As I stood beside the church, trying to process the events of the past few hours, a flashlight beam suddenly cut through the darkness, illuminating me with an intense light. I squinted, raising a hand to shield my eyes, and heard a familiar voice demand, "Who's there?"
My heart racing, I recognized the voice as Brother John's, and I knew I had to think fast. I couldn't reveal the truth about my encounter with Dorothy, not yet, not until I had a better understanding of what was happening.
As Brother John approached me, his flashlight still trained on my face, I scrambled for a plausible explanation. "Brother John, it's me, Gabriel," I said, trying to sound as innocent as possible. "I think I might have been sleepwalking."
Brother John's expression was skeptical, his eyes narrowing as he scrutinized me. "Sleepwalking?" he repeated, his tone laced with disbelief. "Gabriel, you're standing outside the church, in the middle of the night. What were you doing out here?"
I knew I had to come up with a convincing lie, and fast. "I don't know, Brother John," I said, trying to sound as convincing as possible. "I just remember feeling restless, and then... and then I must have wandered out here. I don't remember anything else."
Brother John's gaze lingered on me for a long moment, as if searching for any sign of deception. Finally, he seemed to accept my explanation, his expression softening. "Okay, Gabriel," he said, his voice gentle. "Let's get you back inside. You're safe now."
As the morning light crept over the horizon, I joined the throng of orphanage residents making their way to the chapel for morning devotion. The tower bell's sonorous peal had awakened us all, and I had hastily dressed and joined the procession, my mind still reeling from the events of the previous night.
After the devotion, Father Michael's gentle voice called out to me, "Gabriel, may I see you privately for a moment?" His eyes seemed to bore into my soul, and I felt a shiver run down my spine as I followed him to his chambers.
Once we were alone, he turned to me with a concerned expression. "Gabriel, what were you doing outside the church last night?" His voice was soft, but I detected a hint of suspicion lurking beneath the surface.
My heart raced as I scrambled to maintain the facade. "Father Michael, I... I don't know," I stammered, trying to sound as convincing as possible. "I just found myself there. I might have been sleepwalking, I suppose."
Father Michael's eyes narrowed, his gaze piercing mine. "Sleepwalking?" he repeated, his tone laced with skepticism. "Gabriel, you're a smart boy. You know the dangers of wandering off alone at night. What's going on? Is everything okay?"
I felt a surge of panic, my mind racing to concoct a plausible explanation. "Yes, Father Michael, everything's fine," I assured him, trying to sound confident. "I just... I had a lot on my mind, and I must have gotten up without realizing it. It won't happen again, I promise."
Father Michael's expression remained dubious, but he seemed to accept my explanation. "Alright, Gabriel. But be more careful in the future, okay? We can't have you putting yourself in harm's way like that." His eyes still lingered on me, as if searching for any sign of deception.
As I sat at my desk, surrounded by the familiar sights and sounds of the classroom, I was deep in thought, my mind still reeling from the events of the previous night. The morning light streaming through the windows seemed to pale in comparison to the vivid memories of Dorothy's castle and the secrets it held.
Suddenly, the door burst open, and Chris strode in, his face set in a scowl. His tardiness was met with a stern glance from our teacher, who admonished him for his lack of punctuality. Chris's response was a muttered apology, his eyes fixed on the floor as he made his way to his seat.
But as he passed by me, his gaze flickered up, and our eyes met for a brief, tense moment. The anger and frustration simmering in his eyes were palpable, and I felt a pang of guilt for having forgotten our plans to explore the woods that morning.
Chris's expression seemed to say, "You forgot, didn't you?" and I felt a surge of regret for having neglected our agreement. His seat creaked as he dropped into it, his eyes never leaving mine, and I knew I had some making up to do.
As the teacher continued to lecture, I tried to focus, but my mind kept wandering back to Chris and our abandoned plans. I knew I had to make it up to him, but how? And what would happen when he found out about my encounter with Dorothy?
As the classroom door swung open, signaling the end of the lesson, I hastened to catch up with Chris, who was already heading out into the hallway. I fell into step beside him, my words tumbling out in a rush.
"Chris, listen, I need to tell you something. Last night, I went to the woods, and I met someone... or rather, something."
Chris's stride didn't falter, but his eyes narrowed slightly. "What are you talking about, Gabriel?"
I took a deep breath, launching into the tale of my encounter with Dorothy. But to my surprise, Chris's expression transformed from curiosity to disbelief.
"Gabriel, come on," he said, his voice laced with skepticism. "You expect me to believe that you met a vampire in the woods? That's ridiculous!"
I felt a sting of frustration, my words spilling out in a defensive torrent. "I'm telling you, Chris, it happened! She was real, and she had fangs and... and everything!"
Chris raised an eyebrow, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Fangs and 'everything'? You mean like a cape and a coffin too?"
I felt my face flush with annoyance. "You're not taking me seriously!"
Chris shrugged, his expression unyielding. "I'm just saying, Gabriel, it sounds like a wild story. You're not exactly known for your truthfulness, you know."
I felt a pang of hurt at his words, but I knew I had to convince him. "Chris, I'm telling you the truth! I swear it! Just come with me to the woods, and I'll show you!"
Chris snorted, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, right. Because nothing says 'fun' like traipsing through the woods looking for imaginary vampires."