Fallen From Grace

Four

Danielle slept soundly through the night, rolling out of bed around 9 in the morning. She padded barefoot to the bathroom, groggy still.

"Good morning" Kristine's voice rang out as Danielle crossed the living room on the way to make coffee. She jumped slightly at the sound, not used to another person in her home.

"Oh hey. Good morning, you're up early." She said looking the woman over. She sat on the couch with a book in her lap and Duke at her feet.

"Not really" She laughed. "It's nearly 10." Kristine was accustomed to being up around 5 but had slept this morning to 7.

"Oh" Danielle blushed, suddenly a little embarrassed for having slept the morning away. She walked into the kitchen and found a pot of coffee was already made. She poured herself a cup and sat on the other end of the couch.

Kristine set the book aside and studied Danielle. Her dark hair was tangled and unbrushed and her eyes still drowsy with sleep. Even sitting, Kristine could tell the woman was taller than herself. Danielle shifted uncomfortably, feeling Kristine's eyes on her.

"Um so I was thinking we could go into town after breakfast" Danielle said to break what felt like an awkward silence.

Kristine frowned and looked down at her feet. "Do you believe in God?" She asked suddenly, sadness ringing out in her tone.

This time Danielle frowned, looking over at the woman. She wasn't sure how to respond and she really had no interest in a religious conversation, especially first thing in the morning. She finished her coffee and stood. "I'm going to take a shower."

Kristine watched as the woman walked down the hall. She stood and headed to the kitchen, taking Danielle's empty coffee mug with her. She opened the fridge and rooted through the pantry deciding to make breakfast. She found everything she needed to make french toast. As she finished cooking Danielle returned in a pair of faded jeans and a black fitted tshirt.

"You didn't have to cook." She said taking the offered plate and a fresh cup of coffee. "But thank you."

"You're welcome. It's the least I could do. And I enjoy cooking." Kristine smiled sitting down to eat. The women ate in silence. Kristine grew increasingly anxious, eating slowly as if it would put off the plan of going to town. "Do we have to go to the police?" She asked breaking the silence.

"Yes. Don't you want to go home, get back to your life?" Danielle mused. "The man who took you, don't you want him found and arrested?"

Kristine scoffed, pushing away her plate. "Honestly?" She said waiting a beat. "I don't know if I can. How do I go back to a life serving a God that allowed something so horrendous to happen to me. I don't care what happens to that man, I don't want to think about him ever again."

She tossed her unfinished food to Duke and begin washing her dishes in the sink. Danielle didn't comment on the fact that she didn't like for Duke to have table scraps or that she thought french toast was unsuitable for dogs. Instead she tried to put herself in Kristine's position. She made really valid points. "So what will you do?"

"I don't know." She snapped with a hint of anger. She softened her expression and looked up, "Sorry."

"Don't be sorry. I'd be mad too. Pissed off at the world even" Danielle shrugged. At that Kristine smiled softly.

"Why is it that you live this way?" She asked, changing topics.

"How do you mean" Danielle wondered.

"Isolated. Alone. So far away from everyone?" Kristine explained.

"I just like it this way" she replied with a shrug. "I've never been much of a people person"

"But why?"

"Most people suck" Danielle said simply, standing up to take her dishes to the sink.

"How long have you lived here?" Kristine wondered. She was curious about the woman and why she chose to live the way she did.

"Four years"

"How old are you?" Kristine asked and then blushed. "Sorry you don't have to answer that." She quickly added.

"I'm 32" Danielle laughed "How old are you?"

"27" Kristine responded.

"I always imagined nuns to be bitter, old women who smacked kids with rulers" Danielle stated causing Kristine to chuckle.

"Oh well there's plenty of old, bitter nuns. Though corporal punishment is frowned upon these days."

"How long have you been a nun? Why did you chose to become one?" Danielle wondered.

"I took my vows when I was 22, but started training right after high school. I was raised by nuns, my parents passed away when I was young. I suppose it just made sense to me to follow this path." Kristine said.

The religious world confused Danielle. She just couldn't get behind the ideals, let alone the idea of devoting one's life to it. It all just seemed like such a suffocating lifestlye. "Do you like what you do?"

Kristine sighed. The question would have been easy to answer a month ago, but now she wasn't so sure. "I did. I really did. I just don't know that I can do it anymore" she said sadly.

"Then don't" Danielle replied simply.

"It's not that easy" Kristine said. She shook her head and blew out a breath. "Well I suppose we should get going, I'd like to get this over with." Danielle agreed and went to the bedroom to grab shoes. She grabbed an extra pair for Kristine, remembering the woman had none. They finished getting ready in silence and headed to the car.

The car ride was awkward, but neither woman felt the need for words. Kristine stared out the window, deep in thought, a pit forming in her stomach as they approached the police station. "What will happen?" She asked when the pulled into the visitor lot.

"Um I don't really know. The police will probably want your statement, ask a bunch of questions." Danielle shrugged.

"Will you stay with me?" Kristine asked softly. The fear and anxiety in her voice made Danielle's heart clench. She nodded in agreement as she unbuckled to get out of the car.

The women walked in to the police station together. Everything happened pretty quickly once things were set in motion. Hours ticked by, filled with statements and questioning. Kristine relived every horror of her 26 days in excruciating detail and Danielle stayed by her side as promised. The police offered sypathetic looks and words, only to prod for more information. They wanted to put the man behind bars and worked to build the case against him. By the time, all was said and done Kristine's face was drained of color and void of all emotion. She was exhausted and felt mentally drained and beaten down. She no longer had any tears left to cry, her eyes red rimmed and stinging.

Danielle had shed a few tears throughout the process and crying wasn't something she did often. She had imagined terrible things had occurred to Kristine, but hearing those things fall from her lips made her heart ache.

The police took Danielle's contact information and promised to be in touch. They contacted the parish where Kristine worked as well as the police force from her hometown. Kristine was informed that the head nun of her convent, Mother Elena was making arrangements to travel to North Carolina.

Kristine simply nodded, she wasn't ready to see Elena or anyone else from her convent, but she didn't have much of a choice. She would have a few days time to prepare for that excruciating conversation. In the meantime, Danielle offered for Kristine to continue staying at her house in lieu of the hospital which is what the police suggested. She'd still need to follow up with a doctor for a rape kit as well as assessing for any injuries. She shuddered at the thought of being touched, but again with no choice, she and Danielle drove to the doctor's office once leaving the police station.

Kristine didn't say a word in the car and Danielle knew better than to break the silence. Besides, what could she possibly say?