After watching the vampire leave, Madalina finally started to walk briskly back towards the monastery. She wanted to hurry, since she had been talking to the vampire for longer than she could afford.
As she approached the imposing exterior walls and the great gateway, she again waited for the sentries to be out of sight before she approached the door. Then she pulled it slowly open, squeezed through, and closed it. She put the door beams back in place and finally squeezed through the hole into the courtyard.
As soon as she entered the courtyard, she looked in the direction of the church, and fear suddenly spread inside of her. There was candlelight in the church, indicating that it was already time for Midnight Office, the earliest morning service. Had she been gone so long? Everyone would be in the church and her absence must assuredly have been noticed. She ran to her room to throw her cloak off and put it under her sheets, putting on her cassock and apostolnik over her pajamas. Then she ran down the hall towards the church. Of a sudden, she saw Sister Oana blocking her path and she yelped loudly.
“Madalina why were you not in your room?” Sister Oana scolded with great displeasure.
“I was just out,” Madalina said meekly and innocently, “walking the grounds, Sister Oana.”
“No, you were not just wandering the grounds,” Sister Oana shouted, grabbing Madalina by the wrist and pulling her towards the church, “I went out looking for you. I searched everywhere. Where were you?”
“I was hiding in the kitchen. I went there because I was hungry and…”
“I looked in the kitchen,” Sister Oana cut her off before she could continue, “You weren’t there. Don’t lie to me.”
“I hid from you, of course, when I heard you coming,” Madalina said quickly.
“Really, my dear? You want to continue in this lie? Just tell me where exactly you could hide that I wouldn’t see you,” Sister Oana demanded.
Madalina had seen the inside of the kitchen many times, when she had to bring food to and from it for the sisters. But it had been awhile and she wasn’t that familiar with what was in there now. She hastily tried to picture a place to hide. After a bit too much hesitation she ventured a guess and said, “Behind the potato sack.” She bit her lip as she said this, not knowing whether it was possible to hide behind the potato sack or even if there currently was a potato sack in the kitchen at all.
Reaching the large wooden double doors of the church, Sister Oana opened them and said, “You missed the service, but at least you can take a moment to pray pray, and then we are going to find out whether you are being honest or not.” Sister Oana then pushed Madalina into the church.
Madalina walked down the church’s center aisle, between the rows of pews. The nuns, on the one side, sat together as a group, while on the other side, the young novices clumped into a few small cliques. Madalina was not permitted to join with any of them. These included a clique of older girls, in their twenties and up, who disliked intermingling with the younger novices. Then there were the youngest three girls, all age ten and younger, who stuck together to protect themselves against the cruelties of the older girls. And then there were Madalina’s three roommates: Dorina, Nicoleta and Mirela. They weren’t quite old enough to be included with the older girls, but old enough to look down upon Madalina, who was only twelve. They probably wouldn’t have been so hostile to Madalina, except that they were forced to share a room with her, and always resented her for it.
The three of them were on their knees between the pews with hands clasped in front of their bowed heads. The service was already finished, and they were finishing off with a few moments of silent prayer. Their lips moved silently as they mouthed the syllables of prayer they spoke in their minds. But when they heard Madalina approaching, they all turned their heads and looked up at her with triumph. She’d been out of her room, and they’d told Sister Oana about it, looking forward to Madalina’s punishment. Madalina tried to kneel down next to them, but they quickly shuffled to the side to prevent her.
Madalina knelt down by herself and began to pray. At first her thoughts led to her immediate concerns, and she prayed that she would permitted to leave this monastery and join the vampires and her lie wouldn’t be discovered. Then her thoughts strayed to her parents, and she earnestly prayed, “God, please protect my father and mother, if they are still alive. And if they are not alive, I pray that you shall let them join you in heaven.”
Her prayers were abruptly cut short, though, when everyone stood up and started leaving. She followed them and left with the crowd. But as she came to the door, Sister Oana snatched her and said, “Now to the kitchen. We’re going to see if you were lying.”
<-- Go to
Part 12 Go to
Part 14 -->
You can see what's been written so far collected
here.
