Lucy couldn't deny she was nervous. For weeks she had planned to attend the annual "Halloween Leather and Lace Fetish Ball" held in the nearby city with two close friends, Hayley and Kelly. They had all thought it would be a liberating experience and were all anxious to see attend an adult themed Halloween party. Now, she sat in her car parked alone, as her friends had backed out unexpectedly at the last minute.

She seriously considered just leaving, but the ticket hadn't been cheap. The drive there wasn't exactly short, and Lucy was reluctant to just turn around and head home even if she would be attending this adult Halloween party alone. Besides, the curiosity that had compelled her to come in the first place was still there. She took a deep breath and made a quick adjustment to the sexy pirate costume she had on. Then, she headed for the line in the door. In moments she was attracting attention and she could see why. Lucy was easily the most covered woman in sight. This costume which she had expected would be perfect to wear only made her seem more out place, as she looked at the other women waiting to get inside.

The doorman gave Lucy an odd look as he took her ticket. Lucy knew she essentially screamed "tourist" or "newcomer" in this crowd, but these events were huge. She couldn't be the only person here just to look. She entered this enormous building and her senses were nearly overwhelmed by the crowd of people, the flashing lights from the dance floor and the dank smells of leather and sweat.

She almost turned around again. If she had felt out of place in line outside, stepping inside was like falling through a rabbit hole. Everywhere she looked were people in collars on leashes being led around by women with exposed breasts above tight corsets. Her mind was reeling. Lucy was drawing more stares than ever. Some of the looks were utterly frightening, as if she were being assessed from head to toe. She had never felt so out of place and confused when out of the chaos she heard a voice.

"Is this your first time my dear?" The voice belonged to a woman and was at once drenched in honey and forged in steel.

"Yes!" exclaimed Lucy, desperate for someone to help her. "Ma'am," she added, not entirely sure why she had. The last time she called someone Ma'am was in high school, but this woman seemed to command immediate respect. She was also an imposing figure in shiny black in 6 inch spike platform heels and fishnets, which perfectly accentuated her fit and shapely legs. With these intimidating heels, this attractive woman wore an black lace corset that left her breasts exposed but supported and a short paneled leather mini skirt with hem more than a few inches above her knee. Her eyes were blue-green but her gaze was piercing. Finally, Lucy could only be envious of her gorgeous blonde tresses, which she could only suspect by the radiant color of her flowing hair to be completely natural. Lucy was impressed by this stunning and captivating woman, but it was more than just her friendly words in a sea of strangers that made her seem inviting. She exuded strange yet welcoming warmth.

"All by yourself?" the blonde haired goddess asked as Lucy came closer.

"Yes, ma'am," Lucy answered, blushing a bit and still wondering why she was calling this woman "Ma'am."

The woman flashed a brilliant smile in return. "Well then, you're in luck. The organizers hired me to answer questions and help out guests whom seem confused."

"Oh thank you, Ma'am. I am more than a bit overwhelmed, " Lucy said, realizing her own English accent was a stark contrast to this imposing woman's American accent. "My friends and I thought this would be fun, but they all chickened out at the last minute. Now I'm here alone and I'm starting to wonder why I came at all."

"Would you like me to help you find the dance floor and maybe a partner once there?" this mysterious woman asked with a sly smile.

"No ma'am, I can't dance very well at all. Yeah my friends were ....." Lucy stammered.

"There must have been some reason you were interested?" the woman asked encouragingly.

Laine blushed a deeper shade of red. "I always kind of wondered why people did things like this. Being tied up or spanked. I never really imagined it being anything like this." She motioned to the crowd and demonstration areas set up around the building.

The attractive, older woman gave a faint smile. This young lady had potential. She was obviously not just here for the show. She believed she was truly curious. Well, that was another one of her roles so to speak - to assist the curious. The sweet young thing was already acting naturally deferential, and she noticed her instincts seemed to indicate a submissive streak. It would be important to bring out these submissive tendencies without scaring her off.

"Why don't we find a quieter area where I can answer your questions? I believe there is a lounge area set up on the other side of the bar. Would you care for a drink?"

"No ma'am. Not that I don't want to talk to you, but I think I should probably stay sober and keep my wits about me."

Another smile was quickly hidden. All the better if she stayed sober, or so Valerie thought.

"What is your name my dear?" Valerie asked, as she led the way through the crowd. Lucy dropped into step three paces behind her.

"Lucy, Ma'am."

"What a endearing name, Lucy. I am called Mistress V at these types of events."

"Is that how I should address you, Mistress?" Lucy rolled the foreign but oddly sensual term over her tongue.

Valerie smiled warmly down on her again. "Ma'am is just fine actually. Since you are not one of my pets calling me Mistress is not necessary. It is probably a good thing I stepped in when I did. These balls are supposed to be considered casual and it is supposed to be understood not everyone is 'scene' but there are some stripes of Dominants that would see a woman alone as prey to be claimed." As she said this Valerie gave an intense warning gaze to a particularly fierce looking bearded man who had been eyeing Lucy since her arrival. He returned with an ugly stare of his own before turning away, and Lucy heaved a sigh of relief. For the first time since arriving she didn't feel compelled to make a run for the door.

