ghastly red skinned creature, a
living gargoyle with leathery wings folded up behind its back, a hideous gaping
mouth full of yellow fangs, and bony hands with sharp claws instead of
fingernails. She was certain it had watched her throughout the service and
could hear her thoughts. After a few more seconds, she began to smell the
thing; it smelled of decay, as though a rat had died in the walls. Knowing the
thing was close enough to touch her, she fought the urge to bolt from the pew. The wings, though , she thought. It’s fast. It’ll catch me if I run .
But
in the instant the song ended and everyone began sitting down, Elise felt as
though a spell had been broken. She suddenly had clarity again. The smell of
death was gone, as was the certainty that a monster sat behind her or that a
rat had run across the altar. She sat down beside Marie, feeling as though she
had just woken from a dream. Again, she wanted to cry, but now it was from
relief. I’m not crazy , she thought.
She had never experienced a waking dream before, but told herself there could
be no other explanation. Though the knowledge filled her with joy, she could
not stop herself from furtively pinching the back of her hand throughout the
rest of the service. The little bit of pain was insurance that she would remain
alert enough to keep her dreams at bay.
* * * * * * * *
When
she got home, she hugged Marie and trudged to bed, pulled an afghan spread
across her and tried not to let the morning replay in her mind. As her eyes
closed, she listened to the sound of the front door closing and, a minute
later, the rumble of Marie’s engine. When she heard the car pull away, she
smiled with relief and exhaled deeply, convinced that she was sinking more
deeply into her pillow, sleep only moments away.
When
she heard a faint tapping from her front room, though, she furrowed her brow
and felt her blissful peace slip away. She opened her eyes and listened for the
tapping to repeat, wanting to believe she had only just imagined it. A quick little dream maybe , she told
herself. But then the tapping repeated a moment later, and she knew it was
someone at her front door.
Probably
a nosy neighbor, she thought, or maybe Marie had left something behind. “Damn
it,” she whispered as she got up. She already missed the pillow’s warm embrace.
When
she got to the front door and opened it, she found a familiar face on the other
side of the screen. It was no one from the neighborhood. Instead, she looked
into the deep, wide eyes of the handsome, wavy-haired man from Julian
Piedmont’s party. At one look she knew it was him, and all her memories of
their time together flooded back into her mind. She felt no fear, but only
excitement. Her heart began beating rapidly, and she felt warmth between her
legs.
Without
a word, the man reached for the handle of the screen door, and Elise stood
aside to let him in, a smile on her face. She did not think, did not worry
about anything. There was nothing to worry about, and all the fears she had had
throughout the morning were now as hazy as the memories from Friday night had
been until now. No sooner was the front door closed than she was in his arms,
his mouth on hers and his hands gliding down her back. She did not know his
name, but hoped he would never let her go.
Chapter Five
“Are
you feeling all right, Marie?” Father Joe asked on Monday morning. He stood at
his office door, a cup of coffee in his hand.
Marie
had not heard him open the door. Startled, she jumped in her seat. “I’m fine,”
she said after a moment, forcing a smile.
“I
didn’t mean to surprise you.”
“It’s
all right.” She gestured toward the window. “I guess the rain was taking me
away.”
Father
Joe nodded and returned her smile. “That’s fine. I was just a bit worried about
you. If you don’t mind my saying so, you don’t look quite yourself this
morning. Thought you might be coming down with something.”
“Oh
no,”
living gargoyle with leathery wings folded up behind its back, a hideous gaping
mouth full of yellow fangs, and bony hands with sharp claws instead of
fingernails. She was certain it had watched her throughout the service and
could hear her thoughts. After a few more seconds, she began to smell the
thing; it smelled of decay, as though a rat had died in the walls. Knowing the
thing was close enough to touch her, she fought the urge to bolt from the pew. The wings, though , she thought. It’s fast. It’ll catch me if I run .
But
in the instant the song ended and everyone began sitting down, Elise felt as
though a spell had been broken. She suddenly had clarity again. The smell of
death was gone, as was the certainty that a monster sat behind her or that a
rat had run across the altar. She sat down beside Marie, feeling as though she
had just woken from a dream. Again, she wanted to cry, but now it was from
relief. I’m not crazy , she thought.
She had never experienced a waking dream before, but told herself there could
be no other explanation. Though the knowledge filled her with joy, she could
not stop herself from furtively pinching the back of her hand throughout the
rest of the service. The little bit of pain was insurance that she would remain
alert enough to keep her dreams at bay.
* * * * * * * *
When
she got home, she hugged Marie and trudged to bed, pulled an afghan spread
across her and tried not to let the morning replay in her mind. As her eyes
closed, she listened to the sound of the front door closing and, a minute
later, the rumble of Marie’s engine. When she heard the car pull away, she
smiled with relief and exhaled deeply, convinced that she was sinking more
deeply into her pillow, sleep only moments away.
When
she heard a faint tapping from her front room, though, she furrowed her brow
and felt her blissful peace slip away. She opened her eyes and listened for the
tapping to repeat, wanting to believe she had only just imagined it. A quick little dream maybe , she told
herself. But then the tapping repeated a moment later, and she knew it was
someone at her front door.
Probably
a nosy neighbor, she thought, or maybe Marie had left something behind. “Damn
it,” she whispered as she got up. She already missed the pillow’s warm embrace.
When
she got to the front door and opened it, she found a familiar face on the other
side of the screen. It was no one from the neighborhood. Instead, she looked
into the deep, wide eyes of the handsome, wavy-haired man from Julian
Piedmont’s party. At one look she knew it was him, and all her memories of
their time together flooded back into her mind. She felt no fear, but only
excitement. Her heart began beating rapidly, and she felt warmth between her
legs.
Without
a word, the man reached for the handle of the screen door, and Elise stood
aside to let him in, a smile on her face. She did not think, did not worry
about anything. There was nothing to worry about, and all the fears she had had
throughout the morning were now as hazy as the memories from Friday night had
been until now. No sooner was the front door closed than she was in his arms,
his mouth on hers and his hands gliding down her back. She did not know his
name, but hoped he would never let her go.
Chapter Five
“Are
you feeling all right, Marie?” Father Joe asked on Monday morning. He stood at
his office door, a cup of coffee in his hand.
Marie
had not heard him open the door. Startled, she jumped in her seat. “I’m fine,”
she said after a moment, forcing a smile.
“I
didn’t mean to surprise you.”
“It’s
all right.” She gestured toward the window. “I guess the rain was taking me
away.”
Father
Joe nodded and returned her smile. “That’s fine. I was just a bit worried about
you. If you don’t mind my saying so, you don’t look quite yourself this
morning. Thought you might be coming down with something.”
“Oh
no,”
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