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pray. The girls amassed in the prayer room and said their dinner prayers.
After their prayers, they all gathered in the pantry and they each grabbed a portion of the food, which consisted of breads, jams, cheeses, and other such items. There was a table in the dining room large enough to seat all of them, but they decided to sit and eat on the floor of the pantry, their backs pressed up against the shelves. They huddled in a large circle, facing each other. Despite their being strangers, they all felt a certain bond with each other. They were all on this Journey together, and they were terrified.
Lyssa looked around at the group of girls, wondering which of them would be the first to receive the Blessing of the Flower. She had heard that the most devoted girls are chosen first. Lyssa wondered if the Almighty could see into her heart at that moment. She wondered if he knew how terrified she was, how unsure. She wondered if any of the other girls felt the same way. Surely they were all secure in their paths. They had been raised for this since birth. Becoming a mother was their only duty. So why now was she doubting herself?
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After their meal, they prayed even more. Each of them was hoping that they would be chosen by the Almighty, that these final prayers before they slept would be enough to prove themselves worthy of motherhood. What was a woman without this part of herself? The clock on the wall chimed eight, signaling that it was time for their prayers to end. There was one more prayer to do before bed, as was tradition, but anything more than that would appear desperate and clingy to the Almighty. His time was something to be respected.
As a unit, the girls stood from their prayers and walked to the dining room, where they found 13 glasses and a sink. They each filled their glasses half full of water, and walked to the sleeping quarters. They each chose a bed and placed the glass of water in the center of the