Gotha's Embrace Day 01: Ashley’s Arrival

However, my gaze was drawn towards the other figure beside her, and my breath caught in my throat. Now, I'm not one to find other females attractive, but this woman was downright gorgeous. Even with that coif wound tightly about her head concealing her hair, her ivory skin, rose colored cheeks, succulent lips, and perfectly arched eyebrows seemed like something out of a fairy tale. She stood a little taller than me, maybe by an inch, and her piercingly sky-blue eyes, serenely cool, wandered over our little group. She must have noticed me staring, because she looked at me and smiled. I quickly looked away, trying to hide my blush.

"Welcome. I am Sister Elizabeth." Her voice was a clear brook on a warm summer's day. "I am at your service." Raising an inviting hand, she motioned for us to come in.

As I stepped into the hall, I suddenly realized how vast the interior of the church actually was. The vaulted ceiling hung high overhead, decorated with strange inscriptions and embossed symbols. Fluted columns guarded the center, where rows of mahogany benches faced a stone lectern on a raised dais at the front. The walls were filled with illustrations of men and women in stiff bearings, staring outwardly at any passersby that might cross their gaze. Illuminating the entire space with prismatic colors was light filtered from giant stained-glass windows, each depicting a different Biblical character or scene. Again, I felt a sense of wonderment, impressed that such a cathedral could have been constructed all the way out here. In front of me, Sophie must have been equally dumbstruck by the sight, as she stared upwards, her mouth slightly agape.

"This is the main cathedral hall." Father Gregory's sonorous voice echoed off the walls, amplifying its effect. "Please take some time to look around if you wish. Afterwards, we will continue our tour and cover some of the common areas that you will be residing in, followed by supper."

One by one, the rest of our group entered the expansive space. I saw Seo-Yeon's jaw drop as she craned her head upwards, taking it all in. The effect was not lost even on Veronika, who looked about with an arched eyebrow, scanning the tops of the myriad brooding arches and sweeping curves spanning over us. Something seemed to catch her eye, though, as she walked under a series of columns with a frown, hiding her in shadow. I walked around, trying to match what little I knew to the depictions on the walls and windows. After analyzing them for a while, I gave up, realizing that paying attention during Bible studies had not exactly been my strong suit.

Making my way to the front, I saw Father Gregory talking in hushed tones with Sister Isabella and Mother Prosperine. Sister Isabella appeared slightly agitated, while the other two were evidently trying to assuage some part of her concern. Bored, I sat down on a nearby bench and took out my phone, only to realize that it was still dead. Quickly putting it away, I instead settled for sulkily looking ahead at nothing in particular.

The trio in front soon finished their conversation, and Father Gregory raised his voice again to capture everyone's attention. "Everybody gather around now, and please follow me and Mother Prosperine for your orientation tour. We would like to show you as much of our monastery as we are able before dinner." Looking around, I realized Sisters Mara and Elizabeth seemed to have disappeared, although I hadn't seen them leave. The rest of us, which included me, Isabella, Sophie, Seo-Yeon, and Veronika, dutifully followed, as Father Gregory and Mother Prosperine led us down an innocuous hallway off to one side.

Remembering Father Gregory's earlier comments about power outages, I took the opportunity to pipe up. "Excuse me... um... you guys wouldn't happen to have anywhere I could... maybe... charge my phone, would you?" I asked as innocently as I could as we rounded a corner.

Mother Prosperine turned and fixed me with a hard stare. "I am glad you asked. Regrettably, I must inform you that material possessions from beyond these walls are not permitted. Since you have brought it up, I must ask that you surrender your phone to me for safekeeping. Don't worry, you may have it back when you leave, if you wish." Her stony voice was cold and unyielding.

I stopped in my tracks in surprise, looking bewilderingly around at the other faces of our little group to gauge their reactions. It felt like I was being unfairly picked out. She hadn't asked for anyone else's phones! Sophie looked apologetically at me, while Seo-Yeon meekly avoided everyone's gaze. Isabella was still lost in her own thoughts. Veronika didn't even seem to care. Finding no support and feeling a little abandoned, I took out my phone and unceremoniously dumped it on Mother Prosperine's outstretched palm.

