Chapter Ten: Staind Glass Masquerade

"Let me out!" I finally croaked, shoving Maria off my lap. My face was burning.
Henry swerved to the side, circled and stopped abruptly, cutting the engine off. I got to my feet, bent over and looked out the windshield to see a brick building with bright green rose bushes around it.

Green? In the fall?

I opened the sliding door and hopped out onto the pavement.

Oh. . .

"Is this some kind of joke?"

In front of me sat a large brick cathedral with a small wooden bell tower at the top. It seemed very old, yet breathed life as if it could never die.

It scared me and I didn't know why.

"No joke, kid. Go on inside and make yourself at home." Henry said as he went to unload a couple of boxes in the back.
Maria hopped out of the car and linked my arm with hers at the elbow. "C'mon, pipsqueak. I want you to meet pasture Hopkins."

Before I could say anything, I was being dragged into church like a troublesome kid by his angry mother. Inside, it was elegant. Light colored wooden walls, pews on either side of a soft looking green carpet leading up an isle to the stage where the pasture spoke on Sundays. Behind the podium at the center of the stage were three large multicolored, intricate staind glass windows with two female angels on either side of one male. They all seemed to be singing, or praying, or both.

Singing their prayers to the heavens.

Maria walked me up to the front pew on the left and threw me unceremoniously down next to a man dressed in black. His head was bent and his hands together. Maria raised a finger to her lips and sat on the other side of him.

He seemed to be whispering some sort of prayer in gaelic.

His hair was as long as Arvieron's, chin length and scraggly. It hung in his face so I couldn't make out if I'd seen him before or not until he raised his mousy brown head and blinked open his light, almost yellow, green eyes.

He looked at me kindly and my legs itched to run away.

"You must be Dr. Stein's son, am I right?" He asked. I stared at him blankly.

"He only knows him as Frank Michaels." Maria chimed in, in an annoyed voice.

"Oh, I'm sorry. You must be very confused." The man had mousy brown stuble on his chin, he looked around Arvieron's age. In his mid tweinties.

I nodded blankly. "H-how do you know my dad? What's going on here?" I felt like screaming it, afraid they wouldn't give me the answer. Or maybe just afraid.

But, what of?

The man glanced at Maria. She seemed to take the hint. She scraped herself off the pew and walked outside, swinging her hips as if she were going down a catwalk instead of a curch isle.

I looked back to the priest. He must have been one, he had a white collar.

"It's a bit of a sad story." He said, quietly, lost in thought. "But I must tell you everything."

Just then, his eyes glazed as if he had cateracts. He pulled something out of his coat pocket, something glinting in the light of the windows.

I heard a gunshot, felt my breath vacate my body.

Warm, sticky redness. . .

At some point I hit the floor.

And all went black.

Author's Note

What do you think of this so far? Is it boring, entertaining, confusing, or interesting?

Reviews

[Benita-Staebell M - Kin..]

I love it you pull
me in more and
more and I am
more intrigued.

You keep out doing your self again
and again awesome write.

very Nice work.

Love these Stanza's lines

"Let me out!" I finally croaked, shoving Maria off my lap. My face was burning.
Henry swerved to the side, circled and stopped abruptly, cutting the engine off. I got to my feet, bent over and looked out the windshield to see a brick building with bright green rose bushes around it.
Green? In the fall?

I opened the sliding door and hopped out onto the pavement.

Oh. . .

"Is this some kind of joke?"

Mystery and Spence I love it
You've brought this piece
here to life.

Thank you for sharing. Blessings Kindred poet

[Bluefire]

Thank you! x3

[Benita-Staebell M - KindredPoet]

you're very welcome. My pleasure. Blessings. kindred poet