THE SIN BEHIND THE VEIL

THE RULES

The fourth bell stopped ringing.

I looked at the corridor, which was absolutely empty, for a couple of seconds before I started walking.Sister Valeria then walked in from the other end of the room.

She began to leave but then looked back.

"Come."

I didn't budge.

"Where?"

"Prayer."

I looked at the clock that was on the wall above the door.

"Now?"

She turned her gray eyes upon me.

"The bell rang."

"Yes. I noticed."

She remained expressionless.

"Then why are you still standing there?"

I almost laughed.

She had an aura that turned every question into a sort of confrontation, as if to test the speaker.Igrabbed the end of my gown and tripped behind her.

Ghe tilt of the floor made the corridor look different.Maybe it's because the sun has completely set. Maybe it is the hundreds of candles lighting the walls, casting their flickering shadows upon the aged stone.Maybe this is why I had started noticing the nuns.

When Valeria was near, they would quickly move.

Lowered heads.

Folding hands.

Downcast eyes.

No speaking at all.

Not even a hushed whisper.

I was curious about what could have possibly made an entire building full of adult females act as if they were scared little school girls.

After that, I pondered whether or not she had even done something to begin with.

Perhaps fear just grows around people such as herself.

We arrived at the chapel.

The chapel door opened by itself.

I paused at the entrance.

It was huge.

There were rows upon rows of wooden benches stretching towards the raised altar. There were tall candles burning on both sides of the altar; and there was a carved statue of Saint Aurelia above the altar.

Saint Aurelia seemed very peaceful. Almost too peaceful.

I questioned whether saints get tired of watching people suffer below them.

Valeria proceeded to the front.

All of the sisters stood up.

I looked around to try and determine what I needed to do.

One of the young girls next to me observed. "You need to stand."

"I'm standing."

"Your hands?"

"What?"

She turned her head downward. "Fold your hands."

I did.

"Your head."

"I lower my head."

"You're eyes?"

"You close them."

"Thank you," I whispered softly.

She was mortified.

"Don't speak."

I bit into the inside of my mouth so hard that I almost laughed.

Apparently, I was likely to be disciplined for taking another breath.

The prayer began.

I didn't know many of the words.

Most of the words were ancient and spoken in a language that I had never personally heard before. They were spoken in unison by the sisters in an old language recorded in recordings. The sisters' voices rose and fell in synchronization during the prayer.

I attempted to follow along. For awhile, I did. Then my thoughts drifted.

I started thinking about my mother.I remembered how tightly she held my hand when we entered the gates as if she was the one who needed comfort

I thought about my dad.I remmebered how his words pierced through my chest

The demons in you are not those which I can argue with as I do with my fellow politicians

Demons.Thats what I had now become.

Not his daughter in whom he took so much pride.I was now a problem.Somethinh he couldn't recognize . Something so wild that needed to be contained.

I opened my eyes.On looking towards the alter I saw valeria beneath the cross only that she was not praying,she was looking at me.Our eyes met but I looked away.

Tonight, we welcome a new member," Valeria said, turning back to face the group. Every single person in the room turned to stare at me. I stopped breathing. I wanted the ground to just open up and swallow me whole.

Valeria's eyes went from side to side before coming back to rest on mine. "Mara Ellis," she said. I took another step into the room. A few soft sounds escaped some of the women, and then one woman softly mumbled something. Another one glanced at her, and then Valeria's voice boomed across the silent room. "Silence!" Instantly, everything was quiet. I gazed at her. She hadn't yelled. She hadn't needed to yell. "This home is an oasis for those seeking discipline, self-reflection and a place to renew themselves." My stomach contracted when I heard that word. Oasis. I already knew this was the wrong word. "Those entering the walls of Saint Aurelia should respect the rules here. There will be NO exceptions due to family connections, wealth, social standing or influence." Her eyes locked onto mine again. "No exceptions, especially NOT influenced by you." I could tell exactly who she was referring to. The Ellis name had obviously preceded me. Wonderful. Valeria continued talking, but my mind began to wander. Instead, I focused on her. It seemed as if she wasn't affected at all by the environment around her; everyone else in the room appeared to contract whenever she spoke, but Valeria stood tall as if the fear surrounding her was irrelevant. Most people enjoy being feared. Valeria did not appear to be one of them. She merely exuded authority as if it were second nature to her. Then her eyes refocused on me. This time, I didn't break eye contact. For a couple of seconds, neither of us budged. There was something unnerving about her gaze. But it wasn't cruel. It wasn't angry. Something I could not identify. Then she blinked, and the feeling vanished. "Welcome to Saint Aurelia, Mara,"

I wasn't sure whether it was a welcome or a warning.When the meeting closed, the Sisters filed out in order. I stood where I was watching the last of them exit the Chapel. There was no lingering, no talking. Conversation appeared to have become yet another "rule" that had to be followed. As I walked towards the door, someone grabbed my sleeve.

I turned around. The person grabbing my sleeve was the young woman that I had previously spoken with while we were praying together. "You should not watch her." She said it without emotion or passion.

I glanced over at Valeria. "Who?" I asked. "You know," Nadia replied. I shrugged. "Why?" "Because she will see you." Nadia's eyes widened. "Do not." I smiled. "My name is Mara." "I already knew your name." "You are quite perceptive," I said. Nadia did not smile. "My name is Nadia." The name meant absolutely nothing to me at this time. "Nice to meet you," I said. Nadia glared at Valeria. "You will not feel nice to meet me by the end of next week." I frowned. What could possibly make Nadia say such an odd thing? Nadia stared at me for a long time before shaking her head. "Nothing." "That certainly didn't seem like nothing," I said. Nadia turned and headed down the corridor. "Nadia!" I called after her. Nadia stopped but did not turn back to speak to me. Instead, she simply said, "Learn the rules quickly." Then she continued on down the corridor disappearing into the Something about her bothered me.Its like she was once as curious as I was but something eventually made her stop.

The convent looked different at night. I was walking down the hallway at night when the final bell rung. It rung for the first time,decond,third and on the fourth ring every door seemed to close simultaneously. I assumed that everyone was retiring to sleep and decided to take a few more steps down the hallway when I heard footsteps behind me.On turning,it was sister Valeria."why are you not in your room"she asked."I was going toy room"

"Then go"

I started walking.

"Mara! It's the other way "

"I knoww"

She raised one eyebrow and said,

"No you didn't"

I had barely taken a few steps when I heard a faint sound.

It was as if someone was crying.I turned and started following the voice. It was at the end of the hallway where sister Valerie had previously stood when telling me to go to my room. The place was dark and harder wood and door that had no name on it.Only a symbol that I couldn't recognize.I reached out for the handle.

"Stop!"Sister Valeria said in a commanding voice.

My hands froze.I turned.

"I heard someone crying"

"You thought you did"

"what is this place "

"The next time I tell you t do something and you fail to,you'll not only know what this place is,but you'll also experience it"

I was startled

"Learn the rules"

"What's rules am I breaking?"

"The final bell means you remain in your room until morning.The next time I find you wandering after the final bell,I'll take you downstairs myself."

She walked away.I could still hear someone crying but she seemed so I bothered about it.

I went to my room but I couldn't sleep.Everytime I closed my eyes I could hear the muffled crying again and again.But I told myself to forget about the room.But I was still curious to figure out what was behind that door.Sooner or later I was going to find out.