Maria looked up at the brightening sky, for two days she had laid here under the charred floor beam holding it with her hands. If she were a normal girl she would have long since stopped from exhaustion, but she was not a normal girl, she was far from such. She could feel the cold water soaking through the back of her tattered black taffeta dress. She could hear the labored breathing of her nanny.

“They are coming ma’am, they have the debris moved. You are going to be alright.”

“Sun.”

Her nanny spoke one word in a harsh parched whisper.

“I know ma’am, but at least now they will rescue you in time. I have accepted my fate. Once you are safe I will meet it gladly.”

Maria looked up at the lightening sky. She could see the silhouettes of the rescue workers. She could hear them speaking.

“Can’t get any good readings from Thermals. Looks like we were too late.”

It was a male voice.

“Excuse me, sir, she is still alive! She needs help right away.”

Maria called up as loudly as she could.

“There is someone alive down there, quick get the gear, call the EMTs.”

Maria turned to her nanny.

“See ma’am, you are going to be alright. Thank God, I am so glad he heard our prayers.”

There were sounds of movement above the pair. Maria imagined the rescue workers scurrying about preparing to rescue her nanny.

A form shimmered into existence beside Maria. It was a girl with whom she was familiar, Ethel, a ghost.

“Hurry, you need to move, the sun is coming up!”

“Ethel, I cannot, if I do my nanny will die.”

Ethel’s voice was caught somewhere between annoying and adorable when she died, and it was frozen there.

“Who cares! You’re going to turn into an ash pile when it gets here, you need move!”

“Ethel, I cannot sacrifice someone else’s life for mine, that would be terrible.”

“I don’t want you to die!”

“I am already dead, I am glad the curse is finally ending. I am tired of living in darkness and hurting other people.”

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“You need to move.”

Ethel grabbed Maria’s shoulders and tried to pull but fell back words when her hands did not take purchase. She was half covered by water yet still dry.

“Please! Don’t let it hit you, I don’t want you to die.”

“I am prepared for it, Ethel, you need to move on as well. You have been here for too long. Forgive your uncle, ask the Father to bring you home.”

“No! You have to stay with me. She’s just a human, you’re ancient you need to stay here she’s not worth your sacrifice! You’re not going to heaven you’re going to be obliterated.”

“An angel visited me Ethel, I saw her just before you arrived. He told me that I had a destiny to fulfill. It must be to keep my nanny alive. He said that the God had not abandoned me, that the light had not abandoned me. I am at peace, please forgive your Uncle so you can be at peace as well.”

“No, I’m not going to let you die here, like this. Not because you are imagining angels. I know I’ll push one of them down that will make them rush.”

“St-“

Maria had barely gotten the syllable out before Ethel vanished. Two rescue workers were being lowered down by this time with a basket. The sun was nearing the angle which would being it fully into Maria’s view. Soon, my pain will be gone.

The pair of rescue workers looked over the beam and pile of debris and after a glance at Maria turned to her Nanny.

“She’s gone already, looks like she’s been dead since the place collapsed. Hate it when we find kids. This one over here is breathing, lets get her out of here.”

The other nodded looking away from Maria.

“Looks like the beam just missed crushing her. That rebar might be a problem. Right through the abdomen. Is it still attached to something?”

His partner looked under the older woman’s back.

“No looks like it’s just bad luck it landed the way it did. Get the spinal board.”

Maria continued to hold the beam above her chest. She could see the beams of sunlight edging their way towards the opening the rescue crews had made in the debris.

“Please hurry, she does not have much time.”

The two rescue workers jumped at the sound of her voice.

“Jesus you’re alive.”

“Sort of and please do not use his name like that.”

The workers looked at each other. There was some unspoken communication going on as both looked paler. One spoke into his radio.

“There are two live ones down here, we’ll need heavy equipment, one is pinned under a main beam.”

The two workers dug Maria’s nanny out of the debris and moved her onto a spinal board. She struggled against them.

“No…her…first.”

She forced the words out.

“No, Ma’am, it is too late for me, but they can save you.”

“She is right. We need to get you out now.”

The pair of workers strapped the nanny to the spinal board and started to raise her out of the pit. Maria watched the sky brighten further. Soon, soon, it will be over.

When the sun rose above. Maria averted her gaze it was blinding to her. I am a creature of death and darkness I cannot exist in the light, it will finally be over. She forced herself to look up at the sun, how long had it been since she had felt the rays of its brilliance. She couldn’t remember. The sun crested the edge of the pit. She could feel no searing pain, no smell of charred undead flesh. Something was wrong. She pushed her hands up moving hundreds of pounds of debris like it was nothing. The rescue workers stumbled backwards. Once the debris were moved she saw she was still in a shadow. She stepped into the light.

Nothing happened, no flash of light, no death by the fire as had been told to her when her uncle forced this change, this curse upon her.

“Why God? Why have you forsaken your curse against me? Am I not even worthy of your wrath? Destroy me! End this!”

The end did not come in fire. It did not come at all. She just felt the warmth of the sun filling her cold dead body. For that moment she was not a dead cursed thing, she was filled with light of life. She stood there in the sunlight with her arms outstretched in her tattered black lace and taffeta dress tears of blood running down her cheeks.