<span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: arial;">Part 4: Hell is what you make it!<br/><br/>DuMonde mansion New Orleans, Spring 1872.<br/><br/>Alex walked around the study, her finger tips trailing along the woodwork as she looked again at the volumes nestled in the bookcases. The big mahogany desk was where it had been as well as the comfortable scent and feeling in the room. It was in this very room 5 years ago that she had begun her transformation. A girl really just 16, fear knotting her, shame making her tremble and a hungering need nearly filling her. With the help of the men and women of this group she had survived and become a woman. And it all had begun in here!!! </span><br/><br/><em><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: comic sans ms;">The study of the DuMonde mansion 5 years earlier:<br/><br/>Annette’s brown eyes bored into the blue ones of Alexandra as seconds moved past. The brown eyes looked deep into the younger female’s heart and soul finally making Alex lift her chin and square her shoulders. A slow arching of her right eyebrow and then a nod as if Annette had finally seen what she was after, “good little one, good you are not lost yet.” A snort as she gave a quick shake of her head, “men trust them to be big and strong yes but to know what needs to be done now, no! They should have sent for me weeks ago”<br/><br/>Annette stood and walked around the desk to set on its edge as she talked with Alex, drawing the younger woman’s eyes up, her attention riveted as she used her full name. “Alexandra, you have suffered a grave ordeal, even more so then you thought. You feel alone, fear, shame and a need. The men have no idea what to do too help but are very concerned.”<br/><br/>From someplace the woman pulled out the leather, the piece that had been riveted in place around Alex’s neck. The collar that had seemed so right, she had been told this and more. Her eyes were drawn to it as her hand reached to her neck. Hunger and fear and shame as well as courage warred within her eyes. Annette watched the younger woman as she struggled and finally squared her shoulders and looked back into her face. <br/>“Good I had to be sure you were strong enough, this filth” she lifted the leather, “is enspelled and partly titan spawned. Meant for a weaker will and lesser soul it still has effected you. Any other girl would have been broken in 3 days at most, you are made of stronger blood, like I am and like the others that have been helping you.” <br/><br/>Dropping the leather onto the desk she pulled a slim knife that seemed to glow along the blade in a bluish pulse and stabbed the point into the center, the leather began to shrivel and smoke until it faded away, leaving the metal rivets and a burnt spot on the polished wood.<br/><br/>“Now we have to decide how to help you cope with what happened.” Annette stood and walked to the chairs motioning for Alex to set in the one beside her and waited till she had. Annette took the other woman’s hands in her own as she leaned forward to speak, “you see Alexandra the spell opened you to suggestions, commands. Lucky for us it was a weak spell and poorly crafted and the leather was badly used. That doesn’t help you cope though does it?” Alex’s head shook as she barely dared to breath. “Domination by males as well as a yoke and spell makes a powerful combination and you have been struggling with this without help or understanding for more than 6 weeks.” A sigh gives way her exasperation, “if they had contacted me sooner you could have avoided much of this tormenting. Men they are too useful to just kill them all, are they not?” the quirked lips, drew Alex into a soft smile as well.<br/><br/>“What has been done was to build a trinity within you, the domination of men fueled it, and the spell allowed it to seep in even as you fought it. The first was fear, fear for your life, fear that no one would ever know you were missing, fear that you were alone, you know those fears and how they squirm and whisper. I have seen your eyes girl. The second was need. They told you that you were meant to be a slut, that you were worth nothing more than to be used and fucked. That you wanted to be raped, fucked, used. That you needed to be a slave and to feel anything. The collar was that symbol and they used their domination to drive it home… I watched you fight that need; it nearly claims you as we speak. Finally there was shame. Society views a woman in a certain way. Men as well view us in a ways that they choose. The shame comes from how others view us not how we view ourselves; shame is inflicted on a woman for many things. In this case they told you how shameful it was to find your body enjoying what it was feeling. Now you feel the shame because of the need they forced upon you.”<br/><br/>“The domination of men made this trinity; fear, need, shame. To counter them we have to give you the tools. The fear eats at your courage from lack of trust and belief. The need you can counter with acceptance and control. The shame is only shame when allowed to be and with respect and love you will feel no shame. Alexandra, because the others did not understand and waited and the spell that opened you, you cannot do this alone. The domination on men, of a man full of cruelty and evil forged this trinity within you.”<br/><br/>Annette’s curled fingers lifted the chin of the younger female, her face had lowered and tears streaked her cheeks as the words had been heard.<br/><br/>“Alexandra, no more tears. The domination of cruelty and evil forged this trinity within you. We will use a domination of men of honor and pure heart to help you forge the tools you need.”