Ronald kept quiet as she packed her bag with supplies. She took a flashlight, a small pack of Oreo cookies, a plastic bag, and a knife from the kitchen. Everything a child would need to take down an unholy spirit. Since Lucia never cooked she figured that the missing knife would go unnoticed. "I need to hurry and do this now," she said.
"Why right now?" Ronald asked.
"Because she at church with Lucia. I gotta do this while they gone. And while it's light out" she said as she peered out her window. "Stay here," she told Ronald. "And if Lucia asks where I went tell her I went to the store to get some ice or something." Ronald nodded and watched as Latoya exited the kitchen and began to climb the back fence towards Miss May's house.
"Be careful," he told her.
"You, too," she said as she hopped over the fence and ran towards the next fence. Ronald watched as she neared Miss May's fence. He felt the crotch of his pants begin to moisten and ran inside. Latoya looked back and saw him running back inside. "Chicken," she said to herself.
At church Miss May sat next to Lucia. Lucia was wearing a dress that was barely appropriate for a lady of the night let alone the house of God. Miss May sat smiling as she looked around the church at all the small children. One young girl in a bright yellow dress locked eyes with Miss May. The girl stuck her tongue out. Miss May smiled and smoke appeared to come out of her mouth. The girls mouth snapped shut so quickly that she bit the tip of her tongue clean off. She began screaming as her mother swept her into her arms and exited the church, blood dripping in the aisle.
"'And they were bringing children to Him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them'" the pastor said. "'But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them 'Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.' And He took them in his arms and blessed them, laying His hands on them."
"Amen," Miss May said. She looked over at Lucia and smiled. Lucia tried her best to smile back but could only find a smirk. Miss May stood and began to clap slowly. The pastor looked over at her. It was never hard to find her in a crowd with her ever-present bright red dress with black polka dots. Always a different dress but with the same pattern.
"Are you feeling it, Mother May?!" he asked her, his question causing many to clap or scream aloud.
"Yes, I am," she replied. She then tilted her head down and raised her hands.
Lucia clutched the back of the pew in front of herself so hard it split two of her nails. Miss May raised her arms higher, beads of sweat forming on her chin. Lucia opened her mouth to ask for help but nothing came out but a wisp of smoke. Her eyes bulged out of her head but no one seemed to notice. Her mouth shut too quickly causing her to shatter her teeth. Miss May brought her hands together, clapping so loudly many in the church jumped or gasped.
"'I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or His children begging for bread'" Miss May said as she looked down at Lucia. "Psalm 37:25" Miss May whispered to Lucia. "' All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children'" she then said aloud. Many of the children began to cry. "Isaiah 54:13" she whispered to Lucia. Lucia threw her head back violently, blood spewing from her mouth. All the parishioners nearby either screamed or moved quickly to avoid the blood.
Miss May slid past Lucia who was finally able to breathe and walked out of the church. Lucia fell into the aisle and turned her head towards Miss May. As she closed the large double doors of the church Miss May waved to Lucia and smiled.
"Suffer the children" Lucia heard Miss May say through lips that did not move.
Latoya climbed Miss May's fence and landed hard on the ground rubbing her knee as she looked around the yard. It was huge. Twice as big as Lucia's. There were beautiful flowers lined all around the house in colors she knew she couldn't pronounce. She looked at the windows and saw a small face pressed against the glass. Latoya waved to it and it disappeared.
She slung her backpack over her shoulder and walked around the yard. She noticed several large mounds on the ground. One of them was new, the grass not as long or green as the others. Most of them were small, about her size but two of them were large enough to hold a grownup.
She walked to a gate leading out of the back yard and tried to open it. She then noticed a large deadbolt with a lock in it. She frowned and went to a side window. She could not see inside. All she saw was her reflection. Her hair braided back with colorful beads that ran down to her shoulders. Cut off jean shorts with a yellow top and white Nike's that her father bought her a few weeks before he vanished.
She walked closer to the window and placed her hands on the glass, cupping them around her eyes to reduce the amount of light. She heard a loud slam and the sound of multiple footsteps running around. She jumped back and landed hard on her butt. The sound of a car approaching in Miss May's driveway got her attention.
"She can't be back..." Latoya moaned to herself. She turned towards the fence and suddenly it looked far higher than she remembered. "The long drop" she thought to herself. Miss May's back yard was built on a slope. It was easier to get in than it was to get out. She began to panic as the car engine was turned off. She wanted to run and attempt to grab the top of the fence but the sound of her body slamming against it would draw attention for sure. She looked over at the gate when she heard a ring of keys jingling.
Back at the church Lucia was in a small room surrounded by the pastor and his wife. She had a towel pressed to her mouth and a cup of water next to her. She tried to sit up but the pastor's wife laid her hands on her shoulder and pressed her back down.
"Don't try to get up yet," she said. Lucia shoved her hand away and rose from the floor. Luica had never liked coming to church but she wanted a break from Ronald and that damned girl. She wish that Nathaniel had taken his girl with him when he decided to leave. She spit blood on the floor and stumbled out of the room. Church service had ended and people were still exiting. She pushed her way through the crowd. She tried to run to her car and almost tripped on the curb, losing her shoe. She stopped and spat more blood on the ground. Her keys slipped from her hands twice as she attempted to open her door.
"I don't know what that bitch did…" she said as she tried to start her engine. The engine turned over a few times and then stopped. She tried again and smoke began to rise from under the hood. Lucia jumped out of her car and popped the hood. "Goddamn it."
Waving away the smoke she coughed. People from the church ran over to her, checking out what was going on. She began screaming and ran away from the car. A few members walked over to her car and some gasped. Others screamed. Two fainted.