Sin of Lust

CHAPTER 22

Sin of Lust by Swapie Achilles

CHAPTER XXII

OCTOBER

Meanwhile, inside the girl’s quarters, no one was able to sleep, they are all in the edge from what they have witnessed, some of them aren’t really sleeping, for they have passed out while the others are crying and hugging each other.

“What’s going to happen to sister Blanche? Is going to be alright? What about father Daleon?” that are the question that keep arising.

But those remains unanswered; Bernadette and Shaira keeps lulling Lossa who’s trembling and crying. They wanted to hell her it’s okay but they knew, it really wasn’t. Thus, the only thing they can do is lend her a shoulder where she can cry on.

After they put her to sleep, they proceeded to look at their window.

“So, what would happen from now on?” Bernadette thought to herself, hanging her head low and her hands tightly intertwined.

“Where are they taking sister Blanche and sister Marga too?” Shaira queried as she keeps on gazing from the window of their room.

“I heard they are going to the plaza,” Bernadette replied in a whisper, raising her interlock fingers on her forehead and her teeth grind to each other.

“What are they going to do there?” Mariel asked with same worried tone that her face held.

“Public execution…” Paul said to his roommates as the stays on the boy’s quarters, “that’s where it usually took place.”

After he said those words, Jamal who’s drinking milk to calm himself, chokes and the liquid spilled on his shirt. “What did you say?!”

“Public execution…” Romeo repeated.

“Yes, I heard him!” Jamal turns his head to him and let the remaining milk on his mouth splutter all over his face, “you don’t have to repeat it!”

“You said ‘what’ so I answered!” Romeo wipes his face.

“Stop it guys,” Raven decided to separate Romeo and Vincent gave Jamal towel.

“Is there anything we can do?” Kenneth asked, “I don’t anyone to get killed.”

“There’s nothing we can do, sister Blanche really killed father Daleon, that’s the worst thing she could do… she’s a murderer.” Red murmured with anger visible on his tone.

“We can’t trust anyone from now on. Look, just how kind sister Blanche to us, it was really a surprise that she was able to do something like that.” Iggy agreed.

And from the two rooms, both of them have different perspective.

“Sister is…”

“a murderer”

“she only did what needs to be done…”

There’s no hearing nor trial that was held for the suspects and the crime scene has speaks for itself, Marga and Blanche are the culprits. The Captain doesn’t need any trial in the court for the ministers on the church saw what happened and that’s enough for him to take and accuse the two ladies without further investigation.

And there they are in the pedestal not because of heroism but because of the act of murder.

They are bathing under the heat of the early noon sun as they kneel in front of the huge crowd under the huge blade of the guillotine above their naked with their necks trapped on the wooden prison and their hands are bound behind their backs so they won’t be able to get out of the blade’s way.

Blanche on the other hand woke up when she felt stiff and unbale to move, “Why can’t I move? It’s so uncomfortable here…” she internalized.  

And when she finally opened her eyes, she can see people in front of her murmuring and giving her looks of disgust. She can even see nobles putting their fans over their mouths as they whispered on each other, and some are shaking their head in disappointment.

“What’s happening?” she asked a loud and wince she felt she couldn’t move her hands, “what’s this?” she starts to panic and began to squirm and tries to break free from her binds.

And then she realized that she’s in the plaza, a voice beside her spoke and that made her stop twitching, “Blanche…” the voice called out her name.

“Sister Marga!” she looked on her right and exclaimed, “what are you doing here?” she asked when she saw the nun have the same situation as her.

“Listen…” Marga whispered.

“What’s the meaning of all this?” the younger nun queried. “Why are we in this situation?”

“Listen here, Blanche,” she whispered aggressively once more with seriousness on her voice. “We are getting beheaded in just a few moments,” she blatantly stated.

“What? Beheaded?!” Blanche breaths out, couldn’t able to believe what she’s saying, “what are you talking about sister? No one’s getting beheaded.” She stated, convincing herself that this is all just a dream.

