The Awakening of Lenore

I woke on the floor. The sticky wetness still coated my inner thighs, but it was cool now. My nipples were hard, but I couldn't tell if it was excitement or just the coldness of the floor that had made them that way. I seemed to be in a mental fog, having had something unlocked in my brain that was still running amock somewhere. As I made my way shakily to the bed, I noticed an opening in the wall near the bed that I hadn't seen before. When I got to it, I recognized it as a hidden door, very similar to one that concealed a large closet in my parents' home. I was a little afraid to go through it, but I had to find out what lay beyond. As I felt along the wall in the darkness inside the door, my fingers ran across a light switch. I steeled myself for whatever might be waiting for me there, and turned it on. I was greeted with stone-colored tile and elegant bathroom fixtures. A mirror ran along the wall to my right, above a pair of sinks with elegant brass-colored fixtures. Beyond the end of the counter was a toilet and a large oval-shaped bathtub that stood alone, away from the wall like a large egg-shaped soup bowl. As I stepped into the bathroom, I noticed a large shower behind the door, enclosed in clear glass. It had several shower heads aimed in all different directions, obviously meant to immerse its occupant in the most luxurious experience possible. I felt all around the walls, trying to find another door. There just wasn't another one there.

That meant that someone had entered the room, moved past me as I lay in the floor to open this door, and then exited past me again without so much as a hint they were there. That thought frightened me for a moment. I had been helpless, but whoever it was had decided not to awaken me or take advantage of me. I had a moment of doubt, wondering if there was something that wasn't pleasing about me. As I sat down on the toilet, I realized just how much I needed to pee. As my bladder emptied, I began to feel helpless and overwhelmed. What was wrong with me? Why had we been talking so much, and so openly, but no one had even expressed an interest in me or my body? I felt my tears start to flow, and suddenly felt ridiculous. I was a veritable waterworks, peeing and crying all at the same time. The absurdity of it got me giggling.

It took me several minutes to compose myself, then I made sure I hadn't done any damage to the dress besides the leavings of my own juices. I found towels shelved under the double sink, and decided to try that decadent shower. The warm water surrounded me in the most wonderful sensations. As I turned slowly in the shower, the spray struck me with enticing pressure on nearly every inch of my body. My breasts were particularly sensitive to the spray, and my nipples began to harden all over again. I discovered there was a bench of sorts built into the wall of the shower, with a seat made of varnished dowels about two inches in diameter. Sitting down, I found the sensation interesting, and noticed a brass button on the wall near the edge of the seat. I wondered what it could possibly be, but had a sneaking suspicion. I spread my legs there on the bench as I pressed the button.

The most delicious spray of water churned upwards through the seat, striking directly on my labia. With just a little change in my position, the water soaked my clit, driving me to a series of small but very satisfying orgasms that fueled more than a few fantasies as I shuddered again and again. I'm not sure how long I was in the shower, but I can say that I was definitely clean when I was done. I dried myself with the softest of towels, then wrapped myself in a large soft bathsheet. I used another towel to wrap my hair before stepping out into the room. I was not alone.

There in the bed was Justine, her blonde hair fanned out on the pillow like a halo. She looked at me with a dreamy expression, looking at my towel-wrapped body appreciatively. She smiled coyly, "We heard you earlier. I heard you as I came, and knew you were coming too." I could feel the blood rush to my face, and I turned my face away as she went on. "I don't know if you have ever had any interest in girls, but I wish you'd let me lay here with you for just a little while." I realized I'd never really thought about it. And after my evening with Alexander, I knew for certain that I was oriented firmly in myself as heterosexual. On the other hand, I certainly appreciated the female form, and had always been adventurous enough to try something before dismissing it out of hand. I turned to face her again. With a deep breath, I pulled the towel loose and let it slowly slide down my body to the floor. Justine's eyes widened as I revealed myself to her.

