Day 6.

The unseasonal chill was still present in the air, and I pulled my coat close around me as I meandered around for my bike. It wasn’t in the garage, where I usually parked it.

After searching for about ten minutes, I came to the conclusion that Lea must have taken it to a friends house and forgot to bring it back. I stood under one of our oaks, weighing my choices.

The library was probably too far to walk to. Or, at least too far for my to want to walk to. It had been my intention to go there to see if I could find out anything on that old building in the newspaper archives.

It was then that I realized I was standing under the same tree which that person-thing was under last night. I won’t lie, it creeped me out just a little. I kind of stepped out from under its branches, in case something was lurking up in the bows so it could jump down upon me and kill me in some gruesome manner.

I looked back at the house. Lea was watching me through her bedroom window upstairs, which was on the opposite end of the house as mine. Sometimes I wanted to just punch that little punk.

So instead of loitering around for her to gawk at, I walked down our driveway, and turned left. Left towards the end of the road, towards the church.

As I walked down that road, pavement evolving into rut pocked dirt, I kept telling myself what a freaking idiot I was. This had to be one of the stupidest things I had ever done. I was going back. Back to a place where a violent figure had assaulted me, back to a place that was probably haunted by all manner of tormented souls. Back to a place where I would probably get dive bombed by birds. None of these soudned particularly appealing. But remember that inner turmoil I have with my two C’s? Yeah. My artistic curiosity was boiling and foaming like when Emilie forget she’s heating milk on the stove.

Last time it was my feet that kept me going against my will. This time it was my chest, hard though it threw itself against my chest cavity.

I was there before I realized it. I found myself continue walking into the clearing without hesitation, straight towards those front doors. No sign of movement anywhere near me. I knew that this time, I would be going inside. This time, for the first time in all my life, I would wrench open those heavy wooden doors and slip inside, closing them behind me.

A new elation rose in me, knowing that a new phase in my life was beginning. Maybe this was when I stopped being a coward.

I couldn’t decide whether to be impressed or disappointed with the look of the inside of what had so long been an enigma in my mind.

Straight before me stretched the isle, covered in what once must have been a very beautiful deep ruddy purple. The carpet, over stone floors, was now moth eaten and dirty, some places faded by the sun. Pews sat grimly on either side. Just as the carpet was no longer fine, the wood of the pews was chipped and damaged by both sun and rain. Small sections of the rafters had collapsed, littering floor and pew with debris. One particularly large beam of now feeble looking wood bad done damage to several pews.

I saw not far from my feet an old hymnal. It too was in sorry shape, stained by water and maybe something more. Cautiously, I picked it up. The pages were brittle at my fingertips, treatening to snap like a dried twig. I closed it, but did not put it down.

At the other end of the building, the floor raised slightly. A pulpit of ornate wooden carvings stood stolidly at the front, as if it had never ceased its sermon from so long ago. Pews behind it to my left for the choir, and to my right an upright piano. Something was peculiar about that piano, though at the moment I could not place it.

The entire scene was lit with blues and yellows and reds from the stained glass. Though it was old, though it was disheveled and forlorn, there was beauty here.

Carefully, I stepped forwards, picking my way over wood and shingles. Heavy layers of dust collected over every surface. This was most evident in the places where the beams of sunlight streamed through the dusty air. When it hit the pews, the dust seemed to glow with its light colour and depth.

In the fifth pew to my right, something caught my eye.

There was an patch of the wooden seat of the pew not covered in dust. A round portion, imperfect. I stepped closer, holding back.

There was a handprint beside it.

“Benjamin?”

I spun around, lost my balance, unable to react as I fell. My head hit something. I don’t remember anything after that.




“Benjamin Faires? Benjamin Faires, are you alright?”

That voice. It was the same one that had startled me in the church. I had fallen. Why can’t I open my eyes?

“Benjamin Faires, you should wake up. I did not mean to make you fall down. Benjamin Faires?”

It was a she. The voice was the smell of a cherry blossom.

I opened my eyes.

“You are awake, Benjamin Faires! I am very happy to see it!”

Why was my vision always so blurry? I had glasses on when I came here. Why was there a white blur above me?

“I am very sorry, I did not mean to make you startle and fall. You were bleeding, but you have stopped now. How do you feel Benjamin Faires?”

I tried moving my fingers. They twitched a little, partly of my own volition, partly due to some random spazzing out. The brushed against something. Skin. Very warm, soft skin.

I wish I could see something.

“Do you feel fine?” She asked a lot of things. Without really my own thought, I found a response.

“Glasses.”

“What is that Benjamin Faires?”

“My glasses. Do you see my glasses?” My voice was sort of half-hearted attempt at talking, and when I had tried it, I realized my head felt like it was splitting open.

“Oh! You dropped them yesterday. Kon found them.” She got up. I could hear her footsteps not far away, then coming back. She was down beside me again. She leaned over close, and for a second I felt uncomfortable until I felt her slide my glasses on. Suddenly, my world pulled into focus.

The face that was hovering over me was best described as young. Not just in age, but in essence. A sort of naivete about her.

Her face was round, gathering to a gentle point at her chin. A small nose, equally round, and large eyes that seemed to emanate light they were so golden and bright. Quaint little lips, with a very thin upper lip. Her skin was pale, sort of a porcelein look to it, and her strawberry blonde hair was streaked with shades of platinum and auburn. It was cut shorter in back, maybe just past the base of her neck, longer in front, past her collarbones. Her neck was slender, leading into well defined shoulders.

“I... thank you,” I said after letting her appearance sort of sink in.

“Do you need help up Benjamin Faires?”

How did she know my name? And why did she insist on both first and last all the time? I hesitated, shook my head, and did an awkward move to roll over so I could get up. My head began to spin, but she supported me, her arms wrapped around me. Slowly she helped me stand, holding onto my arms until my head stopped spinning. It still seemed like my vision was pounding back and forth, but at least for now I was able to stand.

Without a word, the girl stepped behind me and gently placed her fingers against my scalp. I cringed significantly.

“Your wound does not seem to have healed fully. Kon says it is good to wrap these sorts of things before they get infected.” She stepped to my side again, peering at the back of my head. “But I don’t have anything to wrap it in.”

“I’m fine,” I said, tentatively raising my own fingers to touch the wound.