Author's Note: This is a short chapter, apologies. For the pic I used for this, you can google Paul Politis, Cathedral of St. John the Divine, Detail #8. And while St. John's Cathedral no longer has scaffolding around it, the old rusted shell was remarkably creepy. As always, I am extremely grateful for reviews- much love! *tosses chocolate chip cookies*
Lydia was so absorbed in her thoughts, she almost missed her stop. She squeezed out of the car into the station, glad again that there weren't many people around. Moving as quickly as she could, she trotted up the stairs into the bright light of mid-afternoon. Broadway was busy with delivery trucks and bikes, and cars full of businesspeople returning from a late lunch. The normalcy of it all made her feel otherworldly, as if she should be reaching for her breathing mask right about now. Trying to shake off the oddness, she crossed over onto Cathedral Parkway and tugged at her hood again. Just one block to go.
Her knees felt shaky, still, but she knew that Juno would know what to do, and that gave her strength. The shady road gave her some comfort, and she could see the single tower of the cathedral covered with rusting scaffolding. She was sure she would find Juno there, in the shadows of the unfinished stonework. A quick hike across the part, and she stood at the base of the tower, wondering what to do next.
"Psst."
Lydia looked around. "Juno?"
"Shhh! Turn around. I'm over here!"
Lydia glanced behind her. At the corner of the massive structure, shrouded by metal tubing and tattered construction-grade plastic, was a pillar ringed by small stone figures. The figures were frozen in various motions- one pointing at the sky while another screamed horribly, its little mouth open wider than mouths should be able to open. She wondered what their little stone eyes must have seen at that last moment. Then one of the little figures turned its head and glared at her. It glanced both ways with its tiny bulbous eyes, and then beckoned her closer. She obeyed, a small part of her mind wondering exactly when "completely bizarre" had become "totally normal."
"He told me to send you somewhere safe." The gravelly voice of Juno issued out of the heavily-lipped mouth, causing Lydia to empty her lungs in relief. "Although I think you should stay here, it's just like him to want to push you deeper into it." The little stone statue frowned with vigor not normally seen in granite. A small puff of smoke issued from its nose. Lydia shook her head, her hands raised upwards in a gesture of frustration.
"Where is he? Why can't I say his name? What the hell is going on?"
"Shush! I am doing whatever I can." The little statue sighed, its tiny stone shoulders rising and falling with a scraping sound. "Which isn't much. Just do what I say, and we might be able to get him back." It waved its little hand, and a door frame appeared in the wall next to Lydia. It was made of old driftwood bound together with marsh grass. As she looked on, the door-frame flooded with a clear rush of water. It fell from the top and disappeared into the ground, like a tiny waterfall framed on a wall. She checked the ground under her feet, but it was dry. "Go on then- he wants you to go to Oshun."
Lydia looked back up at her. 'Why the ocean? What's there?"
The little statue grimaced. "You'll see. I just hope you don't have to go to the bathroom."
"What?" But something shoved Lydia hard from behind, and she fell toward the waterfall. The last thing she heard before she splashed through was the crack of breaking masonry, and the dulled honking of car horns.