She seemed to be overcome with an emotion I couldn't identify. Her eyes widened as she said simply, "Oh...". She laid back, staring at me as I approached the bed. I started to pull the covers aside, but she gripped them suddenly, holding them to her chest. "Slowly, please...I want you to see me slowly." I raised the covers on my side of the bed, and slid under them to let her stay covered. She rolled towards me. Her lips parted, and I could feel her breath on my face as she came even closer.

I couldn't believe how soft her lips were as we kissed. Her tongue gently slid along my lips, teasing them open. I did the same to her, and she let out a little whimper as we parted moments later. She leaned forward, whispering in my ear, "I told you that first time here that if I had your body I couldn't keep my hands off it," her lips brushed my ear, started a tingle that ran down my neck as she went on, "I'm glad you have it instead, because I want to see you as well as touch you." Her hair flowed around her face, and she let it fall against my skin as she continued to tease me with her lips. My nipples hardened as I became more and more excited. Then she drew away just a bit. I looked into her eyes, and she looked as if she was in the midst of an enchantment.

She slowly drew the covers down from her body. Her breasts and belly bore broad stripes where she had been flogged. Instead of being repulsed, I felt drawn to the heat of each mark. I let my lips brush across them, feeling the welts as they criss-crossed her body. She pushed the covers down further, exposing her sex. Her pussy was completely shaved with the exception of a diamond-shaped tuft of pubic hair. Angry welts covered her labia and inner thighs. As I ran my lips and tongue along her body, she rolled back, spreading her legs, exposing all to me. Every touch of my skin against hers brought a new whimper from her. I started to pull away, but she grabbed me firmly, not letting me go. "No, touch me. Kiss me...I love the feel of it afterwards."

I found myself getting wet, and more excited by the minute. Justine turned on the bed, firmly pressing me backwards as she spread my thighs. As her tongue pressed against my clit, she spread me wide open with her fingers, circling my clit with her tongue. She began to focus on that one spot that any woman knows on herself. I found myself kissing the welts on her labia as she spread her own legs, kneeling over me. As she spread herself wider by bringing her knees up towards her shoulders, I found her clit with my tongue. There was a salty, clean taste as I slid my tongue along the opening of her sex, up and down, from the warm bud of her clit to the bottom of her sex where her vagina was separated from her anus by a small stretch of tight smooth skin. I couldn't suppress a shudder as her tongue circled my labia, brushing twice across my clit with each circle she made. My thighs began to tighten as I felt an orgasm building inside me. I began to suck on her clit, and Justine began to whimper as she licked me. I felt her shift, and she plunged her fingers into my pussy. As she arched her fingers against the front wall of my vagina, my hips rose, pressing desperately upwards against her. As I came, I could feel the muscles in her legs vibrate as her own climax washed over her. As I climaxed, Justine suddenly placed her mouth directly over the opening of my sex and began to suck. The feeling was indescribable. As we came together, she ran her fingers across my nipples, triggering wave after wave of aftershock, until I thought I would have to beg her to stop. I looked at her ass as she hovered over my face, and noticed the welts there were raised a bit more than those on her front. I traced my fingers along them and Justine began to shake. She wrapped her arms around my legs and buried her face against my thigh as she gave herself over to another orgasm.

She crawled down the length of my body a moment later, and turned herself around on the bed. Her beautiful breasts hung down enticingly from her rib cage, her nipples rose-colored and hard. She slid alongside me on the bed, nestling her face against mine. I realized that somewhere along the line I had lost the towel on my head, and she twined her fingers in my hair as she whispered in my ear, "Thank you, thank you so much. I was afraid my stripes would scare you, but I can tell they didn't."

She pressed her lips to my neck once again, and fell asleep, her face covered by a mixture of her blonde hair and my own red. It was only moments later I fell asleep myself.

