Chapter 28

“What happened?” asked Lauren, walking back towards Nikki, who crouched by the side of the altar.

“I can’t move! Someone handcuffed my foot. Look!”

Lauren felt her flesh creep as blood surged into her head. Her mouth felt dry as she looked at Nikki, her face a combination of fear and panic as she struggled to free herself, the robe spilling open in an undignified manner to show her little white knickers. The congregation seemed unconcerned about her plight and continued their conversations. Lauren knelt down beside Nikki, pulling at the metal handcuff that secured her foot to the heavy iron rings embedded in the cobbled floor.

“Lauren, please join our church” said the priestess behind her.

Lauren turned to face her. “Undo her!” commanded Lauren.

“Lauren, we want you with us.”

“No! Never. We want to go home” she replied, trying to slip the handcuff over Nikki’s foot to no avail. Lauren stood up and confronted the priestess. “Look, I just want to go. I don’t want to join the church!” She looked around for Rebecca as Nikki continued to struggle, clearly losing patience as she sat on the floor with her robe gathered around her waist so she could see her feet.

“Please. Is this some sort of joke?” screamed Nikki. Rebecca overheard the commotion and drifted slowly over to the girls.

“What’s up, Lori?”

“Someone put handcuffs on Nikki’s foot and she can’t get them off!” said Lauren, her voice tinged with fear as she looked at Rebecca and the priestess for reaction.

“Come on, let her go. We need to get home” said Rebecca, bending down to help Nikki free her right foot.

“It’s clear that you, Rebecca, were not really ready to enter the church. It is our wish that Lauren joins our movement, and you will do everything to assist. Is that clear?” said the priestess firmly.

“Not tying people up, though!” she replied, consoling Nikki who was shaking slightly from the whole episode.

“Rebecca!” shouted the priest, towering above her. “Stand up. Now!” Rebecca rose slowly, still six inches shorter than the priest. “Rebecca, you will obey Sister Winifred”

“No, this is crazy!” said Rebecca angrily.

“Look at me, Rebecca! Look at me! Remember the ice cold water of mountain streams. The ice cold water, Rebecca, the ice cold water of mountain streams.” Rebecca’s head moved back slightly, as though a wonderful thought had just struck her, and her eyes drifted away from the priest’s face, searching out the void in the middle distance. She swayed slightly as though a breeze had caught her.

“Rebecca, we want Lauren to join us, don’t we?” asked the priest.

“Lauren, join us. Let the church enter you.” said Rebecca in a monotonous drawl.

“No!” screamed Lauren, looking frantically up from Nikki towards the silent congregation for support. “Help her, someone!” Nobody moved. Lauren’s lower lip quivered as feelings of helplessness and panic set in.

“Lauren, only you can help her, help both of your friends. Lie down on the altar” said the priestess, taking her arm gently.

“Never, get the hell off me you bitch!” shouted Lauren, tears welling up around her eyes.

Lauren watched the priest move away and nod to a man in the congregation. Lauren had just turned back to shout at the priestess again when she saw a hand raised out of the corner of her eye. Instinctively, she ducked to avoid the blow which never came. The swish through the air was followed by a loud thwack and a scream that registered surprise, indignity and pain. Lauren wheeled round to see Nikki straining at the iron ring while raising her left hand to fend off a second blow. Lauren couldn’t see where the first had hit her, but from the look on her face, Nikki was clearly in pain and very scared.

“You shits!” shouted Nikki, on the verge of tears, looking around rapidly in each direction to try and detect where the person who whipped her might be hiding.

“Lori, lie down on the altar. Now, for her sake and your own.” said Sister Winifred, calmly.

“No, this is stupid. Let us both go. Where’s Ariane?” asked Lauren. Some of the crowd had taken their places back on the benches, while others gathered around Lauren and Nikki.

“Don’t worry about her. Lie down and enter the church” said Sister Winifred.

“No, I want to go!”

A second whoosh through the air was followed by another agonising scream as Nikki curled up into a fetal position, her arms covering her head, her gown obscenely gathered around her waist. The woman with the whip emerged from the knot of onlookers and stood over her prey.