Mary anxiously looked at the address on the crumpled piece of paper she held in her hand and then looked up at the large brick building. That is all she had, a simple address. A web search called it the Stockyard, but there was nearly no information about the building or what went on there. Just the vague rumors. The structure did not look like much. Maybe it had been an old warehouse or factory in a seedy part of town. However, people were entering and leaving at a regular pace, mostly entering. No one else seemed to be nervous as they went through the large door just off the street. Watching a young blond-haired girl enter, Mary decided to follow her.
Once inside, the brightly lit hall seemed almost as large as the building appeared from outside. Mary watched as the girl she had followed moved to the back wall and removed her dress and sandals, folding them neatly and tucking them in a corner behind some boxes, as though she did not want anyone to find them. She was not wearing underwear, so now the girl was completely naked, except for a leather collar around her neck that Mary had just now noticed. The girl appeared to be about the same age as Mary, perhaps her mid-twenties, and the same body type, a little bit curvy. Except for the difference in hair color -- Mary's hair was dark brown and a little shorter -- she would almost think she was looking at herself in the mirror. The naked girl did not seem to notice Mary watching as she quickly moved toward a large dark curtain at the back wall of the building and ducked behind it. Mary stood there, almost stunned as she watched the girl disappear.
More people were entering the building. A few men entered either alone or in groups of two or three. It struck Mary that the men varied in ages and dress and race. They, too, seemed to know where they were going and proceeded to move behind the curtain in the same direction the blond girl had gone. The difference was that the men remained clothed. Whenever a woman entered, she would follow the blond girl's example and remove her clothes before ducking behind the curtain. Then Mary watched a couple enter. The man was older with graying temples and wearing a dark suit. The woman was maybe thirty-five and wearing a long tan coat. They paused for just a moment while the man helped her remove the coat, which he draped over his arm. She was naked underneath, and Mary noticed the man was holding a leash attached to her collar. When they disappeared behind the curtain, Mary could hear the thump thump thump of rock music coming from inside, as though this was some alternative dance club where the men came dressed, and the women were naked.
"May I help you?"
Mary was so startled by the sudden question directed at her that she literally jumped. Turning, she stared at the man who was so close behind her that she could feel the breath of his question on her shoulder. He was older, maybe in his fifties, completely bald with just the scruff of a grey beard, and stood there, smiling down at her.
"Oh, er no, I'm good. Thank you," Mary said, a bit ashamed to have been caught gawking at the people entering the club.
"Welcome to the Stockyard," the man said as they both looked over the scene around them. "I assume this is your first time here." He was wearing a black suit that was a little rumpled but seemed to fit him well.
Mary nodded in response to his statement. "What is this place?"
The man took his time answering her question as he looked her up and down. "The Stockyard is a breeding barn, one of the largest and oldest." He paused to smile before continuing. "Would you like a tour?"
His answer seemed to confirm the few rumors she had heard but only served to pique her curiosity about what went on here. She hesitated a moment before deciding that if she were ever going to find out what it was all about, this would probably be the best opportunity. "A tour would be great, thank you."
The man seemed happy with her response and smiled broadly. "Wonderful. Let us start over here," and he led Mary to the other side of the room where there was a table covered in leather collars and some cuffs. "Of course, you will have to follow the rules to go inside. Please pick a collar that fits your neck."
"Do I have to, even for just a tour?"
"Yes, I'm afraid so. The rules are rather strict," the man replied. Mary picked up a brown leather collar that seemed new with a D ring on the front and buckles on the back. She had seen girls wear collars like this on some of the web sites she visited but had never worn one herself. The bald man helped her buckle it in the back. The collar felt strangely comfortable around her neck, as though she was meant to wear one. "That works. And now you will have to remove all your clothes."
"I don't understand. Why are the women all naked when they enter?" Mary asked, hoping to get some more information.
"Clothed women tend to startle the herd," the man answered. "You don't want to cause a stampede, do you?" This answer made no sense at all, but if she were going to find out about the Stockyard, she realized that she would have to go along with whatever rules they had. She quickly removed her sundress, bra, and panties, handing them to the man as he helpfully held out his hand to take them from her. "I'll need your shoes as well," he said. Mary took off her flats, adding them to the stack of clothes in his hands. Her tender feet felt cool on the worn wood of the floor. Naked now, except for the collar, Mary blushed. Her guide pulled a leash from his pocket and clipped it to the ring on her collar. "We don't want you getting lost inside, do we?" He then led her over to a large barrel with a fire inside and tossed in all her clothes.
"Hey! Those are my clothes. What are you doing?" Mary almost screamed as she watched her clothes disappear beneath the sudden burst of flames.
Before she could do anything to save her clothes, the man turned toward the curtain and tugged at her leash. "You won't be needing those, and we really can't store all the clothes that are left here, can we?"