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Authors: A. M. Clarke
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anomaly and head to the mainland for some fun. We could visit family or friends, or really have some fun and go to the pub, have a nice meal in a nice restaurant, go skinny dipping in the freezing cold water and eat some candy floss, really give our cholesterol something to worry about. What do you say?’
It took mere seconds before they all shouted, ’Lets do it.’ After much coercion and some home truths about who pays who, Vera had to relent and phone the bus, but not before threatening them all with calls to their relatives. That couldn’t diminish their excitement, and they ran, skipped and danced away to get ready for their big day of unexpected adventure.
Chapter Twenty Eight
Saturday mornings for Mike, were a ritual of honing his sermon, making sure his vestments were clean and pressed, and preparing the church for its Sunday mass. Times had changed, not enough worshipers for Saturday evening service, no housekeeper to clean and dress the alter, which meant doing for himself. He polished his own chalices, replaced the candles and if lucky enough to receive flowers from his few generous parishioners, arranged them in his own haphazard way. These duties were normally soothing at the best of times, but today especially, they were a very welcome distraction from his personal demons and sleep deprived state of mind.
At 10am, Mike knelt before Gods alter, he prayed for insight into the unprecedented lapse in his celibacy, even if it was unwilling. He begged forgiveness and understanding from his Almighty God, and promised new dedication of his vows. A ringing phone disrupted Father Mike’s devotions, rousing him into the real world. He made it back to the house before it rang off. As Stephen pulled up outside the church, again, Mike was ready. ’Why didn’t you call me last night’ Mike asked a little put out.
‘I was tempted to, but it really was too late, and after the last couple of days, I reckoned you needed the time off.’
‘Dead bodies, even friends dead bodies, would have been preferable to my big seduction.’ Mike went on to explain what had happened and finished with a sign of the cross. He wiped sweat from his forehead and sighed with relief at telling his friend his latest drama. Stephen was stunned into silence for a few seconds, but soon came around to tell Mike that it sounded to him like a set up.
‘I’m not saying that your not desirable, or indeed every girls wanton dream, but let me ask you, has anything like this happened before?’
‘No, but it only takes one, doesn’t it?’
‘Now your egos talking, I never knew you had one Father Mike. Now you listen to me, something is off here and I think your Evelyn is up to no good. She has singled you out for a reason, and I would like to know why. Maybe she has something to do with all the craziness that’s been happening around here this last while. I don’t share in your paranoid belief of evil, but I have to admit since she came on to the island, people have died and in terrible ways. ’
‘Do you really believe Evelyn could be responsible for the wickedness here, I mean why, and what possible reason could she have?’
Stephen thought for a while, but his mind wasn’t capable of working out such a complicated thought on so little sleep.
The rain from last night ran like streams down either side of the road.
Chapter Twenty Nine
The wind had been unkind to the trees, and undressed them with no care or kindness. Their leaves gathered with the momentum of the water and rushed away on a final journey to clog the sewer drains. The surfaces drying under the still warm sun.
Stephen and Mike waited at the hotel for the police, but after a half hour decided to leave a message at reception and go to the house. Dr Bell was already there, and in a foul mood having had to wait.
‘Come along, I have patients to see you know.’ Stephen and Mike both apologised for the delay and Stephen led
It took mere seconds before they all shouted, ’Lets do it.’ After much coercion and some home truths about who pays who, Vera had to relent and phone the bus, but not before threatening them all with calls to their relatives. That couldn’t diminish their excitement, and they ran, skipped and danced away to get ready for their big day of unexpected adventure.
Chapter Twenty Eight
Saturday mornings for Mike, were a ritual of honing his sermon, making sure his vestments were clean and pressed, and preparing the church for its Sunday mass. Times had changed, not enough worshipers for Saturday evening service, no housekeeper to clean and dress the alter, which meant doing for himself. He polished his own chalices, replaced the candles and if lucky enough to receive flowers from his few generous parishioners, arranged them in his own haphazard way. These duties were normally soothing at the best of times, but today especially, they were a very welcome distraction from his personal demons and sleep deprived state of mind.
At 10am, Mike knelt before Gods alter, he prayed for insight into the unprecedented lapse in his celibacy, even if it was unwilling. He begged forgiveness and understanding from his Almighty God, and promised new dedication of his vows. A ringing phone disrupted Father Mike’s devotions, rousing him into the real world. He made it back to the house before it rang off. As Stephen pulled up outside the church, again, Mike was ready. ’Why didn’t you call me last night’ Mike asked a little put out.
‘I was tempted to, but it really was too late, and after the last couple of days, I reckoned you needed the time off.’
‘Dead bodies, even friends dead bodies, would have been preferable to my big seduction.’ Mike went on to explain what had happened and finished with a sign of the cross. He wiped sweat from his forehead and sighed with relief at telling his friend his latest drama. Stephen was stunned into silence for a few seconds, but soon came around to tell Mike that it sounded to him like a set up.
‘I’m not saying that your not desirable, or indeed every girls wanton dream, but let me ask you, has anything like this happened before?’
‘No, but it only takes one, doesn’t it?’
‘Now your egos talking, I never knew you had one Father Mike. Now you listen to me, something is off here and I think your Evelyn is up to no good. She has singled you out for a reason, and I would like to know why. Maybe she has something to do with all the craziness that’s been happening around here this last while. I don’t share in your paranoid belief of evil, but I have to admit since she came on to the island, people have died and in terrible ways. ’
‘Do you really believe Evelyn could be responsible for the wickedness here, I mean why, and what possible reason could she have?’
Stephen thought for a while, but his mind wasn’t capable of working out such a complicated thought on so little sleep.
The rain from last night ran like streams down either side of the road.
Chapter Twenty Nine
The wind had been unkind to the trees, and undressed them with no care or kindness. Their leaves gathered with the momentum of the water and rushed away on a final journey to clog the sewer drains. The surfaces drying under the still warm sun.
Stephen and Mike waited at the hotel for the police, but after a half hour decided to leave a message at reception and go to the house. Dr Bell was already there, and in a foul mood having had to wait.
‘Come along, I have patients to see you know.’ Stephen and Mike both apologised for the delay and Stephen led
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