Cathy was left standing there, behind the bars of the small cell, still wearing the handcuffs. She looked around, at the bare prison conditions. She was starting to feel trapped, closed in, as she grabbed the cell door and tried to push it open. The locked door felt as solid as the walls around her.

"I know just how you feel, I did the same thing." The voice behind her suddenly reminded Cathy she was not alone in her captivity. "Hi, my name is Paula, I've been here a while, I can tell you what's going to happen. You aren't going to like it much. My educated guess is that you did something to really piss off your Master too?"

"Hi, I'm Cathy, and yes, I sure did something really stupid, I ran away." Paula's calm, friendly tone brought her back from the edge of panic. Turning, she saw a woman of about her age, and all too obviously in the same situation as Paula was dressed in nothing more than a collar and chastity belt, the same as Cathy. She watched as Paula unfolded from her kneeling position and settled into a more comfortable pose, leaning against the rear wall while sitting.

Paula patted a spot on the floor next to her. "Make yourself comfortable, we aren't going anywhere for a while", she said with a smile. Cathy took a few steps away from the cell door and sat down beside Paula, moving around slightly to find the best way to sit with the belt around her. "I know just how it is, it took me weeks to be able to sit down normally with these 'steel panties' on," Paula laughed, watching Cathy squirm as she tried to find a comfortable way to sit. "For what it's worth, a while back I was in exactly the same position you are now, so I think I can anticipate most of your questions."

Paula continued, "Let me fill you in on what you need to know first. Your Master has sent you to a training school, a fancy name for a prison, so that you will be taught how to properly serve and obey him. I know, you didn't agree to it, but you gave yourself to him completely, no limits, and now he is holding you to your pledge. It's the same story for all of us. In any case, the only way you can get out of here is if your Master comes and takes you out. No one knows where you are, no one is going to rescue you, and I can assure you that you are not going to escape. Any requests on our part to be released are ignored. I suppose it's illegal, false imprisonment, kidnapping, all of that stuff, but no one here seems to worry about it.

"The guards here, the Wardens, are a humorless bunch. You won't be able to influence them. They decide when you eat, sleep, where you go, they watch you all the time. Don't try to be friendly or make small talk, they won't even respond. One crucial thing: when they tell you to do something, do it, whatever it is, don't hesitate, don't stop to think or ask questions, do it as fast as you can."

"What happens if I don't?" Cathy asked carefully. This was not sounding too good. True, she had given herself without restrictions to her Master, but not to be locked away in a prison cell deep underground. And certainly not to be handed over to strangers. A fantasy game for a day or so might be fun, but to be here for weeks, even months?

"Improper behavior is discouraged," Paula answered, in a lowered voice. "We are not allowed to discuss how it is 'discouraged.' It varies by the girl, but it is never pleasant. I have been subjected to it in the past; I will not tell you about it, it isn't permitted, but I would do anything to avoid facing it again."

"Some basics now. You saw the sign at the entrance? About the secured area? Those rules apply to us. We don't get clothes, so the first rule is easy. As for the collar, if yours is like mine it's another easy one, Master neglected to leave a key so I could take it off. Same for the chastity belt, what the Wardens call a control belt, oh yes, it does indeed control . Not likely you will be taking that off on your own either. The other rules are for when you are moved from one place to another. Outside of a locked cell like this, you have to be escorted by a Warden at all times, and you have to be in restraints. Considering that a Warden won't even open the door unless he has the cuffs on you first, you don't have to worry about wandering around the corridors by yourself."

Cathy sat back, considering what Paula had told her. The Wardens would have total, unrestricted control over her; she would not be able to put up even a token resistance if they became aggressive. "Paula, the Wardens, they are so powerful, do they ever, um, touch you? As a Master would?"

Paula laughed, and then sighed. "No, you needn't worry about that. Only your Master can make use of you in that way. Besides, they don't have the key to this." She tapped a finger against the metal shield held close against her body by the belt. "No access. It stays closed until your Master comes to visit. You are well protected." Paula grimaced, "protected even against yourself."

Cathy relaxed, glad that her Master had cared for her enough to protect her against the Wardens. But as she sat there, pausing for a moment to consider what Paula had just said, an uneasy feeling came over her. She had always enjoyed the attention of her Master, sharing their mutual sexual pleasure, virtually on a daily basis. That would not be happening now. She looked down at the belt around her own waist, felt the steel between her legs. She put a hand over the front, touching the cool hardness there. Unconsciously her fingers went to the side, trying to reach underneath, the tight fit stopping her. A cold sense of foreboding ran through Cathy's body as she turned to Paula, asking, "Paula, how long have you been here? How long since your Master last opened your belt?"

Paula turned to Cathy, hung her head, and in a low voice, barely audible, said, "I don't know precisely, we aren't permitted to know the date or time, but I think I have been here at least two years. My Master has not visited me for at least one year. My belt has remained closed since his last visit."

Cathy sat there in shock at Paula's words. Incarcerated here for two years, and more than a year without her Master, Cathy couldn't imagine conditions like that. "How...why...what happened?" Cathy asked.

"I don't know why my Master has not come for me" Paula answered. "The Wardens prepare reports on us and send them to our Masters. If the report is favorable, a Master will visit his girl to encourage her. If the report is not favorable, well, your Master doesn't show up. If he doesn't come for you, then here you stay. You are not allowed any type of outside communication at all; you can't even call or write to him. There's no limit on how long anyone stays here."