"And I will require that as well." The crone pointed at the heart shaped pendant fastened about my neck. The one Jason had given to me on my last day.

"What? No!" I instinctively clutched at the flimsy silver chain, suddenly indignantly defiant. This was a bit too much. The necklace was my only link to Jason, and taking it off felt like I would be breaking our bond. Worse, giving it up felt like a betrayal. "You can't! I won't give it to you!" I exclaimed adamantly, ready to lash out if she tried to take it by force.

Perhaps sensing my distress, Father Gregory stepped in unexpectedly, placing a hand on the older woman's shoulder. "There, there. Mother Prosperine, perhaps we are placing too much undue strain on our poor Ashley?" He looked over at me with a thoughtful expression. "After all, she has only just arrived, and we do not want to be such unwelcome hosts. Ashley, may I assume that the necklace was given to you by, perhaps, someone that you care for?"

Unable to speak, I nodded wordlessly.

"Very well. Mother Prosperine, I give Ashley permission to keep her trinket for as long as she so desires its consolation. After all, one cannot force another's enlightenment. We can only be as guides towards the path that is ordained for each of us."

"Yes Father." Mother Prosperine bowed slightly, as Father Gregory, content with having resolved the issue, turned to lead us further down the halls. The others followed. Sophie offered me a warm smile as she passed by, trying to lift my spirits.

I spent the rest of the tour sullenly in the back, barely paying any attention. We went down wooden halls, narrow corridors, and open walkways. The rest of the monastery was much newer than the cathedral, and a lot less opulent. At the end of one of the halls was a library, into which a brief glimpse inside revealed full shelves lined with books, papers, and dusty tomes. Further along, we entered the garden cloister, ringed with covered colonnades and filled with sculptures, small trees, and ornamental fountains. Father Gregory remarked that the design was meant to provoke intimacy but I found it to be a little overcrowded and stifling. Finally we ended in the dining hall, where two long wooden tables were arranged in parallel under a stone ceiling. Food had already been laid out on one of their surfaces, and judging by their contents, it looked like simple fare. Bread, chicken, some form of porridge, and bowls of curious, leafy greens with red stems. Dim lamps cast their muted light from overhead, as if struggling to fend off the oppressive atmosphere, all of which did nothing to alleviate my mood.

Sitting down, Father Gregory beckoned for us to do the same. At the same time, Sisters Mara and Elizabeth also entered, bearing the remainder of the food to be served.

"Please join me in a prayer of thankfulness, of breaking bread with strangers and friends, and of a newfound beginning," Father Gregory began. He then went on for some time, with the usual marked thankfulness to the Creator and the blessed art thous and so on and so forth. He ended his prayer with a curious utterance. "Goth'a Vulgtmah."

The unfamiliar phrase sent shivers up my spine. Something about the words felt... wrong. Not the usual type of wrong where you know something was against the rules. Wrong as in... an unexplainable queasiness. That feeling of something slimy pressed against your skin, placed just out of reach. It seemed to have a similar effect on the others, save the monastery staff, eliciting frowns and a slight shifting of bodies all around. As quick as it came though, the sensation passed, and I suddenly realized how hungry I was.

"Before we begin, why don't everyone introduce themselves? All the guests that is, seeing as how we will be spending much time together in the near future. Why don't we start with our youngest? Seo-Yeon?" Father Gregory looked over at the shy Asian girl, who seemed to want to crawl underneath the table at the unwanted attention.

Seo-Yeon stood up uncertainly, bowing and nodding as she did so. "Annyeong haseyo, hello everybody. My name is Seo-Yeon Kim. I am from South Korea." Her voice was timidly cute in a way. "Sorry, my English is not so good. Ahh... I am eighteen years old. My parents, they thought it would be good for me to go abroad, and learn some new things. I hope to get along with everyone, and hope we can be good friends! Thank you." She bowed again as she sat down, cheeks red with embarrassment. Her long black hair flopped over her forehead as she tilted it forwards to hide her face.

Seeing as how Seo-Yeon was eighteen and I was nineteen, I stood up to go next. "Hi everyone. My name is Ashley Brooks. I'm from Cotton Falls, Kansas. Just graduated high school, and will be going to college next year. Hopefully." I added. "In my spare time, my hobbies are track and field and athletics. I'm here because my parents asked me to come and try to learn about... the Church! So yeah. Nice to meet everyone." I decided to leave out the part where my parents had basically forced me to come.

