Chapter Fifteen
I had no desire to move from my bed. Not one ounce of strength seemed to be with me anyway, and I was okay with that. Heather had already showered, dressed, and was out the door before the first alarm went off. I was unsure if she wanted to avoid any embarrassment for being the teachers’ pet or if she was one hundred percent mad at me for feeding into her friends’ antics, but by the complete lack of communication that morning, I’d have guessed she wanted nothing more than to forget last night. I would have loved to, because I could move past it and toss it in the trash like it never happened. But other events continued their stay in my head.
The image of Josh and Chloe hiding within the shadows of the alleyway had me staring at the ceiling in deep thought. If , and that was one big if , they could potentially and clinically be insane and were running around the streets of New York City like they were part of some anime convention, I’d been looking at this all wrong.
I may be looking at this all wrong and wandering into forbidden territory.
After the freshmen breakfast, I knew they were a part of something. The negative energy had rolled off them as they all stood glaring me down like I was a nuisance to society.
I knew what I needed to do. The invitation was tucked inside one of my desk drawers, screaming at me to go. Stalling had been one of my talents since birth, and I did that often when it came to the inevitable.
Because the idea that something sinister could lurk in the shadows scared me the most.
If I went tonight and everything checked out, I could just slip out, and nobody would know of my absence. But how would I explain myself to Heather if she saw me? She was already pissed at me for last night; I didn’t need another nail to my coffin.
I groaned and covered my face with one of the many designer pillows my mother had bought. Telling Heather now would be another blow, especially since I embarrassed her. Keeping this lie for so long only to reveal it before the big night, how could she ever trust me?
I could sneak in. Just peek inside, ensure everything seemed okay, and bounce before anyone noticed me. That way, my conscience was clear, and it would leave her none the wiser.
The real question that nagged at me was how the heck would I pull it off?
I couldn’t waltz in there; I needed a well-thought-out plan to disguise myself and not get caught. Thankfully, the attire was all black, and I had a few pieces that would mesh well to match my incognito status.
I finally made the effort to get out of bed and trekked to the little closet in the corner on my side of the room. Successfully finding black jeans and a shirt, the only thing I lacked was a hoodie to cover my striking blond hair. My mom seemed pretty good at packing the essentials, so I wondered if she’d packed a black hooded sweatshirt. Just as I found what I’d been looking for, it dawned on me that we weren’t even close to winter yet and I pictured myself sweating profusely with it on. Scratching that idea, I came across a bag of old baseball caps toward the back of the closet. It was odd that my mother would move these for me here, let alone pack them, but I was thankful that she had. Grabbing the darkest shade of the bunch, I laid the outfit on my bed, viewing it from above.
This will have to do.
Folding the clothes and tucking them under my covers to hide my special ops attire, I gathered my bag of toiletries for a quick shower and decided to get ready to scope the church’s layout.
Doing it in the daytime would be less suspicious, and it would be easy to see the access points of the building. Snapping some pictures might be a challenge, but playing off enjoying the scenery would most likely work in my favor. Besides, nobody was going to care about some random chick taking pictures of a church.
Another less suspicious act, a quick shower, did the trick to relax my mind, and as I laced up my shoes and styled my hair into a braid, I thought of what would have happened if Heather had been in danger. But what kind of danger would there be on a college campus? Josh was adamant about breaking curfew, but how convenient he’d arrived while I chased after the mystery scarlet-cloaked figure. Stupid, good-looking son of a bitch he was. Why did Nickie have to pick him?
So much for relaxing my mind with the shower.
Brushing aside the negative thoughts, I went outside into the warm, sticky air. Students were enjoying the weekend, some sprawled out on the lawn soaking in the sun, others retreating under trees for shade.
With a sports water bottle in one hand and my phone in the other, I traveled down the college walk, heading toward the cathedral, nodding and giving small hellos to my classmates.
It seemed awfully quiet on 114 th St. as I pressed the button for the crosswalk while resisting the urge to jaywalk and bolt across. Eventually, the lights turned red, and I was signaled to make way across the street, deciding to play up my facade and run across like I was training to join the track team. Pretending to check my pulse, I leaned on one of the lampposts and stretched out my legs while staring up at the behemoth of a building.
The Cathedral of St. John the Divine sat in all its glory, holy and preserved for only the lovers of the Lord himself. Its structure was intimidating, its peaks higher than the trees surrounding its perimeter. Gray stone made up the entire building, only stunning stained glass occupying the center. Rotating my shoulders and neck like I just ran miles to get here, I stepped forward until I reached the stairs. Hands on my hips, I pretended to breathe heavily as a couple walked past me, giving a small smile.
Nothing compared to the giant rose on the stained glass window in the center. I could imagine the colors cascading through the building once the sun hit, filling the church with a multitude of reds that any artist would envy. Now that I had a simple front layout, I observed the building up close to determine if any other doors were behind the main one, while nonchalantly taking photos, making it seem I was merely interested in the structure rather than possible hidden passageways. Thankful for not finding a no trespassing sign, I was about to go investigate the grounds when I found the front door slightly ajar. I took it as a sign to enter. Maybe being inside would serve better than just walking around aimlessly, hoping to find a crack somewhere.
