From the Top Shelf - A Master of Discipline, part 15

Last week, events took an unexpected turn for Ruth. Read about it here if you care to refresh your memory before beginning today's installment. I never would have dreamed that the plot would twist this way.

Ruth knew that she was dreaming. There were flashes of vivid colour. Tony, Lillian Greeves, Stephen Langton, the Reverend Mould..they were all there. The characters danced around in her mind like dervishes. She was vaguely aware that each of them held a power over her she could not resist. That power was like a drug; she knew that submitting to it caused her pain but still it was something she craved. The paradox was still tormenting her as her mind slowly swam back into consciousness.

She could not open her eyes but she could hear distant voices gradually coming more into focus. A girl's voice said that she hoped they had not hurt her. Ruth dimly wondered who 'they' might be. A male voice, somehow familiar, angrily responded that of course she had not been hurt, just drugged a little, that's all. Yes, that angry voice was familiar, yet she couldn't place it. Strange - the girl's voice was familiar too. It sounded like Nicky Shaw.

With a great effort, she found she could force her eyes open. Her blurred vision slowly began to clear and gradually stabilised. It was Nicky Shaw! To Ruth's amazement, her favourite pupil was bending over her, a concerned look on her face.

"She's coming round." Nicky was speaking to someone Ruth could not see. The realisation that she could not move accelerated Ruth's return to reality and awareness of her surroundings. She was sitting in a chair, a wooden chair with arms. The reason she was unable to move was because her arms were firmly tied to the arms of the chair, and her ankles were also secured, tied beneath the chair so that her legs bent uncomfortably under her.

"About time too!" the disgruntled male voice behind her replied and suddenly Ruth recognised it.

"Robin? Robin Henderson? It's you?"

"Yes it certainly is." He moved round from behind the chair to where Ruth could see him.

"What's is going on?" Ruth said angrily, "Where am I and why am I tied up like this?"

"Don't you recognise this room? I was told that you had really enjoyed yourself in here only recently." He scowled at her, his mouth curled in a contemptuous sneer. "In fact, that's what gave me such a great idea."

"What idea? What are you talking about?" As she spoke, Ruth began to take in her surroundings. They were in a large room, evidently, because she couldn't properly see the walls or ceiling; her eyes were still not focusing properly, and in any case, the chair in which she sat was at the centre of a pool of light and the outer edges of the room were in darkness. Still, the room had a familiar feel to it, an indefinable atmosphere that struck a chord in her memory. Then the penny dropped! She was in the main hall of Damocles Priory, the room where she had been so embarrassingly beaten and abused by the Reverend Mould!

"What am I doing here? Untie me at once!"

"If you promise to behave, I will ask Madam Karabengse to untie you. We restrained you only so that you wouldn't fall and hurt yourself as you were being brought here. In any case you can't go anywhere. Kim and Luc will see to that."

Mention of the staff brought fresh questions to Ruth's mind, as well as some answers. She now remembered that she had been dimly aware of Kim and Luc at some point. The realisation that she had been forcibly abducted, and that there were quite a number of people involved, came as a shock, although at this point she was more angry and indignant than frightened.

"Untie me at once! I don't know what you are playing at but if you release me immediately, at least I promise to put a good word in for you."

Robin laughed, sardonically. "That's good of you, Miss Jamieson. I'm sorry but you are in no position to demand anything. You are completely in my power and don't you forget it! We are not at school now and you have no authority here. I own Damocles Priory and, right now, Miss Jamieson, I own you. Although that could well change in the near future."

"What the hell are you talking about? Where is the Reverend Mould?"

"That old fool? I sent him packing. You surely didn't think he owned this set-up?" Robin laughed again. "You got that so wrong. My father bought this place years ago and set up Mould to run it because he liked the sound of his disciplinary ideas. However I don't think my father and the good Reverend were quite on the same wavelength. Dad decided to make some money out of this Active Learning Course but at the same time have a little fun. When I saw some of the video recordings Mould made I began to get very interested myself." He paused and chuckled. "And when I saw the video he made when you were here, Miss Jamieson, I asked Dad if I could run the place for him. He wanted me to start running a business as part of my education anyway, so it was easy to persuade him."

