part0016

Leading the way, Sister Mary had no trouble creating a path through the woods despite the dark. The nuns followed her without question, though the casket made travel awkward, forcing them to weave around the denser groupings of trees. Still, they managed to stay close to Sister Mary more often than not. Behind it all, Roni darted from tree to tree. Not that the nuns would spot her in the dark, but she still thought precautions were the smart play. When the woods opened into a clearing, Roni stayed behind a tree trunk to watch from a distance.

Large stones cut like massive blocks prescribed a circle within the clearing. Some of the stones acted like oversized benches while others stood upright to form the impression of walls. On the sides of the vertical stones, Roni spotted markings — possibly Gaelic writings. Finally, after Sister Claudia started a fire in the pit dug near the middle of the circle, Roni understood — this was a pagan burial. From the soft flicker of orange firelight, her thoughts were confirmed when she noticed the graves lining the back half of the clearing.

Off to her left, two trees kissed up against each other forming a wider barrier. Roni scurried across, her heart hammering, certain every crinkling, leaf-breaking step would be her undoing. But she reached the trees. Even before peeking around the trunk, this new position allowed her to hear clearly what Sister Mary said.

“My dear sisters,” Sister Mary began, “we have much to do tonight. But as we prepare to step forward into a new chapter of the Abbey, we must first turn the page on the old chapter.”

The three sisters set the coffin on the ground and bowed their heads. “Sister Ashley was a dear woman to us all. It may seem that she was taken too early from us, but the Lord has a plan for all, and it is our duty to have faith rather than sadness. We few of the Abbey are the chosen. That comes with great responsibilities and greater dangers. Sister Ashley’s sacrifice is of both.”

Roni rolled back behind the two trunks. Glancing upward, she noticed several points where the trees left a gap. She pulled out her phone, set the camera to film, made sure to cut off the camera light, and lined up a good shot between the trees.

“Tonight, we honor Sister Ashley in the best way we can.” Sister Mary stepped closer to the coffin. With a twitch of her finger, Sister Claudia and Sister Susan opened the lid. “Without a body, we must mourn her through representation.” Sister Mary pulled out an old Bible — leather bound and valuable from the looks of it. She set it in the coffin with care. “She always admired this copy I kept on my desk. It is my great honor to bury it as a sign of my love and devotion to one of our fallen.”

Sister Susan stepped forward. She pulled out a thin, gold necklace with a crucifix pendant. “She did not think we noticed, but she prayed more and harder than any I have ever seen. She even gave Sister Rachel a run.” The nuns tittered. “I give her this so that she may continue to do so up in Heaven.”

Sister Rachel went next, placing a rosary in the coffin. “I had only begun to know her, but no nun should be without this.”

Finally, with a nod from Sister Mary, Sister Claudia approached the coffin. “Sister Ashley was dear to me. Just as I am a pupil under Sister Mary, I hoped one day for Sister Ashley to be my pupil. Her love of knowledge and enthusiasm for her faith left me in awe at times. I’m afraid I have nothing to place in there because the things she meant most to me cannot be represented physically. Her passion, her love, her caring.”

“You are wrong,” Sister Mary said. “You do have something to give.”

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a tissue. After a few dabs at Sister Claudia’s wet cheeks, she handed over the tear-stained tissue. Sister Claudia smiled as more tears fell. She placed the tissue in the coffin.

Another twitch of Sister Mary’s finger and the lid returned. Sister Mary said, “Please Sister Susan, make sure that our groundskeepers see to the burying.”

“Good. Then it is time. Come forth.”

Sister Claudia and Sister Susan stepped forward and kneeled. Sister Susan jerked her head to beckon Sister Rachel over. Once all three nuns knelt before Sister Mary, they bowed their heads.

“Tonight, as we mourn the loss of one, we celebrate the creation of another.” Sister Mary stepped over and placed her hands atop Sister Rachel’s head. “Becoming a permanent member of this Abbey is no small matter and not to be taken lightly. Heaven speaks to us. While it is true that we call the energy beneath the church a conduit, it is more of a mechanism. Because we are the conduit. The Angels speak through us, and in doing so, we take on the responsibility of spreading their message throughout the world. Even when that message must be kept secret. It can be a confusing conflict within, a great balancing act which will test the limits of your conscience and control, one that requires great amounts of prayer, one that will stretch your calling far greater than any other experience any other church could provide, and one I know you are fully capable of handling.”

“Ay, Sister. I am ready.”

Sister Mary sidestepped to the right and rested her hands upon Sister Susan’s head. “To join me requires the greatest devotion for it is permanent. Like the ring you wear to symbolize your devotion to Jesus, this appointment can never be torn asunder. If you accept my blessing tonight, you will be with this Abbey until the day you die. And possibly even after that. You must be willing to walk the narrow path of your faith with the conviction of one who knows the truth. Because you have seen it. It may seem an easy choice — what nun would turn away the chance to speak with angels? But the sacrifices required will bring upon your shoulders the greatest weights you’ve ever felt. The loyalty required is enormous. You will never look at the world the same because you will see all those people out there who think they know better than you, and you won’t be able to tell them a thing.”

“I’m ready, Sister.” Sister Susan said.

Roni readjusted her position against the tree, but she did not feel uncomfortable from holding the camera up. No. She heard too much in Sister Mary’s speech that sounded familiar.

Sister Mary sidestepped again, placing her hands upon Sister Claudia’s head. “Leadership is a difficult and lonely path. It requires devotion and loyalty, yet also a sense of duty greater than that of self-preservation. I have done all I can to prepare you. I had intended to teach you more before today, but I never expected you and Sister Ashley to hasten this moment.”

As Sister Mary continued speaking words that Roni had heard coming from Gram’s mouth in one version or another, something brushed the tree limbs in the woods. Roni paused her camera and brought it down to her eye. Using the zoom function, she scanned the woods.

She expected to see Sully vigorously waving her away from this scene. When she did not spot a human shape, she thought she might come across a deer or elk or some other large animal that had accidently stumbled upon the service. But again, she saw nothing.

When she finally located the source of the noise, her lips parted but no sound came from her closed throat. Three purple-black balls of smoke hovered just beyond the tree line. They were from the rift. Roni recalled seeing them dart out — one of the last things she remembered before being knocked unconscious. They did not belong in this universe, and that made them relics. They also appeared to be alive which meant they were living relics.

The way those creatures from the rift waited (the word rifters popped into Roni’s mind), the way they appeared to be watching the nuns — it left Roni with a sense of threat. She couldn’t let the nuns stay there and become targets, but she had no idea what these rifters could do. One thing she had learned from her previous encounters with creatures from other universes — knowledge of the enemy meant everything. If they even were enemies.

She moved toward the edge of the tree trunks with the intent of warning the nuns. They would not be happy to see her, they would probably yell at her for invading their privacy, they might even take their anger out on the Society. But at least they would not suffer at the whims of these living relics. Yet as she moved, sharp pain dug into her spine.

Placing a hand on her lower back, she inhaled sharply — the smell of sugar and soap filled her nostrils. She rolled back against the trunk, pressing her spine against the hard wood.

Maria? she thought. Warmth flushed over her skin like sinking into a hot bath. Tears welled in Roni’s eyes, and she clutched her mouth for fear of crying out loud.

As her mind raced through the possibilities, Sister Claudia’s raised voice cut into the air. “To the angels waiting on the edge of our circle, please come forth. We welcome you. We love you and are ready to receive you.”