Upon first observation, I noticed how cold the church was. I rubbed my arms as I walked down the aisle, the pews empty on either side. Granted, the blast of cool air was a relief to the harrowing summer heat, but I wasn’t expecting to step right into the North Pole.
The smell of incense lingered as I made my way to the front, only my footsteps echoing in the open space. The ceiling, higher than any tree inside Central Park, gave the space an eerie atmosphere. It felt too quiet. Making my way to the front, I stopped just before the dais, where a dark wooden podium stood. Behind the podium sat a long marble table adorned with gold cups and a pitcher, with a cross the size of my head in the center.
Because I couldn’t help myself, I made my way over, about to touch the gold, intricate design, when a throat cleared behind me.
I jumped, shrieking in fright.
“I’m sorry, Miss. I wasn’t expecting company this early in the morning.”
Placing a hand over my pounding heart, I turned to find a man, probably in his late fifties, dressed in a cream robe, holding a brown, leather-bound book. “No, it’s okay. I just wasn’t expecting there to be anyone here either.”
He smiled, the wrinkles around his eyes expanding, his gray hair styled to one side. “I’m Father Benedict. Are you here for something?”
I looked around, noting it was just the two of us. “Uh…”
“Perhaps, maybe, a seat in one of the pews for alone time is all you needed?” He gestured to the many behind us.
Did he believe I was here to pray in silence? His genuine offer took me by surprise. “No, I just saw the door open and was always curious about what it looked like inside. Thank you, I’ll be going now.”
Walking past him, he gave me a simple pleasantry. “Have a wonderful day.”
“You as well,” I called back.
“Let the Lord guide you on your travels.”
Heather was nowhere to be found when I returned. I waited, and even searched for her, but not a single ounce of evidence led me to where she could be. Her ‘posse’ of math nerds was clueless about her whereabouts, and she hadn’t answered one of my texts. Notifying campus police was an option, but upon arrival to their office, they were dealing with a group of girls bitching about one of the seniors breaking their floor’s vending machine. I didn’t have the patience to stick around.
The only thing I could do was hope she would show up tonight at the induction.
Anxiety crept in like an unbearable chill as I dressed; even the summer breeze rolling through the window wasn’t enough to dampen the feeling. The more I reviewed the plan, the more anxious I became. Induction started at eight; I would arrive after it began while everyone involved was distracted. Get in the side entrance, make sure nothing appeared fishy, and get Heather—if she was there—out, then leave through the rear before anyone caught on. Simple, really, yet I found myself second-guessing every step. Maybe because I knew the whole idea seemed like utter garbage. But I’d spent hours studying all the photos I’d taken, drawing lines of where I could go and escape—marking x’s over dead ends and false exits. Saturday night and zero church service.
It should be easy.
One last look in the cloudy dorm mirror, and I double-checked the time, swallowing the anxiety back down where it came from.
Now or never.
Shutting the lights off and locking the door, every step toward the cathedral felt heavy, as if the weight of what I was about to do would consume me before I could get the chance. I wouldn’t be in this predicament if I had just told Heather the truth. Instead, I’d lied and avoided the conversation altogether, and now there I was, sneaking into the goddamn church, making sure no sacrifices were being made. To ensure she was safe, regardless of how mad she was at me. Here’s to hoping she skipped out.
What a pathetic way to spend a Saturday night.
It was a surprise to find fewer students than average walking around campus, and even more of a surprise to find nobody near the cathedral. All the windows were black, indicating the main floor was closed. Wouldn’t there be a welcome party? Was I too late? Was it canceled? Not a speck of light illuminated the gorgeous building. The very peaks of its structure looked down upon the campus as if it were judging everyone who dared to walk by. In the morning light, it appeared less intimidating, welcoming almost. But the night sky gave it a haunted mood, blackening the land around it like an eerie graveyard.
I never wanted to turn and run so badly in my life.
But I had to keep going. I had to know the truth.
The light at 114 th street took longer than usual to turn, and with every passing second, I grew more unsure of going inside. I pulled at my dark shirt, trying to air out my already sweaty body. Black was such a bad idea.
A deep, shaky breath later, I slid right through the entrance, tiptoeing down a carpeted hall. The silence was deafening, and one wrong move could set off more than just the alarm. The cathedral was exactly how it had been this morning. Empty. If a pin dropped, it would not have gone unnoticed.
Another set of doors was at the end, but they were wide open this time. Inside, the cathedral’s center was pitch black; I had to be extra careful about where I stepped.
The room, cold from the AC, left an uneasy chill throughout my body. What if the location was wrong? A hoax to lure incident people to their death. I inched my way down the center aisle, brushing my hand against the pews as I trekked by, guiding me through the darkness. The path before me, uncertain as it would seem, stayed the same as I continued along. I knew eventually I would hit the dais and then the wooden podium, but it was the marble table I was worried about. Trying not to collide with it was another challenge, when a thick cloth covered my mouth and nose, muffling my screams. Strong hands circled my waist, forcing my body to remain still. I tried to fight against their hold, but I became unsteady on my feet. More hands gripped me, dragging me backward as my body became limp. I could feel my mind slipping as they began to drag my body. Whatever chemical they used on the cloth was enough to snuff out all my senses.
That was when everything went black.