Madalina sat on the floor with her head between her knees, in an attempt to concentrate her thinking. She was trying to reason through exactly what she would tell Sisters Elisabeta and Oana when they returned, but her mind was stubbornly uncooperative.
After an altogether insufficient number of minutes, though, the sound of footsteps moving down the stairs could be heard in the crypt where Madalina sat. She looked up and the two women in their black habits and apostolniks walked towards her.
Sister Elisabeta cheerily told Oana, “I’m sure this’ll end all suspicion.” Then she turned to Madalina, “Isn’t that right, dear?”
“Yes,” Madalina said, with her faux-innocent smile, “I’m rather embarrassed that I wasn’t more forthright from the beginning.” Then Madalina lowered her eyes and blushed with apparent sheepishness.
“What is it then,” Sister Oana asked, impatient and unaffected.
“Well, you see, Sister, it started about two or three weeks ago. I started sneaking out at night, when I discovered,” Madalina explained, “That I could watch the stars from the roof of the novitiate. The first time, I remember, was one of those nights when I couldn’t sleep because I was thinking of my dear parents and wondering about where they are and how they’re doing. I wanted to see the stars, and got the idea that the view would be phenomenal from the roof. So, I attempted the climb and discovered that it was truly beautiful up there. And so I did it a few more times when I was troubled at night.”
The mention of Madalina’s family made Sister Elisabeta’s brow furrow with sadness, “I never realized you thought about your family. I just assumed, since they left you here when you were so young and you never really knew them, that you wouldn’t concern yourself with them.”
“Yes,” Madalina admitted dolefully and again lowered her eyes sheepishly, “As for last night, I was also on the roof. I guess I may have passed out from fatigue because I didn’t really notice the passage of time and didn’t hear the call for Midnight Office.”
“Oh, my dear! I’m so glad you told us. I knew it was something quite innocent that had been blown out of proportion,” Sister Elisabeta said with pathos and sensitivity. She then shifted to a sterner voice and added, “But you know we can’t allow you to do this or go unpunished. This is dangerous and it is against the rules to be out at night. We shall have to remind you that our rules are not to be treated lightly.”
Sister Oana though scrutinized Madalina’s face, imagining that perhaps she could find some twitch or movement on her face that would give away the deceit if she stared hard enough. Sister Oana finally asked, “So, if you’ve climbed up on this roof several times, you must be quite adept, right? So you wouldn’t mind demonstrating for us how you performed this climb?”
“Certainly Not!” Sister Elisabeta burst out in shock, “She’s already risked herself enough! We don’t need her to risk breaking her neck one more time!”
But Sister Oana silenced Elisabeta by raising her hand. “You’ve done it easily enough, some few times. You can do it again. It’ll prove you aren’t lying. I can’t just take you at your word. You’ve lied to me before.”
“I’ll swear by the bible, and by my faith in Jesus that I am telling the truth,” Madalina said.
“I won’t have you profaning the bible or your faith,” Sister Oana said, “Come now. This’ll prove it quite adequately.”
Sister Oana then pulled Madalina up off the ground with two hands and led her up the stairs out of the crypt.
As they stepped out of the church, into the courtyard, Madalina gazed across the courtyard at the novitiate and got a good look at the task ahead of her. From where she stood, she could see why Sister Oana was having a hard time believing Madalina: climbing from her window to the roof would make for a difficult climb.
<-- Go to
Part 16 Go to
Part 18 -->
You can see what's been written so far collected
here.
Madalina sat on the floor with her head between her knees, in an attempt to concentrate her thinking. She was trying to reason through exactly what she would tell Sisters Elisabeta and Oana when they returned, but her mind was stubbornly uncooperative.
After an altogether insufficient number of minutes, though, the sound of footsteps moving down the stairs could be heard in the crypt where Madalina sat. She looked up and the two women in their black habits and apostolniks walked towards her.
Sister Elisabeta cheerily told Oana, “I’m sure this’ll end all suspicion.” Then she turned to Madalina, “Isn’t that right, dear?”
“Yes,” Madalina said, with her faux-innocent smile, “I’m rather embarrassed that I wasn’t more forthright from the beginning.” Then Madalina lowered her eyes and blushed with apparent sheepishness.
“What is it then,” Sister Oana asked, impatient and unaffected.
“Well, you see, Sister, it started about two or three weeks ago. I started sneaking out at night, when I discovered,” Madalina explained, “That I could watch the stars from the roof of the novitiate. The first time, I remember, was one of those nights when I couldn’t sleep because I was thinking of my dear parents and wondering about where they are and how they’re doing. I wanted to see the stars, and got the idea that the view would be phenomenal from the roof. So, I attempted the climb and discovered that it was truly beautiful up there. And so I did it a few more times when I was troubled at night.”
The mention of Madalina’s family made Sister Elisabeta’s brow furrow with sadness, “I never realized you thought about your family. I just assumed, since they left you here when you were so young and you never really knew them, that you wouldn’t concern yourself with them.”
“Yes,” Madalina admitted dolefully and again lowered her eyes sheepishly, “As for last night, I was also on the roof. I guess I may have passed out from fatigue because I didn’t really notice the passage of time and didn’t hear the call for Midnight Office.”
“Oh, my dear! I’m so glad you told us. I knew it was something quite innocent that had been blown out of proportion,” Sister Elisabeta said with pathos and sensitivity. She then shifted to a sterner voice and added, “But you know we can’t allow you to do this or go unpunished. This is dangerous and it is against the rules to be out at night. We shall have to remind you that our rules are not to be treated lightly.”
Sister Oana though scrutinized Madalina’s face, imagining that perhaps she could find some twitch or movement on her face that would give away the deceit if she stared hard enough. Sister Oana finally asked, “So, if you’ve climbed up on this roof several times, you must be quite adept, right? So you wouldn’t mind demonstrating for us how you performed this climb?”
“Certainly Not!” Sister Elisabeta burst out in shock, “She’s already risked herself enough! We don’t need her to risk breaking her neck one more time!”
But Sister Oana silenced Elisabeta by raising her hand. “You’ve done it easily enough, some few times. You can do it again. It’ll prove you aren’t lying. I can’t just take you at your word. You’ve lied to me before.”
“I’ll swear by the bible, and by my faith in Jesus that I am telling the truth,” Madalina said.
“I won’t have you profaning the bible or your faith,” Sister Oana said, “Come now. This’ll prove it quite adequately.”
Sister Oana then pulled Madalina up off the ground with two hands and led her up the stairs out of the crypt.
As they stepped out of the church, into the courtyard, Madalina gazed across the courtyard at the novitiate and got a good look at the task ahead of her. From where she stood, she could see why Sister Oana was having a hard time believing Madalina: climbing from her window to the roof would make for a difficult climb.
<-- Go to
Part 16 Go to
Part 18 -->
You can see what's been written so far collected
here.
Vampire Wares pt 17
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