Seeing the look of horror on Ruth's face, he paused and went to the table, the self-same table that Mould had used for his lectures.

"I see you didn't know about the video recordings - you are very photogenic by the way, Miss Jamieson - but dad had this whole room wired for sound and fitted out with hidden cameras. Mould wasn't too happy at first but he was a hired servant and did as he was told. That's how I first became interested in the possibilities of this place. Some of the tapes made here were circulating at school, and I started to think how we could expand the commercial possibilities.

"So Madam Karabengse and I came to a little arrangement. She has been keeping an eye on things here for some time now and, in return, I fed her with the details of some of the more attractive course members - dead easy to obtain from my father's files. Then she, Kim and Luc made offers to these girls which...let's just say...they couldn't refuse. You are next on their list by the way, Miss Jamieson, but I am going to have my little bit of fun with you first."

He made a sign to Madam Karebangse, who knelt at Ruth's feet and started to untie her ankles. "What sort of an offer?" Ruth could not take in the seriousness of her situation and still spoke to Robin as if he were her pupil, rather than as a full-grown and rather evil young man.

"Why, an offer of employment, of course. Madam Karabengse's family runs a whole chain of gentlemen's entertainment clubs back home in Thailand. They are always on the look-out for talent. Of course, it doesn't pay very well but the accommodation is free and I'm told you get to meet the strangest variety of people - all in the most intimate circumstances, I'm told."

Shakily Ruth stood up. She immediately wished she had not, and sat down again quickly, her head swimming and her stomach churning. "Oh God, I feel sick."

"Go with her, Nicky, see that she doesn't do anything stupid. You go too, Madam K." Nicky and the housekeeper helped Ruth to her feet again. "Go with them. I should be quick about it; you look a very funny colour and if you make a mess in the hall, Madam K will take great pleasure in making you clear it up."

Ruth felt too ill to argue and meekly allowed herself to be shepherded to the toilet.

Ruth was grateful that Nicky and the stone-faced Madam K allowed her some privacy while she cleaned herself up. She took her time, sitting on the toilet seat until the waves of dizziness passed, and then splashed herself liberally with cold water from the sink to clear her head. After some five minutes had elapsed, Madam K's patience became exhausted and she rattled the door handle angrily. Ruth decided it would not be a good idea to antagonise her captors at this stage, since she could see no immediate prospect of escape. She decided to bide her time; go along with whatever she was told to do, and hope that an opportunity would present itself. Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, she opened the door.

Nicky and Madam K had been standing close guard at the door, and as soon as Ruth emerged, the housekeeper grabbed her by the arm and began to push her, quite roughly, back toward the main hall. "You took too much time," she snapped at Ruth. "You better not do that when you are my property. You will learn obedience very quickly or it will be the worse for you."

"Don't you think this charade has gone far enough?" Ruth decided to work on Nicky. "You and Robin have had your fun but now it's time to stop before you get into really serious trouble."

"You be quiet!" Madam K gave Nicky no time to answer. "Master Robin will be very angry if you talk with Miss Nicky like that." Nicky looked embarrassed and confused, but kept quiet. Ruth saw that any further attempt to persuade the girl, certainly while Madam K was around, would be futile.

As the three women re-entered the main hall, Ruth's attention was drawn to the sound of a heavy object being dragged across the floor. She saw that the noise was being created by Luc and Kim; they were dragging the birching bench, which had so fascinated Ruth on her last visit to Damocles Priory, into a more central position. Robin Henderson was supervising the work and, as he saw the trio approach, he gestured to the two stewards to stand aside.

"I believe that you were quite interested in this little toy when you came here last." He leered at Ruth. "That fool Mould made do with only one of his improvisations for his lecture, but we are going to put that right this evening. You should be pleased; we are going to complete your education."

"What do you mean?" The question was superfluous but Ruth had to have it spelled out, to satisfy both the fears and the cravings which were fighting for dominance in her mind at that moment.