I'm not certain how long we had been asleep when I awoke with a start. I couldn't place what had awakened me, but Justine still lay beside me, her hand on my belly and her legs intertwined with mine. I thought about sitting up, but couldn't bring myself to disturb her. She stirred then and whispered to me, "Don't worry. It was the latch on the door." Her eyes were still closed, her hair draped over part of her face. But I decided that if she was so certain of our surroundings, I could trust her to know what had disturbed me. We lay there together for a little longer, then Justine stretched deliciously in the bed beside me. She asked if she could do something interesting with my hair before we went out into the library, and I had to think about it for a moment before I acquiesced and said yes. She took my hand and led me into the bathroom. She laid a towel on the toilet cover, and asked me to take a seat facing the wall. I straddled the toilet and allowed her to have her way with my hair. It was an interesting experience for me, since I hadn't let anyone handle my hair since I was a child. It took quite some time, but when she let me look at the result, it took my breath away.

My hair was braided loosely, and draped from the back over my right shoulder. On the other side, there was a long wavy curl down the left side of my face. The overall effect was so elegant it stunned me. I stepped back away from the mirror, taking it all in. The form of the hairdo accentuated both my height and my curves. The end of the braid came to the middle of my right breast, tickling my skin ever so gently, and the loose curl on the left directed the eye down to my left nipple. My nipples began to harden as I admired her handiwork. The effect was fetching, and I looked into Justine's eyes in the mirror and silently mouthed, 'Thank you'. She blushed a little, and whispered, 'Thank you for letting me'.

Just then we heard the door of the bedroom close, and we both went in to see who was there. The room was empty, but there on the chair were two very different outfits.

One was the sapphire blue dress I had seen Justine wear on our first day in the library. The other was a deep emerald green drape, open on both sides from shoulder to floor, with a single button on each side at the waist. Justine helped me dress before putting on her own simple outfit. Before we went out, I looked at myself in the mirror once again. The drape was barely wide enough to cover my nipples. With the sides buttoned, my breasts stood out firmly and my hips curved outside the line of the drape. The contrast took full advantage of my figure against the shape of the garment. I remember thinking that if this didn't tempt Richard and Eileen to take my search to the next level, nothing would.

Justine and I went into the library hand in hand. As we walked out to the carved table, Justine gave a little gasp. The table was now covered with a padded leather top. Richard and Eileen sat in their chairs, and there was a black chest on rollers sitting between them. Justine stopped walking and released my hand. I turned to her, but she smiled at me and waved me towards the table, remaining where she stood. As I approached, Eileen turned to look at me and smiled appreciatively. She motioned me to come closer, then to stand between them and the table. They both nodded approvingly, but Richard was the one to speak.

"Lenore, we have discussed this at some length, and we have decided to teach you all the things you seek to learn. But there has been a . . . development." I waited for him to go on, not quite sure what to make of his mood. I looked to Eileen, but she gave no hint as to what was going on. Richard stood, then came over to stand inches from me. His affect became flat as he spoke, "Climb and stand on the table, Lenore." I hesitated. "NOW!" he barked sharply. I scrambled onto the table and turned to face them again. Eileen was standing now, and Richard was returning to his chair. Eileen came to the edge of the table, "Kneel, Lenore." I sank to my knees, sitting on my heels. She turned to open the chest, and was holding a riding crop as she turned back around. "Spread your knees, Lenore, and straighten your back, placing your hands on your thighs." I did as she commanded. She used the crop to spread my knees as widely as I could. "This is Position One. When you are in this position, you will lower your eyes unless told otherwise. Do you understand?" I nodded. "The proper response is 'Yes, Mistress', Lenore." "Yes, Mistress," I said quietly. She then instructed me to sit flat on the table, my legs straight out in front of me, my head bowed, my hands stretched out as far as I could reach towards my feet, resting on my shins. "This is Position Two. It is not often used, but you must know it all the same." Position Three was similar to Position One, except that I sat up with my back straight and my fingers laced behind by neck, my elbows straight out to the side. Position Four was laying flat on my back, ankles together, my fingers laced behind my neck and my elbows flat on the table. Position Five was like this also, except my legs were spread as far apart as I could get them while keeping my legs flat on the table. Position Six was once again kneeling, but this time my forehead was to the table, my hands stretched straight out in front of me. Position Seven had me laying flat down on my belly, my legs outstretched again. I was told I could turn my head either direction, but it was best if I faced away from whoever was commanding me. The last position was called Offering. I was told to kneel as in Position One, but with my face upraised. I cupped my breasts in my hands as instructed, and was told that it would be to my advantage to lightly pinch my nipples as I came to rest in the Offering position. I found this position to be titillating, and I could feel the dampness begin between my legs as I pinched my nipples. The two of them took turns commanding me to change positions for the better part of an hour. I was reaching a point of both excitement and exhaustion when Eileen gave me a glass of ice water and bade me drink. As I greedily drank, she told me that it would be a good idea for me to make a habit of hydrating myself regularly. I nodded as she spoke, then corrected myself quickly, "Yes, Mistress," I said earnestly, "I will remember that from now on."

