A collar and a lesson.

"Get on your knees." I said, leaving Sarah in the entry way of my apartment to retrieve something from deeper inside. I didn't bother to wait and see if she would obey me. She wasn't about to try to escape without me there to serve as a claim, and she had to know she'd be punished if I came back to find her in any position other than kneeling.

For the most part, my apartment was furnished simply. Until, that is, you made it to the bedrooms. I had two of them. One was my actual bedroom, which I furnished for lavish comfort and kept private. The other was a proper play room, a dungeon, if you will, for my special guests. I spent most of my spare money on toys and other fun things for my play room.

The play room was my destination. I strode in and went to the small chest of drawers where I stored accessories, restraints, and miscellaneous small items. I kept these drawers meticulously tidy and knew where everything was, so my trip was brief.

I selected a standard black leather collar and a pair of matching cuffs, a simple chain leash, and two short lengths of rope. Before returning to my new pet, I looked over my selection of impact toys, selecting the long-handled flogger with the braided silicone tails.

Back in the entry way, I found Sarah waiting obediently on her knees, watching me curiously. "Eyes on the floor while kneeling." I snapped. She lowered her gaze immediately, looking chastened. Oh she was going to be fun.

I dropped the collar and cuffs onto the floor a few inches from her knees. "A **** wears a collar," I said simply. I watched as she hesitantly reached out and took the collar into her hands, feeling the material. Then slowly, almost reverently, she raised it to her throat and buckled it to a comfortable size. I could see her hands trembling slightly.

I stood there, pleased that she already considered herself a ****, and said nothing, curious if she would assume I also wanted her to wear the cuffs or if she would wait to be specifically instructed. After a long moment, she reached for the cuffs and put those on, too. Her gaze remained on the floor at my feet.

"Very good. Come here." It was a short distance, not worth rising to her feet. Without specific instruction, she made he choice to simply crawl to me and resume kneeling.

"Turn around."

She complied.

"Arms behind your back."

I was giving her simple, straightforward commands to condition her to obey. It would become easier for her each time she chose correctly, to do so again. Once her arms were in place, I unbundled one length of rope and ran the ends through the loops in her cuffs, then pulled them close together and tied a knot. Then I used the rest of the length to loop around her ankles and cinch them together in a simple hogtie. She offered no resistance as I bound her.

"Good girl." I said, stroking her hair affectionately. "You're very cute like this, you know."

She didn't respond, simply staring at the floor in quiet acceptance.

With a sigh, I lowered the tails of my flogger into her field of vision, relishing the way she stiffened. "Here's your first official lesson, princess." Raising the flogger again, I ripped it back down across her thighs with a sharp sound, instantly drawing crisp red welts on her skin.

She cried out in surprise and pain. As she strained against her bonds, I struck her again across the chest, slightly less forcefully. The blow left angry red marks once more on her body. She howled once more and began to cry, completely unable to defend herself. "Ah! Sorry! I'm sorry!"

I stopped my ****. Pointing the end of my flogger at her bare chest, I gently lifted her chin towards my face. "Look at me."

She raised her teary eyes to me, fearful but with a hint of hope.

I lifted her chin higher as I spoke, forcing her head back awkwardly so I could admire her pretty face in the moment. "Here is the lesson: I can and will punish you for anything I choose, and this thing stings like a bitch. Would you say you have learned this lesson?"

Unable to nod, she said, "Yes! Please don't hit me again."

"Oh, I probably will," I said casually. "Now, knowing that I want you to answer me honestly, why are you sorry? You said you were sorry. What did you do?"

She blinked, unsure what I wanted to hear.

"Answer me honestly. I will know if you try to bullshit me."

Tears formed again in her eyes. "I- I don't know. I just wanted you to stop hitting me."

I nodded and lowered my flogger. It was honest. "Would you like to know why I punished you just now?"

"Yes, please." She begged, pain-fed tears running down her cheeks. I may have overdone it a bit, but the lesson would stick.

"Because you failed to respond to a compliment I gave you. You may be a thing, but I do not want you to be a lump. When I speak to you I expect a response. Is that clear?"

She nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! Very clear. I'm sorry! I will remember!"

"Good." I folded my arms and drank in the sight of my naked, kneeling little ****. "Now..."