Sixteen
“OK, EVERYONE,” GLADYS hollers as she claps her hands. “Let’s gather around for prayer!”
It’s Thursday night, the first night of the Acutis Society’s Fairy Tales and Frights. Helen and I are here, first for me to pray with the Society’s members, then walk through the mansion with the first group of little boys and girls.
“You can do what you want, Tom,” Helen said to me at lunch, “but I’m going back later in the evening to go through the scary version.”
“I’ll drive you,” I said, “then we can grab a snack from Sprockets.”
“Don’t you think it’s time you worked through this fear you have haunted houses?”
“They never said anything at seminary about that being a qualification for a parish priest.”
Helen had rolled her eyes at that one.
In front of me are the members of the Socie
