time to regret the attempt in the first place.

"Anyway, I was sure I'd never survive. The wardens are on you in a second if you make a mistake. The classes are almost as bad. You pay attention or else."

Kelli put her chin on her knees again. Idly she examined the shackles on her ankles. "What's the or else part? Have you ever been in trouble?"

"Enough trouble to land me here in the first place. I'm sorry Kelli, but otherwise I can't answer your question. Yes I've had to find out the or else part, but I don't have permission to tell you about it. One of the rules here, and it's strictly enforced, is that discouragements are never discussed. That's the term used, discouraging improper behavior. You have a very small taste of what it can be." Diane pointed to the handcuffs.

"All I did was ask them to slow down. I wasn't being disobedient."

"Ouch, you spoke without permission? You got off easy. Look, we aren't supposed to talk about things like that, so let's drop it, okay?" Diane looked around anxiously.

Kelli frowned. "Is someone listening? Are these cells bugged?"

Diane shrugged. "No one knows. There may be cameras or a microphone, or both. I've never seen one, and as far as I know no one else has either. My own opinion? It's safer to assume they are always watching.

"Okay, listen, I've been told to explain how it works here. Why don't you sit back and I'll go through the lecture? I have to do this, and it may answer some questions." Diane stood up.

Kelli looked up at her. "I guess I'm the captive audience."

"We all are. So, what is this place? It's a school, despite appearances. You have to go to classes every day. Attendance is mandatory, and you will learn what you are taught. The material is worth your attention, but I'll get to that later.

"Why are you here? The man in your life decided it would be in your best interests to spend some quality time in scholarly pursuits. In other words he put you in here, and he's the only one who can get you out. Is it legal? Not in the least. Is it fair? That depends on your definition of the word. Is there anything you can do about it? No."

That much Kelli already knew, although she could see how a new arrival who never heard of the place would need to know. She doubted any other woman had ever volunteered, so she decided not to mention it.

"The rules are both complex and simple. Do as you are told sums it up. I don't know your views on obedience, as it relates to men and women, but in here there are no shades of gray. The men are in charge, they are always in charge, and you don't forget it. Right or wrong you submit to their authority. The only laws are the rules imposed on us. You have no rights at all. If you do well you might be granted a few privileges. Don't take them for granted.

"It sounds bad, but there are some good points. The wardens are authoritarian and impersonal, but they aren't cruel or mean. They aren't out to get you, or trick you into getting in trouble. They won't beat you up or assault you." Diane tapped her chastity belt. "Only a few wardens have access to the keys to these things." Kelli hoped Matt had been given her key. "Maybe we can't get them off, but they can't either. You'll find they keep us at arm's length, for understandable reasons. Think of the temptation those poor men have to suffer while they are around us." Diane's smile and wink told Kelli not to take that last line too seriously.

She had never thought about what Matt had to face each day. Large numbers of women, completely dependent on him for their survival, desperate to please him in the hope of winning some small favor. And he had the power to command them to do his bidding. Yet every night he came home to her. Would she see Matt, and what would she do if they did meet? That was easy to answer…whatever he ordered.

"There are no clothes permitted at any time. No possessions at all, in fact. The control belt is all we get to wear, along with the collar. The belt represents control over our bodies, and the collar symbolizes ownership, the way our masters own our hearts and minds. As you might have noticed the collar is locked on. You cannot free yourself from being his possession."

Kelli lifted her manacled hands to touch the band under her chin. She had never looked at it that way. Matt had explained that it was a requirement for all females at the school, staff and student. She hadn't thought much about it, especially since every woman she met had one on. Now it was her one reminder of Matt. What was he doing at this moment? Was he asleep? She already missed him.

Diane walked over to the bars that confined them to the cell. She stopped about an arm's length away. "Remember how I whispered to you? This is as close as we are permitted, unless under orders. Don't ever touch the bars on your own. It's forbidden."

There was an obvious question Kelli had to ask. "How do you know that door is locked? We might be able to walk out of here right now."

Diane shook her head. "Locked or not it makes no difference. You have to change your thinking, Kelli. I can't walk out because I've been told not to do that. If I test the door then I have disobeyed. My place is in this cell until someone comes to get me. Those bars," she gestured behind her, "are decoration. If they were to vanish I'd still be right here tomorrow, and the next day. That's what you have to learn."

She looked at Diane with newfound respect. Her last comment reminded Kelli that submission wasn't an abstract quality to be debated. Would she ever be able to look at the bars that kept her captive and think only of her love and devotion to Matt?

"That's about it. We eat when fed, sleep when allowed, and we make the best of the situation. Oh yeah, one other thing. Those handcuffs and leg irons you have on? Get used to them. Anytime you're being escorted from place to place it's likely you'll get some jewelry to wear. We all do."

"Jewelry?" Kelli grimaced as she held up her cuffed wrists.

"Sure, didn't you know? The men must think it makes us look attractive. Why else would they make us wear those things so often?"