The tumultuous events of Thursday left Carol so exhausted, both physically and emotionally, that she could barely recall how it went after she left the Grotto. People, places, and events just seemed to fade in and out like a series of unrelated dreams and at times, she wondered if that's what they were. From the moment she woke up that morning, nothing about the day felt real. It could only have been a dream. But considering where it had gone, she hoped it was one she would never wake up from. Fortunately, the dream did not end even when her eyes fluttered open that Friday morning. Because it was no dream at all; it was reality. She had converted to Zenrism, and she was wearing absolutely nothing aside from a medical adhesive on her left breast, where her Sigil had been tattooed. And it was itching up a fierce storm, which never happened in any dream she experienced.
For the second day in a row, she was riding naked in a car that wasn't her own, and just like last time, her girlfriend was there, as were her daughters, both the real ones and the fake one. The big difference was that they were all passengers in a van this time, and the two teens were both, for the moment, very clothed.
"Are you really sure it was a good idea to let those complete strangers drive your car?" Katherine asked Henrietta.
"Yeah, I'm sure," said the redhead. "I mean, yeah I don't know any of those people, aside from Maisie, and I've only known her for a week. But I didn't want to be the odd girl out in taking Carol home, and, I don't know, something about those girls told me I should...trust them." There was a beat and her lips dropped to a worried frown. "Course, now that I actually said that, it does sound like I just let myself get had."
"There is no need to worry," said Celeste, who was also riding with them, sitting next to Carol and keeping her fingers entwined around the mother's, acting like she didn't ever want to let her go. "You have every reason to trust us and if you look, you will see your vehicle is right behind our own. My wives would never take that which does not belong to them." She turned to look directly into Carol's eyes and tightened her grip on her hand. "Especially since you are the lover of my newest one."
"Eh heh, heh, heh," Carol giggled, feeling her whole face turn red, along with her neck, her collar, her breasts, her stomach, her butt cheeks, her thighs, her feet, her...everything honestly. Everything about this woman sitting right next to her just made her turn to butter. Should she kiss Celeste? Is that what the priestess would want? Or should she wait for Celeste to come onto her? She licked her lips, moistening them in anticipation, just in case the fire-headed goddess charged forward to feast upon them.
"So...you just...married our mom? Is that right?" said Mindy.
"In a manner of speaking. It would be more correct to say she married Zenriah," said Celeste. "As all we Zenrists have. We are all the Goddess' wives, which in turn makes us each other's wives."
"So is this official?" said Mindy. "Are you now, like, our new stepmom or something?"
Celeste chuckled. "Sadly no. Our current government will not recognize us as a single family unit. But as far as Zenriah is concerned, your mother and I, along with the rest of my congregation and all the other women of our faith, are all married. And whose word do you think holds more sway? A bunch of mortal bureaucrats we have never even met, or an immortal goddess whose grace we feel every minute of our lives?"
"Uh...point taken. I guess," said the teen sheepishly.
An immortal goddess whose grace we feel every minute of our lives?
That made Carol frown. Was she feeling the grace of the Goddess right now? It didn't feel like she was. She was just feeling like she always was. Oh sure, she was naked, and that was great and all, and she was going to enjoy every minute she lived like this...but all of Celeste's previous talk about her soul being awakened and her inner flame sparking inside of her...she wasn't experiencing anything like that. Was it all just talk? Was she missing something? Was she...not as strongly connected to Zenriah as she thought?
In the corner of her eye, Carol could see the priestess tilt her head at a concerned angle. "Something troubling you, childe?"
Carol anxiously flexed her bare toes into the floor. "Yes. I'm afraid I don't...I'm not feeling this 'grace' you describe. I don't feel like I'm some holy creature as you said I was. I just feel like...regular naked Carol. Is that normal? Have I really become a Zenrist yet? Or have I...secretly failed something?"
"Oh, my childe," said Celeste with graceful shake of her head and a gentle smile on her lips. "My dear, sweet childe. You have not failed anything. On the contrary, you have passed every test, both literal and spiritual, with flying colors. What you're feeling right now, or perhaps I should say
not
feeling, is perfectly natural. You feel like you are 'regular naked Carol' now because you
are
just 'regular naked Carol.' I already explained to you, your conversion is not yet done. You have officially joined our faith, yes, but you have not yet
become
our faith."
"Become your faith? What do you mean?" said the nudist mother.
"You believe in our Goddess," explained the priestess. "You openly yearn for Her. Your flame flickers and sparks within you, but it doesn't yet dance like it does within me and my wives. You, Caroline Connors, believe in our Goddess, but you have not yet fully and actively communed with Her. You are not like us yet, you are not a Zenrist, you are still...mortal."
"Mortal?" said Carol. "What do you mean by thaΒβ"
"But don't worry. For we will change that today. We will change
you
. And all the sensations I have described...all the ways that a Zenrist experiences the world...all of them will be yours today. The grace of the Goddess, you will feel it as I do. Very soon. The final step for your conversion is mere hours away."
"Well, that's good then, I suppose," said Carol, letting out a huge sigh of relief. Yes, she should have known there was more to be done. The priestess had said as much yesterday. But the mother couldn't help it; being so close to achieving her greatest desire in life was just making her so damn skittish!
"Ugh, do you have to explain everything so fancifully?" groaned Erin behind them, kneading her forehead with her hand. "Can't you ever just give a straight answer?"