The Caged Student

I wake to the sound of a knock on the door. Opening my eyes, I'm briefly disoriented. Was I dreaming? I thought I was at school... The lights come on, and I have to face the harsh reality that I'm locked up on the second floor of Mr. Cox's house. It must be early, as it's still pretty dark outside. God, my head feels awful. What time is it? "Yes?" I mumble.

"Miss Yeager. It's Miss Holeman," the lady says through the door. "I'm heading downstairs to get ready for the day. I suggest you do so as well."

"Fine," I say, shifting my legs off the bed. Why does my head hurt so bad? Collecting myself, I slowly stand and turn for the bathroom, my bare feet padding on the cold tile.

Staring in the mirror, I look at myself in dismay. My hair is a huge mess, and the nightshirt is so rumpled that it barely covers the tops of my legs. How much did I roll around last night? What worries me most are the puffy bags under my eyes.

I thought I'd slept well last night. At least I can't recall waking up. I dimly remember that I was dreaming when Miss Holeman knocked. It was a weird dream. I was at school trying to be friendly with people I knew; but no one would talk to me. I had the distinct impression that they were all afraid. Afraid of something when I came around. Then I begin to remember what happened last night.

"Fuck!"

The memories weren't all that clear. I had difficulty moving after he had started the caning. He had hit me... Panicking, I turn around and pull my panties down in front of the mirror.

Huh?! They didn't look all that bad. Yeah, there were two pretty severe welts, but the rest of my rear has just a slight discoloration. In fact, those spots have started to get a maddening itch. I keep staring. It felt so much worse last night. Was it the lotion? Pulling up my underwear, I grab the toothbrush thinking about what I could do.

Collin is supposed to come today. Could I convince him to get me outta here? I pissed him off pretty bad. Would he just say I deserve it? And he wants to see my punishment according to 'Old Baldy'. No way am I going to let that happen!

What about the Headmaster? He wanted me stressed. Well, he got his wish. I still can't believe he would write that. Maybe he doesn't really know what's going on here. I just have to act like a good girl in front of Mr. Cox and then get the man alone. Maybe break down in front of him. I can do that! Do whatever it takes to get out of here! First, though, I have to work on Miss Holeman. I remember how she acted after what she saw last night. Then she took care of me and didn't let 'Old Baldy' back up here. That's more than a little something. She has a heart, and I'm going to take advantage of that. Finishing my scrubbing, I place the brush in the sink. Leaving some toothpaste on my chin, I wait and eventually hear a soft knock. I don't answer. Instead, I begin to cry. It's not all that hard since I'm pretty miserable anyway.

"Miss Yeager?" The blond woman enters the bathroom, now dressed in what looks like a black martial arts uniform. I still don't respond. "Sally? What on Earth?!"

My wild, thick hair frames my face as I start wiping at the tears. "I'm sorry. I just can't get my act together this morning."

Miss Holeman grabs a hand towel and wipes my eyes. I let fresh tears roll down my round cheeks, and I can tell the blond lady grows even more concerned. She takes me by her shoulders and suddenly her face grows soft. "Sally, remember my promise last night?"

I look back at the taller women keeping the act up. "I know that. It's just..." I look at the floor. "I mean, Mr. Cox is; unstable."

Miss Holeman purses her lips. "It'll be just fine, Sally. Let's get you dressed and go downstairs."

"But..." My next argument went unsaid. "What?"

"Mr. Cox would like to see you downstairs as soon as possible."

"Is he letting me go?" I really didn't know what this means.

Miss Holeman grabs my dress, which is hanging on the rack, and pulls down the ironing board. "I don't know. He hasn't told me anything other than we're going to have breakfast downstairs." Unlocking the drawer, she pulls out the iron and presents it to me. "The sooner we get down there, the quicker our questions will be answered."

Grabbing the iron I nod and get to work. After getting dressed presentably, I follow Beth down the stairway to the locked door. Miss Holeman turns the key to open it, and I can't help but feel my heart racing as I enter Mr. Cox's office. The tall woman continues to walk out into the adjoining hallway, and she motions for me to come with her.

Looking down the wooden-paneled passageway, I could see the front door. It's just a quick run, and I would be out! I glance back at Miss Holeman and I just know that it would be locked. The tall woman reaches out and gestures towards me.

"C'mon. Let's see what he has to say."

