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....