Next came Veronika Poletov, who gave a short introduction of herself. She was 26 years old, from Russia (I didn't quite catch the name of the city), and was here as the liaison for some Union Council for Student Culture, from some University (which I also didn't quite catch the name of). She had been sent here to learn about the new religion opening up at her school and around her city and was interested in its history. With that, she promptly sat back down.

I tuned out a little bit after this point, eyeing the food hungrily. From the bits and pieces I did catch though, I learned that Sister Isabella, also known as Isabella Dos Santos, came from Spain and was here as a representative of the Catholic Church there. Sophie Lancaster was somewhat similar in that regard, in that her husband, a local pastor from a small town in England, had asked her to come to learn more about this new religion that was becoming increasingly popular of late. They themselves were also Catholics, she explained, but were thinking of converting.

Finally it came time to eat. I chomped down on the bread and slurped the porridge, and even though the food wasn't exactly Michelin star level, it was filling. I even tried a bit of the strange salad, although the weirdly bittersweet flavor wasn't exactly to my liking. I avoided it afterwards. As we ate, Mother Prostate (which I had decided to name her) started going over the rules and our daily routines.

"Your day will begin early at six in the morning, with prayer and breakfast. Afterwards there will be study sessions with either Sister Mara or Sister Elizabeth, in which we will instruct upon you our history and all other aspects of our faith. Following lunch and recreation, afternoon sessions will involve self-study, contemplation, and other chores. The chores I leave to the younger of our company," she looked pointedly at me and Seo-Yeon, while I suppressed choking on my food. "There will be evening prayer and dinner afterwards. If you have any additional time before dark, you may use it for your studies or for finishing up anything that you started during the day. I hope everything is clear and straight-forward. Any questions?"

Isabella raised her hand. "Sí, Madre. May I ask, is there anywhere that might be off-limits? Por favor, I do so much want to research the history of this remarkable place."

"You may wander as you like, Sister Isabella, although I will give fair warning regarding the lower catacombs and the forest behind the monastery. The lower levels are a maze and may be unstable in certain areas and the forest, you understand, can be easy to get disoriented within. All this is for your safety, of course. We also ask that you respect our hallowed grounds near the edge of the forest. Other than that, you are free to explore as you wish, so long as you are punctual for meals and prayer. Yes, Sophie?" She looked over at the auburn-haired woman.

"Do you have a dress code, seeing as this is a monastery? Also, how do we do laundry?" Sophie looked down at her frumpled green shirt, which obviously had been worn for a few days.

"Fortunately, we don't entirely live in the dark ages here. We do have a washer and dryer. As for attire, we do provide habits, cowls, and coifs if you so choose. Seeing as how you are all simply guests and not actual acolytes, our faith does not require you to dress in holy garments. We do, however, encourage you to at least try on some of the clothing we provide, if for no other reason than for courtesy. Anything else?"

I raised my hand.

"Yes Ashley?" The old hag called on me.

"Do you have phones here? Can I call my parents?"

"No, we do not. The only working telephone we possess is within the manor, which is reserved for emergencies. If you wish to contact your relatives or anyone else, you may write letters, which are sent out every week according to Mihai's schedule. Is that all?"

Silence followed. If I had disliked this place earlier, I absolutely hated it now.

"If there is nothing else then, Sisters Mara and Elizabeth will direct you to your rooms. Your belongings have already been placed there for you. We wish you a good evening and will see you on the morrow." With that, both Father Gregory and Mother Prostate left us in the care of the two younger acolytes.

Sister Mara came to collect me after I had finished up my food. I was a little disappointed that it wasn't Sister Elizabeth, but then again, today had been filled with nothing but disappointment. Touching my shoulder slightly, Sister Mara beckoned for me to follow her. I noticed that Seo-Yeon was also with us, shyly hanging back, her long black hair partially obscuring her face again.

"Your quarters will be on the eastern side of the monastery," Sister Mara explained, "the others will be on the western side, where it is reserved for more senior members."

"Where do you guys stay?" I blurted out, realizing afterwards that it had sounded a little invasive.

