⠀ “ i am not religious . ” it came without preamble , as though that were the most practical place to begin when answering whether an abandoned church constituted 𝑯ome . idris glanced upward .not toward heaven ; toward the exposed ribs of the ceiling , where rot had ⤸ ⠀⠀

⠀ them , feeling the church settle , feeling dust shift in old mortar , feeling the minute tremor of weight travelling through floorboards beneath two bodies that were , for the moment , only bodies . “ the rest is considerably less interesting than the monster you ⤸ ⠀⠀

⠀ noisily through dust . idris's eyes flickered toward the sound before returning to jean . “ &&. no . ” this time there was something almost dry beneath it . “ i am not here on anyone’s behalf by my own . ” the faintest alteration touched his expression ; not ⤸ ⠀⠀

⠀ settled upon her , steady beneath the ruined church light . “ farouk interfered with me before i was capable of understanding that there was anything to interfere 𝒘͟𝐢͟𝐭͟𝐡͟ . “ there were details behind that sentence he did not offer her . some because they were ⤸ ⠀⠀

⠀ possessed too many limbs ; an anatomy superimposed over anatomy , the suggestion of another idris occupying precisely the same space as the first … “ you were right about what you recognised . ” his voice remained quiet . “ you were wrong about what it means … , ” ⤸ ⠀⠀