As they walked along, Lucy became increasingly self-conscious of the way she was dressed. Her costume was all wrong. She was still getting a fair number of curious stares, and she knew she was standing out. This was probably because she was wearing a lot more than anyone else present, or so she thought.

Valerie looked back at Lucy and saw her awkwardly fussing in her costume. She stopped walking and allowed Lucy to catch up. "Feeling uncomfortable my dear?"

"My costume, Ma'am. It just doesn't seem right."

"It's very attractive, but not exactly appropriate for this type of event."

Lucy shifted on her heels, feeling more awkward every second. What could she do?

Valerie leaned in with a conspiratorial whisper, "Actually, I think if you took off the jacket, the bodice you are wearing would work on its own."

Lucy's eyes lit up in momentary relief, but then nerves took back over and she bit her lip. "I suppose it would look better, but" Lucy trailed off, thinking to herself. The bodice wasn't indecent and maybe she would attract less attention without the jacket.

Valerie whispered again, "You will stand out less in less here. It's the same as at a nude beach. The person wearing clothes attracts the most attention."

Lucy nodded, realizing that made sense to her. It was almost like Valerie was following her train of thought. She shrugged the pirate jacket off her shoulders. Valerie took the jacket from Lucy and folded it over her arm. "There are some lockers over in the same direction I can drop this off in. Now as for the skirt..."

Lucy blushed again. She had chosen a rather long and bulky skirt for an authentic pirate wench costume. She felt terribly and embarrassingly overdressed.

"What do you have on under it?"

"A pair of lace knickers and a garter belt holding up my fishnets, Ma'am."

"That is Perfect," Valerie said, with a sheepish grin

Lucy's jaw sank as she processed what the older woman was suggesting.

"So just my underwear?"

Valerie gave her another encouraging smile. "It will look just right, especially with the boots you have on."

Lucy bit her lip again. She took a deep breath and unfastened the skirt. It fell down around her ankles, and she bent over to pick it up, as Valerie watched closely. Lucy had mid-length dark brown hair, and she was equally as tall as Valerie with a similar build as well. The bodice showcased her well-shaped breasts and slim waist, and the garter belt, garters and fishnet stockings made her ass and legs look absolutely amazing. She was a beautiful girl oblivious in her own regard. Lucy didn't notice or at least overlooked the domina's intense scrutiny as she stood up and handed the skirt over, as Valerie carefully looked her over.

"Leave the hat. It's really cute and sets off your hair," Valerie said, accepting the skirt and neatly folding it over the jacket.

Valerie blushed deeper still. "I've never thought anything special about my hair, Ma'am. "

Imagining her hair in a tight French braid which she would then clutch hard, pulling Lucy close, "It has beautiful highlights.

And it's so long and thick. It is really quite lovely," Valerie cooed.

Lucy felt herself war inside with Valerie's words. That this gorgeous woman thought she was anything to look at was a real compliment. They turned down an aisle of lockers, and Valerie stopped to drop off Lucy's jacket and skirt. Then, Valerie nonchalantly tucked the key inside a small pocket inside her lace corset. For a brief moment, Lucy panicked as she realized was no way she could drive all the way home in her underwear. Valerie now controlled when she could leave.

Valerie turned to her, sensing the younger gal's uneasiness and said, "Don't worry. Whenever you want the key I will give it to you. I just don't see a place for you to keep it on yourself." Lucy's nerves calmed again. It was almost as if Lucy could anticipate her concerns and lay them to rest before she had even figured them out.

Valerie led them away from the locker room to lounge area. Lucy looked around with curious confusion. Some of the men and women were reclining on leather chaises and couches while others knelt at their feet on the floor. Valerie steered them over to a quiet table a ways away from anyone else. A woman in a skimpy cocktail waitress outfit crawled over to them as they sat down. Valerie rolled her eyes and intoned in a distant and disinterested voice. "This is laying it on a bit thick. Please stand. I rarely make my own pets crawl, so let alone others."

Valerie clapped, and the woman stood and answered, "Thank you Mistress. What would you and your companion like to drink?"

"I will have sparkling water. My dear, what will you have?"

"I will have the same," Lucy replied. She didn't generally drink mineral water, but she wasn't going to have any alcohol and this didn't feel like the time or place for ordering a soft drink.

"Two sparkling waters. Thank you my Lady." The waitress bowed and hurried to fill their order. She was back in a flash with a couple of bottles of S.Pelligro and glasses with ice. Valerie waited until the waitress was out of earshot. "I really should speak to the organizers. Making the waitresses crawl is a bit much. Now my dear what would you like to know?"

Lucy shifted a little uneasily in her chair. "I guess my main question is why? Why would anyone do these things? What do they get from it?"

"That is a fairly loaded question, particularly the 'what do they get from it' part. People get many different things out of this lifestyle. But I should probably start with the basics. BDSM or Bondage, Discipline, Sadism and Masochism, is based around the concept of power exchange. One person gives up control to another that they trust. Some people do it to explore things they are too frightened to experience on their own or to not have guilt associated with those desires. Others have a wish to serve and please another. The dominant partner lovingly instructs the submissive in how to feed those desires."

