The Call

The idea this week is to take some props associated with a character and spin into a story, or the hint of a story in 300 words. Good Luck.

I resort to thee and to thy petition.

She fumbled through the array of religious paraphernalia scattered on top of the book case. The well fingered novena card to St Martha of Bethany, depicted here taming the dragon with a sprinkle of holy water, her father’s Roman Missal, black Italian leather blocked in gold, alpha and omega and the crossed keys embossed on its cover, her mother’s silver crucifix, a skull at the foot of Christ’s nailed feet until she found what she wanted. She propped the votive tea light in front of miniature photographs of the dead.

I offer up to thee this light.

Inside the bookcase religious stalwarts juggled with alternative spiritual titles like Chicken Soup for the soul: Messages from Heaven and other Miracles, and Doreen Virtue’s Angel Answers. She reached for the latter.

Comfort me in all my afflictions

She walked towards her bedside locker where The Imitation of Christ lay open, a memorial card of her dead cousin acting as book marker, and knelt down beside her single bed with its iron foot and headboard. She saw her pale face in the dressing table mirror partly obscured by the poster of Maria Goretti, the girl who said no.

I beseech thee to have definite pity

Perhaps she had been too proud. Religious pride they said was the worst sort. Her eyes fell on the ornate iron coat railing that bore not coats but sterling silver chains bearing various miraculous medals and two sets of rosary beads, one in Swarovski crystals,  bought on a visit to the Vatican, the other in filigree silver.

On this your loyal subject.

The phone rang in the hallway.

And when she returned she flung the beaded crystals that splintered as they shattered on the bare wooden floor.

297 words

Copyright  with Cathy Leonard 2019