Now that the caged witch has been silenced, the torturer can continue. And he does, making the strokes harder with each inflection of the whip. Melissa may be weakening, or maybe her skin is more sensitive at every lash. Some lashes cut her skin. She can see the blood across her chest.

She has to keep her silent resistance. She cannot give in to their wishes. She is not guilty and she has to prove it. God will give her the strength. Doesn't He give strength to His martyrs?

As if the torturer can hear Melissa's thoughts, he hits her across her mouth, to silence those inner pleadings.

He is dealing with his own fears. The nun is sternly suffering her punishment. Not once has he seen her soften her resolve. She pleads with God, not with him. He was instructed to obtain a confession from her. He knows that the suffering that will come to her if she does not confess will be much worse.

Armed with these thoughts he continues the lashing.

The torturer aims the lash across the nun's breasts. He feels in some way he must punush her for the longing she creates in him. He has his duty, he feels sorry for her, but...the site of a naked body, even that of a nun, drives him to have eveil thoughts.

Melissa feels the lash across her breasts, scourging her nipples.

She has used the whip on herself, during her penance, hitting hard at times. She could never compare the pain she felt then to the one she feels now. The whip feels like a knife cutting her breasts. Her raw skin opening to the touch of the hide.

Red Feline watches from her cage as the whip is flung and crashes on Melissa. Red Feline tries to cry out but only muffled sounds exit from her tightly gagged mouth. She cannot scream and insult the torturer any longer.

She feels a deep sorrow for the nun's pain. She admires her resilience. She hopes she will be as strong when her turn comes. The flogging continues unabated.

The soft whimpers of the nun grow louder, she wants to scream out, but she holds back. Her strength, her core of innocence stems from the containment of her protests. One moment she thinks her punishment is unjust,the next, she thinks she must have done something, that this will purify her, if only she can stop from crying out.

Red Feline, in the meantime, attempts to make herself heard through her gag. She knows she is risking a severe reaction from the cruel man, but she tries. Her muffled cries are only loud to her own ears.