She smiled her approval, then asked me if I was curious about what I had heard the night before. I could feel the blood rushing to my face as I opened my eyes as widely as I could. The dampness between my legs threatened to become a stream as I said simply, "Yes, Mistress."

She reached out her hand to me and beckoned me to come down off the table. I took her hand, and she led me towards the back of the library, Richard walking in front of us. As we approached the blue line, I hesitated for a moment. Eileen pulled me gently across, and we got closer and closer to the big volumes. I was looking at them as she stopped. I looked at her, and she said simply, "Soon enough, Lenore, soon enough."

As she led on, I saw that the bookshelves did not rest against a wall as I had originally thought. It was a near perfect optical illusion, with the shelving seeming to rest against a wall that wasn't actually a wall. The divider sat at an angle, leaving an easy two foot gap that we stepped through into the space behind the shelves. I stopped short, staring at what I saw before me.

The space had numerous devices that challenged my imagination to decipher their use, but what captivated me most stood in the direct center of the room. It was a St. Andrew's Cross, like the one with the woman stretched on it from the photograph. It had large brass rings nearly three inches in diameter on the upper arms of the cross. But it was the legs of the cross that brought a gasp out of me. There were padded footrests on it, but these were singular. They were covered in dark green leather. This was not just a cross, but THE cross. The very cross that had borne the redheaded siren, and the one on which my own fantasies had been stretched time and again. I turned to Richard and Eileen, my eyes wide. I couldn't speak for a moment. Then I did the only thing I knew to do. I unbuttoned the drape, pulling it aside and flinging it over my shoulder, and dropped to my knees into the Offering. As I spread my thighs wider and began to lightly pinch my nipples, I raised my eyes first to Richard, then to Eileen. "Please" was all I could say.

It took only a moment for them to respond. Richard said, "Very well," as Eileen stepped up and slid the green drape off over my head. I immediately returned my hands to Offering, a desperate need building inside me. Eileen placed a wide belt around my waist, cinching it snugly while I squeezed my nipples. Richard stood before me holding a leather blindfold in his hands. It was a simple leather belt designed to encircle my head, with two padded leather eyepieces. He told me to assume Position One. As I did so, he put the blindfold in place, buckling it tightly enough to completely obscure my vision, yet not so tight as to be painful by itself.

"Stand," they said in unison. As I rose to my feet, each of them took one of my elbows to guide me. I could feel them taking me to the cross. I sensed it before me as if it were the only source of heat in the room. Eileen placed a riding crop against the back of my left knee, tapping it gently to make me raise my foot. I followed her silent instruction as she used the crop to guide my foot onto the footrest of the cross. She told me to lean forward to hold the cross with my hands and prepare to mount the cross. I did as she instructed, then began to put my right foot in place. A vicious sting of the crop across both cheeks of my ass made me lose my footing, and I ended up holding the cross with my hands, both feet on the floor, my knees resting against the cross. The stripe on my ass burned into me, and I realized I had gone too fast. They corrected me gently, with no reproach, no anger.

