It wasn't as if things stopped for our heroines on the weekends, but as Mariko fell into the routine of the Academy, those days seemed somehow, more relaxed. There were no classes to attend and Ma'am and Joan tended to go easy on their charges. They usually just gave them some sort of mundane task to perform. Cutting leather patterns, polishing shoes or chains, oiling leather items or some other such nonsense. "Busy hands, Happy hands..." was Allison's much quoted motto. The sun rose on the newest Saturday and found Mariko snuggled in her bed. She had long come to enjoy the 6-7 hours of freedom and respite that her bed provided. Goodness knows, she paid dearly for it during the other eighteen hours of the day. Her dreams of lying on a big, beautiful, white sand beach were rudely interrupted by a jostling hand on her shoulder. "Wake up! Wake up!..." whispered Ma'am as she gently rubbed Mariko's shoulder. "Humm... Ohhh... Just five more minutes..." Mumbled Mariko without opening her eyes. (being a notoriously slow riser) And unbelievably, the hand disappeared. Mariko's mind was not quite clear and she momentarily wondered if she had dreamt about Ma'am. After all, it was usually a buzzer that got her up in the morning. Mariko dismissed the disruption as her imagination as she drifted back to the beach. She was dozing back to sleep hearing only the cries of the gulls and rumbling of the waves when a huge slosh of cold water enveloped her head. Sputtering and shivering, she sat bolt upright in her, now soaking wet bed. Ma'am was there, smiling down at the stunned girl. "Now was that really necessary!?!" stammered Mariko as she ran her fingers through her hair attempting to strain out as much of the icy water as was possible. "Well, No, I suppose it wasn't... But I've just always wanted to do that." giggled Ma'am as she put the pail down on the table. "And anyway, today's Saturday, you're not supposed to be mean to me today." Whined Mariko. "Gee, who made up that rule?" wondered Ma'am. "Because if that's what you expected, your in for a big disappointment... You have 45 minutes to eat and get cleaned up. So you had better hustle." "Oh, swell. Could you at least tell me what's going on?" "Well, let's just say that you are in for a very interesting day and leave it at that... Why spoil the surprise?" replied Ma'am as she headed for the door. "You have 44 minutes..." Mariko hurried over to the table and peered despondently at her breakfast. Boring old corn flakes. She had found through experience, that it was better to eat what they provided rather then to refuse it, whereas she would either go hungry or be "Coaxed" by her captors. She was in the final stages of drying herself under the air dryer when Ma'am appeared again and led Mariko back into the main room. Two chairs were arranged facing each other and the standard cosmetics were arranged on the table. With a despondent sigh, Mariko assumed the position and Ma'am began applying her Make-up. Glancing behind Ma'am as she was applying a pink lip-gloss to her lips, Mariko spied a guard pushing a cart with several hangars of clothes. The guard pushed the cart into the corner and then departed. Undoubtedly Mariko would be dressing up for whatever they had planed. Ma'am finished her work and told Mariko to stand up. Mariko complied as Ma'am went to the cart and returned with a white garter belt and stockings, and handed them to Mariko. As she had on each and every day, she turned up her nose at her captors choice of attire. "Look," said Ma'am unemotionally "We can do this the easy way or the hard way, It doesn't matter to me..." But it certainly did to Mariko. She sat on the edge of the bed and pulled the stockings up her leg. The stockings turned out to be much shorter then usual. The reinforced area that usually was positioned high on her thigh, was only an inch or so above her knee. Luckily, the garter straps were long enough to reach. Next followed a pink shirt with a starched white collar. If it was possible there seemed to be more starch in this one then all of the others Mariko had endured before put together. At least it had a full front to it this time. Mariko reached behind her to smooth out the tail of her shirt. Unfortunately, and not to her surprise, there was no back tail to the blouse. Just an up-side down "U" "Uh, Oh..." thought Mariko. "I don't think I like the looks of this..." Ma'am stood watching Mariko button the blouse up and observed Mariko's resigned glance at the black silk necktie Ma'am had hung on her finger. "You know, I'm really getting sick of those." Mariko said as she buttoned up the top button of her blouse. "Yeah, I understand, I am too, but I get the feeling that someone around here really likes them on you..." (The two girls pause, look at each other, then turn and glare at SNIDLEY, Who sheepishly grins and shrugs in return... :^) "...So, on it goes!" continued Ma'am as she stepped forward and put the tie around Mariko's neck. Mariko obediently held her chin up and stood still as Ma'am pulled the knot tight and then clipped the gold collar bar in place. Mariko tried to run her finger around the inside of her collar but it was far too snug. It briefly crossed her mind that she would trade this collar for a leather one any time. The leather ones never seemed to be this constricting. Ma'am interrupted this thought as she handed Mariko a pair of gold cuff-links. Each was in the shape of a little horse's head. Mariko groaned. "Allison's not gonna make me go riding again, is She?" whined Mariko. "Nope, You won't be riding any horses today, that I can assure you." Ma'am said with a smirk as she handed Mariko a black skirt. This skirt was heavy and stiff and surprisingly long for once, with two black satin stripes running down along the outside of her leg. Mariko unzipped the side zipper and slipped the skirt up her legs. With a roll of her eyes she shook her head at the construction of the skirt. Although it ran all the way to the lower part of her calf, It had no back. When she looked in the mirror she could see her cheeks outlined by the elongated "Heart" shaped panel that had been removed from the back of the skirt. The top of the heart curved around the top of each cheek and the point at the bottom of the heart ended just above the back of her knees. She couldn't see the back of her blouse that she had tucked into her skirt. Both her ass cheeks stuck prominently out of the heavy black garment. Ma'am smiled and patted Mariko's bum as she handed her a vest. Mariko slipped the pink vest on and buttoned it up the front, capturing her dangling necktie. It contrasted with her shirt by the thin black piping that ran along it's edges. Mariko hadn't noticed the laces in the back but Ma'am hadn't forgotten. When she was done the vest was tight and formed around Mariko's waist and hugged her tits in a restrictive way. Mariko could still move about but she was conscious of her every breath in