The Unknown

xv. cathedral

The interior of the cathedral was beautiful—in a damaged way. The stained glass windows were shattered, leaving vibrant shards of all colors scattered across the floor. The gentle morning sun glowed through the empty window frames, lighting up countless motes of dust suspended in its reach. A green carpet of moss obscured parts of the floor, while other portions were hidden under piles of rubble that had crumbled from the walls.

Kyle and I were silent, communicating only by hand gestures. It didn't seem like there were any soldiers around yet, but we had no idea when they might descend upon the building. The main room was desolate; Rosalie and whoever we'd seen her with had seemingly disappeared.

I pointed out a doorway to our right that contained a set of stairs. They lead up, probably to the bell tower, and down, to a basement. I motioned upward, and Kyle nodded once in agreement. Intuitively, it seemed like a good idea to seek out higher ground—a vantage point.

We tiptoed up the steps and, sure enough, wound up in a room centered by the large bell, with open ornate windows on all sides. A warm, comforting breeze constantly flowed through the space.

I noted that the sun was now halfway to its peak in the sky. Our deadline was looming, and the closer it got, the more anxiety insidiously crept its way into my thoughts. My hands were shaky and sweaty, although that may have had something to do with my growing hunger. I'd exerted myself too much on an already-empty stomach. On cue, it unleashed a loud growl as I wondered where we were going to find food.

"We'll have to go foraging later," Kyle muttered in a low voice. I tried to let it reassure me that he seemed so certain we would both safely escape.

Suddenly, both of our heads whipped in the direction of a creak from the staircase. Kyle calmly brought a finger to his lips, motioning for silence. We flattened ourselves against the wall beside the entrance, hidden from anyone glancing into the room from outside.

A few breathless moments later, subdued footsteps approached. Then, just outside the door, there was soft, barely-audible breathing, followed by a hiss of unintelligible whispers.

In an instant, a mane of long blonde hair flashed into the room, and all fear melted away. "Rosalie," I exhaled with relief, stepping away from the wall and into her line of sight.

After a split second of wide-eyed panic, Rosalie smiled and exclaimed, "Tess!" Before I could react, she threw her arms around me. Over her shoulder, I spotted Shaun, who also passed through a noticeable but brief stage of shock at the sight of me.

When she released me and spotted Kyle, Rosalie beamed even further. She promptly turned and captured him in a similar embrace. Kyle stood stiffly but returned the favor, wrapping his arms around her; his size dwarfed Rosalie's small frame. Her pixie-like appearance matched her personality, and even for Kyle, it was difficult to dismiss Rosalie's enthusiasm and warmth.

"Hey guys," Shaun said, leaning casually with his arm against the wall. "So, what have you been up to?" he asked as if we were old friends catching up in ordinary circumstances.

"The military already knows about this place and our plan to meet up here," Kyle said in one hushed breath. "We came to warn everyone...or, at least, to try, before they're all ambushed."

Shaun's eyebrows drew together. "How do you know this?"

"Doc told us. Doc and Jason betrayed us all," I explained, keeping my voice flat and emotionless. "They're the ones who gave away our location. It was in exchange for the two of them to return to the city."

Rosalie's eyes widened at the revelation. Shaun studied our faces in disbelief. His expression slowly hardened as it sunk in that we were telling the truth, though his eyes looked hurt. I remembered that he and Jason had been good friends.

We all sat down—partly for a much-needed rest but also to brainstorm ideas for how we might be able to warn everyone. This proved fruitless, until Kyle said, "I've got an idea," and abruptly rose to his feet.

Then, in one swift motion, he tore his shirt over his head.

Shaun held up a hand, shielding his eyes in feigned horror. "Whoa, Kyle, buddy, I know you and Tess have a long history of unaddressed sexual tension, but now's not the best time to—" Kyle threw the shirt over Shaun's head, halting his sarcastic mockery. My face got hot. Shaun didn't move, leaving the red fabric draped over his face, and Rosalie giggled.

"Think about it, what does a red flag mean?" Kyle asked.

"A warning sign. Danger," Rosalie suggested.

"Exactly. So we hang this off the tower as a warning signal." Kyle snatched his shirt back and picked up a heavy chunk of stone that had crumbled from the wall. He dangled the shirt out the window and set the stone on the ledge on top of it, holding it firmly in place as he stepped away. The shirt billowed in the wind, and we all stared at it for a moment in contemplative silence.

"So we have to bank on them being not only perceptive enough to notice it but also inquisitive enough to realize what it means," Shaun muttered. "Can you really see someone like Jessie figuring that out?"

Kyle frowned.

"If you have a better idea, Shaun, we're all ears," I said, absentmindedly picking the dirt out from under my fingernails.

"Likewise, Tess. I'm just considering the practicality of it," Shaun replied, shrugging. He leaned his torso over the window ledge, inspecting the earth beneath us through squinted eyes.

I paused to further mull it over in my head. "You can see the bell tower from a mile away. I think I'd hesitate if I saw a red flag waving." I desperately wanted it to work, so I was in part trying to convince myself. "This place has been untouched by humans for so long, reclaimed by nature. It's bright red, and it's out of place...It should stick out."

"What else could we do?" Kyle muttered. He slumped against the wall next to me and gradually allowed himself to slide to the ground. He had dark crescents beneath his eyes, and only now did I notice the harsh purple bruises spotting much of his body. I recalled the soldiers at the bonfire remarking about him putting up a good fight, and I felt a red-hot surge of anger pulse through my veins.

It was rare that Kyle let any weakness show, but his exhaustion was now evident in his movements. He buried his face in his hands and repeatedly ran his fingers through his hair. I found myself mesmerized by the rhythmic rippling of wiry muscle under his skin. I swore he caught me staring out of the corner of his eye, but he said nothing.

"No matter what we do, there are no guarantees," Rosalie pointed out. "We tried. We did our best."

"Hardly our best," Kyle murmured. "I hung up a t-shirt."

There was a gap in the conversation until Shaun stepped toward the bell at the center of the room. "Do you think this thing would still ring?" He asked idly, reaching up to tap on its side.

"Probably," Kyle said. "It looks undamaged."

"You might be onto something, there, Shaun," I said, laughing. "What if we just ring the bell as a warning?"

I looked around to see growing smiles on each face that, surprisingly, weren't entirely mocking. It was only a half-serious suggestion, but it sounded stupid enough that it just might work.

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Thanks for reading! The next part is almost finished, so let me know if you want more.

Bonus: Here are my new kittens: