REVERENCE Episode 4 – RUTHIE LEE
Juliette…
The name ringed a bell it shouldn’t have in Anna’s headand suddenly she remembered her sister’s voice saying. “say hi to juilette for me”
Anna paused, she could pass out any minute, how in the world did Ava know juilette when she isn’t here or haven’t been here before or worst. It was just so confusing and creepy that Anna found herself holding her breath.
“Is everything alright?” juilette asked.
Anna suddenly nodded. “Everything’s fine!”
“Okay you seemed to be out of it for while, I’ve been talking to myself since.” Juilette stated sounding a little offended.
“Sorry” Anna apologized.
“It’s okay, I’m just saying, we should clean our room cause we can’t possibly live in all this dust.” Juilette stated and Anna nodded.
“We’ll need to know where to get mops and other cleaning tools.” juilette said adjusting her suitcase to the wall.
“The nun from earlier said we can visit the student council if we ever needed anything, and it is by the end of this hall.” Anna explained and juilette nodded.
“Yes, that is true, but I don’t think we’re allowed to be roaming around in muftis, this school has some shady and ground rules that needs to be followed.” Juilette said and Anna nodded in agreement.
Anna gasped when she pulled her new uniform out of its plastic bag wrap.
She didn’t expect this. In the school’s magazine it was said and shown that the school’s uniform was purple and yellow, but what she’s seeing now is plain milk white that looked like it was from the 18th century.
“We got fooled.” juilette suddenly said, making Anna turn to her.
“I was lowkey looking forward to the school’s uniform because of the way it was in the magazine, but then they gave these to us” Juilette stated with a low chuckle.
“Disappointing as ever” Anna rolled her eyes sitting on the bed but the dust that came out of the made her jump.
“We should start cleaning immediately” Juilette said and Anna nodded agreeing with her.
After changing into their uniforms which they both hated, they left their room.
“It’s hard to walk in this skirt, I feel like I’m wearing my grandma’s clothing.” juilette laughed as she walked side by side with Anna through the hall.
“I bet you, even my grandma doesn’t dress like this.” Anna shook her head causing juilette to laugh.
Anna glanced at the hallway, it was dark and the walls were long and intimidating, a mural of Mary was painted on the wall with water below her feet.
The bright light in the hallway caused Anna to see all this.
The two girls appeared in front of the student council’s office where a plate was hung on the door and had “the student council” written there.
“Should I knock?” Juliette asked.
“Y-yeah, to be honest I’m a bit nervous.” Anna replied sincerely.
“It’s okay, we’re all nervous on our first day.” Juliette said, her voice calm.
“But you don’t seem nervous” Anna shrugged.
“I don’t know, but somehow I never get nervous.” juilette replied.
“That doesn’t feel human” Anna scoffed.
“It’s just confidence” juilette smiled.
Juliette placed a knock on the door and a light “come in” was heard.
The two girls glanced at each other before walking into the office of the student council.
A huge mural of the virgin Mary with rosary in her hand laid on the tall walls of the room of the student council office.
And the stern looks coming from the four girls in the room made Anna shriek a little bit.
“And you are.?” one of the student council members said with her name tag which said Jane zefron, president.
Juilette spoke up. “We’re the new student, we just came in today and we’re wondering how we can get some cleaning tools for our dusty room, we were asking to come here if we needed anything.”
The president Jane dropped the book in her hand and eyed juilette from her feet to her eyes.
“I see, so you’re both the new student, I was told they were four, but it’s just two” she stated.
“Anyways you don’t get to clean your room yourselves not until you’ve stayed in the school for about two weeks.” Jane stated and turned to one of the council members.
“Hope, get the room cleaners and tell them to tidy up room the girls room as soon as possible” Jane ordered her feminine but stern and confidence voice taking over the room.
“Understand” Hope said before walking out of the office.
Jane turned to the girls. “your room will be cleaned up in no time, we apologize for the inconvenience, the school is big but very occupied and that seemed to be one of the less occupied room in the dorm, please why you’re waiting for your room to be tidy, you can rest here in the office, it’s your first day anyways, the rule is that you don’t get to do anything until the next day.” Jane expound and Anna watched her in surprise.
‘Is she a robot or something?’ Anna thought.
She doesn’t stutter or pause and doesn’t show emotion when talking. How can someone be so blunt and yet so organized.
Juilette and Anna sat on one of the comfortable chairs in the office and watch the gloomy office with Jane and three other girls, walk around and organize books and stuff.
Jane turned to the girls and glanced at their necks.
“Where are you rosaries?” Jane asked.
“Rosaries? Were we supposed to have one?” Anna asked, her voice low.
“Yes, every uniform comes with a blessed Rosary, seems like the head sister was careless this time around.” Jane stated clicking her tongue.
