“Hard to tell, but I think we should plan on sleeping here tonight.”
“Assuming no one tries to kick us out.”
“Assuming no one tries to kick us out. Right. Do you think there’s anyone else in here besides us five?”
“Well, someone lit these candles. Whether they’re still here right now, I can’t say.”
“So, what do you think this place is? Something about this place feels… I don’t know. Off?”
“I get that same feeling, Pete. I’m not sure what this building’s used for now, but it definitely once was a church. I don’t think they have services or rituals in here any more, though.”
“Yeah. I’d think there’d be a cross, or a picture of Jesus, or something if it was still being used as a church. What do you think it’s used for now?”
“No clue. For tonight, I’m hoping it can be used as a haven for five wet and weary travelers. Here’s hoping the owner or owners of this place don’t mind us being here.”
As if on cue, a loud clap of thunder struck the ground somewhere on the grounds outside the building, lighting up the sky through the small windows in the top of the walls.
Irene, startled by the unexpected loud noise, jumped. The three women were standing in a hallway, lit with candles similar to the ones they had seen in the main sanctuary. Midway down the hallway stood a large wooden door. For the time being, this was their goal.
When they reached the door, the three women couldn’t help but notice the ornate markings on the door itself. There was text across the top, written in a language and alphabet none of them recognized. Two images were engraved below the text. On the left side of the door was the silhouette of what clearly appeared to be a woman. It was hard to tell based upon its appearance whether she was standing or lying down, but her legs were slightly askance and her hands stretched above her head. On the right side of the door was a man’s silhouette; the man’s figure, slightly larger than the woman’s, was in by and large the same position. Both images were remarkably well-defined, especially for an engraving into a wooden door.
Alyssa’s eyes darted back and forth between the two pictures chiseled into the door. “Do you think they’re naked?”
Irene didn’t want to dignify that question with a response. Lynda responded to Alyssa’s question with a grunt as she reached forward and turned the doorknob.
The door creaked open to reveal what looked like a medieval sitting room. The three friends assessed the decor: chairs placed around the room along the walls and a large table which bore nothing save for a bowl with a small pool of water, and more candles for lighting. The light from the candles in this room danced across the surface of the water.
“We might as well get changed here,” Irene finally spoke, as she started to search through her bag for clean underwear.
Alyssa placed her bag on one of the chairs and did the same. Lynda walked closer to the table and put her bag down on the table. She started to open her bag but stopped before she had the opportunity to find something. Taking a deep breath, she spoke to her friends, “Do you smell something?”
“Like what?” Irene countered.
“Oh, I don’t know. Something in here smells sweet and relaxing. It smells like… lilacs. You know, what I smelled outside. Are you saying you don’t smell it?”
Irene sighed, “Nope.” Alyssa simply shrugged her shoulders.
Lynda inhaled deeply. When she opened her eyes, she casually removed her blouse and skirt and folded them neatly on top of the table. Once she had stripped down to her underwear, she felt the need to know more about this smell. “If someone’s growing flowers down here, I’d like to know how they’re doing it. I can’t imagine anyone having an indoor garden in a place like this. Do you mind if I go check?” Neither Alyssa nor Irene looked Lynda closely enough in her eyes to notice that her gaze seemed distant, unfeeling.
Irene started to say that she didn’t think this was a good idea, but Lynda said, “I’ll catch up with you back with the boys,” before any objections could actually be raised. Lynda turned on her heels and slowly walked out of the room.
Irene and Alyssa looked alternately at each other, and towards the door through which Lynda had just left, confused as to what just happened. Irene hastened to change her clothes and said, “Let’s go after her.”
Alyssa nodded and quickly changed into a sweatshirt and sweatpants, shoving her other clothes into her backpack. Both girls left the room and looked around. Alyssa asked, “Which way do you think she went?”
“She said she smelled lilacs. Do you smell anything?”
“No. She wouldn’t be imagining it, would she?”
“Probably not. But she works with this kind of stuff, so maybe she’s just more attuned to it.”
Alyssa pointed to her right. “We came from that way. I doubt she would have gone that way. What do you think?”
Irene scratched her chin, scowled and indicated the hallway to the left. “You’re probably right. Let’s go this way.” With each stride, both women felt colder and colder, as though the gusts of wind through which they had trudged to reach this place, were actually blowing within these cavernous walls. The only saving grace was that it wasn’t actually raining inside the building.
Alyssa rounded a corner and saw that the corridor stretched further than she could see. The torch-like candles still lit the way, but did little to help warm them up. Irene stayed close behind Alyssa, arms crossed and trying desperately not to let her teeth chatter too loudly.
“Ya know, Ally, I d-d-don’t th-th-th-think Lynd-da c-ca-came th-this w-w-w-w-way. It’s too c-c-c-cold and sh-she’s barely wearing anyth-th-thing.”
“I th-think you’re right. Let’s head b-b-back. M-maybe she’s already c-caught back up with Ron and P-p-p-p-pete. If not, we’ll get the guys to help us f-f-f-f-find her.”
Irene and Alyssa quickly turned around and headed back to the sanctuary where their friends were waiting. The rain outside gave little sign of easing up.
Lynda reached the end of the corridor and entered a small foyer. She had sensed some of the coldness her friends had felt, but it didn’t affect her. The lure of the flowers was simply too strong. Once she reached her destination she saw a large circle of flowers growing out of a small mound of dirt in the center of the floor. She knelt down and deeply inhaled the sweet aroma.
She grabbed a handful of the dirt in the ground and examined it closely, sifting some through her fingers. With each handful of dirt that she grabbed and slowly released onto the floor below, she slipped deeper into a state of tranquility, remembering those happy times when she was a little girl, playing in the dirt and returning home, filthy, and loving every minute of it. To her, nothing else existed in the world: only this beautiful, aromatic, magical place.
After a few moments of playing in the dirt, she sat back on her hands, staring at the dirt and the walls that surrounded her. She felt a slight vibration in the ground but remained motionless.
Rising up out of the dirt, inside of the circle of flowers, came a tall, slender young woman, her long hair cascading over her shoulders. She wore in a long, flowing red robe that swayed in the light breeze from the hallway. This mysterious stranger smiled solemnly as she held out her hand.
At first, Lynda felt afraid, but the fear quickly dissolved to confusion, and, ultimately, to a sense of purpose. She reached out and took the hand of this girl who stood above her. As her hand gripped the outstretched hand offered to her, she felt a sense of warmth, of beauty, of light. She stood up and gazed into the face of this woman. The woman cracked a slight smile of welcome.