★Memorable Author: [El_Roy_1999] Hell on Earth - An Experiment

[El_Roy_1999]

This is just an experiment. Whenever I feel like it, I'll just post a piece of this story. A real continuing story will be posted soon in its own thread.

Hell on Earth - An Experiment
by El_Roy_1999


Armageddon.
The End.
The Apocalypse.

No one expected it to happen. There were no portents, no signs, no warnings. From one day to the next, a chasm opened, destroyed the capitals of the world and spread over the globe, tearing apart human civilization. It rained blood and acid, the humans perished as the flocks of demons emerged from the depths of hell. Desperate warriors gathered to resist the invasion, battles were fought and lost. When it all was over, the legions of hell established a draconian rule on Earth. They divided the world amongst themselves, enslaving the surviving population. Soon, their own capitals grew amongst the ruins of our civilization, built by our toil, powered by our sweat.
Amongst the demons, four were the most powerful. They formed a series of shaky alliances, fought each other and struggled to find who would be the master.
They were:
Baal Zabuth, the Lord of Flies and decay, the pestilence and destroyer.
Asturath, the Lady of War and slaughter, the killer and defiler.
Aesma Deva, the Master of Wrath and hatred, the despot and beguiler.
Belul, the Queen of Lust and joy, the seducer and defeater.

In these dark times, the remaining free humans were barbarous warriors and fighters, roaming the devastated plains of the world and fighting for plunder and challenge.

[El_Roy_1999]

Lucy was hiding. Outside, the beasts were howling, men were screaming, their guns roaring at their assailants. She hid her scruffy blonde hair between her arms, shuddering at every explosion. The demon troops were charging uphill, spitting fire and screaming blasphemies at the defenders. Another thundering boom shook the foundations of the centuries-old castle.
Her father stormed in, ducked down to her and said:
"Lucretia, my dear, please be careful and stay down. Everything will be well. The reinforcements will come any moment. Just be quiet and wait for me to come back."
She looked into his eyes and saw that he was lying. Still, she suppressed the urge to cry, put her chin up and nodded silently. He ran back out. This was the last time she would see his bearded, unwashed face. She desperately tried to remember his look, to keep his portrait in her heart. Beyond the inner court, the machine gun covering the gates fell silent. Then, one by one, the guns died down. Finally, all was silent.

Only then, a furious roar of victory blasted the grey stone walls. The fighting was done. The killing would be next.
Lucy sobbed, trying to hold back her tears. Suddenly, she felt a presence in the room. She scrambled to the cupboard, hiding inside. The demon soldier walked in seconds later. He sniffled. He looked around, checking hiding places, looking for something to kill. He came closer and closer, his pig-snouted face disappearing into the now-empty ammunition crates. When he finally reached the cupboard, Lucy clenched her knife and prepared to jump at him. He opened the door and she wordlessly charged at him. Surprised, the creature fell over.
The girl slashed at his face, trying to blind him, still silently striking at him. The beast struggled, attempted to free himself and finally managed to grab her. With a blunt move, he threw her against the wall, tore the knife from her hand and grinned, his face bleeding and torn.
However, he did not kill her. Instead, he pulled her up by her feet, the girl still stoically trying to resist. With a guttural voice, he said:
"You're quite the fighter, not like your no-good clanmates. I guess I'll keep you. You'll make a fine pet."

[El_Roy_1999]

Lucy could not remember how long she had been in this cage. The ball of steel bands was strapped to a large demon beast that carried the pig-snouted warrior's belongings. In a sedan chair, the swine-beast and its courtesans preceded the bearer. The girl was devastated. Sometimes, one of the attendants would bring her food and water, occasionally, the hog-man would come over and poke her with his rod of office and watch her squeal for his amusement.
She had soon given up all hope. The last thing she could do, was cry herself to sleep and hope that the monster would eventually tire of denigrating her and let her die.

The monster and its band of warriors were on their way to a new battlefield, to fight against human rebells or allies of its master's foes. The trip seemed endless and was only occasionally broken up by skirmishes against local fighters or squabbles amongst the demon beasts themselves.