Paula continued, "You need to know about the classes. We learn from the 'teachers.' Like us, they are submissive females, but they are here only to help train us. They must follow the same rules we do, but they have privileges we do not. We are required to follow their orders. They are not allowed to strike you, or punish you directly, but they can call a Warden and report you for improper behavior. You don't want that to happen. The Wardens of course have no restrictions on what they can do.

"The teachers have had first hand experience here. They are recruited from former graduates of this very school. Every one was sent here by her Master to learn to serve, now their Masters have sent them back to teach, but not a one is happy to be back here again, and they let us know it. Be careful around them, they can make life miserable for you, and even worse, they can influence the progress reports sent to your Master. Sometimes I think the reason I have been here so long is that some teacher keeps giving me bad reviews, but I really don't know, we are never allowed to see the reports."

Cathy covered her mouth, hiding a yawn. "I'm sorry, but I was up much of the night coming here. Will we be given some bedding to sleep on?"

"You just broke several rules" Paula admonished Cathy. "You are not allowed to discuss anything prior to coming here. Don't even tell anyone what today's date is, we are not permitted to keep track of time. As for sleeping, eating, any activity, you do it only when given permission to do so. No matter how tired you are, don't fall asleep until you have permission. The Wardens will bring something for us to eat, and will take us to dormitories when it is time for us to sleep. Don't ever ask."

Cathy nodded, "Okay, but isn't there anything we can do?"

"You can wait, and obey," Paula shot back immediately. "That's what you are here for. Put anything else out of your head. You won't fool them for a minute. These people are experts. They watch us every minute of the day, listen to every word we say. You can't keep any secrets from them. If you don't change, learn what they are teaching you, work as hard as you can, then your future is staring at those bars.

"Now, a Warden will probably be coming soon, with some food. When you hear the hallway gate open, you must immediately come to a kneeling position, in the rear of the cell. Face the door in front, keep your back straight, legs apart, hands on thighs, head down, your eyes focused on a point just in front of your knees. Hmm, with handcuffs on just hold your hands in front of you, at your waist. Don't speak, and don't move, unless the Warden addresses you. Stay that way until he has walked past the front of the cell. You will learn when you can break position. For now, wait until I give you the all clear."

No sooner had Paula spoken than both the girls heard the rattle of a key in the hallway gate. Quickly Cathy moved to kneel as Paula had told her, glancing over at Paula to see if she has missed anything. Since her wrists were still handcuffed together she had to hold them in front rather than on her thighs as Paula did. At the sound of the Warden's footsteps Cathy straightened her back, then lowered her gaze.

The footsteps stopped. Cathy dared not look up, but she sensed the Warden at the cell door, standing there, inspecting them. A sudden fear grabbed at her, would her position be acceptable? Would the Warden take her away, to "discourage her improper behavior?" She concentrated on breathing, holding herself motionless, praying that she would be found pleasing.

The Warden motioned behind him to a nearby girl with a small cart. She came over to the cell door, the chains fastening her ankles together making a faint rattle. She pushed two paper boxes through the cell door bars, then moved quickly back to her cart after a nod from the Warden. He motioned with his hand for her to follow him as he left.

Cathy and Paula still knelt in position, waiting. Finally the sound of the hallway gate being shut, and Paula raised her head. "It's okay to move now, let's eat." Paula stood and picked up the bag lunches on the floor. Each contained a sandwich and a container of water. "Another rule, you have to eat the entire meal, no matter what it is, and you can't share any of it with anyone else. You can't save any of it for later either."

Cathy relaxed, returning to her sitting position against the wall. As she reached out to take one of the sack lunches from Paula she noticed her hand trembling. What had happened? She had been terrified to move, afraid she might displease the Warden, a complete stranger. She leaned back against the wall, too weak and shaken to move. "I know, take a deep breath, close your eyes for a moment, calm down," came Paula's comforting words. "Try to eat something. And no, I'm not surprised at your reaction, it happens to all of us. Just try to relax and let it be natural; it will come easier that way. The Wardens are large powerful, commanding men, all true Dominants; you can't help but respond to them. And in a very real sense, if you fail to please them, well...," Paula trailed off.

Cathy and Paula sat together, slowly eating, each lost in thought, Paula hoping for the day her Master would return, Cathy hoping she would be able to survive the days to come. "Is this breakfast, lunch, dinner?" Cathy asked.

"No, don't ask a question like that. It means you are trying to keep track of the day. We have meals, we go to classes, we sleep, sometimes we have a bit of free time, and if we are very lucky a visit from our Masters. There is no fixed schedule; we simply do as we are told. I don't know what will happen next. We might be taken to a class, or we might be allowed to sleep. We wait; others will make the decision for us. That's part of what you need to learn here."

Paula continued to tell Cathy about the rules, no fighting, don't raise your voice, be respectful and pay attention to Wardens and teachers at all times, the list went on and on. "Just remember," Paula summarized, "when in doubt, wait for someone to tell you what to do. And one other thing. Don't ever try to get around this belt," she emphasized by tapping a finger on the metal shield covering her. "It isn't easy, but you might be able to work a finger under it. Don't even think about it. No matter where you are, they will catch you. Trust me, the consequences are not something you ever want to go through."

Cathy jerked her hand away from the edge of the shield, next to her leg. She had been absent-mindedly rubbing it while thinking about her Master. Cathy looked up, all around the cell, searching for hidden cameras or microphones. Paula noticed her searching and shook her head.

"Don't bother looking. I don't know where they are, but they have to be here somewhere. These days cameras are no bigger than the size of a pin so there is no way you can find them. Same for microphones. I'm sure every room is fully wired and someone is watching. I do know they seem to see and hear everything, no one has ever been able to keep anything secret here." Paula smiled ruefully, "I found out the hard way."