Series: The Un Series by Izzy Sweet
Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 109192 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 546(@200wpm)___ 437(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109192 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 546(@200wpm)___ 437(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
“Stop!” Sister Agatha screeches as she yanks me back. “You can’t do this!”
Fisting my hair through the fabric, she uses so much force I fear my neck is going to snap.
Reaching behind myself, I grab at her hands, my nails scoring into her thin skin. But it’s Father McCall that manages to free me.
Turning from the door and letting it slam shut behind him, he throws himself forward and shoves Sister Agatha hard in the chest. “Release her, you vicious old cow!”
Sister Agatha stumbles backwards and falls to her butt on the floor with a look of shock on her face.
I look at Father McCall, just as shocked. Shocked that he shoved her. Shocked that he dared to call her what I’ve always been secretly thinking.
His face flushed red, Father McCall huffs and puffs with his anger. “You will abuse her no longer! She is under my protection! God’s protection!”
Sister Agatha sputters with indignation, her legs splayed out in front of her. “Abuse her?! She is an abomination. It is our duty to keep her from doing harm to the good, godly people of this earth.”
Father McCall’s eyes brighten with fury and he looks like he’s ready to thrash her. I hold my breath, the bad part of me hoping he does. I want to see her take the pain.
I want to see her take a fist and see how she likes it.
But instead, he grabs my hand and bellows with righteous authority, “How easily you twist scripture to fit your own narrative. Let me remind you of what you have forgotten! Genesis 1:31—And God saw everything that He had made, and, behold, it was very good!”
Sister Agatha sucks in one of her shrill, shocked breaths.
Father McCall turns away from her and pushes open the door. Squeezing my hand to reassure me, he leads me out into the world.
As the door slams behind us, Sister Agatha begins to scream for, “Help!”
The full force of the sun hits me in the face like a semi-truck. Bringing my arm up, I try to shield my eyes, but they’re on fire. Melting into my skull.
Breathing in deep, I fill my lungs with fresh air, trying to cool the blaze.
I’ve longed and ached for this for so long…
To have sky above me and the world, the real world, around me.
But I didn’t expect it to hurt so bad.
And something… something deep down inside me tells me this is only the beginning. That if I want to be free, truly free, I’m going to have to take a lot more pain.
“Come,” Father McCall says, tugging me down a step. “My car is right over there.”
Unable to see, everything around me a bright, searing white, I let him lead. Trusting he won’t lead me astray.
We move down two more steps then we’re running across hard ground. Using his hold on my hand, Father McCall leads me in a straight line before he tugs me to the right.
When I cut the turn too tight, something slams into the side of my ribs.
I cry out, and Father McCall immediately stops. “What’s wrong, lass?”
Blinking away the tears in my eyes, I look down. Everything is incredibly blurry and bright, but I believe I’m staring at a car mirror.
“Nothing, let’s keep moving,” I say.
Squeezing my hand, his hold my lifeline, Father McCall guides me forward.
“Can you see?” he asks.
“No,” I grumble, pressing my arm harder into my eyes to ease the searing ache.
I swear the fire is spreading to my exposed fingers.
Is my skin so sensitive I’m already getting a sunburn?
Father McCall doesn’t respond, but I sense him tense up, gripping my hand even tighter. Though I can’t tell if it’s out of empathy or concern…
I decide to change the subject to get my mind off the growing heat. “Did you mean it?”
“Mean what?” he asks, as if his mind is focused elsewhere.
“What you said to Sister Agatha.”
“That she’s a vicious old cow?” He chuckles. “Aye, I meant that.”
I find myself smiling in return and it feels… weird. Like I shouldn’t be doing it. Like I’m not worthy of such an action.
Unnerved by the sensation, I quickly clarify, “No, not that. The other thing you said.”
“About God looking upon everything he created and finding it good?”
“Yes,” I say, the word wanting to catch in my throat.
You’d think after living beneath a church, surrounded by nuns and priests for over a decade, someone would have read or encouraged me to read the Bible.
But the Bible the Order follows was always off limits to me.
I was not worthy to taint it with my hands or eyes.
Everything I know about God, about the Order’s doctrine, came from the mouth of Sister Agatha.
“Yes, I believe it,” Father McCall says. “It is the word of God.”
I want to ask if that’s the case then why haven’t I heard it before today? But I already know the answer.