The crop tapped my left knee again, and I placed that foot on the cross. I held the cross, but left my right foot on the floor, afraid to take any initiative. Then the crop tapped the back of my right knee. I slowly put my weight on my left foot and shifted my right onto the other foot rest. My back arched as I leaned there against the arms of the cross. The crop tapped my left elbow, and I extended my arm along the cross, stretching it as far as I could. The right arm was done the same way. After my arms were in place, my breasts rested in the upper "V" of the cross, exposed to whatever ministrations they would deem to mete out from the back of the cross. I felt the dampness between my legs rising like steam from some great river wending its way through primeval forests. They placed wide leather cuffs on my wrists, securing them to the big rings on the upper arms of the cross. Then they tightened the bindings there, stretching my arms even further over my head. My breasts stood away from my chest to maximum effect, and my nipples grew harder and more erect than I remembered them ever being. The feelings of helplessness and trust warred with one another, threatening to overwhelm me as they cuffed and bound my ankles in place. They stood back from the cross then, and waited.

I pictured the scene in my mind. My body stretched on the cross, my backside exposed and vulnerable, my breasts jutting forcefully towards the back, nipples standing out straight and hard. My sex, easily accessible there on the cross, was on the verge of dripping with my excitement. I revelled in the feeling. Now I was the girl on the cross, ready to learn what would happen next, even as I knew. The vision of Justine's stripes ran through my head, and I found myself hoping mine would look as good as hers had.

The cross began to turn, the rumbling of the wheels on the floor vibrating up through me. I could sense something different in the room. It took me a few moments to consider what it was, but I became convinced that someone else had entered and was appraising me as I hung there on display. One part of my mind began to panic. I had no way of knowing who it was, or why they were there, but I knew I had no control over what was about to happen. I felt I had nothing to fear from Richard and Eileen, but this was someone else. An uncontrolled factor that threatened to do things to me that might be conjured from nightmares instead of fantasies. My muscles strained involuntarily with these thoughts, and I began to whimper. Just as I thought I might start to cry, I smelled the soft scents of citrus and leather, and knew Eileen was inches from my face. She leaned close and whispered in my ear, "Delicious, isn't it? Knowing you have no control. Knowing you must give yourself over to the desires of someone else. Knowing they may require things of you that you don't even know about." She leaned even closer, her breath caressing my ear as she said, "This is why you are here. To learn the truth about your own needs and desires." With that, she gently ran her tongue along the lobe of my ear, and I moaned with desire.

A calmness settled over me. Eileen distanced herself as Richard took her place. "This is where I reveal to you the development I mentioned earlier." I had nearly forgotten about that, but I knew it must have something to do with the new person now in the room. "Lenore, can you tell me what has changed here?" I nodded, afraid to speak. "Tell me, girl." I choked back my fear and said, "There is someone else in the room. Someone who wasn't here before." He leaned closer to my ear, "Very good, my dear."

I could sense his motion, and knew he was acknowledging whoever was present behind me. From arms length, he went on, "Someone wishes to assist in your lessons, and we felt it would be a very good idea to use those skills for you in particular." I wondered why he was telling me this. I was here to learn, and I had already accepted the fact that I would be used. I had consented to that, and even looked forward to it. The idea of having someone touch me had become a nearly haunting desire after having always taken care of my own needs. I so wanted to know what it was like to have someone else touching me with ideas I could not foretell. I wanted to surrender to someone. Then it struck me. Richard and Eileen knew all this. They knew I was willing to put myself in their hands, but they wanted to be sure that I remained in ultimate control of my own body. That feeling of their acceptance of me, and their respect for me, opened a whole new realm of desire. I knew what to do now.