One night, when most of the other travellers were sound asleep, Lucy suddenly realised that someone was approaching one of the guards. She stared into the darkness, desperate to see what was going on. The assailant snuck up on the watching demon warrior. Moving behind it, the shadowy figure grabbed the demons head and twisted it, breaking its miserable neck. Lucy rejoiced. The being approached. It wore a black cloak and a veil. Lucy tried to attract its attention. The attacker came closer.
Lucy saw a woman's face, harsh from the fighting. It was a pale apparition, clad in nuns' garbs and carrying various weapons with her. She looked at Lucy, made a sign for her to keep silent, unlocked the cage and approached her master's tent. Lucy scrambled away.

Suddenly, all hell broke loose. Several warrior women stormed the camp, firing their guns and striking at the surprised demons with swords and axes. The monsters quickly reformed, setting up their defenses. The pig-faced one emerged from his tent, the nun's torn and twisted body in his arms, his concubines licking the woman's bleeding wounds. As he turned the tide of battle, the dying woman screamed at Lucy:

"Go to Flame Valley! Avenge us!"

Lucy turned and ran.

[El_Roy_1999]

Weeks later, Lucy walked on. The soles of her feet had become thick and leathery, she had stolen some simple clothes from a travelling salesman and her hair had become a scruffy mess. She was itching all over and was evidently hungry and thirsty. Marching along on the sorry remains of some overgrown highway, evading demon patrols, she had hardened. Still, the loneliness occasionally got to her. She cried, but soon, the tears would no longer come.
Interestingly enough, the few people she met on her travels were friendly, some gave her food, some gave her directions. When she mentioned that she wanted to go to Flame Valley, people grew silent, nodded and told her the way, anxious not to alert any eavesdropping spies for the demon lords. Apparently, Flame Valley was some sort of human stronghold.
From what she gathered, a few women who had escaped slavery and destruction had found a hidden valley far away from the sad remains of civilisation and had built a fortress there. They occasionally sallied forth to fight the demons in the area, sometimes even venturing further.

After months of travel, Lucy finally reached the area were the monastery was supposed to be hidden. She noticed that the number of demon patrols was much higher around. They were searching for the stronghold, some of them even using crude flying devices to observe the area from above. She evaded the patrols, once barely escaping their monstrous bloodhounds by fleeing through the woods.
She had just found a resting place under the majestic trees of the valley forest when she heard the high-pitched whine of a devil dog pack. She jumped up, looked around and suddenly noticed the movements in the undergrowth. A few forest animals burst out of it and she knew she had to run. She sprinted away, the baying beasts racing behind her. Gunfire cracked as the human slaves of the demon wardens fired their rifles at their quarry. She darted through the shrubbery and tried to throw things in her hunters' way. It was pointless. The boar-sized, scale-covered monsters almost caught up to her. She tripped over a root, fell down, rolled and tumbled down towards a creek.

With a splash, she disappeared in the water, her burning lungs filling with water. She struggled to swim, the beasts jumping in behind her and quickly approaching through the foaming water. She swam to the surface, spat out the water she had swallowed, coughed and saw the monster come closer. She took the knife she had found on her travels and stuck it into the beast's nostril, sinking her hand into the gabing aperture. The water took a greenis-blue tinge as the bleeding abomination struggled to attack her. When it eventually died, she swam away, hiding from the other pursuers.

She pulled herself out of the water a few miles downstream and searched the environment. She found a path and followed it into the hills. The landscape soon switched to a wooded chaos of nooks and crannies, dotted with bizarre rock formations. The whole place was surreal and confusing. However, she soon realised that there were signs and symbols that slowly led her along the labyrinthine place.  At last, she reached a larger area devoid of vegetation. It was covered by an overhang of rock, shielding it from outside views.
Tired and dusty, she sat down. She was interrupted by a harsh voice:

"In the name of the One. Who are you and what do you seek?"

A woman had appeared. She wore a nun's veil and garb, a metal plate armour and carried a quarterstaff. It was clear that she was very well trained, her arm muscles easily visible through the habit.
Lucy got back up. She was tired and bruised. She just wanted to sleep.

"My name is Lucy and I was sent here by one of you. I'm supposed to avenge her, but right now, I only want to sleep."
The woman smirked evilly. She said:
"My name is Theresa and you will sleep when you are dead."
With these words, she attacked.

