The Steel Collar

Chapter 8 - The Graduation

The coffle shuffled along the narrow path, winding its way down from the vineyard. The women had worked hard all day, almost completing the harvesting of the upper field. Sapphire punished the day before for not meeting her quota had wielded the quirt a lot more liberally than usual. Her dark mood had quickly lifted when she had seen the full baskets the girls produced by the end of the day. Lisa remained chained to Buttercup but they had learnt to work as a team and walking with the ankle chain was becoming almost second nature. The soreness around the right ankle cuff was beginning to heal as she learnt to move within the rounded edges of the steel manacle. Sapphire shouted her permission for the girls to talk.

"Mistress, is it true that there's a graduation tonight?” Rose shouted to Sapphire.

"You know I'm not allowed to say, but put it this way, I think one of you will not be in the fields tomorrow," Sapphire gave a knowing smile.

"Oh my God, this time it has to be you Buttercup, you've been here the longest. I wonder what they will call you," Lilly whispered in hushed tones.

Lilly was painfully shy but always eager to please both her captors and fellow captives. Her clumsiness meant she felt the lash more than the other girls, but punishment often made her awkwardness worse. She was probably the most popular amongst the girls and even Buttercup was very protective of her.

“They'll find a big dirty stone and name you Pebble," laughed Rose.

Buttercup laughed good-naturedly.

“If I'm Pebble this makes this lump Bam-Bam" jabbing a finger in Lisa's direction .The talk of a graduation obviously cheering her up, her usual scowl replaced with an uncharacteristic smile.

Lilly flicked her dark hair back over her shoulder, the long dark strands falling down to almost the centre of her back. She was the smallest of the three; the shiny steel of her cuffs looked big and heavy locked on her small lithe figure. The metal bangle danced on her slim ankle as she walked, pulled about by the chain connecting her to Rose. The heavy nipple rings and bells danced erotically on her small pert breasts. Beautiful Chinese eyes turned to face Lisa.

"We get cakes too when there's a graduation and all the punishment bracelets are removed" Lilly said excitedly to Lisa.

“I'd have misbehaved more if I knew there was going to be a graduation," said Rose, always finding a joke even in the most difficult of circumstances.

The girls all laughed, caught up in the good mood. It was at times like this when Lisa felt most uneasy. It was unsettling when the girls treated their predicament as if it were normal. It disturbed her when they laughed and joked about which of them was going to be made a pleasure slave in the big house. She was angry at them for their acceptance, their compliance with the people who had done this to them. Lisa was relieved that the bracelets were to be forgiven as she wore one on each wrist and ankle. The Doctor had given her a bracelet each time they had met in the villa, accusing her of insolent stares. She knew the real reason was because the Doctor enjoyed beating her, she took too much pleasure in mistreating all the girls. Opal had also given her a punishment for her lack of progress in dance class. Lisa knew she was no worse than any of the other girls, in fact, she was almost taking pride in the way she was learning to move, but Opal made no effort to hide her dislike. Twice after the days work had finished, when the other girls were resting in their cages, Opal had taken Lisa running along the beach. She was very fit and Lisa had struggled behind her, pulled by a leather thong looped through her nose ring. Lisa hated running, it was always the worse part of her gym routine and the two-mile run was doubly hard with her hands fettered behind her, forced into a lung-bursting jog so there was always slack in the nose leash.

Lisa did not know why Opal was still angry, as Carl had ignored her since the night in his room. She had woken alone, a chain running to her right anklet her only bond. He had used her more times that night in various positions, ensuring she was always restrained in some way, whether by the neck, spread-eagled or chained on all fours while he entered her from behind. In the early hours of the morning, he had released her, leaving only a chain running from her anklet to a bedpost. Lisa was so tired but strangely relaxed and she spoke with surprising ease to him until the dawn broke. She lay, resting her head on his chest telling him about her former life, her old boyfriends, the job, and the loneliness of being a single girl in a big city. While she talked, his hands continued to explore her body, playing with her breasts and the bells at her nipples, or hooking his finger in the loop of her collar and sliding it around on her neck. She loved the intimacy of his touch, the way he made her aware of the steel locked on her body. It was as if each time he touched her he reinforced his ownership of her. If being owned was like this, she was almost glad of the snug steel band locked on her neck. She felt they had made a connection that evening which made his treatment of her afterwards so distressing.