"It's quite simple. You were instrumental in causing Nicky and me a lot of pain. Worse, you humiliated us as well. So, we are going to show you what it's like, to educate you so that you will never put someone else in that position. Not that you are likely ever again to be able to do so. After Nicky and I have caned your backside till you howl for mercy, I am going to let Madam K and her brothers give you some basic training for the new job they have lined up for you in Thailand. You had better learn the lessons quickly because your place on the plane is already booked and, if you do not perform well enough to satisfy your future employers, believe me, a sore arse will be the least of your worries!"

Ruth knew from his expression that he was not joking. This spoilt brat, for so she still thought of him, had enough money and enough power to do just about anything he wanted with her. The anticipation of what that might involve fuelled both her fears and her perverse excitement.

She looked at Nicky, hoping against hope that her former pupil might somehow be prepared to change sides, even at the eleventh hour. No such luck. Nicky was looking a little flushed, doubtless excited at the prospect of what was to come, but she showed absolutely no signs of wanting to assist Ruth in her plight.

I'm not going to let them see me beg, thought Ruth, defiantly, I'm damned if I will.

"All right," She looked Robin straight in the eye. "You seem to have the upper hand at the moment, though I can assure you that you will regret what you are doing to me. So what do you want me to do?"

"You can show me a little humility for a start," he sneered, coldly. "So you can start by getting your clothes off. Strip! Everything off. Right now!"

"Go to hell!"

"I won't ask you again. I'll just let Kim and Luc do it for you. So take your clothes off now!"

Ruth saw the two stewards stiffen as their names were mentioned. Which would be worse? Being seen to submit so easily, or to be forcibly stripped naked? The very fact of her abduction had demonstrated that she was not strong enough to defend herself against the two of them, so resisting would serve no useful purpose. Reluctantly, Ruth put her hands to the buttons of her blouse.

"That's better. Very sensible." Robin taunted her.

Slowly, one by one, Ruth undid the buttons, frantically wondering how she could retain some dignity or modesty in this situation. Trying her hardest to appear nonchalant, she slipped the blouse off her shoulders and placed it on the table in front of Robin Henderson. What next, she wondered. Bra or skirt? She decided on the skirt. Her underwear, both top and bottom, was quite modestly chaste. Maybe, just maybe, by some desperate miracle, the cavalry would arrive in time to rescue her from further humiliation. As slowly as possible. she undid the zip and waist button of the skirt and let it slide to the floor.

"Pick it up and put it on the table."

To be so instructed by one of her own pupils when wearing only her underclothes and a pair of ankle socks, was more humiliating to Ruth than she could ever have imagined. Worse was to follow. As she stepped away from the table, she knew that everyone in the room was watching her.

"Now the rest, and be sure you put each garment neatly on the table with the others. You've told us about being tidy often enough. Start with your bra, if you please."

Ruth felt herself go hot all over. She looked around desperately, but there was nothing she could do, no way out. She reached behind her back and released the clip of her bra. For the first time in her life she wished her breasts were smaller. Although by no means overlarge, as she slipped the straps off her shoulders, her breasts seemed to have almost developed a life of their own. Freed now from the constraint of her bra, they seemed to be jiggling with the slightest movement, her nipples hard and erect. Every eye in the room seemed to be on her as she placed the bra on the table. With an immense effort of will, she resisted the temptation to try and cover herself with her arms. To do so would be an admission of the shame she felt and , in any case, would only draw more attention to her body.

"Nice tits, Miss Jamieson," Robin said, sardonically, "you have a lot to be proud of."

She swallowed hard, trying to blank out his remarks, then lifted a foot off the floor and began to roll down a sock.

"Leave the socks. Get your panties off next."

A tremor in his voice betrayed Robin's excitement and triggered one last spark of resistance in Ruth. She looked at the youth with all the contempt she could muster.

"Go to hell! I won't strip for you any more. You'll just have to accept me as I am"

She knew as soon as the words had left her lips that her bravado was doomed to failure and that it had been a mistake to provoke him, but pride had got the better of her.

"Hold her arms!" A lifelong experience of getting his own way had given Robin Henderson a distinct tone of authority, which even his excitement could not diminish.

The two stewards jumped to obey. In seconds , Ruth found herself firmly held by a burly Thai on each arm. There was nothing she could do; they held her with hands like steel grabs and her attempts at struggling simply made the grips on her arms more painful.

