The Maiden (The Cloister Trilogy 1)

“But sisters, I tell you now, be wary! Guard your hearts against sin.” More images—this time unflattering photos of Hillary Clinton, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Michelle Obama, Ellen DeGeneres, Oprah Winfrey, and several others I don’t recognize—flash on the screen. “Sin has put these women above their station.” The voice turns harsher, colder. “Sin has led them to believe their place is lording over men, dominating men, and forcing their evil ideas and desires upon men. The Bible tells us this is not the way. The Apostle, Paul, states clearly in Timothy, ‘I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet.’ And the Prophet tells us that God despises a woman who would seek to make herself a leader of men.” The images flicker to women hanging from trees, women burning at the stake, and others on their knees as men with pistols walk behind them, pulling the triggers.

My empty stomach churns as more and more violence against women is praised as the righteous end to sinful females.

“But you.” The voice lightens again. “You are the chosen of God. The blessed among women. Others will seek to harm you because of your purity, because of your perfect obedience.” Footage of men catcalling at a woman on the street, then a man watching a woman through her windows, and finally several clips of women screaming and crying as they are raped fills the screen. “This is what the world would do to you without the protection of the Prophet. This is the evil that thrives outside the gates of Heavenly Ministries. But the Prophet will smite the wicked and lift you up. He is good and true, and will reward you for turning away from sin and falling at his feet.”

I glance to my right. A Maiden chews on her fingernail, her eyes wide. She nods along with the narrator’s words.

The Head Spinner hisses at me and points to the screen. I turn back to it and settle in for my morning of “edification.”

After a lunch of greens, the thinnest pork chop I’ve ever seen, and a tiny side of white rice, we enter the training room. All the usual areas are set up, but there is a new one in the corner. A table with a large white apparatus next to it, along with an older man in a white coat.

“Hannah, come here.” The Head Spinner strides over to the man. “Remove your dress.”

He peers over his glasses as Hannah approaches, her dark hair swept up in a tight bun. She slips the dress from her shoulders and steps out of it. The rest of us do the same as we stand in line near the wall of implements.

“There, the mark of the world is along her skin.” The Head Spinner turns Hannah around so the doctor can examine the ink twirling along her hip.

“Shouldn’t be too difficult to remove.” He pats the table. “Lie down on your stomach. I’ve got some spray to help ease the pain.”

“No.” The Head Spinner crosses her arms over her trim waist. “No pain relief. She should feel the sting of the fallen world leaving her.”

He hesitates.

“The Prophet wills it,” she adds.

“Oh.” He nods. “Well, in that case.” He grabs a wand attachment from the machine and flicks a switch. It whirs to life, the digital screen glowing. “Give it a minute to warm up, and we’ll get started.”

“Delilah,” Chastity whispers and points to the floor. “Come on now.”

I drop to my knees. She gives me an apologetic pat before placing the dildo in my mouth. It tickles the back of my throat, but I breathe slowly through my nose and fight the gag reflex. A sharp electric snap cuts through the room, and Hannah makes a small noise.

The Head Spinner lifts her baton.

Another zap, and Hannah gasps.

Thwack! The Head Spinner slams the wooden rod against Hannah’s thigh. She shrieks, which earns her another hit.

The Head Spinner raises the baton and waits.

Zap. Silence, but I can see Hannah shaking from the corner of my eye.

“You must be pliant for the Lord. For your Prophet.” Another Spinner walks among the Maidens. “You must use your bodies only to please the Lord. To please the Prophet. You must remain chaste, pure, and clean. Your purpose is to serve the Prophet, to do what he asks, no matter what that might be. In return, he will keep you safe from the wicked world outside these doors.”

The Spinner scoffs as she makes a circuit of the room. “So many women claiming they were harassed and molested at their workplaces. Me too, they say. What a load of lies. Those whores asked for it, deserved it. They thrive on attention from men, and want to be used up and thrown away. They begged to be defiled, then blamed the men for their own sin. But you don’t have to worry about that. For you are chosen. Protected. Loved. Cherished. No filthy worldly man will ever touch you. Their grime can’t stain you. As long as you follow the Prophet and do as he commands.”