Part 1 - The Awakening
Katrina lay there soaking in the bubble bath enjoying the warmth that enveloped her. It was an old stone building, with wooden rafters, stone walls and floors. Candelabras hung on the walls emitting ambient light flickering throughout the room. The young maidens knelt beside her tin bathtub in the centre of the room and cleaned her thoroughly, tending to her, preparing her. All the other maidens had been through the initiation before, or the 'awakening' as the original High Priest Father Carmine had named it.
They all knew about Katrina's apprehension, about her fears. They had all felt it too when they had reached their 19th birthdays. The ordeal she was about to go through. They all tried to keep her calm, relaxed. Katrina looked up at the old clock in the dim light. It was almost 11pm now. In just over an hour's time, Katrina would be 19 years old and her awakening ceremony would begin.
The Brotherhood of Carmine was a commune. Not a secret Commune, but a commune with secrets. Hidden away miles from the Northern City of Carlisle in a private farmland, fenced off from prying eyes. A 'Cult', outsiders would call it. Everyone knew their place, everyone knew their expectations and roles in the commune. There was an order to be maintained and rules to follow. Great fear of retribution if the rules weren't followed. All the males and females obeyed and respected the rules, worshipped God through Father Seth and the Eldermen. To the outside world, if they looked upon the Brotherhood of Carmine, they would see a Religious sect, which worshipped God and Jesus and the saints of this great land, but thinly veiled behind a curtain where men ruled, where Priests abused their positions of power to abuse a woman like they had been used in a distant historical past centuries ago. But to the people of the Commune. It's all they knew. An acceptance by all that that was the way of things, and no knowledge of the outside world beyond the boundary walls of the commune existed other than the distant wonder of passing aeroplanes high above.
All of the girls below the age of 19 were hidden away and sheltered from any abuse. The Priests and Eldermen of the commune treasured the young. Educating them in discipline and service to God. On how to do the chores and keep house, relying on them to look after the babies, be disciplined and respectful.
But once a girl became 19 she was initiated. Awakened to her real purpose. By the time she was awakened, she would be in such service and worship to God, the commune, Father Seth and all the Eldermen of the commune, that she knew nothing other than to accept and serve her purpose. To love her purpose. To love and fear God's power.
Katrina stepped out of the bath. Two of the maidens she had known so well dried her with the towel and started applying soft lotions and perfume to her naked body. Readying her.
In a calm voice Elena said, "okay Katrina, at midnight we will walk slowly up to the tower, the Eldermen will be lining the roadside and Father Seth will be waiting in the entrance to the tower. You will be presented to him there and follow him up at a respectful distance to the top floor."
Katrina nodded and took a deep shivering breath. Elena then added, "Father Seth will then perform 'The Awakening' with you. It will last as long as he desires. Then the Eldermen will enter and perform 'The Reckoning'." Katrina stopped an involuntary flinch at the word. She knew her time had come. She knew soon and forevermore she would be giving her body to the Service of God through the Men of the Brotherhood.
Enjoying the touch of the 3 maidens cleansing her with lotions. Arching her head toward Elena as the maiden massaged her neck and shoulder, leaning into her touch. Feeling her warmth. She tremored as she knew the next person to see and touch her naked body would be Father Seth.
"Did you do what I told you to do?" Elena whispered into Katrina's ear.
Katrina's mind flashed back to a week earlier. Elena was always a little mischievous and sometimes troublesome but she was smart and always managed to get away with her minor indiscretions within the commune. All girls prior to the awakening were forbidden to touch themselves or pleasure themselves in any way... They all had to save themselves for God's love, save their bodies for Father Seth and the Eldermen, remain pure and untouched. For in the commune a woman's purpose was to the serve God's love, Father Seth, the High Priest and all the Eldermen Brotherhood of the commune. To have babies, serve their commune and serve God. It was deemed that 19 was the perfect child bearing age where the women were in their prime.
Elena however had confessed to Katrina that she had touched herself prior to the awakening. That she feared what it would feel like so she had experimented. That she hadn't regretted it, that it made the awakening a less traumatic experience for her.
Katrina had considered what Elena had said the week before. But she had a more worrisome mind that Elena. She felt the fear of what awaited her on her 19th birthday. But she also felt the fear of guilt any betrayal would bring. So she decided not to touch herself. To give herself completely to God and Father Seth, give herself completely to the Church elders safe in the knowledge she had been good and true and not violated herself before her time.
Two days before. Katrina stirred awake in her bed to find Elena snuggled in next to her. There were 5 girls in each dormitory with a single bed each. Fully awake now, Elena was spooning her from behind, her body curved against the shape of her body, pressed in close. Both girls in their knee length nightie and underwear.
Elena whispered "Ssssshhhhh it's just me don't panic! I promise you, you won't regret this, you need to know what it feels like."
