i wake up before the sun even thinks about rising. the stone floor under my thin blanket is freezing but my skin is already burning. yesterday’s candle flicker and his hand on my neck won’t leave my head. i squeeze my thighs together under the habit and feel how slippery i am already. god, ava, you’re a nun. he’s your uncle. stop. but my c**t is throbbing like it has its own heartbeat and i can’t make it quit.
dawn light creeps in. i hear his footsteps in the hallway. heavy. sure. my stomach flips. he’s coming for morning meditation and i know it’s not gonna be normal today. i scramble up, fix my habit, but my hands shake. when i walk into the chapel the altar is naked except for that big silver cross and… my spare veil. coiled there like a snake waiting to strike. my breath catches.
“kn
