When Father Mortimer checked into the hotel it was eight in the evening.

The room was a basic no frills double with a small bathroom. He would never stay in such a hotel if he was attending one of his ecclesiastical conferences but for what he had planned it was just perfect.

He got down on his knees and bent his balding aged head over a black gilt leaf Bible he had respectfully placed on the edge of the bed.

“Blessed Lord Jesus forgive me for my sins,” he muttered and crossed himself three times.

He took the Bible and placed it in his briefcase.

From a black holdall bag he took out some objects and put them on the bed. One stick, a cane, one wooden paddle and a studded brown leather strap.

Father Mortimer looked at them and gasped, fell to his knees and cried out “Oh Heavenly father I behold the trinity!”

Quite by accident the objects had been placed in such a formation.

The old man recovered himself and gathered the implements and placed them on one of the two pillows.

He looked at his watch. It was eight thirty already. Then Father Mortimer went to the window and drew a curtain back slightly. A car was just pulling into a space. It stopped. Then Father Mortimer’s mobile made a sound. He looked at it and tapped away at the virtual keyboard. A car door could be heard opening and clunking shut.

Father Mortimer went to his briefcase and pulled out his Bible once more, kissed it, returned it to the briefcase and then crossed himself three times. There was a knock at the door.

When he opened the door, stood before him was a woman in nun’s attire, black habit and white wimple adorned her head. A wooden crucifix was hanging from her neck.

“I’m the Mother Superior”, she said and walked in. “I understand that you wish to confess and atone.” She stood with her back to the mirror facing the bed.

“Yes Mother Superior it is true,” said Father Mortimer with his eyes down. “I have sins to confess.”

“On your knees when you address me unrepentant sinner!” Snapped the Mother Superior, her old grey eyes glared and the wrinkles on her face tightened.

Father Mortimer fell to his knees.

“That’s better. Now make your confession.” Her hands were together in front of her.

“Forgive me Mother for I have sinned,” he began. “I have had thoughts. I have coveted many women, married women, over the years.”

“And did you make your desires known to any of these women?” Asked the Mother Superior.

“No, Mother Superior I did not.”

“Liar! Satan has possessed your soul worthless sinner!” She said with fury.

“Once Mother Superior, once I did transgress, only once!”

“Wicked! Wicked man!  Oh you will repent and you will atone for this depravity. You bury daggers in Christ's heart with your illicit desires!” She hissed at him with acid venom.

“Mother Superior I wish to repent and atone. I will submit to your judgement.” Father Mortimer fell to the carpet in total submission.

“Rise sinner,” said the Mother Superior. “God alone can forgive you but I will be the means to your salvation. With every stroke you will come back to God. Avail yourself! Take the position.”

Father Mortimer unfastened his belt and allowed his trousers to fall. Then he bent over the bed and used his hands to support his upper body. The Mother Superior had taken the three implements from the pillow and was standing behind him. She put them on a chair and pulled down his white underwear to his knees.

“Legs open!” She snapped, and Father Mortimer adjusted his position, opening his legs so that the Mother Superior could see his testicles hanging down. His legs were hairy but his bottom was not. It was quite white, for the moment anyway.

“How many of each implement?” She said, “Careful now. If you say too few I will treble it.”

“I think six, Mother Superior.”

“And I think you don’t want to atone! We will make it eighteen. And you will count. Is that clear?”

“Yes, Mother Superior.”

The Mother Superior took the cane and swooshed it through the air three times. Then she beat the bed with fierce strokes.

“Remember,” she said, “The more pain you will feel – the more complete will be God’s forgiveness.”

“Yes, Mother Superior.”

The Bride Of Christ took a full swing and brought the cane down in the middle of Father Mortimer’s buttocks. A red wheal instantly appeared and Father Mortimer cried out in pain, falling onto the bed.

“Pull yourself together! That was nothing, just a light tap!”

She hit him again with even more force but this time Father Mortimer stifled his cry and stood firm.

“Two, Mother Superior,” he said.

“What do you mean two? You forgot to count the first one so we start again!”

And so it went on. The strokes left appalling marks on Father Mortimer’s bottom. There was a determined expression on Mother Superior’s face as each stroke landed and a slight smirk of satisfaction. Her eyes shone. This was God’s work.

Finally they got to eighteen and she stopped. The Mother Superior came close to him and put her hand between his legs, caressing his testicles. Father Mortimer sighed, moaned a little.

“Where we have been strict,” she said. “It is necessary to be kind.”

She touched him very tenderly and felt his erection growing. His sighs and moan of pleasure increased.

“Oh Mother Superior,” his voice cracked. “I will atone. I do repent. I do submit.”

Then she took the wooden paddle and the agonising cries of pain filled the room. The blows were so strong that many times he fell belly down onto the bed and had to get up. His bottom was red raw and blood was beginning to appear. Again though she administered the kindness to his testicles and penis, touching him with divine compassion. It moved him to rapture.

“You are fortunate,” said the Mother Superior. “God is guiding me today.”

Then she strapped him eighteen times, taking full swings with the studded belt, drawing from Father Mortimer the most intense cries of pain.

At the end she touched him once more, moving his foreskin up and down until his penis began to twitch and Father Mortimer had his salvation at last. He collapsed on the bed in the painful bliss of his condition.

“You have been forgiven,” said the Mother Superior. “God has touched you today. You are lucky. But I do believe your repentance is sincere. Stay where you are until I am gone.”

She kneed down and whispered a prayer. Crossed herself three times. Then she left.

Less than half an hour later Father Mortimer left the room with his briefcase and checked out.

“How was your stay?” Asked a young lady at reception.

“It was excellent,” said Father Mortimer. “Most edifying in fact!” And he bid her goodbye.

He lowered himself carefully into the seat of his car and winced at the pain but he smiled and was relieved. After all, absolution from sin had been an intensely liberating experience. He was grateful to God, and the heavenly Mother Superior who he would no doubt call upon again to save his soul, and given his tendency to transgress, that could be very soon indeed.