by Ian Smith
“No, master,” Charlie gasped.
“Did you want to say something?”
“No, master.” Charlie told herself she was NOT going to beg for mercy.
Thwapp!
The second stroke was as bad as the first. No, it was worse. The sting intensified.
Thwapp!
“Oooh!” Charlie could not help the gasp, though it was quieter than her first one. Her knees wanted to buckle, but she forced them to stay straight.
Thwapp!
Unlike with the flogger, he paused after each stroke. After the initial pain of each impact, the sting would then increase over the next couple of seconds, reach a crescendo, then drop down just slightly. Then the next stroke would land and the whole process repeated itself, but from a higher starting point.
Thwapp!
Charlie’s world had shrunk to just two things: the sting and the need to remain in position.
Thwapp!
Again the sting rose to a new height of intensity. Vaguely, she wondered how much higher it could go, or how much higher she could bear it going.
Thwapp!
As the sting rose again, there was a knock on the door. Charlie nearly jumped up in shock.
Proby lowered the tawse, and called out, “come in!”
Charlie was suddenly once more aware of her situation. She was naked, bum in the air with legs apart, very obviously being whacked. Shame poured over her. As the door opened behind her and she heard someone coming in - she couldn’t see who it was - she wondered which would be worse, another man who would see her nude like this, or her sister or mum.
“Ah, Joe, what can I do for you?” Proby was suddenly at his most effusive and welcoming.
“Sorry to bother you, boss,” Joe’s light Scottish burr drifted down into Charlie’s ears, “but you asked me to come and check with you if it was OK for me to have the night off tonight.”
“Oh yes, a cinema trip, wasn’t it? Yes, that’s absolutely fine. Enjoy the film.”
“Thanks, boss, I will.” Charlie felt so humiliated, having to remain in position whilst such trivial things were discussed. But Joe’s next comment made her feel a good deal worse. “I see you’ve finally got this one naked and on her way,” Joe observed.
“Indeed.” Charlie was suddenly praying that Proby would dismiss Joe and get the rest of this over with, but his mood was clearly different. “We’re getting there now. All things come to he who waits.”
“A pretty nice thing by the looks of it,” Joe observed, to Charlie’s acute embarrassment. “Certainly she looks all right from this angle.”
“From all angles, actually,” Proby confirmed. Then he spoke to Charlie. “Slave, stand up and turn to face Joe so he can have a good look at you.”
Charlie’s mouth opened in horror, but she had to do it. Scrambling to her feet, she made herself turn round to face Joe, feeling her face go even redder yet. Somehow Joe’s eyes caught hers; she quailed but could not look away. Then she saw his eyes drop lower. It didn’t take much to work out what he was looking at.
“Nice tits,” Joe observed, making Charlie feel even worse. “In fact, nice all round.” He had another good look up and down. “She’s still a virgin, isn’t she?”
“Answer him, slave,” Proby ordered Charlie.
Charlie’s humiliation went up yet another notch. “Yes ... yes I am, sir,” she managed to say.
“For the moment,” Proby added. “I’ll be dealing with that soon, of course.”
Joe leered at Charlie, who just stood there shaking with shame. “Is she going to be available to the rest of us later on, boss?”
“Of course, in a few days’ time, like all the slaves are.”
As Charlie’s eyes sought the slight sanctuary of the carpet, Joe said simply, “I’ll look forward to it.”
“What do you say to that, slave?” Proby asked Charlie sharply.
“I ... don’t know what I should say, master,” Charlie croaked.
“Think of something appropriate to say to Joe,” Proby said, menace lacing his words, “and look him in the eyes when you say it.”
Charlie licked her parched lips. Somehow, she forced her hazel eyes up until they met Joe’s eyes. She took a breath. “It ... it will be a privilege to serve you, master,” she said, desperately trying not to drop to a mumble which she knew would not be acceptable. “I ... I hope you will enjoy me ... enjoy my body,” she managed to add.