Soon after she woke, Opal had come to unchain her and after snapping on a leash dragged her to dance training. She received no breakfast and was not allowed to wash or relieve herself. Throughout the class, Opal had repeatedly sniffed at Lisa telling her she smelt like a cum-bucket. Since that day, Lisa had only seen Carl once when he had come to inspect the progress of the harvest. Opal had been with him, wide leather cuffs lined with bells and a tight corset her only garb. Despite being on a leash and the sound of clashing bells accompanying every step Opal followed proudly behind him, a smug smile never leaving her lips. Opal had suggested to Sapphire that Lisa's baskets was not as full as the other girls which was plainly not true but Carl acted with complete indifference as Lisa received five strokes of Sapphire's thin leather riding crop.

With the clanking of chains, the coffle made its slow way down the narrow path and obediently fell silent as it entered the courtyard of the villa. Lisa's heart sank as she saw the Doctor standing legs apart and hands on hips, on the front lawn. A tight black leather dress barely covered her large breasts and shapely legs. A narrow leather collar buckled high on her neck, black wrist cuffs and a long leather whip hanging from a wide belt completed her intimidating outfit.

"Sluts, in a line, all facing me" shouted the Doctor.

The girls shuffled onto the lawn and formed a line in front of the leather-clad woman. Lisa felt Buttercup tremble beside her; everyone was scared of the Doctor, as they had all been her victim at some time during their incarceration. The Doctor unclipped the whip.

"Kneel to the whip" reinforcing the command, she slapped the whip against her open palm.

Lilly squealed in horror at the sound of leather. They fell to their knees, crossing their wrists beneath them and touching their heads to the floor. Kneeling to the whip exposed the bow of the back in the submissive posture of a slave girl who is about to be punished. The Doctor walked slowly down the line of girls, brushing the blade of the whip across their backs. The girls could not help but shiver as the leather slipped across their exposed bodies, each of them expecting a blow at any time. She stopped at Lisa using her foot to push her face deeper into the grass, the steel at her wrists pushing into her naked breasts. The Doctor turned angrily around at Sapphire who was following sheepishly behind her.

"Stop following me like a little puppy, in fact, join the line and spread those thighs, get that fat ass of yours in the air"

Sapphire quickly threw herself to the ground at the end of the line, her long red hair thrown forward, the back of the steel collar clearly visible as it slipped higher on her slim neck. The Doctor continued her walk dragging the whip menacingly across the girls' shoulders. As she reached the end of the line, she brought the whip down hard across Sapphire's back. Sapphire screamed in pain but did not break position.

"I have some good news for you. Firstly, one of you is about graduate. Personally I think there isn't one of you who doesn't need a few more weeks in the pen but after a personal request from Carl I've agreed to allow it."

Lisa's heart leapt at the sound of Carl's name, maybe he was going to allow her into the house, but she knew it was Buttercup's turn.

“For one of you, tonight you will sleep in a bed, be allowed clothes, and some freedom to move around this beautiful place but remember you are still just a slut, still subject to the same discipline as before. “

“Look at all of you, you are the lowest of womankind, simple, stupid playthings ready to throw open your legs to any cock that comes along. That's what makes us different, you wouldn't have been chosen otherwise. You wouldn't have taken to this life so easily if you weren't begging to be mastered. I'm right am I not Lilly?"

"Yes mistress" Lilly replied nervously.

The Doctor always took great delight in tormenting Lilly, the weakest link in the chain, the easiest to scare. The Doctor obviously aroused by dominating the trembling figure in front of her, drank in her fear.

"Clean my feet"

Lilly frantically began licking the Doctor's feet, moving her tongue between the toes.

"You love being a slave don't you Lilly? You love your collar"

"Yes mistress, Lilly loves her collar," mumbled Lilly her tongue lapping at the Doctor's foot.

“Stop" the Doctor pushed her back into line.

"Oh yes the good news"

The Doctor reached down and pulling Sapphire back by the hair prised the red stone from the centre of her collar.

"I don't understand mistress"

Sapphire's outburst was swiftly rewarded with a hard slap across the cheek. The Doctor walked slowly over to Rose, removing a set of keys from her belt as she went. She removed the padlock connecting the chain between Lilly and Rose's ankle bracelets.

"Look up child”

Rose raised her head cautiously and the Doctor clipped the red stone into her collar, and then removed the painted nametag.

