Page 15 of Eyes Like Angel

Several wet drops on her forehead drippled on the wooden floor. The whole floor we wet.

Suddenly, I had several rations in my duffle bag I stole from Samantha’s place, and took it out with the white linen handkerchief with pink rosebuds on the fabric, and positioned it beside her, hoping she’d see and eat it.

Until I came across one of the boxes along the rest of the holiday decorations, and it was the box was in a redder shade, assuming it was old or whatnot with a laced ribbon on the lid, but it had several items contained when I peeked in, setting the lid aside—a silver brush, violet dress, red rouge lipstick, silver bracelet with green gemstone with an engraved in a cursive letter of ‘E’, and several pieces of skeletons. I assume this is another Halloween decoration, but what stood out the most is another box beside it, it was all white and had a silky ivory ribbon on the top. I shed the lid and spotted the quilt or some of fabric.

But it was muddy and muted to a point where I can’t see bright colors under the moonlight and relied on my bright flashlight.

The quilt was in a shade of darkest blue, dark as a shadow, embroidered in gleaming orchid flowers alongside of crimson and yellow butterflies stitched, stretched trails of starlight sparkled and scattered, and along the darkened sky, a delicate detail of an angel flown in the darkened sky, the angel’s hand extended outward to the grey clouds and white stars, dark manes flowed, imagined a wind caressed through her and mine contrasted on a white-feathered wings with a tinge of gold on the outlines, glittered and traced lines of golden tips on the intricate, ruffled feathers.

Contemplating whether I should take it or not. In the meantime, I took it, hoping I would make a use of it. But I don’t think Saul would like a quilted blanket like this. He hated things that represented elderly, or retirement.

Nevertheless, I set it back where it belongs.

By the time I went over at the door and twisted the doorknob, it was locked, tried to jam it open by kicking the doorframe, sturdy as a wall.

Shit, I can’t go downstairs! Guess I should climb out where I came from.

And so I did, I climbed out, shutting the stained-glass window, and run around the block, only to meet a nun who exited the church, eyeing me with suspicion.

I said nothing and gave her money, hoping she’d take it. Everyone loves money.

“I don’t need your money,” she said to me, remaining unconvinced. “Why are you here at the church?”

I gave her a weird look, assuming churches in general liked donations.

“I just heard Father Divine might help me with something,” I lied.

“Father Divine isn’t here,” she said, her hands intertwined. “I could relay a message if you like.”

“No thank you,” I said to her. “I’ll speak to him some other time.”

She nodded, remaining cool. “Alright.”

Usually when nuns said their goodbyes, they either said “God Bless you” or “May the Lord be with you”, according to Mom, but this nun said neither, and observed me while I was getting off of her radar, hoping not to suspect me when I fled from the dimly church.

By then, I played it cool and went far where I parked my car and drove off.

***

“Did you get any valuable items?” Saul asked when I met him up under the bridge.

“Nothing,” I said. “I got nothing. All of the stuff that the building has was fake and cheap-looking artifacts.”

“Ah, nothing good, huh?” Saul assumed.

Then my mind recalled back to a woman formed in a sleeping position in a dark, cold attic at the highest tower in aDivine Miracles Church. The same woman who has given bread and wine at today’s mass. Aside from her, another nun who was suspicious of me showed up.

“Looks like you’re bothered,” Saul said bluntly.

“I was bothered…by the lack of resources to our income,” I explained coolly, nodding.

He nodded. “Well, Rivers, we have to discuss about what happened. Why did you kill those guys in the house? Our goal is to steal, not kill!”

“I don’t know, I just felt like it,” I answered.

“You can’t just do that, Rivers. I have a code I have to follow,” Saul reasoned.

I raised my hands in the air. “My bad.”