s'

hat smelled like melted wax, old wood

shine, and above the altar, an enormous crucifix loomed, t

ly, I

sh. They tried to keep their distance without being obv

ing bomb. Or wors

nicknamed her Mother Doom, gave me a tight, polite

at her, arms limp at my sides, before dramatically

nto place, legs stretched out defiantly,

their life, sat with perfect posture, their hands neatly folded, eyes cast down like angels-

orcelain dolls, each one

like a sore,

ractive, fashion

he launched into a prayer, her voice soft but commanding, f

uched

my chipped

d a few girls a

ready cooking u

d to treat me

i

e them

ep where everyone had their heads bowed and the at

it would be utterly sca

made

inhuman sound from t

the girls two rows ahead

movie character. I let out another deep, broken groan, twisting my

voice falter

hispered some

ming in the room like a tox

ld've been

my body twitch at random, just small enough movem

st to me drop

rl whispered. "I

ng

d before jerking my head up so fa

yes with M

en I s

nice

a mischie

over teeth, something too wide, too wrong

m physical

de the sign of the cross s

not my voice-low, guttural, a broken growl

he side, cracking my neck dr

sp

rippled throu

tched their B

was litera

didn't run, but her face had

ed up to her, whis

cking the

cking God

mocking you, I th

ed a trembling h

o me like she was f

ut firm, "you are safe. The Lord p

my eyes th

ly. "The Lord has forsaken

re

l scr

the pews like someone had

he arms of another, who was too stunned to do

l. Art. My fine

white knuckles. Her face twisted into

s going to pull out holy water

ked orders to th

room! Now! She needs i

iously, like they were abou

led s

es back into my head and collapsed dramaticall

bbed. Why are they overre

d something about "

all, feet bouncing slightly against the cracked ston

d locked in a convent wou

ics are causing. How they all clutched to their bibles th

even save me from hell at this point because yo

of entertainment that

this place more than