I spoke clearly and formally, "I am afraid, but I trust you. I place myself in your hands." I paused, "and the hands of anyone you trust." Eileen spoke next, "Prepare yourself, girl." I relaxed, letting my arms and legs go slack in the bindings as the first blow fell across my ass. It was a heavy blow, spread evenly across my skin. I knew it had to be a flogger with at least a dozen tails, broad and soft. The initial sting was rapidly replaced with a growing heat as blood rushed to the skin where the blow had fallen. With the second blow, I whimpered and pushed my ass back towards the flogger to encourage whoever was wielding it. The third and fourth blows warmed me to a boiling point, the pictures in my mind of how I must look playing out in my mind in slow motion. I felt as if my nipples might explode at any moment. The fifth blow wrenched a howl from my lips, and the juices began to flow freely down my thighs as an orgasm poured through me. I began to beg shamelessly, pleading for another blow as they began to fall against me in a slow but steady rhythm. The heat rushed through me as I came again. I barely remember them taking me down and turning me on the the cross. I had hung there several minutes before I even realized I had been moved. I could feel the moisture on my skin where I had rested against the leather padding of the cross. My breasts felt full and ripe, my sex ready to be used in whatever manner they deemed fit.

The flogger swung close by me, fanning me with cool air. I threw my head back, heeding the warning. The next blow fell across the front of my thighs, bringing the same heat that consumed my ass. The blows moved steadily up my body, the back down. I could feel the welts rising on my belly and across my nipples, until a blow finally landed squarely between my legs. I wailed as it struck home, my clit exploding in an orgasm that threatened to send me into oblivion. The juices squirted out of me, covering my thighs and running down my legs to the cuffs that held my ankles bound to the cross. I bucked and squirmed, all the time calling out for more. Someone took a firm grip on my breasts, squeeziing my nipples tightly. As they released me, the pressure remained, and the chain connecting the clamps to one another fell across my belly. I felt like I was beginning to fly. Every nerve in my body was crying out with desire. I began trying to pull my knees further apart, struggling against the cuffs on my ankles. My incoherent wails began to form words, and I heard myself calling out as if I was outside the room eavesdropping on this moment, "Please, oh please, someone fuck me...please, fuck me..." My left leg was suddenly released from the cross, and I felt a man's body rise up against me, lifting my leg upwards. His cock rested against the opening of my vagina for only a moment before he plunged deeply into me. I came again as he steadily slid in and out of my pussy. My wetness covered us both, and I knew I was in danger of passing out as we continued to grind against one another. Then he slowed down, pressing deeply into me, resting his chest against mine. He kissed my neck gently, then pulled away for a moment, moving his hands to my breasts.

The sudden removal of the clamps was both release and torment. As the blood flowed back into my nipples, he plunged his cock deep inside me again. Bending down, he placed his mouth firmly on my right nipple, sliding both his tongue and his teeth along the hardened flesh. An almost electric arc shot through the sheen of sweat that covered my body as he pulled his mouth away and sucked the cool air around the tight bud of my nipple. The climax that rolled through me then was like nothing before as I realized who was inside me. The muscles in my thighs spasmed as I tried to draw him in even deeper than he was. This man who had his choice of women and dealt with desire professionally had taken a personal interest in me. Something in my soul sang as I came one last time and felt my legs lose all strength. I sagged in my bindings and whimpered as he pulled out of me, leaving a feeling of emptiness I wanted to never feel again as soon as it came over me. One by one my bindings were released. Four sets of hands, two male and two female, lowered me down from the cross and carried me out to the table in the center of the library and laid me gently down in the middle of it.

