The dark side of the Convent

Join us as we take a peek in the life of a girl named Ariadne, and reveal what happens behind the walls of a certain convent located in Thrace. * * * She was running as fast as she could, but she feared it wasn't fast enough. The Mother Superior was chasing after her, she couldn't let one of her most precious girls escape the convent. The Turkish were also chasing after her, they too couldn't let one of their most precious girls escape the convent. But she was running, as fast as she could, trying to hide herself and mislead them. What they didn't know was that the girl had stolen the golden cross that the Greek Patriarch had given to the convent, as a sign of good will. The man was completely clueless of the real purpose of said convent. Even though she was a religious girl, what had happened in the pas few years had started to slowly take it's toll on her mind, leaving her faith in God greatly lessened after all she had gone through in the convent. A convent, a place that is supposed to offer shelter and protection to the ones in need of it… This convent… was quite different… Tears started rolling down her eyes as she remembered all the things she was forced to do, and all the things that had been done to her… * * * Ariadne's father had died fighting the Turkish when she was still a baby, so she had no memory of him. A few years later, when Ariadne was 5, her mother fell ill, and passed away soon after. The only memory she had of her, right before she died. Her long, dark curls gently lined on the sides of her body as she lay on her death-bed, the tiny silver cross hanging on a gentle little chain around her neck, and her eyes, light green and shining with hope as she took the cross off her neck, and placed it around her daughter's."This will keep you safe, my dear… As long as you have it, I'll be watching…over… you"her last words left the little girl crying, grasping the silver cross in her little fingers, tears soaking the covers. From that moment, she had to handle life on her own. And whenever there was a hardship she felt she couldn't go through, she would take the silver cross in her fingers and silently send a prayer to her mother, because she was watching over her, and asked for her help. * * * Running through the forest in the dark night was a difficult thing by itself, but add to it being chased, and you have certain death if you get caught. Ariadne wrapped her fingers around the silver cross hanging on a chain on her neck, tears streamed down her face as she started to pray. Not to God, but to her mother. Her spirit. She needed help, she had to hide from the people chasing her, because if they caught her, she would be killed for sure. She tripped over a branch and fell to the ground. As soon as she got up, she noticed a patch of ground, lifting itself up. From underneath it, a candle-light appeared. She looked closer and she saw a handsome, pale, black-haired man with green eyes gesture to her to get down there. "Come on, or they'll catch you!" he said, and Ariadne didn't wait for a second invite, she literally jumped down the hole, only to find herself in the man's arms. She didn't know who, or rather what he was, but for the time being, she was grateful she got away from the Mother Superior and the Turkish. * * * After her mother died, life became difficult for the little girl. She had to wander alone through forests and unknown villages, she begged the people to spare a piece of bread, or whatever they could give, so she wouldn't die of hunger. One time, when she was around twelve years of age, a man took pity on her and decided to take her home. He was living alone, his wife was killed by the Turkish just a few days after their wedding, and he never really saw anyone else the same way. He decided he would take care of Ariadne as if she were his own daughter. He promised her he would watch after her, raise her, like her parent. Little did she know, that even more hardship awaited her, and she was better of as a wandering orphan. * * * "Are you okay?" the man said and let go of the girl. "Yes, yes I'm fine… But… who are you? And why are you helping me? You don't even know me." "I'm a friend. And I know you more than you think." He said with a mysterious smile. "Really?" she said with a voice full of suspicion. "A stranger, claiming to be a friend, yet I've never met him before. And how do I know you're not rescuing me only to kill me yourself?" "Will you be returning the cross to the Greeks? Or will you give it to a different convent?" "I'll… wait! How did you know about the cross!" she said in surprise. "I told you, I know more about you than you think. And if I wanted to kill you, you'd be dead by now. But, you don't see any weapons here, do you?" "Well, no, but…" "Just trust me." He said and smiled a heartwarming smile that made her forget all her worries for a second. * * * Andrey seemed like a nice man at first, he took care of Ariadne, welcomed her in his home, really tried to raise her like his own child. Things were fine, they were living, surviving somehow, but when Ariadne started to grow up and her body to change, and she started turning into a woman, everything changed. She started to remind him of his late wife too much, so he started drinking. The problem was, once he was drunk he didn't know what he was doing. First he started beating Ariadne, she would walk around with wounds and bruises for weeks. But soon she realized she would rather get beaten than… abused. He started abusing her. He had changed completely, there was no sign of the man he once was, gentle and caring. After a few months of that torture, Ariadne couldn't take it anymore. One day, when Andrey went to the inn to get drunk again, she left the house, so he wouldn't find her when he got home. She stayed close though, and when he came back, she knew. He was mad, enraged because she was gone. But he was too drunk to do anything and soon fell asleep. When that happened, Ariadne went back in the house. She took the dagger from the table and jabbed it in Andrey's heart. After that she ran away, in the mountains, to a convent she had heard of. The convent supposedly helped young women who had lost everything else in life, and Ariadne had nothing left, but the hope for a new life in that convent. Oh, how wrong she was. She was welcomed in the convent, like she always belonged there, but soon she found that a dark secret lies behind it's walls. The convent was actually a brothel. It was the favorite brothel of the Turkish. And Ariadne's rare beauty quickly made her their favorite girl. She had long, raven-black curly hair, reaching her waist, her eyes were a deep sea-blue with specks of green, her lips were plump and soft, her body had all the right curves in all the right places. She often thought that her beauty was a punishment, because it had gotten her only troubles so far, and she hated the way she looked. She wanted to be someone else, anyone else but herself. After a few years in the convent, she was sick of it. And she was sick of the false image the convent had to the outer world. She wanted to reveal the true darkness behind it. After her 20th birthday she decided she had had enough of everything, stole the golden cross and ran away. * * * "Tell me who you are and how you know me so well." She demanded, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "I'm sure you've heard of me, but I'm quite sure I'm the last person you'll want help from." "I'm to decide that. Now, I'm waiting to hear the truth." "I am… Lucifer." "What? You're joking, you can't be, he's the devil, he has horns and-" "See, that's what I'm talking about. You don't even want to believe me. Well, listen to this, Ariadne. If evil is supposed to lure you, it has to have a way of doing it. It has to be appealing to you, to your eye. If you saw a red, horned demon with a tail, what would you do? You'd run away, it's common sense. But if you saw something beautiful, you'd go to it." "You have a point there, but… You're Lucifer! What do you want from me? I'm not bad, or even evil, I'm of no use to you." She said, trying to protect herself. "Oh, my dear, it's nothing like that. You see… I've watched over you ever since you were little. I know everything you've been through, I understand it. Do you want to know who answered to your prayers when you had it rough? It was me. God just watched you, all the bad things that happened to you, it was all just a show to him. But Ariadne, you… you are unique. There is just something in you… you're irresistible to me. I've always had this urge to help you… to have you… to give you a better life…" "A… better life?" she asked, slight hint of fear in her voice. "Yes… but not here on earth. Nor in Heaven, obviously." "So… in… Hell?" "Well, yeah…" "I've already been through hell on earth… I doubt that your Hell will be much worse." "Wait, is this a yes? You agree to come with me?" he said, happiness overflowing from his voice. "I have two conditions though." She said determined, she would negotiate to the end if she had to. "I'm listening." "The cross," she pulled out the cross from the neck opening on her dress, "has to be returned to the Greek patriarch." "Will be done. Your other condition?" "I want the truth about this convent revealed. I don't care how, I just want it out of the dark. I want everyone to know." "That will also be done. So, do you agree to come with me? As my… well… as my beloved?" "I have no other choice… I agree." "Perfect!" he said, happiness radiating from him. He snapped his fingers, the earth beneath them opened and revealed a passage to Hell. They went down. On the next day, the cross was back in the greek church, which made the patriarch suspicious, so he decided to pay the convent a surprise visit. He really was surprised when he saw the convent swarming with Turkish warriors who looked as if they were home. He soon understood the truth and made sure that the shame of that convent was well known throughout the borders of all countries on the Balkanies. As for Ariadne, she found a different side in Lucifer, a human side, and she fell in love with it. She was surprised how nice and sweet and gentle he could be when he wanted to. She was glad that the truth about the convent was finally out, but she didn't want to reveal that God had a kick out of watching people suffer. Because she realized that people need something to believe in, even it isn't true. At the end of the day, that's what got most of them through their lives. The hope that there is a better life, even if it was in the afterlife. Ariadne remains with Lucifer to this day, and he is the only person, after her mother, that she ever loved. She has vowed to spend the rest of eternity by his side, helping him do good for the mortals every now and then.