"You're such a good girl, and you learn things so quickly. Because of this, we decided to give you this opportunity, and we believe that the Lord our God also recognizes enough potential in you to single you out for it."
Surprisingly, the always-serious woman smiled just a little bit, which resulted in an increase in the number of lines and wrinkles on her face.
Her eyes lingered on the chest region of Scarlet and it dwelled there for a long time. She tried to make out the rise and fall of the massive, bouncy organ that the other sister had been blessed with before she drew her eyes over the plump, smooth body and dragged it up to her face once more. During the entire process, she had not been breathing normally.
"But Mother, can you tell me exactly what it is that I'm required to do?" Scarlet's natural inquisitiveness always won, even though she put on a brave front. It was an unusually quiet time, and she wondered whether or not Sister Grace, the sister whose duty it was to keep watch that night, had already fallen asleep.
The place was unusually quiet at this moment. She rubbed her eyes slowly until she reached a state that could be described as "alive with attentiveness and a slight impatience."
"In a moment, Scarlet, because I know how eager you are to get started on this project. But I feel obligated to tell you that you will only have access to the resources that you deem necessary and that this journey will primarily be your own, albeit undertaken in the service of God and humanity."
"What? I'm sorry, Mother but I just don't get it."
"I want you to prepare your thoughts for the information that is going to be given to you. Despite this, I'm going to make the assumption that your training has prepared you quite a bit. There are some realities that you need to be aware of before you head out into the field so that you can have an accurate understanding of what awaits you there. Scarlet, this is the first time you will be venturing out there, and because of that, we want to make sure that you won't end up wandering aimlessly once all of this work has been completed. You will obey the directions that have been given to you. You will have no complaints. Unquestionable submission. Is that understood?"
"I understand, Mother." Scarlet bowed her head, the slight squeeze on her face a constant reminder of her awe.
The idea that she might leave the convent and go into "the field," as the most prominent members of the community referred to the outside world, had managed to give her a profound sense of unease.
A heavy sigh came from Mother Rose, and it was the only audible sound that could be heard in the large room that was obscured by the gloomy darkness even though it should have been well lit in any scenario.
The lighting coming from the fireplace was inadequate, and the hanging chandeliers had not done an excellent job of improving it.
Scarlet experienced a slight shiver for she knew that Mother Rose was observing her from behind the heavy brows and the penetrating eyes that seemed to scan the intentions of the hearts of everyone who was present in the convent. And whenever she goes to her for confessions, something in the woman has always told her that she knows so much about all of the nuns in the place and their transgressions, associating each sin with a sinner and being relaxed whenever her guesses are correct.
She felt uneasy as Mother Rose continued to stare at her body, but she dared not show that discomfort to the former.
Maybe she demanded eye contact. She thought.
Scarlet ended the hush by clearing her throat, which was the first sound heard.
She had no idea what was going on or what was going to occur next. She was completely confused.
Suddenly, Mother Rose stood up with a nimbleness that was unbecoming of her age and turned around in a swish of the tartan that was supposed to be her nightwear after the conclusion of the service. "It will serve you well to catch up."
Scarlet's mouth dropped as she got up from her chair and watched the other woman leave through a door that Scarlet hadn't noticed was there a moment ago.
Scarlets was pushing herself to her physical limits in an attempt to keep up with the middle-aged woman who was walking much more quickly than was appropriate for her age group.
Scarlet had never felt the need to carry a lamp with her before, but as the gloomy darkness engulfed her and cast shadows that halted and fell, she began to regret her decision.
She could only take two steps at a time, but she couldn't shake the feeling of excitement that washed over her as she did so.
"What on earth is this place? Where exactly are we going to be?"
It appeared as though they were vanishing quickly into the depths of the earth, as though they were making a steep descent into a room or area that was strictly off-limits to the rest of the convent grounds.
Since she had been inducted into the convent, she had always had a hazy notion that the location, which dated back to the time around the American Revolutionary War, had many hidden passageways and shortcuts.
However, she had been so pious and careful with her training that she hadn't had time to plan an adventure within the stone walls that had withstood the ravages of many years of weather.
Younger or more recent nuns might have been the ones who had the idea to investigate the possibility of solving some of the mysteries surrounding the location. But everyone, including the mother superior, was aware of the fact that the secrets, artifacts, and hidden knowledge about the location were infinite.
In fact, there were almost as many unsolved mysteries there as there would be in the Vatican.
*****
A/N:
Hey friends! The excitement I feel while creating this book is beyond words. I'm working so hard to be able to communicate the thoughts going through my head because this narrative is so close to me. I really hope my readers enjoy this novel as much as I do when writing it.