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Water of Life

(****, F/F, Severe, cons sorority paddling)

A sorority pledge gains healing during her difficult and painful initiation. (Approximately 2,369 words. Originally published 1997-10.)

Gloria was silent as the band of dark cloth was wrapped around her head and eyes and bound securely from behind. It made her nervous not to be able to see, but such was the tradition of Acceptance Night. She shivered, thinking of the events to come and her mentor, a senior named Susan, scolded her gently.

"Settle down, Pledge Gloria," whispered the authoritative voice in her ear. "Tonight may be your Acceptance but until you are a full member of Beta Phi Delta I can still penalize you water points."

"Yes, Mentor," said Gloria humbly. "I am yours to command."

"Very well. Stand up and let me oil you. Your hair looks beautiful--I must make your body shine."

Gloria stood obediently as warm hands began to rub oil all over her flesh. The freshman girl was nude--another tradition--and the oil seemed to send electricity across the surface of her naked flesh. She was aroused and stimulated with anticipation. For two whole months she had dedicated herself to Susan, slaving and earning water points at the older girl's command, and now she was finally to be rewarded with full sorority membership. She could hardly wait. The Beta Phi Delta was one of the most exclusive sororities on campus, but also one of the best. Members became dedicated friends for life, and Gloria longed for the acceptance and closeness of a true member.

As she was led down the stairs toward the basement, Gloria could sense others moving near her, though everyone was very quiet. Everyone gathered in what was nicknamed the Outer Sanctuary, but was officially called the Donation Room. It was a room filled with painful memories and holy respect. It was so familiar to Gloria that despite the blindfold she could almost see the three Donation Basins against the wall to her right. Beyond the double-doors at the far end of the narrow room was the Sanctuary, a place exclusive to true Beta Phi Delta members. Gloria and the other pledges had never been inside, and even tonight, they would not be allowed to see it until after they were Accepted and the blindfolds removed.

Gloria heard the doors open and felt a touch from behind. She began to move, realizing she was part of a procession. At the door Susan had her pause, and a large glass container was placed in her hands. Gloria recognized her Water Bottle instantly, and was astonished at its heaviness.

"Don't drop it!" hissed Susan, and Gloria trembled at such a terrible thought. This was her gift to the sisters, gathered over two months of sacrifice, representing her commitment and integrity. She could not be Accepted without it.

Guided to a place and told to kneel on the floor, Gloria obeyed and carefully placed the container in front of her as instructed. She leaned forward until her forehead was in contact with the carpet. The position felt ridiculous, her ass thrust up into the air behind her, but Gloria wasn't going to argue with tradition.

This was it! The ceremony was about to begin. She heard the murmuring as members gathered into their seats and then the doors were shut and there was momentary silence. Then a voice spoke boldly: "Ladies, please rise for our Honorable President, Miss Denise Browne."

Gloria started to rise but Susan's touch on her shoulder prevented her. She knelt back down and waited. She heard the rustle of a long gown as Denise walked before the pledges and greeted each individually. There were six pledges to be Accepted on this night, and Gloria felt truly honored to be among the select.

When Denise had finished her greetings, she turned to the members and said, "Let us begin the Acceptance Ceremony." This was greeted by cheering and clapping which lasted for several minutes, and Gloria had mixed feelings when it was quiet again. She appreciated the applause, and it calmed her slightly, but the enthusiasm of the members made her nervous--surely they expected a show, and Gloria had no idea what she'd be expected to do.

"All right, Ladies, let's move on. I call on Pledge Sandy Kay Smythe. Are you present?"

"Yes, Lady President," said a hesitant voice off to Gloria's left.

"Good. Are you ready and willing to become a full member of the Beta Phi Delta Sorority?"

"I am." The voice was stronger now.

"You agree to all terms of confidentiality and binding commitments that such a membership entails?"

"I do."

"Have you completed the necessary initiation procedures?"

"I believe so, Lady President."