Eileen ordered me into Position Four, and I struggled to comply. I pointed my toes downward with my ankles together, feeling the muscles in my thighs stretch out once again, and tried to imagine what I must look like laying there on that table. The image was more than adequate to fuel my desire anew. Thinking of laying there, supported by those four bound women as they offered me up to desire made my nipples rise once again. The images of the stripes on my flesh, my breasts rising from my chest with their hardening nipples forcing them even higher, the taut muscles of my thighs covered in sweat and the juices of my body, all swirled together in my mind and threatened to consume me in a heat I had never thought possible. My mind drifted as my legs were drawn apart and secured to either side of the table. My hands were bound together at the wrists and pulled over my head to be tied to the table, stretching my body out lasciviously as I seemed to look down on myself from above. Eileen ordered me to open my mouth as I felt someone kneel on the table, their knees coming down on either side of my head. As I opened my mouth wide, Alexander's cock, still wet with my juices and pungent with the sweetness of our combined bodies slid inside, threatening to invade my throat. I struggled a moment with my gag reflex, then began to try to swallow as he slowly pumped in and out of my mouth. His own mouth found my pussy, and he began to suck on my labia and my clit as I sucked on his cock. Our hips rose and fell to match the lust of each other's mouths. I didn't think I could come again, but as I did, I felt energized and hoped this moment would last all day. I wanted to taste his semen. I wanted him to fill my mouth and throat with it, but he pulled away from me at the last moment. I began to beg and plead for him to fill me, to use me, to let me come. He slid his body down the length of mine and pushed himself into my pussy once again, triggering one last orgasm that was sure to leave me sore. But I didn't care. The feeling of being this alive was worth the pain I would endure.

Time became a blur. My blindfold was removed, and I was able to see myself in several mirrors around the room. Watching myself being used sustained me, and seemed to feed my energy level even as my physical resources were being depleted. Soon enough though, they called a halt, even though I begged them to continue. I was given water, and they fed me pieces of cut fruit along with a very sweet dark coffee. As I looked at myself in the mirrors during this interlude, I began to realize just how much my exertions had taken their toll. The muscles in my legs and arms stood out in stark contrast to my usual soft curves, and I could see the slight lines of my ribs resting beneath my breasts. The soreness in my joints was not as severe as I had thought it would be, but my vagina was a different matter. I didn't care. I now knew what I craved.

After an hour, I was placed on a padded bench shaped like a large sawhorse, my legs tied down on either side, with my torso stretched along its length. My breasts dangled enticingly down either side of the bench, and my body responded with renewed heat as they were encircled with ropes to engorge them with blood. My nipples grew hard once again, and they began to throb as Eileen spread the cheeks of my ass for Alexander to enter me once again. Sheer lust drove me as I strained to push back against him, meeting him thrust for thrust. Finally, when I could take no more, I was released and allowed to slide down onto the floor, the cool tile caressing my hot flesh in ways I didn't know would feel so good. Justine cradled my head for a time, and as I began to drift off to sleep I felt someone pick me up and carry me off.

I dreamed of the girl on the cross, except now it was me. I relived the whole experience time and again, always finishing in Alexander's arms. I woke several hours later on top of the covers of the bed. The room was warm, and I was covered with a luxurious scented oil that had taken all the sting out of the welts on my skin, leaving only the marks behind. I lay there on the bed, thinking about Alexander. Who was he? How did he become a part of all this? Was he just part of the process, or had he truly taken an interest in me? I became determined to find out what I could without creating a stir. I dreamily thought of him as I drifted back into sleep.

I woke again, this time wrapped in the bedspread. I had apparently gotten chilly in my sleep and rolled myself up in the covers as I had done for most of my life. When I sat up in the bed, the stripes had turned to a pink blush over most of my skin. I went into the bathroom to look in the mirror. It looked as if I was wearing a dress, transparent except for a pink tinge. It was intriguing, and I felt very, very sexy as I admired the way they decorated on my skin. When I went back into the bedroom, there was a white linen skirt and a bright green blouse waiting on the chair, with emerald green shoes to match the sheen of the blouse. I dressed and tried the door. It was unlocked.

