The congregation could be heard overhead, and Ada wondered if she would get to eat today. The bread she had the day before had already left her. If she had thought about it, she should have eaten slower to make it last longer, but that day she was in too much pain, and the hunger was not going to wait.

Her aches and pains were already fading as her body began to heal itself from the other day. She hated how her body always restored itself back to being whole. Ada would much rather it gave out on her, that way she could escape this life.

"Are you a demon?" a soft voice asked.

Startled, Ada looked up. There was a little girl that stood before her cell. She was taken aback by surprise because she hadn't even heard anyone come in.

"I-I... don't know?" Ada replied, not sure of herself. The girl was very pretty and clean. She couldn't help but compare herself to her. She didn't look anything like the girl. The girl before her had lightly colored hair that fell in pretty waves around her pale face and rosy cheeks.

"What were you doing?"  The girl's blue eyes roamed over Ada. It was the first time that Ada could remember that she didn't see disgust or fear in somebody's eyes as they looked at her.

"I was writing my name," Ada said, wondering what it would be like to have a proper bath. She wondered if the girl could smell her. Everything smelled the same down here, and she didn't know if it stank any worse than what she smelled on a daily basis.

"Why?"

"So I won't forget it," she answered, trying not to blush in embarrassment. It had been hard over the years to remember who she is and not what others say she was. She knew she had been to other places over time, but her memory was always vague. It was like a picture of a glimpse from somewhere she never seen. The only way she figured that it could be so was because she had been there before.

"Oh," the girl said before pausing for a moment, "what is it?"

"Ada."

"My name is Mary," the girl, Mary, offered up. "Do you have a Mom?"

"Yes," Ada said with a smile, recalling the short dream she had earlier this morning.

"Was she a witch? Is that why you are stuck here?" Mary asked. "Elizabeth's mom was a witch. She got the fire, just yesterday."

"I don't know," Ada spoke softly, "I don't think so. What's the fire?" Ada found herself asking her first question to the girl, curious of what Mary was talking about. No one ever came to talk to her before, let alone carried on a conversation. She watched as Mary smiled, wondering if it was something that she would like.

"The fires are when the bad witches get tied up, so they can't get away," Mary said, "if they get away they could put a spell on you!" she continued almost excitedly. "And then they are set on fire so they can go to hell, where they belong!"

Mary finished then looked at Ada as if she thought of something. She kneeled down, as to be closer to her. "Maybe if you get the fire, you could go back to hell too?"

"Girl!"

Angry shouts were heard near the door as stomping of feet hurried into the room.

"Girl, get away!" the Sister yelled. "You don't want to be tainted by that demon!" she ranted. "It's dangerous! You could get taken under her control!"

"Sorry, Sister Amelie," Mary said apologetically, not even looking at Ada as she fled away.

"What did you say?" spat the Sister, questioning the demon after Mary had gone.

Ada wanted to shrink away, but there was nowhere for her to go. "Nothing," she pleaded.

"Lies!" shouted the Sister, her crinkled green eyes widened in anger. "Demons only know how to tell lies! I heard two voices. What did you say?"

"Nothing, I promise!" Ada begged. She wanted to cry, but held back any tears that threatened to fall.

"I will just have to talk to the Father about this!" the Sister threatened then walked away, leaving Ada scared and hungry.

Sometime later, after staring at nothing in particular as she worried what might happen because she had talked to Mary, she heard children playing outside again. She wondered if Mary was out there, if she had by now gotten to eat anything as her own stomach ached. Would her life be easier if she looked like Mary? Without a tail and her strange ears? Were those the only differences that kept her in a cell and Mary free? Or was she really a demon?

She couldn't help but pick at her dark dirty hair. It looked like mud, she thought in distaste. She wasn't sure what her eyes looked like, but she bet they weren't a pretty blue like Mary's. Her shift was brown and stained. Nothing like what Mary wore.

Ada didn't know the answers and didn't want to keep thinking about it. Mary had seemed nice, she thought as she tried not to think of the differences between them. She didn't yell at her or run from her in fear. Ada wondered if maybe all kids were nice? Mary was the first one she came face-to-face with, that she could remember.

She recalled the fire that Mary mentioned. Ada didn't know if that would be something that she wanted. If she wasn't a demon, she wouldn't want to go to hell. However, she didn't want to stay here either. She just wanted to sleep and not wake up. Sleeping was safe, Ada thought. There was no pain when she slept.

As the room began to grow dark, Ada realized she wouldn't be getting any food today. She thought it was probably because Mary had visited her. Smiling softly to herself, she thought of how she actually talked to a child, and their laughter that had come through the window earlier, no longer bothered her for the day. Because Mary could have been among them, and she wanted the girl to be happy. And for that, maybe not getting her bread was worth it.