Lizzie Chapter 22: Invitation

Filed: Lizzie @ 1:46pm on June 15, 2011 No comments yet! :(   Word Count: 634
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This entry is part 23 of 31 in the series Lizzie

Lizzie

After the talk with Kylie, I was sure I would have a good night sleep, but instead, there was a knock on the door which make me jump from my bed.

Kylie also sat on her bed, but I am the one who opened the door. There was no one at the door, but there was a garbage bag deposited just in front of the door with my name written on a piece of paper.

“What is it?” Asked Kylie.

“I think it’s time for me to become a silver member”

On the other side of the paper, there was a room number and a simple note: “Only wear your brooch and what’s in the bag. You have 20 minutes”.

I dumped the content of the bag to discover one of the famous robes of the society and a pair of wooden sandals.

I quickly stripped naked directly in front of Kylie, not caring about her feelings: I was on a clock.

I put on the robe and affixed my brooch, but not before putting the oversized sandals. I wouldn’t be able to run in them and so, I decided to walk bare footed to the room in order to save time.

“Good luck”, simply said Kylie, closing the door behind me.

The corridors were initially deserted, but I quickly realized that at each corridor, two girls wearing a mask and the same outfit joined the procession behind me. I had, in the mean time, put on the sandals like they did.

I quickly realized that the girls following me walked in step with me so I tried to maintain a steady rhythm to help them follow.

At first, the sound of three pairs of sandals was rather light, but when we reached the proper classroom building and I realized that we were over thirty girls, the sound was almost deafening.

Two corridors ahead of the designated room saw the addition of a pair of drums, manned by the two new girls in the group. They marked the beat of our feet and I quickly learned to follow the rhythm instead of setting it.

When I reached the door, the drums initially stopped, but a few seconds later, a rapid succession of beats was played.

When I turned the handle and opened the door, the drums stopped and I took a step into the dark classroom.

A single candle was lit and walked toward it, hearing the rest of the girls converge in silence around me, forming a wide circle.

The doors were shut and one of the drums was hit three times, like at the theater.

A single voice spoke in the darkness, the mistress of ceremony I had heard so many times before.

“There is an impostor between us. A bronze member of the sacred society. Should we punish her or welcome her as an equal?”

The drums rambled loudly in a steady rhythm until all of the girls replied in unison: “Both”

Of course I thought… that would be the point of an initiation ceremony without a little humiliation.

“Sister Lizzie. You are going to be initiated into the silver level of the sacred source society. Until then, you are not worthy of being dressed. What say you?”

I quickly stepped out of my sandals and pulled my robe over my head.

“Then I shall remain naked until I will have proven my worthiness”

No one was feeding me lines. No one was telling me what to do. Unlike the initiation, I was seriously afraid I could mess things up and be forced to stay a bronze member.

“Members of the Silver assembly. Please show me what you think of this recruit. Please show me all of her imperfections. Show me all of her failures. Show me how she is unworthy so we may cleanse from her the shame still present in her soul.”

The drums resumed beating and I stood motionless, waiting for the next step.

Series Navigation«Lizzie Chapter 21: Roommate talkLizzie Chapter 23: Self-worth»

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