Post 28: The Lord’s Prayer

By the time Vehement woke me I was feeling better then I had in weeks. I moved to the chair and Vehement moved to the bed. The hospital was quite... there was no buzz from the radio, which was sitting on a table with my gun and the bullets.

I was thinking of home... thinking of a boy I’d known back there... a boy that —if Rachel hadn’t dragged me away— would have probably been my boyfriend. He was a sweet boy... something you didn’t seen too often in the city.

His name was Aetos, which meant eagle in Greek. Of course, that was just what everyone called him... he’d lost his real name when he started living on the street, like most of the kids I hung out with. Aetos didn’t like to talk too much about his family, but I’d gathered that they’d been killed by one of the gangs and he’d been ‘lucky’ to survive.

It happened a lot there... the gangs would kill all but the kids and leave them with their parent’s bodies... Social Services would come and take the kids away, but some always came back... back to the streets.

I sighed and shifted in the chair, trying to make myself comfortable. I didn’t want to think of Aetos... didn’t want to think of what might have been, if not for Rachel, if not for Silent Hill.

I looked over at Vehement’s sleeping form and clutched his hand tighter, his hand clutching mine in his sleep. I wondered what he was dreaming about... I wished he would wake up so that I could talk about Aetos... or just talk.

I sighed and blinked, thinking I had slipped into a dream, because I was hearing a voice. A soft, child like voice was calling out for me, crying out “Avril!” over and over, with an odd echo that sent a shiver down my spine. I tried to block out the voice, not wanting to think about who or what was trying to lure me out of this safe room...

I gently released Vehement’s hand and clasped my hands together in my lap. I looked down at them with half-close eye.

“Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.” I froze as I heard Vehement move but smiled when his arms wrapped around my shoulders and his voice joined mine.

“And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever...amen.”

“Do you believe in God?” I asked, looking over at Vehement, who was resting his chin on my right shoulder.

“Yes.” he whispered. “If such evil as we have seen can exist, then why not a God of mercy and kindness?” Vehement reached into his pocket and pulled out a small cross on a chain beforepressing it into my hands.

“I’m scared...” I whispered, trying not to cry.

“It’s okay... so am I.”

To Be Continued