“You make it sound as if it will only happen once,” Proby observed. “You’re here for a year, remember?”
Charlie took another breath. They were going to wring every last ounce of humiliation they could out of her. “I ... I look forward to serving you many times, master,” she managed to say to him.
Joe opened his mouth to say something, but Proby got in first. “I dislike euphemisms,” he told her. “You serve somebody breakfast. And don’t talk rubbish about ‘making love’, either. Use the correct four-letter word. Oh, and it’s not your job to ‘hope’ that he enjoys himself, it’s your job to make sure he does, whenever he has the opportunity to have you.” Proby had retreated back round his desk to his swivel chair; now he leaned back into it and placed his fingertips together. “Try again.”
There was so much to take it, so much going on that under normal circumstances Charlie, despite her considerable intelligence, would be hopelessly confused by now. However, she was experiencing a strange phenomenon: she was acutely aware of everything going on and being said. She could recall every word of the entire conversation. She had heard of people having moments of hyper-awareness when in mortal danger; somehow the incredible humiliation was doing the same thing to her, creating the same sort of adrenalin rush. Unfortunately it was not pleasant, because it was making her exceptionally aware of her nakedness, of their eyes which frequently roved over her nude young body, and of every slightest facet of her degradation. The silent throbbing of her flogged and tawsed bottom had not gone away, either. Charlie marshalled her thoughts, took another breath and forced herself to look Joe in the eye once more and humiliate herself still further. When she looked into his eyes, she had to wait a moment until they came up from her exposed chest to settle on her own eyes.
“Master, I ... I’m looking forward to the time when you choose to fuck me and ... when you do, I’ll be privileged to take it and I’ll try to do my best to ... give you a good time,” Charlie managed to get out.
“Spoken like a true virgin,” Proby observed drily and Joe sniggered as Charlie’s face went a slighter deeper shade still of beetroot red. “Well, we appeared to have settled that.”
“Just one more thing, boss, if I could?” Joe asked.
“Ah yes,” Proby said. “By all means, do go ahead.”
Charlie’s eyes flickered apprehensively from her one male tormentor to the other, now settling on Joe, who now began to speak. “Well, slave, that’s certainly the right approach. Of course, the difference between a Level One Slave and a Level Two is that a Level Two would really mean it rather than just do it because she has to, but that’s for later. For now, it’s an acceptable answer, except for one mistake you’ve made.” A sudden finger of icy dread crept up Charlie’s bare back. Frantically, she searched through her memory, trying to spot what she had said or done wrong.
“The mistake is,” Joe went on, “two or three times there you referred to me as ‘master’. But I’m not your master. Mr Proby here is your owner and master. He is the only person you should refer to in that way.”
“I’m sorry ...” Charlie began, but got no further. Joe waved her to silence.
“It’s a bit like being married,” he explained. “If you’re married, you might talk to other men, but you don’t lust after them, much less screw them. Similar thing with being a slave: obviously as a slave you do screw other men, probably l
ots of them, but you do it only with your owner’s permission and he is the only person you call ‘master’. Every other man you call ‘sir’. Calling me ‘master’ is like being unfaithful to your owner and as I have great respect for him I won’t accept you doing that.”
“Sorry, m... sir,” Charlie said tremulously. “It’s just such a lot to take in.” She didn’t add that being naked in front of both of them was also somewhat distracting, not to mention the steady pulse in her bottom which was even now only slightly receding.
“Well, obviously, it will be up to your owner and master to decide your punishment,” Joe said piously.
Charlie turned to face Proby, who was lounging back in his swivel chair. “I’m sorry, master,” she said pleadingly. “I didn’t mean to be unfaithful.” She used the word Joe had used.
“Well, I’m sure it was unintentional,” Proby said,and Charlie began to breathe a sigh of relief, but then he went on, “so I think a minor punishment would be enough. I think an extra five with the tawse will do, don’t you?”
