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"Raven?"
ChapterTwo
"And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who have trespassed against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil."
I recite our Lord's prayer just as I do every night. My knees hurt against the hard stone floor beneath me, but I embrace the discomfort.
I can never right the sins of my past. I've lived a life of opulence and decadence for far too long. However, by casting all of that off for a stone floor, a small bed, and my own prayers, I hope that I can at least atone.
Before I am able to complete my prayers, I hear a loud bang from somewhere in the church.
I make the sign of our Lord across my body and stand, hissing from the stiffness of having my knees against the floor for over an hour.
I should be the only one in the church this evening. Father Murphy, who is the priest who runs the church, had retired to the rectory. While close to the church, it is no longer attached after the renovations were completed some years ago.
I specifically asked for permission to stay in the one small room located behind the vestry that contains a small cot. Mother Superior had agreed despite some reservations.
This area of Boston hasn't been the quietest these days. There are rumors that the long-found peace that had existed between the various underworld factions in the city has become unstable.
Anyone who even stepped foot in Boston over the past year knew that Johnny Maldonado, head of the New England Crime Syndicate, had been arrested and sentenced to twenty years. Anyone who is paying attention also knows that there is no clear heir to take his place.
Random gun violence has become more frequent in the area, as well as break-ins and a few disappearances. In my own mind, there is no way it isn't connected to Johnny's arrest.
Either the gangs are starting to war or petty thieves aren't as afraid to tread on mob territory given the lack of clear leadership in the family.
I had assured the Mother Superior that I would be safe under God's protection and that no one would be so bold as to deface the church.
Despite my attestations and assurances, my heart nearly jumps out of my chest when I hear the noise in the sanctuary. It is a noise I've heard only a few times in my life, but I recognize it instantly.
A volley of gunfire, one of which is using a silencer.
A smart girl would have stayed put in the safety of her chambers.
I've never been a smart girl.
What I lack in brains I seem to make up for in courage. At least that's how I like to look at it.
My movements are slow and a bit labored as I make my way through the vestry and down the hallway that leads to the sanctuary. The hallway seems darker than normal, and that's when I realize the lights have been cut.
Probably for the better. I certainly do not want to be seen.
I inch along the hallway until I am finally at the door that leads to the sanctuary. I crack it open, all while whispering a prayer on repeat under my breath.
"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want."
Just past the altar, illuminated only by the lit candles, is Father Murphy. Except he is laying face up, blood seeping from his body. The liquid reflects ominously against the flickering light of the candles.
I freeze, completely at a loss for what to do.
"He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters."
The longer I wait there, the worse it gets. After a few minutes, a man wearing a black baseball cap comes into the sanctuary. I watch in a mix of horror and fascination as he wraps up the body in Saran wrap.
