Wyatt tells the truth

Wyatt confessed to everything. The Auction House, the bidding, the bachelorette party, every detail. Sister Magdalene listened to the entire story, not interrupting once. Her face remained stoic throughout the whole telling. Finally, after Wyatt finished and awaited her response, she showed some emotion.

Magdalene took a deep sigh. “That’s quite a story…” she told him. Wyatt remained silent. “Some would say unbelievable!”

“I swear it’s the truth!” he told her. She raised her hand to silence him and he yielded.

“I believe you…” she said quietly. Wyatt felt a little relief come off his chest. He was still in the thick of it though. She believed him, but what was she going to do about it?

“Does that mean you’ll let me go?” he asked, hopefully.

Magdalene gave him a cold stare that stopped him in his tracks. “I also believe,” she continued, “that you were brought here for a reason. To atone for your sins of lust and make peace with the maker.”

“I’m not really very religious…” Wyatt responded, nervously.

“It was divine intervention that brought you here, young man,” the sister explained with absolute certainty. “It is His wish to steer your course to the path of good and forsake the evils of gambling and debauchery!”

Wyatt sighed. He was stuck here for a day. He didn’t want that time spent arguing over faith. “OK, sister, I am in your house, maybe you’re right and I need to be punished for the things I’ve done. What will it take to make amends?”

Magdalene nodded sagely as she accepted this admission of guilt. “Normally, some prayer and hail marys would be enough to avail you of your sins, but your story…” she took a breath and shook her head. “I believe something more **** is required for your case…”

Wyatt was ready to go along with anything the Sister put to him and ride out the day so that he could return to the auction house, but he balked when Magdalene took him to her private room. It was a punishment room decked out in padded walls and BDSM toys. There was a rack loaded up with whips, lashes and sticks. In one corner was a mounting cross, in the other was a standing cage. In the middle of the room was a medieval punishment stock for the arms and head.

“You will go in here,” she told him, gesturing toward the stocks.

“Are you serious?” Wyatt replied.

“You are repentant, are you not?” she asked. “If you truly wish to clear yourself in the eyes of the Lord, you must first take the time to reflect on the sins you have committed. Restraining you here will keep your mind from drifting and allow you to focus on yourself.”

Wyatt gave another sigh. He thought about making a run for it, but decided to stick it out. He submitted himself to the head nun and allowed her to clamp him down into the device. After she was satisfied that it was secure, she walked over to his view and told him, “Now I will give you some time for some introspective thought.”

Wyatt then watched her walk out of view and listened to her leaving the room, closing the door behind her. He was all alone now. He felt restricted, only able to face front. He wasn’t even given the dignity of putting some clothes on. He just kept telling himself that it was only for the day.

After a while, Wyatt had dozed off and lost track of time. He was startled awake by the sound of the door opening. He turned his head, but was still trapped between the two planks of wood. “Who’s there?” he called out.