Touched (Short Story)
A supernatural Southern Gothic tale. (6 minute read)
CW: Ableism, Murder, and Domestic Violence
Everything is black, an endless pit of nothingness. In the void, where no constraints exist, I gleefully experience many sensations. The sound of ambiance lingers around me. The air feels…fuzzy on my skin. The cool grassy earth beneath me sinks. Gravity weighs down on my shoulders, rendering me still. I wince. There is a sharpness that pokes at my flesh. Annoyed, I clench my hands and pull!
I hear a voice from outside, and the comforting blanket of nothingness passes away. Finally, I open my eyes; it is my mother. Her eyebrows furrow with concern. Her velvety, well-manicured hands clasp mine. I see a clothing tag in it.
“Baby, Sister Inez was askin’ how
speech therapy was goin’?”
It was dark now, and we were still alone in the church's parking lot. Choir practice only lasts two hours. However, in my mother’s usual fashion, her chatting forced us to stay late. My eyes glaze over Sister Inez, and I notice her scowl. Her burgundy lipstick lips tighten.
I look down at my shiny black shoes that Mother bought, notice the cute bows, and excitedly squiggle my toes inside.
“Ophelia has only been in it a few
weeks; the therapist says it can take a
while for her to catch up to regular
Sister Inez’s judgmental eyes gawk at me, sharp enough to pierce a gaping hole.
“That daughter of yours reminds me of
someone; she was also a little…
For a woman who proclaims to be so holy and sanctimonious, Sister Inez has barely mustered an ounce of empathy and kindness towards me and my mother since we arrived several months ago.
“We’ll pray and hope she turns out
Mother and I had to travel across four states to escape my father’s abuse; the place where we are supposed to be safe has yet to make us feel welcomed.
“I’m afraid we can’t pray away what
My mother’s soft palms began to feel clammy and tense; I must escape this conversation.
I make a beeline for the church.
“Ophelia, don't take too long, dear.”
Cold water splashes into my mouth. A creaky air conditioner buzzes above, and the sound is deafening. I look around, continuing to quench my thirst. New Hope A.M.E. has seen better days; vinyl walls peel away, revealing the 200-year-old frame. Beneath the wooden floors is a mismatched array of new and old bark, with small cracks cascading across the floor, each getting larger and larger….
It’s a shadow. My eyes lift, revealing a dark figure of a woman. I blink, and she vanishes. A chill shivers throughout me. My body stiffens; a deep scream traps itself in my throat. Slowly, my eyes search the room. Passing the wooden doors, there's a loud creak; instinctually, I follow the sound.
Moonlight beamed through the colorful stained windows, accentuating the dusty pews. As I inch down the aisle, the old floor bends under my weight with each step.
My eyes examine the small, quaint church back and forth. The pulpit sits steeply above the congregation. “Minister Hezekiah Thomas” is embellished in gold on an oversized dark cherry chair. It stands tall like a throne directly in the middle of the pulpit.
A foggy memory clouds my mind.
Minister Thomas’s boisterous sermon lingers in my head.
“Demons often disguise themselves as human and come to earth to harm us good Christian folk.”, so he says.
But why didn’t that woman hurt me?
Could she be something else?
Gravity rushes past me, I'm suddenly falling. Bracing my hands, I strike the hard floor, wincing in pain. I had just fallen on the edge of a staircase. The red carpet is beaten and worn. Flustering, I push myself up. There's a shrill, almost childlike cry from above, then I see her…
Her face was veiled in black.
Before I could utter the last syllables, she vanished. Footsteps run above me. I dash past the staircase, loudly creaking as I stomp my way up.
At the top, there’s a small corridor. A small bulb dimly lights the hallway. To the right, a door is wide open. Hanging from it is a sign that reads “Minister’s Office.” I catch my breath. A cold breeze brushes past my body. Trembling, I tread inside.
The smell of mothballs burns into my nostrils. Minister Thomas’s office is quaint but heavily decorated. White curtains cover a large window that overlooks the church’s parking. A worn bible is on his desk, and a family portrait is next to it.
I pick it up; it's Minister Thomas; he wears large silver-wired glasses that match his salt and paper hair. Next to him is First Lady Thomas and his four teenage sons; they all smile except for her. I place the framed picture down and notice an open drawer below.
I persist through piles of paperwork until I notice the back of a photo. I turn it around and see a couple, but I could hardly make out their faces.
Quickly, I pull the curtains back and re-examine the photo.
The woman’s smile is bright, her coily hair is pulled tightly into a French roll, and her eyes shimmer with colorful eye shadow. Next to her is a visibly younger Minister Thomas.
I look out the window; Mother and Sister Inez are gone. The office doors slam behind me! A familiar chill touches my skin; a strong force holds me still. I look down and see no arms. My heart palpates. Slowly, I turn my head, quivering in fear.
Large, black, and socketless eyes stare back; a decaying black veil covers her face. What should be her mouth widens, and an ear-splitting cry erupts.
The scream wrestling within me explodes. There's a loud banging on the door. I shut my eyes.
I cry out in terror, stricken with fright.
“Please don't hurt me, demon!”
“Ophelia, open your eyes, baby!”
It’s my mother's voice. I open my eyes to see her warm almond ones staring back. Relief washes over me, and I collapse into her arms.
“This girl has no business being in
Minister Emmanuel's office. It is
My mother's soft, plush skin calms me.
“What scared you back there,
I squeeze Mr. Charlie, my stuffed bear. The old Honda Civic bumps over the dirt road leading away from the church.
“Was Minister Thomas married to
My mother has a stunned look on her face.
“Why do you ask that, baby?”
“He was a long time ago, according to
Sister Inez. Her name was Violet. She
was quiet, kind of like you.”
“Do you know what happened to
My mother stares at me through the rear-view window; she grips the steering wheel harder.
“Well, Sister Inez says Minister Thomas always seemed angry at her. Said she couldn't bear any children for him. After a while, she stopped showing up at church. Then, one day, Minister Thomas announced to the congregation that the poor girl cracked her skull on a gardening hoe and died. There was no funeral; she just disappeared, everyone moved on, and he got a new, pretty wife, First Lady Thomas.”
I look down at the photo studying Violet’s face.
“What you got in your hand,
I stuff the photo into the pocket of my velvet dress and lean back into my seat. I watch the maze of trees pass us by.
“You saw her poor ghost, too,
I stare at my mother through her rear-view mirror; slowly, I nod my head.
"I don't believe a garden hoe killed her,
My mother rolls down the window and lights a cigarette.
I sink back into my seat and close my eyes, waiting for a pool of darkness to embrace me and retreating into nothingness. Instead, a pair of large socket-less eyes gaze back at me.
Demons ain’t the only ones harming us.