[El_Roy_1999]

The first blow crashed down on Lucy's head, throwing her to the ground. She cowered, turned and evaded the next. Her attacker, apparently expecting this manoeuvre, brought in a low sweep and knocked her on the arm, disabling it. Lucy scrambled away, but the reach of the staff allowed her aggressor to keep on bruising her. Eventually, she understood, turned around and jumped at the taller woman. She moved under the staff, knocking it aside with her blackening arm and brought up her knife. The other woman instantly dropped the staff, clenched her fists and struck her twice in rapid succession, forcing her away. The nun recovered her staff and the game started again.

Soon, Lucy was tiring from the blows and the stress. She saw that this enemy was not to be defeated. However, she realised that there was one last chance. She scrambled at her, took a beating, rolled between her legs and grabbed the staff, tripping her foe over her own weapon. The woman went down with a crash, but soon got back up. Sadly, she found that Lucy had used her precious moments well, for she found the girl's knife at her throat.
She hissed:
"I'll sleep when you're dead."

The garbed woman laughed and replied:
"Even better, you'll sleep in a bed and you'll even get some food beforehand. It isn't much, but if you want, you are welcome."
Lucy relaxed, took away the knife and was instantly hit in the face by her would-be victim. Suffice to say, she lost consciousness.

When she awoke, she was rested. Her wounds were bandaged, her body was clean and the bed was hard but comfortable. Much more comfortable than the dusty road she had slept on in the last months. She slowly got up and realised that she was locked in a small cell directly carved in the rock. She tried the door, but found it locked. She found a small window-hole and peered through. Outside, the chaotic maze of rock continued. She weighed her options. She was a prisoner, but this wasn't demon domain. Maybe the women would keep her. They had fed her and washed her. It sounded nice, eventhough she was still in captivity.
Just as she was about to reach a conclusion, the door opened and the woman from earlier came in. She said:
"Stand and listen."
Lucy did as much.
"We have brought you here. You are safe. The mother superior wants to speak to you. When in her presence, you will only speak when spoken to. Is that clear?"
Lucy nodded.
"Excellent. Here are some clothes. Put them on, then follow me."

Lucy slid the frock over her head and did as ordered.
She followed the muscular warrior nun through the tunneling corridors of what soon turned out to be a massive monastery carved into the rock itself. Its walls and ceilings were decorated with ornaments and a the faint sound of a choir could be heard. When they finally reached their destination, it was a chapel carved into the mountain itself, outfitted in muted but beautiful tones of red and blue. In front of the altar, an older woman was kneeling. She wore a more decorated version of the other's uniform, which showed a little of her aged but wiry muscles. She got up and said:
"You are the girl that almost defeated Theresa. I like that. We may need people like you."
Lucy nodded.
"If you are willing to subject yourself to our order's strictures, we will train you to become a fighter. You will be able to put your talents and your anger to good use. Do you want to join us?"
Lucy immediately answered:
"Of course. The demons must be stopped."
"Perfect. Theresa, you will be her mentor. Train her well, you will be judged by her abilities."
"I will."

[El_Roy_1999]

The next months brought big changes to Lucy's life. First, she was addressed as Sister Lucretia at all times. Second, the nuns started a vicious training regime of combat training, religious indoctrination and physical and mental hardening. She was woken early every morning, started with climbing and running in the dangerous and confusing environment of the monastery's surroundings, then had some morning training in close combat as well as weight training. The afternoon was taken up by meditation and mental conditioning. She was told about the demons, their strengths and weaknesses, their interests and desires. The evening was once again used for some training finalisation.

During this time, she was eating like a horse. The nuns had set up several farms in the area, where she was soon expected to work in order to feed the inhabitants. She soon put on a lot of weight, earning herself several pounds of muscle and becoming quite an adept fighter. As she blossomed into adulthood, Lucy had become a tall and athletic woman with a strong, rather curvaceous frame.

The nuns seemed quite happy about this. She soon mastered the various weapons and excelled in all kinds of martial exercises. When she was ordained as a full member, she had proven that she was in all ways excellent. She had managed to achieve this level in a fraction of the normally required time. The few other novices were rather jealous of her success.

The final step of their training had come. They were to ambush a group of demons and kill them, bringing their heads as trophies.

After a few days of travel, the novices found their mark. They had stalked a group of demon warriors for a while. Now, they were ready to attack. They took positions around the camp. Helena, the eldest, directed them to their locations, they readied their weapons and attacked. With a scream, they charged the demons. The surprise was perfect.