“Stephanie!” Jane called and the shortest girl in the room came running to her like her life depended on it.
“Yes sister Jane.”
“Go inform the head sister that she forgot the two new student rosaries.” Jane replied and the girl nodded before walking out of the office.
Juilette and Anna glanced at each other, both surprised by the supremacy and authority Jane holds as the president of student council.
“A small alter will be hung in your room after the cleanup, every night and every morning you must pray and show Reverence to God” Jane stated and the girls threw another glance at each other.
“You both seem way out of it, I guess you both aren’t catholics.” Jane stated.
“I’m not even Christian” juilette gave a nervous laugh. “I came here because my mom forced me to, and I also passed the scholarship exam”.
“Well that’s no problem, welcome to the bright side of Christianity, with time, I’m sure you’ll both get the hang of it, you were both given the prayer book right?” Jane asked and the girls nodded.
“Well it’s okay, just say a prayer to the alter with your rosary in your hands before going to bed okay!” Jane stated.
“Got it” juilette said cheerfully.
“Understood.” Anna nodded.
“Great, you’re both in the senior classes too.” Jane stated.
“Yep” juilette replied.
“So am I… And one more thing, please use a proper language like yes not yep thank you” Jane smiled.
Juliette raised her brows.
“Anyways what are your names?” Jane asked.
“Anna”.
“Juilette.” juilette said hesitantly.
“Well then juilette Anna, welcome to all saint’s girls high school.” Jane smiled.
“Ah, thanks.” Anna said but juilette said nothing.
The two girls waited in the office until a girl walked into the office.
“Sister Jane.” the girl called
“Yes?” Jane answered.
“The newcomers room has been cleaned, blessed and the alter has been placed.” the girl stated.
“Now that’s wonderful” Jane smiled and turned to the girls. “You may return to your rooms, another member from the student council will visit you soon and tell you some things you need to know.”
:
Anna and juilette left the student council office and to their room, the room has been wiped clean and was shiny, the beds and sheets were neat and their suitcase was neatly placed on the bed.
“is that thing supposed to be the alter?” Anna asked juilette and juilette paused Turning to the wall to see a small shelf hanging on the wall with status and pictures of a white man who has been widely and mentally known as jesus laid on the surface of this shelf, a dried looking palm, a candle inside a glass cup and two crosses and a rosary around one of the standing cross.
“This looks uncomfortable” Juilette shook her head.
“I don’t see why we need an alter though, we can just pray to God, in our own silent voices, this is kind of creepy” Anna added nervously.
“But anyways maybe our voice will reach to God faster with an alter in the room, I guess”. Anna added.
“You’re saying that because you’re a Christian, I don’t have a religion to begin with, but this feels… And is that how Jesus looks like?” Juilette asked.
Anna laughed. “I don’t know”
“But you’re a Christian.” Juilette gave Anna a look.
“Doesn’t mean I know what Jesus looks like, look for some reason people molded this man face to keep record of what they’re seeing when they mention his name, nobody knows what Jesus looks like.” Anna explained and juilette nodded.
Anna walked away from juilette and to her bed to unpack her bags But juilette never moved, she just stood and gaze at the alter in front of her eyes.
“keep looking at the alter and it might fall.” Anna joked.
“I hope it does.” juilette muttered lowly but Anna didn’t hear it.
Juilette walked to the other side of the room where her bed was and starts to unpack too. Both girls remained quiet until Anna said with a bit of jealousy In her tone. “You took the bright part of the room”
“I guess I did” juilette added. She was about to walk to the other side of the room when she fell to the floor.
Anna Turned hearing the thud.
“Are you okay?” she asked watching juilette stand up with her hand on her head.
“I’m fine.” juilette smiled. “I fall down a lot” she added with a laugh.
“Is it some kind of illness or you’re just clumsy?” Anna asked but juilette paused.
“It’s also something I can’t explain.” juilette hesitantly replied.
“Ow.. Kay” Anna replied.
A knock came in at the door and a girl walked in the girls room introducing herself to the girls as Catherine being the girl Jane sent for them, catherine explained some of the school rules, the time when it’s for the three course daily meal, the Saturday and Sunday actives and before leaving she said to girls.
“Before going to bed, in front of the alter, with the rosary in your hand make sure to pray, give and show reverence to God.” The girl smiled before walking out.
Juilette suddenly scoffed.
“What’s wrong?” Anna asked and looked up to see juilette glaring at the alter.
“I don’t know, but I do know something feels totally off.”
Anna gave juilette a weird look and turned to her bed.
“show reverence.” juilette muttered “Reverence my ass” juilette laughed walking towards her bed.
“Show Reverence” Anna suddenly recall her sister saying that this morning and she paused.
She suddenly got chills.
