Going Lucid (2 page)

“Have
you been here the whole time?” the nun asked.

“Yes.
Were you?”

“No and
you shouldn’t have been either.”

“I know
that. You don’t have to tell me, but someone else was in there.”

“No.
Everyone else was in the auditorium looking watching the inauguration of the
new pope.”

“But
I’m telling you someone else was in there. They were playing a joke on me,”
Malakha insisted.

“I
don’t want to hear it from you Malakha. You wouldn’t want to add lying to your
record would you?”

“No,
but—
“ Malakha
stopped when she saw one of the monks,
Brother Micha.
“Oh hell.”

Malakha
didn’t care what anyone said. Brother Micha may have taken vows to be kind and
celibate and to love everyone, but he sure didn’t like her.

“You
found her,” he said firmly.

“In the
music room,” added the Latina nun. The woman gave Malakha a stern glare, which
Malakha ignored.

“I
didn’t know I wasn’t allowed to be in there,” she said sarcastically.

“Not
during the viewing of the inauguration of a new pope,” the nun said.

“Whatever.
I know all that. But someone else was in there. I promise! They kept copying me
on the piano. But when I looked no one was there and then the notes played
again, but it didn’t look like anyone was playing.”

“Come
with me Malakha,” Brother Micha said.

“But you
have to believe me—“

“Malakha,”
he said.

Malakha
rolled her eyes. It was a waste of her time and breath to try to argue with him
anyway.

****

Malakha
tried to be respectful at first, even going as far to admit that she snuck out
the auditorium in the middle of the webcast of the inauguration of the pope.
She thought being respectful would make Brother Micha and their headmaster or
principle—whatever he was—Father Lucas, listen to her, but her reputation
seemed to precede her. As far as they were concerned she was trying to make an
excuse, and as far as she was concerned, respect could fly out the window if it
meant they would listen to her.

“But
something else was in that room playing the piano. Not just me!”

“I
acknowledge that, but the point is that even though you’re admitting to your
wrong, you’re still trying to get someone else in trouble with you so you don’t
have to be punished alone,” Father Lucas said to her seeming not at all fazed
by her outburst.

Based
on the way he was presenting himself, Malakha wondered if he was trying to be
like Dumbledore from
Harry Potter
or
something. If he was, he was failing miserably at acting the part.

“Why
won’t you listen to me? I didn’t say someone. I checked. It was something!”

“A ghost?”
Father Lucas said trying to humor her, a smirk on
his face.

Malakha
was not amused and groaned loudly and flopped down in her chair. “You know
what?
Whatever.
Just give me my punishment. What do
you want me to do? Write lines from the bible or memorize some scripture
again?”

Father
Lucas looked at Brother Micha who looked like he wanted to shrug helplessly,
but didn’t. Instead he looked at Malakha and then back at Father Lucas,
choosing to remain silent.

“This
isn’t the first time you’ve been in trouble young lady.”

“You
don’t have to remind me,” Malakha muttered dryly.

“And it
seems traditional disciplinary methods don’t work for you.”

“I
wholeheartedly agree with you,” Malakha said rolling her eyes.

“So I
think we should try something a little different this time.”

Chapter
Two

The Exorcism

“He’s
making me go to an exorcism,” Malakha grumbled when Sabrina asked her what her
punishment was while they were in the dinner line.

“Sounds interesting.”

“Yeah.
If you buy into that kind of
stuff.”
Sabrina glared at her making Malakha add dryly, “Not that
there’s anything wrong with that.”

Sabrina
shook her head, having learned long ago that it was no use getting upset with
Malakha on matters such as religion and politics. Malakha stood by what she
believed and didn’t apologize if it made others uncomfortable.

“You’re
lucky. Father Lucas usually forbids students from witnessing that kind of
stuff.”

“That’s
what I said to him when I tried to get out of it, but according to him I’m an
extreme case, and I need extreme measures to make me see the error in my ways,”
Malakha said rolling her eyes. “I think they want to try to scare me into
thinking that if I don’t change my ways, Satan will use me as a host for his
demons or something so he can do his dirty work on earth.”

Sabrina
laughed before saying, “Well if it makes you feel any better, I wish I could
go. I heard they’re interesting.”

“I
think it’s a bunch of bullshit. Besides, why would they be conducting that kind
of stuff in a school anyway?”

“I’m
actually surprised you haven’t tried to sneak into one, but I guess it’s not
something you’d be curious about,” Sabrina said nodding to a table in the back
corner of the large dining hall, away from everyone else.

As they
sat down Malakha said, “Did you hear about that rave happening this weekend in
town?”

Sabrina
sighed patiently and said in a patronizing tone, “We’re not allowed to go into
town unless it’s a preplanned supervised trip Malakha and even when we do go, I
don’t think raves would be on the list of allowed places to go.”

“So?”

“So
aren’t you already in enough trouble young
lady
?”

Malakha
rolled her eyes as a boy her age sat next to her and nudged her in the
shoulder. He was taller than her five feet four inches, but was about two
inches short of six feet tall, and dark skinned, the darkest person Malakha
knew, with a
very
defined jaw line and overall
handsome features with a dazzling white smile that he used regularly to help
get her out of trouble if he was around to help. Malakha was also aware that he
had a huge crush on her.
She couldn’t
not
be aware of it.
Malak never tried to hide it.

“Always Malak.”

“How
did you find out about that rave anyway?”

“Probably
the same way you did,” Sabrina said looking at both of them disapprovingly. “You
all got around the firewalls and blocks on the internet again didn’t you?”

“Not so
loud Sabrina! You want to get us in trouble… not that Malakha isn’t already in
trouble I hear,” Malak said flashing a smile at Malakha.

“Why
are you over here anyway? You supposed to be sitting with the guys. You know
how they are about the intermingling of the sexes,” Malakha sighed, clearly
exasperated by yet another rule she had to keep in mind.

“Since
when do you care? Besides, this is pretty much the only time we get to talk
face to face,” Malak said leaning his head on hers.

Malakha
pushed him away. “Leave me alone before I tell one of the nuns Malak.”

“You
wouldn’t.”

“I
would,” Malakha said, eying the nun that was carefully watching them, but
probably wouldn’t intervene as long as they didn’t do anything scandalous.

“Fine,”
Malak said moving to sit on the other side of the table to give Malakha her
space. Then he leaned in some and whispered, “So you want to go to the rave
together?”

“You
can’t!” Sabrina whispered back, also eying the nun watching them.

“You
should go too. Maybe you’ll loosen up a little,” Malak added.

“Malakha’s
already in trouble. She can’t go and you shouldn’t be going either.”

“First
of all, Malakha doesn’t care. Second, I stay out of trouble for the most part.
The nuns and the monks think I’m a saint or an angel or something. And who
could blame them.”

Both
Sabrina and Malakha scoffed.

“Sure,”
Sabrina said moving a piece of her red hair out of her face. “I wonder if
they’ll think that if they find out what you got up to for your eighteenth
birthday!”

“I
know! His mom and dad would be so heartbroken! He can never take his vows of
celibacy and become like Father Lucas now. He’s not a virgin,” Malakha said,
dramatically resting the back of her hand on her forehead and pretending to
feel faint.

“Shut
up,” Malak snapped.

Malakha
and Sabrina only snickered.

Malak
moved on. “So are you going?”

Malakha
began to cut up her chicken as she said, “Nope!”

Sabrina
seemed to approve until Malakha added, “Not with you anyway.”

“Why not?”
Malak asked.

Malakha
raised her eyes to look at him. “You know exactly why. I don’t want you to get
the wrong idea.”

“Why
can’t I?” Malak asked. “Come on Malakha.
Me
and you
are destiny.
Malak and Malakha.
We weren’t named by
accident.”

“Please
stop making me gag. You know very well I don’t believe in destiny,” Malakha
said.

“You
don’t believe in anything,” Malak and Sabrina said simultaneously.

“Besides,”
Malak said becoming serious again, “it won’t just be me. There’s a group of us going.
We got a ride and everything and you shouldn’t go alone anyway. Raves are fun,
but they’re dangerous too. I wouldn’t forgive myself if you went alone and
something bad happened to you.”

Malakha
shifted in discomfort, avoiding Malak’s gaze and trying to fight the blush that
threatened to show on her light brown skin. Malak always made her uncomfortable
when he got all serious about his crush on her. She preferred when he joked and
made light of it.

Next to
her, Sabrina shook her head and rolled her eyes.

“That’s
if I go. It’s the same night of the exorcism I’m supposed to go to,” Malakha
muttered.

Malak
looked at her, a look that made Malakha feel like he was seeing right through
her. Then he shrugged, putting his hands on the table as he stood up.

“Well
if you change your mind, we’re meeting out by the road at nine, near that
flower field.”

“Those
are weeds,” Malakha said, looking up not that he was standing.

“Whatever.
You know how to sneak out through the courtyard out back and all that jazz
right?”

“Yeah,”
Malakha said smiling. “Now go away before the nuns and monks think we’re
planning a tryst or something.”

“We can
if you want?”

Malakha
glared at him, and Malak raised his hands in surrender as he walked away.

When he
was out of earshot, Sabrina said, “Your dad would like him.”

“Like
who?
Malak?”
Malakha asked pointing in the direction
the boy had gone.

“Yeah.
I mean he did that thing on his birthday, and he can
be a little goofy and silly sometimes, but what teenage boy doesn’t. He’s
really smart though, much nicer and respectful than he acts around you. And
most importantly, he’s catholic. Maybe not as devout as your parents, but a lot
more than you are,” Sabrina pointed out.

Now
Malakha knew where Sabrina was going…

“Is
this your way of telling me I should go out with him?”

“Not at
all,” Sabrina said quickly. “I’m just saying you should… keep in touch with him
as a friend in case you change your mind in the future or something.”

Malakha
almost choked on her chicken as she laughed.
“Yeah right.
Malak’s nice, but we both know my belief system is nowhere like his. Can you
imagine how confused our children would be? I’m almost atheist and he buys into
some of this stuff.”

“You’re
not atheist. You said so yourself. Your ideas are just a little different.”

“Tell
that to Father Lucas.”

