And He said, 'Let There Be Light!'
The only source of light happened to be the match before me, floating over candles. Sharing it's flame.
1 2 3_
All twenty one candles, lit up so desperately waiting to be blown out. I inhaled excitedly, clutching onto the last bits of my stone.
'Happy Birthday to you.. Happy birthday to you..' Every sound faded, I only kept watch of the darkest parts of the room..which at the moment was everywhere.
They emphasized.. always_
"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
I never forgot how often they emphasized. Made it sound dark, yet it was meant to restore hope_
I gasped realizing I had fazed out. '..happy birthday to you!' I blew out the candles and the congregation hooted. The church bells rung immediately the lights came on. Everyone returned to their seats. I took my seat and a hand clutched mine immediately. I smiled.
'Shall we say the Lord's prayer?' Father Pius stood at the alter, the silence was once again washed over by people standing. 'Our father_'
'Who art in heaven_'
At the early hours of Six; At striking of noon; at the occurrence of six before the dark swallowed up the sun, we said the Lord's prayer. It was tradition.
Tradition had to be maintained!
Ding dong..Ding dong! The birds flapped away from the bells screaming. Their dark shapes scattered around the sky and disappeared in the trees_
What the_ Hannah jumped to my side, our bodies colliding. My chest ached from the strain of my racing heart.
'You're so lucky!' She gushed hitting me with her Bible. Be normal!
I scowled at her, she was too busy talking to care. 'You share you birthday with the feast of the Baptism of the Lord!'
She walked faster than she talked, I'd realized at a later stage of our friendship.
'Uh-Huh.. Lucky me.' It wasn't even about my birthday. No one cared, except Fifi, my mom.
She didn't pretend even in church, she cared. Seriously.
The breeze aggressively flipped out Hannah's Bible, she struggled to stop it from reaping. Leaves tackled the ground unable to survive the wind.
Dark endless clouds gathered over the town, swallowing up nearly the whole sky.. except the moon. A peculiar circle protected it, almost like an eye. Repelling the clouds, it never gave out.
The moonlight dimly seeped into the town through it's window, it wasn't enough. It was still dark. This was my birthday, it's how I remembered.
'Are you even listening?' Hannah's aggressive poke sent me glaring at her. She rolled her eyes.
'Whatever! I guess you can reach home_'
My real parents visited me on this day, every year.
'I am talking to you!'
We didn't live together, I was passed my curious days to ask. I couldn't wait to see them though.
The familiar curtain of trees cast a filmy shadow onto the array of surviving timeworn houses; the hum of traffic at a distance resonated with the plaintive sound of leaves rustling in the trees.
Leaves crunched with each step I took, masking the rich sound of crickets. The putrid smell of rotten tree stamps lingered in the moist air, the branches blocked the smell in and moonlight out. I could hardly see the small road between the trees.
Eventually, I lingered at the edge of the trees.. stomping the dewy grass my boots managed to snatch. My house stood across the road; an ill-lit front porch, orange stained crooked windows and a nearly rotten straw roof with bird poop.
No one could notice it unless they directed a flashlight at it. It was a view though.. during the day.
I sighed. A warm smell of fresh bread wafted up my nose. If Fifi was baking, it only meant that she was actually happy.
Forks, knives and spoons clattered through the window as the smell of garlic become prominent. The door creaked open the moment I stepped in.
The fusty smell and irritating warmth of the house welcomed me. The fireplace was ablaze with flickering flames tainting the room orange. The kettle whistled as I shrugged off my coat and put it away with the others.
I quickly kicked off my boots and walked to the kitchen.
Fifi was setting the table.
'You're home early.' She smiled energetically walking to me and pecking my head. 'Benedic nos, Domine.'
'Deus benedicat nos omnes.' I replied making the sign of the cross. I never took off my rosary. 'Yes, It was getting really dark and I wanted to make sure you got my help preparing.'
'I am not that old.' Fifi joked, laying down the tablemats. 'I can set a table on my own, you know?'
I pulled out the remaining dust of my stone from my pockets.
'Fifi?' I held out my hand for her. She smiled sadly, dropping the serviettes. I never got to understand why l kept that stone. She emphasized that I never lost it or went anywhere without it.
'Don't mind that.' She smiled cupping my face. 'I won't let anything happen to you.' Her eyes bored into mine.
'Fifi, you're scaring me.' I forced a laugh. She didn't laugh though, she went on like she hadn't said anything.
'Help me with this.' She handed me the cross. We usually locked it in the cupboard when my parents showed up. 'Now..we wait!'
***
They never came.
I sat in my room clutching the stone dust in my hand. My palms felt sweaty. I wasn't to fall asleep, at least that what Fifi said. I couldn't.
'If you see anything unusual.' She looked me straight in the eye. 'Scream for me!'
That was the last thing she said to me before I entered my room. I wanted to check on her but she asked me not to. She had been acting suspicious throughout the week but I didn't bother her.
The moonlight had been blocked from my part of the neighborhood but the rest seemed to bask in it.
My hand started to ache so massaged its outline_
The lights went out. Through the window, it was dark across the neighborhood. Some dogs begun to bark.
I felt for my dresser and grabbed the match box. It was hard to light a match with my hand folded.
I opened it and wiped whatever bits of the dust on my pants. I swiped the match and the little light exposed my surroundings_
'Fifi!' Her name erupted from my mouth the moment I saw the cloaked skeleton before me. It swung the hooked stick thing at me.
I jumped over my bed and barged out of the room. 'Fifi!'
Nothing.
I ran to her room and burst through her door. No one.
The skeleton stepped out of my room into the corridor. I ran towards the living room and to the cupboard.
I ramaged through the drawers for the keys and opened it.
I could hear the floors creaking as it approached me.
Pulling out the cross, I held it before me. In a split second, I was holding a shrunken capital t.
I threw the remains of the cross at the skeleton and ran to the kitchen.
I slipped into the space near the fridge and threw my hand over my mouth. I heard it's footsteps.. bonesteps? ..nearing me. My heart was pounding through every opening on my body.
It stopped beside me and I leaped out before it turned to me, colliding with it's..body? It tried to hold me back but slipped through it's arms and ran for the door.
'Salvum me fac Deus.' I fidgeted with the door to my defeat, there were no keys. Deciding that the window was my only escape, I ran back to my room.
Not thinking twice, I threw my leg across it. Grabbing onto the sides, I forced the rest of me out. The rotten parts of the window came off with me. I landed on all fours, in one piece.
The brushed off the moss that had clung onto my clothes_
A shadow embraced me and I froze, what creature had a shadow in the dark. I crawled away from the swaying cloak.
It raised it's weapon and I screamed with all the strength I could muster.
'Vade retro satanas!'
'And There was Light!'
••
Hello ;
Sorry about the language, it's Latin. I think? I hope! (Summoning all the help you can give)
What do you think attacked her?
• I wasn't sure whether to include the creature in this chapter but eventually decided to. Hope it was a good decision?
Why do you think the creature attacked her on that day of all times?
• She could have at least celebrated her birthday or cut a cake..but nooo!
Where do you think Fifi was?
• I kinda need to brainstorm about this and what side of the story to give Fifi..but I'm sure I'll figure it out.
!! This chapter doesn't have much detail about the characters..(I apologise) but I promise you get to know them better in the next chapters.
Hope you liked the chapter. I'll be updating soon. Let me know!!
And if you enjoyed this :)
Please vote✓
Share📢
Comment 💬
~ love from
Godwill
X Daelarie
PS. If you know how to write in male POV, let's connect. I beg.