The Calm Before The Storm

"Did you ever wonder if our choices are what our "god" chooses?

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Daniel came into the hall afraid yet an exciting expression blooming onto his face, Elena walking by his side. But the next moment, what he saw just increased his fear, the whole hall was devoid of any furniture and was filled with countless nuns and father's in their black robes with candles in their hands.

The two of them felt their heart shrink as his stomach churned in return. It was horrifying!

The sudden turbulence took everyone by surprise, gnarled trees hung low, creaking ominously in the howling winds. Adding a little twist-ness to the surroundings. Everything was gloomy; it was dark and menacing even with all the candles and holy crosses present.

The old church bells rang out into the darkness, sending a flock of pigeons into disarray, cooing and flapping violently away from the aged building.

Daniel was walking in step by step with Elena and the other children, their gazes were wandering around the hall when one of them suddenly gasped and pointed towards the center of the hall.

Each slow chime echoed through the cavernous inner hall, reverberating off the ancient stone, laying to rest upon the altar.

Everyone's gazes trailed over the path the finger was directed towards, they were all shocked by the scene that lay before them, a woman was laying down in the altar placed right in front of the pedestal on which Jesus's figure was on.

Her skin had a rusty texture as if boiled and burned, were blue and white bones came out from her joints. Her hair was white, and her eyes black.

She was lying down in a weird position, her hands behind her back crooked in different directions, spine arched, and head turned towards where Daniel was standing.

She was lifeless, but the slight rising of her chest every second proved her to be still alive and living, a hoarse and dark noise was coming out from her mouth.

Daniel was looking into the eyes of the woman when he suddenly felt a soft warmth wrapping around his hand, he looked sideways and found Elena standing there, trembling whilst grabbing his hand.

"It's going to be alright." He convinced her in a soothing voice, patting her hand only to receive a slight nod in return.

A nun came in front of the group and led them towards a corner and told them mainly to stay as an observer and pray while she took off to the middle.

Daniel was continuously looking into the eyes of the woman lying on the bed, they seemed so dead, but so alive at the same.

He was slowly being mesmerized by them, the black eyes had a unique deepness only belonging to this pair, their dimness, and the luminosity, all sparked.

He saw his own face in those eyes, it looked towards Daniel and smiled.

Daniel suddenly jerked and started gasping for air, his lungs felt like they had been squeezed and left devoid of any air.

"Daniel!!" Elena screamed holding him, worry in her eyes "What happened?"

But he couldn't hear her, the smile was replaying in his head again and again, and he was ever so slightly mesmerized by it, he was scared, he was trying to throw off his own face smiling at him, but realized that he couldn't.

His hand reached towards his neck, where he grabbed the necklace which was given to him by his first friend, an old nun who now was dead.

He still remembered the moment she was dying, when he told her that he wanted to become an exorcist, the sadness in her eyes when he said those words.

In the end, she took out the necklace which was hanging from her neck and gave it to Daniel, she had told him that the necklace would protect him.

Daniel grabbed the necklace and started calming down, he never knew what was so special about it but whenever his emotions took control of him, holding the necklace made his heart calm once again.

"I- 'm alright." He tried to reassure to Elena who he heard was continuously saying his name.

He again looked into the eyes of the woman but found them lifeless as ever.

It was an illusion. Maybe. But death never spares those even if you sleep.