That this is just a nightmare and when she wakes up, she will still see the children playing, “This is just a nightmare isn’t it?”

However, Marga looks up, to which made Blanche to look up too, and her eyes became wide as saucer. She saw huge and sharp blades above their heads, and by the looks of it, she knew it would way a few tons and have the idea how sharp it is as it reflects some of the sunrays on her eyes.

Blanche starts to hyperventilate and murmuring words while she forces her hands to get out, “This is not real, this is just dream. This is not real, this is just a dream…” she repeated it to herself over and over.

“Blanche, Blanche, hey Blanche look at me… hey!” Marga tried to stop her from focusing on things but her, “do you remember what happened?” she asked.

“What happened?” the younger lady returned the question, “what? What just happened?”

“Back in the convent… at the library…” she muttered looking at her deep in her eyes, trying to give hints on what happens, “with Daleon.”

The moment she heard the name of the man, everything went flashing before her eyes. Everything that has happened the moment she saw him with Lossa play again.

Until now she can remember how her body moves as anger took over her mind, she can remember everything as if she’s looking at herself from outside her body.  And she can’t deny that she found herself terrifying when she’s killing him.

“I… I remember,” she replied weakly. “I… I’m so…”

“I am sorry.” Marga beat her before she could even finish what she’s saying.

“I know everything the whole time, but I chose to be silent because I was scared. Afraid that it would kill me so I kept silent.” She confesses to her unable to look at him in the eye. “Even though I know how my friend- Novelyn died, I didn’t do anything. I’m a coward.”

“But then, I can’t keep it anymore.” She lifted her eyes from the ground and meet Blanche’s confuse and terrified ones. “I know killing is bad but I can’t help but support you; you have given justice to all the kids that were not able to defend themselves.” She smiled at her. “You may be a killer to all, but remember this, you are the hero to those who truly knows.”

“And I know, you don’t deserve to die like this…” she muttered, “so please, get out of here.”

“Get out? What are you talking about?” she asked with a smile that shows anxiety but still trying to mask it. “I am not going anywhere, I can’t.”

“You can, you have too,” Marga returned the smile, “you have too, your life can’t end like this. You have so much in you…”

“But-!” Blanche sentence was interrupted when they heard a footstep coming on their way as it trod on the steps.

The man finally reveal himself and he look at them as if they are the lowest among the lowest, as if they are just dust among someone’s heel.

“Blue Bird.” Marga breaths out, “I am telling you, she’s not a murderer.” She spoke to him as if they’ve known each other for so long.

“Then what is she?” his brows furrowed, “you were there when you saw Daleon’s body, she did him like he’s a pig for slaughter.”

“But-!”

And then he looks at the crowd and rest his chin high, “Behold!” he exclaimed, “these are the murderers of our beloved high priest! The killer of reverend Daleon Valdez!”

And then the murmurs erupt again, some immediately threw them with disgusted and angry looks.

“And they shall now pay the price, and to you lovely people of City of Biringan! Come and see this, for this will awaits to those people who disobey the law of Republic of Apo.” He proclaimed with pure authority.

“These two are getting beheaded from the act of killing a high and noble priest,” he stated as he walks around them, looking at the suspects’ eyes from the corner of his furious orbs, “do you know who are these? They are the trusted nuns of the person they have killed!”

And this made the crowd starts to curse them, and throw stones at them saying how they betrayed the kindest person in town and that they should be dead for doing such thing to the old man.

“Silence!” Blue Bird shouted as they began to throw stones to the two ladies, “your pleas are heard. They shall never be spare.”

Everyone cheered as if they are in a fiesta and the people on the podium are the actors and actresses of the play, while they chant, “Behead them, behead them…”

“Berdugo!” he called and everyone’s shouts fades a little and, in a few seconds, loud and heavy thuds of footsteps along with the sound of metallic boots were heard from where the man he called Berdugo is coming from.