sheĀ studied itĀ āĀ theĀ mosaicĀ glassĀ stainedĀ andĀ marredĀ byĀ cracksĀ depictingĀ theĀ devastation.Ā theĀ sonĀ ofĀ godĀ nailedĀ toĀ theĀ cross,Ā anguishĀ bestowedĀ uponĀ hisĀ features,Ā andĀ aĀ slewĀ ofĀ figuresĀ crowdedĀ beforeĀ him.Ā tenĀ yearsĀ agoĀ jodieĀ wouldāveĀ paidĀ noĀ mindĀ toĀ it,Ā sheĀ hadnāt,Ā oftenĀ sawĀ itĀ asĀ justĀ anotherĀ gaudyĀ display.Ā forĀ aĀ placeĀ thatĀ pridedĀ itselfĀ inĀ beingĀ theĀ bestĀ theyĀ fellĀ shortĀ on upkeep. maybe the evening was just a ploy to rack up enough to replace the window ... with an inviting sunrise, no doubt.Ā clear tapeĀ stillĀ sealedĀ aĀ shardĀ ofĀ theĀ paneĀ inĀ placeĀ āĀ oneĀ peeledĀ backĀ time and time again by the deviant to funnel her smoke.Ā afterĀ wordĀ gotĀ outĀ ofĀ anĀ āaromaāĀ lingeringĀ fromĀ theĀ restrooms,Ā jodieĀ hadĀ toĀ getĀ creative.Ā apparently creative enoughĀ thatĀ evenĀ afterĀ allĀ thisĀ timeĀ noĀ oneĀ seemed to notice.Ā
cigaretteĀ satĀ idleĀ betweenĀ ringedĀ fingers,Ā attentionĀ fixed onĀ aĀ womanĀ kneltĀ beforeĀ theĀ cross,Ā headĀ inĀ herĀ handsĀ andĀ drapedĀ inĀ crimsonĀ red.Ā herĀ own hand dropped toĀ smoothĀ over theĀ silk slipĀ dress ofĀ theĀ sameĀ color.Ā aĀ bitĀ darker,Ā jodieĀ neverĀ oneĀ forĀ flashiness,Ā andĀ clingingĀ toĀ herĀ frameĀ likeĀ aĀ secondĀ skin.Ā yet itĀ wasnātĀ theĀ dressĀ thatĀ feltĀ constricting,Ā no,Ā butĀ a crashingĀ waveĀ ofĀ realization that rendered her still.Ā for a moment, sheĀ sawĀ herselfĀ inĀ thatĀ woman,Ā sheĀ sawĀ herĀ classmatesĀ inĀ thatĀ crowd. itĀ wasn'tĀ aĀ cross,Ā itĀ wasĀ aĀ flowing current.Ā like that very scene, theyĀ all watchedĀ chrisĀ dieĀ ā¦Ā disappear. only he didn't do it for their sins, they'd pay for those. technically they already started to.
movementĀ eventuallyĀ pulledĀ herĀ fromĀ herĀ ownĀ head ( thank god ), quick drag from her cig before,Ā āĀ youĀ goingĀ toĀ sellĀ meĀ outĀ toĀ theĀ headmistressĀ ?Ā āĀ deadpannedĀ asĀ ifĀ sheĀ hadnātĀ justĀ grappledĀ withĀ anĀ internalĀ revelation,Ā jodieĀ finallyĀ turned only to be met with a familiar face.Ā āĀ nick,Ā āĀ shouldāveĀ knownĀ it'd beĀ him,Ā alwaysĀ wasĀ oneĀ toĀ catchĀ herĀ inĀ aĀ momentsĀ ofĀ seclusion.Ā āĀ enjoying yourself this evening ?Ā ā a beat, āĀ seem to be. you know if i hadn't known, i would've thought you tried your hand at a career in politics. ā