this outfit. Ma'am was enjoying the sight of the petite Japanese girl as she squirmed in her new getup. Mariko couldn't seem to decide what was more uncomfortable, the collar and tie, the tight little vest, or the skirt that exposed almost as much as it covered. The only thing that she seemed to not be bothered by was her feet. (Heh!) Time for her boots. Ma'am plucked them off the shoe tree on the cart and handed them to Mariko. Mariko sat down on her chair to put them on. She ignored the feeling of her bare cheeks rubbing against the cool wood of the chair as she pulled the boots on. The heels were very high, about 5 inches, but surprisingly, the boots were not all that uncomfortable. Given a moment, Mariko discerned that although the heels were high, the leather that surrounded her feet was a little softer then what she was accustom to and also, instead of being tight, the boots were just a little bit loose. (In other words, they fit.) Mariko stood and walked about for a moment. Perhaps things were getting better. Then again, perhaps not... Ma'am held both her hands out towards Mariko, A black leather glove held open between them. Mariko held out her right hand and pressed it into the glove with Ma'am's help. Her fingers found their way into their allotted places and then her thumb slid into it's billet, tucked securely and helplessly out of the way. Ma'am buckled a small strap around her wrist and then held out the other glove. Mariko realized that as soon as she put her other hand in it's glove she was as good as bound. She would be almost completely helpless to anything Ma'am would choose to do to her. Now was the time to resist if she was going to... Mariko sighed and pressed her hand into the glove. Ma'am tightened the glove's wrist strap around Mariko's wrist and then smiled at the little slave. Without even letting go of Mariko's wrist, she easily spun the Japanese girl around and yanked her hands behind her back. Mariko felt the leather strap wrap around her wrists and press the smooth cotton of her shirt into her wrist as Ma'am tightened the strap. Ma'am followed that strap with the obligatory one around Mariko's elbows. It was of no surprise to Mariko, in fact, she would have been even more surprised if Ma'am hadn't. Ma'am tugged the strap until Mariko's elbows touched and then tucked the strap end into it's holder. With a light shove on the shoulder, Ma'am pushed Mariko out into the center of the room. "Now, let's see, what have we forgotten?" Ma'am said as Mariko squirmed against the straps. There was never a millimeter of give but somehow it always made her feel better to struggle at first. Mariko glanced at herself in the mirror. She couldn't help but admire herself for a moment. It was funny, but although she would never have selected an outfit like this for herself, she was beginning to relish how conscious of her body she felt when they did this to her. And how sexy. All her clothes were tight, so compressing, that sometimes it was uncomfortable to breath, but they never looked like they were too small. Her vest for example, felt to her as if the buttons were about to pop, but to an outside observer all the edges laid flat and the vest just looked very tailored. Her skirt pressed against her thighs and tucked in smoothly as she legs narrowed at the knee. It didn't buckle or wrinkle along the front and hung loosely down to the middle of her calf's where the kick pleat allowed her to walk easily. Even the shirt and tie was becoming part of her. It no longer looked silly or butch to her, the look had become rather coy and cute. Now if it wasn't so damn uncomfortable. Ma'am suddenly appeared in the mirror behind Mariko and knelt down. Mariko watched as Ma'am began fiddling with the kick pleat in her skirt. Buttoning buttons. When Ma'am stood again, Mariko realized what she had done. Mariko was now as securely hobbled as she had ever been, only there was no cord between her ankles. Her steps were limited to about 10 inches before the skirt "popped" and she would have to step again. Mariko tested this as she walked about for a moment, swaying from side to side with each step. "Well, I've got a bunch of other things to do..." Ma'am said, interrupting the mood, "Allison will be here to get you in an hour or so. Now, come here so I can put a gag on you..." "Oh, come on Ma'am, I won't talk or anything. If you are just going to leave me here, what difference does it make if I'm gagged or not?" Mariko pleaded. Ma'am paused and thought for a moment, then reached for the door. "Phew..." exclaimed Mariko, as she turned back to look at herself in the mirror. Suddenly Ma'am was behind her again. "Well, If it really doesn't matter, then you may as well be gagged, eh?" said Ma'am as she roughly spun Mariko around to face her and then forcefully pressed a leather wad into Mariko's mouth. The thin strap was tightened at the back of her head under her hair and then a second strap, about 2 1/2 inches wide crossed over her mouth again covering up the cruel looking packing and making the gag look very tidy. Ma'am spun Mariko back to face the mirror again. This time to admire the suppressing gag in her mouth. "Now don't you dare mess up your outfit!" Ma'am said as she shook her fist at Mariko. Mariko wasn't particularly threatened by the fist, although she was most certainly convinced that she would be better off if she followed the advice. It was amazing to Mariko just how slowly time passed when she was bound and gagged like this. Mariko did her best to pass the time. She kicked a chair over in front of the mirror so she could sit comfortably and really study herself. She tried to figure out what was so appealing about her predicament. To no avail. After a little while of this she decided to try to get some rest. She sat down on the edge of the bed and carefully laid down onto her side, so that her arms would not be compressed under her. She was careful not to wrinkle her clothes as well. Better safe then sorry. Mariko awoke to a fumbling at the door. She sat up quickly and glanced at her clothes. Still tidy. So far so good. The surprise was that it was Allison at the door, She had on a black blazer and khaki riding britches with a crisp white shirt with an open collar and a paisley ascot. A black derby was cocked nattily on the side of her head. "Up, Up, Up!..." Allison chattered as she entered. All business. She grabbed a pink coat off the hangar and approached Mariko. She spun Mariko around and held the coat open. Mariko, confused at first, did nothing. She hadn't bothered to examine the coat while it was on the rack. With her arms tied behind her, she would not be able to slip her arms into the sleeves. Allison was insistent though, as she held the coat out. What Mariko hadn't bargained on was that she didn't have to worry about the sleeves, all she had to do was stick both her arms down the sleeve. The jacket was constructed with only one sleeve that ran