CHAPEL OF VISION

CHAPTER TWO

The trip was long. We drove towards an old town which was the farthest place in the province. It was already one in the afternoon when we arrived at a small chapel in San Jose. Automatically, I closed my eyes when I saw from afar people coming out of the chapel. My brother gives me my black shade. I hurriedly put it on and straightened myself up. I flip the car sun visor with a mirror and check my hair. My short black hair looks messy after the long trip we have. I have been cutting my hair since I was nine. When you live with two men, you end up imitating them. You want to be better than them by besting on any male rituals they have.

I could shoot a gun at the early age of five and have mastered it at seven. My self-defense skills were not bad either. I can tackle my dad easily except for Samuel. He was a bit different. No matter how hard I tried, he remained steady and fast.

"Let me do the talking Sam." I snapped out of my thoughts when Samuel warned me.

I nod. I heard Samuel come down from the truck, heading towards the crowd of churchgoers. "Hi, is Father Montes here?"

"Who's asking?" a loud, rough voice asked.

"I'm Samuel Grey." I heard the crowd stop talking when they heard his name. A long silence followed. I squirmed from my seat. Something was not right. Out of curiosity, I felt like peering at them for the first time.

"And who's that girl?" the stranger's voice asked again.

"My sister, Samantha." The people gasped. I felt the chilly wind creeping inside my body. My heart starts thumping, and my hand clammy. I cannot explain what just happened, but I felt like I was not wanted. The feeling of animosity was in the air.

"Samuel, what are you doing here?" an old soft voice asked in alarm.

"Father Montes..." I could hear my brother's voice full of relief as he addressed the priest. "I'm with my sister. Can we stay here tonight?"

The crowd gasped, and an elderly woman said in alarm, "Father... it's not wise to open our town for them."

A murmur of agreement can be heard coming from the people who were now surrounding them. "The boy can stay but not the girl."

"Enough..." Father Montes said. The once soft voice now carries more authority which the crowd respected. They backed down. "You can stay here for tonight. Come..."

I felt my brother pull me out of the truck. I kept on looking down, feeling the angry stare of the people directed at me. I stumbled as I followed my brother. He was protectively gripping my arm. Inside the safety of the chapel, I hear the door lock click and bolt.

"You can open your eyes now, Samantha." The gentle voice of the priest told her.

"I don't think so... I'm blind." Guilt consumed me as I lied to the priest.

Father Montes laughed, "I know you're not blind, Samantha. Since you were born, I have known your gift. Don't worry; you're safe here."

Samuel gently took my glasses. I looked at my brother in alarm. "It's okay...he knows."

I looked around at my surrounding. The chapel is very simple but what was interesting was the stained glass at the altar. There were angels but no cross or any image of God or Mother Mary. The angels looked so alive that they frightened me. I turned at the priest, who was watching me with curious eyes.

"What do you think of our chapel, Samantha?" The priest gently smiled at me.

"Strange..." I said automatically.

"We have a different religion. We believe in God, but we also worship angels. We are what they call Angels Children. Our purpose was to serve the angels. We deliver their messages and act on their behalf if necessary."

"I have not heard of it. I mean... it's not common."

"We are a secret religious group. Your mother was once a priestess here. She was gifted like you. When you were born, your first baptism was celebrated here." I looked at him in surprise.

"Really? I don't know about that." I glanced at my brother meaningfully. His eyes avoided me. "Do you know about this, Samuel?"

He ignored me completely. Instead, he draws away Father Montes to a corner. They talked in a huddle. I watched them suspiciously, and I saw the priest glance at me apprehensively. After much-whispered discussion, they returned to me and acted as if nothing had happened. My brother pulled me down on one of the church benches. The priest left us alone.

My brother took my hand and squeezed it gently. "Sam, Father Montes offered to let us stay here tonight."

I looked at my brother in confusion. "I cannot understand why we cannot go home. If we leave right away, we will reach our home tonight. "Why would we sleep here?"

"The storm this morning had destroyed part of our house. Father asked some people to fix it for us. He thinks it's safer for us to be out of town."

"Why can't we just sleep in a hotel or our friends?" I watched Samuel squirm. He was lying.

"You know it's not possible...your eyes. Our folks might find out you're not blind. With Father Montes, he knows your situation."

True, chances are that I might blunder with my pretend blindness, but I have been doing it my whole life that it's like a natural thing for me to act blind. It doesn't add up. I looked at my brother's blue eyes deeply. He looked away from me. The fear was there. Despite my being a seer, I cannot look at my brother's future. He was a mystery to me. As far as I can remember, my brother was always around me. He hovered and protected me. I never remember him taking off at night for a date. Girls come to our house to invite him, but he continues to avoid them like the plague. He was a mystery, and the women found him the most irresistible.

I trusted him immensely. I nod, accepting his explanation. I know that whatever he was avoiding in telling me, he did it for a good reason. The night, I slept like a baby. It was so peaceful that I woke up late. I looked for my brother and Father Montes. They were having a meeting with the townspeople. The crowd was angry, and one of them noticed me peeping behind the door. Our eyes locked, and before I could avoid it, the shivers assaulted me. I found myself seized by spasms.

***

"Samantha Grey!" I jumped upon hearing my name called sharply. "Are you with us?"

My nails dug the surface of the chair; I was sitting. I can hear the laughter and snickers of my classmates. I pushed myself up in attention.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Anne..." I felt Aliyah squeeze my hand in comfort.

"When you're in my class, pay extra attention to my lecture. Now, do you know what is a galleon trade?"

"Yes...the galleon trade was a way for people to exchange things by bringing goods to different islands by boat..." I tried to remember what it was. I was explaining slowly when a vision suddenly appeared.

            A woman walked down the plank. Pirates watched the woman with a rope tied at her back slowly walking down on a plank to her death. I felt my body gripped with fear as I tried to stop her. Then she turned around, and I saw her face. I gasped. "Aliyah!" my body shot up from my chair. My body dropped to the floor, and I was shaking so hard. My teacher ran towards me and tried to control my body as the seizure took hold.

Aliyah held me down, but more vision was coming assaulting my senses. I looked up, and I saw people around me. Every one of them was consumed by fire. All my classmates and the school were burning up. The big dark shadows with dark wings were pulling down everyone to the fire. It was like a bonfire of people. Then, I saw him walking towards me. His blue eyes are full of anger. He is coming for me with the bloodied sword in his hand. I scream and run as far away from him.