I have no idea why I was joining a convent, but this is what happened.

It was my 18^th birthday, I knew it was coming. I remember waking up, no gifts, no breakfast, straight on the wagon to the train. They already packed my belongings away.

               ‘It’s for the best, daughter.’

               I sneered. She never cared about me. She only cared if I was in trouble or I was doing something I shouldn’t. Being honest, that is all I was doing those days. I was staring at the road out the window of the carriage contemplating how hard the floor would be if I jumped out right now. I think my mother knew what I was thinking, she was always good at that. She was constantly 2 steps ahead of me.

               ‘They will sort you out.’ Solomon said in a cold tone, thankful to be rid of me, I’m sure. It wasn’t what he said that offended me, it was how he thought he had control over me, despite not even being my real father. He was hideously ugly, busy eyebrows covering dead brown, bloodshot eyes. He’s always disliked me, purely because I get more attention from my mother than he does.

Once I was finally on the train to the abbey, it hit me. What sort of life I am going to be living and how different it was to mine currently. I’m sure they sent me here purely because it is full of other women, that way I can’t have another teenage pregnancy. I was hoping there was other women who have the same delinquent history I have. There was not. I have never held religion in high regard, but I soon changed that. Not out of choice, but for survival.

A busy train ride and another wagon ride later, I finally reached St Mary’s Abbey. It was so tall and towering, I felt as if the building itself was about to fall on top of me. A calm but commanding voice spoke through the letterbox of the door

               ‘Are you charlotte’

‘Yes, I am’

‘Welcome to our abbey, God accepts you into his family with open arms’

His mistake.