down the center of her back. Allison slid the jacket up Mariko's arms and onto her shoulders. Mariko was somewhat surprised that the jacket fit so well. It was as if it was tailor made for her, and her arms and unfortunately... her bum. The coat, although it hung to her knees, had the same upside-down "U" as her skirt in the back. Mariko's buttocks stuck right out. Allison buckled a little strap onto Mariko's gloves. It was attached at the back of her hand and ended at the wrist strap. When it was tightened Mariko's wrists turned upward pulling her hands away from her buttocks, eliminating the possibility that she would be able to cover herself with her hands. Allison turned her around again (Mariko was beginning to get dizzy) and buttoned the single button on the front of the jacket. With her arms tied behind her as they were that single button was as insurmountable as a padlock. This coat was not coming off. Allison went behind Mariko again and pulled her hair back and tied it with a pink ribbon. She then produced a derby for Mariko and plunked it down on her head and brushed her hands with a satisfied sigh. "There, just some final primping. We'll fix you tie, and smooth your skirt and we'll be all set for the show." Allison said as she did just that. "Show?" thought Mariko apprehensively. "She couldn't possibly mean..." "Yep, We're having quite a competition today. I'm basing it on a horse show. You and I are going to be a team." Allison said with a smile. She opened the door to Mariko's suite and motioned for Mariko to precede her. This didn't bode well at all. The golf cart squeaked to a stop behind one of the particularly large barns behind Allison's estate. Allison hopped out of the passenger seat and came to the back of the cart to collect Mariko. As soon as Mariko was on her feet the cart zoomed away and back towards the house. Mariko waited as Allison opened the door and then she was shoved inside. They walked down a short hallway and then entered a small plain room. Allison went to a table in the corner and returned with several small objects. "Hold still!" Allison admonished as she removed the stud earrings from Mariko's ears. Confused, Mariko waited as Allison pressed an object against Mariko's ear lobe. It was a ring. Similar to a small hoop earring, but of a much heavier gage wire. It took some prodding, but Allison was finally successful in inserting it through Mariko's pierce. As she began working on the second ear, Allison began to explain about the competition. "The "Show" is going to be divided into two sections, The first section is called the "Display" section. You are going to be judged in three categories during Display: appearance, discipline, and compliance." Allison explained as she worked on Mariko's ear rings. "The appearance part is simple. You are judged on how pleasing you look, everything from your physical attractiveness, to your attire, to your carriage." Allison continued as she finished putting the other earring into Mariko's ear. "We start out with a 100 point score, and then points are deducted for any flaws the judges may find on you. For instance, we will loose points on your score if your outfit is sloppy or if you don't smile while you are performing." Mariko did a bit of a double take on that one. Smiling, under the circumstances was difficult, if not impossible. Allison smiled at Mariko's astonished expression and then added, "Your attire is my responsibility, obviously. Things like crooked ties, loose buttons, stuff like that all loose points. But the smiling part is yours. You can smile with your eyes if you try hard enough." Mariko nodded, she knew she would have to try. "They will also judge your carriage. That is how you move and stand. We'll go over that in a few minutes. "Discipline is very simple for you. Simply put, when you are in a pose, you will stay in that pose until you are given a verbal or physical cue that you are to move. "Compliance is judged by how quickly and proficiently you respond to orders. Some orders will be verbal, some physical, and some simply implied, so you had better be on your toes!" Allison glanced down at Mariko's five inch heels. "I mean alert..." "The "Compliance and Carriage" parts are what we will go over now. One of the most important rule is that you will look straight ahead. Keeping your shoulders square, your chin up and your head straight. Unless you are given specific orders, you will not turn your head!" Mariko groaned inwardly, this didn't look like it was going to be a very fun afternoon. "Let's practice now, and I'll show you what I mean." Allison said as Mariko scowled at her. "Hey, I could have entered us in the girl-roping event..." "Lets try it... Head up! Eyes front! Shoulders back! Chest out! Get that head up! Higher!!" Allison decreed, like a drill sergeant barking orders. "Put you weight on your left foot! Slide your right foot forward slightly! Not that far! There, that's good." Allison walked slowly around her charge, inspecting her. Mariko held perfectly still as she had been told. Allison slowly moved to face Mariko. She reached out and fiddled with Mariko's necktie, wiggling it a teeny bit tighter and smoothed it into her vest. "Smile dear... I want us to win this show really bad, but it is going to take both of us to pull it off. If it'll take any of the pressure off you, you should know that no one else competing has ever done anything like this before. I've just recently come up with the idea." Allison said proudly. "So everyone that is competing really has the same chance. But *I* won't settle for anything less then the blue ribbon!" Allison stated firmly. "And winning is in your best interests too... If we win, I'll see to it that you enjoy life for a while, If we don't, you can rest assured that your existence will become pretty miserable." Mariko gulped behind her gag and turned to look at Allison with apprehension. "But don't worry, I'm sure you will do your best... NOW EYES FRONT!!! and don't forget to smile..." Allison said sweetly as she walked over to the table and picked up a small object. "Now this," said Allison as she stepped behind Mariko "...is how I'm going to direct you around the ring." Mariko could feel her fussing with the back of her gag strap, tying something to it. As she finished, she moved to Mariko's right ear, attending to the stout ring she had already inserted there. After doing the same to the left ring, Allison squatted and unbuttoned the hobble skirt so Mariko could walk. Then she stepped into Mariko's line of sight. In her hand was a hand-grip of sorts. It was in the shape of a half circle approximately 8 inches in circumference. On closer examination it resembled a "D" with the grip on the curved section. On the flat section there were three holes. One in the center and one on each end, where the flat part joined the curved parts. Going into the center hole was a single line of stout fishing line. Clear nylon