The rumble of my engine is music to my ears, and I tug my face mask up to cover my mouth and nose before I pull onto the road and head down toward my cabin.
It’s time to get away for a couple of days. I’ve always liked being in the woods, where it’s quiet. Where my mind can focus on what it needs to recoup. With the work I do, I can’t afford to be distracted.
And that’s where my little problem comes in.
Maeve Bianchi.
A pretty Catholic nun who I should never have met. Two months ago, I walked into the convent and stole a crucifix for the boss, but before I could get away, Maeve walked smack bang into me.
I recall her pretty smile when she looked up at me. My dark eyes, black hair, and inked skin must’ve been a shock for her. A good one, apparently, because she offered me a cup of tea.
I don’t drink tea.
But I did take something else, I stole her lips and kissed her until she whimpered.Who knew a nun could kiss like a whore?I turned around and walked out without a glance over my shoulder.
Each time I follow my little nun, I think of that kiss. Perhaps one day I’ll get the boss man to hire her. With those sultry eyes and that pouty mouth, she’ll certainly be as deadly as I am.
I pass a sign on the side of the highway telling me I have another few hundred miles to go. I don’t care, the further out of town I can get, the better. Wind whips at my face, but I don’t slow down. If anything, I speed up.
Maeve
Hallowed be Thy Name
The soundof the front door rattles through me, and I wonder what’s going to happen tonight. In the dark, silence is more welcome than the sounds of my parents coming home.
A girly giggle filters through the house, and I shut my eyes so tight, focusing on the way the cotton sheets feel against my skin. I want to cry, but if Daddy or Mommy walk into my room, I know I’ll be in trouble. They don’t like when I’m awake late at night.
Another laugh comes from the living room, and then I hear glasses. Moments later, there’s the smell of smoke, and I inch out of bed. I’m at the door, peeping through the keyhole when I see the girl they’ve got here tonight. She’s sitting beside a man I don’t know.
They’re dressed in expensive clothes. Even though the view is blurry, I can tell. Mainly because Mommy and Daddy don’t wear anything that’s expensive.
They keep up the ruse of being God-fearing people by going to church, praying with the congregation and smiling at everyone as if innocence drenched them in its sickly-sweet fragrance.
“Prayer is important,” I hear Daddy telling them. Maybe they’re getting married, and he’s going to be the pastor. “In this house, we pray all the time. God is good, He brings us blessings when we least expect them.”
“I’m thankful to have found your parish. My daughter has been in so much trouble, so when we moved here, just this morning, the first thing I wanted to do was meet with you.” The stranger tells Daddy. That’s when I notice how young the girl beside him is.
I watch in awe as he nudges her and she rises. Wearing a long black dress, she smiles before she slips the material down. It falls to the ground, and she’s now standing in only a pair of panties.
“Yes, she’s perfect,” I hear Daddy tell the man. “What do you think, Patricia?” Daddy asks my mom.
“I think she’ll do nicely. Come here,” Mommy tells the girl, and then I lose sight of her. Mommy must be sitting closer to the living room window because it’s not in line with the hallway.
“I’m glad,” the man says before standing up and shrugging on a jacket. He lifts the glass to his lips and takes a gulp, emptying it of whatever was in there. Daddy takes him to the door, which I can see from where I am. Suddenly, Dad glances over his shoulder as if he can see me, causing me to stumble backward, falling onto my butt.
I scurry back to my bed, shoving myself under the covers and curling into a ball, praying to God that he doesn’t come to check on me. Does he know I saw them? I mumble my prayers, asking for them not to come to me. Not to make sure I’m sound asleep because I know I can’t pretend with my heart racketing in my chest, thudding in my ears.
For the first time in my life, I’m truly afraid they will kill me. When I first saw them hurt that girl, I realized something was truly wrong with my family. That was a week ago. Tonight, they have another girl here, one whose daddy left her in the care of my parents. A girl who I know will never see her daddy again.
But then again, maybe he planned it. Maybe that’s what he brought her here for. I swallow the lump of fear in my throat before I start counting.
Prayer no longer helps.
I close my eyes and focus on counting. I think of all the years I’ve been alive, fifteen. It’s the numbers that make my mind calm and help me to fall asleep.
But as much as I shove those holy words away, they’re burned in my mind. Always there. Always watching. Just like God himself.
Temptation is a weakness.