27

Session 10 (15/9 – 9.01 a.m.):

strip you must strip for the goddess the girls chorused dancing around her tugging at her tunic one of them darted forward and grasping the bottom of the fabric pulled it up over her head baring her from neck to waist she stood thus blinded with her arms pinioned above her head as another pair of hands tore down her slip and assisted to step out of it they balanced her like a show pony made her stand on one leg and bend up the other as each sandal was removed then they completed drawing off the tunic and someone else removed the pins from her hair stark naked now she fixed her eyes ahead of her at the entrance of the cave

the gentle hands were urging her forwards go on dont be afraid shes waiting for you go down in the cave tela could see no alternative to obedience these white clad girls were frail enough no doubt but together there was no resisting their collective pressure they had no weapons save the power of their will but that was quite enough she stepped forward once and their hands on her relaxed another step feeling out the roughnesses of the dusty ground and her direction was clear

there was a sudden shock as she passed out of the sunlight into the gloom of the cave entrance she was forced to stoop as the entrance shrank rapidly to half her height there was enough light still from outside for her to see that otherwise she might have stunned herself on the low rock lintel every step would have to be groped for though once that feeble illumination was lost the floor too while mainly a smooth rock slab would have to be investigated gingerly if she was not to bruise and hurt herself

shuddering she continued into the dark

after what seemed like a very long time she felt her eyes begin to adjust to the inky darkness her groping hands appeared in front of her like moths and the rough outlines of the cave were somehow perceived before they were felt was that a spark of light ahead she screwed her eyes up tight then opened them again yes it was almost as if there were some little flickering luminescence in the air around her a kind of emanation which was condensing into a flame

she was concentrating so hard on what she felt she could almost see that she momentarily forgot the need to grope for every step the shooting pain of a stubbed toe worked up her leg and tripped her forward she stumbled to stop from falling and volleyed forward into the room