Writings / Fiction: Claudia Del Balso

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Celia stays behind outside. Some squirrels are busy foraging and burying their findings close to where she’s sitting. She flinches at their sight, stifling a shriek with her hand. She narrows her eyes and sighs.

“It’s only squirrels!” She points at the gargoyles, keeping her eyes on the cheeky fur balls. “For a moment I thought you were those evil things,” she says. “Are you hungry?”
The squirrels shriek and flick their bushy tails. She reaches for the bag of almonds in her cardigan pocket. As one of the squirrels approaches, Celia does a double take: the rodent is missing its right paw and part of its forearm.
“Did they do that to you?” She asks, luring the squirrel with some almonds. “Luciano is one of them, too…,” she continues as the squirrel takes a nut from her hand. In spite of its disability the little creature uses its left hand to hold the nut and bring it to its mouth. With an edge in her voice she says: “He’s evil.” Her face hardens. Her thoughts start swaying like a suspension bridge above a precipice. She notices how the disabled squirrel digs and buries the food with only one arm. A bigger squirrel sneaks behind to steal some nuts. The three-legged squirrel chases the intruder up a tree.
“Brave little thing, aren’t you?”
The bag of nuts is now empty. The squirrel runs to the other side of the garden, disappearing behind the bushes.
“They won’t hurt you there,” Celia assures her new confidant.
She studies her hands the way a palm reader does.
They control my hands. Luciano does too,” she cries under her breath. “They make me sin.”She looks around and finds herself alone. I don’t want to look up.

“Did I imagine it?” Celia thinks out loud. She lifts her eyes… “Oh my God!” She shouts. The gargoyles are not there! Had they been there at all? Celia’s eyes open wide. And the doctor, I imagined it all? She shakes her head from side to side repeatedly.
“Leave me alone!” Celia screams, covering her ears. “I’m not listening to you anymore!”
She gets up and starts running in circles while continuing to rant, with her hands still on her ears. Celia throws herself on the grass, closes her eyes and curls up in a fetal position.
“Go away or I’ll kill you!” Celia yells, her hand combing the ground. She picks up a rock.

The sun starts sinking behind the Gothic church. A pink glow emanates from the gargoyles perched atop the towers. They seem serene. Father Luciano appears from the side door leading to the sacristy next to the church. He finds Celia growling and pounding her right hand with the rock she’s holding in her left.
“Darling, the doctor wants you to come with me,” he says, crouching and reaching for her shoulder. “Let’s go inside.”
As quick as the wind, Celia throws a blow. The priest falls to the ground. Her hand has a mind of its own as she keeps hammering on the slumped body.
“Aahh! Ugh!”
The gurgling sounds emanating from father Luciano fuels Celia. Her flushed face is a network of veins pulsating in her temples and forehead.
“No MORE whispering!,” she hisses.
Blood seeps from Father Luciano’s disfigured face. Red droplets form on the blades of grass. Celia’s warm arrhythmic breath blends with the cool afternoon wind. She looks up, resting her bloodstained index finger on her lips.
“Shhh. Don’t tell anyone.”
The gargoyles smile at her.

Pages: 1 2

4 Responses to “Writings / Fiction: Claudia Del Balso”

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  1. gianna garofalo says:

    A fantastic piece of literature

  2. Chris says:

    Intense story, Claudia!

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