"Both Sister Elizabeth and I, as well as Father and Mother, stay at the manor you passed earlier outside. Ever since our congregation has shrunk to us lonely few, we thought it prudent to move all our sleeping arrangements to one location. Rest assured, if there is anything you need, you can notify us through an internal line just outside your dormitories."

"Oh. OK."

There was a pause.

"I heard that you had a disagreement with Mother earlier," Sister Mara remarked.

I tried to catch my surprise, hoping it didn't show on my face. "Wow, word certainly does travel fast around here."

Sister Mara laughed amusedly, but the genuineness of it made me feel at ease. "Oh, don't look so surprised! There's nothing a nun likes more than some fanciful gossip. Besides, these walls are a lot thinner than you think." Her eyes sparkled mischievously. "Tell you what, why don't we take a little detour before we go up to your chambers. Let me show you something interesting."

Now curious, I wondered what could be so interesting in this otherwise terribly uninteresting place. Unless if she was offering to get my phone back for me and charge it to boot, I didn't really see anything else worthwhile. Still, I decided to play along.

"Alright, lead the way."

Leaving behind the older members of our group, Sister Mara led us out of the dining hall. I quickly got lost as we took winding corridors and narrow passageways seemingly at random. Seo-Yeon followed silently behind, careful not to stray too far. Finally, Sister Mara opened a wooden door that I hadn't even noticed as we passed, and we were suddenly outside. I gasped.

We were in a large, open garden, surrounded by neatly placed marble columns. However, what had made me start in amazement was the innumerable number of statues covering the entirety of the grounds, some standing, others reclining, and more on raised foundations in all manner of stances. Wide faces, small faces, beautiful faces, ugly faces, all of them were looking out over the green expanse. The fading sunlight swept over their immaculately sculpted bodies and robes, forever captured in stillness. It was actually kind of impressive.

"We call it the Statue Garden." Sister Mara said, smiling mysteriously. "Our congregation has always made a point of teaching sculpting and stonework, so that every generation may leave their mark here. Many of these works were inspired by stories from scripture, and some of these go back centuries." She moved expertly through the stone bodies as if weaving through a crowded street. "When my mind is in turmoil, this is where I come to calm my doubts and fears. It is my hope that you will find this place equally... pleasurable."

I cautiously followed Sister Mara, aware of Seo-Yeon quietly following not far behind. Everywhere I looked I saw still figures of stone, some frenzied, others peaceful, all frozen in a tableau of myriad gestures, exaggerated expressions, and flowing arrangements. Here was an old man, bent from the labors of his work, face upturned as if to beseech the heavens. There was a young child, standing with hands clasped, eyes closed, head bent, as if in silent prayer. There were even sculptures of fantastical beasts on powerful rearing legs, chariots hearkening as if to battle, and angels with beating wings, arms outstretched as if to hold the world between them. There were so many statues that I lost count, each one more exquisite than the last.

As I passed a slim marble column delineating the edge of the garden, I caught sight of a particular statue that drew my attention. It was of a woman, dressed in flowing robes, her long hair whipping about her face as if she was spinning around. Her hands were clutched at her clothes as if she was running away from something, but the look on her face was one of longing as she gazed back towards an imaginary pursuant. Her eyes seemed unfocused on that otherwise beautifully serene face; her lips were parted in an indiscernible sigh that spoke of hidden thoughts and secret ministrations.

"Lot's Wife." Sister Mara's sudden voice beside me caused me to jump out of my reveries. "Genesis 19:26. 'But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.' That's the story anyways. In it, God came down to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah for their sins. Lot's Wife, who we do not name, could not bear to leave her tainted life behind, and so was tempted to look back upon that which was forbidden. For her weakness, she was forever cursed to gaze upon that which she may never possess."

"Kind of harsh, isn't it?"

"Yes. And tragic. It teaches us that the power of temptation can be strong and can come in many forms. Sometimes it is the longing of what we leave behind, or of something that we cannot easily relinquish. We must always trust to look forwards and not dwell upon the past."

"Wow, that's deep."

"It is my interpretation anyway. Maybe you will find yours." Sister Mara gave me a sideways glance, before looking around. "Now... where did your friend go?" She left me with that as she went off to find Seo-Yeon.