Alejandro

Him

As cold as the wind and snow blew I was determined to do everything in my power to keep warm. My legs were shaking and frostbite had already claimed my toes. The heavy church bell rang as I rose form the pew and finished my prayers.

''Amen.'', I said opening my eyes to the emptyness.

Prayers were over and I was the only one that was left. I rose with my dress and fixed my white head veil and walked out the double doors. I knelt once more before Mary before turning my back to her and walking out. I looked out on the balcony as the cold wind hit my face and the snow dangled on parts of the church roofs. I fixed my coat bringing it further towards my shoulders wondering why I was standing here in the first place. The people that were usually selling fruit and vegetables, the children that filled the streets, or the nuns that waited in the bottom gates giving blessings no longer appeared.

''I guess the snow triumphs again.'', I say seeing my breath in the cold air.

I rest my arms on the stone of the balcony when in the distance I spot someone. The streets were so empty and the snow fell so blindly that I almost doubted that there was anyone there. But I could see them. A black silhouette just standing in the snow before the church gates. The snow suddenly cleared a little bit to where I could kind of make out whoever was standing there and the figure seemed very masculine. He was dressed in heavy winter wear, all black leather, and a top hat, and one hand in his pocket. I ran down the stone stairs holding my dress to the balcony below the first to get a better look at the man as I strained my eyes. I could now see, his cold narrow eyes, his icy skin, yet the heat boiling in him made an appearance in his jawline. He started walking as I found myself following him on the balcony when another man in the distance caught his attention.

''ALE! I AM HERE! DO YOUR WORST!'', the man yelped holding out his tiny hands.

I raised my shoulders at the words ''do your worst'' fearing whatever he must mean by that. Whatever or whoever he is is not making him happy. I could only feel the anger and tension in the air grow besides the cold wind blowing our clothes and hair. He removed his hand from his pocket and in it was a gun. My mouth flew open as I could now feel my toes and that's not the least of my problems.

''POW!'', was all that you could hear before the slush hit the ground. My face ran pale and I felt sick to my stomach when I realized that I had screamed out loud and we were now eyeing each other. I froze in fear as he glared narrow-eyed at me fearing if he'd point the gun up here at me next. The wind blew as I turned away facing the wall with my frozen hands over my mouth. I looked left and right to see if anyone was coming or witnessed what I did, but there was no one. I tip-toed back to the balcony and peeked to meet the gory scene but with someone missing. Where did he go? He was standing there a second ago. The bloody footprints in the snow weren't hard to spot when I traced them to the gates. I leaned more over the edge and noticed that the gates had been opened. And his footsteps led right in.

''Oh no.'', I coughed.

I ran back up the stoned stairs to the first level where I had just came from and swung open the doors to the church. I shut the doors behind me with all my might fearing that my arms were too weak to close them. I blew out all the candles on the pulpit and crouched down behind the stoned angel as it's wings shielded me. He couldn't come in the church could he? This is a holy place and he wouldn't dare bring such a weapon into such a place. But why would he kill that innocent man? It seemed like he was waiting for him out there or something. Either way if he's in the church I hoped he was in to ask for forgiveness for what he just did. But with the way he looked at me and the fact that he knew they were right in front of the church, doesn't seem to bother him. I heard the man call him something. Ale? Was that his name? I darted back to what mother Val told me about a woman that complained that she had to evacuate her home and that someone killed her husband. In fact lots of killings have been happening and something is telling me that it has something to do with-

A loud boom erupted from the west wing and footsteps covered in snow smushed against the ground.

''Him...'', I whispered feeling a frozen hand on my shoulder.