Eyes in a Dome, Stone in a Stomach

“So what did you think, Ozaki-chan?” Chi-chan asked from across the table. The clinks of utensils on plates and pleasant small talk were all around them, but Kasumi could only focus on the apple in her hand and the stone in her stomach. The Mass had ended, and now Kasumi, Chi-chan, Momo, and Ichigo were seated around a table in the church’s basement parlor. Each had a plate of food before them, consisting of light, bento-style dishes best served cold. Anyone could see that the food was freshly and expertly prepared, yet Kasumi had no appetite. The food’s pleasant smell lingered around her, like rain beyond a window, something she could perceive but not experience.

“It was…” she began, attempting to answer Chi-chan’s question, but in truth, not even she knew. She hadn’t been sure what to expect after walking through the thick wooden church doors, but nothing had gone as she expected.

She’d confidently thrown open the front doors, expecting people dressed in strong-looking clothing like Chi-chan inside, but what she saw was even more surprising. The doors led to a reception hall that was so ordinary it caught her off guard. The stone floors held ordinary shoe racks and led to a closet filled with ordinary hats and summer jackets. The only thing that stood out to Kasumi was the fountain in the center. Momo wasted no time following behind her. She removed her shoes and quickly returned with two pairs of slippers. One pair had Momo’s name on them, but the other was labeled “Guest.” Chi-chan also swapped her geta for simple slippers.

“Always in a rush,” Momo grumbled under her breath as she picked up Ichigo’s shoes, which he’d left near the door, and placed them on the racks next to hers and Kasumi’s. She led Kasumi to another pair of ornate double doors, dipping her fingers in the fountain and tapping her forehead, chest, and then both shoulders before touching the doors. The enormous wooden doors cracked and creaked as Momo slowly pulled them open. The sound made Kasumi think of the castle doors she’d stormed through in fantasy games.

As they opened, Kasumi regretted letting her guard down as the sanctuary overloaded her senses. The incense struck her first. Its earthy scent rushed through her nose like a bull in a china shop, almost making her cough, and then the music hit her next.

Deep, guttural voices chanted like boss music, making her instinctively think of her last save point. When the doors finally opened enough for her to see inside, she felt a thousand eyes upon her. None came from the people inside, who were all looking away from her toward an altar placed in prominence at the front, but from the hundreds of icons that stared from every direction. Men, women, children, angels, and one with a dog’s head stared at her from every angle. Butterflies turned to bouncy balls in her stomach as she broke out in a cold sweat. The feeling was worse than introducing herself to the class, worse than embarrassing herself in public; she’d never felt so watched in all her life.

The feeling paralyzed her; her body was so numb she didn’t even notice Momo leading her by the hand until they were seated in pews. Momo returned the waves and bows of a few people as the pair made their way to an empty row of pews near the middle. The seats provided them with a clear view of the dome, which sat directly above the altar. It housed the largest icon of them all. The entire sphere was one massive icon: a bearded man with one hand raised, surrounded by smaller men and angels bowing down before him. The eyes bore into Kasumi’s soul, making her heart melt into her slippers. For the longest time, that was all she could focus on. She stood when Momo prompted her to stand and knelt when she knelt, but her eyes remained fixed in the staring contest.

Her ears picked up the songs and chants, but they streaked away like rain on a window. Even Momo’s instructions to place an arm across her chest for a blessing fell on deaf ears as the whole congregation began lining up down the aisle. Kasumi remained fixed on the man’s eyes. As she approached the altar, her neck strained to see, forcing her mouth open as she looked straight above her to hold eye contact. She only returned to herself when she felt something placed in her mouth. Her eyes finally broke away from the icon and looked ahead. An older man dressed in long, flowing white and gold robes placed a piece of bread into her mouth. The sudden shock made her swallow on instinct, choking on the soft, fluffy bread as it forced its way down her throat. The man’s eyes went wide with shock as Kasumi coughed and beat on her chest, trying to force the bread from her windpipe. Momo, who was kneeling right beside her, sipping wine from a golden chalice, shot up and grabbed Kasumi, who was hunching over.

“No, Ozaki-chan, you weren’t supposed to eat that,” she whispered, clutching Kasumi and pulling her aside. After choking for a minute, Kasumi finally forced the bread down. Despite being soft and fluffy on her tongue, it sat like a stone in her stomach, distracting her from anything else said during the service. Even as Momo led her down to the parlor and to the table laden with snacks and refreshments, she had no appetite. She grabbed an apple to avoid appearing rude, but even at the table, she merely held it in her hands, not taking a bite.