Lucy rammed her glaive into the first demon's body, a large, foul-smelling beast similar to an ant-eater and an ogre. She cut open its belly, soiling her robe with its entrails. She howled, whirled her weapon around and cut off the beast's head. She looked around and saw her allies fight valiantly. Behind them, however, a new danger was looming. A large, spider-like creature was approaching. From its elevated torso, a second, human-looking body hung. The monster's secondary body was the body of a curvaceous woman who grabbed the first nun and bit her head.

Lucy reacted instantly. She ran at the beast, used the polearm as a perch and hurled herself at the monster. She kicked it in its lower face, freeing its victim. She drove it back with a few stabs of the glaive, then forced it into a corner.

The creature, bewildered by the resistance, spat a flood of gastric acid at her. She tried to roll out of the way, but the attack destroyed most of her clothing and scorched her skin. Lucy felt the mind-numbing pain blasting through her mind, but she wouldn't scream. Instead, she gritted her teeth, rammed the spear into the monster's dripping maw and killed it. She turned and saw the others finish their marks. Quite a few of them were wounded by now. However, they had won this battle.

Making short work of their enemies' corpses, they took what supplies they could and escaped back to the fortress. There, they presented their trophies.

The mother superior, visibly impressed by the success of the students, was happy to induct them into the order. Their heads were shaved and they took their vows. Then followed a rather sobre celebration during which the mother superior admonished them to never forget their mission and fight as hard as they could to win the Earth back from the demons.

[El_Roy_1999]

A few weeks later, Lucy was called to the mother superior's quarters. As she came in, she recognised Theresa as well as another, much older nun. The mother superior motioned her to sit and said:

"Sister Lucretia. You have been with us for quite a short time, but you have already excelled in the art of war. However," and she smiled gently, "you showed next to no promise in the art of religious obedience and liturgy. This is fine by me. Your talents are clearly martial in nature."

Theresa nodded in agreement. The mother superior continued:

"As it is, you may eventually become a very powerful fighter against the demon menace, but you are still far from enlightment and we have great doubts that this is your destiny. Instead, allow me to make an offer."

Lucy agreed. As a matter of fact, she found the religious fuss rather pointless and uninteresting.

"Mother superior, I totally agree. If there is any way to focus on the practical business of demon slaying, I'd be grateful."

"As a matter of fact, there is. The venerable mother," she bowed to the older nun, "has discovered a series of texts which may lead us to a prophecy of great power. If you were to recover it, we could prepare a powerful offensive against our foes. We need someone to gain this prophecy, but the text suggest that only a living saint may be powerful enough to obtain it. Will you become a living saint of warfare?"

"I will."

"Excellent. Sister Theresa, you will continue to help Sister Lucretia on her way, but you both are now to work with the venerable mother. Act as she wishes and fulfill your destiny!"

The venerable mother led the pair into the depths of the fortress. They passed numerous doors and gates, hidden cells and checkpoints. After what seemed an eternity, they emerged into a large underground complex lit by electric light. Down here, the walls were tiled and the whole setup appeared to be much older than the fortress. It must have belonged to an ancient, now defunct culture.
The venerable mother showed them around and explained:

"This is the heart of our fortress. Before the fall of mankind, our forebears set up this facility. It is a strange place, shrouded in mystery, yet ripe with knowledge. Here, we might find salvation."

They continued to a large, tiled room with numerous white beds. It was some kind of laboratory. She added:

"In this hall, we have found the sacred texts that tell us of the creation of the living saint which you shall become. Familiarise yourself with the place, you will spend a lot of time here."

The older woman smiled grimly.

Soon, Lucy and Teresa settled in. They lived and trained together. The other researcher-nuns frequently interrupted them, in order to take samples of Lucy's blood and to perform strange examinations on her. After a while, Lucy accepted the proceedings. Something was happening, but she still had no idea what.

[El_Roy_1999]

After a while, Lucy was summoned to the venerable mother's office. She came in, followed by Theresa. Inside, a large group of sisters was expecting her. The venerable mother said:
"Sisters, this is Lucretia. She will be the living saint. You have the duty to prepare her. Explain what you will do."
The first sister to speak was a short one. She seemed to be out of shape and worried. She said:
"I am Sister Alexandra. I have devised the nectar of strength that will give you power like no other."
The next was a middle-aged woman, her face keen and proud.
"I am Sister Theodosia. I'm a surgeon and I will transform you into a creature that the demons will be unable to resist."
The third one was a tall, grim sister. She snarled:
"I will teach you to break them and to make them sorry for the sin of their existence."
Lucy was shocked, but saw what was going to happen. She bowed her head and said:
"I trust you to do your best."