"What about pain? How does that play a part? Why would people want pain?"

"That is very straightforward. Simple physiology. The body produces potent pain killer known as endorphins. Controlled pain causes the body to kick off so many endorphins it brings on a drug like high. The body also produces endorphins when it feels pleasure. That's how pain and pleasure end up connected for a masochist, because physiologically they are connected. The endorphins also contribute to a relaxed state of mind and feeling of well-being.

"You mean people do this to relax?"

Valerie chuckled, "That is a major reason."

Lucy's tense muscles responded to that information by twitching in frustration. She constantly wished she could relax, but between work and night school and worrying about her student loans relaxation was a commodity out of her reach.

Valerie noticed the affect her words were having on Lucy. This younger girl was tense despite feeling more at ease in the company of another woman. She had seen this before; young women so unable to relax they were neurotic. It made the compassionate domina more determined that if she could she would help Lucy learn the sublime peace and exquisite pleasure she had brought to so many others.

"Is this an everyday thing for them?" Lucy asked.

"Not generally. For some, it's an occasional indulgence. For others, it's more of a weekly thing. Only a few live the lifestyle 24/7 and even they break for work or going to the store. Personally as important as this is to me, I couldn't imagine being responsible for someone else all the time. Weekends and the occasional evening is more than enough for me."

"So when they aren't here, they're just like anyone else?"

"Sweetie, they are anyone else. They could be the clerk at the supermarket, the receptionist at the doctor's office or even the doctor. We're a community fairly big on discretion. You wouldn't know from just meeting someone on the street."

Lucy's eyes kept gazing around at all the strange sights. She was beginning to get used to the collars and leashes and only felt a little shock at the prevalent nudity. Every time, however, she thought she had seen the strangest thing yet something odder still would come into view. She was still confused, but Valerie had shed some light on their behavior and she could look now with some understanding. Her friends wouldn't have even tried. They would have just pointed and laughed at everything that they didn't understand, or they would have left as soon as they saw something that bothered them, which would have probably taken about two minutes. For the first time since she arrived, she was happy her friends weren't here.

"I could keep answering your questions all night, but at a certain point I think seeing will make more sense," Valerie said, as she slipped into a reverie about a plethora of possibilities.

Lucy nodded again, trusting the attractive older woman she had just meant. She was still a bit nervous about the way she was dressed. Also, she knew a part of her didn't want to leave the anonymity and comfort of the lounge, but she couldn't resist the chance to see for herself if what Valerie had said was true. Again, Valerie led the way with Lucy naturally falling in three steps behind. Lucy was attracting considerably less attention than she had earlier, and as a result dropped her self-consciousness over her appearance.

Valerie stopped them in front of a stage set up with what almost looked like an exam table in the middle. One woman was leading another over to the table.

"The B in BDSM-Bondage. This is the simplest and most direct means of giving up control." Valerie motioned to the women on the stage. The first woman ordered the second to lie down on the table. Lucy observed in fascination as the woman was strapped down to the table-first by her wrists and her ankles. Lastly a strap was secured across her chest between her breasts and collarbone. She momentarily saw a look of terror pass the woman's features before the other women leaned over, stroked her hair and whispered in her ear. Then, she ceased her struggles against her bonds and a look of pure contentment took over her face.

Lucy looked on in amazement. The other woman took out a large peacock feather and began to run it up and down teasing the tied woman who shuddered in ecstasy at the soft touch. It looked utterly exquisite. Lucy wasn't sure why that was the word that came to her, but it felt right. She had never seen a more sensual act and her own skin felt more alive than she could even remember.

Valerie was herself closely observing Lucy, and could see the color rising in her cheeks and the shallowness of her breathing. There was no question that she was getting turned on. Valerie placed a hand on Lucy shoulder, and Lucy stiffened at the unexpected touch, but quickly discovered she liked the feeling of Valerie's hand on her shoulder. This was more comforting than threatening, and as a result Lucy was able to take a deep breath and allowed her nerves to calm even more. She steeled herself and asked the question that was burning in her mind. "Ma'am, what is she feeling that makes her act like that?"

Was it too soon? Valerie wondered to herself. She let Lucy watch the sensuous torture another minute before answering her, judging it as good a time as any. "Would you like to find out?"

Lucy looked up at her, not expecting such a bold and direct question. "I have never done anything like this. What will happen to me?"

Valerie smiled and grasped her hand, leading her away toward the locker area again and unlocked what Lucy suspected was her own locker. Valerie quickly retrieved a black bag from inside the locker, and then led Lucy to a more private area. Valerie found an unoccupied room, and then she reached inside the bag, rummaging through the contents. She pulled out a pair of leather cuffs from inside the mysterious bag. "Nothing. All I will do is put these on your wrists and bind them together in front of you, fairly loosely of course. I don't want to cause any unnecessary pain. If you get scared all you have to do is ask and I will let you out."

Valerie smiled sheepishly. "Ok my dear. Put your hands out in front of you."

-To be continued...