The class stood, waiting, in silence, until another door opened at the front of the room. Cathy raised her head just enough to see a girl dressed, or rather undressed, as she was, nothing but collar and belt, but Cathy knew this was a teacher. The long thin pointer stick in the teacher's hand represented authority, authority over Cathy and the rest of the class. An uneasy feeling came over Cathy, until this moment she hadn't really thought about the teachers, what Paula had told her, but now Cathy realized she would be forced to learn, to follow instructions and obey orders from another female.

The Teacher walked to the front center of the class, then the woman turned and looked at the girls in front of her. She stood there a minute, slapping the pointer against her leg, then spoke. "I am your teacher for this class. You will address me only as Miss Sarah. Learn what I teach you, and you will be able to leave this place. Don't learn, and we will get to know each other very well. Yes, very well indeed."

She continued, "Now, you will kneel on the cushion, facing the front of the room. You will kneel with your legs together, sitting on your heels, hands on your knees, back straight, head up, looking straight ahead. You will not speak or move unless ordered to do so. You will pay attention to what I say. Do it now."

Along with the rest of the class, Cathy knelt on the small cushion, in the position ordered, looking straight ahead. The teacher moved about the class, occasionally correcting someone with a word or a touch from her pointer. As she stopped at Cathy's side, Cathy felt the pointer in the small of her back. "Feet slightly farther apart, and don't try to lean forward." Cathy quickly moved to change her posture as the teacher ordered. The teacher paused a moment more, then moved on.

Finishing her inspection, the teacher moved back to the front of the class, all eyes on her. "You are here to learn how to please your Master. Each of you has done something to displease him, that's how you got here in the first place. I and the other teachers are here to make sure you don't make that mistake again. You are here to focus on one goal, pleasing your Master. The isolation is to keep out the distractions. Your confinement here, well, that's to motivate you." She smiled at the last part.

Cathy knelt on her cushion, listening to the teacher lecture about the submissive mental attitude. As Sarah the teacher moved around in the front of the room, Cathy followed her every movement, not daring to glance away. On and on the teacher droned, constantly returning to the core of her lesson, "your Master is always present." As the lecture wore on the kneeling position became increasingly uncomfortable.

Finally the teacher stopped. "We'll take a break now. You may stand and stretch, walk about, and talk quietly." Cathy sighed in relief, then stood with the others to work out the growing pain in her legs and lower back.

As Cathy slowly walked around, the teacher motioned for her to come to the front of the room. "Cathy, please come with me," Sarah told her, gesturing toward the teacher's door at the front of the classroom.

"Yes, Miss Sarah," Cathy answered, following the teacher to the door. A tall, handsome looking Warden came to the door on the other side and opened it, motioning the teacher and Cathy into the hallway. A plain door was open just down the corridor. With a look at the Warden, and his nod, Sarah led Cathy down the hall and through the door, into a small plain room beyond.

From the furniture, it appeared to be a lounge for the teachers. There were a few round tables with chairs around them. Sarah went over to a table with a package on top of it. Unwrapping the package Sarah took out two dresses. She checked the size tags, then handed one to Cathy, "Here, this should fit you, put it on."

Cathy took the dress, started to put it on, and then stopped as she remembered the sign at the lower entrance. "Miss Sarah, the rules said we weren't allowed clothing," Cathy questioned, looking at the teacher.

"Normally no, but teachers have special privileges in the lounge area, including the right to wear clothes. As my guest you may also wear a dress. My Master, who is also a Warden here, the one you just saw in the hallway, has given permission," Sarah reassured Cathy. They both got dressed before sitting down at the table.

"You can relax in here; you won't be punished for breaking any rules. I like to bring the new ones here and get to know them, casually. My Master will join us in a little while. Meanwhile, we can talk over a cup of coffee," Sarah explained, while she stood and went to a coffeepot in the corner. Sarah poured two cups, and then brought them back to the table.

Cathy took a drink from the cup, then leaned back in her chair and relaxed. "May I speak freely?" she asked Sarah.

"Yes, within reason. I won't answer questions about the facility here, or about anyone else, but I can tell you a little about myself," Sarah answered. Sarah went on explaining that her Master had worked here for many years as a Warden, she herself had been sent here by her Master once, several years ago, and later she had become a teacher, both because her Master wished it, and Sarah could be near her Master more often. As Sarah talked, Cathy sat back in her chair, coffee cup balanced on one knee over her crossed legs. It was a bit of normality, a pleasant afternoon conversation with a friend over coffee, an escape. They sat talking for about 10 minutes, when the door opened and the same tall Warden entered. "You may remain seated," he said, "I am Sarah's Master, Cathy. You may address me as Sir ."

Cathy and Sarah both set down their cups and turned to face him. "Thank you, Sir," Cathy spoke first, then "Welcome, Master," from Sarah. The Warden went to the coffeepot, poured a cup, and joined them at the table. He took a sip and leaned back, smiling at Cathy and placed his hand on Sarah's knee.