<br/><br/>Annette free hand pulls from the folds of her dress a short length of simple leather with a buckle on the end. “Do you trust Baptiste, Alexandra? Truly trust him as you would have your father. Know that he respects you, cares deeply for you, would kill or die for you”<br/><br/>Alex looks into the other woman’s face and nods slowly as somewhere deep within what felt like a purr comforted her. “y Yes I trust Baptiste, I have known him for a long time and he saved me from those evil men. Yes I trust him. Why?”<br/><br/>Annette eyes seem to gleam as she looks into her own. “For 7 days you were in the hands of a man that claimed you, one you were forced to call master and one that did not care about you save for power he held over you. If you agree then this is what will be done to help counter what that male, did for he was no real man. You will become a slave again this time to Baptiste; you will wear his collar, call him master, do his bidding and will. For 8 days, seven to balance the seven you spent in that hell and one for your own.”<br/><br/>Alex eyes widen at the words but she felt the humming arousal at the thought as well. Deep within a pair of cat like eyes gave her comfort and in a way she didn’t understand agreement.<br/><br/>“This collar has a buckle it can be removed at any time if you so desire, but Alexandra if you choose to do so before the time is done we can no longer help you.” A sigh and the voice lowers, “this is just not for you Alexandra but also for Baptiste, he blames himself greatly for what happened and himself is afraid, ready to strike unfocused. Being your master will allow him to refocus as he helps you.”<br/>“Will you agree to this little cat?”<br/><br/>Alex felt a nudge that made her head nod. Then more firmly she nodded again and said “I will agree”<br/><br/>A smile curved up Annette’s lips as she rose. “wait here Alexandra, I will be right back”<br/>A swirl of silk as Annette opened the door and walked out. The room suddenly seemed different as Alex thought about what she had agreed to… some deep spot told her she would be fine, Baptiste would never hurt her and would help her with this. Yet it was a small spot and around it the darkness hovered telling her all they wanted was what she really was.<br/><br/>It seemed like it was forever but had to be just a few minutes when Annette returned with Baptiste, John Henry and Granger in tow.<br/>She walked to Alex and offered her hands to help her stand.<br/>“Alexandra do you agree to have Baptiste as your master till after dinner’s desert eight days hence? To obey his commands? Except his punishment if needed? To do whatever he commands? Will you accept his collar, his domination? Knowing it’s a symbol you can unbuckle and remove at anytime? Doing so though means we can no longer aid you”<br/><br/>“Do you agree to this?”<br/><br/>Alex nods “I, I agree to this”<br/><br/>Annette turning to Baptiste as 3 pairs of eyes widen in surprise, “This one has been hurt at the hands of man, forced into a yoke, a collar. Dominated cruelly and a trinity of fear, need, and shame forced upon her, Will you Baptiste be her master for 8 days and show her what truly it means to give oneself fully and completely.?”<br/><br/>Baptiste slowly nods, “I will be honored to do so”<br/><br/>“Step here, Alexandra, and present yourself” the woman’s voice whispered, loud enough for all to hear.<br/><br/>Baptiste for a moment swallowed as the young woman stepped to stand in front of him, “turn around Mon’Chaton” as she did he gently fitted the leather collar around her neck and lifting her hair buckled it in place to fit snug against her skin. <br/><br/>Trembling as she stood, her face lowered she heard a different timbre from Baptiste “who am I now girl? Am I your uncle or am I more?”<br/><br/>The word trembled as she spoke. “As long as I wear your collar you are my master, but I, I am unsure what to do?”<br/><br/>“Remove your cloths girl, until I command otherwise you will stay naked.” For a moment Alex almost couldn’t move, the grip of the words loud in her mind, but somewhere she found her trust in her uncle, her new master and with fingers that trembled she began to undress.</span></em><br/><br/><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: arial;"><br/>DuMonde mansion New Orleans, Spring 1872.<br/><br/>Alexandra stood looking out of the big window as her lips curled at the memories, her fingers idly playing with a gold necklace Baptiste had given her before she left 3 years earlier. She had not known when she agreed how librating the choice would eventually be. She had learned submissive and in turn saw how domination worked. She learned to respect herself, to understand the need, to be unafraid. To realize her sexuality was nothing to be ashamed of and to enjoy it<br/>Some of what she learned took years to blossom, but that eight days had given her back her soul. She would always be grateful to the men in this house. They helped a scared and hurt young girl become a woman.<br/><br/>Turning to the door as John Henry stepped through, “so Dinner is ready” taking the tall man’s arm she began. “I have need of your contacts, I have visions now I can control and saw several others I believe are scions and will need my help.” <br/>As she begins to describe them the man stops and moment a smiles, “Miss Sinclair, Katie, also known as One eyed Katie in the dime store pamphlets. She is the one that will be arriving later”<br/><br/><br/>It was near midnight as Alex sat in the study reading by the gas light, giggling at the story of “One eyed Katie and the Posse” when she heard the hard pounding on the door. Standing with a swirl of the robe over her silk chemise, her slipper clad feet made no sound till she opened the door, as the fist of the one eyed woman was about to knock again. In an accent hard to place but exotic sounding she said “You must be Katie Sinclair, and I am Alexandra an I believe we are going to be grand friends”</span>