"Madam Karabengse, do the honours please."

The hard-faced woman stepped behind Ruth, who redoubled her struggles as she felt the woman's hands at her hips.

Robin was staring, deliberately insultingly, at the area of Ruth's crotch, as Madam K inserted her thumbs in the waistband of Ruth's panties and slowly rolled them down over her hips. As the descending garment reached her crotch, exposing the lips of her sex, Ruth ceased to struggle, realising it was hopeless. Robin continued to stare intently as the panties descended to her ankles.

He examined her from top to toe, his gaze lingering between her legs before rising to her breasts, which he studied for some seconds.

"Very nice," he said with a grin, "very nice indeed!"

Somehow, the fact that she had been allowed to retain just her ankle socks made her nakedness all the more humiliating.

"Now, Miss Jamieson, are you going to to make us do this the hard way or the easy way? The end result will be the same, I assure you."

"Let - me - go!" Each syllable was an effort as she tried to fight back tears.

"Oh you need to do better than that. I will ask you again. Will you cooperate or do we have to force you?"

The iron grips on her arms gave Ruth no chance.

"Let me go. I'll do what you want."

"Very well, that's much better. Mount the bench then, please. I'm going to enjoy this."

Ruth turned to the birching bench, kicking her panties free from her ankles as she did so. Now that she knew she was about to experience its delights for real, it seemed more sinister than when the Reverend Mould had explained its use, such a short time before. Gingerly she approached it and placed herself between the two horizontal members, lifting her right leg to kneel on the bench. Taking a grip on the padded crossbar to steady herself, she lifted her left leg on to the other bench and knelt, just as if she was in church preparing to pray. Except, she thought wildly, I don't usually pray stark-naked with my legs wide open!

Feeling a fumbling around her feet, she looked over her shoulder to see Kim and Luc securing her ankles to the bench with broad leather straps. The job done, the two men approached on either side, each grabbing an arm as they did so.

"Bend right over the bench please, Miss Jamieson. It's no good struggling, and we don't want to hurt you - at least, not yet" Robin chuckled at his little joke.

Ruth allowed herself to be pulled forward, her arms outstretched. The coarse padding of the crossbar rasped across her naked belly as her body was pulled taut. The two men efficiently secured her wrists to the far end of the bench before stepping away. Ruth tugged at her bonds, but there was no give anywhere.

"We'll have the centre strap on as well, please, Madam K. I don't want her wriggling to spoil my aim."

As another, wider, leather strap was secured over her back, just above her waist, Ruth shivered at the hopelessness of her situation. Splayed into a broad X her body was stretched and not very comfortable. Her groin was taking her full weight, grinding into the rough padding of the crossbar, and she suddenly experienced a most unexpected sensation in her pussy, which was becoming distinctly moist.

With her legs spread wide apart, she knew that everyone standing behind her must have a clear view of her most intimate parts, and this knowledge did nothing to reduce her body's sexual reactions. She hung her head, partly from shame and partly because it was uncomfortable to keep her neck bent upwards. Looking down she could see her breasts, the still button-hard nipples pointing at the floor

"I think it's traditional to say that this is going to hurt me more than it hurts you"

Robin's voice was ahead of her and Ruth lifted her head with an effort, to see that he was standing directly in front of her.

"Isn't that the kind of crap you schoolteachers usually trot out? Well you're going to discover its just not true."

He was holding a long cane in his hands, the first time Ruth had seen such an instrument since she had been brought back to Damocles Priory. She guessed he must have hidden it so as not to alarm her before, making the surprise effect all the greater.

"Are you beginning to feel the embarrassment and fear that poor Nicky felt? Particularly when that scum Fullerton finished your job for you? Are you enjoying showing off your cunt and arsehole to all and sundry, Miss Jamieson? Are you wondering if this is really going to hurt as much as you fear? Well let me tell you it's going to be a whole lot worse!"

Oh dear. Ruth doesn't seem too happy, does she. Although she does enjoy a good spanking, and she was curious about birching, so maybe it won't be all bad. I will miss the Reverend Mould, though.