Image: Courtesy – Prachika Saxena
The footsteps in the cloister echoed through each of the Sisters cells. Inside each cell, minds puzzled over where the steps might stop. Sister Alice knew who owned the footsteps, the unmistakable sound of the leather hitting the stone pathway, the ring of the loose nail in her right shoe cut through Alice as she awaited the inevitable knock on her door.
She said her prayer, a cry for help, for courage, for resilience knowing that when the door opened, and the Reverend Mother stood in her doorway, she would suck in a huge breath in preparation for the Reverend Mother’s demand she initially show her humility by kneeing in silence and bowing her head as an act of obedience to her.
The Reverend Mother carried a cane that she would use to lift the young novices’ heads and staring them in the eyes would tell them so much more was expected of them.
Each novice was expected to submit themselves to acts of humility, to confess all and any thought of sin and accept the just punishments given out by the Reverend Mother.
Sometimes they were cruel, kitchen duty for a month with only the left-over scraps to be eaten, this punishment as tiring as it was, was considered preferable to the ultimate humiliation of bathing the Reverend Mother.
Theirs’ was an enclosed order given to the glory of and praise of God, but with one perverse exception that being the Reverend Mother’s desire for pleasure all given in the name of God, after all the Reverend Mother explained to the terrified novices, Christ was a man, surrounded by women, so of course he found pleasure in them.
Sister Alice trembled, as she with eyes cast down, she listened to the Reverend Mother’s sermon on bathing.
Written for: https://reinventionsreena.wordpress.com/2019/05/16/reenas-exploration-challenge-87/
Morpethroad 
Mmm. Say no more.
I shalt.
I shudder to think of similar things happening across the world as I read this.
“The Reverend Mother carried a cane that she would use to lift the young novices’ heads and staring them in the eyes would tell them so much more was expected of them.
Each novice was expected to submit themselves to acts of humility, to confess all and any thought of sin and accept the just punishments”
Different versions of this methodology are used to figuratively break the spine of thinking individuals. If a lie is spoken 10 times, it becomes the truth in the mind of the speaker. What matters is the say of the Majority and the word of Power …. Truth, Reason and Logic be damned.
Yes there are times when such behaviour occurs in many walks of life. Lies and deception are a way of life in some political situations, but we know if you say something is something else often enough, people will believe you.
Ouf! I could feel the fear that novice felt and shudder at the morality of that Mother Superior. Beautifully written, Michael!
Thanks so much
Any religion that practices sado-masochism has nothing to do with a benevolent deity. It’s a cult at best, and evil at worst.
Exactly and I was taught by some non-benevolent nuns
So sorry you were under their domain and not treated well.
Sad fact of life I’m afraid. There were some good one I have to say that, but they taught other classes not mine.
P.S. Well written story that my creepy senses going off the chart!