The Vicar

“Hello?”

Zarah jumped and turned around. A middle-aged vicar stood by the door, a stack of Bibles in his arm. She quickly straightened.

“Sorry… the door was open. I hope that’s okay?”

He approached with gentle eyes. “Of course. We’re usually not open at this hour, but I’m preparing for a baptism tomorrow.” He stopped to set the Bibles down. “You’re welcome to stay while I finish up, if you’d like.”

“Yes. Thank you.” She lowered her gaze. “I really appreciate that.”

“No problem at all. Make yourself at home.” He offered a friendly smile. “I’m also known for being an excellent listener, if you fancy a chat.”

She gave a small, timid smile as she passed him, making her way towards the back of the church. “Thank you. I’m ok, I’ll just sit over there.”

He gave her a curious look and nodded in quiet acknowledgement. In his experience, souls who wandered solemnly at night usually carried a load that needed unburdening. All in good time, though. All in good time. As he watched her walk away, it struck him that he had not seen a car parked outside. In a fleeting thought, he wondered where she might have come from.

Zarah sat down in the last row and closed her eyes. She felt exhausted. Every inch of her ached. A long exhale slipped from her lips. She rubbed her eyes and thought back over the day. Something had shifted. Something had changed. It’s not that she felt numb, not exactly. But there was…space. As if she was watching herself from outside her body, but from within.

She could see herself. Feel herself. It was as if she were inhabiting her body with an unfamiliar clarity and an unnatural stillness. She had never experienced herself this way, so calm. So present. It was nice, refreshing. Though slightly airy.

She knew she was supposed to ring Ivy but she could not find the energy. Zarah had her watch. Ivy would figure out where she was soon enough.

Zarah had tried to keep an open mind and had listened to Ivy, but not in a million years did she think it could actually be true. However, she could not deny it any longer. She was far beyond her comfort zone. What she had seen, what she had felt. It was not ordinary. It was not normal. The strangest part, it had been real. That is what boggled her mind the most. It had been real. She had seen it with her own eyes. Is this what’s called the supernatural? she wondered. Seeing it did not mean she understood it, however. Not even close.