I opened the door to the room where she had been waiting, naked. When

she entered the room several hours ago, her instructions had been to

strip completely except for her three-inch heels, put her clothes in the

armoire in one corner of the room, then close the armoire door. When she

closed the door, she heard the locking click. She tried the door to see

if it was truly locked, which it was. Then, continuing to follow her

instructions to the letter, she walked to the full-length mirror and

stood facing her image, feet apart at shoulder width and arms at her

sides. She was monitored continuously by hidden cameras, and I knew she

had made no detectable movements since then. She already showed

remarkable self-discipline, but she would soon be tested to her limits

and beyond.

"Are you ready?" I asked.

Lost in thought, she hadn't noticed the door open behind and to her

left. She jumped at the sound of my voice, then looked at me in the

mirror, her body still motionless, arms still at her sides. There was a

tremor in her voice when she asked, "Are you the one - are you my ...

trainer?"

"Your training Master. Yes, I'm the one." A faint smile appeared. "My

Master," she echoed softly. I couldn't tell if she was simply correcting

herself aloud, or if she was acknowledging my title. "I was hoping it

would be you."

"Why?" She thought for a moment, then responded, "During my interviews,

you seemed genuinely concerned that I was doing this for the right

reasons. I felt like you cared. I feel like I can trust you."

"And if you didn't think you could trust me?" "Look," she said, "as you

know from the interviews, it's been very difficult for me to express why

I need to do this. Until I arrived today and was told I was accepted, I

was sure I would be turned down due to my poor interview performance.

Even though I couldn't explain my reasons to your satisfaction, I know

this is what I have to do. But I still don't know if I have the strength

to see it through, and being with someone I'm comfortable with might

make all the difference."

It occurred to me to answer that she wouldn't find much comfort here,

and she wouldn't have much choice but to see it through. But she had

already been told what to expect in nonspecific terms - no need to sow

doubts in her mind at this late date. She obviously wanted reassurance

from me, so I gave it to her. "You've shown great strength and

determination just getting this far. Granted, the most difficult part is

ahead, but we understand how hard it was for you to deliver yourself

into this situation. If we didn't think you could do it, we wouldn't

have accepted you." She smiled.

"Are you ready?" I repeated She bowed her head, as if embarrassed. "I'm

so afraid," she finally replied softly. "If you go through with the

Ceremony, you will have constant cause for fear, for a very long time.

We've tried to make that very clear to you. This is what you said you

wanted."

Barely above a whisper, she said, "I know, but then we were talking

about the future. Now the future is here." Then she took a deep breath

and said, "Ok, I'm ready." "Here's the document," I said, holding up the

parchment on which the Agreement was written. "I want you to read it

carefully, one more time. This is your last chance to change your mind."

She turned and walked slowly to me. It was obvious to her that I was

admiring her body as she walked, yet she kept her arms at her sides,

making no attempt to cover herself. By her own accounts and our

assessments, she was a modest and sexually repressed woman. I couldn't

imagine how very hard all of this must be for her.

I had seen her naked before, during her last interview. Then as now, I

thought she was stunning: shoulder-length reddish-brown hair, green

eyes, strong jaw, high cheekbones, perfect teeth, clear complexion, a

slightly voluptuous body, large but not too large breasts - no implants

- and good muscle tone without looking muscular. Per our direction, she

wore no makeup except lipstick, yet "glamorous" would have been an

appropriate description of her face. Her only negative was that she was

slightly thick-waisted, but we would improve that with diet and exercise.

Our eyes met as she reached for the parchment. Suddenly she froze, then

jerked back her hand. I was puzzled, something obviously happened, but I

didn't know what. Then the moment passed. She reached out again, took

the parchment, and began reading. After a second, I put a hand at the

top of the parchment and lowered it, and her hands with it, until I

could see her breasts over the top of the parchment. "Don't obstruct the

view," I said when she glanced up at me, giving her a taste of the

control I would soon be exerting over her. She blushed slightly, but

kept reading. As she read, the trembling visible in her hands and

breasts progressed to shaking. At last she offered back the parchment,

and said, "Seeing it in writing terrifies me. Could I please have a

drink before we start, to steady my nerves?"

"No," I said. I took back the parchment and handed her a small key.

