“Do you have any questions on today’s lecture?”
Hans raised his hand, making noises to get my attention. I smiled and let my eyes wander to the other children, who were already packing their stuff to leave.
Hans was curious about the world, the outside world beyond these flat lands, which pleasantly surprised me. He did not stop raising his hands throughout the lecture and was hungry for knowledge.
“You said, miss, that our planet is one of many in the Milky Way, then how come I have never seen an alien before?”
I chuckled without really meaning to. Hans’s tone was grave, and I did not want to downplay his childish curiosity.
As I was about to respond, my eyes landed on Vera’s wrist and my smile faded away. The little girl nimbly pulled her sleeves down and was in a great hurry to leave.
Bruises. On her arms, there were bruises. I could swear on the heavens that there was no trace of physical abuse yesterday, so how…
“Miss?”
I stood up just as Vera scampered out the door and glanced at Hans.
“I’m sorry, buddy, let’s talk about this another time, all right?”
Without waiting for the boy to leave the dilapidated classroom, I ran through the corridor until I caught up with Vera.
She peeked over her shoulder as I neared and picked up her pace.
I snatched her arm and then let go as she let out a groan. She was in pain. Those wounds bothered her, but she was in great pains to hide them from me.
Besides, she wanted me to follow her back home yesterday, so why was she running away from me now? I could not figure her out.
Hans and Michaela – even Laila and Derrick – were somewhat easy to read and decipher, but Vera was different. The more I tried to understand her, the deeper I sank into confusion.
“I want to go home… please, miss.”
I caught my breath before replying to her strange plea. It was not like I was trying to stop her from going home, I was just—
“Please…”
Her quivering eyes avoided mine. What was wrong with her? But the little girl would not say. Even so, I couldn’t keep in what went through my mind.
“What about…” your scars? I couldn’t finish my question.
If Vera was truly a victim of abuse and my visit to her home triggered her parents to do this to her, then would she – or anyone for that matter – confide in me? I crammed up and nodded to confirm that she was allowed to go.
I lost heart.
Even when she vanished out of sight several minutes ago, I stared blankly out the fence and imagined the horrors that poor girl was returning to.
But I couldn’t just stay put and wish upon the stars for a miracle, could I? Vera and the other kids were put in my care. I had to do something. It was my responsibility to keep them safe – even from their own blood.
I pulled out the business card Mary gave me. I didn’t think I would have any reason to hit her up, but I guess one should never say never.
Mary picked up the call after my second attempt. Although she knew my phone number, she sounded as if it was the first time we spoke on the phone.
I explained to her the nature of my sudden call and that I believed she was in a position to talk to Vera’s parents. She listened without interrupting me.
When she finally spoke up, I was not quite sure if she cared much about my concerns despite the fact that she assured me she would take care of this for me.
“Thank you, I know this was sudden and—”
“No worries,” she replied, added. “Besides, it was wise of you to call me first.”
“I’m sorry?”
She paused. I could tell from my end of the line that she changed sides and took her sweet time replying. For some reason, she enjoyed my startled tone, at least that was how it felt.
“You must understand how things work in the countryside I suppose? People here don’t like to be told what to do. Thrashing is not uncommon in the country…”
“That’s—what I saw, I beg your pardon, was more than just thrashing. That poor child’s arms were—”
“I’ll talk with her parents as per your wish, but that’s all I can do for you, Ms Carlton, and I highly advise you not to involve yourself in family matters.”
“Family matters?” I couldn’t help but smirk. “I’m her teacher! I have the responsibility to make sure my pupils are in good health and grow up into respectable citizens in this damn country!”
“Watch your words, dear. I don’t mind your language, but this is not how we spoke to each other in Dew Shire.”.
Before I could respond, the woman hung up on me. I listened to the buzzing noise left from our phone call, wheezing and trying to calm myself down.
Usually, things like this never happen. I had never lost my cool in my entire career. Until now. This place, this school, and these people did something to my psyche.
I couldn’t tell if I was simply overreacting or going bonkers.
Mary was right. I was living in the countryside where corporal punishment was common – even expected – so why did I react the way I did? Maybe it was the bruises I witnessed that put me under a heinous spell.
I had to stop caring. Mary said she would take care of this, so what reason did I have to doubt her?
I returned to my office, ate some filling crackers and then began to prepare for tomorrow’s lecture. Some time passed like this. Then I heard a clamour from the corridor and glimpsed outside from the cracked door.
There was no one in the drafty hall.
I tightened my grip on the rusty knob and was about to go back inside and lock the door when I caught myself staring at one of the doors down the vacant corridor. I was certain it was locked for the entire two days I stayed here.
