7. After being nabbed unexpectedly outside Sister Kathleen's door by the ever vigilant Sister Hilda, I was brusquely escorted ... firm grip on my ear ... straight to the Abbess' quarters. I flew through the door, assisted by the business end of Hilda's booted foot planted squarely and forcibly on my tight little ass, and landed on my hands and knees at the startled Abbess' feet.
"What is the meaning of this!" she cried, face red with rage, "don't you knock?"
"Excuse the intrusion Abbess," replied Hilda, "But I've come to you on a matter most urgent. Just minutes ago I caught this wretchedly wicked girl sneaking out of Sister Kathleen's room. And look," she continued, pausing for dramatic effect but also to drag me to my feet and lift the hem of my shift up over my hips, "See the mess all over the little slut's thighs! The devil possesses this one. He drives her to wantonly partake of the sins of the flesh; and the little temptress has succeeded with the help of the devil in drawing our good Sister Kathleen into her carnal web!"
The Abbess stared intently at the gobs of dried cum encrusted on my inner thighs and labia. A look of horror crossed her aged, ferret-like face. She stepped back as though she might catch something awful from me, and called for the monk, Ethelbert, who came running from an adjoining room. The Abbess immediately began issuing orders. "Ethelbert! Seize her immediately! Shackle her to the wall! And Hilda! Run and fetch Sister Kathleen. We must get to the bottom of this!"
Ethelbert stepped forward to shove me back against the wall; then grabbing my wrists and raising them over my head, he cuffed and chained me wrists overhead. Then we waited in silence for Hilda to return.
As I hung from my wrists, back against the wall, Ethelbert leaned toward the Abbess' ear and confided in hushed, but still audible, conspiratorial tones, "My Abbess, while we are waiting I wish to take the opportunity to share with you some alarming news that has just come into my possession. It seems that the Cardinal has taken it upon himself to invite a new entry to this year's Competition ... namely Mont St. Michel Abbey; and furthermore, it is said that the French Abbey possesses a most stunning young novice, known as Messaline, who I fear is almost certain to appeal to the Cardinal's special prurient tastes."
Before anything more could be said, Sister Kathleen came bustling into the room, still adjusting her habit and looking a little pale. Her eyes darted from me to the Abbess and back again, as Hilda came huffing into the room to proclaim, "My Abbess, I regret to report that I just found Sister Kathleen lying naked in her bed, and from all appearances the bed had been the scene of a most unholy coupling between her and our young Barbara!"
"Is this true, Sister Kathleen?" snapped the Abbess, hand to mouth in consternation.
"No, it was not as it appeared to Sister Hilda, my dear Abbess. Please, let me explain. I was sound asleep in my bed when this little hussy slipped into my room, reeking of wine, and taking advantage of my drowsy state to strip me of my night clothes. The little seductress wantonly threw herself upon me in a most unnatural and lustful frenzy. I was overwhelmed at first, but then did my best to fight her off, eventually succeeding in bringing her attack to a halt and sending her from my room."
"No, no! That's not how it was at all," I cried, shocked at the enormity of the betrayal.
"Don't listen to her. She is possessed of the devil. It's plain to see," cried Sister Kathleen, cutting me off, and shooting me a meaningful look.
I got the message. Don't protest; don’t drag her down with me; accept the consequences if I hope to ever get out of here.
"Enough," snapped the Abbess. "Barbara must be punished; we must move decisively to exorcize this evil lustfulness from the poor girl's soul. But we also need her. The Competition is only days away, and we must have her ready. Ethelbert and Sister Hilda, take her down to the crypts at once and do what you must to her, but also have her ready for another reenactment by evening prayers tomorrow. We must continue to train her for the Competition."
Ethelbert moved quickly to unshackle me, and as he did, the Abbess turned to Kathleen to say, "And as for you, Sister Kathleen, please accept my sincere apologies for the dreadful assault you have just experienced at the hands of this vile child. Go now and pray that you may be cleansed both spiritually and bodily of its ill effects. God be with you!"
I panicked and began to struggle as I was released, but Ethelbert, who was big and strong, easily put an end to that by grabbing my flailing arms and pinning them behind my back. While he held me, Hilda came around to bind my wrists together with a length of cord. The Abbess nodded toward the door and I was led away.
We followed the passage way into the Abbey church and descended behind the choir to the crypts below, passing through the parade of burial monuments that filled the crypt until we reached a heavy wooden door at the back. Sister Hilda produced a key and unlocked the door, and as it swung open slowly Ethelbert shoved me through.
I gasped at the scene that met my eyes ... the dimly lit chamber was filled with every imaginable instrument of torture and punishment ... a large wooden rack, a pair of X-crosses against a back wall, a water wheel, ropes and pulleys bolted to the ceiling, iron cages, wooden horses and stocks, not to mention racks and racks of whips, canes, cudgels, and irons. The room was also quite warm and the air acrid due to a large stone pit filled with glowing coals.
A barrel-chested, bald man in black leather breeches stepped forward to greet us. He nodded affirmatively as Ethelbert whispered in his ear. "Excellent! I will get to her shortly, soon as I have finished over there on the rack with that disobedient little Irish bitch, Roisin Mac Donagh," he announced, jerking his thumb toward the girl whose whipping I had earlier witnessed through the Abbess’ keyhole, now stretched out naked on the rack. “In the meantime,” he added, kneeling and clamping irons on my ankles, “help me string this one up so she can reflect on the errors of her ways while waiting her turn.”
He attached a coarse rope to my leg irons that led to a pulley bolted to the ceiling. While Hilda untied my wrists and held me in place, Ethelbert hauled on the free end of the rope. My feet went out from under me, and in a series of jerky movements I was upended and raised upside-down.
The rope groaned as I spun slowly around, suspended by my ankles, my short brown novice’s shift sliding down, catching momentarily on my breasts and then my chin, before gliding down my hanging arms and falling free to the floor below.
TO BE CONTINUED