"Here's the key that unlocks the armoire. You will begin the Ceremony

with your clothes on. Put on your blouse and skirt, but leave the other

things, you have no further need of them. Come out through this door

when you are dressed, in one minute. You know what is expected of you

during the Ceremony. There will be witnesses, don't embarrass me." I

left the room, leaving the door open.

She emerged on schedule into the "throne" room, which was connected to

the waiting room she came from by a short, featureless hall. The two

doors she passed through locked as they closed behind her. From now on,

she was on a one-way journey.

She looked at me, seated in an ornate chair on a raised platform - thus

the name "throne" room. Considering the Agreement she was about to bind

herself to, it was appropriate that she was facing me seated on a

throne. She saw the parchment on the low table in front of the platform,

then glanced up at the two video cameras, one over each of my shoulders

near the ceiling. She didn't seem to notice the two cameras on either

side of the room, certainly not the two behind her. She avoided looking

at the door to her left, opening into a pitch dark room. She knew the

Ceremony would end with her entering that room alone, to end her old

life and start a new one.

"Stand at the table, across from me," I said. She moved to the table and

resumed the pose she had held for so long in the waiting room, making

steady eye contact with me. Naked or clothed, she was beautiful. I

paused to see how she would react to the silence, in a room she hadn't

seen before. Fear was visible on her face, and her body was still

shaking.

"Why are you here?" I asked. She was silent for some seconds, as if she

were summoning the will to speak through her fear. "I want a new life, a

different life," she finally said, in a barely audible whisper.

I was sure the room microphones would catch anything said here, no

matter how soft or loud, but I still asked her to speak a little louder.

She repeated her last statement, her voice clearer but still weak.

Pointing to the parchment, I asked her, "Have you read the Agreement on

the table in front of you, and do you agree to the terms?"

She glanced down at the parchment and said, this time in a more normal

voice, "Yes, I agree fully to the terms. It's what I want."

"I want you to pick up the parchment and read it again to yourself,

slowly and completely, then return it to the table," I said.

She did as I said, still trembling. I became concerned, because she was

taking longer to read the Agreement this time than she had before. She

would not have been allowed to back out at this point, but it was better

psychologically if she entered the room willingly. Finally she stooped

to return the parchment to the table, then stood erect and waited. She

seemed a little more relaxed.

"This what you want?" I asked. "It's what I need," she answered quietly.

"Remove your clothes," I said, intentionally using a commanding tone for

the first time. It took her a few seconds to get started, then a few

more seconds to take off the blouse and skirt. She was clearly shaking

while she stripped, she knew each step of the Ceremony was taking her

closer to the dark room. Also, I think the presence of the cameras took

her over a new threshold; but she didn't realize she had already been

taped naked, during her final interview. Not seeing anything nearby to

hang her clothes on, she dropped them to the floor. Since she had been

told to keep her shoes on in the waiting room, she assumed she should

keep them on here, so she resumed her pose after removing the blouse and

skirt. "Your shoes too," I commanded, and she removed the shoes, her

breasts swaying as she bent at the waist.

I had seen her undress once before, during that last interview. And of

course, I had seen her naked just a few minutes ago. But seeing her

gracefully strip under such obviously stressful conditions just now, I

was more impressed with her than ever. She didn't seem at all impressed

with her own beauty, and didn't realize the reserve of strength she

possessed. When she was naked and had resumed her pose at the table, I

continued instructing her, "Kneel, sitting back on your heels, with your

back straight. Position the parchment closer on the table, so you can

read it without bending forward. Then rest your hands, palms up, on your

thighs. Also, refrain from pressing your lips together, always leave

your mouth open slightly." She immediately opened her lips.

When she was kneeling and had moved the parchment closer and positioned

her hands as ordered, her thighs were nearly touching, so I added, "Your

legs should be more open, move your knees as far apart as possible, then

straighten your posture." Here I paused for a moment, to allow her to

reposition herself and recover whatever composure she could muster under

the circumstances. This was her first experience at being under such

strict control, and she was responding very well. Her legs were open

wide, but obviously weren't spread as far as possible. Good, we would

work on that later.

Finally I said, "Now you must read the Agreement aloud, so anyone

viewing this ceremony will know that you understand exactly what you are

agreeing to, and what you are binding yourself to."