I stare at the pale lady's face for a moment. She really does have a soft spot! Not wasting the chance, my own hand extends outward and clasps Miss Holeman's much larger one. She looks down in surprise. Then she smiles faintly and grips mine. It feels; nice. Warm. Slowly we walk side by side to a door at the end of the hallway. Feeling a little bit like I'm going down the rabbit hole, the blonde in front of me twists the old handle and opens it.

* * *

Standing in my updated kitchen, I place several sausages in the hot pan and they immediately start sizzling. I can't believe what Miss Holeman described to me this morning. When I woke up, I was immediately met by the lady at my bed. She then, at my instruction, proceeded to report all that had happened yesterday.

That's the most concerning thing of all. She had to lay out nearly half the day for me. I did my best to cover, but after she told me about Miss Yeager's welts, my surprise was complete. What happened? I can't remember anything after the first strike...

The two women enter, and I see Miss Yeager begin to cautiously look around the brightly lit area. There are several stainless steel appliances here, which do look out of place in such an old house. The counter surrounds a shorter island with seating for three, which I've already set up. The teen looks at me, and her eyes bulge. It must be my apron. "Don't look so flabbergasted, Miss Yeager. I've had to cook a meal or three during my years as a bachelor."

She closes her mouth and lets Miss Holeman guide her to one of the chairs. With a learned efficiency, I crack a few eggs and begin stirring them. "I hope scrambled will be fine, Miss Yeager?" She doesn't answer. Damn it! What was I doing all day? She's terrified of me! Well, yes, I was supposed to do that. Then I would carefully show her the error of her ways. Break the student down early and then build her back up. Instead, she looks shell-shocked. I nod, and Miss Holeman starts gathering some plates and silverware and sets them out. The tall blonde looks up from her work.

"Why don't you get the juice for us, Miss Yeager? From the fridge. Blue container."

At least Miss Holeman has gained some kind of rapport with Yeager. Maybe I can use that somehow. She seems competent enough. I try not to watch as the long-haired brunette all but sidles past as far away from me as possible. No trust: at all. As she opens the fridge, I notice she's staring at the wall next to it. The dumb waiter. The young lady must be thinking of escape. She's crafty, I give her that, but it's not going to work. The mechanism can only be activated from the panel here.

I serve the eggs, toast, and sausage on the plates as Yeager sits back down. The two of us join her, and we all begin eating. All except my student, it seems. What should I say? I open my mouth but close it again. Even now, Miss Holeman's shifting in her seat, looking uncomfortable. This doesn't feel right, but after last night, I must set out some new ground rules. Clearing my throat, I try again. "Miss Yeager. First of all, I wish to apologize to you for what happened yesterday." The young lady blinks in surprise. I keep my eyes on hers. It's still a struggle to get the words out. "After conferring with Miss Holeman it seems I was out of line on several occasions throughout the day."

Yeager immediately grows incredulous. "Several?!"

I grimace, but ignore the comment for now. "It also appears that when I was punishing you for your acts yesterday, I used too much force. Miss Holeman reported that your posterior was injured way out of proportion to what I had intended."

"But you had to be aware you were hitting me too hard, sir!"

"That was not my intention," I say, trying not to raise my voice. "I will make every effort not to do so again."

The young woman looks hard at me. "I'll never trust you, sir. I don't want to ever be alone with you again."

I watch her stonily. So much wasted effort. Now I have less than six hours before The Headmaster comes. Maybe I can do something by then. Watching the reactions of the teen, I don't like my chances. I glance over to my assistant, and an idea comes to mind. "That's why Miss Holeman here will be taking a more active role for the rest of the time you're here, Yeager. After we eat, she will work on your calisthenics portion of your lesson. Let's dig in before this gets cold." Miss Holeman looks at me a bit surprised but seems to accept my new instruction.

"That seems like a wise course of action, sir."

Miss Yeager sits there for a moment and then begins to smile. What's she thinking? The young lady's probably relieved to be away from me. At least she didn't appear disabled in any way. Having to send her to a hospital would have been a jail sentence. I know how to manipulate. To cajole. To make students realize what they did was wrong. To use the cane or strap as reminders, yes, but to cut and bruise? Never! But why did I lose control? Why can't I remember? Did Yeager's attitude cause me to lose it? Was it something about Yeager that drove me mad? Just looking at her with those shifty looks and snide remarks, I can feel my blood pressure rising. Placing my fork down, I rise.

