New story. Once upon a time

Once upon a time I was a school-teacher. When I look back, I don't think I was a terribly good teacher but that was my job. I had always been quiet and shy - I was brought up in an old-fashioned and very protective household and when I lost my parents in my middle teens I was an innocent abroad in the world. They had left me enough money to see me through college, and on the advice of my school Careers Advisers I decided that teaching would be my chosen career.

College was not good. I found the work easy enough, but it was difficult to make friends there so I just concentrated on my work. Twice I asked girls out but both occasions were disastrous, so I gave that up. I graduated without problems since I had worked so hard, and eventually was thrown into the world of school. I'd had some training in the mechanics of controlling a class and I found this easier than I expected, I think because it was impersonal and I could keep a distance from the pupils, but it was always a strain. However, I settled into a routine, got myself a little two-roomed apartment and made a sort of life for myself.

It wasn't a terribly good life I realise now. Being in charge was not natural for me and I always felt stressed out by the end of the working day, then I returned to my two rooms, usually with a pile of books for marking, and spent a lonely evening working, heating ready prepared meals, and occasionally watching Television.

Things started to change when I decided to get up-to-date and bought myself a computer. It came with a modem as part of the package and since I had paid for it I thought I might as well use it.

The net was a revelation - there were things there that I had never even thought of, and as the weeks went by I explored more and more.

The first thing I discovered about myself was that I was gay - I honestly had never though about it, and at 26 was still a virgin. The pictures of naked men that I found were thrilling to me. Then I began to realise that be nature and temperament I was a deeply submissive personality, which is why I had found it so hard to have to take charge of a class. I looked at some BDSM sites, but since I had never wanted to hurt anyone else and certainly did not want anyone to hurt me, this held very little for me.

The turning point in my life was when I read a short story in which someone lived as a human dog, a pet completely submissive to his master. It spoke to something very deep inside me. This was what I wanted and needed, a master who would take charge of my life, whom I could serve with devotion and loyalty and who would treat me as a much loved pet.

Could such a relationship exist or was I reaching for the moon? I began to search the net and found many sites which related to my search, though many of them, like many of the stories, seemed more about punishment and domination than about love. I started to post letters on some of these sites and got one or two very strange replies. Then a message came

"I am looking for a 24/7 puppy to train and cherish. Might you be the one?"

I had to look up 24/7, but then I replied in great excitement and began a correspondence with the man I was to call simply Master. Nothing was rushed and he answered all my questions with great patience, making it clear that he was not a sadist but an animal-lover and I would be one of his animals if we ever got together. We exchanged pictures - God, he was a handsome man - and for the first time ever I had a picture of a naked man whom I knew as a person instead of just an anonymous net picture. My picture to him was of me fully clothed, but he was happy to accept this.

Eventually decision time came. Was I ready? I would go to stay with him for a few weeks so that we could see if our cyber relationship might work in person. It meant moving to another country since I am British and he lives in the USA, but that didn't matter to me if I was going to be with the man I loved.

And so, at the beginning of my long summer holiday I boarded a plane and set off on my great adventure.

He was waiting for me at the airport, even more handsome in the flesh than is picture had suggested. I tried to speak but was so shy that all that came out was a strangled croak.. Master laughed, took the bag which I found heavy but he carried as if it weighed nothing, put his arm round my shoulders and led me to a car.

It was a long drive- nearly two hours, and a quiet one, for I was still too choked up to say much and he just looked across from time to time to say "You OK?". Eventually we turned off onto a quiet side road and through a patch of woodland to a house standing alone among the trees.

"Here's home" he said "Out you get," and led me into the house I didn't know what to do and he sensed my unease. "For the next few weeks we get to know one another and you are my guest. I know we were friends on the net, but the reality can be very different, and if we are going to spend our lives together we both want to be sure it will work. Relax and count this as a vacation."

He led me to a guestroom, suggested that I might like to shower and change after my long flight, and left me to unpack. The shower was a joy after my journey, then I thought most carefully about what I should wear, slipped into a smart shirt and trousers and went out to find Master.

You can imagine my surprise when I went into the kitchen and discovered that he was preparing a meal, dressed only in an apron.

"I usually go nude at home, but you wear what you like." The idea of going around naked like that was unthinkable for me, so I nodded and smiled. He walked across to me, hugged me, then gave me a kiss on the lips. I pulled away a little - I'd never kissed a man - then very shyly put my arms around Master and returned his embrace.

He grinned. "Relax. Are you ever going to speak?"

" I....I....I don't know what to say. It's all so marvellous."

He set out our meal and opened a bottle of wine. My parents had always disapproved of alcohol, so this was the first time I had tasted it and it went straight to my head. At last I began to talk, telling Master how wonderful it was to be with him and how uncomfortable I had always felt with other people, whilst he did everything he could to put me at my ease.

I dropped asleep before the meal ended, and woke up to find myself in bed with the sun shining in through the window.