But not this time. It was ajar. I looked around the corridor a second time, then decided to check the room out. Hardly had I touched the loose knob, when a bitterly cold hand gripped mine.
I jolted and let out a bloodcurdling gasp.
Next to me stood the man whose name I still did not know. He closed the door, and only then did he release his grip.
I took a few steps away from the strange guy and was in great pain to calm my hammering heart, trying to rip out of my chest. What in the whole world was this person doing here? At this hour, at that. I was about to speak my mind when he beat me to it.
“Sorry ‘bout that, did I scare you?”
I nodded after a brief moment of hesitation. I followed his eyes as he looked around in the corridor.
“I was passing by when I heard something. I thought you needed help.”
“What… did you hear?”
He dropped his eyes. “I don’t know, really. It sounded like you were screaming or something.”
“Screaming?” I repeated. “Why would I scream?”
“I must’ve heard wrong. I’m sorry for scaring you, Ms Carlton.”
“No… no, it’s okay.”
I couldn’t tell if he was genuinely worried about me or if he just came up with something to hide whatever lay beyond that door.
I bid him farewell; that was the end of our bizarre conversation. I saw him out and was about to return to the office when he asked something anew. This time, I was sure. There was something inside that room, and whatever it was, he did not want me to go in there and find out.
But I couldn’t let him catch onto my growing suspicions, so I played along.
“Hey, uhm, I completely forgot this, but Mary told me she needed to discuss something with you. Tonight.”
“Tonight?” I repeated and added. “I spoke with her over the phone just a few hours ago…”
“She said it was important, so you’d better hurry.”
I remained hushed for a few seconds and tried to decipher what went through his mind to no avail. Why was he so eager to see me go?
“I don’t really know where she lives, though. Mind taking me there?”
“… Yeah, sure.”
Mary Magdalene lived at the crook of a jagged mountain pass.
Her house could hardly be considered a hut like the ones we passed to get there. It was as lavish as the person it housed.
I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of life the young woman led and what her occupation was as I made my way to the front door next to the weird guy, whose name I finally learnt. He told me his name was Nath. It was not short for Nathaniel or anything like that – just plain Nath.
He had, like many of the villagers, spent all his life in Dew Shire and could not imagine a life outside of it.
I thought of Hans. He, too, would probably never set foot outside this place and be stuck here for all his adult life. It seemed like a recurring and expected thing here, to live in the same hole until you pass away from old age.
Nath peeked over his shoulder as he knocked on the door for the second time. He came off as anxious, as though he wasn’t sure what he was doing here.
I ran my hand through my auburn hair and drew a deep breath.
By the end of his third attempt, the heavy door creaked open and a bare-faced Mary showed up. I could tell right away. She had no idea why we were here. Even so, she quickly got into her role and welcomed us in.
Nath drew closer, whispered something in Mary’s ears, and excused himself.
I followed Mary into the drawing room and planted myself on the maroon settee. Mary cleared her throat as she followed suit. In the prevailing silence, I looked around me and could hardly believe what I was seeing.
My inquisitiveness grew; who the heck was she?
The entire room was riddled with candlesticks, fragrant incense, antique tints, and ancient furniture. It felt like I had returned to a time long-forgotten in the past. The air was heavy and choking.
I locked eyes with Mary as I made up my mind and she, with her silent gaze, confirmed me.
This was a shrine. A place for prayer.
I gulped and felt how dry my mouth became in an instant. Still, Mary never avoided my bewildered eyes and stood her ground as if nothing was out of place. Who are you, I asked myself, but she was not going to tell me; I only knew what she wanted me to know about her.
I snapped back to reality when one of the windows flung open and chilled the inside out of the blue. Mary closed the window before taking a seat across from me.
“Nath said you had something to say…”
She did not reply at first. She just stared at me. It looked like she was trying to figure out what was going through my mind.
“Excuse the late hour, Ms Carlton. It’s about Vera.”
“You’ve spoken to her parents already?”
“I took care of the matter. There’s no need to worry.”
She wanted to end the conversation. But I wasn’t going to let her slip away this easily, so I insisted on knowing the details.
“I already told you all you need to know,” she said and showed me the door. “I hope you don’t insist on this any further. I have my reputation and I cannot disclose confidential—”
“I’ll see myself out, then. Thank you.”
She observed me until I was no longer in close proximity. The mysterious door was once again locked tight when I returned to the school grounds. I wrapped my hand around the cold doorknob and felt a chill run down my spine.
I wanted to look over my shoulder but fought every fibre of my being not to. Someone lurked in the shadows and observed my every move.
I let go of the doorknob and locked myself in the office soon afterwards. I didn’t blink an eye until daybreak and whoever watched me beyond the door and hid in the corridor did not, either.
Something was wrong… but what, exactly?
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