Page 38 of Prayer of the Damned

“I just know,” Derek answered with overconfidence. I hold myself back from reacting.

“Fortunately for you, this isn’t a lesson about faith, Derek, or you’d flunk it.” Dr. Abano glares at Derek, who lowers his eyes.

“Well, most of you have learned the story of Creation at school. Who can tell me what you learned?”

Another student raises her hand, and Dr. Abano gestures to her. “It’s the book that starts the Old Testament, and it tells of the creation of the world and the beginning of humanity, which was created by God.”

“That’s right, Ms. …”

“Tracy, Dr. Abano.”

“Well, Tracy, that’s what’s taught in your schools, but I’m more interested in what came before that. What existed before God intervened and supposedly created the human world?”

Tracy again raised her hand, and Dr. Abano gave her permission to speak.

“The world was chaos. Meaning there was nothing there.”

“Oh?” Dr. Abano walks along the front of the stage, and our eyes track him with maximum attention. “If God decided to put things in a certain order, that means the lack of order was what ruled the world before Him. And if God decided to bring forth light, that means Darkness existed before it. If we read what’s written correctly, we learn that the natural state is Chaos. Thus, God did not createex nihilo.He intervened in an existing state of affairs. His intervention ignited the ancient war that continues to this day.” Stunned voices sounded up throughout class. “I want us to spend this lesson carefully reading the text you’re familiar with from your previous lives. I want you to carefully note the words chosen to tell the story of Creation, the perspective from which it’s told and what it wishes tocommunicate to the reader. Most of all, I want you to be critical and try to understand what was cut out, what isn’t told and why. Are Satan and his emissaries mentioned in the story of Creation, and if so, how are they represented?”

I closely listen to the lecture, and the tone Dr. Abano uses to tell the story of Creation. The places where he pauses, where his voice rises or drops. I make mental notes to investigate those places later, because something tells me that’s what we’re expected to pay attention to, that they have some special meaning for us.

When the bell sounds, everyone hurriedly closes their notebooks and rushes out of class.

Dr. Abano raises his hand to draw our attention back to him, and announces: “For the next class I’d like you to read chapter 3, which recounts the sin of Adam and Eve. I want you to ask yourselves the same questions we asked in class, and we’ll go over them together next time.”

When I pass by Dr. Abano with the rest of the students, he addresses me, “A word, Ms. Fermi.” I practically turn to stone where I stand.

Valentina shoots me an inquisitive gaze and whispers: “I’ll be waiting for you outside class.” I nod and approach Dr. Abano’s desk.

“Yes, Dr. Abano?” I ask when the last student has left the classroom.

“Have you found the right questions yet?” He sits in his chair and leans back, examining my expression.

“Uh… I’m not sure what you mean,” I admit.

“I heard you did some research in the library that went on all night. Did nothing come of it?” How does he know I was at the library all night? Is Ms. Lando spying for him?

“N-no…” the word clumsily leaves my mouth.

“Hmm…” He leans on his chin. “I must say I’m a bit disappointed, Bellcolor. Maybe you’ll find more useful information in the homework.” He gestures to me that I’m dismissed.

I’m not fond of the gesture, but I quickly flee the classroom, not interested in lingering any longer than I have to. Something about Dr. Abano’s presence – especially when we’re so close – makes me uncomfortable. My body reacts to him in a slightly unpleasant way. It’s such a weird feeling, and I can only conclude that it’s something that would be improper between a student and her teacher.

Valentina waits for me at the classroom door. “What did he want? How does he know your name? He had to ask every student’s name but yours.” The suspicious look on her face doesn’t elude me.

“The whole faculty knows about my… situation; I assume it wasn’t hard to notice me among the other students.” I don’t let her in on our encounter last night in the former office of Prof. Sapienti.

“Come on, we need to get to the gym before we’re late for self-defense class.” She peeks at her cellphone and realizes that it doesn’t matter how fast we run, we’re already late.

Chapter Fifteen

Bellcolor

I’m screwed. Big-time. Valentina and I are late to our first self-defense class. But unlike Valentina, who somehow managed to get away without being punished, I got picked as the guinea pig for the first face-off.

I can tell that Ms. Kingsley is a tough bitch just by the glare she shot me as soon as I set foot in the gym. I won’t lie, I expected to see a male coach, but the powerful aura her firm body radiates makes it clear to me that she’s on par with any man.

And if the embarrassment of being called out by Ms. Kingsley to stand next to her in a boxing ring isn’t awful enough, add the school uniform for self-defense lessons. Seriously. Despite the changes my body is going through, standing next to a redheaded bombshell like Ms. Kingsley makes me feel like a Q-tip. And all the students staring at me must be thinking the same. Embarrassing? Understatement.

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