Page 31 of Monster in Disguise

"We need to leave." Sisi's urgency breaks through my shock and she pulls me towards the back of the church. Just then, Mother Superior appears.

The moment she sees Father Guerra's remains, she crosses herself and drops to her knees, her eyes wide with horror.

"Let's go." Sisi urges me on, pulling me away from Mother Superior's gaze. We make our way back to our room as quickly and quietly as possible.

Claudia is still asleep in her bed when we enter. We try to keep our voices low so as not to wake her.

"Someone saw me... Oh Lord, someone knows." Panic begins to overtake me as I think about the implications. The image of Father Guerra's mutilated body, displayed for all to see, will haunt me forever. I can't unsee it...

"You don't know that."

"It was written there. You saw it too." I bring a hand to my forehead and close my eyes, willing the disturbing images away. "I need to do something... We can't stay here. It's too dangerous. What if whoever did this comes for us next? Or worse, Claudia?"

"Maybe it was just a prank," Sisi suggests, trying to calm me down.

"A prank?" I turn towards her, incredulous. "Did you see what they did to his body? They debased him in death... No, I can't stay here. I won't wait around and become their next victim." The fear and urgency in my voice are palpable as I make my decision. We have to leave. Now.

"I understand, but what can you do?"

Bringing my nails to my mouth, I bite them, the anxiety eating at my sanity. What can I do?

Think, Catalina, think!

"I need to call Enzo, tell him everything," I blurt out. I don't know if Enzo can do anything, but maybe he can at least protect my daughter.

I don't even wait for Sisi to reply. I go directly to my hidden spot and take out my phone, dialing Enzo. He picks up on the first try.

"Lina?" he asks, clearly surprised I'd call this early.

"Enzo... I need help. I screwed up," I start, my voice trembling as I try to explain what happened.

"Slow down,piccola. What happened?"

And so I tell him. Not in great detail, but I think he understands enough because he immediately tells me,

"I'll be there in a couple of hours. Don't move! Don't leave your room, understood?"

"Yes," I whisper, and I hang up.

"You're leaving?" Sisi asks.

"I don't know. Enzo told me to wait for him. I'm more than scared, Sisi... I'm terrified. What if something happens to Claudia? You saw that thing outside. No sane person would do that."

"No, you're right. You can't risk her safety, or yours."

"What about you, Sisi? You helped me!" I'd hate for anything to happen to her because of me.

"I'll be fine," she says dismissively, but I'm not convinced.

"At least call your brother. Let him know you might be in danger," I add.

"I don't think it's necessary. Chances are security will be tightened because of the incident. Don't worry about me, please." She takes my hands in hers. "Let's get you packed up. You need to get out of here."

I reluctantly agree, and we fill a few bags, mostly with clothes. I then gently wake Claudia up and explain to her we may need to leave. In her confused, sleepy state, she just agrees with me, not really asking questions.

True to his word, Enzo is here an hour later. He calls me to come down, as he is waiting in front of the building.

"Enzo!" I call out as I rush to hug him. He kisses the top of my head.

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