that dark haired fella’s been eyeballing you. For all we know he could have went to prison for rape.”
My stomach clenched. I hadn’t even thought of that. “He tries raping me and he won’t live long enough to unzip that fly of his.”
He chuckled. “I’m sure he won’t. Just remember to keep your guard up.”
“I hear you.”
Henry walked to the back of the church, lay down with the pillow one of the nuns had given him and within seconds was snoring so loud I could still hear him where I was sitting.
Sighing, I stood up and stretched my legs, then walked over to where everyone was sleeping, to check on things. It was early into the next morning and the children, all fifty-eight, appeared asleep. Two of the other nuns were also snuggling with some of the smaller children as they slept.
“ If you’re tired,” said Dwayne, who was sitting against one of the walls, watching me. “I can keep an eye on the kids for you.”
“No, thanks,” I said.
His eyes narrowed. “You’re just a young girl yourself. You shouldn’t have this kind of responsibility.”
“I don’t mind.”
“Well,” he said, standing up. “I’ve got to go and relieve myself. I’ll be back soon.”
I nodded and watched him as he walked towards the exit. “Hey, there’s a bathroom in the church.”
“I’ll go outside. I need a smoke anyway.”
I watched as he stepped outside of the sanctuary, feeling uneasy. I didn’t particularly like him wandering around where I couldn’t see him.
“Cassie?”
I turned and found Kallie standing next to me, rubbing her eyes.
“Hi honey. What do you need?”
“I have to go to the bathroom.”
“Oh, well, okay,” I said. I stood up and walked over to Nora, shaking her gently.
“My turn already?” she mumbled.
“No, I just have to take one of the kids to the bathroom. Can you keep an eye on the others while I do that?”
She said up and yawned. “Sure.”
“Thanks.”
Nora’s eyes narrowed as she looked around. “Where’s Dweeb?”
“Dwayne? He stepped outside for a smoke.”
She sighed. “Great. Well, hurry back. Looks like I still have a couple of hours to sleep until it’s my turn.”
“Yeah, I know. Sorry.”
“Hey, little girl needs to pee, she needs to pee,” she said, smiling at Kallie.
“We’ll be right back.”
I grabbed a flashlight and then took Kallie’s hand in mine. We walked out of the sanctuary into the hallway leading to the bathrooms.
“Do you need any help?” I asked as we stopped outside of the small bathroom.
“No, but it’s too dark to see anything,” she said.
I handed her the flashlight, grateful that there were a couple of lit candles in the hallway. “I’ll wait out here.”
“Okay.”
She closed the door and I leaned against the opposite wall with my arms crossed, my mind wandering back to Bryce again. I smiled as I imagined him tucking Bobby into bed, maybe reading him a story. Then I felt guilty for leaving my little sister the way that I did and sighed. She was definitely going to freak out on me when I made it back to Atlanta.
A loud crash from one of the roo ms down the hallway made me jump. It sounded like glass shattering.
Crap.
Swallowing back a wave of fear, I tightened the grip on my gun and began walking down the long cool hallway, which seemed more ominous with every step.
“He llo?” I called, raising the gun in front of me.
Nobody an swered and I had to force myself to keep moving.
Maybe it was a cat?
I’d seen a couple of them prowling around the hallways, earlier.
“Here , kitty!” I whispered, loudly.
The sound of books or something heavy being dropped onto a hard wood floor stopped me cold.
“Sister Theresa?”
Silence.
With my heart ha mmering in my chest, I willed myself forward until I stood outside of the room where I thought I’d heard the noise. It was dark but from the shadows in the room, it appeared to be an office.
“Hello?” I whispered, trying to adjust my
My stomach clenched. I hadn’t even thought of that. “He tries raping me and he won’t live long enough to unzip that fly of his.”
He chuckled. “I’m sure he won’t. Just remember to keep your guard up.”
“I hear you.”
Henry walked to the back of the church, lay down with the pillow one of the nuns had given him and within seconds was snoring so loud I could still hear him where I was sitting.
Sighing, I stood up and stretched my legs, then walked over to where everyone was sleeping, to check on things. It was early into the next morning and the children, all fifty-eight, appeared asleep. Two of the other nuns were also snuggling with some of the smaller children as they slept.
“ If you’re tired,” said Dwayne, who was sitting against one of the walls, watching me. “I can keep an eye on the kids for you.”
“No, thanks,” I said.
His eyes narrowed. “You’re just a young girl yourself. You shouldn’t have this kind of responsibility.”
“I don’t mind.”
“Well,” he said, standing up. “I’ve got to go and relieve myself. I’ll be back soon.”
I nodded and watched him as he walked towards the exit. “Hey, there’s a bathroom in the church.”
“I’ll go outside. I need a smoke anyway.”
I watched as he stepped outside of the sanctuary, feeling uneasy. I didn’t particularly like him wandering around where I couldn’t see him.
“Cassie?”
I turned and found Kallie standing next to me, rubbing her eyes.
“Hi honey. What do you need?”
“I have to go to the bathroom.”
“Oh, well, okay,” I said. I stood up and walked over to Nora, shaking her gently.
“My turn already?” she mumbled.
“No, I just have to take one of the kids to the bathroom. Can you keep an eye on the others while I do that?”
She said up and yawned. “Sure.”
“Thanks.”
Nora’s eyes narrowed as she looked around. “Where’s Dweeb?”
“Dwayne? He stepped outside for a smoke.”
She sighed. “Great. Well, hurry back. Looks like I still have a couple of hours to sleep until it’s my turn.”
“Yeah, I know. Sorry.”
“Hey, little girl needs to pee, she needs to pee,” she said, smiling at Kallie.
“We’ll be right back.”
I grabbed a flashlight and then took Kallie’s hand in mine. We walked out of the sanctuary into the hallway leading to the bathrooms.
“Do you need any help?” I asked as we stopped outside of the small bathroom.
“No, but it’s too dark to see anything,” she said.
I handed her the flashlight, grateful that there were a couple of lit candles in the hallway. “I’ll wait out here.”
“Okay.”
She closed the door and I leaned against the opposite wall with my arms crossed, my mind wandering back to Bryce again. I smiled as I imagined him tucking Bobby into bed, maybe reading him a story. Then I felt guilty for leaving my little sister the way that I did and sighed. She was definitely going to freak out on me when I made it back to Atlanta.
A loud crash from one of the roo ms down the hallway made me jump. It sounded like glass shattering.
Crap.
Swallowing back a wave of fear, I tightened the grip on my gun and began walking down the long cool hallway, which seemed more ominous with every step.
“He llo?” I called, raising the gun in front of me.
Nobody an swered and I had to force myself to keep moving.
Maybe it was a cat?
I’d seen a couple of them prowling around the hallways, earlier.
“Here , kitty!” I whispered, loudly.
The sound of books or something heavy being dropped onto a hard wood floor stopped me cold.
“Sister Theresa?”
Silence.
With my heart ha mmering in my chest, I willed myself forward until I stood outside of the room where I thought I’d heard the noise. It was dark but from the shadows in the room, it appeared to be an office.
“Hello?” I whispered, trying to adjust my
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