******

The
father, who came to get her, Father Thomas, didn’t say anything when he
personally came to get her from her room Friday evening. It was already getting
dark by the time he came and Malakha hoped that this wouldn’t take forever.
Though she still wasn’t sure whether or not she was going to the rave, she
would like to be back to her room so that she would have the option if she did
decide she wanted to go.

“Will
this take long?” Malakha asked
,
breaking the silence
as Father Thomas led her to a part of the school she had never been in before,
a part that looked more medieval and gothic than the rest of the school did.

“Are
you in a rush?”

“No,”
Malakha muttered. “I was just wondering how long it would take.”

Father
Thomas was silent for a while. Then he said, “It depends.”

“Depends
on what?” Malakha asked, but didn’t get an answer as she was led into a large
room, built with concrete walls and no windows save for the one in the door.
The lighting was bad too, being a dull yellow that gave off a candle-like glow.

“What
is this?
A dungeon?”
Malakha asked. Again, she didn’t
get an answer, so she looked around to see who was in the room.

There
was a priest, clutching a bible in one hand, and a cross to his chest in the
other and standing next to him was a Caucasian young man. He was tall and
appeared to be about five years older than Malakha. His robes only made him
look lanky as he too looked around the room with what seemed like the same
fascination Malakha had. Sitting in the chair was a girl, only older than
Malakha by maybe two or three years. She looked nervous.

“You
can stand over there Malakha,” Father Thomas said gesturing to where the young
Caucasian man was standing.

Malakha
did so with no protest. If she could be quiet and not ask questions, this might
be over quickly. However, as the priest prepared, Malakha got bored with the
silence and so looked at the boy next to her. He was dressed like one of the
monks, but he didn’t appear as unapproachable as they did. She might even get
along with him.

She
held out her hand for him to shake and said, “I’m Malakha.”

He
looked at her hand and then back at her as though she’d grown two heads or
something and feeling the air become tense, Malakha started to put her hand
down while saying, “I guess you take your vow of celibacy really seriously
then.”

Her
comment seemed to startle him out of his stare, and he grabbed her hand to
shake it before she could finish taking her hand away.

“Sorry.
Just a little nervous.
I’m John.”

“First time seeing an exorcism?”
Malakha asked.

“Witnessing
one in person, yes,” he said. “I’ve seen recordings. What about you?”

“First time ever seeing one at all.”

“Really?
You must be excited.”

Malakha
huffed.
“Hardly.
I’m only down here because I’m being
punished for sneaking out the auditorium while a new pope was being crowned. To
be honest, I don’t buy into any of this stuff. I’m just here because I have to
be.”

John
looked at her in confusion. “What do you mean? You don’t think the exorcisms
are real?”

“I
don’t believe any of it is real. The religion, the rituals, you name it.”

“You’re
atheist?”

Malakha
shook her head. “No. At least I don’t think so. I just don’t believe in this.
I’m not sure what I believe in actually. My parents sent me here, the school I
mean, to figure it out.”

John
nodded, making a humming sound and then said, “Well maybe this will help.”

“I
doubt it,” Malakha said skeptically as she watched the man begin flicking drops
of holy water on the girl as he walked around her and began reciting a prayer
or something in Latin. Malakha wasn’t exactly sure what the words were because
the priest was saying them too incoherently for her to hear.

“What’s
he saying?” she whispered to John.

John
smiled. “You go to a catholic school and grew up in a catholic home and didn’t
learn to at least recognize Latin?”

Malakha
scowled. “I know what language it is. I can actually read and speak Latin. My
mother forced me to. But he’s mumbling. I can’t hear what he’s saying.”

John
smiled and leaned down to say in her ear, “Neither can I.”

Malakha
sighed, leaned on the wall, and watched as the priest stood right in from of
the girl, beginning to ask her things, still holding the cross in front of his
chest with the bible in the other.

“Why is
he asking her all these questions?” Malakha asked John.

“To
bring up the demon inside her,” John said. “Just watch. It gets interesting.”

Malakha
wasn’t sure about that. To her, it only looked like they were traumatizing the
pour girl. After a few minutes of intense questioning, the girl’s face was
turning red and she was beginning to cry, her words becoming more and more
incoherent.

“Please.
I don’t want to do this anymore. I didn’t… I’m sorry…”

Malakha
pressed her lips together, resisting the urge to walk out the room. If guilt
tripping was their idea of an exorcism, they had succeeding in doing what they
came to do. But instead of backing off, as the girl’s cries began to get louder
and her face turned redder, the priest raised his voice, speaking in Latin
again. Malakha yet again couldn’t understand it. Between the priest darn near
shouting and the girl’s almost hysterical cries, they may as well have been
speaking Italian or some other language she couldn’t speak.

Malakha
rolled her eyes, about to open her mouth to get someone’s attention, having had
about enough of seeing this emotional abuse. Then she felt the chill of a draft
and saw goose bumps on her arms, similar to the way she felt in the music room
earlier in the week. Malakha looked around for a crack or hole in the wall that
might let a draft into the room, but found nothing. Even when she moved to
another spot next to her, the feeling didn’t go away.