Page 29 of Monster in Disguise

We open the suitcase and lay it on the ground. Then, the both of us grab onto Father Guerra and dump him in the suitcase.

"He's too big," she scrunches her nose.

"We just need to fold him a little." She tilts her head to the side as she considers this.

"How about we try a fetal position?" She circles the suitcase, her face sporting a big frown. She's probably imagining the different angles.

"Let's try."

We rotate his body, trying varying angles to fit him inside. Lucky for us, he's not a very tall male, probably only five inches taller than my own five-foot-three frame. After much trial and error, he's folded nicely in the suitcase.

I grab onto one zipper while Sisi holds onto the other, and we try to meet halfway. It takes a little sitting on top of it to make the suitcase close, but we manage.

"Damn." She wipes the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand.

The convent has its own cemetery. Sacre Coeur has a history stretching back almost two hundred years, and this cemetery was inaugurated during the 1918 influenza outbreak. Since then, it's been used sparsely, when nuns pass away. The advantage is that the cemetery is located close to the chapel, so the body can be put to rest right after the religious services.

There are maybe two administrative buildings that we have to pass on the way to the cemetery. Sisi's idea to place the body in the luggage was brilliant. The luggage's wheels make it easy to carry it towards the cemetery. Once there, we look for a hidden parcel, where the presence of fresh earth would go unnoticed. We find just the place, right next to a willow tree. The shadow cast from the tree should mask the turned earth.

"Wait!" Sisi says and dashes towards one of the smaller sheds next to the cemetery. She only takes a few minutes before returning with two shovels.

"Now's the hard part." She sighs and thrusts the shovel into the ground before scooping up some earth and dumping it to the side. I take the other shovel and do the same.

It must be a couple of hours later when, almost drenched in sweat, we finish digging.

"Honestly, this wasn't that bad," Sisi comments, and my head snaps towards her. Is she serious? "I think I'd rather dig up graves than wash dishes. Do you think I can apply for the position?" She's extremely serious as she asks this, and I can't help but laugh.

"Sisi..." I start, but I can't stop laughing. "You really want to trade dishes for graves?"

"It's still work." She shrugs, but I can tell she's amused as well.

"Let's do this!" I bring forward the suitcase and together we throw it into the hole.

"I say it's deep enough."

"I think so," I agree.

We grab the shovels once more and cover the hole with earth. This doesn't take nearly as long, and we soon find ourselves back at the chapel, trying to wipe away all evidence of the crime.

Catalina

Claudia hasn't mentioned Father Guerra since the incident. I'm relieved that she doesn't seem to be deeply affected, but it's clear she doesn't fully understand what happened.

I tried to explain that what he did was wrong and that she should never let anyone touch her like that. However, she seemed more concerned about me yelling at her.

I reassured her multiple times that it wasn't her fault and that even adults can misbehave, using Father Guerra as an example. Our talks may have had an impact because she no longer brings up the event.

Similarly, Sisi has also acted like our late-night escapade never occurred. She doesn't mention Father Guerra at all, and everything appears to be back to normal.

Or so we thought.

As it turns out, not everyone has forgotten about Father Guerra. A few days later, rumors start circulating that he abruptly left. Some nuns claim Mother Superior is distraught over his sudden absence. After hearing these whispers, I finally give in and ask Sisi:

"Do you think they'll try to find him?"

"Don't worry. There's no chance of them finding him, right? There's no trace of him," she answers in a hushed tone.

The burden of guilt continues to press heavily on my heart, regardless of how much I attempt to rationalize my deeds. The vision of Father Guerra with his hand up Claudia's skirt haunts me, and I can't shake the memory of his eyes just before he met his end. It's a secret I've yet to share with Sisi, but each night since that ill-fated evening, Father Guerra has invaded my nightmares.

---