“The Death Issue” December 2015 1

“Michelle,” he whispers, ”did you get one?”
“No,” she answers, ”just make it up.”
They follow the scale and improvise, missing the changes but catching the flow.
Michelle's voice is light and endearing. He watches her lips move, captivated by the small
changes in their position while curved into an O. She notices, looks at him and tilts her
head. Her eyes widen as she parodies an innocent, chaste expression.
The hymn drops steadily with ominous tones. Ending with the words ”du bist unser
Heil.”
As the elder priest hobbles to the front, the horn follows his steps. He takes the Bible off
the chair, stands behind the pulpit and begins to speak. The sound of his cheeks sucked
against his gums heard in his words.
“Alkohol,” he says, turning both his palms upwards. “Trinken nur aus einem Glas, zu
viel wird irgendeine Hilfe überhaupt nicht.”
“What did he say?” Aaron asks Michelle.
“That too much alcohol won't do you any good, and not to drink it from the bottle,” she
answers.
He nods in agreement.
Michelle raises her eyebrows, mirroring his response.
The priest speaks for longer now, constantly repeating the words alcohol and “nein.”
Aaron zones out.
It dawns on him that he's barely thought about Michelle or what she might be thinking.
He tries to place himself inside her and imagine what her response to the church is. The
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