"Please continue your conversation. Like Sarah, I'm on a break right now. The normal rules are relaxed in here. You may talk freely, as long as you are respectful, both for myself and your teacher." He nodded toward Sarah to emphasize his point.

"Yes Sir," Cathy said, "we were talking about how Sarah came to be a teacher here." As Cathy spoke to him, she set the coffee cup on the table and rested her hands on her lap, her legs together, facing him. Cathy was self-conscious when he looked at her, even in the informal situation, and sat straight in her chair.

Sarah continued to talk a few more minutes as she and Cathy drank their coffee. When they had finished, Sarah looked at her Master. He nodded, and she stood, motioning Cathy up as well, "it's time we return to the class. Remove your dress and leave it on the chair, and leave the cup on the table, someone else will see to it." Cathy stood with Sarah, then reluctantly removed her dress, following Sarah's example. The Warden, Sarah's Master, stood and walked to the door.

"Both of you stand in front of me and extend your wrists," he ordered. Once again the rules were in force. Cathy and Sarah stepped forward, raising their arms. The Warden placed handcuffs on each of them, a small chain running from one set of cuffs to the other. Then he took hold of the connecting chain in one hand, and opened the door with the other. Pulling on the cuffs, he led them down the corridor and back to the classroom door.

Unlocking the door, he motioned them both through, removed their restraints, then closed and locked the door. He continued down the hall, out of their sight. The rest of the students in the class were all standing in front of their cushions. Cathy looked at Sarah, then walked over to her place.

The front of the classroom now had two large television monitors, and a control panel between them. The teacher went to the controls, then turned to the class. "I am your teacher. You will address me only as Miss Sarah. You will now kneel, legs together, back straight, face front, hands on knees." Cathy and the other students did as Sarah ordered.

After everyone had knelt, the Teacher pushed a button on the control panel and the image of Cathy and Sarah in the lounge appeared on the screen. Cathy watched, uneasily, as the videotape was played, listening again to her conversation with Sarah, and her Master when he came in. Along with the others she again saw the entire scene in the lounge, up to the point where Sarah stood up and ended it.

"Now first, remember what I was saying, your Master is always present, even when he is not with you. Your attitude should always reflect that idea. You do not act one way when he is present, another when he is absent." Sarah stepped away from the monitors, toward Cathy.

"Cathy, you are new, this may not be obvious to you, so listen carefully. The rest of you, what did Cathy do? Did anyone spot it?"

Silence for a moment, then Beth raised her hand, "Miss Sarah? May I answer?"

Sarah looked around, and then nodded toward Beth, "Go ahead."

"Miss Sarah, when you first sat down and started talking, when Cathy was sitting across from you she had her legs crossed. But after your Master entered, she sat with her legs uncrossed."

"Exactly, very good Beth," the teacher answered. "Cathy? Why the change?"

Cathy hesitated for a moment, an understanding of what Sarah had been lecturing about suddenly dawning in her. "Miss Sarah, it was a difference in attitude. Talking with you, I crossed my legs without even thinking about it. But when your Master entered, at some level I was aware of his power and dominance, even though he isn't my Master. I have always desired to be fully open and available to my Master. I never cross my legs when he is present, it would be too much like trying to conceal myself, deny my openness to him. I reacted without thinking, uncrossing my legs."

"Precisely, you forgot your Master's presence when it was just the two of us talking," Sarah went on. "Yes, you behaved properly, when my Master entered. But there should always be something you have to remind yourself of Him, in this case the collar," Sarah smiled, a hand going to the band around her own neck. "Even if you don't have a collar on, there is always something, a bracelet, a necklace or locket, maybe your earrings, something that represents Him. Use it as a constant reminder to think of him, about him. It is a tool to reinforce your own submissive desires."

Cathy thought for a moment, remembering the small silver locket and chain he had given her. She always wore it when they were separated for any length of time, though she had left it on the dresser when she ran off. It would take on a new meaning now, a reminder not only of her Master, but also of how she should act, and think.

"Well done, that concludes the class for today. You may stand, then line up single file at the rear door, Wardens will escort you to your next assignment." Sarah turned and went to the teacher's entrance, waiting for a Warden to come for her.

Cathy got in line with the others, still pondering what she had learned. When she came to the door, a Warden took her arm and handcuffed her to a chain with three other girls she hadn't met before. The same Warden started to lead the group down the hallway. Chained to the rest, Cathy followed at the end.

All in all, she thought, it hadn't been so bad. Miss Sarah, the teacher, had been strict, but also friendly and understanding, not at all like the harsh and cruel treatment she had dreaded. And she had really learned something. She smiled, no, this wouldn't be so bad after all . All she had to do was pay attention, follow the rules, learn the lessons, and surely her master would soon take her back home. She looked forward to talking with her new friend Paula about her lesson today.

The classes continued, and Cathy learned more of the submissive lifestyle. She quickly fell into the routine, up in the morning, classes, exercises, some free time to relax. Like the others she lost track of the days. She had no idea of the time of day, the date, or even the month. She thought it had been less than two weeks, but she wasn't really sure, and of course it was forbidden to discuss it.