Summer's Spirit Wolf

Chapter 1: A Sacrifice

Summer could see the discomfort and looks of pity on their faces as she passed by members of her convent. She didn't know what it was about but it looked like they pitied her. That annoyed her, because she didn't like being pitied.

She had just been told that the Reverend sister wanted to see her inside the prayer hall in the cathedral.

She arrived at the Daughters of God convent only two months ago.

Having spent all of her life at an orphanage, she thought it would be good for her to experience a different environment. She chose the Nuns convent because she figured she didn't have a life, therefore it was as good as becoming a devotee. With no family, no friends she questioned her existence even! What better place to grow old at or to wait for death than a convent? That was her view at that time.

As far as she knew, her parents abandoned her in front of the Loved and Nurtured Children's orphanage wrapped only in a blankie which she still kept to this day. It was the only thing that reminded her of her empty childhood.

She dropped her gaze from everyone because if she continued looking at these people's faces, she would think they knew something she didn't know.

"You called for me Reverend Sister Agnes?" she asked, approaching her seat with soft feet to avoid disturbing her meditation. It was Summer's way of announcing her presence since the reverend sister had her eyes closed!

Her seat was facing the altar where they often came for confessions and prayers. Agnes was known to be a devoted and loving woman yet very strict in every sense of it.

Since she came here, she has learned to be very obedient and swift when given a task or doing what is expected of her.

She had seen countless sisters being literally flogged for being disobedient and lazy. ‘I must admit that, though I have a lot of anger issues and stubbornness, I never dared to cross Reverend Sister Agnes after witnessing her handiwork on one of the nuns who was being stubborn,’ she recalled.

Sister Agnes lifted her head after a few minutes and ordered her to sit. She obliged and sat on a chair adjacent to hers, still facing the altar. She waited for her instructions.

Sister Agnes seemed to struggle with how to start the conversation as the sounds of her muffled sighs could be heard. She cleared her throat.

“Sister Summer, I’m sorry to inform you that your stay here has come to an end,” she paused as if trying to carefully choose her next line of words.

Summer was puzzled. ‘Was I being kicked out? Did I do something offensive?’ Her mind raced around trying to recall whether she made such a huge mistake that warranted her an expulsion so soon into her Nun's journey.

“It is not because you have done something wrong, don’t blame yourself for that,” Agnes said, having turned to the edge of her bench to face Summer. It was as if she read her mind and answered. Summer’s eyes were tearing, wondering where she would go from there.

She thought she had found herself a permanent home. Even though she didn’t like this life and the rules she had to follow everyday, she did not mind staying here because it offered her shelter and peace of mind.

A bitter smile appeared as she heard the Reverend sister’s words. ‘How ironic! I'm being kicked out but I didn't do anything to earn that treatment,’ summer scoffed.

Now she didn’t know where she would go. At 18 she was no longer a candidate for the orphanage. She had no professional qualifications, therefore she couldn’t look for a decent job either. Her head was getting heavier as she thought of what to do or say. ‘Beg if you have to!’ her inner voice said to her.

Summer’s knees quickly hit the floor as soon as that thought came. “Please do not chase me away. I’m just an orphan and have nowhere to go. I promise I will improve my attitude and learn faster,” she pleaded.

With pity in her eyes, Agnes was swiftly by Summer’s side and forced her to sit up back on the chair. “Do not kneel before me in God’s presence sister Summer. I’m not worthy,” Agnes said, helping Summer up.

Summer couldn’t help but notice the gentleness in Agnes’ voice and that made her look straight into her eyes for the first time since she came here.

Summer saw pity in Agnes's sea green eyes, the same look she saw in the eyes of the others as she entered the cathedral a few moments ago. ‘There must be more to this whole story,’ She thought. Summer adjusted herself and sat down.

“Please understand that I am not chasing you away as if it was my own decision. It is out of requirement,” she said after clearing her throat. ‘What kind of requirement makes an 18 year old orphan with no relations homeless?’ Summer wondered.

“Every ten years, our convent is required to offer a sacrifice of an eighteen year old for marriage to the kingdom yonder!” she said, pointing towards the mountains in the south. 'A sacrifice? The kingdom yonder? How come I never heard of all this before?' Summer thought. This got her all confused.

“Marriage to who? Aren’t we supposed to be nuns and never get married?” she rasped, her voice thick with heaviness of heart. “I really do not know who you are going to marry but all I know is we have to do it. You happened to be the only eighteen year old here in this tenth year. I wasn’t there on the last one but records show that there was,” she tried explaining but Summer’s mind was spinning already.

Marriage was never in her wildest thoughts. Maybe she would have thought about it later if she didn't become a Nun, but it definitely wouldn't have been at such a tender age.

There was a little stretch of silence as if the both of them were deep in thought. Agnes was clearly nervous but Summer was having a tumultuous moment in her thoughts and emotions.

She wondered if she had any choice at all. Having signed a membership form, it clearly stated that she had signed her rights over to the convent. If she was later sent for further studies, she would be working for the convent after she graduated and got a job. Her whole life would be devoted to the convent.

Summer sighed as realization hit her, that she had no choice in either agreeing or disagreeing with this decision. She figured from Agnes' words that this was some sort of a treaty she had no power over.

'Why would a convent have such treaties?' she thought. This sounded ungodly and it beat her imagination why the convent would be involved in such things at all.

This whole arrangement sounded like a sacrifice of some sort. Her body shuddered at the thought. "Is this safe? I mean, will I be safe?" Summer asked, petrified for her life.

'What sort of people lived on the mountain?' she asked herself. She had never heard of them before this. 'What if they were cave people who were savage and would devour her?' her body trembled at her own thoughts.