After watching the vampire leave, Madalina finally started to walk briskly back towards the monastery. She wanted to hurry, since she had been talking to the vampire for longer than she could afford.
As she approached the imposing exterior walls and the great gateway, she again waited for the sentries to be out of sight before she approached the door. Then she pulled it slowly open, squeezed through, and closed it. She put the door beams back in place and finally squeezed through the hole into the courtyard.
As soon as she entered the courtyard, she looked in the direction of the church, and fear suddenly spread inside of her. There was candlelight in the church, indicating that it was already time for Midnight Office, the earliest morning service. Had she been gone so long? Everyone would be in the church and her absence must assuredly have been noticed. She ran to her room to throw her cloak off and put it under her sheets, putting on her cassock and apostolnik over her pajamas. Then she ran down the hall towards the church. Of a sudden, she saw Sister Oana blocking her path and she yelped loudly.
“Madalina why were you not in your room?” Sister Oana scolded with great displeasure.
“I was just out,” Madalina said meekly and innocently, “walking the grounds, Sister Oana.”
“No, you were not just wandering the grounds,” Sister Oana shouted, grabbing Madalina by the wrist and pulling her towards the church, “I went out looking for you. I searched everywhere. Where were you?”
“I was hiding in the kitchen. I went there because I was hungry and…”
“I looked in the kitchen,” Sister Oana cut her off before she could continue, “You weren’t there. Don’t lie to me.”
“I hid from you, of course, when I heard you coming,” Madalina said quickly.
“Really, my dear? You want to continue in this lie? Just tell me where exactly you could hide that I wouldn’t see you,” Sister Oana demanded.
Madalina had seen the inside of the kitchen many times, when she had to bring food to and from it for the sisters. But it had been awhile and she wasn’t that familiar with what was in there now. She hastily tried to picture a place to hide. After a bit too much hesitation she ventured a guess and said, “Behind the potato sack.” She bit her lip as she said this, not knowing whether it was possible to hide behind the potato sack or even if there currently was a potato sack in the kitchen at all.
Reaching the large wooden double doors of the church, Sister Oana opened them and said, “You missed the service, but at least you can take a moment to pray pray, and then we are going to find out whether you are being honest or not.” Sister Oana then pushed Madalina into the church.
Madalina walked down the church’s center aisle, between the rows of pews. The nuns, on the one side, sat together as a group, while on the other side, the young novices clumped into a few small cliques. Madalina was not permitted to join with any of them. These included a clique of older girls, in their twenties and up, who disliked intermingling with the younger novices. Then there were the youngest three girls, all age ten and younger, who stuck together to protect themselves against the cruelties of the older girls. And then there were Madalina’s three roommates: Dorina, Nicoleta and Mirela. They weren’t quite old enough to be included with the older girls, but old enough to look down upon Madalina, who was only twelve. They probably wouldn’t have been so hostile to Madalina, except that they were forced to share a room with her, and always resented her for it.
The three of them were on their knees between the pews with hands clasped in front of their bowed heads. The service was already finished, and they were finishing off with a few moments of silent prayer. Their lips moved silently as they mouthed the syllables of prayer they spoke in their minds. But when they heard Madalina approaching, they all turned their heads and looked up at her with triumph. She’d been out of her room, and they’d told Sister Oana about it, looking forward to Madalina’s punishment. Madalina tried to kneel down next to them, but they quickly shuffled to the side to prevent her.
Madalina knelt down by herself and began to pray. At first her thoughts led to her immediate concerns, and she prayed that she would permitted to leave this monastery and join the vampires and her lie wouldn’t be discovered. Then her thoughts strayed to her parents, and she earnestly prayed, “God, please protect my father and mother, if they are still alive. And if they are not alive, I pray that you shall let them join you in heaven.”
Her prayers were abruptly cut short, though, when everyone stood up and started leaving. She followed them and left with the crowd. But as she came to the door, Sister Oana snatched her and said, “Now to the kitchen. We’re going to see if you were lying.”
<-- Go to
Part 12 Go to
Part 14 -->
You can see what's been written so far collected
here.
Vampire Wares pt 13
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