Chapter 4
Avery races up the steps of the church but when he rushes into the vestibule, his feet falter. The church is as deserted as the school building, now that classes are out for the day. A heavy pall of incense hangs in the air, suffocating, cloying. The vestibule is dark and musty. Through the open doors ahead, the nave shimmers in a myriad of colors from the setting sunlight cast through the stained glass windows.
Reverently, Avery dips his fingers into the holy water font. The water is as cold as metal against his skin. He crosses himself quickly, dropping to one knee the way he’s seen other students do. Genuflection, he thinks it’s called. When he looks up, he can see the carved face of Christ staring at him from the other side of the altar. The crucifix. Please, he prays. One