She felt herself blending into the background as Momo exchanged greetings and small talk with others who passed their table. The icon’s eyes consumed her mind as she turned the apple again and again in her hands. She spotted a faint reflection in the glory red skin that seemed unnaturally shiny. Only Chi-chan’s question prompted any reaction from her, and she scrambled for a reply.

“It would’ve been nice if I didn’t choke,” she settled on, speaking a bit more boldly than she’d intended.

“That was a surprise,” Chi-chan said, sipping her tea. “Should’ve seen the look on Shinpu-sama’s face, though.”

“Onee-sama, can you take this seriously?” Momo interjected. “Shouldn’t we do something about it?”

“Like what?” Chi-chan asked.

“I don’t know… Isn’t there some kind of blessing or prayer to… help her?”

“Help me?” Kasumi thought, feeling the pit in her stomach grow. “Was it really that bad I ate that bread?”

“No need,” Chi-chan reassured, pointing behind Kasumi. “But if you won’t take my word for it, I’m sure he’ll clear things up.” Kasumi looked behind her to where Chi-chan was pointing and drew a sharp breath.

“The madman who shoved that bread down my throat?” She thought, seeing him walk directly to their table with a plate of food. He exchanged waves and bows as he moved through the tables, only able to take a few steps before being stopped again.

“Mind if I join you kids?” he asked, finally reaching the group’s table. His voice was aged yet eager, like that of a grandfather excited to see his grandchildren. His thick gray hair was slicked back, and thin-framed glasses only reinforced the image of a grandfather in Kasumi’s mind.

“By all means,” Chi-chan said, already pouring him a cup of hot tea. “I was just thinking there was something you could clear up, Shinpu-sama.”

“Can it wait a moment?” he asked, pulling out an open seat between Kasumi and Ichigo. “I have congratulations to give and introductions to make.” Chi-chan nodded, and he turned to Kasumi.

“This is Ozaki, Kasumi,” Momo said, beginning the introduction. “She just transferred into my class.”

“Nice to meet you, Ozaki-san,” he said, bowing. “I’m Father Francis, the temporary priest here, but feel free to call me Shinpu-sama until a permanent priest gets here.”

“Shinpu-sama, stop introducing yourself like that, as if you aren’t going to be our permanent priest,” Chi-chan said, sliding him a cup of tea. “Everyone already loves you, and the church has been running smoothly since you took over.”

“That better not be what you wanted cleared up, Chi-chan,” he said, taking the tea. “You can try and convince me later, but for now…” He turned to Ichigo. “I wanted to say you did a great job. I’m so glad you volunteered to fill in as the soprano.”

“Oh, well… it was nothing,” Ichigo said, turning away to hide his bashful face.

“Oh, don’t be modest,” the man continued. “Letting me join the part of the service that our Lord used to draw me in is perhaps the second-greatest thing He’s ever done for me. I can only imagine it’s the same for you.”

With those words, he sipped his tea, resetting the air at the table, only for Momo to burst in.

“Shinpu-sama, we have to do something,” she declared, launching into how Kasumi had received the bread by mistake, and that they needed to act fast before something happened. Once she was done explaining, Father Francis nodded thoughtfully and turned to Momo.

“I understand your concern, Momo-chan, but there’s simply nothing to be done.”

“But isn’t that meant only for those in full communion with the Church?” Momo asked, eyes wide with concern. “She isn’t even baptized.”

“Indeed, it is,” he said, his voice shifting to a more formal, instructive tone. “But what can we do now? You wouldn’t suggest we make her throw up the bread, would you?”

“Well… no,” Momo said, receding into her seat.

“I’d hope not; that’d be sacrilegious and, more importantly, cruel.” Once he was convinced Momo understood, he turned to Kasumi. “I hope that unfortunate mishap didn’t leave a bad taste in your mouth.” The voice was new, but the tone was all too familiar. It overflowed with such care and comfort that it made Kasumi’s stomach churn.

“It was…” she began, unable to finish. “I have to use the bathroom,” she blurted. She scooted from her seat and rushed from the table before anyone could move, leaving the untouched apple. She raced from the parlor and out the front door. The bright noontime sun was slowly being blocked out by rolling gray clouds, and she only vaguely remembered the way back, but that didn’t matter. The destination wasn’t home; it was away. Away from that place, away from those people, and most importantly, away from those eyes looking down at her from above.