As I entered the library, I saw Richard, Eileen, and Alexander seated at the table. Justine knelt in the floor beside Eileen's chair, dreamy-eyed and drifting in her own thoughts. Eileen noticed me first, and beckoned me to join them. As I approached the table, I noticed several trays of cut fruits and vegetables, as well as a tray of very interesting cheeses. I stopped several feet away from the table and lowered my eyes. Eileen noticed it, and called it to the attention of Richard and Alexander. I heard them shift in their chairs to look at me, and Richard was the first to speak, "Any woman who can understand this sort of behavior under these circumstances is a true prize." Alexander agreed with him and then addressed me, "Lenore, please join us here at the table. Relax and let me find out more about you, and let you know more about me. Would that be fair?" I nodded, and took a seat in the fourth chair at the table. They looked me over carefully for a moment, then Alexander asked if I had any bruises. I shook my head, smiling. The marks of the whip felt wonderful to me, even as they cleared away. The soft fabric of the clothes had a cooling effect on my skin that felt marvelous. As I shifted in my chair a couple of times, my nipples rubbed against the silk blouse and began to respond almost immediately. In just moments, they were hard again, and Eileen began to giggle, "Oh my, it doesn't take much to start you up, does it?" I laughed out loud as I shook my head, and we were all soon laughing. There was a strange familiarity about it. According to what I had read so far, I shouldn't have been sitting with them, but in the floor with Justine. I became pensive, and Eileen noticed.

"Lenore, I know that all the things you've learned so far seem to be very formal compared to how we're speaking now. Would that be accurate?" I nodded, not really being able to put it all into words. She seemed to understand what I was going through and continued, "In the books and literature, there is a certain fantasy involved in our interests. The thought of complete control of one person over another plays to that fantasy." She leaned forward, placing her hands on the table, "But the reality of it all is that one person can only truly submit to another willingly. There is no room in this place for those who would force their will on another without that person's consent and compliance. Anyone wishing to participate in these passions and to learn about these desires must do so completely of their own free will." She watched me process it all, then gestured to Alexander as she went on, "Alexander is a close friend, and has assisted us in many ways in the past." My heart began to sink just a little. Her voice dropped as she went on, "But this time, he seems to have become enamored of someone for the first time." Alexander took over from there, smiling almost shyly, "Lenore, I admit that I was totally amazed the night you came to me. A girl with your looks rarely needs the assistance of someone like me in the matter of experience with a man. At first, I even thought Richard and Eileen might be toying with me for some reason. But I soon realized that while you knew your own body, you certainly didn't have any experience with a man." As I looked into his eyes, something electric seemed to pass between us. "Lenore, seeing you like that. Seeing you turn yourself over to your desire, and your willingness to let that need take you over awakened something in me I thought I had lost." He looked down at the table as he finished, "It made me want you all the more."

I didn't know what to say for a moment, but I felt I had to say something. My mind raced, wheels spinning, trying to gain traction on something to express myself. This man was experienced in so many areas of life. He was handsome without being a movie-star pretty boy, strong without being muscle bound, and exuded a confidence that I had found in very few people in my life. He watched me as all those thoughts ran through my mind, and it came to me that I had a decision to make.

"Alexander, I'm not the most worldly girl there is, and this...journey...is something I haven't yet totally begun to understand. But I think I can say this because I've started to understand myself in ways that most girls never do." I looked at the three of them before I committed to my decision. I looked back at Alexander as I finished, "After yesterday, I feel new. I feel born into my own body, and I already knew I wanted Richard and Eileen to help me learn. But I sincerely hope you will be here as well." He looked a little surprised, then relieved, as he said simply, "I will."

I sat back, looking at my three mentors, and into Justine's shining eyes as she looked at me. As I looked at the table then, my stomach growled loudly. My eyes snapped open wide as they all looked at me. I could feel the blush as the blood rushed to my face and they suddenly began to laugh. Soon we were all laughing, and I knew I had found the right people to help me on my way. Even though it was the same me, I was truly new, and I had found the acceptance of people who knew what I sought and were willing to lead me there. More importantly, I was not afraid.