Punishment begins, Charity’s perspective

I’d come straight to the blacksmith’s shop after arriving at the gate and getting the message. At first I’d been afraid and made some excuse about needing to run some errands in town before returning to the abbey, that had gotten rid of my fellow initiates. But now, standing outside the miserable hut Lilly had instructed me to meet her at, all I felt was anger.

How dare that little bitch look through my things, read my journal, take away my… I swallowed, how dare she. Who did she think she was? If I was going to practice resisting like I’d seen Sister Rosalia practicing that was my business, I was a full Red Riding Hood Initiate, not some washout wannabe like Lilly, who was she to judge me!?

Somewhere in the back of my mind I felt relieved at being caught. Somewhere that was still pure, righteous, warned me that I’d fallen into a trap with that ancient dildo, that it was evil, corrupting me, that I needed to be rid of it, to repent, to confess and accept my punishment before all was lost. But right then, standing in front of that wooden door, I didn’t care, I was that angry.

I kicked the door open and stepped inside, opening my mouth to scream at Lilly, but nothing came out.

I felt the dark magic take hold as soon as my foot crossed the threshold and I knew I had fallen into a trap. It was one of the first things I’d been taught after my initiation, when I’d been given the vial that hung from my neck, a vial of Goddess Rose’s own blood. It gave me power, magical power that would only grow with time, and I’d been taught to sense when the enemy’s magic was at work.

Unfortunately I’d not been taught anything about identifying what that magic was, or how to break out of it. Not that I could even think about such things, for standing before me, in the garb of the most obscene whoremonger, was Lilly, my roommate, standing with a wooden spoon in one hand, and the artifact in the other.

My conscious mind fought down the anger, the confusion, the fear and I managed to speak. “Lilly,” I said, one hand grabbing at the vial around my neck, “we’ve got to get out of here. I don’t know what’s going on, I don’t know what you’ve done or what you think you’re doing…” I drew my sword, looking around the room for a threat, for the source of the dark magic. “But there’s dark magic at work here. Give me the journal and the artifact, we’re leaving, NOW!”

I had fully expected Lilly to cower at my words, to leap to do my bidding, as she always had for years as we’d grown up together in the aby. Instead she stood there, staring at me with an unfamiliar smile as she waved her spoon at me like a teacher might a naughty student who was about to be punished.

“Sister Charity,” Lilly’s voice was more firm and commanding than I’d ever heard it, “you have sinned and masturbated many times, against the will of our Goddess and stolen ancient relics for your own personal pleasure. You are not fit to be a Red Riding Hood, you’re no more than a wanton slut, addicted to her own pleasure.”

I couldn’t speak, my tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth. How could she say such things, dressed as she was like a prostitute, holding that very artifact I’d… admittedly taken but fully intended to return!

“But I’m here to save you,” Lilly took a step forward, “because I believe in you, Charity. I believe you’re a good, pure sister and dear friend. I believe you’ve lost your way, and I’m here to bring you back to our Goddess, to purify you of your sins before they infect our order.” Lilly smiled and I still couldn’t believe what I was hearing, “you see, I learned my lesson. I was caught, turned myself in, learned to control my desire. But you, well,” she grinned again, it unnerved me, “you’re so wet right now with need even I can smell it. How shameful. Now! Strip naked, and Drop. Your. Sword.”