He sat down on his canvas mat and sighed. He glanced at the crusifix.
"Why is this happening to me? This always happens to me! Why have you forsaken me?!" Silas yelled at it. He felt tears well up in his eyes. He fell against the wall and started crying.
--
Someone slamming their door hard immedeatly startled Arinagrosa out of his prayers. He sighed. Some numeraries had to learn to control their temper. He'd go down and give him or her a piece of his mind.
He came out of his room, and coasted along the corridors, scanning the doors. He came to room seventeen. There was a small but visible crack in it. It was Silas' room. He knocked at the door.
"Silas, what's going on in here?" Aringarosa asked.
He heard Silas mumbled something, but couldn't make it out. He opened the door.
Silas was sitting on his canvas mat, leaning against the wall, with tears streaming like waterfalls from his red eyes. He was sobbing uncontrolably.
"My son, what's wrong?" Aringarosa asked, rushing in.
"He took her..." Silas said, through sobs, "he took her away from me, and if I try to stop him, he'll kill her."
Aringarosa felt as if he had missed a step on the stairs. What was Silas talking about?
Silas decided he had to tell him the truth or else he would never be able to save Genevieve. He told the bishop about him loving Genevieve, and her loving him back, and her prejudice ex-boyfriend who took her away.
Once he was finished, Aringarosa was in shock. Silas had lied to him... He had broken his vow of never falling in love, and he got himself beaten for it... Aringarosa sighed, but he had to face the other facts too.
Love was love. What can you do? Silas was a human being like anyone, and once he had found someone who was perfect for him, something was bound to happen.
"Father, I'm so, so sorry," Silas said, "I know I had sworn a vow, but Genevieve loved me back, and-"
Aringarosa sighed. "Silas, I won't punish you for this because I know your a stranger to love, and this was only your first time," he said. He hesistated. "And if you really want to, you can stop being a monk to go with Genevieve."
Silas looked at this bishop suprised. Aringarosa was letting him do that?
"Now," he said, "Silas, where do you think this evil monster has taken your girlfriend?"
--
Genevieve wanted nothing more than to get out of this car. But Jean was already driving too fast, and she wasn't crazy enough to leap out of a moving car. But hate for Jean was filling in her system like no tomorrow.
"I'm so glad to have you back," Jean said.
"I hate you," Genevieve repeated.
"Oh, don't talk like that, sweety," Jean said, "pretty soon you'll forget about that albino and you'll love me like you used to love him."
Genevieve couldn't believe her ears. "I left you for a reason, because you were so mean to Silas," she said, "and he loved me as you never did. You even said it yourself. Silas deserves me as much as you deserve to let me go with him."
Jean chuckled. "Oh, I'm afraid you misunderstood, Genny," he said, "I meant that in a bad way. I don't deserve to let you go with him at all."
Genevieve felt more hate overcome her.
"No matter," Genevieve said, "I'll either find a way to get back to Silas, or Silas will find a way to get to me."
--
"Okay, think," the bishop said, walking towards the park, "which direction did they speed off in?"
Silas thought. "North," he answered.
Aringarosa looked as if an idea had hit him. "Of course!" He cried.
"What is it, Father?"
"The last time I was here, I had to chase some theif to this place! That ex-boyfriend of your girlfriend's must have made off with her there!" Aringarosa whistled for a taxi. "Silas, I think we will be able to rescue Genevieve."
--
Genevieve sat in a small little room. It wasn't like Silas' room at the Opus Dei headquarters. It was damp, dirty, and she was unsure of the creeky floor boards. She just sat on the little cot while Jean was watching tv in the other room.
She sighed and looked out the window of the small aparment. There was nothing more she wanted than to be held by Silas right now.
"Oh, Silas," she sighed, "where are you?"
--
Silas stepped out of the taxi, following Bishop Aringarosa towards this old tumble-down aparment building.
They were in the bad side off London now, and Silas' awful memories began to surface again. He tried to block them out by thinking about Genevieve.
Aringarosa stepped over the threshold to the building, and began to read a list of names that hung near the stairs. He kept on going until he found a name of someone who was on the third floor, room six. Jean Bouquet.
"That's him," Silas said, pointing to Jean's name.
