God and his Angels

Chapter 4: House of God

sooo i'm back from holiday (with an awesome tan) and I worked hard on this chapter so please enjoy it.

and really DO say about any stuff I could improve on it will really help your own reading experience.

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Chapter4: House of God

There was a policeman- he asked me to call him Pete. I didn't. He tried to take my hand but I snatched it back into my lap. He crouched down on the gravel beside me, his eyes narrowed slightly as he thought of what to say. "Now I've told you my name; you tell me yours. Or is it just Angel and you've fallen from heaven?" He reached out to stoke my hair but I jerked my head back, quick as a whip.

"It's Phyllis, not Angel" I spat back, my voice contorted with anger and hate and betrayal.

I watched him recoil slightly from the viciousness. He recovered and, sitting upright, kept his hands formally by his sides.

"very well Phyllis. What happened to Mrs Baker?"

I didn't know what he expected; what he already knew. I didn't know if he knew the truth and was just waiting for me to admit it.

I didn't know so I guessed.

"She was drunk, she's been drunk before, and I was afraid. I hid in my bedroom." One little hand gestured gracefully towards the attic, his hazel eyes followed it before turning back to my blue  ones that were wide and innocent.

"She slipped over, or fell unconcious or something. All I know is she stopped yelling and swearing late at night. I didn't dare sleep or go downstairs. I stayed here for a month. I didn't know what to do. I was scared officer." The lies were slipping out of my mouth in my soft, earnest voice. I placed a small hand on his arm and summoned up some tears to sit in my eyes.

Though I appeared weak and innocent I felt myself hardening on the inside. Every lie I spoke and every sin I committed was another black mark on my soul and another drop of my innocence lost.

Pete's POV

The little girl was sick. The sweet, innocent angel was trying so hard to hide it, but I could tell. Just looking around the house I could tell. I wrinkled my nose in disgust at the thought of a child living here. Of her living here. I knew every word of her story was true. If the two empty bottles of gin weren't enough evidence the truth in her eyes was enough to make me sure.

I found the folder in Mrs Baker's office. Phyllis Hale. The name was so warm and beautiful it fitted the girl perfectly. "Oh God I hope you keep this one safe. Whatever your plans for her may be keep her from harm." I knew God would protect her, after all she was surely one of his own Angels.

Phyllis' POV

Nazareth House. Any hope of a happy life here crumbled into dust as I learned it was run by Gods Angels- nuns. That dust was then blown away as if by raging winds of the highlands as I walked down the corridors and saw pale faces, and large cowed eyes wide with curiosity peer out but just as quickly duck away out of sight as they saw the nun marching ahead of me.

Apart from the heavy footsteps of Mr Gablehauser, my social worker,  and the heavy breathing of the sour faced sister the place was as quiet and cheerless as a tomb.

The sister knocked on a door at the end of a passage we had walked down. I couldn't say if we had gone down it before- the mustard coloured walls and once white doorways were identical to the maze of corridors we had gone down.

An imperious voice answered the knock and the door swung open. Mr Gablehauser gave me a little push in the small of my back. My feet didn't cooperate and I stumbled, falling just short of landing on my face. The owner of the imperious voice laughed and the sour faced nun managed a chuckle. That was the first and last time I ever heard her laugh.

Face alight with humiliation, I righted myself. Eyes ever so slightly narrowed, just enough to challenge her, and head held high I gazed at the Mother Superior. Her snorts subsided as she caught a glimpse of my defiance. Her little upturned nose quivered and a purple vein started throbbing angrily in the corner of her magnificent forehead. Joining those spread across her face.

She heaved herself out from behind the desk, that was dwarfed by her six foot stature. She stepped forward and I had to lean back slightly to meet her eyes over her giant girth. The smell of old sweat and cigars rolled off the great swathes of her habit. She looked down at me and raised one finely arched brow in expectation.

The Mother Superior's fine eye brows were the only feminine aspect of her tall broad shouldered person.

Her nose resembled that of a bull dog, her lips were thick and slimy and her skin was marked with pitts and angry purple veins. Fine wisps of dull brown hair escaped her wimple and the smell of farts wafted around her.

Seconds must have passed, though it felt like hours, as my pride battled with my survival instincts. If i submitted i might survive here, but if my pride won then the Mother Superior's life would become focused on forcing me into obedience.

Something forced my pride to back down, It made me lower my gaze, meekly and a 'pleased to meet you' slipped reluctantly out of my mouth. The Mother Superior snorted and turned to Mr Gablehauser.

My suitcase and I were deposited in one of the characterless rooms off a nameless corridor on an unmarked floor. I breathed deeply taking stock of the airless room, cobwebs filled the corners and specks of blood on the floor. My gaze fell on the dirty window, breath catching in my throat, I crossed the floor in five steps and peered out eagerly, hoping to see trees and gardens, my soul died a little as all that awaited my hungry eyes was a long drive back to the busy road.

As I sat there I watched Mr Gablehauser step out towards his car. With a final shake of his head he looked away from the huge building and drove away, I felt a burning sensation in my eyes as his car escaped the shadow the Edwardian mansion threw. The shadow I was still locked inside, behind iron bars.

And that was it. His car turned onto the road and I was trapped here.

I must have sat there for hours, watching the sky turn dark and the first star; the dog star appear amid the storm clouds. I was wallowing in self pity. Today I had turned thirteen and had just watched the only person I knew drive away for ever.

I was sunk so deep in the misery of my life that I didn't notice the door open and gently close, or the tip toes across the creaking wooden boards.

My scream of fright was real as a hand was placed on my shoulder while a voice shouted 'BOO' in my ear. I turned crossly to see a girl with blonde pigtails rolling on the floor in laughter. I felt my lips twitching slightly but I fought against smiling. Gradually her giggles subsided and she sat up, her face perfectly composed. "Hello", her Aberdeen accent was thick but strangely, i loved it.

"I'm Katie"

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I think this chapter is slightly longer than the others to make up for the wait.

I just wanted to say, the Nazareth House in my book is a real place. Or was. (though it was in northern ireland)Thank goodness it ended. If you want to read more about it then I will put a link in the comment section.