Mercy…
Her eyes went wide. "No. No one's there. Stop it."
Come outside, Mercy.
"No. It's raining. I'll get wet."
Come out, come out, wherever you are…
"No…" she whispered, huddled in her room. As long as I stay in here, he can't find me. But if I step outside the church, outside these stone walls, I'm as good as-…
You won't die. I swear it.
She looked up suddenly and her eyes found the window. It hung open, letting in the damp air from outside. The rain fell past her sill and glimmered in the sunset and streetlights from stories below. She felt a soft breeze play in her loose hair, and for a moment she closed her eyes and lost herself.
Someone was next to her, touching her head. She kept her eyes closed, however, and their touch moved down to her cheek.
The wind itself seemed to sing "Mercy…" and she felt herself rise and walk towards the door, her eyes still closed tight. Her white cotton gown billowed behind her as she stepped out of her room, moved down the hallway and descended a spiral staircase.
Mary, miles away, had her eyes closed as well and she envisioned herself standing in the hall behind Mercy as the young woman slowly crossed the huge foyer and made for the doors.
"No, Mercy!" Mary cried, a floor above and leaning over the railing as if she could reach out and hold her daughter back.
Mercy kept walking, her eyes closed, her face tilted up as if she were dreaming. As Mary watched, horrified, Mercy reached out and touched the front doors and they slowly swung open. And he was standing outside.
Amazed, he caught sight of the white-robed, dark-haired beauty that was on the top step of the cathedral stairs. As Mary screamed to Mercy to get back inside, he began to slowly move towards her. Finally Mary gave it up and, bracing herself, she flung herself over the side of the railing.
Landing hard on the floor, she heard a crack and realized her leg was broken. But this didn't stop her. She crawled frantically for the door and was halfway there when he finally reached Mercy.
Stretching out his fingers, he touched her cheek and a bright light washed out the entire scene.
"Mary! Mary, stop screaming!" Simon was shaking her, and Mary almost had a seizure.
"Oh my God!" she cried. "Simon, he saw! I saw it; I was there. I was there in the cathedral and she walked outside and all of a sudden he saw her and he knows! We've got to save her!"
She stepped out of bed, grasping a nearby pole to keep her balance, and tried to shuffle towards the door. Simon tried to get her back in bed, but she smacked his hands away.
"Damn it, Simon, we don't have time! It'll be dark soon! We need to get there!" she spat, grabbing some clothes and making for the door. For the first time, Simon gave up and followed her to the street below where they hailed a cab.
"Mercy? Mercy, where are you?" Mary ran through the hall and came upon her room, but throwing open the door, realized her daughter was nowhere to be seen.
She hobbled all over the floor before coming back to the room to see Simon standing there, staring at the wall. How could she have missed this? Scrawled on the wall in what looked like blood were Aramaic symbols and a translation below.
Lafayette.