Aringarosa nodded and turned to him. "Go around the back until you get to the sixth window on the third floor," he instructed, "hopefully Genevieve will be in that room."
"But if she's not and it's Jean, he'll kill Genevieve!" Silas remembered, slightly panicked.
Aringarosa's expersion turned grim. "That would be a problem... maybe you should throw a rock or something at the window and see who comes to it."
"And if it's Jean?"
"... Keep yourself out of sight."
Silas ran around the back and found the sixth window on the third floor. He found a stone on the ground and hurled it at the window.
--
Genevieve was sitting on her bed, thinking of a way to escape, when she heard a tap at her window. Had someone thrown a rock at it? She walked to the window, avoiding the creaking floor boards, and opened it and peered down.
Silas was looking up at the window with a rock in his hand. Genevieve breathed a sigh of relief.
"Silas! Thank God you're here!" Genevieve cried.
"Sh! Genevieve, whisper!" Silas said in a low voice, "if he hears you, he'll kill you!"
"Oh, he wasn't really going to do that," Genevieve said, "he was bluffing. He told me so once we got here."
It was Silas' turn to breathe a sigh of relief. "Okay, see that vine near the window?" he began.
"Silas, I can't climb down!" Genevieve said, "I'll fall! I'm afraid of heights!"
"You won't fall!" Silas promised, "the lord will protect you. I know this is a dizzying height, but it's either this or be held captive by Jean for a longer time!" Silas still sensed uneasiness in Genevieve.
"And incase you do fall, I'll catch you," he added.
Slowly, Genevieve put her foot out of the window, and stood up, shaking, on the window sill. She inched her way towards the vines and grabbed onto them, quickly.
This is just like rock climbing, Genevieve thought. Just let yourself down slow-
"Genny!? Genevieve, dearest! What's going on?" Genevieve heard Jean coming into her room.
Genevieve swore aloud and tried to decsend, but her muscles seemed to be paralyzed.
"Genevieve! Where are you!?" Jean yelled, getting angry, now. His head suddenly stuck out of the window. His angry blue eyes turned to see Genevieve holding onto the vines.
Without thinking, Genevieve let go of them, and felt herslef fall through air. She let out an ear peircing scream, but before she hit the ground, she was caught by a pair of strong, pale arms. Shee glanced up at Silas and thanked him.
Silas let her down, grabbed her hand, and ran around to the front, ignoring Jean yelling at them. The bishop was waiting for them at the front.
"We have to hide or else he'll catch us!" Silas yelled, nearing the confused preist.
"What are you talking-?"
"Jean saw Silas rescuing me," Genevieve cried, still being dragged along. Her legs weren't as fast and as long as Silas' were.
The three ran down the streets, and it wasn't before long, when Genevieve saw a blue car almost slam into a mail box, pursuing them.
It was Genevieve's turn to lead. With all of her strength and speed, she ran infront of Silas, and led him into an abandonned alley way, with the bishop following.
"He's in his car, we can't run anymore," Genevieve said, breathlessly, "keep quite and out of sight."
The threesome moved quitely further into the alley, and pressed up against the wall. Genevieve peeked around the corner. The blue car was driving slowly, and thankfully Jean was looking in the opposite direction. She ran back to Silas and the Aringarosa.
As the car passed, Genevieve couldn't watch. She burried her face into Silas' shoulder, feeling a fearful tear run down her cheek and onto his cloak. Silas, looking the other way to, felt Genevieve's tear, and held her close, trying to keep calm himslef.
Aringarosa glanced and Silas and Genevieve. He felt a deep sadness grip heart. Silas really loved her. He was definatley going to become what was called a 'supernummerary' in Opus Dei, which is a member, but they don't use corporal mortification and they have families. He would miss Silas greatly, but this was his choice, and if he wanted to be with the woman he loves, so be it.
The blue car passed, not noticing the runaway girl, the monk and the priest hiding in the alley.
They emerged from the alley, and ran towards the Opus Dei headquarters.
"But he'll surely find us there!" Genevieve said, trying to keep up with Silas again.
"Not if we lock the front entrance," Aringarosa said.
Genevieve hoped he was right. Being taken away from the man she loves was bad enough, but being taken away a second time would be torture.
