Night School

Now that she thought about it, this didn’t seem like a great idea.

‘Maybe we should go back,’ she said after a while. ‘We could just play a game or … something. See what everybody else is doing.’

Jo didn’t look back at her when she replied reassuringly. ‘We’re almost there.’

So, why am I so worried?

A few minutes later, though, Jo turned to smile at her. ‘See? We’re here already.’

The church wall was just ahead, and in the churchyard – fewer trees and more light. As soon as she walked into that glow Allie felt better, but Jo was already at the door, putting both hands inside the iron ring to lift the latch, and then shoving against it with her shoulder. It gave with a groan and they were inside. In the chapel the fading sunlight was fractured by yellow and red stained glass windows into shards of coloured light, and despite the natural chill from the stone floor and walls, the room seemed warm.

Standing just inside the door, Allie couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

‘Holy crap,’ she whispered.

Jo watched her with a knowing look. ‘Good, no?’

Allie tiptoed to the middle of the room and slowly turned in a circle. The walls were covered in paintings. Some were words – most of them obviously poems – others were images. The paint was faded to rusty red, ivory yellow and greying black, but it was clear, and it was easy to imagine how bright it must once have been.

‘This one freaks me out.’ Jo walked over to the back of the chapel, where a painting of simple figures showed a devil with a pitchfork prodding naked suffering souls into a variety of horrible fates with the help of gleeful troglodyte-like demons.

Allie wrinkled her nose. ‘Eeeuw.’

‘Exactly. This is nicer.’ Jo pointed at a nearby painting of a gnarled yew tree rich with fruit and birds. The roots twisted into the words ‘Tree of Life’.

All around the painted images were words in ancient languages. Allie studied the Cyrillic letters of one.

‘Do you understand any of it?’ she asked Jo.

‘A little. Some is Greek.’ Jo gestured at a rood screen, then turned to a wall beside it. ‘And that’s some form of Gaelic. Most of it’s Latin though.’

On the wall above the door a phrase was painted in elegant red letters. The colour was bright enough that Allie wondered if it had been restored. She stepped back to see it clearly.

‘Exitus acta probat?’ She sounded the words out and then looked at Jo quizzically. ‘Do you know what that means?’

‘The result validates the deed,’ Jo replied without hesitating.

Allie looked back at the words.

‘What’s that about?’ she mused. ‘It seems kind of strange as a “Hey, welcome to church!” quote.’

‘Buggered if I know.’ Jo was spinning down the aisle in a dizzying dance.

Allie watched her for a moment with a puzzled frown then turned her attention to an elaborate painting of a dragon, whose tail twirled down nearly to the floor as a dove flew just out of reach of its claws.

‘This is incredible,’ she breathed.

‘And now that you’ve seen it, can we go?’ Carter leaned against the door frame – his arms crossed loosely, his eyes watchful.

Allie jumped.

‘Carter! Jesus. You scared me.’

But she felt unexpectedly relieved to see him. Jo was weirding her out, and now they could walk back together. Safety in numbers.

Still, she didn’t want him to know that.

‘You shouldn’t sneak up on people,’ she said tartly.

His eyes were cool. ‘I didn’t sneak. I walked. Isn’t that how you got here?’ When he turned to Jo his voice warmed. ‘How’s it going, Jo?’

She was at the opposite end of the chapel, pretending to study a painting.

‘We’re fine here, thanks Carter. You can tell Gabe I don’t need his help.’ Her voice was steady but she didn’t meet his eyes and her jaw had a stubborn set.

He gestured placatingly. ‘Hey, I’m not Gabe’s minion. It’s just about to get dark out there and I thought I might offer you ladies an escort. Why? Is Gabe looking for you?’

Jo gave him a withering look. ‘Give it up, Carter. I know he sent you. He always sends somebody to follow me around.’

‘Honestly, Jo, Gabe doesn’t know I’m here,’ he said. ‘Have you two had a fight or something?’

Carter’s face was so earnest that Allie was inclined to believe him, but Jo moved to the altar, as far away from him as possible.

‘Something,’ she said coolly.

Pretending she was studying the wall paintings, Allie made her way over to Carter who still stood by the door.

Staring intently at a delicate painting of a white rose she whispered, ‘How did you find us?’

Just as quietly he replied, ‘I followed you.’

Their eyes met and then they glanced away. Allie’s skin tingled.

‘What’s up?’ His lips barely moved when he spoke but his head inclined towards Jo.