Sanctuary

• Hayley Calman, Grade 11
• Short Story
• 2013

Sanctuary
With a thoughtful look Albree reached out her newly scarred hands and ran it from his forehead back to the crown of his head. Simon watched her cautiously, shifting uncomfortably where he sat. The ancient chair squeaked in protest and the noise was amplified in the silence, jolting Albree out of her transfixed state.
‘You have brown hair,’ she remarked.
Simon chuckled softly, ‘What were your expecting?’ he asked, now running his own hand over the few strands of hair on his formerly bald head.
‘I don’t know.’ she admitted shyly. ‘I didn’t expect it to grow so fast.’
‘So fast?’ he repeated in disbelief. ‘Albree, it’s been weeks since the fire.’
‘No,’ she insisted with a frown, ‘I only left the monastery a couple of days ago.’
Simon shook his head gravely.
‘It was my fault,’ she said abruptly, her lip quivering dangerously.
‘Just figured that out have you?’ Simon replied bitterly.
Albree lowered her eyes, a flicker of indignation followed by a look reminiscent of a wounded animal. This seemed to only ignite the monk’s anger even further.
‘What was I thinking helping you?’ he erupted finally, ‘You’re a criminal and yet all you had to do was bat your eyelashes and I did whatever you wanted! I thought I was on the right side; helping some poor, defenceless girl in need.’
She looked at him with wide eyes and then gestured helplessly.
‘No,’ he snapped, ‘No more of your innocent act. You are much stronger and cleverer than you have led me to believe. You used me to get out of trouble and you don’t even notice the path of destruction you leave behind you wherever you go!’
The accusation poured out of his mouth before he had to time to think and with a start he realised that he was centimetres from Albree’s face as he yelled down at her. The effect was instantaneous and her weak physicality changed immediately. Her face transformed into an ugly sneer, her right eyebrow rose so that she had a permanent smirk etched on her face. Her back straightened and the tears that had been welling in her eyes vanished in an instant. Shocked by the sudden transformation Simon took three hurried steps backwards.
‘Very good, monk.’ the new Albree jeered. ‘Maybe there’s a brain behind all that romantic fluff you’ve stuffed your head with.’
Something told Simon he should run but his gut felt so heavy and his brain was whirring so furiously that his body couldn’t spare a thought for his legs.
He watched her sashay away and begin to gather her belongings, stuffing them into her small pouch which she tucked into her belt. Simon noticed a gleaming knife tied to the belt and wondered how he had not noticed it before. Yes, he thought as she plunged the ice-cold knife into his side, he definitely should have noticed that.