"Very well. Do you have your gift of the Water of Life?"

"I do." There was a shuffling and after a pause, Gloria heard the gurgling of water being poured from a container. There was another pause and then Denise spoke.

"Two point oh five liters exactly. Very well. Do the Sisters accept Sandy's gift?" The crowd roared a unanimous consent and Gloria could sense Sandy's sigh of relief. "Return to your place. Next I call on Mary Elizabeth Weiser. Is she present?"

The routine was already familiar, the result identical. Then Gloria heard the terrifying words: "I call on Gloria Marie Cater. Is she present?"

It took a moment for Gloria's brain to function, and then she blurted, "Yes, I'm here!"

"Are you ready and willing to become a full member of the Beta Phi Delta Sorority?"

"I am."

"And you agree to all terms of confidentiality and binding commitments that such a membership entails?"

"I do."

"Have you completed the necessary initiation procedures?"

"Yes, I have."

"Excellent. Do you have your gift of the Water of Life?"

"I do, Lady President."

"Bring it to me."

Susan helped Gloria to her feet and Gloria felt a wave of excited horror run through her body. She was naked except for a blindfold, walking in front of dozens of her peers. In her hands she gripped the precious bottle tightly, terrified of tripping and breaking it. At Susan's touch Gloria bowed and knelt before Denise and the bottle was taken from her. Liquid began to gurgle in a basin as the bottle was poured.

Hearing the water splash and gurgle, time seemed to spin out of control for Gloria. In a wave the past months of torment washed through her and Gloria felt her heart thump painfully at the thought of how priceless a gift she gave so willingly and easily. Her bottom tingled as she remembered the countless sessions in the Donation Room, bent over the Donation Basin, as Susan dutifully pounded the Water of Life from her.

The system was simple and brilliant. As Gloria wept into the basin her tears were gathered and dripped into her Bottle, filling at a glacier pace to that magic two liter mark. The paddlings were hard and long, and always on bare flesh. The trick was that the discipline was never instigated by others--it was up to Gloria to request her mentor's assistance as frequently as she wished. There was an art to spreading out the spankings so they didn't come too frequently. Many foolish initiates put off their discipline early on and later had to endure weeks of daily paddlings in order to be ready for the ceremony.

Gloria had been smarter, accepting regular punishments early in the semester so she would be ready on time. What she had not counted on was Water Points--for misbehavior full members could take Water Points from pledges--confiscation of up to 100 milliliters of one's Water. Over the past two months Gloria had lost nearly a liter in such a manner. It had taken all her determination and willpower to endure paddlings morning and night for the past week to fill her Bottle, but she had made it with a few milliliters to spare.

It had been a difficult two months, but Gloria felt proud of her accomplishment. The system had inspired in her a deep respect for her sisters and a dedication to duty within herself. Because she scheduled her own Donation sessions, she felt stronger and more adult because of her involvement. It had been a powerful learning experience.

It had also taught Gloria how to cry.

Supposedly each stroke of the large wooden paddle netted one milliliters of tears. At least that was the theory. That meant 2,000 strokes taken over a ten week period. Some averaged higher than that, other less. Initially Gloria averaged much less.

Gloria was a country girl. She grew up in rural Illinois. Moving to Chicago for college was a huge step for her. Her parents were old-fashioned, conservative people; loving and supportive, but strict. Gloria regularly felt her father's leather strap across her bare hind end until the day she graduated from high school.

A big girl, Gloria hated getting spanked like a child. So she refused to cry. She'd bend over the saw horse in the barn and take her strokes without a whimper. By high school she had gotten so she could take a full two dozen of the strap without a tear, and by the time she'd graduated, she could take four dozen without breathing heavy. It still hurt--she felt every stroke keenly, perhaps more so, without the release of tears--but Gloria had a stubborn pride that refused to give in.

