Aurea

After finding that note from Mary Rose, the rest of my day was a little bit on edge for some reason. Like I knew something bad was going to happen, but I didn't know what it was, and that scared me. 

As I strolled down the hall to third period geometry, it hit me that I had left my binder in room 209 study hall. With a huff, I turned on my heel and scurried down the hall the way I came. Sure enough, something bad did happen. I found Mary Rose, and she was alone. It was like she was waiting for me. When I opened the door to room 209, I knew it was too late to turn back when I saw a resting Mary Rose, who's eyes had just snapped open. She blinked as if she had been sleeping and looked around, her eyes settling on me.

"Aurea!" Mary Rose's face lit up in excitement.

"Yeah, uh, I just came for my geo book..." I trailed off, realizing what the set up was in front of me. "Wh-what is this, some sort of seance?" It hit me that the lights were turned off and the only light in the room other than the sun was candles. 

Mary Rose laughed in response. "No, silly! It's Bible study!" She held up some sort of beaded necklace as if it explained everything.

"That's a class?" I scratched my head in disbelief. "You guys get to sit here and do the thing that you always to on the weekends anyways? This is a weekend class for you?" 

I could tell Mary Rose was trying not to let her eyes roll out of her head is annoyance. Well, under the warm smile she wore, I just knew that had to be it. No one was this kind and happy. "No, well, I do go to church every weekend, but it's not like that. We sit in a circle," She motioned to the circle that was in front of her. "and read a different section of this," Mary Rose pulled a Bible out of her bag, and I gaped at the size of it. "each session! Most of the passages we read are from Mark, John, Luke and Matthew." 

"Oh, uh, cool." I mumbled and looked over at the clock. If I didn't get out of here soon, I was going to miss geometry, but I felt like if I left Mary Rose would curse me in the name of God or something with bad luck for life. And at this point I did not need any more bad luck than I provided for myself alone.

"Yeah! Oh, did you see the flyer I put in your bag? Sorry to sneak it, but you didn't look like you wanted to hear about it, well, on the bus floor, so I figured I'd just let you find it." Mary Rose rambled.

"Yeah, I saw it, but, uh..." I trailed off, hoping she would pick up on it. She just sat there attentively and listened.  "I don't wanna go." I sighed.

Mary Rose's face fell instantly, and she closed her eyes, her breathing calming. She stayed like this for about thirty seconds and then opened her eyes, which had a new spark to them. "I knew when I gave it to you that you wouldn't want to go. But I think, no, I know that you need to go to this retreat."

"What was that thing you just did?" I asked, referring to her closing eyes thingy. 

"Oh, I just said a prayer for you and me both that this conversation will go okay." Mary Rose replied nonchalantly. 

"You prayed... For me?" I motioned to her and then me, trying to make sense of all this. I had never been prayed for. At least not to my knowledge, but I was pretty sure I had never been prayed for. I was too intimidating for anyone to approach, much less pray for. And everyone knew I was hardcore atheist. I need no prayers to keep me going.

"Of course. I've prayed for you before. And lots of other people." Mary Rose gave me a soft smile. As much as she annoyed me, she radiated some sort of peaceful beauty that I wanted for myself, but didn't know how to obtain it. She was like my glass ceiling effect. Her radiance was something I could see within my reach, but couldn't get to. Not only did she look at peace, but she really was beautiful. With soft brown hair and plump lips that anyone would die for, not to mention her naturally rosy cheeks. 

I shook my thoughts out of my head when Mary Rose started to give me a weird look. "Are you okay, Aurea?" Mary Rose approached me, and I just took a step back. We went on like this. She took a step forward, I took a larger one back, until I was out the door. As soon as I was about to turn so I wasn't walking backwards awkwardly, Mary Rose grabbed my arm and stopped me. "Aurea, wait." She whispered. "Come inside." 

Without wanting to resist the instructions of someone who was "under the will of God"- although I didn't believe in Him for one second- I followed Mary Rose inside and sat down where she motioned to, which was across from her. I sat in the chair, and she sat on top of the desk in front of me. I went to get up on another desk, but Mary Rose sort of bopped my head and I sat back down. She looked down at me with her soft blue eyes and smiled. 

"Can I help you?" I gave her an exasperated look and turned towards the clock, which showed that I was officially three minutes late for geometry. I'd better get a pass for this little "intervention". 

"Yes. You have to promise me that you'll come to that Sanctified retreat. It's one weekend of your life, and I can promise you this: You won't come back the same person." Mary Rose begged me to come.

"Why are you so into this? What is your deal with me?" She was starting to tick me off a little bit. My decision to not be with the Church was that of my family and mine, and it was really none of her business. I went to get up, but she just stopped me.

"I've had the same dream for over a week now, Aurea, and you're there." Mary Rose let out a small breath as if she had been holding it in.

"What happens?" 

"It's you. And you're running to this huge crucifix." I cringed at the mention. It was so unrealistic. "And there are just these masses of people holding you back. They all have these names plastered on their foreheads. Time, patience, family, sports, sleep. And they are just keeping you from getting there. Only I have the wipe to erase the labels from their foreheads and replace them with things that will help you get to Him. Every time, right before I'm about to wipe the last forehead of the evil and let you get to the Cross, I wake up. Now, I don't know how you would interpret that dream, but I think I'm supposed to help you get something. And I'm pretty sure you and I both know what." Mary Rose wiped a stray tear that had fallen from her eye and down her radiant face, which had been dimmed from the stress of the story.

"What do you expect me to do with that?" I growled, rejecting the heartfelt dream. It wasn't on my list of things to do to get to the Cross or whatever she was dreaming of me doing. In fact, it was on my list of things on not to do, because I didn't want them restricting me in my life. 

"Please, Aurea." Mary Rose looked down at me with her big, beautiful blue eyes and soft face, her hair framing her jaw in the most perfect way. She glowed like, well, like an angel. I don't know if it was Mary Rose or just the moment, but I agreed to the retreat. I was going to waste a week of my life getting no where. Fabulous. 

Hello all! Wow, Aurea actually agreed! Who would've thought? Oh, yeah, me! Now the journey for her really begins. 

I don't know if any one picked up on it, but I was trying to paint Mary Rose as either an angel or Our Blessed Mother, you decide which one she reminds you more of. 

Now, Soul Study! Yay!:

Have you ever been in Aurea's shoes, with someone trying to help you get closer to the faith? Has anyone ever had a dream like Mary Rose's about you? Have you ever had a dream like Mary Rose's? 

That's about it folks! I hope you all are enjoying Aurea's journey along this winding path we all face called life. Have a good day, loves.

xoxo

~bcruzy_02