It was like a clap of thunder as she again felt the drop land on her shaved head, land with what had now become as a sledgehammer blow, slamming down on her scalp, thudding hard and loud as her mind screamed for release that was not forth coming anytime soon. Her very heart & soul cringed during that 16 or so second delay between each drop, cringed and then screamed a soul tearing scream that coursed through her body and mind. She had ceased to feel the cruelness of the spikes the dug into her soft tender flesh as she sat on the harshness of the spiked chair, had long since forgotten the chaffing of the steel manacles that held her slender wrists and ankles to the cruel chair, forgotten the brutal chaffing of the neck manacle that held her head in place, forgotten that the cold look on Renaldo’s faced as he secured her to the chair naked, her sobs and pleas falling on deaf ears as she felt the cruelness of the steel bands slip about her wrists and an ankles, the cruellest being the one about her neck. She forgot about the liberties taken as she was forced to undress in the small cell that had held her for two terrified days and nights, forgetting the abuse at the hands of Renaldo’s assistant as she was forced to accept his crudeness and vile flesh. She had forgotten the darkness that she had lived with in this room of horrors, the only light was that coming from the coals of the brazier that was nearby, forgotten by everything it seemed save for the constant, incessant, damming drip, drip, drip of the cold brackish water that dropped in and evenly spaced 16 second time on her smooth shaved scalp.
Sister Marie had wept openly when Renaldo had finished securing her to the chair, wept and pleaded as he had turned away taking the torch with him, screamed as he closed the room door leaving her to her own soon to be hideous fate.
The hours she had lost track of, hours that had become no more to her only the silence of the room now punctuated by her grunts, moans, screams and as of late the hideous mewling’s that escaped from her parched lips and throat, sounds that came from her as with each drop the cruelty of the water drove any sanity from her drop by cruel drop. She had long ceased to concern herself with the pain anymore, but only with that terrible wait for the next drop trying to steel her faltering mind for the next one, writhing in emotional agony from it almost wishing to feel the taste of the lash upon her flesh, or the cruel roll of the iron across her breast or some form of physical torture that she could see and rationalize, feel and understand in its entirety. But this, this was by far something more deeper and more crueller than any lash, or iron or even a turn of the glass in the rack, this was evil beyond anything she could comprehend on any level.
The drop oozed from the spout tiny at first then built, forming becoming larger than it should until fully formed, then slipped from the spout taking a full 7 seconds to traverse the distance between the spouts end and the round smooth surface that it crashed down upon with a ever so slight “ plink” unheard by anyone. It landed and every nerve in Sister Marie’s body screamed again for the umpteenth time, making her howl as it did, then try to writhe and twist, the futility of lost on her now as she was going just through some motions now sensing that every drop brought her closer to that edge of darkness that she in some distant way was there to claim her.
She was not entirely aware when the room door opened and Renaldo & Mother Superior stepped into the room, not aware of the cold look of satisfaction on the woman’s face as she stood there looking down at the suffering sister a cruel grin on her craggy features as she stood there. “ This you say Renaldo is day two then of this.” she said as the tiny drop left the spout and fell the odd 3 feet down and splashed upon her head, her face taking on a twisted agonizing look as the water slid down from her head, between her eyes , down her nose and fell yet again down landing between her breast with a silent plop. “Yes,” he responded, “do you wish to continue further Mother Superior, or shall I cease it now.” he asked uncaring as he knew that with each passing hour his coffers grew with each drop of water.
She looked at Sister Marie with disgust and distain then turned to him, the coldness in her eyes telling him much more than mere words could convey, watched as a cruel hard smiled crossed her face as she said, “ Yes, another day and I will be sure that Sister Marie here has learned her lesson.” She said as the water landed again and they young girl writhed and moaned her face a grimacing mask now of deep internal agony.
Renaldo nodded pushed the stool beside the suffering novice, stood on it peering into the container seeing that it require a bit more water, stepping down to do so as the Mother Superior turned and left the room leaving Sister Marie to her exquisite agony.
He stepped away as the drop formed at the spout turned and walked to the door opened it as the drop fell and stepped out closing the door as it landed again with a soft “ plink “ as Sister Marie’s face contorted once again in a grimace of internal emotional & spiritual agony and mind bending horror that for her only stretched on forever in that room of torment.
Master Wryter
Hamilton. Ont.
Oct 16/09
With sincere thanks to Rob Curtis for the art.