Katrina felt Elena's warm breath as she whispered in her ear from behind. She then felt Elena's warm hand lifting up her nightie under neath the covers. Katrina flinched and tried to push Elena's hand away
"Ssssshhhhh it's okay, it's okay, trust me, I promise I'm doing what's best for you, you won't regret it."
Uncertain, Katrina relaxed her hand and allowed Elena reluctantly to slide her hand to the waistband of her underwear, she trembled and let out a shuddering breath as Elena's hand slid inside. Katrina's sensitive skin tickled to her touch and she felt an involuntary twitch in her clit which she had only ever touched to clean, never for pleasure. Katrinas heartbeat quickened as she felt her friend's warm fingers slide between her legs. She anticipated the point where her fingers met her clit and she slammed her thighs together tight trapping Elena's hand so that she couldn't move it or finger her.
Katrina shook her head frantically....
"okay, okay," whispered Elena, and pulled her hand away. Katrina lay facing the wall. Elena's hand stayed inside her knickers but against the side of her hip only. Still spooned snugged closely against her. A minute or 2 passed. Katrinas heart slowed, and she relaxed a little but her body still remained slightly tense, nervous of Elena's hand. She was her most trusted friend. Maybe she should have let her? She thought to herself. Elena had been initiated 6 months earlier. She knew better than her. But every fibre of her being said anyone touching between her legs, her vagina or clitoris, was a betrayal to God. To her sacred oaths and commitments she had taken.
Elena whispered to her again. "The thing I was most unprepared for. The thing that hurt me and surprised me the most during my reckoning was when they used all my sacred places. Places I didn't expect. Kat you must trust me, you must let me prepare you for something. Please trust me sister?"
Elena slowly backed her hips away from Katrina's bottom, creating a gap between them. And strayed her hand to her ass cheeks. Katrina lay there deciding to trust her friend. She trembled. Uncertain of what Elena meant. What did she mean 'sacred places?' Then Katrina let out an audible shuddering gasp as Elena parted her cheeks and her finger slowly pressed against her butthole.
Katrina moved her hand toward Elena but Elena wasn't going to be moved. "Kat, trust me!" She whispered. "This is not a betrayal, your vagina is pure and untouched ready for God's love. But some of the Eldermen like to explore other places too. You need to be prepared, please trust me, you need to at least be prepared for the sensation. Do you trust me Kat?" she whispered. Still spooned in behind her.
Katrina lay there trembling, then after a moment nodded and relaxed her hand. Elena slowly massaged Katrina's entrance. Not penetrating yet, but circling her middle finger tip gently against her anus. Katrina stifled an uncertain moan against her pillow.... Then Elena pushed inside, making Katrinas anus give way for the first time. She panicked a little to the feeling as she felt the intrusion, the strange feeling of being forced open. The burning of a dry finger against her bum hole... Then Elena quickly forced a second finger up inside her pushing deep. Katrina grimaced as the pain and discomfort throbbed in her behind.
"Sssshhh it's okay, the main shock is over with. It gets easier, give it a few moments. Trust me Kat, you needed to know." Elena thrust in her fingers slowly at first then increased speed. Katrina then understood. The stretching feeling, the pain, the burning. Elena was right, she was totally unprepared. She had no idea that Father Seth or any of the Eldermen would touch her anywhere but her vagina. The sacred place between her legs had been talked about so much as being a place a woman bears children, receives pleasure. But only at the hands of the men in the commune. She was a child of the commune of Carmine, a bride of Christ for the men to use, she had mentally prepared for it. Nobody mentioned anything about her other places?
Elena finally pulled out. Katrina's anus throbbed as it settled back to normal. Elena cuddled into her. "You will thank me for that I promise you will," she whispered.
Katrina recalled that her mind was swimming with thoughts all that night. Confused thoughts about what Elena had done, the strange little twitch she felt in her clitoris. And fear. Fear what Father Seth and the Eldermen would want with her.
Back in the present, the clock moved closer to 12. Katrina finally answered Elena saying that she hadn't touched herself still. That she wasn't like her. She felt it would be a betrayal to God. Elena frowned at her. But gave her a hug. As did the other maidens tending to her. They then fixed her hair into a plaited circlet on top of her head, like a halo. The remaining whisps of hair dangling down to her shoulders. She was dressed in a white robe that dangled down past her knees.
As the clock neared midnight she was lead outside. The whole commune had gathered along the toe path that lead up to the tower next to the main church. Men and women of the commune lined the path on either side. Some had flaming torches, others had lanterns. Elena hugged her one more time and whispered "Happy Birthday Kat!" then took her arm and started the short walk. The well-wishers also wished Katrina happy birthday, many also said a blessing to her as she passed. Father Seth and a semi-circle of Eldermen awaited her near the entrance to the tower. They were all dressed in white robes. Father Seth had added a purple banner around his shoulder. Which was his adornment of high priesthood. He was the 8th man to wear this. After the original Father Carmine who started the commune over 100 years ago, then Father Ichabod, Father Jeremiah, Father Matthew, Father Conrad, Father Jobe and Father Enoch had come before him.
