Above cover by Nytherides
13.
A young man had come into the house of the lord, this young man is shaking and clearly in distress or at least appears to be. Whether in this moment alone or in a time long before now, or possibly both in conjunction with one another, perception has been let's say ... slightly lost or re-imagined.
This young man who has just now entered the church, he may have been here on hallowed ground more than a moment or two, as the priest has also been, though something does not appear right as once had been momentarily lost in a moment with the lord. This is not a time to get philosophical. In a way Father Michael Anthony once again had a parishioner in his care and one who needed a moment of his time.
'You don't look well my child' speaks the priest.
Moments pass quicker than anticipated though a calmness has come over Shawn Thornton. This calmness would not last long for as soon as Shawn questions the whereabouts of his sister things would begin to not sit right.
'Who?' ask Father Anthony.
'You know, Amber, my sister. Fiery red-head, kinda Jekyll and Hyde like at times. Where is she? ...' with the priest seeming quite confused Shawn would continue. 'Ya know ... small slim lady, quiet at times and as fierce as a heard of stampeding Rhino's when she wants to be. She told me she would not leave you alone ...'
'... She did?'
'Yes, why? Is there something wrong with that?'
The particular conversation would go no further for Amber would arrive with Jenny in through the front church doors.
'Err ... where were you?' asks Shawn, 'you told me you were not gonna leave the priest on his own.'
'Relax' responds Amber. 'I wasn't gone long, besides no harm has been done, has there?'
'Excuse me ...' says Father Anthony wondering just what is going on.
Shawn moves closer to the ladies. Keeping his voice down he says, 'he is getting worse; someone needs to be with him at all times. He usually shakes off his forgetfulness in a moment or too. It seems more ... permanent now.'
'Shawn, take it easy. I didn't go far. He is a grown man who has survived this long on his own' says Amber. 'You know he hasn't been with us all that long.'
'Alright, alright ... I'm sorry. Had myself a bit of a zombie run in before I got back, guess I am just a little rattled, but this place right here is our home for right now. We've all agreed to make it work for as long as we can.'
'What is going on here?' asks Father Anthony.
Jenny moves up alongside him and directs the priest in the direction towards the alter. 'Let's take a seat and rest for a moment father.'
With day having seemingly and all too quickly become evening and with everyone at this point inside the confines of the church walls, Shawn locks the large wooden entrance doors from within before he and Amber move to join Jenny near the front of the church. By the time seats have been taken Father Michael has moved away moving down along an aisle along the right and on towards the back of the church.
'He is definitely getting worse' speaks Shawn.
'Yeah' agrees Amber. 'From all the times I have seen him get confused this is definitely the worst he has been.'
The three look back towards the back of the church where Father Michael Anthony paces back and forth apparently speaking with someone who actually isn't there.
'Without a doubt, maybe I should go try and calm him' Shawn says thinking out loud more than anything else.
'Nah, I'll go' says Jenny. 'Sally speaks to herself every once in a while, but not like our priest friend. I fear for one or both and then all the rest of us ... you know?'
Jenny stands up. She more than feels as if she has taken on more of a motherly role within the group, motherly to some while being a little sister to Amber's big sister nature, and despite the fact that Jenny is so much younger than the priest she moves to him in the hopes she can calm him some.
There is enough distance and words are spoken softly enough that neither Amber nor Shawn can hear what is being spoken between Jenny and the priest once she has indeed reached him. Jenny's motherly role does seem to have a calming effect on how Father Anthony seems to be so attention upon them is deflected.
'It's sad to see' says Amber. 'I'd expect a priest to be quite strong at times like this.'
'Yeah, well he has been through a lot, we all have' says Shawn, 'though if talking to God helps him out then I'm all for it. Maybe I should try find my own spirit guide, it might help keep me sane though if you weren't around, I'd have lost my marbles a long time ago.'
'Spirit guide? You?'
Amber smiles as her eyes begin to well a little. Maybe it is their twin connection or just all they have been through together for they both at the same time have their thoughts turn back to their mother and the moment when her end had come to be. Amber in particular reaching out with her right arm and hand as if to respond to her mother's dying reach.
Interruption the joint memory of a distressing moment comes as Sally moves to stand almost in between the twins. Shawn and Amber are sitting across the center aisle from each other each sitting at the ends of wooden church benches.
'Have either of you seen Jenny?' asks Sally.
'Yeah' Shawn begins to answer as he and Amber turn to look towards the back of the church. 'She's back there ... or she was back there a moment ago with Father Anthony.'
Indeed, neither Jenny nor the priest are where they were a moment or so ago.
'Thanks' says Sally before she moves on to go investigate.
Shawn for a moment is sure that Sally speaks a word or three to someone who is not there, or perhaps she is just speaking to herself, thinking out loud or not so loud though Shawn wonders is there something in this moment to worry about. Something could be catching though Sally has always been ... unique. Then again, this just might be something along the lines of whatever is going on with the priest may just be catching. Mental heath is something rarely, if ever, something that is discussed.