[El_Roy_1999]

Soon, Lucy's life changed. Every day, Sister Alexandra administered the nectar, a rather painful injection. After a few weeks, the effects started. Lucy's frame began to change. Her slightly muscled, shapely body was growing more and more muscular by the week. Her body swelled, becoming massive. Her exercises were changed to fit her new shape, preventing her tearing her tendons from the burst of strength. After a while, she had crossed into heavy-weight bodybuilder territory, her arms bloated with baseball-sized biceps. Her chest had become huge and deep.
As she moved the weights, she could feel herself change into something else. She became aggressive and irritable, sometimes barely managing to confine her lust. Theresa sometimes helped her cope.

[El_Roy_1999]

By the time that Sister Alexandra declared her to be ready, Lucy had become a 5'11" muscle-bomb. Her body was so large and buffed that her muscles actually restricted her a little. She had put on 90 pounds of muscle in a few months, almost doubling her weight. When she tested her strength while fighting, she easily beat Theresa into submission every time. She could bend steel bars and drive a sword through a block of wood with one strike.
In order to prepare her for the challenges at hand, Lucy wrestled with beasts in the area and when the sisters managed to capture a live demon, it was she who had to fight it single-handedly. Lucy's fame rose and she soon realised that the younger nuns were aspiring to become like her. Of course, since the nectar was rare, they couldn't reach her level, but it was good to see them try.

One day, as she was lifting, Sister Theodosia came in. She said:
"Sister Lucretia, we are ready. Tomorrow, we will change you. Sleep well, for the day has come."
When Lucy confided with Theresa that night, she couldn't help but to cry. Theresa sat there, holding her musclebound friend and comforting her. She felt that the changes had come too fast and that the poor girl who was still only a teen, at least in mind, was being sucked into something she could neither understand nor control. At the same time, she was envious, for Lucretia might be the one to turn the tide. At least, she hoped she would, to make all this worthwhile.

[El_Roy_1999]

Sister Theodosia led Lucy to the operating table. It was a massive construction, specially designed to support the young woman's bulk. Lucy climbed on top of it easily. Her mind felt weird. Over the last weeks, she had become increasingly confused, unable to understand the changes the chemicals of the nectar brought. Her bouts of aggression and arousal had made her feral in her ways. As Sister Theodosia hooked her to the narcotic and the other assistants came in, she drifted into a strange, drug-fueled sleep. Theresa held her hand.

She was at home. Her father and mother were outside, talking to the people of the town and preparing things she couldn't understand. The word they hushed with fear, "demon", frequently came up. She felt fear well up within herself . Then, the dream switched to the day her parents had perished. Death hadn't been kind to them, the demons had had their fun. She felt angry beyond reason. All she wished to do was to destroy them and to rid the world of their presence. Occasionally, she drifted back into consciousness. She heard the sisters talk amongst themselves, she felt strange touches inside and outside her skin.

When she finally awoke, she felt tired and bruised. She was wrapped in bandages, her face and body covered in sterile covers. Her breathing was difficult. Theresa was there, but she frequently drifted in and out of consciousness. She could hear her familiar voice, telling her that everything went well.

[El_Roy_1999]

When she had recovered from the anaesthesia, the three sisters came and took a look at her. Lucy was lying on her bed, several drips and cables attached to her body. She could barely move due to the bandaging. Sister Theodosia said:
"Hello, Lucretia. Good to see that you have recovered. Are you in pain?"
Lucy answered with a muffled "no".
"Excellent. You see, dear colleagues, the surgery was a complete success. With her new form, she will be able to control the demons' powers and instincts. After all, these beasts are but creatures of lust, deviation and anger. To master them, a warrior needs to embody and harness the lust."
The third, still unnamed sister with the grim expression nodded. She said:
"They will cower before her."
"They will. Now let us see whether my work meets our expectations."
With these words, she removed the covers from Lucy's body and began cutting away the bandages.