Charlie’s heart sank, but then she realised that he had asked her the question. Obviously there was no point asking for mercy: best just to accept it. “Yes master, thank you, master,” she said quietly, trying to sound more grateful than she felt.
“Face me, put your hands on the desk and stick your bottom out,” Proby ordered. Suppressing a sigh, Charlie obeyed. He moved the swivel chair forward until his legs were under the desk, his face now not far from her breasts. “Joe,” he said, “would you like to do the honours?”
“Yes, Mr Proby,” Joe said unctuously, as if he was obeying an instruction to mow the lawn. Charlie saw him pick the tawse up from the desk and she steeled herself.
Thwapp!
The burning returned to her aching rear.
Thwapp!
It intensified once more.
Thwapp!
He was laying it on hard!
Thwapp!
Charlie gritted her even white teeth. She would not give him the satisfaction of a gasp or moan.
Thwapp!
The last stroke was the hardest. Charlie’s bottom now stung as much as it had been doing when Joe had first entered the room.
“What do you have to say, slave?” Proby asked.
Charlie forced down the lump in her throat. “Thank you for ... teaching me, master,” she said politely and turning to Joe, “and thank you, sir, for the strokes. I will try to do better.”
“I’m sure you’ll learn quickly,” Joe said easily. “The boss here is a very good teacher.” He laid the tawse on the table meaningfully.
Proby beamed at the compliment. “I try, I try,” he said. “Anyway, Joe, have a good time tonight. What’s the film?”
They talked for a few moments about the film, while Charlie stood nude and facing the desk and then Joe departed with a last leering look at her. Charlie suppressed a sigh of relief as the door closed behind him, but she was very aware that she was still alone and naked with Proby, who was picking up the tawse once more.
“Now then,” he mused, “where were we?”
Chapter Four
Mandy and Sue both looked up as they heard the door to the cellar open. A few moments later Charlie came down the steps, followed by Forsythe. Sue was both relieved and upset to see that her younger daughter was stark naked. Mandy was at first just relieved, but then felt very sorry for her sister.
Forsythe unlocked and opened the cage door and then locked it once more after Charlie had stepped inside. He glanced at the clock, which showed the time to be just before five o’clock. “One of the other slaves will release you at five thirty for evening meal,” he informed them and then left without another word.
Mandy and Sue both moved towards Charlie, but Mandy made a point of getting there first. “Let’s get you on the bed, face down,” she said as she took Charlie’s arm. Wordlessly, Charlie obeyed and Mandy surveyed the damage to her sister’s bottom. “Wow,” was all she said.
“I’ll get the witch hazel ointment,” Sue said.
“Flogger, then tawse, then a paddle,” Charlie said in terse explanation.
“I know,” said Mandy. “I watched it all.”
Charlie turned to look at her. “What?” she asked.
“Seems that most of the rooms in this mansion have hidden cameras and are wired for sound,” Mandy said. “Just after my own ... visit to the master’s office, Forsythe came for me and took me to the monitoring suite. I was made to watch everything.”
“Remember that Rosie said we can be watched and listened to everywhere,” Sue put in as she brought the bottle of witch hazel over. We have to remember never to say the wrong things, even when we’re alone. I think it’s also about making sure we have no privacy.”
Mandy added, “we have to get into the habit of calling Mr Proby ‘master’ even when he’s not around.”
“We have to even think of him by that word,” Charlie added tonelessly.
“Yeah, I saw that part as well,” Mandy said. She took the witch hazel from her mother, poured some onto cotton wool and began to dab very gently at Charlie’s red bottom. It was as if she wanted to make up for pushing her younger sister into submitting. “Rosie said this will bring out the bruises. The paddle caused the worst of the bruising.”
“It hurt the worst as well,” Charlie commented without emotion.
“You got it much worse than either of us did,” Mandy said. “I thought you were very brave.”
