Eleven

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"Angels?"

He nodded, his expression remaining sincere.

"I don't know what beliefs you hold beyond them being non-religious, but you don't need to be to believe in other beings," he reasoned with a soft smile.

I eyed Father Paul wearily, my fingers ruffling through Kura's fur as I stroked down his side while considering his question and line of thinking.

The mutual respect we had towards one another was not something to be scoffed at and I wasn't going to take an open chance to talk without being judged for granted.

"Truthfully? I'm not sure where I stand on the belief of angels," I answered, meeting his eye. "I believe in ghosts and aliens, though not blindly to everything claimed to be such and I do believe that a lot of mythological creatures have existed to some extent at one time in history but have been contorted by the human nature of Chinese whispers but angels? I don't know."

Father Paul smiled, reaching over to stroke the back of Kura's neck with his large hand.

"What if I were to say that you have met one?"

"I would seriously doubt those claims."

"And if I could prove it?"

My brain completely faltered and I froze up, finding myself only able to stare at him as the cogs clashed against one another in an attempt to continue turning.

He wouldn't be asking in a roundabout way to convert me, that didn't seem right and yet I couldn't decipher what else he could have meant by the question.

The Father had proved to be a man respectable of others beliefs and non-beliefs, it seemed unlikely that he would try to use my experience against me to shift me into becoming a believer.

Then again, what had happened to me?

The details up to being bitten were clear but everything after that was still blank, I'd assume that that was on accord of me passing out and...dying.

I had died, I was sure of it and yet here I was, sat in a religious man's bed, breathing and well.

Finally, I snapped myself back to reality and gave him the most neutral look that I could manage, a discomfort rising in my chest at the thought of having to be blunt and possibly stern to this man who had been so nice to me.

"What happened to me?" I asked. "I need to know all the details you do."

He remained silent for longer than I would have liked, but eventually he gave another slow nod.

"Okay, I shall give you full transparency."

I only nodded in response and then waited for him to start talking.

It took him a minute and I gave him the time, it seemed that there was a lot he had to gather mentally before he was ready to speak and I didn't want to rush him, it was times like this when a typically hidden uncomfortable demeanour stood out and it would have made me feel bad if I had rushed him.

He clearly always thought carefully about what he was going to say and exuded such wisdom and confidence when he did talk, but there was something about him that made it seem as though he was never certain if what he would do or say in the moment was right when he was outside of the church, judging by what others had said about him during his sermons.

It was something I would find difficult to explain to someone without sounding like I was infantilising him, which would be unjust on his character, it was just his demeanour and mannerisms came across as cautiously awkward in an endearing way.

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