thread. Out of the other two holes was a whisper thin filament following the same path as the heavier line. The lines passed from the hand-grip, around Mariko's side and behind her. Mariko had a very bad feeling about this. There were two buttons on the grip. Allison pushed one of them with her thumb and moved over to the table with the three lines spilling out of the grip to accommodate the distance between them. "It's all so clever, and simple." Allison said "When you feel this..." Allison said as she gently twisted the grip to the right. "You turn right." Mariko felt a steady pull on her right earlobe drawing the lobe back. She turned her head to accommodate the tugging on her ear, only to arouse Allison anger. "Keep that head straight! Remember what I told you!" Mariko complied, turning her head back straight. With the pull remaining as steady as before Mariko was compelled to turn her whole body to the right. "Very Good!" The tugging returned, this time on her left ear. She turned to the left. "Excellent! You're a quick learner. There's only one thing left..." Mariko closed her eyes and contemplated her lot. Mariko silently rued the day she ever took the job at B&D Cosmetics, She really couldn't imagine anything being any worse then this. Then, there was an odd sound in the room: Vhoooiish... Vhoooiish... Vhoooiish... *THWICK*. It was worse. A fiery slice across both her ass cheeks made her jump forward and scream into her gag. Mariko turned, wide eyed towards Allison, who held a long smooth stick, about 5 feet long in her hand. Depending from stick was an equally long filament. Allison smiled, "Well?..., Giddyeup!" At first Mariko tried to dodge the whip, but that turned out to be hopeless. Allison was an expert. She had no choice but to run. Run at any pace Allison chose. If Mariko moved too slowly, the whip would kiss her cheeks, If she moved too fast, it would crack scant inches in front of her face. The lines that ran from her gag and ears determined the arc of the circle she followed and which way she headed as she strutted around Allison. Mariko's blood boiled with frustration as she marched to Allison's biddings, She didn't dare waver as the whip would follow any lapses without hesitation. Soon Allison was perfecting her performance. "Lift those knees!" *Snap*! The whip just flicked against the back of her legs, striking as a pinpoint, a bee sting, as opposed to the full length slap that had come to denote speed. "Wiggle that butt!" *Snap*! "Faster!" *THWICK*! This ordeal went on for hours in Mariko's mind, but in reality it only lasted 15 or 20 minutes. Mariko was indeed a quick study. Allison continued to brief Mariko about what she was to do. "The second section of the competition is the more physical part." Allison began. "You will have to move through a course under my direction. There will be random obstacles throughout and your performance will be timed. Whoever has the best total score on the two sections will be..." Allison was interrupted by a knock on the door. Allison opened it and was handed two cardboard ovals. "Five Minute." said one of the guards. Mariko would recognize her voice anywhere. Allison shut the door and returned to Mariko's side. "Look! My lucky number!" declared Allison as she held up the card. A big black number 69 was stenciled on the white disk. "Figures..." Thought Mariko. Allison pinned the card onto the back of Mariko's jacket, and then removed her own and pinned it on her own as well before putting it back on. "Well, here we go! Remember, *Big Smile*..." She said as she flicked the whip across Mariko's rear. Mariko was forced to precede Allison down the hall with the point of the whip-stick jabbing her at the top of the crack of her ass. Allison prodded her along down the hall in this method. Whenever they would come to a turn in the corridor, Mariko would feel a tug on the appropriate earlobe. Right, then left, then right. Mariko found herself heading down a long dark corridor, with a brightly lit but somehow, menacing doorway at the end. From the other end, two figures entered the corridor from the lighted area, but because of the lighting, Mariko was unable to make out more then their silhouettes. As they got closer, Mariko realized, none to her surprise that one girl was being driven along in the same manner as Allison was prodding her. As they grew even nearer, Mariko's worst fears were confirmed. It was Courtney. Her outfit very similar to Mariko's, only a lovely pastel lavender. Mariko tried to convey her sorrow for getting Courtney into this, but simultaneous lashes on each girls bums discouraged any such expressions and hurried the two girls in their opposite directions. Mariko was surprised for an instant as Courtney's handler passed by, The tall, auburn haired woman was a complete stranger. She wore a outfit similar to Allison's only the jacket was a deep purple velvet material. She grinned wickedly as she prodded Courtney past. As the lighted doorway loomed more intensely that ever, Allison decided to hurry the pace. Vhoooiish *THWICK*! Vhoooiish *THWICK*! *THWICK*!! Mariko doubted she could move any faster on the high heel boots, but Allison coaxed her on. With unabashed gusto. Mariko broke out into the blinding light, She entered a large ring, with high wooden walls and what appeared to be seats rising up above the walls. The floor was covered with a thin coat of sand, perhaps 1/2 an inch deep. under the sand, the floor seemed to be hard wood or maybe concrete. An instant after Mariko entered the ring, she was surprised when a loudspeaker blared: "NOW ENTERING THE RING... NUMBER 69... MaaAARRRRIKO! A TWENTY-FOUR YEAR OLD FILLY... HANDLER: OUR OWN... All*IS*ONNnnn... The announcement simply surprised Mariko, but what followed appalled her. Applause, thundering applause. Coming from behind her. Allison's coaxing whip kept Mariko scurrying forward, unable to see where the sounds were coming from. As Mariko neared the far wall she felt the slight pull on her left earlobe. She complied, as much out of necessity then direction. If she didn't turn soon, she was going to crash into the wall. As Mariko continued on the wide arc, she slowly came to face the direction of the applause. There were stands behind the entrance to the ring, and they were full of people! Mariko's best estimate was that there were easily more then 100 people seated in the stands. Men and women, some old, some young, some bound, some free, all that were able were applauding enthusiastically. Allison had stopped at the center of the ring and Mariko trotted in a circle around her. Allison kept the pressure on her with the whip, and even reminded Mariko to high-step with several bee-sting snaps to her bum. As Mariko reached the furthest point in the room away from the crowd, she felt a hard pull on her left ear again. It could only mean one thing. Mariko turned hard left and ran to where Allison stood facing the audience. The lines that