0 comments/ 43056 views/ 13 favorites The Pledge Mistress Ch. 01 By: caligula97236 Chapter 1 - An offer from Dr. Burnside Lisa Campbell woke up at 8:30 in the morning. Without bothering to get dressed she opened her drapes and looked out over the campus from her dorm room window. Her shapely bare body was somewhat visible to anyone walking around below, but it was summer break and the campus was almost completely empty. Not that it mattered. The university, all 50,000 students and faculty, had seen plenty of Lisa last fall. There was no point in being modest, and in fact, from Lisa's point of view modesty was an inconvenience. The young woman contemplated the steam rising off the grass in the bright hot sunshine. Today was May 23rd, but from the looks of the weather, it seemed more like July 23rd. Another scorcher, she thought to herself. Shit. It's not supposed to be this hot, this early. Must be that fucking global warming they're all talking about. Lisa was not a fan of hot weather, which was why the promise of a hot day put her in a bad mood. It also was one of the reasons she had decided to study in Chicago instead of California, which was where she grew up. She much preferred the savagely cold winters of the Mid-West to the scorching summers of California. Not that it made any difference now, because it was hot all over. Lisa forced herself to snap out of her mood and glanced over at Ken, her current boyfriend, who was still soundly asleep. She decided to pull the sheet off him to have a better look at his body and the results of last night's round of punishment and sex. Lisa felt a vague mix of trepidation, curiosity, and satisfaction as she contemplated how badly marked up he was. His wrists and ankles had rub-marks where his cuffs had dug into his skin, there were small bruises on his chest and shoulders from where she had pinched him, and she could make out part of a handprint where she had slapped him hard across the face. However, all of that was nothing in comparison to the condition of his bottom, which was a solid mass of dark welts and bruises. She lightly ran her fingers over the skin, fascinated by the swollen condition of his entire backside. Yes, last night she had worked him over pretty good. She had not planned to go that far with him, but as sometimes happened when she was disciplining him, Lisa's emotions and enthusiasm got the better of her. She had punished him with four implements in a single session: a small leather paddle that normally was used more for sexual arousal than discipline, then a belt, then a wooden paddle, and finally a riding crop. He cried and struggled against the cuffs as she hit him many, many times with each implement. She had worn herself out on him, but afterwards, when she unhooked his cuffs and let him up, he wore himself out on her. Lisa was quite sore herself, but not from punishment. Her vagina ached and her labia and clitoris were raw from Ken's attentions. Lisa's boyfriend had incredible sexual energy, but that enthusiasm was of no use to anyone if he was not first stripped, humiliated, and beaten. Ken was a true masochist; only a severe whipping could bring out the sexual animal in his soul. Last night had been good, really good. After the punishment, he had made love to her three separate times, in three different positions. Yes...Ken knew all about positions and how to prolong a good orgasm. Oh yeah, that guy was a real love-machine for any woman who knew how to turn him on and which buttons to push. Lisa had learned that secret back in January and had enjoyed her nights with him ever since. Lisa's bladder was full, and she decided that she might as well get cleaned up since she had to go to the bathroom anyway. The young woman put on a pair of shower shoes, grabbed a towel, and walked out into the empty hallway of her dorm. She was the only resident remaining on her floor, since everyone else had moved out a week before when the semester ended. She went to the women's bathroom at the end of the hallway, pissed, and turned on the shower. She stepped in and winced as the soap burned the raw skin between her legs. The cruel burning from the soap settled one issue, that no, she most definitely would not try to shave today. Wow, she thought to herself, we really did over-do it last night. Well, that's good. There's nothing in life like a good fuck. Enjoy it while you can, 'cause you only live once... Lisa dried herself off and studied her reflection in the mirror. She was pleased by her appearance (she always thought she looked her best after a good round of sex), but also was on the lookout for imperfections. Sure enough, she found a couple of blackheads to pinch out of her cheeks. She cleaned them out and returned to her room, enjoying the feel of the cool air of the hallway as it blew against her body. She entered and saw Ken still asleep in her bed. Hmm...time to get him up. She twirled the towel, stepped back, and flicked him on the rear with a fearsome SNAP. He jerked awake from the painful crack on his welt-covered skin. He instinctively rolled over and nursed his latest injury with his hands, exposing himself from the front. Lisa addressed him with her normal bedroom vocabulary: "OK, Bitch-boy, get up! Get your little fag ass out of my bed or I'm snappin' your balls!" With that she pulled the towel back and positioned it, ready to strike if Ken did not get out of bed immediately. He moved very fast, jumping up and standing at attention before Lisa had the chance to snap him again. He was horribly sore from last night's adventure and that first towel snap had been pure agony. He definitely did not want another one at that moment. In spite of how things might have looked to someone not familiar with their odd relationship, Lisa really was not being cruel to Ken at all. She was just giving him what he wanted. His penis began to stiffen as he stood straight, quietly anticipating either more punishment or more sex. Lisa reached down and gently massaged him, then dropped the towel and rubbed his swollen backside. She touched her breasts to his shoulder and gently began rubbing up and down with her nipples. "Yeah, I bet you like that, don't you, you fucking little pervert? I oughta snap you some more, shouldn't I?" "I like it..." She slapped him hard across the face. "God, you're disgusting! Turn around, sicko! Bend over and spread 'em!" Ken complied, exposing his battered backside for yet more pain and abuse. Lisa picked up the towel and delivered a loud SNAP right at the base, very close to his sphincter. He jerked and went hard immediately, his penis bobbing up and down from a very hard erection. She snapped him viciously a second time, but then stopped. Lisa, in spite of her own on-going soreness, could never resist a good hard-on. She tapped his shoulder, went on her hands and knees, arched her back, and lewdly exposed herself to her lover. "Fuck me, you creep! You'd better fuck me good or I'll really give you something to cry about! There was no need for any further foreplay. Ken positioned himself, grabbed Lisa's thighs, and plunged in. Lisa's body broke out in a sweat and she gasped. Now she would be really sore and would need another shower, but that didn't matter. What mattered for her was the sex and the orgasm of the moment. Ken, his entire body aching from last night's beatings, moved aggressively as pain and soreness combined with pleasure for a truly exquisite release of semen and energy into Lisa's lovely body. This was really, really good. ---------- Lisa returned to the empty women's bathroom, this time with Ken. As much as she might have wanted to do something more to him, there no longer was any time. She had an appointment and already would have to skip breakfast to make it. However, she and Ken took their time as they gently soaped each other's injuries and sore spots, showing care and tenderness that had been totally absent just a few minutes before in her room. She lathered up her hands and softly spread some soap on his purplish ass, then rinsed it off. She finished by gently kissing each side of his swollen bottom and patting it. He was equally gentle with her, very lightly soaping her raw pubic area to get the KY and semen off her body. Again she winced, because the soreness between her legs was worse than ever, but in a few minutes both of them were clean. They toweled each other off and prepared to face the day. They returned to her room to get dressed. Ken dressed in his usual loose fitting shorts and university t-shirt, plus a battered pair of slip-on shoes. He wadded up his underwear and stuffed it in his pocket, because there was no way his injured backside would stand any tight clothing pressing against his skin. Even wearing the loose-fitting shorts was pushing it. Lisa pulled a summer dress over her head and put on a pair of flip-flops. That was it; she planned to go out completely naked under the dress. It didn't matter, because she knew she'd be taking the dress off again in a couple of hours or so. Once her clothes came off, she had no idea how long it would be before she would be allowed to put them back on, so it made sense that she wear a single piece of clothing that was not likely to get lost. ---------- Ken's day would be much easier than Lisa's. He had to visit one his professors and check up on a summer project. He then would go to the library to pick up some books and later kick back and recover from last night's punishment. Hopefully he would turn in early and get a good night's sleep. Lisa, on the other hand, was very nervous, which partly explained why she had gone overboard punishing her boyfriend the night before. Today she had two appointments that promised to be the beginning of two important turning points in her life. The first appointment was with her economics professor, Dr, Ruth Burnside. Lisa was not sure what the appointment would be about, although she suspected it was something related to her career in the university. She did not know what Burnside wanted from her, but hoped that it was related to the recent departure of Cecilia Sanchez, the professor's former student aide. Maybe Lisa would be offered a job, which would be great, given that she was still paying out-of-state tuition and had been thinking about taking out a student loan. Following the appointment with Burnside, Lisa faced another activity that would fill up all of her free time that summer: she was about to become a sorority pledge. The experience of becoming a pledge was guaranteed to be grueling and painful, as well as demanding of her time and energies because of the sorority she had chosen. She was not pledging with one of those wimpy rich-bitch sororities, but instead the Four-Beta Sorority, the sister sorority of the infamous Tri-Alpha Fraternity. The Four-Betas were just as tough on their pledges as were the Tri-Alphas. Lisa had heard stories, now was the day she would find out for herself what the Four-Betas really expected of her. Ken would begin pledging the Tri-Alphas the following week as a summer pledge himself. There was a reason the women went first, and that was because the female pledges fully participated in the hazing of the male pledges. Lisa and her companions would be tested to make sure they could handle their responsibilities, and, assuming they passed, would help train the male pledges. Ken could relax now, but next week he could expect an experience every bit as grueling as what Lisa would face today. ---------- Lisa led Ken to the commons area of the dorm floor and kissed him goodbye, because men were not supposed to be on the women's wing unescorted. There was no one around to object to Ken walking down the women's area by himself, but out of habit Lisa escorted him out. She returned to her room to pick up her backpack and lock up. As she left her room for the day, Lisa glanced at the door of the room adjacent to hers. Just a short while before the neighboring room had been occupied by the floor RA, Cecilia Sanchez. Lisa realized that she would miss Cecilia, even though the two women had endured a very tense relationship. Both Lisa and Cecilia had dominating personalities, and each spent the past academic year trying to assert herself over the other as the leader of their small social group. The two young women had been friends, but they also had been rivals in an on-going contest in which Cecilia usually, but not always, came out on top. Lisa had promised herself that she would do a better job competing with Cecilia during her second year in college. However, Cecilia and her boyfriend suddenly and mysteriously had to leave the United States and had no idea when they would be back. Lisa would not have the chance to test her resolve to get the better of Cecilia this year because her former RA was now in Europe. There was much more to Lisa's feelings than the lost chance at besting Cecilia, however. Lisa realized that deep down she genuinely liked her rival, because the RA was so blunt and straightforward. Cecilia was not a deceptive person nor one interested in social posturing. Instead, she had spent the past year concerned about helping others as much as possible. She took the failure of any of the residents of her floor as a personal failure against herself and had spent much of her scarce personal time helping students with advice and assistance with coursework. Her efforts paid off, because the second floor of Huntington Hall had the lowest failure rate of any dorm floor on campus for the year. Under her rough façade, Cecilia was the most caring and trustworthy woman Lisa had ever known, in spite of being so hard to get along with. In spite of everything, Lisa would badly miss her. ---------- Lisa walked across the humid campus in the bright morning sunshine, making her way towards the Economics Department. As she entered the air-conditioned building, she began to shiver. Her skimpy clothing was fine for walking around outdoors, but the building's cold air blew up her dress and sent such a chill through her body that Lisa actually checked to make sure she was still covered. She also remembered that, because she was not wearing underwear, she would need to be careful when she sat down and not display herself to the professor. Dr. Burnside was dressed immaculately, wearing the same business outfit that she always wore at work, whether it was winter or summer. As always, her dark hair was pulled back and tightly done up in a bun. There was no make-up or any other ornamentation on the older woman, nothing at all to detract from the severity of her appearance. Whenever on campus Burnside was all business, regardless of the season or whether classes were in session. Burnside put out her hand to shake Lisa's hand before asking her to sit down. That was a good sign, because Lisa knew that the professor never offered a seat to a student if the purpose of the meeting was unpleasant. Burnside got right to the point: "OK, Lisa, I need to know if you've decided on your major." "Uh, no, Dr. Burnside, I was going to wait 'till this fall." "Why can't you do it now?" "I didn't see the point, I mean...why rush?" "Well, if you give a damn about your future, you need to rush. It's not going to do me any good to have an indecisive piece of fluff floating around my classes. I have an offer for you, but you need to declare yourself an economics major if you want to take it." "The job you were gonna give Cecilia?" "Yes. I'm offering you Cecilia's job, as my student aide. Things with Cecilia didn't work out quite like I was hoping, so you lucked out." Burnside sighed and continued: "I'm sure that you're aware that I was planning to make Cecilia my long-term assistant. Until three weeks ago, she was the one I had my eyes on. You'll find out that I like having the same person work under me as long as possible. My ideal set-up is to get someone as a sophomore and keep that same person through graduate school. That way I don't get any stupid little surprises, or if I do, it's only at the beginning. I can deal with them up-front and not worry about screw-ups later on. Well, now Cecilia's gone. No fault of her own, of course, but she's gone, and I need to someone I can trust to replace her. So, are you interested?" "Sure, Dr. Burnside, that'd be great." "Good. This takes a load off my mind because I think we know each other and have a good idea what we can expect from each other. If you do well as my student aide, I'll bump you up to Mark's Teaching Assistant job after he defends his dissertation and graduates." Burnside opened the two folders lying on her desk. One contained the form Lisa needed to sign to declare herself as an economics major. The second folder contained the contract giving her the job as Burnside's student aide. Lisa signed the declaration of major form and reached to sign the student aide form. Burnside grabbed her arm. "What the hell are you doing?" "Uh...signing the contract, Dr. Burnside..." "Without reading it? You're going to just sign a contract without reading it? What's wrong with you?" Chastened, Lisa read the contract. There was nothing outstanding about it, but she knew that Burnside was right, she would have been very foolish to sign something that important without first reading it. There was one detail that she had not anticipated, that as a student aide she had to get department approval for enrolling in any class outside the major. That was something important to know. Finally Lisa signed and handed the contract back to the professor. "There's something else, that's not written in the contract you just signed, but that I will hold you to if you ever do anything to piss me off. You understand that I prefer to keep disciplinary matters off the records and handle them in private?" "Uh...yes Dr. Burnside." "And you understand what that means? You got a taste of it in February, and if you ever screw up as my aide, more of the same is what you can expect. Agreed?" Lisa's heart skipped a beat. "I...yes, Dr. Burnside...I...Agreed. "Good. That's what you can expect working under me. As I said, I like to handle problems in private and not put them people's work records. Hopefully there won't be any unpleasantness between us, but if there is, you've been warned." "I...uh...yes, Dr. Burnside. I understand..." There was another issue that Lisa had not expected to have to bring up with Burnside, but now that a signed paper committing her as the professor's employee was sitting on her desk, it possibly could be an issue. "Dr. Burnside, there is one thing, uh...that I should've told you before I signed the contract." "What?" "I'm gonna be pledging with the Four-Beta Sorority this summer. I...I know you don't like 'Greeks' but...my boyfriend's pledging the Tri-Alphas and I..." "So, we have a sorority girl with us, huh?" "Yes. At least I hope so, if I get through the initiation..." "Alright, we'll have to work around that, as long they're willing to work around me. Have the chapter president call me. The Four-Betas are the one sorority I have no problems with." "So, you're OK with it?" "As long as it doesn't interfere with your responsibilities to the department, I have no problem with you pledging the Four-Betas. If it were any other sorority, I would have a problem." ---------- Lisa left Burnside's office with her mind in more turmoil than it had been when she went in. She anticipated working under the professor with both excitement and apprehension. She was flattered by the job offer, but at the same time not really surprised. She knew that Burnside had to pick someone to replace Cecilia, and she knew that she was a logical choice. She had the type of personality Burnside liked and had shown herself willing to put up with the woman's unusual ideas about personal and working relationships. Also, it was evident that Burnside liked Lisa, and she knew that the professor only wanted to work with students she felt she could get along with on a personal level. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 01 Lisa understood that there would be some underlying tension between herself and her new boss, because both women had strong personalities. They also had similar sexual tastes, which Lisa suspected was the real reason Burnside wanted her as her assistant. There was a hidden meaning in Burnside's statement "I think we know each other and have a good idea what we can expect from each other". She trusted Lisa because both women enjoyed erotic discipline. There were two more significant details that stood out about that morning's meeting. First, Burnside had not objected to Lisa's clothing, or lack of it, in her office. The professor understood that while she had a certain style and image she wanted to put forward to the world, her student had a very different self-image that she wanted to put forward. Burnside went for the austere and serious in her personal appearance, while Lisa went for showing off her body. Burnside might have said something had the younger woman's exhibitionism not been genuine, but in Lisa's case that was simply part of who she was. The other issue was Burnside's warning about what would happen if Lisa "screwed up". Although her new boss had not openly said it, she knew very well what Burnside meant. If Lisa ever made any mistake as the professor's assistant she faced physical punishment. She knew that with certainty, already having endured a session with Burnside's leather switch back in February. She wondered if it would be possible to make it through several years of working under the professor without getting punished at least once...five or six years of assisting Dr. Burnside and not making a single mistake... Ha! Not very likely. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 02 Chapter 2 - The Four-Beta House Her meeting with Burnside completed and a student aide's guidebook and copy of her contract now safely in her backpack, Lisa left the Economics Building and continued on her way to the Four-Beta Sorority. It was much hotter outside and Lisa was glad to be so lightly dressed as she made her way across the Student Center. The sun shined hotly on her face and shoulders, but the rest of her body felt quite comfortable under the light dress. An occasional soft breeze blew up her clothing and cooled off the still-sensitive area between her legs. The young woman exited the university campus and made her way up a tree-lined street towards the sorority house. She passed several other sorority houses before getting to her destination, all of which housed rich princesses who would never have accepted her into their miserable little circles. Not that it mattered, because Lisa wouldn't have given any of those pathetic bitches the time of day, let alone want to socialize with them. Until she and Ken learned about the Tri-Alpha Fraternity and its sister sorority the Four-Betas, it never would have occurred to either of them to join one of the "Greeks". However, precisely because the Tri-Alphas and Four-Betas were so different from the other fraternities and sororities, Ken and Lisa became interested in joining last spring. Ken had decided to commit to pledging the Tri-Alphas first, and when Lisa started dating him, she decided to follow him and join the Four-Betas. The decision was not one to be taken lightly, because the fraternity and its sister sorority demanded a radical change of personal lifestyle from their members, which included harsh physical activities and frequently surrendering one's own body. Lisa was very nervous, because momentarily she would surrender herself and submit to a group of strangers, a very difficult action for someone like her who had a strong character and controlling personality. The Four-Beta house was quite large, one of the largest sorority houses on the street. It was an old house, a mansion probably built around 1925. The grounds and the building itself were immaculate. A very tall hedge surrounded the entire back of the property, protecting a swimming pool, sun deck, and hot tub from public view. Having a tall hedge concealing the back yard was important, because the sorority strictly prohibited clothing in the pool area. Lisa drew a deep breath and rang the doorbell. As previously instructed in her admission letter, she backed away from the door and knelt on a small mat marked with the Four-Beta insignia. She now was a pledge, and until accepted as a full member of the sorority she would have to endure an inferior social status in the house. She would be required to kneel before greeting any full member of the sorority until her probation ended. The kneeling requirement applied not only at the sorority house itself, but also when talking to any Four-Beta member on campus. The kneeling requirement was an important reason why Lisa wanted to pledge in the summer instead of the fall. The door opened and an attractive, tall, dark-haired woman glanced down at the kneeling pledge. Lisa knelt forward, touched her head to the porch, then knelt upright. "Pledge Lisa reporting for duty, ma'am." "Good afternoon, Pledge Lisa. I'm glad to see you. My name's Tracy, and I'm handling your orientation today. Do you have your registration packet ready?" "Yes, ma'am." Still kneeling, Lisa took a folder of contracts and releases from her backpack and handed it to her companion. The other woman briefly looked it over. Satisfied, she organized the papers and closed the folder. "Follow me, Pledge Lisa." Lisa stood up and followed her companion into the house. They passed through an ornate entryway and descended into the basement. The basement had been remodeled and divided into several large rooms; the most austere of which was the pledge room. Lisa followed her guide into the pledge room, which was empty except for a row of lockers, four army cots, a small sofa, and a very sturdy-looking table. On the back wall there were three open shower stalls, a toilet, and two sinks. The showers and toilet sat out completely in the open, anyone wanting to use them would be doing so in full view of the rest of the room. The pledge room itself did not have a door, since Four-Beta pledges did not have the right to enjoy any privacy or modesty. Tracy took out a set of keys and unlocked the padlock to one of the lockers. She opened the door and continued: "Pledge Lisa, this'll be your locker. Go ahead and get your clothes off and put everything inside." "Everything?" "Yes, everything. Of course, everything. Didn't you read the orientation letter?" Lisa kicked off her shoes and placed them on the floor in the locker. She pulled the dress over her head and hung it up on one of the hooks in the back. For her there was no real shock going from being dressed to being completely naked, precisely because she had started out wearing so little. Finally she took a deep breath and picked up the backpack to place on top of her shoes inside the locker. The moment Lisa finished placing her personal items inside the locker, Tracy pushed the door shut and closed the padlock. Lisa noticed that the padlock was quite sturdy, one of those heavy-duty padlocks normally used to secure a garage door or an industrial tool shed. There was absolutely no way she could open it on her own, and only key to that lock was on Tracy's key ring. That detail meant Lisa could only access her personal items with Tracy's permission. Tracy moved in front of Lisa and gave her a very sharp look. Lisa, her heart pounding, stood at attention, not knowing what else to do. "Alright, Pledge Lisa, there's something that you and I need to get straight with each other, and we're gonna do that right now. Do you understand that you just broke a rule of your pledge commitment?" "I...uh...wha...what rule was it, ma'am?" "You forced me to repeat an order. I told you to put your stuff in the locker, and instead of doing it you just stood there questioning me. That's not a good way to start out, and I don't appreciate it, you get it?" Tracy punctuated her statement by poking her finger into Lisa's bare chest. "But...but ma'am, I wasn't questioning you. I just wanted to make sure that..." "GET YOUR ASS IN THE FRONT-LEANING REST POSITION...NOW!!!" Lisa, terrified at the change in her mentor's voice and sudden savage demeanor, clumsily dropped to the floor. She positioned her arms to do pushups and balanced as best she could on her hands and toes. She was in excellent physical condition, so her tall thin body formed a graceful straight line, much to Tracy's satisfaction. "You do NOT argue with me, get it? You will NEVER argue with me again, or I WILL fuck you up! I WILL make your life a living hell! GET IT?" "Yes, ma'am!" "Alright, we'll just see how much you get it, Pledge! In cadence, exercise! ONE...TWO...THREE..." "ONE!" "ONE...TWO...THREE..." "TWO!" "ONE...TWO...THREE..." "THREE!" "ONE...TWO...THREE..." At the count of ten, Tracy paused but did not let Lisa get up. The pledge was quite winded and her skin glistening with sweat. She had completed a full set of ten military-style four-count push-ups, which in reality meant she had done a total of 20. Fortunately, her arms were strong from working out and she was able to hold her position. Another member of the sorority came into the pledge room with a couple of guys, one of whom Lisa recognized as an officer in the Tri-Alpha fraternity. While Lisa struggled to remain in the front-leaning-rest position, Tracy casually chatted with the newcomers. The conversation shifted to Lisa, as Tracy described her pledge's qualifications and background. While they conversed, the others glanced down as her sweaty, trembling, naked body. Tracy continued talking with an incredulous tone in her voice. "I can't believe what she just pulled, like, within a minute of coming into this house! This little bitch argued with me! All this effort I'm putting into helping her get settled in, and she actually argued with me!" The Tri-Alpha guy who Lisa recognized chimed in: "That's not a good way to start, Pledge." "No, sir." "If you'd pulled that shit with me, you'd have lot more to worry about than a few push-ups." "Yes, sir." The truth was that Lisa was very afraid that there was more to worry about than "a few push-ups". Under normal circumstances at the very least she could have expected a couple of belt swats across her unprotected bottom. However, Tracy had decided not to inflict any physical punishment because Pledge Lisa had not yet taken her ID photos. That might have saved Lisa's skin, but Tracy decided that her pledge owed her more pushups. Again she screamed: "In cadence, exercise! ONE...TWO...THREE..." "ONE!" "ONE...TWO...THREE..." "TWO!" "ONE...TWO...THREE..." "THREE!" "ONE...TWO...THREE..." Lisa did not do nearly as well on the second set of push-ups as she had done on the first. After having done the first set of 20 push-ups and then being forced to stay several minutes in the front-leaning rest position, her muscles started to give out. With every bit of strength left she managed to make it through the first eight counts, but then couldn't do any more. Her arms shook badly and she pushed her bottom up as she struggled to not collapse on the floor. She was aware that by pushing her bottom up, she was completely exposing herself to her spectators, but the choice was either that or fall to the floor. At that moment another Four-Beta member entered, leading an attractive, petite black woman into the pledge room. The new pledge glanced at Lisa with alarm, realizing that momentarily she would face the same harsh discipline. "Pledge Cherine, this'll be your locker. Get your clothes off and put everything inside." "Yes, ma'am." Lisa watched over her shoulder as Cherine nervously took off her clothes. Her street clothing was much less revealing than Lisa's light dress: consisting of a T-shirt, cargo pants, a thick bra, and a standard pair of panties. As each item of clothing came off the newcomer became increasingly nervous, obviously distressed that the guys showed no sign of leaving the room. Cherine became even more distressed when her mentor expressed disapproval of her underwear. "Alright, Pledge. Put your clothes in the locker, except that underwear. That's going in the trash. If you think you're gonna be a Four-Beta you'd better change your ideas about underwear, and change them fast. Don't you ever let me catch you wearing anything like that again!" "Y...yes, ma'am!" Cherine took the two articles of clothing and looked around the room with a terrified expression, wondering where the trashcan was and struggling to not cover herself in front of her two male spectators. She was smart enough to know that if she dared try to cover her body she faced severe punishment, but was using every bit of her willpower to fight her instincts and 18 years of ingrained modesty. "The trash cans are upstairs, right outside the kitchen. Take that crap up there and be quick about it!" "Yes, ma'am." The naked black girl disappeared through the door and ran up the stairs. A moment later Lisa could hear her coming back down, minus the offending garments. She stood at attention in front of her mentor, trying to ignore her audience and her still-prone fellow pledge. Her pledge mentor, who was called Heather, put a heavy-duty padlock on her locker and latched it. Like Lisa, Cherine now was separated from her personal items and could only retrieve them with Heather's permission. By the time Cherine's locker was sealed, Lisa was desperately struggling to stay in position, her arms and legs shaking and sweat trickling down her body. It was obvious she was suffering, and Cherine's wide fearful eyes couldn't keep from glancing over at her. She glanced one time too many, and her mentor noticed. "What's your problem, Pledge Cherine, you want to join her?" "No, ma'am!" "I think you do! You keep looking over there, and to me that means you wanna join her! No problem from my end! Get you ass over there, in the front-leaning rest position, now!" Cherine took her place next to Lisa, shaking not from fatigue, but from terror. In one aspect Lisa was the luckier of the two young women. She was completely uninhibited about being undressed in front of other people, while it was obvious that Cherine had never before been naked in public. Tracy's voice barked out the command: "In cadence, exercise! ONE...TWO...THREE..." "ONE!" "ONE...TWO...THREE..." "TWO!" "ONE...TWO...THREE..." "THREE!" "ONE...TWO...THREE..." The two young women's bodies could not have contrasted more, one short and one tall, one black and the other white. However, both performances were quite pathetic, because neither was able to properly do the push-ups. Lisa was totally exhausted, while Cherine was not used to exercising. Sweat and tears rolled down their cheeks as Tracy continued to berate them for their inept efforts. Lisa recoiled at the total unfairness of the situation, being yelled at along with Cherine, even though she already had done more than forty push-ups, while her companion was starting from scratch. Tracy's voice dripped with total disgust as she ordered the two naked pledges to "recover". They stood at attention breathing heavily with sweat running down their bodies. "Alright, you two. Shower-up, and make it quick. Then I want you in front of your lockers, ready to move out!" "Yes, ma'am!" Lisa and Cherine quickly jumped into the two showers, soaped off, and dried themselves with small towels. Lisa noticed the towels were the same type used in the dorms at the university, barely the size of a bathmat and too small to wrap around a person's body. Four-Beta pledges had no right to cover their bodies, not even with towels. In front of the lockers were two pairs of beach sandals, the only item the Four-Beta pledges would be allowed to wear when going outside during Four-Beta functions. The two pledges put on the sandals and stood at attention at their lockers, desperately trying to ignore the stares from their audience of three women and two men. Unfortunately, it turned out that the two Tri-Alpha members were not there just to gawk. They had come to escort the two newcomers over to the fraternity, where they would endure a medical examination, have their ID pictures taken and be sworn in. Tracy ordered the two pledges to march towards the door and up the stairs. They were ordered to continue out the front door and across the front lawn towards a waiting minivan. The mid-day sun shined hot on their bodies as they waited for Tracy to open the side panel door of the van. There were several college students out on the sidewalk, a couple of whom whistled at the two naked young women as they climbed into the vehicle. Once inside, Lisa and Cherine saw two towels laid out on the seat behind the driver, indicating where they needed to sit. One of the Tri-Alphas jumped into the front passenger's seat beside the driver, while the other guy and two of the Four-Betas climbed into the back seat. For a moment Tracy stood at the door of the van and snapped a couple of pictures of Heather and Cherine as they put on their safety belts. Then she jumped in, pulled the side door shut, and settled on the seat next to the two pledges. The van pulled away from the sorority and made its way to the Tri-Alpha house, which was just a couple of blocks away. Except for the soreness in her arms, so far Lisa was none the worse for her experience. She had expected everything that had happened to her, which was one of the reasons she had decided not to wear any underwear before coming over to the sorority. Objectionable underwear was one thing she could eliminate to avoid getting reprimanded. She had not anticipated being punished simply for trying to get clarification for Tracy's first command, but she was aware that unreasonable demands and military-style punishments were an important part of the pledge process. There would be plenty of physical punishment as well, paddlings and belt-whippings for particularly serious offenses. However, on a day-to-day basis the sorority mostly used yelling and military-style exercises to discipline pledges because the members did not want to risk injury or have the newcomers too badly marked up. Lisa glanced over at Cherine. Her fellow pledge was absolutely terrified and miserable. Her dark eyes were wide with fright and she seemed very close to crying. It was very clear that Cherine had not really understood how intense an experience pledging the Four-Betas would actually be. Yes, she had read the orientation manual, but still had not really comprehended what she was getting herself into. Lisa felt that if she had a couple of moments alone with her companion, she might be able to comfort her and at least help her get through the day, but who knew when that would be. The minivan pulled to a stop at an intersection as the driver signaled to make a left turn. An SUV pulled next to the minivan, with an older guy dressed in a suit at the wheel. His eyes went wide when he saw that two of the passengers in the back of the vehicle next to him were completely naked. "No covering up, you two. What happens, happens." Cherine stared straight ahead as she clenched her fists under her thighs and began shaking. Lisa actually found the situation a bit fun. She smiled at the neighboring driver, waved at him, and blew him a kiss. The older man's mouth dropped open as the van made its turn and continued on down the street. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 03 Chapter 3 - Medical Exam A couple more turns and a couple blocks later, the van arrived at the Tri-Alpha house. The fraternity house was somewhat larger than the Four-Beta house and closer to the university. Like the sorority, the fraternity was clean and very well maintained. Lisa noticed a rival fraternity across the street that had trash in the yard and was not nearly as nice, but she knew that the guys over there were a bunch of drunks. At the Tri-Alpha house a passer-by would never see any beer bottles or party trash, because neither the Tri-Alphas nor the Four-Betas permitted alcohol on their properties. Drunkenness and drug use were grounds for immediate and permanent expulsion from both the fraternity and its sister sorority. The minivan pulled up to the sidewalk, which meant the two pledges would have to walk up the driveway to get into the house. Again they had to listen to whistles and catcalls from the neighboring fraternities as they made their way in the bright sunlight to the front door. Tracy rang the doorbell. "Alright you two, you know the drill. On your knees. Show these gentlemen respect, and you'll get respect. Don't show them respect, and your asses will pay." "Yes, ma'am." The two naked women sank to their knees, just in time for the door to open. Three young men, all of them well dressed, answered the door. Lisa recognized one of them as the newly elected Tri-Alpha chapter president. Tracy tapped her with her foot, her cue to address the hosts. "Pledge Lisa requests permission to speak." "Speak, Pledge Lisa." "Pledge Lisa asks permission for herself and Pledge Cherine to enter." "Permission granted, Pledge Lisa. You and Pledge Cherine may enter." The two pledges stood up, hugely relieved at finally being able to get off the street and out of sight of the other fraternities. They kicked off their sandals and went into a huge sitting room that also served as the Tri-Alpha ceremonial room. Two other naked young women already were kneeling on the floor. Tracy introduced them as Pledge Bernadette and Pledge Kathleen. Lisa had been told that there were a total of four pledges in the summer group, and realized the two kneeling women must be the other two summer pledges. Lisa and Cherine took their places next to the other two women and sank to their knees. In spite of being physically fit and almost exactly same age, the four women's bodies were very different from each other. Lisa was tall and thin, her bleach-blond hair contrasting with her deeply tanned body. Cherine was the shortest member of the group, with beautiful solid dark skin that contrasted with the skin-tones of her three companions. Bernadette's body was soft and perfectly white except for a few faint freckles on her arms and shoulders. Kathleen's body was sharply two-toned; her deeply tanned legs, shoulders, and lower back contrasting with her white bottom and breasts. Several more well-dressed fraternity and sorority members entered the room, including the chapter president of the Four-Betas, the chapter vice-president, and the treasurer. Heather, the sorority's sergeant-in-arms, stood next to the four aspirants, holding a notebook and a riding crop. Lisa found it interesting that both the Tri-Alphas and the Four-Betas were fairly representative of the U.S. college-aged population as a whole. Two of the Four-Beta officers were black, as was the Tri-Alpha chapter vice-president. The fraternity's sergeant-in-arms looked Hispanic, and one of the Four-Beta assistants was Asian. Cherine was the only black member of the small pledge group, but most definitely she would not be out of place once she became a full-standing member of the sorority. Lisa, whose sharp eyes caught everything, noticed the Tri-Alpha vice-president looking longingly at Cherine. He to be seemed smitten with the young woman the moment he laid eyes one her. That was no surprise, because Cherine was quite attractive. If she could get over her shyness and make it through the initiation, she easily could have her pick of the guys in the fraternity. There was no question that Lisa planned to tell her companion about the vice-president's interest in her, because there was a good chance Cherine could play his attraction to get herself more lenient treatment whenever she had to perform duties in the Tri-Alpha house. That would be important, because Lisa could tell that her companion was seriously considering backing out of her pledge commitment. Lisa hoped that the prospect of better treatment in the fraternity and a possible relationship with one of the Tri-Alpha officers might be enough to motivate Cherine to stay in. Lisa knew what was coming next. It was customary that all new pledges, both male and female, be subjected to a medical examination before the ID pictures and the swearing-in ceremony. The medical examination had to be conducted in full view of the officers of both the sorority and fraternity. The exam was a very rough experience for anyone with any modesty and was considered an important test of a pledge's suitability to continue the initiation process. Not only did the fraternity and sorority want to ensure that their members had full knowledge of the human body, but also they used the medical examinations as an important means to evaluate each pledge's willingness to obey orders and part with any remaining inhibitions. On that day the female pledges were required to subject themselves to public medical examinations, while Ken his fellow male pledges would face similar examinations from the Four-Betas before they swore in the following week. The rules of the fraternity and its sister sorority required examiners to be the opposite sex of the subjects being examined. Conducting the pledge examinations was an official duty of the junior class; Tri-Alpha juniors examined Four-Beta pledges, and Four-Beta juniors examined Tri-Alpha pledges. To that rule there was an important exception. If a pledge declared himself homosexual or herself lesbian on the initial application form, then the medical examinations were conducted by juniors of the same sex. Lisa and her three companions were all straight, so the fraternity guys would examine them all. The equipment in the room included a padded examination table, a full set of medical instruments, two treadmills, and a gynecological examination chair. The table and treadmills would be used first, while the chair would be used during the final part of the medical evaluation. Ten young men wearing white doctors' smocks, stethoscopes, and medical gloves marched single file into the room. The group split, with five males lining up on one side of the table and five lining up on the other side. Each examiner was holding a clipboard with medical charts attached. Heather addressed the first pledge: "Pledge Kathleen, stand up and step forward please." "Yes, ma'am." The young woman stood up and took several steps forward. The Four-Beta chapter president approached trembling pledge. She pointed at the floor, indicating that she needed to get back on her knees. "Pledge Kathleen. Those tan lines are completely unacceptable!" "I...uh...yes, ma'am." "If you know that, then why do you have 'em?" "I...I went to the lake last week with my parents on their boat...you know, like...'cause I was with 'em...and I...I couldn't go without a swimsuit, you know...like...not in front of my family..." "Well, they look like shit, and we don't allow it. All right, Pledge. I'm gonna let you slide, just because it was with your folks. I'm giving you till the end of the week to get those tan-lines off your body. After your ID pictures are taken you will immediately report to sergeant-in-arms Heather and she'll tell you what you need to do." "Yes, ma'am. Thank you, ma'am." "Alright, Pledge, get back with the others." "Yes, ma'am!" As Kathleen turned around, the leader of the Four-Betas landed a sharp slap on her bottom, marking her un-tanned skin with a vivid pink handprint. Kathleen, very nervous and totally embarrassed, knelt and re-joined the other pledges. The Tri-Alpha chapter president stepped forward, holding a large old-style glass thermometer in his hand. Lisa recognized it as a rectal thermometer, wondering if her companions realized how their body temperatures were about to be taken. A vague feeling of erotic excitement swept over her as she speculated how the tube of glass would feel inserted into her tender backside. She wondered what position she and the others would assume and how long they would have to stay still until their temperatures registered. She found the entire idea, exposing the most intimate part of herself to one of those guys in the white smocks, feeling the gloved finger as it gently lubricated and massaged her exposed sphincter, and finally feeling of the uncompromising cold glass as it invaded her body...the whole idea totally excited her. Her heart rate picked up and she could feel the beginnings of wetness between her legs. Oh, please...not the wetness, she thought to herself. Not here...not now... The president of the Tri-Alphas began speaking, as his counterpart from the Four-Betas stood at his side. "Alright Pledges, we're gonna get started. As you all know, an important goal of the Tri-Alpha and Four-Beta program is for our members to become thoroughly familiar with the human body. The human body is the temple that houses our souls, and therefore to understand life we must start by completely understanding the temple of our own flesh. As part of our journey to enlighten ourselves we first seek to become knowledgeable about our own bodies, and then knowledgeable about the bodies of other people. An important part of that wealth of knowledge is medical training. We seek to become completely proficient in conducting basic medical evaluations, enduring rigorous physical training, and administering first aid. As freshmen and sophomores you will routinely subject yourselves to medical examinations, but by your third year with us you will be fully qualified and expected to conduct medical examinations yourselves. Four years from now, or whenever you choose to complete your time with us, the human body will hold no secrets from you." The president of the Four-Betas gestured to the four kneeling pledges, who responded in unison: "Yes, sir." The Tri-Alpha president continued: "An important part of our practical knowledge of the human body is our knowledge of each other. Every person in this room will become intimately familiar with each of your bodies, and, as time passes, you will become intimately familiar with each of us." "Yes, sir" "We'll start out by doing a general check-up. We'll be taking your temperatures, collecting specimens, and finally looking you over more thoroughly. Well check you head to toe: your vitals, your physical fitness, blood pressure, and heartbeat. We'll check your reflexes, eyes, hearing, and then finally look for any lesions, cysts, signs of breast cancer, vaginal infections, polyps, hemorrhoids, yeast...the works. We've got our own heath insurance plan and as of now you are covered. If we find anything wrong we'll forward you to a specialist and you'll get it fixed, on us. We take care of our own." "Yes, sir. Thank you, sir." "Alright, let's get started. Anyone want to go first?" The pledges glanced at each other with very frightened and bewildered expressions. They had known that the medical exam was an important test of their resolve to continue with their pledge commitment, but now that the moment had come, they were totally humiliated and terrified. Even Lisa was scared, but her anxiety was mixed with anticipation and intense sexual arousal. At that moment Lisa realized she needed to take the initiative for her group. She needed to volunteer to go first, let her fellow pledges watch her be examined, and then give moral support as each of the others went through the upcoming ordeal. Lisa could tell that all three of her companions were wavering, wondering whether they could really face an entire summer of pledging. No, they couldn't quit; that couldn't be allowed to happen. Lisa's character and her instincts for helping the others demanded that she not let any of them drop out. They would make it through the pledge process, all four of them, as a group. They would make it, because Lisa would take the lead and the others would follow her. She stood up. "I'm ready, sir. With your permission, I'll go first." "OK, Pledge Lisa. Hop up on the table and we'll get started." "Yes, sir." With that Lisa sat on the table and her examination began. She was a bit surprised at the professionalism of the juniors examining her as they asked her to cough, took her pulse and blood pressure, looked down her throat, shined lights into her ears and eyes, and checked her reflexes. The noted several old scars on her knees from childhood bicycle accidents and asked her at length about her medical history. The group took turns examining her, switching off to take down notes that later would be consolidated into a single medical file. The juniors then told her to lie on her back while they checked her digestive system by pressing their fingers into her intestines. They pressed her uterus and noted her appendectomy scar. Finally two new examiners took notes about her breasts and checked them for lumps. The two young men moved their fingers in circles around Lisa's breasts and lymph nodes, in a serious effort to find any problems. One of them did find a small lump and made a note in his chart to have Lisa see a doctor to check it out. More than likely nothing serious, he told her, but why take chances? Lisa's examiners switched off again. One of them told her to sit up and get on her knees and elbows on the table. She complied, turning her bottom towards her companions and assuming the required position. The exhibitionist in her came out full-force as she spread her knees, arched her back, and lewdly exposed herself to everyone in the room. A warm feeling of erotic excitement swept over her as she felt a gloved hand touch her bottom and a fingertip gently spread Vaseline over her bottom-hole. Her examiner, who was well aware that she was excited and was getting aroused himself, let her wait a moment before inserting the thermometer. He wanted to allow his patient's anticipation to build before the glass rod made its way inside her. The juniors made more notes in their charts while Lisa remained on her elbows and knees and the thermometer stayed in place inside her backside. Everyone was looking at her, and she was loving it. She was disappointed when she felt the thermometer slide out. However, her examiner, who was enjoying Lisa's examination every bit as much as she was enjoying it, decided to prolong her ordeal. "I don't think we got a good reading. Let me shake it down and we'll try again." Again the fingertip gently massaged her sphincter, and again the thermometer made its way inside. She held her position for several minutes before the thermometer slid back out. To her disappointment she heard: "Alright, that reading was good. Your temperature's normal, but your heart rate seems a bit high and you have quite a bit of vaginal discharge." The junior changed gloves and again lubricated the fingertip. "We'll be done in just a second, Pledge. I'm just gonna do a rectal exam and then we'll move you to the chair." The young man slid his finger deep inside Lisa's bottom and began exploring her insides. The feeling was totally weird, but she loved it and was becoming even more aroused. At that moment Lisa forgot all about Ken and fantasized about being bent over, her hands and feet immobilized, surrendering her bottom to that guy in the white lab-coat. Neither Ken nor her former boyfriend had ever taken her from behind, but as that stranger's finger continued to move around that fantasy totally filled her thoughts and desires. Take me...take me...take me...that's it...up the ass...yes...fuck me right up the ass... All too soon the Tri-Alpha pulled his finger out of Lisa's bottom, but he instructed her to stay in position so he could wipe her clean. The gentle touches of the cool wipe cleared away the remnants of her temperature taking and exam, but only added to her intense excitement. Lisa eagerly moved to the gynecological chair. She placed her legs in the stirrups and found her body even more exposed than before. As she felt the cool air-conditioning of the room blow against her very wet vagina, Lisa looked around and noticed everyone in the room continuing to stare at her. Her breathing shuttered and was irregular from her arousal and by now her entire private area was very wet. Heather and Tracy talked quietly, first between themselves, and then to the guy who had done Lisa's temperature taking and rectal exam. This wasn't the first time a pledge had become so aroused during an examination. Usually it was the guys who needed to be calmed down, but Lisa was not the first woman who ever got out of control, nor would she be the last. There was a solution, and it was quite simple... Tracy put her hand on Lisa's forearm: "Pledge Lisa, we're gonna need to calm you down. We're used to this, but usually it's with the guys." "I...I'm sorry, ma'am. It's just..." "That's OK, Pledge. Just close your eyes and try to relax. We'll take care of it." Take care of it? Take care of what? However, Lisa did as she was ordered and closed her eyes. She felt a cloth descend over the top part of her face and heard the footsteps of several people coming close to her. Then, all over her skin she felt the light touches of several sets of fingertips. The touches explored her entire body, seeking her most vulnerable and sensitive areas. She felt the light caresses on her face, her lips, her nipples, her stomach, her legs, and finally her exposed pelvis. The touches were tentative and teasing, leaving her desperate for more. It was obvious that the Tri-Alphas knew what they were doing and that her climax was not far off. Soon she was moaning in desperation as a series of light touches centered on massaging the juices of her arousal. As she came close to climaxing the smell of her orgasm permeated the entire room. A fingertip expertly teased her clitoris. Lisa knew it probably was one of the Tri-Alphas who was touching her, but fantasized that it was either Heather or Tracy. As she had fantasized just a few minutes before about being fucked up the ass, now she was fantasizing about submitting to the two strong-willed women who were bossing her and Cherine around. Oh, Tracy, if only it were you doing this to me...I'd be yours...oh yes...take me...seduce me... The Tri-Alphas forced Lisa to climax, but took their time prolonging her orgasm. Perspiration covered her body as she shuddered and moaned from the delicious feeling of all those hands on her body, and especially that one expert hand between her legs that was guiding her through such exquisite joy. The three other pledges continued to kneel as they watched the seduction of their companion in total disbelief. Lisa, easily the strongest-willed member of the group, now was completely under the control of her examiners. There was not a hint of pride or self-control in her as she spread herself desperately wanting that orgasm to continue. The physical sensations she was enjoying filled every thought in her head and momentarily took over her entire world. Finally the spell broke and the orgasm came to an end. Lisa remained in her chair, her legs spread wide and her body on display to everyone in the room. She was exhausted, totally and deliciously exhausted. Her body reeked from sweat and sexual arousal. Lisa's examiners went back to work. They measured her pulse and heartbeat as her breathing returned to normal. One of the guys rolled a cart of medical instruments close to the examination chair and lubricated a speculum. He took a seat between her legs and pushed the device inside. He examined her and called out his observations to another Tri-Alpha writing into a medical form. He calmly conducted a pap smear and handed the sample to another member of the examination team who took it out of the room. The patient, still coming down off the high of her recent orgasm, barely noticed anything from the gynecological portion of her exam. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 03 One of the team members announced to the others that he did not think that Pledge Lisa needed to get on the treadmill, because he had taken a good reading of her heart rate right after she climaxed and several more as her pulse returned to normal. "I honestly don't think we're gonna get her heart rate that high again no matter how hard we run her. I'm pretty sure she was maxed out." The others agreed and Lisa was spared a 15-minute run on the treadmill. The examination ended with the unpleasant part of drawing blood for various medical tests. The fraternity had its own specialized chair for blood drawing, which made sense because the Tri-Alphas sponsored frequent blood drives as well as examining their own members. After the pledge sat down one of the Tri-Alpha juniors expertly drew her blood, as well as any nurse could have taken it. He barely left a mark in her arm, one that would be gone the next day. Her medical exam now was finished and a member of the examination team helped her get out of her chair. Two new Tri-Alphas dressed in matching shorts and t-shirts entered the room and were directed to take Lisa's arms. The newcomers led her into the hallway and guided her to a large bathroom at the end of the building. The bathroom had a large shower stall with several long flexible nozzles. It also had a pair of chains with cuffs hanging from the ceiling. The two Tri-Alphas directed the pledge's attention to a small sign bolted on the wall next to the shower. Lisa read: Pledge Shower Pledges using this facility are required to request assistance. Under no circumstance may a pledge enter this room unescorted. Pledges requiring assistance will show proper behavior and respect to upper classmen at all times. Lisa, still somewhat tired and disoriented from her medical exam, knelt, not knowing what else to do. The guys left her kneeling while they got undressed. Now as naked as their pledge, they took position in front of her. Lisa was scared at the thought of being nude in a bathroom with two naked guys, but she continued to kneel quietly. For a moment the room was full of tense silence, because she did not understand what she needed to do. Finally one of the Tri-Alphas broke the silence with an irritated voice. "Pledge, you need to ask us to help you get cleaned up." Lisa swallowed hard, and forced herself to comply. "Sir, Pledge Lisa asks permission to speak." "Yes Pledge Lisa, you may speak." "Sir, I need you to help me get cleaned up. Would you do me that favor, please?" "Sure, Pledge Lisa, we'll be happy to help you." The two males took Lisa's hands and helped her stand up. The moved her hands to the cuffs and tightened them around her wrists. "Close your eyes and tilt your head back. We'll start with your hair." Lisa heard the water come on and then the warm spray as one of the Tri-Alphas ran a nozzle over her scalp. She heard the click of a shampoo bottle lid and felt the cold dab of shampoo on her head. A pair of hands gently massaged the shampoo into her hair and quickly rinsed it off. She felt a washcloth pass soap over her face, and then a second washcloth cleaning it off. The nozzle again shot water into her hair, and then, on a gentler setting, washed the remaining soap from her face. Two nozzles covered her body with warm water before two sets of hands lathered soap over her entire body from her neck to her feet. The guys seemed to take longer than necessary soaping her breasts, but she found that quite enjoyable, if not exactly erotic. One of the men spent a very long time soaping and massaging Lisa's bottom. He ran his soapy fingers between her bottom cheeks, gently rubbing back and forth to make sure that her sphincter was completely clean. The other guy did her stomach and pubic area, running his fingers through the stubble of her pubic hair and massaging her vagina. A wave of sexual desire suddenly entered Lisa. She gasped as the massaging of her bottom-hole and her vagina continued. The guy behind her continued to concentrate on massaging her bottom and part of her back, while the one in front massaged her pelvis and stomach. Lisa gasped a second time as she experienced yet another exquisite orgasm at the hands of the Tri-Alphas. These guys are good, she thought to herself. They're really good at this. Two nozzles sprayed two jets of water over Lisa's body to clean off the remaining soap. She felt a towel pass up and down her body and another drying off her hair. Finally two blow-dryers, one for her body and one for her hair, removed the final traces of water from the shower. The guys unbuckled the cuffs and led her to the bathroom sink. They soaped her hands and gently massaged and washed them for the final part of her cleaning. Lisa's hands had been the one part of her body they couldn't wash while she was immobilized by the cuffs, so they needed to be done separately. Finally one of the guys laid a clean towel on the floor and pointed at it, indicating the Lisa needed to assume the kneeling position of a pledge. As she watched the two guys dry themselves and get dressed, Lisa felt totally relaxed and cleaner than she had ever felt in her life. She was genuinely grateful for the experience they had given her and wished that she could thank them in some way. Once they were dressed, the shower attendants led Lisa back to the sitting room. She re-entered to see Kathleen on her lying back on the examination table and Cherine sweating on the treadmill. Bernadette was still kneeling on the floor with a very frightened expression on her face. She seemed hugely relieved to see Lisa return bathed and apparently none the worse for her experience. Lisa returned to her kneeling position next to Bernadette and whispered: "Nothing to worry about. They got me hooked for sure." "So everything's OK?" "Oh yeah, you can say that. Wait 'till they put you in the shower. You'll see how OK it really is." The two women's attention was drawn to Kathleen and her examiners, who seemed to be discussing a problem with their patient. The examination of her stomach had revealed that she was badly constipated. Her examiners were asking her a series of questions, and finally closed in on the problem. "Pledge, what have you had to drink today?" "Uh...a couple of cups of coffee in the morning, and...I guess some soda." "With caffeine?" "Yes, sir." "The soda too?" "Yes, sir." "No water or juice?" "Uh, no sir..." "Well, now we know why you're constipated. Come-on, Pledge, get a clue! It's summer! You need to drink more than just coffee and soda! That'll dehydrate you, and that explains why your guts are full of dry shit!" Tears began running down Kathleen's cheeks. She was horrified at the thought of having such an intimate secret aired so publicly. "Sit up, Pledge! We're gonna get this fixed!" One of the shower attendants left the room and came back with a large glass of mineral water, with ice and a couple of lemon slices. Kathleen sat quietly drinking while everyone in the room waited for her to empty the glass. While Kathleen struggled to drink the water, her examiner instructed the two guys in shorts to "prepare a solution". They left the room and momentarily came back with large towel, a full enema bag, and a tube of lubricant. One of the guys laid out a towel on the floor, while the other presented the bag to the examiner. He shook down a thermometer and dipped it in to check the water's temperature. Kathleen, her eyes wide and her body fidgeting, stared at the enema with terror. Heather addressed her. "Pledge have you ever had an enema before?" "I...I mean...no, ma'am...I haven't" "It's a bit scary the first time, but we need to get you cleaned out." "Ma'am...Please! I can't do that! I can't! Please don't make me..." Kathleen jumped off the table and covered herself. Lisa's heart sank. That was it, Kathleen had chickened out. Lisa raised her hand. "Ma'am, Pledge Lisa requests permission to speak." "What, Pledge Lisa?" "Pledge Kathleen, please listen to me! It's not so bad! Really it isn't! Me and my boyfriend do it all the time..." Kathleen, totally terrified, started to cry. Lisa realized that the problem was not just Kathleen. All three of her fellow pledges had panicked and were about to chicken out. Bernadette had covered her breasts and looked about to jump up, while Cherine had stopped running and also was covering herself. Breaking pledge protocol, Lisa jumped up. "Look, Kathleen, I'll do it! I'll take the enema for you, and I'll show you it's really nothing to worry about!" The members of the sorority and fraternity exchanged looks, not really knowing what to do about Pledge Lisa's outburst. There was no question that she had broken pledge protocol and under ordinary circumstances would face corporal punishment and a week of severe restrictions. However, she also was demonstrating real initiative and leadership by trying to help her companions get through the first day of the pledging ordeal. The medical examination almost always eliminated pledges, but the presidents of both the sorority and the fraternity realized that if they allowed Lisa to have her way, she might actually be able to keep Kathleen and Cherine from quitting. The officers also realized this incident was an important test of a potential future leader, a young woman who was brave and willing to guide the others through example. The sorority president nodded to Tracy, who in turn commanded Lisa: "Very well, Pledge. You'll step forward and position yourself on the towel." Relieved, Lisa knelt on the towel and leaned forward on her elbows. For the second time that afternoon she turned her bottom up and exposed her bottom-hole to everyone in the room. She was quite used to what she was doing, because true to her word, both she and Ken enjoyed giving each other enemas. Enemas were one sexual adventure out of many that she had shared with her boyfriend since starting her relationship with him at the beginning of the year. Lisa did not feel much erotic excitement as she felt a gloved finger lubricating her sphincter for the third time that day, simply because after two orgasms, her sexual energy was spent. Still, the enema was something she was looking forward to, because she enjoyed the feeling of the warm water as it entered her intestines, and the delicious relief that came afterwards when she emptied herself out. She hoped the Tri-Alphas had not put soap in the enema, because she had tried that once and did not like that feeling of a soapy enema at all. "OK, Pledge, just try to relax." "Yes, sir." The nozzle made its way into Lisa's bottom and eased into her colon. She heard the clamp on the tube snap open, and a moment later felt the pressure beginning to build in her intestines. The Tri-Alphas had not put soap in the enema, but instead had put an herbal mixture in the solution, something that seemed to warm Lisa's insides and made her feel very relaxed and comfortable. Within a very short time two quarts of enema solution were sitting safely inside the pledge's body. Lisa knew that for the enema to be effective she had to hold her position for about 10 minutes. The water solution needed time to travel through her entire digestive track and loosen what was inside. She also wanted to keep whatever it was that was in that solution in her body as long as possible, because it made her feel really good. Seeing Lisa calmly on her elbows and knees did the trick as far as Kathleen's panic was concerned. She felt rather ashamed of herself, especially after one of her periodic cramps swept through her stomach. Kathleen had always thought that the cramps were something normal, but maybe they weren't. Maybe she really did need to clean herself out and drink more water. Maybe Lisa and her examiners were right after all. "Sir, I request permission to speak." "Yes, Pledge Kathleen?" "I...I'm sorry about the enema. If you're not mad at me, I'll go ahead and take it." "OK, Pledge. Please assume the position next to Pledge Lisa." A second later Kathleen's two-toned body was properly positioned next to Lisa's deeply tanned figure. The white triangle of her bottom was facing upwards and her sphincter ready to submit to the enema. As she felt the nozzle press into her she squeezed Lisa's hand in fright, but was trying her best to face this procedure with as much courage as possible. As the water flowed into her and that relaxing solution worked its magic on her insides, Kathleen's mood changed and her courage returned. The crisis had passed. Like Lisa, Kathleen was determined to push forward with her pledge commitment and prove herself worthy of being a Four-Beta. As she waited for Kathleen to hold her enema the required 10 minutes, Lisa's intestines were starting to cramp. She had kept her own solution inside her for nearly 20 minutes by the time Kathleen was finished and the Tri-Alpha shower attendants escorted the two women to the pledge shower room. As they entered the room, Lisa looked longingly at the toilet, desperately wanting to relieve herself. However, she realized that she needed to sacrifice her own comfort and let Kathleen go first. Lisa's fellow pledge sat down and leaned forward. A series of grunts and loud plops signaled the initial emptying of the young woman's long suffering intestines. Both women were amazed at how much Kathleen had in her; no sooner did she finish with one round of splashes than she grunted and emptied herself even more. She breathed heavily and sat exhausted on the toilet seat as her companion patiently waited for her to get off so she could go herself. By the time Kathleen was done, Lisa was in acute distress and her stomach was swelling more and more. However she was determined to let Kathleen finish in peace. Finally, to Lisa's huge relief, Kathleen wiped herself and flushed the toilet. Lisa hated to imagine what that water must have contained, but fortunately now it was gone. Kathleen moved to the shower entrance and knelt, while Lisa finally got on the toilet and felt the delicious swoosh of the enema solution as it exited her body. Meanwhile, the two guys were taking off their clothes yet again and getting ready bathe their second pledge. Lisa got off the toilet, wiped herself, and took her place kneeling next to Kathleen. Kathleen entered the shower and the two naked young men attached her wrists to the cuffs. At first it seemed they were planning to give her the same treatment they gave Lisa. However, unlike Lisa, the shower attendants did not spent too much time massaging Kathleen's private area and did not attempt to bring her to orgasm. Somehow they knew that, unlike Lisa, Kathleen was not ready to have an orgasm in the shower. It turned out that at least to some extent they were willing to respect her limitations. Interesting, thought Lisa to herself, these guys really do have us figured out. The two attendants ordered Kathleen to kneel back down on the towel while they quickly cleaned off Lisa. This time they did not give her a full shower, but instead concentrated on cleaning her bottom and the area between her legs to prepare her for the next task of the first day, the portrait taking. Again the two naked men caressed Lisa's clitoris and bottom-hole, but this time it was just to make sure she was clean. All too soon they rinsed her off and ordered her to kneel on a towel next to Kathleen. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 04 Chapter 4 - The first afternoon By the time Lisa and Kathleen were finished in the shower, the medical examiners were wrapping up their evaluations of Cherine and Bernadette. Both young women were in good heath, although the lead member of the examination team noted that Bernadette probably should have her vision checked because she had missed some letters while reading the bottom line of an eye chart. Both young women were sweaty from running on the treadmill and a bit disconcerted by the gynecological examination. However, they both obediently allowed themselves to be taken to the shower, cuffed, and washed off. Later in the evening Lisa was a bit surprised to learn that, like herself, Bernadette had been given an orgasm by the shower attendants. Cherine was still a long way off from being able to surrender herself to such pleasure, but Lisa hoped that soon she would be heading in that direction. Lisa and Kathleen waited on their knees while Cherine and Bernadette finished up in the shower and toweled off. Once reunited the four women went to the back patio of the Tri-Alpha house where a late lunch of fruit salads and tossed salads was waiting for them. To drink they had the choice of mineral water with ice or orange juice. Lisa was amazed at the effort that went into preparing their meal: the juice was freshly squeezed and the fruit salads boasted 12 different types of fruit. By the time they sat down the four women were famished and gratefully dug into their meals. After eating lunch inside with the Tri-Alphas Tracy and Heather returned to the patio loudly snapping their fingers. That was the pledges' cue that they needed to stand up from the table and line up for the next task of the day, their ID photos. "Pledge Bernadette!" "Yes, ma'am!" "You're in charge of clean-up! Stack up the dishes and take them to the kitchen! Make sure the table's clean and the chairs are put back! Once you're done get your ass to the sitting room! You got five minutes! "Yes, ma'am!" While Bernadette rushed to clear the dishes from the table, Heather and Tracy led the other pledges back to the sitting room. While they were absent the medical items had been taken out and put away, to be replaced with photographic equipment, lighting, and a simple white backdrop. Large blue letters stenciled on the canvas conveyed a rather ominous message: Property of the Four-Beta Sorority Lisa had another rude shock awaiting her. It turned out the photographer was someone she knew, an art major called Suzanne Foster. Suzanne was not exactly a friend. She still was more of an acquaintance, but both were mutual friends of Cecilia Sanchez and Lisa's boyfriend Ken. Lisa had previously posed for Suzanne and had talked with her at various events they had attended together the previous spring, so the two women did know each other fairly well. For some reason Lisa was mortified at the thought of letting Suzanne see her like this, not as a possible friend, but as nothing more than a naked and submissive pledge. Suzanne glanced at the four kneeling women, the four subjects of her current assignment. It was obvious that she recognized Lisa as part of the pledge group, but did not acknowledge that Lisa was anything more to her other than a photographic subject. Bernadette came in from the kitchen and quickly took her place beside her three companions. A minute or so later, Tracy, acting very much like a drill sergeant, stood at attention in front of the pledges. "Pledges! Stand up!" The pledges scrambled to their feet, but clumsily and with no coordination. "Absolutely pathetic! Let's try it again! Kneel!" The pledges sank back to their knees. "Pledges! Stand up!" Again the four women rose to their feet. They were more mindful of rising together, but still their performance did not satisfy Tracy. "Let's try it again! Kneel!" The pledges sank back to their knees a third time. "Pledges! Stand up!" The pledges rose and returned to their knees three more times. The seventh time the pledges were standing at attention Tracy got in Lisa's face. "Pledge Lisa, are you trying to piss me off?" "No ma'am!" "Then what's with this shit performance of yours? What's wrong with you, can't you follow a simple order?" "We're trying, ma'am!" "'We', Pledge Lisa? What's with this 'we' bullshit? Maybe it's not 'we', maybe the problem is YOU!" Again Tracy poked her finger into Lisa's chest. Lisa resisted the urge to slam her fist into Tracy's mouth, because she fully understood what was going on. Tracy did not bear any particular ill will against her, but wanted to test her by putting her into an impossible situation. Her mentor must have somehow learned that she knew the photographer and was deliberately hazing her in front of Suzanne to embarrass her and see how she would react. "If the problem is me, ma'am, then go after me! Take it out on me and quit messing with the other pledges!" "Oh how sweet! We have a little martyr don't we?" Again Lisa felt the sharp poke of Tracy's fingernail in her chest. She tensed up at being poked for the third time and clenched her fists. She wanted so badly to nail that bitch right in the face. She thought about the chances of her winning a fight with Tracy. She calculated that she and the other woman were evenly matched, but that she would have the advantage of landing the first punch... No. No. Don't screw this up, Lisa. Think about the others. Think about the others... Lisa began breathing with tension. Tracy picked up on that and pressed her advantage. "It doesn't work like that, Pledge! If you fuck up, Pledge, all of you fuck up, and they're paying for YOUR fuck-up! They're paying for it, and it's all YOUR fault! All of you...front leaning rest position, NOW!" The four pledges dropped to their hands and toes as Tracy's voice snarled: "In cadence, exercise! ONE...TWO...THREE..." "ONE!" "ONE...TWO...THREE..." "TWO!" "ONE...TWO...THREE..." "THREE!" "ONE...TWO...THREE..." At the count of twenty, the four pledges were gasping for breath. The soreness from Lisa's first set of pushups returned in force, while Cherine and Bernadette struggled from not being used to exercising. The only member of the group who managed to hold up was Kathleen. The four sweaty, trembling pledges made a sorry sight as they struggled to stay in position. Tracy ordered the pledges to recover. She walked up to Cherine and yelled in her face. "Pledge Cherine, doesn't it piss you off that Pledge Lisa fucked up and got you in trouble?" "No ma'am!" "What? It doesn't piss you off that Pledge Lisa was the one who fucked up your afternoon?" "Ma'am! Pledge Lisa didn't fuck up!" "Well, isn't that special, Pledge Cherine! So now you're calling me a liar! How dare you..." "You're not telling the truth ma'am! Pledge Lisa didn't fuck up! Liar is your word, not mine, ma'am!" Tracy was quite taken aback by Cherine's comment, but at the same time very pleased. It turned out this group had some real backbone, which was made quite clear by the pledges' willingness to stand up to her and stick up for each other. This was going to be a good group... Heather realized that she needed to come to Tracy's aid by changing the subject. "Alright you four! Picture time! Let's go!" Suzanne had two cameras set up; one to take facial shots and the other to take full-body shots. It was strange to think that at the same time the day before the only person willing to pose naked would have been Lisa. However, the other three women now were becoming more used to being naked, after having spent the last five hours with nothing on and having had their bodies seen and touched by both men and other women. There was no hint of modesty as each of them posed for the sorority's ID portraits. Each pledge had to pose for a total of 30 pictures. The session began with eight standing shots, starting with the subject facing the camera and then turning 45 degrees for each succeeding shot in the series. There were additional shots of each pledge kneeling, sitting, standing with her legs spread and hands behind her head, and finally facial portraits taken from different angles. Suzanne was using high-quality film and carefully took each picture so the resolution would be perfectly clear. There was no question that anyone looking at the pictures would have a very thorough idea of what each of the four women looked like at that point in their lives. Lisa was the final member of the group to pose. She felt oddly proud of herself and her pledge group, her earlier embarrassment having vanished. Her eyes shined with a very clear message to the photographer: yes, Suzanne, take my picture. This is who I am and who I want to become, and I have nothing to be ashamed of. ---------- Following the picture taking session the pledges went out into the Tri-Alpha back yard for their first session of physical training. The pledges lined up in the shade of the back patio while the two Tri-Alpha shower attendants carrying bottles of sunscreen joined Tracy and Heather. The guys put the strongest sun-block on Bernadette, whose fair skin would be very susceptible to sunburn, and a much weaker sun-block on Lisa's shoulders and upper back. Kathleen presented a special challenge because of her tan-lines. The Tri-Alphas carefully put the strongest sun-block on the parts of Kathleen that were already tanned, but left her breasts, the white stripe across her back, and the triangular mark on her bottom uncovered. Those areas would have to get as much sun as possible over the next few days to bring her body into compliance with the Four-Beta rules forbidding members to have tan-lines on their skin. Heather stripped off her own clothing, put her shoes back on, and stepped out into the grass. She was quite muscular and boasted a dark, even tan. It was clear that she was perfectly comfortable with her body. She stood naked in the hot sun, completely unconcerned about the Tri-Alphas who had stepped outside to watch the new pledges' first exercise session. "Alright, everyone, grab a mat and we'll get started." Once the four pledges had their mats on the ground and were sitting on them, Heather continued: "I'm sure that you have learned stretches in your gym classes and whatnot, but as of now, you're gonna forget about all that. You will follow me and use my system of stretching. If you don't like what I'm doing then you can talk to me after class. But when you're here, I'm boss and you will obey, or you can expect a nice sore ass when where done. Any questions?" "No, ma'am." Lisa was surprised by how thoroughly Heather wanted the pledges to stretch. She incorporated some yoga positions into her stretching and relied heavily on breathing and gradual extension of the body's tissues. The four pledges were astounded by how long their instructor wanted to spend stretching and how good their bodies felt when they were finished. Lisa realized that no detail was lost on Heather and Tracy when it came to forcing the pledges to do things that would force them to get rid of their modesty. When the women were stretching, Heather made sure they were positioned so their crotches always faced the direction of the afternoon sun. Lisa was used to sunning herself, but to her three companions the feeling of bright sunshine between their legs was something totally new and strange. From stretching Heather moved to a long series of military-style variations of push-ups, leg bending exercises, and sit-ups. She slowly built up the intensity of the workout, but by the end of a very rigorous hour her four pledges were exhausted and impressed at how many repetitions they had managed to perform on the very first day of their new exercise regimen. The sun continued to shine hot on the pledges' bodies as they wound down their session with yet more lengthy stretching and breathing exercises. Although it was not in the schedule, Heather and Tracy decided to reward the pledges with some time in the pool before having them get cleaned up for their swearing-in ceremony. The truth was that Heather and Tracy were the ones who really wanted to swim, but also wanted to use the swimming session to get the pledges to relax and put them into a better mood. Lisa was quite used to swimming naked, never bothering to wear a swimsuit when using the pool at her father's house in Reno. She also had spent plenty of time at the nude beaches near her mother's house in Santa Cruz, so the swim in the Tri-Alpha pool was nothing new to her. However, none of her three companions had ever swum nude before, and certainly not in a pool used mostly by guys. The feel of the cool water against their bare skin after the hot exercise session was something totally new and exhilarating for Cherine, Bernadette, and Kathleen. Heather and Tracy did not bother to get dressed as they led the four pledges to the shower room. The pledges entered the room a second time, where the two nude shower attendants were waiting for them. Meanwhile, Heather and Tracy, because they were not pledges, left to shower in private bathrooms upstairs and get dressed. The rule about the pledge shower was inflexible. Any pledge who needed to clean up had to have her wrists restrained and be bathed by the shower attendants. Lisa went first, but still was not in the mood for another orgasm. Somehow the shower attendants picked up on her mood and did not make any effort to arouse her when cleaning her breasts and the sensitive area between her legs. Bernadette was a totally different story. As the attendants lathered the upper part of her body the young woman's gestures and posture indicated that she was getting aroused. The attendants began sensuously massaging her back and stomach as they slowly worked their way to her bottom and crotch. Bernadette, with her eyes closed and her body covered with lather, completely forgot that her fellow pledges were watching. For several minutes the attendants' soapy hands teased her and worked her up into a sexual frenzy. It was clear when she was climaxing, because her moans and gasps were quite loud. Lisa glanced over at Cherine. She felt that she could tell what was going on in Cherine's mind: that her companion was secretly fantasizing about trading places with Bernadette, but was not quite ready to do it for real. Hopefully her reluctance would change within a couple of days. Cherine was still terrified by what she had gotten herself into, but along with her fear she now felt some excitement and anticipation. She knew that a huge adventure was about to open up to her, just as soon as she could overcome her shyness and modesty. She was still very scared, but there no longer was any immediate danger that she wanted to drop out of the pledge group. Lisa's thoughts shifted to the two shower attendants. It was clear to her that they were enjoying what they were doing and were that intimately touching Bernadette had made them quite aroused themselves. However, their job was to bathe the pledges and give orgasms to the ones who needed to be relieved from their sexual tension. They were not there to satisfy themselves, but instead just to wash and satisfy each pledge. In spite of being nude in a shower with an equally naked and sexually aroused young woman, the two attendants exercised remarkable self-control. Lisa later learned why the two shower attendants seemed so disinterested in the pledges and treated them with professional detachment. The two men were the personal assistants of the chapter president of the sorority. Although they were Tri-Alpha members, they answered directly to her, not to the fraternity officers. Being selected as a personal assistant of the Four-Beta president was considered an honor among the Tri-Alphas and carried with it some huge perks as well as some huge responsibilities. The sorority president chose her own assistants at the beginning of each school year, and only the most respected and trustworthy members of the fraternity could expect to be eligible for such duty. Because the attendants regularly made love to the chapter president and other Four-Beta officers, they considered the idea of trying to have sex with a pledge way beneath them. Bathing and stimulating pledges was considered an official duty for the two young men, not something that would lead to sexual intercourse or any type of relationship. Bernadette was totally exhausted when the attendants finished with her and rinsed off the soap. She hung limply with a very relaxed expression until they dried her off, let her down, and washed her hands. A minute later she was quietly kneeling on her towel as the attendants cuffed Kathleen and began shampooing the chlorine out of her hair. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 05 Chapter 5 - The presentation of the pledges It was getting dark outside when Tracy and Heather returned to the pledge shower room wearing formal dresses. Heather was carrying a riding crop, which, combined with her severe-looking dress, gave her a truly intimidating appearance. The four pledges knelt yet again, ready to be escorted back to the Tri-Alpha ceremonial room. The most important event of the day still awaited them, the ceremony that would formally introduce them to the full membership of the fraternity and the sorority. The four pledges and their two mentors quietly walked down the hallway to the Tri-Alpha ceremonial room. The room's appearance had changed yet again. It was completely empty of people and the only furniture was single row of long benches set up on both sides of the room. Near the wall opposite the main door stood two empty podiums. One podium bore the Tri-Alpha coat of Arms and the other the coat of arms of the Four-Betas. The room was strangely lit with sinister dark orange lighting. "OK, you four, on your knees, facing the podiums." The pledges did as they were told and sank to their knees. Tracy gave them some instructions. "Pledges, Sergeant-at-Arms Heather is gonna be presenting you to the chapter president. You'll stay kneeling until Sergeant-at-Arms Heather taps you with the riding crop. Once you get tapped, you'll stand up and face the president. She'll ask you for your name, you'll give it to her, and then she will tell you to face the Four-Betas, who'll be over there..." Tracy pointed at a row of benches. "You'll face them, arms at your sides, 'till you get tapped with the crop. Then you'll turn around and face the Tri-Alphas. When she taps you again, you'll face the president again and then kneel back down. Get it?" "Yes, ma'am." Tracy then did something that surprised Lisa. She leaned down and put her mouth close to Lisa's ear. She whispered very quietly so no one else could hear: "Pledge Lisa, what's coming up after you get presented is gonna be real rough on you guys. I need you to help me on this. When the moment comes I need you to volunteer to go first." Lisa gave Tracy a very slight, quick nod to let her mentor know she could count on her. The Tri-Alpha president, dressed in a tuxedo, and the Four-Beta president, wearing a formal evening dress, entered the room together and took their positions at the podiums. The Four-Beta president rang a hand-bell and the rest of the fraternity and sorority members filed into the room. The men and women quickly separated by sex and by class. The Tri-Alphas assembled on the right side of the room and the Four-Betas on the left side. The senior class sat on the benches, while the juniors sat on the floor in front and the sophomores stood in a row behind the seniors. There were over 80 people present, but their quick organization left the entire center part of the room empty. Everyone in the room was well dressed, the men in business suits and the women in dresses or business outfits. The pledges looked around and exchanged nervous glances. Their large, well-dressed audience made them even more aware of their own nakedness. The fraternity and sorority's philosophy had intended for the pledges to feel so vulnerable and exposed, because vulnerability was an important part of a person's transformation during the pledge process. The pledge's body and soul were stripped bare while his or her character was broken down and then put back together. The Tri-Beta president again rang the hand-bell. The bell had the Four-Beta coat of arms engraved into the metal and looked like an antique. Lisa guessed that the bell must have been used in this ceremony for many years. That thought put her at ease, because she knew that whatever was about to happen to her and her companions had happened to everyone else in the room. If all of the upperclassmen could endure it, there was no reason why she and her three companions couldn't endure it as well. Upon setting down the bell, the sorority president got right down to business: "Sergeant-at-Arms Heather!" "Yes, President Alexandra!" "We understand that you have brought us four persons who wish to share our journey through life!" "Yes, President!" "Very well, Sergeant-at-Arms! You will present them to us!" "Yes, President!" Lisa felt the tap of the riding crop on her shoulder. She stood up, facing the podium and its elegant-looking occupant. "What is your name, Pledge?" "Lisa, ma'am!" "Very well, Pledge Lisa! Present yourself to the women of the Four-Beta Sorority!" Lisa felt the tap of the crop on her arm, and turned to face the women. She stood quietly for fifteen seconds as about 40 well-dressed women studied her body and face. "Pledge Lisa! Present yourself to the men of the Tri-Alpha Fraternity!" Lisa again felt the tap of the riding crop and turned to face the men. She stood quietly while 40 young men studied her body and face. "Pledge Lisa! Face the podium!" Again Lisa felt the tap of the crop on her arm. She faced the podium. The president pointed at the floor and Lisa felt a final tap, indicating she needed to return to her knees. One by one, Heather tapped the remaining three pledges and they presented themselves in the same formal manner. Lisa had no qualms whatsoever about being naked in public, so presenting herself to her 80 spectators had been no big deal. However, the others were very scared and embarrassed. The public presentation did not put them at ease at all. Lisa glanced at Cherine, who was trembling and sweating. The president of the Tri-Alphas spoke next. "Gentlemen of the Tri-Alphas and Ladies of the Four-Betas. You have the honor of having been introduced to four young women who have chosen to seek to join us. Each of you will guide them with both support and firmness to prepare them to join our community. President Alexandra and I will hold each of you accountable for making sure that these four young women are ready to join us at the end of this school term." He turned to the four pledges and addressed them directly. "The journey you are about to undertake is the same that each of the rest of us in this room has chosen to undertake. I look into your faces and see myself as I was three years ago: naked, kneeling, frightened, and thinking 'what the hell have I gotten myself into?' At least one of you is thinking about quitting, and if you choose to do so, we will not hold that against you. You are free to stand up and leave whenever you wish. Not everyone can make the journey into our circle, and we are determined that the people who join us are only the ones who truly want to join us. That is the purpose of the initiation process, and the reason why you will be subjected to very harsh treatment between now and the time we meet again in this room at the end of your initiation. Do you understand me?" "Yes, sir." "Good. We will now subject you to your first test as pledges. Each of you who wishes to continue will receive two items from us. The first item will be the restraints that you will wear at formal Four-Beta functions and whenever you are disciplined for violating any rules pertaining to your status as a pledge. Please keep in mind that I'm saying 'when', not 'if'. Don't think that you can escape punishment, because that won't happen. Every pledge faces discipline. Every person in this room was at some point restrained and punished as a pledge, President Alexandra and myself included. The second item you will receive tonight, according to our tradition, will be a temporary mark on your left shoulder. Accepting the restraints and the mark will indicate your seriousness in committing yourself to our community. Do you understand me?" "Yes, sir." President Alexandra spoke next. "We are not going to just give you the restraints and the mark on your shoulder. You'll need to ask us for them." Lisa realized that was her cue. The moment had come for her to volunteer to go first. "Ma'am, Pledge Lisa requests permission to speak." "Speak Pledge Lisa." "Ma'am, I...I would be honored to wear the restraints and receive the mark...to...to continue my...commitment as a pledge." "Pledge Lisa, you will stand-up." "Yes, ma'am." As Lisa stood up a well-dressed member of the sorority walked up to Heather and handed her a black felt bag. Heather opened the bag and handed Tracy a black blindfold and a pair of handcuffs. "Pledge Lisa, do you wish to continue your quest to become one of us?" "Yes, ma'am." "Then you will accept this blindfold and these restraints. Until you are accepted as a full member of the Four-Beta Sorority, from this point forward you will wear them at all formal gatherings to demonstrate your acceptance of your status as a pledge. Do you understand and accept?" "Yes, ma'am. I understand and accept." You will wear the blindfold and restraints whenever any officer of the Tri-Alpha Fraternity or the Four-Beta Sorority tells you to do so, for whatever reason. You will understand that whenever you are required to wear these items, you completely forfeit your right to exercise free will. Do you understand and accept?" "Yes, ma'am. I understand and accept." "Very well, Pledge Lisa. Hold out your hands to accept the restraints." With that Lisa held out her hands as Tracy laid the blindfold and handcuffs in her open palms. She left the items in the pledge's hands exactly fifteen seconds, then took the blindfold and placed it over her eyes. Lisa felt cloth tighten slightly as Tracy knotted it behind her head. She felt the handcuffs leave her palms and the cold uncompromising metal wrap around her right wrist and click shut. Tracy took both of her hands and guided them behind her back. The metal closed around Lisa's left wrist. She now was blindfolded, handcuffed, and completely helpless. Lisa shuttered with fright. She had done the exact same thing to Ken many times over, but only once had she ever been restrained herself. Now here she was, cuffed, blindfolded, and naked, having forfeited her right to exercise free will. Through her own choice she had reduced herself to little more than a passive inanimate object, nothing except an extension of Tracy, or whoever happened to be controlling her at that moment. "Pledge Lisa, you will kneel." "Yes, ma'am." Lisa heard her three companions gasp with fright. She realized why when she felt the tip of the riding crop touch her upper left shoulder, about halfway between her collarbone and her breast. "Pledge, Lisa, according to the tradition of our sorority, you must be harshly struck on the shoulder. The mark will symbolize your courage and your commitment to the rest of us. I will strike you in the same spot three times. Do you agree to be marked, in accordance with Four-Beta tradition?" "Yes, ma'am." Lisa felt the crop tap her shoulder a final time. She flinched, but tried her best to avoid moving. She felt a slight moment of air as Tracy raised the crop for the first blow. CRACK!!! "Uh...Uhhh!" The blow seared into the tender skin of her shoulder as Lisa gasped, struggled against her cuffs, and tried to fight back the tears. The pain was a cruel burning that seemed to only get worse as her nerves registered what had just happened with her brain. Lisa trembled, because she still had two blows to go. She forced herself to kneel upright and nerved herself for the second stroke. Through the burning of her injured skin Lisa felt tap of the crop a second time. She held her breath and winced as Tracy raised the implement to strike. CRACK!!! "Uhhh!...Er!...Uh!...Uh!..." The burning felt white hot and totally consumed her thoughts. Lisa gritted her teeth and was gasping, totally shocked that something as simple as the tip of a riding crop could hurt so badly. "OK, Pledge Lisa, just one more to go. You ready?" "I...I...Yes ma'am...I'm ready... CRACK!!! "Ahhh...Ow...Ow!" Lisa twisted and gasped as the pain from the final stroke settled over the first two strokes. However, she wanted to set an example to the other pledges by being as stoic as possible. She managed to quiet down within a minute, although her face under her blindfold was wet with tears. "Get ready to stand-up, Pledge Lisa!" Tracy reached for Lisa's arm and helped her to her feet. Lisa stood quietly, displaying a vivid red mark on her shoulder that was still swelling and getting darker. Tracy took the pledge's shoulders and turned her to face the two presidents, then the sorority, then the fraternity, and finally the other three frightened pledges. The women's eyes were glued to the raised welt that now marked Lisa as eligible to continue her pledge commitment. "You will understand that all of us here had to accept the mark before we continued our journey into the circle of our sisters and brothers. Pledge Lisa now bears that mark and will continue her journey, if she so desires." Tracy paused. "Pledge Lisa, you will kneel." "Yes, ma'am. "You have earned the right to continue your journey with us. Do you wish to do so?" "Yes, ma'am. I want to continue." "Then...congratulations, Pledge Lisa. You're journey with us will continue." Lisa had expected to have her restraints taken off as soon as Tracy was finished presenting her, but her mentor left her kneeling cuffed and blindfolded. She shifted uncomfortably as her shoulder throbbed in pain. A mark. Yes, she was marked all right, with a very painful welt that would take more than a week to completely heal. As Lisa squirmed from her throbbing shoulder and her uncomfortable position on the floor, there was an ominous silence while the other three pledges looked at each other and tried to work up the courage to be the next one to be cuffed and struck on the shoulder. Much to everyone's surprise, it was Cherine who spoke next. "Ma'am...I...I...I mean...Pledge Cherine...requests...requests permission...to speak" "You may speak, Pledge Cherine." "I...I mean...ma'am...please... I...I would be honored to...to wear the restraints and get the mark...and...to continue my...commitment as a pledge." "Pledge Cherine, you will stand-up." "Yes, ma'am." For the second time that night Heather handed Tracy a black blindfold and a pair of handcuffs. "Pledge Cherine, do you wish to continue your quest to become one of us?" "Y...Yes, ma'am." Cherine was shaking badly from fear. The sorority president interrupted to ask her a question. "Pledge Cherine, from the looks of you I'd say that you're quite scared right now." "I...I...yes, ma'am...I'm scared. I...I'm sorry." "Pledge, that is nothing to be sorry about. You're afraid, and you're facing your fear. That makes you not a coward, but quite the opposite, a very courageous woman. Real courage is not about not being afraid. Real courage is about being afraid but learning to get past it. That's what you're doing right now and I commend you for it." "Yes, ma'am. Thank you, ma'am." "Sergeant-at-Arms, you may continue." "Yes, President Alexandra." With that Tracy wrapped the blindfold around Cherine's face and cuffed her hands behind her back. Cherine was every bit as scared as before, but the words of support from the sorority president took away the shame that she had felt from being so frightened. That support, and the inspiration that Lisa had given her, was just enough to keep her focused on getting through the upcoming ordeal. All day long Cherine had been wondering if she could possibly get through the pledge process. She had spent much of her time trying to figure out how to quit without causing too much of a stir for everyone else. That moment had passed. She would get through the pledge ordeal, just like she would get through being marked, because she knew that she absolutely had to. She realized that the Four-Betas offered her the only hope she had of making a clean break from her past. She would become a member of this sorority and a friend of Lisa, she would change, and finally she would confront the ghosts of her childhood. "Pledge, Cherine, according to the tradition of our sorority, you must be struck hard on the shoulder. The mark will symbolize your courage and your commitment to the rest of us. I will strike you in the same spot three times. Do you agree to be marked, in accordance with Four-Beta tradition?" "Yes, ma'am." Tracy raised the riding crop for the first blow. CRACK!!! Cherine screamed and jerked back. She started crying immediately, but to everyone's amazement, managed to right herself. As her small body shook with sobs, she bravely knelt straight to position herself for the second blow. Tracy struck hard a second time, eliciting another scream and more crying from the suffering pledge. She waited for Cherine to catch her breath so she could deliver the final blow. Tracy felt somewhat sorry for Cherine, much more so than she had felt for Lisa. While it was obvious that Lisa was by far the toughest member of the pledge group, in contrast Cherine seemed to be by far the most sensitive. The strokes would be much harder on her than they had been on Lisa, leaving Tracy somewhat concerned that Cherine still might not make it through the night as a pledge. However there wasn't anything that could be done to ease the young pledge's suffering, because for her to continue to be eligible as a pledge for the sorority, she had to have a painful and visible welt on her shoulder. Tracy was enforcing a tradition that went clear back to 1926, when the first Four-Beta upper class-women marked their pledges in the same manner and then forced them to go out in public wearing flappers with low neck-lines. Since the very origins of the Four-Betas, it was the mark on the left shoulder that distinguished a Four-Beta pledge from all other sorority pledges. "OK, Pledge Cherine, just one more to go. You ready?" "I...I...Yes ma'am...I'm ready... CRACK!!! Cherine screamed pitifully, but Tracy heaved a huge sigh of relief that the pledge had taken her final stroke. All she needed to do was recover enough to stand up and allow her mark to be presented to the officers and upperclassmen in the room, and then she'd be finished with her ordeal. After several minutes Cherine stood up for Tracy and allowed her to be presented to the officers, the members of the fraternity and sorority, and finally her fellow pledges. Pledge Cherine now bears that mark and will continue her journey, if she so desires." Tracy paused. "Pledge Cherine, you will kneel." "Yes, ma'am. "You have earned the right to continue your journey with us. Do you wish to do so?" "Yes, ma'am. I want to continue." "Then...congratulations, Pledge Cherine. You're journey with us will continue." Cherine struggled to quit crying as she knelt cuffed and blindfolded next to Lisa. She was traumatized by the incredible pain burning into her shoulder, but she had made it. She had passed the first serious test in her pursuit of joining the Four-Beta Sorority. ---------- The marking of Bernadette and Kathleen went well and was over relatively quickly. The two women realized if Cherine could make it through the ordeal; there was no reason they couldn't. Each stoically knelt to take her three strokes and afterwards each quietly knelt wincing at the burning pain in her shoulder. Bernadette cried quietly for a few minutes as she knelt, but Kathleen held up as well as Lisa and made no sound after receiving her final blow. The four naked pledges, all of them blindfolded and handcuffed, continued to kneel quietly while the Four-Beta sorority members voted on whether or not to allow them to continue pledging. The vote was a formality, because normally no Four-Beta ever voted against a pledge who had made it through the medical exam and had successfully submitted to being marked. Crying was never held against anyone, because some women cried and some didn't. What mattered was not crying, but instead the pledge's willingness to follow orders and suffer on behalf of the traditions of the sorority. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 05 Following the vote, Tracy and Heather ordered the four pledges to stand up. They struggled to their feet, their legs stiff from having had to kneel so long. The Sergeant-at-Arms and her assistant then ordered the four women to stand next to each other, their eyes still covered and their hands still behind their backs. Tracy picked up the riding crop and Heather the black felt bag. One stood on each side of the naked women for a formal post-marking group photo of the pledge group. The four pledges couldn't see anything, but they heard the camera go off several times as they stood with their two formally dressed mentors. The group photo documented an important event, that the pledges had passed their initial test and now faced a summer full of difficult but rewarding challenges. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 06 Chapter 6 - A night at the Tri-Alpha House As soon as the ceremony ended and the 80 fraternity and sorority members left the room, Tracy ordered her group to kneel so she could take off their blindfolds and handcuffs. The pledges returned the restraints to the black bag. Tracy then ordered the pledges to get some cleaning supplies and to clean up the ceremonial room, to include dusting, vacuuming, washing all the windows, and putting away the benches and podiums. Tracy then handed a key to the minivan to Bernadette and told her to put the bag on the front seat of the vehicle, lock it up, and come back inside. When she realized that putting the bag in the minivan meant going outside naked, Bernadette made an unfortunate mistake. She had the audacity to question Tracy's order. "But, ma'am, I can't go outside! I don't have anything on!" Tracy's face changed color and her lips tightened. Lisa cringed, because she knew what was coming. Sure enough, Tracy exploded. She ferociously poked the offender in the chest several times as she shouted: "When I give you an order, YOU WILL OBEY THAT ORDER! That's what you do, Pledge! You obey the orders I give you! Just who the hell do you think you are, arguing with me? Just who the FUCK do you think you are, PLEDGE?" Bernadette, who had not previously seen Tracy in drill-sergeant mode, shook with absolute terror. "You put that bag, in that car, NOW!" Without saying another word, Bernadette struggled to put on her shower shoes and raced out the door with the bag. She ran out to the vehicle, deposited the bag on the front seat, and ran back to the house, trying to ignore the whistles of the fraternity guys across the street. She was mortified at being on such public display to a bunch of strangers, but now she had a much worse problem, dealing with Tracy's explosive temper. She ran back to join her companions, who were standing together in a line. "ALL FOUR OF YOU, FRONT-LEANING REST POSITION, NOW!!!" Lisa and Cherine instinctively dropped to the floor. Bernadette and Kathleen took a second longer, a second too long. Tracy ordered them back up and to "try it again". The women rose and fell several times before having to do two sets of 10 four-count pushups. By the time Tracy finished with the second set the pledges were beyond exhausted and their bodies were trembling from muscle fatigue. "Stand up, all of you!" The four pledges scrambled to get to their feet and snap to attention. Bernadette continued to tremble from fear. "I was gonna take you back to the Four-Beta House so you could get some sleep, but because you've been insubordinate, I've decided that's not gonna happen for a while! Obviously you guys are gonna need some discipline! I'm gonna put you to work! You'll be starting by cleaning up this room, but that's just the beginning! You're also gonna be cleaning the kitchen, the laundry room and every bathroom in this house! Pledge Lisa, you're in charge!" "Yes, ma'am!" Tracy suddenly walked out of the sitting room, only to return a minute later with a leather paddle and a small regulation book. "I'm gonna make sure you pledges do your jobs right! This..." she held up the guide book, "...is the regulation manual for Tri-Alpha pledges for building clean-up! Lot's of stuff in here, little nit-picky details, you'll need to worry about! And I'm gonna give you good reason to worry! I'm inspecting tomorrow morning at 6:00 a.m., and for each violation of these regulations, Pledge Lisa gets two swats on the butt." If I find 50 violations, guess what? That's 100 swats and one very sore Pledge Lisa!" The pledges recoiled from the unfairness of Tracy's threat. Why Lisa? She didn't do anything... Tracy grabbed Bernadette by the wrist and led her to one of the benches. "Put your hands on the bench, little Miss Combative!" Bernadette did as she was told, bending over and exposing her trembling white bottom. "Take a good look, Pledges! Let me give you a demo of what I'm talking about!" POP!...POP!... POP!... POP!... POP!... POP!... Tracy landed 10 hard swats on Bernadette's bare backside, quickly changing the color from white to solid pink. Tears ran down Bernadette's cheeks. With that Tracy left and the pledges set to work cleaning the sitting room. Lisa picked up the manual and organized the others to sweep the carpet and clean the windows while she dusted. Cherine and Kathleen gave Bernadette very hostile looks, while she looked away and started to cry. Upon noticing her companions turning on poor Bernadette, Lisa ordered the group to stop for a minute. "Look you three. We need to get something straight here. You can't go blaming each other, because that's exactly what Tracy's looking for. She's testing us, to see if we're gonna turn on each other. You want to screw this up, then you go right ahead and blame each other." Bernadette began crying in earnest. Lisa ignored her and continued. "A couple of things to remember. If you're stupid enough to think we were gonna get any sleep tonight, all I can say is that I feel real sorry for you!. Didn't you see that she was carrying an overnight bag when we came over here? What's that tell you?" Lisa paused to let that sink in and continued: "Pledges never get any sleep on the first night. That's part of the hazing. They do the same thing to every group. I can tell you, for a fact, if it hadn't been Bernadette, it would've been something else." Bernadette was still crying, but Lisa could tell she about to calm down and that the crisis was passing. Cherine had a question. "Lisa, what do we gotta do, to keep you from getting paddled? I mean...it's not fair that..." "It's not fair, but I'm gonna get paddled, no matter what you guys do. That's between me and Tracy. Just do what you can and skip the guilt trips. None of us is getting any sleep, so we might as well try our best to clean this place up." When the women finished cleaning the sitting room, they proceeded to the kitchen. Their hearts sank when they saw what a mess it was. Normally the Tri-Alpha sophomores were responsible for cleaning the kitchen whenever no pledges were available, but, as of that night, pledges were available and the guys could take the night off. They left untouched a day's worth of dirty dishes and cooking utensils for a fraternity of 40 members and their 40 female guests. The condition of the kitchen confirmed Lisa's theory that Tracy never had any intention of taking the pledges back to the Four-Beta house that night. She knew the kitchen had been left that way on purpose; because normally there was no way the Tri-Alphas would tolerate such a mess on their property. Lisa relayed her observation to the others and then ordered her companions to empty the two dishwashers and pack them with as many plates and glasses as they would hold. While the dishwashers were running she took out several bags of trash. She ordered Cherine and Bernadette to start scrubbing pots and Kathleen to clean the two stovetops. It took several trips to clear out all the trash from the kitchen. Lisa's treks to the dumpster took her outside where she could see the pool area. Tracy, Heather, and a couple other Four-Betas were playing water volleyball against several Tri-Alphas. Everyone in the pool was naked, since swimsuits were prohibited in the pool areas of both the sorority and the fraternity. It was strange to see Heather and Tracy, who behaved in such a fearsome manner towards the pledges, relaxing and splashing in the water just like any of the other women of the sorority. Lisa returned to the kitchen, consulted the manual, and ordered her companions to organize the first batch of clean dishes to put away. As the others put the dishes back on their shelves, Lisa loaded a second batch into the dishwashers, packing them in as tightly as possible. Now they were making some progress, with half the dishes put away and the other half in the dishwashers. There were still plenty of pots and pans to scrub, but it now seemed there no longer was enough work in the kitchen to keep all four women busy. Lisa suddenly had an idea. It was a bit risky, but as she looked at the exhausted faces of her companions, figured the risk was worth taking. She remembered seeing a small side room near the Pledge Shower that was empty except for a small bed. She decided to tell Kathleen and Cherine to go in there, close the door, and get two hours of sleep. Meanwhile Lisa and Bernadette would finish up in the kitchen. By that time the kitchen would be done and the four women could start on the bathrooms. There was absolutely no argument from the two pledges. They crawled into the bed and promptly went to sleep. Lisa and Bernadette chatted as they finished cleaning the pots. Lisa was able to tell Bernadette the story of her first punishment at the hands of Tracy, the screaming fit over her simple request to make sure she understood Tracy's command to get undressed. "They've had their system set up like this for years. A lot of it they get from the military. That's why what Tracy's doing doesn't really bother me, because she's just doing her job. I'd bet that to get her position she went off and got trained somewhere." "But, I still don't get it. Why are they doing this to us? And how come they're trying to get us to fight with each other?" "The military stuff and the discipline is to get us into shape and make sure we really want to join. They're using the unfair punishments to test us to see how good we are at sticking up for each other and working together. I'd bet that if we start fighting, they'll kick us out." Lisa knew that something else that was being tested, herself. Somehow, during the first few minutes they interacted, Tracy had picked up on Lisa's potential for leadership. Tracy was testing Lisa much more than she was testing the others, because she realized that Lisa had a talent for organizing other people and was willing to make personal sacrifices for those under her command. That was the reason she had placed Lisa in charge of the cleanup. How well the cleanup went and how well the pledges were getting along with each other the next morning was the Four-Betas' first big test of her leadership skills. Within just three hours, the sitting room was completely clean and the kitchen getting close to being clean. Bernadette's mood had improved dramatically and she no longer felt guilty or frightened. Cherine and Kathleen would have a couple of hours of sleep, a luxury denied to Lisa and Bernadette, so hopefully their mood would be better as well. Anyhow, no longer could they say anything against Bernadette, because they had enjoyed two hours of sleep while she and Lisa had continued working. After two more hours the kitchen was clean. Bernadette poured Lisa and herself some mineral water while Lisa compared the kitchen's condition with the regulations listed in the manual. By now it was 3:00 in the morning and the pledges only had three more hours to clean the laundry room and the bathrooms. Lisa shook Kathleen and Cherine awake, told them to make the bed, and then headed to the laundry room. For the next hour the women folded a pile of clean sheets and washed several loads of dirty linen. While the sheets were drying the women cleaned the five bathrooms in the house and replaced all the towels. The dirty towels meant at least one more load of laundry, which had to go into the washers while the pledges folded what remained of the sheets. While the others were hauling towels to the laundry room, Lisa nervously looked at the clock and the inspection manual. She went through the bathrooms and moved a few things around to make sure the rooms were in compliance with the instructions in the book. She glanced at the clock yet again. It was 4:45 a.m. We might just make it, she thought to herself. The towels were not dry until 5:45 a.m. The women worked feverishly to fold them and get them back into the linen closet. Lisa and Bernadette ran the towels upstairs to put away while Cherine and Kathleen tidied up the laundry room. At 5:59 Lisa grabbed the manual and directed her companions to return to the empty sitting room. The four pledges knelt together as they heard footsteps coming down the stairs. It was exactly 6:00 a.m. when Tracy and Heather entered the sitting room. Tracy was carrying her leather paddle and a notebook. "Good morning, pledges." "Good morning, ma'am." "Are the rooms I asked you to clean ready for inspection?" "Yes, ma'am." "OK, let's check them out. Everyone on your feet!" Tracy handed the paddle to Heather and the opened her notebook. She carefully moved about the sitting room, running her finger over various surfaces, looking for dust. She didn't find anything until she reached up to the wooden coverings protecting the tops of the draperies. Lisa cringed, because no one had thought about those coverings. Tracy documented the violation in her notebook and continued looking around the room. She found another violation, a bottle of window cleaner that had been overlooked and left behind one of the curtains. She noted the second violation before the women left to inspect the kitchen. The inspection was completed within 20 minutes, just as some of the early risers in the fraternity were starting to get up and use the bathrooms. Tracy noted a total of 18 violations, which would mean 36 swats from the paddle for Lisa. While the other three pledges glanced quietly and apologetically at Lisa, their leader sighed with relief that the number of violations was not considerably more. In reality Tracy and Heather were quite impressed with Lisa's performance. What a contrast between this cleanup test and the one last fall! The inspection from the disorganized cleanup conducted by the previous pledge group (which started with a total of 12 members) had resulted in a total of 79 violations, a fight, finger-pointing among the pledges, multiple paddlings, and two expulsions from the group. With just four members, the summer pledge group had accomplished something that 12 pledges had not been able to accomplish last September. Tracy called the pledges to attention: "Pledges! Stand up!" "Yes, ma'am!" "Pledge Bernadette!" "Yes ma'am!" "Take these keys and bring back the bag you put in the minivan last night!" "Yes, ma'am!" Bernadette managed to hide her distress. Tracy's order required her to run out to the vehicle in the early morning sunlight, unlock it, and retrieve the same cloth bag that had gotten her into so much trouble just 10 hours before. This time however, she knew better than to argue. She put on her shower shoes, ran out the front door, and braved the whistles and cheering from the neighboring frat houses. She quickly pulled the bag out of the minivan and raced back into the house. Bernadette knelt while Tracy and Heather took out a set of handcuffs and blindfolds. In quick succession they blindfolded all four pledges and cuffed their hands behind their backs. With the assistance of two nearby fraternity members, they led the four pledges into the sitting room where the members of the fraternity were waiting. The Tri-Alphas had returned the benches to the sitting room and had brought in a small sturdy table. They were sitting quietly when the four pledges came in. Tracy's voice rang out: "Pledges! You will kneel, except Pledge Lisa! Pledge Lisa, you will step forward! Lisa now faced yet another test, her first physical punishment at the hands of Heather. The Four-Beta Sergeant-at-Arms secretly would have liked to cancel Lisa's paddling, but knew that she couldn't. The first night's cleanup was an important test for the pledges, and the post-cleanup paddling was part of the tradition. The paddling was a public event to be conducted in front of the fraternity, so canceling it was out of the question. Heather sighed as she unfolded a pre-printed punishment letter to fill in Lisa's name and the numbers "18" and "36". Tracy took off Lisa's blindfold and handcuffs. She ordered Lisa to kneel and passed her the letter. "Read this out loud, Pledge Lisa!" Lisa read: "Last night, I, Pledge Lisa Campbell, was placed in charge of cleaning the sitting room, the kitchen, the bathrooms, and the laundry room of the Tri-Alpha Fraternity House. My assistants and I were given an entire night to bring the aforementioned rooms into compliance with the Tri-Alpha Fraternity Maintenance Code and Regulation Guide. I was given a copy of the guide so there would be no doubt concerning what we needed to do. Unfortunately, due to my own laziness and negligence, my group failed to fully comply with the maintenance guide. An inspection of the facilities uncovered 18 violations of the conditions set out by the guide for the areas we cleaned. I understand and agree with the Four-Beta philosophy that dictates that negligence is an unacceptable human deficiency and that any manifestation of negligence needs to be severely punished. Because I allowed 18 instances of negligence to go uncorrected, I am requesting to be appropriately disciplined. What I am asking for, specifically, is to be struck two times on my naked bottom for each instance of negligence I overlooked when my companions failed to properly clean the areas assigned to my group. I am requesting that the Four-Beta Sergeant-at-Arms administer my punishment. I also am requesting that, because my negligence caused the Tri-Alpha Fraternity House to not be properly cleaned, that the full membership of the fraternity be present to witness my punishment." Lisa swallowed and looked up at Heather, who was holding Tracy's notebook and the leather paddle. "Very well, Pledge Lisa. We appreciate your honesty and will grant you the punishment that you have requested. However, we will insist that the members of the Tri-Alpha Fraternity understand exactly why you need to be punished. I have numbered each instance in which you failed to comply with the Tri-Alpha Fraternity Maintenance Code and Regulation Guide. Before I administer the strokes for each violation, you will read that violation out loud to everyone in the room. After I swat you two times, you will read the next violation, and again I will swat you. Do you understand and agree?" "Yes, ma'am. I...I understand and agree." Heather set the notebook on the table facing upwards so Lisa could read it. Then she instructed the pledge to hold onto the edges of the table, spread her legs about shoulder-width apart, and arch her back to make her bottom stick out properly. She passed her hand over Lisa's bottom a couple of times before positioning herself and touching the paddle to Lisa's right bottom-cheek. "Please begin, Pledge Lisa." "Item One -- There was dust present on the drapery boxes of the ceremonial room, in violation of page 22 of the guidebook." POP!...POP! Heather landed a cruel swat against each bottom cheek, and then positioned herself for Lisa's second offence. Lisa bit her lip as the stinging mounted, and then continued: "Item Two -- There was a bottle of window cleaner left on a windowsill of the ceremonial room, in violation of page 23 of the guidebook." POP!...POP! Lisa took a deep breath and read: "Item Three -- The top shelf of the kitchen glass rack was not dusted, in violation of page 11 of the guidebook." POP!...POP! "Item Four -- Lint buildup at the base of the refrigerator was not cleaned, in violation of page 10 of the guidebook." POP!...POP!... Each item from the list added to both Lisa's physical pain and also to her humiliation. To listen to the way she was forced to recite the violations one by one, anyone listening would have thought she had done something truly horrific. By the fifteenth violation and resulting swats Lisa was starting to cry. Her bottom was a dark, angry-looking pink and quite swollen. Her tears and crying made the reading of the final three items on the list very difficult. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 06 As hard as the punishment was for Lisa, it was even harder for her three companions. Their blindfolds prevented them from seeing what was happening to their fellow pledge, but they could hear everything quite clearly. All three of them felt that Lisa was taking punishment that they should be taking instead and were consumed with guilt. Once Heather finished paddling Lisa she put on her cuffs and blindfold and instructed her to kneel with her three companions. Lisa continued to cry, partly from the pain, partly from the humiliating experience she had just endured, and partly because the lack of sleep was starting to break down her resistance. The hazing of the four pledges had begun in earnest. Lisa's companions realized something important as they knelt waiting for her crying to die down. No formal agreement was ever discussed between them, but within 24 hours of starting the initiation process Cherine, Kathleen, and Bernadette had each decided that Lisa would be the leader of the pledge group. From that moment the three pledges felt obligated to do whatever she told them to do. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 07 Chapter 7 - The second day Once Lisa's punishment was finished and the Tri-Alphas filed out of the sitting room, Tracy and Heather found the two alternates for the shower attendants. The two main attendants now were off-duty, but Heather wanted the pledges cleaned up before taking them back to the Four-Beta House. Tracy, Heather, and the two new shower attendants each took a pledge by the arm and led the group to the Pledge Shower. As before, the group was required to kneel on towels, but this time the four aspirants remained cuffed and blindfolded. Tracy announced that the pledges would be permitted to use the toilet before being taken into the shower. All four women needed to pee quite badly, so they eagerly awaited having their blindfolds and handcuffs taken off. The shower attendants stripped and reached down to help Kathleen to her feet. They guided her to the toilet and helped her position herself over the seat. She cringed at even being denied the dignity of peeing unassisted. However she had to go so badly that she meekly sat down and allowed her bladder to release in front of the two young men. They helped her stand up, wiped her off, flushed the toilet for her, and guided her back to her knees on the towel. In quick succession the attendants assisted the other pledges on the toilet. Once again the message was quite clear, that the pledges did not have the right to any secrets or privacy. Their bodies, as well as all of their bodily functions, were subject to public viewing and public review. The shower attendants turned on the water and prepared to bathe the pledges. They were aware that the women were very tired and thus more vulnerable. The men's instructions were to give the pledges orgasms if at all possible to continue breaking down their inhibitions. They were not to try to force anything, but instead try their best to make each pledge want to be aroused and then relieved. The most obvious pledge to start with would have been either Lisa or Bernadette, both of whom already had enjoyed orgasms in the shower. However, the attendants decided to start with Cherine. They suspected that watching someone else get an orgasm before getting one herself might scare her instead of arouse her. The men helped her off her knees, took off the blindfold and cuffs, and instructed her to position herself to allow her hands to be restrained in the shower. While the other three pledges waited quietly, the attendants very slowly went to work on Cherine. They shampooed her hair and gently washed her face and neck. They did not hint at touching her sexually...at first. However, as the two men began lathering her body they slowly went to work seducing her. They pushed through her fright and fatigue to unlock the key to her sexuality. They explored her body and found the spots that most excited her. They massaged her very tired muscles and finally began working the sensitive skin on the insides of her thighs. Their patience was rewarded when she spread her legs and threw her head back. The seduction of Cherine continued as the men gently explored her bottom and the sensitive dark skin around her bottom-hole. They massaged her sphincter with soap as she opened further and pushed her bottom back for more. Gentle soapy fingers explored her pelvis, teasing her vagina and massaging her labia. By the time the first tentative touch made contact with her clitoris, she was desperate and welcomed that touch with all of her desires. The attendants continued to run their hands over the pledge's body, only occasionally touching her most sensitive areas. They played with her, teased her, and made her desperate. They would seduce her, but they would accomplish that by making her desperately want to be seduced. Cherine's inhibitions finally fell away as her movements and position silently beseeched her tormenters to give her the sexual relief she so desperately needed. Finally the seduction of Cherine reached its climax. A delicious orgasm swept over her as she moaned and gasped from the pure pleasure of her first real sexual experience. She had come into this shower room a virgin, and would leave still technically a virgin, but her innocence now was gone. She had experienced the joy of being sexually aroused by another person and from that point forward would want more, much more. Her personality would radically change as she became determined to seek out every sexual experience the men of the Tri-Alpha Fraternity and the women of the Four-Beta Sorority could give her. The Pandora's Box of Cherine's soul now had opened, and what had just been released would never be re-captured. ---------- The attendants decided to do Bernadette next. Of all the women in the group, it was Bernadette's inhibitions that were breaking down the fastest, even quicker than Lisa's. Both times she had been showered she had been brought to orgasm, and the third time in the shower resulted in a third orgasm. Her sexual desire surfaced very quickly, as she became aroused the instant she was touched. The attendants were determined to make the experience for her as intense as possible, so they did not relieve her desires right away. They teased her and made her totally desperate as she tugged helplessly at her restraints. The climax, when it came, was so good that she almost passed out. When Bernadette finally returned to her kneeling position on her towel, she was totally relaxed and barely able to keep her eyes open from fatigue. ---------- Lisa was next. The attendants noted her reddish bottom, which was still somewhat tender from her recent punishment. The de facto leader of the pledge group decided, on her own, that she was ready for another orgasm and allowed the attendants to massage her into a state of arousal. Lisa discovered that when her bottom was sore from punishment that she enjoyed having it gently massaged and caressed. She wouldn't have wanted the attendants to press down too hard on her swollen skin, but their light soapy touches on her sensitive skin were perfect. She pushed her bottom out to let the men know she wanted them to continue. For a very long time one of the attendants sensuously massaged both bottom-cheeks while his companion washed and massaged her stomach, the insides of her thighs, and her crotch. On inspiration one of the guys kissed her nipples, something that made her jump with heightened sexual tension. Finally she climaxed, moaning uncontrollably in front of her fellow pledges and the Four-Beta Sergeant-at-Arms and her assistant. ---------- The final pledge was Kathleen, the aspirant who stood out because of her tan marks and the previous day's enema. The attendants pondered how to sexually arouse her, suspecting that the enema was still very much present on her mind. As they washed her hair and lathered her body, one of the attendants paid special attention to her bottom. He firmly massaged her buttocks, relaxing the muscles and getting her to spread her legs and push back her rear to better expose herself. While one of the men massaged her vagina, the other soaped her sphincter and began pressing a soapy finger inside. Kathleen's reaction confirmed his suspicion that, of four the women in the group, she was the one who most enjoyed anal stimulation. She sighed and pressed back, inviting him to push his finger in deeper. He gently massaged her opening and pressed into his grateful subject, while his companion massaged the insides of her thighs and worked his way towards her clitoris. Like Cherine, the Pandora's Box of Kathleen's soul now was open. She had experimented a few times in her past with a couple of boyfriends and had a single disastrous sexual encounter with another girl from her high school. However, she never had experienced sexual fulfillment. Now she knew why. Her center of pleasure was concentrated in her bottom. It was her bottom-hole where she needed to receive stimulation to become aroused. Kathleen's days of sexual frustration had ended, because the mystery of her life was solved. Now she knew what a lover needed to do to make her satisfied. ---------- Upon having their charges properly washed and stimulated, Tracy and Heather ordered them to line up and prepare to be taken back to the Four-Beta House. Tracy carried the infamous black bag with four blindfolds and four sets of handcuffs, along with Heather's riding crop and leather paddle. The pledges followed their two mentors out the door and down the driveway, then stood quietly in the hot sun waiting for Heather to get the door open. There were the usual whistles from the other fraternities, but by then the pledges were learning to ignore them. Tracy laid out four clean towels for the bare bottoms of her four pledges and the women climbed in. They had gone a few blocks when Lisa noticed with mounting concern that the driver of the van was not taking them in the direction of the sorority, but instead into an artsy business district. The van pulled into an alley and Tracy ordered the women to get out at the back door of a sportswear store. The driver flippantly noted: "I would've liked to have parked out front so you guys go in through main door, but of course all I got was 'sorry, we can't let you do that.' Oh well, at least we can get you in this way." Tracy and the four naked women climbed up the back stairs and entered the store. The reason for the visit was straightforward enough; the sorority wanted the women to have matching athletic shoes for exercising. They would purchase track shoes, basketball shoes, and hiking shoes. The store's male employees led the women to a row of seats and eagerly measured four pairs of feet for a total of 12 pairs of shoes. Both Tracy and the store's male employees insisted on taking careful measurements and on having the pledges try several pairs of each type of shoe. The employees spent an inordinate amount time checking the shoes' fit and watching the pledges try them on and walk around. It seemed to Lisa that the male sales representatives were extremely concerned about the well-being of their clients. It was the best customer service that Lisa had ever experienced in a shoe store. Of the four pledges, Lisa by far received the most attention. Her tall attractive figure would have been pleasing to a man's eyes at any time, but there was the added detail of her backside, which still had some color from her recent paddling. Every time she stood up it was clear to her audience that she had just been spanked. Lisa's fellow pledges would have been mortified had they had to go out in public with the recent marks of a paddling on their bottoms, but for an exhibitionist like Lisa the shoe store visit was nothing more than fulfilling a fantasy. Instead of trying to hide herself, she stood up much more than necessary and turned her back to the store clerks whenever possible. She even bent over a couple of times to check her shoe laces. Lisa had a secret goal of her own with the clerks, a mischievous plan that came to her the moment she saw their wide-eyed expressions and listened to their efforts to keep their breathing and voices under control. She was hoping to force them to have erections in the store. Lisa's idea was to get the clerks to completely embarrass themselves by forcing them to continue working while stiff under their pants. Her plan worked with at least two of them. As the sale progressed the men became increasingly nervous. Before long the tables were turned on the employees and it was their turn to be humiliated. The pledges giggled as the men struggled to hide their crotches as they continued working. A female employee of the store gave both her co-workers and their naked customers dirty looks as she struggled to attend several normally dressed customers by herself. None of the other customers really cared about the delay, however. After all, how often does a person go into a store to buy footwear and is treated to the sight of four attractive naked women trying on different pairs of shoes and walking around? After an hour of trying on shoes and matching socks, the pledges finally managed to make their selections and lined up at the cash register. Tracy paid for everything from the Four-Beta general account. She ordered the pledges to put on their new sneakers and take their other shoes to the minivan. ---------- It was nearly noon when the Lisa and her companions finally returned to the Four-Beta House. They were totally exhausted. They also were totally hungry because they had not eaten since the previous afternoon. Fortunately lunch was already served and waiting for them. The same selection of fruits and vegetables were laid out on the patio table, along with fruit smoothies, fresh whole wheat bread, and granola for dessert. The pledges ate voraciously, but felt quite good after the meal was over. Tracy kept her group busy all afternoon. After lunch she ordered the pledges to trim the sides of the tall hedge that protected the pool area from public view, then to put away the tools and tidy up the back yard. There was round of stretching in the sun, a 2-kilometer run on treadmills in the sorority's gym, and finally a beginner's yoga session on mats near the pool. Following the yoga, Heather joined the group and began lecturing the pledges about personal safety and self-defense. She and Tracy showed some basic moments on each other, but promised that later the pledges would receive professional training. Personal self-defense would be one skill out of many the pledges would need to master to become full members of the sorority. Following the personal defense lecture by Heather, a guest from the Tri-Alphas who was a Pre-Med student gave the women a rather blunt lecture on different types of venereal disease and how to prevent them. Sexual health was another educational topic all Four-Beta members had to know, and like Heather's self-defense lecture, the health lecture was the first out of many the women would receive on the topic. For the first time since they became pledges, the four women used their own shower and cleaned themselves instead of having it done for them. While showering next to each other Kathleen asked Lisa to soap her back. She seemed somewhat disappointed when Lisa only soaped the upper part where she couldn't reach on her own. Later Lisa suspected that what Kathleen really wanted was to have her bottom rubbed. ---------- That evening, the pledges ate their first dinner with other members of the sorority. The pledges discovered that when eating by themselves the Four-Betas had absolutely no dress-code when sitting at the table. Some of the members were fully dressed, some of them were in bathrobes or nightshirts, some were wearing shorts and sports bras, and three, like the pledges, came to the table not wearing anything at all. It was obvious the attitude among the Four-Betas was that whatever a member chose to put or not put on her body while in the sorority house was entirely up to that individual. Lisa, who hated wearing clothing, relished the thought that once she became a member of the sorority she could continue to run around the house completely in the nude and no one would care. The initial topic of conversation at the table focused on what the women were planning to do later that night: they and the Tri-Alphas were going to attend a theater production in which two members of the sorority and three members of the fraternity were participating. They gossiped about the two actresses and discussed the reviews the play had received. After the theater discussion the women talked at length about academics and majors. A couple members cited some recent articles they had read about what careers were the most promising. The topic prompted an argument over whether a person should study what she wanted to study and was good at, or should she go for what was most marketable. The women quickly split on the issue and it was obvious that evening was not the first time they had debated how best to choose a major. The conversation moved to the women's plans for the upcoming fall semester. From that point Lisa fully participated in the conversation because she had completed her first year in college. The sorority members already knew a lot about her, because the previous fall she had been the winner of the female division of the annual Tri-Alpha nude 10-K race. At Tracy's prompting, Lisa talked at length about her freshman year and her experiences as a resident in Huntington Hall. The other sorority members became especially interested when they discovered she had taken three classes from Ruth Burnside and would become her student aide in the fall. The fact that Lisa was working for Dr. Burnside interested the others much more than her talent for running. They questioned her about Burnside's classes and about her tutoring of several residents in Huntington Hall the past year at the request of her RA. Slowly it dawned on Lisa where the conversation was headed. It turned out that several of the sorority members had taken Burnside's introductory economics class and had to drop out. Now the sorority would have a member who could tutor the others, and everyone taking the class would pass it on the first try. Lisa realized she now was assured of becoming a full member of the sorority, but that her membership would come at the price of a commitment that she could not have anticipated. ---------- An hour later Tracy led the four very exhausted pledges to the basement and told them to brush their teeth and use the bathroom a final time. Lisa glanced longingly at the army cots. When she had seen them the previous morning she had recoiled at the thought of sleeping on one of those, but 36 hours later those cots looked very inviting. With no sleep for two full days Lisa was so tired that she was becoming disoriented. Tracy ordered the pledges to carefully line up their new shoes under their cots and then stand at attention. She had a small, but very pleasant surprise for them. "OK, pledges, I'm sure that by now you think I'm a total bitch. Well, as far as you're concerned, I am. But tonight I'm only going to be 99% bitch because you guys did so well with last night's clean up. (By the way, you didn't hear me say that.) Anyhow, I talked about it with Sergeant-at-Arms Heather and she agreed to let you sleep in the beds in the room next door instead of on these cots. We're also giving you 10 hours of sleep and letting you pull the covers over you. Enjoy it, because this is a treat. Starting tomorrow it'll be 7 hours per night on the cots." "Thank you, ma'am." Tracy unlocked the door of the adjacent room, which had two single beds, a double bed, a dresser, and a couple of nightstands. Ordinarily the room was used for visiting relatives, but to the four exhausted pledges, it seemed like a paradise. Bernadette and Cherine immediately took the two singles, leaving the double bed for Lisa and Kathleen. Within five minutes the pledges were deeply asleep. Tracy checked on her charges one last time and shut the door. ---------- Lisa slept deeply for 8 of her allotted 10 hours. She began feeling hot, and then vaguely realized that something was pressing against her. As she slowly awakened she realized that the hot object was another human body cuddling next to hers. At first she thought it was Ken and was about to push him back to his side of the bed. Then she opened her eyes and wondered why her dorm room was so dark. She saw an unfamiliar digital clock...when did she get that? Then she remembered she was not in her dorm room, and that the body next to her couldn't possibly be Ken. She ran her hand over her companion, realizing that she was female. What the hell? Who was this person? She eased herself from under the sleeping woman and finally woke up enough to remember where she was and what had happened the night before. She recalled that she had gotten in bed last night with Kathleen. She ran her fingers through the woman's hair and realized, sure enough, it turned out that Kathleen had slept snuggled up to her throughout the night. This was totally weird. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 07 Lisa was still somewhat disoriented and her thought processes had not yet returned to normal. Instead of pushing Kathleen over to her side of the bed and going back to sleep, Lisa felt a vague desire to touch her. She ran her fingers through Kathleen's hair and lightly caressed her cheek. She ran her fingers the full length of Kathleen's body. Remembering the shower incident and Kathleen's disappointment that she had not soaped her bottom, Lisa suddenly felt curious. She gently ran her fingers over the woman's thin bottom. Kathleen stirred slightly. "Hmm..." Lisa quickly pulled her hand back, but fortunately Kathleen had not woken up. Out of curiosity Lisa again gently touched her companion's bottom and ran her fingertips over the fading tan-line. A vague feeling of sexual desire swept over her. She imagined Kathleen lying over her lap, blindfolded and her hands cuffed together in front. For a very long time she gently rubbed and massaged Kathleen's backside, but gradually began to alternately slap her bottom cheeks and stimulate her bottom-hole, driving her wild in a combined frenzy of pain and pleasure. Kathleen was completely helpless, at Lisa's mercy, her lovely thin bottom the target of... Lisa checked herself. Better not go there... She pulled away her hand and pulled the covers over her sleeping companion. Now Lisa was fully awake. In the dark pre-dawn hour she lay quietly, wondering what was happening to her. Where would her desires and her fantasies lead her? She realized that in a twenty-four hour period she had fantasized about being seduced by Tracy, being fucked up the ass by that guy in the doctor's smock, and now tormenting and pleasuring Kathleen. In just 24 hours she had enjoyed three of the best orgasms of her life at the hands of total strangers. During that time her boyfriend Ken had been totally absent from her mind. She didn't know what to make of that, because she realized that the sexual adventures she had enjoyed with him over the past 6 months were quickly fading in her consciousness now that she was separated from him. She wasn't sure what she wanted anymore and no longer completely sure that she wanted to continue her life as it had been before she joined the sorority. Less than 48 hours after she started pledging, Lisa's mind was full of confusion and doubts. It was safe to assume that her three companions had the same doubts about themselves, which perhaps was why they had chosen to pledge in the first place. But as for herself, Lisa had pledged the Four-Betas because she wanted an adventure, not because she thought that she needed to change. And yet, she was changing. Maybe her character wasn't nearly as strong as she thought. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 08 Chapter 8 - Pledge Kathleen's punishment Lisa was just starting to drift back to sleep when the light in the room was turned on. An ear-piercing whistle from Tracy startled the pledges awake: "OK, sleeping beauties! Up-up-up!" The four women struggled to get out of bed and stand at attention. "Good morning, ma'am!" "Good morning, Pledges, and a lovely morning it is! We got a lot of stuff going on today, so we might as well hit the ground running! I want these beds made and no evidence left that any of you was in here last night! You got five minutes! Then I want you to dump your bladders, brush your teeth, put your shoes on, and form up in the pledge room!" "Yes, ma'am!" Obviously Tracy had returned to her normal nasty self. However, a good night's sleep had put the pledges in a much better mood. At least they were ready to face whatever she was going to throw at them that day. There were two sinks and one toilet, so the pledges took turns brushing their teeth and peeing. They knew better than to shower, because Tracy had not mentioned anything about showering. Less than 10 minutes after being woken up the women were standing in line. "OK, today's upper-body PT day! Everybody upstairs into the pool area! Move out!" The pledges filed past Tracy, who landed a hard slap on the bare bottom of each as they went by. Lisa led her companions to the back yard, where the members of the sophomore class already were in formation. Like the pledges, the only clothing the sophomores were wearing was athletic shoes and socks. Standing in front of the group was an equally naked Heather. The Sergeant-at-Arms welcomed the four pledges and announced from that point forward they would be exercising with the sophomore class. Because Tracy was a senior, she left the sophomores to change into the Four-Beta track uniform and go running with the other seniors and juniors. While the younger group exercised in the yard, the older group would do lengthy stretches and jog a standard three-mile loop around the university. The Four-Beta members alternated upper-body and lower-body workouts: on the days the sophomores and freshmen did pushups and sit-ups the seniors and juniors went running, and vice-versa. Group exercise was mandatory for all Four-Beta members. The rule about attending physical training was one of the most inflexible mandates of the sorority, because the women knew that by nature people tend to be lazy and not as likely to exercise on their own as they are in a group. Part of Four-Beta daily life was rigorous physical activity, which fit into the over-all philosophy of caring for one's own body. The women only wore uniforms when going out to run because they had to. In the sorority's back yard (or in the basement gym during the winter) the exercise uniform consisted of nothing except shoes and socks. There was nothing sexy about what the women were doing, not a hint of eroticism during the group PT. Instead what the Four-Betas were pursuing was an effort to re-kindle the old spirit of Gymnos. The sorority argued that it was better to exercise in the nude because clothing inhibits the natural process of sweating and free movement. The idea of complete nudity extended to deodorant, make-up, and perfume. The women were not allowed to put anything on their bodies that might inhibit their natural bodily processes, especially perspiration. Another goal of the nude exercising was to re-enforce the idea that a person should never feel uncomfortable with her own body or with seeing the bodies of other people. Lisa and Kathleen were relatively fit, so they did not struggle nearly as much as Bernadette and Cherine. Still, considering that the other women in the group had been performing the same exercises for over a year, the four pledges felt quite ashamed of their comparatively feeble efforts. Heather yelled at the newcomers, but let them know that for a while there would be some leniency as long as the pledges showed steady improvement. Following the group workout the pledges got cleaned up and returned upstairs for breakfast. They ate on the porch with the sophomores, once again a very healthy morning meal of fruit, whole-wheat English muffins, and small bowls of granola. Although she had sat down with them only twice, Lisa could tell that the women of the Four-Beta Sorority were very serious about any topic they wanted to discuss. Their concerns were academics, current events and politics, fitness, women's issues, personal relationships, and sex, in that order. They did not discuss fashion, music, sports, or popular entertainment. The sophomores engaged the pledges in conversation, talking at length about the university and various classes. After a while the topic shifted to university politics and then to current affairs. One of the Four-Beta sophomores mentioned a massive ongoing financial and political scandal that had been the top business news story for the past month. The scandal involved a botched attempt by Mega-Town Associates, the dominant corporation in the United States, to seize control of the government of an obscure European country called Upper Danubia. Lisa was very tempted to add her thoughts concerning the Danubian coup plot, because she happened to know much more about it than any of the other women at the table. However, she decided to hold her tongue, because her friends Cecilia Sanchez and Jason Schmidt, along with another friend of Lisa's ex-boyfriend Mike, had been directly involved in disrupting the attack by warning the Danubian government. Apparently Lisa's friends had placed themselves in personal danger, because they suddenly and secretly left the U.S. and she had not heard from them since. She did not know what to make of their sudden departure, and felt uneasy bringing something so serious up among a group of women she was trying to get to know. The discussion moved to the merits of Mega-Town Associates in general, and about whether it was good or not that a single company had so much power. Most of the women did not like Mega-Town, but one sophomore defended them, saying: "At least they don't kid around. The only reason everyone's so afraid of them is because if they want something, they go after it and they get it. I wish the American government could be like that." Most of the others, Lisa included, vehemently disagreed. Whatever the merits of their opinions, Lisa's future sorority companions were very serious students who used the pledge process to weed out the dumb princesses who belonged in other sororities. At the table they conversed with the pledges in a perfectly normal manner, but that was another part of the pledge process. During meals the normal formalities of pledge life were set aside, because the women genuinely wanted to get to know the four aspirants as persons and not just pledges. The women wanted to make sure that anyone allowed into their circle could think seriously and express herself clearly, not just do push-ups and withstand being yelled at by Tracy. At the same time they wanted the pledges to understand that they would not always be pledges. Once they passed through the initiation process they would be treated with much more respect. "There'll be plenty of times you think the pledging will go on forever, but it won't. We all went through what you're going through right now, and we all made it." "Yes, ma'am." ---------- There were many topics and life skills the pledges had to learn before becoming full members of the sorority. Sexuality, sexual health, and knowledge about one's own sexual needs were among the most important skills the Four-Betas wanted to pass along to new members. Upon swearing in as full members of the sorority, Lisa and her companions would be expected to have comprehensive knowledge of everything having to do with sex. Study topics included the human reproductive system of both sexes, health issues and medical conditions that could affect sexuality, methods of sexual intercourse and stimulation, orgasms, birth control and fertility, venereal disease, and how to have successful sexual relationships. As Heather put it: "We plan to get rid of your innocence, because it's innocence that makes women do stupid things and gets so many of us into trouble. Knowledge is power, and we're gonna be giving you plenty of knowledge over the next three months. Practical knowledge, not just theoretical shit out of books. The next time any of you gets in bed with someone, you will know exactly what you're doing and what you're up against." At first glance the sexual treatment of the Four Beta pledges seemed very hypocritical and contradictory. The forced masturbation, public viewing, and erotic stimulation that went on during medical exams and pledge showers seemed completely at odds with the strict prohibition against sexual intercourse. Both the fraternity and the sorority conducted sexual hazing and encouraged frequent orgasms from their pledges, but denied them the right to engage in intercourse with other people. Once a pledge understood the goal of the sexual education program, the apparent contradiction made more sense. The leadership of the fraternity and the sorority wanted new members to become knowledgeable about their own sexuality in a tightly controlled setting. Once they acquired that knowledge, then they would be ready to safely enjoy sexual relationships. The erotic stimulation was designed to familiarize a pledge with orgasms and make each person aware of the specific needs of his or her own body. Pledges were expected to submit to being sexually touched, but only upperclassmen who had earned the complete trust of the officers were assigned to have any physical contact with the newcomers. There was particular concern among the Tri-Alphas about the Four-Beta pledges, and that concern existed for a very good reason. In other fraternities it was common for the less scrupulous upperclassmen to seduce sorority pledges and "little sisters". The female pledges tended to be vulnerable because they had just entered college and were eager to do what was necessary to impress and please fraternity upperclassmen. Many of the 18-year old women started college very naïve and every year many got into trouble. Every September, throughout the university there were annual scandals involving rapes, alcohol poisoning, and the use of drugs such rohypnol. The ongoing fraternity sex scandals never affected the Tri-Alphas, because the "Triple A's" handled interaction with female pledges very differently than most other fraternities. The Tri-Alphas' leadership mandated that female pledges were completely off-limits. The fraternity members were encouraged to date and have relationships with members of the Four-Beta sorority, but only with the women who had passed the initiation and completed the sexual education program. Any attempt by a Tri-Alpha to have sex or intimate personal interaction with a Four-Beta pledge was punished by immediate expulsion from the fraternity. The Four-Beta pledges, in turn, answered to no one except the sorority's Sergeant-at-Arms and her assistant. On the second day of their internment Tracy made it very clear that under no circumstances were the pledges to obey orders from anyone except President Alexandra, Sergeant-at-Arms Heather, or herself. If anyone else, male or female, ever tried to tell them to do anything, they were to immediately report the incident to Tracy. ---------- The third day of the initiation process was full of sexual education classes, the first four hours of which were given on the back patio. Lisa, Cherine, and Bernadette sat at a table in the shade, while Kathleen lay in the sun on a deck chair to continue getting rid of her tan lines. Heather passed out notebooks and told the pledges they would be tested on the material they were being given. The first class was a two-hour review of the human reproductive system, with an emphasis on the role sexuality plays in reproduction. The presentation was followed by quick exercise break and then a quiz to review the material. The next lesson was an enhanced version of the venereal disease lecture from the night before, given by the same Tri-Alpha Pre-Med student. Once again the lecture was followed by an exercise break and a review. There was a light lunch, and then Heather and Tracy took the four pledges into the Four-Beta ceremonial room for a five-hour anatomy lecture and practical exercise titled: "Your vagina and beyond". The pledges realized there would be much more to the five hours than just a lecture when they saw the gynecological exam chair set up next to a table of medical examination instruments. Heather and Tracy took turns explaining what doctors look for when they subject a patient to a gynecological exam. They showed the pledges various medical diagrams and forced them to memorize the medical terms they would need to conduct and write up their own examinations. They two seniors then passed out speculums and other medical devices and showed the pledges how they worked. Finally the trainees received examination sheets and medical checklists. "OK, Pledges, here's where any mystery about what's between your legs stops. You've already undergone an initial exam, but that was for our information and you were not actively participating. Today's different. Now it's your turn to conduct the examinations. You will be examining each other, and we're not just talking about a quick peek. I want a full medical report from each of you about one of your fellow pledges. Each of you will conduct a full gynecological exam, and each of you will submit to a full gynecological exam. We expect each exam to be conducted thoroughly and professionally, and the forms complete with the correct medical vocabulary you've just been taught. Consider this a real-life test of what you've learned you so far." Lisa felt a tingle of excitement, but her three companions blushed and cringed at the thought of having to so completely expose themselves to each other. Heather turned to Lisa. "Pledge Lisa, you're first. Get up in the chair." "Yes, ma'am." Lisa climbed into the chair and put her legs in the stirrups, spreading her legs wide, hanging her bottom over the edge of the table, and completely exposing herself to the other five women in the room. "My assistant Tracy will do a demonstration on Pledge Lisa. That's to make sure that none of you can claim you don't know what you're supposed to do. I'm warning you now; if you have any modesty about this, you'd better get over it real fast and do these exams right. If you don't, your butts will be spending quality time with the paddle." Tracy put on a pair of medical gloves and took her position next to Lisa. After measuring her pulse and heartbeat, she began by inspecting the subject's lower abdomen. She noted Lisa's appendectomy scar in her report, but added that the subject did not have any other abnormalities. She made a two other notations, that the patient seemed to have a normal amount of pubic hair, but regularly shaved her entire vaginal region. The last time she had shaved apparently had been about four days before the exam. The other notation that she made was that, from the general appearance of the patient's genitalia, she was sexually active. Lisa's examiner moved to a visual inspection of the soft folds of her vulva and the opening of her vagina, carefully examining for any problems. She calmly separated Lisa's labia minora and labia majora to examine the hymen, urethral opening, and opening to her vagina. She noted the size of Lisa's clitoris and the development of her labia minora and majora. She made a final notation: "Over-all condition of Lisa Campbell's external vaginal region indicates a high level of sexual activity. The patient acknowledges daily sexual contact with a single male partner, as well as less frequent episodes of self-stimulation via contact between her fingers and her clitoris." Heather addressed the other three pledges: "The examiner has completed the external visual part of the exam. You noticed that she was not shy about touching the patient's genitalia to get a good visual. That is absolutely necessary. Any questions?" "No, ma'am." "Good. So now you know what I'm expecting on the external pelvic exam. Now for the internal pelvic exam." Heather snapped her fingers at Bernadette and pointed at a bowl of warm water containing a speculum. Bernadette nervously passed the bowl and its scary-looking contents to Tracy, who reached in and took the device. She gently inserted it into Lisa and opened it to expose her cervix. She shined a light to illuminate that intimate part of the patient, and instructed each of her witnesses to take a look. Heather continued: "The area is examined for ulcerations, cysts, bleeding, enlargements, or menstrual discharge. The positioning of the cervix is also noted. Now, if we were in a doctor's office, the next step would be to scrape some sample cells with a swab. We'll have to skip that part because we don't have the right lab equipment. That's the only part of a standard exam we're skipping, however." With that Tracy slowly pulled out the speculum, checking for any inflammation or other problems. Heather noted what she was doing and told the pledges to make sure to pay attention to that detail upon removing the device. Tracy handed the speculum back to Bernadette. She took off her gloves and made some notes about the condition of Lisa's cervix and further evidence of her subject's frequent sexual activity. Tracy put on a new pair of medical gloves and lubricated her fingertips. She inserted two fingers into Lisa's vagina and with her other hand palpated and pressed down on her lower abdomen. Lisa felt some uncomfortable pressure as Tracy searched for her various organs. "OK, now for the fun part." Tracy changed gloves yet again, lubricated the fingertips of her right hand, and inserted a finger up Lisa's bottom and another into her vagina. Leaving her fingers in place, she turned to her increasingly nervous spectators: "You will complete the bimanual exam by checking the condition of muscles that separate the vagina and rectum. With the index finger in the vagina and the middle finger in the rectum, you can more accurately feel the posterior surface of the uterus, cervical ligaments, the ovaries, and the side walls of the pelvis. You will note the shape of the rectum as you remove your finger." Tracy pulled out her fingers and held up the one that had been in Lisa's bottom. She continued: "Feces that adhere to the gloves are examined for mucous or blood, because you're also looking for rectal disorders." Bernadette and Cherine cringed as Tracy held the glove close to their faces. Yuck! Kathleen felt totally different. Seeing Tracy's finger invade Lisa's bottom and move about totally excited her. She wanted so badly to explore that part of Lisa, but much more, she was anxiously looking forward to having the same procedure performed on herself. To be touched in such an intimate and invasive manner...the very thought of it made her heart race and her breathing difficult. As Tracy displayed the findings of her rectal exam, Lisa took a deep breath. Even for someone as exhibitionistic as herself, this was a bit much. However, she knew that her experience was not finished, there was still much more to come. Tracy finished by casually wiping her subject's vulva and anus clean and making some final notes. She held up the medical form. "Your evaluation forms will be compared to the one that I just did on Pledge Lisa. Now I need one of you to step forward to examine her and another to assist. If I might make a suggestion, the person doing the examination should call out her observations to the one assisting, who will be writing everything down. If you work together this'll go a lot quicker. So, who's first? Who gets the honor of examining Pledge Lisa?" The Pledge Mistress Ch. 08 Kathleen nervously raised her hand: "I'll go...I'll do it." "Excellent. Who'll be your assistant?" "I...I guess...Pledge Cherine..." "OK, Pledge Kathleen and Pledge Cherine. You're up." Lisa glanced at Kathleen, who was very nervous. Kathleen had good reason to be so nervous, because of her motive for volunteering to go first. She had not volunteered because she wanted to demonstrate boldness or to "get it over with". She had stepped forward because she had become fascinated with Lisa and badly wanted to touch her. She really didn't know exactly what more she wanted from her fellow pledge, but she did know that she wanted to explore Lisa's body and hopefully be touched in return. She couldn't express what she wanted, even to herself in a coherent manner, because Lisa intimidated her as well as fascinated her. There were other issues, including the on-going hurt she felt from the disaster she suffered two years before as the result of sexually experimenting with a female classmate. There was the deep-seated fear of rejection and the knowledge that Lisa already had a boyfriend. Kathleen was scared, but at the same time she was obsessed. The exam gave her an opportunity to pursue her vague fantasy without having to risk being rejected. Lisa tried to relax, but was not sure how to react to Kathleen's nervous eyes, trembling hands, and shaky voice. Lisa wondered if Kathleen had a crush on her, not realizing that Kathleen's feelings were far more complicated and undefined than that. Kathleen wanted something, but she wasn't sure what. Lisa's thoughts turned to the practical concern of getting both herself and her fellow pledge through the exam without either of them getting into trouble. She would need to be as supportive as possible and not do anything at the moment to upset Kathleen or hurt her feelings. Whenever they had a moment alone perhaps there would be an opportunity to figure out what to do about her companion. Now the task that mattered was finishing the exam and avoiding Tracy's paddle. Lisa smiled slightly at Kathleen, silently trying to assure her that everything was OK. "Y...You ready?" Lisa nodded. With that Kathleen began the external examination, asking Lisa the same questions about her sexual history that Tracy had asked. Following Tracy's lead, Kathleen carefully examined Lisa and called out her observations to Cherine. However, seeing Lisa's clitoris so vulnerable and exposed proved too much of a temptation. Kathleen gently brushed that tender spot a couple of times, and in doing so began arousing her subject. The internal exam went well and relatively quickly. The big test of Kathleen's self control would be the bimanual portion of the exam and the final probing of Lisa's rectum. Kathleen's hands and voice trembled as she inserted her fingers into Lisa's vagina. She pressed and palpated her subject's lower abdomen and called out her observations, but her thoughts were on her subject's clitoris and bottom, not her reproductive system. So far Kathleen had not done badly, but Tracy and Heather both knew that she was struggling to keep calm. They watched with crossed arms as the pledge approached the final and most difficult part of her test. Obviously with her, shyness was not a problem, but... Kathleen's hands trembled as she struggled to change gloves for the final examination. Tracy directed Cherine to help the examiner get the gloves on properly. Now the moment had come. Kathleen pressed into Lisa's vagina and bottom, totally fascinated at the thought of being so deeply inside her. Lisa positioned herself as best she could to help her get in. The pledge gently moved her finger back and forth inside Lisa's bottom, and, without thinking about what she was doing, gently touched Lisa's clitoris with her free hand. She began massaging from both ends as Lisa closed her eyes to enjoy the sensation... It was Tracy who broke the spell. "Pledge Kathleen, are you going to finish up or not? This is not a love-making session, it's a medical exam." Despair swept over both Kathleen and Lisa upon hearing Tracy's voice. They looked up to see the impatient officers and the wide-eyed expressions of their fellow pledges. Lisa now was sexually aroused, but Kathleen was desperate with desire. She gave Tracy a very unpleasant look. She heaved a sigh, wiped her subject clean, and took her medical form to finish filling it out. Lisa got out of the examination chair, because now it would be her turn to do the exam. Lisa had hoped to examine Kathleen, but it turned out that her companion was now in trouble. Tracy ordered Cherine to get into the chair, Lisa to examine her, and Bernadette to assist. She pulled out a pair of handcuffs and told Kathleen to position herself to be cuffed. Tracy then took her by the arm and led her out of the room. The pledge mistress led her pledge to a small utility room near the kitchen that had a variety of discipline implements hanging on the wall. She selected a leather strap that was about 18 inches long, counting the handle, and about 2 inches wide. She held it up in front of the terrified freshman: "Pledge Kathleen, I have only one thing to say to you. That was a medical exam, not a groping session. You need to learn some self-control. I'd imagine this'll help you calm down." Tracy led her unhappy companion to the pool patio. She unhooked Kathleen's cuffs and repositioned her hands to re-hook them in front. She ordered the pledge to bend over a patio table and extend her hands to the far end. She took a plastic packaging strap and attached the cuffs to one of the table legs. She ordered Kathleen to spread her legs and turn her backside up. Once Kathleen was positioned Tracy gently began rubbing her bottom. "Pledge, I'm about to discipline you, but I want to make sure you understand why you're being punished." "Ma'am...I'm sorry! I...wasn't..." CRACK! Tracy struck hard with the strap, laying a pick strip of pure pain right across the middle of the pledge's bottom-cheeks. Kathleen screamed and kicked one of her feet back. CRACK!...CRACK! "Let's get something straight, Pledge! I don't EVER want to hear you say 'sorry' to me again! Of course you're sorry, because now your ass is burning! I didn't ask you if you were 'sorry'; I asked you if you understand why you're being punished!" "Ahh...urr...I...I...I was...like...uh...touching Lisa..." CRACK! "That's PLEDGE Lisa! You will refer to your fellow pledges by their proper title!" CRACK! "Oww...hoo...hoo..." Tracy raised the strap again, ready to strike. "You'd better start talking, Pledge! I got you tied up and I have all night to spend with you, if I that's what I want! I'm not going anywhere..." "I...I...uh...I...wanted to...you know...touch Pledge Lisa...and...I don't know why...but...I wasn't 'sposed to...you know like...not during the medical test...and not in front of...I wasn't 'sposed to, and I knew...but I couldn't help myself..." CRACK! "You couldn't help yourself! Aww, ain't that so sad! You just couldn't help yourself!" CRACK! "That's the lamest bullshit excuse there is, Pledge! Unless aliens have taken over your body, of course you can help yourself! It's called self-control, Pledge Kathleen, self control!" CRACK! "OWW! Hoo...hoo...hoo!" CRACK! "Let me explain something, Pledge! Before I sign your membership certificate, you WILL learn self-control! There's a proper time for everything, and you picked the wrong time to play feelies with Pledge Lisa! CRACK! "If there's anything going on between you and Pledge Lisa, for me that's not a problem, but it IS a problem if it interferes with an assignment we have given you!" "Yes ma'am." CRACK! "You need to focus, Pledge!" CRACK! "Y...yes...ma'am...Oww...oww..." "You need to remember why you're here!" "Yes, ma'am!" CRACK! "You are here to complete the Four-Beta orientation program! That's why you're here!" CRACK! To complete OUR program, and to follow OUR rules!" "Yes, ma'am!" CRACK! "Get it?" "Oww...ow...hoo...hoo...Yes, ma'am..." CRACK!... CRACK!... CRACK!... CRACK!... CRACK!... Tracy delivered five truly vicious swats to finish disciplining the pledge. She then stood back to let her cry it out. Kathleen, her hands still cuffed and her body stretched over the tabletop, sobbed pitifully for nearly 15 minutes. Finally Tracy left for a moment to put away the strap, then returned to release Kathleen. She cut the packaging strap and helped the crying pledge stand up. The pledge mistress un-cuffed the pledge's hands, but only to guide her hands behind her back and re-cuff them. Kathleen's punishment was not over. Tracy took her charge by the arm and led her back to the sitting room where the Cherine, with Lisa assisting, was finishing up her examination of Bernadette. The three women glanced nervously at Tracy as she led the teary-eyed Pledge Kathleen to a corner, ordered her to kneel facing the wall, and blindfolded her. The pledge made a sad sight, her body heaving with quiet sobs, her hands behind her back, and her bottom covered with dark red stripes. Tracy and Heather looked over the examination forms while three pledges knelt before them and the fourth remained kneeling in the corner. Finally Heather put three forms in pledge personnel folders. "Pledges Lisa, Bernadette, and Cherine; you've passed the practical exercise of the gynecological portion of your orientation training. I want you to take all the used medical equipment to the kitchen and properly sterilize it according to the manual. Disposable items go into the red medical waste bin." "Yes, ma'am." "We will leave the chair in place because Pledge Kathleen will have to re-do the practical exercise tomorrow morning at 5:00 a.m. Due to our unfortunate little incident today, I will serve as the pledge's examination subject and directly evaluate her. If she fails the practical a second time, she will be dismissed from the pledge group." Lisa was both shocked and infuriated at the unfairness of Kathleen's situation. She had done the exam correctly almost up to the end. Yes, it was true that Kathleen was extremely nervous and that she had fondled her during the final part of the exam, but that was only because Lisa had done everything possible to encourage her. She had given her companion plenty of looks and body language to send the message that "it's OK, you can touch me", to make her less nervous. However, her actions, instead of helping Kathleen, caused her to get into serious trouble. Lisa helped Bernadette and Cherine take the medical instruments to the kitchen and get a large pot of water set up to boil them. Once the pot was going, she left the kitchen to find either Heather or Tracy. She couldn't find Heather, but finally located Tracy sitting at the computer in the sorority's office, typing entries into the training log. She knelt at the door and knocked. "Ma'am, Pledge Lisa requests permission to speak." Tracy hit "save" on the computer and turned to face the door. "Pledge, this had better be important, because you're supposed to be in the kitchen." "Yes, ma'am." "Alright, so let's hear it." "Ma'am, what you're doing to Pledge Kathleen is totally unfair. She only touched me like that because I encouraged her." "Yes, I could see that. You were encouraging her." "So why'd you just punish her? How come she got all the blame?" "Pledge Lisa, the reason she got the blame was because she was the one conducting the exam. That exam was her responsibility. Part of that responsibility was that she was supposed to show self-control, and she didn't. That failure was what got her punished." "But, ma'am, I encouraged her." "Yes, you did encourage her, and now that you're here, I'd like to know why." "I...I just thought it'd make things easier on her if...you know...I let her know that...it's OK...'cause she was so nervous..." "Pledge, don't bullshit me. She was touching you, and you were doing everything you could to get her to touch you. Both of you were getting off on it, in front of four witnesses. So let's hear it. What's going on between you two?" "I don't know, ma'am. I...don't really know...what's going on...but I...I just don't think it's fair...that..." "...that she got punished and you didn't?" "Yes, ma'am. It's just that I feel responsible for what happened, ma'am. I mean like...I'm a year older...and she's kinda naïve." "She's confused, Pledge Lisa. I'd say she's confused. I wouldn't say she's naïve." "But I still feel responsible. I mean like...I don't think you oughta punish her, and threaten to kick her out...and..." "Pledge, let's have a reality check here. The rule is; if you don't pass the initiation tests, then you're out. It's that simple. We are cutting her some slack, because normally you don't get to re-test. She came close enough to passing that she's getting a second chance, which is something we normally don't do." "Yes, ma'am, but...I mean..." "Pledge Lisa, what you need to do is support her and try to get her to calm down. She's got a rough half-hour ahead of her tomorrow morning and she's gonna have to think straight and pay attention to what she's doing. If you can help her, I'd appreciate it, because to be honest, I don't want to have to kick her out." "Ma'am, I also feel I gotta take responsibility. It...uh...wasn't all her fault. She shouldn't be getting all the blame..." Tracy was silent for a minute, as she pondered how best to deal with the difficult situation between herself and the pledge. She realized that she had yet another opportunity to push Lisa's limits and test her resolve to sacrifice for her three companions. "Pledge...given what's happened to Pledge Kathleen, do you understand how I'm interpreting what you just said to me?" "I...uh...yes ma'am." "...and even so, you're still willing to 'take responsibility'?" "Yes, ma'am." "You understand that means being punished?" "Yes, ma'am. I understand that." Tracy hesitated for a moment, then hit the screensaver button on her computer. "Alright, Pledge. What you'll need to do is meet me out by the patio tables. I'll get the strap." "Yes, ma'am." "Since you're volunteering for this punishment, I'm giving you the choice of being cuffed or holding your own position. If I don't restrain you, can you stay bent over?" "Yes, ma'am." "Then I'll go get the strap. Meet me outside." Lisa sadly walked past the kitchen and her two bewildered companions. "Lisa, is everything OK?" "Not really." She continued out to the patio and stood next to the outdoor tables, as Cherine and Bernadette watched from the kitchen window. A moment later Tracy joined her, carrying the same leather strap had she used on Kathleen. The two pledges in the kitchen stared in disbelief as Lisa bent over one of the tables and Tracy positioned herself to administer the punishment. Tracy said something to Lisa, and she sadly nodded. Tracy then tapped the insides of the pledge's thighs with the strap to force them apart. CRACK!...CRACK!...CRACK!...CRACK!...CRACK!... For the second time in less than 48 hours Lisa submitted to a punishment on behalf of one of the members of her group. The strokes were as severe as the ones given to Kathleen; the only indignity that Lisa was spared was having to answer Tracy's questions while she was being whipped. As the blows continued and the burning in her backside mounted, Lisa gritted her teeth in a desperate effort to stay quiet. She was determined, no matter what, not to let either Tracy or her companions watching from the kitchen see her cry. CRACK!...CRACK!...CRACK!...CRACK!...CRACK!... The two naked women in the kitchen flinched in sympathy as the strokes continued to land on their fellow pledge. Bernadette commented: "God, they're being rough on her." The Pledge Mistress Ch. 09 Chapter 9 - Lisa's weakness Tracy was finished in less than 10 minutes. She struck hard, but was not in any mood to prolong the strapping. Lisa made it through the punishment without crying, although her expression clearly reflected the pain of having taken a severe punishment over the bruises left over from the previous day's paddling. Her bottom now was in bad shape, covered with cruel welts and deep red in color. Tracy tapped her hard on the shoulder. "Get up. Come with me," she snapped. Lisa struggled to push herself up and painfully followed the pledge mistress past the kitchen and back to the sitting room. Kathleen was still kneeling, a solitary and very forlorn figure hunched in the corner. Her hands were cuffed behind her back and her eyes still covered by the blindfold. It was clear that she had been crying the whole time she was left alone. Tracy took off Kathleen's blindfold and unlocked the handcuffs. She helped Kathleen stand up, but then pointed at the floor to let both pledges know that they needed to kneel so she could talk to them. "Pledge Kathleen, I'm cutting your punishment short, because Pledge Lisa informed me that she was partly to blame for what happened on the exam table. I have dealt with her, and except for your re-test, and I consider the incident resolved." "Yes, ma'am." "Pledge Lisa, we need the bathrooms cleaned before you go to bed tonight. There's an inspection manual sitting on the desk of the office. I expect you to use it and make sure the bathrooms comply with what's in there. Each bathroom has a cleaning log stored under the sink. Once you've cleaned the bathroom, make sure you fill in the time so you won't get blamed if anyone comes in after you and leaves a mess." "Yes, ma'am." "Alright. I want you two to wait in the pledge room while we have dinner. You're still under punishment restriction, so you'll be missing dinner. Once we're done, I'll have Pledges Cherine and Bernadette go get you so you can get started on the bathrooms. You can use the pledge showers while you wait. With the way you two smell right now, I'd take advantage of that if I were you." "Yes, ma'am." "Stand up!" Lisa and Kathleen quickly rose to their feet. "You are dismissed." "Yes, ma'am." ---------- Lisa and Kathleen went into the basement while Bernadette and Cherine took their places at the table with the sophomores. The two unpunished pledges felt both very nervous and very guilty that they were enjoying dinner while their companions were going hungry in the basement, but fortunately that did not diminish their appetites. They assumed, quite rightly, that there would be plenty of evenings they would be going hungry themselves sitting in the basement following a punishment. Kathleen was consumed with guilt over what had happened to Lisa. As soon as they made it into the pledge room she began crying and profusely apologizing. Lisa responded not by trying to tell Kathleen that she forgave her or that "everything's OK", but by holding her fellow pledge while she finished crying. Lisa knew that what Kathleen needed was not to be reassured with words, but by being held. She led Kathleen to the sofa and sat down. She took her companion's hand and drew her into a sitting position next to her. Kathleen cried into her shoulder as Lisa held her and comforted her. Finally, she recovered enough to speak: "I...I can't do this! I thought I could, but I can't! I want out! I just can't handle it! I'm sorry!" Lisa didn't say anything, but began stroking Kathleen's short dark hair. That seemed to calm her down a bit. She gently brushed away the tears from her companion's face, which calmed her down even more. Lisa moved from brushing away the tears to caressing her cheek, which quieted Kathleen even more. Lisa realized that she had discovered something important about her companion, that she could be soothed and reassured by being touched. Kathleen snuggled up to Lisa, seeking an emotional shelter from the traumatic events of the past three days. Lisa put her arm around Kathleen's shoulders and allowed her face to rest against her chest. She knew that if she could comfort her fellow pledge long enough without being interrupted, the crisis would pass. Lisa was grateful for the moment of silence, because her own emotions were in turmoil. She realized that she had reached an important turning point in her life, because to keep Kathleen in the pledge group, she would have to develop a relationship with her and allow her to become emotionally dependent. It seemed that only Lisa could provide Kathleen with the motivation and support that would convince her to stay in. She would have to assume the role of Kathleen's mentor and protector. Ultimately there would have to be more to the relationship between the two women, but the question was, how much more? Lisa felt an emotional tug towards Kathleen, but was experienced enough in life to know why. Both women were frightened, isolated, tired, and under a lot of emotional stress. They were totally dependent on the whims of Tracy and Heather for every detail of their existence, including their most basic human needs. They faced three months being cut off from the outside world. They had no one to turn to for comfort except each other. Lisa's need to watch over someone else was as important as Kathleen's need to seek protection. Lisa realized she needed Kathleen every bit as much as Kathleen needed her. Lisa knew that another issue was likely to come up between herself and Kathleen, and that was sex. It was Kathleen's sexual fascination with Lisa that got both of them in trouble in the first place, and the sexual issue was certain to re-surface. How would she handle that, when the moment came? Lisa decided that Kathleen had calmed down enough for them to shower. She squeezed her companion's hand and suggested they get cleaned up, since the others would be returning shortly and the bathrooms still had to be cleaned. Kathleen did not resist. She quietly followed Lisa to the shower stalls. The two women began soaping themselves, but Kathleen was sending non-verbal signals that she wanted her companion to soap her back. Lisa didn't see the harm in that. She agreed to gently soap Kathleen's entire back, including her welt-covered bottom. As Lisa's hands gently circled soap over her companion's tender backside, Kathleen put her hands on the wall and arched her back. She wanted more. She wanted Lisa to touch her, to run her fingers over the most sensitive area of her body. She wanted to feel Lisa's finger to massage and then press into her bottom-hole. If Lisa only would do that... Lisa did go much further than she originally intended. She soaped the most intimate part of Kathleen, thoroughly cleaning her vagina and bottom-hole. Kathleen gasped with delight, something that Lisa found very erotic. The pull now was much stronger, not only was Kathleen falling in love with Lisa, but also Lisa was becoming increasingly attracted to Kathleen. She realized how much she enjoyed touching and caressing her... No...no, this can't be happening. You've go to stop it, now. You can't do this to her! The small voice of restraint, that voice of reason and morality, resonated in Lisa's thoughts. You've got to stop this, now! Lisa backed away, only to have her companion embrace her. Kathleen put her face to Lisa's chest and held her tight. That embrace, along with the sensation of Kathleen's skin in contact with her own, buried Lisa's doubts. She realized just how good it felt to hold her. It was too late for that voice of reason to intervene in Lisa's life. Just three days after meeting her, she had fallen into a relationship with Kathleen. Lisa's heart pounded as Kathleen pulled her head off her chest. She looked at Lisa with a very intense expression. Her eyes glistened with desire and her mouth was slightly open. Lisa knew that the moment had come. They now were lovers. All they need now was to exchange their first kiss. Kathleen closed her eyes and leaned forward... The sound of footsteps coming down the stairs alerted the two women that their interlude of solitude had ended. They rapidly separated and moved to their respective showers. Bernadette and Cherine entered the room, quite surprised to see their fellow pledges still showering. The expressions on the faces of the shower's occupants gave them away. Kathleen was clearly distressed at the interruption, while Lisa's face reflected a combination of embarrassment, disappointment, and relief. Bernadette gave Lisa a very suspicious look: what's going on here? Why aren't you two cleaned up yet? Even Cherine, the most inexperienced member of the pledge group, realized that something was not right. Lisa pulled herself out of her confused mood and finished rinsing off. She ignored Bernadette's suspicious glances as she prepared to confront the next issue of the day, the bathrooms. She reached for the inspection manual and organized her companions by task. Lisa would clean the toilets and perform the final inspection check, Bernadette would clean the sinks and wipe down the floors, Kathleen was responsible for bathtubs and showers, and Cherine was in charge of removing trash and dirty linens. "If any of you doesn't like what they're doing, I'm willing to switch with you." No one volunteered, given that Lisa already had taken the least pleasant task, the toilets, for herself. The pledges went through their duty very quickly. They worked on two bathrooms at a time, Kathleen and Bernadette going first, and then Lisa and Cherine finishing up. They were completely finished within an hour. Lisa inspected each bathroom, signed the cleaning log, and moved on. She realized that Tracy's comment "make sure you fill in the time so you won't get blamed if anyone comes in after you and leaves a mess," meant that the bathroom clean up was a standard chore and not a hazing task. Just to be safe, Lisa directed her companions to get ready for bed while she looked for Tracy. Finally she found her in the sorority library, sitting in an armchair as she read a psychology journal and took notes. Lisa realized how focused a student Tracy truly must be, given that she was working on her major even during the weeks between the spring and summer semesters. She knelt at the door and knocked. "Ma'am, Pledge Lisa requests permission to speak." "Go ahead Pledge Lisa." "The bathrooms have been cleaned ma'am." "That fast? Are you sure they're in compliance with the inspection manual?" "I checked each one myself, ma'am. If they're not in compliance it'd be because I overlooked something." "Alright, let's have a look." Lisa followed Tracy through two of the bathrooms. She straightened a few of the towels, but otherwise found nothing wrong. "OK, Pledge Lisa. This'll work. You're dismissed for the night." "Yes, ma'am." Lisa suddenly remembered Ruth Burnside's request to have the chapter president call her to work out an arrangement that would allow Lisa to continue pledging but not interfere with her duties with the Economics Department. She knelt to address Tracy again. "Ma'am, Pledge Lisa requests permission to speak." "Yes, Pledge Lisa?" She told the pledge mistress about her contract with Ruth Burnside and explained that President Alexandra needed to call the professor to work out the details concerning how they would split up Lisa's time. Tracy told Lisa to follow her back to the office, and typed out an e-mail addressed to both President Alexandra and Ruth Burnside concerning the need for them to talk about Pledge Lisa's dual commitment. She asked Lisa for Burnside's contact information to put in the e-mail, and also included President Alexandra's information. "There. Now it's all in writing, addressed to both of them, so there won't be any confusion about what they're supposed to do." "Thank you, ma'am." Lisa decided to bring up another issue, before things between her and Kathleen went any further and they got in trouble. She knew that pledges were strictly prohibited from having relationships with full members of either the sorority or the fraternity, but the rules did not say anything about relationships with other pledges. She asked, just for the purposes of clarification for her group, what the rule was concerning sexual contact between pledges. Tracy gave Lisa an impatient look. "Pledge, don't bullshit me. You're not curious about that rule for your group. What you want to know is if you'll get in trouble if you do anything with Pledge Kathleen. That's what this is all about, isn't it?" Lisa took a very deep breath. "Yes, ma'am." "That depends on how you handle it. We encourage pledges to experiment with their sexuality within the guidelines of our program, so there's not a problem if you have a relationship with Pledge Kathleen. If you end up doing anything with her, you'll need to be discreet about it. We don't want you flaunting it around the sorority. No kissing in public areas, no handholding, no making the rest of us listen to sweet talk, that sort of thing. The privacy rule's not just for you; it's for everyone. There's a lot of relationships among us and between us and the Tri-Alphas, but we respect each other and keep it quiet. If you can keep whatever you do with Pledge Kathleen to yourselves, then I have no problem with you spending some of your time together. The moment it interferes with your behavior in public or your pledge duties, then I will have a problem." "Thank you ma'am." "Now, there's another issue, and only you can answer it. You need to think about your reason for wanting a relationship with Pledge Kathleen. Is it because she's truly the love of your life, or is it because you two are thrown together in a very difficult situation and need each other's support?" "I...I don't know, ma'am...I mean like...I've only known her three days..." "Exactly. Three days. You've known her three days. You'd better give that some thought." "But...she really needs me...I mean, tonight she was just gonna quit, and...I sort of...you know like, held her...I mean..." Lisa took a deep breath and blurted out; "this pledging, and the way you're treating us, it's a lot harder than we thought it was going to be..." "Well, it's gonna get even harder, because it's my job to push you to your limits. Don't think I'm gonna let up on you guys, because I'm not. The sorority believes that to join us you have to completely know yourself, and to completely know yourself you've got to know how you're gonna react under a lot of hardship and stress. Even with you, after just three days I've noticed some changes in your character because I've been so rough on you. I'm starting to think that you've already found out things about yourself that you didn't know." "Yes, ma'am. That's true." "And that includes what you want from your relationships?" "Yes, ma'am, or, like...now I'm confused. Three days ago I thought I knew what I wanted. Now I don't have any idea. I don't know. I 'spose when I see Ken again I'll straighten it all out." Tracy became pensive upon hearing Ken's name. It was apparent that she knew something important, but was not sure whether to disclose it. "Pledge Lisa, about your boyfriend...I got a question for you. How well do you think you know Ken?" Lisa was surprised by the sudden turn of the conversation. What did "knowing Ken" have to do with her pledging responsibilities? "I'm pretty sure I know him just fine. I mean, we've spent a lot of time together and we've experimented a lot, and..." "So you're pretty certain that he wouldn't hit you with any surprises? That maybe there's something he's been keeping from you?" "Ma'am, what do you know about him?" "Pledge, his end of it is confidential. The only thing that I can tell you is that we're here to discover the truth about ourselves and about each other. Next week Ken will start the same process of self-discovery when he pledges with the Triple A's that you're undergoing with us." "But, ma'am, is there something about him I need to know? I mean, have you read his pledge packet?" "Yes." "Then what is it? What..." "Pledge, I'm not going to talk about someone else's life. You'll find out soon enough. The only thing that I'm worried about is how it might affect you. I'm just asking you to keep an open mind." "But what..." "PLEDGE, STAND UP!" Lisa immediately rose to her feet. "You are dismissed, Pledge. Make sure Pledge Kathleen is ready to re-test at 5:00. Get the others up at 5:30. I expect you to have your area cleaned and be lined up next to the pool at 6:00. Tomorrow's lower body and aerobic PT day. It's gonna be quite hot, yet again, so we'll need to exercise as early as possible." "Yes, ma'am." "Goodnight, Pledge." "Goodnight, ma'am." ---------- Lisa left the meeting feeling as though she had been hit in the chest. Tracy's words "maybe there's something he's been keeping from you" echoed over and over in her mind. As best she could within her oath not to divulge information about another pledge, the pledge mistress was trying to warn her not to count on Ken. It was obvious he had written something in his pledge packet that had alerted Tracy that his sexual ambitions extended beyond continuing his relationship with Lisa. Unfortunately, Lisa suspected she knew what the problem was. During their first few weeks as friends back in September, Ken had confessed that occasionally he felt attracted to guys as well as to women. In other words, he openly admitted to being bisexual. Cecilia Sanchez later confided something else to Lisa back in November, that she had noticed Ken looking longingly at her boyfriend Jason a couple of times. Cecilia had been tempted to say something and tell Ken to stay away from Jason, but held her tongue and later was glad she did. As their relationship developed, Lisa had assumed that Ken was not really bisexual, but instead simply a masochist. All he needed was the right woman to dominate him, and he would be happy. Now she had to deal with the shock of being wrong, that her lover of six months was not really who she thought he was. Yes, he was indeed a masochist, but apparently his bisexuality was something he was planning to explore upon joining the fraternity. Lisa was infuriated, not so much at Ken's situation, but at the fact that he had not had the decency to tell her about his sexual doubts and upcoming plans. She had to hear about it from a third person, from her pledge mistress. Lisa tightened her lips, because at that moment she took it for granted that her relationship with Ken had ended. You want to fuck other guys, asshole? That's fine with me. You want to come back to me afterwards? I don't think so. You can go to hell. Lisa was deeply hurt, but refused to admit that to herself. She covered her emotional pain with anger and scorn. Cecilia had warned Lisa that she thought Ken was an idiot, that he was weak-willed, and that he had no character. It turned out that Cecilia was right about him, just like it seemed she had been right about a bunch of other things. Well, chalk up another one for Cecilia, thought Lisa to herself. Lisa's thoughts returned to her own situation. At that moment she could not see the irony of her feelings towards Kathleen. In her mind she excoriated Ken for wanting to explore his desire to experiment with other guys, and yet here she was, wanting to do the exact same thing with another female. Unlike Ken, Lisa was not even willing to admit she might be bisexual. She hated that word and associated it with hypocrisy. Instead she saw herself as a straight woman who just happened to be attracted to someone of the same sex due to the circumstances of a unique friendship. Lisa returned to the basement to find the other pledges asleep. The room was dimly lit with a single nightlight, so she could make out the bare figures of her companions as they lay on top of bedrolls on their cots. Bernadette had the presence of mind to close the air conditioning vent, so the room was warmer than the rest of the sorority. The warm air allowed the pledges to be relatively comfortable in spite of being forced to sleep naked with no covers. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 09 Lisa glanced around the room. It seemed that Bernadette and Cherine were asleep, judging by the sound of their breathing. Lisa was not surprised to see that Kathleen was not asleep. Kathleen got up on her elbow. Lisa squeezed her hand. "You OK?" "Yeah, I guess. I'm just kinda scared about tomorrow." "It's no big deal. You've already done most of it, and you came very close to passing. All you gotta do is just stay calm." Lisa put her hand on Kathleen's cheek. She knew that Kathleen would do fine, as long she was properly motivated. "I'm counting on you. You gotta do it, because if you don't, I don't see how I'm gonna get through the summer without you." "You mean that?" "Of course I mean that, silly." Lisa leaned forward to kiss Kathleen goodnight. At first she just wanted to give her a good night peck, but Kathleen buried her mouth into Lisa's and kissed hard. Lisa did not resist. Instead she found the experience very interesting, exchanging kisses with another woman for the first time in her life. Anyhow, now it was done. The two women had exchanged their first kiss, the kiss that committed each to the other as a lover. Kathleen would have wanted to continue, but Lisa touched her finger to her companion's lips. "Get some sleep. I want you to get a good night's sleep so you can get through tomorrow. I'll have a big kiss for you when you're done." Kathleen smiled in the darkness and lay back down. Lisa squeezed her hand one last time and left her to set her alarm for 4:45 a.m. and unroll her own sleeping mat. She covered the mat with a dorm sheet and laid out a pillow. Like the others, she would have to sleep completely uncovered. ---------- Lisa was soundly asleep when her alarm went off. She groaned and forced herself to get up. She checked the time, hoping that she had set the alarm wrong and that it couldn't possibly be 4:45. No such luck. Sure enough, it was 4:45. Time to get Kathleen up. Lisa was too tired to feel much of the tenderness towards her companion that she had felt just a few hours before. She shook the freshman awake and told her to get in the shower. Kathleen was equally groggy, something Lisa had anticipated. Hopefully the shower would make her alert enough to face her upcoming exam. Kathleen seemed to wake up once the water hit her. Lisa handed her a towel and told her to dry off. She checked the time. 4:58 a.m. Time to get upstairs. The two pledges entered the sitting room and promptly fell to their knees. Tracy and Heather entered the room and took their positions next to the examination chair. Because Heather was to be the examination subject, she was completely naked. Tracy was dressed in the Four-Beta running uniform and a white doctor's robe. She was carrying two clipboards, one for herself and one for Kathleen. As Heather climbed onto the table and positioned her legs in the stirrups, Tracy repeated the instructions from the pervious day concerning what was expected of the person performing the exam. As before, she stated that it would be best to have the examiner call out her observations to an assistant. She asked Kathleen if she had someone to help her, and she responded that Pledge Lisa would be the one taking notes. Lisa was relieved that Heather and Tracy mentioned nothing about the mishap the day before. They behaved as though the test was Kathleen's first try, not her last chance. Their calm attitude put the pledge at ease somewhat, as did the reassuring presence of Lisa. Kathleen managed to concentrate by breaking the exam down into its individual tasks. The most difficult part was asking Heather about her sexual history and current sexual activities. Lisa found Heather's answers very interesting. It turned out that she had two current male partners and one female partner, that she had a total of sexual 17 partners in her past, and that with one of her current male partners she occasionally engaged in anal intercourse. Wow! And to think that she had given Lisa the impression that she was so cold and straight-laced. Kathleen seemed equally taken aback by Heather's openness, but to see the Sergeant-at-Arms as a sexually active college student instead of a sterile sorority officer seemed to put her at ease to some extent. The rest of the exam went flawlessly. Lisa checked off the tasks one by one and wrote down Kathleen's observations. Even the final part of the exam, in which Kathleen had to push her finger up Heather's bottom, went well. Kathleen held up her soiled index finger to check for rectal disorders, but found nothing. She cleaned off her subject and the exam ended. Kathleen signed the examination form, added a few comments in her own handwriting, and handed it to Tracy. Both pledges knelt while Tracy looked over the form. "Pledges! Stand up!" Lisa and Kathleen immediately rose to their feet. "Congratulations, Pledge Kathleen, you've passed. Now was that really so hard?" "No ma'am!" Tracy looked approvingly, not at Kathleen, but at Lisa. Once again, she was testing Lisa even more than she was testing Kathleen. Once again, it was Lisa who had led a fellow pledge through a difficult personal crisis. Her face was totally exhausted because she had been the last member of the group to go to sleep and the first one to get up. She was sacrificing her own comfort for the sake of the others, which in Tracy's mind was an important indication of a person's worthiness as a leader. "Alright! Get the others up! It's lower-body PT day, and you know what that means? Running!" A half an hour later the four naked pledges joined the sorority's 14 sophomores in formation next to the pool. Like the pledges, the sophomores were naked, but each one had running shoes and a folded uniform next to her exercise mat. An equally naked President Alexandra led the 18 women as they performed a long series of stretches and low-impact leg exercises. By the time they finished warming up it already was 7:00 a.m. The women put on their running uniforms and stood at attention, ready to move out. Lisa and her companions wondered if they would have to go running outside with nothing on, but one of President Alexandra's male assistants came out carrying four summer pledge jogging uniforms. The pledges quickly put them on. When they looked at each other they wondered if it might have been less embarrassing to go out naked. Each shirt read: PLEDGE This pledge is the property of the Four-Beta Sorority. If found unescorted, please return to rightful owner. As for the shorts, there was a large red "B" on each side of the bottom. Everyone on campus knew why those "B's" were red. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 10 Chapter 10 - An evening with Pledge Kathleen The 19 women, with President Alexandra setting the pace and calling cadence, ran in towards the university in military formation. She sang in a manner very familiar to anyone who had ever undergone military training, with her 18 followers clapping and chanting after her: "Left...right...left-right-left!" "Left...right...left-right-left!" "Runnin' that mornin' Four-Beta left!" "Runnin' that mornin' Four-Beta left!" "Left...right...left-right-left!" "Left...right...left-right-left!" "Runnin' that mornin' Four-Beta left!" "Runnin' that mornin' Four-Beta left!" "I don't wanna be no drunken fat-bitch!" "I don't wanna be no drunken fat-bitch!" "I don't wanna party 'till I puck!" "I don't wanna party 'till I puck!" "Drunk...Drunk...Drunk-Drunk-Drunk-Drunk!" "Drunk...Drunk...Drunk-Drunk-Drunk-Drunk!" "Sick, pathetic, disgusting drunk!" "Sick, pathetic, disgusting drunk!..." As Lisa sang with the others, she wasn't sure what to make of the run. She remembered occasionally hearing the Four-Betas running and chanting the previous fall, and now here she was, doing it herself. It was obvious that in every detail, especially exercising, the Four-Betas took themselves very seriously. She thought the military-style chanting was a bit much, but knew that the Four Betas saw themselves as distinct and far superior to the other sororities. The Four-Betas' loathing of the campus drinking culture came out clearly in their daily run, and in part they were singing to taunt the members of the other sororities. The other sororities, in turn, referred to the Four-Betas as "the sex bitches". In every way possible the Four-Betas tried to set themselves apart, and the military exercising was only one part of how the sorority members saw themselves, their group, and their place in the university. The women continued their trek through the old part of the university towards the stadium. They ran through an open gate and made four circles around the track. Then, Alexandra separated the pledges from the other members and ordered the newcomers onto the field to stretch. The sophomores began running up and down the stairs of the bleachers, but the president knew that the pledges were not properly conditioned and having them run on the stairs was still several weeks away. Cherine and Bernadette looked up with dismay as their sweaty companions wore themselves out running up and down the bleachers. How on earth would they ever become fit enough to be able to do that? Lisa and Kathleen, on the other hand, looked at the running women with envy, eagerly awaiting the day they would be strong enough to keep up with the sophomores. ---------- The women ran back to the sorority, having put in two full miles plus the stair training for the sophomores. They were drenched in sweat as they approached the sorority and finally slowed to a walk. They filed into the back yard, stripped off their wet uniforms, and finished with a round of stretching. Afterwards they took turns rinsing off at the patio shower and jumped into the pool. The pledges joined the others, since the water helped relax everyone's legs after the run. Tracy showed up, already cleaned up and dressed for the day. "Pledges, out of the pool! Let's move it!" The pledges quickly scrambled out of the water and knelt in line. "Roll up these mats and pick up the uniforms! Put the clothes in the wash and clean up for breakfast!" "Yes, ma'am!" The pledges quickly rolled up the mats and picked up 19 sweaty uniforms. The only items they left in place were the running shoes, which would be retrieved by the owners. Once the uniforms were in the washer and they had showered off, the pledges knelt in the sitting room waiting for permission to eat. Lisa and Kathleen in particular were famished, given that they had not eaten since lunchtime the day before. Tracy came to the door and ordered the pledges to the table on the back porch, once again landing a hard slap on the bare bottom of each as she went by. Apparently she enjoyed doing that, because every time the pledges filed past her each one always got a slap on the bottom. Following breakfast, the pledges knelt in the sitting room for yet another day of orientation. The first order of business was issuing full sets of summer pledge uniforms. Each newcomer received a backpack, three additional pairs of shorts, three t-shirts, four pairs of socks, and two sports bras. The shirts all were printed with the same message: PLEDGE This pledge is the property of the Four-Beta Sorority. If found unescorted, please return to rightful owner. Tracy explained the rules about the clothing. She emphasized that, while the pledges had to be completely undressed whenever they were in the sorority house, the nudity rule unfortunately could not be enforced when they went out. Given that each pledge would be starting summer classes at the beginning of June, it was necessary that they be issued clothing to wear while on campus. The rules concerning the clothing were: - The uniform for class consisted of running shoes, shorts and a t-shirt. No underwear of any type, nor any other article of clothing, was permitted with the class uniform. For running the uniforms consisted of shoes, socks, shorts, a sports bra, and the t-shirt. Tampons would be issued to each pledge whenever she had her period to avoid the necessity of wearing panties. - No jewelry, watches, make-up, perfume, fingernail polish, or deodorant was permitted. Hair could be secured, but only with non-decorative hair clips. - The shirts had to be tucked in. All lettering on the shirts and shorts had to be fully visible at all times. For example, the backpacks had to be carried and not worn, and books could not be held in front of a pledge's chest. - Uniforms had to be kept spotless. Any spill would require an immediate trip to the sorority house to change. The uniform could only be worn once before it needed to be washed. - Upon entering the sorority house, the pledges were required to undress immediately. If a pledge anticipated going back out later in the day, she was to neatly hang her uniform in the closet nearest the front door. If she was finished with the day's classes, she needed to take her shoes downstairs and put the dirty uniform in the washer. - The only items a pledge could carry with her on campus were the following: textbooks, writing materials, a small bottle of drinking water, and a wallet containing the pledge's student ID, library card, and sorority ID. The permitted items had to be neatly stored in the backpack and were subject to inspection. All other items, especially cash and cell phones, were strictly prohibited. - While on campus, each pledge was required to keep a set of handcuffs and a blindfold in the right front pocket of her shorts. The handcuffs had to be stored neatly folded in the blindfold. Apart from the cuffs and blindfold, pledges were not permitted to carry any other items in the pockets of their shorts. The pledges took their new outfits to the pledge room and put them on hangers in their lockers. For the first time since entering the sorority the pledges were allowed to access their lockers, but only for a few brief moments while they put their new uniforms away. Tracy passed out the handcuffs and blindfolds that would be part of their uniforms, but for the time being those items also went into the lockers. ---------- The fourth full day at the Four-Beta Sorority was a busy one, but fortunately it started out uneventful. The pledges spent the morning washing linens, doing yard work, and cleaning the back windows. There was lunch, and then a class given by Heather titled "personal finance for college students." Heather's lecture taught the pledges how to avoid various financial scams, how to maintain a checking account, and how to prevent credit card debt. There was a test and practical exam on the material, a yoga break in the hot afternoon sun, fifteen minutes of rigorous swimming in the pool, and a shower on the patio. The pledges lined up on the patio to go back inside. Tracy stood at the door and yet again landed a hard slap on the bare bottom of each pledge as she passed by. The pledges had a surprise waiting for them as they re-entered the sitting room. The Tri-Alpha vice-president and President Alexandra's two shower attendants were standing quietly next to two medical examination tables. All three men were naked and the two shower attendants were blindfolded. Their hands had not been restrained, because they were not being punished. Instead Alexandra's assistants were to serve as examination subjects for the late afternoon class, which was titled "Male sexuality and the male reproductive system." Heather explained the reason why they were blindfolded was to encourage the pledges to concentrate on their bodies, and not worry about any emotional interaction. The pledges knelt and the class began. While Heather spoke about male anatomy, Tracy used a large flipchart to show her students various medical diagrams. The pledges frantically wrote down technical terms and vocabulary, which they knew would be needed for the upcoming examination and practical exercise. Heather went over various male medical conditions and what to look for when checking for signs of venereal disease. As she put it: "Whatever's in his penis is going into your vagina. Don't be shy about taking a good look and asking questions before he sticks it in, because whatever gets deposited is going to stay inside you. A careful look and a couple of questions could end up saving your life." Upon concluding, Heather took some questions from Lisa and Bernadette who wanted to clarify some of the vocabulary. Then Tracy and Heather asked the Tri-Alpha vice president to hop up on one of the examination tables. Even though he was an officer and had a higher position in the Fraternity than did either Heather or Tracy in their sorority, he complied. Lisa watched with fascination, because she had never seen a naked black guy up close before. Cherine also watched intently, because Lisa had mentioned that he was interested in her. Tracy ordered the pledges to stand and move closer to the table for a better view. She took notes while Heather checked the subject's body. She seemed to touch him quite intimately, which led Lisa to wonder if he might be one of her two current male lovers. A range of issues popped up in her mind, because if this guy was more interested in Cherine than in the Four-Beta Sergeant-at-Arms, would there be a problem between the two women? Lisa pushed that thought aside and concentrated on what Heather was doing. She checked the overall condition of his penis and gently manipulated his testicles to check for lumps. She asked him about his sexual history, to which he responded that he had three current female lovers. He had three former female lovers. He also had engaged in sexual contact with one male partner in the past, but currently had no male lovers. Heather ordered the male patient to turn around so she could perform a rectal exam on him. She sensuously caressed his round bottom, pointing out that it was fuller than the bottom of a typical white guy. As Heather caressed and patted the vice-president's bottom and fondled his genitals, Lisa glanced over at Cherine. Her companion's expression had completely changed. She was struggling to control her breathing and her mouth was open. Her posture was different and her face was getting damp with perspiration. However, the change that Lisa noticed the most was in Cherine's eyes, which were wide open and shining with envy and desire. In fact, Lisa thought she could smell... Heather also noticed Cherine's expression. "Pledge Cherine." "Y...yes...ma'am." "Please come over here and verify this patient's physical condition. Carefully examine his buttocks. If you touch him you will notice that this particular subject will become sexually aroused if his bottom is stimulated." Cherine nervously obeyed, as she ran her hand over the young man's dark bottom. She touched shyly at first, but quickly became bolder as the feel of his bare skin took hold of her imagination and desires. She ran her palm over both sides, and curiously ran her fingertips down the middle. Heather continued: "Now I want you to take a look at this Vice-President Jacob's genitalia. You will notice that he is in a state of arousal, which means his penis is becoming erect and his testicles no longer are hanging loosely. Good. Now lightly, very lightly, run your fingertips over the testicles and see what happens." Once again, Cherine did as she was told. She ran her trembling fingertips over her future lover's testicles. Following Heather's instructions she traced the tip of his penis with her fingertips as the instructor explained that increased blood flow is what causes an erection. The effect was immediate, the Jacob's penis became fully erect and started bobbing up and down slightly. "You can see that not only the shaft of the penis, but also these surrounding blood vessels, are really swollen. Pledge Cherine, touch your fingertip to the end and tell me what's going on." "Th...there's this...kinda clear...sticky stuff..." "That's called pre-cum. Its purpose is to aid the penis as it makes it's way into a woman's vagina...or...wherever else it needs to go." Heather continued. "Alright, now, for the purposes of instruction, we gotta do something that's kind of a shame. I hate to waste a good hard-on, but you need to watch the ejaculation process from beginning to end." Tracy handed Heather a wide beaker, which she positioned close enough to catch the sperm, but not too close to block the view of Cherine and the other three pledges. Pledge Cherine, I want you to massage the patient's genitalia. If I were you, I'd run my fingers through his pubic hair and work your way towards the shaft. If you don't get him to ejaculate right away, try teasing his testicles and then go back to massaging the 'main attraction'." "Yes, ma'am." Cherine did as she was told, while Heather held the beaker with one hand and massaged his bottom with the other. He gasped and groaned. Very quickly his penis jerked harder and jets of white sperm began shooting into the beaker. "Good job, Pledge. Now, continue stroking until sperm quits coming out and the penis softens." "Y...yes...ma'am." Cherine continued stroking for another couple of minutes until the penis softened and she was sure no more sperm was coming out. "OK, now all of you, take a good look at VP Jacob's testicles. Very different now that he's emptied out, much softer. You'll notice the blood's now out of his organs, and everything is back to normal." With that she gave Jacob a final pat on the bottom and gently squeezed his penis. "Pledge Cherine!" "Yes ma'am!" "You look like that excited you! You smell like it too." "I...I mean I never before...you know like..." "No problem, pledge. This is a learning experience. But we'll need to get you to concentrate for the rest of this practical exercise, so we gotta get you calmed down. Get up on the table, and our three guests will take care of you." Cherine got up on one of the examination tables. She was very nervous, but also very excited. In just four days she had changed, because just four days before she never would have jumped up on a medical table knowing that three men were about to give her an orgasm. She complied, because the orgasm she was about to receive was something she knew that she desperately needed. "This'll get rid of your stress. Just relax and let things happen." "Yes, ma'am." Vice-President Jacob wrapped a blindfold around Cherine's face and gently tied it. He guided her on her back and checked to make sure she was settled on the table. Next he called out to the other two men: "Attendants! Remove your blindfolds and prepare to assist me!" "Yes, sir!" The attendants went to work massaging Cherine, starting with her shoulders, upper arms, and breasts. Jacob gently massaged her stomach, slowly working his way to her pelvis. The two attendants then moved to Cherine's legs, massaging her inner thighs while Jacob began closing in on her vagina. Cherine's body responded immediately. The attendants expertly worked together to stimulate the sensitive skin on her legs, while Jacob teased her labia and made her wet with desire. Finally he began teasing her clitoris, driving her insane with lust and sexual pleasure. He was quite good, because the physical sensations he imposed on Cherine totally blocked out her awareness of anything else going on around her. Her three companions watched wide-eyed while Heather and Tracy observed with quiet, but pleased expressions. Cherine was gasping with desperation when Jacob finally gave her the reward. A delicious orgasm swept over her as she lewdly moved on the table and thrust up her body in total surrender. She was covered in sweat and reeked more than ever, but at that moment she could not have been happier. Lisa and Bernadette looked at their companion with envy. Kathleen was envious as well, but her fantasy was different. In her mind she was the one on the table, but it was not those three guys who were massaging her, but instead Lisa. Cherine came out of her spell completely relaxed and worn out. When Jacob took off her blindfold she looked up at him with complete gratitude. Now Cherine, a mere pledge, had formed a bond with Jacob, the Vice-President of the Tri-Alphas. They both knew that their relationship could go no further until she finished pledging, but now she had a real motive to continue. Jacob would be waiting for her once she completed her three months of hazing purgatory. Meanwhile, Lisa wondered about Heather. The Four-Beta officer clearly had a relationship of some type with Vice-President Jacob, and yet at that moment she was offering him to Cherine. Why on earth would she do that? Did she not care about him, or had they tired of their relationship? Anyhow, whatever Heather's motives, now it was obvious that the shyest member of the pledge group was committed to staying in. She had a very strong incentive, the promise of a relationship with someone she clearly found desirable. ---------- The practical exercise continued with President Alexandra's two attendants. Jacob put their blindfolds back on and ordered them up on the examination tables. The exercise consisted of a standard genital examination, questioning each subject about his sexual history, and finally a rectal exam. The rectal exams would involve stimulating the prostate, a forced erection, and finally a forced orgasm, or "milking" as Heather put it. Because Cherine had masturbated Jacob and Lisa already had plenty of experience with Ken, the responsibility of "milking" fell on Bernadette and Kathleen. Tracy ordered Lisa to assist Bernadette and Cherine to assist Kathleen. The two main examiners took their places and began touching their subjects' penises and calling out observations. Lisa was very interested to hear that both young men currently only had a single sex partner, President Alexandra. Apparently that was a privilege of being sorority president, having two lovers to herself. Bernadette and Kathleen continued to call out observations to their assistants as the two young men stood up and placed their hands on the table for the final part of the exam. They spread their legs and stuck their bottoms out, waiting to be entered and stimulated. As she watched, Lisa was amazed at how compliant they were, as they quietly submitted to whatever they were instructed to do. While Bernadette changed her medical gloves, Lisa began massaging the bottom of her examination subject. She nodded to Cherine to let her know that she should do the same to Kathleen's examination subject. Two women massaged the bare bottoms of two blindfolded men, while the other two women finished putting on their gloves and lubed their index fingers. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 10 Tracy ordered Cherine and Bernadette to place their index fingers against their subjects' sphincters and "prepare to go in". She held up a medical diagram of a rectal exam and told her students how far they would have to push in before they could expect to find the prostate. Upon locating the prostate they were to massage it, as well as the shaft of the penis, until "complete ejaculation is achieved and the penis goes flaccid again". Simple curiosity overshadowed any shyness or erotic feelings from Bernadette and Kathleen. The fact that their subjects were blindfolded and thus somewhat dehumanized helped considerably. They followed Tracy's instructions as they worked their subjects from both the front and the back. Meanwhile Lisa and Cherine massaged their chests, stomachs, and pubic hair. Before long they were shuttering and groaning as jets of semen shot into the beakers held up by the two assistants. Bernadette and Kathleen held the semen up in triumph while Heather checked off the evaluation form. Meanwhile the two assistants cleaned the penises and anuses of the two men with baby wipes. "Excellent job, pledges! Now, quickly, measure their heartbeats and pulse rates before they have a chance to calm down!" The two pledges complied as the assistants wrote down the information. Tracy and Heather looked over the evaluation forms and the task sign-off sheets. Finally the pledges knelt and Heather announced they all had passed the first practical exercise of male sexual anatomy. The two men stood quietly as their breathing returned to normal. However, they were covered with sweat and stunk of orgasm. Heather announced that there was no way she would let them out of the Four-Beta House in such condition. There was only one solution: "Pledges!" "Yes, ma'am!" "Take our guests to the pledge shower and clean them off!" "Yes ma'am!" "And one more thing, just to give you a challenge. If you manage to get an orgasm out of either Attendant Pat or Attendant John, I'll give you an hour of free time after dinner. Get me orgasms out of both gentlemen, and that'll be two hours to yourselves!" "Yes, ma'am!" The pledges took the attendants downstairs to the pledge room. Now their roles were reversed, it was the women's job to give orgasms to the men. They turned on two showers and thoroughly soaped their guests. Lisa and Kathleen worked on Pat, while Bernadette and Cherine worked on John. They soaped themselves as well to use their own bodies to arouse their guests. Applying some of what they had learned that afternoon, they started stimulating the men. They ran their hands all over the men's bodies before focusing on their bottoms and groins. The pledges were quite motivated. Two hours of free time? You bet. Yes, they were quite motivated. Attendant Pat came first, groaning as he shot semen across the shower area. Lisa and Kathleen rubbed their soapy bodies against him as the jointly massaged his penis and caressed his chest. Shortly afterwards John groaned with pleasure as he climaxed from Bernadette working his penis and Cherine massaging his bottom and back. Both Bernadette and Cherine landed kisses on his cheeks before they finished rinsing his body. The women toweled off the men before leading them back to the sitting room. They knelt while the attendants stood next to them. Heather addressed the two attendants: "Were our pledges able to apply what they learned today?" "Yes, Sergeant-at-Arms Heather. They did quite well." "OK, Pledges, congratulations. After dinner and clean-up you're released for the night. You'll have free run of the Four-Beta House and can use whatever you want, as long as you put it back when you're done." "Thank you, ma'am." ---------- The pledge ate by themselves, because the other members of the sorority had gone out for the evening. They ate enthusiastically, happy at the prospect of spending their first free evening since the beginning of the week. They couldn't leave the house because their clothes were still locked up, but that hardly mattered. Cherine and Bernadette knew exactly what they were going to do; send some e-mails and then go to bed. Kathleen also knew exactly what she was going to do; spend the evening with Lisa. After the women cleaned up from dinner they split up. Bernadette and Cherine went into the sorority library, Kathleen went to the bathroom, and Lisa stepped out into the back yard to enjoy the late May twilight. She went out by herself, alone for the first time since entering the sorority. Undoubtedly her situation was only momentary, because Kathleen would be frantically looking for her as soon as she came out of the bathroom. Lisa didn't know how to handle her new situation, because she liked Kathleen and felt affection towards her. However, the intensity of her partner's character scared her. Kathleen obviously was not an easy-going person. She was subject to mood swings and had trouble controlling her emotions. Being the fairly good judge of character that she was, Lisa could tell there were other details about her friend that worried her. Kathleen was starved for affection, which probably was the result of an unhappy childhood. She had intense sexual energy, but rather than being a source of satisfaction, sex had been an important cause of her current misery. Lisa already had plenty of hints that Kathleen had never enjoyed a stable relationship and had been hurt plenty in her past. There was a huge void in her life; one that Lisa felt obligated to fill. Lisa sighed, because her original intention simply had been to get Kathleen through the first couple days of pledging. In just three days that innocent desire had transformed itself into a full-blown relationship. Except for her initial doubts however, Lisa had not considered trying to back out of Kathleen's embrace. She didn't see how she could do so without destroying her, angering Tracy, and causing a huge scandal in the pledge group. On top of that, in spite of the fact the relationship was something she neither had planned nor wanted, Lisa really did not have any desire to end it. She did like Kathleen and was flattered to be the object of such intense desire. She also was genuinely curious to see what a relationship with another woman would be like. Another issue that encouraged Lisa to allow the relationship with Kathleen to continue was her disappointment from Ken. Lisa was sure that her relationship with Ken was ending, but even as that was happening her new relationship with Kathleen was getting underway. Most certainly the presence of Kathleen in her life canceled out most of the hurt that finding out about Ken's desire to experiment with other men otherwise would have caused her. Precisely because she had Kathleen, she no longer needed Ken. At that moment she felt more affection towards Kathleen, a person she had known for only four days, than she felt for Ken, whom she had known for nearly a year. At that moment Kathleen came out. She had taken a bit longer than Lisa anticipated, because she had taken a shower and now was cleaned up. She walked up to Lisa, but then just stood silently, looking very forlorn and nervous. She did not know what to say or how to begin. It was up to Lisa to rescue her companion. She didn't say anything, but held out her hand. Kathleen took it and immediately fell into her arms. For a long time they hugged, and finally exchanged a kiss. Lisa had a suggestion: "Let's go over to one of those lounge chairs and just relax a bit. I mean, there's no rush." A moment later the two women were lying together on a lounge chair near the pool. It was a lovely night and with all the lights turned out, they had a good view of the stars above them. There was no one and nothing to disturb them, so for a very long time they simply lay next to each other looking at the evening sky. Finally Lisa's hand began exploring Kathleen's thin body. She knew that her companion especially liked being touched on the bottom, so her hand wandered in that direction. Kathleen responded by moving on top of Lisa and passionately kissing her. While Lisa grabbed Kathleen's bottom with both hands, Kathleen began grinding her pelvis against Lisa's. It was a strange sensation, being fucked but not being entered. Lisa's fingertips explored the sensitive area between Kathleen's bottom-cheeks, the focus of her companion's erotic being. She got up and moved her face close to Kathleen's bottom, gently kissing it. She started with her companion's buttocks, but then began kissing and licking in between. She was rewarded with a faint squeal and Kathleen desperately thrusting herself up to beg for more. Lisa did not hold back. Kathleen had thoroughly cleaned herself in the shower, so Lisa had no problem kissing her bottom-hole and licking the surrounding area. Kathleen let out a high-pitched gasp and went wet immediately. Kathleen thrust herself back as Lisa continued to kiss and lick, as well as massaging her vulva with her fingertips. Lisa was determined to give her companion complete and genuine pleasure, and give it to her the way she wanted. Kathleen shuttered as the orgasm came, the very first orgasm she ever received from someone she loved. With her bottom still wet and tingling from Lisa's tongue, Kathleen began kissing her companion's breasts and stomach. She worked her way to Lisa's inner thighs and then began concentrating on inserting her tongue as deep into Lisa's vagina as it would go. As Lisa became wetter and more aroused, Kathleen began nibbling her labia and licking her clitoris. It felt good, and so different from anything Ken or Mike ever did to her. Lisa climaxed, and then grabbed Kathleen's face to kiss her passionately. Lisa tasted her own juices on her lover's face, something she found very strange and very erotic. As she licked herself off Kathleen's mouth, Lisa felt that she had just given herself oral sex. Weird, but very erotic. The two lovers fell asleep on the lounge chair. It was fortunate that no one else in the sorority was present to see them, because they were clearly breaking Four-Beta rules by making love and then cuddling in a public area. However, that was one advantage of being left alone in the sorority house, the pledges truly were able to do whatever they wanted. It was about 11:00 p.m. when Lisa woke up and realized it would be a good idea to get back inside. She caressed Kathleen's face until she was awake as well. The two women went downstairs into the basement, but they saw a sofa sitting in a study room and decided to sit down for a few minutes before going to bed. For a short time they cuddled, but then Lisa felt the urge to see and touch Kathleen's bottom. She pressed her companion's shoulders to let her know she wanted her to go over her lap. Kathleen complied, happy at the extra attention her bottom was about to receive. Lisa spent a very long time rubbing and massaging her friend's upturned backside, exploring her thin bottom-cheeks and occasionally brushing her fingertips over the sensitive area in between. Kathleen sighed with pleasure and happiness. As she massaged her friend's bottom, Lisa had a vague desire to give her a spanking. However, she realized that Kathleen was not Ken, and a spanking at that moment was not a good idea. Lisa's new lover had to be treated with tenderness and care, not with the roughness that she associated with her former boyfriend. Finally the two women got up made their way to the pledge room. Bernadette and Cherine were soundly asleep. Lisa led her fellow pledge to her cot, squeezed her hand, and kissed her goodnight. Kathleen promptly went to sleep, happier than she had ever been in her life. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 11 Chapter 11 - A very serious commitment Lisa decided to rinse off and brush her teeth before settling on her cot for the night. She showered as quietly as possible to avoid waking the other pledges, shaved her armpits, legs, and pelvis, and finally brushed her teeth as she looked at herself in the mirror. Her face was tired, but apart from that she felt that she looked pretty good considering everything she had been through over the past four days. She took a closer look at her cheeks to check for signs of blemishes. She was very mindful of blackheads, because she had endured a rather severe period of acne during her first years in high school. Sure enough, after nearly a week of not having time to attend to her face, she found several sizable ones that needed to be pinched out of her cheeks. Once that task was completed, Lisa soaped her face and rinsed off. She looked at her reflection again. The pinch marks would fade in a couple of minutes and her appearance would return to normal, minus the offending blackheads. Lisa was attractive, but that had not always been true. As a teenager she had been too tall and too skinny, her teeth covered in braces, and her face and shoulders covered with painful pimples. As she thought about her previous appearance, her thoughts returned to Mike, her old boyfriend from high school. When she contemplated her past she always thought about him, because in Lisa's life her time in high school and her time with Mike went together. He was the one person in high school who was nice to her before her appearance blossomed, her only source of fun and social interaction for nearly four years. Yes, it was true that he was a bit controlling and way too serious, but he was kind to her most of the time and, anyhow, her appearance denied her any other options. When her braces came off, her figure filled out, and her acne receded, Mike continued to be constantly at her side during her senior year in school. It seemed that he was destined to reap the benefits of his kindness and patience and stay with her. That certainty came to an abrupt end with the young couple failed to get into the university they wanted and decided to study out of state. They left California to study in Chicago, which at the time seemed a very logical thing for them to do. However, they could not have foreseen that the change of environment and personal circumstances very quickly would force them apart. Lisa's exposure to a new city and new people began making her less interested in her boyfriend. Her tense relationship with Cecilia Sanchez, who was simultaneously a friend and a rival, forced Lisa to become much more assertive in her own personality and actions. Lisa's relationships with the other residents of her dorm floor also forced her to be more assertive, because Cecilia drafted her to tutor several freshmen who were struggling in their classes. Lisa became used to giving instructions and orders. Over time she was much less willing to take orders herself. Another part of her life that brought about a change in her personality was Lisa's relationship with the other two members of her small social group, Jason and Ken. Cecilia's dominance of her boyfriend Jason fascinated Lisa, as did the apparent willingness of Ken to experiment with his sexuality. Seeing the other two guys close-up made Lisa aware of other sexual possibilities besides Mike. Lisa's feelings towards her former boyfriend and what she wanted in her sexual life began to change as the result of a single incident, a game of strip Poker that she played back in September with Mike, Jason, and Ken. Lisa easily won and ended up in a dorm room with three naked guys. That night her imagination ran wild as she made Jason and Ken submit to penalties; forcing them to pose for pictures, then ordering them go streaking across the university to the Student Center and back. The real fun, however, was when she made Ken do an extra penalty. She put her nude friend over her lap and gave him a spanking. She completely enjoyed the experience, having a naked guy over her lap while she slapped the hell out of him. Lisa was having some real fun as she punished Ken, more naughty fun than she ever had enjoyed in her life. What was interesting was that Ken enjoyed the spanking as well. Lisa discovered something sexual that she really enjoyed doing. What ruined the evening for Lisa was Mike. While she was cavorting with Ken and Jason, Mike was becoming increasingly jealous and pissed-off. At the time she felt bad and was desperate to make it up to him, but deep inside she resented not being able to pursue her fantasies because of her damn boyfriend. That seed of resentment, planted that night following the Poker game, secretly grew inside Lisa's soul as the semester progressed. Mike is so fucking serious and boring. He's got no imagination at all. He doesn't have a clue about having any fun... Shortly after the first Poker game there was another event that changed Lisa's personality and made her feel even more restricted by her relationship with Mike, her participation in the Tri-Alpha nude 10-K campus run. The run was the result of a second strip-Poker game, one set up by Cecilia for a specific purpose. Cecilia wanted to get some residents from her floor to participate in the race, and decided to use a Poker game to recruit her friends into running. In playing Cecilia was taking a risk, because she was no better at Poker than Lisa and the two women stayed tied almost right up to the end. However, ultimately Lisa made a couple of mistakes as the game was about to wrap up and it was she, not Cecilia, who lost and had to join the guys in the running event. At first Lisa and Mike were mortified at the thought of running naked for 10 kilometers in front of 50,000 university students, professors, and alumni. However, Lisa's attitude completely changed when she actually managed to win the women's division of the race. She cheerfully posed nude for hundreds of pictures and realized that she enjoyed being naked in public. Just as the first Poker game unlocked Lisa's secret sexual desires; the 10-K race unlocked her exhibitionist personality. From that point forward she changed her wardrobe and dressed very provocatively, always wearing as little as she could without risking arrest for indecent exposure. Lisa's new manner of dressing made Mike very uncomfortable, because her attractive and mostly uncovered body got plenty of attention from everyone on campus. As the fall semester progressed Lisa became more and more impatient with anything Mike did. The biggest problem for her was their sexual relationship. Mike always made love the exact same way, always between 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. and always took the same amount of time to climax. Try as she could, Lisa could not get him to experiment with any new positions, let alone explore foreplay or any variation such as oral sex or anal intercourse. Finally, by December boredom set in and Lisa began fantasizing about having sex with other guys. She later realized that by the end of the first semester the breakup with Mike was probably inevitable. Even so, there were plenty of times that Lisa still missed him. He was smart, politically aware, and could answer almost any question she had about the world. Sometimes she had to keep reminding herself why they had broken up. They had gone their separate ways not over jealousy, or betrayal, or any other dramatic reason, but simply because the time for their relationship had come and gone. The first few months of college changed Lisa, but did not change Mike. As Lisa became more outgoing and more confident she got bored. He was smart enough to see what was happening, and after just one semester decided to go back to California and take Lisa with him. Lisa had no desire to go back, Chicago suited her just fine. They went home together and had a very tense Christmas dinner at her mother's house in Santa Cruz. The break-up happened the day after Christmas. Mike told Lisa that he had re-applied to study in Berkeley and this time expected to get in. In the meantime he would take community college classes in Santa Cruz. He told Lisa to resubmit her application as well, since he knew one of the employees in the admissions office and was sure it would be accepted. Lisa responded: "That's real nice, except there's one problem. I don't want to go to Berkeley. And I don't want to sit on my ass taking community college classes until next fall. Fuck that!" "Well, I don't want to go back to Chicago. I've told you that several times, and it doesn't seem you're listening." "Who said anything about you going back to Chicago? I never said you needed to go back there! You can do whatever you want, but don't you go making arrangements for my life behind my back! You can go to Berkeley, or Santa Cruz, or wherever the fuck else you want to go, but I'm going back to Chicago! Tell your friend in the admissions department to take my application and stick it up his ass!" "...and so you don't give a damn about our future? About me or anything I want? You're telling me that Chicago's more important than I am?" "That's right, Mike. That's exactly what I'm telling you. Chicago's more important to me than you are." Mike's expression changed. He looked dazed, as if he had been hit over the head with a rock. He didn't know what how to respond, because he had not expected Lisa to be so blunt with him. One of Mike's good points was that he was never willing to do anything that he thought would humiliate himself. He had backed himself into a corner, leaving only two options. He could cave in, beg Lisa to forgive him, and meekly return to Chicago, or get up and leave with the understanding they were breaking up. Either way, as far as Lisa was concerned the relationship had ended. Mike realized that as well, and did the one thing he could to salvage what was left of his dignity. Without saying another word he walked out, knowing that he was leaving behind the girl he had dated for the past four years. Lisa was relieved to see Mike go. He would have disappointed her had he done anything else, because his stubbornness was one part of his character that she admired. They had drifted apart and broken up, but in spite of everything, Mike managed to keep her respect. She couldn't share her life with him, but at least she could continue to respect him. ---------- Less than two weeks later Ken had replaced Mike as Lisa's sexual partner. They began as a couple on a bitterly cold January day, after he picked up her from the airport and listened to her complaints about her breakup with Mike. They later went shopping to pick up some textbooks. A day that stated out as a simple shopping trip ended with a bet, a strip Poker game, a spanking, and a night in bed. That was the beginning of Lisa's second relationship, one about as different from her first relationship as possible. She ended up with a boyfriend who was totally unsure of himself, could not match her intellectually, and who she was not particularly proud of. However he did the one thing Mike couldn't do; he satisfied her sexual desires. Physically she was happy for the entire spring semester, as her body reveled in one new sexual experience after another. It was with Ken, not Mike, that Lisa learned how satisfying, and addictive, good sex truly could be. Now Ken was drifting into Lisa's past as well. She wondered...maybe she had gone to far with the beatings, that maybe she been too rough on him without realizing it. Or maybe he just needed a break. Or maybe he really was gay. Anyhow, as Lisa saw it, it really no longer mattered because Ken wasn't her problem anymore. ---------- The front door opened upstairs and Lisa heard multiple pairs of feet come into the entryway. Instantly water started running and toilets started flushing as the sorority members piled into the bathrooms and got ready for bed. I guess I'd better get to bed too, thought Lisa to herself. Stupid me. The one night I have a chance to get some extra sleep and here I am looking at myself in the mirror and popping zits instead. ---------- The next morning Lisa had two surprises. First, she was woken by a very quiet tap on the shoulder. It was Tracy. When Lisa saw what Tracy was wearing she was startled wide awake. Tracy was dressed in Army BDU's (Battle Dress Uniform). "Don't be so shocked, Pledge. I'm a Reservist and I got drill today. They're picking me up in a few minutes, but before I go, you and me gotta talk." Lisa rolled off her cot and got on her knees. "Not here. Follow me to the library. And don't make any noise, 'cause I don't want to wake the others." Lisa followed Tracy into the library. Tracy closed the door and sat down. Her normal severe appearance was made even more so by her no-nonsense uniform. Her BDU's were immaculate and her boots perfectly shined. Lisa noticed three stripes on her collar, indicating she already was a sergeant. There were several patches on her shoulders and chest, but not being familiar with the military, Lisa didn't know their meaning. Lisa knelt, already concerned that the topic of the conversation was not going to be pleasant. The Pledge Mistress got right to the point. "Pledge, I'm gonna ask you, and you'd better be honest with me, what you did last night." "I went outside in the backyard for a bit, and...Pledge Kathleen joined me, and we...spent some time together." "Having sex?" "Yes, ma'am." "Where?" "By the pool, ma'am, on one of the chaise lounges. I mean...I didn't think there'd be a problem, 'cause everyone was gone." "By the pool. Alright, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. Now, another question. Do you remember the advice I gave you about Pledge Kathleen?" "Yes, ma'am." "What was that advice, Pledge?" "To not rush into anything, ma'am." "And you chose not to follow my advice." Lisa felt an overwhelming need to try to explain, but what on earth was she going to say? Finally she simply responded: "No ma'am. I decided not to follow your advice." "And you think you made the right decision?" "Probably not, ma'am." "Now, another question. Do you love Pledge Kathleen? Do you know what you feel for her?" "I...I don't know, ma'am. If you want me to be honest, I don't really know what I feel for her. I mean...I feel something for her...but I don't know what, not really..." "What about her? Do you know what she feels towards you?" "She's in love with me, ma'am." "Alright...that's what I thought. At least you're being honest with me and that'll make this a bit easier." Tracy took a deep breath and continued: "Pledge Lisa, I'm about to do something, that if you tell anyone, is going to get both of us kicked out of the sorority. I have to do it, because you need to understand what you've just gotten yourself into and how I expect you to handle it. I need to talk to you about Pledge Kathleen. Get up off your knees and sit in that chair. For a few minutes we'll put the pledging stuff aside." "Yes, ma'am." Lisa sat in the chair opposite Tracy. The Pledge Mistress, meanwhile, pulled out Kathleen's folder. "I'm gonna guess that you don't know much about Pledge Kathleen's past, do you?" "No ma'am, not really." "Well, I do. I have her pledge packet and the answers to the questions about her life that she put in here. I've interviewed her and have that information in here as well. But I'm also a psychology major, so I know a lot more about her than she realizes, and probably some things she doesn't know about herself." Tracy paused to let her last comment sink in and continued. "Pledge Kathleen had a pretty rotten time in high school. Her life really sucked because she never developed any social skills. She didn't have any friends, and whatever boyfriends she had left her as soon as they screwed her. Nothing she tried ever worked out, and she considered herself the laughing stock of the school. She did participate in track, but even that didn't help her social situation any. She never went to any parties or dances, and her experiences with guys left her totally bitter. She even got stood up for the Senior Prom. The point is, none of her classmates ever treated her decently, and she could never figure out why." "Well, ma'am, I kinda had the same thing when I was in school..." "No, you didn't. Not like Pledge Kathleen. You had a boyfriend, and from what you've told us your senior year was OK. Pledge Kathleen's senior year was not OK. Her life never got any better. Yours did." "Yes, ma'am. I 'spose my senior year, at least, wasn't so bad..." "Anyhow, my reading of her situation is that Pledge Kathleen joined the Four-Betas for two reasons. First, she's going to go nuts if she can't become part of a social group, have normal human interaction, and be accepted as part of something larger than herself. Our sorority is so different from anything she's used to that she's hoping we might be able to fill that need in her life. Second, she totally hates herself and wants to change who she is. She's with us because she needs to make a break with her past." "The point is that right now she's scared, stressed out, starved for affection, and has very low self-esteem. She's got no self-confidence whatsoever, and so, guess what? It's inevitable, especially in a situation as stressful as what you guys are dealing with, that a person with her psychological makeup is going to become emotionally dependent on another person. I knew, when we took her in, that's what was gonna happen. I figured she'd focus on either me or Sergeant-at-Arms Heather. Had it been one of us, we were prepared to deal with it. Instead, you've just selected yourself." "But...I mean...I..." "Let me continue. I want you to understand that you've taken on something much bigger than you realize, because you've just made yourself the focus of all her emotional needs. Pledge Kathleen is very fragile psychologically and because of that you have a very serious commitment on your hands." "But...ma'am...how do you know..." "Simple, because I've studied it. There are several technical names for her situation, but basically what Pledge Kathleen has is a condition called 'non-verbal communication disorder'. Her brain is not wired like an average person's brain, because the only way she can learn things is through rote-memory. The nuances of non-verbal communication and body language are not something she's capable of picking up. She won't understand anything unless you actually tell it to her or she reads it. A person like Pledge Kathleen does just fine in class, because our educational system relies on rote-memorization. They tend not to do so well in real life." "Her brain's reliance on rote-memory is the reason she had such a miserable time in high school, because she never developed any social skills. Her condition went undiagnosed and she did not get the counseling and training she needed to lead a normal life as a teenager. It is possible for someone like her to have a normal social life, but they have to be taught certain things that the rest of us simply pick up on our own. She never got that training, so the only thing she took away from high school was a bunch of rejections and traumatic memories." "But...I didn't mean to...I mean...things between us just kinda happened..." "It's not really your fault, Pledge, and I'm not blaming you. Unless you've studied psychology or psychiatry, there's no way you're gonna know. But the point is; I'm committed to pulling Pledge Kathleen out of the rut she's fallen into, and now you're committed to helping me. She needs to feel that she belongs and that someone truly cares about her. If we can get her to successfully pledge and be accepted into the sorority, that'll go a long way to helping her overcome all the rejection she suffered in high school. That's another thing. In spite of whatever I might say to her at the moment, I have every intention that she will complete the pledge program and join the sorority. But that's a secret between you and me. You are not to tell her what I just told you." The Pledge Mistress Ch. 11 "No, ma'am. I won't say anything. You have my word on that." "Thanks. Pledge Kathleen will need lots of attention, affection, and emotional support to get through the summer and that support's gonna have to come from you. I can't really provide it because of my duty as pledge mistress. You can, because you're her lover. I'm holding you responsible to keeping her happy and motivated. It's important, because the future of her life will be determined by what happens to her over the next three months." "Yes, ma'am." "There's something else. You and I did not have this conversation. I've broken a bunch of rules by having you in here, talking to you like normal person, and discussing someone else's confidential information. I've just put a lot of trust in you. You understand that, right?" "Yes ma'am." "PLEDGE, STAND UP!" Lisa quickly rose to her feet and stood at attention. "You are dismissed, Pledge. Wake up the others and have them out by the pool area for upper body PT. Bring your shoes and a towel. You won't need your PT uniforms." "Yes, ma'am!" With that Tracy headed for the front door. As she passed the doorway she put on her cap. She struck a very imposing figure as she crisply walked down the driveway in her military uniform. She got into a car with three other Reservists and they drove off. ---------- Lisa went back downstairs. She looked at her three companions, but was reluctant to get them up. She took a closer look at Kathleen's sleeping face, which looked younger and much more relaxed now that she was asleep. She's my responsibility, thought Lisa to herself. She's my problem and I'm the one who's got to take care of her. What the fuck have I gotten myself into? The Pledge Mistress Ch. 12 Chapter 12 -- A lecture from Ruth Burnside The morning exercise session came and went, followed by cooling off in the pool, showers, and breakfast. Afterwards the sorority members grabbed backpacks and headed out the front door to go on a two-day hiking trip with the Tri-Alphas. The only people remaining in the sorority house were Heather and the pledges. The Sergeant-at-Arms ordered the pledges into the sitting room to issue some announcements. The first order of business was the activity that weekend, a top-to-bottom cleaning of the sorority house, which would be done for inspection. The pledges had between 9:00 a.m. Saturday and 12:00 noon on Sunday to complete the task. How they organized and what breaks they chose to take were completely up to them, but they had to be finished by no later than noon on Sunday. On Sunday, following lunch and cleanup, they would be transported to receive a seminar and practical exercise on the erotic disciplining of males. "The house cleanup and tomorrow's seminar are important for what's happening next week. Don't forget that Tuesday the Tri-Alphas are swearing in their summer pledges, and later in the week those guys will start coming over here. They will be responsible for cleaning up this place and you'll be helping with their supervision. In other words, those guys will be working under you and you'll be bossing them around." The four kneeling women looked at each other. Bossing around male pledges? Awesome! "Anyhow, it won't do anyone any good if you don't know exactly what's expected from the cleaning manual. You'll need to learn what's in there by heart because you'll be using it to justify punishments and giving out rewards to the Triple-A pledges doing the cleanup. The best way to learn is for you to do the cleanup yourselves first, and find out what mistakes will get your butt whipped. Keep that in mind. Tomorrow night Pledge Mistress Tracy and I will be doing the walk-through inspection. Your butts will pay dearly for any deficiencies or violations of the manual. We'll be fair about it, but expect to be punished for anything that's not up to inspection standards. We're giving you 27 hours, so that's plenty of time to get it right. Work together and pay attention to detail, because if you don't, you'll be sleeping on your stomachs tomorrow night. Everyone understand?" "Yes, ma'am." "Tomorrow's seminar will deal with the other part of your responsibility with the male pledges, disciplining them and how to go about it. For that part we got a special instructor for you, and I'll tell you that we're very lucky to have her. Getting a class from her will be a real honor for you, because it's not normal to have someone of that caliber willing to spend time with freshman pledges." Lisa heart skipped a beat and she began to sweat. It sounded very likely that tomorrow's "special instructor" would be Dr. Ruth Burnside. ---------- Heather planned to be in and out of the house throughout the day, but told Lisa that she would be available if there were any problems or questions about the cleanup. With that an idea occurred to Lisa, to ask Heather to do a preliminary inspection in the evening to give the pledges a chance to correct deficiencies Sunday morning. The thought of consulting Heather ahead of time would not have occurred to any of Lisa's companions. Everyone, both Heather and the other pledges, took it for granted that Lisa was in charge. Lisa decided to tackle the yard work first before the temperature outside got much hotter. Because they were not allowed to wear any clothing apart from their work shoes, the pledges were only responsible for the back yard, not the front. Nevertheless, there was plenty to do, not the least of which was washing down the side of the house and cleaning dozens of windows. Fortunately the hedges already had been trimmed, but the grass had to be mowed and edged and weeding taken care of. Weeding was particularly arduous, because the sorority did not allow the use of any herbicides. All weeds had to be removed by hand. There was the pool, which had to be cleaned and re-chlorinated. The manual stated that not a single dead leaf could be present in the yard, so for nearly an hour there was a scavenger hunt for dead leaves. The sorority's mosquito trap had to be cleaned out, mold cleaned off the outdoor tables and chairs, and finally the patio had to be swept. Lisa looked at the clock with dismay with they finished, because it already was 3:00 p.m. and the pledges had not touched anything indoors. There had to be a break for lunch. Lisa decided the pledges could save themselves some time by combining lunch and dinner and preparing only a single large late-afternoon meal. In the morning they would eat cold leftovers to avoid having to wash any more cooking utensils and re-clean the stove. "Eat up, 'cause we're not gonna dirty up the kitchen again after we're done." Once the pledges finished eating, the kitchen took up most of the rest of the afternoon. Unlike in the fraternity the previous week, the Four-Betas did not intentionally leave all the dirty dishes for the pledges, but still, there was a lot they needed to do. As always, Lisa took the worst jobs for herself. For example, she was the one who cleaned the ovens and scrubbed out the trashcans. The next phase was the bathrooms. The pledges used Lisa's system of cleaning two bathrooms at a time. Once a bathroom was finished Lisa put a piece of tape over the door. She flatly told her companions that the only bathroom any of them could use was the pledge toilet downstairs. After a bathroom was clean and taped, re-entry was strictly prohibited. There was a final task for the night before Lisa let the pledges get some sleep, and that was linens and towels. Lisa instructed her companions to wash, dry, and fold linens, figuring it would be hard for her companions to screw up linens. Meanwhile she swept and dusted upstairs, with the intention of forbidding anyone to go back up once the linen closets were restocked. As the pledges were wrapping up in the linen room, Heather returned from the campus library. As she went upstairs she was confronted by the sight of a thoroughly vacuumed carpet and tape on the bathroom doors. She used one of the bathrooms, but was careful to leave it the same way she found it and to put the tape back on the door. Obviously Pledge Lisa was leaving as little to chance as she could. The pledges returned upstairs to restock the linen closets. As they did so Lisa knelt at Heather's door and asked permission to speak with her. She handed Heather the manual and asked her opinion about how well the upstairs part of the house had been cleaned. Heather told Lisa to get up. The other pledges nervously clustered at the top of the stairs, but Lisa told them to go to the basement and get ready for bed. Her tone clearly was, "I'll handle this. You guys get out of here." Heather was impressed when they immediately filed down the stairs without saying another word. Lisa relayed to Heather what was and was not finished. She thought the entire upstairs was done, along with the kitchen and linen room. The downstairs would be finished in the morning. Heather took up Lisa's request to get a preliminary walk-through to fix problems. It seemed there were plenty, mostly minor things but still violations that would have resulted in swats to the pledges' bottoms had they not been corrected. Heather caught a total of 53 violations, which Lisa wrote down. Lisa's foresight to seek Heather's advice saved the pledges a total of 53 swats the following afternoon. ---------- After six hours of sleep, the pledges were up again to finish the downstairs and basement. They ate a very late cold breakfast, washed what remained of the dishes, and spent the final hour following Lisa's instructions to look for and correct deficiencies. Following what she had learned from Heather's walk-through the night before, Lisa was able to fix many problems herself. By the time the pledges finished, none of them questioned anything Lisa was commanding them to do. She told them what to do, and they did it. They worked as a team, with Lisa clearly their leader. As the pledges showered and got ready for their afternoon training seminar, Heather wandered through the house, very impressed with its condition. She and Tracy would be hard-pressed to find anything not in compliance with the inspection manual. She noticed the tape still left on the bathroom doors. No sooner had she noticed that violation, Pledge Cherine came running upstairs to pull it off. At the last moment Lisa had remembered the tape, and sent Cherine to take care of it. ---------- At noon the pledges were kneeling in the sitting room waiting for Heather's next instructions. She handed Lisa the keys to their lockers and told them to get their notebooks and put on their shower shoes. Heather ordered the pledges to go outside in the hot sunlight and to get into a minivan. There was some whistling from street as the pledges piled into the van, so they got in as quickly as possible. They would be traveling naked of course, but fortunately the van had tinted windows so the pledges would not be seen by other drivers. Heather drove the pledges around the university to a suburban neighborhood on the other side. The area consisted mostly of nice one-story houses built in the 1960's hidden behind trees and hedges. Lisa recognized the neighborhood from last February. Sure enough, they were headed to Ruth Burnside's house. The van pulled up in the driveway. Heather turned to face the pledges. "When we get out, I want you all lined up behind me. I will lead you to the front door and ring the doorbell. I will lead you into a large living room. You will go to the left and get on your knees in line. Once you're inside, you will keep your mouths shut unless someone talks to you." "Yes, ma'am." "Our instructor's name is Dr. Ruth Burnside. She's one of our economics professors, but she's also an expert in the topic of erotic discipline, which is why we're here. I'll introduce each of you one by one. When I say your name, you will stand up, step forward, and introduce yourself. Once you shake Dr. Burnside's hand, you will step back and return to your kneeling position. Do you understand me?" "Yes, ma'am." "You are not to speak unless she talks to you first. If you do speak to her, you will address her as Dr. Burnside. Consider this a special class from a top-rated university professor, which is exactly what it is." "Yes, ma'am." The pledges exited the vehicle and stood naked on the driveway. They were not very visible to the rest of the neighborhood because of all the trees and bushes, but still they were relieved to have the door open and to be let inside. Burnside was dressed in one of her business suits, immaculate, as she always was whenever she taught. The Four-Beta Sergeant-at-Arms shook the professor's hand and led the pledges inside. They entered a very large living room and quickly turned to the left as instructed. Once the pledges were kneeling, Heather stood in front her group. Lisa and the other pledges noticed a table full of discipline implements and restraints, along with Burnside's punishment bench, in the middle of the room. There were a couple of wooden dining chairs as well. Heather exchanged some pleasantries with the professor, and then described the tasks and lessons that the pledges had completed so far. Burnside asked if any of the pledges had been punished yet. Heather responded that Bernadette and Kathleen each had been punished once, Bernadette for disobeying an order and Kathleen for inappropriate behavior during a practical exercise. Heather relayed that Lisa already had been punished twice, "because she was so hard-headed and spirited." Heather called the pledges to stand up one by one and introduce themselves. When it was Lisa's turn to shake the professor's hand, Burnside acted as though they were meeting the very first time. However, she gave her student a subtle, but very knowing look that seemed to say "hard-headed and spirited, huh? We'll have to work on that." Burnside sent Heather to the kitchen to call out the three young men who were to be the subjects of the afternoon's practical exercise. She opened the door and three very nervous naked college-age males followed her into the living room. Each was handcuffed. Their pubic hair had been shaved off, making their genitals look much more exposed and vulnerable. Burnside picked up a riding crop and used it to direct the subjects to kneel in line opposite the pledges. Lisa recognized one of the subjects. His name was Mark Gertz and he was Burnside's current Teaching Assistant. Lisa also knew, from having talked to Cecilia, that Mark was Burnside's favorite "sub" and that she had officially collared him. The professor and her TA had entered into a formal agreement that he was her slave and subject to any punishment or humiliation she chose to inflict on him. As for the other two, Lisa had not seen them before. They looked very young, not any older than the pledges. Lisa later learned that Mark had recruited them from a human sexuality class he had taken with them in the spring. She found out that Mark had a real talent for identifying possible masochists and convincing them to submit to the professor. One of the younger men had a furious erection, much to his dismay and the women's amusement. Burnside ordered him to stand up and approach the pledges. As he stood miserably with his penis sticking straight out, she casually asked him some personal questions. She moved to sexual topics that aroused him, which heightened his embarrassment and increased his arousal. "You know, Steve, it must be really embarrassing to have to stand there like that, in front of four beautiful naked young women, and have your little wienie sticking out. Don't you find that totally humiliating?" "I...I...mean..." "You'd better answer, Wienie-Boy. I mean, think about it. You'll see these young women on campus, and that's how they'll remember you, as the pathetic little Wienie-Boy. In fact, I'd bet that's what they'll call you. Don't you find that totally humiliating?" The subject turned dark red from embarrassment. His distress was clearly visible on his tormented face. "Y...yes...Dr. Burnside...I'm embarrassed." Tears started running down his cheeks. "Oh, how sad. So now you're crying. Aww...and those are real tears, coming from the Wienie-Boy. Now they'll really remember you, as not just as Wienie-Boy, but as Cry-Baby Wienie-Boy." Burnside turned to Lisa. "Pledge Lisa, what is this kid's name?" "Cry-Baby Wienie-Boy, Dr. Burnside." Burnside pushed Steve to his knees. "What is your name?" "I...I mean...Cr...Cry-Baby Wienie-Boy..." Burnside waited a second, as though he needed to say something else. Suddenly she struck him savagely across the back with her riding crop. "You forgot to address me properly, Cry-Baby Wienie-Boy! Where's your respect?" She struck again. "Ahhh!" "I...Cry-Baby Wienie-Boy...Dr. Burnside..." "There, was that so hard? Not nearly as hard as you are..." With that Burnside grabbed Steve's arm and forced him back on his feet. She lightly ran a finger over his erect penis as she turned to the pledges. "Cry-Baby Wienie-Boy needs some relief. What he needs is to have a nice big cum right out here in front of us all. So, which one of you is going to volunteer for doing us that honor?" Bernadette's hand shot up. "Pledge Bernadette. Stand up please." Bernadette stood up. "Who's holding the jar to catch the sperm?" "I...I guess I'll have Pledge Cherine help." Cherine nervously stood up. Burnside handed her a large jar. "OK you two. Have at it." Ignoring the miserable and humiliated look on Steve's face, Bernadette grabbed his penis and began massaging it. Applying some of what she had learned from the initial Four-Beta lesson in male sexual anatomy, she teased him by rubbing her breasts against his arm and chest, while Cherine laid one hand on his bottom and held the jar with the other. As soon as Bernadette began stroking his organ Steve climaxed. He moaned as his semen shot into the jar. Once he finished Cherine handed the jar to Bernadette, who held it up for the rest of the room. Heather handed Cherine a box of tissues. She took several and used them to wipe off the end of Steve's softening penis. Burnside told Bernadette to put the jar on the table and instructed both pledges to return to their kneeling positions with the others. She instructed Heather to position a dining room chair in front of the pledges. She then ordered Steve to stand next to the other freshman and wait. Next she ordered her TA Mark approach her and position himself so she could remove his handcuffs. Once the cuffs were off she told him to place his hands on the chair with his bottom facing the four kneeling women. "Pledges, I expect you to start taking notes, because from this point forward the material I am presenting will be included in the practical exercise and evaluation." The pledges opened their notebooks, placed them on the floor, and prepared to write. "Erotic discipline has two goals. Those are sexual arousal through physical stimulation and punishment through submission and physical pain. Most erotic discipline falls somewhere in the middle of those two extremes. A mild hand-spanking after a wrestling session between two lovers in bed would fall closer to pure sexual arousal, while punishing someone, for example for cheating on a test, would fall closer to the other end, pure discipline with very little sexual gratification at the moment." "What we're doing here will concentrate more on the punishment end of erotic discipline. What you'll be doing with the male pledges is forcing them, through physical pain and the fear of physical pain, to comply with their duties and follow orders without question. Later we will return to the subject of erotic spanking, but that will be only for your own benefit. That's not something you will be using with the male pledges, at least not at the beginning." "Anyhow, erotic punishment is not just about beating itself. There are several steps, or phases, to a good discipline session. To start, you should have clearly established rules of behavior and a prior agreement that violating those rules will result in castigation. In other words, before there is even a hint of the first punishment for a specific offense, your subject should understand that if he fails to comply with what you want, you have the duty to discipline him and he has the duty to submit. You have to have that prior understanding, because your authority over him is based on that prior understanding. Now, in your case that won't be much of a problem because the pledges are subject to the rules of the Tri-Alpha pledge handbook. They've already accepted their situation and all you have to do is follow what's already been laid out for you. But you will need to know the rules inside and out to properly apply them." "Now, here's how this will affect what you do with the pledges. For a specific incident that results in real punishment, the first step is identifying your subject's violation and determining why he needs to be punished. You need to be clear in your own mind why you are punishing him and what you expect to get out of it. Think everything through from beginning to end. Plan your scenario before you approach your subject." "Second, you need to let him know that he faces punishment. Speak to him with authority, and make sure you can articulate why you are going to punish him. What you say and how you say it are very important. Being able to cite rules from memory instead of fumbling through the rulebook will help you considerably, so spend whatever spare time you have studying that rulebook." The Pledge Mistress Ch. 12 "Third, and this absolutely crucial, you need to establish your dominance and psychologically prepare him to submit. Your subject needs to accept that he should be punished. If you do your job right, you will play on his guilt and make him actually want to be punished. If you can build up tension that can only be relieved with physical pain, you will get a much more compliant sub and probably be able to inflict a more frightening chastisement." "I've given you your first example in establishing dominance for a punishment-type scenario. Steve's hard-on was a violation of proper behavior. Before touching him we verbally established dominance by making him clearly understand that he was doing something wrong and that he needed to be humiliated because of it. We did that before we ever touched him, which made him compliant for the physical humiliation that followed. Under ordinary circumstances I would have continued the subjugation of Steve with corporal punishment. The only reason I didn't is because we need to save his bottom for the practical exercise." "Fourth, is the preparation of the punishment scene itself. Think ahead and have everything thought out. What implement will you use, what position will he assume, will he be restrained, will there be witnesses, and where the punishment takes place are all considerations. For example, if you put a subject over your lap, a riding crop won't do you much good. Conversely, if you have him bent over a chair, a hairbrush won't be as effective as a paddle. If you want to tie him, don't use a sofa where there's nowhere to attach ropes. You need to be sure of yourself and not make a bunch of clumsy mistakes that will take up time and make you look incompetent." Burnside paused to give the pledges time to finish writing. She picked up a thick leather strap and tapped the insides of Mark's thighs to get him to spread his feet. Then she pressed down on his lower back to make him turn his bottom up. His bottom-hole and the backs of his testicles were fully visible to the four pledges. The professor continued: "Now for the punishment itself. First of all, I believe that a person being punished should always be completely naked. Being naked sets the subject apart from the rest of the world and is an important gesture of humility. It also is a part of an unspoken agreement I have with my subjects, that as long as they are naked I am in control of their lives. I take away their clothes, and they have to please me before they can earn them back. Their bodies and their souls are exposed and unprotected, and will stay that way until I decide otherwise." "A related issue is exposure during the beating itself." Burnside pointed at Mark's spread bottom. "You want your subject positioned so the anus and genitalia are on full display. The bottom needs to be turned up and the legs at least slightly spread. This is necessary not just for display, but also to prevent your subject from clenching his bottom-cheeks and reducing the effectiveness of each blow. The rule is, if you can't see his asshole, then you need to reposition him." "Now for the blows. Imagine a full circular swing, not one that stops right where the bottom is. You need to hit through your target, a nice wide, graceful swing that will just happened to be interrupted by his butt. Make sure you are properly positioned, so you can lay a blow evenly across the bottom, like this..." Burnside stood off to one side of Mark, making sure his bottom would receive the full force of the blow she was about to deliver. She drew back her arm, and with a full confident swing struck hard across both sides of his bottom. The entire room echoed with a resounding CRACK! Mark did not move, because this was nothing new to him. His mistress had beaten him plenty over the past several years. However, the pledges could hear his breathing change and watched as a wide stripe on his bottom quickly changed from white to pink. Burnside repositioned herself and tapped his bottom with the strap. "Each blow needs to be delivered individually. Position yourself each time and think about what you are doing. Each stroke is an event in and of itself, each one carefully thought out. At this point I'm not worried about the over-all punishment, I'm worried about properly delivering the next stroke." CRACK! A second stripe, slightly overlapping the first one, changed color and added to the pink on Mark's unprotected backside. The pledges could see that both strokes had been quite painful, but Mark stayed perfectly still and silent. His duty to his mistress was quite clear; he needed to reduce himself to a teaching prop for Burnside's instruction. He was nothing more than an inanimate object until his mistress told him otherwise. Burnside changed her position to the other side of Mark. "It is very important that you punish both sides evenly. That's how you can tell an experienced disciplinarian from a novice. So, every so often you should switch sides and give a good backhanded blow, like this..." CRACK! "Everyone understand?" "Yes, Dr. Burnside." "Good. In a moment you'll have your first round of target practice. But before we do that, I want to finish up with the overview of the punishment experience." "What happens afterwards is as important as the beating itself. After you're done with the physical part of the punishment, you need to successfully wind down the experience. The point is; once you've delivered your last blow, you don't just hang up your strap and walk off. You don't just tell your subject that he's released and to 'not do it again'. Once you're done with the physical part, you still have two things you need to do. First of all is a final part of the punishment itself. That can be corner-time, posing for pictures, extra chores, giving a speech about his bad behavior, giving you or someone else oral sex, heavy exercising...just to give you a few examples. Use your imagination. Make sure it's something either difficult or embarrassing. I believe the post-whipping part of the punishment, just like the physical part, should always be in the nude. The subject should not get his clothes back until the punishment is completely over. Once again, the message is: 'you are to serve me until I give you your clothes back." "Now for the final part, redemption and forgiveness. What you're looking for is exorcising your subject's guilt, letting him know he's forgiven, and making sure he understands what lesson he needs to take away from the punishment. There needs to be some type of ritual of redemption at the end of the punishment, something that is meaningful to the person being punished. Try to make your subject understand why you had to punish him, that it was something he needed, and you only did it because you love him and care about him. If you can make him feel good about having been punished, and that the hardship he endured was something necessary for his own well-being, then you will have had a successful punishment session. You're not going to get that every time, but try to get as close as possible." As the pledge frantically finished writing, Burnside stepped up to Mark and gently rubbed the stripes on his bottom. He dutifully stayed in position, since he had not been instructed to move. Burnside addressed the pledges: "I'm going to give you the chance to practice delivering blows with this strap. Please take a close look at it, familiarize yourself with how it feels, and then pass it on to your classmate." She handed the strap to Bernadette and continued as each pledge looked at the implement and passed it along. "You'll notice the leather is thick and heavy. It's got some flexibility and will bend upon impact, which helps it reach more of the bottom's surface each time it hits." Burnside glanced at Heather and gestured with her hand that she wanted to pledges to get off their knees. "PLEDGES, STAND UP!" The four young women scrambled to their feet. "Now, each of you is going to deliver four blows with this strap, two from the left side and two backhanded blows from the right. Pledge Lisa, you will begin." Lisa took her position next to Mark. She felt very strange punishing the same guy who taught her seminars, but pushed that thought aside and positioned herself to deliver the swats. There was no difficulty for her, given that she had punished Ken in the same manner plenty of times. CRACK!!!...CRACK!!! Lisa delivered two truly vicious swats that actually made Mark jerk from the pain and force of the impact. Her companions stood dumbfounded, since they didn't know about her prior relationship with Ken. They had assumed that she was wielding the strap for the first time. Lisa positioned herself for the two backhanded blows... CRACK!!!...CRACK!!! The force of Lisa's four swats darkened Mark's bottom considerably. She passed her hand over his bottom, feeling satisfaction at the heat rising from his injured skin. The three others looked at each other, nervous that Lisa had set such a high standard for what would be considered a good swat. Lisa handed the strap to Kathleen. At first Kathleen was too nervous to raise her arm, but then suddenly a memory rose up in her mind. She thought about the humiliation she suffered just a month before at the night of the Senior Prom; when her date never showed up and she sat in her formal gown crying in her family's living room. The anger welled up inside her, rising from her feet to her guts, and finally making its way into her arm. She delivered a truly savage blow, actually stepping into her swing. She gritted her teeth and struck again. "Good job with the force, Pledge Kathleen. Try to concentrate a bit more on control. Give him another, but focus on where you're swinging." CRACK!!! "Excellent! Now for the backhanded swipes. Focus on your aim." CRACK!!!...CRACK!!! Kathleen stood with the strap, trembling and breathing heavily. She was perfectly ready to swing again, but unfortunately Burnside took the strap from her and handed it to Bernadette. Lisa glanced at her lover's odd expression. She realized that something inside Kathleen's soul had just been released and that she very much was looking forward to taking out her aggression on the two freshmen during the practical exercise. Mark had another eight swats coming to him: four from Bernadette and four from Cherine. Burnside was not satisfied with Cherine's backhanded strokes and made her repeat them. After Cherine finished, Burnside gave a review of her lecture about erotic punishment, emphasizing the purpose and phases of a good punishment. She ordered the pledges to review their notes and prepare for a written quiz on the afternoon's material. For the next 20 minutes she professor dictated questions about her class as the students wrote their answers. All that time Mark quietly kept his position. He would stay that way until Burnside told him to get up or until he dropped from exhaustion. The fact that his bottom was in serious pain and his legs were starting to cramp was of no concern to him. As Burnside put it: "It's mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter." ---------- The next part of Burnside's lecture was a demonstration of various punishment positions. Mark went over her lap as the professor showed the pledges various positions for a hand spanking. Each time Mark changed his position his mistress gave him several painful swats. Burnside then led her sub and the pledges to the sofa. Mark went over her lap and properly positioned himself for another hand-spanking. Burnside explained: "For an erotic spanking, this is the best and most comfortable position for both the spanker and spankee. The spankee is fully supported and comfortable, while the spanker's back is supported and there's no pressure on her knees. The nice thing about using a sofa is, because it's so comfortable, you can stay like this for hours. You can't do that with any other position. So if you're doing this for sexual foreplay and don't want anything too serious, this is the best way to go." Burnside stood Mark up and told him to bend over and grab his ankles. "There are various unsupported standing positions. To use any of these your sub has to be completely cooperative. These are good positions for public punishment and embarrassment, but I don't recommend an unsupported standing position for serious flagellation." Burnside struck Mark with the strap while his hands were still on his ankles, then told him to move his hands to his knees, spread his legs as widely as possible, and stuck hard again. She moved him to a table and told him to place his hands on the tabletop and spread his legs. "Now your sub has some support, so you can engage in some serious ass-whipping." Burnside picked up a martinet and severely struck Mark several times. "Another variation is to have your subject lie flat on the table and grab the opposite edge with his hands..." As Mark stretched over the table, Burnside picked up a large wooden paddle. She gave him a couple of cruel swats and continued: "One position that a lot of people use is to have the subject lie flat on his stomach, for example on top of a bed. Mark, please lie flat on the table." Mark complied, stretching himself over the table. That position emphasized the contrast between his purplish-red bottom and his unmarked legs and back. Lisa cringed, because Mark's bottom already had taken a lot of punishment and was in bad shape. She wondered how much more the professor could hit him without breaking his skin. Burnside laid her hand on this bottom. "I don't like this position and never use it. Can anyone tell me why?" Cherine raised her hand. "Dr. Burnside...'cause he can squeeze his bottom together?" "Exactly. He can squeeze his bottom-cheeks together, which means I'm not in control of his punishment. Remember my rule, if you can't see his asshole you need to reposition him. Now let's try a variation of the lying position." Burnside slipped a hard cylinder-shaped pillow under Mark's pelvis and ordered him to spread his hands and feet. Now he was completely exposed. Burnside quickly took four short pieces of rope and secured Mark's wrists and ankles to the table legs. "We just took a bad position and converted it to a very good one. Now he is exposed and his ass spread wide. This is a relatively comfortable position, so you can keep him like this for a long time. It's also a very humiliating position, so you can use it to punish a pledge during a public event or gathering." Burnside picked up a riding crop. She struck hard at the tender area around Mark's shaved anus and the vulnerable skin at the very base of his bottom-cheeks. The strokes with the crop broke him. He started crying, but tried to stay as quiet as possible. Burnside ordered Kathleen to pick up two sets of chains with cuffs on the end from the table. Because Lisa was the tallest member of the pledge group, the professor ordered her to stand on a chair and hang the chains from hooks on the ceiling. Meanwhile, Bernadette and Cherine untied the ropes holding Mark to the table. Mark quietly positioned himself under the chains. Burnside secured his hands in the cuffs and continued: "This position is what you use for a formal flogging. You'll notice that you have access to your subject's entire body. However, that doesn't mean that you can hit him anywhere you want. There are areas you need to avoid, which include the neck, the stomach, the backs of the knees, and the part of the lower back that's not protected by the ribcage or pelvis. Also, you need to avoid hitting the genitals. And there's something else you never hit. If you are punishing a woman, you do NOT hit her breasts. I don't care how many times you see it in literature; you just don't do it! That'll cause permanent injury, and that's not what we're after. I'll mark off the areas you need to avoid and then give you a demo." Burnside took a very thick black magic marker and drew lines all over Mark's body. With a red magic marker she drew X's in the areas not safe to strike. When she finished her sub's body looked something like a butcher's diagram. She picked up a buggy-whip and positioned herself to strike: "You'll notice this whip is a modified version of what teamsters used on horses. It looks scarier than is really is. The leather is designed to sting but not break the skin. It's one of the most effective discipline items I have, because it hurts like hell but I can use it for a very long time and not worry about serious injury. CRACK!...CRACK!... CRACK!... CRACK!... CRACK!... CRACK!... CRACK! Burnside flogged Mark in the areas labeled as "safe" to punish. Within a few minutes he was covered with red lines crisscrossing his upper thighs and upper back. He cried pitifully as his mistress finished whipping him. With that Burnside's demonstration with Mark ended. She unhooked his cuffs and told him to kneel in the corner with his hands behind his head. Upon finishing the demonstration portion of her lesson, Burnside ordered the pledges and their mentor to take seats at the dining room table. She ordered Mark to get up off his knees and offer her guests glasses of juice or mineral water. He painfully got up and moved to the kitchen. His body was covered with black and red lines from the magic markers, as well as whip marks. His bottom was a dark purplish-red. He not only was in serious pain, but also very exhausted. Once the glasses of juice and water were on the table, Burnside sent Mark back into the kitchen to bring out bowls of fruit salad. The pledges were grateful for the food, even though it was little more than a healthy snack. It took the edge off their appetites and helped prepare them for the next part of the day's adventure, the practical exercise. As soon as he finished serving, Burnside directed Mark to return to his spot in the corner and get back on his knees. There was no kindness from the professor to her sub, but that didn't matter. Mark's purpose in life was to satisfy his mistress, no matter what. The more unreasonable she was with him, the harder he worked to please her. The crueler she was to him, the more he loved her. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 13 Chapter 13 -- The three-mile streaking challenge The next portion of the lesson was a quick review of the implements themselves. Burnside had an impressive collection of leather belts, straps, floggers, martinets, crops, whips, canes, and paddles of various shapes, sizes, and materials. She also had some standard kitchen items such as breadboards, bath brushes, and hairbrushes to show how ordinary items that could be used for impromptu discipline. She handed the implements one by one to the pledges and discussed the advantages and drawbacks of each. As she talked, the pledges carefully examined the items and passed them along to their companions. Burnside held up a very old paddle-shaped breadboard: "This breadboard and I go back a very long way, because it's one of the first implements I ever had. I was only 13 when I punished my first boyfriend, and this is what I used on him." Lisa and her companions glanced at each other. They couldn't imagine what Burnside must have been like when she was only 13 years old, but apparently her personality and sexual tastes had not changed much in the ensuing quarter century. The two freshmen that had stood quietly the entire afternoon now were ready to perform their duty as practice subjects for the pledges. Burnside called them forward and told each to stand next to a chair. She directed Heather to unlock and take off their handcuffs. She tapped her right eye, a signal that she wanted Heather to blindfold the subjects. She held up some printouts and addressed the pledges: "Now for your practical exercise, combining implements and positions. I have prepared these worksheets to help you with the evaluation. I want you to identify the best position for each implement and the best implement for each position. You will need to explain why and also tell me what implements are not appropriate for a given position. You will use your practical experience to experiment and tell me what's most effective." She passed out the papers and continued: "Don't worry about hurting your subjects. That's what they're here for, to give you the chance to have some hands-on practice inflicting corporal punishment. They understand that they're going to be feeling some real pain in a couple of minutes, and it's what they expect. Do not try to speak to them, because they are instructed not to interact with you. The only talking I want to hear is you telling them to move or to assume a position. Whatever you tell them to do they are instructed to obey." "You'll be working in two-member teams. I want you to take turns, for each of you to strike your subject at least twice with each implement on the table. Now, I've explained what positions I think work best and why. However, if you think you can do better, by all means, try out your ideas. Some things work better with some disciplinarians than others. If your experience differs from mine, then I'd like to see your reasoning and the results." "I will be assessing not only your written statements, but also the markings themselves. I do expect you to exercise responsibility. Be careful about breaking the skin of your subjects. If you think you're close or you see blood blisters, stop and let me know. I'll tell you if it's safe to continue. OK, enough talk. Pair up, choose your subject, and apply what you've learned." "Yes, Dr. Burnside." As the pledges got ready to begin punishing their subjects, Heather pulled out her digital camera. She planned to photograph the discipline session and add the pictures to the Four-Beta digital archives. At first Lisa and Kathleen were going to pair-off together with Steve, but their mentor stopped them. She told Kathleen to go with Bernadette and Cherine to join Lisa. The Sergeant-at-Arms assumed that Kathleen and Lisa would concentrate better if not allowed to work with each other. Cherine had none of Lisa's experience disciplining guys. The experience was totally new and at the beginning rather frightening. Lisa told her companion to put Steve over her lap for a spanking with her hand, and then with a short, thick hairbrush. It was a totally strange feeling for the freshman to be sitting naked in a chair and have a silent, but equally naked young man over her lap. She could feel his penis and testicles pressing against her thigh. She did not slap very effectively with her hand, but her confidence started building when she started using the hairbrush. She began to enjoy herself and the satisfying rhythm of the POP...POP...POP of the wood as it made contact with Steve's skin Lisa briefly took her turn with the hairbrush before they instructed Steve to put his hands on the table. As instructed, they made sure his legs were spread and his back was arched so they could see his bottom-hole. Lisa gave Steve two smacks with the paddle, and then handed the implement to Cherine. After Cherine delivered a couple of respectable paddle swats, the two women stopped to fill out the first portion of the forms and note their observations. Lisa picked up a heavy leather strap, a leather paddle without holes, and one with holes. She struck with the two paddles first, fascinated at the pattern left by the paddle with the holes. Cherine followed suit. The two women wrote their observations and continued with the strap. CRACK!!!...CRACK!!! Lisa struck hard with the strap, darkening Steve's already reddish bottom. She shifted position to hit him with a backhanded swat: CRACK!!! Lisa handed the strap to Cherine, who took a deep breath, stepped back, and delivered a truly vicious swat. CRACK!!! Steve broke from the force of Cherine's swat. He twisted from the pain, which, of course, was a stupid thing to do. Cherine snapped: "I'm not done with you! Get you're hands back on the table!" CRACK!!! After a couple more swats with the strap, some hits with a belt, and some more with a martinet, the two women paused to enter their information into the worksheet. The next implement they decided to experiment with was the riding crop. Lisa decided to try something new. She ordered Steve to lie on his back and hold his knees up. Once his legs were held in place by his interlocked arms, Steve's bottom was spread wide, his anus pointing straight up, his testicles and penis on full display, and his bottom and upper thighs stretched tight. Lisa decided to test his endurance and his resolve to stay quiet no matter what. Lisa and Cherine took turns viciously striking at the tender skin surrounding Steve's bottom-hole and the insides of his upper thighs. They struck over and over as the fiery pain mounted around that intimate region. Steve moaned and gritted his teeth, but just as the pledges were determined to break him, he was just as determined to resist as much as possible. Steve's face was wet from tears and sweat under his blindfold and he was grunting from the pain. Steve's inner thighs and area around his anus turned quite dark as Lisa and Cherine struck over and over. Lisa, whose aim was very good, concentrated on his bottom, while Cherine, who was still a novice, concentrated on his thighs. Heather told Lisa and Cherine to stop for a moment and to pose next to their subject. Heather snapped a couple of pictures while the two pledges stood to his sides, each resting a hand on one of his knees. Bernadette and Kathleen already had their subject attached to the ceiling for the final whipping. Rather than wait for them to finish, Lisa decided to have Steve lie on the table with the cylindrical pillow under his hips and his hands and feet tied to the table legs. He would have to take the whip strokes lying down instead of standing up. Because Steve's bottom was in such bad shape, his two tormentors had to concentrate on his thighs and upper back. Lisa discovered that flogging downwards was somewhat more difficult than flogging sideways. She was careful to note that observation, because she suspected Burnside would critique her for not using the best position for the whip. Steve was crying by the time the two women let him off the table. Lisa decided to end Steve's punishment. She asked Heather for a pair of handcuffs, cuffed his hands, and got ready to lead him to the corner. Heather took a final picture of her two pledges and their victim before Lisa guided him to the corner and told him to get on his knees. Bernadette and Kathleen wrapped up shortly afterwards, posed for a final picture, and led their subject to the corner to join the others. While the three young men knelt uncomfortably, Burnside took the worksheets from the students. Heather ordered them to line up and kneel while Burnside went over the papers. "Pledge Lisa!" "Yes, Dr. Burnside!" "You made an observation about using the lying position for the whip. Stand up and share that with the rest of us." Lisa stood up and explained why she felt it was harder to use the whip on a subject that was lying down than on one that was standing. Her answer seemed to satisfy the professor. The pledges final duty was to pose for a picture with the professor. Burnside picked up a riding crop and stood in the middle of the group while Heather ordered the pledges to kneel upright with their hands at their sides. The picture was a formal portrait and would be included in the Four-Beta yearbook. ---------- Heather and Burnside ordered the pledges into the kitchen to prepare a late meal for the household. Meanwhile they helped themselves to the services of the punished males. They figured Steve would not be of much use because of his recent orgasm, but the other two young masochists were certainly ready for some fun. Burnside took Mark for herself and let Heather take the other freshman. Heather led her partner into the guest bedroom while Burnside took Mark to the main bedroom. The two doors shut and the pledges were left alone. With four sets of hands working in the kitchen, the meal was ready in a few minutes. Heather and Burnside showed no sign of coming back out anytime soon, so Bernadette decided to go back out into the living room and play with Steve. She began talking sweetly to him and gently rubbing her breasts up and down his chest. Her original intention was just to tease him, but soon he was very hard. She decided to take a small risk. She unlocked his handcuffs and led him to the bathroom. She checked the medicine cabinet for condoms, and sure enough, she found a box. Excellent. Bernadette passionately kissed Steve and ran her hands over his welt-covered backside. He responded immediately, the physical sensation of the delicious throbbing combining with the feel of the lovely young body pressed up against him driving him wild with desire. He desperately kissed her. Bernadette planned to have Steve lie on his back and straddle him, but suddenly he took control of their love-making. As soon as he had the condom on he pushed her to her hands and knees. She was wet with lust and desire and did not resist. He gently massaged her vulva, then grabbed her hips and plunged in. Bernadette gasped with delight. Oh, this was good. It turned out that Steve was an excellent lover and capable of multiple orgasms in one day. Like Lisa's boyfriend Ken, all it took was some good sensual pain to unlock his sexual being. Fortunately the bathroom had a shower, so Bernadette and her momentary lover decided to clean up. They closed the door of the stall and soaped each other's bodies. Steve massaged Bernadette's body, first her back and then her breasts. Finally his hands wandered towards her stomach. She did not resist as he continued his way towards her vagina. He soaped and massaged that sensitive area and brought her to yet another orgasm. The couple kissed desperately as she climaxed a second time. They toweled off. Bernadette put Steve's handcuffs and blindfold back on and led him back to the corner. She didn't know if he'd get in trouble if Burnside and Heather found out about their love-making session, but, why take chances? She cleaned up the evidence in the bathroom as best she could before rejoining her companions in the kitchen. ---------- While Bernadette was occupied with Steve and Cherine was busy cutting vegetables, Lisa and Kathleen slipped out into Burnside's back yard. They were surprised to see an old friendly-looking dog struggling to his feet in the grass, but the dog simply wagged his tail, barked once, and lay back down. Obviously he was used to strange people in the yard and had long since stopped being bothered by them. The lovers had gone outside with a simple idea of exchanging some hugs and kisses. As much as they wanted to make love, the lack of time and the presence of an old friendly dog staring at them deterred them from completely indulging themselves. Even so, they kissed for a long time and ran their hands up and down each other's bodies. They hugged tightly, enjoying the feel of each other's bare skin in the warm summer air. As they held each other, Lisa's secret desire to spank her lover's thin bottom returned. She had no desire to do anything serious to her, but did hope to someday put her over her lap. She decided to try a small test to see if Kathleen would submit to a spanking. She rubbed her lover's bottom and gently patted her bottom-cheeks in a spanking motion. Kathleen buried her mouth into Lisa's, leaving her unsure whether her unspoken message had been understood. Lisa kissed Kathleen's neck and again patted her bottom. "Hmm..." "So...have you been a good girl today?" "Hmm...maybe." "...or maybe just a bit naughty?" "Maybe..." Once again Lisa patted Kathleen's unprotected bottom, a bit firmer this time, almost lightly slapping it. "Because if you're being a bit naughty on me, we'll just have to fix that, now won't we?" Kathleen responded by kissing her hard. Lisa had her answer. Her lover would be perfectly willing to take a spanking. Her heart raced, because now she knew that the next time she was alone with Kathleen, an erotic spanking would be part of their foreplay. ---------- Bernadette returned to the kitchen just as Cherine finished cutting vegetables. It was obvious she had showered, but it was even more obvious she was content and relaxed. Cherine gave her companion a very hostile look, angry at having been left alone to deal with dinner. "Where were you?" "I was in the bathroom." "By yourself?" "No. I was with Steve." "Thanks a lot. Real nice of you three to leave me alone in the kitchen. I really appreciate it." "Look, Cherine, I'm sorry. I was horny. He was horny too. I didn't get the finger fuck from the VP like you did. I was just horny, OK?" "Yeah, I guess." "Anyway, where's Lisa and Kathleen?" "I guess they're in the backyard." "I go get 'em." "No, I'll get 'em. You deal with lunch. I'll get 'em." The patio door went open and Maynard let out a half-hearted bark. Maybe he wasn't that great of a watchdog, but at least he saved Lisa and Kathleen the embarrassment of being caught making-out by their fellow pledge. They separated before she went out into the yard, and were just standing when she finally found them. "What are you doing?" "Just...talking." Cherine tightened her lips. It was obvious they were flustered from the interruption and that they had been doing a lot more than "just talking". Cherine was angry, but decided not to push that point. The three pledges went back inside and finished preparing the meal. The dinner was a very strange one. Burnside and Heather were the only people at the table who were dressed. The pledges and the three male subjects sat at the table naked. The pledges were nervous while the males moved stiffly from having been so severely punished. Still, Burnside's guests had worked up a good appetite and the food put everyone in a better mood. They relaxed and ate at a very leisurely pace. After eating the pledges knelt while Burnside gave them some final thoughts on erotic discipline. She noted that they all had done very well and had passed the afternoon's practical exercise. As she spoke the three males cleaned up. "Alright, that's a wrap from my end. Always remember that discipline is more about psychology than it is flagellation. Take your time and think through anything you do." "Yes, Dr. Burnside." "PLEDGES, STAND UP!" The pledges scrambled to their feet. They put on their shower shoes and filed out the door. They were exposed on the driveway while Heather fumbled for the key to open the vehicle, but fortunately it already was getting dark. Finally the pledges got into the minivan for the trip back to the sorority house. ---------- The house was empty with the exception of Tracy, who was back from her Reserve drill and dressed in a Four-Beta PT uniform. At the moment the pledges didn't think there was anything significant about Tracy wearing a PT uniform, but they had forgotten that they had not done their PT for the day. Instead their minds were on the inspection. The pledges and their two mentors spent the next hour carefully going through the house. Tracy found a total of 26 violations. That was not bad considering the size of the house, the detailed rules laid out in the manual, and the fact that only four women had been available to conduct the clean-up. The pledges returned to the sitting room, assuming that either one or all of them was due 26 swats with the strap. Tracy explained the rules, emphasizing that yes, indeed the rules had been violated and the women were facing punishment. Then she sprung a surprise on them: "I'm giving you a choice, because 26 violations is not that bad. You haven't done your PT for the day, and today we're doing lower body. I was thinking a good three-mile run might be a good substitute for 26 swats for each of you. So how about it? What's your choice, three miles or 26 swats? Of course the pledges chose running the three miles, not yet realizing there was a catch. "Good choice. Alright, line up and get ready to stretch." While Tracy led the pledges stretching, Heather went to the basement to pick up their running shoes and socks. She laid the footwear near the front door. Once the pledges finished stretching, Tracy ordered them to put on their shoes and socks. The four women became increasingly concerned, because their uniforms were nowhere in sight. "Get in the van." The pledges looked at each other with very worried expressions, but did not dare hesitate to go into the driveway and load themselves into the vehicle. Tracy jumped behind the wheel while Heather got into the passenger seat. The van quickly pulled away from the safety of the sorority house. It was Heather who broke the news: "You're doing a three-mile run, but we're gonna make it interesting. What you'll really be doing is a three-mile streak." The Sergeant-at-Arms smiled slightly as Cherine and Kathleen gasped. "That's right, ladies. We're making you streak three miles back to the sorority. This is one of your tests. We're giving you an hour to get back, which, if you keep moving, will be plenty of time." "But..." The only 'butt' will be your red butt if you don't make it back in time. We're making you do this for a reason. We're testing you to see how well you deal with a dangerous and stressful situation. We want you to stick together and work with each other to get across campus. That's your PT for the night. A simple three-mile run across campus, but in the nude. It's Sunday night, so things should be pretty quiet." The pledges sat in horrified silence as the van exited the opposite side of the university and continued in the direction of Burnside's house. Tracy turned into a small neighborhood park and opened the door. "Everyone out. This is your starting point. We've measured it, and it's exactly three miles from here to the sorority." The Pledge Mistress Ch. 13 As the pledges huddled next to each other in terror, Tracy handed Lisa a cell phone. "If you get in trouble, just hit the speed dial. But if you hit that speed dial and we have to come get you, you'll fail the exercise, you'll get your butts whipped, and you'll have to do it all over again tomorrow night. Don't forget; tomorrow's Monday and there will be a bunch more people out on the streets. So, you might as well save yourselves the trouble and do it right the first time." Y...yes, ma'am." "If you go straight down this street, you'll end up by the duck pond next to the parking lot behind Huntington Hall. From there you'll need to get to the main library. Sergeant-at-Arms Heather will be waiting for you in the courtyard. Whatever route you take to get there, you'll have to run past her and make sure she sees you and gets your picture. The pictures will be important, because that'll be our proof you didn't try to cheat. Once you get to the academic buildings area you'll need to be very careful to avoid Campus Security. Don't forget they're on bicycles, so they can move pretty fast. If you're chased, it won't do you any good to split up, because all of you have to complete the run as a group. You're working as a team. If someone doesn't make it, you all fail." The pledges were silent, even Lisa. This was going to be very, very risky. Tracy continued: "Once you get through the old part of the campus you'll have to cross a couple of busy streets. I'd suggest you stay on campus as long as you can and run parallel until you get to Pageant Street. Don't cross at the light; try to use the crosswalk instead. Then cut straight across and run like hell to the sorority. If you move fast enough the city cops won't get you." Tracy and Heather got back into the van. Tracy backed out as Heather called out the window: "Have fun! I'll see you at the library, with my camera!" The van pulled away, leaving the pledges stranded. Now their only choices were get back to the sorority or face getting arrested. The others immediately took off, but Lisa snapped: "WAIT!" As her panicky companions stopped, Lisa called them back into the shadows behind a some bushes. "Look, you just can't go running off! Do you even know what route we're taking?" Bernadette responded in an exasperated, panicky voice: "Yeah, we're going to the duck pond and then running to the library." "Right across the quad, with a bunch of people running around? I don't think so! There's a back route, a paved nature path that's hidden right up until you get to the library. That's the way we're going! We're hitting the duck pond, but then we'll be turning right. We won't need to cross the quad at all! That's the first part. You guys OK with that?" "Yes!" "We'll have to get off the path to get to Heather. Once she gets our picture, we go right back on. That path continues to the Student Center. Yes, once we get to the Student Center we'll have to run in the open, but that's only gonna be for the last mile." Lisa's companions nervously nodded. "Now, here's another problem. Who isn't used to running three miles non-stop?" Cherine and Bernadette raised their hands. "Then we're gonna have to walk part of the way. This'll sound crazy, but we're gonna have to walk that stretch of path between the duck pond and the library. If we don't, you'll be winded right when we leave the campus, and that's when we're gonna have run the fastest." "Walk on a back trail? At night? In the nude? Are you out of your mind?" "It's what we're gonna have to do. Either we walk the trail or you'll be puking on Pageant Street. Heather will bitch us out for being late getting to her, but that's my plan. If there's no one on the trail after the library, we're walking a bit more and saving our breath for the final part. I'm not worried about the trail. There's four of us, and anyhow it'll keep us away from the academic buildings. From the Student Center we run straight through Old Campus and we're not stopping until we get to the sorority. I want you guys rested for that final part." "And we're walking?" "Why do you think they're giving us an hour? There's no way we can run straight across campus and they know that. If any of you has a better idea, I'd love to hear it." No one spoke up. "A final thing. If we get separated we'll meet up behind the big pine tree near the Pageant Street crosswalk. If you lose the rest of us, don't panic, just head to the pine tree and wait." The other three pledges calmed down considerably. Now they had a workable plan other than simply trying to run three miles non-stop across campus. Lisa's route ensured that as few people at the university as possible would see them and minimize the chance of being caught by Campus Security. There was a back-up plan for anyone who got separated. The pledges realized that if they stayed calm and stuck to Lisa's strategy, in an hour they would be back at the sorority house laughing about their experience. "OK, it's show-time! First stop, the duck pond!" The pledges ran along the sidewalk at full speed past the quiet houses. It seemed that every dog in the neighborhood was barking at them, but fortunately the streets were deserted. In an eight-block stretch only once did a car go past. The pledges jumped behind a hedge to let it go by. They scrambled back onto the sidewalk when the porch light went on and continued running. The four women crouched near the intersection leading back on campus. Traffic was fairly light, which gave Lisa an idea. They would not try crossing at the red light when the drivers were stopped, would have a good look at them, and possibly have time to call the police. Instead they would cross when the light was green and not give their spectators a chance to react. Hopefully no one would get hit and there would be no accidents, but the point was to cross quickly with as little warning as possible. As they huddled in the darkness, Lisa got behind the others and looked for a gap in the traffic: "GO!" Four naked young women ran across the wide street in front of several very astonished drivers. One driver swerved and another beeped, but they made it across without incident and disappeared into the dubious safety of the duck pond area. Lisa led her companions to a stand of trees and the entrance to a path that would have been invisible had she not known it was there. Their hearts were pounding as they stood in the darkness. "OK, in we go!" The women shook with tension and tried to catch their breath as their eyes tried to adjust to the dark wooded area. Lisa had another observation that did not put the others at ease at all: "I know that Campus Security patrols along here. If they come through and we see them in time, we jump into the bushes. If they catch us, I'll just try to reason with them. Don't any of you say anything if that happens. Let me do the talking." For the next 15 minutes the women walked in the darkness, following the same path Lisa's friends Jason and Ken followed the previous fall when they went streaking after losing that card game. They walked at a fast pace, but Lisa warned them not to try to run. "After we get to the library there'll be plenty of running." After spending what seemed an eternity walking the women saw lights shining between the trees. They had made the halfway point, when they would have to go out into the lit courtyard, get their picture taken, and then hopefully retreat back to the trail. Lisa drew a deep breath and led her companions running into the courtyard where Heather was waiting for them. To the pledges horror it turned out she wasn't alone. Almost every member of the Tri-Alpha Fraternity was with her. Each one of those guys was cheering and had a camera. The pledges reluctantly ran up to Heather as the cameras flashed wildly. She admonished them: "Too slow, ladies, too slow! You'd better pick up the pace if you don't want to be doing this again tomorrow night!" "Ma'am, have you seen Campus Security?" "Don't worry about them, Pledge." "But..." "I said, don't worry about them..." she pointed at two guys in uniform on bicycles: "...now move your asses!" "Yes, ma'am!" Knowing that Campus Security was in on the adventure put Lisa at ease and changed her plans. Instead of going back on the trail, the pledges would jog straight across the academic area towards the Pageant Street crossing. The only hard part would be the final stretch through three blocks of shops and then running past the houses along Fraternity Row. Knowing that there was no danger until they left campus, the pledges jogged at a leisurely pace and actually began enjoying themselves. The night air felt good as it blew against their naked bodies. The academic area was almost completely deserted and very peaceful. Of course, whenever they did run past someone their spectator either stared at them with disbelief or clapped and whistled. Lisa glanced at the Economics Building as the pledges ran by. For once the light in Burnside's office wasn't on, which led Lisa to wonder what she was doing to Mark and those other two guys. She pushed that thought aside as the group continued past the Student Memorial Center and crossed the guest parking lot. That short cut put them on the sidewalk near the dreaded crosswalk. The pledges stopped to catch their breath under Lisa's pine tree as they worked up the courage to run across the street. Now came the hard part, the final stretch to the sorority house. Lisa glanced at her cell phone. They had only eight minutes to make it. Shit! As soon as she saw a break in the traffic she shouted: "Let's go! As fast as you can, after me!" Lisa and her companions ran across Pageant Street. Once again she heard several beeps and a couple of screeching tires. She couldn't worry about that. Once the pledges made it across they ran past three blocks of student stores, bars, and pizza places. Unfortunately some of the pizza places were open and the students sitting outside were treated to the spectacle of four panicky naked women running by. Lisa kept glancing back at her companions. The awful detail was that she realized she had miscalculated the time it would take them to cross campus. She was the only one who knew that, even running at full pace, they would be very lucky to make it before the time ran out. Cherine and Kathleen seemed to be doing OK, but Bernadette already was winded. Lisa shouted: "Kathleen, get out front and set the pace!" As soon as Kathleen moved to the front of the group Lisa dropped back to run alongside Bernadette. "Move...move...move!" She started landing hard slaps on Bernadette's sweaty bottom to get her to run faster. "Ow! Stop it!" SLAP! "Then move!" SMACK! "MOVE!" SMACK! "Ow!" Just as the women exited the shopping area a flash went off in their faces. Another Tri-Alpha member had taken their picture to document their passage through the business district. Now for Fraternity Row. This was going to be hard, because there were plenty of guys out and about. As soon as the naked pledges came into sight, the street was filled with clapping, cheering, and whistles. Guys came running out the houses to catch a glimpse of the Four-Beta pledges as they ran by. Plenty of them had cameras. The pledges were panic-stricken as they made their final dash to the sorority. As the noise and flashing got worse, the only thought on their minds was "run...run...run". Lisa no longer had to smack Bernadette to get her to run faster; she was doing just fine on fear and adrenaline. The pledges left their cheering audience, ran past a block of older houses, and finally closed in on Sorority Row. At last the sanctuary of the Four-Beta house was in sight. However, the pledges had to endure the final indignity of running past the members of rival sororities and listen to their sarcastic clapping and cheering. Finally the Four-Beta House. Of course, the entire sorority was standing outside on the front lawn, and every last one of them had a camera. The pledges' approach and entry into the house was thoroughly documented by multiple photographers. Tracy was waiting in the sitting room with a stopwatch. She announced the pledges had made it with only 15 seconds to spare. Lisa nearly fainted. Just 15 seconds to spare. Had they missed the deadline it would have been her fault, because had been her idea to walk the trail. However, she looked over at Bernadette, who was bent over with her hands on her knees. She was coughing, gagging, and horribly winded. Bernadette almost didn't make it. Had Lisa not forced her to save her strength and then pushed her at the end, she would not have made it. Lisa could feel good about that. It had been a very close call, but because of her, everyone in her group had passed the three-mile streaking test on the first try. Once again, Pledge Mistress Tracy looked at her pledges, and especially their leader, with deep satisfaction. ---------- The pledges slept soundly that night. They were as exhausted as a person could be, considering they had spent most of the weekend cleaning, Sunday afternoon and evening at Burnside's house, and finally, to conclude that traumatic day, a very stressful hour running across the university in the nude. Even after they were finished with the run, Tracy insisted on a post-run stretch and a few minutes in the pool to relax their muscles. They had to clean up after the pool and drink a bunch of water to stay hydrated. Finally, well after midnight, the four women collapsed onto their cots. They went to sleep immediately. By the end of their first week they had become used to sleeping uncovered. The fact several hundred pictures had been taken of Lisa and her companions that night and were sure to circulate on the Internet barely registered in their minds. One reason was the pledges were too tired to be worried about their very public performance. However there was a second, and much more important reason. The pledges were changing, because a week of living in the nude already had greatly reduced their personal inhibitions. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 14 Chapter 14 - A day of hard lessons Monday started just like any other weekday between classes. Tracy entered the room with her usual: "OK, sleeping beauties: UP...UP...UP! Let's go...let's go...let's go!" As usual, each pledge got a sharp slap on her bottom as she passed Tracy to go upstairs for the morning PT. The pledges began their day with stretching and the normal upper body workout with the sophomores. There was the usual cooling off in the pool, a shower, and the usual healthy breakfast. They cleaned up from the meal while the sophomores left for the university. Heather left as well, after reminding her charges that the routine would change somewhat starting the next day because the new Tri-Alpha pledges would start coming to the house and take over some of the chores. At 9:30 a.m. Lisa and her companions knelt in the sitting room for a day-long class to be given by President Alexandra. Pledge Mistress Tracy was present as well, but only to assist the president with props and the projector. The first presentation was about the history of the Four-Beta pledging experience. Alexandra emphasized that the pledges were part of a long tradition that went clear back to 1926, when the sorority decided to distinguish itself from other sororities and use a harsh hazing philosophy to make sure the pledges really wanted to join. Alexandra's slide show contained numerous photos of sorority members and pledges taken between 1926 and the present, with an emphasis on the first decades of the sorority. Styles had come and gone, but the four new pledges saw a lot of themselves in the faces of the young women who had gone before them. Seeing the photos gave them a strange sense of personal mortality. Decades before, those women in the black and white pictures had been little different from the current generation, with the same hopes and fears for the future. However, they had long since lived out their lives and passed away. Lisa and her companions realized that decades in the future they also would become little more than memories in some future slide show presentation for a new generation of pledges. Nothing more than a photo. That thought was rather scary. The pledge program had developed since the 1920's, but its basic purpose had not changed much in the ensuing eight decades. From the very beginning Four-Beta pledges had to undergo a rigorous personal transformation to be eligible to join the sorority. During the 1920's and early 1930's pledges had to bob their hair and be struck with the riding crop on the shoulder on the very first day of pledging. One detail that made the Lisa and her companions giggle was the original Four-Beta pledge uniform. Before World War II, the pledge uniform consisted of white drop-seat bloomers. The seat of the bloomers was cut out, which meant the pledges always ran around the sorority house with their bottoms and the backs of their upper thighs completely exposed, but the rest of their bodies covered. During the first two decades any junior or senior could discipline a pledge. A metal washtub full of willow switches was kept by the back door. If a pledge faced discipline she had to go to that tub, retrieve a switch, dry it off, and return to her disciplinarian. She had to kneel and hand over the switch, then stand up and put her hands on her ankles until the punishment was finished. There were several pictures of early pledges dressed in the drop-seat bloomers, and even through the grainy black and white images switch marks were clearly visible on the bare bottoms of some of the freshmen. The Four-Beta pledging program underwent several important changes in 1946. That was the year that the sorority created the positions of Pledge Mistress and Sergeant-at-Arms. From that point forward pledges answered only to those two officers, instead of having to answer to any senior member of the sorority. That also was the year when housing developers filled in the pond from where the seniors were getting their supply of willow switches. With its supply of willow switches cut off, the sorority turned to using razor straps to discipline pledges, provided by a member whose father was a barber. Tracy held up an old razor strap and passed it to the pledges for a closer look. Finally, 1946 was the year the sorority replaced the pledge uniform of drop-seat bloomers with open-back hospital gowns. The gowns exposed much more of the pledges' bodies than the bloomers, because all of the drawstrings except for the one at the very top were cut off. From the front pledges were adequately covered, but from the back they were completely exposed, especially if they had to lean forward or bend over. The hospital gowns lasted until 1965. That year the Pledge Mistress punished a pledge by strapping her, but then took her punishment a step further by ordering her to remove her gown and burn it in the barbecue pit. In an act of solidarity the other pledges stripped off their gowns and burnt them as well. The entire group then bent over and insisted on taking the same strapping their fellow pledge had taken. The Pledge Mistress wore herself out disciplining the entire group and refused to replace any of their gowns. As a result of their rebellion, the pledges spent the rest of their time in the house that semester in the nude. After a while the young women took a strange pride in their exposure, since they were in their situation together and confronting the Pledge Mistress as a team. The idea caught on and the incoming class of 1966 was the first group to spend the entire semester pledging completely in the nude. Alexandra expressed her clear admiration for the 1965 pledge group, holding them up as an example of how pledges should behave. They refused to let a member of their group be singled out for special punishment, but rather than argue with the Pledge Mistress, they chose to stand with their classmate and strip off their own gowns. What they did was in one way an act of defiance, but on the other hand they had rebelled within the rules laid out for them as pledges. Their group mate had to suffer, and they insisted on suffering with her. The chapter president ended her observation with a picture of the infamous 1965 group, a black and white photo of 14 determined-looking young women, all standing completely naked as they waited to be sworn-in as full members of the sorority. Alexandra moved on to the final change in the pledge program, one brought about by the sexual revolution of the late 1960's. Medical education traditionally had been part of the sorority's training program, and sexual education eventually became an extension of medical education. Sexual health always had received priority as an orientation topic, but in 1970 the Four-Beta Sorority decided to expand the medical lessons into an aggressive and comprehensive program of sexual instruction. The first goal of the program was to completely separate the concept of sex from substance use and popular culture. Rather than encourage its members to either abstain or plunge blindly into the culture of "sex, drugs, and rock & roll", the sorority insisted they "get all the facts" before starting any sexual relationship. "Getting all the facts" meant having an accurate idea of what sex really was, how to safely practice it, how to maximize orgasms, and how to avoid pregnancy and venereal disease. Above everything else was the goal of keeping sex in proper perspective in a woman's life. By 1975 the Four-Beta sexual education program had gone way beyond just memorizing facts out of books, by encouraging the pledges to experience real orgasms under the supervision of their instructors. Over time variants such as oral sex and erotic discipline were added. The Tri-Alpha Fraternity developed their sexual education program at the same time as the Four-Betas, and in 1982 the sorority and fraternity formally merged their two programs into one. "Everyone keeps calling us 'the sex bitches', but that's only because we want you to know what's really going on with sex. Knowledge is power, and to be honest I think that's what scares the other sororities. It scares the fraternities even more, because the only guys who can handle us are the Tri-Alphas." ---------- From the development of the pledge program Alexandra moved to discussing significant events in the history of the Four-Betas. She discussed the participation of the sorority's first members in the suffragette movement, the official founding of the Chicago chapter in 1925, and the early members' service at soup kitchens during the Great Depression. She continued with the biography of a member who became a nurse during World War II and was killed during the London blitzkrieg, and finished off with a list of women who had graduated and gone on to hold political office or lead universities. Lisa recognized some of the names and was quite impressed. Alexandra backed up in time to display a picture of the 1947 pledge group. It was a group photo of 18 young women in hospital gowns, but there was something very significant about the picture. There was a Japanese freshman standing with the others. Just two years after the end of World War II, the sorority accepted a Japanese student as a member. Five years later, in 1952, two sisters, Pearl and Violet Baker, joined the sorority as its first black members. "The Baker girls joined us more than 10 years before any of the other sororities even thought about integrating. What was really great, however, was the way it happened. At the end of the summer they simply showed up at the front door and asked if they could join. The sorority wasn't trying to make any social statement; they simply took in the Baker girls like they'd take in anyone else. Now you gotta remember, this was 1952 that we're talking about. Having the Baker sisters pledge with us caused a real stink among the other sororities. We got boycotted by everyone except the Tri-Alphas, and I think that whole experience tested us and really helped set us apart. We're different from the others. We've always been different." Alexandra put up a group portrait of the 1952 pledges standing in their hospital gowns. Standing among the group were Pearl and Violet with very nervous but determined expressions. Another picture, taken in 1956, showed Pearl and Violet standing in formal gowns among the graduating seniors. ---------- The pledges took a break to stretch and eat lunch before re-joining Alexandra and Tracy in the sitting room. The next presentation was titled: In case you are wondering: why are you naked and why are we being so rough on you? Alexandra answered that question with her next words: "The reason you are naked right now is the same reason we dressed pledges in bottomless bloomers in 1926. The outfit may be different, but its purpose is the same. We believe you need to give us a gesture of humility as pledges. The right to wear clothing again, just like membership, is something you have to earn. We won't be giving you anything, you have to earn it. Just like me, Pledge Mistress Tracy, and every other member of this house, you'll have to earn everything you get. You will suffer, you will be scared and pissed-off, you will be tired, and your body will be subjected to both real pain and real pleasure. You have to be tested in order to make you a person worthy of respect. When we push you, challenge you, or punish you, that's what we're after, making you someone worthy to join us. We expect you to obey us, but we also want to transform you. If you make that transformation, four years from now one of you will be standing where I am right now." So, why pledge in the nude? The president explained that the practice of naked pledging was a crash-course in killing any modesty or personal inhibitions. The Four-Beta pledge program considered eliminating modesty from prospective members top priority, because modesty was a holdover from a time during which religion suppressed women's aspirations. The pledge program of the sorority and its associated fraternity openly confronted religious reasoning concerning modesty. Most religions argue that the body and its needs and desires are evil and impediments to spiritual development. The Tri-Alphas and the Four-Betas argued exactly the opposite; that unless a person first satisfied the needs of "the temple of the body", there was no point in seeking spiritual development. Every person's soul was given a body, and it was the duty of the soul to take care of that body before taking care of itself. The argument was that if the body was denied the care and sexual pleasure it needed and deserved, the soul became damaged. The damaged soul sought to satiate itself with material wealth and possessions, but acquiring those possessions never resulted in happiness because the basic needs of the body were still being denied. Therefore, in order to free herself from the repressive past, a member of the sorority had to openly reject modesty. If a woman could be open and comfortable with her body, it would be much easier to reject all other efforts by society to suppress her intellect. The sorority considered constantly being naked a necessary first step in radical re-education away from a sexually repressed culture that drowned a person's true needs with materialism. Pledges completing the program always finished very different than when they started. They returned to wearing normal clothes in public simply because that was what society demanded of them, but in private and among each other there was very little distinction between being dressed and being naked. Lisa noticed that total lack of inhibitions the first day she was in the sorority, a complete casualness about what each person in the house chose to wear or not wear. There were several sorority members who were a lot like her, who never bothered to put anything on unless they had to go out. If there were guests in the house, that made no difference to them. They could calmly sit down in the nude and have a conversation just as easily as they could have a conversation if they were dressed. That detail of sorority life very much appealed to Lisa. She knew that once she became a full member she would be one of those residents who casually went about her daily routine without ever bothering to get dressed. If Kathleen remained her lover she would expect the same from her. Whenever in the house she would expect Kathleen to set aside any remaining modesty and remain undressed out of principle. ---------- The pledges ate dinner with the sophomores. Following dinner Tracy took them back to the sitting room and ordered them to set up for a formal presentation to be given in the evening. The setup included President Alexandra's speaking podium and 40 folding chairs set up in rows. Another row of six chairs was set up behind the speaker's podium, where the officers of the Tri-Alpha fraternity would be sitting. Finally Tracy ordered the pledges to clean up and brush their teeth, then return upstairs for a formal presentation. The sorority members filed in and took their seats in the chairs. The seniors sat in the front, followed by juniors and the sophomores in the back. The pledges knelt on the floor in front of the seniors. Sitting in a chair during a formal event, just like wearing clothing, was a privilege they would enjoy only after being sworn in as full members. The doorbell rang and one of the juniors let in the six officers from the Tri-Alpha Fraternity. The men handed a list to the Four-Beta president and took their seats. Lisa noticed Vice-President Jacob and Pledge Cherine flirting with each other as they exchanged looks. Alexandra began by briefly reciting the tradition of the sorority and fraternity participating in each other's pledging responsibilities and in hazing new members. As of the next day the Tri-Alphas would be swearing in six prospective new members. Tracy dimmed the lights and turned on a projector while Alexandra named the six new male pledges and showed their pictures to the audience. She gave brief biographies of the six young men, their interests, and finally some information about their sexual orientation and sexual fantasies. Lisa felt a pang of emotion when Ken's picture was displayed. It was very strange to hear her boyfriend's biography given in Alexandra's matter-of-fact tone along with the others. She held her breath when Alexandra approached the topic of his sexual orientation, grateful that Tracy had warned her about what was coming. Sure enough, Alexandra stated that Ken had described himself as bi-sexual. He had indicated that he wanted to experiment having sexual contact with other men, given that he already had experimented with women. Among his expectations for joining the Tri-Alphas was to finally determine his orientation. He needed to settle in his own mind once and for all whether he should focus on gay relationships or straight relationships. Alexandra added: "Due to Pledge Ken's sexual situation, his medical examination will be conducted by male examiners. If he needs to be masturbated, my guess is that will be by males as well. I ask, however, that you respect Pledge Ken in the same way you would respect any other pledge. Ken has a journey in life to fulfill just like the rest of us, and given the struggle in his own mind, that journey will be more difficult than what most of us have to deal with." Alexandra did not mention anything about Ken being Lisa's ex-boyfriend, for which she was grateful. Lisa wondered how she should deal with him once she saw him in the sorority house. Her thoughts ranged from tormenting him as much as possible, to ignoring him completely, to making him watch her flirt with Kathleen. As tempting as the idea of making him watch her flirt with Kathleen, Lisa realized that would be a very bad idea. Tracy had told her that under no circumstances should she make any type of public spectacle out of the relationship, but also Lisa realized that to use Kathleen to make Ken jealous would be a betrayal of her trust. So, that left her with the options of constantly beating the crap out of Ken or ignoring him entirely. Finally she decided to ignore Ken as long as he didn't say anything to her. The moment he did try to talk to her, Lisa would teach him the real meaning of the word "hazing", and do what she could to totally humiliate him. ---------- When the meeting ended and the Tri-Alpha officers left, Tracy ordered the pledges to fold up the chairs and put the sitting room back in order. Lisa noticed that Cherine seemed to be in a particularly bad mood, probably from having Jacob so close to her without being able to talk to him or interact with him. Cherine's bad mood became more evident when Lisa told her to move some of the folding chairs and she let out a disgusted sigh. Tracy came back into the room just as Cherine banged several of the chairs together as she tried to pick them up. Instead of taking two chairs at a time and making several trips, Cherine tried to pick up all eight of the chairs in the row at once. Of course she was not capable of carrying that many, so the chairs fell back to the floor with a loud crash. Tracy became clearly irritated. "Pledge, what hell are you doing?" Cherine, instead of answering Tracy's question, rolled her eyes and reached down to pick up the chairs. The pledge mistress was on her in an instant, directing the full force of her wrath on the unfortunate freshman. She stuck her face in Cherine's face and snarled: "Look here, PLEDGE! You do NOT roll your eyes around me!" She jabbed her finger hard into Cherine's chest. "You do NOT roll your eyes around any officer! That is nothing but total disrespect, and I resent it!" Again Cherine suffered another sharp poke to the chest. "I...I..." "And you do NOT talk out of turn, Pledge! You know what you just did? You just pissed me off!" The Pledge Mistress Ch. 14 She turned to the other three pledges: "All of you, front-leaning rest position! Now!" The four young women scrambled to comply. "In cadence, EXERCISE! ONE...TWO...THREE..." "One!" "ONE...TWO...THREE..." "Two!" "ONE...TWO...THREE..." Heather poked her head in the doorway to see what was going on. She and Tracy exchanged nods and Heather briefly disappeared as the pledges continued doing pushups. Lisa glanced at the doorway with apprehension. Sure enough, Heather returned to the room carrying two leather straps and a set of handcuffs. She gave the handcuffs and one strap to Tracy, but kept the second strap for herself. "Pledge Cherine! STAND UP!" "Yes, ma'am!" Tracy lost no time ordering Cherine to put her hands out in front to cuff them. She grabbed the trembling freshman by the wrist and led her to a table that Heather had pulled out into the center of the room. Cherine bent over the table and grabbed the far end with her hands. Tracy tapped the insides of her thighs to force them apart. "Tilt your butt up so we can all see it! Now...here's a question for you! How'd you like your three friends to get it too? Would you like that?" "No ma'am!" "Then you will not move until I'm done! You move, and all four of you are getting it!" Tracy put her face next to Cherine's and rolled her eyes. "How do you like that, Pledge? You like it when I roll my eyes?" "No, ma'am. I don't like it." While Tracy was positioning Cherine on the table, Heather was busy tormenting the three pledges still in the front-leaning rest position on the floor. She tapped the strap she was holding in the palm of her hand. "You three better get your backs straight! I didn't say anything about you relaxing!" Lisa tried to straighten up, but it was too late... CRACK! A painful smack exploded across her unprotected backside. "I told you to straighten up, Pledge!" "Yes, ma'am!" CRACK! Lisa struggled to stay quiet as the burning from the two strokes mounted in her bottom. "OK, you three, in cadence, EXERCISE! ONE...TWO...THREE..." "One!" "ONE...TWO...THREE..." "Two!" "ONE...TWO...THREE..." It wasn't long before the strength gave out in the three pledges' arms and they could barely support their weight. Their bodies trembled and their arms shook as they tried to continue doing push-ups. As their arms weakened they knew better than to allow themselves to collapse on the floor. Their only alternative was to relieve the pressure on their arms by pushing their bottoms into the air. However, every time one of the pledges pushed her backside up, the response from Heather was a painful smack. The pledge cried out and tried to straighten herself out as best she could. Heather admonished them: "Anyone who drops to the floor will be getting the full treatment along with Pledge Cherine. Get it?" "Yes, ma'am!" "Now keep your backs straight!" CRACK! Bernadette let out a yelp as the thick leather marked the pale skin of her trembling bottom. She straightened up as best she could as Heather menacingly tapped the strap in her hand. While Heather tired out Lisa, Kathleen, and Bernadette doing push-ups, Tracy patiently waited next to Cherine. She tormented the frightened pledge by gently rubbing the strap on her bare bottom to raise her anxiety. Finally she was ready to start punishing the young freshman extended over the table. She positioned herself, tapped Cherine's dark bottom one final time, and twisted back... CRACK!!! Lisa flinched in sympathy, in spite of the burning from Heather's two swats and the physical discomfort from trying to stay in the front-leaning rest position. CRACK!!! Tracy paused between the second and third swat to gently rub the burning skin of her trembling victim with her free hand. She tapped Cherine's bottom with the leather and twisted back a third time: CRACK!!! Tears began running down the pledge's cheeks after just three swats, but she struggled to stay quiet. She bit her lip and pressed her forehead against the tabletop as she waited for the fourth stroke... CRACK!!! Again Tracy paused to pass her hand over Cherine's dark bottom. Already her skin was swollen and hot to the touch, after just four swats. Good, thought Tracy to herself. Looks like my little lesson in manners is starting to sink in. Tracy repositioned herself, tapped the freshman with the strap, and struck hard a fifth time. CRACK!!! Tracy continued to wait between swats and casually rub Cherine's bottom. Following Ruth Burnside's advice, she punished her charge at a very leisurely pace, letting the passage of time and the painful anticipation wear down her victim's resistance. As she remained bent over in agony, Cherine actually wished Tracy would hit her and get closer to finishing her torment. Instead the Pledge Mistress casually patted and rubbed her bottom and walked around admiring her attractive figure. The waiting was very hard not only on Cherine, but also on her three companions who remained in stuck the front-leaning rest position. They desperately struggled to keep their backs straight and avoid additional swats from Heather. Kathleen took a stroke when she moved her bottom up, and then Bernadette took a couple of strokes. Staying in the front-leaning rest was hardest on Lisa, however. Her tall body was not suited to hold that position for an extended time. Her arms shook and her back ached as the minutes slowly went by and Cherine's punishment seemed no closer to ending. She dared not let her knees touch the floor, so every so often she had to push her bottom up to relieve the stress on her lower back. Every time she pushed up her bottom, Heather gave it a vicious swat with the strap. Every time Lisa straightened her body, her lower back started throbbing. Finally Lisa decided to sacrifice her bottom to save her lower back. She pushed up and felt yet another painful swat, but did not bother to go back down. Heather struck hard several more times. Finally Lisa couldn't stand the swats anymore and straightened herself. Instantly her back started throbbing. Tears started running down her cheeks, not just from the increasing physical pain, but from the fact her suffering seemed no closer to ending. Cherine remained as quiet as possible as she withstood Tracy's slow-paced punishment. At that moment she totally hated the Pledge Mistress. All she did was roll her eyes, and just for that she was being so viciously treated? For that simple gesture her companions were being so cruelly treated? And yet, she was determined to finish what she started. She would deal with her punishment as bravely as possible and ignore what was happening to the others. Unless she was willing to quit the pledging program (which she wasn't) there wasn't anything she could do for her companions, just like there wasn't anything they could do for her. Her only choice was to endure her ordeal in silence and hope to get through it. CRACK!!!...CRACK!!!...CRACK!!!... Tracy delivered a total of 25 swats. Nearly 20 minutes had gone by before she finally set the strap on the table. During that entire time Cherine managed not to make any noise or move. When Tracy told her to "recover" she stood up with difficulty and the tears were running down her face. However, she had taken her punishment very well. Her stoicism impressed the Pledge Mistress. As soon as Cherine struggled to push herself off the table and Tracy unlocked her handcuffs, Heather ordered her three subjects to "recover" as well. Bernadette and Kathleen seemed not much the worse for their experience. However, Lisa was in bad shape, with her back aching and her bottom covered with painful welts. The pledge's expression indicated she had come very close to being broken. Heather realized that she had found Lisa's weak point; apparently she couldn't handle pressure on her lower back. The two officers ordered the pledges to stand at attention. Tears continued to run down the faces of Lisa and Cherine while Tracy gave them a long lecture about the need to always show respect. Even after so cruelly punishing Cherine and nearly breaking Lisa, Tracy was still incensed over the eye-rolling incident. The pledges realized that eye-rolling was a pet peeve of the Pledge Mistress, a trivial gesture that really set off her temper. She poked Cherine in the chest and snarled: "Don't you EVER roll your eyes at me again, Pledge! If you ever pull that shit on me a second time, I will cane you! If you think the strap hurt, wait 'till you feel the cane! GET IT?" "Yes, ma'am!" Upon being released the pledges resumed cleaning the sitting room. Cherine sullenly picked up the chairs to put away. She carried them out of the room two at a time and was very careful not to bang them. ---------- The pledges were quiet as they went downstairs for the night, each one full of doubts about whether or not she should continue with her effort to join the sorority. Finally Lisa spoke up: "I guess we should've seen this coming. I mean, they kept warning us it was gonna be rough." None of the others said anything. Lisa took a deep breath and continued: "A couple of things to remember. We...we can't hold any of this against Tracy. Or Heather. They're just doing their jobs. They...they've been doing the same thing since 1926." Cherine snapped: "She's a fucking bitch! She's just a worthless, psychotic, mean-spirited..." "She isn't! I know I sound crazy telling you this, but I know for a fact she's not! She...I mean...I can't believe I'm saying this...but...she actually does care about us. It's just that...she's gotta follow the rules." Tears began running down Cherine's face again. Lisa tried to reassure her. "And don't blame yourself. It's not your fault. None of this is your fault. This is...I guess...what they're doing...it's sort of like Basic Training. They're gonna fuck with us no matter what. We could be a group of perfect goddesses and they'd still fuck with us. It's just the way it is." Cherine nodded. Lisa exchanged glances with the others. The crisis was passing, but that was mostly because the pledges were getting too tired to think about anything else besides sleeping. "Come on. Let's get some rest. Tomorrow the Triple A's are bringing over their new guys and it's us who'll get to mess with them." ---------- Once she was sure the others were asleep, Lisa afforded herself a small luxury. She broke down and for a long time quietly lay crying in her cot. She was convinced she couldn't let the others see her break down, because she felt her companions looked up to her and to see her cry would disillusion them. They were asleep, so now Lisa could express her real emotions, even if only to herself. She had to be strong for the others, but she wondered: could she be strong enough for her own needs? Could she really make it through an entire summer of this pledging crap? Three months of not letting her doubts and weaknesses show to the others? Could she really do it? The Pledge Mistress Ch. 15 Chapter 15 - Sorority property on loan The following morning was Tuesday, exactly one week since Lisa and her companions started their internment in the Four-Beta sorority. The day would be significant for two other reasons. First, it was the day the pledges would begin going to the university to attend to their academic responsibilities. For brief periods of time, the pledges would get dressed and be allowed to see something besides the inside of the Four-Beta house. That day also was the day the Tri-Alphas would initiate their six summer pledges. In the afternoon the pledges would watch Tri-Alpha pledges' medical exam and in the evening attend their swearing in ceremony. Of course, before anything else there was morning PT. For the freshmen and sophomores the day's PT would be the lower-body workout. Tracy entered the pledge room, and as always, woke up her charges by shouting: "OK sleeping beauties! UP!...UP!...UP! Let's go...let's go...let's go!" While the pledges took turns at the toilet, Tracy unlocked their lockers to allow them access to their running uniforms. She announced that the pledges should take out an extra t-shirt and shorts along with their backpacks, because she planned to take them to the university orientation lecture and summer class registration immediately after breakfast. Lisa would be the exception and would not accompany the others. Ruth Burnside had sent an e-mail to President Alexandra to inform her that Lisa needed to go to her office. "Sergeant-at-Arms Heather will escort you, Pledge, while I take care of the others." "Uh...thank you, ma'am." The arrangement of going to the Economics Department with Heather did not thrill Lisa at all. Not only did she resent the humiliation of being escorted to her boss's office, but she also was concerned about the fact that the Sergeant-at-Arms had punished her the night before. If Heather and Burnside engaged in any conversation (which seemed very likely) it was certain the incident would be part of their discussion. The pledges put on their shoes and carried their uniforms upstairs. As always, Tracy stood at the door and gave each pledge a sharp slap on the bare bottom as she went by. The swats were especially painful to Lisa and Cherine, who were still tender from the previous night's punishment. Running with a bruised bottom was not pleasant, but the relief of getting outside and working off some stress put Lisa in a somewhat better mood. By the time the group returned to the sorority, stretched, jumped in the pool, and had breakfast, the four women had mostly forgotten the previous night's unpleasantness. The pledges picked up their clean uniforms and walking shoes before going upstairs to kneel in the sitting room. Heather and Tracy entered the room. Tracy was holding four large plastic hangers, which she passed out to her group. "OK. Here's the deal on your uniforms. As soon as you come in through that front door, the uniforms come off. If you're going back out later in the day, you'll put your clothes on the hanger and put 'em in the closet. There's gonna be one exception to the rule about taking off your clothes. If there's Triple-A pledges in the house you'll keep your uniforms on. Whenever they're here, those guys are subordinate to every female in the sorority, and that includes you." Tracy pointed to a nightlight plugged in near the closet door. "This nightlight will tell you if there's male pledges in the house. When it's on, there's pledges here and you'll keep your outfits on. When it's off, your uniforms come off. Real simple: on-on, off-off. Get it?" "Yes, ma'am." "The light's only for Triple-A pledges. If there's Triple-A's in the house but no pledges, the uniforms come off. Either way, just check the light when you come in." "Yes, ma'am." "Another detail. Classes and going out in public. Pledge Bernadette, please read what's on your shirt." "PLEDGE. This pledge is property of the Four-Beta Sorority. If found unescorted, please return to rightful owner." "Remember, until you swear in as full members, you are property of the sorority. You have no rights, except the privileges we chose to give you. You have no independence and no freedom. You'll be under our complete control, even when you're on campus. Under no circumstances can you get out of our sight, which means whenever you're not in the house you must have an escort. You're gonna have to take your general requirement classes together and we'll set up a duty roster for the sophomores to escort you to and from class. Pledge Lisa's situation will be a bit different, because she's got a job with the Economics Department. But, we've already talked with her professor and we've got everything arranged." Lisa took a deep breath. They've "got everything arranged". What's that supposed to mean? Tracy continued: "Remember your handcuffs and blindfolds? You'll have those with you for a reason. If you disobey your escort or get out of her sight, she'll cuff you and bring you back to the sorority house. If that ever happens you can expect to have a VERY miserable night. When you're on campus the only words that ever need to come out of your mouth are 'yes ma'am'. Get it?" "Yes, ma'am." "OK, you now know what's expected when you're on campus. If you want to save your butts, you'd better remember what's written on your shirts." "Yes, ma'am." "PLEDGES! STAND UP!" The pledges scrambled to their feet. "OK, get your uniforms on and stick your hangers in the closet. Get ready to move out." "Yes, ma'am." ---------- Heather, Tracy, and the four pledges walked to the university. The two officers were wearing Four-Beta logos on their shirts, while the pledges walked behind in their pledge outfits. Fortunately the presence of the two severe-looking sorority officers silenced many of the giggles and comments the pledge uniform might have elicited from passers-by, but still, the message on the shirts was totally humiliating: This pledge is property of the Four-Beta Sorority... Tracy took the three freshmen to the campus auditorium to attend an orientation lecture for first year students given by the president of the university. From there they would go to the main gym to pick up their class schedules and from there go to the student bookstore to buy textbooks. Meanwhile, Lisa would spend her first day at work in Burnside's office. Heather escorted Lisa to the Economics Department. Once in the building Lisa saw several classmates from her freshman year. Saying hello to them was hard, given what was written on her t-shirt and that she clearly was being escorted by Heather. The two women went into Burnside's office, where the professor already was waiting for them. Burnside shook Heather's hand and greeted her in a manner that indicated the two women already knew each other. The professor's bemused and rather sarcastic expression was not re-assuring at all. "Good morning, Pledge Lisa." "Good morning, Dr. Burnside." Heather took out an envelope containing two copies of a contract on Four-Beta letterhead. She passed the documents to the professor, who looked them over. Burnside signed both copies. "Pledge Lisa, please kneel and read this contract. If you want to continue working for me and also pledge the sorority at the same time you need to concur with this agreement." "You...you want me to kneel, Dr. Burnside?" "Pledge, you're not supposed to be questioning orders. I told you to kneel. Now do it." Lisa's heart sank as she reluctantly got on her knees. Burnside handed her the two copies along with a pen. Lisa read: The directorate of the Chicago chapter of the Four-Beta Sorority agrees to share provisional training custody of Pledge Lisa Campbell with Professor Dr. Ruth Burnside during university summer work hours. This shared provisional custody will allow Pledge Lisa Campbell to fulfill her responsibilities as a pledge to the Four-Beta Sorority, while simultaneously fulfilling her duties as a student aide for the Department of Economic Studies. This agreement authorizes Dr. Burnside to act in capacity of Pledge Lisa Campbell's campus escort and grants Dr. Burnside the same authority over her as the authority normally exercised by the Four-Beta Sorority's Sergeant-at-Arms. As a result of this agreement, Dr. Burnside will submit a written summary of Pledge Lisa Campbell's daily activities to the Pledge Mistress of the Four-Beta Sorority for entry in the official pledge training log. Because Dr. Burnside is acting in official capacity on behalf of the sorority, her authority includes, but is not limited to, the right to inflict corporal punishment on Pledge Lisa Campbell for any violations of Four-Beta pledging protocol. This agreement obliges Pledge Lisa Campbell to treat Dr. Burnside with the same deference and respect as she is expected to treat any elected officer of the Four-Beta Sorority and accept her as a campus escort. Specifically this means that Pledge Lisa Campbell agrees to obey any orders issued by Dr. Burnside and to stay within her sight at all times. Pledge Lisa Campbell agrees that Dr. Burnside, by acting as a campus escort, reserves the right to discipline her within the guidelines of the Four-Beta pledging program. She also agrees that whenever she is in Dr. Burnside's office or private residence, the regulations concerning the Four-Beta pledge uniform will be enforced. Under this agreement, at the request of Dr. Burnside, Pledge Lisa Campbell will address her as "Dr. Burnside" and not address her as "ma'am", as normally stipulated in the Four-Beta Pledge Handbook. Pledge Lisa Campbell reserves the right to report any perceived misuse of authority by Dr. Burnside to the Pledge Mistress of her Four-Beta Sorority chapter. The complaint will be forwarded to the chapter president for resolution. Any command or disciplinary incident determined by the Chapter President not to fall within the guidelines of the Four-Beta Pledge Manuel will result in the immediate termination of this agreement. If the president of the Sorority determines Pledge Lisa Campbell's complaint is without merit, a report will be forwarded to Dr. Burnside with a formal apology. Pledge Lisa Campbell will then present herself to Dr. Burnside for corporal punishment. Unless violated, this agreement remains in effect until Pledge Lisa Campbell becomes a member-in-full-standing of the Four-Beta Sorority. Upon swearing in, Lisa Campbell's current status as sorority property will be terminated and she will regain full rights guaranteed to her under the Constitution of the United States of America. Lisa's hands shook as she finished reading. Several questions ran through her mind, not the least of which was what would be "the pledge uniform" when she was alone with Burnside in her office. Was it possible...? Burnside handed Lisa a pen. The student took a deep breath and reluctantly signed the agreement. She had no choice, because she needed the job for her future and still wanted to join the sorority. Still, she felt she had just signed her life away. It was for sure she had just signed away her dignity. As for that pressing question on her mind, the one about the pledge uniform; that was answered when Heather took a hanger out of her backpack and handed it to the professor. "On school days we have the pledges keep their uniforms near the front door on these hangers. I brought you an extra, just in case you didn't have one." "And so, they only put on their uniforms if they go out?" "That is correct, Dr. Burnside. Just when they go out." "OK, I wanted to make sure about that. From my end there won't be a problem. She'll be working at this extra desk here in the back office. Nobody comes back here unless I buzz them in, so it's fairly private." Burnside turned to Lisa. "Stand up, Pledge." "Yes, Dr. Burnside." "Alright, Pledge, you know the score. Get your clothes off and put them on the hanger." Lisa swallowed. Very reluctantly she kicked off her shoes and pulled off her socks. She took a deep breath and lowered her shorts and stepped out of them. She folded them over the bar of the hanger. She pulled her shirt over her head and hung it on the hanger as well. She handed her clothes to Burnside and went back on her knees. Burnside put the hanger in the office closet along with the shoes and locked the door. Lisa felt horribly exposed as she knelt completely naked in Burnside's office. She couldn't understand why she felt so ashamed, given that Burnside already had seen her nude several times over the past year. The professor and Heather did nothing to put her at ease as they casually talked about the four pledges, their progress, implements used for corporal punishment, and the program in general. As Lisa had feared, the conversation turned to the previous night's strapping and push-up session. Heather described the evening in detail, focusing on Lisa's rebellious behavior and her disgraceful refusal to stay in the front-leaning rest position. "The other two pledges seemed to hold their positions just fine, but Pledge Lisa kept moving around. To be honest I lost count of how many times I had to smack her, but she just wouldn't go down or straighten her back." In a matter-of-fact tone of voice, the professor asked the sorority Sergeant-at-Arms to describe the strap. She seemed satisfied with Heather's choice of implement. "Let's see how well your strap marks." She turned to Lisa: "Pledge, stand up, turn your back toward us, and place your hands on the desk." "Yes, Dr. Burnside." Lisa complied as her professor and the sorority officer carefully examined the marks on her bottom. Both women ran their hands over her skin and commented that the bruising wasn't too bad. Heather concluded with: "I don't know about this pledge, Dr. Burnside. She's so strong-willed. She's taken three punishments in just a week, and that doesn't seem to have calmed her down at all." "Some pledges take longer to break than others. Just keep doing what you're doing. I'm sure she'll come around eventually. Anyhow, I'll make sure she behaves properly whenever she's with me. She knows what to expect if she doesn't." Burnside concluded by patting Lisa's bare bottom. The professor then asked Heather if she wanted some tea, to which she replied yes. Burnside told Lisa to take out some cups and boil a pot of water, and then kneel pending further orders. Ordinarily Burnside would not have ordered a student aide (with the exception of Mark, whose situation was special) to serve her tea. The work relationship between the two women would have been limited to what was in Lisa's university contract and fairly normal, with the exception of the ongoing threat of punishment if Lisa did not meet Burnside's academic standards. Lisa got up to prepare the tea, completely dumbfounded at the extent to which the other two women were humiliating her. What totally changed Burnside's behavior towards Lisa was the contract with the sorority. The purpose of that contract was to give the professor the same rights over her that the sorority officers enjoyed. It was obvious that Burnside's intention was to treat her like a Four-Beta pledge, not a university employee. The moment she signed that contract, Lisa went from being Burnside's employee to being sorority property on loan. As sorority property, her submission would have to be total and unquestioning. What was frightening was that Burnside would clearly enjoy having the chance to totally dominate Lisa. She now had extra justification to punish the student if she made any mistakes either with her pledge duties or her student aide duties. Apart from the domination there was another concern. Lisa knew that Burnside was bisexual and enjoyed looking at young women. Having an attractive naked student working in her office for the entire summer would be a real treat; especially one formally obligated to do anything she was told to do. Unfortunately Lisa had no argument against her situation, because she knew that morally she was no better than the professor. Placed in Burnside's situation, she would have done the exact same thing. Had any of her fellow pledges been placed under her control, Lisa would have treated them in a manner similar to the way Burnside was about to treat her. The professor knew that, and undoubtedly Heather must have known it as well. Both were sure to jump on her for being a hypocrite if she dared say anything. Lisa continued to kneel while the other two women drank their tea and discussed a recent academic cheating scandal involving a rival sorority. As she stayed quiet, Lisa became more agitated, because on top of everything else, now she was becoming aroused. Suddenly the thought of being naked and submissive to Burnside for the entire summer seemed very erotic to her. She knew that she would be scared and embarrassed whenever she was in Burnside's office, but there was something very sexy about her nakedness, submission, and fear. She wondered if what she was feeling was what her boyfriend Ken felt when she was about to punish him. The exhibitionist in Lisa's personality surfaced. She would be working naked, which was something many people fantasize about doing, but almost never happens in modern society. She would be living a fantasy, sitting at her workstation for hours each day in the nude. That was something she actually had wanted to do. Well, now she would know what it would be like to hold down a job while not allowed to wear any clothing. As she continued to kneel in front of her two superiors in the professor's office, Lisa's thoughts about her situation changed somewhat. She knew that she was about to undergo the most intense summer of her life. Years later she would look back at the pledging period as the most erotic experience of her youth, something she wouldn't exchange for anything. ---------- Upon finishing her tea Heather left. Burnside ordered Lisa off her knees to clean up the dishes. She put everything on a tray and set the tray near the door to take out later. As she moved about with the teacups, the student felt the professor's eyes studying her body. For the rest of the morning Burnside instructed Lisa about her requirements for grading and proctoring tests and class assignments. The professor also began teaching her assistant about websites used by students to obtain plagiarized term papers. Some of the sites were free and some of them charged, but all of them came with a guarantee. If any of Burnside's students downloaded and used their material, they were sure to be caught by the professor. Lisa found the websites and her newly acquired knowledge about academic plagiarism fascinating. As she went through the posted research projects, she momentarily totally forgot that she was sitting naked next to her well-dressed instructor. At noon they stopped. The professor commented: "Put on your uniform and we'll go out for lunch." "Yes, Dr. Burnside." As Lisa got dressed, Burnside called her co-worker Jim Halsey to join them. A minute later Halsey showed up with two of his Ph.D. candidates. The older students looked at the message on Lisa's t-shirt and smiled sarcastically, which ruined her mood. This pledge is property of the Four-Beta Sorority... Fucking shirt, she thought to herself. I'd rather go out naked than have to wear this idiotic logo. After eating lunch off-campus, Burnside escorted Lisa back to her office. Lisa quietly took off her clothing and returned it to its hanger in the closet. However, no sooner had she sat down to review the textbooks for Burnside's summer classes than Tracy showed up with the three freshmen. The three younger women quickly knelt while Tracy talked to Burnside. As soon as the pledge mistress went into the back room where Lisa was sitting, she immediately jumped out of her seat and went to her knees. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 15 "PLEGDE! STAND UP!" Lisa scrambled to her feet. Burnside released her employee for the day, but told Tracy she wanted her back in the office at 10:00 the next morning. "OK, Dr. Burnside. I'll make sure she's here at 10:00." While the others watched, Lisa put on her uniform. Once she was dressed, she knelt with her fellow pledges as they waited to be escorted back to the sorority. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 16 Chapter 16 - Six Tri-Alpha pledges Led by their pledge mistress, the four pledges carried their overloaded backpacks off campus in the stifling afternoon heat. All five women were covered with sweat once they finally got to the Four-Beta Sorority house, which meant they would have to put their uniforms in the wash and change into clean ones. The women stripped off their clothing in the laundry room, and Tracy suggested a few minutes in the pool. The pledges eagerly took her up on that unexpected break. Tracy jumped in the water with her group, every bit as naked as the women under her control. She remained in charge, however, by instructing the pledges to follow her doing stretches and specific exercises instead of just lounging around. She ordered the pledges to swim several laps and then to get out, towel off, and head downstairs to shower. ---------- A week had gone by since Lisa and the others first submitted themselves to Tracy and Heather, which for Lisa was enough time to begin forming an opinion about both women. It was obvious that Tracy took her orders from Heather, since the Pledge Mistress was a position under the direction of the Sergeant-at-Arms. While Heather was in charge of discipline for the entire sorority, Tracy's only authority was over the pledges. Lisa knew that her three companions hated Tracy and were totally afraid of her. Certainly Cherine felt justified in hating Tracy given what had happened to her the night before, while Kathleen was still traumatized over the strapping she had received for her behavior during the medical exam. Lisa had felt Tracy's strap and withstood her yelling as well, but she also had been privileged to see a very different side of her Pledge Mistress. It turned out Tracy was an intensely difficult but very caring woman, one who was willing to take personal risks if she felt it was necessary to help another person. She had placed trust in Pledge Lisa and momentarily treated her as an equal, which created a secret bond between the two women. Among the four pledges, Lisa was the only one who understood Tracy was playing a role, that the mean-spirited Pledge Mistress was an act she had to perform to make sure her group conformed to the needs of the sorority. As for her treatment of Lisa, Tracy's attitude was "you and I have to perform our duties as Pledge Mistress and Pledge for the next three months. That's the way things have to be between us until you swear in. However, it's not how I really see you." Once the pledging period ended, Tracy would change back to normal and become much more approachable. Lisa was certain that once she was sworn in, she and Tracy were likely to become close friends. Heather seemed totally different from Tracy. It appeared to Lisa that, of the two Four-Beta officers, Tracy was by far the more serious in her personality. Heather did not seem to take nearly as much personal interest in the pledges as did Tracy, and Lisa did not much care for her. If Tracy secretly sympathized with the pledges, Lisa suspected that Heather really didn't. Because Lisa was not in close contact with Heather, she did not fully understand the Sergeant-at-Arm's responsibilities within the sorority and did not have an accurate reading of her personality. Heather's position required her to handle disciplinary matters throughout the entire sorority and make sure that a group of 70 young women co-existed with as little friction as possible. She arbitrated disputes among members, set up the duty roster, and prevented cliques from forming and trying to take over the sorority. She handled medical emergencies, members' academic problems, and disputes between the Four-Betas and its rival sororities. The long list of duties kept her very busy, but that wasn't a problem because she so much enjoyed being in control of others' lives. Heather's duties also included handling an important part of the relationship between the Four-Beta Sorority and the Tri-Alpha Fraternity. The Four-Beta Sergeant-at-Arms not only oversaw discipline and conflict resolution within the sorority, but also was in charge of hazing and punishing the male pledges for the fraternity. The fraternity members generally felt uncomfortable inflicting corporal punishment on each other, so they found their solution in using a female disciplinarian. Heather fully enjoyed performing that additional role and having such absolute control over a group of freshmen males. Heather's position placed her in contact with the Triple A's much more than any of the other Four-Beta officers apart from the sorority's social director. One benefit of that constant interaction with her male counterparts was her very active sexual life. She enjoyed having sex and had taken advantage of her frequent trips to the Tri-Alpha house to experiment with nearly all of the fraternity's upper classmen. She sought to avoid any close relationships, because at that point in her life she was not ready to commit to anyone. For a while Tri-Alpha Vice-President Jacob had pursued her hoping for a more serious relationship, but Heather only saw him as a casual sexual partner, not a potential boyfriend. That was the reason, when she noticed Jacob's attraction to Cherine, she did everything possible to encourage them to flirt with each other. Cherine's presence in the pledge group had just resolved a potentially uncomfortable situation for Heather. ---------- Following a quick shower, Tracy ordered the pledges to pull out fresh uniforms and put them on. "The Triple A pledges are upstairs in the sitting room. The juniors will be doing their medical exams...well, on four of them, at any rate. The other two are going to get examined by President Alexandra's attendants. You four will get to watch." Tracy led her group into the sitting room where three medical examination tables and three treadmills were set up. The sorority's 18 juniors were all business, dressed in white doctors' jackets and carrying clipboards. The six officers of the fraternity were present, along with the six officers of the sorority. Also present were Alexandra's two attendants, dressed, as usual, in shorts and t-shirts. The pledge mistress ordered her group to kneel near the entrance, opposite the six Tri-Alpha pledges. The women's eyes immediately became glued to their male counterparts, because the six kneeling young men were naked, handcuffed, and had very nervous expressions on their faces. What struck Lisa was how different the male pledges looked from each other. In most fraternities, freshmen pledges all looked more or less the same: tall, athletic, loud, arrogant white males. The six naked Tri-Alpha aspirants were a very mixed group. There were two black guys, three white guys, and another guy who looked either Middle Eastern or Hispanic. The Tri-Alphas were not interested in selecting pledges based on their physical appearance. They were interested in getting members who were intelligent, shared a willingness to try new adventures in life, and above all, follow a philosophy about how to approach the world. The Tri-Alpha pledges also were of varying heights and physiques, because physical fitness was not a prerequisite for beginning pledge training. Three of the men, including Ken, were in good shape, but the other three definitely needed to spend some quality time in the gym. The pledges did not have to be physically fit on the first day (although being fit certainly helped make their lives easier at the very beginning). Tri-Alpha pledges were expected to get in shape during the pledging period, because exercising was one way the fraternity weeded out unsuitable aspirants. The ones who could not handle the physical fitness training normally ended up among those quitting. Like its sister sorority, the Tri-Alpha Fraternity's pledging process had specific goals, which included sexual education, physical fitness, academic performance, and willingness to explore new experiences. There was plenty of harsh military-style physical training, sexual education classes with hands-on practice, and classes for acquiring life skills such as understanding how bank accounts and credit cards worked. There also was plenty of physical discipline, sexual hazing, and corporal punishment which, if anything, was even harsher than the regimen of the sorority. Above everything else, the fraternity wanted to use the pledging process to identify prospective members willing to put forth a real effort to earn full membership. To become a pledge for the Tri-Alpha Fraternity was not very difficult, but to get through the pledging program was difficult indeed. The attrition rate for a typical pledge group was nearly a third, somewhat higher than the attrition rate for the sorority. The fraternity took in large pledge groups, knowing that by the end of the pledging period each group would be reduced to a more manageable size. There were no repercussions against a pledge who decided to quit, but the fraternity did expect that anyone who left his pledge group to keep quiet about the internal workings of the Tri-Alphas. That expectation was not hard to enforce, because if any ex-pledge did choose to speak up, he could expect to have embarrassing pictures of himself circulating on the Internet within days. ---------- There was another factor that traditionally contributed to the Tri-Alpha attrition rate, their treatment at the hands of the Four-Beta Sergeant-at-Arms. Lisa and her companions watched in awe as Heather went into action. Because Pledge Mistress Tracy handled most of the routine hazing, training, and discipline matters for the sorority pledges, the young women had not seen the full effect of Heather as a disciplinarian. She had been somewhat restrained around the female pledges, with a couple of exceptions. Now it was Heather's turn to focus on hazing a group of freshmen. It turned out that she was much more vicious than Tracy, but she had saved herself for the guys. Lisa and her companions were about to learn that what Tracy had subjected to them so far had been far less severe than the hazing Heather was about to inflict on the males. The Four-Beta officer began by pacing back and forth waving a riding crop in their faces. She gave each young man a cruel swat on the upper back and then ordered them to kneel with their legs spread, fully exposing their penises and testicles. She used the tip of the crop to play with the men's sexual organs and massage their penises, while one of the Four-Beta juniors took pictures. As she moved the crop around their genitals, she made very sarcastic and cruel comments. If a pledge got hard, she made fun of him. If he didn't get hard, she still made fun of him. CRACK!!! "Ow!" Heather had struck the fattest member of the group quite hard on the inner thigh, very close to his testicles. "You want to know why I did that pledge? Huh? You wanna know?" "I...I yes...ma'am...why..." "Because I felt like it, that's why! And if I feel like doing something, why shouldn't I? Why shouldn't I do whatever the fuck I want?" CRACK!!! "Uh...uh...oh...fuck that hurts..." CRACK!!! "Don't you fucking swear around me, pledge! Where's your fucking manners?" CRACK!!! "Didn't your mom tell you never to fucking swear in front of a fucking lady?" CRACK!!! "Don't you have any fucking respect for me?" CRACK!!! "AUGH! Uh...uh...uh...sorry..." CRACK!!! "Sorry WHAT, Pledge? Sorry WHAT?" CRACK!!! "Ooo...hoo...Ow!" "Sorry WHAT, Pledge? You'd better fucking answer me, 'cause I'll rip the skin right off your legs if you don't..." CRACK!!! "S...sorry...Sergeant-at-Arms..." CRACK!!! "MA'AM, you little prick! MA'AM! You address me as ma'am! Didn't you read your pledge manual?" "I...I..." "That's it! I've had it with this loser! Attendants!" "Yes Sergeant-at-Arms Heather!" "Take this pledge and hold him down on a table! I want to show these little bastards what happens to irresponsible little pledges who don't memorize the pledge manual! I'm gonna show him what a nice thick strap is gonna feel like on that chubby little bottom of his." "Yes, Sergeant-at-Arms Heather!" President Alexandra's two male attendants immediately grabbed the pledge's arms and pulled him over one of the medical examination tables. Heather grabbed the same strap she had used on Lisa the night before and lined up to punish the pledge. The pledge was one of the three who needed to work out, so his bottom was soft. Heather noted out loud that it looked like a baby's bottom. To the pledge's horror, one of the Four-Beta juniors brought in a camera on a tripod and set it up. Once she made sure she was ready to get some pictures, she gave Heather a thumbs-up to begin the strapping. With that the Sergeant-at-Arms laid into her victim, using her full body to strike as hard as possible. CRACK!!!...CRACK!!!...CRACK!!!... While the high-speed camera snapped in rapid succession, the Sergeant-at-Arms struck very hard, landing a total of fifteen swats. Lisa later learned the purpose of the sudden punishment. The junior with the camera was trying to get at least one good shot of the instant the strap made contact with the pledge's bottom. The sorority women were fascinated with taking photos of male bottoms being struck by various implements, catching that split-second the bottom is distorted and flattens out under the impact of thick leather or wood. They loved seeing the flesh displaced, almost like splashing water. For that reason, they most enjoyed photos of male pledges with large, soft bottoms, ones that really gave a good splash effect when struck. The pledge cried towards the end, while the others looked on in horror. Unfortunately for Heather's victim, there was more humiliation to come. Lisa realized the entire hazing event had been carefully thought out, because it was obvious the Four Betas were prepared with Heather's props. The next ordeal was an enema. Two juniors came into the room carrying a large towel and a full enema bag. The bag was fuller than the one the Tri-Alphas had used on Kathleen, because its purpose was not to loosen the pledge's bowels, but instead to elicit responses to some embarrassing questions. Lisa later learned another detail about enemas given to male pledges. Unlike the enemas given to Four-Beta pledges, those given to Tri-Alpha pledges were pure water. There were no herbs to relax the subject or make the experience more enjoyable. Once the towel was laid out, the two women grabbed the still-crying freshman and forced him on his elbows and knees. They made sure his badly marked bottom was turned upwards and his anus fully visible to everyone in the room. While the camera continued to click, Heather put on medical gloves and lubricated a fingertip. She massaged the pledge's sphincter, poked her finger inside, and finally pulled it out to make room for the enema tube. While one of the juniors held the bag, Heather inserted the nozzle and opened the clip. The bag slowly emptied as the pledge's stomach swelled. Once all the water was safely in his intestines, Heather closed the clip and pulled out the tube. "You will hold this until I say you can go potty. If you spill so much as one drop of water, we're starting all over. Now stand up!" The pledge's face reflected the extreme discomfort from the sudden change of posture and the shifting of water inside his intestines. He now was ready to be interrogated. "Pledge, I got a question for you, and you'd better answer honestly if you want to go potty. You ready?" "Uh...yes, ma'am...please..." "How often do you masturbate?" "I...uh...about once a day..." "So you don't have a girlfriend?" "Uh, no...not now...not since...uh...March..." "Did you masturbate when you had your girlfriend?" "Uh...yeah." "That's yes MA'AM, pledge. You're gonna pay for that as soon as we're done." "Yes, ma'am." "Well, why would you masturbate if you had a girlfriend?" "She...uh...was kinda religious...and...uh...she didn't want to...you know..." "Have sex?" "Yes, ma'am. She didn't wanna have sex." "Well, did you tell her you masturbated?" "No ma'am...I couldn't tell her that..." "That's terrible! You kept a secret from your girlfriend! If you were so dishonest, no wonder she left you." "I...it was embarrassing..." "Well, duh..." Heather gently massaged the pledge's swollen stomach, adding to his distress. "Now another question. When you masturbate, what do you normally think about?" "I...I got...you know...some magazines..." "What kind of magazines, Pledge? Please be more specific." The pledge named a couple of well-known men's magazines, ones that were known for using models with breast implants. "So you like looking a models with fake tits? You're telling me that looking at silicone bags makes you want to stroke yourself? Is that what you're telling me?" "I...ma'am...I didn't...think about it like that...you know..." "Yeah, you did! You like looking at bags of silicone! For you that's sexy!" Heather then did something that shocked all the pledges in the room, male and female. She took out a box from one the exam tables and held up a silicone breast implant. She massaged the device and waved it in front of the pledge's face. "Hmm...isn't this sexy? Doesn't this bag of silicone just want to make you spew right now? Come-on, let's see you get hard!" Heather continued to fondle the implant only inches in front of the pledge's face. "Come on...I'm waiting!" Of course nothing happened to the pledge's penis. Instead, his face was becoming more and more stressed from the increasing pressure in his intestines. The other officers looked on with concern, because it was obvious the pledge couldn't hold the enema much longer. If he released, there would be a horrible mess to clean up. Fortunately Heather realized the impending disaster just in time, and ordered the attendants to take the suffering freshman to the nearest toilet. He expelled with several very loud splashes while the Four-Beta junior with the camera documented his ongoing humiliation. When he finished, the attendants unlocked the pledge's handcuffs and ordered him to wipe himself off and flush the toilet. They re-cuffed him and took him downstairs to the pledge shower, where more humiliation was waiting. The Four-Beta sophomores were gathered in the basement, where they converged on the victim and chained him in the shower. Once he was covered with soap, they shaved off all his pubic hair. They did not shave the hair on the guy's ass. The hair on his bottom would have to be removed as well, but in a more permanent manner. That would have to be waxed off. The women ordered the guy on his hands and knees and to turn his now clean backside facing upwards. Meanwhile, they heated and applied the wax to the surface of the freshman's already suffering bottom. "You know, Pledge, waxing hurts a lot more after you've been punished, 'cause your skin's a lot more sensitive. But that's OK, 'cause we're gonna get rid of all that nasty hair and give you a nice smooth ass." RIP!!! "Agh!" RIP!!! "OW!" RIP!!! ---------- Heather repeated the same treatment on the other three heterosexual freshmen. She started by cruelly marking the insides of their thighs with the riding crop, and then strapped their exposed bottoms for the benefit of the high-speed camera. The strapping was followed by an enema, an interrogation about the pledge's masturbation habits, and finally a desperate trip to the toilet adjacent to the sitting room. Following the ordeal in the sitting room, each pledge then was taken downstairs to be showered, shaved, and have his bottom waxed. While Heather and her photographer remained occupied upstairs, the sophomores in the basement kept busy with clean-up and waxing duty. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 16 Finally the four straight pledges, cleaned up but minus their pubic hair and their dignity, returned to their kneeling positions in the sitting room. The attention now shifted to Ken, who had declared himself bisexual, and the final pledge, who had declared himself openly gay. The humiliating treatment for them was the same as it had been for the straight pledges, except their ordeal was handled by President Alexandra's two male attendants. The strapping that followed was no big deal for Lisa's boyfriend, given the whippings he had endured during his time with her over the past five months. He got the standard 15 strokes and the Four-Beta photographer took several good shots of his bottom as the strap made contact. Lisa could have predicted what happened next. When Ken stood up he had a full erection. A surge of sexual desire and frustration swept through her upon seeing that hard-on. Just two weeks before that hard-on would have been for her to enjoy. Now, more than likely, it would end up being emptied into a jar or stuck up some guy's ass. Lisa drew a deep breath when it was Ken's turn to receive his enema and be interrogated. As he turned his bottom up and the tube slid in, Lisa felt a pang of nostalgia. The last enema he had endured had been the one that she had given him following a paddling she had administered to him during finals week of the spring semester. She had been totally turned on by the sight of that tube sliding between his very red bottom-cheeks, one of his final gestures of total sexual submission as her sub and her lover. It hurt her to think, even at that moment, her relationship with Ken was not what she thought it had been, that already he had turned in his pledge questionnaire with his confession about his attraction to other men. As she watched her ex-boyfriend struggle to endure the strapping and enema of his first episode of hazing, Lisa knew that, in spite of everything, she would miss him and the relationship he had given her. With him she had been able to do whatever she wanted. She had enjoyed five months of complete sexual satisfaction and had become used to having every sexual desire fulfilled. With her new lover Lisa knew she would have to restrain herself, because Kathleen would never be able to handle the rough treatment she had inflicted on her former boyfriend. Ken's forced confession focused not on his masturbation habits, but instead on the details of his secret crush on Jason Schmidt. Lisa had to listen to Ken explain that, even while he was dating and having sex with her, his hidden sexual fantasies really revolved around Jason. Ken confessed that his feelings towards his friend were not sado-masochistic, but more a desire to touch him, share massages and cuddling, and eventually exchange oral sex. He might have wanted to spank Jason, but only a soft erotic spanking, not one for punishment. Apparently Ken's feelings towards Jason had intensified towards the end of the spring semester. He had been unable to act on them partly because of his relationship with Lisa, but mostly because Jason was fiercely guarded by his girlfriend Cecilia. Had it not been for Cecilia, it was very likely that Ken would have tried to seduce him. At the prompting of his interrogator, Ken's confession turned to his feelings towards Lisa. He still cared for her and very much enjoyed the sexual stimuli her punishments always elicited from him. What he wished, however, was that he didn't always have to be severely beaten to be aroused. He knew, for example, that had he been able to seduce Jason and take a dominant role in their love-making, he could have had an orgasm without having to have it beaten out of him. Kathleen cast a sympathetic glance over at Lisa, whose pained expression clearly indicated she was not enjoying having to listen to the topic. Of everyone in the room, Kathleen understood what Lisa must have been feeling at that moment better than anyone else. She had endured more than her share of betrayals, some of which were far more mean-spirited than anything Lisa had ever experienced. Kathleen knew. She had been there, many times over. She resolved to do what she could to comfort her lover once the males were out of the house and the women had a few minutes to themselves. By the time Ken was escorted to the toilet, he had confessed more of his most secret thoughts than any other member in the pledge group. Lisa's anger and feeling of betrayal was tempered by the knowledge that there was no way her boyfriend could have put all of what he had just said into words had he tried to tell her directly. What got the truth out of him were the enema and his desperate desire to use the toilet. As Ken staggered to the bathroom, the fraternity officers appeared satisfied with what had just happened and the results of his interrogation. Ken's dilemma now was out in the open and he could begin to deal with it honestly. Ken was escorted downstairs to be showered, shaved, and waxed. The showering and shaving would be conducted by males, but waxing, even of gay pledges, remained the responsibility of the Four-Beta sophomores. The women stood aside while the attendants took off their clothes and stepped into the shower with the pledge. Ken remained erect throughout most of the shower and shaving. Of course, the event was documented in detail by a Four-Beta camera. As soon as Ken was rinsed and dried off, the waxing crew forced him to go on his elbows and knees. A couple of minutes later his bottom was stripped of all hair and he went back into the shower for a final rinse-off. ---------- As soon as all six of the male pledges were clean and had returned to their kneeling positions in the sitting room, the medical exam began. The Four-Beta juniors split up into teams, each team picking one of the female pledges to assist. The check-ups progressed systematically and very quickly, starting with questions about each patient's medical history. The physical part of the exam started at the head. The patient was checked for skin ailments, eye problems, hearing problems, nose and throat problems, and finally dental problems. Pulse, heartbeat, and breathing came next, before each patient lay on his back for an abdominal exam. The women momentarily ignored the freshly-shaved public area and concentrated on the condition of the pledges' legs and feet. The women checked each pledge's posture, body mass, and the flexibility of his joints. Of course, no exam would be complete without a rectal temperature measurement. There was a thorough examination of each subject's penis and testicles, and last but not least, the rectal exam and prostate check. The honor of conducting that part of the exam fell upon the female pledges. The young women felt very strange as they slipped their index finger in between their subjects' reddish bottom-cheeks, which still bore the markings of their recent strappings and hair removal. The pledges needed to provide semen samples. A fraternity member brought in six plastic cups, each with a pledge's name written on it. Once the cups were passed out the teams went to work, massaging their subjects' penises and prostates. One by one the young men groaned as they surrendered their semen to the waiting cups. The Four-Beta junior with the camera was quick to document the moment each male pledge climaxed and his specimen was collected. The Tri-Alpha officer collected the specimens and took them out to a waiting car. It turned out the specimens were being collected for real analysis and would be delivered to a nearby clinic. Following the general physical the six young men had to run a mile on the treadmills to get their heart rates up. The female pledges giggled as three of the naked fraternity aspirants started running. They ran as hard as they could, motivated by the Four-Beta Sergeant-at-Arms and her ever-present riding crop. The fattest member of the male pledge group got plenty of attention and lots of motivational strokes from Heather. When he finished, his body was saturated in sweat and his face almost purple from exhaustion. Heather had a disconcerting suggestion: "You know Pledge, what we ought to do? You and me can spend some quality time running tonight. I can pace you, and I'll make sure you get a real good workout. It'll be just you and me, running in the cool summer nighttime. Of course, you'll be running bare-assed, just like you are now, because I wouldn't want you to get overheated. Doesn't that sound like fun?" "I...uh...yes ma'am...I guess." "Fantastic! We got a deal! I'll come get you at midnight, and we'll go running together! Just ask your Pledge Master for permission, and he'll have you ready." The color in the pledge's face changed from purplish-red to white. Heather touched the freshman's arm. "Come-on sweetie, don't be shy. Just go over and ask your Pledge Master..." Holy Shit! She's serious about this, thought the pledge to himself. Very reluctantly he went over to the Tri-Alpha Pledge Master and knelt. The fraternity officer struggled to keep a straight face as he told the pledge what an honor it was to get to exercise alone with the Four-Beta Sergeant-at-Arms, and of course he had the fraternity's permission. "I'll make sure you're stretched out and ready to go at midnight. You're one lucky dude, and I'm jealous! I'd love to go running with Sergeant-at-Arms Heather, but she's never invited me." ---------- The Four-Betas offered a light dinner to the Tri-Alpha pledges and fraternity officers. Heather quietly let out the word to the sorority's sophomores and pledges that there was to be absolutely no clean-up from dinner, because the Triple-A pledges would be responsible for straightening the Four-Beta house following the formal induction ceremony. Following the meal and a quick bathroom break, Tracy and her Tri-Alpha counterpart directed the male pledges to go outside and off-load the fraternity's speaker's podium from a pickup truck parked in the sorority's driveway. It was still light outside, and the six naked males had to endure the enthusiastic cheering and whistling from neighboring sorority houses as they struggled to get the podium off the truck and through the front door without banging or damaging it. They carried the podium into the sitting room and set it up next to the Four-Beta speaker's podium. The sorority's sophomores checked the room's lighting while the male pledges went back outside to off-load several long benches. As soon as the male pledges finished setting up the ceremonial room, Heather ordered them to wash their hands and kneel facing the podiums. Tracy dimmed the lights, set President Alexandra's bell on her podium, and ordered her pledges to kneel in front of the podiums, facing the males. Repeating the protocol from exactly one week before, the Tri-Alpha president, dressed in a tuxedo, and the Four-Beta president, wearing a formal evening dress, entered the room together and took their positions at the podiums. The Four-Beta president rang her hand-bell and the other well-dressed fraternity and sorority members filed into the room. As before, the men and women quickly separated by sex and by class. The Tri-Beta president again rang her hand-bell. There was both old business and new business that needed to be addressed before the Tri-Alphas could present their pledges: "Pledge Mistress Tracy!" "Yes, President Alexandra!" "Please present your pledge group and give us and update on their progress!" "Yes, President Alexandra!" She turned to the four kneeling women: "PLEDGES! STAND UP!" Lisa's group scrambled to their feet, turned to face the podium, and stood at attention. Tracy recited the training activities and challenges completed over the past week. She surprised the three freshmen by saying her group had adapted admirably to pledge life and she was very pleased with their performance so far. The sorority president then asked each member of the pledge group if she wanted to continue pledging. Each young woman responded affirmatively. With that the pledges were ordered to turn away from the podium and resume their kneeling position facing the males. Now that old business was finished, it was time to move on to new business and the main event of the night, the presentation of the Tri-Alpha Fraternity's six new pledges. The chapter president bellowed out: "Sergeant-at-Arms Patrick!" "Yes, President!" "We understand that you have brought us six persons who wish to share our journey through life!" "Yes, President!" "Very well, Sergeant-at-Arms! You will present them to us!" "Yes, President!" The presentation ceremony was a repeat of the one performed for the Four-Beta pledges the previous week, beginning with a tap on the shoulder from a riding crop. Each naked pledge stood quietly facing the women and men in the room, giving everyone enough time to study his exposed body. One difference between the Four-Beta presentation and the Tri-Alpha presentation was the condition of the men's bodies. Already they were marked up with welts on their inner thighs and bottoms. Lisa and her companions had been spared the humiliation of being punished before their public presentation, but apparently with the guys the custom was different. They had to show up with their bodies already marked up as proof they really wanted to be pledges and commit themselves to the fraternity. On the other hand, there was no formal marking of the male pledges with a welt on the shoulder from three strokes of the riding crop. The injury to the shoulder was a custom unique to the sorority. The fraternity had nothing comparable. A pang of nostalgia swept through Lisa when Ken stood up with his marked body and faced the podium. She realized just how hard it would be for her to see him several times each week, knowing that he now was out of her reach. Sure, she could still punish him during hazing events if she wanted, but what good would that do her? For Lisa punishing Ken and sex always went together. She had no desire to punish him if she could not enjoy having sex with him afterwards. It was at that moment that she resolved one issue in her mind. She decided that she would not touch Ken during the pledging period. Whenever he had to be punished, she would delegate that task to another member of her group. President Alexandra and her male counterpart gave speeches similar to the welcoming message given to the female pledges the previous week. Following the speeches, each male pledge was asked if he wanted to continue with his "journey", and each responded affirmatively. Lisa detected a note of hesitation in the voice of the fattest member of the group, given that the Four-Beta Sergeant-at-Arms had singled him out for particularly rough treatment. Lisa wondered if he would be the first out of the group to quit. The males accepted their blindfolds and handcuffs, which had to be put on to allow the fraternity members to formally vote for them to continue pledging. As was true for the Four-Betas, the Tri-Alphas vote was a formality. Not all of the Triple-A pledges were likely to finish the pledging process, but it would be up to the pledges themselves, not the fraternity members, to decide whether or not to continue the effort to join the fraternity. ---------- Once the ceremony ended, the six males had to pose for several group shots. The first were of the men by themselves, standing next to each other facing the camera and facing away from the camera. That was followed by several group-shots with the Four-Beta pledges, the naked bodies of the men contrasting with the shorts and t-shirts of the women. The final Tri-Alpha pledge portrait was a rather humiliating one, at least for the straight members of the group. Heather ordered the men to line up and turn sideways, with the openly gay pledge in the front and Ken in the back. The four straight pledges were sandwiched in between. She then instructed each pledge to grab the hips of the man in front of him and press against his body. She used her riding crop to make sure each pledge was in very intimate contact with the pledge in front of him. Finally she ordered the men to turn their faces the camera to allow the embarrassing position to be documented on film. ---------- The pledges carried the benches and Tri-Alpha speaker's podium back to the waiting pick-up truck after the ceremony ended and the upperclassmen dispersed. Meanwhile, Tracy passed out inspection manuals to the members of her pledge group. "We're testing both you and the Triple-A's tonight. They're gonna clean up the house and you're gonna supervise them. How well they clean this place is a reflection of your ability to direct them according to what's in the manual. You all know what needs to be done, and I'm sure you could do just fine cleaning this place up yourselves. Well, let's find out how well you can get someone else to get this house in compliance with what's in the manual. I don't consider this just a clean-up. I consider it an important test of your ability to organize, give instructions, and lead. The fraternity considers this a test of their ability to follow instructions and cooperate with each other. In other words, you need to take this very seriously. You all understand?" "Yes, ma'am." "There's discipline implements in the small room near the back door. Each of you is welcome to go back there and grab something, if you think you'll need it." "Yes, ma'am." "OK ladies. Inspection tomorrow morning at 6:00 a.m. for all common areas. Have a pleasant evening." "Yes, ma'am." The Pledge Mistress Ch. 17 Chapter 17 – Lovers and Temptations As soon as the swearing-in ceremony for the Tri-Alpha pledges ended and the benches and speaker’s podium were safely loaded on the pickup truck for transport back to the fraternity, President Alexandra turned the six male aspirants over to the sorority’s pledges. Lisa, as usual, realized that ultimately she was in charge of the evening’s clean-up. Her three companions accepted that she would tell them what to do and they would pass her orders along to the males. She took it for granted that her fellow pledges would obey whatever she told them to do, and the males in turn would obey the women. Lisa would be giving orders to a total of nine people, five of whom she did not know. She began by assigning two male pledges to each of her three companions. She assigned Ken to work under Bernadette, realizing that to have him work under Kathleen would create a very tense situation. Once her three teams were organized, Lisa quickly drew up a duty roster for each group. Kathleen and her two pledges would clean the kitchen; Cherine’s group would take all the bathrooms; and Bernadette’s group would clean the public areas of the sorority house and then move to the pool area. Lisa would supervise all three teams and be responsible for taking out the trash. Lisa ordered the males to kneel facing the wall. They were not to speak until given permission. Meanwhile, she took her three fellow pledges to the back room containing the discipline implements. She passed out three leather paddles and took a heavy leather strap for herself. She then addressed her group: “I want you to keep these paddles with you at all times. If those guys give you any attitude whatsoever, I expect you to paddle them. If they slow down or get tired, a couple of good swats will wake ‘em up. If you think there’s a real discipline problem…” Lisa held up her strap, “…just let me know and I’ll handle it.” Lisa looked at each of her three companions and continued: “Those guys are responsible for doing what you tell them to do. But if your area’s not up to inspection standard when I do the walk-through, I am holding you, not the guys, responsible. It’s their job to obey you, but it’s your job to make sure things are done right. If you let me down, I will deal with you directly. If any of you has a problem with that, you’re more than welcome to take it up with Pledge Mistress Tracy.” The three wide-eyed pledges glanced at each other, then back at Lisa. Her expression and the sinister-looking strap in her hand made them realize the implement was not just for the Tri-Alpha pledges. If they failed to meet their companion’s expectations they would be punished as well. They knew there was no point in trying to appeal to Tracy if Lisa decided to strap them. They sensed that Lisa would not be threatening them unless she already had a prior understanding with the Pledge Mistress. There was indeed an agreement between Lisa and Tracy, but it was somewhat different from what the three freshmen thought had happened. The understanding between the two women was unspoken and implied, never formally discussed. Tracy had accepted Lisa as the de facto leader of the pledge group and had no problem with her giving commands to the others. However, with Lisa’s power also came a huge responsibility. Another part of the understanding was that it was Lisa who would be held accountable for the success or failure of her group. Any time Lisa failed to get the other pledges to do what Tracy wanted them to do; the Pledge Mistress had the right, and the duty, to punish her. Lisa knew that ultimately she was the person responsible for making sure the house was properly cleaned. She would do what was necessary to motivate her companions, not only so the group would succeed and pass another pledge test, but also to save her own backside from a severe strapping the following morning. ---------- With inspection manuals in each of their hands, Lisa’s companions ordered their pledges to stand up and collect cleaning supplies. As the cleaning progressed, Lisa walked around with a trashcan collecting used paper towels and other discarded items from the three teams. She had assigned herself trash collection because that duty gave her the opportunity to constantly monitor the progress of the cleaning and correct any problems as they were taking place. She noted with satisfaction the increasing redness and paddle marks on the bottoms of the six male pledges as the night went on. It turned out that all three of her companions had no problem using their paddles to motivate their subjects. At midnight Heather showed up in a Four-Beta jogging outfit. In her hands she was carrying a pair of men’s running shoes and a riding crop. Oh yeah…that’s right…she had said that she was going to take that fat guy out running. The male pledge’s eyes widened upon seeing the Four-Beta Sergeant-at-Arms with a pair of running shoes in her hand. He had hoped that she had been joking about the mid-night workout; even though deep down he knew the run was indeed going to happen. Heather, her voice ringing with cheerful sarcasm, addressed him: “Hi, Sweetie!” The trembling naked pledge got on his knees. “Good…Good evening, ma’am.” “So, you ready to take a break from all this nasty cleaning and go for a run with me?” “I…I mean…yes, ma’am.” “OK, let’s stretch out and have some fun!” With that Heather and the pledge went out to the patio to stretch and get ready to move out. His departure left Cherine with only one male under her command and presumably would slow down her portion of the clean-up. However, Lisa had anticipated that the freshman would object to having to keep up the pace of her clean-up with only one assistant. She knew that expecting Cherine to manage with only one helper wasn’t fair, and also how she would settle the matter. Lisa went to the closet in the entryway, took off her clothes, and hung them up along with her strap and notebook. She returned upstairs and announced to a very shocked Cherine that she would replace the fat guy while he was away. Until he came back, Lisa would be taking orders and submit to discipline from Cherine. To drive home that point she knelt and waited to be issued an order. In an instant Lisa went from being in charge of Cherine to being her subordinate. It took a couple of minutes for Cherine to regain her composure, but finally she instructed Lisa to get up and start scrubbing the floor of a bathroom. Lisa replied, “yes, Pledge Cherine,” and started working on the floor. As Lisa was finishing her assigned floor, Bernadette passed by with her two male subjects. She was surprised to see Lisa naked in the bathroom, on her hands and knees performing a task assigned to the male pledges. Cherine nervously explained that one of her pledges had been taken away by Heather and Lisa had volunteered to replace him until he came back. Seeing Lisa working on her hands and knees under Cherine’s orders had a profound effect on Bernadette. Of the three freshmen in the pledge group Bernadette had been the one most likely to question Lisa’s role as the leader of the group. She most certainly resented seeing Lisa a couple of hours earlier with a strap in her hand and threatening to punish her if her work performance was substandard. She had resolved to confront Lisa the following day, but now had to deal with the sight of the sophomore on her hands and knees in the bathroom, taking orders instead of issuing them. Seeing Lisa cleaning the bathroom floor, especially working as a subordinate and in the nude, made Bernadette realize that she was behaving the way she did simply because she wanted to “get the job done” with as little trouble as possible. She wanted everyone working at maximum efficiency and was perfectly willing to apply that same standard to herself. Cherine had temporarily lost her assistant, so without any hesitation Lisa changed her own role in the cleaning operation. It was not a question of pride or humility, but one of expediency. Bernadette no longer could claim Lisa in any way had set herself above the others. She now knew how Lisa would respond if confronted. Lisa would simply ask her if she thought she could better lead the group and organize its tasks. If Bernadette were convinced she was best suited to lead the group, Lisa would gladly step aside. Then it would be up to Bernadette to settle matters with Tracy and the other pledges. Ken looked at Lisa in amazement, only to receive a couple of savage paddle swats on his already sore bottom. Bernadette snapped at him to mind his own business and keep moving. ---------- An hour after they left, Heather and her unhappy companion returned to the sorority house. He was not a pretty sight: his bottom and thighs were totally covered with welts from the riding crop; his body was saturated with sweat, and his face was red from fright and absolute exhaustion. The pledges expected that Heather would turn her running companion back over to Cherine upon getting back, but she still wanted to have some fun with him. She took him downstairs into the pledge shower, ordered him to take off his shoes, and immobilized his wrists in the cuffs that still were hanging from the pledges’ earlier episode of shaving and waxing. She ordered him to close his eyes and shampooed his hair. Then she gently massaged his welt-covered body with soap and rinsed him off. Finally she softly touched his penis and tickled his testicles. Sure enough, within a minute she got what she wanted, an erection. Heather toweled off the pledge, un-cuffed him, and ordered him to immediately follow her upstairs. He still was quite erect when the Sergeant-at-Arms returned him to his duty cleaning the sorority house. She led him to the other pledges and humiliated him by pointing out his hard-on to the rest of the group. He became even more erect upon seeing Lisa’s attractive body in its entirety, given that she had not yet had the chance to get dressed. Heather was a bit surprised to see Lisa out of her uniform and cleaning alongside Cherine’s other pledge. For a moment she wondered if Lisa had done something wrong and the other pledges were punishing her. However, as soon as Lisa saw Cherine’s missing pledge return to duty, she went downstairs to put on her uniform and returned carrying her strap and notebook. She knelt in front of Heather, and asked her if she would mind conducting a preliminary walk-through. The sorority officer obliged and picked out a few violations that Lisa and her companions had overlooked. Bernadette and Kathleen responded by landing some additional swats on the bare bottoms of their pledges and ordered them to correct the problems. Lisa knew that she and the others could not stay up all night because they had to attend classes the following day. At 2:00 a.m. she surprised her companions by telling them to stop cleaning. She decided to document their adventure by having each member of her group pose with her two pledges before ordering everyone to go to bed. One by one Cherine, Bernadette, and Kathleen posed with the males assigned to her. The women stood dressed in their uniforms while the males remained completely naked. Lisa ordered the male pledges to kneel next to the females, then stand up and face away from her so that their well-paddled red bottoms were on display for the benefit of the camera. Lisa then ordered the males to pose together as a group, first facing the camera and then facing away. Two of the males, her ex-boyfriend Ken and Heather’s overweight running companion, had erections. Lisa decided to have them pose together with their erections pointing at each other. Suddenly, on very cruel inspiration, she ordered the two men to put their arms around each other’s shoulders and grab each other’s penises. It seemed that Ken didn’t mind, but she could tell the other guy was mortified. Perfect, though Lisa to herself. Now I’ve got something to hold over his head if he ever gives me any attitude. ---------- Lisa told the guys to brush their teeth and take cots out of the basement to sleep on. They would have to sleep in the sitting room and could only expect about four hours of rest. Still, that was better than nothing and the guys gratefully grabbed their cots and took them upstairs. In spite of her resolve to try to comfort Lisa after the clean-up was completed, Kathleen was too tired to keep that promise to herself. She collapsed on her cot and promptly went to sleep, along with Bernadette and Cherine. Incredibly, Lisa realized she could not get to sleep. She had heard the expression “too tired to sleep”, but had never experienced such a feeling before. She realized what her problem was; she was sexually aroused. She needed to have an orgasm and would not be able to sleep until she could take care of that physical need. She didn’t want to risk having one of her fellow pledges wake up and see her masturbating, so Lisa decided to go to the pool area and relax on one of the deck chairs. It would be sort of fun, to lie out under the clear night and enjoy her body in tranquility. She quietly sneaked outside and settled in the chair farthest away from the back door. It was a lovely night, just a bit chilly for a person with no clothes on. However, Lisa knew that once she started stimulating herself her body would heat up and she would not notice the cold. Lisa had just started caressing her stomach and breasts with her fingertips when she heard the back door open. Shit! She should have known that some bitch would want to go for a midnight swim and having the pool area to herself was unrealistic. However, as she caught a glimpse of the person’s silhouette against the pool lighting, she realized the figure was not female, but male. Lisa jumped up, ready to put that guy in his place. The males were not supposed to be wandering freely around the sorority house. Lisa was quite annoyed; to the point that she had forgotten that she was not wearing anything. As she got closer, she realized the lone figure was Ken. She also realized that he had an erection. It was likely that his erection from earlier in the night had never really gone away, not would it until he had the opportunity either to have sex or masturbate. Lisa realized that he probably had come out to the pool area for the exact same reason she had, to relieve himself in peace. Seeing her boyfriend with a hard-on while being alone with him in the pool area was too much for Lisa. She forgot about her earlier humiliation and set aside her resentment, because at that moment she wanted only one thing, to have him inside her. Lisa’s instincts and old habits took over as she quickly walked up to him. She took his penis in her hand and kissed him… “You’d better get on your knees real fast, fucking little bitch-boy.” Ken, his own brain and sexual responses conditioned by the last five months of rough sex with Lisa, quickly complied. He sank to his knees. Suddenly everything that had transpired in Lisa’s life over the past week momentarily vanished. She was with Ken, his body back in her life and ready to fulfill its duty of giving her pleasure. There was no talk, no arguing, no hesitation. The only thing that mattered at that moment was sex. Lisa pushed Ken on his back, gave the skin on his chest a couple of vicious pinches, and stroked his penis to make sure it was perfectly hard. She straddled him and guided him inside. The couple groaned as Lisa rocked back and forth, feeling him pulsate inside her. Fearful of being caught, the couple finished as quickly as possible and separated. They jumped in the pool to wash away the evidence and cool off. As their bodies calmed down and their thoughts returned to normal, Lisa and Ken stood next to each other in uncomfortable silence. Finally Lisa noted: “You know, we both got to get to bed. As it is we’re only going to get three hours of sleep.” Ken was silent for a moment. He didn’t want to go to bed. He was with his girlfriend, or ex-girlfriend, a woman who he deeply cared for but had badly deceived. He felt that he…that he needed to somehow explain. As Lisa made her way to the steps to exit the pool, he knew his tiny opportunity to talk to her was running out. He needed to say something… “Lisa, I ‘spose you’re kinda mad at me.” “Not kinda, Ken. Not just kinda. You’ve really pissed me off! You have no idea…” Lisa paused and took a deep breath as she tried to control the mounting feeling of disgust she felt for both him and herself at that moment: “And now on top of everything else, thanks to you, I’m pissed at myself! Now I don’t even have my self-respect! It’s like I can’t control anything about my life or what I do! The moment I see you all I can think about is fucking your stupid little fag ass…” “Please don’t use that term, Lisa…” “Then what term am I supposed to use on you? It’s what you are, isn’t it?” “I don’t know. I don’t know. That’s what I gotta figure out.” A surge of conflicting emotion swept over Lisa and silenced anything more she might have wanted to say to him. She abruptly continued out of the pool and opened the back door to the house. “Lisa!” “Look, just go to bed, you stupid pervert! Go to bed and get out of my sight!” ---------- Lisa returned to her cot, sexually satisfied and more tired than ever. However, she knew there would be no sleep that night, none at all. Her thoughts were too much in turmoil. She sat up, for a long time staring ahead in the dimly-lit room. Every so often she glanced at Kathleen’s thin body and listened to her quiet breathing as her lover slept. As she looked at Kathleen and thought about Ken, Lisa was forced, once again, to confront her own hypocrisy. She had made love to Kathleen without ever talking to Ken about the future of their relationship. Less than a week later, she had turned on Kathleen without any hesitation, with the satisfaction of her body the only thought on her mind as she was briefly reunited with Ken. Lisa’s thoughts wandered through the strange labyrinth of her emotional and sexual needs as the pre-dawn slowly passed by. She glanced at the clock. 5:45 a.m. Fifteen minutes until wake-up. SHIT! She really was destined not to get any sleep that night ---------- A few minutes later the four female pledges, standing in their pledge uniforms, and the six male pledge pledges, kneeling naked in front, waited in the sitting room while Tracy and Alexandra performed the walk-through inspection. The two officers only found five violations, which was the best record of any pledge group for that particular task. The female pledges had proven themselves able to direct others, and the male pledges had proven themselves capable of following orders. Alexandra instructed Tracy to ignore the five violations because they were minor, and gave everyone a passing score. Tracy nodded, pleased that her group had passed yet another test. The males left a few minutes later, filing into the driveway and into a waiting van. Some early risers in neighboring sororities cheered and whistled at the sight of six naked guys standing in the driveway. The driver of the van seemed to have difficulty getting the key into the van’s side door, prolonging the pledges’ exposure. Not that it mattered, because the Tri-Alpha pledges could expect to be seen in the nude by plenty of people throughout the summer. Constant exposure in public settings was the reality of being a Tri-Alpha pledge. Meanwhile, the Four-Beta pledges had to contend with morning PT, breakfast, and getting ready for their second day of classes. Tracy and a sophomore escorted the pledges to the university. The group separated as the three freshmen and their escort went to class, while Tracy took Lisa to Burnside’s office. Lisa sighed as Tracy led her into the Economics Building, envious that her three companions, after having enjoyed four hours of sleep, now were quietly sitting in a class taking notes. Lisa on the other hand, had not enjoyed any sleep at all and faced a day of solid work under her difficult economics professor. Burnside drove home that point when she told Tracy not to come back for Lisa until 6:00 p.m. that night. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 17 Burnside handed Lisa the hanger out of the closet to let her know she needed to get undressed. Without saying anything Lisa complied and handed her hanger full of clothing to the professor. Burnside invited Tracy to sit down and put Lisa’s clothes in the closet. Meanwhile, Lisa knelt to await further orders. Burnside ordered the naked young woman to prepare a pot tea for herself and Tracy. “Yes, Dr. Burnside.” While Lisa busied herself with the teacups, the professor and the sorority officer casually talked about the Four-Beta pledge group and Lisa’s performance. Unlike Heather, who had taunted Lisa by talking about how high spirited and troublesome she was, Tracy was much more straightforward about her performance. Burnside could tell that Tracy was very impressed with Lisa and enjoyed having her as a member of the pledge group. The Pledge Mistress talked about Lisa’s relationship with the other pledges and complimented her ability to motivate them. Fortunately Tracy left out the detail of her romantic involvement with Kathleen, which was a detail of her life that Lisa suspected Heather might have mentioned. The Pledge Mistress departed to go to her own classes, leaving Lisa alone with her professor. She faced a busy day. Not only did she have to familiarize herself with the material to be taught in two classes she would be proctoring, but she also had to get ready for a sophomore-level class that she would be taking from Dr. Halsey. On top of all that Lisa was expected to prepare a special summer project for Burnside. Lisa knelt to receive her first instructions of the day, but Burnside announced that she wanted her to assume a different position from the normal kneeling whenever talking to her. The professor ordered her student to stand in front of her desk with her feet spread and her hands behind her head. Lisa reluctantly got off her knees and did as she was told. Burnside told Lisa that she now was standing “in a proper position of attention” and would be expected to stand that way in lieu of kneeling. With her legs spread and her hands behind her head, Lisa’s body was completely exposed to her boss. She felt humbled, scared, and extremely vulnerable. “Get used to standing like this, because whenever I talk to you I expect that stance as a gesture of respect. That holds true not only when we are in here by ourselves, but also whenever anyone else needs to come back here. You will stand at proper attention whenever you speak to me, regardless of who is in this room.” “Yes, Dr. Burnside.” “Just to remind you, this change is in your Four-Beta manual. Please repeat the relevant passage to me, Pledge.” Lisa took a deep breath and recited: “Chapter 1, section 14, Dr. Burnside. It goes: ‘a pledge will automatically assume a position of submission and respect whenever addressing an officer of the Sorority. The position of submission and respect will be determined at the beginning of each semester by the Chapter President. However, as needed, an officer of the Sorority, with the concurrence of the Chapter President, may require pledges to assume a position of submission and respect differing from the pledge position normally required in the sorority house’.” “Very good, Pledge. Now you understand that, since I am delegated as an officer, I have the authority to make you assume the position of ‘submission and respect’ that most suits my needs.” “Yes, Dr. Burnside, I understand that.” While Lisa continued to stand at attention, Burnside casually questioned her about her plans for her summer research project. The professor drew up a list of books and articles she thought her student would find useful. Finally she granted Lisa permission to sit down at the spare desk and begin reading ahead for the class she would have later in the day. Burnside’s phone rang. Lisa overheard small bits of the conversation and realized that her boss must be talking to Dr. Halsey. Then she heard: “Jim, she’s right here in my office if you want to talk to her. OK…OK… So, you’re coming over? Good. Actually, that helps me out because you can escort her to class. OK…so you know what you need to do about escorting her? All right, I’ll buzz you in…” Lisa’s heart skipped a beat as she waited for the outer door to Burnside’s office to open. Her face turned red at the thought that Dr. Halsey, a respected senior professor, would be in the room momentarily and there was no hint that she would be allowed to get dressed before he came in. Burnside’s next words confirmed her worst fear: “Dr. Halsey is coming in to talk to you and take you to class. When he comes in I expect you to stand at attention and address him with respect just like you would address me.” A moment later Burnside’s intercom buzzed and she pressed it to let Halsey into the back office. As soon as the door opened Lisa stood up, faced the door, and stood in front of a nationally recognized senior professor in the nude with her legs spread and her hands behind her head. Halsey glanced at the embarrassed student, then took Burnside’s hand and kissed it in greeting. After exchanging some pleasantries with his co-worker, the older man turned his attention back to Lisa. He carefully studied every detail of her exposed body, deliberately making her as nervous as possible. “Lovely morning, isn’t it, young lady?” “Yes, Dr. Halsey.” “So are you looking forward to being in my class?” “Yes, Dr. Halsey. I’ve heard that it’s one of the best classes in the department and I’m hoping to get a lot out of it.” “That’s the spirit, young lady! Excellent attitude!” The two professors sat down in Burnside’s armchairs and casually discussed how the first day of the semester had gone. Lisa remained standing with her arms and legs spread, not daring to move because she had not received any instructions to do so. After a while the conversation turned to Lisa’s major, her academic interests, and her ambitions. Halsey engaged her in conversation just as if she were dressed and sitting down. As best she could, Lisa responded, trying to ignore her extremely awkward situation. The conversation lasted less than 15 minutes, but that short time seemed like an eternity to Lisa. Later in the evening when she had time to think about it, she would find the entire incident extremely erotic, but at that moment she was too embarrassed and nervous to be excited. Meanwhile, the two professors were thoroughly enjoying themselves. Lisa’s attractive body was very pleasant to look at, and her nervous expression added to the erotic tension in the room. Lisa knew that Burnside did not mind seeing Halsey studying her exposed body. While it was true that each was the other’s primary lover, both professors also pursued other relationships. Occasionally they shared their submissive lovers, and on other occasions they jointly punished other participants in the local fetish scene. There was absolutely no jealousy between the two professors, because both of them were confident in each other and sure about themselves and their sexual needs. Over the years Halsey had several younger female lovers, some of whom he shared with Burnside. Burnside in turn had shared some of her lovers with Halsey. The best example was Burnside’s TA and collared sub Mark Gertz. At that point in her life, Mark was her most important lover apart from Dr. Halsey. Mark officially belonged to Burnside, who never missed an opportunity to sexually humiliate or inflict an act of cruelty on him. Halsey often participated in punishing or dominating Mark in ways that helped Burnside establish her total superiority. For example, if her sub needed an extra special punishment, Burnside sometimes invited Halsey to enter Mark from the rear following a whipping, which, of course, was one thing she was not capable of doing. Lisa, who was aware of the unusual relationship between her two mentors, trembled at the possibility of being forcibly seduced by her professor, her lover, or perhaps by both. However, with the issue of sex she only partly understood Burnside’s intentions. The professor was fully aware that Lisa was scared out of her wits as she quietly stood with her body completely spread and exposed. She had intended for her to feel such intense anxiety and fear, because she knew that the sexual tension in the office was something that the younger woman was subconsciously seeking in her life. She perceived a lot of herself in Lisa, especially the underlying need to test her psychological limits. Lisa needed to have intense emotional experiences to feel truly alive. She needed to feel real fear, real humiliation, real joy, real pain, and real sexual arousal. Burnside wanted to develop that part of her student, and hoped to help Lisa better understand herself by constantly pushing her emotional limits as the summer progressed. At the beginning of the semester, Burnside was not sure whether or not there ever would be a sexual relationship between herself and Lisa. She was open to the idea and certainly found the girl desirable, but forcing her into a sexual relationship was totally different from forcing her to submit to erotic discipline and hazing. If Lisa decided that she wanted to sexually experiment with either Ruth Burnside or Jim Halsey, they would gladly oblige her, but she was the one who would have to signal that an intimate relationship was something she wanted. ---------- Finally, Burnside ordered her student to get dressed and depart with Professor Halsey. As Lisa put on her shorts and felt the cloth brush against her vulva, a wave of sexual arousal swept over her. She had not felt aroused while standing naked in the office, but as soon as something touched her between the legs, she suddenly was very horny. She sighed, distressed at the thought of having to follow Halsey to the main campus lecture hall and sit through his class while such intense desire was tormenting her. Lisa walked alongside the professor, carrying her backpack to avoid covering any part of her pledge uniform. She had time to think about the irony of what was written on her shirt. Officially she might be the “property of the Four-Beta Sorority”, but in reality she had been signed over to Ruth Burnside The young woman made a very strange walking companion for her immaculately dressed professor. It seemed that everyone she had known from her freshman year: all of her former classmates, the residents of Huntington Hall, even casual acquaintances, were treated to the sight of Lisa Campbell running around in her T-shirt and skimpy gym shorts. Several people wanted to talk to her, but Lisa’s nervous behavior and the impatient demeanor of her older companion clearly indicated that she was not free to talk. Halsey and Lisa entered an auditorium-style classroom that sat 300 students. He pointed at a seat next to the speaker’s podium, indicating that his student needed to sit as close to him as possible so he could monitor what she was doing. Total control and a very strict regimen…that’s what the sorority had promised, and they had kept that promise, even when she was not with any of their officers. Even Dr. Halsey was in on it. As Halsey’s introductory lecture progressed, Lisa struggled to pay attention to what he was saying. She knew it was likely Burnside would question her about the course material afterwards and there would be hell to pay if she had appeared inattentive in Halsey’s class. However, Lisa had two very serious distractions. First, she was horribly tired from not having slept the previous night. When she was standing up or moving around her fatigue was not a problem, but sitting in a soft seat in a cool, dark lecture hall made her badly want to sleep. The other problem was Lisa’s ongoing state of arousal. She had to keep her legs pressed together because she was not wearing any panties under her loose-fitting pair of shorts. She wanted to rub her thighs together and slip her hand in between, but she was in a public location and her body’s demand for satisfaction could not be resolved any time soon. What made matters worse was the fact Lisa was spoiled when it came to sexual satisfaction. Throughout the spring if she needed to relieve herself, she could count on Ken to attend to her desires. When he was not available, Lisa could always pleasure herself and was good at it. Lisa’s desires that day would have to remain unsatisfied, because it was a sure thing she would not have a single moment to herself. ---------- After the longest class of her life, Lisa returned to Burnside’s office with Halsey. Fortunately she did not have to take off her uniform because the two professors wanted to go out to lunch. The professors, Lisa, and three graduate students went to a formal restaurant on the top floor of the Student Center. The lunch took a very long time because the professors and the graduate students needed to discuss seminars and problems with various research projects. At first Lisa was glad to eat and get some good food in her stomach, but having a full stomach made her even more sleepy. Burnside noticed her student nodding off during the meal and realized that because of her fatigue she would not be able to study in the afternoon. She would have to do something physical instead. Upon getting back and watching her student get undressed, Burnside ordered her to dust the room’s bookcases and re-shelve all the books. Meanwhile the professor sat at her desk, pretending to be working on her next lecture. In reality she was enjoying watching Lisa’s attractive figure as she moved about. She especially enjoyed watching Lisa reach for the books on the top shelves, gracefully stretching her body as she emptied each shelf and reached to wipe the dust in the back. Lisa’s ongoing arousal and the realization that Burnside was watching had a rather strange effect on her. Ordinarily she would not have wanted anything to do with Burnside sexually, but Lisa was in a sensual mood. She began “performing” for the professor by stretching her body more than necessary when accessing the top shelves and moving about seductively. She deliberately put the books from each shelf on the floor and bent over to pick them up, spreading her legs and exposing herself to the professor. When she worked on the bottom shelves, Lisa got on her hands and knees, spreading her legs and turning her bottom towards Burnside’s desk. Every so often Lisa glanced back at her mentor, whose hungry expression gave away her increasing desire for the student. For the first time since Lisa had known her, it seemed that Burnside had lost her composure. Very little of what Burnside had hoped to accomplish with Lisa got done that day. The purpose of Lisa spending all day with the professor was to move her forward in her understanding of the material to be presented in three classes and get her started with her summer project. Instead Lisa had spent the afternoon cleaning bookshelves and flirting with her body. That really wasn’t anyone’s fault, because she was exhausted from not having any sleep and in no condition to study. When Tracy came by to pick up her pledge, Burnside reprimanded her: “You need to put things into perspective, Tracy. It’s fine to push your pledges on everything else, but on school nights you have to let them sleep. No matter what your training philosophy might be, they are students first and sorority pledges second. They have got to be alert enough to study, and to be honest, Pledge Lisa was too tired to be able to concentrate.” Tracy responded by telling the professor the nighttime house cleanup was a unique test and not a routine event. Normally the pledges did get more sleep. Still, she was chastened by the realization that an outsider, and a professor no less, was watching what she was doing with her pledges. Rather than put up a fight over the matter, she decided that it would be a good idea to make sure her pledges got plenty of sleep that night to make up for the night before. While Lisa and her companions were eating dinner with the sophomores, Tracy asked Heather for permission to immediately release them for the night and give them the opportunity to sleep in the guestroom. Heather reluctantly agreed, although she was concerned that letting the pledges off early too many times would spoil them. After dinner, as the pledges knelt in front of their Pledge Mistress, they were informed they were released for the night as a reward for the success of the previous night’s cleanup. “Released” was a relative term, because what they were free to do was study, read, send e-mails, use the pool, or sleep. Cherine and Bernadette immediately headed for the pool, and would send some e-mails upon getting out. Lisa calculated that it would be about two hours before they would be ready for bed, which would give her the opportunity to spend some time with Kathleen. When Lisa went downstairs to the basement to clean up, Kathleen followed her. The two women took turns using the toilet and brushing their teeth. They jumped into the shower together and held hands. Kathleen gave Lisa a very intense look of love, desire, and arousal. The two women soaped each other’s bodies, exchanged several passionate kisses, and rinsed off. Lisa told Kathleen to put her hands on the shower wall and stick her bottom out for some “special attention”. She sensuously soaped and massaged Kathleen’s backside, knowing that having her bottom rubbed would excite her even more. She spent a couple of minutes soaping and massaging her lover’s bottom-hole. Kathleen gasped and moaned with delight at the attention to her most sensitive area, especially when Lisa pushed a soapy finger inside. “You are a naughty little thing, aren’t you?” “I…oh…I’m naughty…oh…” Lisa touched Kathleen’s vulva with her other hand and ran her fingertip over her lover’s clitoris. Thus stimulated from both the front and the back, Kathleen experienced an exquisite orgasm. She trembled and moaned with delight as Lisa’s fingers worked their magic on her body. When she calmed down, Lisa patted her bottom and kissed it. “Let’s give this naughty little bottom the attention it deserves.” Lisa led Kathleen into the guestroom and locked the door. If the other two showed up and wanted to sleep, they would just have to wait. She turned her attention to her lover and kissed her with the desperation of sexual passion that had been building up in her over the entire day. Kathleen responded by tearing down the covers, pushing Lisa on the bed, and getting on top of her. She took Lisa’s face in her hands and continued to kiss her as she gently moved her body back and forth. Kathleen started moving downwards, kissing Lisa’s neck, then her breasts, then her stomach, and finally her vulva. Lisa thrust her legs up as Kathleen covered her labia with kisses and pushed her tongue into her vagina. Finally the young woman’s tongue made contact with Lisa’s clitoris, and the pent-up passion of the entire day found its release. Lisa normally was not very noisy during her climaxes, but that night she was quite loud. Lisa climaxed twice before Kathleen’s tongue got too tired to continue. Lisa sat up and told Kathleen to get on her elbows and knees. She ran her fingertips over her lover’s very exposed backside, all the while telling her how naughty her cute little bottom was. Lisa began landing kissed all over Kathleen’s bottom-cheeks, slowly working her way towards he bottom-hole. For a long time she kissed that sensitive area and slid her tongue around her lover’s sphincter. As Kathleen’s arousal mounted, Lisa touched her clitoris with a fingertip as she continued to stimulate her from behind with the explorations of her tongue. Finally it was Kathleen’s turn to climax yet again. Kathleen lay on her stomach as Lisa gently ran her hand over her bottom. Once again Lisa began patting her lover’s backside in a gentle spanking motion, then continued to caress. It was Kathleen who broke their silence. She gave Lisa a seductive look and asked: The Pledge Mistress Ch. 17 “So you think, after all that, I’m still a naughty girl?” “Of course you’re naughty. You’re the naughtiest girl in the sorority.” “So…what are you gonna do about it? How are you gonna fix my naughtiness?” Lisa’s heart jumped. The moment for Kathleen’s first spanking had come, and it was Kathleen who was asking to be spanked. Lisa took her lover’s hand and led her to the sofa. She sat down and drew Kathleen over her lap. Lisa’s lover settled comfortably over her thighs, turned her bottom up, and spread her legs slightly. She gently rubbed her lover's bottom in a circular motion, enjoying the feel of her thin buttocks and soft skin. Every so often Lisa ran her fingertips up the middle, brushing past the tender skin surrounding her bottom-hole. Kathleen signed with anticipation, partly because she was very nervous. She did not know what to expect from Lisa and whether or not being spanked by her would be enjoyable. She had not enjoyed the punishment she took from Tracy the week before, but that was because she was so vicious with the strap. If the spanking were more gentle and given with love, Kathleen hoped it would bring her and Lisa closer together. Lisa fully understood that Kathleen was not Ken and that her needs were very different. She needed to be talked to gently and spanked gently. The spanking would have to hurt, but not hurt very much. Kathleen's bottom would gradually turn pink under the palm of Lisa's hand, from slaps delivered very slowly and mixed with gentle caresses and tender kisses. Lisa understood her lover's desires and wanted to make the spanking as pleasurable an experience as possible. Lisa began spanking Kathleen's skin between caresses, all the while reminding her what a naughty girl she was. She slapped Kathleen's backside about 10 times, then leaned down to kiss her bottom and give it a couple of caresses before spanking it another 10 times. None of Lisa's slaps was particularly severe, but after a few minutes their cumulative effect started building up on Kathleen's bottom. After the first 50 slaps it was a lovely shade of solid pink and starting to swell. However, Kathleen remained peacefully draped over Lisa's lap, totally satisfied with the mixture of pain and pleasure radiating from her upturned bottom. Lisa kissed her, massaged her swelling skin, and started on the second round of slaps. The second part of the spanking was more intense, partly because Lisa was slapping harder, and partly because Kathleen was torn between becoming aroused and starting to cry. The mounting pain scared her, but the feeling of being over her lover's lap and being under her control and protection filled her sexual being with complete satisfaction. The experience was intense and frightening, but she was where she wanted to be, her body and soul surrendered to the control of her lovely mistress Lisa. Finally Lisa concluded the spanking. She grabbed Kathleen’s wrist and led her back to the bed. The smaller woman settled on her stomach and Lisa settled next to her, covering her deeply pink bottom with even more kisses. Soon she was stimulating her lover’s bottom-hole yet again and teasing her clitoris. Kathleen groaned with delight as she experienced the best orgasm of her life. Her orgasm was total and overwhelming, almost scary in its intensity. She felt true happiness; the joy of having a lover whom had taken the time to figure out what her body needed for total satisfaction. Lisa fell asleep, her body finally giving out after going nearly two days with no sleep. Kathleen got up to unlock the door to allow Cherine and Bernadette to get into the room without knocking when they were ready for bed. She looked at her solidly pink bottom in the mirror, enjoying its sexy appearance and attractive color. I’m naughty, she thought to herself. I’m naughty and I like it. She hoped that night would be the first out of many she would go over Lisa’s lap. Finally Kathleen turned out the light and settled next to her sleeping companion. She gave her lover one final kiss and cuddled next to her. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 18 Chapter 18 - A weakness in Lisa's character Bernadette and Cherine returned downstairs fairly late, having spent more time than they anticipated in the pool. At first they were in the pool by themselves, but just as they were about to get out, a large group of women got in, carrying a water-volleyball and a net. They explained that the Four-Betas played water volleyball in competitions against other sororities and they needed to practice. The other women invited the pledges to join them, and a minute later the two freshmen found themselves playing on opposite sides of the impromptu game. It wasn't until an hour later that they were able to excuse themselves, which set back their plans to spend the night catching up on their e-mails in the sorority library. Lisa and Kathleen were sound asleep when their companions finally made it downstairs. Cherine and Bernadette cleaned up and slipped into the guestroom, which was dimly illuminated by a single nightlight. It was just light enough that the two women could see that the main bed was occupied but the two singles were empty. Cherine was too tired to care about anything other than her own sleep, but Bernadette was curious. She slipped closer to the main bed and caught a faint whiff of orgasm. She couldn't see much in the darkness, but could tell that Lisa and Kathleen were sleeping cuddled up to each other. Bernadette pondered for a moment what she ought to do. On the one hand she was irritated that Lisa and Kathleen were not making a better effort to hide their relationship. She felt that it was somewhat disrespectful to be openly having sex in an area they had to share with the other pledges. She was certain that if Tracy caught the couple there would be hell to pay, perhaps for the entire pledge group. Bernadette wondered whether to wake up Lisa and force her to get in a different bed, leave the two lovers in place and let them get in trouble the next morning, or simply get up a bit early and force them out of bed before anyone else saw them. Finally she opted for the latter. She set the alarm clock for 5:30, which would give her enough time to get Lisa and Kathleen out of bed before Tracy showed up. She would do Lisa a favor, in spite of her unease about the relationship and her on-going resentment that Lisa had taken charge of the pledge group. The next morning Bernadette shook Lisa, who was still sound asleep. "Get up! Get up before Tracy sees you!" Lisa struggled to sit up, and covered her sleeping lover with the sheet. She was still somewhat disoriented and wanted to lie back down. "Get...UP!" Bernadette pushed on Lisa until she was awake enough to stand. As soon as Lisa was on her feet, Bernadette crawled back in her bed to get a final 20 minutes of sleep. Meanwhile, Lisa rubbed her eyes and went into the pledge room to use the toilet and brush her teeth. She realized what a huge favor Bernadette had just done for her when she heard Tracy's voice in the guest room: "OK, sleeping beauties! UP-UP-UP! Let's go...Let's go...Let's go..." followed by the usual hard slap to the bare bottom of each of her three fellow pledges as they exited the room. Lisa and Kathleen had been only minutes away from being caught in bed together by the Pledge Mistress. It was only because of Bernadette they were not facing her harsh discipline. As the other women entered the pledge room Lisa whispered to Bernadette: "Thanks. I owe you one." ---------- Somewhat better rested than they had been 24 hours earlier, the pledges began what would be the first routine day of the summer semester. There would be morning PT, clean-up, and breakfast, followed by morning inspection and the daily trek to the university. Part of the daily morning inspection included the formal presentation of assignments, a time during which Tracy ordered the pledges to kneel in the sitting room with their homework neatly placed in front to review. There wasn't any written homework yet, but the three freshmen had been assigned some reading for one class that they had to recite. After a few minutes of questioning Tracy determined that her charges were adequately prepared and ordered them to put on their uniforms. Thus, dressed and ready for another day of class, the young women departed the sorority house with their Pledge Mistress. ---------- As soon as she was deposited in her professor's office, Lisa stripped and stood at attention while Burnside talked to her about the day's lectures and seminars. She would be with the professor nearly the entire day, with the exception of a political science class that she had to take as a general requirement. However, Lisa would spend most of her time out of the office and in her pledge uniform, given that she was attending lectures and helping the professor with her freshman classes. At 9:00 a.m. Lisa followed Burnside to the main lecture hall in the adjacent building wheeling a cart full of teaching supplies, syllabuses, reading lists, and the professor's PowerPoint projector. Her shorts and T-shirt contrasted with the formal outfit of her boss and drew attention from passers-by. Lisa's bottom got plenty of stares from passing guys because it was obvious she was not wearing any underwear under the thin fabric of her gym shorts. As she continued to push the cart behind Burnside, Lisa's shorts began riding up into her bottom and she could feel the hot morning sun shining on the lower part of her buttocks. Every so often she had to stop and pull them back down, but as soon as she started moving again the shorts immediately began working their way back up. Lisa sighed as she helped Burnside set up for her lecture. She was beginning to feel aroused from being so scantily dressed in public and having had part of her bottom on public display. Her outfit (especially from the waist down) left very little to the imagination and barely stayed within the limits of what was considered acceptable clothing in public areas of the university. Her feelings about her exposure were complex and contradictory. Perhaps wearing the skimpy shorts was somewhat embarrassing, but deep down Lisa enjoyed the stares and attention directed at her body. She remained quite the exhibitionist and secretly enjoyed being stared at. Fortunately Lisa was able to push aside her erotic thoughts and focus on her duties as Burnside's student and student aide. She spent the rest of the day attending a total of five classes, the two sophomore-level lectures that she was taking as a student, the two freshman-level classes she was proctoring, and the political science class. During the later part of the afternoon she returned to Burnside's office, stripped off her uniform, and worked on an assignment for Dr. Halsey's class. Lisa was not nearly as tired as she had been 24 hours earlier, so she was able to concentrate on her assignment. Burnside, meanwhile, was in and out of the office with various errands and thus not really paying much attention to her student. The strange flirting that had taken place between the two women the day before was absent that afternoon and they talked normally with each other. Lisa still had to be naked whenever in the office, but by the third day had become used to it and automatically undressed as soon as she was in the room and the door was shut. Within a few days even standing at attention in front of her boss with her hands behind her head and her legs spread would become routine and something she did automatically. ---------- Tracy entered the Economics Building in the evening with the other three pledges trailing behind her. As the group entered Burnside's office, the three pledges immediately sank to their knees. Lisa nervously stood at attention while the professor and the sorority officer discussed the day's performance and her work plan. Burnside handed Tracy a diskette with her notes for the day's training log and released Lisa for the evening. Lisa turned to Tracy and knelt, asking for permission to get dressed. A minute later Tracy and her pledges left the building and continued on their way to the sorority house. The pledges stripped off their uniforms and dropped them in the washer upon being informed they would not be going back out that evening. As usual, they ate dinner with the sophomores, cleaned the table, and knelt in the sitting room. The pledges noticed three massage tables set up and realized the night's lesson would be in giving massages. Tracy entered the room with Lisa's acquaintance Suzanne Foster, who had just been certified as a massage therapist. As the pledges continued to kneel, Tracy announced that learning massage therapy counted among the expectations the sorority had of them. Suzanne began the presentation with an overview of the various muscle groups in the human body, focusing the differences between women and men as the introduction of a comprehensive course that would continue throughout the summer. She would start by teaching basic Swedish massage, concentrating on a different section of the body each week. Her program would continue with other types of standard massage such as sports massage, and finally would finish in August with two sessions of erotic partner massage. She added that the pledges would first learn how to massage each other, and then would learn how to massage male subjects. "The Triple-A pledges are doing this as well, starting with each other, and then they'll be practicing on you." Suzanne briefly discussed the issue of "draping", the practice of covering a massage patient with a sheet. She noted that in Europe "draping" was less important than it was in the US, and that she preferred for her patients not to be draped. "I like to see my patients as nature created them and not worry about moving a sheet around. Anyhow, with you modesty is not an issue, so we won't be worried about draping." With that Suzanne directed the pledges to pair off. Lisa knew better than to pair off with Kathleen, in spite of her lover's longing expression. Take it easy, Kathleen, thought Lisa to herself. We'll have plenty of time to massage each other later in the summer. Instead Lisa paired off with Cherine, leaving Kathleen to take Bernadette as her massage partner. Lisa instructed Cherine to hop up on the table and awaited Suzanne's next instructions. Tracy dimmed the lights, stripped off her own clothing, and sat on the third table. She would serve as Suzanne's instruction subject and get several free massages in exchange. As Tracy lay quietly on her back, Suzanne began by explaining the importance of warming the oil before applying it to the patient. She spread the oil over the lower part of the Pledge Mistress's body, explaining that she would concentrate on her subject's feet, the fronts of her legs, and her abdomen during the first part of the class. Lisa followed suit on Cherine's body, applying oil to her feet, legs, and abdomen. Suzanne's disregard for modesty became even more evident as she ran her fingers over the upper part of Tracy's pelvis, applying oil in that rather private spot at the same time she lubricated her stomach. Cherine's body seemed to get darker and more exotic-looking when her skin was wet with oil. Lisa felt a surge of erotic longing sweep through her. Now, on top of everything else that was messed up about her life, she was feeling sexual desire for Cherine. Guilt swept over her as she glanced at Kathleen, but her guilt only increased her secret attraction towards the unsuspecting freshman lying on the table in front of her. Lisa finally pushed her thoughts aside and concentrated at the task at hand, using her hands to bring pleasure and relaxation to the young body under her control. She would do her best to give Cherine a good massage, and look forward to the massage she would be getting in return after a few minutes. However, as her hands worked their way up the soft flesh on the inside of Cherine's thighs and her fingertips came close to touching her dark vagina, Lisa's feelings of arousal returned. She worked her way around to her companion's stomach and followed Suzanne's instructions to massage in a circular motion to help her digestion. Then her fingers ventured towards the top of Cherine's pelvis, working their way into her short black public hair. Lisa so badly wanted to continue downwards, touch Cherine's clitoris, explore the young virgin's vagina, and bring her to orgasm. So close...and yet... Lisa sighed with a combination of disappointment and relief when Suzanne ordered the women to switch places. Tracy sat up as well, but Suzanne explained that she would need to lie back down to serve as her model for the second half of the class. Tracy certainly had no problem with that; she was getting a double-massage on her legs as a result of her role as Suzanne's model. As Cherine's hands worked their way up her legs, Lisa continued to feel very aroused. She was getting wet between her thighs, and because she kept herself completely shaved, there was absolutely nothing to hide what was happening to her vulva. Her clitoris was swollen and her vagina increasingly wet. Of course, Cherine did notice the wetness building on her companion's most intimate areas, but decided not to make an issue out of it. She quietly followed Suzanne's instructions and simply hoped for the uncomfortable session to end quickly. What Cherine wished was that she could have been massaging Jacob. If only Lisa were Jacob, then she really would be getting some pleasure out of the experience. As she thought about Jacob, Cherine resolved to learn how to give a proper massage, because that would be her first intimate gift to him. Cherine thus ended by giving Lisa a very good massage, not because she was interested in pleasing Lisa, but because she was fantasizing about massaging Jacob. ---------- Fortunately Bernadette and Kathleen got through the session without any hint of sexual arousal. Kathleen was so enamored with Lisa that she paid no attention to Bernadette, apart from making the effort to give her a proper massage. Bernadette, meanwhile, was totally straight and never would feel any attraction towards another woman, no matter how attractive. Now if Kathleen were a guy...then Bernadette's physical reactions would be completely different. Yes, she most definitely would be aroused if she were massaging a guy in such an intimate manner. In fact, she very much was looking forward to the upcoming practice with the Tri-Alpha pledges and hoped to exchange massages with all of them. ---------- The massages put the three freshmen in a better mood and made them more relaxed for their next activity, the nightly study session. Because they were taking the same classes, Tracy expected them to study together and exchange knowledge and ideas with each other. The study groups were an important part of the pledge program, because the sorority wanted the pledges to learn to work in a group and also bond with each other. Assuming that the freshmen were not used to college-level academics, Tracy sat with them and directed the study group during the first week of classes. Lisa presented a bit of a problem to the study program because she was a sophomore. She already had taken the classes that her group-mates were enrolled in, so to study with them would do her no good. Had she not been worried about all of her responsibilities to Ruth Burnside and the Economics Department, Tracy might have wanted Lisa to lead the study group. However, she was smart enough to realize that Lisa's time was very limited and that she would need the opportunity to study separately. So, while Tracy and the freshmen talked in the library, Lisa quietly sat in the sofa in the guest room downstairs with her economics textbooks. Taped to the sofa was a hand-written note from the Pledge Mistress, authorizing Lisa to be separated from her group and to use the guest room, which normally was off-limits to pledges. At 10:00 p.m. Tracy ordered the pledges to put away their books and go downstairs for bed. Lights-out was at 10:30. The pledges would be restricted to their cots, permitted to get up only to use the toilet. When the three freshmen went downstairs, Tracy chased Lisa out of the guest room and locked the door. With that the normal daily routine of the summer pledge group was established. On weekdays the schedule was as follows: 5:30 -- 6:00 -- wake-up, pledge area cleaning, and personal inspection by the Pledge Mistress 6:00 -- 7:00 -- morning PT with the sophomores 7:00 -- 7:15 -- personal hygiene and packing book-bags for class 7:20 -- 7:45 -- breakfast with the sophomores, clean-up from the meal, and brushing teeth 7:45 -- 8:00 -- walk to the university for the first class of the morning 8:00 -- 17:00 -- classes on campus and chaperoned library study breaks 17:00 -- 18:00 -- return to the sorority house, dinner with the sophomores, clean-up, personal hygiene 18:00 -- 20:00 -- Four-Beta pledge training 20:00 -- 22:00 -- study group and homework assignments 22:00 -- 23:00 -- personal hygiene, uniform maintenance, and lights-out ---------- At 10:30 Lisa's three companions fell asleep immediately, even Kathleen. However, as was becoming normal for her, Lisa lay awake on her cot in restless thought. She glanced at Cherine's body in the dimly-lit room and felt her erotic desire return full-force. She quietly began masturbating as she remembered Cherine's lovely dark skin glistening with massage oil and sliding under her hands. She relived the feeling of her fingers pressing through the freshman's black pubic hair and being so close to...oh yes...oh yes... Lisa climaxed and came to her senses. Then she felt horrible about what had just happened, deeply troubled by her sudden sexual attraction to Cherine. What's wrong with me, she wondered to herself. What the fuck is wrong with me? Lisa realized something very distressing about herself, a huge defect in her personality. Her mind ran through the events of the past two weeks and her fleeting attractions to various people in her life. On the very first day she had wanted that guy examining her to fuck her up the ass, then fantasized about giving herself to Tracy. After that came Kathleen, a frighteningly serious relationship she had just walked into with almost no thought or hesitation. With no thought at all she briefly reunited with Ken, only to yell at him and insult him seconds after he had given her what she wanted at the moment. The following morning she had flirted with Ruth Burnside, vaguely hoping for a sexual encounter with her professor. Hours later she was again with Kathleen, pleasing herself with no thought about her earlier encounter with Ken. Finally, with very little consideration for Kathleen, who now adored her, she found herself attracted to Cherine. With Cherine there was absolutely no way she could hope to pursue her desires, because it was obvious that she was as straight as Bernadette and never would be attracted to Lisa at all. Not to mention the devastating impact such a betrayal would have on Kathleen. There was more, much more. Over the past week, Lisa had wondered about her sexuality. Before her relationship with Kathleen it never had dawned on her that she might be lesbian, because her two previous lovers had been male. So, had she discovered that she was lesbian? If only it were that simple. Lisa's attraction for various guys had not diminished, even though at the moment she had a female lover. So, was she bi-sexual? Well, not exactly that, either. She realized that, if not restrained by personal commitments or the disapproval of society, she would be sexually attracted to whoever happened to be close at that moment, male or female. Lisa's short attention span explained why her relationships had started so abruptly, going back to her sudden attraction towards Ken in January. United with him by random circumstances, she became attracted to him. The moment she was separated from him, her attention shifted elsewhere and within a week had focused on Kathleen. The moment her hands touched Cherine, her sexual desires shifted yet again. Fortunately for Kathleen, Lisa knew that there was no way Cherine could ever be interested in her. Whatever sexual experimenting Lisa might have wanted to try with her would have to remain within the confines of her own fantasies. In other words, Lisa would not cheat on Kathleen because the opportunity had not presented itself. Not a very pleasant thought. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 18 Lisa's mental journey returned to her first boyfriend Mike and their break-up. As she re-examined her role in the break-up of their relationship she wondered how much she really had loved him. She had always thought that the reason she had broken up with him was because she had changed in Chicago, while he had not. Now Lisa was forced to re-examine herself. She realized that what had changed had not been her, but instead her circumstances. The moment her environment changed and her options opened up, she got bored with Mike and the restrictions the relationship with him placed on her. The only reason she had not been bored with him earlier was because her life did not give her many other romantic options while still in high school. In reality her relationship with Mike had been doomed from the start, although it took her nearly five years to realize that. What he had to offer her was stability, and stability was something that Lisa Campbell could not handle. Lisa sat up and ran her fingers through her hair. What she had just discovered about herself frightened her. Was she even capable of maintaining a long-term relationship? What if she couldn't, and was condemned to spending her life going from lover to lover, hurting everyone she came in contact with? If that was all she was good for, then did she have any value as a human being at all? She had to talk to someone. The only person who she could talk to in the entire sorority was her Pledge Mistress. She took a deep breath and nerved herself to go upstairs. She was fully aware that she was risking being disciplined by being out of the pledge room without permission after hours, but she would just have to take that risk. She had to talk. Lisa nervously slipped into the quiet hallway of the sorority house, hoping to find the Pledge Mistress in the office or the library. She tried the office first, and to her huge relief saw Tracy sitting alone in the room at the computer. Lisa nervously sank to her knees and requested permission to speak. "You can speak, Pledge, but I hope you have a real good reason being out of your bed at this hour. If you don't, the next thing you'll be doing is bringing me a strap out of the storeroom." Lisa swallowed and began trying to explain her inner struggles with her relationships. To Tracy's credit, as soon as she realized that Lisa was trying to share something very important about a personal situation, her entire demeanor changed. She put aside her Pledge Mistress façade and began speaking to Lisa in the same manner that a psychologist would use with a patient. She asked Lisa some questions about her high school experiences and her emotional dependence on Mike. Very haltingly, Lisa continued by confessing everything that she had felt over the past two weeks and her very confused state of mind. She even admitted her fleeting attraction to her listener, expecting a harsh reaction, but instead she just got more questions. Finally Tracy was ready to share some of her opinions. "Pledge Lisa, let's break your feelings and your situation down person by person. I think we can knock-off myself and Dr. Burnside from the start. The deal with us is that, for you, we are authority figures. You have to bust your ass making us happy, because if you don't, we can make your life miserable. Constantly having to put forth effort to please an authority figure will invariably affect how you feel about that person. You have to make a real effort to please us, and when you do manage to please us it makes your life a lot easier. In other words, our mood affects your life and sense of accomplishment. That's going to affect what you think about us, and it's very easy for that feeling of emotional dependency to get sexual. So that's where you stand with me, and presumably with Dr. Burnside." "I...uh...I 'spose so, ma'am." "As for the guys in the fraternity, yes, we will expect you to be open to sexual exploration. But that's part of the pledge program and is more for your own knowledge than anything else. So that leaves four people in your life that you need to be concerned about: Mike, Ken, Kathleen, and Cherine." "Yes, ma'am." "Let's eliminate a bit more. Mike's in California and out of the picture. Cherine's also out of the picture, because you've told me yourself there's no way she'd be interested in you. That leaves just Ken and Kathleen. Kind of simplifies things, doesn't it?" "Not really ma'am, 'cause my attention's going all over the place. It's like...I want whoever's in front of me. I mean, what happened with Pledge Cherine...I mean..." "Well, Pledge, you know what? I think your situation is a lot simpler than what you think it is. It's real simple, in fact." "I...don't..." "Let me finish with my thoughts. Your short attention span in your relationships is due to a lack of maturity in your personality. You didn't have a lot of excitement in high school and only one relationship, so you don't know how to balance your needs against those of everyone who's close to you. You're extremely impulsive, and to me that explains what's going on with your personal life and your sexual whims. As for excitement, subconsciously you think you're entitled to it now, because you didn't have it before. The problem with that mentality is that you're not thinking about the consequences of letting your attention and sexual energy jump around so much. Not once did I hear you say 'I'm going to do what I can to overcome this, because if I don't, I'm gonna end up hurting myself and a whole bunch of other people.' Not once did I hear that from you." "So you're blaming me?" "No, I'm not. I'm simply stating a fact. I think you've got this idea that you're going to simply indulge yourself, even though you know perfectly well that you can't. You don't have that luxury, because too many other people depend on you right now." Lisa stared straight ahead, not knowing how to respond. Finally Tracy added: "A minute ago, I said your situation was simple. I didn't say it was easy. Simple and easy are two totally different things." "Ma'am. I never wanted all this responsibility. This isn't what I came here for. I just wanted to get some experiences and find out who I am." "Yes, I remember that from your pledge packet. You came here to have some fun, and to find out who you are and what you want. You're now starting to find that out, and it isn't what you expected. Maybe the answer to your question is starting to get a bit scary, because you're not quite who you thought you were. And as for the responsibility, you're stuck with that. You've got commitments to the sorority and the Economics Department, and more specifically, to Dr. Burnside and your fellow pledges. And you'd better think long and hard before doing anything that's going to hurt Pledge Kathleen or Pledge Ken." "But, ma'am, Ken's out of my life." "No, he isn't. You jumped to a conclusion about him, when what I was telling you was to keep an open mind. You're still jumping to conclusions about him, and you'd better knock it off. You don't know what's going to happen with Ken. No one does, not even Ken himself. Now here's something else for you to consider. I know that in your own mind you've used Ken's confusion about his sexuality to justify some of your own behavior. I suppose you think that Ken's even more self-centered than you are, which I admit he is. However, he'll have to work through his own issues with the Triple-A's, just like you have to work through yours with us. You have no business using his problems to justify your own irresponsibility." A surge of anger and frustration swept over Lisa. Why was she getting all the blame? "Ma'am, how come you're ripping into me like this, calling me irresponsible? What is it that you want me to do?" "I'm not ripping into you. I'm simply saying that you have an issue in your life, something that I would consider a weakness of character. You've identified it, and if you don't want to hurt the people who care about you, you're gonna have to deal with it. That's all I'm saying." Tracy stayed silent for a moment, giving Lisa a moment to think over what she had just said. When Tracy realized that Lisa did not have any more pending questions or comments, she shouted: "PLEDGE! STAND UP!" Lisa scrambled to her feet and was dismissed. ---------- Lisa went back downstairs with Tracy's psychoanalysis still ringing in her mind. The Pledge Mistress, in her usual blunt manner, had given Lisa a new perspective about herself. It had not been what she wanted to hear, but if Tracy was right, Lisa's problems grew out of a single weakness in her personality that she could combat, now that she had identified it. The conversation already had resolved an issue Lisa's life by settling her feelings towards Cherine. The temptation she had felt earlier in the evening had passed. Cherine was off-limits and Lisa was able to accept that. Lisa's feelings towards Kathleen also were settled, at least for the time being. Lisa felt committed to giving Kathleen a decent relationship, doing what she could to satisfy her needs, and using their time together to help her lover build up her confidence and self respect. The difficulty facing Lisa (and Kathleen) was that Lisa was not lesbian. She enjoyed sex with guys and usually men figured in her erotic fantasies much more than women. Her attraction to Kathleen began not because of sexual orientation, but because of the two women's personal circumstances and isolation from the outside world. Her attachment to Kathleen was still much more emotional than sexual. As for Kathleen, her emotional needs were clear. Her soul was starved for affection and she needed someone to care about her. However, her sexual needs were a different matter. Lisa suspected that she was in the same situation as Ken, not sure what her sexual needs were. Lisa knew that in high school she had been sexually active, but her partners always had been the type who had taken advantage of her desperation for love as an opportunity to have easy sex. Kathleen's experiences with guys were nothing but a collection of bitter memories of betrayals, and as a result her perception of men was very warped. Kathleen hated young men because nothing good had ever come out of them as far as she was concerned. However, did that make Kathleen gay, or was she just embittered against men due to her personal experiences? What would happen if she did meet a guy who treated her decently? Lisa pondered that question, because it was important for the future direction of her own life. In spite of her relationship with Kathleen, there was no way she wanted to give up sex and relationships with men. That night she had resolved to stay loyal to Kathleen, but that loyalty would only extend to encounters with other women. To deny herself the pleasure of sex with men was to deny part of who she was, and Lisa suspected that was not what Tracy wanted her to do. The issue of men brought her thoughts back to Ken. Lisa realized that she had been unfair to him, in spite of having plenty of reason to be angry at his deception throughout the spring semester. Lisa wanted to somehow atone for her unpleasant behavior and maintain a relationship with him, even if they ended up as just friends. The next time she saw him and had some time alone with him, somehow she would have to take the initiative to make up for her recent nastiness Lisa finally managed to go to sleep; satisfied that some of her questions had been resolved. As for her other personal issues, at least Tracy had helped her identify some of her weaknesses and now she could confront them. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 19 Chapter 19 - A hard lesson from Ruth Burnside The following day was Friday, the final day of the first week of classes and of the pledges' second week with the Four-Beta Sorority. At 5:30 the four young women got off their cots and prepared to go for the morning run. Tracy came downstairs, only to be pleasantly surprised that her charges already were up and getting ready for the morning PT. Still, their readiness did not spare them the usual morning slap on the bare bottom as they went past the Pledge Mistress to go upstairs. After the morning exercise, clean-up, breakfast, and assignment presentation, Tracy took her pledges to the university. She dropped off Lisa at Burnside's office and took the others to class. That morning Burnside was not in, but had left a note on the door that a key was with the receptionist. Lisa let herself in and locked the door behind her. She took off her clothes, hung them in the closet, and prepared to review the readings she had for class that day. Lisa managed to pay attention to her coursework for about 15 minutes. However, when the air conditioning came on and she felt the cool air blowing against her bare body, she was reminded of her unusual situation, sitting completely naked in her professor's office. The erotic feeling of being so exposed returned, and she found herself beginning to daydream. She moved to the professor's desk, imagining that she was Burnside. Or better yet, Dr. Lisa Campbell, the first naked professor in the United States of America. Professor Campbell, who never wore clothes in public, and whose trademark was lecturing and speaking in the nude. Dr. Campbell became the Dean of the School of Arts & Sciences and spoke at numerous commencement ceremonies. She was a well-known and respected economist, in great demand to appear on television and at conferences. She was very approachable, but any public appearance by Dr. Campbell had a condition. She had taken an oath never to wear clothes, so that need had to be accommodated by anyone issuing an invitation to speak. If she appeared at a commencement, she had to have a microphone not attached to a podium so her body could be fully visible to her listeners. If she appeared on television, the camera angle had to show her figure in its entirety, and absolutely no electronic censoring was permitted. Dr. Campbell's opinions and knowledge became more valued over time. She traveled to various international development summits and was called before Congress to testify in committee. As always, her demand that she appear naked needed to be respected and her exposed body became a familiar sight on Capitol Hill. She frequently spoke on national television, her nakedness contrasting with the dark suits of the politicians standing behind her... As that fantasy ran through her mind, Lisa's fingers explored her body and finally made their way to her vagina. Soon she was trembling with pleasure and her sweat saturating the smooth leather of her professor's desk chair. The room reeked of orgasm as she took her time pleasuring herself. Precisely as she was about to climax and was totally distracted, Lisa heard a key in the door's lock. Before she even had a chance to jump out of the chair, Ruth Burnside and Jim Halsey entered the back office. She scrambled to her feet and stood at attention, her face white with terror and embarrassment. Burnside was clearly infuriated. The student noticed the older woman's eyes looking over the sweat-covered leather on her chair. "Lisa, there is some leather cleaner and cleaning cloths in the cabinet in the outer office. I expect my chair to be cleaned properly. If the surface of that chair is damaged, you will be paying me to have it reupholstered." Without saying a word, Lisa rushed to the outer room to get the cleaner. Unfortunately, the door from the outer office to the main hallway was open and several passing students saw her before she had a chance to slam it shut. She grabbed the cleaner and cleaning cloth and ran back into the back office to attempt to salvage a piece of fine furniture that probably was worth $ 1,000. Lisa trembled with fright as she sprayed down the chair and began wiping it. Her body continued to drip sweat and the smell of her interrupted orgasm had not dissipated. After about five minutes of desperately cleaning, she looked up at the two professors, both of whom were standing watching her with crossed arms. Lisa continued to tremble as she stood at attention. She felt the cool air blowing against her very wet vulva and the exposure of her swollen vagina to the two senior professors. The two professors, meanwhile, moved a pair of chairs directly in front of Burnside's mortified student and sat down. It was Dr. Halsey who addressed her: "Young lady, that was quite an impressive performance you just gave us. I presume you were fantasizing about something?" "I...I...yes, sir...I...I mean, Dr. Halsey...I was fantasizing..." "Please do us the honor of describing your fantasy to us. We are interested. Take your time describing to us in depth your most secretive thoughts and leave out no detail. Please tell us what mental journey overrides the sanctity of Ruth's chair; a chair which, you might be interested to know, I presented to her to celebrate the fifth anniversary of her tenure." Lisa began trembling more visibly upon hearing Halsey's words. Oh, great! Not only is that chair worth a lot of money, it's a gift from Burnside's lover! Lisa continued to shake as she described her fantasy about being a famous and well-known economist, but spending her entire professional life completely in the nude. The fantasy's hold over Lisa did not diminish, even as she faced the utter humiliation of having to describe it to her professors while facing them naked with her legs spread and her hands behind her head. The fear she was enduring gave her a tremendous sexual rush, and even as her knees continued to tremble she felt a wave of sexual energy sweep through her crotch. Burnside was the next to speak: "My...my...my...I see that your fantasy really does have a hold on you. Yes, you certainly would look lovely in Washington, that nice figure of yours on the nightly news. Yes, you'd be the naked economist, the uncovered seeker of the truth, the trustworthy witness with nothing to hide. A lovely idea, Lisa. Very lovely indeed. Perhaps one worth pursuing." Burnside was not speaking sarcastically. It seemed that she really did like the idea of Lisa standing naked in front the news cameras of the entire nation. At that point Halsey's cell-phone rang. He glanced at it, kissed his lover goodbye, and left the room. As soon as he left, the mood in Burnside's office took a very strange turn. Burnside glanced at the chair and could see that it was none the worse for Lisa's perspiration. Fortunately the student's bank account would be spared the expense of reupholstering Halsey's gift. However, there remained the issues of her indecent behavior and her on-going state of arousal. Burnside knew Lisa well enough to understand there was no way she could go to her next class as sweaty and aroused as she was. She would have to be brought to orgasm and then shower off before going to class. Fortunately there were two hours before her next lecture so there was plenty of time to attend to the girl's needs. Burnside announced that Lisa was facing discipline for her indecent behavior in the office and her terrible act of disrespect. The professor gave her student a choice, either she could take discipline from her and nothing would be said to the Four-Beta Pledge Mistress, or she could wait until the evening and personally explain what had happened to Tracy, with the other three pledges present and listening. The choice was easy enough; Lisa would take her discipline from Burnside. The older woman nodded, took off her jacket, and sat down on the sofa. Lisa sighed with relief. So it would just be an over-the-lap hand spanking. Phew! A mere spanking she could handle. Burnside grabbed Lisa's wrist and pulled her over her lap. Lisa, still grateful that she only was facing a simple hand-spanking, settled across Burnside's thighs. The professor instructed Lisa to move forward a bit and tilt her bottom up. The younger woman obeyed as the professor slipped her hand between her legs. Lisa obediently spread her legs to better expose herself to her boss. Burnside always had enjoyed the sight of Lisa's bottom, which she found very attractive. Now that lovely bottom was submissively positioned, with her bottom-cheeks slightly bent and spread. Burnside gently massaged Lisa's backside, enjoying the sight and feel of her student's tanned skin and firm flesh. So lovely... While Lisa had gone over Burnside's lap expecting a simple spanking, the professor had much more in mind. Yes, there would be a spanking, but her intention to exert her authority over her student went way beyond a simple punishment. Burnside hoped to use Lisa's erotic fantasies and the weakness of her body to teach her a hard lesson. If Burnside so desired, she could use the girl's body to control her emotions and force her to completely surrender herself. Burnside continued to massage Lisa's bottom and thighs, using sensuous touches and light tickling with her fingertips until she noticed a subtle change in the young woman's posture. At first Lisa was very tensed up and nervous, but Burnside's experience in establishing control over other people's bodies allowed her to get the girl to relax, then finally to enjoy what was happening to her. "I want you to keep your fantasy in the forefront of your mind," noted the professor. "Think about maybe starting as early as today, proctoring my class with nothing on. That would be the very first act of your naked career. Imagine being exposed to an entire auditorium of students, all eyes focused on you as you hand out syllabuses. Doesn't that idea appeal to you?" It did, and the slight chance that Burnside might not be joking brought Lisa back to the edge of sexual arousal. . "Now, imagine yourself a couple of years in the future, teaching a seminar in the nude. Maybe by then the laws have changed and you're allowed to leave your clothes at home, or, better yet, you got special permission to always be naked while everyone else has to stay dressed." Lisa was very wet, and tilted her bottom up, desperately hoping Burnside would slip her fingers between her thighs and touch her... Burnside smiled. She had Lisa right where she wanted her. She teased Lisa's labia with the tip of her index finger as Lisa involuntarily tilted her hips even more, hoping that Burnside would touch her clitoris. "I'd bet you'd like a nice orgasm right now..." "I...yes...please..." "You're going to have to earn that orgasm, Lisa. I'm not just going to give it to you. You've got to earn it." "Dr. Burnside...please..." Burnside patted Lisa's bottom. "You stay in position and behave yourself, and I'll reward you when we're done." "Yes...Please..." With that Burnside began slapping Lisa's upturned bottom. At the beginning she did not spank very hard, just with enough force to put some pleasant heat and sting in the younger woman's eager bottom. She slapped more quickly than she would have slapped during a real punishment spanking, since her purpose was different from a normal punishment. She wanted Lisa to feel sensation in her bottom that came close to, but was not exactly, painful. Lisa's sweaty bottom continued to redden under the attention of her professor. The mounting heat and stinging in her backside was just enough to enhance her sexual arousal. Every so often the professor took a break from the spanking to tease Lisa's vulva, by lightly touching her labia or running her fingertip over her vagina, but the touches were just enough to torment Lisa and keep her state of arousal from diminishing. Burnside's goal was to keep her student as close to climax as possible for as long as possible. As Lisa's bottom reddened, Burnside began slapping much harder. The painful slaps only added to Lisa's feeling of sexual desperation and willingness to do anything to be allowed to climax. Burnside now had Lisa completely under her control as the heat and stinging became much more intense and erotic. Had Burnside started out spanking Lisa as hard as she was spanking her now, the girl's sexual arousal would have vanished because of the pain. However, Burnside knew how to gradually increase both the pain and the girl's sexual desires. SLAP!...SLAP!...SLAP!... After about 15 minutes the spanking was reaching its climax. Burnside took longer breaks to continue teasing Lisa between her thighs, pleased that her student was desperately spreading her legs and lewdly exposing herself as her posture silently pleaded the professor to satisfy her sexual desires. Lisa's desire for an orgasm filled her thoughts and canceled out any hint of dignity or self-control. She wanted that orgasm, and that was all she wanted. Burnside's fingertips sensuously explored Lisa's vulva, staying in contact with her labia and gently circling her vagina. Lisa's body trembled and she moaned with pleasure, as she relished the feel of the older woman's invasion of her most intimate area. Finally Burnside's fingertip touched Lisa's clitoris. At first the touch was tentative and light, but gradually Burnside's fingertip began massaging Lisa more seriously, with the intent of finally bringing her to orgasm. The younger woman bit her lip and groaned with delight as Burnside's fingertip worked its magic on her body. As the professor continued to massage Lisa's clitoris with her right hand, she ran her left hand over her back and bottom. Lisa climaxed, but Burnside was not done with her. She inserted her finger into Lisa's vagina, then again explored her labia and clitoris. The second orgasm was so good that she nearly passed out from the extreme pleasure. Lisa remained over Burnside's lap after she calmed down, too tired to have any desire to get up. The professor ran her thumb over Lisa's vulva to lubricate it, then touched the girl's bottom-hole several times with her wet thumb to prepare her for the final part of her lesson. Once Burnside was satisfied that both her thumb and Lisa's sphincter were adequately lubricated, she pushed it deep into Lisa's bottom-hole while penetrating her vagina with her index finger. Lisa, who was just starting to come to her senses, gasped at the professor's new intrusion into her body. Burnside's thumb and fingertip worked their way in deeper and pressed together inside Lisa. The sensation was strange and somewhat sinister. Combined with her sore bottom and exhausted muscles, the firm grip inside Lisa's body gave her the feeling that she had completely lost any control over her existence. Burnside knew what she was thinking, because the sensation her student was experiencing was exactly what she had wanted her to experience. "Lisa, I have a question for you. Between us, who do you think is in charge?" "You, Dr. Burnside." "That's right. I am the one who's in charge. I expect you to remember that. Whenever we are in the same room together, I want you to remember that I am capable of controlling you. I know how to take over your body and use it against you. I've just demonstrated that, haven't I?" "Yes, Dr. Burnside." "Now, whenever I tell you to do something, what's going to happen?" "I'm gonna do it...and not question your authority, Dr. Burnside." "Very good, Lisa. That's what I want to hear." With that Burnside pulled her fingers out of Lisa's body and ordered her to stand up. Lisa, her body covered in sweat, her muscles sore from her orgasm, and her bottom sore from the spanking, was unsteady on her feet for the first few seconds she was off her professor's lap. Burnside ordered Lisa to go into the outer room, get some wet wipes, and to "clean your shit off my hand". Lisa complied, getting the wet wipes and returning to the sofa where her professor was sitting. She knelt and cleaned the older woman's hand as best she could. Burnside sat back with satisfaction, pleased at the relative ease with which she had managed to "tame" her new student aide. As soon as Burnside's hand was as clean as Lisa could get it, the professor handed her a robe and a key to the bathroom used by tenured faculty women. The bathroom had a shower, which would allow the student to wash off the residue of her very strange morning and make herself presentable for class. She handed Lisa a towel and her Four-Beta uniform and escorted her down the hallway of the Economics Department. The bathroom was hidden at the end of a small side entrance next to a conference room. Burnside decided to go into the bathroom with Lisa so she could properly wash her hands. Once the professor was satisfied her hands were clean, she unceremoniously left Lisa to return to her office. She still needed to change her skirt, which was stained with her student's sweat and juices from her recent arousal. Lisa showered as quickly as she could and put her uniform back on. She discovered to her dismay that the redness from Burnside's spanking extended down the tops of her thighs and was not completely hidden by her shorts. Anyone walking behind her would be able to see enough of the redness to tell that she recently had been spanked. She hoped that the color would fade within an hour or so, but doubted that her skin could recover before she had to go out in public to make her first class. Lisa looked at herself in the mirror, still badly shaken from her morning's experience from the professor. There was no question that, in theory, what Burnside had just done to her was very illegal. Had Lisa wanted, she could have turned in the professor to the university administration, formally accused her of sexual assault, and had her dismissed from her position. However, Lisa, Burnside, and the Four-Beta sorority all knew there was no way that was going to happen. The professor held the key to Lisa's future, because she had given her student a job that most sophomores could only dream of getting. Any attempt to destroy her professor's career would destroy her own prospects as well. Burnside's association with the Four-Beta Sorority and her leadership in the local S&M scene made her a vital presence in Lisa's social life as well as her academic life. There was a much more personal reason why Lisa never would turn on Burnside for inflicting discipline on her. Her personality and sexual tastes were too close to those of the professor for her to see anything morally wrong with her mentor's behavior. Burnside chose Lisa to be her assistant precisely because the two women viewed the world in much the same way, preferring to handle problems through private discipline rather than airing them through the legal system. The professor and her student already had a verbal agreement that any problems between them would be settled through physical discipline. Lisa had agreed to accept what had just happened to her when she accepted Burnside's job offer. Anyone who knew Burnside very well knew that any person working under her could expect to endure physical discipline at some point in their employment. An occasional sore butt was simply part of the reality of working for Dr. Ruth Burnside. Apart from the understanding that physical discipline was simply part of her work expectations, there was another reason why there was no chance Lisa would ever would object to the way she had been treated. There was a very strong erotic component to both women's personalities, which made Lisa willing to accept Burnside's way of handling her and sexually dominating her. There were things about human nature that Burnside knew that Lisa wanted to learn from her, the most important of which was how to use a combination of fear, eagerness to please, pain, and sexual reward to control other people. The fact that Burnside, through the right combination of guilt, fear, pain, and touching, had so completely taken control of Lisa's body for a few minutes frightened her, but at the same time fascinated her. She wanted to learn how to do that, to use her partners' physical and emotional weaknesses to completely control them. Burnside had that knowledge, and if Lisa proved herself worthwhile, the professor would gladly share her knowledge with her student. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 19 That morning, however, Burnside's main purpose was to make Lisa clearly understand who controlled their relationship. Lisa suspected that her professor had been waiting for an opportunity to impose her will, and the masturbation incident provided her with the perfect justification to do something she was planning to do anyway. As soon as the door opened and Lisa was caught masturbating, she expected to be punished. If anything, she expected the physical punishment to be much more severe, perhaps a caning or a series of strokes from the professor's dreaded Danubian police switch. However, what Burnside wanted to accomplish that morning was not to flog Lisa, but instead to use the chair incident to establish her dominance over the girl's sexuality. She wanted to make Lisa understand that around her professor she had no rights, not even those pertaining to her own body. Lisa picked up her robe and towel after wiping down the shower as best she could. She stepped into the hallway and returned to Burnside's office, very grateful classes were in session and the hallway was empty. What a day, she thought to herself, what a day. And I haven't even gone to my first class yet. ---------- A few minutes later Lisa was walking behind Burnside, wheeling the cart full of lecture supplies to the adjacent building. As before, her shorts worked their way up her bottom, exposing the lower part of her buttocks. The pinkness from the spanking was fading, but still quite visible. The red "B's" on the bottom of her shorts made a point to everyone around her that was accentuated by the pink skin of her bottom and upper thighs. Lisa noticed everyone, male and female, looking at her as she went by. The erotic nature of Lisa's personality re-surfaced at that moment. She decided not to bother trying to pull down the back of her shorts to cover her buttocks. With every step she took more and more of her spanked bottom came into public view, drawing more and more attention from the courtyard full of students. Lisa noticed that several of the guys had erections under their pants or shorts. A surge of arousal swept through her as she remembered her fantasy, the one that had gotten her spanked in the first place. At that moment she wished she could have been completely naked, her bare body and spanked bottom totally exposed to the university. Anyhow, with her shorts pushed up into the crack of her bottom and an entire courtyard of incredulous students staring at her partially exposed backside, Lisa had come about as close to her fantasy as she could get without risking arrest for indecent exposure. Upon entering the building Lisa sighed and pulled her shorts back down to cover her bottom. Her moment of fun and exposure was over, and now it was time for her to earn her paycheck. She took on a much more subdued attitude as she walked up and down the rows of freshmen students collecting assignments. While Burnside lectured, Lisa was responsible for checking them off against the class roster. Upon returning to Burnside's office she would be responsible for grading them. When the two women returned to Burnside's office that afternoon, the professor addressed her as though the incident in the morning had never taken place. Fortunately the desk chair had dried out and was not stained. Lisa had been properly punished, so there was no point in making any further issue out of her behavior in the morning. Lisa had to strip and stand at attention while talking to the professor, but once she had been given instructions for the afternoon, she quietly sat at her desk and began to work. Burnside also sat down to work, making some final preparations for the first midterm examination in one of her classes. When Tracy came by with the three freshmen in the afternoon, Lisa was nervous about what Burnside might say about what had happened that morning. When the Pledge Mistress asked the professor how Pledge Lisa had performed that day, the professor responded: "There was an issue with Pledge Lisa's behavior this morning, and I had to discipline her. It's written up in the daily summary report on this diskette. However, I want you to understand that I resolved the problem and I want there to be no further repercussions against Pledge Lisa. The incident was settled to my satisfaction and we need to move on." "OK, Dr. Burnside. No problem. I'll note that you disciplined her, but I can leave out the details in the final entry if you're satisfied she doesn't need any further punishment." "Good. If she needs anything more, I'll take care of it. We'll keep it out of her records." With that Burnside handed Lisa over to Tracy. Lisa knelt to acknowledge the transfer of custody. She put on her pledge uniform and knelt next to her companions. "PLEDGES! STAND UP!" The four young women scrambled to their feet and left the building with their Pledge Mistress. As they walked off campus they began sweating under the oppressive heat of the late afternoon. By the time they returned the sorority house, their T-shirts were soaked with sweat and they were glad to put their smelly clothes in the wash. Tracy stripped alongside the others and made a very welcome announcement: "It's pool-time, ladies. I think a hot walk like that deserves a good swim, don't you?" "Yes, ma'am!" The Pledge Mistress Ch. 20 Chapter 20 - In Tracy's defense Following dinner and clean-up the sorority held its weekly members' meeting. Attending the meeting was mandatory for all members, but it was mostly a relaxed and informal affair. The women either could sit on the floor or grab a folding chair from the storage area. Most of the members simply sat on the floor, not wanting to hassle with pulling out a chair. Clothing in the room ranged from formal dresses, to shorts and T-shirts, to nothing. Some of the women planned to go out on dates immediately after the meeting and were dressed in their best clothes. Others were getting ready to go out exercising or to walk back to campus and were more casually dressed. A few women who had just come in from the pool or the patio area had not bothered to get dressed at all, and entered the room with nothing but a towel to sit on. The pledges, of course, were naked. Lisa noticed three other naked Four-Betas nervously sitting in chairs near the speaker's podium. Lisa wondered what was going on with them, because normally they were not among the women Lisa was used to seeing running around the house with nothing on. Lisa's question was answered when President Alexandra took her position at the speaker's podium and announced that the sorority had three "birthday girls" that week, three women who had a birthday within the past seven days. The three naked sorority members stepped forward while the entire room sang "Happy Birthday" to them. As the rest of the sorority sang, the Four-Beta social director snapped several pictures of the blushing "birthday girls". The sorority had a tradition that anyone celebrating a birthday had to receive a birthday spanking in her birthday suit, which was why the three women were not wearing anything. As soon as the singing concluded, President Alexandra sat down on a hard-backed chair to perform one of the more fun duties of her position. The first of the three women went over her lap, an attractive blond member called Annette. Alexandra patted Annette's bottom and loudly asked: "How many years, ladies?" "Twenty, President Alexandra!" "Excellent! Twenty years, and one to grow on!" SLAP! Seventy women responded by cheering: "ONE!" SLAP! "TWO!" SLAP! "THREE..." President Alexandra spanked Annette a total of 21 times, 20 for each year, concluding with the traditional extra "to grow on". Annette's friends took several pictures of her while still over the president's lap, and then had her pose with them for several group shots. The spanking was no big deal and Annette certainly seemed no worse for her experience as she bantered with her friends and wiggled her pink bottom in front of the camera. The performance was repeated on the other two "birthday girls", first a spanking from the sorority president and then posing for pictures with the dressed members of the sorority. Once all three spankings were completed and anyone who wanted a picture of the "birthday girls" had one, the three women stood at the front of the room to be formally presented with their birthday presents from the sorority; silver necklaces with the sorority emblem. The necklaces were made from pure silver and looked quite expensive. The three "birthday girls" posed together wearing their necklaces and nothing else, for the official photo celebrating the completion of one more year of their lives. Once the cheering stopped and the three "birthday girls" joined their fellow sorority members in the audience, President Alexandra turned over the podium to her officers. Each officer had a few announcements, mostly items related to the upkeep of the house or academic issues. The social director spoke at length about several summer hikes and camping trips, including one to be held the following weekend with the Tri-Alphas. The hike was counted among the pledge tests, but more so for the male pledges than the females, because the males had to carry backpacks. The sorority and fraternity members would hike 12 miles on Saturday, camp overnight in a remote area, then spend Sunday hiking back. The Pledge Mistress interjected to the four newcomers: "Next week you'll need to break in your hiking boots, so I'll be having you wear them on campus. If you don't, you might get blisters on the hike." The Social Director continued by mentioning an event at the end of June called the "Skins and Shirts Ball", that was a formal dance held each semester with the Tri-Alphas. Why it was called the "Skins and Shirts Ball" became evident when she explained to the pledges that before the ball each semester there was a wager between the Four-Betas and the Tri-Alphas. The losing side had to go to the ball naked, while the winners attended in formal clothing. The previous spring it had been the Four-Betas who lost the bet, and thus the entire membership of the sorority suffered the indignity of having to dine, dance, and be photographed in the nude next to their formally dressed male partners. Lisa had an ominous feeling concerning the "Skins and Shirts Ball" and why it was being brought up in front of the four pledges. A bet, huh? What kind of bet? The Social Director continued: "I think we've already got some good wagers for the fall and spring semesters, and we've been trying to come up with a good one for the summer. I've discussed it with Social Director Phil of the Tri-Alphas, and the idea we came up with this year is a naked scavenger hunt for the pledges. Our pledges versus theirs." It was obvious everyone in the room liked the idea. "Here's what we thought we ought to do. We'll be aiming to do the hunt Sunday night. You know that Stacy..." (who was one of the Four-Beta sophomores) "...has a job at the library and can get us in after it closes. John Walton has a job at the Student Memorial Center, and Bob's still instructing at the gym. That gives us at least three campus buildings where we can set up, and Dr. Ruth Burnside told us she might be able to open up the Economics Department for us after midnight. If she can do that and we go with Sunday night, we'll have four buildings to run around in plus all of Old Campus." The four pledges had a very sinking feeling. Bubbling with enthusiasm, the Social Director continued: "Now here's the really great part! Phil talked to Sergeant Polk from Campus Security, and Sunday night they're planning on doing a huge parking enforcement operation in the dorm area. What that means is, (and this is a big secret) Campus Security is gonna be completely tied up towing cars out of the dorm lots all Sunday night. We can do what we want on Old Campus because Campus Security is gonna leave us alone! In fact, Arnold told them that if they let us do the scavenger hunt, we can keep an eye on Old Campus for them and they can concentrate on the dorm lots. So, what do you guys think?" All of the women in the room, minus the four pledges, cheered at the idea. A member of the junior class raised her hand. "I move we vote to make the pledges do the naked scavenger hunt!" "Does anyone second that motion?" Several hands went up. "OK, Lets put it to a vote. Everyone in favor of doing the scavenger hunt raise her hand!" Every woman in the room, with the exception of Tracy and the four pledges, raised her hand. "Anyone against?" The four pledges did not have the right to vote, so no hands went up against the idea. Pledge Mistress Tracy abstained. President Alexandra's voice bellowed out: "Pledge Mistress Tracy!" "Yes, President Alexandra!" "You are directed to properly prepare your pledges for Sunday night's scavenger hunt! I am holding you personally accountable for their success!" "Yes, President Alexandra!" ---------- When the meeting ended, Tracy ordered the pledges to accompany her into the pledge room. It surprised none of them that her temper suddenly seemed much sharper, now she was to be held accountable if her group lost the scavenger hunt and the Four-Betas had to attend the "Skins and Shirts" ball in the nude. Lisa could see that her hands were shaking slightly. At that moment she saw the Pledge Mistress as very human, a woman who was quite nervous about the difficult task that had been thrust upon her. Prepare her pledges for an all-night scavenger hunt on campus in the nude. Now, how in the hell was she supposed to do that? Lisa realized there was one way Tracy could prepare the group. If the pledges spent the next two days completely familiarizing themselves with Old Campus and the four buildings they were likely to be exploring, their chances of searching efficiently and maximizing their time would be greatly improved. It would be especially helpful to systematically explore the area at night and even practice looking for things and running back and forth in the darkness. As the other members of the pledge group gathered up their coursework to prepare for the mandatory two hours of nightly studying, Lisa approached the Pledge Mistress, knelt, and requested permission to speak. She instinctively knew it would be better to approach the sorority officer when the others were not around, because Tracy usually treated her much differently when they were alone. Tracy listened to Lisa's idea with interest, especially her suggestion that the pledges explore Old Campus at night. She responded: "Very well, Pledge Lisa. You've thought this thing through quicker than I have. A night exercise and dry runs. OK. When study time is over, I'm taking you out for some punishment PT." "Ma'am...what...?" "That's how I'm gonna justify getting you out of the sorority house. A couple of the girls want the Triple-A's to win, so they're gonna be watching us to see what we're doing to get ready. Anything they see us doing is gonna get reported to their Pledge Master, so I gotta make it look like I'm pissed off at you about something else and not worried about Sunday night. Get upstairs and study, but don't say anything. At 10:00 I'll have your uniforms ready. When you come back downstairs I'm gonna need to be a bit rough on you, but then we're leaving." "Yes, ma'am." Lisa took a deep breath as she went upstairs, fully regretting making the suggestion to Tracy. Apparently the only reward she was going to get out of her effort to help was being yelled at and then a sleepless night running around Old Campus. No, there was no way she was going to say anything to the others. The last thing she wanted was for them to know that it was her dumb idea that was going to make the weekend very miserable for the entire group. After two hours of studying the four tired pledges went downstairs. The freshmen were fully expecting to go to bed. Lisa knew that wasn't going to happen, at least not for several hours. Sure enough, the pledges' jogging uniforms were laid out on their cots and the Pledge Mistress was waiting for them wearing a jogging outfit and a furious expression. The pledges immediately dropped to their knees. Tracy waved a sheet of paper, pointed at her own face, and asked: "Is this the expression of a happy woman?" "No, ma'am." "That's right, ladies, this is not the face of a happy woman! This is the face of a woman with a CASE OF THE ASS! And do you know why I have a case of the ass?" "No, ma'am." "Well, I'll tell you! Your PT improvement scores SUCK! What the fuck are you doing to me? You're supposed to be improving, and all I see is SHIT! All I see is a bunch of lazy bitches who don't give a fuck about exercising! What the fuck is wrong with you? Don't you care about fitness? Don't you care about your body?" "Yes, ma'am, we care." "Oh, so now you arrogant little freshmen are arguing with me! How nice! GET IN THE FRONT-LEANING REST POSITION -- NOW!" The four women scrambled to get into the standard push-up position. Lisa glanced up at the Pledge Mistress, who in turn kept looking towards the door of the pledge room. Suddenly it occurred to Lisa that something more was going on than what Tracy had told her earlier in the evening. The pledges tired themselves out doing several sets of military-style four-count pushups, and then Lisa looked up to notice that Sergeant-at-Arms Heather was standing at the door. Standing next to her was a junior who happened to be dating one of the Tri-Alpha officers. As soon as the two women went upstairs, Tracy immediately ordered the pledges to "recover" and put on their jogging uniforms. A strange coincidence, if that's what it was. Apparently Tracy was hazing the pledges precisely so Heather could see her. As soon as Heather was out of sight, the hazing stopped. Lisa became even more convinced there was much more going on with the scavenger hunt than what Tracy had been willing to tell her. As Tracy continued to scream her guts out, the pledges desperately put on their uniforms and scrambled up the stairs. "You're gonna improve those PT scores! If I have to run you all night, every night, I'll make you improve! You are NOT gonna be Four-Betas with your PT scores the way they are! Now, MOVE-MOVE-MOVE!" The pledges scrambled out the front door ahead of their Pledge Mistress. As Tracy continued to yell at them on the sidewalk, the five women ran away from the direction of the university, turned a corner and disappeared onto another side street. When the group had run to a small park about four blocks away from the Four-Beta house, Tracy suddenly calmed down. She led the pledges to some bushes and pulled out a backpack containing five dark T-shirts and five pairs of shorts. She passed out the new sets of clothing and ordered everyone to change. She took the pledges' Four-Beta clothes and stuffed them in the backpack along with her own. Then Tracy did something truly shocking. She pulled out a large thermos of soda and passed out some paper cups. The pledges gratefully accepted the unexpected treat, because normally Four-Beta pledges were not allowed to drink soda. The soda completely changed the mood of the group and mentally prepared the younger women for what was about to follow. Tracy explained that both Friday and Saturday night she and the pledges would conduct what she called a "recon" of Old Campus. They would look for likely hiding spots, memorize where everything was, and identify escape routes and concealment if they were pursued by either the police or Campus Security. On Saturday and Sunday they would walk around to see the same area during daylight. Of course, during the day they would not be able to disguise themselves and thus could not be too obvious about what they were doing. Anyhow, the nighttime exploration was much more important, because the scavenger hunt would be at night. "By Sunday night you're gonna know Old Campus better than you know the Four-Beta House, and we're gonna win this thing." The pledges were not about to argue with Tracy's logic, even if it meant less sleep over the weekend. They were aware there would be hell to pay if they lost the scavenger hunt. The three freshmen, however, were still very angry at their Pledge Mistress because of the way they had been treated before they came out to the park. Looking around Old Campus at night made perfect sense, but why did Tracy have to be so mean to them back at the sorority house? What did that have to do with winning the scavenger hunt? Lisa, meanwhile, partly understood what was going on and was becoming very worried about Tracy's behavior around Heather. Whenever the Pledge Mistress was around Heather, she became Psycho-Bitch, but whenever Heather was not nearby she behaved much more normally. It was obvious that she felt the need to "perform" for Heather, and her behavior in the pledge room that night was simply a more extreme example of something Lisa already had noticed. Lisa also wondered about the secrecy of Tracy's plan to familiarize the pledges with Old Campus. Having the pledges memorize the layout of Old Campus made perfect sense, so why would she need to hide it from the sorority's other officers? Was there a rivalry or fight between Heather and Tracy? Would that dispute eventually require the pledges to take sides? Or worse yet, was it possible that "the couple of girls" who wanted the fraternity to win were actually Heather and that junior? If so, that was a very scary thought; the knowledge the Four-Beta Sergeant-at-Arms was spying on them and could not be trusted. Lisa remembered her first impression of Heather, that she did not like her. It seemed to Lisa that something about Heather's personality wasn't quite right. Tracy's caution around her seemed to confirm Lisa's unease about the Sergeant-at-Arms' trustworthiness. ---------- Tracy and the pledges walked a route towards Old Campus that bypassed Fraternity Row and the businesses on Pageant Street. The women slipped across the street and began wandering around the tree-lined sidewalks and century-old buildings as their eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness. Tracy began by having her group systematically find and count the windowsills, stairwells, and side entrances to all of the old buildings. They moved around the trees and bushes, identifying potential hiding places, and then explored the fishpond behind the University Alumni Clubhouse. The women compared their observations to campus maps, measured distances between buildings, and practiced running along the dark sidewalks. They identified all of the newspaper racks, bulletin boards, and public phones, as well as finding all the dumpsters and recycling bins. Finally, Tracy put two dollars into a soda machine and asked each member of her group what she wanted. For the second time that night, the pledges indulged themselves in the illicit pleasure of soda-drinking. Tracy then led her group to explore the outside of the four buildings they would likely have to enter Sunday night. The pledges familiarized themselves with the outsides of the buildings and their surroundings. The following day they would spend on campus, eating at the Student Memorial Center, checking out books from the library, and working out at the gym. They would spend most of the day inside the three buildings making sure they knew where everything was located. As for the Economics Building, Tracy took it for granted that if it were included in the scavenger hunt, Lisa would be leading the forays inside. It was nearly 2:00 a.m. when the group left campus and returned to the park near the Four-Beta house. The women stripped in the darkness and put on their Four-Beta clothing. Tracy stashed her backpack in the bushes and ordered the group to do some pushups to build up some sweat, and then to start running back to the sorority house. "Pledge Lisa!" "Yes, ma'am!" "Call cadence!" "Yes, ma'am!" Following Lisa's lead, the women started clapping and chanting: "Left...right...left-right-left!" "Left...right...left-right-left!" "Runnin' that midnight Four-Beta left!" "Runnin' that midnight Four-Beta left!" "I don't wanna be no drunken fat-bitch!" "I don't wanna be no drunken fat-bitch!" "I don't wanna party 'till I puck!" "I don't wanna party 'till I puck..." ---------- The pledges returned to their room totally exhausted and covered in sweat. Their first priority was showering, and the second priority was a good drink of cold water. The freshmen were utterly perplexed at what had happened with the Pledge Mistress: the hazing, having to go on campus in disguise, and most of all, the soda. If the Pledge Mistress was such an odious bitch, why would she let them drink soda, and in fact buy it for them? That didn't make any sense. Once they all had showered and were sipping on water, Lisa called her group together and whispered: "I don't want any of you to talk about what we did tonight. If anyone asks, just tell them that Tracy was dogging us in the park because she was pissed about our PT scores. That's it. You cannot tell anyone we were on campus." The Pledge Mistress Ch. 20 "But...why not? Wouldn't they want us to get ready?" "I don't know. But I have a feeling the Triple-A's aren't gonna have their guys explore the campus like we just did, which is why Tracy wants to keep what we're doing a secret. We're gonna know where everything is. They won't, and that's gonna let us win." Bernadette, as always, expressed her skepticism. "Lisa, this is totally crazy. I still think that..." "Yes, it's crazy, but I have a suspicion I know what's going on." "Then what is it?" "I'll tell you later, once I'm sure myself. But I will tell you this. We need to trust Tracy, because she's the only officer in this sorority who actually cares about us." Lisa noticed the disbelieving reaction on her companions' faces and continued: "I'm not asking you to like her. I'm asking you to trust her judgment." "That's easy for you to say. You do like her. Of course you'd trust her. I can't stand her." Exasperated with the argument, Lisa finally countered: "Look. We've been here nearly two weeks, and we've had a lot of shit thrown at us. Now, who's been doing most of it?" "Tracy." "Exactly. Tracy. Now I want you to think about something. The other officers have all left us alone, except for Heather. I don't think it's occurred to any of you that maybe it's because of Tracy that we're not being bothered by anybody else. You guys ever think about that? We have one person dogging us instead of the entire sorority. If you think things are bad now, imagine what'd they be like if we had the whole sorority on top of us. Tracy has to treat us the way she does so the others will leave us alone." Lisa paused to let her companions think about what she had just said. None of them responded. Annoyed by their silence, Lisa emphasized her point. "There's something else. Before you're so quick to hate her, let me ask you: who was it who got us those two nights in the guest room? Tracy. Who is it who gets us a few minutes in the pool whenever she can so we can relax? Tracy. Who is it who sits up in the library every night after we go to bed writing up our training packets? Tracy. Who was it who bought us cokes when they're prohibited? Tracy. Who is it who's giving up her weekend so we don't lose the scavenger hunt and get out asses whipped? Tracy. So, guess what? I'm really not interested in hearing you guys bitch about what a rotten person Tracy is." The three freshmen were taken aback by the forcefulness of Lisa's defense of the Pledge Mistress. Her anger was genuine and her companions realized that any further negative thoughts they had about Tracy were best left unspoken. "Let's go to bed. We got a long weekend ahead of us." With that Lisa went straight to sleep, for once not troubled by the confused thoughts that normally kept her awake. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 21 Chapter 21 - Tracy's strategy After the pledges had slept only four hours, Tracy stormed into the pledge room with her usual: "OK, sleeping beauties! UP-UP-UP! Let's go...let's go...let's go!" Lisa was so tired that she had largely forgotten the sympathy she had expressed towards the Pledge Mistress only a few hours before. However, with a groan she got out of her cot and immediately felt the sharp sting of a hard slap on her unprotected backside. What made matters worse was a cold look from Bernadette that clearly stated: OK, Lisa, so you still feel the same way about this bitch that you did last night? Because the pledges had upper-body PT with the sophomores, they only had to put on their shoes and socks. It was apparent that Tracy would be leading the exercise group, because she was dressed in the same manner as the pledges, completely naked except her shoes and socks. As soon as they had used the toilet and brushed their teeth, the sleepy pledges knelt in a row as their mentor strutted back and forth just like an officer from one of those old World War II movies. They were too tired to see the humor in their situation, their sharp-tempered Pledge Mistress moving about as though she were a naked drill sergeant. Momentarily the group would have to go upstairs for morning PT, but Tracy wanted to lay out what was happening during the rest of the day. "We've got house clean-up today. The whole house, and guess what? The Triple-A's aren't bringing their pledges over like they were supposed to, so it's just us. When I say 'us', I'm including myself, because we just can't be spending the whole day doing the house. I still want to get you guys over to the library to study after lunch, so we need to have the cleaning done before noon. After PT we got a very busy morning ahead of us." After PT, showering, and breakfast, President Alexandra rounded up the sophomores and juniors for a mandatory sorority trip to the library. The trip served two purposes: first to force everyone to study for at least several hours that weekend, and second, to clear the house so the pledges could clean it more easily. The seniors were not required to go to the library, but they were expected either to leave the house or completely stay out of the common areas. After she cleaned up, Tracy returned downstairs carrying a clipboard and wearing nothing but pair of work shoes. That surprised the pledges, because she was among the more conservative members of the sorority and normally undressed only for PT and swimming. However, because she was to participate in the house cleaning, she felt that it was necessary to comply with the rule about the pledge uniform, i.e. that while in the house pledges could not wear any clothing. The Pledge Mistress made it very clear that the only concern on her mind at that moment was doing the clean-up as quickly as possible. She was not interested in having any of the pledges show initiative or memorize anything out of the cleaning manual. Instead she organized the clean-up herself, ordering Lisa and Cherine to clean the bathrooms and sweep upstairs while taking Bernadette and Kathleen outside to do yard work. Tracy immediately pulled out a lawn mower from the tool shed, checked the gas, and began jerking on the cord to get it started. When she noticed the two freshmen staring at her, she snapped: "Get started on that hedge, unless you want to push this mower around instead of having me do it!" Lisa looked out a bathroom window to see Tracy behind the mower while Bernadette and Kathleen were working on one of the hedges. She began to wonder if the clean-up had been something the Pledge Mistress had not anticipated, something thrust upon her at the last minute. Were that true, was it possible it was Heather who had ordered Tracy to clean up the house? Was it possible that the promised help from the male pledges had been canceled because Heather had told the fraternity not to bring the guys over? Bernadette's hostility towards Tracy was tempered by seeing her at work in the yard. Tracy took all of the most difficult jobs for herself, because she was the one who edged after mowing and then dealt with chlorinating the pool. As the two freshmen finished their trimming, Tracy came by with a bag and rake to clean up, while ordering the two younger women to get started on the kitchen. Bernadette noticed Tracy sweating as she worked, a detail that motivated her to work harder once she went inside. As Tracy scrubbed down the garden furniture, the pledges finished up the kitchen under Lisa's direction. Tracy took out a ladder and yelled at Kathleen to hold it while she hosed the windows. Lisa snapped at her two remaining companions to "keep moving". Bernadette glanced out the window at the frantic Pledge Mistress. "What's going on with her? Why's she gone off the deep end with this clean-up?" "We weren't supposed to be doing this, that's why. The Triple-A's were supposed to have their pledges come over, and guess what? They're not here, and that's messed up her plans for us. She wanted to take us to the library this morning so we could look around, and she's still trying to make sure we can get over there today. That's why she's gone off the deep end, as you say it! Now, you move your ass so we can get out of here!" Incredibly, after only three hours, the training group had the entire house cleaned to inspection standards. While the freshmen showered, Tracy and Lisa conducted the walk-through and corrected a few minor deficiencies. Tracy signed the cleaning log and ordered Lisa to get her companions dressed into their uniforms and ready to "move out!" Lisa noticed Tracy seemed to calm down considerably once the group was safely in the library. The freshmen had expected to be told to study, but Tracy passed out lists of books she wanted them to find and bring to her. The books covered every topic imaginable and came from every single shelf in the building. As soon as the pledges presented the books to her, Tracy ordered her charges to return to where they got the items and reshelf them. At first the exercise seemed extremely stupid, but the pledges later realized that Tracy wanted them to memorize how the library's entire collection was organized. For example, if they needed to find a book about pig farming, they would know that the agronomy books were located on the third floor on shelves 3-H through 3-J. Already it was late afternoon when the women left the library. The next stop was the Student Memorial Center. The pledges had some juice and fruit salad before being ordered to explore the building. They had a very good piece of fortune when they came across an alumnus guide leading a group of parents through the center. The pledges joined the group and received a guided tour, complete with trivia and explanations about the building and its history. The final stop was the University Fitness Center. The five women signed in and toured the weight rooms, squash courts, and aerobics rooms. Tracy actually ordered her group to do a round of exercises on all the machines, passed out fresh T-shirts and towels, and directed the pledges to go into the women's locker room and shower. All the while Lisa noticed her looking around, as though worried about who might be watching what she was doing. Just before the sun began to set, Tracy led her group through Old Campus to let her pledges see the same area during the day that they had seen the previous night. As dusk settled and the university got darker, the women continued walking around to see how the area compared during daylight and when it was dark. They finished around midnight. When they finally left campus to return to the sorority house, Lisa and her companions had memorized in detail the area set aside for the scavenger hunt the following night. The group walked along the detour that by-passed Pageant Street and Fraternity Row. As they approached the park where they had changed the previous night, Tracy frantically whispered: "Behind the bushes! Quick!" The five women hid just in time to hear Heather's voice coming up the sidewalk, accompanied by the sound of a man's voice crying and the crack-crack-crack of a leather riding crop hitting bare skin. "Come-on, you fucking little wimp!" Crack! "Ohh...hoo...please..." Crack! "Don't you 'please' me, you pathetic little shit! Now, keep running! The next time you stop without my permission, it'd better because you're having a fucking heart attack!" Crack! Crack! "Ow!" "Here! In the park! Let's give your legs a rest and have you do some push-ups!" While Tracy and her group held their breaths and watched from the darkness, Heather forced the fattest member of the Tri-Alpha pledge group to struggle through several sets of pushups. He seemed already knocked out from his exertions, his sweaty naked body trembling from fright and fatigue as she continued to savagely flog him with the riding crop. Lisa noticed one interesting detail about the pledge: that he was somewhat thinner than he had been the previous week. Heather forced her unhappy companion to exercise until he was barely able to move. As he lay on his back gasping for air, the Four-Beta Sergeant-at-Arms astounded her hidden audience by pulling off her running shorts and squatting to piss in the grass, right in front of prostrate victim. In the darkness the pledges could tell that he was watching her with alarm. Apparently he knew what was coming next and what would be expected of him momentarily. "OK, fat-bitch, you know the drill. Get on your knees. Clean me up and make me come!" Heather placed her shorts on the ground under her bottom and lay back in the grass with her legs spread. The male pledge obediently moved between her thighs and began licking, first to properly clean the sweat and urine off her vulva, and then to give her an orgasm. She came very quickly. It was obvious the orgasm was no big deal to her; that its main purpose was to establish her dominance over him as opposed to giving her real pleasure. She climaxed, casually put on her shorts, and stood up. She savagely struck him across the thigh. "OK, blubber-boy! UP! Let's see about running some more of that fat off of you!" She slammed the riding crop against his bare bottom a couple of times as they exited the park. Lisa heard Cherine comment: "Jesus H...he isn't that fat..." Tracy drew a deep breath, partly out of relief that her group had not been caught by the Sergeant-at-Arms, but mostly from the distress that her pledges had seen something she wished they had not seen. Once the Pledge Mistress was sure that Heather and her victim were out of ear-shot, she shouted: "OK, Let's move out! Quick step, move!" As the pledges began running, Tracy's voice barked out: "Pledge Bernadette!" "Yes, ma'am!" "Call cadence!" Following Bernadette's lead, the women started clapping and chanting: "Left...right...left-right-left!" "Left...right...left-right-left!" "Runnin' that midnight Four-Beta left!" "Runnin' that midnight Four-Beta left..." ---------- The pledges returned to their cots and collapsed from exhaustion. They were not at all reassured by what had happened to them that day, nor by the knowledge that apparently Tracy did not fully trust the other officers of the sorority. Bernadette in particular was very uneasy over what she had seen. She now suspected what Lisa already knew: that there was a rivalry or on-going fight between Tracy and Heather and that the Sergeant-at-Arms was not supportive of the Pledge Mistress. Bernadette's dislike of Tracy had led her to wonder how she could side with Heather and perhaps ingratiate herself at the expense of Lisa and Tracy. Her hatred of the Pledge Mistress had led her to assume that anyone plotting against Tracy could count on her support, that "the enemy of my enemy is my friend". However, watching Heather's treatment of that male pledge in the park frightened Bernadette and made her question whether Tracy was really as bad as she had assumed. Bernadette glanced at Lisa. She disliked Lisa almost as much as she disliked Tracy. She continued to resent Lisa's role as the "leader" of the pledge group and her apparently close relationship with the Pledge Mistress. On top of everything else she resented Lisa's sexual relationship with Kathleen. Not only did she think the relationship was inappropriate, but the very idea of being intimate with another woman totally grossed her out. And especially with Kathleen...Yuck! Why would anyone normal even want someone like that around, let alone...get intimate with her...Gross! Totally gross! Bernadette was not at all thrilled about having to pledge alongside Kathleen, who she found very weird and gave her the creeps. She took a deep breath as she contemplated her dislike of the skinny girl sleeping next to her. Bernadette had known a couple of girls like Kathleen in high-school, whose fidgety gestures, shifty eyes, nervous way of talking, ignorance of fashion, and interest in things not normal for high school students made them total social rejects. Were it up to Bernadette, no one in the Four-Beta pledge program would have been nice to Kathleen. Instead, the group would have cold-shouldered her and let her know that she was not welcome in the sorority. The only reason she had not dared to express her dislike of her strange companion was because she had been afraid of Lisa and Tracy coming down on her. Bernadette sat up in the darkness, as her assumptions about life, what constituted a worthwhile friend, and how she should deal with the people around her abruptly shifted under her. Suddenly she felt awful, because in a flash she understood that her hostility towards Kathleen was totally unjustified. Why did she dislike her fellow pledge so much? Yes, the girl was kind of creepy, but had she ever done anything bad to anyone else in the pledge group? It was obvious she had feelings, and that she had already endured more than her share of unpleasantness in life. It was obvious that she had endured a hellish time in school, at the hands of girls just like Bernadette. She always had taken it for granted that people like Kathleen deserved whatever ostracism and insults were inflicted on them because they were so creepy, but was that really true? Bernadette's thoughts drifted to her own recent years in high school, and then back to the present. She realized that how she had behaved in school was not something she should be proud of, and anyhow, her time in high school no longer had any relevance. As much as she hated to admit it, she was in a new environment and starting her social life from scratch. She now was an adult and in college. Her old peer group had scattered and her life had changed. She would have to learn how to relate to others differently if she hoped to move ahead. Really, who was Bernadette to judge someone like Kathleen? Or even to judge Lisa, for that matter? Bernadette felt that her need to change was especially true regarding her perception of Lisa. Whatever her personal faults, it was obvious that Lisa was trustworthy, not particularly selfish, and that her primary interest was getting herself and the others through the pledging process. Bernadette's thoughts drifted back to that first night at the Tri-Alpha house, when Lisa had jumped to her defense when the others were blaming her for making the group get punished. From the first night Lisa had pointed out something that later proved correct, that the pledges' willingness to stay together and stand up for each other would be constantly tested. Lisa had been right about that, and since that first night had been right about many other things. What if Lisa was right about Tracy; that of all the sorority officers, the Pledge Mistress really was the only one who was concerned about the pledges? The truth was that Bernadette knew what to expect from Lisa and Tracy, but did not have a clue about Heather's personality or how trustworthy she really was. What she did know, from having seen it with her own eyes, was that Heather was capable of being vicious. She wondered: would I really want someone like that as my friend? Finally Bernadette lay back down with a better understanding of her immediate future and how she had to change her perceptions about her social life. She did not think she would ever feel any warmth towards Lisa and Kathleen. However, she knew that even if she could not force herself to like them, she needed to treat them with the respect. She might dislike the Pledge Mistress even more than Lisa, but now understood that she could not possibly do herself or anyone else any good by taking sides against her. She had to accept Tracy's leadership if she hoped to stay in the sorority and be a successful member. Bernadette finally went to sleep. She did not yet realize, during those few restless moments she took a hard look at herself; that she had matured considerably. ---------- Pledge Mistress Tracy had two concerns on her mind for that Sunday. First, the pledges had to spend a good portion of the day studying, given that they had not spent any time studying on Saturday. Second, they would have to get some sleep during the day so they could be alert during the scavenger hunt. She decided that it would be best to have the pledges spend the day outside the Four-Beta house and began to wonder where she could find a quiet location where they could study and sleep. There were only two locations she could think of that would meet the group's needs. For studying the pledges could go to Burnside's office in the Economics Building. That was fine, but what about sleep? There was a place that at first glance looked promising, Lisa's dorm room in Huntington Hall. Although Lisa was not allowed to stay there during the pledge training, she still had her stuff there and in theory access to the room. Would it not be possible to grab some sleeping bags and have the pledges crash there? Tracy then thought of a better option: Ruth Burnside's house. Burnside's house would be about as secret a location as she would be able to find; a quiet and controlled environment where the pledges could sleep uninterrupted until nightfall. Tracy then would take them back to the sorority house, producing her group well-rested and ready for action. She decided to e-mail Burnside and see if the professor was amenable to the idea of putting up the pledges in her house Sunday afternoon. Burnside shocked Tracy by responding immediately. It already was 1:00 in the morning, but the insomniac professor was still on her computer catching up on her professional correspondence. Her answer relieved Tracy: that she could take the pledges over and keep them at the house all day. The only problem was that Burnside had to leave at 5:00 in the morning to go on a day-long boating trip on Lake Michigan with Halsey and some of their mutual friends. The pledges were welcome to stay at the house, but Tracy either needed to pick up a key or bring them over before 5:00. Tracy opted for the latter. She would have the pledges at Burnside's house at 4:45. Tracy decided to make the pledges walk over to the professor's house, which meant getting them up at 3:30 a.m. She decided to do something else to psychologically prepare them for the scavenger hunt; they would have to walk from the sorority to Burnside's house in the nude. Tracy figured there would be very little danger walking the four-mile route, given that the bars already had closed and it was extremely unlikely they would run into anyone walking in the dark at 4:00 in the morning. Upon getting to Burnside's house she would order the group to go to sleep and then return to the sorority house to pick up their clothes and textbooks. At 3:30 a.m. the light in the basement went on and the pledges heard Tracy's dreaded: The Pledge Mistress Ch. 21 "OK, sleeping beauties! UP-UP-UP! Let's go...let's go...let's go!" The incoherent pledges staggered out of their cots, staring at the Pledge Mistress in disbelief. It was 3:30 in the morning! "OK, lovely ladies! Dump your bladders and get your shoes on! NOW!" The pledges knew better than to question the Pledge Mistress, in spite of the fact they were almost delirious with fatigue. They came very close to crying as they took turns on the toilet and struggled to put on their shoes. They trudged up the stairs and moved towards the door, too tired to even care that they were about to go out on the street wearing only their shoes. Tracy led them along the dark streets that passed the small park and bypassed Fraternity Row. As the cool night air caressed their bodies, the pledges woke up somewhat and realized what a lovely night, or early morning, it was. The streets were totally silent and devoid of cars, the parties had ended, and Pageant Street had long since cleared of drunken students. The women dashed across the main street to get onto Old Campus and quietly walked along the dark sidewalks towards the Student Memorial Center. At first the pledges assumed that Tracy was taking them for a "dressed" rehearsal of the scavenger hunt, but then she ordered Lisa to find that hidden path that led to Huntington Hall. Bewildered, Lisa obliged and the women disappeared into the bushes. As they neared and passed the library, the pledges realized that Tracy was taking them outside the Old Campus area and leading them towards the dorms. They wondered if this was another test or hazing ritual, now that they had walked for over a half an hour and already were nearly two miles away from the sorority and their clothes. Tracy showed no sign of turning around as the lights of the dorm area shined between the trees. She had a question: "When you guys came through here on the three-mile streak, where did you cross?" "Over there, about half-way between the two stoplights, past the duck pond." "OK, let's try to get across so no one will see you." "Uh...we're leaving campus, ma'am?" "Yes. We're leaving campus! Now stop arguing and move your ass!" Tracy punctuated her statement with a hard slap to Lisa's exposed bottom. The four pledges dashed across the deserted street, followed by their Pledge Mistress. They became very nervous, because they still did not know why they were being taken on the naked walk and assumed they would have to return to the sorority the same way they had come. There would be no way, even now, that they could get back before it started getting light outside. That would be nice, to be seen running naked along Pageant Street by the early church-going crowd. The pledges' anxiety increased as Tracy led them along the quiet suburban streets towards the park where she and Heather had dropped them off for the streaking adventure. Their nervousness really increased when they passed the park and drifted even further from the university. If they went much further, daylight would catch their exposed bodies, not on campus, but in a residential neighborhood and literally miles from their clothes! Finally, after more than an hour of walking, the pledges noticed they were on the street where Dr. Ruth Burnside lived. They sighed with relief upon realizing that the purpose of their walk had been to travel one-way to the professor's residence, not to make a round trip to the sorority. They saw Dr. Halsey's car parked out front and the two professors loading life jackets and other boating supplies into the trunk. The pledges sank to their knees in the driveway while Tracy greeted their hostess and her lover. A minute later the professors got into the car, while the four naked women gratefully filed into the house. Lisa glanced at the sky before going through the door. Already it was just beginning to get light towards the east. The pledges took off their shoes and knelt in Burnside's living room. Tracy finally explained the purpose of the strange outing. "We'll be staying in this house until 7:00 p.m. tonight, and then we gotta head over to the Tri-Alpha house. Between now and 7:00 tonight I expect you to be doing one of two things: sleep or study. When you don't want to sleep, I want you to study. When you're too tired to study, I want you to sleep. That's it. No music, no TV, no Internet. Sleep and study. When the sun comes out you can grab a towel and use the yard, but if I see you out there in the sun, you'd better either be asleep or with one of your books. Get it?" "Yes, ma'am." "OK, shower up in the guest bathroom and get to bed. As soon as you're up, what are you gonna do?" "Study, ma'am." ---------- Cherine and Bernadette collapsed in Burnside's bed as soon as they had cleaned themselves up. The bed was king-sized and there was plenty of room for two women who were not intimate with each other to sleep comfortably. Lisa and Kathleen took the much smaller bed in the guest room. That bed was only a double, but given that they were planning to cuddle, its size was adequate. As soon as they were cleaned up from the walk and had dried off, Lisa and her lover locked the door to the guest room and crawled into the small bed. Kathleen nestled her body against Lisa and promptly fell asleep. Lisa heard the front door open and close, and footsteps going down the sidewalk to the street. Undoubtedly that was the sound of Tracy leaving to go back to the Four-Beta house. In the silence of her professor's guest room, she relaxed for a few minutes as the sky lightened outside. She was dead tired, but it would take her a few minutes to actually fall asleep. Still, Lisa was content at the prospect that she and the others could sleep as long as they wanted, a luxury sure to be denied to them had they stayed behind in the sorority house. Tracy really had thought ahead, wanting to make sure her group not only was familiar with Old Campus, but also well-rested and alert for what was likely to be a very stressful night. Lisa stroked her lover's hair for a few minutes and finally fell asleep herself. For once she felt that she did not have to worry about anything. Hopefully Tracy had everything under control. ---------- Lisa did not wake up until 3:00 in the afternoon. She looked at the clock in disbelief, realizing that she and Kathleen had slept more than nine hours. She eased herself away from her lover, not wanting to wake her up before she had a chance to leave the room. She knew that Kathleen would be desperate to make love to her as soon as they got up, but decided that with Tracy in the house and the other pledges already awake that having sex with Kathleen probably was not a good idea. Lisa stepped into the hallway, trying to shake out the unpleasant tingling from her left arm that had "gone to sleep". She was surprised to see Tracy asleep on the living room sofa in her gym shorts and T-shirt. It occurred to Lisa that, however little sleep the pledges had enjoyed over the past several days, their Pledge Mistress had even less. Lisa found her backpack near the front door and slung it over her shoulder. She found Bernadette and Cherine already sitting out on Burnside's patio, each of them quietly studying in a lawn chair. Each of them had a large glass of orange juice, which reminded Lisa that she was hungry. Lisa went to the kitchen, filled a glass for herself, and took a bagel to snack on. With that she joined the others and began reading for the classes she had the next day. The final member of the group to wake up was Kathleen. She didn't get up until 4:30, having slept nearly 11 hours. She was sorely disappointed that Lisa was not still in bed with her, but otherwise felt refreshed and better than she had felt in days. Yes, adequate sleep really can make a difference. She picked up her backpack and joined the others on the patio in the late afternoon heat. At 6:30 Tracy woke up and told her group to clean up the house and get ready to "move out!" As the pledges made the beds and cleaned the kitchen, Tracy turned on her cell phone and called the sorority. Lisa overheard her part of the conversation: "...yes, of course I'm with the pledges...yes, they've studied...look, I understand that...OK, let's get something straight here, Alexandra...No...No...No, my job was to get them ready for the scavenger hunt, that's what you told me. You told me yourself that I'm responsible if they lose. Those were your words, and to me that means it was up to me to decide how to get them ready...yes, they're ready....I understand that, but you didn't say anything about me keeping them at the house...you did not specify that, Alexandra...I took them off-campus so they could rest, that's why...Yes, they're rested, and I'm just about to bring 'em back...Look, I don't give a shit about Heather, I really don't! Those pledges are my responsibility, not hers! Alexandra, you know what? If her feelings are hurt, tough shit...now, either you want my group to win, or you don't! Which is it?" ---------- Tracy and the pledges made their way back to the sorority house on foot, a trek of nearly four miles in the heat of an early summer evening. They calmly crossed the street back onto campus and passed the dorm parking lots. The five women contemplated dozens of cars blissfully occupying spaces without parking permits; vehicles that would be on their way to a towing company's impound lot later that night. The massive parking enforcement operation was a ritual that took place Sunday night of the second week of every semester. It was Campus Security's hard lesson to the arrogant freshmen who cheerfully assumed that university parking regulations did not apply to them. Later that night the lot would be full of tow trucks and the exits would be blocked to prevent frantic dorm residents from getting their vehicles off campus before they could be towed. A few days later most of the cars would be back in the lots, but this time properly adorned with parking permits. The event would be a perfect time to conduct a naked scavenger hunt, because the attention of the entire university would be focused on the dorm area. As word of the operation spread, frantic students who had not bothered to purchase permits would be rushing back to the dorm lots, while the more compliant students who already had bought permits would be standing around watching the fun. The police would be on hand in force to make sure no one interfered with the tow trucks, so it was certain that Old Campus would be completely deserted. The group was left the university just as the sun was setting. Tracy stopped to give the pledges one final set of instructions: "Alright, you've got a rough night ahead of you, but I'm sure you're a lot more ready to do this than the Triple-A's. This'll be it for me, because I'm gonna be spending the night with their Pledge Master, running around Old Campus and making sure all of the scavenger hunt items are where they're supposed to be. I've done what I can to get you ready and the rest of it's up to you." "Yes, ma'am." What I'm telling you now will be explained by President Alexandra when you're ready to move out, but you might as well hear it from me first, in case you have questions. There are going to be two kinds of items you're looking for. One's gonna be a list of things you'll need to take pictures of with a digital camera, items that are part of the university and cannot be picked up. That's where I expect you to beat the Triple-A's, 'cause you know where everything is. You understand that part?" "Yes, ma'am." "The other list is of stuff you need to find and bring back to the judges, who'll be set up at a table behind the Alumni Clubhouse. Your list is gonna be different from what the Triple-A's have. I haven't seen either list yet, but I do know there's gonna be stuff on there like library books and flyers out of the Student Center. You might be bringing back something weird, like a toilet seat or a typewriter, but I don't know that for sure. A word of warning: once you bring your items back to the judges, do not leave until you're absolutely sure they've been logged. Get it?" "Yes, ma'am." "I would recommend that two of you carry items you've already picked up, while the other two retrieve new stuff, and to take your findings to the judges several at a time to save trips. Now, one more word of warning. No matter how rushed you think you are, do NOT separate! Stay within sight of each other, always, even if you're inside a building! Stay together and work together! I cannot emphasize enough what I just said. No matter what, you've got to stick together! Get it?" "Yes, ma'am!" "So, who do you think's gonna win?" "We are, ma'am!" The Pledge Mistress Ch. 22 Chapter 22 - The scavenger hunt A few minutes later Tracy turned the pledges over to a sophomore from the fraternity, who in turn escorted the women back to the Four-Beta house. The sight that greeted Lisa and her companions was not re-assuring. The sorority's members were dressed in formal clothing and all were carrying cameras. Obviously the scavenger hunt was going to be a serious matter. The pledges stripped off their uniforms and knelt in front of President Alexandra. The sorority president told them essentially the same thing Tracy had told them, that they would be looking for the contents of two separate lists: campus landmarks and retrievable items. There were 50 items on each list, for 100 total. The contest would end if one side found every item on both lists. If neither side managed to complete their lists by 5:00 a.m., the team that had retrieved the most items would be declared the winner. Either way, the losing team faced a very humiliating experience the following afternoon, a public punishment from the Sergeant-at-Arms of the winning side. On Monday after dinner, the losers would be handcuffed and publicly marched over to the house of the winning side. Upon entering the house the losers would be stripped and caned, one cane stroke for each item not retrieved from the group's list. The punishments would be photographed and videotaped, and copies made available to anyone who wanted them. The losing pledges would remain in servitude in the winners' house until the cane marks disappeared from their bodies, which possibly would take as much as a week. The servitude would include some sexual favors, such as submitting to being touched and photographed, and giving physical favors such as foot rubs and erotic massages. Lisa and her companions trembled upon hearing the contest conditions for the losers. No wonder Tracy had taken getting them ready so seriously. President Alexandra suddenly shouted: "PLEDGES! STAND UP!" She handed Lisa a digital camera, and told her to take a picture of the other three pledges. Lisa fumbled with the camera for a few seconds as she figured out how it worked, and finally took the picture. The president continued: "OK, now you know how this camera works. It has a new video card and batteries, so there shouldn't be any problems with it. One rule about the pictures. For the pictures to count, you must have at least one member of your group in each shot, to prove you were at that location. Full body shots, ladies, 'cause we're not allowing any modesty, and I expect you to take turns posing. The shot doesn't count if it's not of your entire body." With that Alexandra ordered the pledges to go out the front door. They cringed at the thought of walking naked through fraternity row and the Pageant Street businesses at a time plenty of people were still out and about, but to that problem the sorority had a solution. The members lined up around the pledges, forming a human curtain to shield the four naked women in the center. Two sophomores carrying flashlights and stop signs moved out in front of the formation. With that a tight rectangle of well-dressed women marched down Sorority Row, completely concealing the four naked contestants. The two sophomores jumped into each intersection with their stop signs to halt traffic and make sure the women could cross without breaking formation. The women marched right down the center of Fraternity Row and were joined by the Tri-Alphas, who were using the same formation to shield their pledges. As the two marching groups moved down Pageant Street, they began singing the official songs of the fraternity and sorority in front of dozens of bewildered pedestrians and bar patrons. The concealment ended as soon as Tri-Alphas and Four-Betas had crossed the street separating the Pageant Street businesses from Old Campus. The two formations stopped, the marchers in the front stepped aside to let the pledges pass, and the two presidents ordered the aspiring members to move into the open. The four women and five men (one of the male pledges already had quit) walked in single file towards the Alumni Club and the judges' table. Sitting at the table with checklists and laptops were two seniors from the sorority and two seniors from the fraternity. The nine contestants knelt in front of the judges as several cameras flashed at them. The fraternity and sorority members circled around the table and positioned themselves so everyone could watch what was going on. Lisa glanced at the male pledges, noticing they appeared to be exhausted. She wondered how much sleep they had been able to get over the weekend and what, if anything, they had done to prepare themselves for the scavenger hunt. Holding a megaphone, President Alexandra addressed the entire group, while the pledges nervously waited on their knees. She repeated the rules of the hunt, emphasizing the high stakes for both the contestants and for determining who would go naked at the "Skins and Shirts" ball. She added that the spectators from neither side could do anything to impede the contestants from the other side, but that everyone was free to observe the hunt and take as many pictures as they wanted. She concluded by shouting: "PLEDGES! STAND UP!" With that one of the judges stepped forward with four tightly typed sheets of paper. He told Ken to pick one sheet, and then Bernadette to pick another. On one side was the list of places that needed to be photographed, and on the other side were the items that needed to be picked up and returned to the judges' table. "OK, that's it! Go find your stuff!" The two groups stepped away from the judges and consulted their lists. It was obvious that the males and females were going to employ totally different strategies, because the males divided up what was on their list and ran off in different directions, apparently forgetting that there was only on digital camera for the entire group. The women, mindful of their Pledge Mistress's admonition to stay together, did not even consider splitting up. Bernadette read: "Item 1 -- Three rose bushes, one of them dead, next to a large lilac bush under a large window with 18 windowpanes." Cherine immediate blurted out: "I know! The old theater! It's got those big windows and lilac bushes!" "OK, let's check it out!" The women dashed across the lawn and sure enough, the old theater building had 18-pane windows and was surrounded by lilac bushes. A quick circle around the building revealed the dead rose bush. Lisa held up the camera: "OK, Cherine, you found it, so you get the honor!" Cherine proudly posed next to the dead rose bush, while Lisa was careful to include the other details listed in Item 1. Bernadette read: "Item 2 -- A freshly-painted cement staircase next to three newspaper dispensers and a vandalized bicycle rack!" Lisa smiled. "I ought to know that one! That's the back entrance to the Econ Building!" "OK, Let's go!" Less than a minute later the group had their second picture, Lisa standing next to the bicycle rack. "Item 3 -- An anti-Mega-Town Associates poster and a Danubian national flag. A Danubian flag. Anyone know what'd that look like?" "It'd be a blue flag with a yellow griffin on it. Kind of medieval-looking," interjected Lisa. Kathleen excitedly raised her hand: "I know! I think there's a flag like that at the Economic Justice Forum in the Student Center! And I remember seeing something there about Mega-Town!" "Alright, let's go check it out!" A minute later the camera's flash went off again, this time documenting Kathleen's body in front of a window displaying a Danubian flag. The Danubian Duchy's national flag was rapidly becoming a symbol for everyone who hated the largest corporation in the U.S., which was why the Economic Justice Forum had one on display in its office. The Four-Beta pledges quickly and calmly progressed through their list of pictures, vindicating Tracy's preparation and advice to stick together. It seemed that there was someone in the group who knew where each item was. Within two hours Lisa's camera had 50 pictures stored on its memory card; each photo portraying a member of the group posing in front of one of the places on the list. The women actually began having some fun with their assignment, enjoying the cool night air and the daring feeling of running into various university buildings completely naked. It was true that they had to deal with constantly running past dozens of male and female spectators, but most of the people watching were members of the sorority and fraternity or friends, and thus no one was making fun of them or yelling catcalls. During the entire time Campus Security was nowhere in sight, given the on-going action at the other end of the university in the dorm area. Lisa caught only a few glimpses of the guys. They were clearly in deep trouble, partly because they had not tried to memorize Old Campus, and partly because they were not working together. Instead each Tri-Alpha pledge had taken 10 items off the list and was trying to find them himself. The only member of the male group who was even close to finding his 10 items was Ken, who already was familiar with Old Campus from having been a student the year before. The others were hopelessly lost. Lisa took a breath and decided to take a slight risk. She decided not to turn in the 50 pictures to the judges until her group already had begun collecting the items from the other side of the list. The pledges went straight to the library, where they had to retrieve a total of 20 titles from the bookshelves. They slipped in through a side entrance, let in by Stacy, the library employee. Standing next to Stacy was a sophomore from the Tri-Alphas, to make sure Stacy did not do anything to tilt the library portion of the contest in favor of the female pledges. There was no concern that the group would be charged with stealing books, because Alexandra and the Tri-Alpha president had previously checked them out and then re-shelved them. Lisa had a question: "Have any of the Triple-A's been in here yet?" "Only Ken. He got five books off the list and just left. I haven't seen any of the others." Holy crap! This really was going to be a disaster for the guys! The four naked women scrambled about the library with maps, calmly finding and grabbing the required books. They even had time to stop for a bathroom break and to drink some water. After about 30 minutes all 20 titles were in the group's possession. Lisa handed her camera and the list to Cherine, while she, Kathleen, and Bernadette split the books between them and carried them out of the building. The judges looked at the Four-Betas in amazement when they approached the table. After just three hours, the women already had found 70 of the 100 items on their list. Following Tracy's advice, Lisa carefully watched while the judges downloaded the 50 pictures from the camera's video card. Lisa had set aside the remaining 30 items because they were the most difficult and none close to any of the others. True to Tracy's word, one of the items they needed to retrieve was a toilet seat from the men's bathroom of the Economics Building. That particular item was somewhat time consuming, because to get the toilet seat off the toilet the pledges had to either find or improvise a screwdriver. They wasted nearly 30 minutes before Kathleen suddenly remembered that the janitor's closet in the library near the door where Stacy had let them in was open. Maybe there were tools in there? The four women frantically ran back to the library, and sure enough, the janitor's closet was open and contained a toolbox. Lisa suddenly realized the closet was part of the contest, that it deliberately had been left open as a resource for either side who needed tools to retrieve their items. She wondered if the guys had figured that out yet. Probably not. With a screwdriver and wrench in hand, the women returned to the Economics Building to retrieve their toilet seat. Kathleen triumphantly held it up while the others laughed and Bernadette took a picture. Then Cherine shocked the group by standing at one of the urinals and pretending to piss. Bernadette took a picture of her before Lisa chased the group out of the bathroom. Her humor had deteriorated. In spite of the moment of levity, she was somewhat less confident about winning the scavenger hunt after the toilet seat retrieval, worried that a single item had taken up 30 minutes of their time. Items collected over the next hour included several campus fliers and publications from the Student Memorial Center, a cat-tail from the pond behind the Alumni Clubhouse, a white stone from the rock garden near the Old Theater, and a 50-pound weight from the Fitness Center. Carrying the weight across Old Campus was a very unpleasant task, because it had to be carried by two of the pledges at a time. The task was especially hard for Lisa because she was so much taller than her three companions. Whenever she took her turn helping with the heavy disk she had to bend down to avoid pushing the majority of its weight onto her companion. Once the weight was dropped off Lisa's group only had nine items to go, and it was not even 2:00 in the morning. She glanced at the collection of items retrieved by the guys. They were not even close. She wondered if they even had all of their pictures taken yet. The final nine items included a light fixture cover from the ballroom of the Student Memorial Center and a ceiling panel from the main dining facility. Both items required using a ladder, which entailed a frantic dash back to the library and the janitor's closet. The pledges made a very amusing sight as they ran back to the Student Center carrying a ladder in the dark while completely naked. Once the ceiling panel was passed down, the pledges folded the ladder to carry back to the library. At that moment Ken came into the dining area with a totally desperate look on his face. "Lisa, please...where did you get that ladder?" "You haven't figured it out?" "No! And I gotta get one of those ceiling panels!" Bernadette interjected: "Well, that's tough shit, isn't it? If you jerks are too stupid to figure out where the ladders are, why should we help you?" Lisa felt somewhat differently. She had no intention of telling Ken about the janitor closet, but saw no harm in letting him borrow the ladder to get his ceiling panel. After profusely thanking her, Ken climbed up to get his panel. Bernadette snapped: "What'd you do that for? You want us to lose?" "Look, they're not gonna win. Really, what difference does one item make?" As Ken got down from the ladder with his ceiling panel, Lisa was curious: "So how many things have you collected so far?" "All of us?" "Yeah, all of you. What do you have?" "I think our last count was 37. This panel will make it 38, unless someone's gotten something that I haven't seen yet." "Thirty-eight items? In five hours you've just gotten 38 items? What the fuck are you doing?" The tone in Ken's voice reflected his resignation to his group's impending defeat: "I don't know what the fuck we're doing. We're just running around. Anyhow, thanks for the ladder. By the way, how many items do you guys have?" "I think the ceiling panel makes it..." Lisa checked the list, "...97. We've got three to go." Ken's face turned white. At this rate the males were facing a punishment of more than 60 cane strokes each, delivered by none other than Four-Beta Sergeant-at-Arms Heather. By 3:30 the Four-Beta pledges had everything on their list. The final item was a detachable microphone from a speaker's podium in the Student Center. The women were en route to the judges when Bernadette announced that she needed to use the bathroom. The closest one was in the Economics Building. While the three freshmen went into the bathroom Lisa remained out in the hallway, twirling the microphone that would be the winning item. At that moment Ken rushed by. He was just about to go into the women's bathroom to retrieve a toilet seat when Lisa told him that he had to wait until her companions came out. As he stood nervously waiting, Lisa felt sorry for him. He seemed to have done relatively well with his portion of the search, but his incompetent companions had found very few of the items assigned to them. Because of their stupidity he would suffer horribly later that night. At that moment Lisa realized that she really was in no mood to watch Ken and his companions receive 60 cane strokes. She still had every intention of winning, but did not see what good it would do anyone to have Ken and his group punished so severely. What she wished was that the tally could have been much closer. She wished that, because in spite of everything, she still deeply cared for Ken and did not want to see him and his group so thoroughly defeated. She wanted a victory, not a blow-out. Lisa made a significant decision. She decided to give the guys an extra hour to find more items, so the final tally would not be so lop-sided. Really, wouldn't watching them get 20 or 30 strokes from the cane be better than having to sit through 60? She held up the microphone. "You know what this is?" "A microphone?" "It's our last item. Once we turn this in the contest will be over." Ken sighed. Lisa took a deep breath and continued: "I'm gonna tell you what you did wrong, and then give you a chance to fix some of it. You shouldn't have split up, especially for the picture-taking portion of the hunt. For that type of thing you've got to put your heads together, and instead you're all running off in separate directions. Now go find your group and tell them you've got an hour to get what's left of your pictures." "But, I thought you're gonna..." "We're gonna win. There's no doubt about that because I'm not letting you get your toilet seat. Anyhow you'd need a screwdriver to do it, and I'm gonna guess you didn't notice the toolbox in the janitor's closet where Stacy's standing in the library..." Ken closed his eyes and groaned, "...but anyhow don't worry about it because I'm not letting you have the toilet seat. What I am gonna let you have is the rest of your pictures. I'm giving you an hour and I'll give you one clue. If you're looking for windows with 18 panes, the only building that's got 'em is the old theater." Ken was quiet for a moment. Finally he asked: "How come you're letting us..." "Because I don't want to sit up all night tonight watching your butts get demolished. I want to win, but I don't want to totally slaughter you. Now move your ass and go find the others. I'm giving you an hour before I turn in the microphone." Ken took off to find the group-mate that currently was using the camera. At that moment, Lisa's three companions came out of the bathroom, assuming they would continue their trek to the judges' table. Instead, Lisa directed them into the outer portion of Burnside's office and explained what was happening. The other three vehemently objected, shocking Lisa by angrily demanding that the group return to the judges immediately. The most forceful objection came from Kathleen: "Yes, those guys are gonna get humiliated and that's what I want! I wanna totally slaughter them! And I do wanna see the shit get beat out of them! Fuck giving them an hour! We've busted our asses to win, and you just want to give it away! Fuck that! No way!" Cherine interjected: "You think they'd do the same thing for us? I don't think so..." Bernadette added: "It's three against one, Lisa. The deal you made with them is canceled. We're going back, now." To that Lisa countered: "Before we go back, I want you to think about something. We're gonna be seeing those guys for the next four years. Four years! We're gonna be going to dances with 'em, raising money with 'em, doing all kinds of events and trips with 'em. How we treat them when they're down is something they're gonna remember. If we cut them some slack now, maybe, when they're in our shoes and we're in theirs, they'll do the same for us. Think real careful about what you're planning to do, because this is our chance to either make five friends, or make five enemies. As for me, I'd prefer to have five friends." The Pledge Mistress Ch. 22 Before her companions had a chance to object, Lisa continued: "Also, maybe the scavenger hunt isn't the only test tonight. Maybe they're also seeing how the winners treat the losers. You ever think about that?" The three freshmen stood quietly. It was Bernadette who gave in first. "Alright. An hour. So what are we gonna do in the meantime?" "There's two sofas in here, so you and Cherine can take a nap. I'll get you up in an hour." "And you?" "We are gonna win. It's just that I don't want a blow-out. Just to make sure, I'm going back to the bathroom and make sure no one takes off with the toilet seat." The promise of an hour of sleep shifted Cherine's opinion in favor of Lisa's proposal. She promptly settled on one of the sofas and prepared to nap. Being uncovered in the office didn't bother her, given that she had become used to sleeping uncovered on her cot. The sofa was considerably more comfortable and the rest welcome. Bernadette settled on the other sofa and promptly closed her eyes. Lisa went back down the hallway, with Kathleen forlornly trailing behind her. Kathleen still wanted to return to the judges' table immediately. She would have been quite happy to see five males get 60 cane strokes each. The women had worked hard to find their items and part of the reward should have been enjoying the very public flogging of the losers. She would have been perfectly content had the punishment been 90 cane strokes instead of 60, happier still to see the backsides of the males completely torn open and blood running down their legs. She hated young men, all young men, and for her to not take advantage of an opportunity to inflict suffering on young men was an abomination. Kathleen suspected that she could not discuss her vehement hatred of men with Lisa, because it was obvious that Lisa did not hold any general grudge against them. She had enjoyed two relatively stable relationships with men before hooking up with Kathleen and could relate to them with no problem. Kathleen felt betrayed by Lisa, but couldn't figure out how to express why she felt she had been betrayed. Lisa understood more of what was going on in Kathleen's mind than her lover realized. She also understood that an opportunity had presented itself to get Kathleen to talk about her feelings. The two women returned to the bathroom and Lisa tried to hug Kathleen. At first Kathleen pushed her away, but finally she fell into Lisa's arms and hugged her, in spite of her on-going anger over her leniency towards the males. Lisa leaned against a wall and allowed Kathleen to rest against her. She decided to break the silence by talking a bit about Ken and trying to explain why he really wasn't so bad. Lisa's purpose was to portray her former boyfriend as a confused human being, in reality struggling with many of the same issues that Lisa and Kathleen were struggling with. She tried to get Kathleen to sympathize with the guys, who were terrified at the prospect of losing the scavenger hunt so badly. Kathleen didn't respond, but she didn't argue either, which Lisa took as a good sign. Lisa abruptly changed the subject and asked Kathleen a question to which she already knew the answer. She casually inquired what Kathleen thought about the guys in her high school and what her social life had been like. Kathleen kept her head pressed against Lisa's chest. She heard her lover sniff loudly, and then felt a warm drop running down her skin. "Everyone hated me. They all laughed at me. I mean, I tried...I really tried to get them to like me...I mean...I did what they wanted...I always did what they wanted, but all they ever did was make fun of me." "The guys?" "Everyone. I mean...even after I gave 'em what they wanted..." "You mean sex..." "Yeah..." "Kathleen, you don't just give that away. You gotta make 'em earn it. You gotta make 'em beg you for it. That way, you're in control, not them. That's where things went wrong for you. You made it too easy. A guy only appreciates what he has to fight for." "The girls hated me too. And I hate them. I hate them all." "But you were trying to make them like you..." "I guess. I mean...I wanted someone to like me, at least someone...and I tried..." "If you want to make friends, you can't 'try'. It just doesn't work, because people can smell your desperation. And I know, when you're lonely, it's hard not to try. But the more you need someone else, the more they're gonna push you away. It's kind of a cycle, I guess. You get used to thinking a certain way, even though what you're doing has the exact opposite effect of what you want. I 'spose the more desperate you get, the harder it is to just let it go. That's what you should've done, let it go, and tell them to go fuck themselves. But you couldn't, could you?" "No. I'd get home...and I'd clean myself up...and I kept promising myself I wouldn't let it happen again...but it always did..." "Clean yourself up?" "Yeah." "You mean, like, get the cum off yourself?" "Yeah...I mean...one time I went out...and the guy I was with...he like...took me to this park... And he told me to suck on him...right there in the parking lot...and I was totally scared that someone would see us...and he came...but he pulled out and came all over my face...and then he stood there laughing at me...I started to cry, and he just left me there and drove off. I had to walk...I had to walk an hour...I couldn't take the bus...cause I was all covered with cum...and I couldn't let anyone see me...and I hate it. And I hate them...That's what the guys did to me...That's why..." For a long time the two women were silent, Kathleen's arms still firmly wrapped around Lisa. Finally Lisa broke the silence. "Kathleen, has it ever occurred to you that maybe some of the guys went through the same thing, or something similar to what you had to put up with? They take a girl out, spend their money on her, and then after a few months she 'just wants to be friends'. And they do it over and over, take a girl out, then they get told that they are a 'really sweet guy and a great friend', and then off goes the girl with some arrogant abusive scumbag? And the guy keeps wondering: what's wrong with him? My high school boyfriend (his name was Mike) had a friend who that kept happening to. He was always 'the nice guy' and 'the great friend', but none of the girls wanted to go out with him. And you know what he did?" "What?" "It finally got to him on Prom Night, when he couldn't get anyone to go with him to the dance. He had enough of being all the girls' 'good friend'. So at sunset, he drove out to the coast, all dressed up in a tux, and jumped off a cliff. And you know what? The girls couldn't understand why he did it, 'cause they all said he was 'such a great guy'. And the counselors came around trying to tell us that it wasn't their fault. And I said, yes, it was your fault, because if you had treated him decently, and if one of you had the courtesy to do something else besides take his money and tell him 'what a great friend he is' and then go run off sucking the cocks of the football players, he'd still be alive. I made 'em cry quite a bit, but I doubt it changed anything." "...what'd the school say?" "I got suspended 'cause I pissed off the counselors. My mom had to file a petition so I could take my final exams and graduate. The whole thing pissed me off, which is one of the reasons I came to Chicago. Deep down I was relieved that the California colleges wouldn't take me and Mike, 'cause I really wanted to get away from Santa Cruz. But the point is, you're not the only one. And it doesn't just happen to women." There was another long silence. Finally Kathleen noted: "I didn't go to Prom either. I got stood up." "But you didn't jump off a cliff, did you?" "I wanted to. And my dad knew what I was thinking. He wouldn't let me out of his sight until I started college, because he knew...and that's why he insisted I start at the beginning of the June instead of September, 'cause he didn't want me sitting at home all summer..." "And he wasn't worried about you pledging the Four-Betas?" "He actually wanted me to pledge a sorority. Thought it would be good for me." "So, you're here because of your dad?" "Sort of." "Are you glad about that?" Kathleen looked up at Lisa with teary eyes: "I'm with you, aren't I? Of course I'm happy." Lisa forced herself to smile and let Kathleen kiss her. Lisa's heart pounded as Kathleen pressed into her body, hugging her tightly. Kathleen's next words did nothing to set Lisa's mind at ease. "I love you. I really love you. I love you more than I've ever loved anyone. You know that, right?" "Yes, of course I do." "And you love me?" "You know I do." "I need to hear it. I need you to say it." "I love you, Kathleen." Kathleen hugged even harder, as Lisa's heart continued to pound. She was very frightened by the intensity of the desperate young woman in her arms. She did love Kathleen, sort of, but it wasn't that simple. With Lisa nothing was simple, certainly nothing having to do with her emotions. As Kathleen continued to cuddle against her, Lisa pondered how best to handle her situation. The thought of trying to break off the relationship never crossed her mind, because the truth was she did care for Kathleen and wanted to play a positive role in her life. Lisa accepted that it was quite possible that she and her lover would have a serious relationship for a very long time, possibly for the rest of their lives. What Lisa wanted, however, was to be in charge of that relationship and make sure it did not restrict her pursuit of other goals in her life, especially possible relationships with men and her various sexual fantasies. She would have to make her lover understand that she was indeed willing to give her a lifetime of commitment and support, but that commitment would have to be on Lisa's terms, not Kathleen's. At a moment when Kathleen was vulnerable and scared of losing her, Lisa realized that she had a good opportunity to shape the relationship to better suit her own needs. She reached down and began massaging the girl's thin bottom. Kathleen's body responded immediately. Lisa was silent for another moment as she continued to gently explore her lover's backside and contemplated how to best phrase what she wanted to say about the future of the relationship. "I love you," she finally repeated. "...and I'll take care of you. I'll make sure that no one ever hurts you again. Anyone ever who tries to hurt you will have to deal with me. But I'll need you to promise me something." "Anything." "If I'm gonna take care of you, I need you to accept that you belong to me. You understand that, right?" "I belong to you. Of course." "I will guide you, and I'll give you a sense of direction. But to do that, you'll need to let me take charge of your life. When I tell you to do something, I'll expect you to obey me, because I'll always have my reasons. You OK with that?" "Yes." "I won't ever do anything to deliberately hurt you, but sometimes I'll need to be a bit firm with you. Someday I might have to discipline you, if you ever misbehave. If that happens, I'll make sure you understand why, and I'll only do it because I love you. But if you belong to me, and you love me, you'll have to obey me. I can't have it any other way." "Of course, Lisa. Of course I'll obey you." "And accept the consequences if you don't?" "Yes, Lisa. I'll do what you tell me. I promise." The two women sealed their agreement with a passionate kiss. Lisa grabbed Kathleen's bare bottom and squeezed with both hands. That bottom now belonged to Lisa, along with the rest of Kathleen's body and soul. Lisa was hugely relieved. With just a few words, she had taken control of her lover's life and would be the one determining the course of their relationship. ---------- A few minutes later Ken and the other four males sheepishly entered the Economics Building. Lisa heard them coming down the hallway and stepped out of the bathroom to greet them. Ken showed Lisa the group's list; they had completed the 50 pictures on the sheet and retrieved 11 library books. In one hour they had added 35 items to their inventory, simply by working together. They had a total of 73 items collected, which would reduce their upcoming caning from 62 strokes to 27. Lisa decided to allow the guys to reduce their canings by one more stroke, by letting them take the toilet seat. While the guys entered the bathroom to extract their 74th item, Lisa and Kathleen returned to Burnside's office to wake up Bernadette and Cherine. They were in a somewhat better mood after having enjoyed an hour of rest. With that the nine pledges made their way to the judges' table. The guys went first, and then Lisa turned in her microphone. The judges stood up and announced the winners: the Four-Betas. The women cheered while the Tri-Alphas stood silent. Tracy stood back, not wanting to take credit for what her pledges had accomplished, even though they had won because of her efforts during the days leading up to the scavenger hunt. The truth was the women knew that it was because of the Pledge Mistress that their side had won. The pledges' absence from the sorority house on Sunday and Tracy's secretive approach toward getting them ready had caused some resentment among the seniors and sorority officers, but her strategy ultimately was vindicated. Tracy's victory greatly improved her popularity among the sophomores, and even among some of the juniors. Alexandra and Heather pretended to be pleased at Tracy's win, but in reality they resented her sudden popularity. Had Lisa seen Heather's expression in the darkness, she would have realized there would be trouble waiting for Tracy and the pledge group later in the summer. However, it was the Tri-Alpha pledges that had a much more immediate problem. There would be hell to pay later that night, along with the indignity of the entire fraternity having to attend the "Skins and Shirts" ball in the nude. For the summer dance a better name would be the "Skins and Skirts" ball, since it would be the women who would be showing off their evening gowns while the men were committed to showing off their bodies. A few minutes later several sophomores from both the fraternity and the sorority gathered up the scavenger hunt items to return to where they belonged. By 5:30 everything would be in place and the buildings locked up, leaving no trace that the hunt had ever happened. Meanwhile, the fraternity and sorority members walked back to their houses, leading the pledges across the street. The groups did not march in protective formation, because the streets were empty and no one was around to see the handful of naked freshmen accompanying the dozens of well-dressed men and women. Lisa enjoyed the walk back. She loved the feel of the cool air against her exposed body, and the daring sensation of being naked among a large group of well dressed people. She also was happy that her relationship with Kathleen seemed to be somewhat resolved, and that she had been able to do something worthwhile for Ken. She hoped, really hoped, that one thing she could accomplish that summer was to make peace with him. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 23 Chapter 23 -- Pledge Ken's servitude The pledges returned to their cots at 5:00 a.m. Ordinarily they would have had to get up for PT in just a few minutes, but that particular morning they were allowed to skip the mandatory exercise session. They had endured plenty of exercise already, having spent the hours between 10:00 p.m. and 4:30 a.m. in constant physical activity. Instead Tracy announced that the pledges would be allowed to sleep until 7:00 a.m. and not have to get up until the sophomores were ready to have breakfast. Shortly before 8:00 Tracy led her group back to campus for their morning classes. Lisa was somewhat tired, but she was sure she could make it through the lectures given her Sunday of sleeping at Burnside's house and the two additional hours of rest after the scavenger hunt. She noticed the totally exhausted look on the face of the Pledge Mistress, realizing that Tracy had not had any sleep at all since the previous afternoon. Lisa wondered what motivated the Pledge Mistress. However hard Tracy pushed the pledges, she pushed herself much more. Only once had Lisa seen Tracy sleeping or relaxing, and that was the previous afternoon when she collapsed on Burnside's living room sofa from sheer exhaustion. Over the entire weekend she only had about four hours of sleep, because Lisa knew for a fact she had not slept Saturday at all. As for Monday morning, Tracy led the sophomores exercising, so she did not even get the two hours her pledges got after the hunt. So what was it that drove Tracy? Was it the military? There certainly was a lot of the military in her personality: she had completely internalized whatever those drill sergeants had done to her in Basic Training. But something else drove her as well. Lisa suspected that Tracy was worried about displaying any personal weakness to the point it had become a phobia. Perhaps it was fear, fear of herself and her own vulnerabilities; that gave Tracy so much drive and energy. As she contemplated her strange Pledge Mistress and the bizarre adventure she was leading, Lisa felt genuine admiration for her. Tracy's powerful personality matched that of Ruth Burnside, but there were many differences as well. While Burnside's nature exuded raw sexuality, whatever sexual desires Tracy had she seemed content to keep hidden. Burnside never skipped a chance to indulge herself with sex, fine food, and physical comfort, while Tracy's life seemed extremely austere. Still, what impressed Lisa was not what made the professor and the Pledge Mistress different, but what they had in common. Both women dominated their surroundings and imposed their will on the people around them. Both provided role models for Lisa, personality traits she wanted to adopt for herself. The differences in their personal lives made Lisa aware that she could, and would have to, find her own balance between indulgence and sacrifice. Lisa would adapt what she needed from both her mentors, but then use that knowledge to follow her own path in life. ---------- Monday passed uneventfully. Lisa split her time between her duties in Burnside's office and her attendance at class. In the afternoon Tracy, appearing more exhausted than ever, came by with the three freshmen to retrieve her and take the group back to the sorority house. Of course, after dinner there was plenty of excitement waiting for the members and pledges of the Four-Beta Sorority: the public caning of the five Tri-Alpha pledges. As soon as the Pledge Mistress and her charges returned to the sorority house, it was obvious the punishment was going to be a major event. The majority of the women already were well-dressed and armed with cameras and camcorders. In the sitting room a sturdy table, complete with restraining straps, had been set up and the sorority's entire collection of canes was assembled in a nearby umbrella stand. Lisa noticed another table in a corner containing a box of medical gloves, two very large pitchers of warm water, and five enema bags and hose sets. A pair of leather restraining cuffs hung from chains attached to the ceiling. Tracy ordered the pledges to take their book bags downstairs but not to get undressed. "This is an official punishment event for their group. Because of that you'll stay in uniform." The sorority's benches were set up along the sides of the room and momentarily the seniors would be occupying them with the sophomores and pledges standing behind. The juniors would be in charge of the five unfortunate males: cuffing and un-cuffing them, restraining them to the table, taking official pictures, and sexually tormenting them both before and after the punishments. Along with 26 cane strokes, each male pledge would be chained to the ceiling and subjected to a forced ejaculation (in full view of all the women, of course) before the physical punishment. Following the physical portion of his punishment, each male pledge would endure an enema and then be cuffed and escorted downstairs to evacuate and shower. Once the punishments were completed, the officers of the fraternity planned to leave their pledges at the sorority house. Rather than wait for the cane marks to fade, the fraternity simply decided their pledges would remain in service of the sorority until Sunday night. There was a final indignity waiting for the Tri-Alpha aspirants during those grim six days. They would have to wear the Four-Beta pledge shirt whenever attending classes on campus. Yes, that's right...the dreaded pink shirt with the message: PLEDGE This pledge is property of the Four-Beta Sorority. If found unescorted, please return to rightful owner. As cruel as the week would be for the male pledges, the fraternity was not acting out of simple sadism. The Tri-Alpha officers had decided that the pledges' internment in the sorority house would count as their "Hell Week", the most grueling part of their pledging experience. "Hell Week" was a tradition for the fraternity; the worst part of the hazing that was designed to determine who finally got to be let in as a member-in-full-standing. Normally "Hell Week" came somewhat later in the semester, but in the case of the summer pledges, it made sense that "Hell Week" would simply be the week the group had to perform penance at the sorority house. During that time the males would be at the mercy of the sorority's women, and that included Lisa and her companions. The advantage of the plan for the male pledges would be to quickly get the worst part of the pledging experience behind them. By the end of the first month of the summer semester the males would have "Hell Week" completed and most likely anyone remaining in the group eventually would become a member-in-full-standing in August. During their week at the Four-Beta house the males would have to do anything the women commanded them to do. The only limitation was that they could not be ordered to risk arrest or permanent physical injury. Apart from that, anything, including sex, was fair game for the Four-Betas. The men would to be allowed to go to class and the opportunity to sleep six hours per night. With the exception of that allotted time for class and sleeping, they would be completely at the mercy of the sorority's women. Lisa could tell that Bernadette most certainly had plans lined up, and quite possibly some ideas were floating around Cherine's head as well. As for Kathleen, Lisa would have to keep her eyes on her. If Kathleen wanted to have some fun with the guys or use them for personal enjoyment, that was OK. However, if she wanted to torment them out of anger or eagerness to avenge the earlier trauma of her life, Lisa would have to intervene. As the time approached for the males to be brought over to the sorority house, Lisa pondered how she would deal with Ken. An idea slowly formed in her head to grab Ken for the pledge group and try to keep him away from the sorority's other women. If she could carry through with that plan, it would have several advantages. She wasn't too thrilled at the thought of seeing Ken at the mercy of someone like Heather. Perhaps, if he were claimed by the pledge group, his "Hell Week" would be somewhat less onerous than that of his companions. Lisa might remain mad at him, but still, she did not want to see him suffer unreasonably. Also, her old desire to control him had resurfaced, and the idea of having him under her command for a week appealed to her. She knew he was an expert at providing good oral sex and massages, so the sexual appetites of the pledge group were guaranteed to be satisfied. Finally, Lisa vaguely understood that if she controlled Ken and determined how the pledge group could enjoy him, she would exert even more influence over her companions. Lisa decided to briefly talk to Bernadette and try to get her to support her plan to keep Ken under the pledge group's control, and leave the other male pledges alone. To her surprise, Bernadette agreed. "If he's as good as you say he is, I 'spose that's not a bad idea you got. At least you know where his dick has been. If you can convince Tracy, or whoever, to let us have him; I'd go along with it. Cherine's still thinking about the VP, so I'd imagine she really doesn't care." "Thanks." "One condition. If you get him, me and Cherine get to do whatever we want with him. He's not your ex-boyfriend; he's our property. He belongs to all of us, not just you." "I know. That's fine with me." With that Lisa and Bernadette went back upstairs. Lisa had managed to ease the on-going tension between herself and Bernadette by seeking her approval for the idea of claiming Ken for the pledge group. She realized something important, that if Bernadette felt that she had some control over Lisa's decisions, it was likely that she would be much more cooperative. If Lisa approached Bernadette individually and presented any ideas in private before announcing them to Cherine and Kathleen, she was acknowledging her as a "co-leader". She now knew how to deal with the most difficult member of her group: simply consult with her before presenting any ideas publicly. There was another significant detail that came out of that conversation. Bernadette had spoken for herself and Cherine. She did not mention Kathleen. Bernadette now took it for granted that Kathleen was Lisa's responsibility and did not really have much of a voice in the pledge group. Whatever Lisa told Kathleen to do she would go along with, so her opinions were not much of a concern for the other two pledges. ---------- Lisa knew better than to pursue her desire to claim authority over Ken without first requesting permission from Pledge Mistress Tracy. As the sophomores continued setting up, Lisa found her mentor, knelt, and requested permission to speak. Tracy agreed to talk to her in private. Once Lisa assured the Pledge Mistress that she already had consulted with the other members of the pledge group, Tracy agreed to support her idea of claiming Ken. Tracy added it seemed likely that the male pledges would be divided up anyway. Undoubtedly Heather would take the unfortunate "fat" guy she had been tormenting for herself, and the seniors, juniors, and sophomores each would claim a Tri-Alpha pledge. Because the women dismissed him as being gay, Tracy figured no one would object to turning Ken over to the Four-Beta pledge group. Really, what could the freshmen do with a gay guy anyway? Tracy confided to Lisa that there would be a surprise that evening. Because of his group's pathetic performance during the scavenger hunt, Tracy's counterpart, Tri-Alpha Pledge Master Arnold, was officially reprimanded by a unanimous vote of the fraternity's seniors and would have to perform penance alongside his pledges. He did not face a caning like the others, but he would have to subject himself to six days of naked servitude in the sorority. Most likely he would be handed over to the Four-Beta officers, who in turn, would share him with the other seniors. Lisa could tell that Tracy felt somewhat sorry for Arnold, because for a fraternity officer to be publicly punished as though he was a pledge was a big humiliation. ---------- "Here they come!" A cheer went up from the women as they crowded onto the front lawn to watch the spectacle of six nude, cuffed and blindfolded men being led towards the sorority by the Tri-Alpha seniors. Now this really is humiliating, thought Lisa to herself: being forced to walk several blocks as naked prisoners. There was nothing the young men could do to cover themselves, because their hands were secured behind their backs. To make matters worse, two of the male pledges had erections that bobbed around as they walked towards the sorority. The women from other sororities frantically ran out of their houses as word spread about the spectacle on the street. The entire block echoed with the cheering of hundreds of women as the Tri-Alpha officers and their prisoners walked up the Four-Beta driveway and were led into the house. As soon as the men entered the front door, the fun was over and the crowds of cheering women quieted down and returned to their own sorority houses. A few minutes later a police patrol car came by to respond to a citizen's complaint about six naked guys walking around on the street. However, the officer didn't see anything out of the ordinary. He radioed dispatch and kept on driving. There's no naked guys out here. Must have been a prank call. ---------- The women quickly took their positions: the seniors sitting on the benches, the juniors sitting in the front, and the sophomores and pledges standing behind. Heather stood next to the punishment table wearing nothing but a sport-bra and running shorts. She was looking over the collection of canes and swishing them through the air, more to raise the anxiety in the room than anything else. The males were led into the room and ordered to kneel. The Tri-Alpha officers took their positions standing near the window, with the exception of the Pledge Master, who knelt in naked disgrace. Tracy stepped forward and removed the blindfolds of the kneeling males, given that the sorority wanted them to witness each other's punishment. With a riding crop the Four-Beta Pledge Mistress tapped the males to properly position them: kneeling upright with knees properly spread and genitalia exposed. Once the Pledge Mistress had her subjects properly positioned, she gently touched the testicles of each frightened pledge with the tip of the riding crop, hoping to force an erection. Lisa expected the punishment to have a ceremonial beginning, a speech or other pronouncement excoriating the pledge group for having lost the previous night's scavenger hunt. However, the officers did not see the point in any speech. The males had lost and would be punished for it. It was that simple. Pledge Master Arnold faced humiliation, not because his group had lost, but because it was obvious that he had not properly prepared them. He was being punished for somewhat different reasons than his group, having failed in his duty as Pledge Master. He would be spared the initial caning, but there was no restriction against the women punishing him later in the week if they wanted to do so. Already the cameras were flashing. President Alexandra moved in front of the group: "Pledge Master Arnold!" "Yes, President Alexandra!" "Stand up and explain to us why you are here!" Arnold stood up. "My pledge group is here to comply with the conditions set out for the losers of the summer scavenger hunt. Specifically that means 26 strokes of the cane applied to the naked bottom of each member of the losing side, followed by a week of servitude in the Four-Beta Sorority house." "...and why have you presented yourself along with your group?" "Because we did not prepare for the scavenger hunt, President Alexandra." "There is no 'we' Pledge Master Arnold. You were responsible for not preparing your group. Now let me ask you something. Is it true that our pledges actually had to wait an hour before turning in their final item so your group would not lose so badly?" "Yes, President Alexandra, that's true." "You failed your pledges and your fraternity. Your pledges actually had to rely on the mercy of our pledges because you did nothing to get them ready. That's why you're here. The failure of your group is a personal failure on your part." "Yes, President Alexandra." Lisa felt sorry for Arnold, because it was obvious that he and his pledges had been busy over the weekend with other activities and had not really thought about the hunt. It also was likely that, unlike Tracy, it had not occurred to him to sneak his pledges out of the Tri-Alpha house and risk angering the other officers of the fraternity. Part of his casual attitude about the hunt came out of complacency, because the Tri-Alphas had won the last four competitions against their female counterparts, not having faced an opponent as determined as Tracy. Tracy, on the other hand, was obsessed with winning and was totally unconcerned about risking her standing with her fellow officers. Whatever objections the other officers might have had about taking the pledges away from the sorority house were silenced by the success of her strategy. Tracy's preparation of her group had been so thorough that the females felt they needed to wait over an hour to give the Tri-Alphas a chance to find more items. To the judges it was obvious the females had decided to hold back finishing the contest, because more than an hour went by between the time they turned in their 99th item and their final item. Heather raised her hand: "President Alexandra, I request permission to speak!" "Yes, Sergeant-at-Arms Heather!" "I propose, given Pledge Master Arnold's personal failure, that five cane strokes from the punishment of each member of his pledge group be reassigned to him, that he gets 25 strokes and the strokes of the pledges are reduced from 26 to 21!" "OK, a motion has been made. Any seconds?" Two Tri-Alpha officers raised their hands. "OK, let's vote, officers only. All officers in favor of transferring five strokes from each Tri-Alpha pledge to Pledge Master Arnold raise their hand." The five remaining Tri-Alpha officers and five of the Four-Beta officers raised their hands. "Against?" Tracy raised her hand. "By a vote of 10 to one the officers have decided to impose a caning of 25 strokes on the naked bottom of Pledge Master Arnold, and that the canings of each of the five pledges will be reduced from 26 to 21." ---------- A few minutes later the first male pledge was standing with his hands immobilized by the cuffs hanging from the ceiling. A Four-Beta junior picked up a jar and two pairs of medical gloves. She then ordered Bernadette to stand up and assist her. The junior and the pledge put on their gloves, took positions on opposite sides of the male, and began massaging his chest, bottom, and upper thighs. The junior ordered Bernadette to massage the young man's penis, while she lubricated her index finger and inserted it into his bottom. The male jerked forward, further exposing himself to Bernadette. The freshman firmly gripped his penis and pushed him back to make it easier for the junior to find their victim's prostate. As the cameras flashed and the women applauded, the male pledge groaned and released his semen into the jar. The junior told Bernadette to hold the jar up high, while she took a thick indelible marker and wrote "Bad Boy" on the pledge's chest. The two women then stood on each side of the male and posed for numerous pictures before finally being ordered to un-cuff him and resume his kneeling position. The next member of the Tri-Alpha group to be masturbated was Ken. Not surprisingly, Ken already was quite hard, given his sexual attraction to pain and fear. The next junior in the punishment group called Kathleen to assist her. She whispered into Kathleen's ear: The Pledge Mistress Ch. 23 "Pledge, would you like to take him from the front or from the back?" "You mean...like, put my finger up his bottom, ma'am?" "Yeah." "Yeah...I...I'd like that...I mean to try that...ma'am." "You know what to do, Pledge?" "I think so, ma'am." "OK, you get the honor." Kathleen lubricated her finger while her companion grabbed Ken's penis and pushed him backwards. Ken did not resist, because what was about to happen to him was not anything he had not experienced before. He enjoyed having his bottom penetrated and the strange feeling having his sphincter stretched always gave him. He stuck his bottom out, trying to make it easy for Kathleen to enter him with her finger. Kathleen was fascinated by what she was doing, to the point that she forgot that she was in a room full of witnesses and she was being photographed and videotaped. She explored Ken's waiting bottom-hole as she applied the lubricating gel, and then pushed in and moved her finger back and forth. She was curious to see what a man's insides felt like and how far in she could push her finger. As she moved her finger around and Ken felt the familiar pressure against his sphincter, a wave of arousal swept over him. With her free hand Kathleen explored his bottom, fascinated by the smooth skin and the knowledge that before long it would be marked by 21 cruel welts. Ken perspired and groaned as the two women worked him into an erotic frenzy. They sensuously massaged him inside and out as discharge after discharge came out of him into the jar. Ken had surrendered himself entirely and loved what was happening to him. Kathleen was totally aroused at the thought of so intimately exploring the bottom of another person and the warm, soft feel of the young man's intestine on her gloved finger. As she continued to feel around inside her male counterpart, Kathleen wondered what it would be like to be taken from behind. She certainly knew what it felt like to be fucked in various positions in her vagina, but most of those experiences had been associated with very unpleasant memories. She had given oral sex to her high school lovers on many occasions, but sucking a man's penis did not satisfy her in the least. Until that moment, with her finger shoved up Ken's bottom, it had not occurred to her that she might enjoy anal sex...with a guy. The thought of being penetrated up her bottom both frightened and fascinated Kathleen. She had been thoroughly aroused whenever Lisa kissed and licked her bottom-hole, but obviously her lover was not capable of actually penetrating her. As she held up the jar and posed with the junior and their exhausted captive, Kathleen mulled over the idea of submitting to being fucked up the ass, just to see what it would feel like. She felt guilty because the love of her life was Lisa...however...wasn't she, as a member of the Four-Betas, expected to explore her sexuality? What would Lisa say about her secret desires? ---------- Cherine was the next of the female pledges called up to assist in masturbating one of the males. The third guy was fully erect as soon as he was restrained and needed very little encouragement to fill his jar. The junior gave Cherine the honor of stimulating their subject's penis and rubbing his bottom while she worked on massaging his chest. Lisa could tell that Cherine was totally absorbed by her task and fascinated as her hands worked their magic on the restrained young man. She explored his shaven pubic area and carefully watched his penis as it pulsated and shot semen into the waiting receptacle. Lisa got Heather's favorite pledge, the "fat guy". One detail Lisa found interesting was how much weight he had lost in just two weeks: she estimated that he might have dropped as much as 15 pounds so far. Not surprisingly, his entire body was covered with welts, both old and new, inflicted by the constant barrage of swats from Heather's riding crop. Lisa noticed that his bottom had no new marks on it, because undoubtedly his tormentor wanted to save it for a nice thorough caning. The junior in charge of Lisa and the pledge knew that Lisa had plenty of experience with arousing men and simply left her to stimulate the guy on her own. Lisa worked him from both the front and the back, with synchronized movements on both his prostate and his penis. Her goal was to see how quickly she could make him come, but his body turned out to be somewhat stubborn. It took her more than two minutes to find the right combination of stimulation to force him to climax and fill his jar. However, once he started, Lisa's subject continued squirting, surprising her with the duration and volume of his discharge. He moaned and his knees trembled from the physical relief and utter humiliation he was enduring at the expense of the two women assaulting his body. Finally he was totally spent and hung limply on his chains, while Lisa held up his jar for the benefit of the cameras and audience. Two juniors dispatched the final pledge, expertly arousing his body and forcing him to empty into his jar within just a couple of minutes. In some ways what happened to the final member of the pledge group was more humiliating than what had happened to his predecessors, because the women showed absolutely no emotion as they extracted the semen from his body. They knew where to put their hands, which nerves to touch, and worked him with about as much emotion as a vet groomer might display while shampooing a dog. And yet, they completely cleaned him out, leaving him more spent and exhausted than any of his companions. Once five jars of semen were sitting on display, Heather announced the next phase of the ongoing punishment, the public caning of the five pledges and their Pledge Master. She decided to flog Arnold first, because, as she put it: "He deserves my undivided attention." Arnold approached the table, but protested that he could hold his position and did not need to be tied down. Heather ignored him, and coldly strapped him to the table while calling him a "pathetic fucking failure." Lisa realized something very interesting; that Heather was not just teasing. She was genuinely furious with him. Lisa pondered: why should the Sergeant-at-Arms be so angry that the Tri-Alphas lost the scavenger hunt? That didn't make any sense, unless...unless...Heather actually wanted Tracy's pledges to lose. Of course, had that happened and the sorority members been forced to attend the "Skins and Shirts" ball in the nude, Tracy would have taken most of the blame. Another thought suddenly occurred to Lisa. Maybe the reason the penalty for the losers of the scavenger hunt were so brutal was because Heather had expected the Four-Betas to lose. Perhaps she actually wanted the pledges to suffer and for them to blame the Pledge Mistress, just like she wanted the other sorority members to blame her for having to attend the dance in the nude. Maybe her goal had been to turn everyone, both the pledges and the sorority members against Tracy. Certainly losing the competition would have been a good way to do that, to undermine Tracy's relationships with the other women of the sorority. If Tracy was aware that Heather hoped to undermine her: that would explain her strange and secretive behavior over the weekend. It would account for her desire to sneak the pledges out of the sorority house so they could rest. It also would explain the strange argument she had over the phone with President Alexandra. Lisa remembered her mentor's words: "...look, I don't give a shit about Heather, I really don't! Those pledges are my responsibility, not hers! Alexandra, you know what? If her feelings are hurt, tough shit...now, either you want my group to win, or you don't! Which is it?" Lisa shuttered at the implications of such a dispute. To undermine Tracy's standing among the other women, apparently Heather was perfectly willing to jeopardize the well being of the pledges. That was a very scary thought, given the number of pledge challenges that still lay ahead. While Lisa was mulling over the relationship between Tracy and Heather, the Four-Beta Sergeant-at-Arms was flexing her cane and menacingly tapping the Tri-Alpha officer's exposed bottom. Lisa studied Heather's face, which continued to reflect genuine anger. She's pissed, thought Lisa to herself. She's actually pissed at that poor guy. Heather positioned herself, drew back, and laid a fearsome stroke across the base of both sides of Arnold's bottom. He closed his eyes and held his breath, surprised by the force of the blow. He had thought that surely, because Heather was punishing a fellow officer, she would go easy on him. He had thought the punishment was more to humiliate him than actually hurt him. He was very mistaken, not yet realizing he was dealing with a woman who was totally infuriated that his group had lost. Heather stood back to admire the rising red welt, and relished the satisfaction of knowing that she still had 24 to go. She already knew how she would proceed: she would start with five lines across the lower part of both bottom-cheeks, then hit hard with 7 strokes concentrated on each side, and then finish with strokes laid across his upper bottom and upper thighs. She would strike him as hard as she could without drawing blood, enjoying the opportunity to vent her anger and satisfy her own sadistic desires. A sinister swoosh and the splat of rattan making contact with unprotected skin signaled the second stroke against the suffering Pledge Master. Again he gasped and suppressed a scream, not just from the pain, but also from the shock that Heather planned to inflict a very serious punishment. Heather twisted back and savagely delivered a third blow, widening the strip of pure pain across the lower part of Arnold's backside. Arnold was not the only one surprised by the severity of Heather's treatment. It turned out that the other Tri-Alpha officers were equally surprised; that they had expected Arnold's punishment to be more about humiliation than real pain. Even Alexandra, who normally was very supportive of her Sergeant-at-Arms, looked on with a nervous expression. Arnold was breathing quite loudly and sweat was running down his body even before the first five strokes were completed. Heather paused to run her fingers along the cruel welts as they continued to rise and darken. This is really great, she thought to herself. Now he's gonna get it, full force, on each side of his incompetent little ass. Heather began on Arnold's right side, carefully positioning herself so the end of the cane would land squarely in the middle of his right bottom-cheek. She struck very hard; leaving savage red lines that turned dark very quickly. By the 10th stroke Arnold was moaning after the cane landed, and it was clear that he was not going to make it through the entire punishment without crying. Because it wasn't the first time he had brought problems to the pledge program, Arnold's fellow officers had thought that "quality time" with Heather might make him wake up and understand that he was not performing to the fraternity's expectations. The only problem with the decision was that the punishment she was inflicting on him was a bit much. As they watched the punishment with mounting concern the Tri-Alpha officers glanced at each other, fully regretting their decision to allow the Four-Beta Sergeant-at-Arms to punish their Pledge Master. However, they did not intervene because they felt restrained by several Tri-Alpha traditions and unspoken rules. The first rule was that, once a decision was made, everyone involved was sworn to uphold it. Decisions had to be carefully considered and made for good reasons, but once a decision was announced there could not be a bunch of doubt and second-guessing. The second rule stipulated that the fraternity and sorority officers never questioned or challenged each other in public. All disputes among the leadership had to be kept secret so the ordinary members would see the their leaders as an infallible group who always supported each other. No matter what the other officers thought about Heather's flogging, there was no way they were going to challenge her in such a public setting. She knew that, and because of it felt free to flog Arnold to her heart's content. The final rule, and the most important one, was that failure always had consequences, especially in cases where failure could have been avoided. Had the contest been relatively close, Arnold's leadership skills would not have been questioned, but his group's pathetic performance indicated that he had done nothing to prepare his pledges. The problem facing him was that scavenger hunt debacle was not the first time his pledges had gotten in trouble. They had done well with house cleaning and the physical fitness portion of their training, but academics were another issue. Already there had been complaints from a professor about two late assignments, because Arnold had not set aside enough time for the pledges to study. There also had been problems with the Tri-Alpha Life Skills Training and concerns over how much of that material they really were memorizing. Heather paused after her 12th stroke to let everyone contemplate what she had done so far. Arnold's bottom had five dark lines laid very close to each other on both sides at the base of his backside, and an additional seven strokes concentrated on his right side. The most recent strokes had been more severe because their force had been concentrated. Arnold's bottom looked rather strange at that moment, because the upper part of his left bottom cheek still had no marks on it and contrasted with the painful weals on the right side and the lower part. His suffering was made quite clear by his desperate breathing and trembling. His entire body was covered in sweat, including his bottom. Good, thought Heather to herself, now my target is nice and wet. Heather flexed her cane and moved to her victim's left side. She made several false starts before landing a cruel blow just above the five strokes from the beginning of the punishment. When she landed her second stroke from that portion, Arnold groaned loudly and his body started shaking from suppressed sobs. The disciplinarian didn't bother to try taunting him; she simply continued striking him at a very leisurely pace. By the time she got to the seventh stroke, Arnold was crying quite nicely. There was a break in the punishment while Heather paused to see if she wanted to use a different cane for the final six strokes. She picked up three canes of varying lengths and thickness and slashed them through the air in front of her teary victim. Finally she selected the thinnest cane of the group, one guaranteed to deliver a very sharp sting. Satisfied with her performance, she resumed her position and delivered a vicious stroke to the unmarked skin of both sides of the very upper part of the Pledge Master's bottom. She followed that stroke with a cruel stroke across his upper thighs. The final four strokes were administered in the same way: above-below...above-below. Heather left Arnold to sob for a few minutes before untying him and allowing him to stagger to his feet. She ordered him to turn around so her female audience could study and photograph the welts. Then she ordered Arnold to turn his face to the camera so that both his welts and his face appeared in the pictures. All five of his pledges also would have to pose for pictures as part of the over-all punishment. Arnold did have one break coming to him that night; he would be spared the public enema. Enemas and forced ejaculation, which were considered much more humiliating than corporal punishment, were reserved only for pledges. Heather ordered Arnold to stand against the far wall of the sitting room, to keep his punished backside on display for the benefit of the women and Tri-Alpha officers. Lisa glanced at the other male pledges. They were terrified, quite obviously. She was not surprised to see that Ken had a furious erection. What surprised her much more was to see an erection on the "fat guy" as well. Heather also noted the erections, and ordered the two pledges to stand up and face their audience. She put her arms around their shoulders and posed for several pictures, cruelly smiling as the men's two penises pointed directly at the cameras. When the flashing died down, she grabbed both penises and firmly held them for a second round of photos. Finally she ordered the two pledges to put their hands behind their heads and run in circles around the room. The women cheered and guffawed as the two mortified young men ran their laps while their penises bounced around as they moved. Lisa was not surprised when Heather ordered her favorite victim to extend himself over the table next. Nor was she surprised to see the Sergeant-at-Arms punish him with as much determination and cruelty as she had punished Arnold. She used the same pattern on him: five stroke across both sides of the base of his bottom, then six strokes concentrated on each side, and finally four strokes with the thin cane on the backs of his upper thighs. The "fat guy" did surprise his spectators by not crying. Heather had beaten him so much over that last couple of weeks that he was becoming used to it. Heather ordered her victim off the table and to display his welts for the benefit of the audience. Like his Pledge Master, he had to pose for numerous pictures. Heather then ordered him to get on his elbows and knees on a thick towel laid out on the floor, his welt-covered bottom spread and turned towards the audience. A Four-Beta junior brought a full enema bottle and hose assembly. The nozzle already had been lubricated and was ready to insert. Heather casually took it and shoved it in, repositioning it gently to make it go deeper. As the women applauded and the cameras flashed, Heather paused to let the utter humiliation of the pledge's experience sink in. Finally she opened the clip and the water rushed into his intestines. The pledge already knew that he would be required to hold his position, on his elbows and knees with his bottom spread and pointed upwards, until the next caning was completed. As the first pledge struggled through the throbbing pain in his backside, the increasing pressure in his stomach, and holding an uncomfortable and embarrassing position on the floor, Heather got started with the third victim of the evening. She punished using the same pattern, but Lisa noticed her striking considerably less vigorously and finishing much more quickly. Heather already had flogged the two males she was most interested in flogging and had worn herself out. Given that she still had three pledges to go, she had to be careful to pace herself and not get tired out too quickly. The third pledge made it through his punishment without sobbing, although sweat and tears were running down his face when he knelt on the towel to receive his enema. Two Four-Beta juniors handcuffed the "fat guy" and took him downstairs to relieve himself. Then he would be shaved and, if necessary, have his bottom waxed for a second time. Finally he would be brought back upstairs, issued a Four-Beta T-shirt, and formally begin his six days of punishment duty. Even had they not been facing punishment, at some point that week the Tri-Alpha pledges would have had to submit to being shaved by the Four-Betas. Pledging males were not allowed to have pubic hair until they completed their initiation, so about once a week they had to be shaved. Pledges also had to keep their bottoms completely free of hair, so they had to be waxed whenever there was any sign of hair growing back. Upon being sworn in as full members the pledges would be allowed to re-grow their public hair if they wanted, although many of the members of the fraternity preferred to remain clean-shaven. As for waxing the hair off their bottoms, the Tri-Alphas had made that a custom for the entire group over the past several years. At first only the gay members waxed their bottoms, but over time the straight members started waxing as well. Having their bottoms stripped of hair eventually became a trademark of the fraternity, and it turned out that most of the Four-Beta women preferred the new style on their partners. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 23 ---------- Ken was the fifth person to be disciplined by Heather. During the entire time he was waiting to be caned his erection never diminished. Lisa glanced at her companions, noting that they were fascinated with his sexual stamina. Bernadette in particular seemed to be looking forward to having access to Ken's body, given that she had been used to frequent sex in high school and was starting to become frustrated from not having the chance to relieve herself more often. Lisa also was looking forward to having a couple of encounters with Ken, and hoped that she could get Kathleen to experiment with him as well. For once Kathleen could be in control of her sexual contact with a male, and perhaps enjoy herself instead of feeling victimized. For Lisa, the punishment of Ken was rather anti-climatic. Heather was clearly tired out by the time she got to him. Anyhow, he was used to much worse than a simple caning of 21 strokes. In fact, he found the experience enjoyable; the pain just severe enough that it stimulated him sexually. By the time he was let up his erection was harder than ever. The enema was hardly anything new to him either: it was just another part of the hazing he took in stride. ---------- Already it was quite late when Heather finished punishing the final member of the pledge group and he was taken downstairs to be cleaned up. The pledges were ordered to line up in front of the women while Tracy explained that they would be placed in servitude under the sorority for the next six days. Tracy repeated the only restriction would be that the males would have time to attend class and sleep. Apart from that they were to unconditionally obey any order issued to them, which included sexual favors. She continued by suggesting that each class take a pledge so there would be fewer arguments over which sorority members each male pledge had to obey. That suggestion was put to a vote and an overwhelming majority of the women agreed. Heather ordered one of the male pledges to stand on a small platform so the women could look him over and decided which class wanted him the most. The first man was the best-looking member of the pledge group, so the seniors laid claim to him. The juniors and sophomores disputed the second and third pledges, because both classes were split over which one each group wanted. Finally Tracy rolled her eyes and told the juniors to vote on which of the two pledges they wanted the most. The sophomores would have to take the other one. Arnold went next, claimed by the sorority officers. Finally Tracy handed the "fat guy" over to Heather, leaving Ken for herself and the Four-Beta pledge group. As the males knelt, Tracy explained that they would be sleeping on cots in the pledge room in the basement. They would use the communal showers and toilet, and remain on-call to serve the members of their respective classes. Meanwhile, the Four-Beta pledges would get a six-day break from the harshest conditions of their daily lives. They would be allowed to wear their pledge uniforms in the house, use the upstairs bathrooms, and sleep in the beds of the guestroom. They still were held accountable for cleaning the house to inspection code on Saturday, but would have some help. Because he was "their" pledge, Ken would be subordinate to them and be held responsible for helping them with their chores. ---------- A few minutes later the Tri-Alpha officers left the sorority to return to the fraternity house, minus their pledges and their disgraced Pledge Master. The sorority members were dismissed for the night and departed upstairs with their new servants. Tracy snapped her fingers to lead her pledge group and Ken downstairs. Once the five pledges were kneeling she announced: "OK, Pledge Ken, you know what you're supposed to do?" "Yes, ma'am." "What?" "I mean...I'm supposed to do whatever anyone in the pledge group tells me to do, ma'am." "You got it, Pledge. We'll see how well you understand that. Remember, I expect you to ask permission to do anything, and that includes pissing or getting a drink of water. If you gotta piss, you gotta ask permission. And there's something else. You don't talk, at all, unless someone talks to you first. That's especially true for talking to the other Triple A's. There's absolutely no talking among you for the next six days. For each time I catch you or hear about you talking without permission, you're stay here will be extended by one day. That's one day for each violation. And that goes for all of you. Get it?" "Yes, ma'am." "Alright. I gotta study so I'm turning you over to the pledge group. At 11:30 they'll need to let you go to sleep, but in the meantime I expect you to do whatever they tell you." "Yes, ma'am." With that Tracy went upstairs to take her usual seat in the library. Bernadette immediately shouted: "I got him first!" Lisa sighed: "OK, you got him first, but each of us is getting our turn. We're giving you an hour." With that Bernadette ordered Ken to put his hands behind his back so she could cuff him. He knelt and complied, holding up his arms while the Four-Beta pledge secured them. Bernadette then grabbed her captive's penis and ordered him to stand up. His reaction to being cuffed, ordered around, and fondled was immediate: he became quite hard. Bernadette turned to Cherine: "You want to come with us? Make it a threesome?" "Uh...I...don't think so..." "Alright, your loss." Still gripping his very stiff penis, Bernadette led Ken out of the pledge room and into the guestroom. She shut the door, thrilled at having a completely compliant male at her command for a full hour. Yes! This was it! This was why she had joined the Four-Betas! ---------- As soon as Bernadette closed the door of the guestroom, she stroked Ken's penis a couple of times and un-cuffed him. She was desperate for sex, so the foreplay she might have wanted to try out with him would have to wait. She pulled down her shorts and stepped out of them, then jumped on one of the beds. She got on her elbows and knees, lewdly exposing herself. As soon as she felt the cool air of the room blowing against her exposed vagina, she was reminded of her exposure and became very wet. "There's condoms in that night stand. Put one on and fuck me. You'd better fuck me good, 'cause I'll beat your ass if you don't." Ken's masochism and own pent-up sexual desires came out as he struggled to put on his condom and ran his hand over Bernadette's pale bottom. Bernadette's skin had darkened slightly over the past three weeks from being naked most of the time, but her color was still a lot fairer than Lisa's deep tan. Ken found the contrast fascinating, along the different shape of her petite figure and reddish pubic hair. As he entered her and began thrusting, the pain from the recent caning shot through his body and gave him that extra burst of erotic energy. Bernadette perspired and squeaked with pleasure as she pushed her body backward to get Ken even deeper inside her. A delicious orgasm swept over her...yes...oh yes...this was good...oh yes... As he continued thrusting and pumping semen into his condom, various thoughts and fantasies drifted through the young man's mind. As first he simply enjoyed the sight of the attractive young body of his companion, and the contrast between her pink pledge shirt and pale bottom and thighs. However, Ken's confused sexual nature did not allow him to hold that thought very long. His mind wandered and eventually he envisioned himself entering his friend Jason from behind. Yes...poor nervous Jason, with his hands tied and his bottom spread, groaning from the pressure of Ken's penis tearing into his helpless bottom-hole. Jason...his backside cruelly marked from a severe punishment and his bottom-hole presented as a final gesture of submission...yes...that was the thought that flowed through Ken's mind. Jason was his, not Cecilia's, to do with as he pleased. Bernadette was surprised and impressed with the vigor of Ken's orgasm, not realizing what was going on in her lover's mind at that moment. It was clear that Ken was enjoying his orgasm, but not for the reasons she thought. Ken was not fantasizing about her; he was fantasizing about a male friend. Bernadette was tired out after that first orgasm, but she wanted to make good use of her hour. She lied on her back on the bed, put her feet over the edge, and spread her legs. She ordered Ken to take off his condom and wipe himself off. Then she directed him to "clean me up". Ken complied, licking the sticky salty liquid of Bernadette's orgasm off her vagina. He had done the same for Lisa plenty of times, but it was different with Bernadette because she did not shave her pubic hair. Unlike the Tri-Alphas, the Four-Betas did not have any shaving requirements for their pledges. Lisa was the only member of the pledge group who completely shaved, so dealing with Bernadette's hair was a new and different experience. Ken spent several minutes trying to figure out what excited Bernadette as he explored her labia, clitoris, and vaginal opening with his tongue and lips. He discovered there were differences between what excited Lisa and what excited Bernadette. After about fifteen minutes of enjoying Ken's oral stimulation, Bernadette's body was ready to climax for a second time. She groaned with delight and grabbed his hair as he continued his assault on her eager clitoris. Within about 45 minutes Bernadette was sufficiently satisfied to leave the room and turn Ken over to her companions. Without bothering to put her shorts back on she cuffed his hands behind his back and ordered him to go into the hallway and kneel facing the wall. Meanwhile, she took advantage of the bathroom adjacent to the guestroom to take a shower. She gladly closed the door, relishing the opportunity to get cleaned up in private. ---------- Bernadette exited the bathroom to see Ken still kneeling and her fellow pledges nowhere in sight. She figured that Lisa must have gone up to the library to study and taken the others with her. Sure enough, Bernadette found her companions sitting at a table together, taking notes on an assignment. Bernadette called Cherine to follow her downstairs. As Ken quietly continued to kneel facing the wall, the two young women contemplated what to do with him. "You want to do anything?" "I...I'm not sure. Probably not." Bernadette rolled her eyes. "Probably not. Probably not. If you don't want to do anything, what'd you join the sorority for?" Cherine took a deep breath. "I've never done anything like that...you know...just some kissing. I never let anyone go any further. I mean...I know the guys didn't like it, but...I've always wanted the first time to be...you know like...special...not just with anyone..." "...and your special guy is Jacob?" "...yeah, kinda..." "...so you're saving yourself for him?" Cherine nodded her head. Bernadette again glanced at Ken, then back at her companion. She had brought Cherine to the basement because she felt that it was necessary to get her friend to open her mind to the possibilities of sex and the enjoyment it could bring to a person's life. She found Cherine's entire "virginity" thing ridiculous, because Bernadette had been sexually active since she was 15. To be 18, as good looking as Cherine, and never to have had sex struck her as extremely odd. She perceived Cherine's innocence as more than just odd; she saw it as a deficiency in her life that needed to be fixed. Bernadette realized that arguing with Cherine about her virginity would be counter-productive, but she hoped to convince her friend that she could both "save herself" and still enjoy much of what sex had to offer. Ken presented the perfect opportunity, because he would not do anything that Cherine had not told him to do. Cherine could completely control her encounter with him and hopefully overcome her shyness. Anyhow, Bernadette was convinced that Ken was spent and would be surprised if he were capable of having an erection within the next hour. In the end, Bernadette convinced Cherine that she had to take advantage of Ken's situation. As she put it: "you're nuts if you think you're gonna get through the Four-Beta pledging program all sweet and innocent. They're not gonna allow it! And if you want to be with Jacob, he's gonna expect you to complete the pledging program. All of it. And don't try thinking he's the picture of purity either, because he's not. I mean...he's even fucked Heather, for God's sake!" "I don't care! I'm not gonna lose my virginity! I'm not gonna do that! I don't care what they want, I'm not losing my virginity until I decide..." "You don't have to 'lose your virginity!' There's plenty of other stuff you can do!" "Like what?" Bernadette sighed, but she realized she might be close... "Can I get you to trust me?" "I guess..." "No. I mean, really trust me? This is gonna be important. I wanna have you do something, but I promise I won't mess up your virginity." "What do you want me to do?" "It's too complicated to explain. I'm just asking you to trust me." Cherine took a deep breath. "Alright, I'll trust you." "Stand still. Just try to relax and let things happen. OK?" "I...Alright..." Bernadette abruptly reached into Cherine's pocket and took out her blindfold. She wrapped it around her companion's head and loosely tied it in place. Her heart pounding at the thought of being deprived of one of her senses, Cherine took a deep breath. She heard the clicking of a key unlocking Ken's handcuffs, and the faint sound of him getting to his feet. Then she heard Bernadette's voice: "Take her hand." Cherine felt Ken's hand gently grasp hers and allowed herself to be guided into the guestroom. She felt a gentle pressing on her right shoulder, presumably to help guide her through the doorway. She stood still for a second, and then felt her uniform shirt being un-tucked and loosened around her waist. Then she felt the shirt being pulled up over her stomach. One pair of invisible hands took her wrists and guided her arms over her head, while the other pair of hands pulled up her shirt. She felt the cool air of the room against her breasts and upper back, then the cloth move upwards over her face and arms. Her heart pounding, Cherine was left wearing nothing but her blindfold and her gym shorts. Cherine expected to have her gym shorts pulled down next, but instead felt a pair of hands massaging her shoulders. She realized that it was Ken who was massaging her, because the hands were too large to belong to Bernadette. Very gently the hands moved from her shoulders to her upper back, and then to her arms and hands. The touching converted her fear to sexual arousal, and within a few minutes her nipples began to harden. The hands moved from her arms to her stomach and breasts. When Ken began exploring Cherine's nipples, he barely touched them. Cherine began wanting more. She wanted to be touched. The next sensation she felt was her shorts being lowered. They went down slowly, allowing her to appreciate the air caressing her bottom as more and more of it came into view. The shorts worked their way down her thighs and fell to her ankles. Cherine then felt Ken's hands on her shoulders while Bernadette silently touched her to signal she needed to lift her feet and step out of her shorts. Now Cherine's entire body was exposed. She felt Ken's fingertips explore her bared bottom and move up and down her back. The invisible hands moved to the fronts of her thighs, up her hips, up her stomach, and gently brushed past her breasts. At that moment Bernadette quietly slipped out of the room and went into the hallway. She had no further interest in watching Cherine's sexual encounter with Ken; she simply wanted to make sure that it happened and that her friend could start getting rid of her inhibitions. As soon as her body reacted to his latest explorations, Ken guided Cherine onto her stomach on the bed. He spent a long time massaging her; first to relax her and then to stimulate her. He started on her shoulders and neck, but then moved to her bottom and upper thighs. He concentrated on touching the sensitive area around her bottom-hole, waiting for her to spread her legs and expose herself even more. Finally Ken's attentions were rewarded as Cherine opened her legs to allow him to touch her in between her thighs. Cherine's physical desires filled her thoughts when Ken gently took her shoulders and signaled that he wanted her to roll on her back. She complied. Later she would look back in amazement that the she had flipped over with no hesitation whatsoever, but at that moment her physical desires completely controlled her. Ken massaged her thighs and slowly worked his way to her vagina. Cherine was very wet. She was ready. Ken touched Cherine's clitoris with the tip of his tongue, and then worked his way downward to her vagina and labia. She gasped and spread her legs as he explored and tantalized her vulva. Finally he returned to her clitoris and tickled it with the tip of his tongue. She climaxed immediately, filling the room with high-pitched moans. As soon as Bernadette heard Cherine's moans die down, she opened the door and silently signaled to Ken that she wanted him to exit the room. She told him to go to the pledge shower and clean himself up. Once Ken was out of the room, Bernadette turned off the light and shut the door to let her friend recover in private. Cherine was left in the room alone, exhausted, spent, and completely disoriented. She pulled off her blindfold, only to stare up at the dark ceiling. Her physical exhaustion, her inability at that moment to feel any stress, and the silence of her surroundings made her wonder if what had just happened to her was even real. Not being able to see what was going on had given her orgasm dream-like sensation that was heightened by the fact that she now was alone in a quiet dark room. She had no desire, and no need to get up. She pulled the covers over herself and allowed the sweet exhaustion to sweep over her body. For several minutes she enjoyed the feeling of tired bliss, before slowly drifting off into a very deep sleep. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 24 Chapter 24 -- Pledge Ken's illusion Once he was cleaned up, Ken knelt in the pledge room to await further orders. Bernadette went upstairs to fetch Lisa, figuring that probably she would want to go next. However, given that it already was close to 10:00 p.m. Lisa decided that it was time to put Ken to bed and enjoy a good night's sleep in the guest room. As much as she wanted to enjoy Ken and encourage Kathleen to enjoy him, Lisa figured that a good night's sleep was more important and that her time with Ken could wait until Tuesday night. Lisa approached Tracy, knelt, and requested permission to release Ken and go to sleep. However, Tracy had other plans: "You four are going to sleep, but he's not. Have Pledge Ken go to my room, because I'm gonna want to use him before he goes to bed." "Use him..." Tracy's saying it like he's an appliance, thought Lisa to herself. She felt bad for Ken, but knew better than to argue. She replied "yes, ma'am" and went downstairs to fetch her ex-boyfriend. Lisa escorted Ken to Tracy, and knelt alongside him. "You are dismissed, Pledge Lisa. Pledge Ken, you will accompany me to my room." "Yes, Pledge Mistress Tracy." Ken followed Tracy up to her room, not sure what awaited him. He suspected he was about to suffer the same sadistic treatment that his companion undoubtedly was enduring from Heather, but fortunately what Tracy wanted from him was very straightforward. She ordered him to unfold a massage table and cover it with a sheet. Meanwhile she stripped off her clothes and jumped on top. "How much do you know about giving massages, Pledge?" "I...I did some with Pledge Lisa..." "OK, then you're doing me. Concentrate on the souls of my feet, my calves, my butt, and my neck. I'm gonna want you to give me an orgasm later on, but the first thing I want you to do is relax me." "Yes, ma'am." As Ken massaged Tracy, occasionally she gave him instructions to press harder or change the direction of his strokes. He expected her to tell him when she wanted him to move from one part of her body to the next, which she did. He spent over 30 minutes on the backs of her legs alone, and another 20 minutes on her bottom. He was surprised by how thoroughly she wanted her bottom massaged, first by having her muscles pressed hard, and then by having her skin stroked and caressed. Finally he worked his way up her back to her neck and shoulders, spending another 15 minutes on that section of her body. When Tracy flipped on her back, her attractive body was exposed to Ken in its entirety. She wanted him to massage her thighs, arms, and breasts, but she also was curious to see if touching her would arouse him. She ordered him to pay extra attention to her breasts and lightly touch her nipples until they were erect. Finally she ordered him to explore and massage her vulva. She slowly became wet as she became aroused, but then surprised him by flipping over on her stomach again. Tracy wanted additional attention to her bottom. At first what she requested was more deep tissue massage, but then she instructed him to begin slapping both sides of her bottom in rapid succession using both hands. Ken started gently at first, but Tracy told him to slowly increase the force of his slaps and keep increasing until she told him to stop. SLAP-SLAP- SLAP- SLAP- SLAP- SLAP Ken nervously landed rapid blows as the shade of pink in the Pledge Mistress's bottom turned darker and darker from the ongoing barrage of quick smacks. He continued for what seemed a very long time, slowly increasing the force of the rapid swats. Tracy took a deep breath and held onto the massage table as the barrage continued. SLAP-SLAP- SLAP- SLAP- SLAP- SLAP Tracy's bottom became quite red, but she held her position and continued to lie quietly on the table. It was obvious that she was enjoying the sharp stinging from Ken's efforts and wanted the slapping to continue. Her bottom began to swell as her skin took on a deep shade of pink and Ken's hands became tired, but still there was no sign from her that she wanted him to stop. Tracy never felt the need to submit herself for physical discipline or face reprimand, and under no circumstances would have allowed a partner to strike her in anger or with an implement. However, while she was hazed as a pledge she discovered that she enjoyed the physical sensation of a stinging bottom. What she sought was a nice even burning, spread over her backside as it slowly intensified and approached the line between pleasure and pain. She wanted the stinging prolonged as much as possible at a very specific intensity, which was why she liked her partner to start gently and slowly build up to what she desired. Ken had found that ideal level of stinging, and for a very long time Tracy was content to lie quietly and enjoy what was happening to her. SLAP-SLAP- SLAP- SLAP- SLAP- SLAP "Ohhh...Ohhh..." Tracy's body broke out in perspiration as she arched her backside, exposing it even more to the ongoing barrage of slaps. She reached underneath to massage her clitoris. Finally she was stimulated enough to want... The Pledge Mistress suddenly rolled off the massage table and got on her elbows and knees, spreading her very red bottom-cheeks and placing herself on lewd display. For the third time that evening, Ken was confronted with the sight of a woman's naked backside, but the emotional turmoil he felt was much greater than what he had felt when satisfying Bernadette and Cherine. He was deeply afraid of the intimidating sorority officer, and he found that fear extremely erotic. What made his situation even more erotic was the contrast between her dominating personality and the sight of her spanked bottom and submissive posture. Fear mixed with sexual arousal as he quickly became hard. He gently touched Tracy's wet vagina to stimulate her even more, then grabbed her thighs and pushed in. Ken thrust vigorously as confused fantasies swept through his mind. He was excited by the thought of spanking and entering his fierce companion, but also the ongoing physical sensation from his own caning continued to stimulate him as well. His fantasies wandered to Jason, then to Lisa, then to himself, and finally back to Tracy. When he climaxed, his sexual fantasies were right where they started, focused on the person with whom he was making love at the moment. The normal tension in Tracy's personality subsided somewhat as she climaxed. Her muscles were relaxed from the massage, her bottom stimulated from the slapping, and her sexual drive temporarily satiated by the pledge's vigorous thrusts. She led Ken into the sorority officers' bathroom and into the shower. She instructed him to turn on the water and soap her body, making sure that she was completely clean. She placed her hands against the wall as she spread her legs and ordered him to soap and clean her still-reddish bottom and sweaty vulva. She toweled off and ordered him to clean up and return with her to her room. Tracy quickly put on a pair of shorts and a Four-Beta T-shirt while Ken knelt. Once she was seated in an armchair, she returned to her role as Ken's superior. "Pledge, do you understand why you're here? In my room with me?" "I...to satisfy your physical needs, ma'am?" "That's part of it, but there's more. First of all we need to get something straight. What we just did, you will keep to yourself. The sorority has an agreement with the Triple-A's that if an officer of the sorority requests a favor from a fraternity underclassman, that underclassman is not allowed to talk about it. If you ever tell anyone about the details of our encounter, you face expulsion from the fraternity. Do you understand that? "Yes, ma'am." "OK, now let's move on to you. I'd have to admit that Lisa was right about your sexual performance. You're pretty good. You certainly satisfied me. Once you get going, it's hard to imagine all those hang-ups you're dealing with." "Uh...thank you, ma'am." "Now, here's a question for you, Pledge. When you were inside me, what were you thinking about?" "To be honest, my mind kinda wandered..." "Wandered in what way?" "I...you know...like...fantasize about different people...and..." "Did you fantasize about Pledge Lisa?" "Yes, ma'am. For a little bit..." "What about me?" "Yes, ma'am. I was thinking about you too." "What about Jason Schmidt?" "Him too, ma'am." "What about any other guys besides Jason? I mean, right now?" Ken paused for a moment. He realized he hadn't fantasized about anyone else. "No, ma'am. It was just Jason." "Another question. Do you find yourself fantasizing about Lisa and Jason at the same time?" "Yes, ma'am." "Has that ever happened to you before in your life, where you'd fantasize about a guy and a girl at the same time?" "Uh...it happened to me in high school, ma'am. Same thing, really. I was dating this girl, but there was a guy on my tennis team (I played tennis in high school), who used to wear a jockstrap whenever he played or practiced. He was the only guy on the team who wore one. And every day he'd strip down, change into that jockstrap, and then go weigh himself and get a drink of water at the fountain. And I really wanted to touch, you know, his bare ass. But I never did. I never really got the chance. But I thought about him all the time." "Was he in a relationship with someone else?" "Yes, ma'am. He was dating a cheerleader. That's why I never said anything." "OK, now tell me about Jason Schmidt. What was it about him that you liked so much?" Ken thought for a moment. Why did he like Jason so much? To start, Jason was very pleasant to look at, with his young face and attractive runner's body, which usually was on display. Ken was used to seeing Jason running around naked, because he only got dressed if he had to leave the male wing of his dorm's floor. Whenever Ken went into Jason's room or ran into him in the bathroom, he was sure to find him completely undressed. He had seen Jason uncovered in public plenty of times as well, modeling for art classes, speaking at nudist promotional events, and above all, during his very public performance winning the previous fall's Tri-Alpha nude 10-K run. During his first year in college, Ken spent as much of his time as he could with Jason. What fascinated him was Jason's determination to be naked whenever possible. Jason was more than just a nudist; he was something of an exhibitionist and loved being naked around other people. At first Ken simply enjoyed looking at his friend's body, but as time went on, he became very attracted to him. Ken usually took off his clothes in Jason's presence, not because he was a nudist, but because eventually he hoped to seduce him. The problem for Ken was that Jason was totally oblivious. Jason Schmidt was not the brightest person he had ever known and had a very passive personality. Had they been alone, Ken believed that he would have easily seduced Jason, but unfortunately Cecilia Sanchez got to him first. Cecilia needed a boyfriend she could control, and found that in Jason. Within days of meeting him, she zeroed in on him and completely took over his life. Ken had no hope of fulfilling his hidden desire, because Jason's entire existence revolved around keeping his sharp-tempered girlfriend happy. Apart from that, it seemed that Cecilia rarely let him out of her sight and carefully watched anyone around him. Ken ended up with Lisa for the same reason that Lisa ended up with Ken, by default. The couple discovered that Ken's sexual drive was released if he was afraid or subjected to physical pain. Lisa knew how to make him afraid, and in doing so got really great orgasms out of him. The orgasms were so satisfying they were addictive, but at the same time Ken's desire for Jason only increased. By the end of the spring semester, he still was making love to Lisa, but fantasizing about making love to Jason. Tracy interrupted him: "In other words, what happened between you and Jason Schmidt is a repeat of what happened to you in high school. You see a sexy guy without his clothes, and you want him, but you can't have him. Right?" A repeat of his experience in high school. Ken hadn't thought about it like that, but he realized the Pledge Mistress was right. His experience with Jason mirrored what had happened two years earlier with his teammate in the school's locker room. "So, in other words, you've never actually done anything with guys, just fantasized about it?" "Yes, ma'am. Just fantasy...so far, at any rate." "Another question. Are you attracted to any of the guys in the fraternity right now?" "No ma'am. The only guy I really want is Jason. I'm just hoping he'll come back, and maybe..." Tracy's mouth fell open and she rolled her eyes. "Hoping he'll come back? What are you talking about? There's no way Jason's coming back! Haven't you been following the news? Don't you know what he's done?" "Uh...no, ma'am. Pledge Master Arnold hasn't given us any time for stuff like checking the news." Tracy let out a disgusted sigh and stood up to grab a news magazine sitting on her desk. She handed it to Ken. The cover featured the televised image of a well-dressed middle-aged man with very short hair, under the title: America's black eye Ken did not recognize the man in the picture until he read the caption: Danubian Prime Minister Vladim Dukov Ken opened the magazine and thumbed to an article featuring a photograph of Jason Schmidt speaking into a microphone. Ken read: Damning evidence: a corporate son seeks atonement for his father's sins - Surprise prosecution witness sinks Mega-Town's hopes of acquittal - MTA suffers a humiliating defeat as coup conspirators are convicted in Danubian court - "It can't get much worse than this. It's going to completely shut us down over there." Ken skimmed the article, which answered his question why Jason and Cecilia had left the United States in such a rush in the middle of May. According to the article, Jason had traveled to Danube City to testify about sensitive information he had snuck out of his father's house in Wisconsin while staying there over Spring Break. The purloined items detailed a coup planned against the Danubian government sponsored by a group of investors and executives from Mega-Town Associates. Apparently it was Jason who first alerted Prime Minister Vladim Dukov about the coup, and it was only because of his information the scheme failed. The Danubian military moved against the coup plotters on April 21, only 48 hours before the takeover was scheduled to take place. There was no doubt the coup plot was a very serious effort to take over the country, because the Danubians captured hundreds of mercenaries and local collaborators, three CEO's from the corporation itself, piles of stashed weapons, and worst of all, volumes of documentation and military maps. The Danubians were quick to scan all the documents and dump them on the Internet, to ensure the world knew in detail what the U.S. conglomerate wanted to do to their country. The arrests, the capture of all those sensitive documents and their release to the public, and the trials of the conspirators took place so quickly that the company did not have time to effectively counter the disaster. Jason Schmidt's testimony in the trial was crucial because he was the person who connected the evidence captured in Upper Danubia to the original conspiracy in the U.S. He openly testified that he was the one who first warned the Danubian government and thus was the person who ultimately prevented the coup. Jason Schmidt might have won the hearts of the Danubians and anyone else who disliked Mega-Town's business practices, but he had just made plenty of very influential enemies on Wall Street. He single-handedly disrupted a plan worth hundreds of millions of dollars, and was responsible for additional financial losses resulting from the scandal's fallout. One financial analyst estimated that Jason's actions might have cost U.S. corporate investors as much as 20 billion dollars. "I hope that kid realizes what he's done to the American investment community, because he's dead meat. If I were him, I wouldn't be getting much sleep right now." Tracy took back the magazine. "I think you'd better forget about Jason Schmidt. You'd better forget you ever knew him. I can guarantee you won't be seeing him anytime soon, so how about moving on?" For a long time Ken knelt quietly, not sure how to respond. Tracy could tell that he was deeply saddened by the news she had just given him. Finally, impatient at his prolonged silence, she continued: "Pledge, I got a question for you. I'm wondering if you were ever really in love with Jason Schmidt. I mean the real Jason...the one who testified in Danube City and is dating Cecilia Sanchez. Maybe that wasn't the Jason you fell in love with. Maybe the Jason you fell in love with is nothing more than an illusion, an idealized fantasy that you created for your own psychological needs." "I...I don't know..." "That's fine. You don't know. But at least you're willing to admit that's a possibility?" "I 'spose it could be, ma'am. Maybe I didn't know him as well as I thought..." "Well, that's something for you to sleep on." Tracy glanced at her clock. "It's 11:15. Almost lights-out." "Yes, ma'am." "PLEDGE, STAND-UP!" With that Ken was released, and his first day at the sorority house came to an end. ---------- While the female pledges slept in the comfortable beds of the guest room, the male pledges and their disgraced Pledge Master slept on the open cots of the Four-Beta pledge room. The feeling in the room was a combination of fatigue, resignation, and relief. What probably was the worst day out of the week had come and gone. The males knew that what the women could do to them was restricted by the fact the group had to progress with their studies, which meant that they had to have enough rest to be alert in their classes. It was true they would fall behind somewhat in their homework and term papers, but would be expected to catch up once their internment ended and they returned to the fraternity. With the exception of the pledge under the control of Heather, the young men had a very good chance of avoiding any further physical punishment, apart from the constant "hurry up" smacks they got on their bottoms. All they had to do was obey the whims of their mistresses, which was something they already were conditioned to do at the fraternity. For the most part their duties included constantly giving full body massages, rubdowns with soap in the shower, foot rubs, and oral sex. Some of the women liked having their toes, breasts, or bottoms kissed and licked, but the rule was that if a sorority member wanted attention to any part of her body; her body had to be thoroughly washed before she approached the pledge. Mostly what the women wanted was to have the males comfort them and attend to their various physical needs. A few of the Four-Betas also wanted to use the male pledges for regular sex. The women who wanted intercourse were the ones with hidden sexual needs like Tracy, were between relationships, or simply wanted a casual orgasm to relax. The pledges soon learned that the women who wanted normal sex were in the minority, given that most of them were in relationships either with members of the fraternity or other members in the sorority. Thus the pledges were able to accommodate their mistresses, because obviously a single male would not have been capable of having a dozen orgasms every night for six days. Typically the Triple A's needed to service two or three women over a 24-hour period, something all of them were capable of doing. Although he was under only five women, Ken expected to be kept very busy. Bernadette planned to have sex with him at least once each day and also have him massage and perform oral sex on Cherine. Lisa would want sex from him as well, and try to get Kathleen to experiment with him. That meant at least two orgasms per night, and possibly three. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 24 As for the Pledge Mistress, Ken suspicion she would want nightly rounds of sex turned out to be unfounded. Tracy was satisfied with her experience, but she had no desire to climax every night. Tracy figured she would use Ken one more time, perhaps during the weekend. Apart from that her attitude was to let her pledges have him. ---------- Ken had trouble getting to sleep, in spite of being horribly fatigued. His evening's experience did nothing to set his mind at ease, because his thoughts raced between two women, Lisa and Tracy, and his increasingly vague and confusing thoughts about Jason Schmidt. Precisely because Jason was so completely out of reach, Ken wanted him more than ever. However, Tracy's blunt and stinging words continued to echo in his mind: "I think you'd better forget about Jason Schmidt. You'd better forget you ever knew him. I can guarantee you won't be seeing him anytime soon, so how about moving on?" How about moving on? Yes, he had to move on. He could either try to hold onto an increasingly distant fantasy, or he could move on. Those were his choices. Was there anyone in the fraternity who might replace Jason in Ken's desires? Would it be possible for Ken to explore that side of himself with another guy? Ken thought about it and came up with a surprising answer, no. He had to confront a very strange truth, that at least at that point in his life, he was not really attracted to other men apart from Jason. Over the past couple of weeks he had been touched, bathed, and masturbated by other men, but had not found the experience to be nearly as pleasurable as he had anticipated. There was a practical exercise coming up the following week that would encourage the pledges to explore anal sex, but Ken realized he really was not looking forward to having to deal with entering another man or having another man enter him. As for kissing another guy, that was not something he really wanted to do, except for Jason. Out of his confusion, Ken realized that his desire to explore intimacy with other guys was limited to Jason Schmidt. He badly wanted to hug Jason, massage Jason, kiss Jason, and seduce Jason. But Ken's lust for Jason did not extend to lust for other guys. Any desire he felt when looking at any other man's naked body was not really desire directed towards the guy he was looking at, but the fantasy of Jason morphed into his thoughts. Ken's mental wanderings moved to the women who surrounded him at the moment. He dismissed Bernadette and Cherine, because they did not appeal to him in the least. However, much to his surprise, he found the Four-Beta Pledge Mistress very desirable. Her dominating personality and know-it-all attitude, coupled with her surprisingly submissive style of lovemaking, totally fascinated him. To Ken, Tracy was even more fascinating than Lisa, because of the contradiction between her behavior in public and her secret sexual tastes. Another part of Tracy that fascinated Ken was the seriousness of her personality. There was not a hint of playfulness in Tracy, not a hint of anything "extra" in her character. Her life consisted of her studies, her position in the sorority, physical fitness, and her military obligations. Tracy's treatment of Ken fit her overall character and her disdain for "extras" in her life. The sexual encounter and the way it took place indicated that she did not have time to dedicate to a regular boyfriend. She had sexual cravings, but only satisfied them if she could do so without incurring any obligations to her partner. It was obvious that she wanted to spend time with Ken for one purpose, to satisfy a physical need. There was no hint of any relationship once that need was satisfied. However, as unadorned as Tracy's own emotional life might be, she took a professional interest in trying to make people understand their own life circumstances and recognize self-defeating attitudes and their resulting behavior. Once she was finished satisfying herself with Ken, she wanted nothing more to do with him socially, but still took an interest in his confused sexual identity. She did not judge him for his treatment of Lisa and desire for Jason, but she did want to ensure he realized that Jason had no relevance in his life. She also wanted to make sure he began the process of understanding what was his sexual identity and how to make his desires a positive part of his existence instead of a negative one. ---------- As he lay awake, now irritated by the snoring of one of his group mates, Ken realized that his sexuality did not fall into any particular category. He certainly was not gay, because he felt attraction towards Lisa, and now Tracy. He was not really bi-sexual, because he did not feel a general attraction for other guys. His sexual craving for other men was limited to three people so far; his tennis teammate, Jason, and another classmate in high school who happened to look a lot like...Jason, and...also...his teammate. Suddenly Ken realized he had made a connection between his love interests and now understood why his attraction to other guys was very limited. To trigger his desire, a guy had to have a very special combination of personality traits, appearance, and life circumstances. All three of the guys he liked were thin and athletic, had passive personalities, were uninhibited about exposing their bodies, and above all, "straight". All three of those guys had girlfriends at the time Ken became interested in them. In all three circumstances he fantasized about seducing his target and taking him away from his girlfriend. Ken now realized that if a guy did not have that combination of life circumstances, he would not be interested in him. The problem was that the fantasies were inherently self-defeating, because the guys he wanted were precisely the ones he knew he never could have. With Jason, Ken was pursuing the impossible, and that was precisely what made Jason so desirable. Ken wanted Jason because he knew that he couldn't have him. As his thoughts dwelled on various girls he had liked (and dated), Ken realized that it also took a precise combination of characteristics to make him interested in a woman. She had to be very tall, athletic, studious, serious, and not silly or rowdy. Above all, she had to be intimidating. He had to fear her and respect her to be attracted. That explained a lot. For example, it explained why Ken felt no interest in Bernadette and Cherine, even though most men would find them very attractive. According to his tastes, they were too short. Apart from that, Bernadette's rowdy playfulness and Cherine's shyness were big turn-offs. Those two freshmen were not serious and intimidating like Lisa and Tracy. It also explained why Ken found Tracy somewhat more desirable than Lisa. Tracy matched Ken's ideal woman in her purest form, because her no-nonsense character was even more extreme than that of Lisa. There was one significant difference between Ken's desires for potential male and female partners. His relationship with Lisa and his encounter with Tracy made him realize that his sexual taste in females could be satisfied. The combination of what he wanted in a male made the fantasy completely unattainable. It also explained why Ken failed to appreciate his relationship with Lisa as he dwelled on his fantasy with Ken. Lisa was part of his daily routine, while Jason was distant enough to allow Ken to idealize him. Because he had enjoyed a sexual encounter with her, in one way Ken already had fulfilled part of his fantasy with the Four-Beta Pledge Mistress. However, she had asked him to make love to her precisely because she wanted sex, not any type of commitment. From the outset Ken understood that, as a partner, Tracy was every bit as unattainable as Jason. Still, image of her stern face, lovely body, and spanked bottom was burned into his mind and his fantasies. He fervently hoped that he could make love to Tracy at least one more time before his internment ended. That was progress for him, because for the first time in several months Ken's thoughts were not focused on Jason Schmidt. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 25 Chapter 25 - Bernadette's new clique Tuesday morning began with the usual morning PT. The male pledges and their Pledge Master were assigned to Heather and faced a truly grueling hour of harsh exercising, complete with constant swats with her riding crop. The morning promised not to be much easier for the Lisa and her companions, because that was the first day President Alexandra wanted the pledges to exercise running up and down the stairs of the stadium. The pledges would be expected to keep up with the sophomores and no longer would be allowed to stretch on the football field during the stair runs. The women made their usual trek to the stadium, but the pledges were in for a surprise. The sorority had a tradition to motivate the freshmen to move as fast as the sophomores when conducting stair training. Once they were standing at the base of the bleachers the pledges noticed the sophomores glancing at them with knowing smirks. Then they found out why. Alexandra addressed the group: "Pledges, now you get to prove yourselves on the stairs! Strip off your uniforms, except your shoes and socks. Fold your clothes neatly and resume the position of attention!" As shocking as the order was, by now the pledges were conditioned to quickly obey. Within 15 seconds their uniforms were off their bodies and within another 15 seconds the clothes were neatly folded on the ground. The owners stood at attention with the early morning sunlight shining on their bare bodies, nervously waiting for their next order. "You'll have to earn your clothes back, Pledges! I'm not giving you anything; you'll have to earn it! You will keep up with your future sorority sisters, or you'll stay like you are for the run back! It's your choice: keep up, or run bare until you do! Do you understand?" "Yes, ma'am!" With that the sophomores and their four naked companions began the grueling trek up the cement stairs of the stadium. From the first day they ran to the stadium they had known the moment was coming for them to start stair training. However, the pledges had not expected to be doing it so soon or face the prospect of running back to the sorority naked if they could not keep up. The sophomores casually moved up flight after flight of the cement slope, their legs conditioned by having done the same training for a year. At first it seemed that the pledges would be able to keep up. All four newcomers made it to the top with the sophomores during the first climb, and stayed with them as the group ran across one section of bleachers and began their descent. The women ran across another row of bleachers turned onto the second set of stairs to began their second ascent. The pledges would have been all right had the entire group been as fit as Kathleen. The skinny girl had no problem keeping up, because she was an experienced runner and her thin legs were conditioned for hard workouts. Adrenaline was not a problem either, because she was always tensed up with stress and knew how to use that to her advantage. As her legs started to tire, she focused her thoughts on things that upset her or made her angry, which gave her the energy she needed to keep going. As they neared the top of the second flight of stairs, it was obvious Kathleen would make it to the end of the run. The illusion of keeping up soon faded for Bernadette and Cherine. Their legs were throbbing even before they made it to the top of the first flight of stairs. They enjoyed a brief respite as they descended, but their hearts filled with despair as they began the arduous trek up the second flight. The stairs stretched upwards to the sky, going higher and higher. The end was in sight, but so what? After that horrible climb, there would be another, and another...six climbs altogether. No. They would not make it. Despair swept over Lisa as she ran behind the two freshmen. She knew that with difficulty she could have kept up with Kathleen and the sophomores, but decided to stay behind with the two slower members of the pledge group. She was irritated that Kathleen was not staying with the others, but realized that her lover was used to running in competitions and not to keeping pace with the slowest member of her group. She couldn't blame Kathleen, because having known and run with Jason she understood that the competitive instinct is embedded in a good runner. Cherine was not able to run as fast as the sophomores, but she was fit enough to complete the six flights. Her pace would be slow, but with difficulty she would finish. The problem was not so much Cherine as it was Bernadette. Bernadette, in spite of her appearance, simply was not in very good shape because she had not been used to exercising before entering college. On top of not exercising, she had smoked since she was fourteen. She was smart enough to realize that she needed to quit, which was one of her reasons for pledging the Four-Beta Sorority in the summer instead of the fall. Among the other things she wanted to accomplish, she was hoping that pledging would deny her the opportunity to smoke and force her to quit. She was right about quitting, but her lungs still were recovering from four years of inhaling smoke and nicotine. By the time she had reached the top of the third flight of stairs, she was gasping for breath and tears were rolling down her cheeks. She knew that she wasn't going to make it. "I...I...uh...I...run...go...I...can't..." Lisa snapped: "Then I'm not either!" She turned to her other companion: "Cherine, go! Catch up with Kathleen!" "But..." "That's an order! Catch up!" Cherine said nothing more, but slowly began moving further and further ahead of Bernadette and Lisa. By the time they were only halfway up the fourth flight of stairs, Cherine already was at the top and running down the next flight to try to catch up with the main group. Meanwhile, Bernadette's face had changed color and she was clearly suffering. "You go...too! I can't..." "Just do the best you can! "I can't..." "Just do your best! Try! It's our first time! Thursday you'll do better!" Bernadette started to cry. "I can't!" "Well, I'm not leaving you, so you don't have any choice! Now do what you can! That's all I'm asking! Just do what you can!" Bernadette started crying in earnest as she began the painful journey up the fifth flight of stairs. Lisa glanced at the sixth flight to see the sophomores and Kathleen finishing, and at the bottom to see Cherine trying to catch up. Bernadette made the laborious climb up the stairs, barely able to walk up the steps, let alone run. Sweat was pouring down her body as she sobbed and gasped for air. Finally the two women made it to the top. Lisa was relieved. Five flights done, one to go. As the two women made their way down the steps to start their sixth ascent, Cherine finished and joined the group on the football field. Then Lisa and Bernadette heard the whistles and cheers of a group of football players as they came out of the locker room for an early run. Oh, great. On top of everything else, Lisa and Bernadette now had an audience. The two stressed pledges tried to ignore the barrage of whistles and cat-calls as Bernadette struggled up the final flight of stairs. That final climb was one of the hardest things she had ever done in her life, but Lisa's uncompromising presence and the real fear she felt from all those guys watching her forced her to continue. Finally she made it to the top. As the noise and lewd comments from the football players continued to assault their ears, the two pledges descended the final flight and sadly approached the waiting sophomores. Bernadette was heartbroken. She was totally humiliated and for the first time in her life, truly hated herself. She had failed, out done by Kathleen, of all people. She saw herself as a loser, and because of that she would need to quit the pledge group. She had no right to hold her companions back. She would have to quit. Through her gasping and crying, Bernadette heard President Alexandra's voice: "Pledge Kathleen and Pledge Cherine!" "Yes, ma'am!" "Put your uniforms back on! You've passed the stadium run!" Kathleen and Cherine looked at each other, then at Lisa and Bernadette. It was Cherine who spoke up: "Ma'am, I request permission to speak!" "What is it?" "Aren't we 'sposed to do this as a group? I mean, I thought that if one of us doesn't pass, none of us gets our uniforms back." "No. I'm not doing it that way. You two passed; Pledge Bernadette and Pledge Lisa did not. They're going back bare-assed, but you're not." Cherine and Kathleen again exchanged glances. Kathleen spoke next. "Ma'am, it says in a bunch of places in the Pledge Manual that we gotta do everything as a group. That we're not supposed to have some of us in uniform and the others not." "Well, I'm gonna cut you some slack. You're saying you don't want it?" Kathleen swallowed and took a deep breath. "No, ma'am. We don't want it." "Pledge Cherine?" "Not 'till we all pass, ma'am." "OK, if that's the way you want to be, then you can just be the happy naked foursome." President Alexandra turned to one of the sophomores: "Kate!" "Yes, President Alexandra!" "Bag up their stuff and take it back to the house! Looks like our four pledges will be doing some streaking this morning!" "Yes President Alexandra!" As Kate shoved the four uniforms into a cloth bag, Bernadette continued to cry. However, she no longer was crying over her failure to do the run. Instead she was overcome at the thought that her fellow pledges, two of whom she disliked, once again had come to her defense. She felt very guilty, because she knew that she would not have done the same for any of the others, with the possible exception of Cherine. Had Lisa or Kathleen been in her shoes, Bernadette gladly would have put her uniform back on and let them go back naked alone. Had it been Lisa who had fallen behind on the stairs, there was no way Bernadette would have dropped back to encourage her. The football players continued whistling as the Four-Beta women formed up to make the run back to the sorority house. Because it already was daylight, there was a very real risk the pledges faced arrest if the police or Campus Security saw them. The solution was for the pledges to line up single file and for the sophomores to line up on the outside of the pledges, which greatly reduced their exposure. The whistling and cat-calls from the football players continued as the women exited the stadium, even though the pledges now were mostly hidden by the sophomores. The women jogged at a leisurely pace along a back street that paralleled the university. They crossed Old Campus and finally the wide street that separated the university from the nearby residences. As they made their way back to the Four-Beta house, the group received plenty of curious glances from the early morning commuters who were out and about. Their witnesses thought, but could not be sure, that the four women running in the center of the group weren't wearing anything. ---------- The pledges showered and then ate quietly with the sophomores. The sophomores seemed in very high spirits, but the pledges were nervous about having to repeat the stadium exercise on Thursday. They understood that, until all of them could manage the stairs, they would be forced to run in the nude. The Four-Beta pledges, accompanied by their Tri-Alpha counterparts, put on their uniforms and were escorted to their classes. In spite of everything that was happening to them, they were students first and pledges second, and their mentors expected top academic performance. Whatever difficulties they had back at the sorority house had to stay there, because the pledges were expected to pay attention to what was going on in their classes and pass their subjects on the first try. As usual, Lisa was deposited in Ruth Burnside's office and greeted her professor in her normal stance, naked with her legs spread and her hands behind her head. As the student aide stood in position, Burnside talked to her at length about the summer classes and her studies. Dr. Halsey and one of his TA's came into the office and joined the conversation. The TA, a young guy who was fairly good-looking, spent the entire time with his eyes glued to Lisa's attractive figure. Lisa tried to ignore him and conversed with the two professors, talking with them as though she were dressed and sitting down. ---------- As the day went by and Bernadette had the chance to reflect on her traumatic experience on the stadium stairs, she realized something truly frightening about herself. She had considered herself the best member of the pledge group: the most outgoing, the most confident, and the most attractive. Perhaps that was true, but of the four pledges she also was by far the most egotistical, self-centered, and short-sighted. The tiredness in her chest and her ruined lungs were a legacy of her short-sightedness, a physical ailment she had inflicted upon herself that would take months to fix. Because of her stupidity, she now was burdened with a weakness that was making the other three pledges suffer. And yet, they still supported her. They still wanted her to succeed, even though she had done nothing to merit their help. Even that creepy Kathleen, even she stuck up for me. Even she's a better person than I am, thought Bernadette to herself. That night Bernadette decided not to use Ken, or pursue her goal of getting Cherine to loosen up with her inhibitions. She had concluded that it would be better for her not to continue pledging the Four-Beta Sorority. Among other problems, she dreaded the prospect of another run on the stadium stairs Thursday morning. The thought of pain tearing through her damaged lungs was not her main concern, but rather the humiliation of being the weakest member of the pledge group. She had always thought of herself as superior to most other women her age, largely because of her popularity in school. However, she had not really been challenged when it came to exercising before joining the sorority. With upper body she did all right, but running had been very hard, even before the stair training. Now she had become an impediment to the others, and could not face being in that awkward situation. It was just too humiliating. She would have to quit, for the good of everyone. After dinner Pledge Bernadette found Tracy at her usual spot in the sorority library. She knelt, and flatly told the Pledge Mistress that she needed to quit the pledging program and leave the sorority. Tracy was not particularly surprised, because she knew that Bernadette had two issues in her life that were likely to manifest themselves during the pledging process. Tracy was aware that Bernadette smoked and that her fitness would be a problem as the aerobic portion of the physical training intensified. That was no surprise, because she had seen the same thing when going though Basic Training in the Army. The smokers always had a lot of trouble during the runs at the beginning. Bernadette's other problem was her self-confidence and tendency to harshly judge everyone around her. Her self-confidence came not from what she had accomplished in her life, but from the illusion of being part of the "in" crowd at her high school. She was destined to suffer an identity crisis, because the world in which she lived vanished the moment her graduation ceremony ended. Precisely because she had been so happy in high school (often at the expense of her less popular classmates) finding that level of happiness in the future would be difficult. In some ways Bernadette faced a harder life than any of her three fellow pledges, because the other three had not enjoyed their time in high school. They would miss that part of their lives much less, and could look forward to a happier future. Upon hearing Bernadette announce that she wanted to quit the pledging program, Tracy's demeanor changed completely. She told Bernadette to get off her knees and sit in a chair, using a normal tone of voice. Then she stood up, grabbed a sign with the words "Private conference" written on it, and hung it on the door to the library. Tracy surprised the freshman by speaking to her like a psychologist, giving up her normal military manner of talking. She addressed Bernadette by her name, instead of calling her "Pledge". The change was a total shock to Bernadette, who had always taken it for granted that Tracy's behavior was an outgrowth of her personality and not simply a performance required by her position as Pledge Mistress. "Leaving the pledging program is your choice, Bernadette. The only thing I'm gonna ask of you is that we talk for a little bit, to make sure you're leaving for the right reasons. The main thing I'd want is to make sure you don't take off, and then, a week or two from now, regret doing it." "I...I don't know ma'am...I just don't think it's gonna work for me." "Maybe 'what's not working for you' is that you're scared right now? New situation, taking orders, dealing with people you wouldn't have hung out with in high school?" "That's part of it." "Part of it. And what's the other part?" "That run on the stairs. I can't do it. I tried, but I can't do that run." "Why do you think you can't do the run?" "Everything gave out on the third flight of steps. My heart, my legs, that pain in my side...I mean I just couldn't move...and it really hurt...and I couldn't..." "Well from what I heard, you did go the full distance, it's just that you were a bit slow." "Pledge Lisa came back and told me to keep moving." "So Lisa cared enough to do that for you." "Yes, ma'am." "Then what happened?" Berndette sat silent as tears began rolling down her cheeks. Finally she managed to speak. "We all had to jog back to the Four-Beta house naked." "President Alexandra ordered all of you to streak back?" "She made me and Pledge Lisa...'cause we didn't make the run...and...I mean...and it was my fault, 'cause Lisa didn't do it, 'cause of me." "What about the others?" "They wouldn't get dressed 'cause of me. They refused." "They refused to get dressed?" "They...wouldn't get dressed 'cause they kept saying that's what it says in the Pledge Handbook...that we gotta do things together as a group." "So, in other words, you had all three of your fellow pledges sticking up for you. You got in trouble and they helped you. Did I get that right?" "Yes, ma'am." "And, so...right now...you don't see how lucky you are, to have friends who'll do all that for you?" Bernadette sat silent again, trying to figure out how to say what she needed to say. Finally she blurted out: "The problem is they shouldn't have done it! Not for me! I don't know why they did it 'cause I don't even like 'em! I mean...I like Cherine, but that's it! I don't like Lisa and Kathleen, but they don't know it...and they think I'm their friend...and I'm not their friend! And I...they shouldn't have done it, 'cause there's no way I would've done it for them!" "OK, so...why do your feelings towards Lisa and Kathleen make you want to quit the Four-Betas?" Bernadette thought about it. Her real problem was that she felt horribly guilty about her inward disdain for two women who had been so supportive, but didn't know how to express that thought, even to herself. Finally she settled on a partial explanation: "I just don't want to be the one to hold the others back. And I'm sick of being humiliated. I'm sick of being the one that everyone's looking at and saying 'she's the loser, she's the one who's fucking everything up! It's her fault!' I just don't wanna be the fuck-up of the group." Tracy sat back in her chair, glad that she now had an opening to begin convincing Bernadette not to quit the sorority: The Pledge Mistress Ch. 25 "You're not the fuck-up of the group! Nobody's saying that about you! You're doing just fine!" "But I couldn't do that stair run! And they all had to go back naked because of me!" Tracy smiled slightly. "You couldn't do the stair run on the first try! Oh, how tragic! Couldn't do something on the very first try, so now you're just gonna give up! Over a stair run! Come-on now, don't you think you're worth more than a stair run?" "But they're gonna do it again on Thursday, and I can't do it! I can't run like that!" "So you're scared." "Yeah...I mean yes, ma'am, I'm scared." "Good, 'cause that's a big part of the pledge program, overcoming your fears. You've found something you're afraid of and now you need to figure out how you're gonna overcome it. Will you finish Thursday's stair run? Probably not, and you and the others will have to jog back naked, just like you did today. That's what's gonna happen, and so be ready for it. But maybe you'll get a bit closer to beating it, making it up the fourth flight of steps before you give out, for example. If you keep at it, every day you'll get a bit closer, and at some point you will manage to run non-stop and keep up with the sophomores. And next year, you'll be running up and down those stairs every time you go out and not think anything of it. That's the weakness you need to overcome, and it's your choice whether you'll overcome it or not. But let me tell you something, if you give up on that stair run and quit the sorority, that failure will only be the first out of many others you'll face in your life. This is it, Bernadette, either you can succeed, or you can give up and fail. You're the one who has to make that choice." Tracy paused to let her words sink in; then pursued Bernadette's other issue, her feelings about her fellow pledges. "As for what Lisa, Kathleen, and Cherine did for you today, the reason they did it is because they are your friends. Like it or not, those three women are your friends. You four are a clique, and you are part of that group. When the outside world looks at you, they don't say: 'Oh, there's Bernadette! She's with those other girls, but she's different! She's better than them!' It doesn't work like that! You are part of this sorority, part of the freshman class, and those three women are gonna stick up for you because that's what we do here! And when each of the others has a problem, which they will, you'll need to be there for them! That's what this is all about! That's why we're doing this to you and putting you through all this hazing, to force you to be part of something much bigger than yourself. We expect you to succeed as a group. You're part of that group, no better and no worse than Lisa, Cherine, or Kathleen." "And you really don't think I oughta quit?" "I'd prefer that you don't quit. I'd like to see you to stay in and finish, because I think you'd be a valuable member of the Four-Beta community. Whether you 'oughta' quit is something only you can decide, but you've heard my opinion on the matter. This is gonna be an important decision for you, because I think there's a lot more riding on it than just whether or not you'll become a Four-Beta." Again Bernadette sat silently, as she struggled with what would be one of the most significant decisions of her life. She realized that Tracy was right. If she gave up now, the fear of failure would take control of her and become a self-fulfilling prophesy. She had to conquer those stairs. Maybe she would fail, but at least she had not yet given up. There was still hope she could do it. Finally Bernadette got off the chair and back onto her knees. "I...I guess I wanna continue, ma'am. I'm sorry..." "No apologies, Pledge Bernadette, no apologies. Remember, a good Four-Beta lets her actions speak for her." "Yes, ma'am." "PLEGDE, STAND-UP!" Bernadette jumped to her feet and was dismissed. Thursday morning loomed ever larger in her mind, but she knew what she had to do. Simply try to do her best, accept the support of her fellow pledges, and most importantly, accept them as her friends. ---------- As the following day progressed, Lisa noticed that Bernadette's treatment of the other members of her group had changed. The biggest difference was that Bernadette began talking to Kathleen, after having ignored her for three weeks. Their conversation focused mostly on serious topics such as coursework, computer and programming (of which Kathleen knew quite a bit) and gossip about various members of the sorority. The two women did not share many interests in fashion or popular culture, but they were able to talk about various places they had visited as children, such as Disney World and Six Flags Over Texas. There was one topic where Kathleen's knowledge helped Bernadette considerably: running. Kathleen had watched Bernadette struggle up the final two flights of stairs and even from a distance saw things that she was doing wrong. Kathleen gave her companion advice on breathing that would allow her to take maximum advantage of her limited lung capacity. Also, she explained her technique for boosting adrenaline. "If you're really pissed-off, it'll help you run. I mean, I think about stuff when I'm running, and I get so mad I'm not even thinking about how far I have to go. And then, sometimes, I can even get to the finish line and not even realize it. Get mad before you start running. Get real mad and it'll help you." Bernadette's behavior around Lisa changed as well, although not as dramatically as her treatment of Kathleen. She did not try to force herself to be overly friendly, but her aloof and confrontational attitude diminished considerably. Lisa figured that it was because of her humiliating experience on the stairs that Bernadette had become more cooperative, not realizing that there was much more to it than just her companion's physical fitness. For the first time Bernadette understood that she was not any better than Lisa, and certainly not any more knowledgeable. Because Lisa already had been in college for a year, there were plenty of things she knew that Bernadette did not. The freshman realized that she could either go through the trouble of learning everything the hard way, or rely on Lisa's insight and experience to make her own life easier. Of all the women in the sorority, Bernadette knew that she would be closest to Cherine. Bernadette realized that she always looked forward to spending time with Cherine, because their likes and personalities were compatible. They shared tastes in the same movies and TV shows, and especially interest in the same music. They enjoyed having any chance to hang out, talk about lighter topics other than academics or sorority-related problems, and make jokes about popular culture that went over the heads of Lisa and Kathleen. The two women worked well together with their chores and homework assignments, and took advantage of any opportunity in their busy schedules to find each other and chat. After only three weeks, Bernadette realized that she had just made her first close friend in college. As her perception of her companions changed, the words that most stuck in Bernadette's mind were from Tracy: "Like it or not, those three women are your friends. You four are a clique, and you are part of that group." Had Tracy used any other word than "clique", what she said would not have had the same impact on Bernadette's thinking. How strange, to be in a clique with three other women so totally different from the girls she had been hanging out with only two months before! How much her life had changed, in just 60 days! She wondered if, by the end of the summer, she would change so much that her high school friends wouldn't even recognize her. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 26 Chapter 26 -- A lifetime of servitude Towards the end of Wednesday evening Bernadette recovered enough to grab Ken for a round of massaging and sex. Because no one else had wanted him that night, Ken had spent his evening doing chores with two of his fellow pledges and was relatively well rested. His performance satisfied the freshman, although as he entered her, his mind continued to wander between fantasies of Tracy, Jason, and Lisa. As usual, he wasn't making love to the person of the moment, but instead to various fantasies loosely based on people he knew. Bernadette's pursuit of her goal of getting Cherine to "loosen up" continued after her own needs were satisfied. As before, she found her reluctant friend in the sorority library and encouraged her to accept being blindfolded and taken downstairs. Lisa also was in the mood for some intimacy. She would have liked to make love to Ken, because she was in the mood for sex with a male partner. She also wanted to talk to him alone, something she really had not had the opportunity to do since they began their internments as pledges. However, she knew that Wednesday night would not be a good time to find him because Bernadette had gotten to him first and probably would wear him out. While her former boyfriend was spending the evening with Bernadette, Lisa decided to spend some personal time with her current lover. She knew that the guest room would be occupied by Bernadette. However, the sorority had another vacant room, an infirmary with a small bed that she had permission to use as long as she changed the sheets and made sure everything was picked up afterwards. When no one else was looking, Lisa snuck up behind Kathleen and began by kissing her on the neck. Seductively laid a hand on her shoulder and whispered into her ear: "So, you feel like being a bit naughty tonight?" Kathleen's expression changed completely as her heart jumped into her throat. Oh yes! She wanted to "be naughty" so badly... Lisa led her lover to the infirmary and closed the door. She grabbed the hem of Kathleen's T-shirt and pulled it over her head, leaving her naked from the waist up. Kathleen was about to reach for Lisa's shirt to pull it off as well, but Lisa stopped her by placing her index finger on her lover's lips. With that simple gesture she quietly signaled: I'm in charge, Kathleen. You need to be patient and let me do this my way. Lisa placed her hands on Kathleen's shoulders and motioned her to turn around. She grabbed the waistband of the younger woman's shorts and slowly, sensuously peeled them down her bottom and slipped them down her legs. She ran her hand over both bottom-cheeks and commented: "What a pretty, naughty little bottom. We both know what such a cute bottom needs, don't we, sweetie?" Before Kathleen had a chance to respond, Lisa gently kissed both sides, then separated the girl's cheeks and gently blew against her bottom-hole. Kathleen's reaction was a mixture of fear, love, and extreme arousal. Lisa stood up, grabbed Kathleen's shoulders, and made her turn around to face her. She placed her fingertips under the girl's chin and forced her to look straight into her eyes. Kathleen was very nervous, because she tended to look away when she was talking to another person, even one she deeply cared for. "Who do you belong to?" "I...I belong to you, Lisa." "And who gets to play with that cute little bottom of yours?" "You do. You get to play with me." Lisa could tell that Kathleen was scared, because their relationship was changing. Lisa had become much more forceful than she had been previously. With both words and gestures she was letting Kathleen know: "I'm in charge of what goes on between us. You're now mine, and I expect you to obey me." That night Lisa would begin introducing several small rituals into the relationship as part of her plan to take control of her lover's life. Apart from her sexuality, she would expect Kathleen to surrender control of anything having to do with her body and her health. Kathleen would need to request Lisa's permission before taking any medicine, allow Lisa to review her personal medical records, and no longer would be allowed to take her own temperature. If Lisa decided her lover needed an enema or douche, Kathleen would fetch the requested items and position herself for treatment. Eventually Lisa even hoped to tell Kathleen what she could and could not eat. As Kathleen nervously watched her, Lisa removed a rectal thermometer and some medical gel from the medicine cabinet. She would put Kathleen over her lap and take her temperature. Lisa sat down on the room's small sofa, still dressed in her pledge uniform. She reached up, grabbed Kathleen's wrist, and pulled her across her thighs. "I'm gonna start checking your temperature whenever we're alone, 'cause I want to make sure you're always nice and healthy. Wouldn't want you sick with any fevers." Kathleen took a deep breath as she settled over her lover's legs. Lisa pushed her thighs apart to position her so that her sphincter was properly exposed. Lisa rested one hand on her lover's right bottom-cheek while she dipped her free hand's index finger into the gel to gently spread around the secret opening of Kathleen's body. She pushed her finger in and moved it back and forth to better lubricate the path for the thermometer. Kathleen's body shuttered from the arousal that having her bottom stimulated always gave her. Lisa spread Kathleen's anus with her free hand as she gently inserted the thermometer. She pushed it in, and lovingly stroked Kathleen's backside while she waited for the temperature to register. The freshman stayed contentedly in position, clearly enjoying the attention and submission to Lisa's examination. Finally Lisa pulled the device out, read "normal", and dropped it into a beaker of disinfectant. Lisa had thought about giving her lover an enema, but was concerned that might spoil her mood instead of enhancing it. Instead she would bathe her, spank her, and make love to her. She motioned for the younger woman to get up and allow herself to be led to the small room's shower. "Go ahead and undress me. Please fold up my clothes." The request sounded simple enough, but it was another part of Lisa's over-all goal to eventually exert total dominance over her lover. Lisa would train Kathleen to serve her, but do so gradually through gentle and polite-sounding requests. Over time those requests would become duties that she would perform without needing to be asked. Lisa would decide what both she and her lover wore each day and would expect Kathleen to assist her with her clothing. Among other duties, she would perform the role of Lisa's maid-in-waiting. Kathleen carefully pulled Lisa's T-shirt over her head. She nervously kissed one of her breasts before folding the shirt and setting it on the nightstand. Lisa sat down in the room's only chair, to allow Kathleen to take off her shoes. Lisa felt deep satisfaction when Kathleen knelt in front of her and began untying the shoes to get them off her feet. Kathleen took off both shoes, loosened the laces, and then peeled off Lisa's socks. She folded the socks and placed them inside the shoes. Lisa stood up to allow her lover to pull down her shorts. She put her feet together and placed her hands on Kathleen's head as the younger woman nervously lowered Lisa's final piece of clothing. Lisa stepped out of shorts, which Kathleen folded and placed on top of the T-shirt. Once they both were completely naked, Lisa stood behind Kathleen and cupped her small breasts in her hands. With her fingertips she manipulated her lover's nipples as she kissed her neck. Kathleen gasped and placed her hands over Lisa's as she became increasingly aroused. Lisa firmly pinched her lover's nipples and whispered into her ear: "I see a very naughty girl in this room...a girl who's been so naughty her bottom's gonna need some extra special attention. So, has my silly little girl been naughty today?" "I...yes...I'm naughty..." "...and what happens to silly naughty little girls?" "...I...we gotta be spanked..." "That's right. I think you're due for a nice, long spanking, don't you think?" "I...yes...please, spank me..." Lisa responded by sitting on the bed and pulling Kathleen across her lap. As before, she wanted to make the spanking an erotic, sensuous experience that would mix a sharp sting with massage and pleasurable stimulus. She would make Kathleen want to be spanked, beg to be spanked, and then, once her bottom was red and stinging, beg to be seduced. As Lisa ran her hand over her lover's eager backside, Kathleen spread her thighs and turned her hips up. She was lewdly exposed, her bottom-hole facing upwards and her labia parted to expose her vagina. Through her posture she was begging to be stimulated as well as smacked. Lisa would oblige by doing both, trying to keep Kathleen delicately balanced between arousal and pain for as long as possible. She began with pleasure as she fondled and caressed the skinny bottom and muscular thighs positioned across her lap. Lisa began spanking slowly, with very soft slaps that were barely enough to make Kathleen's skin sting and tingle slightly. Between slaps Lisa continued to massage her lover's bottom and tease her sphincter and labia. As before, as Kathleen became accustomed to the stinging in her backside, Lisa slowly increased the force of the swats. Kathleen's bottom was a pleasant shade of pink and her body covered with sweat when Lisa paused. She gently massaged her lover's stimulated buttocks and wet vagina, approaching but not quite touching her clitoris. Kathleen would be rewarded, eventually, but the reward would have to wait until Lisa was ready to give it to her. Lisa began slapping considerably harder, but continued to pause to massage and stimulate her lover's backside. She remembered the hard lesson Ruth Burnside had given her a couple of weeks before and wanted to control Kathleen in the same manner. She carefully watched Kathleen's reaction, hoping to not just seduce her, but also to completely control her. SLAP!...SLAP!... SLAP!... SLAP!... SLAP! The smell of sexual arousal permeated the small room as Lisa began spanking with real force. Kathleen began to tremble as Lisa teased her, rearing herself up in desperation to get Lisa's fingertips to touch her. Lisa firmly pressed down on her lover's waist to force her back into proper position. "You really are naughty, aren't you? So you do like having your cute little bottom warmed, don't you?" "I...yes...I like it! Please..." "Please, what...? What do you want? Tell me what you want!" "Keep going! Please! Spank me!" Lisa said nothing more, but relished the control she was exercising as she continued to massage her lover before resuming the spanking. She had reached that point with Kathleen that Burnside had reached with her, actually controlling her lover's emotions by controlling her body. Kathleen again reared up, desperately begging to be touched. Lisa decided the moment had come to give Kathleen her orgasm. She pushed her thumb into the younger woman's bottom-hole and entered her vagina with her middle finger. As Kathleen reared up Lisa reached under her with her free hand to seek out her clitoris. "Oh...Oh...OHHH! Uh...Oh yes...Oh yes...OHHH!" Kathleen was quite loud as she climaxed. Lisa glanced at the door; worried her voice might be heard in the hallway outside. "Such a naughty girl! I mean, making all that noise and begging to be spanked! I guess I really am gonna have to start disciplining you, for real!" "OHHH!...Oh yes...OHHH!" Lisa understood her lover perfectly; well enough to use the knowledge Ruth Burnside had given her to exert total control over the freshman. Her admonishment and the threat of harsher punishment only enhanced the younger woman's orgasm and desire for total physical surrender. Her burning backside, the pressure of Lisa's fingers inside her bottom and vagina, the gentle teasing of her clitoris, and the helpless feeling of being under her lover's complete domination combined to give Kathleen an orgasm unlike anything she had ever experienced before. Finally Kathleen climaxed and her orgasm came to an end. She lay quietly across Lisa's lap as her bliss subsided and reality closed in on her. As the freshman slowly came to her senses, Lisa lovingly massaged her back with her free hand, but kept the thumb and finger from her other hand firmly inside her lover's body. Kathleen lay quietly; totally enjoying the feeling of absolute surrender to the woman she loved. Finally Kathleen seemed to wake up enough for Lisa to pull out her fingers: "Please get a washcloth from under the sink, wet it with soap, and clean my hand." Without saying anything, Kathleen got up and did as she was told. She soaked a washrag with hot water and soap, then knelt at Lisa's feet, took her hand, and wiped her fingers clean. Kathleen wrung out the cloth into the sink, re-wet it, and again knelt to finish. She rinsed the washrag several more times, very careful to make sure Lisa's fingers were absolutely clean. Once the freshman was finished, Lisa reached forward to stroke her lover's hair and face. Kathleen remained on her knees as she enjoyed the caresses, something that Lisa noticed and appreciated. Without being told or asked, Kathleen had gone on her knees to clean Lisa's hand, and would remain kneeling until told to get up. Perhaps she was doing it subconsciously, but in every way possible she was signaling that she was willing to do whatever Lisa told her to do. Kathleen was sexually satisfied, but Lisa's sexual needs were not. Lisa took her lover's hand and motioned her to stand up. She lay on the bed with her legs spread. There was no need to say anything; Kathleen understood what Lisa wanted. Dutifully she settled between Lisa's legs. She began kissing and licking her lover's most private area, doing everything she could to make the evening as pleasurable for Lisa as Lisa had made it for her. When Lisa climaxed, she sat up and gently washed off Kathleen's mouth and face with a clean washrag. Kathleen enjoyed the attention, not having had her face cleaned since she was a small child. In many ways it seemed that Lisa was treating her like a child, but that was what she wanted. At that moment she wanted to feel helpless and be cared for by someone who loved her. ---------- When the two women turned out the light and cuddled in the dark, Lisa continued to stroke Kathleen's hair until she went to sleep. Lisa knew that Kathleen already was emotionally dependent on her. Just a few days before, the intensity of younger woman's feelings frightened her, but that worry had faded. Obviously Lisa had just dug herself in a lot deeper with her commitment to her lover, but she also had begun molding the love affair into one that suited her needs. For the relationship to work, it was essential Kathleen understood that Lisa was the one who was in charge. During the 48 hours that had passed since her lover promised to do whatever she was told to do, Lisa had given some thought about what she wanted to accomplish with that promise. What she wanted from that agreement was to "own" Kathleen. The freshman would live under her not only her submissive lover, but also as her personal servant. Lisa took it for granted that Kathleen would do her best to obey her. However she expected at some point there she would need to "correct" Kathleen's behavior through corporal punishment. When that moment came, Lisa knew that her lover would have to clearly understand why she needed to be punished and be convinced that punishment would help her. Once the punishment ended, she would need a lot of comforting and reassurance. In fact, it was quite likely that Lisa would only need to punish Kathleen once, as a reminder that her role in life was to obey or suffer the consequences. Once her role in the relationship was clearly established, she would be eager to do whatever was necessary to avoid being punished a second time. Now that Lisa had decided she wanted to "keep" her lover, the only issue she needed to resolve was her training. She would pursue her goals with a combination of love, emotional support, rewards, guidance, firmness, sexual dominance, and the threat of corporal punishment for disobedience. Kathleen's conditioning, which had just started, would intensify once the pledging was over and the two women swore in as full members of the sorority. She understood that correction and discipline were what Kathleen expected, and subconsciously what she wanted. The more she thought about it, the more the idea of being Kathleen's mistress appealed to Lisa. She was convinced that the life she was about to impose on Kathleen was the only practical way for her to live. The girl was very vulnerable and, if left to fend for herself, would be return to being victimized just as she had been tormented in high school. Lisa deeply cared for the fragile woman under her control and was determined that never again would she be humiliated. Never again would she kneel crying in a parking lot with cum all over her face. Never again would she sit in her living room in a prom dress, crying over a date that never showed up. She would give up her independence, but the reward would be to live safely under Lisa's protection. Lisa reflected about a final irony. Although it was mostly because of Kathleen the relationship started, both women now knew it would never be one between two equals. As they traveled through life together, Lisa would lead their journey. Kathleen would follow, serve, and obey. ---------- Lisa's thoughts continued to wander as Kathleen's breathing changed, indicating she was deeply asleep. She pondered another submissive relationship, the one between Cecilia Sanchez and Jason Schmidt. There was very much in common between the way Cecilia treated Jason and the way Lisa planned to treat Kathleen. For the first time it dawned on her that her new relationship with Kathleen was similar to the one Cecilia had with Jason. Cecilia intensely loved Jason, but she loved him because he knew his proper place in the relationship. When Cecilia told Jason to do something, he did it. If he disappointed her, she did not hesitate to double a thick leather belt and swing it until his backside was covered with welts. However, she never punished him unless he had done something wrong. She made sure he clearly understood why he needed to be chastised and always comforted him once the discipline had ended. The purpose of Cecilia's sessions with the belt was not to bring her pleasure, but to make sure Jason's behavior conformed to what she expected. Over time, as he became the responsible person she wanted, she punished him much less. In spite of Cecilia's control over Jason's life, very rarely did she ever do anything to humiliate him in public. In fact, Lisa could only think of a single time, when she caught Jason and Ken at a tattoo parlor waiting to get tattoos and totally freaked. Apart from that one incident, Cecilia treated Jason with respect in public and disciplined him in private. As for what she demanded of him, her expectations were quite reasonable: to live a simple, healthy lifestyle and cater to her physical needs. Cecilia's behavior towards her boyfriend sharply contrasted with Ruth Burnside's treatment of her various lovers. Burnside loved to "put on a show", to publicly strip and humiliate her numerous subs. To Burnside, an important part of her lovers' experience was public humiliation. She was a show-woman, and the subs were little more than inanimate props for her public performance. Lisa suspected that Burnside was incapable of feeling any love for anyone, apart from whatever feelings she had towards Dr. Jim Halsey. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 26 Lisa pondered her own character, wondering where it fell in comparison with Cecilia Sanchez and Ruth Burnside. How could the life experience of each contribute to Lisa's own aspirations and how she wanted to define her personality? She knew that she wanted to avoid the single-minded obsession that Cecilia had for Jason, but she also needed to avoid the cruel treatment the professor inflicted on the emotions of people like Mark Gertz. She wanted something in between, to have fun with her lovers like Burnside, but have caring relationships and solid commitment like Cecilia. As she thought about it, Lisa realized she already had experienced both types of relationships: serious and fun. Of course what she had with Kathleen was serious, very serious. Her five-year relationship with Mike also could be considered serious; too much so, which was why it ultimately failed. Neither Kathleen nor Mike had "fun" personalities, but there was a difference between them. Mike's stubborn character could not be changed, while Kathleen already had sought to assure Lisa that she would adapt her life to fit Lisa's needs. What about a "fun" relationship? Yes, Lisa had enjoyed a "fun" relationship, with her most recent boyfriend Ken. She had enjoyed his company and liked him as a friend as well as a lover. What had been strange about their relationship was the extreme difference between the couple's sex life and everything else they did together. In spite of Lisa's savage treatment of him during sex, when not making love they treated each other as total equals. Lisa's reflections drifted back to Ken and a thought crossed her mind. Was it possible that Lisa had been wrong about what Ken wanted from her? Perhaps that what he really wanted was a relationship that came closer to what Cecilia had with Jason: a relationship with fewer floggings and more guidance and psychology? Perhaps Ken, like Jason and Kathleen, needed to live under the orders and protection of a caring lover, instead of simply having her as an S&M buddy. Maybe that was why his fantasies had wandered so much, that Lisa had not understood his true needs. She wondered if she inadvertently had passed up an opportunity to find happiness in her relationship with Ken. Then she began to wonder if there was any way to make it up to him. ---------- The following morning was Thursday, which meant the pledges would endure a second attempt running up and down the stadium stairs. At 4:00 in the morning Tracy stormed into the guest room wearing nothing but a pair of running shoes and socks. She turned the light and greeted the pledges with her usual: "OK sleeping beauties! UP-UP-UP! Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!" The four sleepy pledges struggled out of their beds and sullenly knelt, surprised to see their Pledge Mistress already wearing her running shoes. Then they noticed the time. It was only 4:00 in the morning! Tracy had woken them 90 minutes early! "Ladies, the deal is, under the orders of President Alexandra, we're gonna be doing some streaking. Until all of you manage the stadium stairs, you'll run the stadium stairs naked, and whenever you all don't make it, you'll run back from the stadium naked. However, because I'm not thrilled about you being hooted at by the football players, I requested permission to make some changes in how we're gonna be doing this challenge. From now on, until you beat those stairs, we're going out early so no one will see us. Another thing, the sorority officers have voted that we have to leave our uniforms behind at the house. Until you pass this challenge, wearing the running uniform is a privilege we won't be getting." The pledges stared at their Pledge Mistress in bewilderment. The stadium was more than a mile from the sorority house! That meant 20 minutes of running in the nude to get to the stadium, 30 minutes of running and stretching in the stadium itself, and another 20 minutes running back! The pledges were so dismayed by their own situation that Tracy's word "we" had not yet registered in their minds. "OK, that's it! Dump your bladders and get your shoes on!" Five minutes later the pledges and their mentor were stretching on mats laid out in the sitting room. By 4:20 they were headed out the door. As Tracy led them outside, the aspiring Four-Betas realized that she had not put on her PT uniform. They later found out that streaking alongside her pledges was the price the she had to pay to get them excused from having to run in daylight with the sophomores. When she pleaded their situation to her unsympathetic fellow officers, Tracy had been told that she could change her charges' running schedule, but only if she was willing to run naked with them. To the surprise of the others, she agreed, retrieved her PT uniform from her room, and handed it to Heather. The other Four-Beta officers had imagined that Tracy would be terrified of being caught streaking, something that could have ended her aspirations to become an Army officer. However, they did not realize that Sergeant Polk of Campus Security was a fellow Reservist and knew Tracy fairly well. A phone call from Tracy to Polk explaining her situation assured that he would look the other way while the women were running across campus in the nude. If he received any calls about streakers, he would respond slowly enough to not catch them. The women set out at a slow run towards the small park that bypassed Pageant Street. The pledges had vague hopes that Tracy might have hidden uniforms in the bushes, but they passed by with no hint of stopping. Tracy suspected that someone from the sorority would be waiting near the stadium to make sure the pledges and their Pledge Mistress had run all the full distance in the nude. The women ran along the quiet back streets, sticking to areas shaded from streetlights to avoid being spotted by residents. They dashed across the boulevard and jogged along the quiet sidewalks of Old Campus. Tracy set a deliberately slow pace to allow Bernadette and Cherine to make it to the stadium without being overly fatigued. However, being winded would not be much of a problem, because Bernadette and Cherine were terrified by what they were doing and had plenty of adrenaline building up in their bodies. Meanwhile, Lisa and Kathleen thoroughly enjoyed the run to the stadium. The daring feeling of running naked, combined with the silence of the pre-dawn darkness, the relaxed pace of the run, and the cool air blowing against their exposed bodies, turned out to be a truly enjoyable experience. The two women actually hoped that it would be a while before Bernadette was able to complete the stadium run, because they wanted to have the opportunity to go streaking at least a couple more times. As the group passed under the lights near the entrance to the Fitness Center, the group noticed Heather's friend with a digital camera in her hands. She took a picture of the runners to verify that they had made the run in the nude as required. A minute later, as they approached the Stadium, they saw Polk standing next to his bicycle. The pledges thought they had been busted, but Polk waved to Tracy and told her that Gate 4 had been unlocked and opened for them. Tracy thanked him, although she had very mixed feelings. Polk was doing her a favor, but at the same time was taking advantage of the opportunity to see her without any clothes. Lisa noticed Polk's eyes scanning Tracy's body before looking over her four companions. She suspected, rightly, that Polk would be more than happy to be standing by Gate 4 when they were finished and catch another look as they ran past him on their way back to the sorority house. Tracy sighed at the thought that her body no longer held any secrets from one of the guys in her Reserve unit. However, now she had to deal with the purpose of the trip, getting Bernadette to complete running six full flights of stairs non-stop. The women ran though Corridor 4, descended the steps, and came to a stop on the football field. "Pledge Kathleen!" "Yes, ma'am!" "You are excused from running with the rest of the group! I want you to run ahead of us, and keep at it until we're done! I'm curious to see what you're capable of doing, so when you finish your six sets of steps, I want you to keep going!" "Yes, ma'am!" "Go!" Tracy landed a very hard slap on Kathleen's bottom and with that the pledge ran towards the bleachers. "Pledge Lisa!" "Yes, ma'am!" "You, too! Let's see what you can do on the stairs! Move out!" Lisa felt the sharp sting of Tracy's hand slapping her bottom even before she had a chance to shout: "yes ma'am!" She set out after Kathleen, although she knew she had no hope of catching up to her. Tracy and the two remaining pledges began the climb up the first flight of steps. Tracy calmly jogged behind her companions, ready to land a quick slap on their bare bottoms if she felt they weren't trying their best. Apart from the painful slaps, she motivated them with her words: "Let's pick up the pace, ladies! It's already starting to get light! Come-on, hurry-up! We're gonna get caught if you don't hurry up!" As Lisa climbed the fifth flight of steps, she noticed that Bernadette and Cherine, motivated by the slaps and lecturing of their Pledge Mistress, still were doing fairly well. They already were halfway up the fourth flight, although Bernadette's face reflected fatigue and painful cramps. Cherine was slightly ahead of Bernadette, eager to be far enough away from Tracy to avoid a barrage of slaps on her bottom. Meanwhile, Kathleen was way ahead of the others, already completing her seventh set of steps and getting ready to descend to start on her eighth. Lisa realized that Kathleen was in excellent shape as she admired her skinny runner's figure in action. Lisa already was badly winded as she began the sixth set of steps, but her lover showed no hint of being tired. Bernadette was crying by the time she made it to the top of the fifth flight of steps, but to everyone's amazement, her performance was much better than it had been on Tuesday. She gritted her teeth as she started on the sixth flight, putting every bit of strength into trying to complete the final set. "Breathe with it, Pledge, breath with it. You're doing just fine. Breathe with it." Bernadette grunted from her struggle as she laboriously climbed the final flight of steps. Lisa looked back to notice that Tracy no longer was slapping the freshman's backside because she was afraid of knocking her off-balance. Anyhow, there was no way Bernadette could have improved on her performance; she was putting everything she had into making it up those final steps. "Good job, Pledge." Bernadette's face was completely distorted and discolored when she finished. Sweat was pouring down her body and her eyes were wide from painful exhaustion. However, she had done extremely well, coming much closer to completing what was expected of her. She struggled up the final flight, descended with Tracy, and collapsed into Cherine's arms. Her body felt like it was about to fall apart, but Bernadette was very happy. She had made an important decision, to do what she needed not to fail. Although it would take several more attempts, she knew that within a week or so she would be able to complete the stair run and keep up with the sophomores. She had made a very good effort and was close to her goal. Once Bernadette had a few moments to recover and Lisa and Kathleen were back on the field, Tracy led her group out through Gate 4 past the obliging Sergeant Polk. "Same thing Saturday morning, Tracy?" "Yeah, same thing." "OK, then I'll have the gate open. It'll be Gate 4 again." Polk keyed his radio, held up his hand to warn the women to wait a second, and listened to a broadcast in police code. "One word of advice. When you head back, cross over at Brixton Street. The cops got a burglary call on Platte, so stay away from Platte." "Thanks." "OK, girls, we'll see you Saturday. Have fun and be careful. Wouldn't want those cute bare butts to end up in jail, now would we?" Tracy forced a smile, but inwardly she cringed at the prospect of displaying her body to him several more times. She clapped her hands and the women began their trek back to the sorority house. The security officer stared at the five young women's backsides as they ran past the Fitness Center and disappeared into the darkness. Once they were out of sight, he locked Gate 4. Polk was very much looking forward to seeing Tracy's bare figure again on Saturday morning. Hmm...so that's what our little sergeant looks like under her BDU's. Nice! That babe's got one cute ass! Part of being a Four-Beta was giving up any expectation of modesty. The Pledge Mistress knew that better than anyone else. She had saved her pledges the indignity of being taunted by the football players, but in doing so placed her own reputation at the mercy of someone who was at best a casual acquaintance. She wondered if Polk would take her seriously the next time they attended drill and whether the story of the streaking adventure would be making its way around her Reserve unit. At the very least, she owed him a very big favor. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 27 Chapter 27 -- An evening with Pledge Ken The rest of the day passed uneventfully. The pledges from both the fraternity and the sorority were escorted together to their classes while Lisa continued working for Ruth Burnside and attending her summer classes for the Economics Department. On Thursday night following dinner, Tracy told her pledges and Ken to gather up their study materials and follow her to the library. Any fun that Lisa or Bernadette had planned for the evening was canceled, because time was quickly passing and the pledges had to start thinking about their midterms. Also, everyone needed to get to bed early to make up for the 4:00 run that morning. There would be no sexual play with Ken that night: just studying and sleeping. The women and Ken sullenly walked in single file to the library, ordered not to talk so they could concentrate on how best to utilize their time studying. It turned out the silent walk was beneficial, because it gave the pledges an opportunity to clear their minds and think about their academic problems. For the next three hours they sat quietly in a conference room, catching up on several homework assignments and reading for class on Friday. As soon as they returned to the sorority Tracy ordered everyone to clean up and get in bed. To make absolutely sure nothing got between her group and sleep she waited with crossed arms until Ken was lying on his cot and the women were settled in the guest room. Tracy had learned that Ken had fallen way behind in his coursework as a result of his week at the sorority. Undoubtedly the same was true for his fellow pledges, which she perceived as a serious problem. She resolved to get all of the pledges, male and female, a few hours to dedicate to their coursework over the weekend. The sorority would have to ease up on "Hell Week" and give the guys some time to study. ---------- Friday morning, following PT and clean-up, Tracy and her group made their normal trek to the university. The Pledge Mistress left the freshmen in the custody of a sophomore who would escort them to class, because she wanted to ask Ruth Burnside if she could borrow her office for a study session on Sunday. Because she was walking alone with the Pledge Mistress, Lisa realized she had a chance to talk to her in private, even if it was just for a few minutes. She explained her doubts about her behavior towards Ken, and that she needed to talk to him and "resolve some issues". The problem was the lack of any opportunity to be alone with him. Bernadette always snatched him for a round of sex and Lisa was faced with the problem of what to do with Kathleen. What she needed was to be alone, truly alone, with Ken and not face the prospect of being interrupted. Tracy was well-aware of Ken's inner struggles, although she considered what he had told her confidential and not to be shared with Lisa. She did agree, however, that her pledge needed an evening alone with her ex-boyfriend. The Pledge Mistress calculated that Ken would tell Lisa many of the secrets he had told her when she confronted him about his feelings towards Jason. He just had to have some time to think through what he wanted to say and how he would say it. Yes, she needed to make sure Lisa had an opportunity to talk with him. "Pledge Lisa, I can take care of Pledge Bernadette and Pledge Kathleen and keep them away from you and Pledge Ken. I'll simply bring them back to the library after the Friday night meeting. They need to study anyway, which, by the way, is something you to do as well. You'll get your time alone with him. I'll make sure about that." "Thank you, ma'am." "In exchange for what I'm gonna do for you, I want something back." "Yes ma'am?" "I want some responsibility out of you. I want you to think about how what you do with Pledge Ken is going to affect Pledge Kathleen, and how what you do with Pledge Kathleen is going to affect Pledge Ken. That's a lot to worry about, and doesn't give you much time to worry about yourself. Their needs come before yours." "Yes, ma'am." Lisa said nothing more as they entered the Economics Building. Upon entering the back office, she took off her clothes and assumed the position of submission in front of Burnside's desk. For a couple of minutes she was left standing with her legs spread and her hands behind her head while her two mentors chatted about freshman classes and the midterm schedule. Finally Burnside ordered Lisa to prepare some tea, which she set on a tray and served after going to her knees. Lisa no longer felt strange about serving tea while naked and kneeling because it had become part of her daily routine. Anyhow, she had no right to object, because her plan for Kathleen was to have her spend her life doing the exact same thing. ---------- Following the Friday night dinner, President Alexandra announced that the anticipated hike had been postponed until the following weekend because the Triple A pledges needed to complete "Hell Week". Lisa realized that Tracy already must have known about the change, because she and her companions had not yet started breaking in their hiking boots. That Friday there were two "birthday girls", a sophomore and a senior, who had been required to spend the afternoon in the nude in anticipation of their birthday spanking. There was the usual "Happy Birthday" celebration, followed by a spanking over the lap of the chapter president, and finally the birthday gifts, a necklace for the sophomore and a ring for the senior. As always, the celebration ended with group pictures and plenty of posturing with reddened bottoms for the cameras. Immediately after the meeting Tracy fulfilled her promise to take Cherine, Bernadette, and Kathleen out of the house so Lisa could spend the evening alone with Ken. She ordered three very disappointed freshmen to pack their book bags and get ready to spend the evening at the library. When confronted with sullen glances, she forced them to do several sets of pushups. She poked each freshman in the chest with her index finger and snapped: "Look, as far as I'm concerned your grades suck! We're gonna fix that! If I don't see some improvement, your butts are gonna be spending some quality time with our newest heavy-duty leather strap! We need to break it in, and you ought to be grateful I'm giving you the chance to not be used as target practice!" The threat worked. There was no hint of any further objection to spending Friday night at the library. ---------- Once the Pledge Mistress and the three freshmen had departed, Lisa sought out the Tri-Alpha pledges and separated Ken from the others. He quietly followed her into the guest room and sank to his knees. Lisa closed the door and unceremoniously stripped off her pledge uniform. Once her body was uncovered, she did something the surprised him. She knelt next to him and took his hand. "I...don't wanna do any S&M tonight. But I do want to spend some time with you." Ken nodded, unsure how to respond. Lisa continued. "And...I wanna tell you...that I'm sorry...for all that shit I said to you...you know...what I told you a couple of weeks ago...when we were at the pool." "You don't need to apologize, Lisa. You were right to be pissed off at me. I was the one who screwed everything up between us." "You can't help being who you are. I mean...if you're gay, you can't help that." "I don't know that I am. That's the problem. I really don't know whether I'm gay or not. I mean...all of it's just a bunch of fantasies. And I'm not just talking about...you know... I mean, whenever I'm having sex, what's going on in real life is completely disconnected from what's going on in my head..." He took a deep breath: "I'm a lot more fucked up than I realized. I was hoping that it might be something simple, that I was just gay and needed to find a relationship. But that's not it. That's not what it is." "Maybe you just haven't met the right person yet..." "No! That's not it! There's no such thing as the 'right person'. Not for me. No such thing. That's what I've found out since joining the Triple A's." "So you haven't seen anyone who interests you?" "No. At least not in the fraternity. I mean, there's a couple of guys who've had their eyes on me and I know they're gonna want to play once I swear in, but I'm not interested. I'm not attracted to them. I thought I would be, but I'm not." "Maybe you just gotta give it some time." Ken shook his head. "That's not it. It won't make any difference. I'm gonna have to say 'no' to them. I'm just not attracted. They're not what I want." "Well, if you're still worried about Jason, you've got to knock that off! You can't spend your life obsessing about Jason! You can't keep thinking about him, because he's gone! You'll destroy yourself if you don't get over him!" "I know that. There's something else I know, and this is what really scares me. I was never in love with him. The real Jason, that is. I was in love with my own fantasies. I was in love with something that never existed. And the problem is, it's not the first time that's happened. I've been doing the same thing all my life." "...and you just realized that?" "I realized it when I talked to Pledge Mistress Tracy. We started talking because she got interested in what's going on with me. I mean...we started talking about Jason...and... we talked about Cecilia, and what's going on between them, and...I mean...a whole bunch of other stuff too." "So, did you resolve anything?" "Sort of. Tracy made me realize that what happened with Jason is sort of a pattern for me. It happened a couple of times in high school too. Always the same set-up..." With that Ken repeated what he had learned from talking to Tracy, that the only males he had fallen in love with were ones he had no hope of ever seducing. Always the same type of guy, and always one with a girlfriend. To Lisa it was very clear that Tracy was right. What attracted Ken was not the real-life person, but instead a fantasy that focused upon converting a real man into a fictionalized one. The conversation switched to Ken's fantasies towards women. He haltingly confessed his attraction for Tracy and his disdain for Bernadette and Cherine. He repeated what he had discovered by talking to Tracy, that only a specific type of woman attracted him, just as only a certain type of man attracted him. As Ken continued examining his own life, Lisa realized that being able to put into words the separation between his sexual fantasies and what was really going on around him would be hugely beneficial. Lisa felt sorry for Ken, because she realized that for him to find what he was looking for in a partner would be extremely difficult. The closest he had come to fulfilling any of his desires was his relationship with Lisa, and even that had not worked out because she had not understood what he truly needed. He felt the need to surrender himself to a lover who could both dominate and protect him. Lisa mistook his desire as simple masochism, but the truth was that Ken's needs went way beyond simply being punished. As the spring semester progressed, Lisa's whippings did not satisfy him because she did not demand control over his life. He needed to be dominated and guided, much in the same way Jason had surrendered his life to Cecilia, and much in the say way that Kathleen was surrendering herself to Lisa. Suddenly Lisa realized that Ken's needs and Kathleen's needs were very similar. Tracy's words "you really don't know what's going on with Ken. None of us do," and "to keep an open mind" came back to her. Several thoughts ran through Lisa's mind simultaneously. She felt a surge of regret over the lost opportunity of enjoying a long-term relationship with her companion. Had she understood what Ken needed, she could have given it to him and satisfied many of her own psychological needs as well. She needed a male sexual partner and realized that, of the all men she had known so far, Ken was by far the most compatible. She wondered if she could re-start sexual contact with him, even if the possibility of a romantic relationship had passed. She checked herself, realizing that concentrating on sex was precisely why the relationship between her and Ken failed in the first place. What he needed was a combination of sexual surrender and psychological control. For a relationship with him to work, it had to have both elements. How strange! Lisa could perceive the need in Kathleen within days of getting to know her, and yet could not see the same need in her boyfriend, after having known him for nearly a year! Lisa's thoughts drifted from Ken's desires to her own. Part of the reason she had wanted some time alone with him was because she was in the mood for sex with a male partner. As much as Lisa cared for Kathleen, her sexual orientation had not changed and throughout her life she would need to break away every so often to indulge in sex with guys. She was grateful for Ken's presence, because in spite of all the changes that had transpired over the past month, he still was the guy with whom she preferred to have sex. It was with him that she felt a familiar presence in her life. There was another issue pushing Lisa to make love to Ken. Because he was an important part of her past, he was the one person with whom she could have sex and not feel guilty about cheating on Kathleen. At that moment Lisa still considered Ken as her "ex-" and planned to treat him as a casual sexual partner. However, her instinct to exert control forced her to consider what changes she might want to make in their sex life so she could begin controlling him psychologically. Her desire to control him was not out of overt hope that she might reclaim him as a long-term boyfriend, but instead a subconscious desire arising from the dominating instinct in her personality. Ken fully expected Lisa to grab an implement, order him to bend over, and start beating him. He assumed there was plenty of pent-up aggression in her and was afraid. As always, the fear sexually aroused him and his penis was quite erect. However, Lisa's treatment of him that night would be very different from what he expected because of what she had learned over the past week. She did not want to punish him, but instead to seduce him and control him. She grabbed his penis and stroked it a couple of times before getting on her elbows and knees. She spread her legs and turned her bottom up, completely exposing her shaved pelvis and bottom-hole to his eager gaze. The old erotic desire returned as Ken touched her and explored her most private area with his fingertips. He realized he was very aroused by Lisa's posture, partly because she unknowingly had assumed the same position Tracy had taken several nights before. Ken pushed in and thrust very hard. For the first time in a while he was able to concentrate on the person with whom he was making love at the moment, realizing how much more he preferred making love to Lisa over making love to Bernadette. Once Lisa climaxed, she sat on the sofa, spread her legs, and ordered Ken to get a wet washcloth and clean her off. To comply he had to get on his knees, which was what Lisa wanted. Once she was adequately clean she ordered him to lie over her lap so she could inspect the marks from Heather's caning earlier in the week. The bruises were gone, but Lisa spent a long time gently running her hand over his bottom, enjoying the chance to touch and explore his skin at her leisure. It was obvious Ken was enjoying the attention as well, because Lisa felt his penis hardening and pressing against her thigh. "I really think you could use a spanking. That's what you want from me, isn't it, you naughty boy?" "Yeah...It's what I want..." "Such a naughty thing to want from me. So, if I give you your spanking, what do I get in return? Hmm? What do I get out of it?" "I'll do whatever you want...please. I'll do whatever you want." "That's a good boy. '...whatever I want'. That's what I need to hear." Lisa was fascinated by what was happening between her and her former boyfriend. She was talking to him in a kind, but condescending tone of voice, very different from the usual yelling and insults that had accompanied their love-making before the beginning of the summer. She discovered that if she talked to him seductively instead of roughly, he seemed much more submissive, as opposed to simply being obedient. Lisa realized there was an important difference between submission and obedience. What she wanted from him was total submission and complete psychological surrender. She wanted to actually control his thinking. She began spanking slowly and softly, using the same technique on Ken that had worked so well on Kathleen. She took breaks from the slapping to fondle and massage his reddening backside, occasionally reaching between his thighs to tickle his testicles. He turned his bottom up, seeking her fingertips against his exposed skin. Lisa realized that Kathleen had reacted in exactly the same way the last time she spanked her. Ken kept his legs spread and settled comfortably over Lisa's lap. He loved the helpless child-like feeling and the surrender she was asking of him. At the same time he was very aroused, partly because never before had Lisa been so gentle and patient with him. After nearly 30 minutes of slaps, massage, and fondling, Ken was desperate to relieve his desires inside Lisa a second time. She knew the session over her lap had reached its climax and now it was time to reward herself with another exquisite orgasm. Lisa ordered Ken to lie on the floor on his back. She straddled him, grabbed his penis to guide it inside her body, and lowered herself. She rocked back and forth as she felt him pulsating inside her, aroused not just by the feeling of her lover's erect organ discharging into her body, but also by the feeling of being in complete control over their time together. He was doing what she told him to do. He was under her control, even if just for the evening. ---------- Lisa went to bed early, anticipating the need to get up at 4:00 for another streaking session to the stadium with Tracy and her fellow pledges. Sure enough, at 4:00 a.m. the guest-room rang out with Tracy's familiar: "OK, sleeping beauties! UP-UP-UP! Let's go...Let's go...Let's go!" The women put on their shoes, stretched, and were out the door within 20 minutes. There was a calm, familiar feeling to the early morning run, especially for Lisa and Kathleen. Even Bernadette and Cherine felt much more relaxed running naked on Saturday than they had Thursday, given that it was not their first streak. As before, Heather's friend was waiting with her camera, and as before, Sergeant Polk was standing by Gate 4 to let the women into the stadium. On the stairs Kathleen sprinted ahead of the others, while Cherine managed to keep up with Lisa and finish running all six flights of steps non-stop. Bernadette's time was only slightly improved over her performance from Thursday, which meant the group would have to return to the stadium Monday. That was fine with Lisa, because she truly enjoyed having the opportunity to run naked, even if it was at a very strange hour in the morning. As the Four-Betas exited the stadium, Polk stopped the group to chat with Tracy. Lisa could tell that her Pledge Mistress was very nervous about being forced into a "casual" conversation just so the security officer could have a few extra minutes to study her body. She felt that she needed to come to Tracy's rescue by somehow distracting Polk and make him too nervous to continue chatting. Lisa remembered how she had distracted the clerks in the shoe store by turning her back to them and bending over to tie her shoelaces. She decided to repeat that performance for the benefit of the security officer. She began with stretching exercises, but then pretended to notice that her shoestrings were loose. She calmly turned around, spread her feet and turned them inward, and bent over to completely expose herself. As she fiddled with her shoes, she glanced between her legs to notice Polk staring at her with wide eyes. Obviously what Lisa was doing was far more interesting than continuing to chat with his fellow Reservist. The teasing calm vanished from his voice as he stammered and totally forgot what he wanted to say to Tracy. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 27 Lisa flexed her body to expose herself even more as she casually pulled off a shoe and dumped a pebble out. She was totally shameless and loved the feeling of absolute exposure. Even more, she was fascinated at the thought of controlling Polk's emotions by doing something as simple as showing off her body. The distraction allowed Tracy to break off the conversation and order her group to "move out!" She wasn't sure whether Lisa's performance had been deliberate, but was grateful for the interruption and the chance to tactfully escape from the security guard. Of course, Monday morning they'd have to show up naked yet again, but the Pledge Mistress could worry about that in two days. ---------- As the weekend progressed, the Tracy became increasingly worried about the newcomers' academic performance. On Saturday afternoon, following house clean-up, she rounded up her group, ordered them to pack their book-bags, and marched them to Ruth Burnside's house in the stifling afternoon heat. The young women undressed in the living room and spent the next eight hours hunched over their books, while Tracy made herself available to answer questions and help them get caught up with various homework assignments. On Sunday night Tracy planned another study break, one that would include the males. She announced that immediately after dinner both groups of pledges were to pick up their backpacks and go with her to the university library. They would study from 6:30 to 10:00 before returning to the sorority house. Upon getting back, the women would go straight to bed, while Tracy would take the men back to the Tri-Alpha house and release them back to the fraternity. Tracy's plan caused resentment among the other members of the sorority, because she was shortening "Hell Week" and taking the Tri-Alpha males away from their duties to pleasure the women. She also was taking the Four-Beta pledges away from their clean-up responsibilities. However, Tracy sharply rebuked her peers as she held up a copy of the Pledge Manual: "Any of you who don't like what I'm doing had better take a good look at what's in this manual. I am responsible, first and foremost, for the academic success of the pledges. It's been this way since 1946, and I think you'd better remind yourselves why that rule was written. If those pledges fail their classes, it's my ass! So guess what? Tonight they're gonna study, and then they're gonna sleep, because tomorrow's a school day! That's my decision, and if you don't like it, tough shit! If enough of you have a problem with that, then go right ahead and elect yourselves a new Pledge Mistress while we're gone!" As soon as Tracy left with Pledge Master Arnold and the nine pledges, Sergeant-at-Arms Heather made a very unfortunate miscalculation. She expected that the resentment against Tracy was enough to have her voted out as Pledge Mistress and called an emergency meeting of everyone present in the sorority house. Because she was an officer, she had the right to call an instant meeting, even without the prior approval of President Alexandra. Heather laid out her case against Tracy, that she was overly-protective of the pledges and taking her duty as Pledge Mistress way too seriously. The position had made her combative and unwilling to cooperate with the other members of the sorority. One problem with the way Tracy was handling the pledges was that she was not letting the other sorority members participate in their hazing and preventing anyone else from having the opportunity to get to know them. "I don't know what's gotten into her. She's got no respect for any of the rest of us, and to be honest, she's really starting to piss me off! Maybe she's taking her Army shit too seriously or something. Anyhow, you've heard my thoughts. We ought to get rid of her, before things with the pledges go any further!" President Alexandra took a deep breath. She liked Heather a lot more than she liked Tracy. They had been friends since they were pledges and Alexandra had been expecting that Heather would succeed her in the fall as chapter president. However, the Sergeant-at-Arms had just made an enormous mistake by calling the meeting, because the other officers disagreed about the need to replace Tracy. Yes, it was true that none of the seniors really liked Tracy. Yes, it was true that Tracy was uncompromising and obnoxious. However, Four-Beta tradition mandated that her behavior was what was expected of a good Pledge Mistress. Tracy's job description not only required her to be tough on the pledges, but also tough about protecting their interests, watching over their well-being and willing to confront other sorority members if necessary. Being Pledge Mistress was a difficult and unpopular assignment, not one suited for a member interested in being friends with everyone else. Alexandra had nominated Tracy to be Pledge Mistress precisely because she had the character traits that best suited her for that job. She was not particularly gregarious, somewhat aloof from the other members, and did not care whether she was well-liked or not. Of all the women in the sorority she was by far the toughest and most inflexible, and also the one most obsessed with learning and following rules and traditions. She most certainly had a unique style of handling pledges, but so far it had been successful. They were doing quite well and it looked like none of them was going to drop out of the program. Heather had the shock of her life when only one person, the junior who was her best friend, seconded her motion to remove Tracy as Pledge Mistress. The other seniors and many of the juniors may not have liked Tracy, but very few of them thought anyone else was better suited to be Pledge Mistress. It turned out that the grumbling about the pledges being out on a study break did not translate into any desire to replace her. Heather glanced at Alexandra, silently pleading for help. Alexandra's look gave Heather her answer. Sorry Heather, I can't support you on this. You shouldn't have called this meeting without talking to me first. You're on your own. Heather's face turned white as she realized that she had just totally humiliated herself. Lacking support from Alexandra, the Sergeant-at-Arms knew better than to proceed with a formal vote. It was clear there was almost no support among the others for her effort to remove the Pledge Mistress. In fact, the meeting had achieved the exact opposite of what she wanted by making the juniors and sophomores who supported Tracy realize that plenty of others in the sorority felt the same way. Heather, who up until that moment was guaranteed to be elected chapter president in the fall, had just placed her ambitions in jeopardy. Now that the rivalry was out in the open, many of the younger women began to wonder if Tracy would actually make a better leader than Heather. Heather retreated from the meeting, unsure how to handle the rebuke. Had she been able to put the incident into perspective, she would have realized that the best way to deal with it would have been to do nothing and let it fade with the passage of time. However, she saw the sorority presidency slipping away from her, which distorted her thinking and her perception of her duty as a Four-Beta officer. Heather needed to figure out how she could undermine the Pledge Mistress. If she didn't, Tracy would become the next chapter president. No, that could not be allowed. Somehow, Tracy had to be stopped. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 28 Chapter 28 -- Lisa's thong The following morning began at 4:00 with yet another naked run to the stadium. As always, the five streakers ran past Heather's friend and had their picture taken before finishing the trip to the stadium. Bernadette's performance improved tremendously; she came very close to finishing the sixth flight before her lungs gave out and she was forced to walk the final few steps. Tracy was heartened by her progress and at the thought that Wednesday might be the last day the group would have to go streaking at 4:00 in the morning. "You're close, a lot closer than you were a week ago. Think about it for Wednesday. If you make it up the steps, you can test on Friday and we'll be done. You do have it in you. It's just a few more steps. That's all it is." Once again Polk tried to engage Tracy in conversation and once again Lisa bent over to distract him. For the second time Lisa's ploy worked by drawing the security officer's attention away from Tracy. She noticed him holding a clipboard in front of his crotch and that he was hunched over, obviously hiding an erection. Ha! So she had turned the tables on Polk, forcing him to have a hard-on and humiliate himself! That morning he was eager to send the women on their way. As they took off running past the Student Fitness Center, Tracy and her pledges did not notice something that would complicate the rest of Lisa's summer. Heather's friend had stayed near the stadium to observe the group from an area shaded by some trees. Among other things, she watched Lisa bend over in front of the security officer and remembered the story of her doing the same thing in the shoe store. She knew that of the pledges, Lisa was the least inhibited about showing off her body. That gave her an idea, to suggest that Heather put Lisa's lack of inhibitions to the test. Heather's friend explained her plan when the pledges were eating breakfast. When Heather heard the idea, she liked it tremendously. Rather than share it with Tracy, she decided to go directly to Ruth Burnside's office and see if she could talk the professor into going along with it. While she was in class, Heather discussed with the professor Lisa's total lack of modesty. Burnside off-handedly added the detail about her student's fantasy of pursuing a public career as the world's first naked economist. Heather responded: "Well, Dr. Burnside. You know that in the sorority we like our pledges to push their limits as much as possible. Even someone like Pledge Lisa, who seems open to just about anything, has limits that need to pushed even farther. I like to challenge the pledges, keep making them do more and more daring things." "Yes, I understand your philosophy. So what does that mean for Pledge Lisa?" "I'm thinking about changing Pledge Lisa's uniform for campus. I'd like to take away her shorts and have her wear something a bit more daring. What I'm thinking about is issuing her a thong and making her wear it on campus instead of her pledge shorts. I can't see that it would be a problem outside, because the campus administration just loosened the dress code to allow thongs at the pool and for sunbathers in the dorm area. The only thing I'd need would be permission from you to allow Pledge Lisa to wear her thong in your classes." Burnside sat back, contemplating the idea. She liked it tremendously. Lisa would look quite sexy running around lectures, passing out papers, and collecting assignments with her bottom exposed. Making Lisa wear a thong also would help Burnside completely control her, because if she had to be disciplined there was no way she would be able to cover the marks on her bottom. The threat of discipline would be much more frightening if the student had no means of covering her welts. The other reason forcing Lisa to wear a thong on campus appealed to Burnside was that it would allow the girl to come much closer to fulfilling her secret fantasy. She would be spending the rest of the summer almost completely naked below the waist, which would bring her very close to living naked in public. Heather and Burnside agreed that people such as Lisa should be encouraged, and even obligated, to pursue whatever sexual fantasies they had. Both the professor and the sorority believed that repression of sexuality was a major cause of personal frustration, which in turn manifested itself in all kinds of dysfunctional and self-destructive behavior. For example, it seemed to both women that societies that were the most sexually oppressive also were the most violent. Burnside was astute enough to realize that Heather must have had some ulterior motive for wanting to force Lisa to run around the university in a thong instead of shorts. However, she figured that if there was any major problem, she would find out about it soon enough and could rescind her permission. In the meantime, Pledge Lisa's bottom would remain uncovered in public for the duration of the summer, in addition to her working completely naked whenever she was in Burnside's office or house. It would be interesting to see how Lisa would handle such a personal challenge. ---------- With the Tri-Alpha pledges back at the fraternity and Pledge Master Arnold once again in charge of his group, life in the Four-Beta Sorority returned to normal. The pledges returned to being completely naked whenever in the sorority house and their temporary status of relative equality with the other women quickly vanished. They had to give up sleeping in the comfortable guest beds and return to their austere military cots. Their privacy vanished and once again they were forced to use the pledge toilet, relieving themselves in full view of anyone who happened to be in the basement at that time. The Four-Beta pledge training classes started up again, after a week break because of the presence of the males in the sorority house. Every night there was a different seminar. Topics that week included a self-defense class taught by Tracy, another massage training session from Suzanne Foster, a beginner's class in car maintenance presented by Tri-Alpha VP Jacob, a course in avoiding credit card debt, and a practical exercise examining the fundamentals of academic research. Along with the seminars there was the routine PT, study breaks, house clean-up, and meals with the sophomores. Each day was so full of activity that it seemed to last an eternity. There was another unpleasant detail introduced into the pledges' lives, their hiking boots. Tracy ordered her group to wear their hiking boots on campus during the mornings to break them in. Of course the boots looked totally ridiculous with the rest of the pledge uniforms, but as Tracy put it: "You'll look a lot more ridiculous if you're out in the woods with your feet all ripped up with blisters." Wednesday morning began at 4:00 with a pre-dawn streak to the stadium. As always, Polk let the group in through Gate 4. Bernadette's performance on the steps improved slightly, but not enough for Tracy to declare that she was ready to test on Friday. That meant yet another run on Friday, with the possibility of Bernadette testing pushed back to Sunday, at the earliest. Fortunately for Tracy, Polk was not waiting for her when the group finished their practice run on the stadium steps. He was gone from the stadium area, forced to respond to a burglar alarm that had gone off in one of the academic buildings. Tracy locked the gate herself and the five naked women ran back to the sorority. Tracy might have been forgiving of Bernadette's struggles on the stadium steps, but Wednesday afternoon she became much more sharp-tempered over the three freshmen's academic performance. Kathleen, Bernadette, and Cherine had taken an exam for one of their classes on Monday, but in spite of Tracy's efforts to get them ready, they did not perform to her expectations. Each had only scored in the low '80's and their mentor was livid. Tracy seethed with anger as she escorted the three young women to the Economics Building to pick up Lisa. As they entered Burnside's office, the expressions on the faces of Lisa's companions reflected genuine fear, because they knew they faced punishment as soon as they got back to the sorority. As soon as they entered the sorority house the pledges undressed and put their clothes in the washer. They knelt in the sitting room, waiting for the Pledge Mistress to start berating them. Tracy did return with the freshmen's tests, but for a long time stood quietly, going through their papers and jotting down some notes and observations. The freshmen were sweating as they waited for the ominous silence in the room to explode into vicious yelling. Heather came into the room and chatted with Tracy about what had happened that day in class. It was clear that she was pleased about Tracy's awkward situation and at seeing that, when it came to her pledges' performance, she was not so perfect after-all. However, Heather also realized that she had the perfect opportunity to pull Lisa away from the pledge group and impose the planned change of her uniform. Heather called Lisa to the hallway and told her to go downstairs. Lisa complied with very mixed feelings. She was relieved to escape the possibility of being punished along with the freshmen, but at the same time she felt bad about deserting them. Also, she did not trust Heather. There was no way the Sergeant-at-Arms would pull her away from being punished just out of being nice. No, Heather was up to something. Lisa's suspicions rose even more when the sorority officer spoke in her sweet sarcastic voice: "Put on your uniform, Pledge. We're going out, and you'll get to go shopping with me. Don't you think that's gonna be fun?" "Yes, ma'am." Lisa put on a clean pledge uniform and followed Heather up the stairs, very worried about what Heather was planning to buy. As they ascended the steps, Lisa heard Cherine's voice crying and the sound of CRACK!...CRACK!..CRACK! She glanced through the door to see Cherine bent over a table. Tracy was striking her with a very narrow two-pronged leather strap. Cherine's bottom already was covered with multiple thin welts that were clearly visible on the girl's dark skin. "Aieee!!!...Ma'am...ma'am...Ooh...Ow!...I...I'll do better...Ahh! I'll try..." Kathleen and Bernadette were kneeling. They had not yet been punished, but were sweating and trembling from fear and anticipation. As they exited the house, Heather's voice rang out sweetly to Lisa: "Aren't you glad you're coming with me and not having that cute butt of yours whipped?" "Yes, ma'am," lied Lisa. In reality she wondered if she'd be better off getting punished alongside her companions. Heather led Lisa to Pageant Street and into a clothing shop. She immediately led the pledge to a clothing rack of undergarments and asked her waist size. Upon hearing Lisa's response, Heather began thumbing through thongs that would fit, finally settling on three that came closest to the color of her pledge shorts. Heather narrowed the selection to the thong that provided the least cover in the back and had a very high waistband. She passed it to Lisa. "Here, Pledge. Try this on and let's see how it looks on you." Lisa was bewildered by the command, but knew better than to argue. She stepped into a dressing room and pulled down her shorts, set them aside, and put on the thong. The article of clothing made her feel more exposed than she felt when completely naked. She felt the contrast between her crotch, which was adequately covered, and her backside, which was totally bare. Reluctantly she stepped out of the dressing room and faced Heather. "I like it. You look really cute. Turn around, Pledge." Lisa turned around. Heather carefully examined her uncovered bottom, and then ran her hand over her exposed buttocks. "Perfect. The color's just a little bit off, but other than that it looks really nice." Heather patted Lisa's bottom: "OK, Pledge, get me your shorts and hand 'em over." Lisa's heart jumped into her throat. She quietly retrieved her shorts from the dressing room, hoping that she misunderstood what Heather had just said. That hope faded when Heather grabbed Lisa's shorts and stuffed them into her backpack. She then selected three additional thongs identical to the one Lisa already had on. She pulled out a Four-Beta purchasing card and directed the pledge to follow her to the sales counter. The cashier stared in amazement at the two women when Heather announced: "Four thongs please: the three here and the one she's got on." The clerk turned to Lisa: "Uh...OK...but...aren't you gonna wear something over that?" Before Lisa had a chance to respond, Heather cut in: "Oh no, she'll be fine! She's a total show-off! She likes it when people look at her butt, and she wanted me to help her choose something that'll let people see what she's got!" Noting Lisa's worried expression, the clerk insisted on a response from her. Sullenly Lisa responded: "I'll be fine, ma'am. What she's saying about me is true. I...I'm kinda an exhibitionist...and..." "OK...I just hope you stay out of trouble. I mean...if I were you, I'd cover-up a bit more..." "It's all-right, ma'am. I...I'll be fine." With that the two women left the store and stepped out into the late afternoon sunlight. It seemed that everyone's head turned towards Lisa as she walked down the crowded street with the Sergeant-at-Arms. Worse than the stares were the constant whistles and the occasional honk from people driving by. Lisa was hoping that, at the very least, Heather would take her back to the sorority. No such luck. They went from one business to another as Heather calmly looked at CD's, bought a textbook, placed an order for several boxes of fruit for the sorority, and visited a car repair shop to set up an appointment to have a minivan's oil changed. Lisa tried to sit down to avoid the stares of the mechanics, but Heather admonished her: "Stand up, Pledge! I didn't say anything about you sitting down!" "Yes, ma'am." Lisa could not have explained, even to herself, why she felt so totally humiliated. It didn't make any sense that she felt more vulnerable wearing a thong in public than being naked in public. Perhaps part of the problem was not having any control over what was happening to her. It was one thing to run naked at a nude marathon, streak in the middle of the night, or bend over in front of a security officer when surrounded by four other naked women. It was quite another to be at Heather's mercy, alone and exposed in a provocative piece of clothing in broad daylight on a busy public street. Unfortunately for Lisa, Heather had planned an even more humiliating stop before they returned to the sorority. The sorority officer led her pledge to a café-bar that had a small dance floor. She ordered two non-alcoholic drinks and then asked Lisa to dance. As several guys and women (the café was a favorite lesbian hangout) whistled at Lisa, Heather danced with her through several fast songs. Then a slow song played, and Heather drew Lisa close and danced romantically. Lisa was dumbstruck at what was happening. She knew that Heather had absolutely no romantic interest in other women, but was forcing her to dance in public to humiliate her. After one slow dance the two women sat down to have their drinks, only to be joined by three of Heather's friends, two women and a guy, who were from her department. Heather whispered into Lisa's ear: "These are good friends of mine, Pledge. You'd better treat them with respect." "Yes, ma'am." For a few minutes treating Heather's friends with "respect" consisted of bringing them drinks and a shared appetizer. The drinks were alcoholic and Lisa looked longingly at what she was carrying. She badly needed a drink herself, but of course, as a Four-Beta, she could not have alcohol. She noticed that even Heather was adhering to that rule. Lisa served the drinks as her mentor chatted about classes and the sorority. The topic turned to Lisa as all three of Heather's guests commented on how attractive she was. The guy asked: "You suppose I could dance with her?" "Sure, she'd love to! She's a lot of fun to dance with, because she's totally uninhibited. Once you get her out on the floor you'll see what I'm talking about!" Lisa danced one fast dance with the guy before the music switched back to slow. The guy pulled her close and pressed her body into his. She could feel his penis stiffening underneath his pants. "So, you're totally uninhibited, huh!" "Yes, sir. That's why I'm pledging the Four-Betas." "I love your ass. You've got the best ass of just about any girl I've seen. So you like showing it off in public, huh?" "Yes, sir. Uh...that's why I got a thong on. Sergeant-at-Arms Heather helped me pick it out, 'cause she wanted me to show off." "...and does she ever spank that cute ass?" "Yes, sir. She's spanked me." "I bet you like that." Lisa took a deep breath. This was getting harder and harder. It took every bit of her self discipline to keep herself from kneeing that asshole in the groin, ramming her fist into Heather's mouth, grabbing her shorts out of her backpack and leaving the café. However, she couldn't. Whatever Heather was trying to do, Lisa had to go along with it. Finally she answered: "It's part of pledging, sir. We all get punished because it's part of our hazing." "But I bet you like it. I bet you like having these cute ass cheeks spanked." With that the guy's hands moved down and massaged Lisa's exposed bottom. They danced like that for the rest of the song and the next one, Lisa's bare bottom firmly in the grip of some creepy guy she didn't even know. Lisa was frightened and infuriated. She glanced at Heather, who was watching with an expression that indicated she was pleased with the pledge's predicament. It was obvious this guy was grabbing Lisa's ass because Heather wanted him to. "So you like it when guys touch you?" "Yes, sir." Lisa's fears that her dancing partner would go beyond fondling her turned out to be unfounded. He took her hand and led her back to the table, releasing her with a quick slap to the bottom. Heather ordered Lisa go back to the bar to retrieve another round of drinks. On her way back a tall, fat, unkempt-looking guy asked Lisa to dance, which she declined. As soon as she got back to the table with the tray full of drinks, Heather snapped: "Did that guy just ask you to dance?" "Yes, ma'am." "Then you dance with him! You go right over there, tell him you're sorry for being such a bitch, and dance with him!" "Yes, ma'am." Sadly Lisa walked over to the creepy-looking guy and told him she had changed her mind about dancing with him. She did not go as far as apologizing for "being such a bitch", but the humiliation of what she was doing was bad enough. On top of being unpleasant to look at, Lisa's new dance partner smelled of alcohol, cheap cologne, sweat, and stale deodorant. Worst of all, he was completely detached from reality, thinking that he was sexy to Lisa when he was totally the opposite. Of course his hands went straight to her exposed bottom, but he also began landing slobbery kisses on her neck. Heather planned to let Lisa dance for a long time and let events with her unsavory companion take their course. However, the unpleasant adventure abruptly ended after only two dances. The extreme stress she was under, combined with the rancid smell assaulting her nose and the saliva smeared all over her neck, suddenly made her violently sick. She spun away from her partner, dropped to her hands and knees, and threw up on the dance floor. She struggled to her feet, only to double-up and completely empty her stomach. The mess from the second episode was quite impressive. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 28 It was one of Heather's friends that came to Lisa's rescue. She led the half-naked pledge to the women's bathroom, had her rinse her mouth and drink from the fountain, and finally handed her a small bottle of mouthwash. Heather's mood went from triumphant to embarrassed, as she realized that her remaining two friends wanted no further part in this cruel little exercise. As for the guy Lisa was dancing with, he retreated, worried that he would be told to clean up the floor. The staff was infuriated and told Heather and the others to get out of the café. Thus Heather's effort to humiliate Lisa came to an abrupt end. ---------- It already was quite late when Heather escorted Lisa out of the café-bar and back to the sorority house. Of course Heather made sure they passed through Fraternity Row and Lisa had to withstand a barrage of whistles and cat-calls. Finally they returned to the Four-Beta house and Lisa dutifully undressed. Heather handed her the three thongs out of her backpack and told her to put them in the washing machine along with the one she had just taken off. Lisa was very scared by Heather's treatment and longed to talk to Tracy. What Heather had just done to her in the café went way beyond simple hazing or testing. Perhaps she had not broken any specific rules of the Pledge Manual, but she most certainly had broken the spirit and protocol of the Four-Beta pledge program. She tried to figure out what was going on in Heather's mind. Was it possible that the Sergeant-at-Arms had been hoping to force her to quit the pledging program? If that was what she intended, she had failed, because Lisa had not given her any hints that she was ready to quit. There was another possibility, that perhaps Heather was hoping to spark an outburst from Tracy's explosive temper. Maybe the whole incident was designed not as a set-up against Lisa, but instead a set-up against Tracy. Now that they were back at the sorority house, Heather needed to release the pledge back into the custody of the Pledge Mistress. Tracy showed up, her face reflecting extreme displeasure that Heather had taken Lisa out of the house without her knowledge or permission. However, she knew better than to argue that point, because Heather already had an answer: well, you took the pledges out of the house several times yourself without anyone's permission, so now it's my turn. Upon putting her clothes in the washer, Lisa found Tracy sitting at a table in the sorority library with the three freshmen. The pledges were depressed and teary-eyed, but diligently studying. Tracy had a bunch of her own study materials laid out, but it was clear she was there more to help the freshmen than to work on her own research. Lisa approached the Pledge Mistress and knelt. "Pledge Mistress Tracy, Pledge Lisa requests permission to speak." "Yes, Pledge Lisa?" "Ma'am, I request permission to speak to you in private. I...I went out with Sergeant-at-Arms Heather and I...need to clarify some stuff in the Pledge Manual." Tracy immediately stood up. "Let's go. Upstairs." She turned to the three freshmen. "You three are under orders not to move until I get back. If anyone, and I don't care who it is, tells you to move or wants you to do anything, tell them they've got to come up to my room and talk to me first." "Yes, ma'am." The two women went upstairs to Tracy's room and Lisa knelt. Tracy noticed the pledge's hands shaking and realized that something was very wrong. She told Lisa to get off her knees and take a seat in her desk chair. Her voice cracking, Lisa told Tracy the details of her unpleasant outing with the Sergeant-at-Arms. She could tell that Tracy was very distressed over what had happened and not able to conceal her worry. "Ma'am, what's going on? I didn't join this sorority to have my butt grabbed and be forced to dance with a bunch of creeps on Pageant Street! I don't mind the thong so much, but what she did...at the café...I mean, she's pimping me! That's what it is, she's fucking pimping me! If that's what..." Tracy held up her hand: "Lisa...Lisa...I can explain this! I can tell you what's going on!" Tracy took a deep breath. "I know what she's after and it's not really you at all! It's me! The problem is, the only way she can get to me is through you! That's why she pulled that shit with you at the café! What she's doing is trying to get you to quit the sorority and..." "Well if that's what she wants, then I can tell you she's pretty fucking close! If this is the way you bitches operate, then..." "Don't you dare throw me in with Heather! You can call me a bitch all you want, but don't compare me with her! I'm not like her, and what each of us wants for the sorority is very different!" "Well, what's that have to do with us? I mean, we're already putting up with a lot of shit from you two, and now Heather..." "Heather wants you out for a very simple reason. She wants to fuck me up as Pledge Mistress. She figures if she can get you to quit, the others will quit as well and that'll make me look like shit. That's what's going on. Heather doesn't care about you or the other pledges. What she's after is me, and she figures the only way she's gonna get to me is by getting you to quit. You're the one who's been keeping everyone else motivated, so it stands to reason she'd come after you first." "But...what are you two fighting over?" "Over who gets to be the next Four-Beta chapter president." "...so you're running against her?" "That's what it looks like. It's gonna be between me and her. You see, the problem is that, up until a few weeks ago, everyone thought that Heather was gonna be chapter president after Alexandra and that was gonna be it. They'd make me the new Sergeant-at-Arms, which would've made me the fourth highest-ranking member of the sorority. That would have been fine with me. The problem is that Heather's pissed off a lot of the women (especially the sophomores) and there's a lot of people in the sorority who don't like her. At the end of April there was some talk about drafting another candidate to run against her. Until last week they were gonna try to get Shannon..." (who was the leader of the juniors) "...to run against Heather, but she wouldn't have gotten elected because she's not a senior and it would break tradition. You follow me so far?" "Yes, ma'am." "Well, something happened Sunday night that pulled Shannon out of the running and pushed me instead..." With that Tracy described Heather's effort to remove her as Pledge Mistress, the resulting humiliation, and the discussion among the sophomores to ask Tracy to run against Heather. "Anyhow, now I'm up against her, Alexandra, and most of the seniors. And I can tell you this whole thing is totally stupid, because to be honest, I really don't want to be the Four-Beta chapter president. I mean, I'm trying to get into OCS and I don't need to distracted with a bunch of political shit from the sorority! But...I mean...I can't turn it down either. If I get voted in, I'll have to serve, because, to be honest, I think the sophomores are right about Heather. If she gets in, she's gonna mess up the sorority. The reason the girls who don't like Heather are looking to me is because all the other seniors are afraid of her. I'm the only one who's not. If she gives me any shit, I can kick her ass. She knows that, and because I'm not scared of her, she's scared of me." "Shit." "Yeah, that's what it is alright, a bunch of shit. I mean, it's totally stupid, really. But political crap is part of human nature, so I'm not surprised. You get a group of 80 women together and something like this is bound to happen. I've been in the Army long enough to know there's plenty of bullshit there too. So..." Tracy shrugged her shoulders. "...we just deal with it." "But you two have no right to make us your punching bags." "I'm not the one doing that, Lisa. I'm not the one who's trying to use you for anything. Think about it. I know I'm a bitch around you, but I'm only behaving that way because I have to. It's what I was elected to do. It's what's written down in my job title. There's no way I would've done what Heather did to you, and I'm very pissed off about it." "So is there anything you can do about it? Is anything gonna happen to her?" "Not from the way you described the incident. The problem is that Heather did not violate any specific rule of the Pledge Manual. What she did was violate the spirit of the pledge program. What she did was totally unethical, but I don't think I'd get President Alexandra to back me up on issuing an official reprimand." "So what am I gonna do?" "Well, the first thing is that you'll have to decide what's best for you and the people you care about. Unfortunately what's best for you and what's best for them is probably not the same thing. If you leave the sorority, what's gonna happen to Kathleen and Ken? You gotta think about that, and then, if you decide to stay in, you gotta think about whether or not you can still accomplish what you wanted when you signed up. That's item one. The other issue is whether or not you want Heather to 'win' this fight. Do you think we'd be better off if she becomes president? Do you think it would be better for the sorority if you leave? That is a consideration, and I think you already know the answer." "Now, assuming you stay, there will have to be some changes, for your own good. You'll have to stick close to me and your fellow pledges, always. You won't be able to go off by yourself because if you do, she's gonna find you and fuck with you. I've been trying to give you a little space because I think you're far more mature than your fellow pledges. The problem is that came back to bite me. Had I kept you with me this afternoon, Heather wouldn't have had the chance to take you out of the house. That was my fault. I should have seen it coming and I didn't. I dropped the ball on watching out for you and I apologize." Lisa didn't say anything, but nodded to acknowledge Tracy's effort to set things right with her. Tracy continued: "Obviously Heather's thong bullshit's got to be fixed. That I will take up with President Alexandra. I'll make sure you get your pledge shorts back tomorrow morning before class." "No! Don't do that...I mean, please don't do that, ma'am." "Huh?" "I'll wear the thong." "There's no need to wear a thong, no matter what Heather says. It's real simple. It's a uniform violation." "No ma'am. Heather issued me a challenge. I don't turn down challenges. If she thinks I can't handle running around all summer in a thong, then I'll just have to prove her wrong." "Lisa, that's not what this is all about." "It is for me." "You're actually gonna...go to class wearing a thong?" "Yes, ma'am, that's what I wanna do. I'll stop if the university tells me to cover up. But until that happens, I'm gonna show Heather I'm not afraid to wear her fucking thong." "You're sure about this?" "Yes, ma'am. Totally sure." "Alright. That's gonna be your choice and I'll respect it. If you change your mind let me know." Tracy paused, struggling with a simple decision, but a very momentous one. Finally she took a deep breath and plunged ahead. She had decided to let down her guard and place some rare personal trust in another person. "I don't really know how to say this, Lisa. What makes it harder is that as soon as we step out of this room we gotta go back to our roles as Pledge Mistress and Pledge. But...all the stuff you've done for the other pledges...and also what you've done for me...it means a lot to me...a lot more than I'm capable of expressing. You've helped me...in so many ways...and the problem is that I have no way of showing my gratitude. We've got to play this thing through to the end, and I've got to keep dogging your ass until August ...but I don't want it to always be this way between us...and...I want you to know that how I have to treat you is not really how I feel about you." "I know that, ma'am. I know you've gotta play the game." With that the two women stood up, together. There was no shout of "Pledge, STAND UP!" because they were determined to set aside the pledge protocol for a few minutes. They would resume their roles upon leaving Tracy's room, not before. Tracy and Lisa returned to the library, where the three sullen freshmen continued to study. It was time for everyone to clean up and go to bed. Lisa followed her companions downstairs, noting the fading strap marks on their bottoms. The women took turns at the toilet, showered, and brushed their teeth before lying down. Before they turned out the light, the pledges were surprised to see their mentor come into the basement completely naked. They quickly knelt, but she told them to get up and continue getting ready to go to sleep. Tracy amazed the others when she pulled a cot from the stack in the corner and unfolded it. She lay out a sheet and took a pillow. "Pledge Kathleen, hit the lights, please." "Yes, ma'am." Without saying anything more Tracy settled on her cot and went to sleep. For the rest of the summer she would sleep with the pledges. Until they swore in as members she planned not to let them out of her sight except when they were in class. Her own lifestyle would change considerably. If she was to constantly be with her pledges, she felt that it was important that she return to living the lifestyle of a pledge. She locked her room and planned to use it only as a place to keep her books and computer. The following day she would take her running shorts and T-shirts to the basement and put them inside a locker. The only clothing she would allow herself to wear for the rest of the summer would be her Four-Beta summer jogging outfit. Tracy's decision even extended to what she wore in the Four-Beta house. The following morning she added a hanger to the four pledge hangers in the entryway closet. When her pledges undressed, she would undress with them. Tracy's decision bewildered the three freshmen, who were not thrilled at having her in their midst at all hours. Only Lisa understood what was going on, but it was obvious that it would be better not to say anything to her three companions. Like it or not, Tracy now was part of their group. As the women settled down to sleep, Lisa felt deep admiration for the Pledge Mistress. She was not a nice or friendly person, but she did not hesitate to sacrifice her own comfort for the well-being of the people placed under her control. ---------- Heather descended the stairs to wake up Lisa and continue harassing her. She was shocked to see five cots in the basement instead of four. She could make out Tracy's bare figure asleep on the cot closest to the door. It was obvious that Heather's rival fully understood what she had in mind for the pledges. There would be no visiting in the middle of the night and messing with them, because Tracy was right there in the basement, watching over her group like a vicious guard dog. Her astuteness and foresight only increased Heather's hatred of her. The Sergeant-at-Arms went back upstairs frustrated and infuriated. That miserable fucking bitch!!! The Pledge Mistress Ch. 29 Chapter 29 -- "Citizens' complaints" The following day Tracy and her four pledges left the sorority in time to make their 8:00 classes. The three freshmen stepped outside in their normal outfits, but Lisa, true to her word, stoically walked down the sidewalk with her bottom totally uncovered as she dealt with a barrage of stares and whistles. It was a very strange sensation to feel the hot morning sun shining on her exposed bottom as the group made their way to the university. Stranger still was the knowledge that her backside probably would never be covered at all, under any circumstances, until August. Lisa was not surprised that Burnside already knew about the thong arrangement and had approved. Burnside had been one reason Lisa had decided to go along with the change of uniform, because either the professor would count the thong as another test of her character or would flatly prohibit her from wearing it in her classes and thus the matter would be settled. Lisa calculated that the decision already had been made for her to continue wearing her thong. As Lisa showed up to her office, Burnside had some reservations about allowing the girl's hazing challenge to go any further because she liked to project a cold professional image in her classes. Her flamboyant, skimpily-clad assistant certainly detracted from the intimidating atmosphere the professor wanted for her students. However, in the end the professor decided not to say anything about her student's nudity. Lisa was a Four-Beta, and the sorority had a reputation of forcing its pledges to be naked in public as much as possible and do many other strange things. Burnside would be able to fall back on the fact that Lisa simply was following orders from her sorority. If anyone challenged her about Lisa's attire in her class, she could shrug her shoulders and say the issue was between her student aide and the Four-Beta officers. The truth was that Burnside was much more supportive of the idea of forcing Lisa to pursue her fantasy of being naked in public than she would have let on to her colleagues. She believed that anyone with an active sexual imagination should be obligated to pursue their desires. Lisa would wear her thong, and it would be up to her to provide any needed explanation. As Lisa followed Burnside across the courtyard to the main lecture building, every student and faculty member stared at the student's exposed bottom. Lisa caused an even bigger sensation in the auditorium, to the point that Burnside realized she needed to address her assistant's strange predicament. She tapped the microphone to get her audience to quiet down. "You all have noticed that my student aide, Lisa Campbell, is wearing clothing that we normally would not consider appropriate for class. Lisa, please turn around and show everyone what I'm talking about." Her heart pounding and her face flushed with embarrassment, Lisa stood next to the podium and turned her back to the class. There were a few claps and whistles, but Burnside raised her hand. "Lisa, please remain with your back to the class until I finish, so everyone can satisfy their curiosity and we can get this behind us." There was some laughter at Burnside's unintended pun. Realizing the humor in what she had just said, the professor gave her class a rare smile. "Lisa is pledging the Four-Beta Sorority, and it was an officer from her sorority who directed her to wear what she has on. What's she's doing is a pledge challenge, and that's all it is. There's something else. Lisa remains my aide and you will treat her with respect. Whatever the situation is with her sorority, that has no bearing on her responsibilities to the department. Enough said on that. Now that you've satisfied your curiosity about Lisa, I expect what she's wearing to cause no further disruption in this class." Burnside directed Lisa to take her usual seat in the first row, immediately beneath the speaker's podium. The class settled down immediately. It was obvious that the novelty of Lisa's thong already was wearing off. Burnside taught Lisa an important lesson that day, one that she repeated in her other classes. The professor dealt with uncomfortable situations by addressing them immediately and directly. Rather than try to ignore the girl's bizarre predicament, Burnside drew attention to it and resolved the matter with a truthful and logical explanation. Lisa was wearing a thong because of a sorority pledge challenge. It was that simple: no big deal. With their curiosity satisfied, Burnside's students could direct their attention back to their purpose for being in the class, to learn economic theory and memorize how to use various mathematical formulas. Lisa realized something else. Because the scandal of her thong already was dying down, it was very likely that she was committed to wearing it on campus for the rest of the summer. In fact, already people in the Economics Department were referring to her as "the girl in the thong" instead of "Burnside's student aide". Within days Lisa's thong became her identity. ---------- Upon returning to the sorority in the afternoon, Tracy was careful to note the expression on Heather's face to gage what, if anything, she might have in mind for the two women's intensifying rivalry. Because the Pledge Mistress was training as a psychologist, small expressions and nuances of behavior that another person might miss could provide her with valuable insight about what someone else was thinking. Sure enough, Heather's face reflected not anger, but instead the secret satisfaction a person gets when they are about to carry out a plot against a rival. OK, so she's got something in mind, but what could it be? As the pledges received their Thursday night Four-Beta training seminar, Tracy had a few moments to think through the following day and ponder where something might go wrong. She dismissed various possibilities, including classes and anything that could happen between Lisa and Ruth Burnside. What about chores? No, it seemed the pledges were doing just fine on chores. What about...PT? At 4:15 the next morning the group was scheduled for what Tracy hoped would be the last of Bernadette's training runs. With luck she would test out the following week. If everything went well, the Friday morning run would be the last of the naked treks to the stadium and the last time she would have to deal with Polk's leering presence and... Suddenly Tracy realized what Heather was plotting. While it was true that Polk's assistance made the run across the university relatively safe, to get to campus Tracy's group had to run past several blocks of residences and cross a four-lane boulevard. Those blocks were patrolled not by Campus Security, but by the City Police. Heather knew the route that Tracy and her group took each morning and where they had to cross to get onto campus. As soon as the group left the Four-Beta house, all that was needed to land Tracy and the four pledges in jail would be a couple of "citizens' complaints" about streakers. So that was it! Tracy realized that it was quite likely Heather, and possibly a couple of her friends, would call the cops on her and the pledges when they did their pre-dawn naked run to the stadium! A very easy way to take down the entire group! Tracy was taken aback by the ruthlessness of Heather's plan. Were the five women to be caught streaking, for her it would be a personal disaster, because it would put an arrest on her record and probably ruin her chances of getting into the Army's Officer Candidate School. It also would put arrests on the records of the four pledges, complicate their lives, and most certainly turn them against her. Tracy's attitude towards her rival changed as her dislike intensified into anger. Up until that moment the Pledge Mistress had viewed Heather's efforts to undermine her as a minor nuisance and the result of personal immaturity. No, this was not just a nuisance; it was much more serious. It was obvious that Sergeant-at-Arms was perfectly willing to risk the good name of the sorority and mess up not only her life, but also the lives of four innocent pledges. Tracy's thoughts about the Four-Beta presidency changed along with her opinion of Heather. Up until that moment the Four-Beta chapter presidency had been something she had not really wanted. Now she was determined to win. Instead of reluctantly allowing herself to be drafted, she would actively campaign to take over the sorority and make sure Heather was kept out of next year's directorate. She would become chapter president, and put Heather in her place once and for all. OK, Heather...you want to play hard-ball with me? You got it. Hard-ball it is. ---------- Tracy's immediate problem was avoiding being arrested Friday morning. The only solution she could think of was to not do the pre-dawn streak at all. Instead, she and the others would go out with President Alexandra on the normal morning run, and Bernadette would have to pass the stair challenge. This was it for Bernadette. She had to pass because Tracy no longer could risk taking the pledge group out for practice runs. The next time they went out streaking, they faced being turned in to the police and taken to the city jail. There wouldn't be any arrest, because there would be no next time. While the other pledges were studying, Tracy called Bernadette into her room and broke the news. She told the freshman a portion of the truth; that she suspected that it was likely the city cops would catch the group if they went streaking Friday morning. Because Tracy felt that it was best to keep the pledges out of her growing conflict with Sergeant-at-Arms as long as possible, she gave Bernadette the impression that Polk had given her inside information from the police department, instead of laying any blame on Heather. Bernadette took a deep breath: "I...I don't know if I can do it, ma'am. I mean...I thought I was gonna have another day." "I thought so too, Pledge, but it's not gonna happen that way. Tomorrow's the day you gotta pass. This is gonna be it. Whether you can or cannot do it, you're just gonna have to." Tracy knew better than to send Bernadette to bed to "get plenty of sleep". It was clear that, instead of sleeping, the pledge would spend the night wide-awake from anxiety and would be totally exhausted the next morning. Tracy instructed her to do some stretching exercises and focus on her breathing to get her to relax. That was followed up by a half-hour in the pool for all of the pledges, and then yet more stretching for the entire group. The relaxation exercises worked; within a few minutes of lights-out Bernadette was asleep. ---------- Because Tracy had not said anything to President Alexandra about having Bernadette test that morning, the other officers assumed that Friday morning the Pledge Mistress and her pledge group would go out for yet another naked escapade to the stadium. Tracy felt that Alexandra was trustworthy and had no bad intentions towards the pledges, but still, she remained Heather's friend. If the chapter president knew that Tracy planned to have Bernadette test that morning, it was likely that Heather hear about the change through casual conversation. Tracy had an idea that might, at the very least, frustrate her rival and get her to waste some time the following morning. At 4:00 she would wake up the pledges, tell them to move to the guest room, and order the freshmen go back to sleep. Meanwhile, Tracy and Lisa would go out through the front door, run to the nearby park, and secretly get dressed. Hopefully Heather or her friend would be listening for them to leave, but would stay hidden and not actually see that only two women had gone out instead of five. If Tracy's suspicions were correct, Heather and her friend immediately would call the police to lodge several "citizens' complaints" about streakers. The cops would show up and drive around the neighborhood, only to waste their time looking for something that wasn't there. At 4:00 Tracy woke up, unlocked the guest room door, and quietly ordered the three drowsy freshmen to change rooms and get into the more comfortable beds. Once she was sure the younger women had gone back to sleep, Heather locked the guest room and woke up Lisa. The Pledge Mistress and her trainee put on their shoes and went outside. The front door slammed with a bang as the two naked women ran down the driveway. "Let's go! As fast as you can, to the park!" Less than a minute later Tracy pulled out a backpack with her nighttime disguise, two sets of dark shorts and T-shirts. As soon as they were dressed, the two women casually walked down the quiet street towards the main boulevard as Tracy explained what she thought was going on. No sooner had she finished than a police patrol car passed by. A second cop passed by the two women, and then, a few minutes later, the first cop came back and pulled to a stop. The officer put down his window: "Hi there! How are you two doing?" "Uh, we're doing fine, Officer." "Going for an early morning jog?" "Well, we're just out stretching our legs. We might jog a bit, but we're not sure. Right now we're just kinda walking around." "Are you from around here?" "Yes, sir. We're from the Four-Beta House." "OK, just be careful, ladies. It's really not a good time to be out by yourselves." The cop drove off, but within a few minutes circled back a third time. "Ladies, I got a question for you. Have you seen anything out of the ordinary while walking around?" "Out of the ordinary in what way, sir?" "Well, we've gotten some complaints about a group of girls streaking around the neighborhood. It's been several calls, so we're trying to locate 'em and take 'em in. You haven't seen 'em?" "No Officer, we haven't seen anything like that. Are you sure it's not a prank call?" "No, 'cause it's not been just one call. We've gotten complaints from different residents about it, and they're all saying the same thing. There's a group of five naked drunken girls running around and making a bunch of noise." Tracy shrugged her shoulders. "Haven't seen 'em. Sorry." "Alright, thanks anyway." With that the cop drove out to the main road, turned right, and disappeared around the corner. Tracy commented: "Kind of confirms my suspicions, doesn't it?" Tracy and Lisa passed by the park to pick up the empty backpack before returning to the sorority. They snuck back onto the Four-Beta property and entered the backyard through a side gate. Upon reaching safety they undressed and slipped back downstairs. It was obvious that no one had seen them come back in. Perfect. Tracy checked the time. It was 5:20, almost time to wake up the freshmen so they could stretch and go running with the sophomores. That morning was the day Bernadette finally would pass the stair challenge and everyone could move on. ---------- Feigning innocence, Heather came down the stairs to do morning PT with the other seniors, quite satisfied with her sneaky little trick. She and three friends had made several phone calls to the police, making sure the cops knew the route Tracy and her group were likely to be taking. The pledge group was nowhere in sight and over-due coming back. HA! So I got 'em! All that remained was waiting for a tearful call from the police station... Then she heard Tracy's voice in the basement: "OK, sleeping beauties! UP-UP-UP! LET'S GO...LET'S GO...LET'S GO!" The Sergeant-at-Arm's face turned white and her heart jumped into her throat when she saw the four pledges scrambling up the stairs... What the fuck? She heard them go out at 4:15! Their cots were empty when she checked! She saw the patrol cars driving by the sorority house! How come they didn't they get busted? Tracy charged up the stairs after her group and noted the stunned look on her rival's face. The Pledge Mistress couldn't resist flashing a hostile, triumphant stare at the Sergeant-at-Arms. Her face was tight with anger and her eyes blazing with fight as she commented: "Oh, Heather, I guess I forgot to tell you that we're gonna have Bernadette test on the stairs today. If you're wondering why we haven't gone out yet, that's why. I'm so sorry if that messed up any plans you might've had." "Uh...I....uh...that's OK..." "That's right. I really didn't think there'd be a problem...you know...gotta play it safe! Wouldn't want to risk someone calling the cops on us, now would we?" Nausea swept over the Sergeant-at-Arms. She didn't answer because at that moment speaking was way beyond her ability. She directed every bit of her energy to forcing herself not to throw up. Her rival knew what she had just attempted. She didn't suspect; she knew. Tracy's expression reflected deep anger much more than triumph. In spite of knowing what Heather had planned, in the back of her mind she had wanted to give her classmate the benefit of the doubt, hoping that maybe she had been wrong. After all, they had pledged together and had known each other four years... Well, she hadn't been wrong. Another part of Tracy wanted to hope, now that she had been caught, Heather might back down and try to avoid any further confrontation. However, she also knew that was not to be. Heather would recover from the shock of the encounter within a day or so, and then move on to plotting something else. Now that she realized Tracy was watching her, probably she would lie low for a while and it would be several weeks before she struck again. ---------- The Four-Beta sophomores ran in formation towards the stadium, with the pledges running naked in the center of the group. Also running in the center was their Pledge Mistress, as naked as the others. The only difference was that Tracy was carrying a backpack with five Four-Beta running uniforms, with the hope that her group would be wearing them on the way back once Bernadette completed her test on the stairs. Bernadette clearly was very frightened as the group entered the stadium. She exchanged glances with Tracy, who seemed equally worried. "Remember what Pledge Kathleen told you. If you're stressed out, use that to your advantage. And also, remember to keep a steady pace. Don't start out fast. Start out slow because you'll need most of your strength for the final part. I'll try to pace you so you don't burn out. You got that?" "Yes, ma'am." "Alright. Let's do it!" With that the Tracy and the pledges ran to the foot of the first flight of stairs and began climbing. Lisa and Kathleen decided not to race ahead, but stay only a few steps in front of Bernadette and Tracy. Cherine stuck next to her friend, struggling to keep moving and gasping words of encouragement. Tracy ran behind the others, but decided to let Cherine set the pace. When the pledges finished the second flight of steps, they heard the whistling of the football players. Shit. Those assholes were out on the field, but not yet practicing because they were enjoying the spectacle of five naked women running up and down the stadium steps. Bernadette glanced at the entrance gate to see Polk and another officer from Campus Security watching as well. Double shit. Ignore them...concentrate...concentrate...20 more steps to go, then we start on the next set... Alexandra watched the pledges from the field as Bernadette struggled up the fifth flight of steps. She was not running as well as the sophomores, but she had not stopped either. If she kept up her pace through the final flight she'd pass. Her legs trembling with fatigue and pain tearing though her guts, Bernadette put everything she had into climbing the final set of steps. The experience was one of the most horrible she ever had to endure, because the staircase seemed to ascend higher and higher, the goal ever becoming ever more distant. Through her sweat and tears she contemplated the fit bodies of Lisa and Kathleen, whose muscular legs seemed to move with ease, conquering step after step. She couldn't do it, she just couldn't. She hated those two bitches and their extreme fitness...she wanted so badly to catch them and trip them up... The Pledge Mistress Ch. 29 However, just as Bernadette was thinking she couldn't go any further, the pain in her body let up slightly and she realized she already was two-thirds up the final flight of stairs. That was the moment she knew she would indeed beat the challenge. She could finish without walking. She could do it, although it would take every bit of energy she still had in her. She gasped as the final step came closer, and then, it was over! She had made it! Bernadette glanced back at the six flights of stairs and what she had accomplished, totally unconcerned about the ongoing cheers and whistling from her male audience down in the field. What mattered was that she had made it and the challenge was completed! The pledges descended the final flight of steps as Bernadette struggled to keep her balance on the way down. Moments later came the verdict from the chapter president; that all four pledges had passed the stair run and the group was authorized to wear their running outfits on the way back to the sorority. Tracy lost no time pulling out running shorts and T-shirts and tossing them to her group. She quickly put on her own uniform, happy to be "normal" for the jog back to the Four-Beta House. Now that the show was over for the football players, their assistant coach yelled at them to get to work. As the women ran out of the stadium, Alexandra shouted at the sophomores to give the pledges a cheer of congratulations. Hearing that cheer was one of the happiest moments of Bernadette's life. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 30 Chapter 30 -- Two days in the forest Thursday and Friday passed uneventfully as the pledges went to class, did their chores, and attended their evening training seminars. Lisa continued to wear her thong on campus, but by Friday the novelty was wearing off. The stares and whistling had from her onlookers had diminished considerably. By the following week she would be continue to be the object of curiosity and of the numerous men who enjoyed looking at her, but within a few days everyone on campus had seen her at least once. The planned camping trip had to be postponed for a second time because a severe weather front moved across the Mid-West over the weekend. The first thunderstorm caught the pledges Friday afternoon as they were returning to the sorority house, drenching them and pasting their skimpy clothing to their bodies. Upon getting out of the rain they opened their backpacks to see how badly damaged their books were, only to discover that everything was perfectly dry. Tracy had the foresight to provide them with waterproof book bags. For three days thunderstorms dumped rain on the city, but that did not deter the Four-Betas and Tri-Alphas from exercising outside. As cold rain poured down on their bodies, the sophomores and pledges spent a very unpleasant hour doing calisthenics Saturday morning. They were ordered to go outside completely naked and used shower mats instead of the usual exercise mats. On Sunday the weather eased just enough to give the first and second year students a chance to get to the stadium and do their normal stair run. Bernadette continued to struggle, but she already had broken the psychological barrier of passing the stair challenge. With difficulty she was able to finish the run for the second time. Because they were confined to the sorority house, the pledges were prohibited from getting dressed during the entire weekend. Tracy constantly stayed with the group, sleeping with them, bathing with them, and eating with them. Whenever her pledges were undressed, she was undressed with them. The other members of the sorority gossiped and wondered why on earth Tracy suddenly had decided to live like a pledge. Oh well, if that's what she wanted to do, that was her business, but it was something no other Pledge Mistress had ever done. Maybe she wanted to establish a new tradition... The fact that Tracy had quit wearing clothing and had given up the rights of a senior was a source of gossip and speculation among the members of the Tri-Alpha Fraternity as well. Not knowing about the intensified rivalry between Tracy and Heather, most of the Triple A's assumed the Pledge Mistress was being punished. Anyhow, over the weekend nearly all of the fraternity members paid visits to the sorority to satisfy their curiosity about seeing Tracy without her clothes. Tracy ignored her notoriety and spent every spare moment forcing her group to read ahead for their classes. Apart from the readings and assignments, there were house chores and constant "exercise breaks". She carefully watched her pledges' faces: the moment she noticed one of them appearing bored or sleepy, she shouted at everyone to do 20 push-ups, 20 sit-ups, and run in place for several minutes. The constant threat of impromptu exercising did wonders to focus the pledges' attention on their work. Tracy also was on the lookout for what she called "bad attitude". She kept a small leather paddle with her to punish minor infractions ranging from complaints and disgusted sighs to eye-rolling. The punishments were very quick. Tracy ordered the offending pledge to stand up and bend over the table and delivered 10 hard swats. Upon finishing, she ordered the pledge to sit back down and continue studying. The pledges were not allowed to rub their bottoms or spend more than a few seconds recovering from their spankings. Kathleen was paddled once and Bernadette, the most rebellious member of the group, received the paddle twice. On Saturday afternoon Tracy also paddled Lisa, mostly to demonstrate to the other pledges she was not playing favorites. The pledge who was punished the most that weekend was Cherine. She received the paddle four times because Tracy was determined to break her annoying habit of eye-rolling once and for all. After the fourth paddling on Sunday she had taken 40 hard swats and gingerly rubbed her bottom as she stood up and bit her lip. Tracy was unsympathetic. "You get your hands off your butt and get studying...now! Or maybe, if you want, I can give you a really good reason to rub your butt!" The Pledge Mistress punctuated her statement with a hard slap of the paddle against the palm of her hand. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that she was perfectly ready to give Cherine another 10 swats. ---------- The fifth week of her internment as a pledge seemed to fly by for Lisa, with her time completely taken up by studying, exercising and working. The weather cleared on Monday and the pledges spent several hours washing mud off the patio and raking leaves and storm debris from the back yard. The rest of their afternoons were filled with studying and training seminars, including several that focused on physical self-defense. In addition to house cleaning, morning PT, and the nightly seminars was Tracy's constant exhortation to study. At the end of the week her efforts paid off: the three freshmen took exams in two classes on Friday and all scored in the mid '90's. Lisa continued wearing her thong on campus, but it didn't matter very much because on a typical weekday she only wore clothing for approximately four hours anyway. She was dressed for attending class and for walking back and forth to the sorority, but that was it. As soon as she entered Burnside's office she stripped, and as soon as she entered the sorority she stripped. By the end of June she was so used to being nude that she felt much more at ease being out of her clothes than being dressed. It no longer bothered her in the least to be naked in front of Ruth Burnside and Jim Halsey. In fact, whenever she entered either of their offices, she automatically took off her clothing with as much ease as an ordinary person would take off a coat upon entering a hot room. After the Sergeant-at-Arms' thong-buying excursion, Tracy never let Lisa out of her sight while in the house. Lisa might have resented the complete loss of any independence, but was perfectly happy not to repeat her unpleasant outing with Heather. Because the control over their lives was tightened, her sexual affair with Kathleen had to be suspended. Lisa could tell that Kathleen was deeply upset by not being able to make love and further develop the relationship. The unhappy girl cast longing glances at her and resentful looks at the Pledge Mistress for not letting them have any time alone. What made matters worse was that neither Lisa nor the Tracy felt they could explain why it was imperative that she always stay with her group and the group always stay together. In contrast with her lover, Lisa welcomed the break from the relationship and the chance to think about topics other than her romantic problems and complicated personal responsibilities. She came to enjoy the regimented routine and the opportunity to improve her health and move ahead in her studies. She also realized the relationship had moved way too fast and was relieved that Tracy's constant presence allowed her to slow down with Kathleen without having to risk hurting her feelings. Yes, she was in very deep with her troubled lover, but at least during the fifth week she didn't get in any deeper. ---------- Friday evening the sorority held its weekly meeting, which included the annual birthday spanking for a sophomore and various announcements about the house. There was a small piece of bad news; water had leaked into the dining room and the next week all of the dining room furniture would have to be moved so the room could be re-carpeted. Several members glanced at the pledges, because the burden would fall on the newcomers to move the furniture. The meeting concluded with the announcement that the summer camping trip, after having been postponed twice, finally would take place. The Tri-Alphas had rented several SUV's for an expedition that would last about 36 hours. There would be a three-hour drive to a remote forest location in southern Illinois followed by a nine-mile hike to an isolated camping spot. The fraternity and sorority members would camp overnight and hike back the following afternoon. The main purpose of the excursion was physical fitness, but it also gave fraternity and sorority members a chance to spend two days doing an activity that was not related to their studies. There would be several stops for swimming, some wilderness training and plenty of opportunities for nature photography for the camera enthusiasts among the group. Upon reaching the destination, a large campsite would be set up and there would be a series of group activities. The camping trip was a favorite event for many of the members of the sorority and fraternity. People in sexual relationships were encouraged to take advantage of the natural setting to enjoy each other's company, since the normal restrictions against public displays of affection were suspended in the forest. Couples could sleep together in the same tent, go skinny-dipping alone, or make love in the open air in one of the numerous clearings near the stream that flowed near the campsite. There were organized games such as volleyball and naked twister. The hike was entirely clothing optional, although normally only a few of the Tri-Alphas chose to do the entire hike in the nude. Once the group arrived at the campsite everyone was required to be fully naked, weather permitting. The camping trip was somewhat more demanding on pledges than on members-in-full-standing. To begin with, pledges were required to be naked during the hike as well as at the campsite. The only articles of clothing they were allowed to take were their hiking shoes and several changes of socks. Everything else needed to stay behind in their lockers. Also, pledges were required to pose for anyone who wanted to photograph them. Following the excursion there would be a figure photography competition followed by a public exhibition and fund-raising art auction of the better pictures. Many other photos were posted on the official Four-Beta website, which helped boost web traffic and advertising revenue. The pledges, since they had to be naked anyway, provided very convenient models for the upperclassmen and their cameras. There was a final detail about the trip. All participants, both men and women, were expected to carry their own items and water. To that rule there was one exception. The Four-Beta pledges were not allowed to cover themselves at any time during the hike, which meant they could not carry backpacks. The solution was for the Tri-Alpha pledges to carry supplies for both themselves and a female counterpart. To prevent chafing on their shoulders, the male pledges wore special T-shirts for the trek that were cut off just below the chest. From their ankles to their mid-sections the males were as naked as the females. Everyone in both the fraternity and sorority wondered what Pledge Mistress Tracy would wear on the hike. Since she was committed to living with them, the pledges expected she would go on the hike naked. However, because she was not a pledge, she had to carry her own camping supplies. Her solution was to find an old T-shirt that had become too tight and shorten it to match the shirts the male pledges had to wear. Like the male pledges, she would hike totally bottomless. ---------- The trip started on Saturday at 4:30 when Tracy woke up her group and told them to put on their hiking shoes and grab extra pairs of socks. Tracy picked up her backpack and led her group outside, where the Tri-Alphas' line of rented SUV's was waiting. Each SUV was half-filled with fraternity members, with the remaining seats left open for members of the sorority. The vehicles' occupants would be balanced by sex to encourage more interaction between the men and women. The pledges had expected to ride down together, but Tracy ordered them to split up. Only one pledge was allowed in each vehicle, to force her to converse with upperclassmen and get to know them better. Lisa started towards the SUV at the end of the group, but Tracy stopped her. "I want you in the third one, over there." When Lisa obeyed the Pledge Mistress and entered the vehicle, she saw Ken in the back, and an empty seat next to him. She realized that Tracy had wanted to give her and Ken the opportunity to ride down together and the chance to talk. There conversation would not be private, but still, they could converse about mundane topics and at least get caught up on each other's lives. It turned out they would have a small amount of privacy, because no one else would be sharing the back seat with them. Tracy dragged her backpack to the back of the SUV and put it on the floor next to Lisa. She then ordered a Tri-Alpha to move two more backpacks to the back, effectively blocking access to the seat occupied by Lisa and Ken. As she sat next to her former boyfriend, several thoughts ran through Lisa's mind. It was strange, and also very tempting, to be sitting right next to him with neither of them wearing any clothing. Lisa also was surprised that she was quite happy at the thought of sharing the trip with him. She realized that while she might have thought her relationship with Ken had ended, apparently Tracy did not agree, because she had carefully set up an opportunity for them to spend three hours sitting by themselves. It was obvious that the Pledge Mistress was convinced that Ken and Lisa needed to share as much time together as possible, because this was not the first time she had arranged for them to be together. Lisa wondered what Tracy expected, apart from encouraging her to come to terms with Ken. Did she want Lisa to renew her relationship with him and break off her relationship with Kathleen? The convoy pulled away from the Four-Beta house and within a few minutes was headed south on an Interstate. The sky already was getting light as the vehicles passed out of the suburbs and into the open countryside of central Illinois. Although most of the vehicles had a naked occupant, there would be no problems with other drivers because the windows in the back were tinted. It was very strange to ride along the freeway, totally naked, and watch trucks, busses, and minivans full of unsuspecting families pass by. Lisa took advantage of her situation to talk to Ken about what he had done over the past two weeks. She always had enjoyed talking to him and was genuinely concerned about how he was coping with his sexual confusion and struggles. She also wondered how the Tri-Alpha pledge group was doing, given that she had only seen them from a distance since their week at the sorority house. Ken related that Pledge Master Arnold had offered his resignation upon returning to the fraternity and the directorate considered his request to be relieved of his duty. In the end the chapter president decided that, if he could draw up a training plan for the pledges and submit it for approval, he would prefer that Arnold continue as Pledge Master. Arnold e-mailed Tracy, who responded by sending him a copy of her own training plan. Arnold made a few modifications and submitted it. The crisis passed, and Arnold returned to his position in the Tri-Alpha directorate. During the week Bernadette was struggling to overcome the stadium stair challenge, the Tri-Alpha pledges received a series of classes in male sexual awareness. There had been some lessons and practical exercises in masturbation techniques, followed by lessons on anal sex and anal stimulation. The session concluded with two live demonstrations of anal sex. The first one was given by a Tri-Alpha member and his girlfriend. The second demonstration was given by a gay couple, both of whom were Tri-Alpha juniors. Following the demonstrations, the Tri-Alpha pledges were offered the opportunity to participate in practical exercises. The practical exercises were voluntary, one of the few times the Tri-Alpha pledges had a chance to turn down a portion of their training. Of the five remaining pledges, three, including Ken, decided to participate. The volunteers were paired off with upperclassmen and were given the choice to experience anal stimulation by hand, anal stimulation with sex toys, and anal intercourse. Ken volunteered for everything, determined once and for all to find out if he was gay or not. He discovered that he liked having his bottom rubbed and his sphincter stimulated by hand. However, he was surprised to find out that he did not enjoy being entered by a male partner. In fact, he found the experience very disappointing, comparing it to feeling badly constipated. Ken somewhat more enjoyed the experience of entering his practical exercise partner, but had trouble achieving an erection until he fantasized about Jason. Once he was able to focus on that increasingly vague vision of his friend, he was able to push into the other guy's bottom and enjoy a decent orgasm. He found the experience somewhat similar to his lovemaking with Bernadette. He was able to perform only when he became detached from what he was doing at the moment. That was it for Ken's curiosity. After several years of wondering, now he knew what having sex with another man was like from personal experience. He had discovered that, while he found some of what he did pleasurable, his orgasms with his practical exercise partner did not come anywhere close to the orgasms he had enjoyed with Lisa. "Looks like I'm back to square one," he noted sadly. ---------- By 7:30 the convoy was passing through forested hills as the trip was nearing it's destination. Lisa chatted about her own experiences; the story behind her thong, Bernadette's struggles on the stadium stairs, and the pre-dawn streaking adventures with Tracy. She gave a partial explanation about Tracy's lack of attire and mentioned that she now was sleeping in the basement with her pledge group. There were several significant details about her life that Lisa chose to omit, including the impending confrontation between Heather and Tracy. A much more important omission was her sexual relationship with Kathleen. She decided not to bring that up, because she no longer was convinced her relationship with Ken had ended. She thought about his comment "looks like I'm back to square one." Did that mean "square one" with her? What about Lisa's thoughts on the matter? Was she willing to go back to "square one" with Ken? If that happened, what would that mean for her relationship with Kathleen? ---------- The trailhead had a small parking lot with 16 spaces. The Tri-Alpha convoy had 16 vehicles, which meant all spaces would be taken over the weekend and no one else would be likely to use the trail. Just to be on the safe side, the fraternity had contacted a forest ranger and had made private arrangements to reserve the entire lot until the fraternity vehicles were parked. The walk itself was not particularly hard for Lisa and her companions. The group passed through stands of old-growth forest mixed with meadows and open woodland. As the pledges walked, the photography enthusiasts took numerous pictures of both the group and of them individually. Some of the pictures were posed, others were taken while they were walking. While the Four-Beta pledges enjoyed their walk totally unencumbered, the same could not be said for their male counterparts. The guys sweat heavily under their backpacks, weighted down with double-loads of camping equipment and water. Nine miles was a long way to go, but fortunately the Tri-Alpha pledges had spent the past month getting into shape and were up to the task being thrust upon them. Even the guy Heather targeted had made remarkable progress shaping up over the past five weeks. He still was slightly overweight, but certainly no one apart from Heather would feel justified calling him "fat bitch" and "blubber boy". The Pledge Mistress Ch. 30 Tracy led her group stoically carrying her backpack, sticking close to the pledges and keeping an eye on Heather. Hiking with a backpack was nothing new to her, although she felt very uneasy about her lack of attire. She wondered if there really was any point to what she was doing, pursuing her strange idea of living like a pledge because she was so determined to watch over her group. Was all this really necessary? Oh, well, nothing she could do about it now, even if she wanted to. Like the pledges, she had left her clothing behind at the sorority house and was committed to spending the next day and a half wearing nothing but her shoes and cut-off T-shirt. During the walk, Kathleen's behavior surprised her companions. She seemed to thoroughly enjoy herself as the journey progressed. Most of her shyness wore off as she had a chance to show off her physical fitness. For the benefit of the cameras and an approving audience she ran and did summersaults across open meadows, jumped over logs and rocks, climbed several trees, and even scaled a rock-face. Of the four pledges, Kathleen's athletic abilities made her the favorite subject among the photographers. Lisa noted that her lover liked showing off and the open sunny environment had made her quite cheerful. While Kathleen jumped around for the cameras, Bernadette and Cherine walked at a relaxed pace and chatted about their lives. After the first rest break Tri-Alpha Vice President Jacob joined them and began chatting with Cherine. Bernadette realized, as she noted Cherine's starry-eyed expression, that she should gracefully exit the conversation. She excused herself and moved ahead a few steps to join Tracy. With Bernadette absent, Cherine and Jacob finally had a few minutes together to start getting to know each other. She was extraordinarily nervous, not only because she finally had the chance to talk to the guy she had been fantasizing about, but also because she was naked. Granted, she had been naked most of the time over the past month and a half and was used to it, but now she was confronted with the presence of a man she badly wanted to impress. How could he take her seriously if she wasn't even allowed to wear any clothes? Jacob did take Cherine seriously, very seriously. As June went by and he caught brief glimpses of her, the pledge filled his thoughts and desires. He couldn't explain, even to himself, why he wanted her so badly. As for her nakedness, seeing her body had the opposite effect on him than she thought. Cherine's nakedness only enhanced her innocence in his eyes, because in her unadorned body he saw a pure and unencumbered soul. Precisely because she was denied the accessories of modern civilization and was presented to him as God had made her, he was able to idealize her. It was a strange coincidence that the snack for the pledges for the half-way rest stop was apples. Tracy passed out an apple to each member of her group. Cherine took an extra apple and offered it to Jacob. To see that lovely young woman in her naked innocence offering him an apple made Cherine the true reincarnation of Eve. Fortunately for the VP's aspirations, he was good at casual conversation and at getting other people to put themselves at ease by talking about their lives. He used that talent on Cherine and was rewarded with a lot of information about her family, her ambitions, and her reasons for joining the Four-Beta sorority. Cherine talked about her friendship with Bernadette and her changing opinion of her Pledge Mistress. As the miles passed and the day grew hotter the conversation became more two-way, as he talked about his own pledging experience with the Tri-Alphas and his years as an officer in the fraternity. He became class leader when he was a sophomore, then Social Director as a junior, and finally VP as a senior. Jacob answered one of Cherine's questions before she had a chance to ask it. As he talked about his studies, he mentioned that he planned to attend graduate school at the same university. He had not yet decided whether he wanted to seek the chapter presidency of the fraternity, although he did want to continue serving in the directorate. Lisa and Ken continued their conversation as they walked together. She realized that pledging with the fraternity had been an enormously beneficial experience for him, because he had been able to explore some of the questions he had about himself and what he wanted from his life. There were plenty of hints that he wanted to get back together with her, but there also were plenty of hints that something was still missing. He needed something more, but wasn't sure what. ---------- At the half-way point there was a pond with a small beach and a couple of picnic tables. It was a good spot to rest, take a short swim, and have a snack and some water. Up until that moment only the pledges had been naked, but most of the fraternity and sorority members stripped to go into the water. The nudity rule about the sorority's pool applied for the pond; no one was allowed to swim unless completely naked. After swimming many of the members of the expedition sat on towels at the picnic tables, enjoying the sun on their bare bodies and resting up for the final portion of the trip. When the group started hiking again, the amount of clothing they were wearing had diminished considerably. About half of the Tri-Alphas continued the journey completely naked, along with 9 of the sorority's members. President Alexandra's outfit was reduced to a sports bra and panties, while Heather stripped completely. Also completing the trip in the nude were Tri-Alpha Vice-President Jacob and Pledge Master Arnold. Jacob had decided to complete the trek in the nude partially to put Cherine at ease by making her see him more as an equal. Seeing him wearing nothing but his backpack did not put her at ease, however. Instead, seeing him in his entirety filled Cherine with sexual desire. She very badly wanted to touch him...and...give up her virginity. Unfortunately, on that trip a sexual encounter was not to be, because of the prohibition on sex between pledges and fraternity members. No matter what feelings or desires they might have had, they would have to wait another six weeks. The presence of Cherine complicated Jacob's life and put his self-control to the test. He couldn't make love to the pledge, but he was determined not to do anything that would hurt her feelings or jeopardize whatever relationship he had pending with her. That meant he could not risk making love to anyone else on the trip. He worried that various women in the sorority would want to spend some time with him, but he would just have to let them know that he preferred to be with Cherine, and no longer was interested in anyone else. The group arrived at the overnight campsite at 1:00 in the afternoon. The site was an actual campground that overlooked a small lake and included amenities such as barbeque pits, benches, and a small beach. Upon arriving, everyone who was not yet naked got undressed and stowed their clothing in their backpacks. The hike was clothing optional, but tradition mandated that the overnight camping was a nude event. The fraternity and sorority members spent the next hour setting up several group tents, a volleyball net, and finally, several two-person tents. There was a quick lecture on avoiding hazards such as ticks and poison ivy, with the comment that, because the group was naked, poison ivy was a much worse hazard than ticks. "If a tick gets on you, you'll see it and feel it right away. That's a big advantage about not wearing any clothing out here, there's nowhere for them to hide. Of course, your skin isn't protected, either, so be very careful about what you brush up against." Once the group was released, most of the fraternity and sorority members headed straight for the water. A few paired off and disappeared into the woods or into one of the tents, and a few others started an impromptu volleyball game. There was another tradition that was mandatory for anyone who was good at running. Tracy grabbed Kathleen and three sophomores before meeting up with Pledge Master Arnold and four members of his fraternity. There was a race challenge for the best runners; a five-mile path that climbed a hill before circling the lake and returning to the campsite. The runners were expected to complete that challenge, the reward for participating being not having to do any further chores at the campsite. For the winner there was an additional reward, being excused from having to do any chores the following week. Certainly that was motivation for Kathleen, who was thrilled at the prospect of a break from her onerous daily duties as a pledge. Five miles of running in exchange for not having to do any chores for a week? Oh yes! Tracy had thought about having Lisa participate in the run as well, given that Lisa was the winner of the women's division of the Tri-Alpha nude 10-K run the previous fall. She'd make a good runner, but there was no way she'd win against Kathleen. Besides, Lisa needed a break and perhaps some additional time to spend with Ken. Tracy decided not to include Lisa in the race, but decided to run herself, to see if she had any hope of keeping up with Kathleen. At 2:30, wearing nothing but cross-country shoes, the runners took off towards the hill and disappeared into the forest. With Tracy and Kathleen gone, Cherine with Jacob, and Bernadette swimming in the lake with the sophomores, Lisa realized the Pledge Mistress had given her what she most needed, an hour to be alone with Ken. She lost no time finding him and tapping him on the shoulder. The only comment she had was: "Let's go back to square one." Ken followed Lisa away from the campsite, not really sure what she meant by her last statement. They walked nearly a mile before she found what she was looking for, a place to sit down. What she discovered was perfect for her purposes, an abandoned side trail with an old stone bench that was out of site from the main trail. Lisa sat down, and suddenly Ken understood what "square one" meant to Lisa. She wanted to go back to that evening, nearly a year before, when he lost a game of strip Poker and had to go over her lap for a hand spanking as one of his penalties. Although they were not yet going out, last September's hand spanking was one of the most sensuous experiences of his life, something that filled his fantasies for weeks afterwards. Ken was not sure what Lisa planned to do was exactly what he wanted, but he compliantly settled over her lap, figuring it was worth a try. She was trying to reach out to him, trying to figure out what he needed. She was making the attempt, something that no one else in Ken's life had ever done for him. She did not start spanking right away. Instead she massaged his bottom, taking her time to stimulate his skin with gentle touches and caresses with her fingertips. Within a very short time his posture relaxed, as he began to enjoy what she was doing to him. To his more comfortable posture there was an important exception: she felt his penis stiffening against her thigh. His organ became harder and harder, which surprised her. She had not yet started to spank him and yet he was just as aroused as he was when she had severely whipped him in the spring. She had made a very important discovery about him. It wasn't the pain that excited him; it was the submission, the act of surrendering control of himself to someone else. Lisa started spanking Ken, but the spanking was nothing like his last punishment back in May. She spanked him gently and sensuously, taking her time to massage and stimulate his bottom cheeks between slaps. His bottom would not bear the marks from a severe punishment, but instead the faint pink of an experience that was much more stimulating than painful. As the spanking continued, his penis pressed ever harder into her leg. "I really don't know what I'm gonna do with you, Ken, I really don't know. This cute bottom of yours is so naughty, but I 'spose even naughty bottoms need love." With that she leaned down to kiss him, which only made his erection start to pulsate. She realized he was ready. Lisa ordered him to get up. She got on her hands and knees on the bench, lewdly exposing herself and begging to be entered. He wasted no time pushing in, thrusting vigorously...just like old times...oh yes...just like old times... There was one important difference. Ken's thoughts at that moment were on Lisa. For the first time what was on his mind matched what he was doing. Making love to her in the woods that afternoon was one of the most honest things Ken ever did. ---------- Reeking of sweat and orgasm, Lisa and Ken walked back towards the lake. Instead of going straight back to the main campsite they took a detour, pulled off their shoes, and jumped in the water. Once they were reasonably clean, they picked up their shoes and waded along the shore to the main campsite. Already there was a smell of barbeque and the sound of cheering. Lisa was just in time to see Kathleen sitting on the shoulders of two Tri-Alphas, smiling shyly and giving a "victory" sign with her hands. It turned out that she had won the footrace, even beating her male competitors. Cherine and Bernadette were in the audience, enthusiastically cheering for their fellow pledge. Tracy stood with them, exhausted but happy that now she knew who was going to run the Tri-Alpha nude 10-K race next September on behalf of the Four-Beta Sorority. There were some other games that afternoon, the most important of which was naked twister. The twister games each had four players, two men and two women. The games were played very seriously, because according to the rules the winner of each round had absolute control over the losers, including the right to demand sexual favors, for the following 60 minutes. Lisa was amazed as she watched President Alexandra participate in a game of twister and lose to a Tri-Alpha sophomore. The sophomore, dumbfounded at his extraordinary luck, quickly got rid of the game's other two losers and forced the Four-Beta president to kneel while he took several pictures. He then ordered her to put her hands behind her head and follow him away from the campsite. The imposing Four-Beta chapter president was due for a nice over the lap spanking, followed by a round of sex. Yes, Alexandra might have been the most important member of her sorority, but she had just lost a competition and had no more rights than any of the other losers. As she always said in such situations, "if you can't pay, then don't play". Later, Lisa wondered if Alexandra had lost on purpose, just to have a chance to step out of her role for a few minutes and submit to someone else. In the next round of twister Bernadette came out the winner, defeating two Tri-Alphas and a Four-Beta junior. In Bernadette's case, the rule against sex between sorority pledges and fraternity members had to be suspended so she could claim her victory. There was no risk of her being victimized, because she was the one who had won temporary ownership of her three competitors. Once she was assured she could do what she wanted with her new servants, she dismissed the Four-Beta junior. She was only interested in the men. She ordered them to bring her a picnic blanket, a paddle, and some condoms. She made them kneel and kiss her shoes before directing them to stand up and follow her into the woods. There was no doubt Pledge Bernadette was getting the hang of being a Four-Beta. ---------- Following a very late dinner, the members of the camping party gathered around a large bonfire for yet another public spectacle, midnight tribal dancing. The six Tri-Alpha officers pounded improvised drums while the Four-Beta officers gave a performance that exceeded anything in that style that Lisa ever saw on stage. The six naked sorority officers performed very strenuous movements for over 40 minutes, their sweaty bodies moving in harmony around the fire as the drums pounded and the crowd of spectators clapped and chanted. Lisa later learned that tribal dancing was a tradition for the sorority and that knowing how to do it well was a prerequisite for running for a position as a Four-Beta officer. The performance was an important part of any camping trip, something that the sorority officers had to prepare for in secret. Even Tracy and Heather had to put aside their differences for the dance. A proper performance came before everything, even ahead of a nasty personal feud. The next day the two officers would continue their rivalry, but that night they worked together as their undulating bodies complimented each other in the eerie fire-lit summer night. ---------- Lisa and Kathleen finally got into a sleeping bag at 1:30 in the morning. Lisa had thought that they would be sleeping in one of the communal tents, but Kathleen had made arrangements to get them one of the smaller tents designed for two people. As a pledge, ordinarily she could not have made such a request, but because she had won the footrace President Alexandra granted her one of the smaller tents. Lisa rewarded her lover with a pleasant orgasm, although she wanted to keep things quiet and somewhat restrained. There was no spanking, and Lisa did not want to lick her lover's bottom-hole because she did not have the chance to properly clean up. However, after nearly two weeks of going without sex, Kathleen was very happy with finally having the chance to make love to Lisa. The day had been truly wonderful for her; an enjoyable hike, swimming, winning that race, the entertainment from the sorority officers, and finally a love-making session with Lisa. Very happy, she fell asleep in her lover's arms. Lisa waited for the sound of Kathleen's breathing to change so she could slip out of the tent without waking her. She wasn't yet sleepy and wanted to take advantage of the quiet night to go for one final swim. She put on her shoes, exited the tent, closed the entrance, and made her way through the dark to the flat moonlit surface of the lake. She groped her way to the beach and slipped into the water. It was cold at first, but as she swam out to the center of the silent lake her body became used to the temperature. Lisa knew that what she was doing was not smart. If anything went wrong she would go under the surface and no one would see her. However, that night she had been seduced by the lake, drawn into the water so she could be forced to reflect on what was happening and put her thoughts in order. She spent several minutes swimming and floating, enjoying the quiet and darkness of her surroundings. Finally she felt enough at peace to work her way back towards the shore. She swam in far enough to put her feet on the bottom of the lake and satisfy her nagging conscience. There. Now my feet are planted on firm ground and I won't drown. Happy? With just her head sticking out of the water, Lisa reflected on her situation. The day had been a momentous one for her, because she had begun the important task of fixing her relationship with Ken. She also was very relieved to find out that he had experimented with other guys and had not found the experience as enjoyable as he was expecting. That disappointment put him back at "square one", in other words, back with her. She was pleased about that, because she had missed him more than she cared to admit. Whatever his faults, he still belonged to her. With Ken still on her mind, Lisa shivered as she left the water. She grabbed a towel that someone had left out to dry, wiped off her body, and put on her shoes before finding her way to the tent she was sharing with Kathleen. She was quite cold, and was grateful to get into a sleeping bag with her lover's warmth. At that moment Lisa did not see the extreme irony of her situation: thinking about Ken while getting into a sleeping bag with Kathleen. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 30 ---------- The following morning's routine was very relaxed, because the first group meeting for the campers was at 11:00. Until then everyone was free to sleep, swim, hike, explore the lake, play volleyball, or go off in the woods to have sex. The majority of the campers slept until about 9:00, then made their way to lake to rinse off. Lisa and Kathleen slept until 9:30, before finding Bernadette and Cherine to join the Tri-Alpha pledges for a swim. After getting out of the water, the pledges, with the exception of Kathleen, had to report to the cooking tent to help set up lunch. Kathleen was left with nothing to do, so she returned to the lake and quietly sat on the shore. At 10:30 Pledge Master Arnold blew a whistle as a warning that everyone needed to return to the base camp within 30 minutes. At 10:45 he blew his whistle a second time, and at 10:55 he blew it for the third and final warning. Lisa noticed Tracy carrying several willow switches that had been cleaned and soaked in water. She asked Elaine, the leader of the sophomores, what was going on. "When you have a group as large as what we've got here, there's always some idiot who doesn't make it back in time for the midday meeting. So, whoever's not at the meeting gets their butt whipped." At 11:00 the presidents of the fraternity and the sorority stood together on a picnic table and ordered a head count of their parties. The campers organized by sex and by class, to allow the class leaders to make sure all their groups' members were present. President Alexandra called out: "Sergeant-at-Arms Heather!" "Yes, President Alexandra!" "Roll call!" "All seniors present or accounted for, President Alexandra!" "Junior class leader Shannon!" "Yes, President Alexandra!" "Roll call!" "Two juniors missing, President Alexandra! Michelle and Carrie not present!" "Noted, two juniors missing. Sophomore class leader Elaine!" "Yes, President Alexandra!" "Roll call!" "All sophomores present or accounted for, President Alexandra!" "Pledge Mistress Tracy!" "Yes, President Alexandra!" "Roll call!" "All pledges present, President Alexandra!" The same process was repeated for the Tri-Alpha Fraternity, but fortunately none of their members were missing. The next priority was determining what had happened to the two missing Four-Beta juniors. The last anyone had seen of them was earlier that morning when they left to go for a walk. They no longer were at the campsite and had to be found before the group could start back. While everyone else ate lunch and began cleaning up the campground, the Tri-Alpha seniors set out to find the two missing women. After an hour, they returned with the wayward Four-Betas. The two women were covered with mud, had scratches on their legs, and wore very sad expressions on their faces. It turned out they had left the main trail to climb a hill and take some pictures, only to get lost on their way down and wander into a swamp. They managed to get out of the water but were totally disoriented when they finally returned to the main trail. They heard the first whistle from base camp at 10:30, but panicked and took off in the wrong direction. They were still going the wrong way when the Tri-Alphas found them. The seniors who rescued the two women ordered them to rinse off in the lake before they cleaned and disinfected their scratches. After the two wayward Four-Betas were clean and their injuries treated, the Tri-Alphas handcuffed them and ordered them to kneel on one of the picnic tables. President Alexandra announced the verdict. Michelle and Carrie had missed the midday assembly because of their careless behavior in the forest. For that offense, and for disregarding several safety rules, they faced corporal punishment. Each woman would receive one stroke of the willow switch from every member of the Tri-Alpha team that rescued her. Michelle went first. Without saying anything, she got off her knees and was helped off the picnic table. Arnold unlocked her handcuffs and directed her to bend over the end of a second picnic table. Once she lying over the table, he told her to grip the other end with her hands and spread her feet. She was to stay in that position until the punishment was finished; if she let go of the table or tried putting her feet together, she would be tied and the punishment would start over. As the Tri-Alpha seniors lined up next to the offender, Tracy waved three of the willow switches she was carrying to shake off the extra water. She handed them to Pledge Master Arnold, who in turn passed one of the switches to Vice-President Jacob. The VP quickly positioned himself behind Michelle, tapped her with the switch, and sharply struck at the base of her bottom-cheeks. Upon feeling the first blow, she let out a faint whimper, but did her best to stay quiet. Jacob handed the switch to the next senior, who positioned himself and laid another thin welt across the Four-Beta junior's backside. Arnold noted the first switch was starting to fray after the sixth stroke and passed the seventh member of his group a fresh switch. There were 18 seniors total, which meant that Michelle's bare bottom was marked with 18 thin red lines. The switching went fairly quickly and was over within 15 minutes. However, after the final stroke it was clear that Michelle was in a lot of pain and struggling not to let go of the table and risk extra strokes. Pledge Master Arnold gave her a few minutes to recover and handed her a cup of water before ordering her to stand up. Her punishment was not over, because she had climb up on another picnic table. Until her companion's switching was finished she had to remain standing with her feet spread and her hands behind her head. Tears were flowing down her cheeks, but she dared not move until she was released. Carrie's self discipline came nowhere close to Michelle's. She cried pitifully starting with the first stroke. After the fifth stroke she tried to cover her bottom with her hands, only to be tied to the table and forced to start over. She received a total of 23 strokes and was left tied up and sobbing while the expedition's other members finished getting ready for the hike back. Michelle, on the other hand, was allowed to get down from her picnic table and help with packing one of the tents. Her punishment was over and she was allowed to re-join her classmates. Lisa thought Michelle and Carrie had been treated rather harshly and commented her thought to Elaine. The sophomore disagreed: "Pledge Lisa, we're on a very tight schedule. We can't leave until everyone's back, and if they weren't so strict about the meeting, we would've had 10 or 20 people wandering around instead of just two. We've got to be out of here by 1:00, so we can be back at the parking lot before 5:00, so we can get back in the house by 9:00. How're we supposed to do all that if everyone's not ready to leave on time?" "I 'spose that's true, ma'am." "Anyhow, those two shouldn't have gone wandering off like that, without even bothering to tell anyone where they were going. And they knew what was gonna happen if they weren't back here by 11:00. It's not as though it's any big secret." ---------- The hike back to the parking lot started at 1:00, right on schedule. It was rather hot and Lisa noticed the expedition's members were wearing much less clothing on the return trip. Over half of the Tri-Alphas walked the entire nine miles totally naked, along with 27 members of the sorority. Jacob was among the naked Tri-Alphas, walking with an equally naked Pledge Cherine. Michelle and Carrie also were forced to hike in the nude, as part of their punishment. Even President Alexandra hiked completely uncovered, as part of her forfeit from the previous day's loss playing twister. Upon returning to the parking lot, all of the fraternity and sorority members got dressed, with the exception of the pledges and the two wayward Four-Beta juniors. Michelle and Carrie faced several more days of exposure, because once they were back in the sorority house they would not be allowed to cover their bottoms until their welts were completely healed. Tracy ordered the Four-Beta pledges to get into separate vehicles so they could continue to socialize with upperclassmen on the way back. To Lisa's dismay, Ken was assigned to a different vehicle, as was Kathleen. Tracy was determined that Lisa would ride back with people she didn't know very well so she could converse with them. Pledge Cherine rode back with the Tri-Alpha officers. Letting her travel with the top members of the fraternity was not what the Pledge Mistress had intended, but Jacob wanted her to sit with him. Tracy was not at all pleased about the blatant display of favoritism, but unfortunately the wishes of the VP overrode anything she might have wanted for her pledge. ---------- The SUV's returned to the Four-Beta house shortly before 9:00, right on schedule. The fraternity members off-loaded the tents and other camping equipment and carried everything into the back yard of the sorority. It would be the duty of the sorority to clean the equipment, while the Tri-Alphas took care of washing and returning the vehicles. Lisa sighed upon seeing the mountain of camping gear piled on the back porch, because she knew that the responsibility of cleaning it would fall mostly on the pledges. The first priority, however, was showering, checking for ticks, and going to bed. The following day was Monday, the start of yet another week of classes. Tracy warned the pledges that she expected them to be in their cots with their eyes closed no later than 10:00. Bernadette and Cherine did not have to be told to go to sleep; they were so tired that they drifted off within minutes of lying down. Lisa was the last member of the group to brush her teeth and crawl into her cot, but she noticed Kathleen was still awake. Without saying anything, she got up to give her lover a goodnight kiss and squeeze her hand. Kathleen drifted off to sleep and Lisa made it back to her cot just before Tracy entered the room. Lisa had greatly enjoyed the camping trip, even though it had done nothing to simplify her personal life or her romantic pursuits. Within a 12-hour period she had made love with two different people, but she did not feel guilty about that. She rationalized that she was not cheating, because she did not see her lovers as directly competing against each other. They were not the same sex, their needs were very different, and what she needed from each of them was different. Also, neither was innocent or inexperienced. Ken had just experimented with gay sex while Kathleen had various lovers before she met Lisa. Both of Lisa's love interests were imperfect, troubled individuals who needed her support. She saw herself as deeply caring for both of them and obliged to bring sexual fulfillment into their lives. In the back of her mind Lisa understood that someday she would have to choose between Ken and Kathleen. However, she reasoned with herself that day of reckoning was years away and thus not something that needed to concern her at the moment. Perhaps there would be a tense moment or two, but as long as she could compartmentalize her life and keep her lovers separate from each other, there was no reason why she couldn't continue both relationships. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 31 Chapter 31 -- A weekend at Burnside's house The following week was the sixth week of the Four-Beta pledge program and marked the halfway point of the newcomers' induction. Upon returning from the camping trip, the pledges noted a subtle, but very significant shift in the way the other women in the sorority were treating them. There was a lot more conversation between the newcomers and the members-in-full-standing about routine and mundane topics. The sorority began to get to know the pledges as individuals instead of members of "the group of newcomers". For example, Lisa had several conversations with Elaine, because she would be joining the sophomore class upon swearing in. There were some discussions over who would head the freshman class; a position that Elaine had assumed would be taken by Lisa. However, Lisa pointed out that she was not a freshman and that she expected Bernadette to become freshman class leader. She also made sure that Elaine understood that she had no intention of challenging her for the leadership of the sophomores. Because Lisa would be joining the sophomore group and defer to Elaine, it was very unlikely she would hold any leadership position during her first year at the sorority. There were other discussions about the upcoming fall semester that included participation from the pledges. Increasingly the other women were curious to know their opinions and hear their input about various matters. It was obvious that, although they still were officially pledges and had to address everyone as "ma'am", the other women already took it for granted that all four newcomers would be sworn in as full members in August. ---------- In spite of the satisfaction of having more than half the training program behind them, the sixth week of pledge period was not very pleasant for Lisa and her companions. The group spent many grueling hours in the sorority library studying for several midterms leading up to the July 4th weekend. Tracy was very stressed about her group's performance, and spared neither her voice nor her leather paddle in pushing the pledges to perform well. The punishments were always the same; an order to bend over the table, ten fast swats, and an order to sit down and get back to work. By the end of the week the pledges were used to the study routine, including Tracy's quick spankings. Lisa was on the receiving end of Tracy's paddle a total of three times that week, but the punishments stopped bothering her. Her bottom stung for a few minutes after she was let up, but as soon as she returned to her seat her mind was back on her studies. Apart from studying, the sorority's pledges spent their afternoons cleaning camping equipment, as well as moving furniture and ruined carpeting to make way for the repairs in the dining room. The week's seminar schedule was changed to accommodate what was going on in the house. The pledges received instruction about siding and wall repairs, painting, basic electrical skills such as changing the wiring in an outlet, how to check for water damage, floor removal, and the fundamentals of plumbing. Lisa and her companions were exhausted, because, in spite of the physical labor and heavy lifting required of them in the evenings, they were not excused from having to do morning PT. Although she had been told that she was excused from having to do chores that week, Pledge Kathleen worked right alongside the others. She might have been granted a privilege as a result of her race in the forest, but she knew in her situation a privilege meant very little. Whether or not she had earned the chance to relax, her group still needed to get their work done. She was part of the group, which meant that she needed to help out. Monday afternoon she reported to Tracy along with the others to clean camping gear. In theory she was volunteering. In reality, she was doing what her fellow pledges, as well as her Pledge Mistress, expected of her. ---------- Pledge Mistress Tracy spent the final week of June very worried about her next drill with her Army Reserve unit, which was scheduled to take place the weekend after July 4th. Unless she could somehow get out of attending, going to drill would require her to leave the pledges alone at the sorority house for the entire weekend, which would give Heather plenty of time to make their lives miserable. Tracy knew that her rival was aware of her drill schedule and about the upcoming two days she would not be around to monitor what was going on with the pledges. She noticed that Heather seemed upbeat, undoubtedly waiting for the chance to strike once she was absent. The Pledge Mistress was worried not only about what might happen to Lisa, but also what could happen to Cherine. Undoubtedly Cherine's flirting with VP Jacob was something Heather resented and would use against her. I don't trust her, Tracy thought to herself. I just don't trust her... In the end the Pledge Mistress decided that she would have to find a way to skip her next drill. There was no way she could risk leaving the pledges unprotected for 36 hours. Those women depended on her and she just could not do it. So, what were her options? Perhaps she could work at her unit some other weekend, but that still did not solve the problem of the pledges being at Heather's mercy; it just changed the date it would happen. Working at the unit at night was not a viable option either. Tracy had to make up her drill credits, but how? She concluded that her only option was to move her group to some other place while she was making up her Reserve time. As she pondered that idea, she remembered the day she took the pledges to Dr. Burnside's house so they could rest up for the scavenger hunt. She wondered if she could somehow leave them with Ruth Burnside while she made up her drill hours. On Friday afternoon Tracy decided to talk to the professor after the freshmen had finished with their final class for the day. She left the three younger women in the professor's outer office, but did not give Lisa permission to get dressed. Instead she asked if she could speak to Burnside alone. Without mentioning anything about putting her pledge uniform on, Burnside told Lisa to join her fellow pledges in the outer office and review some material for class the next day. The door to the inner office closed behind her and was locked; leaving Lisa stranded in the outer room without her clothing. Oh well... The four pledges, three in uniform and the fourth completely naked, sat down on a sofa to study and work on homework assignments. Tracy laid out the situation to Burnside, describing in detail what was going on between herself and Heather. The professor agreed that Tracy did indeed have a serious concern, but also was worried about being accused of meddling in the internal affairs of the sorority. Having the pledges stay in her house for two days just to keep them away from Heather definitely would be interfering in the internal affairs of the sorority. The two women seemed to be at an impasse. Tracy was just about to give up when Burnside's phone rang. It was Dr. Jim Halsey. Tracy overheard bits of conversation about some pending funding cuts for the department, some silence, and then the following: "Of course, Jim. We're still starting at 7:30...no...no...I'm not sure about who's hosting yet. I've got Mark, but...Lisa? Oh, but of course! How dumb of me! I hadn't thought about her! Yes...yes...I'll see if I can get her...in fact, her sorority's Pledge Mistress is with me right now, so I'll just let her know...OK...Let me call you back, Jim...I'll call you right back." Burnside hung up and looked at Tracy: "What about this weekend? Can you make up your Reserve time this weekend?" "The weekend of July 4th? I'm pretty sure that wouldn't be a problem, Dr. Burnside. How come you're asking?" Burnside sat back in her chair and tapped her fingertips together. "I...think we've just figured out a solution that's going to solve two separate problems. You need a safe place to put your pledges while you're making up your drill hours. I need hostesses for my summer party. So, how about having your girls help me out?" "All of them?" "Why not? I'm expecting about 200 guests, so certainly I can use four hostesses." "But, that's only one night, and for me it's going to be..." "Oh, no, not just one night...Trust me, I've got plenty for them to do. You give them to me one day...two days...three days...I'll fill up their time." Three days...that gave Tracy an idea. Because the 4th fell on a Monday, there would be a three-day weekend to include the holiday. If Tracy could work at her unit all three days, she could make up her Reserve credits not only for July, but also for one day in August. Meanwhile, the pledges would be completely out of Heather's reach, because there was no way the Sergeant-at-Arms would dare confront Dr. Burnside. Tracy was hugely relieved. However, before going any further, she called to make absolutely sure her Reserve unit could use her over the July 4th weekend. The answer from her captain was yes; he could indeed use her, because the company needed to get several vehicles ready for inspection for the following weekend drill. As long as Tracy didn't mind performing equipment checks, repairs, and washing vehicles, most definitely she could help out over the July 4th weekend in lieu of attending drill the following week. Tracy relayed the news to Burnside, who in turn called President Alexandra. The professor mentioned nothing about the Pledge Mistress's concerns about Heather. Instead, she flatly stated that she needed Lisa and her companions to stay with her over the next three days. Alexandra hesitated, because she was not thrilled about relinquishing control of the pledges. Finally, she asked if Burnside had informed Tracy about what she wanted. "Of course I informed your Pledge Mistress, and now I'm informing you. I'm taking the pledges first thing tomorrow morning, and they'll stay with me Saturday, Sunday, and Monday nights. There's some training I want to give them, and there's also some work I need them to do." Alexandra still hesitated, trying to figure out how she could deny Burnside's request. The professor got impatient and snapped: "Look, Alexandra. We have a written agreement concerning this. In my filing cabinet I have a copy of a signed contract that gives me training authority that is comparable to that of your Pledge Mistress. This weekend I intend to exercise that authority and take custody of your pledges. I'll make sure they're rested, well-fed, and have time to work out and study. I'll write up a training plan and provide it to you so it can be entered into the official training record. But I do intend to assert the authority granted to me in our agreement, and I expect your full cooperation." President Alexandra quickly backed down. The last thing she or the sorority needed was a confrontation with Ruth Burnside. So, with that everything was arranged. Tracy would spend the July 4th weekend at her Reserve Unit washing trucks, while the pledges would spend three days at Burnside's house. Whatever Heather might have had in mind was not going to happen. ---------- The following morning Tracy woke up at 5:00 and put on her Army BDU's. She packed several changes of clothing into her rucksack, checked her boots to make sure they were properly shined, and loaded her gear into the trunk of a car she had borrowed from one of her friends in the unit. As always, she made a very imposing sight dressed in her no-nonsense military outfit. The Pledge Mistress returned to the basement to wake up the pledges. She ordered them to put on their shoes, load their book bags, and follow her outside to the car. Their pledge uniforms would stay behind in their lockers, because the four young women would not be allowed to wear any clothing during their weekend in Burnside's house. The pledges loaded their bags into the trunk of the car before standing at attention, waiting to be allowed to get in. Tracy got behind the wheel, while her group occupied the car's other seats. Thus a carload of women, one in BDU's and the others wearing nothing but athletic shoes, left the sorority and made its way across campus. Within 10 minutes the group had arrived at the professor's house and the pledges were taking their books out of the trunk. They quickly entered the living room and lined up kneeling on the floor. Tracy stood in front of her group, in much the same way a platoon leader would stand while waiting to be addressed by a company commander. Burnside already was dressed and ready to receive the pledges. "Pledge Mistress Tracy, I understand, that under the conditions of our agreement, that you are releasing custody of your pledges until you return to my house on the morning of July 5th?" "Yes, Dr. Burnside, I am releasing custody of four pledges who, while under your direction, will enjoy the same rights and have the same obligations under the Four-Beta Pledge Training Manual that they would have under an elected officer of the Four-Beta Sorority." "Very well, Pledge Mistress. I am familiar with the conditions set out for pledge training in the Pledge Manual, and assure you that the training experience they have under my direction will be comparable to the experience they would have under your direction." With that the two women shook hands and Tracy left. As the professor took her position in front of the group, Lisa could tell that the freshmen were very nervous. From the start Burnside emphasized that she would punish any performance she felt was unsatisfactory. To emphasize that point she pulled off a sheet that was covering a sinister-looking piece of furniture, her infamous "punishment horse". The "horse" looked like a tall, leather-covered bench with very sturdy legs, restraining straps, and rings to attach cuffs. "I expect unquestioning obedience from you, even if what I tell you seems unreasonable. With the help of Pledge Lisa, I am going to give you an example of what unquestioning obedience means for your behavior this weekend." Burnside walked over to the bench and picked up her favorite punishment implement, her Danubian police switch. Lisa's heart pounded, because she had felt that switch back in February. It was made out of very tightly-woven fine leather; a very cruel implement designed to inflict maximum pain on the human body. Burnside tapped the bench with the switch. "Pledge Lisa, I want you to position yourself for punishment." "Yes, Dr. Burnside." Lisa drew a deep breath as she stepped up to the bench and draped herself over the padded surface. She continued to hope that Burnside would not actually strike her, even as the professor positioned herself and tapped her bottom with the switch. "Pledge Lisa will demonstrate what I expect in terms of total obedience and self-control." With that Burnside struck Lisa across the base of her bottom, expertly laying a thin red line across both sides. Lisa flinched and tightened her grip on the legs of the punishment horse, but struggled to stay quiet. She was horrified about what was happening, not so much because of the pain or the humiliation, but because she dreaded the prospect of going to class on Tuesday wearing a thong that would expose her welts. However, she was determined to compliantly take whatever punishment was coming to her, because she realized that she needed to let Burnside prove her point and establish her authority over the other pledges. Burnside struck again, as the three freshmen looked on in horror. Lisa's legs began trembling, but she was determined to stay in position and stoically accept what was happening to her. Whether her professor chose to hit her five times or fifty times, Lisa's duty was to lead through example. She took it for granted that she needed suffer so her group-mates understood that the professor had to be treated with absolute deference. Burnside only struck Lisa a total of five times, pleased that her student aide had accepted an unjustified switching with no complaint or challenge. Although Lisa did not realize it at the time, Burnside rewarded her by not hitting her at full strength and making sure that the resulting welts were not serious enough to still be visible after three days. Lisa was in a lot of pain at the moment and would carry the marks through the weekend, but by Tuesday they would be gone. Burnside released Lisa and told her to rejoin the other pledges. As Lisa got back on her knees the professor commented: "What you have just witnessed is an example of unquestioning obedience. I punished Pledge Lisa because I wanted to, not because of anything she did wrong. Pledge Lisa understands that she is committed, as an act of obedience to me, to subject herself to whatever command I give her, however cruel or unjust it may be. As pledges, it is not your place to question the fairness of what I choose to do to you. Everyone understand me?" "Yes, Dr. Burnside." ---------- In spite of Burnside's very rough introduction, the pledges discovered that what she had in mind for them was not very different than a normal day they would have spent with Tracy. The professor laid out a schedule for the next two days that would concentrate on studying, housework, sleep, and exercise. The pledges would split into pairs, work in shifts, and take turns on Burnside's exercise equipment and sleeping in the guest bedroom. Throughout their time in her house the professor would question them about their coursework. She also would monitor the pledges' exercising and insist that, while working out, they put maximum effort into their workouts. "I will be here to assess your efforts and your progress. I expect top performance out of you. Fail to give that to me, and...well, I think you know what'll happen." The professor sent Lisa and Cherine to clean up her yard, while she sat with Bernadette and Kathleen to go over their coursework. Once she was sure the two freshmen were well-versed in their homework and were studying together, she excused herself to take her dog for a walk. She was back within an hour, but without the dog. It turned out that she had taken the animal over to Jim Halsey's place and left him in the care of her lover. Because the dog was old and needed tranquility, she wanted to get him to a quiet place in anticipation of the huge party she was planning for Monday. Upon returning, the professor ordered the pledges to change what they were doing. Lisa and Cherine began studying while Bernadette and Kathleen were sent into the yard. Later in the morning Burnside called the pledges into her bedroom one by one so they could run four miles on her treadmill. The professor monitored the pledges as they exercised, watching to determine each woman's endurance and tolerance. She set the machine at the maximum she felt each pledge could withstand, and menacingly tapped her subject's sweaty bottom with her leather switch if she felt the student was not putting her full effort into the run. Apart from the runs, there were impromptu push-up and sit-up sessions throughout the day that left the young women's arms and stomachs gelatinous from muscle fatigue. No stay at Burnside's house would be complete without a sexual activity. Saturday night was no exception. While Bernadette and Kathleen were released to go to bed, Burnside told Lisa and Cherine to get cleaned up and report to the living room for a practical exercise. Lisa had expected Burnside planned to give them instruction in erotic punishment, but what she had in mind was very different. She had set up a massage table, complete with oil and lotion. The shocking detail was not the piece of furniture, but who was about to lie on it. Dr. Jim Halsey was standing next to the table, wearing nothing but a bathrobe. Cherine immediately covered herself, only to be sharply reprimanded by Burnside: The Pledge Mistress Ch. 31 "Pledge, you will drop your hands, immediately! I'm giving you just one warning! Don't you ever try hiding your body in my house again!" Burnside picked up her switch and Cherine's hands immediately fell to her sides. As both young women stared at Halsey with frightened expressions, Burnside calmed down and commented: "My understanding is that you have had erotic massage training. Am I correct with that statement?" "Yes, Dr. Burnside." "Good. My intention is to assess how well you can apply what you have learned by massaging Dr. Halsey. I expect you to put aside your preconceptions about massaging someone considerably older than you. Dr. Halsey is a human being with physical needs just like anyone else. His age and his position in the Economics Department should have no influence on how well you perform this pledge challenge." "Yes, Dr. Burnside." "Pledge Lisa, please remove Dr. Halsey's robe." "Yes, Dr. Burnside." Lisa's hands trembled as she undid the sash of the robe that hid the body of her senior professor. The experience was very unnerving, because she so used to always seeing him in a business suit. She handed the robe to Cherine before guiding him to the table. As Burnside stood writing observations into a Four-Beta notepad, Lisa and Cherine began massaging Halsey's feet. Cherine followed Lisa's lead as they worked their way up his thighs, each pledge responsible for one side. Lisa was very careful not to move too quickly, because if she "failed to pay attention to detail" there was no question Burnside would gladly add to the five switch marks already decorating her backside. Lisa was especially careful to concentrate on thoroughly massaging the professor's bottom. She made sure Halsey's buttocks were completely relaxed, but then, partly out of simple curiosity, she began teasing the area in between. She ran her fingertips over his bottom-hole and explored the sensitive area between the older man's thighs. Lisa nodded to Cherine to work his shoulders while she continued to stimulate his bottom. As soon as she noticed he was starting to get hard, Lisa gently told the professor to lie on his back. She ran her fingers through his graying pubic hair and then moved to exploring his testicles and penis, which displayed surprising vigor for a man his age. Lisa nodded to Cherine and pointed at her subject's stomach and pelvis. Cherine was to massage him there while Lisa continued to fondle his penis and explore his scrotum. Finally, his penis began to pulsate, indicating he was close to an orgasm. Lisa pointed at a small towel, which Cherine picked up and spread on the man's stomach to catch the semen. Less than a minute later he climaxed, groaning with pleasure as he emptied himself on the towel. By the time her subject ejaculated, Lisa was totally into what she was doing. She decided that she wanted to continue with the massage, hoping that, now he was sexually satisfied, he could be massaged until he fell asleep. Lisa instructed him to lie on his stomach; then she and Cherine began the final part of the session on his feet. As before, they worked their way up to his back and shoulders. Within 15 minutes they had finished and Jim Halsey was asleep on the table. As the two pledges knelt, Burnside wrote the following in her notes: July 2, 20:30 hrs - Pledge Lisa and Pledge Cherine demonstrated comprehensive knowledge of Swedish and erotic massage techniques, as well as the ability and willingness to apply their skills in a stressful real-life situation. --Burnside- ---------- The following morning, while Lisa and Cherine were studying, Burnside brought over Mark Gertz to repeat the massage test for Bernadette and Kathleen. It was a rare opportunity for Mark to have something pleasurable done to him while at Burnside's house. Like Lisa before her, Bernadette needed to masturbate their subject once the main part of the massage was finished. To her surprise, Kathleen was eager to help and Mark had the good fortune to have two women giving him an erotic massage. The two women were surprised by the volume of semen that came out of Mark, not knowing that normally he was allowed to ejaculate only if given permission by his mistress. Prior to lunch, Burnside had the pledges study and exercise. They worked out one at a time, taking turns on her exercise equipment and treadmill. As the professor again menacingly tapped a riding crop in her hand, one by one the pledges wore themselves out as Burnside pushed them to what she referred to as "total muscle fatigue". For the professor Pledge Kathleen provided the toughest challenge, because she was already so physically fit. She ended up running 8 miles on the treadmill and was able to do a surprising number of pushups and sit-ups. By the end of Sunday, the pledges were completely caught up with their assignments, studying, and exercise schedule, which meant that on Monday they could concentrate on seminars and getting ready for Burnside's annual July 4th S&M party. July 4th started with the pledges moving all the furniture and setting up the living room and backyard to accommodate a large party. While the pledges were working, Burnside spent the morning in the kitchen preparing food and laying out cocktail supplies. Following a late lunch there was a refresher course on erotic punishment, complete with the two young men who had been used as demonstration subjects for the first practical exercise. As the two subjects knelt and the pledges organized the discipline implements they planned to use, Burnside's doorbell rang. Mark opened it and let in Tri-Alpha Pledge Master Arnold and his five pledges. Like the Four-Beta pledges, the Tri-Alpha newcomers had rode over from the fraternity wearing nothing but their shoes. Upon entering the entryway and lining up their shoes on the floor, the male pledges knelt opposite the Four-Betas. It turned out the session was to be much more than just a refresher for the Four-Betas. The sorority women were responsible for selecting a spokesperson who would repeat Burnside's lecture to the Tri-Alphas, while the other three Four-Betas would take turns conducting the live demonstration with the two subjects. Lisa was the obvious choice to be the spokeswoman, although she would have preferred to be wielding implements and leave the talking to someone else. Lisa directed her fellow pledges to have one subject stand with his hands cuffed to chains hanging from the ceiling, while the other subject was bent over Burnside's "punishment horse". The standing subject would be used to demonstrate Burnside's collection of whips, floggers, crops, and martinets; while the subject on the punishment bench would be used to demonstrate canes, switches, straps, and paddles. As the pledges and their subjects made their final preparations, Lisa frantically scribbled down the outline of a presentation. Burnside helped her by handing her a list of topics she needed to cover, including safety. Lisa asked the professor for a magic marker, because she planned to go as far as repeating Burnside's marking "safe" and "unsafe" areas of the body on the subject who was standing. Within a few minutes everything was ready and it was time for Lisa to give her presentation. She began with Burnside's principles for the purpose of erotic punishment and methods for establishing dominance, followed by a description of the various implements in the professor's collection. Finally, like the professor before her, she concluded with a discussion about safety and marked off the parts of the subject's body considered not suitable for punishment. As she spoke, Lisa's self-confidence increased tremendously. Burnside watched her with deep satisfaction, observing that her student aide had a talent for instructional speaking and quickly organizing information into a coherent lecture. The three freshmen, including Bernadette, compliantly followed Lisa's directions as they took turns striking the subjects with various implements. Lisa made sure that all three of her fellow pledges took turns on both demonstration subjects, and that all implements were used at least once. The naked kneeling Tri-Alpha pledges stared at Lisa in amazement, somewhat disoriented by the contrast between her calm manner of talking and the floggings taking place behind her. Bernadette, Kathleen, and Cherine took turns holding up implements while Lisa talked about them, and then delivered a blow with savage CRACK that made the spectators flinch. The young women were handling the punishments with grace, expertise, and confidence that came from knowing what they were doing. Lisa was pleased to notice that all of the men in the room had erections. The two test subjects were very aroused, as were all five members of the Tri-Alpha audience. The sight of four attractive naked women gracefully administering punishments truly was an erotic sight to behold. ---------- The presence of nine pledges, her favorite sub, and his two friends gave Ruth Burnside a total of 12 people to assist her with her party. She never had come anywhere close to that number before; normally she had between two and four students to assist her. The large number of student hosts would lighten the load for everyone and allow the students to take turns serving drinks, working in the kitchen, and relaxing with the guests. At most Burnside could use only six students at any given moment, which meant the other six students would be free to enjoy the party. She decided the group would alternate working one-hour shifts and give everyone plenty of time to enjoy the festivities. Because the students would have so much free time, Burnside purposely did not allow them to relieve their sexual urges before the party started. She calculated that if they were tensed up sexually, they would be more willing to experiment with their erotic fantasies and perhaps find out more about themselves and what they wanted for their lives. There were several significant differences between the July 4th party and the other annual parties given for Halloween and Marti Gras. Because the weather was warm, the guests could go into the back yard and everyone had more room. Also, partygoers tended to wear much less clothing during the summer festivities. Less clothing, warm weather, and more room...well, that made for a totally different atmosphere. The most significant difference was that sexual encounters were permitted during the July party, while the other two events were more costume parties than anything else. Burnside had several tents set up in the back yard for anyone who wanted to indulge in a sex break. The play area in the living room was much larger, because having the yard available reduced the crowding inside the house. During the summer parties there was an enema station set up in the yard, complete with a platform, timing clocks, and two hospital-style toilet chairs. Throughout the night guests competed to see who could hold their enema the longest, with the prize being the winner could spank or be spanked by anyone at the party he or she wanted. Guests who volunteered to get an enema had to completely strip before climbing up on the platform so they could be seen and photographed. They had to turn their bottoms towards the spectators to receive a liter and a half of water, which was administered by Mark. Following the enema, the guest had to climb down and stand next to one of the seats in full sight of the spectators, above which there was a timer. Once the contestant couldn't hold the enema any longer and evacuated, there was a temporary shower next to the enema station to clean off. The winner would be announced at midnight and allowed to claim their prize. Burnside's practical exercise requiring the Four-Beta pledges to give erotic massages had a specific purpose. There was massage table set up in the back yard opposite the enema station. While the Tri-Alpha pledges worked in the kitchen and serving drinks to the living room guests, the Four-Beta pledges would take turns at the massage table, giving erotic massages in two-woman teams. Every hour they would switch off, and the two women not working could relax and watch (or participate in) other activities at the party. All of the hosts were required to wear the same uniform, which was another tradition of Burnside's parties. The hosts put on leather collars, wrist cuffs, ankle cuffs, and black lipstick. Apart from that they were completely naked. Whenever giving massages, the Four-Betas could take off their wrist cuffs, but still had to wear their collars and ankle cuffs. Burnside explained there was another rule that hosts had to follow and that guests understood. Guests were permitted to touch, pat, and fondle the hosts, but only their backsides, and only with hands or fingers. Touching the hosts in the front was not permitted, and if any host was groped from the front, he or she was to report the incident to Burnside immediately. Their bottoms, however, were fair game, and as long as a guest was doing nothing more than touching a host's bottom, the host was not say anything or try to turn away. "My guests know the ground rules and how to stay within the limits I have established. I've done this for more than a decade and the people coming here know what to expect. I've long since gotten rid of anyone who can't respect my guidelines." As the 12 hosts put on their cuffs and lipstick, Burnside changed into a very revealing leather outfit. From the front it looked like a leather swimsuit, but in the back it covered absolutely nothing. A very thin leather string ran up between Burnside's bottom-cheeks, and was attached to a thin string that encircled her waist. Another thin string held her bra in place. That was it as far as any coverage in the back. Anyone standing any distance at all from the professor would have thought she wasn't wearing anything, because the leather strings were so thin they were invisible to someone not standing right next to her. As Lisa contemplated Burnside's bottom, she felt a sudden urge to give the professor a couple of really good smacks. Then...suddenly...she realized something. If she participated in the enema challenge and won she could spank the professor. Why not? Undoubtedly winning that challenge was a long shot...but why not at least try? Then she could give her boss some payback for that spanking she got in her office a few weeks before and her unwarranted switching Saturday morning. With the enema challenge on her mind, Lisa went to the bathroom and resolved not to eat anything or drink any water. She would keep her body as empty as possible and try to win the right to spank her professor. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 32 Chapter 32 -- A spanking for Ruth Burnside While Lisa was in the bathroom, Dr. Halsey arrived. When she came out and saw him, she was totally shocked. He was wearing a black leather vest with matching leather boots, leather wrist-cuffs, and a leather jockstrap. It took all of Lisa's inner strength not to laugh, because to be honest, Halsey's 57-year-old body did not make a pretty sight in that get-up. Other guests started coming in shortly after Halsey's arrival, wearing a wide variety of outfits. July 4th themes were popular, including a several partially dressed Uncle Sam's. There were several erotic Hawaii-style outfits including guys in loincloths and topless hula dancers. There were variations of summer wood nymphs, satyrs, chained slaves, and Roman togas, was well as more ordinary leather and latex fetish outfits. There was a guy in his 30's who had a really good build who came as an ancient Greek soldier, carrying a fake sword and wearing nothing but a metal helmet and Greek sandals. However, the outfit that was the funniest to Lisa was that of a very fat woman who was wearing nothing but body paint dividing her skin into cuts of meat. Painted across her shoulders was the caption: "Where's the beef?" Burnside ordered Lisa to team up with Cherine and Bernadette to team up with Kathleen, mainly to keep Lisa and Kathleen apart so they could concentrate on the party instead of on each other. For the same reason she ordered Ken to work in the kitchen while Lisa was not working the massage station, once again to make sure he and Lisa were not free at the same time. Using Mark as target practice, Burnside began a live demonstration of her collection of discipline implements at 8:00. Unfortunately, Lisa had to miss seeing Burnside in action, because she and Cherine started their duty on the massage table at the same time. However, Ken, Bernadette, and Kathleen stood together to watch the fearsome professor and her suffering sub. That night Ken and Kathleen got into a conversation for the very first time. They compared notes on what life was like under Pledge Mistress Tracy versus Pledge Master Arnold, and what differences and similarities there were in their respective pledge programs. They also talked tentatively about Lisa, who Kathleen casually described as "my girlfriend". Ken took a deep breath upon hearing Kathleen talk about Lisa, because he knew that her situation was a lot more complicated than Kathleen was willing to admit. At that moment Kathleen blissfully assumed that what Lisa wanted was a monogamous relationship with her. Apparently she knew nothing about her ongoing dalliances with Ken, nor anything about their efforts to come to terms with each other. Bernadette, meanwhile, was on the lookout for the opportunity to find a guy to have sex with her. If she could find more than one guy, so much the better. The first target of her attentions was the naked Greek soldier. She flirted with him and began touching his hand. Sure enough, he responded. Very quickly her hand moved to his chest as she cooed: "I guess I'm just a poor little slave girl to a handsome soldier like you. Just a poor little slave girl..." A few minutes later Bernadette and the Greek soldier were inside one of the tents, in an impromptu sexual encounter between two people who had not even exchanged their names. Upon finishing Bernadette and her lover took off their costume items and jumped into the outdoor shower to soap the sex off each other. Upon finishing she noticed it was almost 9:00, time for her to take over the massage table. She invited her momentary lover to get a massage once she and Kathleen were set up. Once she was relieved from the massage table, Lisa took a deep breath as she contemplated the enema challenge. Already there was a middle-aged guy on his hands and knees taking an enema from Mark. Lisa was not surprised to see Mark's bottom badly marked up from his most recent punishment. However, her interest was not in the condition of Mark but instead of her own ambition to turn the tables on her professor. With Cherine trailing behind, she nervously approached Burnside's sub and told him she wanted to compete in the enema challenge. He instructed her to get on her elbows and knees, stick her butt out for the benefit of the spectators, and wait for him to finish with her competitor. A minute later Lisa felt the lubricant being dabbed onto her sphincter, followed by the hard plastic nozzle of the enema working its way inside her intestines. Mark released the clip to open the tube and Lisa slowly felt the pressure build inside her guts. At first the pressure was not too bad, but Lisa knew that once she stood up and the water inside her shifted, she would badly want to relieve herself. There was some clapping from the spectators as the enema bottle finished emptying into her, along with the flashes of several cameras. She felt the nozzle slip out of her anus and Mark dabbing off some of the extra lubricant with a tissue. So far, so good: she had managed to take the full amount from the bag, a requirement to qualify as an official participant in the contest. Her stomach now swollen with water, Lisa carefully stood up and took her place next to the unoccupied medical seat. When she finally sat down to relieve herself, her audience would see everything, because the hospital seat was little more than an open toilet seat with legs and a large bedpan set on the grass underneath to catch whatever came out of the contestant's body. Lisa winced as her intestines shifted and showed the first signs of cramping. She took a deep breath and glanced at her competitor. There was nothing more to do than wait and hope that her intestines could hold out longer than anyone else's intestines. Waiting...that was the hard part, and, as the minutes dragged by it seemed to get harder and harder as the seconds passed more and more slowly. Lisa had done what she could to get ready to hold her water, but the cramping and increasing pressure made her wince and perspire as she hoped that the guy standing next to her would give out first. Finally, after 15 very long minutes, Lisa's competitor suddenly sat down on his toilet seat and grunted. As the splashes from his bedpan filled Lisa's ears, Mark turned off the guy's clock. Lisa looked up. The clock read 17 minutes and 23 seconds. Her clock only read 15:14. At least two more minutes to go. Shit! Literally, shit! Lisa's intestines began cramping in earnest and sweat rolled down her cheeks as the seconds slowly ticked by. Meanwhile, one of Mark's friends replaced the bedpan and cleaned the seat for the next contestant. Lisa's next rival was a middle-aged woman dressed in a Hawaiian hula skirt. The woman glanced at Lisa and at the first contestant's time as she took off the skirt and got on her knees. She seemed very nervous, and at that moment Lisa could tell that her newest rival would not last very long. The seconds ticked by: 17:20...17:21...17:22...17:23... Yes! At least she had defeated the first contestant! She took a deep breath and continued to struggle against the mounting pressure as the seconds continued to slowly pass: 17:30...17:31...17:32... Lisa gritted her teeth as her new rival positioned herself to receive her enema. By now sweat was trickling down her body, but she was determined to stay as long as her new female rival stayed. She realized that if she could outlast her new rival, probably no one could beat her and she would be the night's winner. 18:23...18:24...18:25...Lisa gasped, but she now was a minute over the first contestant's time record. The newest contestant was not holding up well at all. Lisa calculated she might last another 30 seconds, if she was lucky. Sure enough, less than two minutes into her time Lisa's second rival gave up and dropped onto her toilet seat. The clock stopped a second time and a second bucket of human discharge was taken out. At nearly 25 minutes, Lisa was still standing. It had become obvious that she was the one to beat for anyone who still hoped to win the enema challenge. 29:55...29:56...29:57...29:58...29:59...30:00... Half an hour. She had made it a full 30 minutes, but now she had to pee as badly as she needed to dump. Finally Lisa couldn't stand the self-torture anymore. She had made it 30 minutes, but couldn't go any longer. She barely made it to her toilet seat when her intestines exploded and the soiled water poured into the waiting bedpan. She grunted and expelled a second time, hugely relieved that the pain in her guts finally was subsiding now that the horrible pressure was taken away. She nearly fainted as her spectators loudly applauded and her third rival looked at her final time in dismay. Lisa was very unsteady as Mark helped her to her feet: "Let's hear a round of applause for Lisa!" There was a lot of loud clapping and cheering. She swooned and nearly fainted again, but Mark caught her and guided her to sit in the grass. Lisa finally was coherent enough to look up at her time. Mark had hit her clock's stop button at 31:03, for a final competition time of thirty-one minutes and three seconds. He commented: "Anyone who can beat that record has guts of steel!" Still somewhat wobbly on her feet, Lisa had Cherine help her get up so she could shower and clean herself off. She and Cherine would have to be back at the massage table within a few minutes, to relieve Kathleen and Bernadette. Still, Lisa had something to look forward to. If no one managed to hold their enema for more than 31 minutes, at midnight Dr. Ruth Burnside would go over her lap for a nice long public spanking. ---------- While Lisa and Cherine were at the enema contest station, Bernadette and Kathleen gave erotic massages to a total of three guests, all of them men. They had their routine well-established for a 20 minute massage. The first 15 minutes were spent relaxing their subject's muscles, and the final five minutes on giving him an orgasm. There was a stack of clean washcloths to catch semen, and a basket in which used sheets and washcloths were deposited. Bernadette was in charge of the first guy's orgasm, but to her surprise it was Kathleen who volunteered to bring the second subject to orgasm. The third guy out of the batch was Bernadette's Greek soldier, a guy with whom she had enjoyed sex but still had not exchanged names. Given that their shift would end as soon as he was aroused, Bernadette decided that no, he would not get an orgasm from her on the table. An orgasm from him was something for her to enjoy after her shift ended; another round of sex in one of the love-making tents. Bernadette paid extra attention to her partner, making sure he was full of sexual desire by the time she finished with him. When the moment came for her to "finish the job", instead she whispered in his ear: "I think it's time for this little slave-girl's soldier to show her what a warrior he really is." A second later he was off the table and had disappeared with his masseuse into one of the tents, leaving her bewildered fellow pledge standing alone at the table. A moment later Lisa and Cherine showed up, leaving Kathleen to look for something to do. She worked her way through the crowded back yard to the living room, where she could hear the CRACK!...CRACK!...CRACK!...of an ongoing whipping on the punishment stage. She saw a middle-aged man tied over Burnside's punishment bench, with the professor and her lover both hard at work flogging him with martinets. Both Burnside and Halsey had taken off their tops and sweat was running down their bodies. The man on the bench clearly was in a lot of pain, but the flogging continued until his skin developed blisters that risked breaking. Once the punishment was finished, two of Burnside's friends, one of whom was a professor Kathleen recognized, unbuckled the sub's restraints, pulled him off the bench, and deposited him on the floor. Kathleen noticed three other party guests waiting to be punished. They were lined up on their knees in front of the platform; all of them were completely stripped. Burnside's next punishment subject was the fat woman with the "Where's the beef?" slogan written across her back. Burnside took a quick look at her and realized that she couldn't go over the bench, because her weight would make it hard for her to breathe. No problem, because the resourceful professor always had a solution ready for any difficulty. She ordered her newest discipline subject to position her hips against the punishment bench, but extend her arms up to the ceiling. One of Burnside's friends quickly cuffed the woman's wrists to chains hanging from the ceiling, while Halsey ordered her to spread her feet so he could cuff her ankles to the legs of the bench. Thus the woman was immobilized and bent over, but no pressure was being placed on her stomach or chest. The fat woman had the largest breasts Kathleen had ever seen in real life. Her over-sized breasts fascinated both of her disciplinarians as well. Before the punishment began, they fondled the sub's breasts, slapping and massaging them and cruelly pinching her large nipples. Finally having satisfied themselves with the humiliating preliminary to the punishment, the two professors began flogging their newest volunteer. Burnside decided the punishment would be quite severe and would cover the woman's entire body in the back with welts. She had a very large area to work on, and began by hitting the woman's huge buttocks with a wide strap. Before long she was crying, but the punishment continued with blows to the thighs and shoulders with a pair martinets wielded by both professors. Of course the professors were up to the challenge; within a short time all of the victim's massive body was covered in welts and her skin had gone from pale to vivid pink and red. Kathleen was deeply moved by what she was watching. What was happening to that woman was by no means something she wanted done to herself, but she found the entire spectacle fascinating and in its own way deeply erotic. At that moment she noticed that Ken was standing nearby, watching the punishment with his penis fully erect. Seeing Lisa's ex-boyfriend in such a condition put Kathleen into an even stranger mood; she felt an urge to touch his penis, knowing that it was the same penis that had gone into her lover before they had met. Kathleen imagined Lisa, and then imagined herself as Lisa. She knew that Lisa had beaten Ken, just like Burnside and Halsey were beating that fat woman...and then had sex with him. She wanted to know what her lover's life with him was like. What was it like for Lisa, to make love to that gay guy? She wanted to find out. Kathleen did something that she never could have imagined doing even a few seconds before. She slid next to Ken and grabbed his penis. He was totally shocked, but so full of sexual energy that he had no desire to make her stop or take her hand away. Kathleen and Ken, both of them Lisa's lovers, both of them cut off from her at that moment, and both full of desperate unfulfilled sexual desire, had lost touch with their normal thought processes and inhibitions. The moment Kathleen's hand touched Ken's penis, their sexual drive took control of both their souls. How little they were thinking straight was obvious by where they went; not to one of the love-making tents, but to Burnside's guest bedroom, which had been declared off-limits. They pushed the door shut and Kathleen immediately went on her hands and knees. Ken kissed her bottom, not realizing that having her backside touched drove Kathleen's sexual drive more than anything else he could have done to her. She flexed her backside, silently begging him to kiss and touch her bottom-hole. Ken, used to doing the same thing to Lisa, complied, first by kissing Kathleen and then by inserting his tongue. Kathleen gasped with pleasure and became wet with desire. A few seconds later Ken put his hands on her hips and guided himself into her. He thrust...and thrust...and thrust... Oh this was good! He had not had the opportunity to enjoy an orgasm for over a week, while Kathleen had not been entered by a guy for over two months. She squealed with delight, her mind not on Lisa, or even on Ken for that matter, but on the simple physical enjoyment of the moment. What Ken and Kathleen, as well as Bernadette and Lisa, did not realize that what was happening to them was something Burnside had wanted. She purposely left them sexually aroused going into the party with the hope that they would walk away from inhibitions and experience something they would never have dreamt of trying otherwise. With all of her subjects the professor had succeeded. Bernadette's lack of inhibitions led her to make love to a total stranger, Lisa was the likely winner of the enema challenge, and, driven by lust and desperation, Ken and Kathleen had shared an experience that they never could have shared under normal circumstances. The other Tri-Alpha pledges had comparable experiences as well, making love to various guests during their time off. Ken and Kathleen separated and caught their breath. Then it hit them what had happened and what they had just done. They stared at each other, not having a clue what they could possibly say. There was one thing Kathleen realized, however. As much as she hated men, she couldn't blame Ken for the encounter. It was she who had initiated it. He had done nothing wrong to her; all he did was simply go along with what she wanted. There was another important detail. She had enjoyed having sex with him. For the first time in her life a sexual encounter with a male left her physically satisfied. Lisa's two lovers continued to stare at each other until Ken finally suggested: "I...I think you ought to go out...first, you know...and get cleaned up...and I'll...come out in a minute...you know...once you're done." "Yeah...I guess you're right...and..." "...and we won't..." "...say anything...no...definitely not." Kathleen got up to leave, but she gave Ken a quick smile before leaving the room. He sat waiting to give Lisa's lover a head start on the shower, but wondered what that smile from her could possibly mean. ---------- As midnight approached, Lisa watched Mark administer several enemas, although most of the people getting them were doing so for fun, not because they hoped to hold their water for a half an hour. There was only one guy who seriously attempted to challenge Lisa's record. She watched with concern as his clock approached and passed the 30 minutes mark, but he fell short by 40 seconds when he collapsed on the hospital seat and expelled. His final time was 30:21, which left Lisa with the longest record and the ultimate winner of the challenge. At the end of the night she would leave Burnside's house with the dubious honor of being nicknamed "Pledge Iron Guts". At midnight there were two events for the entire party. The first was the annual birthday spanking for Jim Halsey, which was to be administered by Burnside. Both professors approached the platform still sweaty from spending the night flogging guests, and neither had bothered to put their tops back on. Burnside's large breasts, unencumbered by her top, wobbled seductively as she settled on a chair to await her lover. Lisa now realized why he had worn a leather jockstrap, because he needed to have his bottom uncovered for his annual spanking. However, this year's spanking would be a bit more severe than normal, because Burnside needed to get even for the double birthday spanking he gave her during the Marti Gras party back in March. She ordered him to stand in front of her and pulled his jockstrap down to his ankles. He had expected her to spank him harder, but instead she would get even by spanking him in the nude. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 32 Burnside went slowly as the crowd counted each loud swat: "...THIRTY SEVEN!" SLAP! "THIRTY EIGHT!" SLAP! "THIRTY NINE..." Once Halsey received his 57th swat and was let up, it was time to announce the winner of the party's enema challenge. Mark climbed onto the platform and announced that Lisa Campbell had managed to hold her enema longer than anyone else, a full 31 minutes. As the crowd cheered and the cameras flashed, the exhibitionistic Lisa smiled, slapped her stomach, and flashed a thumbs-up to her audience. Once the cheering died down, Mark asked her: "whose lucky bottom's gonna get you're full attention tonight?" Lisa smiled and dramatically gestured towards her mentor: "Our wonderful hostess and professor, Dr. Ruth Burnside! I think...after spending the night making everyone else's butt red, maybe she should get some, too! What do you guys think, huh? I nice red butt for Dr. Burnside?" A cheer went up from the crowd, but Lisa noticed a hint of doubt in the professor's face. Certainly being spanked by her student would be embarrassing for her, but that was just too bad. Given the rules of the contest, Lisa was fully within her rights as the winner to demand the right to spank the professor. Of course, Burnside had not counted on her student winning. Who would have guessed the girl had stronger guts than anyone else? Who would have guessed that she had enough nerve to claim spanking her as the prize? Oh, well...if you can't pay, then don't play... Unfortunately for Burnside, she had set plenty of precedents for what Lisa was about to do next. The young woman sat down as the professor approached and waited the order to go over her lap. However, Lisa reached up, took hold of the thin leather waistband of Burnside's thong, and pulled the skimpy article of clothing to her ankles. Ruth Burnside, like everyone else at her party that night, would take her spanking in the nude. The cheering got louder as the professor quietly stepped out of her thong and Lisa tossed it to Dr. Halsey. It would be up to him to determine when she would get it back. That wasn't likely to be any time soon, given that he had not been given permission to get dressed either. Burnside stoically went over Lisa's lap, her bare stomach making contact with the girl's equally bare legs. She shifted forward to make sure her bottom was properly turned up and her breasts were hanging freely. She put her hands on the floor and held her position quietly, indicating that she would be perfectly cooperative until the spanking was finished. Having so thoroughly turned the tables on Burnside, Lisa couldn't resist rubbing her mentor's bottom. The professor's legs were spread widely enough that the student, if she wanted, could have slipped her fingers into her vagina and tormented her sexually. Lisa resisted that temptation, but her fingertips did venture into the sensitive area around the professor's sphincter. She was astounded at being able to so intimately touch her fearsome mentor, and that the professor was so submissive. She was having fun with this dare, but knew that she needed to be careful about taking it too far. After-all, paybacks are hell. Once the spanking ended, her role and Burnside's role would return to normal and tonight's incident would not have any lasting impact on their relationship as boss and employee. Undoubtedly Lisa was destined to be on the receiving end of any future spanking. In spite of her resolve not to go too far humiliating the professor, Lisa did fully intend to give her a respectable spanking. The session would be long, it would be hard, and it would leave some decent color on the professor's body that hopefully would last through the end of the party. Although Lisa did not have any illusions about getting Burnside to cry, she hoped the punishment would ensure that the professor understood that she had taken her lessons about erotic discipline very seriously and that she had become a competent disciplinarian. Lisa began spanking slowly at first, intermixing caresses with hard slaps. Finally she established a rhythm, landing painful swats about five seconds apart on alternate sides of her mentor's firm bottom. As she expected, Burnside remained perfectly cooperative, holding herself in position and not clenching her buttocks. All of the party guests had gathered to watch Burnside's spanking, but the room was dead silent except for the ongoing barrage of hard smacks and the occasional flash of a camera. Not only was their fearsome leader getting spanked; she was getting spanked by someone half her age. Lisa relished the unique circumstances of her situation; the one, and probably the only chance she or any other undergraduate would ever have to spank Dr. Ruth Burnside. SLAP...SLAP...SLAP...SLAP... The spanking continued unabated as the older woman continued to lie quietly across her student's lap. Hours of working out with the Four-Beta Sorority paid off for Lisa as the spanking continued and her arm showed little sign of tiring. Maybe she could get Burnside to cry after all. That would be cool! Fifteen minutes into the spanking it seemed that Burnside's resistance was starting to wear down. She sighed from seemed to be discomfort and her legs were moving around a little, a sign that her stoicism was being tested. Lisa slapped considerably harder, with the vague hope that she could indeed defeat her professor's resolve. However, as the student picked up the pace and the severity of the swats, suddenly the smell of sexual arousal hit her nose. Burnside's resistance had indeed broken down, but what had broken down was not her threshold for pain. It turned out that Lisa had managed to overcome her professor's threshold for sexual stimulus. So, now Lisa knew Burnside's secret. The professor, if punished long enough in the right way, was erotically stimulated by a good spanking. Lisa could have pressed her advantage to humiliate the professor and let everyone else know what she had just found out. Fortunately, she was too smart to fall into that temptation. Instead she realized that she needed to wind down the spanking as quickly as possible and allow Burnside to make a graceful exit from the room. The world saw the professor as a dominatrix, not as a closet masochist. Lisa knew that any hint of being aroused by pain would affect Burnside's reputation among her sex partners, which was something that she desperately wanted to avoid. The personal ties between Lisa and Burnside were too strong for Lisa to have any desire to expose her mentor's secret. Lisa shook her arm, pretending to be too tired to continue. Even so, she had delivered a respectable spanking that impressed most of the spectators in the room. As the audience applauded, Burnside got off Lisa's lap and showed her red bottom to the spectators. She took Lisa's hand and the two naked women stood up and bowed together. With that Burnside and Halsey quickly exited the room, presumably so he could take care of the woman's physical needs. Lisa again bowed to the cheering audience and left the platform, hoping that no one had figured out the real reason she decided to end the spanking. ---------- The party began winding down after Burnside and Halsey came back out, both dressed in their complete leather outfits. Both of their bottoms were still quite red from their respective punishments. Even before the guests started leaving the professor ordered the Four-Beta women to take down the massage station and sex tents while Mark and his two friends cleaned up the enema area and the Tri-Alphas started on cleaning the kitchen. As the clean up in the backyard progressed, Burnside and Halsey stood at the front door saying goodbye to their guests. Everyone's invitation had stated the party would end precisely at 1:30, given that July 5th was a regular workday and everyone had to get at least a couple of hours of sleep. ---------- Clean-up from the party was finished in record time, given that a total of 14 people were available to straighten the house. From 1:30 to 2:15 the professors, the pledges, and Mark and his two friends cleaned the living room, put back all the furniture, packed up the fetish supplies, and put away all the dishes. The Tri-Alphas left with Pledge Master Arnold at 2:15. Mark and his two friends departed a few minutes later, leaving the professors and the Four-Beta pledges alone. Burnside threw down sleeping bags for the group and instructed them to go to sleep in the living room. Burnside decided that, even if Tracy showed up in the middle of the night, she wanted everyone to sleep until 7:00. She left a note on her front door telling the Pledge Mistress to use the bed in the guest room and not to wake anyone up. At 7:00 Burnside would release custody of the pledges back to the sorority and turn over her training notes. Everything would be "by the book". ---------- By 2:30 the pledges were asleep, except for Lisa. She couldn't sleep in a hot sleeping bag after having slept completely uncovered for a month and a half. At first she thought about sleeping on the sofa, but then decided to go outside and lie down on one of Burnside's lawn chairs. For a long time she stared into the clear sky, enjoying the silent night after hours of tumult from the party. It felt good, just to lie in the quiet darkness, not to have to do anything for a few minutes. Yes, tomorrow she would be tired, but now she was content to relax. Lisa's thoughts turned to Kathleen. Something about her behavior that night had not been quite right, especially towards the end. As they cleaned up, Lisa had noticed that Kathleen was very nervous (much more so than normal) and overly eager to please her. Lisa's lover was completely incapable of hiding her emotions, so it was obvious that something strange was going on. As soon as she was alone with Kathleen, she would have to find out what had made her so uneasy, although she suspected that she already knew. Kathleen must have done something at the party that she felt guilty about. That "something" must have been a sexual encounter with another guest. What else could it possibly be? The thought of Kathleen giving into temptation did not really bother Lisa. Instead, it relieved her to see that her lover was not as narrowly focused as she had feared. Also, if Kathleen had indeed been unfaithful, Lisa easily could turn the incident to her own advantage. Infidelity would give her perfect justification to punish her lover and finish the process of establishing her dominance. The goal of having poor Kathleen on her knees, begging to be punished and pardoned, tearfully seeking to find redemption through pain and submission, now was much closer to actually happening. Kathleen would confess her sin, take her punishment, find forgiveness and fulfillment, and fully surrender her body and soul to Lisa. Lisa saw another outcome from whatever it was that Kathleen had done that night. Knowing that her lover was not perfectly loyal freed her from any guilt about pursuing her own love interests with men. Kathleen could not hold loyalty over Lisa's head if she was guilty of infidelity herself. The only real question concerning Lisa was whether Kathleen had cheated with a man or with another woman. That too, would make a difference, because she viewed cheating with another woman as much more problematic for the relationship than cheating with a man. Lisa spent a very long time masturbating under the stars, as her mind wandered from planning Kathleen's upcoming punishment to all of the other strange and erotic experiences she had enjoyed that weekend. Of course, the event that stuck out above all else was the spanking of Ruth Burnside. Lisa's mind went over that experience in loving detail; remembering everything from the pressure of Burnside's bare stomach on her thighs, to the feeling of the firm sweaty skin of her bottom on the palm of Lisa's hand, to the sound of the loud slaps echoing through the silent living room. Above everything else was that whiff of sexual arousal. There was no denying what that whiff meant, because she knew from her own experience... Lisa climaxed at the thought of knowing something so intimate about her mentor. She climaxed...and then promptly fell asleep. Three hours later, as the birds sung in the early summer morning sunlight, Pledge Lisa was startled awake by Tracy's voice: "OK, Sleeping Beauty! UP-UP-UP! Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!" As she struggled to her feet, a sharp slap to her bottom signaled the beginning of Lisa's seventh week as a Four-Beta pledge. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 33 Chapter 33 -- Kathleen's hard lesson After breakfast, Burnside officially transferred custody of the pledges back to Pledge Mistress Tracy. Along with the pledges she handed over a diskette describing the women's training schedule and her own observations about the pledges' health, study habits, openness for sexual adventure, and what they did during the three days they spent at her house. Tracy passed out the pledges' uniforms that she had brought with her from the sorority house and ordered her group to get ready to depart for the university. Each pledge had to get on her knees and thank Ruth Burnside for letting her stay at the house before going out the front door. Tracy drove the freshmen to campus, while Lisa went with Burnside and Halsey. Burnside said nothing about what had happened the night before, but Lisa did notice a subtle difference in her behavior. For the first time Lisa had held power over her professor, which somewhat changed how the two women would relate to each other. The professor would not say anything openly, but Lisa could tell that she was very grateful for her student's quick and tactful response to what had happened when she was over the younger woman's lap. Lisa had been astute and observant enough to understand the professor was sexually aroused, and gracious enough to let her escape before anyone else in the room realized what was going on. The problem for Burnside was that Lisa's knowledge about her vulnerability gave the girl some power in their relationship. Allowing Lisa to have any influence on what happened in their interaction with each other was not what Burnside had wanted. She had hoped to exert absolute authority over Lisa similar to what she held over Mark, but felt that she no longer could do that if Lisa knew her secret. There would have to be an unspoken agreement of trust between the professor and the student, an uneasy partnership that would tie the two women's fates together over the next several years. Lisa was not Mark, and Burnside would have to treat her very differently. The professor' personality made it very hard for her to express emotions that conveyed vulnerability. She did not feel comfortable talking to Lisa about what had happened, but at the same time trusted that her student would not tell anyone what she had discovered. Fortunately, the way she handled the spanking the previous night demonstrated that Lisa could keep a secret. It also was obvious that Lisa cared about Burnside's reputation in the fetish community. Yes, she had wanted to turn the tables on Burnside by putting her over her lap, but what mattered was that she knew when to stop. Burnside also realized that Lisa Campbell was a person with whom she could have a personal relationship that would start out as mentoring, but over several years could develop into a real friendship. That morning, after Lisa had stripped and was standing with her legs spread and her hands behind her head, Burnside went over her plans for that week. Then she surprised Lisa with some news about a couple of Four-Beta juniors who were taking one of her summer classes: "Seems there's a bit of a problem with their midterms. It looks like they tried, but they're just not getting the material. They'll get the bad news in class, but I figured you'd want to know about it first, in case the sorority has anything to say to you about it. If they don't shape up real fast, I can tell you they won't be passing." ---------- While Lisa continued to work in Burnside's office in the afternoon, Pledge Mistress Tracy and Junior class leader Shannon entered her office with the two unhappy juniors. Burnside repeated what she had told Lisa, that unless the two students could score at least 90 percent on the final exam, there was no way the professor could let them pass the class. The two sorority women turned white, because getting 90 percent on one of Burnside's tests was very difficult. The professor snapped: "Well, I hope you don't expect me to pass you if you don't perform, because I won't. It's a numbers game around here, and right now your numbers don't add up. The final is in four weeks, so I'd suggest you use that time wisely and learn the course material, instead of just looking at me with those sad eyes." ---------- Tracy and her pledges walked back to the sorority with Shannon and the two juniors. The situation for the sorority was dire, because both juniors already had taken Burnside's class and had flunked out. If they flunked a second time, they would go on academic probation, which in turn would be a huge embarrassment for the entire sorority and for President Alexandra in particular. As Tracy always quoted from the military "shit rolls downhill", because Alexandra in turn, would blame Shannon for not making sure her two class members had properly studied. If Alexandra was pissed at Shannon, she had the authority to blackball her from participating in any future sorority elections. As they walked across Old Campus, Shannon began questioning Lisa about what she knew about Burnside's classes and the course material. It turned out that the pledge's knowledge was quite comprehensive, which gave the three juniors an idea. Why couldn't Lisa tutor the juniors and get them ready to pass the final? In fact, what was to prevent her from setting up a study group to help everyone taking economics classes? Lisa knew the material, so what right did she have to not share her knowledge with the rest of the sorority? Tracy drew a deep breath, not at all happy about the turn of events. Lisa was still a pledge, and under the pledge program rules she was not authorized to lead anything, let alone a study group. Furthermore, she had not completed her Four-Beta training, nor passed all of her pledge challenges. Now, on top of everything else she had to accomplish over the next month, she was being tapped to run a study group for two women who were in trouble due to their own stupidity. Tracy was very irritated with Shannon, because the junior class leader was pushing her problem off on a pledge instead of trying to take care of it herself. If it wasn't Pledge Lisa's fault those two juniors were failing, why was she the one who had to fix their situation? Lisa's obligations only became even more complicated when the pledges dined with the sophomores. The conversation focused on her position as Burnside's student aide and the fact that she had tutored dorm residents in Huntington Hall during the spring semester. Already a rumor had spread among the younger women that Pledge Lisa was going to tutor everyone taking Burnside's classes. That was great! One of the sophomores became especially interested in Lisa's knowledge about the material presented in Burnside's Theory of Economics course, because the previous year she had flunked out and was eager to get help from the sorority's new pledge. She was not yet on the verge of failing, but was determined to get a better grade on the final than she got on the midterm. Suddenly Lisa was faced with several excited sophomores beseeching her with questions about economics. Finally Lisa held up her hands: "Look ma'am, I can't do anything for you unless it's cleared through Pledge Mistress Tracy! She's got the final word on this, not me. If she asks me to help you, then yes, I'll do what I can. But, she's got to approve any study group!" Her companions quickly volunteered to talk to Tracy, but again Lisa held up her hands. "I need to ask about this, not you. I'm under her orders right now, so I'll talk to her." Following dinner Lisa found Tracy, who, as usual, was sitting in the sorority library with her textbooks. She knelt and explained what the sophomores wanted from her, which added to the expectations Shannon had for her two failing class members. Tracy was tempted to tell both Shannon and the sophomores to forget about exploiting her pledge, but the truth was the tutoring frenzy had taken on a life of its own and backing out no longer was possible. Besides, Lisa did not have any objections to tutoring her fellow sorority members. However, she would have to set some restrictions. She knew from experience that unless she controlled the study sessions, the arrangement very quickly would degenerate into her being on-call to provide assistance at the convenience of the other Four-Beta members. Even though she was just a pledge, Lisa needed to establish her own rules and remain in control of any tutoring arrangements in which she was providing help to others. There was one other condition Lisa wanted: "Ma'am, since I'm a pledge and I can't wear anything in the house, then can I make my study group strip down too? I mean...I think it's important because if I'm naked and they're not, I'm worried they're not gonna take me seriously." Tracy thought for a moment, and finally nodded. "I don't have a problem with that. I agree that if you're gonna lead a study group you ought to be in charge, and I see your point on the clothing issue. I guess that'll also separate who's really interested in your tutoring and who just wants to get her questions answered and not work. All right, when I make the announcement about the study group I'll explain there's gonna be a nudity requirement and that you're the one running the show. If there's any other conditions you want, let me know, and I'll add those to my announcement." A few minutes later the members of the Four-Beta Sorority gathered in the sitting room for an emergency meeting called by Shannon. The junior class leader ceded the podium to the Pledge Mistress, who ordered Pledge Lisa to stand up and join her. Tracy announced that Lisa had taken and passed Ruth Burnside's dreaded "Theory of Economics" course and was proctoring the same class during the summer semester. Therefore, she would set up a study group that would meet for an hour each week on Tuesday nights and Thursday nights, and spend part of each Sunday night reviewing assignments and answering questions. The Pledge Mistress added that because Lisa was a pledge and prohibited from wearing any clothing in the sorority house, anyone joining her study group would have to obey the rules of the pledge uniform by attending the sessions in the nude. During the meetings Lisa's subservient status as a pledge would be suspended and she would be completely in charge of anyone seeking her help. Lisa was very nervous as she stood beside the Pledge Mistress and listened to the formal announcement about the study group. Then she noticed something that made her much more nervous, the look on the face of the Sergeant-at-Arms. Heather was not pleased at all by what was going on and was watching the Pledge Mistress with a very disapproving expression. Obviously there was going to be a problem between Heather and Tracy over the study group idea. ---------- Lisa spent a busy week as she pursued her numerous academic responsibilities. Besides dealing with her own classes, she proctored Ruth Burnside's exams, helped grade papers, and assisted her mentor in her office in many other ways. Time became a very scarce resource in the professor's office as the stress of coursework overrode the developing personal relationship between Burnside and Lisa. The pressure was on to cram as much material as possible into the few weeks of classes that remained. No sooner did Lisa get back to the sorority and have dinner than came her second round of academic responsibilities. Tuesday and Thursday nights she led a total of seven naked sorority members at a table in the sitting room, going over assignments and making sure her companions understood the basic formulas and theories presented by Burnside. The problems of Lisa's study group varied, but it seemed that the women who were good in math and understood the formulas couldn't apply them to theory, while the women who could grasp the theory couldn't deal with the math. Lisa competently addressed her group's concerns and felt real satisfaction as the material and its application began to make sense to her companions. As they began to get caught up and feel more confident about learning, Lisa's study group members began accepting her leadership and often totally forgot that she still was just a pledge. Already the study group saw Lisa as one of their equals and a person with huge leadership potential for the sorority. While Lisa was working with her study group, Tracy was with the three freshmen, exhorting them to study, forcing them to constantly exercise, and leading them in house chores. Because Lisa was tied up with her study group, Tracy took her place working around the house. She led by example, frenetically cleaning and challenging her charges to keep up. Pledge Mistress Tracy's behavior became more and more of an enigma for the other members of the sorority. By the middle of July she had become little more than a pledge herself, spending all of her time with the newcomers and ignoring the other seniors. Her behavior confirmed her odd reputation in the sorority and her status as an outsider. However, her actions were ensuring that the current group of pledges was completely ready to join the sorority. On top of everything else was Pledge Lisa Campbell's study group, which held out hope to several sophomores and juniors that they could avoid failing Burnside's classes and keep themselves and the sorority out of trouble. By the middle of July, both Elaine, the leader of the sophomores, and Shannon, the leader of the juniors, had decided that they would support Tracy for the presidency of the sorority. Elaine and Shannon agreed that if Tracy were elected chapter president, she would be a nice change from Alexandra, who was a good public speaker, but somewhat self-centered and not a very dynamic or imaginative leader. They both decided that, unless there were any changes between July and the August election, they would formally back Tracy for chapter president and vote to keep Heather in her current position of Sergeant-at-Arms. Neither much cared for Tracy as a person, but it was obvious that she was driven and her harsh no-nonsense attitude was what was needed to "get things done". Above everything else, Tracy was much more concerned about the well-being of the people around her than herself. She was totally fair and even-handed in her dealings with other people, and willing to make sacrifices for other women in the sorority. ---------- The second Saturday of July was a filled with an event that, for 24 hours, took everyone's mind off academics. It was time for the summer semester's "Skins and Shirts Ball", when all members of Tri-Alpha Fraternity would fulfill the previous month's forfeit by attending the dance in the nude. Throughout the afternoon the sorority's women cheerfully got ready for the formal dance as they prepared their hair and makeup and made sure their most elegant gowns and dresses were properly cleaned and pressed. Part of the fun would be the extreme contrast between the formally dressed women and the naked men. The more the women could make that contrast obvious, the better. While the other women were getting ready, there was a furious debate among the sorority officers concerning what to do about the pledges. Tracy argued that they should be allowed to dress up, given that it was the pledges that had won the scavenger hunt. Sergeant-at-Arms Heather argued the opposite; that because they were still pledges, the newcomers should attend the dance in the nude, regardless of what had happened during the hunt. Finally, disgusted with the conflict, Alexandra issued her decision. The pledges simply would wear their pledge uniforms: no formal dresses, but no total nudity either. As for Pledge Lisa, she would wear her thong, since that was what she was wearing on campus. Tracy was furious at Heather, but knew better than to argue in front of Alexandra. She felt bad for the pledges, but at least they did not have to attend the ball in the nude. To register her disgust, however, she returned to her room and pulled out her own pledge uniform. If her pledges had to wear their uniforms to the dance, then she would wear hers as well. The ball itself was held in the Alumni Center on Old Campus. The Alumni Center was an old mansion, the original residence of the university president. A large fancy room used for conferences and social events complete with bathrooms and a restaurant-style kitchen took up the entire first floor, while the upstairs bedrooms had been converted to offices and meeting rooms. A rich benefactor of the university who was a Tri-Alpha alumnus had paid for the renovations and the building's upkeep, with the understanding that the Tri-Alpha fraternity could use the Alumni Center for its formal social events. The evening started at 8:00 p.m. when three air-conditioned buses arrived at the sorority to pick up the women. Although the Alumni Center was only a short walk from the Four-Beta house, walking there in formal gowns in the hot weather was not practical. The women were the honored guests and thus would ride to the ball in comfort. When Lisa got on the bus, she was surprised to see that the driver was naked. He was a junior in the fraternity and the bus ride was considered part of the formal event, hence his lack of covering. Lisa later learned that the fraternity members already had ridden over to the Alumni Center in the same buses, leaving their clothing behind at the Tri-Alpha house. According to tradition, the losing side of the "Skins and Shirts Ball" had to travel to the dance naked and be completely cut off from any clothing until the dance was over. Once the sorority members got off the buses, they filed into the Alumni Center by class, the seniors going first. The only exception was Tracy, who, as Pledge Mistress, had to go in with the pledges so she could formally introduce them. Following the seniors, Shannon and Elaine led their respective groups into the building, followed by Tracy's group. As they entered the main room, the pledges faced the officers of the fraternity, all of whom were completely naked. Tracy formally introduced her pledges one by one. As dictated by tradition, each fraternity officer stepped forward to kiss the hand of each pledge. Although the fraternity officer already had interacted with the pledges and had seen plenty of them over the summer, the greeting was an important part of tradition, an official recognition of the pledges by the most important members of the fraternity. The men and women paired off by class. Each Tri-Alpha presented a corsage to his female counterpart, and then posed for an official dance photo. The photographer was the same student who had taken the official pledge ID pictures back in May, Lisa's friend Suzanne Foster. The Tri-Alpha and Four-Beta pledges were not paired with each other, but instead with officers. Of course, Tri-Alpha VP Jacob took Cherine for himself, and Four-Beta Sergeant-at-Arms Heather picked the poor guy she had been tormenting throughout the summer. Tracy paired off with Ken, Lisa got Pledge Master Arnold, and Kathleen got the Tri-Alpha president. Bernadette was paired off with the Tri-Alpha Sergeant-at-Arms and looked longingly at her partner's stocky muscular figure. She knew that having sex with him was out of the question because of the prohibition against sex between Four-Beta pledges and Tri-Alpha members. Lisa noticed the hungry look in her fellow pledge's eyes and could tell the night was going to be a real torment for Bernadette, being surrounded by all that naked male flesh and not be able to enjoy any of it. All those male organs on display, nearly a hundred of them... It was at that moment that Bernadette set a goal for herself. She wanted to make love to every man in the fraternity. Her eyes were feasting on all those penises: long-short...circumcised-not circumcised...light-dark... All those penises...all those variations of male organs...and she wanted to see what each one felt like inside her. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 33 ---------- Apart from the novelty of having all the males spend the night in the nude, the "Skins and Shirts Ball" was not very different from any other formal fraternity-sorority dance event. The evening started with a seven-course meal that included three choices of entrees. The food was extremely good and the pledges totally stuffed themselves. Once the dinner was finished, there was a bathroom break for the sorority women while the fraternity members cleared the room, and finally two hours of slow dancing to music given by live musicians. Throughout the night Suzanne ran about the room taking volumes of pictures, both posed and un-posed. Also, Lisa noticed several couples taking breaks to go upstairs. As always, sex was encouraged for everyone apart from the pledges. Lisa took advantage of her time alone with Pledge Master Arnold to find out as much as she could about the Tri-Alpha pledge program, partly so she could find out more about what Ken was doing and what he had gone through so far. She never asked Arnold anything specific about Ken, but she knew that at least she could get a general idea about what he was doing. Arnold turned out to be quite chatty, inadvertently giving up a lot of personal information about all five of his pledges. It also turned out that he was gay and had been quite interested in Ken. His voice reflected real disappointment as he reflected about Ken's situation: "You know...he had a lot of fantasies...came in with a lot of homoerotic thoughts on his mind... But, I guess one thing that he figured out after he started pledging was that his fantasies and his sexuality were two different things. That's a real shame, 'cause I think he's really cute." Lisa got Arnold to talk about the Tri-Alpha sexual training program for pledges and then to talk about what he thought of each of his charges. She was not particularly interested in the others, but she was desperate to get more information about Ken. Arnold opened up, confiding quite a bit about his pledge's most inner thoughts to his former girlfriend. Among other things, he confirmed Lisa's suspicion that Ken had enjoyed being her sub, but that she had made a serious mistake in the way she had treated him. Although she constantly savagely punished him, she had considered the punishments as nothing more than sexual play. Lisa had not attempted to take control of Ken's life outside of their sexual adventures. She considered him her friend and her equal, and it turned out that was not what he really wanted. She realized that Arnold's observations matched what she had suspected about her former boyfriend. Ken needed to surrender himself to a loving mistress, someone who could control him and punish him when necessary, but who would mostly concentrate on running his life and making him feel protected. In other words, what Ken needed was the exact same thing Kathleen needed. The problem was that he could not figure out how to express that need to her. Lisa wondered if his sexual experimentation with the fraternity and his fantasies about Jason Schmidt actually were a subconscious plea for help and understanding. ---------- The following evening President Alexandra presented one of the strangest seminars of the summer, called "Dildos, vibrators, and the joys of inanimate penetration". With an air of total seriousness, the chapter president demonstrated and talked about various sex toys, how they were used, and how they needed to be sterilized and maintained. The presentation was accompanied by a PowerPoint slide show with very graphic photos and diagrams. However, the slide show was nothing in comparison with what followed, live demonstrations from two members of the sorority. When the slide show finished, the chapter president's two male attendants entered the room. Both were completely naked. The two young men set up a massage table as Alexandra ordered the nervous, blushing pledges to stand. An equally naked Four-Beta junior entered the room, hopped up on the table, and immediately got on her elbows and knees. With the assistance of one of the males, she inserted a vibrator up her bottom and turned it on. The woman massaged herself from the front with a second vibrator as Alexandra's other attendant rubbed her shoulders. Within seconds her consciousness shut out everything else in the room as she immersed herself in extreme sexual pleasure. As the junior gasped from a series of orgasms and the males quietly watched, Alexandra calmly explained the technique the demonstrator was using to stimulate herself. She glanced at Kathleen as she commented: "What you are now watching is a masturbation technique that focuses on anal stimulation. Those of us whose center of pleasure is concentrated in their bottoms will get the most enjoyment out of what you are watching now. You will notice that stimulation of the clitoris is part of the experience, but the main focus in on penetration and stimulation of the sphincter." Kathleen's face turned quite red, but she continued to watch the demonstrator with intense interest. Once the first demonstrator came down off her orgasmic high, Alexandra's attendants helped her off the massage table and escorted her out of the room. The two young men came back in with another naked junior, who lay on her back on the table. The attendants covered her body with massage oil before handing her a large dildo and a smaller vibrator. The young woman pushed in the dildo and used the vibrator to stimulate herself. Alexandra continued: "This technique focuses mostly on the vagina, although our demonstrator will also use the rest of her body to enhance the orgasmic experience. You will notice that she knows her body very well and knows where to place her hands for maximum effect. Keep that in mind, ladies. Your experience will be different from what you are seeing here, because all of you have different bodies. The better you know where the pleasure centers on your body are located, the better you will be at achieving total orgasm, even if you happen to be without a partner." The sight of a second naked young woman enjoying an orgasm had its effect on the two attendants. By the time the demonstrator was finished both of them had erections. Lisa noticed Bernadette looking longingly at Alexandra's two males and remembered that she had not had the chance to make love to anyone for nearly a week. "OK, now it's time for your practical exercise. We are opening four rooms for you, the guest room and three bedrooms upstairs. Each of you must select two items from the collection you see on the table, use them to achieve orgasm, and write an essay on your experience. This practical exercise will test not only your ability to give pleasure to your own body, but also to follow directions and express a personal experience in writing. Do you understand?" "Yes, President Alexandra." "I expect a two-page essay on your experience. Two pages? That's right, ladies, two pages. There's plenty you can write about in those two pages. You should include what sexual fantasies enhance your orgasmic experience, how using sex toys differs from using just your fingers, and what other experiences in masturbation you've had. There's plenty to write about, so I don't want any of you telling me you can't think of what to say." Alexandra excused herself at that point, taking her two attendants with her. The pledges looked at each other, deeply irritated by the unfairness of the situation. Alexandra gets two guys completely to herself, and here we are, having to make do with a bunch of stupid plastic toys. Lisa was surprised to see Kathleen approach the table first and quickly select two vibrators and a large dildo. Of all the women in the pledge group, it was Kathleen who had the most experience masturbating. She had a very active sex drive, but it had been frustrated throughout her life because most of her real-life encounters had resulted in hurtful, disappointing, or humiliating experiences. Masturbating was something safe that she knew how to do quite well. As much as she would have preferred to make love to Lisa, she knew that Tracy would not allow it and she would just have to make do with toys. The other three women approached the table much more reluctantly. Bernadette was outright hostile to the idea of masturbating or using a vibrator. For her the only way to have an orgasm was with a male lover. I don't need plastic, because a man's real dick is the only thing I want going inside me. She let out a sigh as she picked out a penis-shaped dildo and walked away from the table. Lisa was as reluctant to pick up a dildo or vibrator as was Bernadette, but for somewhat different reasons. Lisa was used to masturbating whenever she did not have a partner, but preferred to use her fingers instead of foreign objects. She happily anticipated taking advantage of a room to herself to relieve her sexual tension, but then would fill her two pages writing about her preference to use her fingers instead of sex toys. Cherine blushed as she approached the table, never having seen sex toys up close before, let alone pick them up. This was a chance for her to experiment with something new. She selected a vibrator and a massager and tried to hide the fact she very much was looking forward to trying them out. Ordinarily she would not have dared let anyone see her touching sex items, but the fact she had been ordered to do so took away most of her inhibitions. ---------- A few minutes later Lisa was alone in a bedroom lent to her by one of the seniors. She had been directed to lay a sheet over the top of the bed and not touch anything else in the room. Upon finishing her orgasm she would exit and close the door, take the sheet downstairs, and report to the sorority library to write her essay. Lisa looked at the two vibrators she had selected, rolled her eyes, and set them on the senior's nightstand. She lay on the bed and turned out the light, quite happy to have a few uninterrupted minutes to herself in a silent dark room. For a few minutes she simply lay quietly and allowed her thoughts to clear so she could enjoy herself. She began moving her fingertips up and down her stomach and thighs as the first part of her assignment in self-pleasure. For a while Lisa's mind tried to find a topic; a personal experience or a fantasy, that would arouse her enough to work pursue a sexual climax. She tried to focus on Kathleen, but for whatever reason thinking about Kathleen did not excite her at that moment. Her thoughts moved to Ken, but that didn't work either. Finally she allowed her thoughts to wander to her experience in Burnside's class a couple of weeks before, when she was ordered to stand with her back to 150 classmates so they could study her bare bottom and satisfy their curiosity about her thong. The experience may have been humiliating, but to Lisa it also was extremely erotic. She wished that she could have been forced to stand in front of the class totally naked, or better yet, naked with her legs spread and her hands behind her head, just like she had to be when inside Burnside's office. Or better yet, naked with her hands behind her head and her legs spread in the middle of the courtyard of the Student Memorial Center. Yes, right in the middle of the SMC on registration day, when the entire university converged in that one spot and would see her. Everyone would take pictures with her and everyone, male and female, would satisfy their curiosity by touching her and exploring her uncovered body with their hands...thousands of hands seeking her body and exploring... Lisa massaged the inner part of her thighs and teased her vulva as her mind continued wandering through the erotic labyrinth of her fantasy world. Her thoughts suddenly shifted from her fantasy of extreme exhibitionism to Ruth Burnside and Jim Halsey. Lisa had become their naked servant, officially collared and having signed a contract handing over her life to the two professors. Her purpose was to bring them pleasure and cater to their needs. When she knelt to show her submission, she knelt in the style of a Danubian criminal, with her head on the ground, her knees spread, and her back arched so that her vulva and bottom-hole were totally exposed and properly displayed. Her bottom and thighs were covered with whip-marks, because constant punishment was an important component of her daily life. Her purpose in life was to serve, and to suffer... Lisa sat up with fright as she suddenly came to her senses. That second fantasy terrified her because it was so vivid, and yet also was quite plausible. It already was the life Mark Gertz led with Professor Burnside, a grueling painful existence on ongoing humiliations...was that really what Lisa envisioned for herself? Couldn't she do better? Wasn't she worth much more than that? She lay back down and began massaging her sweaty body. She had to start from scratch because the sudden scare had canceled her impending climax. She cleared her mind and began letting the physical sensations of her own caresses fill her consciousness. Now she was ready to fantasize about her own life: about Kathleen, and also about Ken. She pictured them kneeling together, both of them completely naked. Lisa had become the mistress, the object of total devotion and affection from her two servants. She was seated while Ken massaged and licked her right foot and Kathleen massaged and licked her left foot. Together they looked up at her, silently asking her for permission to start massaging her legs. Kathleen and Ken gradually moved up Lisa's body together. Their movements were perfectly synchronized because she had taken the time to properly train them. Each was responsible for half of her body; Ken for the right side and Kathleen for the left. By now Lisa's two servants had worked their way up to her breasts. In unison they kissed and licked their mistress's areolas and nipples as she gasped and came closer to orgasm. They kissed her bottom and took turns stimulating her vulva... Finally it was time for Lisa and her two servants to give each other extreme pleasure. Ken lay on the floor on his back as Lisa lowered herself over his very erect penis. Kathleen positioned herself over his face, because he needed to satisfy her needs as well. As Ken's penis pumped semen into Lisa's vagina and as his tongue worked its way around Kathleen's vulva, Lisa took the girl's face in her hands and kissed her. Lisa's tongue explored Kathleen's lips while Ken's tongue explored the lips of her vulva. They climaxed together, three lovers and three synchronized orgasms. It was a perfect lovers' triangle, but one of love and pleasure, not one of hurt and envy. Sweat trickled down Lisa's body as she finally climaxed. Ken and Kathleen...Ken and Kathleen... She came to her senses and sat up in the dark waiting for her heart rate to go down and breathing to return to normal. Ken and Kathleen...two lives dedicated to her...two lovers to satisfy her body...two souls under her protection... Now Lisa Campbell knew what she wanted. She did not want be forced to choose between Ken and Kathleen. She wanted them both. Lisa also understood that both of her lovers needed her. It was her destiny to create a meaningful life for them, a life in which they could fulfill their purpose to serve and obey her. ---------- As she exited the room and returned her unused sex toys to the sorority's sitting room, Lisa remembered Kathleen's little adventure at Burnside's party the previous weekend. She had been so busy with the tutoring crisis that she had forgotten about her lover's infidelity, but she still wanted to address it. She doubted the adventure would affect how she felt about Kathleen, but it did give her a welcome opportunity to inflict real punishment and move much closer to establishing complete control over the young woman's life. Lisa had noticed that her lover was very nervous on Tuesday, but as the week progressed she seemed to calm down. As the days went by and nothing was mentioned about the party, she began to hope that perhaps Lisa would not discover that she had sex with Ken. For the first, and the only time, she attempted to keep something that she had done hidden from her partner. The two women sat down next to each other to write out their essays and turned them in to Tracy. Then, Lisa told the unsuspecting girl to follow her to the pool area. As soon as she saw that no one else was outside, she abruptly grabbed Kathleen's arms and pulled her face-to-face. She stared hard into the younger woman's shocked eyes as she held her tight: "I know all about what you did at Dr. Burnside's party, Kathleen. Do you really think I wasn't gonna find out? Did you really think you could keep something like that a secret from me?" Kathleen's face went white and she began trembling from shock and fright. She automatically looked away, but Lisa shook her. "You look at me! Don't you dare look anywhere except straight into my eyes!" Kathleen's body began shaking in earnest as she struggled to force herself to look into her lover's eyes. Lisa tightened her grip on the unhappy girl's thin arms and stared hard into her terrified face: "The only reason I didn't talk to you earlier is because I was hoping you'd have the decency to come clean on your own! I just wanted to give you a couple of days to think about 'fessing up, but I guess you weren't gonna tell me, were you?" "Uh...I..." "What do you think I am, an idiot? Did you really think you could pull that shit on me and get away with it? Did you really think that?" "I...I..." Lisa shook Kathleen again and snarled: "Answer me!" Instead of Kathleen's trembling voice, Lisa heard the splatter of liquid hitting the pavement. Then she felt a warm wetness gathering around her feet as the smell of urine hit her nose. Kathleen was so scared that she had lost control of her bladder. Lisa let her go. "You clean that up. And while you're cleaning up, you can think about what your punishment ought to be. Think real hard about how you're gonna make it up to me." With that Lisa left Kathleen on the patio. She deliberately stepped into a puddle of pool water to clean off her feet. Without looking back to see what her lover was doing, she unceremoniously went back into the house. Lisa had taken to heart Ruth Burnside's lessons in establishing total dominance over her lover by using her own emotions against her. Only through submission and pain could Kathleen find forgiveness and redemption. The sad girl faced cruel punishment, but whatever punishment she was destined to endure she would have to choose for herself. She would be a willing participant in her own subjugation as she begged for the right to be punished and the privilege of surrendering her body. Lisa still did not have a clue about what Kathleen actually did Monday night or who she had been with. For the moment that detail did not really matter, because her only goal was to use the incident to her advantage to exert absolute control over her lover's life. Not knowing a particular detail was not a major concern, because she figured that she would find out soon enough. Of course, Lisa had carefully worded what she said to make Kathleen believe that she knew exactly what had happened, even though the opposite was true. That was another of Burnside's lessons; a dominatrix should always try to give her subs the impression of infallibility. ---------- Kathleen trembled and cried as she selected a mop and cleaning bucket from the supply room. She cleaned up her mess, wrung out the mop, and continued to shake as she went into the storeroom where the discipline supplies were kept. She shuddered as she felt various cruel discipline implements in her hands. Heavy flexible straps, floggers, switches, canes, paddles of varying weights and thickness, all had their advantages and drawbacks. She had to think about what position would be best for Lisa: should she be cuffed to the ceiling so she could be whipped, or should she be bent over? How long would Lisa want to punish her? Should she subject herself to other indignities such as an enema? The Pledge Mistress Ch. 33 Kathleen was totally terrified, but at the same time she was relieved that her secret was out and that Lisa did not show any sign that she wanted to break up over what had happened. With no second thought Kathleen accepted that her lover had the right to discipline her by whipping her. She owed Lisa that much, presenting her body for a truly cruel punishment that would test her tolerance for pain and her resolve to remain part of her lover's life. She would have to show herself no mercy as she selected the implements to be used on her. Kathleen figured that Lisa would want to have a lengthy punishment session and use an implement with which she could strike many times. In Kathleen's mind, that eliminated using any hard items such as wooden paddles or canes. She figured that she should be punished standing up, with her entire body exposed to whatever Lisa wanted to do to her. She narrowed the selection further to items that could be used to whip a standing subject repeatedly and that could be used not only on her bottom, but also on her back and her thighs. Finally she narrowed the selection to a flogger and a small two-tailed whip. The whip did not look like one of the more severe discipline items owned by the sorority, but she knew from experience that it stung horribly. Kathleen understood that the whipping was only a small part of what Lisa expected from her. She would have to atone in other ways as well, by demonstrating that she was her loyal servant. ---------- Lisa had to spend the rest of Sunday evening with her study group, so it was not until much later that Kathleen had the chance to be alone with her for a few minutes. The girl approached trembling and cringing with her eyes full of tears, as frightened and miserable as a person could be. When she saw her terrified, fidgety lover, she knew that she was completely under her control. Everything in Kathleen's behavior indicated that she was willing to surrender her entire life to Lisa. She's mine...she's mine and I have to watch over her, thought Lisa to herself. Had Kathleen been able to exercise any control over her emotions, she would have known that the best way she could have tried to maintain some independence in her relationship with Lisa would have been to stay away from her for a few days and let time put the unpleasant encounter with her lover into perspective. However, Kathleen was not capable of leaving things unsettled for any period of time. Her need to have all of her personal issues resolved immediately made her extremely vulnerable. Now, in her desperation to seek Lisa's forgiveness, she was willing to do anything...literally anything. The punishment that would formalize their arrangement would have to wait until they had a few hours to be completely alone, Being a sorority pledge complicated any overt efforts for Kathleen to demonstrate submission to Lisa, because the only displays of submission a pledge was allowed were to the sorority officers. If Kathleen were seen kneeling to Lisa during the pledge-training period, chances were the Pledge Mistress would throw a fit and punish them both. The delay did not mean that Kathleen's punishment wouldn't happen, however. Eventually she would be chastised, because punishment was the only way she could set things right with Lisa. Lisa took Kathleen's hand and returned to the pool area, which, fortunately still was completely deserted. In the darkness they made their way to the sorority's gazebo. Lisa hugged her lover in a gesture of caring and redemption. Kathleen suddenly broke down crying, but Lisa knew what she needed to say to comfort her. "I still love you. Even though I'll have to punish you, I still love you. You understand that, right?" Kathleen sobbed and nodded her head. For a long time she pressed her teary face into her mistress's chest and held on to her, very tightly. Finally it was time for Lisa to make a small request, one that would be the first out of many that Kathleen would perform as her servant. "Come on, let's go down to the pool area." Lisa lay down on one of the chaise lounges: "Go ahead and get on your knees. I'll let you rub my feet." Kathleen complied and spent a long time massaging her mistress's feet. She massaged until her hands were tired and her knees ached from pressing down on the hard pavement, but she could not have been happier. Lisa loved her. In spite of everything she had done and the scary punishment that she had yet to endure, Lisa still loved her. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 34 Chapter 34 -- Pledge Brittany The following week marked a subtle, but significant change in the relationship between Lisa and Kathleen. What went on between them had to be conducted out of sight of Tracy and the other pledges, but the two lovers understood that Lisa now was in charge of Kathleen's life. Kathleen's eagerness to please Lisa and make up for the incident at Burnside's party forced her to ask permission before doing anything. In subtle ways Lisa let her lover know that asking permission to do even the most routine things was what she would expect for the future. As for sex, that would be on Lisa's terms, although both lovers understood that Lisa had an obligation to satisfy Kathleen's needs as much as Kathleen had an obligation to obey Lisa. Another part of the understanding between the two women was Kathleen's eventual punishment. It was very unlikely that Lisa would have the opportunity to punish Kathleen prior to swearing in, but that delay did not mean the punishment wasn't going to happen or that its severity would be reduced. Every so often Lisa dropped a reminder about the upcoming chastisement, or patted Kathleen's bottom to let her know that she had not forgotten. At that point Lisa still did not know that her lover had cheated with Ken. Had she known that detail, she would have realized that she was very close to her fulfilling her fantasy about the two most important people in her life. What she did notice, when she caught fleeting glimpses of him, was that Ken's behavior was somewhat nervous and that he seemed uneasy about something. As soon as she had a chance to be alone with him, she would have to find out what was bothering him. However, as the summer semester began drawing to a close and the pressure of finals intensified, Lisa knew that her chances to talk to Ken alone were greatly diminished. ---------- The week after the "Skins and Shirts Ball" was even less pleasant than the week that preceded the dance. The pressure was on to study, prepare for the pre-swearing in PT test, and memorize the rules, history, and traditions of the Four-Beta Sorority. Before swearing in, the pledges would have to formally present their grades to President Alexandra to prove they were competent students. Once they had proven themselves academically, the pledges face two final challenges. They had to perform PT to military standards and they had to be interviewed by the Four-Beta officers about their knowledge of the sorority itself. Following the interviews, the officers would prepare a report about each pledge for presentation to the membership for a formal vote of admittance, which would be held at the Friday meeting on August 12. Formal swearing in would be the following day, at a ceremony held at midnight. There was another duty awaiting the pledges: volleyball. At the beginning of every fall semester the sororities held volleyball tournaments against each other, the rule being that only freshmen and sophomores were allowed to play. The previous year the Four-Beta's had come in second out of 23 participating sororities, but unfortunately all of last year's players now were juniors and ineligible to play. As for Elaine's group, there were only two players who could hold up in a volleyball court and not make total fools out of themselves. Other sophomores had athletic talent, but it was not playing volleyball. Tracy took her pledges out to the back yard to have them practice and see if any might make suitable volleyball players. It turned out that all of them had some experience playing volleyball and that each pledge had different talent. Bernadette was very good at serving, while Lisa's height made her a natural for spiking the ball over the net. Kathleen was quick on her feet and good at making saves and passing the ball to other players. Cherine was the most versatile of the pledges, able to play any position competently. As soon as she saw her group in action, Tracy realized that, when the pledges were combined with the two sophomores, the sorority already had the core players for that fall semester's team. Hopefully the fall pledge group would provide some alternates, and the Four-Betas could come close to matching the previous group led by Shannon. So...every night volleyball practice was added to the endless list of duties and responsibilities the pledges had to fulfill. The days and nights were full and the pledges were exhausted, but everyone, with the exception of a single sorority officer, took it for granted that four new members would swear in at the end of the summer semester. ---------- Heather understood that the chapter presidency, which only a few weeks before had seemed assured to be hers, was gone. If she did not have the support of Elaine and Shannon, she would not be able to count on the votes of very many of the sophomores and juniors. She realized that if her position continued to deteriorate, it was quite likely that several seniors would vote against her as well. As for simply staying in her current position as Sergeant-at-Arms; no, that was unacceptable. Heather's soul filled with anger and hatred over what she felt was a betrayal of everyone in the sorority. The presidency was rightfully hers. How dare all those stupid bitches turn against her, after all the time she put into making the sorority such a great place? And just who was it that was taking away what rightfully belonged to her? That miserable butch soldier-girl, with her nasty attitude... And why? Because...because of that bi-sexual California slut Lisa Campbell...that kiss-up who didn't even have the decency to pledge as a freshman. No...that Californian had to wait, so she could come in as Pledge Know-it-all. Oh yes, the slut princess of the Economics Department... Throughout the middle of July, Heather's bitterness, resentment, and hatred intensified against Tracy and Lisa. She began to obsess about the pledge even more than her rival, thinking that it was Lisa who had made Tracy so popular. What to do? How could she get even? She took it for granted she no longer could win the Four-Beta presidency, but at least she wanted to get revenge against Lisa for ruining her life. Then Heather's thoughts took another turn. Tracy wouldn't be where she was without Pledge Lisa. What would happen if she somehow could get rid of Lisa? Perhaps, if Tracy's star pledge were eliminated, her popularity would collapse and Heather would remain the top contender for the sorority presidency. From that initial idea, Heather's thoughts began to move in a very unfortunate direction... Get rid of Lisa...get rid of Lisa...get rid of Lisa... Tracy and Heather carefully watched each other throughout the first weeks of July. Each knew what the other was thinking: that Heather was looking for an opportunity to strike at Tracy, while Tracy fully anticipated that something was going to happen and would have to counter. The nature of the fight and the two women's personalities gave Heather had one advantage over her rival. Tracy never struck first in a fight. She waited for her opponent to do something, and then countered. Her reluctance to initiate any confrontations gave Heather the luxury of waiting for an opportunity... ---------- On Wednesday night of the third week in July, the familiar pattern of the final weeks of pledging was disrupted in a big way. Very late that evening Tracy led her pledge group from the campus library back to the sorority, weighted down as usual, with library books. As they passed the small park near the sorority, Tracy's keen senses alerted her that something was wrong. She decided to investigate, ordering her group to wait for her on the sidewalk. The Pledge Mistress disappeared into the darkness. Then the pledges heard a cough and what sounded like gagging. "Wake up! Wake up! Please...you've got to wake up!" Tracy's words were followed by more gagging and another cough. The pledges immediately ran into the park, only to be confronted by very grim sight. The Pledge Mistress was sitting on the ground holding another young woman. Both were covered in vomit. The other woman's face was partially obscured by torn duct tape, which also covered her wrists and ankles. The woman's feet and hands still were bound, because Tracy had not yet had the opportunity to take off anything other than the tape covering her companion's mouth and eyes. "Cherine, get the tape off her hands! Kathleen, you get my phone out of my backpack and call 911! Alcohol poisoning and asphyxiation! Very shallow breathing...victim semi-conscious! Bernadette, go out to the sidewalk and watch for cops! If you see one, flag him down!" As Kathleen nervously pulled out Tracy's phone and dialed 911 with trembling hands, Cherine and Lisa began tearing at the duct tape wrapped around the other woman's ankles and wrists. They were amazed at how much tape had been used to bind their companion and at how long it took to get it off. Tracy continued to concentrate on the woman's face, trying to make sure she was breathing and that her air passage was not blocked. It was quite probable that she had inhaled some vomit into her lungs, but there wasn't much Tracy could do about that. The Pledge Mistress and Lisa held the semi-conscious woman upright as vomit and mucus continued dribbling out of her nose and mouth. Bernadette came back within a couple of minutes with two cops running behind her. Immediately they took over, one of them grabbing Tracy's arm and rudely pushing her out of the way. An ambulance pulled up to the entrance of the park, and Bernadette ran back out to flag down the medics. As for directly helping the victim, the Four-Betas were finished. However, their involvement in the case was far from over. The police ordered the women to get into squad cars to go downtown for questioning. What started out as a simple good deed turned into an all-night odyssey. The police separated Tracy from the rest of her group and interrogated her about what happened. The cop clearly was very angry, shouting at her that the emergency was the fourth sorority-related alcohol-poisoning incident that week. She held up her hands: "Officer! She's not my pledge! I don't know who she is! We just found her, all tied up!" With that Tracy recited what happened, a story confirmed by the separate interview of each member of the Four-Beta group. It became obvious that the women were telling the truth, partly because of their uniforms, and partly because their health and appearance were nothing like the condition of the young woman in the emergency room. While the women of the Four-Beta Sorority waited to answer questions and fill out witness declarations, the medics took the poisoning victim to the emergency room where she had her stomach pumped, her lungs cleaned out, and a breathing tube with oxygen inserted into her mouth. She needed to be re-hydrated and get some rest, but soon it became apparent that she narrowly had escaped any lasting damage to her health. Actually, she narrowly escaped dying asphyxiated by her own vomit. ---------- Oddly enough, in spite of her condition, the patient remembered some of the details of her rescue, something about a tall, dark-haired woman pulling the tape off her mouth. She wanted to see her rescuer, partly to thank her, and partly to piece together what happened. She refused to go back to sleep until the hospital contacted the police station to find that dark-haired woman. Finally, at 3:00 a.m. the night nurse relented and placed a call to see if Tracy still was with the police. Upon getting the phone call, Tracy gave up on the idea that she might get any sleep that night, so she called a taxi and ordered her pledges to return to the sorority. She knew that she was letting them out of her sight for the first time in over a month. However, she did not see how she could avoid going to the hospital and the pledges absolutely had to get some sleep. The pledges, who by that time were accustomed to trailing behind Tracy without interruption, were uneasy about being separated from their mentor, but the need for sleep overrode any other concerns. They were quite glad to be headed back to the sorority. An officer took Tracy to the hospital and led her to the young woman she had rescued. She was pale and disheveled, but certainly looked much better than she looked when Tracy first saw her in the park. Tracy introduced herself and calmly asked her companion her name. The woman in the bed introduced herself as Brittany. Upon learning her name, the Four-Beta Pledge Mistress asked Brittany how much she remembered about what happened in the park. "I...I remember you...and choking...and...how dark it was...I guess that's about it." "You don't remember how you got there?" "Yeah, I kinda do, but it's a secret. We're not allowed to talk about it." "Well, Brittany, I think, since me and my pledge group gave up our night helping you out, you're gonna have to talk about it, whether you're allowed to or not. You owe me an explanation. You asked to see me, and I'm here. Now that I'm here, I want to know what the fuck you were doing, drunk and tied up by yourself in a park at 10:30 at night." None of Brittany's story surprised Tracy. She was pledging an un-chartered sorority that was one of the Four-Beta Sorority's bitterest rivals. Brittany's sorority was everything the Four-Beta's were not, a smaller, cliquish, rather disorganized group living in a totally trashed house with a social life that mostly revolved around drinking parties and an associated fraternity. Brittany had undergone two hellish months of various hazing rituals that focused around constant drinking, performing oral sex on fraternity members, and random humiliations. For some reason, tying their pledges with duct tape and leaving them in isolated spots seemed to be a favorite activity of the members of the rival sorority. The park incident was not the first time Brittany had been duct-taped while drunk and left alone for several hours. The previous week she had been duct-taped and left sitting in a pond, and when she finally was pulled out she had several leeches attached to her body. Tracy's training as a psychologist and Brittany's need to talk to someone about her unpleasant life resulted in a very long conversation. Tracy was interested in helping the younger woman and realized that she deeply regretted signing on as a pledge with her sorority. There wasn't anything Brittany could do, however, because once a freshman committed to pledging, she was prohibited from leaving. The sorority members stated quite plainly that anyone who attempted to leave their pledge program would be beaten up upon leaving the house, and then harassed until she left the university. As she continued to talk, Brittany realized how much she hated her sorority and the life she had gotten herself into. She was tired of being drunk or hung-over all the time, tired of dealing with drunken fraternity guys, and very worried about the fact she was failing her summer classes. "I don't know why I even did this. I've had it. I can't take it anymore...I just...can't take it anymore..." There was another concern that Brittany had, a worry that loomed ever larger as her mind cleared of alcohol and she sobered up. Because she had to be rescued by a stranger, undoubtedly she would be beaten up for inadvertently divulging information about her sorority's hazing practices. She became increasingly scared at what was going to happen once her sorority sisters found out what happened and came to the hospital to pick her up. Tracy sat back, mulling over her companion's problems. How stupid, she thought to herself, how stupid. They practically killed this poor girl and now all that's gonna happen is she's gonna get beat up. That's total bullshit. The matter could have ended at that point, Tracy leaving the hospital and Brittany to her fate. However, simply leaving someone if they wanted assistance was not in Tracy's nature. She wanted to help, because it was obvious that the freshman needed to extricate herself from her situation but couldn't do it on her own. There was a second consideration on Tracy's mind. As Pledge Mistress, it was her duty to be constantly looking for potential new members for the sorority. If Brittany was unhappy with her current sorority, what was to prevent her from joining the Four-Beta's? She would have to wait until September to begin formally pledging, but in the meantime she could live at the sorority house, recuperate her health, and try to salvage her grades. Her current sorority would be livid over having one of their pledges defect to a rival sorority and undoubtedly try to strike at her, but so what? To get at Brittany they would have to get into a sorority house guarded by 80 women in excellent physical shape who had taken endless hours of personal defense training. "You know, at the Four-Beta house we do things totally differently." "Yeah, I know. They told us all about you." "Well, did they tell you that at the Four-Beta house we don't drink? We don't let our members get drunk, and there's no way we'd let a pledge touch alcohol. We don't even allow alcohol on our property. During the semester, if we catch anyone drinking, they get put on probation. We catch 'em drinking again, and they get kicked out. We catch anyone with drugs, they're gone immediately. We don't want any of that shit in our lives." "Yeah, they all make fun of you because of it." "...and you think the way you do things is better?" "No. I mean, I thought the drinking would be fun, but it's not. I feel like shit, all the time I feel like shit, and I'm sick of it." "We don't let our members feel like shit. We exercise and eat right so we don't feel like shit. Life's too short to live feeling like shit." Brittany said nothing, but her blank teary stare clearly expressed what was on her mind. She knew that she had pledged the wrong sorority. Tracy continued: "Academics is another thing we don't slack on. My sorority's grade point average is 3.7. We bust our asses making sure we get good grades, because that's why we're here at the university, to go to class. You can't put down how many keg parties you've been to on a resume, so we don't waste our time with that shit." Brittany sat silent. Then she noticed a tiny detail that would change the course of her life. Adhesive from the duct tape still was stuck to her wrist. She wanted it off and began picking at it. Tracy commented: "Having duct tape stuck on your wrists is your choice. You could make this the last time you ever have to pick duct tape off yourself, because we don't do that to our pledges." "But...I can't quit." "Why not?" "Because...I..." Suddenly Tracy's words "you could make this the last time you ever have to pick duct tape off yourself, because we don't do that to our pledges" registered in Brittany's mind. She looked up. "Brittany, I'm issuing an invitation for you to come with me to the Four-Beta house, because it doesn't bother me in the least to grab a pledge from another sorority. You're not happy where you are right now, so I'm giving you a chance to get out." "...you mean, like...join the Four-Beta's?" "What I mean is initiating the process of becoming a Four-Beta pledge. Your formal training wouldn't start until September. Before that, there's a lot of shit in your life you've gotta fix, starting with your classes. If you come with me, I can tell you exactly what you're gonna be doing tonight. You're gonna sit your ass down in the Four-Beta library and start getting caught up with your coursework. We can't let you pledge if your grades are fucked up." The thought of spending a night quietly studying, not drinking or being subjected to beer bongs, not having to suck some guy's dick, not having to be tied up and dumped somewhere, not being insulted or kicked, sealed Brittany's decision to leave the hospital with the no-nonsense woman who had saved her life. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 34 ---------- President Alexandra showed up at the hospital a few minutes later driving a Tri-Alpha minivan. With her she had an extra T-shirt and shorts for her fellow officer, knowing that Tracy's clothing was completely soiled from her encounter with the woman she rescued. Instead of putting the clothing on herself, she directed Brittany to get dressed and put her own reeking clothes into a hospital bag. She quickly explained to Alexandra that Brittany would accompany them back to the sorority. When she heard Brittany's story, Alexandra quickly agreed to take the in wayward pledge as a guest and prospective member. Just as the sun came up and the three women were leaving the hospital, a security guard ran up to the group and told them that Tracy had to go back to the police station to resubmit her declaration. She took a deep breath and objected: "But I already gave a declaration. Why do I have to go back?" "They can't find it, and they're planning send some officers over to talk to that sorority about the drinking violations. They need your statement because they might be writing up some arrest warrants." "Look. I got class. I got my own pledges to deal with. I'd be happy to come back later..." "You gotta go, now. I'm told to get you and that's what I'm here for. You don't have no choice." Both Brittany and Tracy were very worried about the turn in events that would force them to separate. Instead of going to back to campus with Tracy, she had to go with someone she had just met and tell her story all over again. Tracy was worried about something far more serious. If she didn't make it back to campus soon, Heather would be left in charge of the pledge group. To her credit, Alexandra quickly sympathized with Brittany. She was easy to talk to and her diplomatic way of expressing herself contrasted with Tracy's bluntness and military vocabulary. Brittany had to retell her story, but soon it became obvious that Alexandra was just as determined to extricate her from her drunken sorority as was Tracy. As she rode back to the university with Brittany, the Four-Beta president made a series of calls from her cell phone. The first calls were to the professors of the two classes that Tracy had to miss that morning. She simply told a portion of the truth, that her Pledge Mistress had to help a patient suffering from alcohol poisoning. After the calls to the professors came a call to the Four-Beta chapter vice-president to prepare an orientation packet for a prospective pledge. When the president hung up she turned to her companion: "You'll need to formally interview the sorority officers once we get back to the Four-Beta House and start reading the orientation package. However, I want you to just take a quick look at it, because we're more worried about your finals. You'll have plenty of time to deal with orientation at the end of August." As she sat listening to Alexandra's words, Brittany realized the seriousness of what she was doing. Her new mentor was not kidding in the least: she really was about to change sororities. Alexandra asked Brittany the names of her professors and called each to make an appointment for the afternoon. By the time she hung up, the two women already were on campus. While they waited to talk to the first of the freshman's three instructors, Alexandra got on a computer to access her campus account and pulled up a letter, on formal Four-Beta letterhead, which Brittany would have to sign as an official resignation from her sorority. She pulled up a second letter that Brittany would sign to authorize any Four-Beta officer to go to her former sorority and retrieve her personal property. The two women would take both letters to the university's student center to have them notarized. That weekend, while Brittany continued to study, her Pledge Mistress or Sergeant-at-Arms would go over to the rival sorority to get her things. Undoubtedly there would be a nasty confrontation and possibly a physical fight, but Tracy would be presenting legal documents and the weight of the law would be on her side. If need be, she could return with a cop. There was one final call Alexandra made on behalf of Brittany, a call to her parents. The president dialed and handed the phone to her companion: "I expect you to let them know what happened and why you're getting out of your sorority. They'll find out anyway, when their insurance gets billed, so I think the explanation about the ER charges ought to come from you. When you're done, you can put me on, if you want." "President Alexandra, please! I can't..." "It's ringing. When they pick up, you'd better start talking." Brittany discovered that Alexandra's demand that she talk to her parents immediately actually was the best thing she could have done. She didn't have time to think up any stories or soften what had happened to her the night before. Within 15 minutes Brittany's parents learned more about how she had spent her summer semester than they had found out during the prior two months of listening to her brief, evasive conversations. Needless to say, they were quite horrified. Finally Brittany's mother asked to speak to the Four-Beta chapter president. Brittany handed over the phone and listened to Alexandra's side of the conversation: "Yes, ma'am...I'm the Four-Beta chapter president...No, ma'am I wasn't there, it was my Pledge Mistress who picked her up...No, ma'am, we'll let her stay at the house, but she's not exactly going to be a pledge...Well, the reason for that is her grades. She'll need to pass her summer classes to be eligible to formally pledge, which is what we're going to check on in a few minutes...I'll see if she's got any hope of passing her classes; that's what'll decide whether or not we can let her pledge...I understand that, ma'am, but academic performance is a prerequisite for joining the Four-Betas, and we're inflexible about that...No ma'am, we don't drink...Well, that's them. We're different because we don't allow alcohol...No ma'am, none at all. We don't allow it...Yes ma'am, we do haze our pledges, but not in the way your daughter was being hazed. Most of what they do involves exercising and studying...Not really, it's not that big of a secret. Our prospective members get an orientation packet that explains what we expect from them...I guess the best way to describe it is that it's kinda like Basic Training in the military, especially with the Pledge Mistress we have right now. She's been in the Army and...Once again, ma'am, I'm not sure. It depends on whether or not she can pass her classes...Yes ma'am, if she stays with us we'll do what we can to help her pass. We've got some pretty good tutors and she's still got three weeks, but a lot of it'll depend on what I hear from her professors in a few minutes..." An hour later Alexandra and Brittany had their answer. Although she was failing all three classes, there was hope she could pass two of them just by doing very well on the final. The third professor was a man who had spoken with the Four-Beta president several times in the past and liked her. He was willing to allow Brittany to re-submit a poorly-written term paper, which, combined with a high score in her final could conceivably give her enough to get "C-". "There's your answer. If you work hard enough over the next three weeks you can salvage your semester." ---------- Alexandra took Brittany to the Four-Beta house and ordered a sophomore to give her lunch in the kitchen. As the visitor peeked out the window she had a bit of a shock; all of the women in the pool area were completely naked. Wow! So that part of Four-Beta life isn't an urban legend after-all, thought Brittany to herself. They really do run around with nothing on. After lunch Alexandra turned Brittany over to her sophomore class leader. Elaine took her companion to the basement, issued her a toothbrush, a towel, a pair of Four-Beta pledge shorts, and an unmarked T-shirt. She ordered Brittany to clean up. The final step was the formal interview with President Alexandra, her vice president, and the sorority's social director. Alexandra's calm, serious manner of talking helped put Brittany at ease and gave her hope that her time with the Four-Beta sorority would be more productive than her time with her former sorority. The interview ended with Brittany signing "an intent to pledge" statement, which gave her provisional status and the right to stay in the house as a guest over the next three weeks. Because she was not yet officially a pledge, she did not have to strip or kneel when talking to members. However, she had to have an escort at all times and was not permitted to use any of the amenities such as the pool. For the next three weeks, the only purpose in her life would be to get caught up in her classes. She would have to study as though her life depended on passing her classes, which in fact, it did. "OK, Brittany, it's library time! I'll pair you up with one of our members who's taken your expository writing class, and you can get started on that one first. You'll have to ask her permission to do anything, and that includes going to the bathroom or getting a drink of water. When Pledge Mistress Tracy gets back, she'll be the one in charge of your day-to-day life." ---------- While Brittany was settling in, Tracy spent several anxious hours at the police station. She had to wait to give her statement, then was interviewed at length about what happened the night before, then told to wait again. After lunch, a cop from the university police department interviewed her yet again. Upon finding out that Brittany was staying at the Four-Beta house, he asked Tracy if she thought she could get the freshman to give a second declaration to the university police. Finally, Tracy found out why both police departments were so interested in talking to her: "We've been trying to get that sorority for the past four years, ever since the death of the Thompson girl. If we can get you and Brittany to testify, we've finally got what we need to nail 'em. I say that, because in the past they've always intimidated their witnesses." Tracy smiled: "Well, Officer; they won't be intimidating me. And they won't be able to get at Brittany, 'cause our pledges are always escorted. I'll help you nail 'em." "So, she's going to be joining your sorority?" "I guess she's gonna have to." ---------- Finally, at 3:00 in the afternoon Tracy left the police station. She was desperate to get back to the Four-Beta house, very worried about what might happen between Heather and Lisa. Shannon picked her up in a Tri-Alpha minivan. Tracy ordered the junior to get into the passenger seat and got behind the wheel. She needed to return to the Four-Beta house quickly, and felt that Shannon was too cautious a driver. "We've gotta get back, before Lisa gets out of class. She's gonna be fucked if we don't." The trip out of downtown was quite slow, because already rush-hour traffic was clogging the roads that led out to the university. As the Pledge Mistress crossed several suburbs and approached her destination, the roads cleared, but then the Four-Beta officers realized they had a much more serious problem to contend with. They were being followed by three carloads of young women. Tracy recognized some of the group as officers from Brittany's sorority. "Call Alexandra. We've got company." "What are we gonna do?" "Just tell her where we are. Be quick about it. We're too far from the Four-Beta house for anyone to help us. Let her know what's happening and that we'll give her another call when we're done." Shannon nervously dialed, knowing that, as soon as she hung up, Tracy planned to pull to a stop and confront the women following them. Great. That's what we need, she thought to herself, a fight against a dozen drunks. However, Shannon knew that the Pledge Mistress was not one to back away from battle, especially if it involved protecting the life of another person. While Shannon was on the phone, one of the cars following them raced past the Tri-Alpha van. A beer bottle narrowly missed Tracy head, instead slamming against the window behind her and smashing it. The other driver quickly pulled in front of the van and jammed her breaks as hard as she could, but Tracy anticipated that and hit her own breaks as hard as possible. The van screeched, but narrowly avoided hitting the car in front. Instead, Tracy and Shannon got rear-ended by the carload of women still behind them. They were struck quite hard, the force of the impact shattering the van's back window. The airbags in the car ramming the Four-Betas deployed, stunning its occupants. Already the assault by Brittany's sorority was not going according to plan. Tracy put the minivan in park and turned off the ignition. She calmly commented to Shannon: "OK, it's show-time!" Both women jumped out, knowing that it was vital for them not to get separated. Three sets of car doors opened and a dozen women charged the Four-Betas. At first it seemed that the odds were totally against Tracy and Shannon, given that there were only two of them against 12 assailants. However both of the Four-Betas were in top physical shape and had taken hours of personal defense training. On top of her Four-Beta training, Tracy had taken several courses from the Army in hand-to-hand combat and was a brown belt in karate. Their opponents' unexercised bodies were trashed by several years of hard drinking and partying. None of them had any hope of matching either of the Four-Betas one-on-one. On top of that, two members of the group were stunned from being hit in the face by airbags. The fight was much more evenly matched than the assailants realized. The rival Pledge Mistress started by swinging a tequila bottle at Tracy, which she neatly blocked. The bottle flew out of her opponent's hand and shattered on the street. Two other women moved on Shannon, only to have the wind knocked out of them by fast punches to the solar plexus. Tracy's foot landed hard into the stomach of another assailant, doubling her in pain and sending her staggering against the side of the minivan. She fell to the ground and vomited, clearly out of the fight. The largest woman from the rival group grabbed Tracy from behind, but the Pledge Mistress dropped, leaving her opponent's face exposed to a fierce punch from Shannon. Shannon's fist rammed hard into her opponent's nose, breaking it and forcing her to loosen her grip on Tracy. Tracy finished her off with a savage blow with her elbow to the stomach. Another assailant managed to land a punch on Shannon's mouth and cut her lip, but she countered with a much more effective blow to the stomach that incapacitated her. Tracy then landed a beautifully executed karate kick into the chin of yet another assailant, sending her staggering backwards onto the pavement. The members of the rival sorority realized that they were not winning the melee. However, they kept at it, motivated by hatred, adrenaline, and alcohol. Within a few seconds two more of the assailants had the wind knocked out of them and another was stunned from a cruel blow from Tracy's foot to the side of her head. As for the Four-Betas, Tracy had taken several blows to the face that would leave bruises, but nothing that diminished her ability to swing her fists and feet. Shannon's lip was bleeding, but that was her only injury. The wail of a siren put a quick end to the street fight. A cop jumped out of his car, pulled his gun, and screamed at everyone to "freeze" and get on the ground. The women gasped for breath as several additional squad cars pulled up. Moments later all 14 combatants were sitting on the pavement in handcuffs, awaiting transportation to a nearby police station. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 35 Chapter 35 -- Heather's window of opportunity While Tracy was absent dealing with the affairs of the newest resident of the Four-Beta house, Lisa found out the hard way what it was like not to be under her protection. Sergeant-at-Arms Heather perceived a small window of opportunity to force Lisa to quit the sorority, and had every intention of pursuing it. Lisa was going to get out of class early that day, which would give the Sergeant-at-Arms some time to try to break her. That morning, as Heather and the pledges neared the Economics Building, the Sergeant-at-Arms had something ominous to say: "Pledge, I have some real problems with your performance. We can deal with it this afternoon, when I pick you up. I'll have you to myself for a while, so that'll give you something to look forward to." "Yes, ma'am." At 3:00 p.m. the Four-Beta Sergeant-at-Arms returned to retrieve Lisa. As she went to her knees, Lisa remembered Heather's promise of "dealing with" the problems she had the day before due to her fatigue. A quick glimpse of Heather's face indicated that no, she had nor forgotten what she had said earlier in the day. The first detail that worried Lisa was what Heather was wearing. Heather normally dressed in cargo pants and Four-Beta blouses whenever on campus, but that afternoon she was wearing a light T-shirt, old jogging shorts, and a pair of beach sandals. She carried neither a purse nor a backpack. Instead, she was carrying an umbrella. Lisa realized that she had dressed with the expectation of getting wet. Lisa's concern mounted when Heather told her to leave her backpack and books in Burnside's office. Lisa reluctantly followed Heather out of the Economics Building and onto a sidewalk leading to the old part of campus. Without saying a word, the Sergeant-at-Arms abruptly walked into a grassy area that was used for impromptu rugby games, and thus very muddy. Heather suddenly screamed at Lisa to get into the front-leaning-rest position. Lisa quickly complied, realizing with horror that the sorority officer's shouting had just drawn the attention of several dozen students who happened to be walking around the area. As a growing audience of young people stood watching, Heather's voice snarled: "ONE...TWO...THREE..." "One!" "ONE...TWO...THREE..." "Two!" "ONE...TWO...THREE..." "Three!" "ONE...TWO...THREE..." When Lisa became too tired to continue doing pushups, Heather ordered her on her back to do sit-ups, apparently not in the least concerned that it was quite obvious that Lisa's thong had pushed to one side, leaving her crotch partially exposed every time she sat up. Lisa struggled to do the exercises and tried to ignore the guys staring at her with incredulous, aroused expressions. There were yet more push-ups and then more sit-ups, and finally a horrible exercise called "the dying cockroach" which required Lisa to lie on her back, put her feet in the air, and move her legs as though she were pedaling an invisible bicycle. When Lisa's body gave out the unhappy session ended, but now her uniform was filthy and covered with grass stains. Her skin was saturated with sweat and her body stunk because she had not been allowed to use deodorant. In front of the spectators, Heather got in her face and snarled: "You're a disgrace, Pledge! An absolute fucking disgrace! What's this shit with your uniform? You call yourself a Four-Beta looking like that? Come-on, Pledge, let's get some answers! What gives you the fucking right to disgrace your uniform with this filth?" Heather punctuated her last sentence with several vicious pokes to Lisa's chest. "I was exercising, ma'am! That's why I got dirty, ma'am!" "So we have a little piggie who likes to roll in the dirt, don't we? OK, little piggie who likes to roll in the dirt, how about some low-crawling?" Lisa looked at Heather in horror. Low-crawling? "Come-on little piggie, LOW-CRAWL! NOW!" Lisa, still dismayed at how quickly Heather's fury had escalated, did as she was told. In the hot afternoon sun she lay down on the wet ground and began dragging herself towards the sidewalk. Before she had gone very far her entire front was covered with mud and grass stains that would be almost impossible to get out. Her hair clips came undone and grass blades worked their way into her hair. More grass worked its way into her shirt and under her thong. Her white tennis shoes were covered with mud, along with her hands and knees. "Not low enough, Pledge! Not low enough! You'd better show me some real low crawling, just like that butch Tracy would do in the Army! Imagine you got people shooting at you from the tree line! Come-on soldier, let's see some REAL low-crawling!" "REAL low-crawling" actually meant dragging herself on the ground. The minutes dragged by as Lisa worked her way towards the sidewalk. The entire perspective of her world changed, given that she was at eye level with the grass and her spectators seemed to tower in the distance. Suddenly she heard a hiss and noticed everyone quickly moving away towards the sidewalk. Heather calmly opened her umbrella. The automatic sprinklers were coming on. In a voice mocking Tracy's manner of talking she shouted: "Keep moving, Pledge! You know the deal! It's just mind over matter! If you don't mind, it doesn't matter!" Within seconds Lisa's clothing was soaked and clung tightly to her skin. Her shirt was getting pulled out of shape and she had difficulty keeping her thong up. Her movement became even more difficult because she had to grab her thong with one hand to keep it from coming off completely. Heather, in spite her umbrella, was soaked as well, but at least she was not covered in mud. "On your back, Pledge!" As Lisa rolled on her back, Heather suddenly folded her umbrella and threw it to her. Again mocking Tracy's voice she shouted: "Here's your weapon, soldier! Both hands on the weapon!" Lisa's shoulders ground into the mud, now that she no longer could use her arms to support herself. The water from the sprinklers hit her in the face and went up her nose, making her cough. Worst of all, she felt her thong working its way down her hips. She let go of the umbrella to pull it up, only to have Heather get in her face and scream: "DO NOT LET GO OF YOUR WEAPON, SOLDIER! DO NOT LET GO OF YOUR WEAPON!" Lisa gritted her teeth and thought to herself: OK, fine, you nasty bitch! If my thong comes off and we get arrested, it's your fault! As she moved through the mud and the water continued hitting her in the face, the soggy ground grabbed Lisa's thong and pulled it down her thighs. There were a few whistles from the spectators, but Lisa ignored them. She kicked off the garment and continued moving. Heather yelled at Lisa to roll on her stomach and keep moving. Lisa was now bottomless, but she was so completely covered in mud that it was hard to tell what she was or was not wearing. Heather grabbed the thong off the ground and followed her as the sprinklers continued to saturate both of them. Finally Lisa made it to the sidewalk and Heather ordered her to "recover". She handed over the thong and with difficulty Lisa managed to pull it up over her muddy legs. She knelt, assuming the "position of submission and respect", although at that moment she hated Heather more than she had ever hated anyone in her life. Heather calmly stripped off her shirt (she was wearing a sports-bra underneath), wrung it out over Lisa's head, and put it back on. She kicked the mud out of her sandals and ordered Lisa to stand up and continue following her back to the sorority. Lisa's body shook from muscle fatigue and the horrible stress and embarrassment she had endured over the last hour. However, there was more humiliation coming, because Heather casually led her pledge along the crowded sidewalks past several blocks of businesses. Tears welled up in Lisa's eyes as hundreds of people stared at her. Heather's wet clothing drew some attention as well, but not nearly as much as her mud-covered companion. The worst part of the walk was having to hold up her thong with one hand, because the elastic waistband was stretched and ruined. Heather then did something that shocked Lisa, because it was a clear violation of Four-Beta pledge policy and indicated that she was not thinking straight. She took her pledge to a fraternity, but it was not the Tri-Alpha house. Instead it was one of the university's worst drinking fraternities, one that had survived scandal after scandal involving under-aged drinking, drug use, and date rapes. She ordered Lisa to lie facedown on the ground and ripped off her thong. The young woman was left lying in the front yard, bottomless and covered in mud. A moment later the entire group came out led by Heather and some disheveled guy who seemed to be in charge of the others. Heather and the fraternity leader were carrying paddles. Most of the others were carrying beer bottles. The Four-Beta Sergeant-at-Arms bent down and whispered into Lisa's ear: "Welcome to Hell Week, Pledge. We didn't mention this, 'cause it's our little pledging secret. Surprise!" Lisa was terrified, but tried to assess what was going on. It was obvious that Heather was lying. No one from the Four-Beta House even knew any of these guys, which probably was why the Sergeant-at-Arms had brought her over here. Had she taken a pledge in Lisa's condition to the Tri-Alpha Fraternity, there was no question a Triple-A immediately would have called the Four-Beta House to find out what was going on. Before Lisa had time to react, four guys grabbed her to tie her hands and feet. She screamed, but Heather slipped a burlap sack over her head and tied it shut. The guys then picked her up and carried her to the back yard. She heard Heather's voice. "OK, little piggie, time to get slaughtered." With that Lisa heard the snip of a pair of scissors and felt her Four-Beta pledge uniform shirt being torn from her body. Panic swept through her as she suddenly wondered if she was about to be killed. Rough hands pulled her off the ground and bent her over a picnic table. She felt a couple of ropes go over her back and secure her to the surface. She was immobilized, bent over, exposed, and horribly vulnerable. "Wash her off." For several minutes a high-powered jet of water painfully worked its way over the pledge's body, clearing the mud and leaving her tanned skin and shapely figure totally exposed. The water saturated the burlap sack, making it difficult to breathe. The fear of suffocation drove her to near panic, overriding her fear of what Heather was about to do to her. For the first time in her life Lisa was totally helpless. Those guys could do anything they wanted and she already took it for granted that she was about to be gang-raped. She would be gang-raped, and probably suffer a bunch of other horrible indignities as well. There no longer was anything she could do to prevent that. Her only hope was to try to survive the ordeal, somehow escape, and get even at some point in the future. As Lisa tried to control her panic and resist the urge to scream, she heard Heather's voice: "You've had this coming for a long time, Pledge. Now I'm gonna get you, and there's nothing your butch soldier-girl can do about it. And you wanna know why?" Lisa said nothing. Heather grabbed one of her fingers and viciously twisted it backwards until she screamed. "You wanna know why? Because she's sitting in jail right now. That's why soldier-girl's not gonna help you. She's sitting in jail. Now doesn't that suck?" With that Heather released Lisa's finger and landed a vicious kick at her vulnerable backside. Again panic welled up inside Lisa as a sinister metallic taste formed in her dry throat. Now she no longer doubted that Heather was about to have her killed. No, this was not a simple afternoon of hazing torment. This was it, the end of her life. Lisa knew that even had she wanted to, Heather could not go back. It was too late, because already she had violated several of the Four-Beta Sorority's most fundamental rules. The guys couldn't go back either. Already they were guilty of kidnapping and assault. Within a few minutes rape would be added to their list of crimes. Lisa knew, once they were done with her, they would have to silence her. Again Lisa heard Heather's voice: "You've had this coming all summer, bitch. Now I'm gonna fuck you up." Lisa felt the sharp blow of a paddle against her bottom and the cheering of several drunk guys. There was a pause... "You want to take a shot?" There was another pause and Lisa felt a second crack against her bottom. For the next several minutes the guys took turns with the paddle as Heather screamed: "Hit her harder, you fucking wimp! Come-on...let her have it!" ---------- At best Lisa could hope to live just a few more very painful hours. She would be paddled, then raped, then humiliated, and finally put out of her misery. The group had not yet made a formal decision to kill her, but that was only a matter of time. If she got away she'd talk, so the only logical way to silence her would be by making her disappear. At that point, only a miracle would save Lisa Campbell. Egged on by testosterone, drugs, alcohol, and a woman whose thoughts were distorted by hatred and jealousy, the shared psychology of the group would escalate until its captive was reduced to a battered corpse that needed to be dumped somewhere. Only later would anyone have time to reflect on what had happened, when it was too late. ---------- It turned out that Lisa was very lucky that day, because she got her miracle. Her reprieve came from a fraternity sophomore called Josh Corbett. Josh was a psychology major and was taking a seminar from Tracy. He had seen Lisa several times with his TA, so she was not just an anonymous face to him. Also, just the week before he had read an assigned article about the role of group psychology in mass murder that was still fresh in his thoughts. Finally, he had just returned from class and had not yet started drinking. With no alcohol in his brain, he was able to think straight the one time in his life when it really mattered. Josh was not the stereotype of a hero, but that afternoon he had a chance to go against his instincts and avoid following his group into its moral abyss. He knew that what was happening in his fraternity's back yard matched what had been described in Tracy's article, almost word for word. He wanted no part in what was happening to Lisa Campbell and decided to put a stop to it. He took a deep breath, looked around to make sure no one was watching, and called the police. In doing so he knew he was ending his association with his fraternity, but at least he would not be going to jail like the others. About 15 minutes after the tormenting of Lisa began; the house's battered back door flew open: "THIS IS THE POLICE! EVERYBODY FREEZE! NOW!" "WE SAID FREEZE! PUT THOSE BOTTLES DOWN!" "GET ON THE GROUND! GET ON THE GROUND!" "DON'T DO IT, HOTSHOT! DON'T FUCKIN' DO IT! PUT IT DOWN, NOW!" "GET ON THE GROUND!" Heather got on the ground along with the others. A cop pulled the burlap bag off Lisa's head and began struggling to loosen the ropes restraining her hands. She exchanged glances with Josh, the only member of the fraternity not lying on the ground in handcuffs. She recognized him, and realized that he must have been the one who called the police. ---------- It wasn't until she had her mug shot taken that Heather fully comprehended what she had just done to herself. Heather still saw life from a very self-centered perspective and only in terms of how things affected her social standing and ambitions. However, even from her selfish world-view she could understand that her obsession with the Four-Beta presidency had ruined her life. The promise of power had her under its spell. The spell, now that its damage was done, was lifting from her soul, leaving her with nothing but horrified emptiness and a lifetime of regret. With that thought Heather, soon to be the ousted and disgraced former Four-Beta Sergeant-at-Arms, stared into the police camera with glassy eyes. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 36 Chapter 36 -- Damage control That night news of the double scandal swept through the Four-Beta house. Alexandra was on the phone for hours, talking to various police officers and the sorority's lawyer. The chapter president's first priority, however, was Pledge Lisa, who had been taken to the university hospital to be treated for a dislocated finger. Fortunately she had escaped any further physical injuries apart from rope burns and some bruises from being kicked and paddled. Alexandra's initial worry was Lisa's physical condition, but her second concern was her state of mind. The pledge still was in shock over what had happened and the emotional reaction had not yet set in. She asked Alexandra some questions that seemed totally irrelevant to her immediate situation, such as what happened to her books and whether or not anyone had told Kathleen where she was. Finally the chapter president decided to explain what was going to happen to Heather and try to work backwards to the assault on Lisa. The Four-Beta lawyer was negotiating bail for Heather to secure her release so she could finish her classes. However, pending resolution of the case she would be removed as Sergeant-at-Arms and banned from entering the Four-Beta house. Later that night there would be an emergency meeting at the sorority to explain her status and make sure everyone complied with prohibiting her from entering the property. Also, President Alexandra would insist that any member of the sorority approached by the police was under direct orders to answer any questions as fully and honestly as possible. What mattered most was the truth. Once the full story was out, the sorority would deal with the consequences. Alexandra assumed, quite rightly, that the crisis would pass much more quickly if no one made an effort to conceal any of the facts surrounding the Sergeant-at-Arms' mistreatment of Pledge Lisa. Alexandra's next problem was her own status and future with the Four-Betas. She felt that she needed to take part of the blame for Heather's behavior, because she had been Heather's friend and failed to notice her increasingly abusive behavior towards the pledges. She had not listened to Tracy's concerns and had sided with the Sergeant-at-Arms against the Pledge Mistress on several occasions. "Tracy didn't think she could trust me, and I hate to admit it, but she was right. She was right not to trust me, because I really was never very nice to her. I have no idea how I'm going to make this up to either of you." Alexandra admitted to Lisa that she had considered quitting as chapter president, because she knew that her lack of judgment had compromised her ability to lead the sorority. The only reason she had not yet resigned was that she felt she needed to present herself as the public face of the sorority and deflect any media attention by talking to the press on her own. Also, she now took it for granted Tracy would become the next chapter president. However, until Tracy and Shannon resolved their legal situations they were not eligible to participate in sorority elections. Essentially Alexandra had decided to stay on to hold her spot until Tracy was eligible to take it. Alexandra sat quiet for a few minutes and then stated quietly: "She'll make a good president. A lot better than me, that's for sure." "There's nothing wrong with you, ma'am. I'm not blaming you. You weren't there. You couldn't have known what was happening." "But I didn't do anything that would have stopped it, either. There's some stuff I should have seen coming, but I wasn't paying attention. I'm more responsible for everything than you think. I was elected to safeguard everyone in the sorority, and I failed in my duty. As I said, the only reason I'm not resigning now is I want to make it up to the Four-Beta house by taking the media flak. Also I've got to make sure Pledge Mistress Tracy has a clear shot at winning my position." "So, speaking of her, what's gonna happen to Pledge Mistress Tracy?" "Our lawyer seems pretty sure the disorderly conduct charge will have to be dropped. It's obvious she and Shannon didn't start the fight." Alexandra smiled slightly. "Actually, from what the lawyer told me, the police thought the whole thing was extremely funny, all those girls jumping them only to get their butts kicked. I guess they all were pretty badly busted up. The first cop on the scene commented that it was like watching one of those old Kung Fu movies, you know, where Jackie Chan is kicking the crap out of a whole bunch of bad guys...but...what else would you expect from Tracy, that she'd actually lose a brawl?" "No, ma'am. I couldn't picture that. I couldn't picture her losing a fight." "Anyhow, you're done here. You've given your statement to the police?" "Yes ma'am." "OK. Then we're out of here. I'll take you wherever you want to go." "Uh, ma'am...aren't we going back to the Four-Beta house? I'm still a pledge, aren't I?" "Yes, you're still a pledge. Not for too much longer though. If anyone's earned the right to become a full member, it's you." ---------- Alexandra and Lisa got back to the Four-Beta house just before the sorority's lawyer returned with Tracy and Shannon. Kathleen ran up to Lisa and hugged her hard, while Bernadette, Cherine, and Brittany, the newest member of the group, noticed her rope burns, bandaged hand, and the splint on her finger. The looming crisis over the Sergeant-at-Arms momentarily was overshadowed by a hero's welcome for Tracy and Shannon. The two disheveled combatants waved and smiled through their bruises and torn clothing as they walked in with the attorney. The sitting room erupted into a spontaneous cheer of: "KICK THEIR ASS!...KICK THEIR ASS!...KICK THEIR ASS!..." Once the cheering died down, a very subdued President Alexandra took her position at the podium. She gave a summary of what had transpired earlier in the day between the sorority's Sergeant-at-Arms and Pledge Lisa. She repeated what she had said earlier to Lisa about her own position in the sorority, that as chapter president ultimately she felt responsible for what had happened. As she talked, Alexandra's listeners sat in dumbfounded angry silence. These scandals happened to other sororities. Stuff like this wasn't supposed to happen to the Four-Betas. The lawyer took the podium next, stating that Heather was out on bail so she could finish her semester. However, the sorority had requested a restraining order that prohibited her from stepping onto Four-Beta property or talking to anyone except himself, the chapter president, or the chapter vice president. Under no circumstances was she to have any contact with the pledges, their families, or their professors. Following the meeting her personal items would be collected and he would deliver them to her, to ensure she had no need or reason to visit the Four-Beta house until her case was resolved. There was sure to be a scandal, because an entire fraternity had been arrested over the kidnapping of Pledge Lisa. President Alexandra had decided that she would grant press interviews on a case-by-case basis in an effort to keep reporters from hassling anyone else in the sorority. Hopefully the scandal would focus more on Heather and her fraternity friends than the Four-Beta's as a group, given that she had violated her own contract with the sorority and the principles she had sworn to uphold. President Alexandra would take responsibility for failing to control her friend, but ultimately it was Heather who was to blame for her own actions. The women agreed with Alexandra that any contact with the press was to be handled exclusively by the chapter president. If a reporter approached anyone else from the sorority, she was to hand over one of President Alexandra's business cards and tell the media representative to contact the chapter president or sorority attorney. Alexandra distributed her remaining business cards at the meeting to make sure every member had some. Alexandra took a deep breath, blinking back some tears. She commented: "Might as well pass 'em out and get rid of them. Next month they won't mean anything anyway." Brittany was present at the meeting, dressed in her borrowed shorts and T-shirt. Tracy assumed that the scandal over Heather's abuse of Lisa probably would make her reconsider wanting to join the sorority, but quite the opposite was true. Abuse of pledges was routine in Brittany's sorority, fully accepted, and certainly not any cause for scandal. The fact that her new hosts were so shocked by their Sergeant-at-Arm's behavior indicated that there was nothing normal or routine about what had happened to Lisa. ---------- Once the meeting adjourned and the sorority's lawyer departed with Heather's possessions, Tracy took her pledge group to the basement. Brittany would be allowed to observe the pledge group and given the opportunity to see what would be expected of her, should she decide to pledge in the fall. Brittany's mouth dropped open when the entire group, including the Pledge Mistress, stripped off their clothes. The pledges quickly dumped their items in a laundry basket and knelt. Brittany stared at Tracy in disbelief, wondering whether or not she was expected to get undressed as well. Tracy waved her finger to warn her to stay dressed. The Pledge Mistress formally introduced Brittany and explained her provisional status. She then ordered Pledge Lisa to stand up, shake the newcomer's hand, and introduce herself by giving her name, her major and academic interests, followed by a summary of her life prior to joining the sorority. Lisa returned to her kneeling position and Bernadette stood up to introduce herself. Brittany was taken aback by both the nudity and the military-style discipline of the Four-Beta pledges. When they stood, they stood straight, absolutely unashamed of their bodies. It was obvious the pledges had long since become accustomed to their strange lifestyle. She also knew that if she chose to stay with the Four-Betas, within a month she would be standing at attention, in the nude with her hands at her sides. Brittany found that detail both frightening and fascinating. Even more strange to Brittany was seeing Tracy, as naked as her charges, address them with absolute authority. There seemed to be no difference in her mind between being naked and being dressed. Certainly Tracy's behavior had not changed. Her military bearing and harsh manner of speaking were identical to what they had been just a few minutes before, when the Pledge Mistress still was wearing her uniform. It was as though she didn't even notice that she was naked and Brittany was still dressed. Something else surprised Brittany as the minutes passed and she talked to the four pledges. She began to feel uneasy about being the only clothed person among the six women in the room. She actually found herself wishing she could take off her clothing, but Tracy's treatment of her indicated that she would not be expected, or even allowed, to undress until she began formally pledging. To be naked in the house was to symbolize that the Four-Betas had granted her the opportunity to join their group. She had not yet been accepted as a potential member. Although she was not yet a pledge, from the beginning Brittany's new life would extremely regimented. Along with the push to pass her classes, she needed to begin the difficult process of restoring her health. Every morning and afternoon she would perform remedial PT, which would consist of stretching and light exercises. Tracy would give her a meal plan and she would eat in the kitchen. She would not be allowed to buy food or carry money on campus. There was one final detail in Brittany's life that would change. She would be expected to call her parents on a nightly basis and give them updates on her progress. If she passed her classes, her status in the sorority would change upon signing her formal pledge contract. Once the contract was signed, she would be issued a pledge uniform, allowed to use the pool, exercise with the sophomores and freshmen, and be required to be naked whenever she was in the sorority house. Tracy ordered Brittany to sit on one of the cots while she addressed the pledge group concerning changes that would result from the sudden absence of the Sergeant-at-Arms. Until the end of the summer Tracy would be the only member of the sorority with direct authority over the pledges, because Heather's position would remain vacant pending the final resolution of her legal status. Anyhow, less than three weeks remained of the pledge period. Tracy flatly announced that, pending the final panel interview, all four members of the pledge group had qualified to become full members of the sorority. However, she added: "Don't let that go to your heads. As of now you're still pledges. I'm only telling you this to let you know there's light at the end of the tunnel." In the meantime there would be some changes in the pledges' routine. The first change would be temporary, the shorts worn as part of their uniform. Instead of their skimpy jogging shorts, Tracy had decided that for the next week her group would wear somewhat longer athletic shorts. The reason for that change was simple. Lisa's backside would be bruised over the next several days, and Tracy saw no need for her injuries to be on display to the entire university. Once her bruises healed, the pledge group would go back to wearing their normal jogging shorts. Tracy casually added that Lisa's days of wearing a thong on campus were over. Looking hard at the sophomore pledge she stated: "Even if you wanted to wear your thong, with me running the show it's not gonna happen. It's a uniform violation, and from this point forward we're gonna be a bit stricter about the uniforms." The pledges had expected that, with Heather gone and the threat she presented removed, Tracy might return to her room and resume her life with the privileges of a senior and officer. However, she decided, along with adhering to the Four-Beta pledge uniform rules, she would continue to live with the pledges and share their daily lives. That included being naked whenever she was in the house and sleeping on a cot in the basement uncovered. Brittany, because she was not a pledge, would not be sleeping with the current pledge group. She would be sleeping in the guest room. Once she officially became a pledge, it would be her turn to sleep naked on a cot in the locker room. Tracy dismissed the group for the night. Brittany was to return to the library and study under Elaine's guidance while the three freshmen pledges were to go to sleep. Lisa was to follow Tracy back to her room to talk in private. When Lisa entered Tracy's room, she knelt, but Tracy told her to get up and take a seat. "When you and me are talking in private, I don't want you kneeling anymore. And, by the way, I don't want you calling me ma'am anymore, in private that is. Obviously, you still gotta play the game in front of your group mates. But, as far as I'm concerned, you're in. You've more than proven yourself." Lisa took a deep breath, blinking back her tears. She was overwhelmed, not just be Tracy's announcement, but by everything that had transpired throughout the most traumatic day of her pledging experience. Tracy continued: "There's a couple of reasons I'm telling you all this now. For one thing, and this is something I've told you before, you've helped me, a lot, to keep your group mates motivated. There were times, to be honest, that I felt the real Pledge Mistress this summer was not me, but you." The two women's eyes met. "But now, there's something else that's a lot more important. I'd apologize to you about what happened with Heather, but to be honest, I don't think simply apologizing would do you much good. An apology is just words, and I don't want you to think we can make up what happened today with words..." "That's OK, ma'am...I mean...Tracy...really..." "Lisa, you're only saying that because the reaction to what you went through hasn't set in yet. Trust me, it will. Tonight, or tomorrow, or next week...that shit Heather pulled is gonna hit you. And you're gonna feel very angry, and you're gonna need to talk to someone about it. When that moment comes, I want you to remember that I'll be here for you. That's when we're gonna figure out if there's any way we can make it up to you. And that's why...I'm not gonna try to blow you off with an apology. You deserve much more than that." Lisa realized there was something unspoken in what the Pledge Mistress was trying to tell her. Without directly expressing it in words, Tracy was letting Lisa know that she desperately wanted to be friends with her. It made sense, because the two women had so much in common in their personalities. They both were outsiders with strong characters, both perceived as intimidating by the people who surrounded them. So far, their roles as Pledge Mistress and pledge had kept them apart, but that now was coming to an end. In just three weeks Lisa would be a full member of the sorority and there would be no further need to "play the game". Lisa, as a full member of the sophomore class, would become the person who the new chapter president would turn to for emotional support. It turned out that Tracy was the one who desperately needed a friend, and had found one in Lisa. At that moment the reaction Tracy had predicted set in. Lisa did something she could not even have imagined doing just an hour before. She hugged her Pledge Mistress. For a very long time she stood in Tracy's arms as tears ran down her cheeks. It turned out that Tracy was right. An apology in words wouldn't have done her any good. She needed to be held. Her friend Tracy understood, and was there to comfort her when it really mattered. ---------- Tracy and Lisa went back to the basement as pledge and Pledge Mistress, and returned to their normal routine of sleeping naked on top of the cots. Within minutes all five women were asleep. An hour later Elaine escorted Brittany to the pledge room to brush her teeth, and then told her to go to sleep in the guest room. Brittany slipped past the five naked sleeping women, marveling at their athletic figures in the dim light of the room. Assuming she stayed with this sorority, she too, eventually would have a figure that looked like that. It would take a lot of hard work, just like the studying, but in the end she would be rewarded with good health and a respectable academic life. Was there anything wrong with that? Of course there wasn't. Then, why did the other sororities hate the Four-Betas so much? Was it because their lifestyle made them not "cool"? Or was it because in reality the other sororities saw the Four-Betas as a threat? Perhaps, in reality everyone knew that the Four-Betas were superior, which was why everyone hated them so much. Anyhow, Brittany had spent a long evening in the Four-Beta library and was tired, but at the same time she felt good. She had eaten nothing but healthy food all day, and for the first time in two months, not touched alcohol. Yes, she somewhat missed having alcohol, but knew that the following morning she would wake up after a good night's sleep, not hung over, and begin her new exercise regimen. The restoration of her mind and body already had begun. For the first time in over two months her priorities were where they needed to be. She was in bed at 10:30, exactly 24 hours after Tracy had found her gagging in the nearby park. Her hosts had not given her any clothing to sleep in. As first she thought about sleeping in her shorts and T-shirt, but then she realized that it would be better to not wear anything while in bed. Assuming she passed her classes she would be spending most of her time over the next four months in the nude. Might as well start getting used to it now. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 36 She slipped off her clothes and quickly got in bed. Because she had never slept naked before except during sex, the sensation of being alone without any clothing was strange and rather frightening. She pulled the covers up to her neck, but then began to get hot. The temperature in the room was warm, precisely so a person not wearing any clothes would feel comfortable. It was too hot to sleep covered. Finally she folded the blanket and sheet down to her waist, leaving her chest exposed in the darkness. Wow...so this is what it's going to be like if I stay...no...no...it isn't. It's going to be a lot worse, because they won't let me cover up at all. She threw the blanket and sheets all the way to the foot of the bed and put her feet on top. Now...this was how it's going to be. Starting tomorrow morning, when she did her stretches and remedial exercising in the nude, this was how it was going to be. Better get used to it now. Lying naked in the darkness, Brittany felt incredibly erotic. She allowed her hands to explore her body, for the first time in months completely unencumbered by being dressed, having anyone else in the same room, or having any intoxicants in her body inhibiting her physical sensations. She took her time, worked herself into an exquisite orgasm, and enjoyed her body. After she climaxed, Tracy's words came back to her: "We don't let our members feel like shit. We exercise and eat right so we don't feel like shit. Life's too short to live feeling like shit." Without bothering to pull up the covers, Brittany fell asleep. Already, during her very first night in her new sorority, she was beginning to think and act like a Four-Beta. ---------- The following morning the pledges performed calisthenics in the back yard, although Lisa had to skip any exercises that put pressure on her hand. It would be at least a week before she had normal use of the finger Heather had so viciously twisted, but as long as she was careful, she could expect to have the splint off fairly quickly. Once the splint was off, the incident with the former Sergeant-at-Arms would be completely in the past and everyone could move on. The anticipated media crisis also passed relatively quickly. The Four-Betas did not know what to expect from a double scandal that involved the arrest of one of their own officers as well as the jailing of an entire fraternity and several officers and senior members of a rival sorority. That afternoon two news crews showed up at the Four-Beta House and began filming. To their surprise, President Alexandra stepped outside and told each of the reporters to bring a cameraman into the sitting room so she could grant an interview and explain things from the Four-Betas' perspective. When the reporters asked her for separate interviews she responded: "No, I'm not granting separate interviews. I'm sure you have the same questions and I'm not going to answer them twice. Get your cameras set up, and I'll give both of you our take on what happened yesterday." Alexandra, dressed in her immaculate clothing and looking truly official, impressed the reporters as she calmly explained that the events from the day before with her officers involved two totally separate incidents. She disposed of Tracy's street brawl first, citing the police report as proof that it had been the members of other sorority who started it. As for an interview with Brittany, Alexandra commented: "Think about what she's been through. That poor girl is scared out of her wits, and I think she could use some privacy right now. If you go chasing after her with your cameras, how's that going to help her?" The incident with Lisa was the trickier of the two crises to confront, because it involved the mistreatment of a Four-Beta pledge. However, Alexandra pointed out: "The sorority officer in question has been suspended from her position and will not have further contact with any of the pledges. She has allegedly committed some very serious violations of Four-Beta sorority rules. I want to emphasize, if Heather is guilty of what she's been accused of, her behavior will end her association with the sorority. What happened to our pledge is simply not acceptable to any Four-Beta and we are taking it very seriously. I am giving you copies of the Four-Beta rulebook for sorority officers, and our Sergeant-at-Arms' alleged violations of the rules are highlighted. Please keep in mind, I consider these rule violations separate from the state kidnapping and assault charges she faces from our legal system." Upon passing out the rulebooks Alexandra continued: "Once we have a final copy of the police report and have taken statements from witnesses, we will conduct our own review of Heather's behavior, and write up an official report on the incident for the sorority record. That final report will be made public. However, before we finish the official report, she will be given due process by the sorority directorate, just like our legal system will give her due process. After the evidence and police report are submitted, she will have the opportunity to defend herself and give her side of what happened." One of the reporters asked: "Do you feel that you, as your chapter's leader, share any of the blame for what happened?" Alexandra's answer surprised her listeners: "Yes. As chapter president I am responsible for everything that goes on in the sorority. It's my duty to make sure stuff like that doesn't happen. It did, and unfortunately I guess it's a reflection of something that was lacking in my own leadership." After Alexandra's interview aired on the Friday night local news shows, it became obvious the focus of the scandal was shifting away from the Four-Beta Sorority. The chapter president performed much better than she thought, because her interview completely diffused any negative press coverage against the Four-Betas. She projected a dignified, sympathetic image on TV, especially during the final part of the interview when she did nothing to attempt to deflect blame away from herself over what happened to Lisa. In admitting her own failings, Alexandra upheld her duty to put the interest of the sorority ahead of her own reputation. Following President Alexandra's interview, one of the reporters managed to get an opinion from a senior from the rival sorority. It was obvious the woman was drunk when she launched into a tirade of obscenities against both Pledge Brittany and the Four-Betas. Following excerpts from Alexandra's statements, that comment was aired, with a lot of electronic beeping to censor the language. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 37 Chapter 37 -- Pledge Erin The Friday following her harrowing adventure with Heather, Lisa returned to her job and faced Dr. Burnside's questions about what had happened to her the day before. As always, Lisa had to strip while in the professor's office, hang up her clothes, lock the wardrobe, and hand over the key. Before sitting down the student had to present her backside to satisfy Burnside's curiosity concerning how badly she was marked up. However, the professor was surprisingly sympathetic and Lisa found that talking about her experience with her mentor helped her tremendously. Lisa noted an interesting detail about the older woman's reaction to what had happened with Heather. The professor seemed irritated with herself, because she had liked Heather and had a very positive impression of her from the few times they interacted. Burnside considered herself a good judge of character, but for once she had been wrong about someone. Lisa pointed out: "She didn't start out that way, Dr. Burnside. To be honest, at the beginning of the summer I didn't see much difference between her and Tracy. I mean, they worked together just fine when we first started pledging. I think what happened was that the sorority presidency went to Heather's head, and she began to get stressed out and desperate about it. What was ironic was that if she hadn't done anything and just relaxed and not fought with anyone, she would have been elected, because President Alexandra wanted her. But, the more she obsessed about the presidency, the more she started doing stuff that made everyone think she shouldn't ought to get it. I think over the summer she changed, and that's why people started opposing her." With that Lisa returned to her normal duties of grading papers and finishing up her own research projects. She was quite happy to be returning to her routine after all the trauma of the preceding two days. Later in the afternoon Burnside asked Lisa to retrieve some files from the bottom drawer of a filing cabinet. Lisa deliberately turned her back to the professor and completely bent over as she pulled out the papers, lewdly exposing herself and momentarily unsettling her mentor's normally calm demeanor. Lisa never tired of shamelessly flirting with Dr. Burnside and causing her to get flustered. ---------- The Saturday morning after Brittany's rescue, Tracy and Shannon paid a visit to her sorority to pick up her things. Shannon was very nervous, because it was clear that Tracy wanted to continue the brawl from two days before. She was wearing a sweatsuit and a pair of steel-toed Army jump-boots, which would do real damage to anyone on the receiving end of a kick. Tracy commented: "I wish I would've had these boots on two days ago. That would've taught those bitches never to fuck with us." Shannon followed Tracy to the rival sorority, carrying the letter authorizing Tracy to pick up Brittany's things. She desperately hoped the rival women might be reasonable and simply hand over Brittany's items without a fight. Tracy pounded on the door, only to have it opened by a very nervous hung-over freshman. Tracy realized the girl must have been another pledge, because she had a black eye and her hair was tangled with adhesive from duct-tape. Tracy and Shannon realized the pledge was alone in the house. Obviously the fight the Pledge Mistress was expecting wasn't going to happen, because there was no way this girl was going to cause her any trouble. What happened instead was something neither of the Four-Beta's could have expected. The young woman asked: "Is Brittany gonna join your sorority?" "She might. Depends on her grades." "But, she's like, uh...gonna stay with you?" "Yeah, she's gonna stay with us. That's why we need to pick up her stuff." Suddenly the girl became much more nervous. She took a deep breath and blurted out: "If I...like...uh...you know...bring her stuff out...I mean, like...could I go too?" "Go too? You mean..." "Yeah, like...you know...go with Brittany?" "So...what you're telling me...is that you want to go to the Four-Beta house?" The pledge nodded. "You're absolutely sure about this? You're sure you know what you're doing?" The pledge nodded again. "OK, that's fine with me. Get your things, and don't forget about Brittany's stuff." The pledge ran back into the house. A minute later she deposited several pillowcases full of clothing and textbooks at the front door and ran back in. Thirty seconds later she came back out, loaded down with a large suitcase and two trash bags full of more clothing and various items. The Four-Beta officers picked up the bags and departed with a frightened young woman who had not even introduced herself. The freshman hurried along the sidewalk at such a quick pace that her two companions had to rush to keep up with her. Once the group went around a corner the pledge slowed down slightly. "I...is Brittany at the Four-Beta house...I mean like...right now?" "Yes, she's there. Now, can I ask you something?" The girl nervously nodded. "I think that, since you're gonna be staying with us, it might be a good idea if we introduce ourselves. My name's Tracy, and this is Shannon." Tracy put down the trash bag she was carrying and extended her hand. "I'm Erin." There was no further conversation, because it was obvious that the only thing on Erin's mind was getting off the street. The fact that she had a black eye partially explained why she was such a nervous wreck. Tracy had plenty of questions, but those could be answered once Erin was safely accommodated in the Four-Beta house, reunited with Brittany, and had a chance to calm down. ---------- Brittany was in the sorority library when the group returned to the Four-Beta house. Tracy took Erin to see Brittany immediately, because the girl appeared a bit unstable and already seemed to be questioning whether or not she had made the right decision by fleeing her sorority. The two freshmen were elated at seeing each other in their new environment. In just two days Brittany's appearance had improved tremendously, which helped Erin calm down considerably. Tracy ordered the two guests to follow her downstairs and put away their things. Brittany then had to return to the library and continue working on her assignment, while Erin was ordered to clean up and issued the same outfit Brittany had on. Tracy then ordered Erin to report to the kitchen to have breakfast. Like Brittany before her, Erin peeked out the window and was shocked to see about 20 women relaxing or exercising around the pool, all of them totally naked. In the backyard's grassy area the current group of pledges were performing drills to prepare for the volleyball tournaments. The tallest girl in the group had a splint on her hand, but otherwise the Four-Beta pledges were in excellent shape. After breakfast, Tracy formally presented Erin to President Alexandra and the sorority's social director. Like Brittany before her, Erin signed a letter printed on Four-Beta letterhead announcing her resignation from her current sorority. Alexandra explained to Erin her guest status and emphasized that over the next three weeks she needed to focus on a single goal in life, passing her summer university classes. ---------- Once both newcomers were accommodated with their books in the sorority library, Tracy took off her clothes and went into the back yard to retrieve Lisa. She explained that a second pledge had defected from her sorority, and then explained what she needed from Lisa: "It's very important that we get those two signed on as formal pledges in the fall, for a whole bunch of reasons. First of all, they're dead meat as far as the other sororities are concerned, and I'm not just talking about the one they were pledging. They're gonna be looked at as total traitors to their sorority sisters and everyone's gonna be out to get 'em. It doesn't matter to the other sororities that Brittany nearly got killed and Erin's got a black eye. None of that matters to anyone except us in the Four-Beta directorate. If those two girls want to have any hope of staying enrolled at the university and not get beat up, the only way they can do it is by staying with us." "There's something else. I want to see that sorority shut down. I totally hate what they're doing to their members and now there's finally a chance it might stop. The arrests of their officers might help, but I think losing two pledges will be a real nice humiliation and hopefully demoralize them even more. On top of that, the cops are gonna need Brittany's testimony, and now we've got Erin, too. If we can keep Brittany and Erin safe until those bitches get investigated and the shit they've pulled gets documented, they're gonna be fucked. And that's what I want, for that sorority to be totally fucked." With that, Tracy gave Lisa an ironic smile and continued: "So, Pledge Lisa, I've got a question for you. Since you've got Shannon's study group to deal with, passing your Four-Beta panel interview to deal with, your personal shit to deal with, Dr. Burnside to deal with, a volleyball tournament to deal with, and your finals to deal with, how'd you like another thing on your plate? You up for another responsibility?" "Sure, why not? What is it?" "I want you in charge of getting Brittany and Erin ready to pledge. Not just with their academics, but also preparing them psychologically. And physically. Elaine was gonna work on Brittany's remedial PT and studying, but, as far as I'm concerned, training pledges is not her job. I'm delegating that job to you. Remedial PT, academics, orientation. Work up a training schedule and we'll go over it this afternoon." "Alright. You got it. Is it OK if I see the training schedule you used with us so I can have a go-by?" Tracy handed Lisa a book titled "Official Four-Beta Sorority Pledge Mistress Trainer's Guide". "Here's your go-by. It's the same one I used." As she thumbed through three chapters titled "Pledge pre-orientation", "Pledge time management", and "Non-traditional pledges", Lisa realized that Tracy already was acting like the new chapter president, confidently delegating tasks to people she trusted to "get things done". Both Tracy and Lisa knew if anyone could transform Brittany and Erin from disoriented, frightened guests into Four-Beta pledges, that person would be Lisa. ---------- Lisa began her new duty by calling a meeting of her three fellow pledges and explaining the situations of Brittany and Erin. Then she added: "If you think about it, things with us are starting to wind down, because we're pretty much done with pledging. We've already got two of the recruits who'll be coming in with the fall group, and that means we're no longer at the bottom of the Totem pole around here." Lisa continued: "I've got my first tasking as a full member of the Four-Betas. Brittany and Erin are gonna be fucked if their grades keep them from pledging, so it's our job to make sure they pass their classes. I want each one of you to spend some time helping them get caught up, but also getting to know them. Once they swear-in, you're all gonna be part of the same freshman class, so you might as well make them feel welcome and make friends with them." Lisa them moved on to a totally different issue, her own role in the current pledge group: "Once we swear in, you three are gonna be the core of the freshman class. I'll be with the sophomores and I've already told Elaine that I'll support her as class leader. That means, right now, I think you ought to decide among yourselves who's gonna be your group leader." Cherine raised her hand: "I think it ought to be Bernadette." Lisa turned to Kathleen: "Are you OK with that?" "That's fine with me." "OK, then Bernadette it is." A few minutes later Lisa and Bernadette knelt in front of Pledge Mistress Tracy, to formally announce that Bernadette had been elected freshman class leader, pending swearing in. Now Bernadette was officially the leader of the pledge group and answered directly to Tracy, leaving Lisa free to deal with Brittany and Erin. ---------- After she talked to her group mates, Lisa went to the library to talk to the two guests alone. She entered the room completely naked and was about to talk to two women who still were dressed, but that detail did not bother her in the least. Being naked was an important part of Lisa's identity, and the people around her would just have to get used to that. In spite of her lack of covering, she exuded confidence and authority as she addressed the two newcomers and ordered them to stand. She introduced herself to Erin and explained that she was in charge of the two newcomers' affairs until they formally became pledges. Then she handed a copy of the pledge manual to Brittany and ordered her to read: "Chapter 1, section 14 - a pledge will automatically assume a position of submission and respect whenever addressing an officer of the Sorority. The position of submission and respect will be determined at the beginning of each semester by the Chapter President. However, as needed, an officer of the Sorority, with the concurrence of the Chapter President, may require pledges to assume a position of submission and respect differing from the pledge position normally required in the sorority house." "Prospects Brittany and Erin, because I am delegated to help you get ready to pledge, I expect you to stand at attention whenever I talk to you. Do you understand me?" "Yeah...OK..." "No, that's not how you say it. It'll be 'yes, Pledge Lisa'. Do you understand me?" "Yes, Pledge Lisa." "The 'position of submission and respect' will change once you two formally start pledging, but so will a bunch of other things in your lives. For one thing, you'll be answering to the Four-Beta Pledge Mistress, once she gets elected. I don't know who that's gonna be, but it won't be Pledge Mistress Tracy, because in a couple of weeks she'll be chapter president. But, whoever the Pledge Mistress is, you're gonna have to show her total respect, just like my group is doing with Pledge Mistress Tracy now. You follow me?" "Yes, Pledge Lisa." "The reason that's important is because we do things differently than your old sorority. The only person a Four-Beta pledge really needs to worry about is the Pledge Mistress. We have a clear chain of command and everything you'll be doing will be tied to your training. We won't be having you do a bunch of stupid irrelevant shit. For example, you won't have a senior waking you up in the middle of the night to get her a candy bar. We don't do things that way." Strutting in exactly the same manner Tracy strutted, Lisa continued: "That's not to say you won't have a rough fall. You will, but it's gonna be different from what you guys were doing over the summer. Everything you do here will have a purpose, and you'll always understand that purpose. Your lives will focus on studying, physical fitness, self-improvement, Four-Beta training, and sexual knowledge, in that order. You won't be allowed to have any alcohol, but that's not to say you won't have fun. Play the game by our rules, and I guarantee you'll have plenty of fun along with the hard work. You don't have to make yourself sick on booze to have fun." Lisa then addressed an issue on the minds of both her listeners, noting that every so often they glanced at the bruises on her bare bottom. "I know that you're wondering about physical punishment. Do we have it? Yes we do, and it's an important part of pledge discipline. However, only the Pledge Mistress or Sergeant-at-Arms can administer a punishment; and the only place you'll ever get punished is on your butt. Around here's no such thing as getting hit in the face, like what happened to you..." Lisa pointed at Erin's black eye. With that Lisa held up the Pledge Mistress manual: "Everything that goes on in your lives is written down in this book. If you ever have a question about something that I (or your Pledge Mistress in the fall) want you to do, you have the right to ask why, and to ask where it's written down. If you don't like my answer, you can talk to Pledge Mistress Tracy or President Alexandra. You understand that? "Yes, Pledge Lisa." "If I don't follow what's in this manual, I can get booted from the sorority. That just happened to one of our officers. She didn't follow the pledge manual, abused her authority, and is no longer with us." Lisa pointed at the textbooks laid out on the library table. "That's gonna be your purpose in life. You've got to pass your classes. We'll tutor you, help you get caught up on your assignments, and you'll pass. I bet last Wednesday you didn't think you were gonna pass the semester, did you?" "No, Pledge Lisa, we..." "Well, things in life change, don't they? You'll bust your asses and you'll pass, but then in the fall you'll have to work on bringing your grade point average up. Now, what questions do you have from me? Don't forget, the only stupid question is the one you don't ask..." A few minutes later Brittany and Erin were seated with Kathleen, working on essays that should have been turned in two weeks before. Oh well, better late than never. Meanwhile, Lisa wrote the first entry in the sorority training-log for the fall semester: July 23 - 4:20 p.m. Pledge Lisa Campbell was placed in charge of the initial orientation of Pledge Prospect Brittany and Pledge Prospect Erin at the request of Four-Beta Pledge Mistress Tracy. Following the appointment, Pledge Lisa formally introduced herself and discussed Four-Beta expectations of both pledge prospects over the next three weeks. Topics covered included protocol between pledges and the trainer/Pledge Mistress, introduction to the Pledge Manual, a brief overview of Four-Beta training goals and philosophy, chain of command, physical discipline, and grievance protocol. Purpose of introduction was to emphasize the structured nature of Four-Beta training and contrast it with their former sorority. The above topics were covered superficially, but will be further developed throughout orientation. Both pledge prospects appeared willing to accept the protocol of the Four-Beta pledge program, which presumably is much more structured and clearly defined than training protocol in their former sorority. Questions asked by the pledge prospects following the introduction included: sleeping arrangements for pledges, contact with parents, how many freshmen typically pledge in the fall and the dropout rate, and the nature of the Four-Beta Sorority's relationship with the Tri-Alpha Fraternity. Both pledge prospects understood the urgency of their academic situation and accepted the need to pursue an intense study schedule over the next two weeks. Assisting the pledge prospects with academic mentoring will be Pledge Bernadette, Pledge Cherine, and Pledge Kathleen. Remedial PT will include 10-minute exercise and stretching breaks every hour to counter fatigue from studying. Neither pledge prospect is able to perform 10 pushups non-stop, nor run more than 5 minutes before becoming seriously exhausted. Both pledge prospects are over-weight by approximately 15 pounds each and have limited flexibility in their muscles. Remedial PT will include stretching, with the goal of preparing their bodies for more intense exercising by the beginning of August. Trainer's assessment: Pledge Prospect Brittany and Pledge Prospect Erin both appear to have above average intelligence and outgoing personalities. However they will require counseling to counteract alcohol abuse, sleep deprivation, extreme stress, and possible feelings of guilt resulting from changing sororities. Their personal relationship appears mutually supportive and should be a positive factor in their adjustment to the Four-Beta Sorority. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 37 Note: Pledge Lisa decided that the "position of submission and respect" for the pledge prospects will consist of standing upright at attention, because Pledge Lisa has not yet sworn in as a full member of the Four-Beta sorority. Upon swearing in as a member-in-full-standing, Pledge Lisa will require Pledge Prospect Brittany and Pledge Prospect Erin to kneel when addressing her, in accordance with Chapter 1, section 14 of the Four-Beta Pledge Manual. Trainer's recommendation: Pledge Lisa recommends that both pledge prospects be allowed to use the pool immediately as part of their remedial PT, and not have to wait until becoming formal pledges. Later that night Pledge Mistress Tracy added her own comments: July 23 - 10:30 p.m. Pledge Lisa's request concerning use of the pool approved by chapter president. Pledge Prospect Brittany and Pledge Prospect Erin will be allowed to use the pool at Pledge Lisa's discretion, provided they are under escort and properly undressed before entering the pool area. ---------- The pressure of life in the Four-Beta Sorority did not let up as July drew to a close, in spite of Tracy's promise of "light at the end of the tunnel". The exhortation to study and perform well academically was more intense than ever, as was the final portion of the Four-Beta training in the evenings. The pledges had to study the sorority's rules, by-laws, and chapter history to prepare themselves for a written examination and the final panel interview. Of the four pledges, Kathleen by far surpassed the others in mastering the Four-Beta material, because her mind was suited for that type of learning. By the end of July not only did she know the sorority's rules and history; she could actually recite them from memory. Tracy continued to be stressed about the upcoming volleyball tournaments and worried that the sorority might not match its performance from the year before. As a result, the pledges spent endless hours in the back yard practicing with the juniors. Unfortunately Lisa had to sit out a week of volleyball practice while she waited for her hand to heal and the splint to come off. Instead, Tracy had her perform exercises designed to help her get ready to train, with the hope that once Lisa's splint came off, she could get caught up. ---------- On top of their own studies, the four pledges took turns helping Brittany and Erin get caught up in their studies. Fortunately, it turned out that Erin shared two classes with Bernadette, Cherine, and Kathleen, so much of what they did with her directly related to their own coursework. Over the next week the two pledge prospects progressed with their assignments, while Alexandra sweet-talked the professors into accepting various papers way past their due dates. By the beginning of August, the physical appearance of Brittany and Erin had changed dramatically. Erin had to cut her hair to remove the adhesive from the duct tape, and both newcomers dyed their hair back to its natural color. As customary for pledges of the Four-Beta sorority, they quit wearing makeup, jewelry, and nail polish. After just a few days of exercise, plenty of sleep, and healthy food, their health had improved tremendously. Already they were beginning to slim down as their bodies became more toned and the flabbiness from their drinking receded. Their formally vacant expressions vanished, replaced by the determined look of knowing that their lives depended on whether or not they could salvage the semester. The two newcomers were more fortunate than Lisa's pledge group in on aspect; they had time to gradually get used to the naked lifestyle of the Four-Beta Sorority. Lisa took them into the swimming pool as a reward for completing assignments and, of course they were required to swim naked. The first time skinny-dipping was very difficult, especially for Erin, but the second outing to the pool was much easier. Within a week both pledge recruits had become accustomed to swimming naked and were starting to enjoy it. From skinny-dipping Brittany and Erin progressed to exercising naked whenever they were in the yard. Over time Lisa patiently expanded the amount of time her two charges were separated from their clothing, easing them into their upcoming life of continuous nudity as pledges. ---------- The arrival of Brittany and Erin forced President Alexandra to quit dwelling on the scandal over Heather and blaming herself for the mistreatment of Pledge Lisa. Instead, she would spend the month of August dealing with the final important fight of her presidency. The Friday following Erin's flight to the Four-Beta House, the sorority was served with an official complaint, signed by most of the university's other sorority presidents, accusing the Four-Betas of "pledge stealing". The offense the other sororities were accusing the Four-Betas of committing was a serious violation of sorority protocol. The various sororities had an understanding that under no circumstances were they to attempt to recruit each other's pledges. On the surface, the Four-Betas clearly had violated that agreement by taking in Brittany and Erin. The story, as circulated by the Four-Betas' rivals, was that Tracy and Shannon had deliberately provoked the members of the rival sorority into a fight to get them arrested, with the premeditated purpose of stealing pledges. Along with the complaint was a petition from the other sorority officers demanding that the Four-Betas to drop all assault charges against their rivals, and another document demanding that Brittany and Erin be forced to leave the Four-Beta house and return to their original sorority. Alexandra showed up at the presidents' meeting to acknowledge the grievance, but had no intention of complying with either demand. She began by noting that Tracy and Shannon had been attacked and were merely defending themselves. There was no denying that fact, because the police report clearly backed the Four-Betas' version of the incident. She emphasized her point by passing out copies of the report. As for the fight itself, if the other women got beat up because they were drunk and out of shape...well, whose fault was that? As for Brittany and Erin, they were at the Four-Beta house not because they had been lured by anyone, but because they chose to go there. They were just starting to regain their health, restore their grades, and put their lives back together. The Four-Beta president flatly rejected any demands to give up Brittany and Erin, no matter what anyone else said or threatened. She knew that in doing so she was about to unleash a fight between the Four-Betas and the other sororities, but so what? It wouldn't be the first time, nor the last. The other sorority leaders were infuriated upon hearing to Alexandra's unapologetic defiance concerning the Four-Beta Sorority's vile acts of entrapment and pledge stealing. However, the rival officers were smart enough to realize that taking their complaints to the media would not be a good idea. Already pledging scandals were beginning to make the news, even before the fall semester had started. Going any further with a formal complaint probably would be counter-productive, given that already the police and the university had become very interested in the dangerous hazing practices and underage drinking going on at Brittany's sorority. Unfortunately, the drunken interview from the senior in Brittany's old sorority, especially when contrasted with President Alexandra's courteous thoughtful comments, certainly did nothing to strengthen the position of the Four-Betas' rivals in the eyes of journalists covering the story. No. The other sororities would have to come up with something else, something that wouldn't involve normal grievance procedures, but instead totally humiliate the residents of the Four-Beta House. That night several of Alexandra's counterparts lay awake, each restlessly pondering what could be done to embarrass the rogue sorority. One woman hit upon an idea that seemed perfect. The "sex bitches" liked being naked so much...OK, let's make them go public with that. Put 'em on display for the whole world to see. The university-wide sorority volleyball tournament was coming up...a few small changes in the rules...and we'll give the Four-Betas plenty of exposure...a lot more than even they can handle... The Pledge Mistress Ch. 38 Chapter 38 -- The Four-Beta oath Lisa celebrated the first day of August by taking off the splint protecting her injured finger. The university intern advised her to "go easy" on her hand for a few more days, but added that she could resume most physical activity right away. Tracy advised Lisa that she expected her to go back to doing normal sit-ups and push-ups. Lisa's volleyball training now could include practicing serving, but returning to spiking the ball and conducting saves still was several days away because Lisa's hand still needed some more time to completely heal. During the final push to learn the Four-Beta rules and history, it was Kathleen who took the lead among the pledges. She drilled the others to make sure there would be no problems during the final panel interview, impressing Lisa with her performance. Kathleen, who always had quietly stood in the background of the pledge group, finally had the chance to excel and gain the respect of Bernadette and Cherine. During the final days of pledging, the three freshmen truly were working together as a team, each member of the group bringing her own strengths to the group. When finals week arrived, Lisa realized how many lives had depended on her over the past month. The other members of her pledge group had excelled in their training duties, largely because she had been there to motivate them throughout the most difficult periods of the summer semester. All three of her pledging companions had difficult personalities and totally different life experiences upon entering the sorority, but after three months of intense pressure and shared hardship they had become close friends. Yes, even Bernadette and Kathleen were getting along, and who would have thought that would have happened at the beginning of the summer? Now, under the leadership of Bernadette, the core members of the freshman class soon would take their proper place in the Four-Beta house. As Bernadette took charge of the pledge group and replaced Lisa as their de facto leader, Lisa reflected that already she was beginning to become somewhat separated from the others. She was not a freshman, thus she would not be part of the freshman class. Once she became a member of the sorority, she would become one of the sophomores and hang out more with them than with the freshmen. Of course, the one exception would be Kathleen. Although Lisa would not be hanging out with the other freshmen very much, she would spend as much time as possible with her lover, training her and comforting her. ---------- Lisa became an invaluable asset to Ruth Burnside as papers and tests flooded into the office to be corrected and graded. She could tell that Burnside was satisfied with having chosen her as her student aide and looked forward to continuing working with her in the fall. The professor dropped hints that soon Lisa would be assisting her with research. Assuming she performed well with the research, eventually Lisa would take Mark's place as her primary teaching assistant, once he graduated with his Ph.D. Lisa realized that, at age 19, she already had her place within the Economics Department. As the semester drew to a close, Lisa continued working naked in Burnside's office and thoroughly enjoyed doing so. She did not much care for standing at attention in Burnside's "position of submission and respect" and was looking forward to ending particular detail once she swore in. However, she knew that she would really miss the comfort of not wearing any clothing while working at her desk. A strange thought crossed Lisa's mind. Perhaps, during the fall semester, it would be possible for her to continue working at her desk in the nude. What she wanted was not to be required to strip, but instead to persuade Burnside to make her job clothing optional. She would slip on a dress if there were any visitors in the office, but have it off whenever alone or just with the professor. If she could be naked or dressed as she pleased, casually treating her clothing in the same way she would treat a sweater or jacket, that would be ideal. Knowing how much the professor enjoyed looking at her body and her over-all tolerance of personality quirks, she suspected that Burnside would go along with her request if approached in the right way and at the right moment. Lisa decided to address the issue of her attire the day the professor gave the last of her finals. Both women had spent their day hard at work with grading, but finally Burnside decided to take a break and invited her student to lunch in the fancy restaurant on the top floor of the Student Center. Burnside was in particular good humor as the two women chatted about the upcoming fall semester. When the topic of conversation moved towards Lisa's swearing in and the end of her status as a pledge, the professor commented: "You know, one thing I'll miss is your pledge uniform. Definitely that added a bit of fun to the office over the summer." "Dr. Burnside, about that...I was kinda wondering..." "Wondering what?" "Well, you know that I'm sort of a nudist, and I don't like wearing clothes...I mean...I wear clothes on campus because I have to...but I really prefer having my clothes off whenever I can." "OK, so what are you getting at?" "I'd really appreciate it if you'd let me...you know...continue working like I was over the summer...I mean like...when no one else is in the office..." "In other words, you want to continue working in the nude?" "Yes...I mean like...when no one else is around...I mean...I'd keep a dress hanging next to my desk and put it on whenever anyone comes in..." The professor thought for a moment. "It'd have to be a dress you can slip over your head, something you could put on in just a couple of seconds, no zippers or buttons." "Like the dress I wore at the beginning of the summer?" "That'd work." "So, you're OK with it?" "Lisa, just so there's no misunderstanding, I want you to tell me, in your own words, exactly what you want." The student took a deep breath. "Dr. Burnside, I'd appreciate it if you'd allow me to not wear my clothes when I'm in your office. I'd like to work naked, like I did over the summer." "Alright, you have my permission." Then the professor gave Lisa a mischievous smile: "Actually it'll make things more convenient for me. Whenever you screw up and I have to put you over my lap, I won't have to wait for you to get undressed." Lisa's heart skipped a beat, as she wondered how serious Burnside's last comment was. Anyhow, it was done. She had her boss's permission to continue working in the nude. ---------- Finals week brought very good news to the Four-Beta house and to Lisa in particular. The two failing juniors did amazingly well on their economics finals, just good enough to salvage their class grades and get a "C-" from Burnside for the semester. They made it, just barely, and in doing so saved themselves from academic probation and Shannon from a huge embarrassment. The other members of Lisa's study group also did quite well on their finals and credited their group leader with helping keep their grade-point averages from falling. Even more important to Lisa and Tracy was the fate of the two pledge prospects, which entirely depended on whether or not they could pass their freshman classes. On Thursday afternoon Tracy, the three freshmen pledges, and the two guests returned to the sorority house in very high spirits, cheering and waving test papers. Brittany and Erin had passed all of their summer classes with low "C's". Obviously "C's" were not grades normally acceptable to the Four-Beta sorority, but considering how badly the two guests had been doing in class just three weeks before, merely passing was a huge accomplishment. Both girls got on the phone and excitedly called their parents with the good news. Parents usually are not thrilled to find out their daughters got "C's" in all their classes, but in the case of Brittany and Erin, what they had just achieved was a big accomplishment. In just three weeks they had salvaged their semester and narrowly missed flunking out of the university. ---------- On Friday, August 12, the final day of the semester, Tracy and the pledges returned to the sorority house with their complete grades. The entire group, even Lisa with her more difficult classes from Burnside, had straight "A's". Tracy called Alexandra and asked her to "get the room set up". Upon returning to the house, Tracy and her group stripped for the last time as pledges returning from class. Tracy then led her group into the sitting room, where Alexandra, the other three remaining officers were sitting at a large table, and the seniors were standing in formal gowns. Also present were the two pledge prospects, who had been invited to watch so they could learn more about what would be expected from them as pledges. The Pledge Mistress motioned with a slight gesture of her hand that her pledges were to kneel. Once they were kneeling, she stepped in front of her group and stood at attention. "President Alexandra!" "Yes, Pledge Mistress Tracy!" "I request permission to submit my pledge group's academic performance to the officers of the Four-Beta Sorority, as verification they have proven themselves as scholars!" "Permission granted, Pledge Mistress! Please step forward!" Tracy presented the grades to her fellow officers. Alexandra examined each grade sheet and passed it to the other three women sitting at the table. Then she took four certificates out of an envelope and uncapped a stamp. Lisa realized the documents were official Four-Beta membership certificates. To be a valid proof of sorority membership, the papers had to have three stamps placed on the bottom: academic performance, physical fitness, and knowledge of the history and protocol of the Four-Beta Sorority. The president called each pledge to the table to verify that her grade sheet accurately reflected her academic performance for the semester. Upon hearing "yes, President Alexandra" the sorority leader stamped her certificate as verification she had "proven herself as a scholar". Alexandra decided to take care of the panel interview next, but would leaving the PT test for the following morning. The formal vote of admittance would have to be delayed until Saturday evening, but that hardly mattered because it was a formality. Alexandra decided to hold the formal vote at 9:00, just before the swearing in ceremony at midnight. "Pledge Mistress Tracy!" "Yes, President Alexandra!" "Have your pledges properly learned the rules, protocol, and history of the Four-Beta Sorority?" "Yes, President Alexandra!" "Very well. You will choose one member of your group to converse with us. Tell the others to wait in the pool area until called." "Yes, President Alexandra! Pledge Kathleen!" "Yes, Pledge Mistress Tracy!" "You will demonstrate your knowledge of the rules, protocol, and history of the Four-Beta Sorority to the officers and seniors! Pledge Lisa, Pledge Bernadette, and Pledge Cherine, please exit to the pool and wait until you are summoned!" Tracy had chosen Kathleen to go first, partly because she knew the material better than her fellow pledges, and partly so she wouldn't have a chance to get nervous while waiting to face the panel. The shyest member of the pledge group trembled as she stood before the officers, but her performance was flawless. The Social Director, curious to see how much the pledge really did know, asked some rather obscure questions, but always got correct answers. After 30 minutes, Alexandra stood up and congratulated Kathleen. "You can be proud of yourself. You got a perfect score. You're the first pledge I've ever seen who's made it through the panel interview with no mistakes." Kathleen forced a smile, but Tracy could tell that she was becoming more and more nervous. She was very relieved when the pledge left the room and would have a chance to calm down. Anyhow, Pledge Kathleen now had the second of the three required stamps on her certificate. The other three pledges took advantage of the delay to drill each other on the Four-Beta material. Kathleen exited the house so nervous that she still was shaking, but it was obvious she had passed. Lisa hugged her as Bernadette left to face the panel. That night, the summer group slept on their cots as pledges for the very last time. Tracy, determined to keep her promise to the very end, slept with them. ---------- The PT test was the final task that needed to be completed by the pledges, but it also turned out to be the easiest. The Four-Beta officers, the four pledges, and the two pledge prospects walked to the university stadium for the test. Polk was there to let them in, obviously hoping to see one or more of the Four-Betas out of uniform. Unfortunately for him, for once there was nothing out of the ordinary, just four young women in shorts running around the track for 30 minutes and doing push-ups and sit-ups. The pledges tested and received their final PT scores. The group left the stadium after about an hour to cross campus and return the Four-Beta house. And, that was it. Lisa, Bernadette, Cherine, and Kathleen had passed the final task that stood between them and full-membership in the Four-Beta Sorority. The group returned to the sitting room and Alexandra put the third and final stamp on each membership certificate. With that the pledges were released for the afternoon. They would not be allowed to get dressed or leave the sorority house until the swearing-in ceremony, but were free to relax in the back yard, sleep in the guestroom, make phone calls, or use the Internet. The freshmen immediately headed for the swimming pool, but Tracy pulled Lisa aside to go to the sorority office and look over the training record of Brittany and Erin. Now that the pledge challenges were completed, both Tracy and Lisa were in reflective moods. Before dealing with the pledge prospects, Lisa needed to talk about her own feelings, about her pending transition from pledge to full member. It was strange to think, that after nearly three months, Lisa and her companions would finally be allowed to come and go as they pleased, wear clothing in the sorority house, and above all, sleep in normal beds with sheets and covers. No longer would they have to address everyone as "ma'am", nor kneel in front of anyone. It was a very weird feeling, to still be in the Four-Beta House but suddenly be treated as an equal and have all that freedom. How best to use that new freedom and enjoy her time in a productive way weighed heavily on Lisa's mind: Tracy responded: "You've just grasped the most important thing I wanted to teach you this summer. I want you to enjoy all the small good things in your life and appreciate what's been given to you. A person doesn't normally appreciate having choices and freedom until they're taken away. That's one of the points we're trying to make with the Four-Beta pledge program. Make you appreciate all of the details in your life, all of the trivial liberties you normally take for granted. I've got an example of what I'm talking about, from my own past. A couple of years ago, I spent 11 weeks in Basic Training for the Army. That was 11 weeks that I never had a chance to be alone, never had a chance to so much as have a cup of coffee or even take a piss without some drill sergeant yelling at me to 'hurry up'. I never got a chance to read a book, or watch the news, or sleep without getting woken up, or just go for a walk by myself. I never thought about any of those things before Basic. After those 11 weeks I appreciated a lot more in my life. To this day I still appreciate all the stuff I missed in Basic Training. And that's the lesson I wanted to pass along to you." "...and the lesson we'll be passing to Brittany and Erin...and the fall pledge group..." "Exactly." Tracy paused as she looked at Lisa's latest entries for Brittany and Erin. She commented: "Of course, you know that you're not gonna have as much free time as you thought. Your fellow pledges are gonna get to relax. Not you. After you swear in tonight, you're gonna hit the ground running. Remember Brittany and Erin?" Tracy tapped the computer screen displaying their training records: "Tomorrow I want them to sign their pledge contracts. Now that they've passed their classes and are eligible to pledge, we've got to get their status in the Four-Beta house legalized ASAP. For one thing, I want to bring them under our health coverage plan so they can get some counseling about their drinking. We've also got to finalize their separation from their old sorority. You know the other sororities are still trying to force us to give them back, and President Alexandra has had to put up a real fight to keep them with us. Once they're signed up as pledges, I think that'll take a lot of the pressure off her, because once a pledge has signed a contract we can't give her up, even if we wanted to. Right now they don't have any legal status with us. Once they sign the pledge contract, they will. You follow me so far?" "Yes." "Here's the deal as far as you're concerned. Since I don't know who's gonna be taking my job as Pledge Mistress in the fall, I need to put your name on their contracts as 'acting Pledge Mistress'. Until further notice, I need you to be charge of those two, and I want to formalize that arrangement on paper." "...until the new Pledge Mistress gets elected?" "...until I decide they no longer need you as their mentor. To be honest, I don't know when that'll be. Right now you're the person for the job, and the reason I say that is not only because of their improvement, but also your training log entries. So far you've done a very good job assessing their needs and documenting their progress. I couldn't have done it any better. It's obvious you give a damn about them, so until further notice, starting tomorrow morning their training's gonna be your show." With that Lisa and Tracy went to the pool. They sat down next to each other in chaise lounges in the shade, enjoying the peaceful hot summer afternoon. The three freshmen were in the pool with the two pledge prospects and several sophomores, playing an impromptu game of water volleyball. Lisa glanced over at the Pledge Mistress, only to see that she had fallen asleep. I wonder how much sleep she's gotten over the summer, wondered Lisa to herself. A lot less than us, that's for sure. With that Lisa opened the Pledge Mistress manual to a chapter titled "Pledge discipline, motivation, and morale." She started reading, in preparation for the huge responsibility that awaited her within just 24 hours. ---------- At 9:00 that night the entire membership of the sorority crowded into the sitting room for the formal vote that would bring four new members into the sorority. Lisa was surprised that the women were wearing casual clothing, but later found out there would be a break afterwards to prepare for the swearing-in ceremony at midnight. Once the women were seated, Tracy led her pledges single-file to the president's podium. Like her pledges, Tracy was still naked. The pledges lined up on the right side of the chapter president and stood quietly while Tracy summarized the group's training during the summer. The sorority's social director read aloud the pledges' grades, Four-Beta training scores, and their PT scores. She stepped away from the microphone, turning it back over to the chapter president. Alexandra gestured towards Lisa: "I believe that Pledge Lisa Campbell has proven herself and will become a valued member of our community. Those of you who agree with me, please raise your hands." Everyone's hand went up, and with that Lisa was voted into the sorority as a member-in-full-standing. Alexandra's comment and the unanimous vote were repeated three more times. Even Kathleen received a unanimous vote. Maybe she wasn't the most outgoing person, but certainly she had proven herself with athletics and knowledge of the Four-Beta Sorority. Her personality not withstanding, she would be made welcome, become part of a group, and finally find her place in life. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 38 ---------- Lisa wondered if the Tri-Alphas would be invited to the swearing-in ceremony. It turned out that would wouldn't be, for a very simple reason. By Four-Beta tradition, for new members to be taken in the entire membership had to be present, and everyone attending the ceremony had to be naked. Eighty nude women would be gathered in the sitting room, which was dimly lit by candelabras placed behind the president's podium. The pledges knelt in the basement for the very last time to allow Tracy to blindfold them and cuff their hands behind their backs. Elaine and four sophomores came down the stairs and stood at attention in front of the Pledge Mistress. "Pledge Mistress Tracy. The chapter president has informed us that with you are four women who have qualified to join our community." "That is correct, Sophomore Elaine. Please do me the honor of taking them before President Alexandra and the Four-Beta chapter." "Very well, Pledge Mistress, we shall do you that honor." A sophomore guided each pledge up the stairs to face the president's podium and pushed her into a kneeling position. Once the pledges were in place, President Alexandra and the other officers walked into the room and took their places at the podium. Like the pledges and everyone else about to enter the room, they were completely naked. The members filed in next, first the seniors, then the juniors, and finally the sophomores. Brittany and Erin also would be present, but would have to wear blindfolds and sit in chairs in the back of the room. They would be allowed to be present at the ceremony, but not watch it. Like everyone else, they were required to undress before entering the room. All of the sorority's members knelt once they had accommodated themselves by class. Upon seeing that everyone was kneeling, President Alexandra rang her antique hand bell and summoned her Pledge Mistress. "I understand that in this room are four women who have completed the first part of their life's journey with the Four-Beta Sorority." Tracy knelt. "Yes, President Alexandra, my four companions have proven themselves worthy of joining our community." "We are pleased to hear that, Pledge Mistress." Alexandra then turned her attention to the entire membership. "We must raise our voices in celebration." What happened next was bizarre and somewhat frightening. The sound that came from the 80 kneeling women was not a chant, or a song, or even a cheer. Instead it sounded something like an air raid siren or a tornado warning. It was a long, deep-throated wail that went on for about 10 minutes and did not die down until the members had exhausted their voices. When the wail died down, the pledges heard Tracy's voice. "President Alexandra and members of the Four-Beta Sorority, my pledges have earned the right to bear the mark that will end their time of trial. Their time of trial began with the mark, and will end with the mark. I request permission to release my companions from their bonds, so that they may receive the mark and become one with the rest of us." "Please release them." For the second time the strange wailing filled the room as Tracy took off the pledges' handcuffs and blindfolds. She tossed the handcuffs to the side of the room, but handed the blindfolds back to their owners. Once Tracy removed the final blindfold the wailing abruptly stopped. The pledges looked up and realized that Alexandra, the other officers, and everyone else in their sight was naked. Tracy handed Lisa a pair of scissors. "Cut your blindfold in half. You don't need it anymore." "Yes, Pledge Mistress Tracy." Lisa cut her blindfold and handed the scissors back to Tracy. Once each pledge had cut her blindfold, Tracy ordered Lisa to stand up, turn around, and face the members. All those kneeling women made a very eerie sight, with their bare bodies faintly illuminated by the dim candlelight. Tracy picked up her riding crop and positioned herself in front of Lisa. "Lisa Campbell, to finalize you passage into our community, you must bear the mark. Do you wish to receive the mark?" "Yes Pledge Mistress, I wish to receive the mark." "Very well, you will kneel before me for the very last time as my pledge, and you will be marked." Lisa did as she was told. She took a deep breath and gripped her knees as Tracy tapped her with the riding crop. Three strokes on her front left shoulder, about halfway between her breast and collarbone, was how her pledging experience began. Three strokes in the same spot was how her pledging experience would end. CRACK! Lisa trembled and winced as a flash of white-hot pain seared into her. As Tracy waited for the burning to mount before delivering the second stroke, the sorority members wailed for a third time. Through her pain Lisa glanced at the faces in her audience, taking comfort in knowing that everyone in the room had gone through the same initiation ritual. She took a deep breath and waited for the second stroke... CRACK! As the pain rapidly intensified, Lisa put every bit of will she had into suppressing a scream. However, tears began rolling down her cheeks. One more...One more...One more and then... CRACK! "Uh...Uhhh...." Lisa gritted her teeth and trembled as the pain continued to mount in her shoulder. As she continued trying not to scream, the wailing from her audience intensified. The noise abruptly stopped when Tracy raised her hand. "Lisa Campbell. Get off your knees. I no longer have the right to demand that you kneel before me. You have proven yourself and are now my equal." Lisa struggled to her feet, her mind still mostly occupied by the burning welt rising on her shoulder, that angry patch of red on her skin that made her eligible to take the final Four-Beta oath. One by one Lisa's companions went through the same ordeal. Cherine, the pledge that had been the most frightened at the beginning, made it through the strokes without a sound, although when she stood up her face was streaked with tears. Kathleen was the most stoic of the group, keeping her eyes fixated on her wailing audience and showing no reaction at all, other than slightly flinching each time the crop made contact. Bernadette started crying after the second stroke, but managed to hold her position until Tracy was finished and she was told to stand up. A few minutes later Alexandra was back at her podium, ready to administer the oath for new members. The Four-Beta oath somewhat surprised Lisa. She had expected to have to repeat a lengthy statement honoring sisterhood or upholding the integrity of the Four-Beta sorority, but instead the oath was very short: "As a member of the Four-Beta Sorority, I swear to honor those who came before me and stood where I'm standing now. I will do so by using the gifts with which I have been blessed to bear honest witness to the times in which I live." To a Four-Beta, the phrase "bear honest witness" was very significant, because the term entailed an entire lifestyle of doing everything possible to improve the lives of the people whose lives intersected with those taking the oath. That included not only a lifetime of speaking honestly, but also making personal sacrifices for friends, family, and strangers, developing one's mind and continuing to learn throughout life, and using any acquired knowledge and skills to fight the strong and defend the weak. The Four-Betas did not need an elaborate oath for their members, because they understood that what mattered most throughout a person's life were her actions, not her words and promises. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 39 Chapter 39 -- "Acting Pledge Mistress" The atmosphere in the sitting room completely changed within minutes of the completion of the swearing-in ceremony, when the lights were turned on and the candles put out. Shannon had a camera set up on a tripod so she could take several group pictures of the new members. Lisa and her companions started by standing at attention; then took a second picture with their membership certificates. After that they posed for several casual pictures, smiling with their arms around each other's shoulders, and finally posed for individual shots with each woman holding her certificate. The better pictures would go into the new members' section of the Four-Beta yearbook, along with pictures taken in December of the fall pledge group. The seniors took turns congratulating Tracy on her successful summer of pledging, while the younger women clustered to congratulate Lisa and her companions for successfully passing all the requirements to join. Elaine approached Lisa to ask her a practical question, what she planned to do about her living arrangements in the fall. Lisa realized that because of her pending status as Acting Pledge Mistress, she would have to take a room in the Four-Beta house and would not be able to return to her dorm room in Huntington Hall. Watching over Brittany and Erin would not be possible if she were not in the sorority house at night, so it was obvious that she would have to notify the director at Huntington Hall and vacate her room. To that Elaine commented: "Don't just give up your old room. Dorm rooms are hard to come by and right now there's a waiting list. How about having Bernadette or Cherine take it?" When Lisa offered her fellow pledges her spot in Huntington Hall, they quickly decided to move in together as roommates. They had become close friends during pledging and already were used to living together, so having them take Lisa's dorm room made perfect sense. The following week President Alexandra, Lisa, Bernadette, and Cherine would need to visit the university housing office to transfer the room. Alexandra would accompany the group to use a contact she had in the campus housing-department to ensure that Lisa's room was actually transferred to the two freshmen. That resolved the housing status of Bernadette and Cherine. Elaine knew that Lisa would need a room in the sorority house, but as a sophomore, she did not have the right to take a room by herself. To that Lisa quickly replied: "I don't want to take a room by myself. I want to room with Kathleen." "Alright. If you two are doubling-up, then I suppose I can give you the small room near the second floor broom closet. Would that work for you?" "That'd be perfect." Perfect indeed, because the room Elaine was offering was at the far end of the hallway. On one side was an outer wall, and on the other side the broom closet. No other bedroom shared a wall with the vacant room, which meant that it would be much harder for anyone to hear what Lisa and Kathleen were doing inside. Perfect. By 2:00 a.m. everyone was tired enough to be ready to go to sleep. Tracy returned to her room and slept in her own bed for the first time in more than a month. Lisa and her companions returned to the basement to find that Tracy had taken the locks off their lockers so they could have access to their personal items. The women now had the option of getting dressed. Another change was that they no longer would be sleeping in the locker room on cots. That night they would sleep in the guest room with the two pledge prospects. ---------- The following morning Lisa woke on her own at 8:00. She woke up startled by her surroundings and the fact she was lying in a comfortable bed with Kathleen, instead of her usual cot in the locker room. There was no "OK sleeping beauties! UP-UP-UP! Let's go!...Let's go!...Let's go!..." and no morning slap on the butt. The pain in her shoulder reminded her why...she no longer was a pledge. Lisa was the first member of her group to wake up. She looked at her companions and realized that probably they had slept together for the very last time. That night she and Kathleen would be sleeping in their room upstairs, and probably on Tuesday or Wednesday Bernadette and Cherine would move into Huntington Hall. After moving into Lisa's old room, both freshmen planned to be gone over the following week, visiting their parents, so she really wouldn't see very much of them until the week before Labor Day. Lisa studied her lover's face, which looked very different when she was asleep and not tensed up. Starting that night Lisa and Kathleen would have much more time to develop their relationship, now that the restrictions of life as pledges no longer existed. How different everything would be... Without bothering to get dressed, Lisa went upstairs to get breakfast. She sat with six sophomores and juniors. Four of her dining companions were wearing casual clothing, while the other two had not yet gotten dressed. Fortunately for Lisa, there were other nudists in the house and the lifestyle was perfectly accepted. When Lisa sat down, no one cared that she was not dressed. Over the next three years, perhaps more if she chose to go to graduate school, Lisa would make it a point not to wear clothing whenever she was in the sorority house. Lisa spent a very long time in conversation with her breakfast companions. Finally Bernadette, Kathleen, and Cherine came upstairs, all of them dressed in casual clothing. It was strange to see them wearing clothing in the house, stranger still that what they were wearing was not their Four-Beta pledge uniforms. Following breakfast Cherine and Bernadette planned to enjoy their first day of post-pledge liberty by going over to the Tri-Alpha house. Cherine had a date with Jacob, while Bernadette...well...at the very least the Triple-A's owed her some quality time in the shower, a massage or two, and then after that...she'd have to see. There was plenty of sexual tension built up in her body that morning. Now that she was officially a Four-Beta and no longer restricted by the rule prohibiting sex between fraternity members and sorority pledges, she had every intention of celebrating her first day of freedom with the guys. Lisa took Kathleen upstairs to see their new room. It had two single beds, a dresser, a large bookshelf, and two wardrobes. It was obvious the room had only two purposes: a place to sleep and a place to keep personal items. Then Lisa noticed something very interesting. There were two sturdy metal hooks drilled into the ceiling. Lisa wondered when those had been put in, and why. Whatever their original purpose, Lisa knew that she would have a use for them, whenever Kathleen misbehaved. Lisa and Kathleen kissed passionately for several minutes, but then Lisa put her finger on her lover's lips. "Sweetie, I need you to bring our things up from the basement and get the room set up. OK?" "Sure, Lisa." "And there's something else. I want you to get your clothes off. I didn't give you permission to get dressed." "I'm sorry. I thought..." "That's OK. I'm not mad about it. Just don't let it happen again." Very quickly Kathleen got out of her clothes. "I gotta go deal with Erin and Brittany. Now you make the room nice for us, so we can have some fun tonight." ---------- As Kathleen began making trips up and down the stairs with armloads of personal items and linens, Lisa found Brittany and Erin in the sorority library, reading the Four-Beta Pledge Manual. They still were dressed in their borrowed shorts and T-shirts, but that was about to change. Lisa entered the library and the two newcomers immediately snapped to attention. "Good morning Pledge Prospect Brittany and Pledge Prospect Erin." "Good morning, Lisa." "I want you to go to the basement and make sure your lockers are straightened and all your stuff put away. While you're doing that I'm gonna talk to President Alexandra, and I'll be down in a few minutes. Make sure you have everything put away, because when I come down, I'm gonna have to close up your lockers." The two younger women looked at each other nervously as they left the library. They knew this was it, their relatively relaxed time in the Four-Beta House was about to come to an end. After telling Tracy and Alexandra that she would have Erin and Brittany ready to sign their pledge contracts within an hour, Lisa returned to the basement. Shortly she would have to play the fierce role of Pledge Mistress, which meant that her relationship with her two charges would change radically. That would not be a surprise to the two freshmen, because they had seen Tracy interact with the summer pledge group and had familiarized themselves with the Pledge Manual. Still, the transition would be difficult and very scary at the beginning. Lisa explained that she had been appointed Acting Pledge Mistress: "What that means is that, once those contracts are signed, I'm gonna be yelling at you, constantly smacking your butts, and wearing you out. I'm gonna be doing all that because it's gonna be my job. Whatever you think of me right now won't matter once we go upstairs. What'll matter is my title of Acting Pledge Mistress. That title requires unquestioning obedience. Your counselor's gonna be Elaine. You need a shoulder to cry on, go to her. You follow me?" "Yes, Lisa." "After we go upstairs, you'll have to start addressing me as 'ma'am'. Whenever you talk to me you'll have to get on your knees before we converse. Whenever you want to initiate a conversation, you need to ask for permission to speak. Don't even think about doing that before you're on your knees." Lisa glanced at the worried expressions on the faces of her companions and continued: "And there's something else. I'm gonna take advantage of having you with me a few weeks before the others in your pledge group come in. By Labor Day you'll already know the Four-Beta rules and protocol by heart, so you'll be able to help the others. I'm gonna authorize my roommate Kathleen to handle your Four-Beta rules and history training. She knows those topics better than any of the rest of us, so I'm gonna delegate that portion of your training to her. When she speaks to you, you will treat her exactly like you'd treat me. If you dare show her any disrespect, I will discipline you in a big way. You follow me?" "Yes, Lisa." "I know it's gonna be rough and there will be some times that you'll totally hate me. But I want you to understand two things. The sorority has been doing things the same way since 1946, since we started using Pledge Mistresses. I'm doing my job, and everything will have its reason. If I'm doing something you don't think complies with your Pledge Manual; you have the right to take it up with Pledge Mistress Tracy or President Alexandra. That's your chain of command until the fall election. That's item number-one. Item number two is..." Lisa tapped the swollen patch of skin on her chest, "...that I just completed what you guys are starting. Don't think that I won't know what you're feeling, because I went through what you'll be going through. Don't think I don't understand, because I do. But at the same time, don't think you'll be getting any sympathy from me. You want sympathy, go to Elaine. You get it?" "Yes, Lisa." "A final thing. When I'm in the house, most of the time I won't be wearing any clothing. I want you to understand that doesn't have anything to do with my status in the sorority. I'm a nudist and it's my lifestyle choice to stay naked. That's why I'm a Four-Beta, so I can live my life according to the values that are most important to me. The fact that I'm naked has nothing to do with the authority I'll hold over you." Lisa took a breath, marveling at the sudden change in her own role in the sorority and the confidence with which she was speaking. "OK, ladies. This is it. You'll need to decide if you want to go upstairs and sign those contracts. You already know what to expect, because I've just told you. The moment your signatures go on those sheets of paper, you'll be pledges. You ready to head upstairs?" The two young women, scared but determined, nodded. "Yes. We're ready." "OK, take off your clothes and put them in the laundry basket. As of right now you'll have to comply with the pledge uniform rules. No clothes allowed when you're in the house." Lisa's charges took deep breaths and trembled as they stripped off their borrowed clothing. They faced four months of enforced nudity. "OK, you two! Ready to begin your journey with the Four-Beta Sorority?" "Yes, Lisa!" "PLEDGES, STAND UP!" The two naked women snapped to attention. "Up the stairs to the sitting room! Double-time...move out!" ---------- Lisa followed her companions as they ran up the stairs. Erin and Brittany were very nervous, but at least this time they knew what to expect upon signing their pledging contracts. Two months before, when their internment with their previous sorority began, they had no clue what was going to happen to them. Their pledging experience started when they were taken into the back yard and pelted with rotten vegetables and eggs. They were forced to drink several beer bongs each. When they had to go to the bathroom, the seniors forced them to piss in their pants, wildly insulted them, and continued hurling eggs. That was only the beginning, and every week their ordeal got worse. They knew that the experience they faced now would be very harsh, but harsh in a very different way. In exchange for the hardship they were about to endure, they would get into top physical shape and end the semester with very good grades. And, as Lisa pointed out, they would have at least some fun along the way. The sitting room was empty except a large table where the Four-Beta officers were sitting. In front of the table were three chairs. The officers, including Tracy, were dressed in formal gowns. Lisa led her companions into the room. The two freshmen took their positions standing behind the chairs. Lisa moved to the front. Tracy stood up and her voice bellowed out: "State your purpose, Lisa Campbell!" "Pledge Mistress Tracy, I'm here to present Pledge Prospect Brittany and Pledge Prospect Erin to the sorority directorate. They have expressed their desire to share the journey of life with us and to undergo the hardships of pledging." "Very well, Lisa. Please instruct your guests to take their seats." "Pledge Prospect Brittany and Pledge Prospect Erin, please join me in sitting down." The two freshmen were very nervous as they sat down with their mentor. However, it helped tremendously that Lisa was naked along with them. In spite of its very intimidating introduction, the session itself was more of a two-way conversation than a formal interview. The officers already knew most of the details surrounding the decisions of Brittany and Erin to join the Four-Beta Sorority, so they delved more into their high school years, how the newcomers defined duty and friendship, and their personal interests. Each officer introduced herself and described her responsibilities within the sorority, supplementing what Lisa had told them to give the prospects a clear understanding of the sorority's chain of command. Finally Alexandra stood up: "Are you familiar with the Four-Beta Pledge Manual?" "Yes, President Alexandra." "And you commit yourself to abide by that Manual and submit yourselves to the rules of our community?" "Yes, President Alexandra." "Very well. Your pledge contracts are ready." With that President Alexandra signed Brittany's pledge contract and passed it to the sorority's vice-president. The document made its way to Tracy, who signed it and ordered Lisa to step forward. She pointed at a signature line in the contract that read: Acting Pledge Mistress -- Lisa Campbell Once Lisa's signature was on the document, Alexandra ordered Brittany to approach the table and sign the contract. According to Four-Beta rules, upon signing Brittany's status immediately changed from Pledge Prospect to Pledge. "Pledge Brittany, remove the chair you were using from this room. By signing that contract, you have just forfeited your right to sit in our presence." "Yes, President Alexandra." Brittany moved very quickly to get the offending chair out of the sitting room. As previously instructed, she knelt next to Lisa, who remained standing. Alexandra signed Erin's contract next and it made its way to Lisa. Again Lisa put her signature next to: Acting Pledge Mistress -- Lisa Campbell After Erin signed her contract and took her chair out of the room, she took her position kneeling next to Brittany. President Alexandra stood up: "Lisa Campbell!" "Yes President Alexandra!" "Until further notice you will serve the Four-Beta Sorority and this directorate as Acting Pledge Mistress. I am holding you directly responsible for the training, discipline, and well-being of Pledge Brittany and Pledge Erin. I also am holding you directly responsible for complying with all the provisions of the Official Four-Beta Sorority Pledge Mistress Trainer's Guide. Do you understand me?" "Yes, President Alexandra. I understand." "Do you accept this responsibility?" "Yes, President Alexandra. I accept." "Very well, Acting Pledge Mistress Lisa. Take charge of your group." Lisa quickly stood up and turned to face her charges. "PLEDGES! STAND UP!" Erin and Brittany scrambled to their feet. "Move to the basement! Double-time! LET'S GO!...LET'S GO!..." Once Lisa and her group left the sitting room, Alexandra commented to Tracy: "...and you seriously think she's ready to replace you?" "Yes, Alexandra. She's ready. I know for a fact she's ready. I wouldn't have put her in charge of them if she wasn't." ---------- As Tracy had promised, Lisa hit the ground running. She already had a full schedule laid out for the rest of the day for the new pledges, which included exercise, cleaning the top floor of the sorority house and presenting it for inspection, studying a chapter of the Four-Beta Pledge Manual with Kathleen, and more exercising. Lisa took the two pledges into the back yard and forced them to exercise until they collapsed from exhaustion. After stretching she allowed them to cool down in the pool, get cleaned up, and have lunch in the kitchen. While they were eating she went into her room to check on Kathleen's progress getting it set up. The room was ready: everything was put away, the beds had sheets on them, and the floor was swept. It was clear that Kathleen desperately wanted to be rewarded with a love-making session, but she would have to wait. Lisa told her to prepare a lesson plan from one of the chapters out of the training manual. Kathleen's participation in the pledge training had a dual-purpose. Lisa genuinely needed assistance because she had no Sergeant-at-Arms with whom to switch off training responsibilities. Kathleen would fulfill that role and give Lisa time to address other responsibilities in her life. Also, Lisa wanted Kathleen to get used to giving instructions and orders. When alone with Lisa, Kathleen would be totally submissive to her, but in public she would submit to no one else. Like Lisa, Kathleen would exercise authority and demand respect from the pledges. She had two strong points in her knowledge, physical fitness and memorizing the Four-Beta rules, which she would directly share with the pledge group. While Kathleen was occupied preparing her lesson, Lisa returned to the kitchen and took her pledges upstairs. She gave them instructions, informed them that cleaning the upper floor was a pledge challenge to be taken seriously, and handed them an inspection sheet. They had two hours to bring the bathrooms and public areas of the floor to inspection standards. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 39 Lisa knew that after the clean-up she would administer Brittany and Erin's first corporal punishment. Once Brittany and Erin thought their clean-up was complete, Lisa and the pledges would conduct a walk-through inspection with Pledge Mistress Tracy. Both pledges would receive a swat on the bottom from a leather strap for each violation. The initial inspection and punishment would be a hard lesson for the two newest aspirants, a painful reminder that they needed to work together and pay attention to detail when issued a pledge challenge. Right after their punishments, Brittany and Erin would kneel before Kathleen to be drilled on that night's chapter from the Pledge Manual. They would be expected to pay undivided attention to their instructor. That would be their second hard lesson. They needed to accept physical punishment as a normal part of their daily routine and not dwell on it. The fact they had to kneel with sore bottoms did not mean Kathleen's lesson was any less important. The two pledges finished within an hour, or so they thought. As they knelt in front of her, Lisa gave them an opportunity to reconsider: "Are you absolutely sure that floor complies with inspection standards? You're totally sure about that?" "Yes, Pledge Mistress, we're sure." "You understand that I gave you two hours to do the job. Maybe you might want to go back?" "It's OK, ma'am, we're done." "Alright, for your sake, I hope you're telling me the truth. Just remember, I gave you two hours for a reason. You can't say I wasn't fair about this." Of course, the job was not done right at all. Lisa and Tracy found a total of 57 violations as they did the walkthrough. As the officers patiently pointed out why each item was deficient, Brittany and Erin became increasingly frightened. They knew they had failed their first pledge challenge. Tracy commented: "Pledges, I might have some sympathy if I knew you had used up the entire two hours and at least done some of your chores right. You quit after just one hour, thinking you if you rushed you were going to get a break. Let me explain something. When you're a pledge around here, breaks are few and far between, and we're the ones who decide when you get them, not you. Your Pledge Mistress gave you two hours to complete that task, but you made a deliberate decision not to utilize your time wisely. This'll be a learning experience for you, but unfortunately a very painful learning experience." As the two frightened pledges knelt, Lisa went to her room and told Kathleen to go downstairs, get a strap, and report to the sitting room. Kathleen gave Lisa a scared look. "Don't worry, it's not for you. But I need you to assist me with the pledges." Kathleen went downstairs. She left the room naked, because Lisa had not told her to get dressed and she knew better than to ask. Meanwhile, Lisa, Tracy, and the two miserable pledges went to the sitting room. Tracy stood in the back to observe her acting Pledge Mistress in action, to see how she'd handle her first incident of pledge discipline. She noted with satisfaction that Lisa was using her own style to inflict punishment. She did not raise her voice nearly as much as Tracy had over the summer, but instead spoke at a normal tone with absolute authority. The strap Kathleen brought out was not the one Lisa intended, because it was too heavy to strike someone 57 times. However, rather than fumble around by sending Kathleen back to get the correct strap, Lisa improvised. "Take a good look at this strap, Pledges. Take a really good look." The two girls trembled at the fearsome sight of Lisa with that strap. The cruel dark leather contrasted sharply with her unadorned body. For some reason the fact she was holding the implement while naked only made her much more intimidating. "Now, because it's your first night as pledges and you're still getting used to your responsibilities, I'm gonna do you a really big favor. I'm supposed to give each of you a stroke for every violation. Instead I'm willing to split the punishment between you. Please keep in mind tonight's the only night I'll split your punishment. The next time I hand you an inspection sheet, you'd better remember that." Lisa ordered Brittany to stand up and bend over a study table. She directed Kathleen to stand at the opposite side, grab the pledge's wrists, and hold her in place. Before beginning the punishment, Lisa ran her hand over the Brittany's trembling bottom, which elicited a jealous look from her lover. Lisa stepped to the side, tapped Brittany's bottom with strap, repositioned herself, and delivered a fearsome CRACK! Brittany immediately tensed up and let out a high-pitched squeal. She kicked her feet up, but Lisa admonished her: "Put your feet back on the floor, Pledge. If I have to tie you down, you'll get the full punishment." CRACK! "AIEEE...!" CRACK!... Lisa spaced the strokes about 20 seconds apart, to give Brittany a chance to feel each one but not prolong the punishment more than necessary. The girl was crying pitifully, but fortunately she was able to keep her feet on the floor and avoid Lisa's threat of additional strokes. As Kathleen kept the girl's wrists firmly in her grip and calmly held her in place, Lisa realized that her lover would be an invaluable help to her. If Lisa ever became anything more than Acting Pledge Mistress, she would have to see to it that Kathleen had an official position as her assistant. Brittany's punishment was over within 15 minutes. The heavy strap left her bottom a fierce shade of red punctuated with purplish welts. Looking at the condition of Brittany's backside, Lisa knew that 28 strokes was about the limit a pledge's bare bottom could withstand from the severe implement in her hand. Lisa ordered Brittany to stand in front of the speaker's podium, turn her back to the room, and grip it with her hands to steady herself. The other women in the room studied her injured backside as she continued to cry. Once her crying died down, Lisa ordered Brittany to remain standing with her hands gripping the podium. She was not to move or touch her bottom. Upon seeing the condition of her friend, Erin shook with fear. She was next. "Pledge Erin, lie over the table. Put your hands out in front so my assistant can hold them. Spread your feet on the floor and turn them inward." Erin did as she was told and Kathleen grabbed her wrists. Noting that her lover was carefully watching her, Lisa refrained from patting or touching the pledge's vulnerable bottom. Instead Lisa positioned herself, tapped her trembling target with the strap, and struck hard with a fierce CRACK! Lisa punished Erin using the same technique she had used on Brittany, striking the girl's exposed bottom with strokes spaced about 20 seconds apart concentrated on alternate sides. Like her fellow pledge, Erin's bottom soon was marked with reddish stripes that crossed each other. Towards the end the unhappy girl's backside was dark red and covered with purplish marks. What was different about Erin was how she handled her portion of the punishment. Unlike Brittany, she did not cry out or kick her feet. Instead she pressed her forehead to the table surface and grit her teeth, trying her best not to show any reaction to what was happening to her. Much more than Brittany, Erin understood that the two pledges had no one but themselves to blame for their punishments. She realized that, without saying it directly, Lisa had tried to warn them that their task was not completed. Within the logic of the Four-Beta pledge program, the acting Pledge Mistress had been more than fair by giving her two pledges an opportunity to correct their mistakes, a cue that unfortunately they did not pick up on until it was too late. When Erin stood up, her face was streaked with tears, but she had made it through the punishment without making any noise. Brittany continued to cry, devastated by what had just happened to her. ---------- Lisa gave the pledges a half an hour to partially recover from their punishment. She allowed them to have a drink of water and go to the bathroom before ordering them to report to the sorority library. She then turned them over to Kathleen and ordered them to kneel to receive their first formal lesson about Four-Beta sorority protocol. Kathleen knew the material she was presenting, which helped her overcome her shyness when speaking to others. Once Kathleen's lesson was finished, Lisa took over and put the pledges on treadmills for half an hour of fast walking to work off some of the remaining soreness from their strappings. As she had planned, Lisa's pledges were totally exhausted by the time she released them. They still had to clean up, brush their teeth, and set up their cots. Brittany began crying again, once the two pledges were alone in the basement. Erin sat next to her friend and patiently reasoned with her, explaining why their first punishment was perfectly justified under the rules they had agreed to live by. She pointed out that their mentor actually had been quite lenient, because they only had received half the swats they were supposed to get. "The point is, she told us what we needed to do, and we didn't do it. When you think about it, Lisa was right. Tomorrow we'll just have to try harder and do what she says. That's the only thing that's gonna save our butts." Finally Brittany stopped crying and lay down on her cot. She realized that what Erin had told her was true, that she really couldn't blame Lisa. When she signed her contract she already knew this was the way it was going to be. The Four-Betas emphasized rigid discipline and constant pledge challenges instead of drinking and taunting. Brittany then realized something else that was very significant. In spite of her very harsh treatment, not once did Lisa verbally taunt or insult either pledge. Yes, Erin was right. Tomorrow they would just have to try harder, work together, and pay closer attention to what Lisa actually was telling them to do. Neither of the two pledges could have known it at that point, but during the fall semester Erin would become the one who kept the others motivated. By the end of September, Pledge Erin would assume the leading role among her group, guiding her companions through the various hardships they had to face. Erin's role during the fall would be identical to the one that Lisa had performed during the summer. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 40 Chapter 40 – An afternoon with Pledge Ken Upon settling into their room the night after they swore in, Lisa needed to work out the details of her relationship with Kathleen. Living as pledges had restricted the affair considerably, which in a way was fortunate for Lisa because she had some time to think about what she wanted from her lover. However, as of August 14 the two women had their own room and were free to develop their lives in private. While still pledging, Lisa had decided on the long-term goal that she wanted to pursue with Kathleen. She couldn't have explained why, even to herself, but Lisa had become fixated on the idea of making Kathleen look upon her as her owner. Ultimately she hoped to take command of Kathleen's existence, not through cruelty or fear, but by making the girl understand that she knew what was best for her. Her idea was to exert total control over her companion's time, emotions, and behavior through a combination of love, emotional support, sexual pleasure, guidance, physical discipline, and expression of approval or disapproval. The fact that Kathleen was so desperate to please her would help, but Lisa understood that the relationship she envisioned would be extremely complex and take a lot of patience to create. On the other hand, Lisa also wanted Kathleen to behave normally in public and encourage her to have her own aspirations and responsibilities. In keeping with her sorority’s protocol, she had no desire to make a spectacle out of the relationship in front of other people. Whenever anyone else was nearby, Lisa always spoke to Kathleen in a normal conversational tone of voice, never gave orders or did anything to embarrass her, never talked about sex, and never used any cutesy terms of affection. When working with the new pledges, it was clear that Kathleen was taking orders from Lisa, but no more so than Lisa was working under the guidance of Tracy. Anyone observing the two women in public would not have seen very much that indicated they were anything more than friends. ---------- Once the door of their bedroom closed and Lisa was alone with Kathleen, they way they interacted with each other changed completely. Lisa's long-term desire was to have Kathleen kneel whenever she spoke to her alone and automatically ask for permission to do anything. However, she did not want to have to order Kathleen to behave submissively, but instead mold the girl's character so that Kathleen would decide on her own that it was her duty to venerate her lover. Lisa would take her time, knowing that the journey of her lover’s soul was every bit as important as its destination. From the very beginning, Lisa knew that her partner had a very strong sex drive and used that knowledge to her advantage. Kathleen’s orgasms from Lisa were almost a nightly event and a major motivation in the freshman’s desperation to please her. Kathleen knew that if she was a “good girl” and did nothing to annoy Lisa, before bedtime she would be rewarded with an orgasm. If she did something that “disappointed” Lisa, she wouldn’t get her orgasm and was sent straight to bed. If Lisa was in a playful mood and had decided that Kathleen had been “a naughty girl”, their time together would include an erotic spanking before love-making. Usually the spankings were very light, but they lasted a long time and allowed Kathleen’s sexual desires to build for the final release that always came afterwards. Lisa’s orgasms from Kathleen were much less frequent. Of course, Kathleen desperately wanted to sexually satisfy Lisa to demonstrate her love. However, Lisa’s feelings about sex were more complicated than those of her lover, because the emotional part of the relationship appealed much more to her than the sexual part. Instead of receiving oral stimulation from her, Lisa preferred holding the younger woman, controlling her through physical contact, and working on her long-term goal of getting her to totally submit. Sometimes Lisa did encourage Kathleen to give her an orgasm and allowed herself to climax, but often did so simply because she wanted to boost the younger woman’s confidence in herself. There was one ritual that both women enjoyed whenever they had some time alone. Kathleen totally loved to lie over Lisa’s lap, even when she wasn’t being spanked. She simultaneously felt protected and vulnerable as she lay quietly with her legs spread slightly and her bottom-hole exposed to Lisa’s soft, sporadic touches. Lisa got into the habit of studying with Kathleen lying over her thighs, using her lover’s back as a place to set her textbook or class notes. Meanwhile, Kathleen closed her eyes and sighed with happiness while Lisa’s free hand absent-mindedly caressed her bottom, in the same way a pet owner might spend a long time stroking a purring cat while reading or taking notes. Lisa made an interesting discovery as she focused her attention to her lover’s backside. By patting and massaging her buttocks, eventually Lisa could put Kathleen to sleep. However, if she touched or teased her sphincter, Kathleen became aroused. Sometimes when she had Kathleen over her lap, Lisa lubricated a finger and slowly moved it back and forth through her lover’s bottom-hole. Whenever she violated Kathleen’s body in such an intimate manner, her lover tensed up with arousal. Often Lisa teased Kathleen by caressing her bottom to make her sleepy, then touched her sphincter to arouse her, and then explored her vulva before finally returning her attention to penetrating her from behind and bringing her to orgasm. Lisa and Kathleen had another nightly ritual that became an important part of their bedtime routine. Lisa kept a rectal thermometer in the room and always measured Kathleen’s temperature before they went to sleep, to “make sure my silly little girl is nice and healthy”. As the fall semester progressed, Kathleen became so accustomed to lying over her lover’s lap and having the thermometer inserted that she couldn’t get to sleep if her temperature had not yet been taken. ---------- There was one exception to the private nature of the relationship, and that was what Kathleen was allowed to wear. Lisa was a nudist and determined to convince others to adopt nudism as a lifestyle. Accepting that part of Lisa’s values was an important condition of being in a relationship with her. On the very first day they were full members of the sorority, Lisa made Kathleen understand that, to stay her lover, she would have to join her as a full-time nudist. Whenever in the house, whether they were relaxing, studying, training the pledges, or attending meetings, Lisa and Kathleen would make it a point to leave their clothing in their room. Lisa instructed her lover to tell everyone that she had become a nudist by choice, which was true, in a way: “It’s your choice to be with me, and if you’re with me, living naked is part of the package.” Lisa’s influence on Kathleen’s attire extended beyond the Four-Beta house. Kathleen learned that when she dressed to go on campus, she was prohibited from using underwear. Under no circumstances did she have permission to wear a bra, ever. Lisa pointed out that Kathleen’s breasts were small and did not need support; so wearing a bra served no purpose. Lisa would allow Kathleen to wear panties during her menstruations, but that was it. When she was not having her period, she would be required to “go commando”. Lisa’s definition of what constituted appropriate clothing for her classes made Kathleen even more nervous than the thought of becoming a nudist in the sorority house or giving up underwear. To remain Lisa’s lover she had to totally change her style of dressing. Up until her internment as a pledge, Kathleen’s clothing was a mis-match of oversized items that she wore to hide her body. She had made a half-hearted effort to adopt a Goth style of dressing, but with her that fashion didn’t work. Kathleen simply did not make a convincing Goth chick. Lisa went through her lover’s clothes and sorted out unacceptable items that would have to be donated to charity. Kathleen surrendered her three swimsuits, her bras, several long skirts, her collection of leggings, a couple of baggy blouses, all of her jeans, a soiled jean jacket, and several oversized men’s sweatshirts that she had worn in high school. “These are just dreadful,” commented Lisa. “If you wore this shit in high school, no wonder everyone hassled you.” Once Lisa purged her lover’s wardrobe, she laid out the rules for what Kathleen was allowed to wear on campus. During hot weather her skirts would have to be above the knee. Shorts were OK. Light blouses were OK. Summer dresses were OK, as long as the hem was above the knee. T-shirts were OK, as long as they fit properly. Any clothing with a Four-Beta logo was OK, as long as it properly fit. Lisa’s favorite cold weather pants were low-rider jeans that barely covered her bottom, even when she was standing up. She wore them without underwear, so when she bent over or sat down, her pants pulled halfway down her butt. She loved the looks she got from passers-by as she showed off her hips and the top half of her bottom, pushing herself to the very limit of the city’s indecent exposure laws. Lisa knew that low-rider jeans were not something that went well with Kathleen’s personality. However, she did expect Kathleen to buy slacks and jeans that complimented her figure once the weather got cold. All sweaters and sweatshirts would have to properly fit, no large or extra large items allowed. “You’ve got a nice body, and I’m gonna teach you to be proud of it and show it off.” ---------- As August progressed and Labor Day weekend approached, Lisa’s main concern was to figure out how to structure her time with Kathleen so that she could meet her lover’s needs, and yet keep the girl busy enough to prevent her from demanding too much of her free time. The best way to keep Kathleen from becoming a burden was to give her plenty of her own responsibilities and duties. Lisa warned her lover that she needed to do a good job with her portion of the pledge training, or else she would be “disappointed”. Appointing Kathleen as her assistant was a perfect set-up, because she could delegate many of the more routine and time-consuming responsibilities of pledge training. The arrangement freed much of her time, while giving Kathleen something to worry about other than her fixation on Lisa. Not only was Kathleen tasked with familiarizing the pledges with the Four-Beta Pledge Manual and Membership Manual, but also she drilled Brittany and Erin on the history of the sorority. Before long Lisa’s assistant was preparing examinations for the pledges and writing her own training log entries. On the Wednesday following the Four-Beta swearing-in ceremony, Lisa issued the pledges running uniforms and for the first time sent them out jogging with Kathleen. ---------- There was one issue hanging over the relationship that unfortunately could not be resolved during the weeks following swearing-in. Kathleen knew that Lisa still planned to punish her for the incident at Burnside’s July 4th party. However, the whipping had to wait because Lisa didn’t want her lover running around the Four-Beta House with her shoulders, bottom, and thighs covered with welts. For Lisa, disciplining her lover was a personal matter and not something the rest of the sorority needed to know about. Lisa figured that she would have to wait until Kathleen could spend at least four days away from the sorority house, which was the amount of time she estimated it would take for the marks to heal. Another reason she had decided to wait was that she wanted to know with whom Kathleen had cheated on July 4th before chastising her, but was unable to ask her directly. ---------- Wednesday morning, while Kathleen was exercising with the new pledges, Lisa went over to her old dorm room with Bernadette and Cherine. The room had a lot of memories for her, all those nights she had spent with Mike in the fall, and Ken in the spring, her uneasy relationship with Cecilia Sanchez… Cecilia…yeah…that’s right. She hadn’t heard anything from Cecilia since May…whatever happened to her? And Jason? And Mike’s friend, Cynthia Lee? Whatever happened to all of them? Lisa’s heart skipped a beat as she realized that three months had gone by, three months during which the paths of their lives had totally diverged from her own path in life. Lisa figured they must still be in Upper Danubia…but… Maybe Dr. Burnside knew something. The next time Lisa saw her she’d have to ask. The room transfer went very quickly, because the women had six Tri-Alphas helping them carry Lisa’s items out of the room and Bernadette’s and Cherine’s items in. Within an hour the room’s appearance was totally different, covered with Cherine’s music posters and Bernadette’s curtains and linens. Lisa left her two group mates to organize their new accommodations, and returned to the Four-Beta house in one of Triple-A vans. The guys helped her move her possessions into her room in the sorority. It would be up to Kathleen to put everything away. ---------- Another issue that Lisa needed to resolve during the final weeks of August was what to do about her relationship with Ken. She now had some time to think about that, because the Tri-Alphas did not have their swearing in until the Saturday following the Four-Beta ceremony. Lisa planned to talk to Ken before swearing in, and set aside the day after her move to spend time with him. After making sure that Kathleen had a full day of planned activities with Brittany and Erin to keep her busy, Lisa put on her tennis shoes and skimpy summer dress and walked over to the Tri Alpha Fraternity. It was strange to see the fraternity as a Four-Beta member instead of as a pledge, stranger still to see Cherine walk out the front door, dressed in her favorite cargo pants and holding hands with the Tri-Alpha vice-president. Weird to think, already Cherine had put the pledging experience completely behind her and had moved on. Lisa wondered about Bernadette. She went out to the pool area and sure enough, there Bernadette was, cavorting in the water with several naked fraternity members and a Four-Beta sophomore. Obviously, Bernadette had moved past her pledging experience as well. Lisa suddenly felt an odd nostalgia, because for the first time she truly understood that the members of her pledge group had split up and were going their separate ways within the sorority. In some ways she had enjoyed being in such a tightly-knit group with the other three pledges, in spite of the personality conflicts that inevitably arose from being under such intense pressure. Undoubtedly she still would have ties to Bernadette and Cherine, but it wouldn’t be the same as it was over the summer. Lisa took a deep breath and focused on the reason she was visiting the fraternity, to see Ken. She spoke with Pledge Master Arnold to see if he could release Ken for several hours. Arnold shrugged his shoulders: “You can have him as long as you want. We’re pretty much done, except for exercising and PT training.” A few minutes later Ken showed up, a bit surprised to see Lisa visiting the sorority in her dress. Lisa snapped: “How come you aren’t on your knees? Where’s fucking your manners, Pledge?” Oops. Ken had forgotten that Lisa now was a full member of the Four-Beta sorority, while he still was nothing more than a pledge. Quickly, he got on his knees, but not quickly enough. “I don’t appreciate the disrespect, Pledge! I don’t appreciate your ignoring my authority over you!” Already Ken’s penis was starting to get hard. “Tell you what, Pledge! You go to your Pledge Master, and you tell him that you actually had the nerve to disrespect a member of the Four-Beta Sorority! You tell him that! Then you tell him that you’re very sorry, and we’ll just have to figure out how you’re gonna make it up to me! Now stand up!” Before Lisa released Ken to find Arnold and make his confession, she gave his penis a squeeze to make sure he had to walk around the fraternity with a full erection. Yes, indeed, it looked like things with him were getting back to normal… Two minutes later Ken came back with a hastily scribbled note: Pledge Master Arnold agrees to release custody of Pledge Ken to Four-Beta Lisa Campbell. Lisa gave Ken’s penis another squeeze before leading him to the fraternity guest room. She had a full afternoon of activity in mind, both fun and serious. Her first priority would be a round of sex, then some spanking, then a second round of sex, and finally some serious conversation. Lisa had learned a lot over the summer and began her sexual encounter much differently than she would have during the spring. She took her time with Ken, realizing there was no need to rush the experience. She told him to place his hands against the wall and bend over slightly so she could massage his bottom and tease him in the front. She told him not to move, spending a very long time both stimulating him and enjoying the feel of his body. “You are such a naughty boy…such a naughty boy…what am I gonna do with you?” “I…uh…” “Don’t you be talking out of turn, bad boy. You talk out of turn, and I’m gonna have to smack that bottom of yours…but I bet that’s what you want, bad boy…to have that bottom of yours smacked…” Once Ken was totally desperate and his penis was throbbing with desire, Lisa got on her hands and knees on the floor. This was her favorite position, her bottom spread and turned up and the most intimate parts of her body lewdly on display to her lover. Ken entered her and thrust very hard. Oh yes…oh yes…she had missed him so badly… She still owed Ken a spanking, but wanted to experiment with not punishing him so savagely as she had during the spring. Instead of using any implements, she simply sat down on a sofa and ordered him to lie across her lap. As she ran her hand over his backside, Lisa lectured Ken about the need to always show her respect. Then she began probing him with questions that implied a future relationship such as: “OK Bad Boy, from now on, what’s gonna happen if you don’t show me some respect?” and… “This is where you belong, right across my lap, isn’t it? Of course bad boys like you need lots of loving spanking, don’t you think?” and… “You’re such a bad boy. You know that, don’t you? But that’s why I’m here, isn’t it? To straighten you out…” When Lisa finally did start spanking Ken, he was more than ready to receive her attention. She spent a very long time, much longer than she had spent in the spring on a single spanking. Between slaps she massaged his backside, partly to stimulate him and partly to prolong the experience as much as possible. Lisa’s time with Kathleen had taught her a lot about erotic discipline, and now she had the opportunity to use that knowledge to redeem her relationship with Ken. Before long, his erection had returned, and Lisa was back on her hands and knees with him safely inside her, thrusting and performing his duty in life to give her pleasure. ---------- Lisa and Ken cleaned up, but their time together was far from over. For the first time since the hiking trip she had him to herself and was free to spend some time talking. She ordered him to set up a massage table and give her a massage while she talked to him about his summer of pledging. He filled in the details about what he had done over the summer since that trip, including various episodes of sexual training and how he related to his fellow pledges. Lisa gave Ken a summary of Brittany and Erin and talked a bit about their training. She talked about Kathleen’s role as her assistant, and noticed something interesting. Ken seemed to become very nervous as soon as Kathleen’s name was mentioned. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 40 They changed places. Ken got on the table and Lisa began massaging him. Lisa had made a mental note over Ken’s reaction to hearing her talk about Kathleen, but she decided to change the topic to the upcoming fall semester and what classes they would be taking. The conversation drifted to Ruth Burnside and then to the July 4th party. Again, Ken became nervous. Then something dawned on Lisa. She never did find out what Ken did during the party when he wasn’t serving… Rather than directly ask him, she decided to try something. She grabbed his penis, looked hard into his eyes, and commented: “Of course, from what I heard, you kinda misbehaved at that party, didn’t you?” Suddenly Ken began sweating and Lisa could tell that his heart was racing. She gave him a very stern look. “I already know all about it, Ken. But I’d like to hear your side of what happened.” “I…things just kinda happened…but please don’t blame Kathleen…I mean…we just got caught up…you know…we were watching Burnside whip that fat woman and we were both feeling kinda sexy…and…” Lisa was totally shocked. So…it was with Ken that Kathleen had cheated! With Ken! Who would have thought, that out of all those people at that party, Kathleen would have cheated with Ken! With every bit of inner discipline she had, Lisa struggled to hide her reaction. Stay cool, and get the full story. She grabbed his testicles with her free hand and firmly clamped them in her grip. “Ken, what pisses me is that you’re still not coming clean about what you actually did! I’ve already told you, I want to hear your side of what you did because I need to decide how I’m gonna deal with it, but all I’m getting from you is a bunch of stuttering!” She punctuated her final statement by tightening her grip on his testicles. She wasn’t hurting him yet, but just a little more pressure... Ken rapidly blurted out the details of his encounter with Kathleen, while Lisa struggled to maintain her outward calm. The strong hand firmly encircling his testicles motivated him to keep talking. Within a few minutes she had the complete story. Lisa was not mad at all, although she would have to pretend to be. Quite to the contrary, the only thing on her mind was how to use the shocking new knowledge to her advantage. Also, she was quite pleased with how well she had kept her calm and totally tricked her two lovers. Ken never suspected that she didn’t know. Kathleen never suspected she didn’t know. She had pulled it off perfectly, passing herself off to both of them as infallible and all-knowing. “Well, I’m kinda curious, Ken. Have you two thought about how you’re gonna make it up to me? Have you talked to her at all about it?” “I…no…we were kinda…” “Kinda hoping I wouldn’t find out?” Lisa rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Ken…what were you thinking? Of course I was gonna find out! I already knew, but I was trying to give you the chance to come clean on your own. I just wanted to see if you’d have the decency to tell me yourself. Obviously you didn’t, and I’m very disappointed in you. But yes, I already knew.” Lisa slightly increased the pressure of her grip. Now Ken was feeling some discomfort that stopped short of pain. “That’s what I’m mad about, Ken, the deception. I don’t like it when people try to deceive me. That’s why I’m pissed off. It wasn’t the sex. It was your stupid idea that you could fool me.” Lisa paused to let her words sink in. “I’m gonna let go of your balls, but I want you on your knees as soon as I release you. You get it?” Ken nodded, his face full of humiliation and terror. Lisa squeezed his testicles a bit more. Now they hurt. “No! You don’t nod! I’m a Four-Beta. You’re just a pledge. You’ll address me as ‘ma’am’.” “Yes, ma’am.” “That’s better.” Lisa released him and he scrambled off the table and knelt on the floor. Lisa stepped up to him and ran her hand through his hair. “So, how about it? Give me some ideas about how you’re gonna make this up to me.” “I’ll do whatever you want, Lisa. I don’t really know…I’ll just do whatever you want…” “I guess that’s a good start. Whatever I want…” Lisa started collecting on his debt right away. She demanded another massage, an orgasm from oral sex, and finally another round of straight sex. She was very pleased with his performance. Four orgasms in one day. Not bad at all. As Ken performed his duties, she paid close attention to his mood. He seemed content and certainly had no hesitation obeying what she wanted him to do. Lisa noticed a huge difference in her own attitude as well. No longer was she playing sexual games with him. Now she was dead serious. There was no yelling, no vicious slaps across the face, no insults hurled in sexual play, just calm words spoken in a quiet, slightly menacing tone of voice. The message she conveyed, without exactly saying it, was precisely the one that he subconsciously wanted to hear: “I deeply care about you, but I’m in charge and you must obey. It is my path in life to command, and it is your path in life to serve. If you can give me that, I will give you my love.” And yet, at the same time Lisa was able to speak to him with some tenderness, which was precisely what he needed after a very confusing summer of sexual experimenting. When she kissed him goodbye and left the fraternity house, Lisa knew that in a single afternoon she had accomplished something extremely important with her once and future boyfriend. For the first time in their relationship, she had truly seduced him. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 41 Chapter 41 -- Sorority Sports League uniform rules Lisa returned to the Four-Beta house to find Kathleen and the pledges in the sorority library. Kathleen had finished her lesson for the day, but Lisa was pleased to see that she had improvised by having the pledges look over the sorority's collection of pictures from its earliest years in the 1920's and 1930's. Lisa took charge of the group and ordered them into the yard for an exercise and swimming break. The group had dinner with the few sophomores and juniors who were staying in the sorority house during the break in classes. While the pledges were eating, Tracy approached Lisa and reminded her about the upcoming volleyball tournament. Using a rather unpleasant tone of voice, she pointed out that several days had gone by since the last practice: "If you want to make fools out of yourselves, go right ahead. If I were you, I'd bust my ass with that ball." While Lisa and the other members of the volleyball team practiced in the back yard, Tracy took charge of Brittany and Erin and gave them a course about the fundamentals of self-defense. She put them through drills and kept them busy with rigorous exercising until 10:00. By the time the newcomers collapsed on their cots, the volleyball team had finished their practice. The day ended when Jacob came by to take Cherine and Bernadette back to Huntington Hall. Meanwhile, Tracy ordered Lisa and Kathleen to join her in the sorority office to help her write up the training log for the day: "So far, they've done extremely well under you and I'm impressed, not only with their performance, but also with yours. You work very well together switching off responsibilities and training. You concept of time management is really good and you've covered a lot of stuff in just a few days. I want to push them a bit harder with PT, but apart from that the way you've handled them has been exemplary." Tracy then dismissed Kathleen by telling her to check on the pledges and make sure the volleyball supplies were put away. Once she was alone with Lisa, she directed the sophomore's attention to a stack of folders containing the records of prospective pledges for the fall semester. "Rush week is gonna be very busy for all of us, because this year we've got a bunch of serious pledge candidates. So far we've got 33 freshmen who've picked the Four-Beta Sorority as their first choice. Think about it, 33 freshmen. That's enough to fill a classroom. If we get them all to sign up as pledges, we'll lose a few through attrition, I'm sure. Even so, I doubt it'd be more than eight or so, if we go with the drop-out averages from the last couple of years. So for the December swearing-in, we might be looking at a total of about 25 new members." "Wow...and you had your hands full with just four of us." "It's always rougher in the fall, for everyone, just 'cause the groups are so much bigger. That's why we've started doing summer pledging, to try to split up the crush of new members. Also we're trying to get a few new freshmen on board in August so they can help out in September." "Like us, from the summer group?" "Yes. I'll need all four of you helping out with the fall group. I think we've got a good start, because I've already got you and Kathleen on board with training. I've also got Bernadette. She wanted to be class leader so badly, so now she's got a chance to put her money where her mouth is. That's gonna be important, we've got to get a training staff set up, before Rush Week. You guys are gonna have to be ready to go as soon as the new group comes in. I mean...like, totally ready to hit the ground running." Tracy handed several pledge packets to Lisa to look over and continued: "When I become chapter president, I want to implement some changes with pledging. I want more mentors for the fall groups, and I want the entire directorate to be involved in pledge training. I can tell you, with this big group of new pledges we've got coming in, we're gonna have a real crisis on our hands if just two officers are running their training. With 33 pledges, having one Pledge Mistress and one Sergeant-at-Arms as the chain of command just isn't gonna cut it. It's the way we've always done pledging, but girls are slipping through the cracks, and I want that to stop. We don't need to have girls slipping through the cracks, and we won't if we can do a better job with the fall groups and keep everyone motivated." "So, there's gonna be more than one Pledge Mistress?" "No, not exactly. What I want is more members participating so the pledging experience is more tightly-knit and personal. My idea is that the Pledge Mistress will have a staff of assistants, or counselors. Each counselor would be assigned a group of five pledges. I want those groups to be small, I want each group made up of compatible personalities, and I want to make the pledges depend on each other. The Pledge Mistress will have formal progress meetings twice a week with the counselors, the Sergeant-at-Arms, and the chapter president. I want things structured better because I also plan to make the pledging experience more intense and cram in some more training." "More intense? You think it needs to be more intense?" "Yes, there's always stuff we can add. But I think additional training is where we can personalize things a bit. For example, what if we have 20 pledges who know how to dance, but 10 who don't? My idea is to give the 10 pledges dance lessons, but have the other 20 doing something else so they're not wasting their time. Who would teach dancing? One of the full members, or better yet, a Tri-Alpha. That would get lots of people directly involved and force them to have a personal interest in the well-being of the pledges, which I think has been lacking. That's my idea of expanding the pledge program." Lisa nodded. What Tracy said made sense. "When we finally hold the election, I'll need to explain all this before the others vote. It wouldn't be fair to have everyone vote for me and then dump all this responsibility on the members. I'll need to let them know if they elect me, my expectation will be that they're gonna have to do some real work. I plan to let them know up front if they want to relax, then they'd better elect someone else." ---------- Two days later the Tri-Alpha swearing-in ceremony was celebrated. The fraternity members were dressed in suits and the visiting Four-Beta's were dressed in formal gowns. The male pledges still were naked, but would be allowed to get dressed as soon as they swore in. Lisa, like all of the other women present, was dressed formally. On the rare occasions she wore her gown, she always enjoyed the dramatic change in her appearance. Kathleen also was in the formal gown she had bought earlier in the year for her Senior Prom, but Lisa did not think the dress looked right on her thin, muscular body. Unlike the ominous cult-like atmosphere of the sorority's swearing-in ceremony, the fraternity's swearing-in ceremony was very upbeat and boisterous. There were several rounds of singing, followed by the final round of spankings of the pledge season. The spankings were more in fun and certainly no big deal in comparison with some of the discipline the male pledges had faced over the summer. Each pledge had to choose a member of the Four-Beta Sorority to give him an over-the-lap spanking in front of the cheering audience. Following the spankings there would be a final group picture of the pledges, swearing in, and lastly a formal dinner during which the new members would have to withstand the re-telling of some of the funnier stories from their pledging experiences. As soon as Lisa found out about the spanking portion of the Tri-Alpha swearing-in ceremony, she wrote a quick note to pass to Ken: If you want to prove your love to me, you will pick Kathleen to smack your butt. Lisa When Ken unfolded the note and read it, he gave Lisa a bewildered look. She nodded back to him with an expression that clearly stated: "do it." Of course, Ken obliged. When his turn came to choose which member of the sorority would take him over her lap, he chose Kathleen. The freshman's eyes went wide with surprise and apprehension. Lisa patted her on the bottom through her dress and whispered into her ear: "Just a little reminder of what you two can expect from me. You'd better spank him good." Kathleen was very nervous as Ken, who was considerably taller than she was, settled across her lap. However, with the looming threat of Lisa's disapproval motivating her to "spank him good", Kathleen started administering some very sharp slaps to her subject's bottom. As his backside turned a deeper shade of pink, Ken's penis began to stiffen and pressed into Kathleen's thigh. He was thoroughly embarrassed, but at the same time he was enjoying himself. Being spanked by Kathleen was a totally new experience and one that he found very exciting. However, the spanking dragged on because Kathleen was very concerned about further displeasing Lisa over Ken. Also, she was strong and had plenty of endurance in her arms from constantly exercising. Before long, the spanking went from pleasurable to quite painful without any sign that she was about to stop. The barrage of slaps continued as Ken winced and became worried about staying quiet. Every so often Kathleen glanced up at Lisa to make sure that her mistress wanted her to continue. Lisa was very pleased, because she knew that Kathleen was learning to do exactly what she was told to do, even when it involved another person. The decision to stop Ken's spanking lay not with Ken or Kathleen, but with Lisa. That was what Lisa wanted from her lover. Finally, when Ken's bottom was dark red and Kathleen was clearly tiring, Lisa made a "T" with her hands to indicate that her lover had permission to stop. Pledge Master Arnold commented: "Let's hear a hand for Kathleen!" As the audience applauded, Ken staggered to his feet, clearly shocked at the rough treatment he had received at the hands of Lisa's friend. He was not reassured in the least when he looked over at his girlfriend and saw the satisfied expression on her face. Once the spankings were completed, it was time for the Tri-Alphas to swear in. The five remaining pledges lined up facing the chapter president with their five spanked bottoms turned towards the audience. The Four-Betas took lots of pictures; because it's not every day one gets the chance to photograph five naked spanked male bottoms lined up in front of a crowd of well-dressed spectators. After swearing in was completed, there was a break to allow the five new Tri-Alphas to clean up and put on their suits, while the rest of the fraternity set up for dinner in the back yard. The new members, looking very strange now that they were dressed for the first time since the end of May, sat together next to the chapter president while some of the funnier moments of pledging were re-lived. Once the "roast" was over, it was time to eat. The guys now were full members of the fraternity. Three of them would celebrate by having sex with various members of the sorority. The gay guy quickly paired off with his former Pledge Master and the couple disappeared into the fraternity house. As for Ken, he knew better than to accept the advances of anyone other than Lisa. She approached him and was about to claim him for the evening when Tracy walked up. It was clear that she was in the mood to "borrow" him for the evening. Lisa decided to accommodate her friend and teach Ken a lesson: "You do exactly what she tells you." With that she walked off. As Tracy took Ken upstairs, he realized the significance of what had just happened. Lisa considered him her property, free to use or lend out to others as she saw fit. ---------- The following Sunday was set aside for volleyball practice. Lisa thought of an idea that made her smack herself in the forehead for not thinking of it earlier. Why not have her team members practice with the juniors from last year's team? She approached Shannon, who readily volunteered the players who had not gone home for the break. Lisa also decided to have Brittany and Erin participate in the practices, partly to see if either of them played well, and partly to force them to spend the entire day exercising. It turned out that Brittany was a good player. Erin was not as good as Brittany, but Lisa felt that she could play well enough to serve as an alternate. The annual Sorority Sports League volleyball tournament was a campus tradition that went back to the 1960's. Little had changed over four decades, because the sororities still used the traditional 15-point scoring system and played according to pre-1999 rules. The event was held during the second week of September, which was the week prior to Rush Week. The games took place over a very intense five-day period, starting with elimination matches running from Wednesday until Friday. Matches held on Saturday narrowed the finalists down to four. Two games were played Saturday night to determine the first, second, third, and fourth-ranked teams. On Sunday there were two final matches. The third and fourth-ranked teams played in the morning to determine who got the third place trophy, and the two winning teams played Sunday evening to determine who got the fall championship trophy. When compared to the university football or basketball games, the Sorority Sports League volleyball tournament was not a big deal to most of the university. However, it was important to the sororities because it gave the winners bragging rights for the next year. More importantly, the chapter president of the winning sorority automatically presided over the Presidents' Association for all of the campus' sororities. The games also allowed the sororities to compete for name recognition and make a final push to recruit new pledges for the fall semester. While the games were going on, the participating sororities had tables set up to allow their members to talk to prospective pledges. Obviously, the longer a sorority stayed in the tournament, the more opportunity its members had to set run a recruitment table and interact with spectators. The Four-Betas customarily did well during the Sorority Sports League tournaments, always making it at least as far as the Saturday elimination games. During most years they were among the final four teams playing on Sunday. The previous year they made it to the final championship, only to lose in a very close, hard-fought match and get second place. Tracy did not expect Lisa's group to make it as far as second place, but she hoped the Four-Beta delegation could stay in at least through Saturday. ---------- Of course, as required by their sorority's rules, the players practicing in the back yard of the Four-Beta house were naked. It turned out that would have significance, because during the afternoon two representatives from the Sorority Sports League committee putting together the volleyball tournaments showed up at the Four-Beta house. They entered with notepads and sign-up sheets to make sure the chapter had put together a team capable of participating in the September matches. They asked to step into the back yard and see the players in action. Of course what they expected was what they saw, a group of naked Four-Beta's practicing with the juniors from last year's group. Innocently, one of the representatives asked Elaine: "So, is this how they always practice for the games? Not wearing anything except their shoes?" Elaine pointed at a sign that read: No clothing permitted in pool area. "It's sorority rules. We don't allow clothing in the back yard." "So, you'd consider being naked their practice uniform?" "I guess you could say that. It's Four-Beta tradition. We always work out in the nude whenever we can. You didn't know that?" "Oh, we were just curious." Suddenly Elaine became worried. No, they were not "just curious". Those committee members were up to no good. As soon as they left, Elaine immediately found Tracy and relayed what had just happened. Tracy agreed that something was not quite right about the visit. "They're gonna hit us with something. I'd better warn Alexandra." Alexandra's response worried Tracy even more: "I just got an e-mail from the Sorority Sports League. They're planning on holding a meeting tonight to vote on some rule changes for the volleyball tournaments. The e-mail said that the chapter presidents of all the participating sororities have to show up. I don't know why they'd want to change the rules now, because we've been doing this the exact same way since 1965." "They've got something up their sleeves. Just be ready." A few hours later Alexandra and Tracy had their answer. By a vote of 17 to 1, the chapter presidents approved the following rule changes: The uniform worn by all teams participating in the tournament must be the same uniform utilized during routine practice sessions. Committee members will visit each participating sorority to verify the practice uniform. Under no circumstances may a team participate in the tournament wearing any clothing other than what is worn by players during practice sessions and verified by committee representatives. To show solidarity with their teams, the elected officers of each sorority will be required to wear the same uniform as their participating players for the duration of the tournament, to include opening and closing festivities. ---------- Of course, the only practical solution was for the Four-Beta Sorority to forfeit. There was no way the team could play wearing their "practice uniform", because that rule change would require the Four-Beta players to play in a university-wide tournament in the nude. The attending officers also would have to be naked in public throughout the entire event. No, that was too much. The Four-Beta Sorority didn't have any choice. The rule change made them ineligible to play. When Tracy broke the news to Lisa, she expected the matter to end at that point. Instead, Lisa vehemently objected: "No! We're playing! If they want us to play in the nude, that's fine with me, but we're playing, and I'm planning to win!" "But I don't see how..." "Don't you get it? That's what they want, for us to give up and forfeit! I refuse to forfeit! I'll win, or lose, or play bare-assed in front of the whole fucking university, but I won't forfeit!" "Lisa, you can't play a volleyball tournament in the nude!" "Why not? If that's the uniform they're telling us we have to wear, then what's wrong with it? We're simply complying with tournament rules!" "Lisa, please! Try to be reasonable about this!" "I am being reasonable! I'm the one upholding Four-Beta tradition! Aren't we supposed to be the ones willing to try anything? The ones who are different from everyone else? The sorority that's not afraid to break with the norms of our society? Aren't we the ones who step out in front and set new precedents? Why should something as simple as a volleyball tournament be any different?" Tracy realized that Lisa was right. The Four-Beta Sorority never backed down from a challenge. To forfeit would be to turn away from eighty years of tradition. The Four-Beta's never forfeited, no matter what. While Lisa broke the news to her team, Tracy went back upstairs to talk to Alexandra: "Have you e-mailed the committee yet?" "No. I was just about to." "Let 'em know we're in." "What?" "Our team captain insisted that we're still playing. And yes, we will abide by the new uniform rules. That includes the officers." "Are you crazy?" "I'm crazy enough to be a Four-Beta, so I guess I am. Anyhow, we've got a tradition to uphold, so let the Sorority Sports League know that we're still on the roster." The Pledge Mistress Ch. 41 ---------- The strength of Lisa's character and her ability to lead others became evident throughout the following week. She became almost maniacal about the volleyball tournament. Her new fixation in life was that not only would the Four-Beta Sorority participate under the new uniform rules, but also that they had to win. Most certainly seeing a team of naked women holding the championship trophy would bring a lot of press coverage to the entire affair. Calling the bluff of the other sororities also would force a lot of people to ask why the Four-Beta Sorority was required to play in the nude, while everyone else wore uniforms. Lisa rightly assumed that once the press got past her team's bizarre participation in the games, the fact that they persisted on playing despite the extremely unfair treatment they were receiving ultimately would win them widespread admiration. For the first time in her life, Lisa's strong character influenced the thinking of an entire group instead of just one or two other people. Her obsession became the obsession of her teammates. From the very beginning she had Kathleen following her, but that was to be expected because Kathleen was willing to do anything Lisa told her to do. Also, from the very beginning she had Brittany and Erin, who knew that the Four-Beta Sorority's members were suffering because the two defectors were living under their protection. They would be playing against their old enemies and would have to perform well out of pride, honor and the need to prove themselves. Lisa managed to motivate them further by requesting permission to allow her pledges to sleep in the guest room during the run-up to the tournament instead of sleeping exposed on their uncomfortable cots. From that core of three teammates, Lisa expanded her influence over the other players. Bernadette was the next to fall in behind Lisa's fixation, motivated by her desire to gain respect as freshman class president. Cherine quickly followed, partly out of a desire to impress Jacob, but also because she wanted to keep up with Bernadette. With all five freshmen solidly behind her, Lisa managed to extend her enthusiasm to the team's sophomores, who were not about to be outdone by freshmen and pledges. Lisa consulted with the previous year's players to determine which of her team members would play during the first matches, which ones would play later, and the arrangement of her team members on the court. As the team practiced, their captain worked out the final roster for her players. For offensive play, she selected herself and the tallest sophomore, as well as Brittany, as the attackers/blockers. Brittany was not tall, but could jump and was good at spiking the ball. The lead defensive player would be Kathleen, who could move very quickly, perform "digs" better than anyone else, and was not afraid to dive when necessary. Lisa would have made her into the team's "libero", but the sororities had not yet adopted recent rule changes establishing that position in the game. Cherine and Bernadette would assist Kathleen as "setters", moving the ball from Kathleen's defensive hits to the offensive players. Erin and three sophomores would be alternates. The group was coming together, promising a respectable performance. Tracy still did not think Lisa's team was likely to win the first place trophy, but looking at them she did expect the Four-Betas to at least make it through Saturday. By the beginning of September the entire sorority was involved in volleyball training. Several juniors returned early from summer break to help prepare Lisa's team. The team captain quickly gained the respect of the previous year's players by carefully listening to her predecessors' experiences and asking them to observe the current group's performance and make recommendations. The juniors and seniors took over the household chores to free up additional practice time. The fall elections, which had been planned for the week after Labor Day, also were postponed to not distract from the volleyball tournament. Tracy, instead of becoming Chapter President, would remain in her current post as Pledge Mistress and spend her time processing the applications and interviews of the incoming freshmen. While they were practicing, Lisa and her teammates shared a secret among themselves that no one outside their circle, not even Tracy, knew about. The team agreed that if observers from other sororities ever came by to watch them practice, the members would deliberately play badly. "I don't want anyone from the outside to know how we play. Let them think we really suck. That way we can surprise them when we're actually on the court." ---------- Classes started the day after Labor Day. Lisa returned to Burnside's office wearing nothing but her light summer dress and tennis shoes. Once she was in Burnside's office and the door was shut, she took off her dress and noticed a hook on the wall next to her desk. Obviously her professor had not forgotten about her student's desire to continue working naked. Anticipating a hectic fall semester, Lisa had enrolled in only three classes, just enough to keep her registered as a full-time student. When Burnside found out about the light schedule, she was not pleased. However, Lisa held her ground, explaining that she'd rather do well in a few classes than be overwhelmed by the combination of coursework, her duties as a student aide, and her duties to the sorority. "I'm more worried about my GPA, Dr. Burnside. If my GPA falls, then I'm screwed. You told me that yourself. The classes I can always take next semester. If I mess up my GPA, that I won't be able to fix." Lisa managed to silence her professor with that argument. It was true that if Lisa's grade-point average fell, the lower score would affect her standing with the department very quickly. ---------- During the first week of the regular semester, there was a responsibility that kept Tracy, Shannon, Lisa, and Bernadette very busy as soon as classes were over for the day and they returned to the sorority. They had to interview pledge prospects and go over pledge packets. It made sense that Bernadette would be involved in the interviews because she was freshman class leader, but Lisa wondered about the presence of herself and Shannon. She did not know that Tracy already was thinking ahead and that assembled at the table were the members of the future chain of command for the pledge training staff. Tracy passed out sheets of questions to each of her three companions and encouraged them to fully participate in the panel interviews. As for the prospects, Tracy made them fully aware of the harsh conditions they would have to endure as pledges. As the freshmen stared at her with frightened expressions, she added: "Every responsibility our training staff will impose on you is written down in the Pledge Manual. Read that manual, and you won't get hit with any surprises. Everything we make our pledges do is for a reason, especially the unpleasant stuff. I'm not going to hide what you're going up against, because I think you deserve the information you need to make an informed decision about whether or not you want to share our journey in life. I have no desire to begin your time with us by lying to you." Folding her hands and tilting her head slightly, Tracy always concluded with the following: "So you think about it carefully. It's an important decision and you need to take your time making it. Before you sign a contract, with us or with any other sorority, make sure you visit other chapters and ask them about their pledge programs. Then ask them how rough they are to their pledges. Some of our rivals will tell you up front what'll happen once you sign your contract, and those are the sororities you should consider. However, most of our rivals won't give you a straight story. If you get an evasive answer, or hear 'it's not so bad', I'd immediately get the fuck out and move on to a different house, if I were you. Why would you want to spend your time with a bunch of women who, from the very beginning, aren't going to be honest with you?" ---------- The Monday evening before the tournament, two members of the Sorority Sports League passed by the Four-Beta house to check the final list of players for the Lisa's team. When Tracy took them into the back yard, she was dismayed by how badly her group was playing. Bernadette missed a totally easy shot, Kathleen bounced the ball out of bounds, and then Brittany served right into the net. The two visitors smiled sarcastically as they looked over the list of players and noted Tracy's pained expression. When the committee members left, Tracy stormed into the back yard to yell at Lisa, only to notice the team suddenly was playing much better. Then she figured out what her players had just done. The committee members were totally fooled, but then, so was she. Brilliant. Way to go. Absolutely brilliant deception. Looks like the others are in for a bit of a surprise... ---------- There were a total of 18 sororities participating in the games in a series of matches starting Wednesday morning at 9:00 a.m. On the first day Lisa's team would play matches against three other teams, followed by more matches on Thursday and Friday. The eight teams with the highest totals of wins would play for the final elimination on Saturday, leaving the four best teams to play on Sunday. It would be a grueling five days, to say the least, especially for the teams making past the elimination matches. Lisa did not know what to expect as far as clothing was concerned, but decided to assemble her group in the sitting room wearing nothing but tennis shoes. Tracy entered the room with an armful of bathrobes marked with the Four-Beta logo, and passed one to each player. She was wearing one of the robes herself, as was Shannon, who was trailing behind her with another armful of robes. As the volleyball team put on their robes, they heard a loud male cheer outside, which was answered by the cheering of women from inside the sorority house. Then came the chant: "FOUR-B!" "TRIPLE-A!" "FOUR-B!" "TRIPLE-A!" "FOUR-B!" "TRIPLE-A!" When the team members looked out the windows, they saw the entire Tri-Alpha Fraternity standing in the driveway in bathrobes. Then they noticed that the women crowding the stairs and hallway also were all dressed in bathrobes. The sorority women filed outside and quickly joined their male counterparts in the street. As Tracy led the volleyball team outside the crowd erupted into cheering: Standing on the entryway step of the sorority house, President Alexandra raised her hand to silence her audience. Then she read: "The Directorates of the Four-Beta Sorority and the Tri-Alpha Fraternity have made the following change in their respective members' handbooks. The change reads: When attending any athletic event in which members of the Tri-Alpha Fraternity or the Four-Beta Sorority are participating, the standard of dress will be set by the highest-ranking officer present. Clothing worn by rank-and-file members will match the clothing worn by the aforementioned officer." Alexandra stripped off her robe and waved it in the air. She was not wearing anything underneath. The rest of the sorority followed her, briefly exposing their bodies to the hot early September sunshine. Then the fraternity president joined Alexandra, and stripped off his robe to wave in the air. Ninety fraternity members followed suit. Once everyone had their robes back on, Alexandra shouted: "OK, Ladies and Gentlemen! Let's go watch some volleyball!" The members of the fraternity and sorority lined up on formation and began marching towards the university. More than 170 university students, all dressed in white bathrobes marked with their respective logos, clapped and sang in unison as they made their way past Old Campus towards the university's basketball stadium. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 42 Chapter 42 – Volleyball The area outside the basketball stadium already was crowded with players from the 17 other volleyball teams, the members of the university's sororities and fraternities, and various students and faculty members interested in watching the volleyball tournament. Word that the Four-Betas would be forced to play in the nude already had spread among the rival sororities. This was going to be interesting, thought all those women to themselves. Would the "sex bitches" actually have the nerve to show up? The sight of 170 Tri-Alphas and Four-Betas, cheerfully singing and clapping as they marched towards the stadium, answered that question. Yes, the Four-Betas would play, and yes, they would play naked. As for humiliating them, perhaps that wasn't going to be as easy as everyone had thought, because they had the solidarity of the entire membership of their sorority and the associated fraternity. Nor would just the team and the Four-Beta officers be naked. Nudity was to be the uniform of the team, therefore it would be the uniform of the team's supporters. The other sororities' efforts to jeer and taunt the Four-Beta team turned out not to be very effective, because the team members were marching into the basketball arena as part of a much larger group. The Tri-Alphas jeered back, matching their rivals insult for insult. The rivalry became very bitter, but the show of support from their friends strengthened the resolve of Lisa and her companions to play as well as possible. The sorority and fraternity members filed into their assigned seating areas. Everyone's eyes were on the Four-Betas and Tri-Alphas. What were they wearing under their robes? Would they really watch their team play in the nude? That question was answered when Four-Beta President Alexandra took off her robe, folded it, and set it on her seat as a cushion. Her companions followed suit, exposing themselves to thousands of other spectators in a powerful show of support for their team. They cheered and waved to their rivals, not embarrassed in the least about their very public display. At first the other people in the stadium were shocked, but soon the arena erupted into a strange din of cheering, whistling, cat-calls, and booing. The members of the audience who cheered the loudest were students that were not associated with any of the fraternities or sororities. The story behind why the Four-Betas were playing in the nude quickly was spreading through the audience, along with the fact the team counted on the full support of the other members. The enthusiastic support of their friends impressed many of the spectators, but what mattered even more was the fact the Four-Beta team had the guts to show up and play, no matter what. They clearly were the outsiders, and thus became the favorites of many in the audience. The 17 other sorority presidents were dismayed that their effort to humiliate the Four-Beta Sorority was not going according to plan, but they couldn't dwell on that. They had to start the opening ceremony on time, so at 9:00 they dimmed the lights several times to force the boisterous crowd to quiet down. The president of the Sorority Sports League stepped into the middle of the arena and announced the beginning of the volleyball tournament. She then ordered the presidents of the 18 participating sororities to bring their teams to the floor for presentation and to sing the U.S. National Anthem. When the Four-Beta Sorority was called, the naked chapter president stood up and led her equally naked team down the bleacher stairs to the main floor. There was a strange combination of genuine cheering, sarcastic cheering, and outright booing as the Four-Beta team took their places among the other teams. The booing did not phase the Four-Beta team. That was what they expected. What did surprise them was the large number of people in the audience cheering for them. These were girls with guts, who were facing up to a challenge that no other sorority possibly could have handled. Already they were winning the admiration of many of the spectators. Even more important was the show of support by their friends. Precisely because such a large group in the audience was naked, the team representing them no longer seemed like such freaks. The Sorority Sports League president turned off her microphone and snarled at President Alexandra: "Tell your members to get dressed, right now! The rule change is just for your team, not for spectators!" Alexandra handed her rival a printout of the rule that had just been adopted by the Four-Beta Sorority and the Tri-Alpha Fraternity: When attending any athletic event in which members of the Tri-Alpha Fraternity or the Four-Beta Sorority are participating, the standard of dress will be set by the highest-ranking officer present. Clothing worn by rank-and-file members will match the clothing worn by the aforementioned officer. "This is our rule. It's written in our rulebook, for our members. If you want to debate this, let's do it! Right now, in front of all these spectators! Turn on your microphone and let's debate it! When Alexandra reached for the microphone, the Sorority Sports League president jerked it away: "Tell your members to get dressed, or I'm calling the fucking cops!" "Do it! Call the cops! You can explain to them why we're forced to field a team that's naked! This was your decision! We're just complying with your rules and showing support for our team! If you don't like it, call the fucking cops, and then you and me get to debate this on six-oh-clock news!" Alexandra's rival hesitated. The last thing she wanted was for the running dispute between her and the Four-Betas to receive any more public airing. If she and Alexandra showed up together on TV, she knew that the Four-Beta president's public speaking skills and calm public demeanor would make anyone debating her look like an idiot. "Fine, have it your way, you fuckin' bare-assed slut!" Alexandra took a deep breath to calm down slightly. She was ready to pounce on her rival, but knew better. She had just won the first confrontation of the volleyball tournament. Why spoil that? The continuing show of solidarity from her sorority's members for her team was what really mattered. The Four-Betas and Tri-Alphas were in this together, a fact that later would be noticed by the sports reporters covering the tournament. Lisa noticed the confrontation between her chapter president and the sports league president. She could tell the two seniors were exchanging unpleasant words, but she had a more immediate concern on her mind: sizing up the opposing teams. The majority of the rival women wore uniforms consisting of matching T-shirts and shorts. No one wore knee-pads or numbered jerseys, which to Lisa was one clear indication that the games were not really taken very seriously. The Four-Betas were denied knee-pads by the condition of the rule changes, but the others were not wearing them by choice. Lisa was more worried about doing well during the games than the fact that she was standing naked with her teammates in front of an audience of 6,000 students. She had been very stressed about having had so little time to put her team together, but could tell that most of her competitors were not much better off. It was possible they had more time to practice, but for the majority of the sororities, that extra time didn't mean much. All except three of the rival teams clearly were lacking in physical conditioning. Once they started playing, Lisa would have to assess whether or not the opposing players on any given team had playing experience or were specialized. Once all 18 teams had been introduced and were on the floor standing in formation, everyone stood quietly while the U.S. National Anthem was played. Now that truly was a strange sensation, to have to salute the U.S. flag in the nude. Lisa could tell that being naked in public during the National Anthem somewhat unnerved a couple of her teammates. She would have to use the warm-up drills to give them a chance to calm down before starting them in the first game. The Sorority Sports League president announced that the first match would start at 9:30. A cheer went up when the audience heard that one of the two starting teams would be the Four-Betas. So that was it, the crowd would get to watch a team of women playing serious volleyball in the nude. Apart from the very vocal support of their sorority and the Triple-A's, the Four-Beta team had another stroke of luck working in their favor that year. The referees were members of the regular university varsity women's volleyball team and in no way were directly associated with the Sorority Sports League. No one knew it at the time, but the Four-Betas counted with the secret sympathy of several referees. That sympathy would be tremendously helpful, because the referees not only scored the games, but also approved and finalized the game schedules. Having outsiders score the games had been crucial to preventing fights between rival sororities over the fairness of the games, and now would work against the effort to humiliate Lisa's team. In fact, the referees were irritated that the sorority league had not adopted recent NCAA rule changes and were not taking the basic precaution of forcing their players to wear kneepads. Now, on top of everything else, the other sororities were forcing one of their participating teams to play in the nude. The Four-Betas would be assured of even-handed treatment and the other sororities knew that cheating was not a realistic option. If they won against the Four-Betas, they would have to win honestly. There was another detail that began to worry the other teams. The Four-Betas were physically fit and well prepared to play. Lisa led her team through several warm-up drills to keep her players motivated and to get their minds off the Pledge of Allegience. It was obvious the 4-B's were thinking more about getting through the first day than the fact they were naked. As for the team captain, Lisa began enjoying the feeling of the cool air-conditioned breeze blowing against her bare skin and the fact that her body was exposed to so many spectators. Yes, she might have been nervous about playing, but what she was going through at the moment was an exhibitionist's dream. The very first game, played against Brittany and Erin's old sorority, was a blow-out. Supposedly the game was going to be a revenge match for the Four-Betas' most bitter rivals, but it seemed that their talent for volleyball was comparable to their talent for street brawling. The final scores was 15-2, 15-0, and 15-3. Brittany and Erin looked on with deep satisfaction as their former sorority sisters cried from the humiliating defeat and the crowd loudly cheered for the naked "sex-bitches". As much as the two defectors wanted to taunt their former tormentors, they held their tongues. As Lisa said prior to the game: "I want you to remember that a good Four-Beta lets her actions speak for her. The only taunting I want for the other teams is gonna be from looking at their scores and wondering what went wrong." As the day progressed, the performance of the next team was not much better, 15-6, 15-8, and 15-4. The final team was one of the teams that most concerned Lisa, and they played a grueling and exciting set of matches, with the final scores logged as 15-13, 12-15, and 15-13. The Four-Betas ended the day with a hard-fought victory against a rival that had been favored to win. By Wednesday night it already was obvious the Four-Betas would be among the eight teams participating in the Saturday play-offs. Wednesday night Lisa reviewed the day's performance with her players in the Four-Beta sitting room. The team members were in very high spirits and were actually proud to be the only naked team playing in the tournament. They had showered and as a show of solidarity had decided that none of them would get dressed until the sorority tournament was over. The players were looking forward to the following two days, obviously expecting to win and hopefully match the performance of the previous year's team. Lisa tempered their enthusiasm: "Right now I'm not worried about Sunday, or even Saturday for that matter. Today we won because the other teams weren't ready for us. Now they will be ready, and they're gonna throw everything they have at us just to keep us out of the play-offs. We've got three teams we're going up against tomorrow and we've got to win those matches game by game, point by point, dig by dig, spike by spike. Now, I want to hear from each of you what you think you need to do to improve your performance. Then we need to talk strategy and tweak our line-up." When the Four-Beta's returned with their enthusiastic escort to the basketball stadium on Thursday, the atmosphere of the entire arena had changed. Word had spread across campus that a naked team was playing in the sorority tournament and had won against all three opponents the previous day. That was something worth seeing. In classrooms throughout the university the male population was nowhere to be seen, because the men were crowded into the basketball stadium to watch the amazing spectacle of naked volleyball players. The president of the Sorority Sports League realized she did have a chance to pressure the Four-Beta team, by broadcasting live shots of them on the arena's huge monitors overlooking the audience. There was no reason the monitors could not feature close-up shots of the Four-Betas' breasts, bottoms, and faces to make sure all those guys had a really good look at them. In fact, why not put up the name of each Four-Beta player while her body was being exhibited on the big screens? That would be a nice surprise for the sex-bitches, to look up and see themselves on full display on those big screens. The plot would have worked, had a member of Campus Security not been bantering with the guys controlling the cameras and monitors. Sergeant Polk knew what was about to happen with those monitors and quietly slipped over to his naked fellow Reservist to warn her. Tracy thought about her options, which included warning her team and hoping they still could play, or trying to prevent the broadcasting. She asked Polk: "Can you do anything about the monitors?" "I might. I know the wiring feeding out of the fuse-box is not up to code and we got badly dinged in the last inspection. The inspector was telling me that if some of those cables touched each other where they don't have insulation, it'd blow out the entire video system." "Can you make it happen?" Polk thought for a moment. If he were caught messing with the wires it would cost him his job and probably his security clearance, but something more important was at stake. He realized that he respected and deeply cared for Tracy, his sergeant and fellow Reservist. He felt guilty about ogling her body over the summer and somehow wanted to make it up to her. Now he had a chance to restore his honor, even if the need to do so existed only in his own thoughts. "I'll see what I can do. No promises, but I'll give it a shot." Tracy gave Polk a rare smile, a genuine show of gratitude. "Thanks...for everything." "Sure, Tracy. I just wanted...to...uh..." He took a deep sigh, unable to go any further. "Wish me luck." Polk quietly descended past the bleachers to the fuse-box room. He unlocked the door and to his relief noticed that the fuse-box that fed into the monitors had not been upgraded. He pondered how to attack the power feeding the video system and not make it look like it had been tampered with. First he thought about taking out the cameras, but realized that was not a good option because they had an alternate power supply and might not be disabled for more than a few minutes. Then he realized that he could short out the monitors and leave the rest of the system intact. All he had to do was use a sharp edge to strip the insulation from three wires, then touch them together. To do that he needed a sharp object that would not conduct electricity. He needed either a piece of plastic or broken piece of glass. He looked around the room and noticed several fast food bags sitting in the trash. One of them had a plastic knife. Hoping that would work, Polk wiped off the knife and carefully scraped the first of the three wires... The monitors showed images of the U.S. flag while the National Anthem was being played. Meanwhile, the Sorority Sports League directors focused the cameras towards the Four-Beta side of the volleyball court and ordered the cameramen to test for close-up shots of the naked team members. Another sorority director was typing the names of the Four-Beta team members into the video display system so that each shot of a bare bottom, stressed face, or set of breasts would be accompanied by the owner's name. If that didn't unnerve the sex bitches and make them miss their serves, digs, and spikes, nothing would. Sweat dripped down Polk's face as he finally cut down to the copper of his first wire. The dull plastic knife was woefully inadequate for the job, but the wires were live and he dared not cut into them with a piece of metal. He sighed as he started on the second wire, totally stressed that someone might come into the room and catch him. This was taking too long. Then he thought of something. He reached into the trash and pulled out two glass soda bottles. He cracked one against the other and broke the glass. Yes! When he pulled apart the broken bottle there was a long piece with a nice sharp point! He dug it into the second wire and neatly carved out a notch, leaving the underlying metal bare. Two down, one to go. Another quick dig, another notch, another bare wire. OK...let's see if I got the right ones... Polk touched the wires together. There was a loud electric SNAP and a blue flash that made the security officer jump, even though he was expecting it. He touched the third wire to the first two, and was rewarded with another electronic CRACK. The circuit-breaker in the fuse-box went off, and already the room smelt of burnt electronics. Polk threw the knife and broken bottle back into the trash and carried out the bag, locking the room on his way out. He glanced up at a security camera, but knew it was turned off. That had been another ding in the inspection that had not yet been fixed. As the Four-Betas positioned themselves to begin the first match of the day, several cameras focused on their bodies. Everything was ready... ...and then the monitors went blank! A few seconds later, the screens went completely dark! What the fuck? Tracy watched the frantic conversations in the control room as the Sorority Sports League representatives and technicians tried to figure out what was going on. Why weren't those fucking monitors working? Then she saw Polk, her fellow Reservist and now her friend, standing at the opposite end of the arena with his hands in his pockets, curiously looking up at the blank screens. How strange that they should just go out like that...Oh well, at least they didn't go out during an important basketball game...maybe it was just as well it was during the pre-season so their power supply could be properly fixed... ---------- Lisa and her companions never knew about the drama in the fuse box room or that they narrowly missed having their exposed bodies broadcast on those big overhead screens with their names. The effort to unnerve them during the second day of the tournament ended in failure. As the university's electricians pulled apart the burnt wiring in the fuse box room, the Lisa and her companions scored 15-8, 15-13, and 15-11; then 15-13, 15-12, and 15-14; and finally 15-6, 15-3, and 15-0 to bring the team's wins to 6-0. The monitors were still incapacitated on Friday. On the third day of regular game-play, the Four-Betas went up against tougher teams and played longer, closer matches. By the end of Friday the cumulative score was eight wins and one loss. Lisa's group would enter the play-offs Saturday with the second highest ranking of the 18 participating sororities. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 42 By Saturday morning the crowds were cheering for the Four-Betas. There was no question the "sex-bitches" were proving themselves in competition and had overcome tremendous obstacles. Their nonchalant attitude about playing in the nude in such a public setting fascinated the multitude of spectators and drew long lines of potential pledges and curiosity seekers to the Four-Beta Sorority information table. Sorority flyers and business cards had to be re-stocked several times, especially on Saturday when the number of information tables was reduced from 18 to 8. The weekend edition of the campus newspaper put out a sympathetic article about the Four-Beta Sorority that showed the players from the back in a couple of photos, but mostly focused on an interview with the out-going chapter president. Alexandra noted that her sorority's emphasis on physical fitness was an important factor in her team's solid performance during the tournament. When asked about the rule change that forced her sophomores and freshmen to play naked, she responded: "The Sorority Sports League made a rule change about the uniforms. Obviously we didn't agree with it, but our team decided to play, no matter what. Our philosophy is to never back down from a challenge. If the Sorority Sports League wanted to challenge us with making that rule change, the only thing I can say is that I hope we met that challenge and, as we like to say it, 'bore honest witness' as athletes and competitors." By Saturday, the Four-Betas were the clear favorites of the audience. The crowd became more mixed as women, alumni, and professors joined the male students that had come in on Thursday and Friday. Everyone's curiosity about watching the naked volleyball team had been satisfied and now most of the audience was there to cheer for the Four-Betas and watch them win. Lisa's teammates were at the top of their game on Saturday as they won against three rivals. The Sorority Sports League made yet another mistake by putting their best team up against the Four-Betas, hoping to eliminate them from the Sunday finals. Lisa was at her finest during that game, receiving the ball from her teammates and repeatedly spiking it into the opponents' court. On the opposing side there was a player just as tall and just as good as Lisa, so the game developed into a grueling stand-off with constant turn-overs and very close scores. In the end, however, Kathleen's quick saves gave the Four-Betas more serves and more opportunities to score. The final results, against the best sorority team in the league, were 15-13, 15-12, and 15-13. The naked crowd of Four-Betas and Tri-Alphas in the audience erupted in cheering. That final game assured the Four-Betas of a spot in the sorority championship match the following afternoon. Already Lisa's team had made it as far as the previous year's team, and the opponents with the best chance of beating them now were relegated to playing in the morning for the third place trophy. ---------- When Sunday came, Lisa woke up totally at peace with herself. She knew that her team was going to win the sorority championship. She didn't think or hope, she knew. Her players would go into that arena totally sure of themselves, and go up against opponents who were competent players, but under tremendous pressure from the other 17 sororities to humiliate the odious "sex bitches". In a way Lisa almost felt sorry for the opposing team, because the Four-Betas already had proven themselves by defeating the team most likely to win the tournament. Lisa was determined to win, and knew that her team would win, but at the same time she did not feel pressured. Lisa was determined that her companions would enter the arena with the same peace of mind she was enjoying. That wouldn't be a problem, because they had all morning to get ready. Lisa decided there would be no volleyball practice, but instead a morning of yoga, swimming in the pool, stretching, more swimming, and finally some rest. Once they were in the arena the Four-Beta team would do warm-up drills, but that would be their only practice directly related to volleyball. They would play with their minds alert and their bodies toned and yet relaxed. The rest of the sorority left the house that Sunday so the team could enjoy their morning in peace. When they came back, the other sorority members got into their bathrobes and for the fifth time accompanied their team to the basketball arena singing and clapping as they paraded down the street. For the fifth and final time the women and their Tri-Alpha friends sat on their robes and loudly cheered their team as the Four-Beta women proudly filed down the stairs to face their opponents. Lisa and her companions no longer felt any shame at having to face their athletic experience in the nude. They were quite proud of themselves and what they were about to accomplish. When the national anthem was played, the uneasiness of the first day was totally gone. Lisa looked at the faces of the opposing team. They were angry, nervous, and tired. They did not seem to be happy to have made it to the final game at all. Instead the only thing on their minds was to get even with "the sex bitches" on the behalf of everyone they had betrayed. They felt the weight of the pressure of 17 sororities on their shoulders. They absolutely had to win. In contrast with their opponents, all the Four-Betas had to do was play well. The final championship game score surprised everyone except Lisa. When compared to the exciting match the previous evening, the championship was anti-climatic, with final scores of 15-11, 15-10, and 15-7. While their opponents played with so much anger that they constantly made mistakes, Lisa seemed to be everywhere on the net with her constant "spikes" and "aces". Towards the end her opponents argued with each other and the team's cohesion broke down. There was no doubt about it; the Four-Betas clearly were the best-prepared and most determined players of the day. There was a final irony that truly pained the president of the Sorority Sports League. Just as the Four-Betas were serving for game point on the final match, the university electricians managed to fix the wiring for the monitors. The screens came back on in time to show Lisa score the final "ace" of the championship. Still wearing their "game uniforms", the Four-Beta team accepted the first-place trophy for the tournament. Brittany and Erin got the honor of holding it for the official victory photo, as a permanent reminder of their defection that would forever taunt the members of their former sorority. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 43 Chapter 43 -- Kathleen's punishment Once the celebrations from the victory died down and the Four-Beta members returned to the sorority house, President Alexandra called an emergency meeting in the sitting room. She flatly announced the fall election was way overdue and that it was urgent to have the sorority's new leadership elected and in place for Rush Week. "Unfortunately we'll have to make the transition at the same time we're having Rush, but I've got to step down. I'm not taking classes this fall, and if I'm no longer enrolled I'm not qualified to be in the directorate. So tomorrow night we're holding our fall elections, and we'll swear in the new officers on Saturday. Please consult with your class leaders so we can agree on nominations." Lisa felt bad for Alexandra, because her presidency was ending without the scandal over the former Sergeant-at-Arms being completely resolved. While it may have been true that President Alexandra was not the best leader the sorority ever had, it also was clear that she was a decent person and that she did care about what happened to the members. Lisa knew that in the end she would be forgotten, that her mixed record and a few lapses of judgment would relegate her service to obscurity within a few years. Once the sophomores graduated, no one in the sorority would even remember her. Tracy would be very different as president. She had a very aggressive plan that if implemented, would make the Four-Beta Sorority a very serious organization and expand its membership. She wanted being a Four-Beta to be a life-changing experience for everyone who joined and ultimately expand the sorority's influence within the university community. Unlike her predecessor, Tracy would be remembered long after she graduated and moved on with her career. The changes she planned to make would have a permanent impact on how the Four-Betas conducted their lives and saw themselves as a group. ---------- Lisa was hoping to go to bed and spend some time with Kathleen but, as usual, Tracy pulled her aside and asked her to accompany her into the sorority office. Tracy wanted to "talk shop" with Lisa before releasing her for the evening. Her immediate concern was not the election, but Rush Week. The sorority would be full of prospective pledges throughout the next six days and the members would have to host a series of parties. The sophomores had the biggest stake in the outcome of Rush Week, because they would be living with the incoming group for the next three years. "You're gonna have to get together with Elaine and do some real mixing with those freshmen. This is really gonna be your show. Also, make sure the members of your pledge group and Brittany and Erin are out there, getting to know those girls. And another thing. We're definitely not the right sorority for everyone. If you don't think we're a good fit for someone or they're not a good fit for us, make sure they know that and make sure you explain why. But at the same time, never be overly insistent about pushing someone out the door. If you don't think they're a good fit, and you try to discourage them, but they seem to insist, send them my way so I can make a final determination. Don't forget, I have no problem taking in the Bernadettes and Kathleens of this world. If they really want to join, and I feel it's for the right reasons, I'll give 'em a contract." Tracy sat back and tilted her head slightly, which was a gesture she always used when she had something important to announce to her listener: "That gets us to the next thing I need to settle. I've been talking to the other seniors, and also to Shannon and Elaine, and we've pretty much decided who's gonna get the nominations for the next chapter directorate. The new officers will all be seniors, except Shannon, who's my first choice for the next Sergeant-at-Arms. There's only one spot still open, and that's Pledge Mistress. There's a reason why Pledge Mistress is always the hardest position to fill, and that's because most members don't want it. It's the least glamorous spot in the directorate, and yet by far the one with the most responsibility and the one with the most work. Most of the members are here to have fun, and being Pledge Mistress is not very much fun. However, this year we do have a member who'd make a good Pledge Mistress." "So who is it?" "You." "Me?" "You're the most logical choice. What I'd like to do is nominate you to be this year's Pledge Mistress and take the word 'Acting' off your title." "But...I just joined...wouldn't the others have a problem with..." Tracy smiled and shook her head. "No. Trust me, the others won't have a problem with it. With as much work as that position is...and the worst part of it is having to put up with me day in and day out...No. They're not lining up to be Pledge Mistress. That job takes a certain personality type, and right now, you're the member in the sorority who's got what's needed to do the job. It doesn't matter that you just joined." "Well...I guess if the others are OK with it...I'd be honored..." "And I'll be honored to be working with you in the fall. Even before I started talking to the seniors, you were my first pick to replace me. The others are expecting it. They already have a nickname for you. They're calling you 'Tracy Junior'." Lisa laughed. "I 'spose there's worse things they could call me." "Anyhow, I know you've got Kathleen as your assistant. Actually, she's very good with the stuff you've assigned to her, you know, the rules and history instruction. I suppose she's not ready to take over a group?" "No. Her strong point is her teaching. She's not a leader. I couldn't picture her bossing anyone around." "Alright, then we'll keep her focused on instructing and not assign her a group. How do you feel about Bernadette and Cherine?" "I think Bernadette would make a good counselor, but you're gonna have to be careful about who goes in her group. You'd want outgoing girls with her, but not ones with really strong personalities. I wouldn't put anyone in her group who might challenge her, because I don't think she'd handle that well. Cherine would be a good counselor with quieter pledges, the shy ones." "Alright, then we've got a Pledge Mistress, an assistant/instructor, and two group counselors. I'll talk to Shannon and Elaine about nominating the others. Now the next thing I want to think about is what the training staff is gonna wear. I'm thinking of assigning uniforms to the training staff, the same as the pledge outfits, except the shirts would read 'counselor' or 'Pledge Mistress'." Lisa took a deep breath. Tracy noticed her disappointed expression. "You're not thrilled about having to wear a uniform, are you?" "Not really. I mean, I already told Brittany and Erin that I wasn't gonna be wearing anything because I'm a nudist and..." "So, that lifestyle's really that important to you?" "Yes." "So, what you're telling me is that you'd prefer to perform your duties as Pledge Mistress in the nude?" "Yes." "Well, here's a thought. What if I propose that the uniform for the Pledge Mistress ought to be the same as the pledges? In other words, when the pledges are naked, the Pledge Mistress must be naked too?" "That's sort of what I wanted..." "Alright, I'll just write that into your work plan. But what it means is that whenever the pledges are attending sorority functions or meetings, you'd have to be there in the nude along with them." "That's fine. That's what I want." Lisa watched as Tracy made some notes. Then she decided to change the topic: "Tracy, I was kinda curious. If you want me to be Pledge Mistress, what's the deal gonna be about discipline?" "That'll mostly stay the same under you as it was under me. I believe that physical punishment is an important part of what we do in the Four-Beta pledge-training program. As Pledge Mistress I expect you to be as strict with your group as I was with you. The only change I want is more accountability. Anytime a pledge needs to be disciplined, the Pledge Mistress, or in some cases her group counselor, will administer the punishment. Both the Pledge Mistress and the counselor would have to be present whenever a punishment is administered, along with another chapter officer and at least one other witness, preferably other pledges from her group. I also want to formalize punishments, such as having an official reading of the pledge's offense, always conducting punishments in one place, and always have them administered the same way." Tracy looked at Lisa to get her reaction. When Lisa nodded Tracy continued: "What I'd also like to do is put down in writing the rules, procedures, and severity of punishments, so everyone knows, from the very beginning, what to expect. On the other hand, I'd leave some discretion for leniency to the Pledge Mistress, but would make sure that she explains in the training log why any given punishment is less severe than what's stipulated in the Pledge Manual. For example, your decision to split the punishment you had to give Brittany and Erin because your assistant brought out the wrong strap made perfect sense. I want to make sure the Pledge Mistress has that type of on-the-spot discretion. But anyhow, I want everything related to punishments put into the training log, so that each incident of discipline is documented and subject to review by the sorority officers at the end of each week." "That makes sense." "By the way, make sure the punishment you administered to Brittany and Erin is fully documented in the training log. Might as well get started on that now." "Alright." Lisa added a paragraph about the strapping to the training log while Tracy looked through several pledge packets. When Lisa finished her entry, Tracy's next question totally shocked her. "Lisa, I need to ask you a personal question, because how you answer will make a difference in a decision I have to make for myself." Lisa looked up, waiting for the question: "What's your relationship with Ken right now?" "I...well you know I was over at the Tri-Alpha house today..." "Having sex with him?" Lisa gave Tracy a very irritated look. "Yes, Tracy, I had sex with him. Why do you need to know that?" Tracy took a deep breath. "I need to know that because...I have my reasons. But if you're getting back together with Ken, where does that leave Kathleen?" "It's kinda complicated...but I'm not leaving her, if that's what you're worried about." "But you still want him as well?" "Yeah, the truth is, I want him too. But there's a lot more to it...right now I can't explain it, but what I feel for both of them..." The two women sat quietly for a minute, each of them becoming more uncomfortable with the silence. "You will remember that I told you not to judge Ken, not to make assumptions about him. You remember that, right?" "Yes. I remember that." "...and now you've decided that you want him back, even though you're rooming with Kathleen?" "Yes." "...and he wants you?" "Yes." "...and...do Ken and Kathleen...know about each other?" Lisa stayed silent for a minute, but suddenly blurted out: "Yeah, they know about each other alright! They even fucked each other at Burnside's party and tried to keep it a secret from me! That pissed me off and..." Tracy immediately pounced on Lisa's hypocrisy over the encounter between her two lovers. As Lisa defended herself, she was forced to explain that what she really wanted was to have both Ken and Kathleen as submissive partners. Then she backtracked and tried to justify what she wanted: "...but it's not what you think...really it isn't! I care about both of them and the fact is they both need me. The problem is I really don't know how much longer I can balance them in my life, because...in the end you'll be right about...because I'm really worried I'm gonna badly hurt one of them...and that's the last thing I want to do..." "Well, here's my next question. How would you feel if Ken was staying here, with us in the sorority house, and you were in charge of him?" "Well, sure...that'd be great, but how could that happen?" "Remember in a few days I'll be chapter president?" "Well, yeah..." "And you'll remember there's a tradition that, every year, the Four-Beta chapter president gets to pick two Tri-Alphas as her personal attendants. Those two members are officially on loan to us from the fraternity. They have to stay at the sorority instead of the fraternity, and they're under orders from the Four-Beta directorate. What I'm driving at is that with your permission I'd like to pick Ken to be one of my attendants." "But...are you and him..." "No. We're not. That's the reason I want him on board, because I don't want an attendant I'm emotionally involved with. The truth is, I have nothing to offer him. I can't give him a relationship, or my time, or my love. Ken understands what I need from him, but I have absolutely nothing I can give back to him in return. That would have to come from you. Love, time, emotional support, training, discipline...all that would have to come from you." Lisa realized that she was about to get as close to living out her fantasy as she could without owning a large house in which she could lock up her two lovers. Also, she was somewhat flattered that Tracy was asking her permission to take Ken as one of her attendants, because that was something she was not required to do at all. In the end Lisa gave the future chapter president consent for Ken to move into the sorority house. He would serve as Tracy's personal attendant, just like the two guys that currently were serving under President Alexandra. There would be one important change however, a condition that Lisa insisted upon. Ken would not be issued the white attendant's uniform. Instead, like the new Pledge Mistress, her assistant, and the pledges themselves, Tracy's attendant would be required to be naked whenever performing his duties. At no time would Ken be allowed to cover himself when he was in the Four-Beta House. So now it was official. Ken was destined to be part of Lisa's future, every bit as much as Kathleen was destined to be part of Lisa's future. ---------- Lisa returned to her room, hugged Kathleen, and put her over her lap to take her temperature. As she contemplated her lover's thin bottom and waited for the temperature to register, Lisa realized that if she still wanted to whip Kathleen for her indiscretion over July 4th, that night would be her best opportunity to carry out the punishment. During Rush Week neither she nor Kathleen would be running around the sorority house naked, so the welts would stay hidden under her lover's clothing. By the end of Rush Week the marks would be gone and the punishment would remain a private matter. That was important to Lisa, because she was as determined to protect Kathleen's dignity in public as she was in forcing her to be totally submissive in private. Lisa pulled out the thermometer, read the temperature, wiped it off, and put it back in its case. Then she tapped her lover's shoulder to let her know she needed to stand up. Lisa embraced Kathleen, gently kissed her mouth, and with a sad voice announced: "Sweetie, I'm afraid I still gotta punish you for what you did to me on July 4th. You understand that, right?" Kathleen's expression changed to fear and she began trembling: "Yes Lisa, I understand that." "Then I think tonight's the best night to get that taken care of. I don't want your behavior coming between us anymore, so right now you're gonna have to get your whipping. Then we can forget about it. Hmm?" Lisa positioned her fingertips under her frightened lover's chin, forcing her to look up. "I...yes Lisa..." "Now you be a good girl and get me that two-pronged strap you were thinking about having me use. Also, get me a couple of three-foot chains and two wrist cuffs." Lisa handed Kathleen a pillowcase and stuffed a towel into it. "Use this to wrap everything up and stuff it in here. If anyone sees you, just say you're doing laundry." Kathleen took the pillowcase downstairs and went into the small room where the punishment supplies were kept. She selected a two-pronged strap, chains and wrist cuffs. She would have taken simple metal ones, but she knew that Lisa instead wanted her to select leather cuffs that were padded. The reason for that was very simple: Lisa did not want any cuff-marks on her lover's wrists as evidence that she had been restrained. As instructed, she wrapped the items in the towel and went back upstairs. While Kathleen was gone, Lisa had undressed and cleared the space where the disciplinarian and her subject would be standing during the whipping. She unloaded the towel and stuffed it at the foot of the door to muffle any sound that might come from the room. She wrapped Kathleen's wrists in the cuffs and ordered her to stand quietly with her eyes shut until given further orders. Lisa then suspended the chains from the hooks (she was tall enough to not need to stand on a chair) and finally lifted Kathleen's arms and clipped her wrists to the chains. Kathleen thus was immobilized. She was trembling, but kept her eyes shut pending permission to open them again. Lisa then sat down to admire her lover before punishing her. She truly did make a lovely sight, her thin, trembling body waiting for punishment. Once Lisa satisfied herself studying her subject, she stood up and sensuously ran her hands over her lover's body. Softly she spoke into her ear: "I love you, and it hurts me to have to do this to you. You understand I don't like having to hurt you like this, don't you?" "I...Yes Lisa, I know that." "Please don't ever make me have to do this to you again. If you behave from now on, you could make this the last time I ever have to punish you." "I...I'll try, Lisa...please...I don't want you to be mad at me." Lisa traced her fingertip around her lover's trembling mouth. "That's completely up to you. Totally up to you. Your choices in life are what'll decide whether or not I have to discipline you. You know the rules, but it's up to you whether or not you want to follow them." Lisa put her hands on Kathleen's hips to position her for the flogging. She would have to remain standing with her feet spread slightly and pointed inward, her back arched with her bottom properly positioned to receive the blows. When Lisa was ready to punish the fronts of her lover's thighs, Kathleen would have to stand straight. Lisa gave her a very strong incentive to stay in position and not do anything to lessen the impact of the strap: she gently touched the implement to her lover's vulva. If Kathleen dared break position, Lisa would strike her between the legs. Lisa strongly believed that any punishment needed to have various rituals before the blows started. One of those rituals was to draw lines on her lover's arms and legs with a magic marker. Lisa wanted to separate the parts of her lover's body that would be covered by clothing from the areas that would be exposed. She would have to stay within the limits of those lines. Of course, Lisa was perfectly capable of staying with those areas anyway, but the feel of the magic marker on her body heightened Kathleen's anxiety and pre-punishment tension. The next part of the ritual came when Lisa caressed Kathleen's body with the strap. As the thin prongs explored the young woman's exposed skin, she began to perspire and tremble with fright. Finally Lisa stopped, gave her lover one last kiss on the mouth, and positioned herself to deliver the first blow. She tapped the strap against her lover's trembling bottom, swung her arm back, and delivered a cruel blow across both sides. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 43 "Aiee...uh...uh..." The implement did not make a loud CRACK like the noise made by a broad strap, but it left two cruel reddish lines across Kathleen's backside. Lisa waited for the pain to fully register in the younger woman's mind before delivering the second blow. She would go very slowly, following Burnside's lesson to allow the passage of time to help wear down her victim and thus minimize the number of blows needed to make her cry. The whipping started on Kathleen's bottom, but Lisa also planned to punish her shoulders and upper thighs to avoid concentrating the punishment too much on just one part of her lover's body. The strap left very cruel marks because so much force was concentrated in those two thin prongs of leather. The implement was not what Lisa would have chosen to punish her lover, but because it was what Kathleen had picked out, it was what Lisa would have to use. It did have one huge advantage, and that was it did not make loud noises upon impact like a normal strap or paddle. That certainly was important for Lisa's desire to keep the punishment a private matter in the crowded sorority house. It was clear that Kathleen was suffering, although she was doing her best to "be a good girl" and not make too much noise by crying. After just four strokes tears were running down her cheeks. By the time Lisa had covered her bottom and backs of her thighs with cruel reddish welts, her lover's body was shaking with suppressed sobs. Lisa took a break from the punishment, but touched the strap to Kathleen's shoulders to let her know that part of her body would be punished next. A strange mix of emotions swept through her as she studied her suffering companion. She felt that Kathleen made a truly beautiful sight with her body restrained and her bottom covered with vicious red marks. At the same time Lisa empathized with the poor girl. Precisely because she was so helpless at that moment, there was a part of Lisa that wanted to reassure her and protect her. She knew that moment would indeed come: that as soon as she was released Kathleen would need to be held and comforted. However, before her lover could be released, Lisa would have to finish the whipping. The purpose of the evening's session was real punishment with the goal of inflicting real pain. Lisa was chastising Kathleen to put fear into her, fear of the consequences of ever crossing her again. Lisa loved her companion and had no desire to continuously beat her. However, she was determined to use the evening's traumatic session as part of her life-long goal of establishing ownership over the girl's soul. Even if Lisa never had to whip her again, threat of punishment, based on the memory of what was going on in that room, would always be a part of Kathleen's life. The freshman held up fairly well while her bottom was being flogged, but she cried pitifully when Lisa started punishing her upper back. She broke position and tried to twist to avoid a stroke, which forced Lisa to bring the strap up between her legs. Once that blow was delivered, she quickly covered Kathleen's mouth to muffle her scream. Tears and sweat were pouring down the poor girl's face, and Lisa had not even started flogging the fronts of her legs. Lisa paused to allow her lover to partially recover from the blows delivered so far. Her bottom was a swollen mass of red lines. Her upper back was marked as well, but only with six sets of double welts. Lisa decided that was enough and it was time to finish up on her thin thighs. "OK, now you know I was serious about hitting you between the legs. I don't want to have to do that to you again, but I will whenever you break position. Do you understand me?" Kathleen, between her sobs and trembling, forced herself to nod. "Stand up straight, so I can finish up. I know it's gonna hurt, but if you behave, we'll be done in just a few minutes." Because Kathleen already had broken, Lisa did not see any need in prolonging the final portion of her punishment. She quickly laid 20 strokes on the upper part of her lover's thighs, 10 on each side. While Lisa waited for the pain from the final portion of the punishment to mount, Kathleen continued to cry as she hung suspended by her cuffs. Lisa wanted to release her and hold her, but decided to wait until her lover's sobs died down a bit. Finally Lisa decided it was time to unclip her lover's cuffs and let her down. She sat down on her bed and held the sad girl in her arms, comforting her like a crying child. The punishment had ended and the moment had come for Lisa to reassure her charge that everything was forgiven and that she still loved her. Kathleen fell asleep within a few minutes, exhausted by the trauma of her punishment and comforted by Lisa's embrace. Lisa was relieved, because the punishment that had waited for two months finally was over. Her lover had been taught her lesson. More importantly, she had accepted the life Lisa was preparing for her and was ready for the next phase in the relationship. ---------- The following day Lisa woke up, showered, and then woke up her roommate. She ordered Kathleen to stand up so she could study the results of the previous day's punishment. Kathleen's body still was badly marked up, but Lisa calculated that by Thursday the marks would be gone. It was obvious that Kathleen did not resent the whipping. Quite to the contrary she was relieved it was over and eager to demonstrate to Lisa that she very willing to do what she was ordered to do. Lisa thought about her goal of getting her lover to start kneeling, but still wanted to encourage Kathleen to make that decision on her own. What Lisa needed to do was create situations in which Kathleen was kneeling, and then, through positive re-enforcement, express her approval. Kathleen's eagerness to please would do the rest. Lisa lent her lover a bathrobe (because Kathleen no longer owned a bathrobe) and told her to shower. She told the truth about wanting to keep the punishment a private matter, adding that the rules for Kathleen's clothing would change for a few days until her body no longer had any marks from the punishment. When Kathleen came back and hung up the robe, Lisa sat in the room's armchair and ordered her to present her homework. "Here, come around to the side and get down so we can look this over together." Sure enough, when she came around to the side of the chair, Kathleen got on her knees to better see her homework. As they went over the assignment, Lisa began stroking her lover's hair and shoulders. The two women had just established their first routine activity during which Kathleen would always kneel and receive a reward. Whenever they went over homework, Lisa would sit in the armchair and Kathleen would kneel next to her, enjoying the privilege of having her head and shoulders caressed while her mistress advised her about her studies. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 44 Chapter 44 -- Pledge Mistress Lisa Rush week that year was extremely busy for the entire sorority, because the odd notoriety from the volleyball tournament brought many more visitors than would have shown up during a typical year. Starting Monday, the Four-Beta House was packed with young women, most of who were there to satisfy their curiosity instead of seriously considering pledging. Starting Monday afternoon, the sophomores, freshmen, and the two serving pledges spent "quality time" in the kitchen producing an endless stream of snacks, drinks, and sandwiches for the crush of guests. Lisa was in the kitchen right along with the others, taking orders from Elaine who had been tasked with organizing the food portion of Rush Week. Tracy's training as a psychologist was tested as she listened to interview after interview and conducted the initial screening of prospective members. Based on just a few minutes of conversation, she had to implement a system of triage to separate curiosity seekers from potential pledge prospects. There were four groups of initial screening results from the conversations: women who were just curious but had no intention of pledging any sorority at all, women who did want to pledge a sorority but would not be a good fit for the Four-Beta chapter, women who seemed to be serious prospects, and women who were unsure whether they wanted to join or not, but were carefully thinking over their options. The Four-Beta officers treated each group differently. Simple curiosity seekers were handed a general information pamphlet and cold-shouldered out of the house. Girls who "were not good fits" were interviewed, but then given recommendations to visit other sorority houses. The Four Betas were doing their rivals a favor by sending potential members their way, which was not something any of the other sororities were doing in return. Serious prospects and undecided women were taken into the sorority library to be interviewed by Shannon and Alexandra. Out of those candidates, about half received invitation cards to return later in the week for a more serious interview. At 10:00 p.m. the first hectic night of Rush ended, with a total of 35 invitations issued to prospective members. That was just for one night. If the invitations kept up at that rate, the sorority could expect to have around 100 pledge prospects to formally interview at the end of the week. That was far too many, which meant that for the first time in its history the Four-Beta chapter would have to turn away a large number of potential members. Tracy understood that through selecting or rejecting aspiring members, she had a rare opportunity to shape the sorority's character by deciding who got to join. Also, the high interest in the Four-Beta sorority assured that it had a chance to become the most exclusive chapter at the university and well-positioned to increase its influence on campus. How ironic, thought Tracy to herself. What the Sorority Sports League did to us during that volleyball tournament had the exact opposite result from what they thought was gonna happen. ---------- Following clean-up, the members of the Four-Beta Sorority finally gathered to hold their delayed election. Alexandra presented Tracy and gave a short speech stating that she thought the current Pledge Mistress was the officer best suited to succeed her as chapter president. Tracy took her place at the podium and laid out her plans for the following year, repeating what she had told Lisa. The entire membership of the sorority would take a greater interest in training new pledges and pledge training would become an important part of everyone's life. "Participation from all of you will be important, especially this year, because we've got a very large group coming in. I'm thinking we might be able to pledge as many as 40 new members...that's right, ladies...40 new members. That's my goal. Why? Because if we can pull off the same thing next year, we'll have the numbers we need to start a second chapter on campus, and then we really will have the chance 'to bear honest witness to the times in which we live'. But, to pursue that goal, I will need all of you to help me. Each of you has a part to play in our future, but the future I envision will take a lot of work and personal sacrifice. Please keep in mind this election is your chance to decide how much you get to relax next year, because I guarantee if I'm elected, you won't be relaxing. If you want to take it easy, then I'd suggest you vote for someone else." A few minutes later Tracy was elected as the next chapter president. Everyone present voted for her, with the exception of Heather's friend, who abstained. The other officers were quickly elected, because the seniors already had agreed among themselves who would get each spot in the directorate. As expected, Shannon became the next Sergeant-at-Arms, although several juniors expressed regret over losing her as their class leader. Following the election of Shannon came the presentation of the candidate for Pledge Mistress. Tracy gave a summary of Lisa's performance over the summer, followed by her leadership during the volleyball game that delivered a trophy to the sorority, in spite of the tremendous odds facing her team. The vote for Lisa went very quickly, and she was unanimously elected. Lisa's appointment completed the sorority directorate, leaving only the class leaders to be selected. Each class elected its own leader independent of the others, so those elections were held separately. The only contentious election that night was among the juniors, who had three candidates vying for Shannon's former position. A few minutes later the six new members of the directorate and the three new class leaders went to their rooms to strip. Naked, they returned to the sitting room to take their oaths from President Alexandra. The new officers were the only members of the sorority that were naked on that occasion, because the other women were dressed in formal gowns. The sorority's tradition of forcing the new officers to be the only naked women in the room had a purpose; as a gesture of humility from the sorority's new leaders to the women they would be serving. They knelt as they took their oath, then stood up and faced their fellow sorority members as they waited for the applause to die down. Once the official presentation of the new officers ended, all of them, with the exception of Lisa, got dressed. Lisa had vowed never to wear clothing while in the Four-Beta house. Anyhow, the new Pledge Mistress job description stipulated that the Pledge Mistress and her assistant had to wear the same outfit as the pledges at all times except during class, which meant that neither would be allowed to wear clothing during the pledge training season. Tracy took her place at the podium to make her first formal announcement as chapter president. She requested approval from the members to create a new position, Public Representative. Unlike the other positions in the directorate, the Public Representative could be a graduate or former member, and did not have to be currently enrolled in classes. The Public Representative would be the only member of the sorority authorized to speak with the media and could take the place of the chapter president at public events and meetings. Once President Tracy got the approval through a majority vote, she nominated her candidate for the new position: Former President Alexandra. Alexandra seemed a bit taken aback that President Tracy wanted her to continue participating in the directorate, but the new chapter president's purpose was purely practical. Tracy knew that her own temper made her ill-suited for confronting the media. Because Alexandra already had become the sorority's public face during the crisis over Heather, it made sense for her to continue as the sorority's spokesperson. Also, not having to deal with public speaking freed Tracy to pursue her real ambition, the expansion of the Four-Beta Sorority and the eventual creation of a second chapter. As strange as it seemed, Alexandra would play an important role in helping her successor realize her goals for the sorority. ---------- There was a final appointment that needed to be made for the Four-Beta directorate to be complete: the selection of the president's attendants. Later that night Tracy took Shannon over to the Tri-Alpha house to pick up Ken and another Tri-Alpha. Tracy's second attendant was a guy that Shannon liked, and he would live under conditions similar to those of Ken. When Shannon found out that Lisa wanted to keep Ken naked whenever he was in the sorority house, the new Sergeant-at-Arms decided to impose the same condition on her own lover. Once Tracy made the announcement about her selection, the president of the Tri-Alpha Fraternity called a meeting of the fraternity directorate to release custody of the two members. The two men were ordered to strip and kneel while Tracy signed the contract to take possession of the two naked attendants. She ordered the men to stand and cuffed their hands behind their backs. The fraternity president asked: "Aren't you going to give them their attendant uniforms?" "They won't be getting uniforms this year. We'll give 'em clothing for going on campus, but this year the attendants will be naked whenever they're in the house." "Well, would you at least like an escort to get them back to the Four-Beta House?" "That'd be nice." A few minutes later President Tracy, her Sergeant-at-Arms left the fraternity, accompanied by the two naked attendants and an escort of eight dressed fraternity members. The escort formed a circle around the two naked attendants to shield them from public view, although in reality that was not necessary. There was very little traffic on the street and chances were the two naked men would not have been noticed by too many passers-by. However, better safe than sorry... Once Ken and his fellow attendant were safely in the Four-Beta house, their fellow fraternity members from the escort took off their clothing and jumped in the pool to play around with some of the Four-Betas. Meanwhile, Shannon took the two naked men into the basement. After un-cuffing them she recited the basic rules about serving as attendants. She ordered the attendants to shave their pubic hair, waxed their bottoms, and ordered them to shower. Finally she took them to the sitting room to take their ID pictures. The attendants would have their own room next to the president's bedroom and sleep in normal beds. Each had his own desk and would have shelves to store his textbooks and school supplies. An added benefit was that each had his own computer with an Internet connection. In exchange for their servitude to President Tracy, they would live in relative comfort and were assured of constant sex. Also in the room was a pager for the chapter president, who had the right to page either or both of her attendants at any time. As soon as they were settled in, Tracy paged her two attendants. She told them to set up her massage table and then undress her. She lay on the table for a night of massages, orgasms, spankings, and finally, yet more orgasms. She had worked hard all summer and faced a difficult year ahead, but at least she could enjoy some of the privileges that accompanied her position as the new leader of her chapter. ---------- Friday afternoon the final list of pledges was ready, with 38 pledge invitations (because two of the fall spots already were taken by Brittany and Erin) and 10 alternates. If any aspirant dropped out of the pledge program over the fall semester, the Four-Beta chapter would select an alternate to replace her, which assured the sorority of 40 new members in December, regardless of the attrition rate among the pledges. Even if not taken in that fall, the alternates had a benefit from being on the list. If they still wanted to join the sorority the following year, they would receive priority over new candidates. As Tracy put it: "If you can wait two semesters and come back next summer, I'd consider that a test of your determination to join our community and it'll automatically move you to the front of the line." By Friday at 6:00 the final list of 38 pledge candidates was compiled and given to Bernadette. The freshman class president left with Pledge Brittany to deliver 19 invitations. Cherine and Erin were tasked with delivering the other 19. The notes read: Congratulations Pledge Candidate ____ The directorate of the Four-Beta Sorority has selected you as eligible to join our community and share our journey in life, pending completion of the Four-Beta Pledge Program. To participate in the Pledge Program and be eligible to be sworn-in as a pledge, you will report to the front door of the Four-Beta Sorority house tomorrow morning at 11:00. Please take advantage of your time tonight and tomorrow morning to familiarize yourself with the Pledge Manual. Memorizing and complying with the contents of the manual is important, because knowing the pledge rules will help you prevent making mistakes and avoid misunderstandings with the training staff. When reporting to begin your pledging experience, you will bring with you your university student ID, your driver's license, and any books, notebooks, and research materials related to your classes. You are specifically instructed not to bring any other personal items, including make-up or hygiene items. Soap, shampoo, and toothbrushes will be provided for you. Please remember, except for course and academic-related items, you may NOT keep personal belongings while staying at the Four-Beta house as a pledge. Failure to obey this rule will be counted as a violation of the Pledge Manual and will result in punishment. You are also advised that upon entering the Four-Beta house, your clothing will be confiscated. Therefore, you are advised to wear as little as possible (such as sandals and a light dress, or tennis shoes with shorts and a T-shirt) when you present yourself tomorrow morning. Upon arrival, you will set your backpack on the front porch and kneel as a gesture of respect to the sorority and your trainers. If other pledge candidates are present on the front porch, you may not talk to them unless directed to do so by your training staff. Once a member of the training staff greets you, we will expect you to follow all orders issued in accordance with the Four-Beta Pledge Manual. Correspondence - You should finalize all correspondence and telephone calls before you present yourself for pledging. You will not be allowed use of the Internet. You will be allotted two phone calls to your parents each week. Personal correspondence with anyone other than family will not be permitted during pledge training. If you decide between now and tomorrow morning to withdraw from the Four-Beta pledge program, please notify us immediately so we can select a replacement candidate from our list of pledge alternates. Lisa Campbell Pledge Mistress - Four-Beta Sorority Lisa got two calls that night, from freshmen who had decided to back out at the last moment. She called two of the alternates, who got the good news to show up at 11:00 the next morning. Lisa then called several of the rejected aspirants to find two replacements for the alternates list. Tracy's system assured that there would be 40 active pledges and 10 candidates on the alternates' list at all times, because she was determined to have 40 new members in December and have a list of candidates ready for the following summer. ---------- That night Lisa strutted naked in front of her training staff in the sorority basement, while the chapter president and the new Sergeant-at-Arms stood in the corner watching her. Each group leader was wearing a uniform that was similar to the uniform the pledges wore to class, except their T-shirts read: Group Counselor Four-Beta Pledge Training Program Lisa passed out five training folders and five biography sheets to each of her staff members. Now each pledge counselor knew who was going to be in her group. The new Pledge Mistress worked out a final schedule for each of her counselors so the pledges could be moved through the first day of training as smoothly as possible. She drilled her counselors on discipline and was satisfied that each would treat her group strictly, but with fairness. In the main basement room there were 25 cots standing along the wall. The other 15 pledges would sleep in the guestroom, which had to be converted to a second pledge room. The comfortable furniture had been put into storage and replaced with 15 cots. Tracy had the foresight to order three additional toilets and two additional showers installed in the basement, to ease the pressure of having so many pledges using the facilities. There were 40 lockers containing the pledges' uniforms. Each pledge had to include her clothing measurements in her pledge packet, so the uniforms were waiting for them. As for shoes, there would be a naked shoe-shopping trip the following Sunday, similar to the one that Lisa and her companions went on during the summer. Once the final set of instructions was passed out to the training staff, Lisa and Kathleen went upstairs to look at the sitting room. The gynecological examination chairs were set up, along with treadmills and other equipment for assessing the pledges' health. Tomorrow afternoon would be the first major pledge challenge, the gynecological exam. Lisa looked around with satisfaction. Everything was ready. As Tracy would say, "showtime" would commence at 11:00 the following morning. ---------- Less than 12 hours later, the hardest three-month period of Pledge Mistress Lisa's life was well underway. Once all 40 pledges had arrived, undressed in the basement, and had their clothing locked up, they were ordered to report to the sitting room and kneel in formation. Their naked Pledge Mistress introduced herself as Lisa Campbell before presenting her training staff. She then read the names of which pledges were assigned to each counselor and concluded by shouting: "PLEDGES, STAND UP!" The 40 naked freshmen scrambled to their feet, but did so clumsily and ended up being ordered to assume the push-up position. For the first time of the semester they struggled with pushups. Lisa screamed at them to stand up a second time, but their uncoordinated efforts resulted in yet another order to drop and yet more pushups. After several more attempts, the terrified, exhausted women gasped as Lisa read out the names of which pledges were assigned to each counselor. The pledges reorganized by their new pledge groups, were instructed to introduce themselves to their fellow group members, and then returned to their kneeling position on the floor. The next issue Lisa talked about was pledge discipline. Lisa wanted to address discipline right away and make sure her group understood that the prospect of swats across the bare bottom would be a constant reality in their lives until they swore in. To drive home that point, Pledge Mistress Lisa handed Bernadette a leather strap: "Each of your counselors is authorized to punish you, and I am going to give you a demonstration of what exactly that means, using myself as an example. Each counselor is going to demonstrate her punishment skills by giving me one stroke on my butt. I'm doing this to show you that I take discipline very seriously. For this demonstration I'll only be taking a total of eight swats, but whenever you get punished, you'll be getting a lot more. I want you to think real hard about what you're gonna be watching in a moment before you disobey an order from either me or a counselor." With that Lisa turned her back to her audience, spread her feet shoulder-width, and grabbed her ankles. As previously instructed, Bernadette positioned herself alongside the Pledge Mistress, tapped her bare bottom with the strap, and struck hard with a tremendous CRACK that made every one of the kneeling pledges flinch. Bernadette took a deep breath, wishing she didn't have to take turns with the others. She badly wanted to give Lisa a sound punishment. However, the only purpose of the exercise was to make sure her group understood that she was capable of inflicting a very painful swat with the strap. The freshman class leader handed the implement to one of the sophomores. A moment later a loud CRACK and another reddish mark on Lisa's bottom made the pledges flinch a second time. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 44 Cherine was the final counselor to strike Lisa, but the force of the blow made the Pledge Mistress realize that her group mate had learned a lot over the summer. Cherine's stroke was no less painful than the other swats. Lisa knew that she would be perfectly capable of punishing the members of her group whenever necessary. Lisa stood up and looked at the wide-eyed fearful expressions of her pledges. As the welts darkened on her bottom, she kept her back towards the scared group to show what just eight strokes could do to a woman's unprotected skin. The Pledge Mistress demonstrated something else that was very important. She was not a hypocrite. She would never inflict any suffering on pledges that she was not willing to endure herself. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 45 Chapter 45 -- A perfect lovers' triangle As September drew to a close, President Tracy reminded her sorority that another important athletic event was coming up on the final Saturday of the month: the annual Tri-Alpha nude 10K run. The nude 10K run was a yearly tradition at the university and counted as an essential task of the fraternity's initiation for new pledges. What set the Tri-Alpha run apart from any other university-sponsored 10-K run was that all runners had to be completely naked throughout the entire race, as well as during the ceremony preceding the event. The only permitted items of clothing for anyone participating were running shoes and socks. The run had been a yearly tradition since the early 1960's, when the Tri-Alphas began incorporating nudity as part of their initiations. During the first two decades of its existence the 10-K route went not only through the university, but also through Fraternity Row and a couple of nearby commercial streets. In the late 1980's there was talk of banning the nude 10-K race, given that most of the universities around the US that had nude student runs were stopping them. However, the push to abolish the race came to an abrupt end when a fraternity alumnus and multi-millionaire died and left a huge grant to the university. The benefactor deposited his money in a trust fund, stipulating that $ 10 million would be paid out each year until the account was exhausted. The grant had two conditions. The first condition was the entire amount had to be used to pay the salaries of non-tenured professors and Teaching Assistants. The second condition was that the Tri-Alpha nude run had to be held each year, kept at its original 10-kilometer length and held in the middle of the day on the last Saturday each September. Whatever moral objections there might have been to the spectacle of naked runners streaking through the university each year, no one in the Board of Regents was going to argue against $ 10 million in guaranteed salary money for instructors. Money talks, and bullshit walks. So, the Board of Regents negotiated the details of a revised race with the directors of the Tri-Alpha fraternity. The race would take place within the confines of the university, but would remain a full 10-K run. The starting line was at the Memorial Stadium. The runners would do two laps around the football field, then leave the stadium to follow a route around the university, pass through the old part of campus, then circle back to the Stadium and do a final lap around the track to the finish line. The event drew a large crowd that filled the stadium and lined the race route around the university. Attendance was restricted to students, active alumni, faculty members, and reporters. The campus was sealed off to outsiders during the race, but even with the restriction, typically between 50,000 and 60,000 spectators attended the event each year. Participating in the race and running the full 10 kilometers non-stop was a requirement for all Tri-Alpha pledges. The fraternity encouraged other students to participate by offering a trophy and $ 1,000 in prize money to any non-Tri-Alpha member who managed to win the men's race. A second prize of $ 1,000 was offered to the winner of the women's division, as an incentive to encourage female students to run. The male 10-K winner usually was a Tri-Alpha pledge, because the fraternity forced its prospective members to train for the race. Lisa narrowly won the women's division of the race the previous year, but she was not participating because she wanted to. Her friend, RA, and rival Cecilia Sanchez needed to recruit participants from her floor to satisfy the dorm director, and the way she got her runners was to defeat them at a game of strip poker. Lisa was a good card player herself because her father worked at a casino in Reno, but she made the mistake of bragging about her card-playing skills to Cecilia. Lisa's talk of cards gave Cecilia an idea, because she too, was a good card player, having learned Poker at a very early age from her brothers. Cunning little bitch that she was, Cecilia got her own boyfriend Jason, as well as Lisa, Ken, and Mike, who was Lisa's boyfriend at the time, to play strip Poker in a game of elimination. Lisa and her friends did not know it while playing, but waiting for the game's four losers were registration packets to participate as runners in the Tri-Alpha race. The guys were eliminated first and forced to stand naked with their hands behind their heads, while the real game ended up being played between Cecilia and Lisa. When Lisa lost, Cecilia first took her into the hallway to photograph her. Afterwards came the night's awful news, those registration packets and the knowledge of having to run naked on a clear autumn day in front of approximately 60,000 spectators. At first Lisa was horrified at what Cecilia was forcing her to do, but when she walked naked to the stadium in front of a procession of the residents of Huntington Hall and then started running, she discovered that she was thoroughly enjoying the experience. She found out that she liked being naked and liked having people look at her body. When she won the first-place trophy of the women's division of the race and stood in the nude for the winner's portrait alongside Jason, a profound change took place in her soul. Lisa realized that she enjoyed being without her clothing, especially in public places. As a result of the race, Lisa became both a nudist and an exhibitionist. When she was in her room or running around the women's wing of Huntington Hall, Lisa never wore any clothes. When she went out she began experimenting with wearing the most revealing clothing she could purchase, starting with low-rider jeans during the winter and moving on to skimpy dresses during the summer. ---------- There was no question that Lisa wanted to participate in the race for a second time. The thought of spending several hours in the nude in a totally public setting was a complete turn-on for her, but also there was the enticement of the $ 1,000 cash prize for the first place winner of the women's division. There was no question that Ken would participate as well, given that he was a Tri-Alpha and every bit as much an exhibitionist as Lisa. Lisa was tempted to order all 40 pledges sign-up. However, she decided against the idea because they had started their pledge training just one week before and were not yet conditioned to run 10 kilometers. Instead she told her pledges about the run and made participation voluntary, although she couldn't see that anyone in her group would want to participate. However, an idea occurred to Lisa that would get at least a couple of additional female runners to run the race for the sorority. She decided to contact the 10 women on the pledge alternates list. If any of the alternates was willing to participate in the run and could go the full distance without stopping, Lisa would offer her a pledge contract. Yes, it would increase the number of pledges to more than 40, but as far as Lisa was concerned, any woman willing to run 10 kilometers in the nude was worthy of joining the sorority. When Lisa brought up the idea to Tracy, she got the president's full support. Lisa called the alternates and received three positive responses. She told the three aspirants to go to the Four-Beta house and pick up race packets. Assuming they completed the race, they were to show up at the sorority the following day and would be sworn in as pledges. There already was one woman in the Four-Beta house who would be a perfect candidate for the run: Kathleen. Lisa's lover was the best runner in the sorority and was almost assured of winning the race if she participated. As much as Lisa wanted that trophy and prize money for herself, she knew that it was her duty to make sure the sorority's best runner was in the race and motivated to win. Lisa would still participate, but the best she could hope for would be second place. Lisa handed Kathleen a registration packet and flatly told her that she was participating: "As far as I'm concerned, you're gonna be taking the trophy for the sorority. I'm running and I'm sure I'll do well, but that trophy's gonna be yours. You're the best runner we've got, and this'll be the chance for you to prove it." Lisa was pleasantly surprised to find out the Four-Betas would have several additional runners representing the sorority in the run, including Elaine, a couple of juniors, and one that was a huge surprise: Bernadette. The freshman class president explained that she had several reasons for wanting to participate, including the need to set an example for the incoming members of her class. She also was genuinely curious to see what running naked in public for an hour would be like with her newly acquired good health and a body that had gone nearly five months without smoking. Also running would be Cherine, Brittany, and Erin. Cherine was running for a very simple reason; Jacob was running. Wherever Jacob went, Cherine went, even if that meant participating in a nude marathon. As for Brittany and Erin, they wanted to run for the same reasons Bernadette was running, to see if they were capable of running such a long distance and put their physical training to the test. ---------- Saturday morning the Four Beta Sorority members and pledges dressed in their PT outfits, with the exception of the runners, who remained naked except for their shoes and socks. The entire sorority waited to be escorted by some of the Tri-Alphas, who by tradition marched to the sorority to pick up any participating female runners before going to the stadium. Among the Tri-Alphas there were about 30 naked members and pledges. The pledges were required to run, but typically there were about 10 members that volunteered to run as well. Among the runners was Ken who, like Lisa, was participating in his second race. Also naked was Jacob, the fraternity's vice president, and Arnold, who still was serving as Pledge Master. The fraternity had an agreement with the local police that allowed it to march its runners in the nude along a pre-designated route towards the stadium, crossing the boulevard in formation, and walking across Old Campus towards the stadium. Normally the naked participants marched double-file with a line of dressed fraternity members walking along either side before they got on campus. Once on campus, by tradition the runners were required to walk in the open ahead of the main group and fully expose themselves to the spectators lining the sidewalks. This year there would be 11 female runners from the sorority participating as well, a number much higher than during a typical year. The eleven naked women were quite nervous as they lined up and walked down a public street behind their 30 male counterparts. They were only partially concealed by the walking arrangement as they made their way to campus, and they knew that imperfect veil of modesty would pull aside completely once they crossed the main road and walked across Old Campus. There would be a 10-minute walk completely in the open, then about an hour at the stadium participating in the opening ceremony and stretching, and finally the naked run itself. After the run ended there would be more time recovering and cooling down on the stadium field as the fastest runners waited for the stragglers to come in. Finally all participants finishing attended the formal presentation of the race winners, and posed for the final group shot before they could retrieve their clothing. For the Four-Betas, there would be another naked walk back to the sorority house before they were allowed to get dressed. At the very least the eleven female runners could expect to spend between four and five hours in the nude along with their Tri-Alpha counterparts. In spite of the cheering and whistling coming from the spectators lining the sidewalks, the walk across Old Campus was one of the happiest moments of Lisa's fall semester. She loved the feel of the warm sunshine and cool breeze blowing on her body, wishing that she could walk across campus like that every day. Yes, she was usually naked inside Burnside's office, and always naked in the Four-Beta house, but Lisa wished that she could be naked all the time, especially outside, and especially on comfortable autumn days. Lisa looked around at her fellow Four-Betas. She could tell that Bernadette and Erin were enjoying themselves, but Elaine, Brittany, and Cherine were very nervous. Jacob seemed indifferent about walking naked in such a public setting, but Arnold and Ken enjoyed the daring feeling of exposure as much as Lisa. As for the other Tri-Alpha pledges, some seemed much more nervous than others. However, from the beginning they had been told that the nude 10-K race was a pledge challenge that needed to be completed as part of their requirement to join. The stadium loomed ever larger as the Tri-Alphas and Four-Betas passed the Student Fitness Center. Already crowds were filing through the gates and finding seats. Down in the field several Tri-Alpha seniors and Four-Betas were setting up the stand where the six trophies were displayed, the announcer's microphone and podium, and the platform where the winners would stand once the race was over. Several Tri-Alpha juniors and a Four-Beta were erecting three large "A's" that would serve as the backdrop for group photos of the runners that would be taken both before and after the race. Although many spectators were still looking for seats, the crowd cheered when the Tri-Alpha and Four-Beta runners entered the stadium with their escort. The 41 naked college students filed down the bleacher stairs and made their way to the football field, where other runners were beginning to gather. Campus Security had several officers walking along the track to make sure that the only people on the football field were participants in the race. Among them was Sergeant Polk, who was directing several photographers to step off the track. The number of runners was higher than it had been the previous year. A total of 197 runners would be in the race: 132 men and 65 women. Lisa was satisfied to see so many women participating, but of course that meant more competition for the women's trophy. As she looked at the physiques of some of her competitors, Lisa realized that she probably would not have had any chance of winning the race. Definitely this group looked tougher than the runners from the previous year. It would be up to Kathleen to win for the sorority, and even she would be hard-pressed by some of the women on the field. Lisa realized that she was relieved at the thought of not having a realistic chance of finishing among the top three women. She could run the full distance at a leisurely pace and enjoy herself. The run would be little more than a lengthy jog, probably shared with either Ken or Bernadette. Kathleen on the other hand, would run hard because her competitive instincts would kick in as soon as she started moving. She would stick to her strategy of thinking about things in her life that upset her, get angry, and then run aggressively. This year it would be Kathleen, not Lisa, who would be the runner the other women would need to try to beat. The opening ceremony was the same as it had been the year before, with the naked participants walking a full circle around the football field while the Tri-Alpha Fraternity song was played. The runners carried banners and were grouped by the organizations they were representing, which included several university departments, some of the dorms, the women's volleyball team, and a couple of rival fraternities. As the 197 competitors gathered at the starting line, Lisa looked across the football field at the line of photographers waiting to catch the runners in action as they circled the track. As always, the bare bodies of the race participants would be well-documented in pictures and videos that would be splashed all over the Internet. The race definitely was not an experience that anyone with any modesty would have been able to endure. Lisa took her place behind Kathleen and put her hands on the girl's bare shoulders. She quietly spoke into her lover's ear: "Run the best you can. That's all I want from you. Not to win, but to do your best. You know what your best is; I don't. But I want you to give me a performance that will make everyone proud of you when this is done." Kathleen took a deep breath and nodded. She was tensed up, but Lisa could tell that she was ready to run. When the starter pistol went off, the runners began moving forward, but there were so many of them clustered at the starting line that the ones in the back started out very slowly. Lisa and the other Four-Betas were in the middle of the group, but they knew that in a 10-K race endurance was much more important than a fast start. As the runners moved around the track to complete their first lap, the photographers lined up at the base of the bleachers rapidly took pictures of the group. By the end of the first lap the runners were somewhat spread out, but still concentrated enough that the viewers could get the perspective of nearly 200 naked bodies either approaching or running away from the camera. Lisa, Ken, Arnold, and Bernadette decided to run the race together. During the previous year Ken burned himself out early by running too fast during the first two miles of the race and barely finished. This year he was not in any rush, so he would keep a much slower pace and finish, instead of rushing to the front only to be humiliated later on. Lisa decided to let Bernadette set the pace and to make the race little more than a casual long jog with a group of friends. Lisa was in no hurry to finish, because she thoroughly enjoyed the freedom of having her body uncovered in a place where she normally would have to be dressed. Once the runners left the stadium and made their way towards the dorm area, they spread out as they ran along the university's sidewalks. The entire route was planned in advance and lined with spectators, many of whom had cameras or camcorders. There was no rule against photographing or cheering for the runners, but reaching out at them or getting in their path was strictly prohibited. A long line of orange construction ribbon along the sidewalk separated the runners from the spectators along the entire 6.6-mile route. As Lisa enjoyed herself in the company of her friends, she watched Kathleen pull further and further ahead in the race. Once the group hit the 5 kilometer mark, Kathleen picked up her speed and soon her thin body disappeared from Lisa's sight. As Lisa had foreseen, it was obvious that Kathleen was competing to win, whereas all of her other group mates were simply running to participate in the event. As Lisa's small group exited Old Campus and made their way towards the stadium, they heard a cheer coming from the crowd inside as the fastest runners crossed the finish line. All three of the male trophies were taken by members of the fraternity. First place went to a Tri-Alpha junior, the second-place prize went to one of Ken's fellow pledges from the summer group, and third place was taken by a member of the fall pledge group. Very shortly afterwards came a loud cheer for the first and second place winners of the women's division. Kathleen and one of the university's Varsity Volleyball Team members were running hard against each other in a closely fought finish for the women's first place trophy. The race was a repeat of the finish from the previous year, where Lisa's long legs and tall body were matched against a shorter woman that was a better runner. Although Kathleen was much shorter than her rival, she was the more seasoned runner. The two women stayed close to each other until the very end, but Kathleen had been in similar situations throughout her time in high school and knew how to eke out a narrow victory. At the very end she put forth one last burst of energy and passed her opponent just before crossing the finish line. The Four-Betas cheered wildly upon seeing one of their own take the first place trophy. They cheered again twenty seconds later when Elaine bolted across the finish line to take third place. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 45 Lisa's group circled the football field and finished about a minute after Elaine crossed the finish line, along with a cluster of other race participants. Lisa felt quite good and was not burned out at all, in comparison with the previous race, which left her totally exhausted. She ran up to Kathleen and gave her a big hug, but then noticed that the winner seemed somewhat nervous upon seeing that she had run the race with Ken. Yes, that was an issue, that business between Ken and Kathleen, one that Lisa would need to address as soon as possible. A few minutes later Lisa and the other runners from her sorority stretched out while the slowest participants from the race straggled into the stadium and passed the finish line. After the 178th contestant crossed the finish line, the track was empty of additional runners. The Tri-Alpha president radioed out to fellow fraternity members watching outside the stadium to see if any other runners were still en route, but it appeared that there were not. About 20 runners had dropped out of the race, which was a fairly normal rate of attrition among the participants for any given year. As the winner of the women's trophy, Kathleen shyly smiled for the multitude of photographers eager to get her picture. Her bare sweaty body was thoroughly documented, alone with just her trophy, with the other two race winners, with the winner of the men's division, and with the fellow members of her sorority. Although she was shy by nature, fortunately Kathleen was not shy about having her picture taken or about displaying her body. However, President Tracy quickly headed off any reporters wanting to conduct a live interview with the race winner, directing them instead to talk to the sorority's Public Representative about the race and Kathleen's participation. Among the naked women recovering on the field were the three pledge alternates Lisa had recruited to run in the race. Lisa and Tracy congratulated each of them. They now had the opportunity to become pledges, in spite of the fact that would bring the total number of pledges to 43. One of the girls was rather shy, so Lisa introduced her to Cherine, who would be her counselor and group leader. The other two would be assigned to Brittany and Erin, who were the pledges with the most seniority. Brittany and Erin would be mentors to the two newest pledges and let them know what was expected of them. Lisa gave the aspirants final instructions to show up at the sorority house the following day at 11:00 a.m. There would be some catching up to do with their training and they would have to undergo the medical exam, but as of Monday they would be fully integrated with the other pledges and hopefully swear in as members in December. ---------- That night there was a huge party at the Tri-Alpha house to celebrate the successful race and the fact that members of the sorority and fraternity had taken both first place trophies. Kathleen was one of the two most honored guests, and shyly listened to dozens of compliments and congratulations. Lisa could tell that her lover was quite happy and a little overwhelmed at being the subject of admiration instead of ridicule. There was no doubt about it; Kathleen's life had radically changed during her four months with the Four-Beta Sorority. Her accomplishments were real and finally her personality would have a chance to grow. Lisa still planned to exert control over her lover's life, but her main goal was that Kathleen be happy and never again face the humiliations she had to deal with in high school. Bernadette had her own way of rewarding the three male winners of the race. As the party progressed Lisa noticed that Bernadette was absent three times from the party, and each time she was missing one of the Tri-Alpha trophy winners was missing as well. As for the Tri-Alpha vice president and Cherine, they showed up at the party, but within a half an hour they were nowhere in sight. There was a final surprise that night that over the next few days would fuel some gossip throughout the Four-Beta house. President Tracy had invited Sergeant Polk from Campus Security to the party as her date. Polk's presence in Tracy's life was a mystery to everyone in the sorority, and it was a mystery that would never be understood by the other women. Tracy admired Sergeant Polk and was grateful to him, for reasons that neither ever would be able to tell anyone else. He had been there for her when she most needed him, quietly helped her in very crucial ways, and knew when he needed to keep his mouth shut. He was not a flamboyant or glamorous person, but his willingness to risk his career for her had earned President Tracy's friendship and trust. ---------- The following Monday morning Lisa showed up to Ruth Burnside's office as usual, took off her dress and hung it on the hook her boss had provided, and neatly put her shoes under her desk. She began working on grading a stack of quizzes the professor had given to her classes the previous Friday. However, Lisa went very slowly because she had trouble concentrating. Her mind still was on her adventures over the weekend and she felt very sexy. Every so often she rubbed her legs together, although she knew that was not a good idea because eventually she would want an orgasm. Ruth Burnside and Jim Halsey entered the office and Lisa stood up to greet them. The professor no longer expected Lisa to stand "at the position of submission and respect", but, like any other student aide or teaching assistant, Lisa was expected the stand up when the professor or her partner entered the room. Burnside could tell right away what was going on in Lisa's mind. She knew her student well enough to understand that unless she was brought to orgasm, she would be unable to concentrate on either her work or her studies and would waste the day. The professor decided to fix that problem, and in doing so, continue mentoring the young woman as a dominatrix. As Burnside contemplated the naked student standing before her, she knew that Lisa would follow a different path in life than she had followed. The girl would not be as heavily into S&M as the professor and already had established who her subs were going to be. In a way Burnside admired Lisa because she would be more loyal to her two primary lovers and was much more sure of herself then Ruth had been when she was 20. However, both women knew that Lisa still had a lot to learn and fully expected her mentor to share her knowledge of human nature and sexual control. Lisa understood that the only way she truly could learn was by sharing real-life experiences with her professor. Burnside walked over to Lisa's desk and noted that her progress on grading had been rather slow. She held up the meager stack of completed papers and turned to confront her student: "Lisa, how long have you been in this office? This morning, I mean?" "I...I guess I got her about an hour ago, Dr. Burnside." "An hour? And in an hour you managed to grade just eleven quizzes?" "Yes, Dr. Burnside...I guess I was kinda distracted." "Distracted, huh? Distracted by what, Lisa?" "I...it's just that sometimes I'm thinking about...I don't know, it's hard to explain..." "No, it's not hard to explain at all. Not hard at all. You're not focused because your mind's on sex instead of your responsibilities in this office. Let me explain something. The department's not paying you to sit here thinking about your sexual fantasies. We're paying you to help out with the classes. Obviously this morning your priorities are not straight." "I guess not, Dr. Burnside." "Now, let me ask you this. What happens if you see that one of your pledges is not focused? At the Four-Beta house, what do you do about a situation like that?" Lisa took a deep breath, because she knew where the conversation was going: "They get disciplined to make them focus, Dr. Burnside." "Good. They get disciplined to make them focus. A subordinate who gets distracted and is not focused needs a bit of discipline to improve her performance. That's always the best way to handle things. You agree?" "Yes, Dr. Burnside." With that Burnside took off her jacket and blouse, leaving her wearing just a sports bra above the waist. She sat down on her office sofa. Lisa said nothing more, but approached the older woman and settled over her thighs. The spanking would begin in a few moments, but first the professor wanted to take advantage of having her student lying across her lap to enjoy the sight and feel of the girl's lovely bottom. The professor sensuously explored Lisa's bottom-cheeks with the palm of her hand, and gently caressed the girl's bottom-hole and labia with her fingertips. As Lisa's body began responding to the touches, the professor took control of her. Lisa knew better than to try to resist, nor did she want to. By the time Burnside was ready to begin spanking Lisa, the student already had completely surrendered herself. Loud slaps rang out in the office and would continue for at least 30 minutes before Lisa could expect to be released through a delicious orgasm. The professor and her student had plenty of time, because neither had a class for the next two hours. Lisa was both scared and nervous, but she would not have traded what was happening to her for anything. She knew that lying across her mentor's lap and surrendering herself was where she needed to be. Burnside would, through real life experience, teach the young woman everything she knew about sensuous discipline and total sexual control. Lisa would use that knowledge throughout her life and pass it along to her pledges and lovers. ---------- That evening Pledge Mistress Lisa took a break from the sorority's training regimen, turning over the newcomers' instruction to Shannon. The Sergeant-at-Arms directed the counselors to lead the pledges through stretching, yoga, and swimming exercises. Lisa told Kathleen and Ken to go up to her room, because she needed to discuss the future of their relationship. Once the door was closed she flatly told her two naked lovers to kneel next to each other and to stay silent until she finished talking. Her morning with Ruth Burnside had made Lisa realize that the moment had come for Ken and Kathleen to know the truth about each other. More importantly, it was time to tell the truth about what she wanted from her two lovers and explain the future she envisioned sharing with them. "I need both of you in my life. I love you, both of you, in very different ways. You have no right to be jealous of each other, because each of you fills a part of my life that is completely separate from the other part. What I'm getting at is that, if you love me, then you'll need to accept the life I'm gonna create for you, for both of you...well, for all three of us, actually. You promised to obey me, and right now I'm collecting on that promise. You'll obey me, together." Ken and Kathleen exchanged glances, very nervous about what was being asked of them. Their mistress continued: "Keep in mind, our lives are not gonna be a three-way relationship. Both of you need direction and guidance, and that will be my role in your lives. When you need to be disciplined, I am the one who will punish you. When you want an orgasm you'll have to ask, and I will decide whether or not you get it." Lisa walked behind her two companions and ran her hands through their hair. "If you want to make love to each other, I will encourage that, but you'll always need to ask my permission first. Remember that I'm not mad about the fact you made love to each other at Dr. Burnside's party. What I'm mad about is that you didn't tell me. Now, Kathleen, are you ever gonna lie to me like that again?" "I...no Lisa...I promise..." "Ken?" "No Lisa, I won't lie to you." "Stand up please. Both of you." Ken and Kathleen stood up. "Face each other and hold hands." Lisa's lovers faced each other. Very nervously Ken took Kathleen's hands. "Now, I want you to kiss. That's an order, so I expect you to do it with passion." Ken and Kathleen held each other and kissed, for the first time since July 4th. With that first kiss they realized something that Lisa already knew. They were attracted to each other. Lisa ordered them to continue kissing while she massaged both their bare bottoms. Having their bottoms rubbed heightened their sexual desires. Then she began lightly slapping their exposed backsides in anticipation of giving them what they needed, an afternoon of sensual spanking and love-making. Lisa's two lovers took turns lying over her lap as their bottoms slowly turned a soft shade of pink under the loving slaps of her hand. Once both her lovers were properly aroused, Lisa lay back on her bed and spread her legs, directing Kathleen to get on her elbows and knees to give her an orgasm. While young woman's tongue concentrated on her mistress' clitoris, Ken took her from behind, pushing hard and giving her the second pleasurable experience in her life that she had ever received from a man. After they were satisfied and had a chance to calm down, Lisa and her two lovers entered the bathroom to shower together. They soaped each other off and rinsed, but then Lisa ordered her attendants to return to her room. While Kathleen watched, she ordered Ken to lie on his back on the floor. She massaged his penis until it was fully erect. As soon as he was hard and ready to make love again, Lisa ordered Kathleen to squat over his face. "Ken, your fellow servant likes attention on her bottom, and not just on her clit. Please make sure she's satisfied, and I'll take care of you." With that Kathleen spread her bottom and presented it to Ken, who dutifully kissed her most intimate spot and began circling her sphincter with his tongue. Her body immediately shuddered with pleasure. Lisa lowered herself over Ken's very erect penis. Once he was safely inside her, she leaned forward to kiss Kathleen. She placed her hands on the younger woman's shoulders and kissed her passionately. Kathleen was clearly excited by Lisa's kisses on her mouth and the explorations of Ken's tongue in her bottom. She climaxed precisely at the same moment Ken's penis began pumping semen into Lisa's body. The Pledge Mistress climaxed as well; gasping with delight as semen continued entering her body and the sound of Kathleen's orgasm filled her ears. So now Four-Beta Pledge Mistress Lisa knew her own future. It was just as she envisioned, a perfect lovers' triangle with two servants who truly understood that she was the mistress of their souls. The Pledge Mistress Ch. 46 Chapter 46 – Epilogue Lisa Campbell woke up at 5:30 a.m. She stretched, sat up, and watched with satisfaction as her two attendants crisply knelt forward and placed their foreheads to the floor. She looked out her bedroom window to check the weather. It was a dreary late October morning and the thermometer outside read 42 degrees. The reading meant the uniform for outdoor PT would have to be shoes, socks, and sweatshirts. After buzzing her Sergeant-at-Arms to announce the day's exercise outfit, Lisa turned her attention to the two naked servants kneeling before her. "Good morning, Attendant Kathleen." "Good morning, President Lisa." "Good morning, Attendant Ken." "Good morning, President Lisa." "Please stand up and kiss me." Ken and Kathleen knelt upright, and then Kathleen stood up. She stepped forward and gave Lisa a passionate kiss on the mouth. She then lightly kissed each of Lisa's breasts, gently sucking her nipples before letting go. Upon finishing the greeting, she returned to her knees, but stayed kneeling upright, awaiting her next order. Ken was next. He repeated the morning greeting, first a kiss on the mouth, and then a kiss to each breast. Ken always greeted Lisa after Kathleen, because she was Lisa's first servant. Ken was Lisa's second servant, and thus had to do everything after Kathleen. Once Ken was kneeling next to Kathleen, Lisa sat down on her bed. Her two servants each put on a sock and an athletic shoe. Kathleen took Lisa's right foot and Ken took Lisa's left foot. Ken then held up a sweatshirt and Lisa stood up to put her arms into it. After Kathleen zipped the front, Lisa left the room to use the bathroom, leaving her two servants to get ready for PT. Lisa's servants dressed each other in the day's PT uniform, because they were not allowed to dress themselves. The same was true for personal hygiene. Ken and Kathleen always entered the bathroom together, shampooed and combed each other's hair, cut each other's fingernails, and shaved each other's bodies. It was a life completely devoid of privacy, but it was a life they both enjoyed and would not have traded for anything. Once Lisa returned to her room, she and her attendants walked single file down the stairs. The Four-Beta-2 house was silent, because the seniors and juniors were out doing their morning run, while the sophomores and freshmen were standing in formation in the back yard. Each woman had an exercise mat unrolled at her feet. Like Lisa and her two attendants, no one in the back yard was wearing anything except athletic shoes, socks, and uniform sweatshirts. That was standard for a 45-degree temperature. If the morning temperature was 65 degrees or above, the women wore just shoes and socks. They wore light T-shirts if the outdoor temperature was between 55-degrees and 65-degrees. Between 40 degrees and 55 degrees, the women wore sweatshirts instead of T-shirts. If the temperature was below 40 degrees, the women conducted their upper body PT in the basement in the nude. Under no circumstances was anyone allowed to wear clothing below the waist in the back yard, at any time or for any reason. Standing in front of the group was Erin, the chapter's vice president. As soon as she saw Lisa come out the back door Erin shouted: "FOUR-BETA-2 CHAPTER! PREPARE FOR PT! "Yes VP Erin!" Erin, Kathleen, and Ken took their places with the rest of the group. There were 34 women and one man, ready to perform the upper-body workout. Lisa, as chapter president, always led the younger women during the daily exercise routine. Lisa knew that Brittany, her Sergeant-at-Arms, had taken the Four-Beta-2 seniors and juniors to the original Four-Beta House so they could run in formation with the women from the original Four-Beta Sorority. When not shouting exercise commands, Lisa could hear the combined running group chanting off in the distance. When combined the Four-Beta and the Four-Beta-2 seniors and juniors made an impressive group, ninety women, all of them wearing the same running outfit, running and singing in formation. Once PT and stretching were finished, Lisa turned the younger students over to Erin and took her two attendants back upstairs. As chapter president, Lisa had a private shower large enough to accommodate three people. A large shower was important, because Lisa never touched her own body while showering. Her attendants were responsible for cleaning her. She grabbed a handle hanging from the ceiling and closed her eyes while Kathleen and Ken sprayed her body with warm water. They shampooed and rinsed her hair before lathering her body with soap. Ken looked at his mistress's armpits, noting they needed to be shaved. He nodded to Kathleen, who picked up two razors and handed one to her fellow servant. Ken shaved Lisa's armpits, while Kathleen shaved her legs. Once finished, the servants played a silent game of rock-paper-scissors to determine who would shave Lisa's vulva. Kathleen's paper defeated Ken's rock, so she got the privilege of running the razor over her mistress's most intimate area. While Kathleen knelt and worked on Lisa's front, Ken began lathering her back and bottom. As Kathleen finished shaving her mistress, her own body was covered in soap by her fellow attendant. The soapy young woman sprayed her mistress's vulva with a shower nozzle, landed a quick kiss on her vagina, and then turned around to lather Ken's body. The attendants then rubbed their bodies against their mistress. Lisa bent over so Ken could take her from behind, while passionately kissing and fondling Kathleen. Lisa climaxed and kissed both her attendants in gratitude, even though they simply were performing their duty. Their mistress was used to having at least two orgasms each day, although usually she wanted more. Lisa's sex drive had not diminished over the years she had held the lives of Ken and Kathleen in her hands and her libido was quite spoiled. When Mistress Lisa wanted an orgasm, her servants were expected to give her one immediately. Once Lisa and her attendants were clean and had dried each other off, the entourage went downstairs to have breakfast. Like everyone else in the Four-Beta-2 house they still were naked, because being naked at all times was a requirement for any member or visitor of the Four-Beta-2 chapter. Lisa's chapter was the first nudist sorority chapter in the U.S: not clothing optional, but nudist. The Four-Beta-2's were more hardcore than the Four-Betas, with stricter discipline and a stringent lifestyle. While in the Four-Beta Sorority full nudity was required only for pledges and in the pool area, the Four-Beta-2 chapter prohibited the use of clothing anywhere on their property at any time. A Four-Beta-2 was sworn to be naked whenever possible, which meant the women only dressed to go on campus. Whenever in the sorority house or at home, or any other indoor place that was not public property, they always were naked. They did not own swimsuits and only swam at nude beaches. When camping or hiking, Four-Beta-2's did not wear any clothing except for shoes. When going out at night, the Four-Beta-2's wore light dresses, sandals, and nothing else. Whenever possible, they took off their dresses once they reached their destination, and Lisa had made arrangements with two local nightclubs to allow her members to dance and socialize in the nude. Lisa sat down at the dining room table with several other seniors. Her attendants served the chapter president her breakfast before serving each other, and then waited for permission to sit down and begin eating. Lisa exchanged conversation with several other naked women and discussed the academic problems of a junior that was having trouble in one of Dr. Ruth Burnside's classes. The chapter president put on a pair of sneakers, a dark mini-skirt, and a Four-Beta T-shirt to go to campus. Kathleen wore the same outfit, although her skirt was longer than Lisa's and extended to just above her knees. Neither women wore underwear, because sorority rules specifically prohibited any members from wearing more than a single layer of clothing when going out. Ken dressed in a pair of cargo pants and a loose-fitting shirt. Like his two female companions, he did not wear anything underneath his pants. Lisa told her attendants to get her a jacket, because it was the last week of October and the temperature was not likely to go above 55 degrees that day. Ken held the jacket while Lisa put her arms into it. Kathleen zipped the front. Then, as always, the two attendants put on each other's jackets. ---------- Once on campus, Lisa dismissed her servants so they could go to class. Meanwhile she had to report to Ruth Burnside's office and check in. Three years had gone by since Lisa started working for Dr. Ruth Burnside. Since she started as a student aide, Lisa's responsibilities under the professor had expanded from year to year. Lisa now was a graduate student, having finished her BA the year before with honors. When she earned her diploma, Lisa's status in Burnside's office changed as the professor began treating her more like an adult and an equal. Now she was a teaching assistant with two seminars of her own. She had full access to the students' records and helped the professor prepare quizzes and examinations. She also helped her boss catch cheaters and recruit "volunteers" for her S&M parties. Burnside had shared her vast knowledge of academic cheating with Lisa, who was fascinated by the topic and loved the challenge of catching plagiarists and other would-be academic frauds. The previous afternoon, after Burnside had gone home for the day, Lisa identified two culprits. The students were two young women that had turned in plagiarized term papers for Burnside's History of Economics class, which normally was taken by freshmen. Both girls had turned in the exact same term paper about the U.S. Marshall Plan for post-World War II Europe. The report had been downloaded from a website that Burnside and Lisa had known about for more than a year, so as soon as she saw the paper Lisa recognized it. One of the students had the tried to change some of the wording around, but that didn't do her any good. Her effort was so pathetic that Lisa actually thought it was funny. When Burnside found out that two students had turned in the same plagiarized paper, at first she also thought the incident was amusing. However, she quickly became angry, because she viewed the clumsy effort as a personal insult to her intelligence. It was as though those stupid girls were actually trying to get caught. Oh well... Lisa knew what would happen next. She handed her professor two blank manila folders while her boss wrote two small notes that read: "See me in my office after class. -Burnside-" Lisa copied the names of the two students onto the envelopes: Amy Debbs and Wen-Chuan Lee. During class when the term papers were returned to the students, Lisa would hand the two girls folders instead of their term papers. The freshmen would show up together at the professor's office and then be confronted with the awful reality that they had turned in the same plagiarized report. There would be no argument, because the fact was indisputable. A couple of hours later Lisa and Burnside passed out the term papers to the class. Lisa was responsible for giving out the two folders. Amy got hers first. When she opened her folder and saw the note, the stricken look on her face was priceless. As for Wen-Chuan, or Wendy, as she liked to be called, it was obvious that she was about to cry. Lisa quickly sized up the two girls' personalities and knew they probably would be willing to serve as hosts in Burnside's upcoming Halloween S&M party as an alternative to being kicked out of the university for academic cheating. She left a note in her boss's office with her observations and left to teach her seminar. When she returned to Burnside's office, Lisa passed Amy and Wendy in the hallway and couldn't resist giving them a knowing look. It was obvious the two girls were scared out of their wits, and with good reason. A very traumatic Halloween night awaited them. However, that's part of someone else's story... The Pledge Mistress Ch. 47 Postscript The Pledge Mistress - Thoughts from the author about the novel and its creation The Pledge Mistress, the fourth novel out of the erotic discipline series that I have created, continues my effort to bridge my first novel The Wanderings of Amy and my second novel Maragana Girl. Upon finishing my third novel The Freshman, I realized that my fiction and the world in which my characters pursue their lives focuses on two locations: a fictional university in suburban Chicago, and my imaginary country of Upper Danubia. Rather than attempt to create a new setting for any subsequent piece of fiction, I knew that if I chose to write a fourth novel, the plot would take place either at the university or in the Danubian Republic. I also knew that in any future novel I would want to further develop the life story of at least one secondary character from a previous novel; that I probably would utilize characters already created instead of trying to think up new ones. As I pondered where I wanted to go with my fiction, four previous characters seemed likely candidates to become the main character of a new novel: Tiffany Walker from Maragana Girl, Suzanne Foster and Ruth Burnside from The Wanderings of Amy, and Lisa Campbell from The Freshman. In the end I decided to go with writing a novel about Lisa Campbell, because there were several details about Lisa's life that I want to develop. Telling the story of Lisa Campbell allowed me to further explore the life story of Ruth Burnside without having to dedicate an entire novel to her. I was also interested in developing Lisa's relationships with her boyfriend Ken and in exploring some of her psychological issues that were not developed in The Freshman. Along with the story of Lisa's life and sexual adventures I wanted to create an erotic environment through the fictional Four-Beta Sorority. It is through her membership in the Four-Betas that Lisa has a chance to explore her sexuality, develop herself as a leader, and finally become a vital part of many other people's lives. My fourth novel mostly takes place in and around the Four-Beta House and the associated Tri-Alpha Fraternity. At this point I must emphasize that the Tri-Alpha Fraternity and the Four-Beta Sorority are complete figments of my imagination and not based on anything I ever saw in real life. The names of both the fraternity and sorority were something that I invented off the top of my head, and I later checked the Internet to make sure there are no active "Greeks" that go by those names. I am fully aware that both organizations are completely unlike the fraternities and sororities that currently exist on U.S. college campuses. My fictional fraternity and sorority are not intended to be accurate portrayals of the "Greek" system, but instead serve as the setting for various episodes of erotic fantasy. Apart from the subplots and erotic events, I tried to deal with a few serious issues as well, an example being college binge drinking. The pledging abuses that surface towards the end of the novel are loosely based on real events. Also, through my characters I try to examine various personal issues such as sexual identity (Lisa's boyfriend Ken), peer pressure (Bernadette), and depression and Asperger syndrome (Kathleen). Like my second and third novels, The Pledge Mistress, which is my fourth full-length novel, was written from beginning to end. I started with a basic idea, but instead of working off an outline I simply let events unfold from chapter to chapter. On the surface the story's concept sounds simple, following the life of a university sophomore as she seeks to join a sorority. However, I felt obligated to follow the life stories of several characters simultaneously, as well as describing the sorority and its pledging program, which accounts for the novel's length and complexity. Along with developing the lives of the people surrounding Lisa, I sought to explain why they think and act the way they do, which comes out in the story's subplots. I want the reader to understand what motivates characters to do seemingly irrational things, and also I want to avoid stereotyping characters as purely good or evil. As I mentioned in the above paragraphs, The Pledge Mistress was not intended to be an accurate portrayal of a typical sorority in real life. An example of where I took liberties with reality was the idea of "summer pledging". In my novel both the Four-Beta Sorority and the Tri-Alpha Fraternity have two pledge seasons: summer and fall. I had Lisa pledge during the summer because I did not want her participating in a group of 20 or 30 faceless companions. Instead of giving her a bunch of anonymous fellow pledges, I gave her only three: Cherine, Bernadette, and Kathleen. I sought to make Lisa's three companions interesting and complex individuals who were very different from each other. Personality issues facing the small pledge group were an important part of the story and how Lisa's views of herself changed over time. If the pledge group were larger, I don't see how I could have done justice to the novel's secondary characters. I expected to write a relatively short novel of about 25 chapters, but ended up with a story almost twice as long. In spite of the novel's length, when I finished the initial draft there were several scenes that I originally intended to write that ended up not being included in the novel. I felt that I needed to leave out the omitted scenes either because they no longer fit into the story line as I developed it, or because they strayed too far from the story of Lisa Campbell and the people immediately surrounding her. Here are some of the subplots that did not get included in the novel: Lisa's visit to California following her summer of pledging - Originally I planned to have Lisa travel to her home in California in August to visit her mother in Santa Cruz and her father in Reno. (Lisa's parents are divorced, but I don't directly say that in the narrative.) I also planned to have her run into her ex-boyfriend Mike. Lisa would have found out that her ex-boyfriend was dating a Danubian exchange student and had gone on to become an organizer of mass protests against Mega-Town Associates. However, I had to give that up because a bunch of other things were going on at the end of August that were crucial to the novel's ending. Lisa did not have time to make the trip. The exile of Cecilia Sanchez and Jason Schmidt - I wanted to develop Lisa's reaction to the fates of Cecilia and Jason by including some correspondence with them as part of Lisa's personal personal journey. However, like the development of Mike's life, I did not see how that could fit with the story as it unfolded during the concluding chapters. Tracy's personal life - From the beginning of writing the novel Pledge Mistress Tracy fascinated me and I would have liked to examine her personal life a bit more. There were several ideas that floated through my mind about Tracy. I considered, as part of the novel's conclusion, having her Army Reserve Unit getting mobilized and having her killed in action while fighting in Iraq. I also considered developing a subplot in which Tracy's family was extremely religious and that her brothers had sworn to kill her, which would have explained her obsession with combat and self-defense. However, I decided that both those topics were far too serious for an erotic novel, so that material got left out. Cherine's personal life - Cherine is another character that did not get fully developed. I had thought about having her join the Four-Beta Sorority as an act of rebellion against religious parents, who had pushed her to join a different sorority. In the end I decided that theme was too complicated for a secondary character and dropped it. Suzanne Foster - I wanted to bring Suzanne Foster into the novel and develop a personal relationship (non-sexual) between her, Lisa, and Tracy. The time-line of the novel did not really give me an opportunity to do that, because Lisa would not have had the chance to interact with Suzanne until after she had sworn in. I would have had to extend the novel's timeline to incorporate Suzanne, which I did not see the point in doing. ---------- I have discovered, through experience, that I cannot use an outline when I write fiction. Many years ago I attempted to write a political novel from an outline. I made up the outline just fine, but never started the novel itself because my imagination had evaporated. I have to write spontaneously, and then, once I'm finished, I can go back and make revisions. That method has advantages and disadvantages, both of which come out in "The Pledge Mistress". While writing, I was able to adapt my narrative and come up with new scenarios as the story developed in my imagination. As I wrote about them, my characters developed in my mind, I got to know them as complex entities, and over time I made discoveries about them. For example, some of the conflicts that developed in the middle of the story were events I had not yet thought of when I wrote the first several chapters. Writing spontaneously has plenty of disadvantages as well. In the case of "The Pledge Mistress", the story ended up becoming much longer than I envisioned when I started working on it. Also, not working from an outline results in many inconsistencies that need to be corrected, especially with small details. ---------- The future of my fiction. Whenever I finish a novel, I always hope that it is my last. Writing a long piece of fiction is a grueling and time-consuming experience that requires a lot of sleepless nights and sacrifice of personal time. Whenever I finish the first draft of a novel, I am hugely relieved. The following quote from Eric Blair (pen-name George Orwell) best sums up my feelings about writing a novel: "All writers are vain, selfish, and lazy, and at the very bottom of their motives there lies a mystery. Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout of some painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven on by some demon whom one can neither resist nor understand. For all one knows that demon is simply the same instinct that makes a baby squall for attention." - George Orwell - 1947 - from his essay Why I Write Will I write a fifth novel? Possibly. What I have discovered is that normally about five months go by from the time I finish one novel until the plot of another story starts forming in my mind. If I do end up writing another story, it is for sure that it will take place either at my fictional university or in the Danubian Republic. Any new novel either will develop the life story of a secondary character that already has been created, or if I create a new main character, several characters from a previous novel will make their appearances and play important roles in the new story.