She looked down at the parchment and began reading the articles of the

Agreement. Her voice was weak and wavering at first, but became louder

and steadier as she proceeded. During the reading, she seemed to begin

coming to terms with the situation, perhaps she realized that all her

choices were behind her now, so she could begin to relax and go along

with the process. Here is some of what she read:

"I Marlene [last name omitted] enter into this binding agreement freely

and without reservation."

"This Agreement is between Marlene [last name omitted], hereinafter

referred to as the Slave, and the Personnel Development Corporation and

its designated agent, hereinafter referred to as the Master."

"The Slave understands that this Agreement, once signed by the agreeing

parties, may not be rescinded by the Slave for any reason, and may be

rescinded by the Master at any time, for cause."

"The Slave agrees that henceforth the Slave will irrevocably surrender

all freedoms, all choices, and the Slave's given name, to the Master."

"The Slave agrees to enter upon a program of slave training administered

by the Master, understanding that the type, duration, and severity of

this training will be solely determined by the Master."

"The Slave agrees that the Master has the right to use the Slave's body

in any way the Master sees fit, and to inflict on the Slave any physical

or psychological punishment deemed appropriate by the Master, for any

real or perceived infraction by the Slave, or for any other purpose

whatsoever."

"The Slave understands that, by entering into this Agreement, the Slave

renounces all legal rights and recourse."

"Agreed to on [date]."

She finished reading then sat quietly, her eyes lowered. I tossed a pen

onto the table, and it skidded to a stop on the parchment. The sound of

the pen hitting the table startled her, and she jumped. "Sign it," I

ordered. After a moment's hesitation, she picked up the pen and signed

the parchment at the bottom, with barely a tremor in her hand. Then she

placed the pen back on the table sighed heavily, and resumed her pose. I

couldn't remember anyone before who had performed the ceremony with such

poise. Training her was going to be an exquisite pleasure.

"Stand up," I commanded, and she rose in one fluid motion. I stepped

down from the "throne", gathered up the bonds, and went to put them on

her. They were custom sized for her, manacles for each wrist and ankle,

a collar for her neck, and a waist belt. They were made of high strength

stainless steel, mostly for effect - much lighter hardware would have

been adequate to simply restrain her. The collar and belt were segmented

for flexibility, but the wrist and ankle manacles were solid metal, with

a single strong hinge opposite the locking clasp. Each could be removed

with the same small key. Each was provided with numerous simple

attachment rings around its circumference, but also had a special set of

quick-connect attachments, that allowed the wrists to be quickly and

easily hooked together either in front or behind, or attached to her

belt, collar, or any other fixture having similar attach points.

She stood quietly while I put the bonds on her. They were all slightly

too snug, especially the waist belt, since our plan for her training

included a rapid body fat reduction and a weight loss of between 10 and

15 pounds. When all the bonds were secured, I attached her left wrist to

the belt, behind her back, then attached her right wrist to the left

one. Her hands were effectively crossed at the wrists, behind her back.

Touching her bare skin for the first time, I grasped both of her

shoulders from behind, and felt her continuous trembling. I spoke softly

in her ear, "Your life will be lived by strict rules from this time on.

Here are your first two rules: One, every command must be obeyed

instantly. No exceptions, no hesitation. You will comply with each and

every command you are given, either immediately or after whatever

punishment and coercion is necessary to obtain your compliance.

Obedience will be much easier for you than resistance. You will not be

able to avoid pain, but total and instant obedience will minimize the

amount of pain you receive. Two, never speak unless you are ordered to

speak. Even if you are asked a direct question, do not answer until you

are told to answer. Nod your head if you understand these rules." She

nodded her head slowly.

Still holding her by the shoulders, I turned her to face the darkened

room, and felt her take a deep breath. "Go through the door," I ordered.

"When you enter the room, a single light will come on, illuminating a

spot on the floor. Go to the illuminated area, turn facing the door,

kneel in the posture you were just shown, and wait." I gave her a push,

and she began walking. I watched her go through the door, then pause the

few seconds it took for the room to recognize her and activate the

spotlight. She walked to the illuminated circle, turned, knelt, and

positioned her body as she had been told. As she raised her eyes and

looked at me, the door began to close automatically, and she gasped.

Then the door locked with a loud metallic click.

I folded the Agreement and put it in my pocket. She had no knowledge of

the law, and to her the Agreement represented a commitment to a new way

of life. But in fact it was meaningless mumbo-jumbo. The video and audio

recordings of her reading the Agreement was all we needed, I would burn

the parchment later.