Sanitizing the Sacrifices

As she padded up to the large ornate building that was their city hall, Ivy noticed the mayor and some nuns ushering the girls of age into a small crowd at the steps and joined them. He was a squat fat man with a balding head he hid with a top hat. His facial hair and stature made him look somewhat like a squirrel or small dog and ever time he spoke he blew his mustache out like two little streamers. He cleared his throat and announced "It is time for cleansing and then we shall move on to communion. Lastly we shall finish with coronation. As you all know from your families, this is a sacred event and you are all expected to behave amiably". He paused and looked pointedly at some girls in the front ending with a dagger like glare directly at Ivy "for those who are chosen during coronation your families will be looked after and their income supplemented based on factors you will learn later. Now. Is everyone ready?" He was met with silence and awkward shuffling from the crowd of skittish girls. Growing up they had all gossiped about the horrors that happen during this event. Conspiracies and rumors that went wild. Though they knew most of their fun was just that; fun, still they were worried and unnerved. The mayor grumbled something incoherent to himself, cleared his throat and pierced the silent pause with a "okay now then, forward march single file ladies" and the little man trotted into the building one prance at a time.

The interior of the hall was beautiful, rare glossy stone coated the floor. Ornate pillars and trim decorated the halls and rooms. The ceilings were so tall their footsteps and whispers echoed bouncing from one wall to the next, which, didn't help the uneasy mood. They reached a hall to the side that the mayor stopped before clearing his throat once more "alright ladies, two or three of you have been assigned to a nun who will be in charge of your cleansing. Please cooperate and be quick; we are on a schedule".

Ivy was in a group with her classmate May and a girl she new from her block named Penny. Their assigned nun introduced herself "Hello girls, My name is Samantha and I will be helping you through the cleansing process. Please step into this room over hear and get undressed, I will prepare the water for you". The girls looked uneasily at each other. They had only ever been around nudity at home with their sisters and mothers. Never had they had to get undressed with each other let alone a stranger. May stood still and Ivy was panicked while Penny picked a corner with low visibility and complied. As Penny undressed May awkwardly followed suit finding some furniture to get behind and try to maintain some cover while she undressed. Ivy slumped into a fetal position overwhelmed with anxiety breathing quickly and tears pricked her eyes. Her only thoughts repeated unending as she cradled her head with her arms "I can't, I don't want to, I can't, I...". May saw her and sympathetically called out "Ivy you can do this, remember everyone has done this, even our mothers said only one thing: to comply, we can do this". She couldn't leave her corner though, her only form of measly cover and safety. Ivy barely heard her as the nun returned behind.

The nun, Samantha, approached the girls glancing at Ivy softly stating "I'll be back little one, hold on" and motioned to Penny who was closest to the doorway within the room leading to a smaller side room where the floor was concave and a grate was at the bottom. Samantha motioned to Penny to stand in the basin and explained how to use the waxy bar to scrub her skin and then rinse with the water in a trough to the side of the basin. After Penny began the cleansing process the nun returned to the room and without touching Ivy crouched down near her softly addressing her "Ivy you are safe. We are all women here and no one will hurt you. We need to bathe you properly for the ceremony which means your old clothes have to come off. That's all, little one". With some coaxing and coaching from Samantha her panic lessened and she allowed the nun to bring her into a hug, hushing her while rocking her softly mumbling "you are safe, you are okay, you are protected, you are cared for".

When Ivy had calmed, Penny had been done with her cleansing for a few minutes and Samantha left Ivy to bring her a soft thick cloth "dry yourself with this, you may wrap your body with it after and find a seat at one of the mirrors. May took her turn and then the nun, knowing something was causing a response in Ivy gently helped her into the basin and then opened up another cloth to block Ivy in the shower so no one could see. "Hopefully this helps somewhat Ivy, it's the best I can do" Ivy felt trust growing for their captor nun through the kindness she had shown "Thank you" she softly mumbled as she peeled off her garments allowing her panic to rise and fall with her breath. It took Ivy three times as long to go through her cleansing process but eventually she took the cloth from Samantha and told her she could open her eyes. The three girls placed themselves in front of a mirror each and the nun began making her rounds.