Saint Mary's was a Catholic boarding school in the middle of nowhere. It was an old Gothic-style mansion that was converted into a school when the previous owner died and willed his family's estate to the Church, provided that it would be turned into a school.
Beth Chandler was my best friend…my only friend, in this prison called Saint Mary's. We met when we were but five years of age, and had taken an oath to become blood sisters. Now, at eighteen, we thought we knew everything.
Beth and I had Sister Monique as our mentor. Sister Monique was new, and very pretty. The nuns at Saint Mary's were downright ugly, but Sister Monique was very beautiful. We adored her French accent and she had dark brown eyes that could either soothe the savage beast or kill with a flick of emotion.
This was the year that we were allowed to share a room with a single person, it was one of the honors bestowed on the senior class. Beth and I were roommates; we didn't let anyone keep us apart. Our curiosity about sex was frowned upon by the nuns in general, but Sister Monique was very open-minded and let us ask questions. She never said she had all the answers, but that didn't matter to us, she was giving us room to grow and wasn't stagnating our development. We thought the world of her.
One night, just before Easter break, Sister Monique took gravely ill. She had been walking in the gardens of the estate one night and was attacked by what they said was a wild animal. She had two puncture wounds in her neck and had lost a lot of blood. They sent her to the hospital because she was so close to death.
'Ronnie, wake up'.
I opened my eyes and saw Beth standing over me. 'Mother Martina wants us in the Great Hall.'
That meant that there was something bad either going to happen or has happened. I looked at Beth. 'Sister Monique?'
'Sister Ann didn't say. Only that Mother Martina wants us in the Great Hall.'
Beth and I rushed to put our uniforms on and then ran out of our room and downstairs to the Great Hall. We sat there for what seemed like an eternity while Mother Martina made her entrance. She was an old woman, frail, and was, to us, beyond ugly. We swore that she was a witch in disguise. She needed help with walking and with standing. Her voice was weak and barely audible. The announcement however, was very clear. 'Sister Monique had died from loss of blood.' There was not a dry eye in that room. Not even hard-nosed Sister Agnes had a dry eye.
We went back to our rooms and got ready for bed, but it was useless because no one could sleep. We were told to try and the nuns gave us the same old stupid excuse, 'It's God's will.'
I woke up but didn't want to face the day. The only adult here that understood how we felt was gone. I looked over at Beth's bed; she must have gotten an early start. I slid out of bed, put my robe and slippers on, grabbed my toothbrush and other essential things and made my way down the hall to the shower.
The sight of twenty teenage girls standing in line to use the shower made me think that Beth had the right idea for getting an early start. I went and stood in the long line.
'Come with me, Veronica', Sister Ann said gravely.
'What's wrong, Sister?'
We walked back to my room and she opened the door for me. She had the same expression on her face the night Sister Monique died.
'It is very bad news, Veronica. Your friend, Elizabeth, is dead.'
My heart dropped.
'She was found outside, in the garden last night. Another wild animal.'
Beth…my only friend…dead.
'Were you aware she was going out?'
I shook my head. I had no idea Beth was going outside to the garden.
'Get dressed and go to the chapel and light a candle for your friend. Pray that God take her soul into heaven.'
I did as Sister Ann had told me. I spent the whole day in the chapel, praying. I prayed to God, Jesus, Mary, and every saint I could think of and even to the angels, requesting they take care of my friend, my blood sister.
That night I went to bed alone. It was an unseasonably hot April night so I opened my window. I fell asleep quickly.
'Ronnie?'
I opened my eyes and when my vision became accustomed to the darkness, I saw her. My friend, my sister…Beth. She was so beautiful. Tall, with long wavy dark hair and piercing blue eyes. She lay down next to me and we talked for awhile. It startled me when she kissed me on my lips.
'Beth?'
'Don't worry, Ronnie. It's natural to be curious.'
She kissed me again, this time I took in her passionate, full lips and returned her favor. Her soft hand went down to my breasts, rubbing them hard. My legs spread instinctively but her touch went no further.
'I must leave, it's almost sunrise.'