controlled her were automatically spooled back into the hand grip as she drew closer to Allison. Allison held out her arm as a signal for Mariko to stop. Mariko had no choice. She stopped beside Allison. Allison then proceeded to bow to the audience. At the low point of the bow she whispered "Curtsy!" so that only Mariko could hear. Mariko sighed and did as she was told... To more thundering applause. Allison then began adjusting Mariko's stance. She tapped Mariko's foot with the whip-stick, coaxing it forward. She flicked under Mariko's chin to remind her about her posture. "Smile!" she whispered as she turned her back to the audience. Mariko did her best. Allison stepped back and with great pomp, Mariko was presented to the judges. Five strangers, four men and a woman stepped forward. Each had a clipboard and scribbled notes on them as they approached. Each had a different style of judging it seemed. On man stood back, just looking. One man and the woman walked slowly around Mariko as she stood at attention, but trying to act indifferent. The other two men stood to Mariko's left and right, looking her up and down. They looked, frowned, then scribbled. Mariko had never been the center of such intense scrutiny before. The crowd in the stands was hushed, so quiet in fact that Mariko only was aware of them because she could almost feel their eyes bearing down on her. The Judge on Mariko's right slowly moved across to the judge on the left, and they studied the bound girl together for a moment. Then one Judge whispered something to the other and they both laughed. Mariko blushed, she couldn't help it. She was both thrilled and mortified by the attention she was receiving. All these people, staring at her. Her heart fluttered and her breaths came very short. Hot flashes rolled down her spine as she began to perspire under the scrutiny. One thing stayed in her mind though. Allison's words, she couldn't move, no matter what, unless she was told. The judge that had been a bit reticent suddenly came face to face with the bound girl. Mariko's eyes widened in apprehension as this man examined her face from mere inches. He didn't speak, he didn't touch her. He just looked. Mariko's concentration faltered under the pressure. Her head dropped and she looked down. Allison stepped up and tapped under Mariko's chin with her finger restoring Mariko's posture. All the judges jotted notes on their pads. Mariko groaned softly into her gag. She prayed that she hadn't blown it. "Turn around..." said the judge. Mariko complied instantly, turning her back to the audience. There was a smattering of applause, as well as some wolf whistles. The woman judge was standing directly in Mariko's line of sight. She stood with her hands on her hips, her eyes panned slowly down Mariko's body. Then back up to her blushing face. The judge's face showed no emotion at all, or at best the emotion of someone deciding the quality of melons in a supermarket. "Turn around..." Mariko again wheeled on her heels to face the audience again. "Separate your legs." said the judge. Mariko complied. Two of the judges wrote something down. "More!" Again Mariko did as she was told. Her knees were as far apart as the hobble skirt would allow. The cool air caressing her pussy. Mariko had been too distracted to notice, but she was becoming wet and the air reminded her with a chill. "It has to be sweat, I can't believe I'm getting..." Mariko's thought was disrupted by a goose, a *GOOSE*! The Judge behind her had almost succeeded in impaling Mariko with both his thumb and forefinger at the same instant. Mariko's eyes almost popped out of her head and her shriek of surprise wallowed behind her gag, but she barely moved, only raising her weight onto her toes. It really hadn't been that much of a surprise under the circumstances and she quickly regained her composure as the crowd thundered its approval. As the background noise diminished the judges withdrew to their table and sat down to watch again. Allison stepped back into the center of the ring. Mariko knew what was coming but she waited for it. A sudden yank on her left ear, followed by Vhoooiish *THWICK*! Mariko turned and trotted the circle once again. Several *SNAPS* reminded her to keep those knees high as she tried to keep her balance on her heels. Her skirt hampered her movement and basically exhausted her as she worked her way around the circle. After 1 and 1/2 more revolutions Allison tugged hard on her left ear and Mariko was obliged to join her at the center of the ring. Allison turned and faced the audience and bowed as she had when they had entered. Mariko didn't have to be told what she was supposed to do... Her curtsy was elegant and impeccable. When Allison had straightened, She turned and faced Mariko. "Face me." she whispered. No one could hear but Mariko. "Now, kneel." Mariko carefully bent and knelt at Allison's feet. She tried to look as proud as she could. Allison slowly slid out her foot towards the kneeling girl. "Kiss..." She whispered. Mariko closed her eyes. She had endured many hardships here at the Academy, They had bound her, they had gagged her, they had forced her to experience things she had never dreamt of. She had endured every humiliation, every torment... but she had never submitted. "Kiss!..." Mariko opened her eyes and looked up at Allison. Allison's eyes focused across the room, aloof, indifferent. Mariko's eyes welled up with tears that no one could see. She buckled forward and pressed her gagged lips against Allison's boot, and held them there. The ovation was deafening, whistles and cheers, the stamping of feet, people standing. Allison stepped back as the thunder continued. Mariko didn't rise, she couldn't. The snap of Allison's whip beside her ear brought her back to reality. Allison tucked the end of the stick under Mariko's chin and encouraged her to rise. Once Mariko was on her feet, Allison reached down and brushed away the residue of sand that clung to her skirt. Vhoooiish *THWICK*! Left ear... Mariko trotted towards the door. Vhoooiish *THWICK*!, Right ear. Mariko turned down the corridor and out of the ring. She was totally dependent on Allison's navigating as her eyes were lost to the tears. Once they were well into the corridor, Allison pulled back on the tether obliging Mariko to stop. Allison spun Mariko around and threw her arms around her. "Excellent! Superb job! I'm pleased..." Allison said as she released Mariko and propelled her down the corridor to their room. "We're halfway there!" Mariko soon found herself back in the holding room. Allison left her there in quiet contemplation. There were no chairs in the room and Mariko's feet were beginning to get tired so she minced over to the table and awkwardly slid up onto it. It wasn't long before Allison returned. She carried with her an odd looking leather strap. "Good, you're sitting down." Said Allison as she approached and took Mariko's hat off. In her