āThank you, dearest Sister, for converting me, for revealing that this is the natural choice for all women, no matter how free spirited they may be.ā The blue eyed sister spoke softly, facing her older Sister. She was smiling her covered lips brilliantly beneath the firm, spicy smelling fabric across her face.Ā
āIt is what had to be done, you had to see the truth and beauty of the Veil.āĀ
The older Sister expressed in a delighted tone, as warm as the summer sands. The young eyes of her new Sister was filled with allure and excitement, much like her own eyes were when she fully embraced her veil during puberty, so long ago. She had been born into it, and her daughter was too. It was those who were not born into their own veils that she pitied. Though infidels who walked around half naked so shamelessly were veiled for such disgraceful behavior, which was something only the Veil could rectify.Ā
The soft rubbing of her new Sisterās gloved thumbs upon the back of her hands brought her back from her daydreaming.Ā
āMy Sister, I have a friend here. She is dressed as I was. I⦠We should help her see the way of the Veil, we should help her embrace the Sisterhood.ā The younger woman spoke passionately, almost as if she were begging. Her eyes were full of a mixture of desire, despair, and pity: moreover, her hands were clamped upon the older womanās, as if the thought of letting go would mean that she is leaving her friend behind.
The older womanās face went slack in the sudden surprise of passion, yet a small smile of sympathy grew beneath her veil as she leaned her head against the younger womanās forehead.
"Of course, my Sister. That is our duty, is it not? To spread the seeds of knowledge and peace to all women. To give them a shield to ward off the fears and insecurities that plague them. To be the vanguards of womenās rights and empowerment, in which all women need and deserve. Yes, my Sister: we will show your friend the path of enlightenment. It is our duty as Sisters of the Veil.ā The words were spoken with a deep passion within their hushed tones, and the two of them stared back at each other before letting out a quiet laugh.
āCome, I will show you to her.ā The younger Sister pulled away with her eyes beaming with joy, her fingers entwined with her older Sisterās. They stepped out of the private room, no one paying any special attention to them: the Veil was no longer a rare sight. The duo toured around the mall in search of her friend, who was quickly found sitting upon a bench with a shopping bag on her lap.
They swiftly walked between people to a point that was just out of earshot to the bench. The younger Sister leaned in close to the dark fabric around her elderās ear, whispering her strategy and explaining what they will do. With a firm squeeze of a hand and a quick nod, it was agreed to, and they set forth their plan into motion.
Hailee let out a long, deflating sigh as she watched the busy people jaunt around from store to store. The plastic bag in her lap rustled slightly when she moved, her eyes followed the sound and investigated to make sure nothing had fallen out of the bag. Letting out a satisfied grunt, she leaned forward and sat the bag down between her feet. It was then she felt someone sit upon the bench beside her, prompting a quick dart of her eyes to observe who it was.
Yet however it was was staring back at her. Not venomous or angry, but soft and compassionate. Slowly Hailee leaned back against the backrest, eyes glued to watching the stranger, who simply returned the gaze without a word. Hailee felt a swell build within her, a small ball of emotions that took up the vacuum that her fleeting thoughts were leaving. It was desire, it was curiosity, it was a feeling of joy. She had her mouth open to speak yet now it was an arid place. She quickly shut her mouth and licked her lips before she opened her mouth again to speak.
āWho are-ā A wave of realization hit, the feelings of familiarity erupting within her. She knew who this was, she had known her most of her life.
āMiaā¦ā The name gently tumbled from her mouth, laced with astonishment yet doused in confusion. Hailee swore that beneath the Veil that she wore, her friend was smiling. A pair of hands suddenly yet tenderly rested on her own shoulders: the hands felt strong but were used as delicately as silk. The fabric was think yet as soft as the sheets in her bed after a long day of work. They felt remarkable against her skin, and she wished that they would travel up her neck.
Slowly, they began to. The palms of the gloves just brushing against her skin as the fingers dragged along pleasantly. If she could, sheād let her eyes roll back, but alas they were cemented in staring into the eyes of Mia. The fabric was cool as it traveled over her boiling skin like nomads among a desert, around the curve of her neck and onto the plateau of her cheeks. The touch was gentle, and whatever Mia was saying sounded wonderful, even if she couldnāt recollect a single word with her mind. She was trapped in a trance of confusion, curiosity, and desire. The hands slid from her cheeks, finding a final resting place over her eyes. Even with her sight blinded, she could still see clearly. Only it was no longer Mia and her Veil that she saw, but herself in her own.
āWhat do you want, Hailee?ā The words of her friend came through clearly, a dagger piercing the rambling sounds of the mall and silencing them all. Haileeās mouth fought to form words, sounding droopy as they tumbled out into oblivion.
āI⦠want to be Veiled⦠I want to wear my Veil.ā The image of herself in a veil were calling her from beneath the dark gloves that rested upon her eyes. That Hailee look so wonderfully happy, strong and carefree.
āWhy do you wish to be Veiled?ā Miaās soft, caring voice eased into her mind, calming it from the furious fears that arouse from that question.
āI⦠I wish to be seen as beautiful⦠as exotic.ā Her shoulders shook slightly, a twinge of pain from her honesty slashed through her body. All the makeup and hair colour, all the hours of styling and molding herself summed up into a single, painful sentence. For years she has lived in the shadow of that though, now a new salvation lay upon her horizon. The Veil Hailee reached out to her within the darkness of the gloves.
āPlease⦠Veil me.ā Her words tumbled out of her mouth, the sense of relief overflowing her body. It was as if she was in a dream, weightless and free. Mia took one hand, the gloves upon her eyes took another. Hailee kept her eyes shut as the version in her mind began to join with her.Ā
They stepped out of the private room, a trio of Sisters who swore to help all those who seek knowledge and guidance to and about the Veil. They conform to its control, obey its commands, and seek to enlighten all women to this joyous life. The Sisterhood of the Veil is eternal and unbreakable: Loving and caring.Ā