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Chapter 2 - The Four-Beta House

With 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 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 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 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 tall hedge surrounded the entire back of the property, protecting a swimming pool, sun deck, and hot tub from public view. Having a barrier 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 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 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 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 - Chapter 3