6

The boat goes to shore with the engine off. Emma, ​​'Heather, Tom, Uncle Lou, and you are in the bow watching your new home grow with each passing moment. Arched columns and stained glass with images of saints indicate a church or cathedral. A huge sloping dark brown roof covers the structure. Three vehicles parked in a four-car lot: a black Dodge van, a black Jeep Cherokee and a red pickup truck.

"This used to be a Catholic cathedral. My friend Carl and I bought it a few years ago to convert it into a tourist attraction. It would open soon, but as soon as the infection hit, he decided we should use it as a safe. home until the virus is eradicated, or, well, for as long as it takes," says Tom.

The boat closes at the dock and turns to press the starboard side against it. Everyone picks up supplies and equipment and carries them to the narrow beach, which is more sandy than sand. The path that leads to the Cathedral is made of stone and gravel, but in the effort to enter, you climb easily. Javier watches beside the path, solid as a statue.

Uncle Lou grumbles as he carries a school bag and a milk carton full of provisions down the steep path. "This place needs an escalator," he says, sweat running down his red face. "But I think that would go against architecture."

"Yes, I don't know many Renaissance cathedrals with escalators," adds Heather.

Standing in front of the Cathedral, you are enchanted by the details: the sloping roof, the cross-lattice patterns, the beautiful images in the stained glass. You're almost excited to live in a place like this.