"Congratulations Sapphire, now go to the harem keeper and tell him you're the new house slut"

Rose looked round confused unsure of what was happening.

"Quickly before I regret my decision. You are now Sapphire the house slave"

Rose did not need telling again, got to her feet and ran towards the villa.

"And the last bit of good news is that I will be your new trainer. We decided that this slut" the Doctor clipped the nametag to the collar of the slave formerly known as Sapphire.

"We decided that... Rose" she smirked as she elongated the name. "Has been too lenient and responsibility for breaking you sluts to your collar is too much for her. I always knew she didn't have what it takes. She's too eager to please, only interested in sliding cock into that gaping cunt, behaving like the whore she is. So we need to reduce her down to her base element, her true calling, a simple pleasure slut. You're going up for auction Rose, you don't cut it here. But I suggested before that, a refresher course in the pens would be in order. The master, of course, agreed with my recommendation. Rose, chain yourself to Lilly here"

Rose could no longer hold back the tears and sobbed as she knelt beside Lilly, threading the hasp of the padlock through her ankle ring and clicking it shut. Lisa shuddered as the woman who placed them in their chains earlier in the day joined them in bondage.

The Doctor ushered the girls back down to the pens. It was a sad group that stumbled its way down the steps and into slave pens. The new girl Rose still sobbed and a shocked Buttercup stared down at her feet in a state of disbelief. Lisa was suddenly conscious of the tinkling bracelets tapping with each step above her cuffs; she was now sure they would not be removed until she received the 20 blows they signified. The chains had never felt so heavy.

They were usually unchained and fed after the main cell door shut. Lisa had become used to eating from the floor. She hardly noticed anymore the noise of the girls' collar tags tapping against the metal bowls as they lapped up the food, making the room sound like a boarding kennel at feeding time. She was usually too hungry to be concerned about eating like a household pet.

Buttercup moved slowly beside her, reluctant to take her place in front of the cages. Lisa was not sure whether Buttercup was about to scream or burst into tears. Her chained companion seemed to be finding it hard to breathe. Lisa recognised a condition she herself suffered from, a panic attack. She wanted to comfort her but was never sure what Buttercup's reaction would be. Without warning Buttercup lunged towards the Doctor grabbing for the keys at her belt.

"Let me out! Let me out of here. I don't want to be here. I shouldn't be here."

The Doctor struggled with her frantic assailant, both of them pulling hair and throwing random ineffective punches. The two women clattered to the floor pulling Lisa, on her chain, into the melee. The Doctor, grabbing a clump of Buttercup's blonde hair, pulled her head back and shouted at Lisa.

"Move away, pull her away you stupid bitch"

Lisa lent down and pulled at the ankle chain, Buttercup's leg stretched out taut but her strength and the ferocity of the attack prevented Lisa pulling her any further. Lisa did succeed in putting Buttercup slightly off-balance and the Doctor was able to climb on top, pinning her attacker's arms to her side. The Doctor slapped Buttercup's face swinging her hand back and striking her again. The fight seemed to leave Buttercup and the Doctor did not waste an instant, yanking her by the hair and dragging her into a large cage in the corner of the cell. Lisa hopped behind before the Doctor stepped back and kicked her hard in the back. Lisa immediately lost her balance and with a jangle of chain stumbled onto Buttercup's prone body. The cage door slammed shut. Buttercup pushed Lisa aside and scrambled to her feet, lunging at the retreating Doctor, throwing herself against the metal bars.

The Doctor straightened her clothes and tidied her hair before turning her glare to the two caged women. She threw two padlocks and a bundle of chain into the cage.

"Poppy, if by morning she's not hogtied and nipple clamped so tightly those red little buds are about to burst you will receive exactly the same punishment as this slut. I can assure you my sweet Buttercup I am going to take great pleasure in extracting every ounce of your punishment. I will make you so sorry for ever raising a hand against me."

The Doctor spun around and threw the keys down in front of Rose.

“Unlock those ankle chains and get in your kennels. There'll be no food for anyone today."

Rose frantically removed the chain and both girls leapt to the back of their cages pulling shut the doors behind them. Stooping to pick up the keys and without a backward look, the Doctor stomped from the room.

Buttercup noticed Lisa looking nervously at the bundle of chain at the centre of the cage.

"Don't even think about it, whore. Don't even think about it"