That changed when she pledged to Beta Phi Delta. For the first week Gloria didn't cry. She just couldn't. She knew it was necessary, if she was to fill her jar. She knew that every stroke she took without shedding a tear essentially didn't count toward her tally. But she couldn't cry.

It wasn't the pain. The paddle was oak and while it was thin, it stung like a dozen yellow-jackets. Gloria would be writhing on the Donation stand, her ass ripe as a red tomato, the pain flooding her body so she wanted to scream, but her eyes were as dry as sand in Death Valley.

Susan finally broke through to her. One Saturday morning Gloria was determined to cry. She told Susan to give it her to her as hard as possible, and keep going until either the paddle broke or she did. Susan agreed and the punishment was brutal. Gloria had never felt such pain. She'd gladly have taken a dozen of her father's best lickings in place of that paddling. It lasted for hours. Every nook and cranny of her ass and thighs were thoroughly spanked until the flesh was black and blue with welts and bruises. Finally Susan threw down the paddle in exhaustion and Gloria collapsed in a pool of sweat. There had been no tears.

Gloria was at her wits end. The paddlings hurt but gained her nothing--she could not cry. She resigned herself to quitting--after all, she had no hope of Acceptance without her Donation. There was a soft knock at her door. Susan entered. Gloria was nude, lying on her bed, a cold wet towel across her blazing rump. Susan saw the girl and removed the towel. Several hours had passed since the paddling, and now Gloria's butt looked horrible. It had turned purple and was swollen and blistered. Susan gasped in horror and began to cry. She knelt beside Gloria and begged the girl for forgiveness.

"I had no idea!" she wept, sobbing on the younger girl's shoulder. Gloria tried to calm her but the senior was horrified by what she'd done. "That's never going to heal," she sobbed.

"Of course it will," said Gloria. "I got worse whippings from my dad. Come on, everything's fine. Please don't cry." As Gloria looked at her friend something tightened in her belly. She felt awful. Her mentor had only done what Gloria had asked, but Susan was so sensitive--Gloria felt like a rat.

"It's me," she said. "It's my fault. Just because I can't cry, that's all. I don't know why, but I can't. It's not your fault. Please, please don't cry." Gloria turned and hugged her friend desperately, her heart aching. Still Susan sobbed over her shoulder. "Oh, please don't," whispered Gloria, her heart swelling in her chest until she felt nothing but pain. Her eyes began to sting and as she gripped her friend intently, tears began to fall down her cheeks. "I'm sorry I asked you to do it," she moaned. "I'm sorry, really sorry, but it was my fault. I take all responsibility. You did nothing wrong, Susan. Please believe me."

Suddenly Susan pushed Gloria away. "You're crying!" she gasped in amazement. Gloria couldn't believe it either. But it was true. Something broke inside her when her friend was hurting, and Gloria began to sob like she hadn't cried in years. Emotions welled up inside her for so long burst forth in a gusher and Gloria stretched out on Susan's lap and cried and cried. Susan caressed Gloria's hair and whispered comforting words to her until Gloria stopped crying and just lay there, spent and exhausted.

After that day Gloria had no trouble crying. Tears came at the first swat of the wooden paddle and after a couple dozen, when her rump was burning fiercely, Gloria would break down and weep as though her heart was broken. Amazing to those watching, however, was the fact that Gloria smiled the entire time, as though weeping for joy. Susan often cried, too, during these sessions, but her tears were also ones of joy, for she knew how precious those tears were to her friend.

"Two point one five liters," announced Denise, her voice and the cheers of the audience cutting through Gloria's memories. "You have given us considerable extra. We are honored by your gift."

The next few minutes passed like a dream as the others brought forth their donations. Then it was time. Gloria felt hands guiding her to her feet. "Rise and be Accepted, for you are now one of the Sisters."

As the blindfold was removed and Gloria saw the gathering of her sisters, her heart swelled with pride. Her eyes stung and tears began to flow. "Thank you, Lady President," she whispered, her voice rough with emotion. "Thank you ever so much!"

The End