My assistant looks hard at me. "Sir...?"

"I need time to think, Miss Holeman," I say simply. "When you're finished, take her upstairs."

"Yes, sir."

I turn my back on them and quickly leave the room. Passing my office, I continue to the front door and open it. The morning is nice for early September, and I walk through the entryway. Taking a deep breath, I feel some of the doubt leave me. It's Yeager. Something about her. I have to get control of myself and be confident. Show no fear or anger. I have years of experience with the boys, and the first girl here was such a success. I know I can do this!

* * *

I watch Miss Holeman stare at the door Mr. Cox had just left through. So he was sorry. He didn't seem to be lying, but it didn't matter. That fear I felt. That's all I can remember clearly. It came from him somehow. I was in that torture chamber; and then I was on my back on the bed. It's all so unclear. The tall woman stands, distracting my train of thought, and I look up.

"Time to go upstairs, Yeager."

She's all business now. Taking her lead, I place the plate in the sink and rinse it. So no Mr. Cox for a while. If he really does feel some guilt, then I can work on that angle when he comes back. I guess I'll just have to act like my ass hurts more than it does. But now it's just me and Miss Holeman. As the tall lady leads me back through the office, she doesn't say anything. I think I'm fairly safe with her. Yeah, she strapped me. Took pictures. Yelled a lot. But I'm starting to think that, deep down, she isn't really sadistic. I almost want to say she's been kind since she took me out of Mr. Cox's Punishment Room. As we climb to the top of the stairs, the tall blonde stops and looks back at me. "What?"

"What, Ma'am, you mean?"

No reason to piss her off yet. "Sorry, Ma'am." With her on the step above me, I really have to crank my head up to look her in the face. "Is something wrong, ma'am?

"Let's do something that might relax us a bit. Change into your workout gear."

I sigh. "You mean my sports bra and stretch shorts?"

"Just do it, Miss Yeager," the blond woman says a little brusquely. "I'll be in the classroom."

I watch to make sure she enters. Staying out in the hallway, I open and close the dorm door loudly. Not wasting a moment, I sneak past the classroom entrance, making sure Miss Holeman isn't looking my way. Quickly studying the wall on the opposite side of the punishment room, I see that there's white molding just above hip height that wraps around the entire hallway. Looking closely, I can see the seams about four feet apart running vertically. Then I test the foot panel, but nothing happens. How do I open it? Well, the panel down in the kitchen, of course! I stand there blinking. How do I know that? With the sounds inside the 'classroom' growing, I have no more time. I'd have to figure this out later. Quietly, I slide back to the dorm room and begin to change.

A few minutes later, I enter the classroom and find the mats are out again. "I hope this isn't more wrestling, Miss Holeman."

The fit woman shakes her head, taking her slippers off. "I think something a bit more relaxing is in order. Especially after last night. Have you ever tried any martial arts?"

"No, ma'am. I've seen a few movies is all." I can't imagine standing a chance in a fight against the tall blonde.

Miss Holeman just smiles. "They can be quite acrobatic in those movies. I think we will start with something more reasonable. Tai chi." She pulls open a drawer and hands me a uniform similar to the one she's wearing. "Put this on."

I quickly slip on the long tunic, finding it to be loose and comfortable. Finally! Something on me that doesn't look like it's going to burst at the seams. Miss Holeman approaches with a belt and reaches around me to cinch it around my tapered waist. "Does this mean I'm a black belt, Miss Holeman?" I ask dryly.

"No, Miss Yeager. It just matches the gi," the older lady retorts. "There are no belts or rankings in tai chi."

"Oh." My grin melts a bit. Can she at least joke a little?

Miss Holeman steps back. "What I want you to do this morning is to relax and focus on your internal self."

"I don't think I can relax here, Ma'am. There's just too much I can't put out of my head. Like two more canings."

"All the better to learn to center yourself." She puts a little more distance between us. "Why not just watch me then?"

I look on as Miss Holeman closes her eyes and lets her limbs fall to her sides. She begins to slowly move them upwards and back downwards, repeating the motion a few times. Stepping sideways, the fit lady reaches out towards me as if beckoning.

I catch myself getting mesmerized by the fluid motion of Miss Holeman's body. It's amazing to see a woman so tall be able to move so precisely and languidly at the same time. I wonder again how long the lady has practiced to get this good. "Wow," I whisper. My utterance must have carried in the quiet room since Miss Holeman comes to a stop and opens her eyes.

