“Enough!” he shouts.
The footsteps halt as the masked man in front of me tenses at the tone of Priest Warren’s voice. He leans into me a bit more.
“There is always going to be sin on this campus. We are creatures of sin, are we not? Those tainted souls are just getting better at hiding their sneaky, nasty temptations. We must be vigilant in our observations of each and every student. But do not fret. We have our sacrifice marked already.”
My skin crawls at the way he says the last sentence, envisioning his slimy smile at that remark.
“My apologies, sir. I only meant that your commandments have been effective through our community.”
The footsteps continue as the man pushes further into me, an attempt to hide us further in the shadows. It’s becoming harder to breathe as the muscles of his torso constrict mine. His eyes stare into mine with warning, while mine shake back and forth in fear. He could turn me in right now, prevent any delay in ‘capturing’ me down theroad. This masked man doesn’t owe me anything, especially not loyalty. I feel my body start to tremble as true fear seeps through me as Priest Brown’s proximity grows closer.
“I appreciate the compliment, but alas, we have a significant sin threatening to bleed amongst the peers. The new transfer, Grace Gates, is quite the problem. Her father has recently confided in me about his worries about her sexuality. It appears she has confessed to him as being a homosexual, an abomination to Christ. Professor Gates has hopes that being on the religious campus will enlighten her to the potential of damnation, but we cannot risk the corruption. She is our next target.”
They are mere feet away, and at this point, my lungs are starting to burn from how long I’ve been holding my breath. I peek a glance over the man’s shoulder right as they pass by us.
“Apologies, sir, but shouldn’t we give her a chance for redemption? She has only just started here. That’s the entire purpose, is it not, for Jesus Christ?”
I try to see who the man is that's defending me when the masked man pushes even harder against me. I exhale the last of the air in my lungs as I try to slowly inhale as much as possible through my nose.
Priest Warren chuckles as they pass by us. “No. We cannot allow that corrupt thinking to pollute the students. We will let God be in charge of her redemption. In the meantime, we are simply helping Him further along the rapture. Now stop asking me foolish questions, we are running behind.”
Their pace quickens as they pass us, moving toward the door we had entered through. We continue to stand still, only letting out soft breaths for a few minutes before the man takes a step back and exhales fully.
“Why does part of me wonder if you’re Grace and your father is Professor Gates?”
I scratch my head and smile pathetically at him before offering my hand for a handshake. “Hey, I’m Grace, and I appreciate you not ushering me into my evident damnation.”
The man glances at my hand before slowly offering his, and we shake briefly.
“Bones, you can call me Bones.”
I snort, and he whips his head back at me with that squinted glare that is becoming his permanent facial expression. I lift my hands in mock surrender. “What? Sorry, it’s just a little on the nose.” I gesture toward the garb on his face.
He turns on his heel with a scoff and continues down the dark tunnel.
I look around as I follow behind him in silence again, noticing old candles, small pieces of paper, and the shadows of rodents scuttling along the edges of the tunnel. Part of me wants to bend down and grab some of the items, but I know we shouldn’t waste time in case Priest Warren and his companion decide to turn around.
“Why didn’t you push me out to him anyway? Are you a part of this underground religious cult, too?” I ask hesitantly.
He stays silent for a few moments, and I sigh, wondering if I’ll be left with just his name as we approach moonlight at the end of the tunnel.
Once we climb up and out, the dark forest stands dauntingly in front of us. He turns toward me and crosses his arms.
“You need to leave this campus, Grace. It’s not safe for you. Priest Warrenwillsacrifice you if you remain. It’s a baptism of brimstone and fire. It is far more sinister than you can imagine. I can’t stop it. I’ve tried to stop him time and time again, leading him astray from other students, but he is desperate. I’ve covered endless tracks of supposed sin, but your situation is far too clear for him not to act upon.
Leave this campus, Grace. You won’t survive it here.”
I step forward him in frustration. “Why? So I can leave knowing that there’s this sick and twisted evil priest sacrificing students for the sake of purity? I wouldn’t be able to live with myself. At least here I have a purpose.”
He clenches his jaw and stalks toward me. “Mildred is not your purpose. You just met her. She isdead.” I flinch at his words, his intensity having me take a step back. “Saving other students is not your purpose. You will not survive, Grace. Leave, I will not be able to protect you again.”
He glances at his watch and runs his fingers through his black, tousled hair. “I have to go, they will wonder where I am. Head along the tree line for at least a mile, and you will see the campus come into view. Be quiet and careful, members still might be roaming around.”
And with that, he turns back toward the tunnel and enters, leaving me in the middle of the forest outside of the campus.
It takes everything within me not to shout at him for abandoning me in the woods, but it’s evident he’s a part of the twisted cult in some way. What doesn’t make sense is why he decided to save me. He didn’t explain a thing other than what I already knew. I groan and turn on my feet.
I make my way through the forest, walking along the edge where the trees break apart to an open field. I stay under the branches, trying to hide amongst the darkness. My feet crunch on leaves and twigs. I flinch in fear that I may encounter someone else, someone less kind than Bones. His brand of kindness was questionable, but so was his loyalty to the priest.
