Jen felt something change within her as she crossed through the doorway and entered Mistress' house. In part, it was just butterflies in her stomach, anticipation building quickly within her as she knew that all the mysterious promise Mistress offered was now within her grasp, but it was also more than that, an amplified version of the same feeling she'd had leaving her clothes in the car, that feeling that she was shedding an old skin, an old life, and becoming someone new. She knew that if just a couple of hours ago someone had told her that she'd be walking naked into another woman's house she'd have laughed, but now it seemed like the most natural thing to do.
The house was clearly very old but had been well maintained. She walked into a large, spacious, high-ceilinged room, ancient beams supporting the walls around them, smooth warm wood on the floor. The room was sparsely decorated - a few framed stylised pictures of nude women on plain white walls, two large sash windows, an empty fireplace, a couple of leather couches but nothing else. Two closed doors in the far walls obviously led on to the rest of the house.
Mistress stood in the centre of the room, casually, her hands behind her back as she watched Jen walk towards her. Jen stopped a few paces away from her, waiting for her to say something, give her some command, but she just stood there silently, coolly looking Jen up and down, examining her nude body. Suddenly, Jen realised what was expected of her and crouched down, falling to her knees on the floor, lowering her head folding her hands in her lap as though she was in prayer. Mistress remained silent, but then Jen heard the click of her heels on the floor as she walked towards her and then around her in a wide circle before stopping in front of her. With her head lowered, Jen could still see Mistress' leather boots, shining slightly in the sun that drifted in through the winters, flickering through the leaves of the trees that surrounded the house.
'Excellent, dear Jen, excellent.' She could almost hear the smile in Mistress' voice, the soft purring tones of her voice. 'Now, sit up straight and look at me.'
Jen had been aware before that Mistress was taller than her, but this was a revelation to her as she craned her neck back to look up at the beautiful face staring down at her. Even as she looked she felt as though she were shrinking in her presence, so completely dominant did she appear. She held her hands in front of her now, what looked like a small black leather belt between them.
'While you are with me, I will give you many gifts, but this collar is the first, and all others lead from it. By entering my house, you have already given yourself to me, but this is to serve as a reminder that while you wear it, you are my possession. Take it and put it on, but understand that only I can take it off you.'
She held it out to Jen, who raised her hands to receive it. It was almost two inches wide, with a buckle like a belt, but far too short to fit around anyone's waist. Jen carefully lifted it to her throat and then wrapped it around her neck, careful to avoid trapping any of her dark curly hair between it and her skin as she slid the strap through the buckle and fixed it tightly.
'Is it comfortable, sweet Jen?'
'Yes, Mistress, very comfortable.'
'Good. Now roll your head around to be sure it doesn't chafe you badly, or restrict your breathing.' Jen did as she was commanded, feeling the leather pinch slightly, but not uncomfortably, already bending and moulding to her shape. 'Is it good?'
'Yes, Mistress.'