hand was a complex leather mask of sorts. Allison held the strap up to Mariko's face and buckled the straps at the back of her head. The front of the mask was about 2 inches wide and fit tightly across her nose. Directly in front of her eyes were two smallish squares of leather, extending out perpendicular from her nose, somewhat similar to eyeglasses. Mariko's forward sight was completely blocked. To see, Mariko had to turn her head to the side and peer out of one eye. Sticking out at right angles to her head were two more of these flaps. As Mariko watched, Allison reached out and flicked the flap closed, so that it laid flat against Mariko's head, closing off this angle of sight. All that remained was a 1/8th of an inch vertical slit that was approximately 1 inch high to provide Mariko with any visual frame of reference. When Allison had shut the other side, Mariko's entire view of the world was through the two of these slits. unfortunately, these slits were positioned so that she could only see through one at a time. If directly in front of Mariko was 12 o'clock, the two slits were positioned at 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock. Mariko soon realized that these slits were good only as an aid to her equilibrium. They were almost useless for actually seeing anything. Allison took up her reins and whip and went to the center of the room. "March Mariko!" she said, punctuating her order with a *THWICK* across her ass. "When we get out in the ring you had better react really carefully to my orders. There are going to be obstacles and hazards for you to avoid. If you pay attention and trust me, then you will be fine. If you don't, then the results may be very unpleasant. Nod your head if up understand." Mariko nodded. They practiced for a while. In an almost empty room Mariko had no problems, but she was worried about being in the big ring. Allison explained that each contestant would be timed as they made their way through the course. She explained the different signals that she would be using throughout. Mariko concentrated on her lessons as her well-being depended on her response. Before long Allison was satisfied with Mariko's performance and halted Mariko's marching. "Okay, that's enough for now. You hop up here and rest while I go check out the competition." Allison said as she helped Mariko sit up on the table. Then she left the room. Mariko slumped and tried to relax. She had become very adept at falling asleep during these lulls, but, for some reason this time she could not drift off. Allison had not been gone more then 5 minutes when Mariko thought she heard a rustling at the door. Since it was probably Allison just coming to get her for her event, Mariko didn't look up. It took a moment but Mariko began to feel uncomfortable. Someone had definitely turned the door lock and entered the room, but it couldn't have been Allison... She tended to make entrances. Mariko opened her eyes and began to frantically scan the room through the slits in her blindfold. Then, she caught a glimpse of a purple velvet shoulder. Mariko stared up into the face of the woman who had driven Courtney past her in the hallway. Mariko's confusion turned into alarm as the woman stalked across the room at her. Mariko leapt up from the table and tried to run, but with the blindfold securely in place she could barely see where she was going. She tried to rush past the strange woman, to get to the door. As she past, she felt a hand brush her arm, and then seize her necktie, swinging Mariko around and thrusting her back up onto the table. Mariko tried to kick her feet, but the stranger pinned them against the table. Mariko's impotent struggling only seemed to annoy her assailant. It didn't take long for the woman to pin Mariko on top of the table. With a free hand the woman fished around in her pocket to produce a paper cup. she used her teeth to open the top of the cup, and then pushed Mariko's skirt up so that the top of her boots was exposed. With deft skill she held the cup against the top of Mariko's boot and gently shook the cup. Mariko could feel the coarse sand slide out of the cup and down into her boot. The woman caught and filled Mariko's other boot with the sand. She then pulled Mariko up into a seated position and bound her her ankles together with a thin cord. The mystery woman shoved the cup back in her pocket and brushed her hands, before tackling the job of mending Mariko's outfit. When she was done, no one would have been able to guess that Mariko had just been in a vigorous (if oh so brief) fight. "There, that ought to slow you down a bit. Listen, Honey... and listen good!" The woman hissed "You won't be winning this race! If you do, I'll be sure to have you over to my own personal dungeon for a weekend. All by yourself. Understand?" Mariko nodded, she was for the first time, frightened. She had no idea who this woman was, and whether or not she was capable of following through with her threat. "Now, you just keep your mouth shut about this little visit..." the woman said as she tapped on Mariko's gag for emphasis. She untied Mariko's ankles and then, as quickly as she had appeared, she was gone. A while later, Allison arrived and coaxed Mariko off the table. When Mariko's feet hit the floor, the sand the mysterious woman had poured into Mariko's boots began to grind against the soles of Mariko's feet, especially where her high heels forced her to perch on the balls of her feet. This sensation was uncomfortable enough so that unconsciously Mariko lifted her knees high, to prolong the relief of having no weight pressing into the sand. "Excellent Mariko!" Allison exclaimed. "You're getting that strut down perfectly!" She had no idea... Allison guided Mariko out the door and down the same corridor that they had so recently passed. Mariko could hear the sound of high heel boots coming towards them from the opposite end of the corridor. She couldn't see what was coming, but could imagine. She strained her eyes, trying to see out through the slit on her blinders and as the sound grew closer she subtly turned her head to the side a little so that she could see more directly down the corridor. Courtney was being driven along by the woman who had molested Mariko that short time before. What Mariko saw chilled her. Lavender, muddy brown, lavender. Courtney was caked with mud and grime. Her lavender riding outfit rumpled and soaked. The woman behind her glared at Mariko as she drove the disheartened Courtney away. The applause was as deafening as ever as Mariko was driven to the side of the ring. Allison came in front of her and pretended to adjust Mariko's blindfold. As she did she whispered. "Okay, here we go. Just do your best and go as fast as you can. Trust me... I won't let you hurt yourself..." She said reassuringly. Mariko swallowed hard. She would try, even with the extra handicaps she was coping with. *THWICK*! Allison accuracy was as good as