The Gateway Through Which They Came by Heather Marie

Author:Heather Marie [Marie, Heather]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9781620074268
Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press
Published: 2014-08-24T00:00:00+00:00

In my Sunday best, I half-listen to Father Martin preach. My leg shakes as I peek at my phone, checking for a message from Koren. I ignore that small fact about her phone being disconnected. Nothing can stop me from wondering where she is, or where her parents are. Nothing fits. Her life and mine have become this impossible riddle, leaving me with more questions than answers.

Koren’s not the girl I used to know. I’ve accepted that now. She’s an enigma. Someone so unreal, I begin to wonder if I’ve been imagining her all along.

I check my phone again in case something’s changed from thirty seconds ago. It hasn’t. After a disappointed glance from my mother, I decide it’s best to wait it out.

The atmosphere in the church today is nothing like the day before. With the people gathered as one, that comforting feeling makes itself known; the warmth of love and faith that encases me in its energy. I’m safe here for the time being, and I tell myself that Koren must be mistaken. She couldn’t have meant this church. What could possibly keep me from coming here?

“Would you mind if I spoke with Aiden for a moment, Beverly?” Father Martin asks after concluding Mass.

“Of course not,” she says, smiling. Mom counts so much on him to replace the father I never knew. With the way I’ve been acting lately, I think she needs that sense of security.

“How about it, son?” He places an arm over my shoulder, giving me a gentle smile.

I nod, thankful to have this moment to finally tell him what I can’t tell anyone else. On our way to his chambers, we pass Julie. She looks away the second she sees me. Behind her, Justin Chase and his father rise from their seats, his sneer matching his father’s as they watch me go. A jolt of something hits me then, but I ignore the hum. It can’t be.

Justin and his dad stand out in their dark suits, his father’s arm heavy around his shoulders as he guides him from the church. The disdain seeping from Vincent’s last expression while he watched me is clear as day in my mind. I really hope what I sensed at the sight of Justin was a mistake. Because if he’s another Gateway, I want to return my Gateway Card, stat.

The way Justin and his dad scrutinize me is unnerving; a reminder of my friends’ expressions that day on campus. The day I was so sure that the monster inside me had shown itself to them. It’s been dormant for so long, I fear that it’s waiting for something. Like a ticking time bomb waiting for its detonation. How long will it be until it goes off again?

Father Martin’s office is brightly lit, bouncing off the cherry wood desk and the matching bookshelves lining the walls. A wooden crucifix, which looks handcrafted by precise fingers, hangs over the doorframe. Encyclopedias and centuries-old books fill each shelf. By the looks of some, they could fall apart by a simple touch.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.