The cathedral walls were so well adorned and well loved over the ages. She could tell there was always constant upkeep but in reality places as such had always made her so uneasy. Her heels were cushioned by the rug below her. She was grateful that her footsteps did not echo. Catalina never liked the attention and she did everything in her power to stay away from watchful eyes.
Those days were gone. At least she’d like to believe so. Forty two years old and here she was, walking into a new workplace. A new town and hopefully with a new face. Hair that had been dyed consistently at the suggestion of her ex was now chopped into a bob. Healthy brown curls bounced as she moved and a part of her regretted not trying her hair up into a bun.
It was a job interview. Not a meeting at all. On her way in passing, she felt a chill run up her spine. As if a pair of eyes were boring into the back of her head. Naturally, she turned her head to spot the origin of this feeling. Seeing no one else, her eyes soon locked onto a man who sat in the pews. He appeared to be mumbling to himself, hands pressed together. His head was lowered and she had wondered if he was merely here for a confession. For someone who didn’t want to stand out so much, she found herself curious about the lives of others. Far more than she needed to be.
“Ms. Garza.” Another man spoke to her as she turned her attention towards the priest. She mustered up the warmest smile possible before approaching him, “Father. I came as soon as I got your message. I am very honored you’d provide me with the opportunity to work under the Vatican. If I am being honest, I was very surprised that you offered work to outside sources.”
The man’s hands carefully took hers, the rosary pressed against her skin as her mind was brought back towards a faint time in the past. Part of her restrained from clutching the pendant that was firmly placed against her chest. She felt guilty that she was not a believer of the same god, but she at least understood how the concept of faith worked. She had her own creator to worship, one she had hoped was real after so long. “Ms. Garza, we have heard many stories of your feats against Satan's loyal servants. We believe that is the best attitude to have in mind against those devils. We only offer our services to the best of the best.”
Her eyes remained on the man far longer than she wanted to admit. Lips parted but nothing could come out. How does she explain that she merely collected them due to family tradition? It was mere coincidence that it just happened these stories made it to the church. While lost in her thoughts, the priest lifted his head up, “Ah, Alexander. Just in time.”
The witch’s head lifts up at the mention of a name and soon turns towards the guest. The man from earlier. The one in the pews she had passed, “Ms. Garza, Alexander here is a wonderful worker of the Lord. He has exercised so many demons since he was a young boy. Born and raised by the church. A beacon of what our mission is about.”
Her hand was held out for a shake. He grasped it quickly but Catalina saw no issue in this. She could not image the social conditioning he held solely by being raised in the church. Her hand gave a firm shake. His grip was a lot stronger than she thought, her gaze followed back towards his face but he merely peered down at their connected hands, “A-Ah...nice to meet you Alexander. I’m- ”
“Catalina Alma Garza. You’ve completed exactly two hundred fifty six exorcisms in just this year alone. Each demon removed from either a mundane or a building.” The man explains in a hushed voice. His thumb idly strokes the back of her palm as he continues to speak, “Your most recent one was a demon's nest at the Martin home back in Los Angeles. Satanist worshipers that got out of hand as the reports say.”
She stood there in shock as she finally remembered to breathe. Was the church spying on her after all this time? Why did that bother her so? The connection was then broken off by the priest present. He released her hand promptly after, clasping his own hands together before motioning towards the backway, “If you may allow it, I’d like to introduce you to the others.”
The witch’s head nodded slowly before she began to walk. Her hand placed over the one that had been held far too long as she moved. Her gaze follows back towards the man as now his back was to her. Teeth sunk into her bottom lip as she recognized that behavior before. He saw her as no threat.
For some reason, deep down buried into her gut…a part of that realization scared her.
prguitarman
snowghoul
theartofmadeline
pixelskylines
vaporwave
jbbartram-illu