ever as the whip slapped across Mariko's buttocks. Mariko started off into a awkward jog. Responding to the pull on her earlobe Mariko turned hard right and picked up her pace as Allison smacked her across the rear again. A left pull on the ear and the blinded girl turned left and kept up the awkward pace. A sharp snap in front of her nose and a steady firm pull against both ears caused her to stop. Allison tugged back on the rein easily several times and Mariko got the message quickly, she backed up slowly and followed the coaxing to her right. A hard *THWICK* sent her on her way again. To a smattering of applause. The next obstacle hit Mariko at about mid thigh. Allison had slowed her so she didn't fall over the bar but she had walked her into it anyway. Several firm snaps by the whip on her ass cheeks made Mariko realize that she was supposed to hurdle this obstacle. While hurdling the bar was out of the question, Mariko was able to scoot up so she was sitting on the bar. She pulled her legs over and straightened up. The crowd applauded her effort and Mariko was surprised as she glanced through the slits on her blindfold. There were two big strong men on either side of her next to the obstacle. They could only be there as "Spotters" in case she was to stumble going over the obstacle. "Watch it!" Allison called as Mariko plowed onward. Allison stopped Mariko and let her get her bearings through the eye-slits before she coaxed Mariko into stepping onto a narrow beam that crossed over a shallow trough, filled with slippery mud. Obviously this is where Courtney had met her demise. Mariko moved carefully onward. Feeling cautiously with her toes before stepping forward, she reached the other end safely. Back on solid ground Mariko forged ahead with a reckless abandon that surprised even herself. The coarse sand rubbing against her feet reminded her of the woman's threat but somehow, it took on little importance as Mariko's competitive spirit began to rise. Mariko found herself tugging against the reins, thrusting forward as hard as she dared. The crowd egged her on. The pitch of their cheers growing louder and louder with each step. Allison guided Mariko through an intricate maze of walls, fences and open runs. They were becoming a cohesive team. It didn't take all that long for fatigue to become a factor. Mariko's diminishing stamina becoming a problem. Allison encouraged her along relentlessly using both the whip and the reins. As the crowd's cheering reached a crescendo and Allison desperately coerced the last ounce of strength out of the bound girl, Mariko saw a checkerboard pylon pass by her eye-slit and Allison mercifully signaled for the exhausted girl to stop. Mariko stood and panted through her nose for a few moments as Allison acknowledged the applause from the audience. To a point it annoyed Mariko that she had done all the work and Allison was receiving all the accolades. Allison leaned to Mariko and whispered into her ear, "Great job Mari! We may win this thing after all!" Mariko looked up at the standing crowd through the eye slits. Perspiration streamed down her face and soaked her clothing but she was flushed with satisfaction at having successfully completed the obstacles that had been placed before her. Even if that cheating woman got her hands on her, this moment was worth it all. Allison guided Mariko to the gate as the crowd began to settle back down. Mariko caught a glimpse of two small carts pass by her eye-slits. For a sobering moment she thought that she imagined a naked woman standing at the front of each of the wire wheeled carts. "Nahhh, I've got to be imaging things..." She briefly hoped, knowing full well that she probably was not. Allison's whip was unnecessary as Mariko hobbled down the corridor and back to the waiting room. Allison hugged the bound girl and kissed her gently on the cheek. "You did a great job out there Mariko. I'm so proud of you. I think we may have won the day with that exhibition. I'm going to go find out." She said as she kissed Mariko again and then left the room. Mariko sat down on the edge of the table to relieve the soreness of her feet and pondered the events of the day. It was overwhelming to think that this could be happening to her. How a bizarre contest like this could even occur, much less take on so much importance. Allison opened the door and re-entered. She smiled subtly as she removed Mariko's hat and the blindfold harness. "It's time for the awards presentation!" Allison said excitedly as she straightened Mariko's clothes and replacing her hat once again. She opened the door to the room and guided the bound girl out and down the now familiar path to the show ring. Mariko was surprised to find that there were already several other nattily dressed girls standing in the center of the ring shuffling their feet nervously and to the other side, 5 girls in bathing suits, elbow and knee pads, also securely gagged and bound stood quietly. Girl-roping participants, obviously. The contestant's handlers were made up an even mixture of the sexes and they stood beside their charges. There were three other, almost naked girls still harnessed to their carts. Those three only had tiny G-strings to protect their modesty in direct contrast to Mariko and the other girl's elaborate costumes. The only other contestants Mariko recognized was Tina and Helen from the party. Tina nodded to Mariko as she entered. Commiserating sometimes made these things easier. Mariko nodded in return. Shortly, Courtney entered the ring. The auburn haired woman had cleaned her up as well as she could but it would have probably taken a fire hose and $1000 dollars worth of dry-cleaning to have done the job properly. With Courtney's entrance, the judges indicated that the contestants should line up to receive their awards. Allison excitedly prodded Mariko into the line and coaxed her into the now familiar "Attention" position. Mariko studied the audience for a few moments. She saw Ma'am and Joan standing together off to the side. They both nodded subtly and Mariko wasn't sure if they were acknowledging her or Allison. Mariko nodded in return, just to be safe. One of the judges stepped to the front. He carried a wireless microphone and when he spoke his voice boomed about the room. "...And now! The moment we have all been waiting for! The awards for the winners of our little extravaganza!" He said with great aplomb. "Competitor number 12!" He said, indicating a spot for the first girl to stand. The girl's male trainer patted her crimson fanny affectionately as they marched into position. Mariko gulped nervously, Two more spots to go. "Competitor number 43!" Said the man. Mariko's eyes shut as she waited, one more to go! The team number 43 moved to their place in the front. Mariko thought she was going to faint. The tension was so high she could have cut it with a knife. They just had to call her number! "Competitor number....... 