When she was done, they helped Lucy on her feet and led her to the mirror. Lucy fell silent as she saw her new naked self. Her breasts, reduced by the heavy training, had been replaced by a pair of enormous, soccer-ball sized tits with bloated nipples. Her lips were swollen, her face was weirdly seductive. Also, several parts of her body were pierced. All this combined with her hypermuscular body made her a strange, meta-human being. The third sister added:
"Excellent. In two days, you will be at my doorstep."
She turned and left.

[El_Roy_1999]

Two days later, Lucy arrived at the silent sister's house. It was a small dwelling not far from the monastery, but still distant enough to be entirely isolated from the hubbub of the cloister. The place was deserted, not even a tree in sight. Instead, a few unsightly rocks and a sandy plain marked the cave-like hut's surroundings.

As Lucy approached, she was still far from graceful and stumbled along. She was still unaccustomed to the massive implants which blocked her vision, reinforcing the effect already produced by her overdeveloped pecs. She still wondered why these changes had been necessary. Theresa had been with her all the time, tending to her scars and ensuring that the various holes in her body remained open. She had inserted several plugs into the apertures, which gave her ears, nostrils, navel and sex a knobby appearance. Right now, Lucy was wearing a special outfit, featuring her nun's veil, a skintight compressing bodysuit and a pair of heavy boots.

She knocked on the door, her chest sore from the healing.
From inside she heard:
"I'm coming."
The woman appeared in the doorframe and said:
"Down."
Lucy gazed at her with a dumbfound expression.
"Down", she repeated.

[El_Roy_1999]

Finally, Lucy lowered herself to the ground. It was a slow and rather arduous procedure. When her breasts touched the ground, she gritted her teeth, ready to get back up and punish the older woman for her audacity. However, she couldn't muster the inner strength. For some reason, the words of the other one kept her down. The older woman put her left boot into her face and said:
"Very well. You will serve me well."
Lucy tried to protest, but it was useless. The words wouldn't leave her mouth. Instead, the woman ordered her inside, gave her a sorry place to sleep in and soon began making her do the daily chores of her life. For every thing Lucy wanted to do, she had to ask the other one. Quite frequently, the older woman refused, forcing Lucy to endure the strictures she imposed on her. After a while, she grew accustomed to the servitude she had to bear with. Finally, obeying her orders became a second nature to her, until she no longer needed them. Instead, she knew what was being asked of her.

Then, one day, the woman said:
"Lucy, get over here. Bring me some tea."
Lucy did as ordered, her bulky body moving with a certain power, but now lacking the tension she may have held before.
"Good." The woman took a sip of tea. "You've been an excellent servant and you have learned your place. Since you now accept my domination, I will teach you to master all you meet. You will learn this. You will use it as I say."
Lucy agreed silently.

From this day on, Lucy was taught the art of domination and mastery. She learned the way of the voice, the strength of threats, the power of violence and fury of retribution. She learned to endure the pain and to inflict it. When she emerged from the measly hut months later, her once broken back had mended. She now walked with newfound, even greater pride and confidence. She felt she was now finally ready to become a living saint.

[El_Roy_1999]

As the still anonymous nun followed her out, she said:
"Sister Lucretia. To prove that you have internalised what I have taught you, you will have to prove your abilities. Are you ready?"
Lucy turned around. She had grown over time, making her 6'2". Her muscles had matured, her powerful stance increasing her intimidating bulk. With a deeper, more mature voice, she replied:
"Of course. Bring me a demon to break."
The older nun smiled grimly and said:
"No, my dear, this would be to easy. Anyone can destroy those she hates. No. In order to prove your worth, you will have to break someone you love."
For a second, Lucy was afraid. She instantly recovered to her new, ruthless personality.
"Of course. I'm ready."
The old woman's dry smile changed to a disdainful sneer as two nuns brought Theresa in front of her.
"There you are. Make her your slave and you will be the true saint."

Lucy was on the verge of crying. She couldn't bear the situation. With all her force of will, she walked closer to her friend, who looked at her in confusion. This woman, who had taken her with her and protected and led her through the arduous transformation into someone who might save the world, was about to become her own love's victim. Theresa, realising that this hulking behemoth of a woman was no longer her friend, despaired as the older woman smiled ecstatically. When Lucy was in front of her, she bent down, looked at her friend and whispered:
"I'm sorry."
The other one silently replied:
"I know. It's okay."
And Sister Lucretia did as she was asked to.