“It was because I didn’t co-operate yesterday or the day before,” Charlie answer matter-of-factly.
“Do you have an ... appointment tonight?” Sue asked. “Or did he ...”
“Erica and Rosie and Nicky are coming at six thirty after dinner to get me ready,” Charlie replied shortly in a voice which invited no further comment.
Rosie arrived at half five as expected to release them for dinner. She had a look at Charlie’s battered rear. “Paddle?” she asked. Charlie nodded without speaking. “The bruises will be with you for a day or two, but they should be a lot less noticeable by tomorrow morning,” she said. She had Charlie’s shorts and t-shirt, so Charlie was able to dress before they went up to the canteen - the other three all wore their maid’s uniforms. Some of Charlie’s bruises already showed below the line of the shorts and when she sat down at the table to eat everybody noticed that she did so very gingerly, wincing slightly. She sat quietly, not joining in any conversation.
On their way back to the cellar, Mandy took Charlie’s arm and pulled the two of them back from the other four. “Charlie, about tonight ...”
“I don’t need the sex education info, thanks,” Charlie said shortly.
“I know,” Mandy persisted, “but there are just two things.”
Charlie sighed. “Go on, then,” she said without encouragement.
“First thing: because it’s your first time, it will probably hurt a bit.”
“I know that,” said Charlie flatly. “Does everybody in the whole mansion know that I’m a virgin?”
“Yes,” replied Mandy tautly. Then: “I’m just saying, particularly with these circumstances, don’t let it put you off for the future. But second thing: you’re there for his pleasure. Keep remembering that. You don’t want to do anything which might annoy him even in he slightest.”
“My bum will keep reminding me,” Charlie said, and moved to catch the others up.
Unsurprisingly, just like when Mandy had been away, Sue wasn’t able to sleep that night, so when the door to the cellars was opened and the lights came on, she was wide awake. She glanced at the wall clock, which showed it was still a little before midnight.
Charlie came down the stairs, followed by Forsythe. She still wore the beautiful velvet ball gown she had on when she left to go up to Proby - the master, Sue mentally c
orrected herself - but it looked somehow much more thrown on now. Her hair was mussed and her makeup smudged. The stockings she had worn had gone.
Forsythe opened the cage door and Charlie stepped inside. “I will need the outfit,” Forsythe said to her. Still wordlessly, Charlie unzipped it at the back and let it fall to the ground, then stepped out of it and handed it to him along with the high heeled shoes. Shielding herself as best she could, she removed the lacy underwear and handed it to him as well. She was now naked, but he didn’t seem to mind that her hands shielded her private parts.
“We will no longer be locking the cage door,” Forsythe told the three of them - Mandy had now woken up as well - “so you are expected in the canteen for breakfast at eight sharp tomorrow and from now on. All of the mansion doors will be unlocked except those areas you have been told are off limits. That includes outside the building. You would of course find it impossible to leave the estate.”
“We’re not going to run away,” Mandy said, slightly sleepily. Forsythe didn’t answer, but turned and left, switching off the light as he did.
In the darkness, Charlie found her way to the underwear drawer, fished out bra and panties and put them on. Then she went to her mattress. Silence fell for a few moments. Then she spoke. “In case you’re wondering, I’m a Level One Slave now,” she announced quietly. “I’m sure everyone will be told in the morning anyway.” Nobody spoke. “But I didn’t make a very good job of it, so he sent me away early. Happily” - she said with bitterness - “he had Nicky available as a backup, so he’s being looked after better now. I’ve been told to improve next time or get the cane.”
“It will be easier next time,” Mandy said as gently as she could.
“I’m sure it will. Good night,” said Charlie with cold finality.
A few minutes later, as Sue stared up into the Stygian blackness, she felt a movement by the side of her. Charlie was crawling into bed with her. There were no tears, but her daughter clearly needed comfort. They wrapped their arms around each other and were soon asleep.
The next day, Friday, was the first in what was to become a regular routine.