69!!" The man shouted, as Allison squealed with delight and shoved Mariko out to the winners line-up. The judge returned to the table and came back with three round ribbon badges with long ribbon streamers. He walked up to the girl in the center of the three winners. "Competitor Number 43... Third place!" he said as he stuck a green ribbon onto her right cheek, held there by an adhesive backing. The girl looked disappointed as she backed away behind the line. Mariko and the other girl were coaxed closer together in front of him. Allison's hand reached out and squeezed Mariko's tush. As the tension mounted, her nails dug deeper and deeper into Mariko's flesh. The Judge took out the red ribbon. He came and stood in front of Mariko and held it aloft. Mariko gulped dismally and hoped Allison would be satisfied. "Second place, overall... Competitor Number....... 12!" He turned and slapped the ribbon onto the other girl's cheek! Mariko's eyes widened and Allison screamed with delight! The judge stuck the blue ribbon onto Mariko's cheek. "And the winners!... Competitor Number 69... Allison and Mariko!!" Allison hugged Mariko to her and slapped her on the rear. The judge retired to the table and returned to the Competitors with three trophies which he handed out to the winning handlers. Mariko caught a glimpse of the golden trophy. The figurine at the top of the miniature marble pedestal was that of a bound and gagged girl. "Typical..." thought Mariko briefly. Allison magnanimously congratulated the other competitors and wallowed in her success. After the awards for the cart races and girl roping all the competitors began to disperse. As they neared the exit to the show ring, Allison and Mariko came face to face with the auburn haired woman and Courtney. "A splendid day, Allison!" the woman said as they met "I've had a wonderful time!" "I'm so glad you've come Charlotte, I just wish we could do this more often..." Allison grinned. "I don't..." Thought Mariko. "Thank you so much for the use of your slave." Charlotte said as she prodded Courtney towards Allison. "But it looks like you did keep the best for yourself." She said as she indicated Mariko. "Well, I do prefer to win..." Allison said with a smirk. "Yes, I do remember... The woman said. Then, she turned to Mariko. "... And congratulations to you too dear, You performed very well..." She said, There wasn't any animosity in her voice at all. Mariko decided that she had probably been bluffing in her threats. Mariko nodded demurely to the compliment. With that, Mariko noticed the six oriental guards had appeared beside Allison. "Here, take these two away..." She said to the guards. "... You know what to do." She said as Courtney and Mariko were transferred into the guards custody. Allison and Charlotte then strode away down the hall, arm in arm. The guards took Mariko and Courtney back to their rooms were they were stripped unceremoniously and cleaned. As Mariko was dragged back into her room, she was depressed to spy her original tweed riding outfit spread out neatly on her bed. Undoubtedly the day was not over. As two of the guards dressed her, the third fed her supper, careful not to spill anything. Mariko cooperated as they fussed. Primarily she just wanted to eat more then anything, and any resistance would have prevented that. The guards dressed Mariko and bound her completely, leaving only her necktie and gag off. The door to her room opened and Ma'am entered briskly as Mariko was finishing the last of her supper. The Guards took the bound girl into the bath and Ma'am brushed Mariko's teeth for her. They then went back into her room and Ma'am applied Mariko's make-up and knotted her necktie and tucked it into her sweater. The guards then put her hat on and tightly pulled the gag into her mouth. Mariko mused briefly about Allison's promise about the "Easy life" from that afternoon. It didn't look like it was going to be promise that would be kept. With a pleasant smile and a tap on Mariko's hat, Ma'am retired. The guards then dragged Mariko out of the room and to the elevator. A short ride later, Mariko was thrust out into the foyer of the mansion. Courtney was already there dressed in her riding togs, along with her escort. To Mariko's dismay she looked at what was in store for them. On either side of the foyer were two big wooden rocking horses. Each horse was about 4 feet high and was gaily painted. Courtney's guards were already pushing her up onto the horse on the right. Mariko gulped as she was lead to the horse on the left. Mariko reluctantly cooperated as the Stooges got her up onto the wooden saddle. To further complicate things, there was a narrow raised ridge that ran down the saddle from the front to the back. Mariko shuddered at the possibility of becoming intimately acquainted with the ridge as the guards drew her legs back so her heels pressed into her rear end. They used two long leather straps to circle each ankle and upper thigh. This pinned her legs into position. All Mariko's weight was centered on her crotch which was cleaved by the saddle ridge. A small seat belt insured that Mariko could not fall off the horse. The Guards stepped back and inspected their work. After a moment, one of the guards reached down and pulled out the chock that was keeping the rocking horse stable. Mariko screamed as her platform teetered back and forth. She soon found that although the horse would roll forward and back to a disturbing and for her, uncomfortable angle, the horse could not tip over. Equally unfortunately, it was virtually impossible to keep the horse balanced. The best she could do was to keep the sway at about 8 to 9 inches either way. Enough to rhythmically, frustratingly stimulate her. She glanced over at Courtney as the guards withdrew, She looked as befuddled as Mariko felt. It wasn't too long before guests began arriving. It appeared that almost everyone who had been at the show that afternoon was also invited to the dinner party. They all took a few moments to admire (and sometime annoy) the two decorations in the foyer before going into the living room. After everyone arrived, Mariko and Courtney were left pretty much alone. There were several guests who made frequent visits, each getting exceedingly fresh with each return visit. At about Midnight, Charlotte came weaving out of the living room. She had on a long white sequin gown. She came over and tweaked Mariko's nipples for a moment as the helpless girl tried to retain her balance. She smiled and raised her glass pleasantly, and then meandered over to Courtney. She unbuckled the straps that held Courtney's legs bent and undid the safety strap. She then pulled Courtney down off the horse, and with a hand tightly gripping Courtney's necktie, she began to tow Courtney up the stairs. Courtney shot a pleading look back at Mariko as Charlotte dragged her up towards the bedrooms. Under the circumstances there wasn't a whole lot Mariko could do.