Golgotha

Shadows (cont.)

"Can you tell us where the water is running?" asked Roman.

Ira's eyes moved back and forth behind her eyelids. Maya never saw that happen before. Not that it didn't happen, it probably did, but she was never close enough to see it.

"Can you reach out for the water, maybe?" asked Roman. "What happens when you touch it?"

"The water lies below the black brick," said Esther.

"The water lies below the black brick," Ira repeated.

"Is the brick under your feet?" asked Maya.

"The black brick is all around," said Esther, "and the brown metal sings."

"Where's the brown metal?" asked Roman.

"The brown metal sings above," said Ira. "The water lies below. The black brick is all around."

Maya heard a sniffle from Officer Garcia, and at just about the same time, Ira snapped her head upwards. The officer held his fist to his mouth, with his eyes on Maya. She knew he didn't make Ira do that. Ira was too deep into the revelation. It was something she saw. Something about the brown metal, maybe. The scaffolding backstage might have something to do with what happened to them.

Ira looked so frighteningly unnatural, her head arching even further back. Maya wanted so desperately to adjust her head upright, but they were never supposed to intervene during the rituals. Exactly why, Maya wasn't sure, Grace explaining it to them before, but it was a long time ago. 

An officer poked his head into the kitchen and whispered, "Detective."

Carlisle jabbed her finger at the officer.

"Archer found the clothes."

Carlisle stood up, got right in the officer's face and whispered something to him. The officer's head vanished behind the entryway, with the detective quietly hurrying after him. 

"Ira, do you feel trapped inside the brick?" asked Maya.

"We are free, finally free," said Ira.

"We are scared and alone," said Esther.

"We are dark. We are nowhere," they said together.

"Are you outside in the dark, maybe? Is that why you're scared?" asked Roman.

"We are free, finally free. We are scared and alone. We are dark. We are nowhere."

Maya and Roman asked them more questions, but the girls kept repeating what they had already said before. They were not outside, Maya was pretty sure about that, but what they said about being free, they might be talking about the lobby. The crowd around the actors, Roman and Grace arguing with that man, they freed themselves from what was going on there. But then, they saw someone backstage who needed their help. It must've been terrifying, with blood everywhere and Amelia getting it all over herself. 

"Can you tell us why you feel free?" asked Maya.

Esther's mouth was open, her lower lip trembling. It was like she wanted to say something but couldn't. She might be seeing whatever caused all that blood.

Officer Garcia stood up discreetly and left the kitchen. Maya could see that Roman wanted to do something about Ira, but she should be fine. What happened to them was no different than any other anointing. Amelia found someone who needed their help. The girls felt scared and alone simply because of where they were and what they saw. 

"Can you tell me why you're scared?" asked Maya.

"For the Lord will look upon evil and unleash his wrath," said Ira.