"Would you like to join me now that I've demonstrated tai chi, Miss Yeager?"

I nod. After seeing what Miss Holeman had done I wasn't as intimidated by something called a martial art anymore. "It does look relaxing in a way."

"Precisely, Miss Yeager. Follow my lead." Miss Holeman sets herself back to a neutral position, and I match her posture.

"Close your eyes."

I sigh. My guard is up, but I'm beginning to think Miss Holeman wouldn't do anything too crazy. Slowly, I comply with what the woman asks, but I'm still nervously listening for any sudden movements. Then she speaks gently.

"Take a deep breath through your nose: and let it out through your mouth."

I do so, not really feeling any different. She has me repeat that several times, and I begin to relax a little.

"Now look at me."

I open my eyes and watch Miss Holeman begin to move the way she did earlier. I try to match her, but feel clumsy, at least compared to her precise movements. She doesn't correct me, however. The woman just keeps repeating the motion until I do better. Finally letting go, I fall into her rhythm. The fair-haired instructor starts to speak quietly as the positions begin to get more complex.

"Focus on me. Let the rest of the world fall away. There's nothing but our bodies and mastering ourselves."

I begin to relax. To really relax. My muscles are warming up, and I start to anticipate some of the motions almost before Miss Holeman completes them. The tall lady repeats a sequence, and I fall instinctively into the pattern. It's strangely comforting and exhilarating at the same time. Even our breathing seems to be in synch. I'm warm all over; and it feels really good. Well, almost too good!

I realize something's happening. Slowly, I'm becoming more aware of it. It's not just the workout. It's like... It's something I can almost pluck out of the air around me. I look again at Beth, and we both lunge closer together. I lock eyes with the tall woman, and I feel a strong emotion. Lust?! I suddenly realize I'm blushing! My movements become disjointed; I'm so distracted. Miss Holeman looks perturbed as well.

"Sally...?" She shakes her head. "I mean, Miss Yeager. Are you okay?"

I can't believe it. How can I get turned on like that? Yeah. She's hot if you're into six-foot plus behemoths, but; here?! Is it because of what we did yesterday? "It's alright, ma'am," I finally say. "I just need a moment. Do you have some water?"

The tall lady nods and goes to a bag in the corner. I catch myself looking at her muscled bottom as it peeks out from under her gi. What would it be like to have her using those... What the hell?! I'm no lesbian! I try to get myself under control as she comes back, but I can tell that Miss Holeman is watching me curiously. I reach for the proffered bottle and brush the strong woman's hand...

...it's like an electric charge passes through me!

Staring up at the taller woman, I see her surprise as well. The blonde gasps and takes an unsteady step back, as if she'd received a blow from me. We both stand there for a moment, staring at each other, and I realize that my heart is beating out of my chest! The blushing woman takes another step back.

"Let's, uh, finish our water and continue, Miss Yeager."

To my ears, it sounds as if the older woman is definitely flustered. What's going on? I haven't felt this turned on in, well, during my fantasies in bed. I really didn't think I'm into women. Was it Miss Holeman? Beth, in particular? I see the pale woman close her eyes and begin to breathe slowly again.

Okay. Maybe I can do something with this. I close my eyes as well and start to breath slowly just like before. In the nose; out the mouth. I picture her in the leotard. Muscled, pale skin sweating. Just like my mental image last night. She comes closer intending to pin me. This time I'll do better. I open my eyes as I hear Miss Holeman move. Ah fuck!

In less than a blink of an eye, I feel myself grabbed, turned, and then my world flips upside down. It's so smooth. Almost like a thrill ride. I land on my back with a soft thud. Looking up breathlessly, I see she's staring down at me. Staring hard. Her eyes travel down to my splayed legs, and I realize I'm quite vulnerable here. "Miss Holeman?"

"I can't do this," she whispers. The woman grits her teeth and reaches down as if to help me up. The moment we clasp hands, it's all over.

Instead of picking me up, Beth is drawn down on top of me. The lady's face is fully flushed now. She carefully settles her body just above mine, and where we touch, little thrills pass between us. The woman above me lets out a soft sigh, and her eyes shift down. She's looking at my slightly parted mouth. I can sense what she's about to do to me. Do I want this? The blonde's thinner lips hesitantly close with my more full ones, and all doubts are swept away in a wet rush.