The dependence of Miss Angelica on flagellation came as a revelation to Polly. It seemed that the whole college was a school for discipline and correction. It was late one evening, when Polly realised that she had left a book in the chapel near the confessional earlier that evening, that she first became aware of Miss Angelica's addiction.
It was a warm dark night. Everyone would be in their dormitories finishing off home-work or reading. Polly ran swiftly in her nightdress to the chapel. Others would think that she had gone to the toilet. But when Polly entered the small chapel by the small side door, it felt scary. Dark grotesque shadows were thrown against the stone walls from the moon shining coldly through the windows. She cringed with uneasiness.
Her breathing stopped with suspense and apprehension. She thought she had heard voices! Polly strained her ears. There were the sounds again! Polly thought she recognised the voice of Miss Angelica. No, it couldn't be. It held a curious whimpering tone, completely alien to the principal's usual dominant nature. But it was.
'What's she doing here at this time?' Polly wondered. Creeping stealthily nearer, she realised that Miss Angelica was kneeling at the confessional. Polly's first reaction was to leave quickly and silently. But curiosity overtook her intentions. What on earth could the Sister have to confess about, she wondered? She crept still nearer, dodging behind the large columns. Now she was near enough to hear properly.
'You are so domineering. I must confess to you. Forgive me, father, and punish me for my sins.'
'Tell me about them, sister, so that I can decide the level of punishment you deserve.'
Father Emmanuel!
'Today I pushed a pupil over my knees and punished her. And I experienced carnal thoughts during the act.'
Miss Angelica was knelt upright on a hassock before the confessional box. Her prim, iron-grey hair was fastened in its usual bun at the back of her head. Her hands were clasped behind her back.
'What did you do?' came the muffled response from behind the curtain.
'The young lady's bloomers were stained with a lustful discharge, so I lowered them to examine her genitals with lewd intentions. The sight of her young soft vulva roused my wicked thoughts. I am unable to resist yielding to them.'
'What else?'
'Unable to stay my curiosity, I told the young lady that it was necessary for me to examine her innocence by testing the gap with my fingers to see if her juices were running?'
'And were they?'
'Indeed, father.'
'Describe what you saw.'
'She is a ginger-haired girl, looking younger than her eighteen years. The growth of hair round her genitals was sparse. She had small, but delightful inner labia. They were a delicate pink and a little wrinkled. They peeked shyly from the narrow gash of pale folds. Damp with her juices.'
'Did you see the secret entrance to her sanctuary?'
'I did. It was puckered and damp with her sweet nectar.'
'Only damp? Not wet?'
'My caresses encouraged the syrup to seep more freely. I could smell her young odour. Fresh and sweet. Then I accused the girl of having carnal thoughts.'
'Did she agree?'
'Yes. Although red from embarrassment, she said she was thinking of being felt by a young, handsome stranger. Then I whipped her cruelly for having such thoughts.'
'What was the girl's response?'
'She wept bitterly. Begged forgiveness. The pain was awful for her. So I bent over her to kiss her tender stripes and lick her wounds. I tasted the juices of Eve.'
'In such a virgin, sister?'
'Indeed, father. The devil wastes no time in burrowing into our young women. I thought it my duty to lick away those signs of wickedness. Her loins squirmed. She whimpered until I felt her groin in the throes of her modest orgasm. Then I sat her up and kissed her, made her promise not to say anything, and sent her back to her dormitory. She thanked me for correcting her and bringing her peace of mind.'
'Was this the same girl as before, or a different one?'
'This was the same Olive.'
'And did your own juices bubble up whilst you toyed with her's?'
'They did, father. Copiously! I had need to calm my wicked thoughts by use of the altar candle I keep in my room for such emergencies.'
'Sister, I think your story was told me partly to inflame my own passions as well as to confess to your own lewdness. You have succeeded in raising the devil's head in me. You must then douse his anger.'
'I will, father. If that is your will.'
'It is! But first, you must be punished. The flames of hell must be flogged out of you. You must be chastened thoroughly. There must be no mercy given. Come into the chancel.'
Polly watched Miss Angelica go into the chancel, through the wide arch. The pupils already spoke of wicked salacious acts between the principal and the father. But Polly thought it was all speculative rumour. Now she would find out for herself. She crept up to behind the pillar to watch the proceedings.
To her astonishment, the chancel was lit only with red and yellow flickering lights. Like flames. There, standing to one side, was Father Emmanuel flexing a long thin cane. Miss Angelica was standing in profile, her head bowed.
'Remove your habit,' he barked.
As Miss Angelica slowly undid the buttons and cord, allowing the black garment to fall to the floor, the father unpinned her hair-bun. The locks fell in a torrent down her back to her waist. Polly gasped inwardly. Beneath the habit Miss Angelica was naked!
Perhaps she had come already prepared for the punishment, leaving unnecessary garments behind. Her large buttocks jutted proudly with a full, weighty overhang. The waist was thick, the wide, swollen belly supporting two pendulous breasts resting on it. Large saucer-like areolae with peaks of nipples resembling walnuts. The hips were stout, her thighs muscular and bulky.
Flashing red and yellow lights gave her body the appearance of being consumed in flames. A single spot mounted on the floor was trained on the inner fork of her hips.
'Raise your arms and grasp the rings.' Miss Angelica reached up to grip two sturdy iron rings suspended from the high ceiling, turning to face Polly as she did. Her eyes opened wide at the arm-pits, covered in thick coarse hair.
'Open your legs, devil-witch.' He kicked her calves apart from behind her. 'Angelica,' he blurted, 'your own hell is inhabited by demons, stoking the fires of lust in your own loins.' He reached between her thighs and sank his fingers deep and rough into her genitals.
'There!' he cried, reaching over her shoulder to push the sticky fingers in front of her face. The Principal's fissure, now open for inspection, fascinated Polly, illuminated by the single spot. Plump and swollen, framed in thick, wiry hair, the tousled curls soaked with her plentiful juices. Her fat wrinkled inner lips dangled, like large, dark testicles, from her vulva throbbing as though gasping for breath.
'We need to flog the devils out of your furnace, Angelica. They are busy stoking the fires deep inside even as we speak, the lava of hell pouring from the abyss. The cane, I think! The cane! We must flog it out of you.'
Moving to one side of her, Father Emmanuel struck the long cane across the buttocks with a sickening thwack. It sank deep into the flesh. Miss Angelica grunted loud with the sudden pain. The body recoiled, buttocks and breasts shuddering obscenely. Several more ferocious thwacks followed, beating the quivering cheeks without mercy. Father Emmanuel bellowed at her.
'Your mind is filled with evil thoughts. With wicked thoughts of lust and sex. They must be thrashed out of you. You must be chastised.'
Once again, Father Emmanuel raised the willow cane high, bringing it down with an almighty slash across the wide expanse of white buttocks. There came a stifled scream of pain, the loins lurched and bucked. Another slash brought up another angry weal. Slash! Slash! Slash! The cheeks were beaten remorselessly as they jolted and recoiled to more throaty screams of pain. The red stripes swelled up in long crimson weals.
The fat folds of flesh between her ample thighs oozed forth yet more juices. Then Father Emmanuel paused, stood to one side of the heaving, sobbing body, considering his next line of attack. He was determined to thrash her to submission.