Souls - XXII

I can’t tell if I’m walking or if Kimaris is carrying me, but I feel the stones move under my naked feet, like the waters parting for Moses. I don’t know how, but I know where the church is without even asking. Thinking about it, it probably isn’t me that knows. 

I see the shadow of the cross that adorns the steeple before I see the church, it stretches across the intersection, reaching for an unknown destination. I/we turn the corner and I see it. It’s unimpressive as far as Catholic churches go, but we are in the middle of New Mexico. 

I feel my arms raise, like a general motioning to his troops. The shadows behind me swell, I can feel them pulsate. They’re anticipating the joy, the kill. They haven’t gotten to do this in awhile I imagine.

My arms shoot forward towards the church and the shadows rush forth, pouring into the building through the doors and windows. Once they are all in an eery silence takes over the street. I imagine this is what it felt like to be a block away from the shootout at the O.K. Corral. 

Suddenly the air goes stale, and then electric, then it is gone completely. Some kind of implosion erupts from the church, all the air sucking into the building. Then it all changes, the air blasts towards us and the shadows are sent flying in every direction.

I can feel the panic in Kimaris. This is not what was expected. 

Neither of us move, neither of us sure what to do next. The front doors squeak open.

My daughter, dressed in a white gown stumbles through it slowly, she raises her hands to rub her eyes. She seems like someone who is only half aware of consciousness, like someone reacting to a fire bell from the deepest of sleeps. She might be drugged.

She sees me, she looks down to my nudity. She pauses at my scar. Looking up to my face, her lips quiver.

“M-m-m-mommy?”

I hold out my arms to her, she doesn’t make a move towards me.

Two men appear from the doorway, standing at either side of my daughter. I recognize them, they are two of the men who did this. 

Mary turns to them both, trying to fight her own confusion.

“M-m-m-mommy?”

She falls to the ground, unconscious.

One of the men looks to her, and then to me and smiles wide.

“Well, this is all just super fucking unexpected.”

I feel Kimaris squirm inside of me, I can’t tell if he’s trying to attack or run away.

“Would you care to come inside and discuss this? See if we can come to an amicable solution?”

Kimaris is throwing a fit inside me, it reminds me of my pregnancy but this time the incubated had claws. I try my damnedest to not double over in pain.

The man smiles even wider. “Kimaris and I have a history. Excuse us.”

With that, he evaporates into a beam of light, dissipating into the clouds above.

Then nothing. Just the other man staring at me, and my unconscious daughter lying at his feet.

Then the man looks up, I follow his eyes. They are looking directly above me. 

I see it. 

That beam of light is racing towards me. Before I have time to do anything, before I can even raise my hands instinctually in defense, the light pierces my skull.

I feel like I’m on fire. 

Then it’s over just as quickly. 

I open my eyes, I’m on my knees. Kimaris is gone, no longer inside me. The beam of light is gone.

The man in the doorway of the church kneels down, picks up my daughter and walks inside. I try to stand to give chase, but I feel the strength of someone’s hand on my shoulder keeping me on the ground. 

It’s the smiling man, he’s no longer a beam of light. He raises his hand off my shoulder and offers it to me.

“Well, now that that’s all taken care of. Care to come inside for a drink, clear all this up?”

I’m not sure I have a choice. I take his hand and he leads me to the church.

“My name’s Michael by the way, the Archangel Michael. Are you more of a beer or whiskey kind of lady?”