Paul Dano imagines

Sins~ (eli/smut)

From- panicinthestreets

He made it very prominent that your blessing was to be in private.

"The Lord gives confidentiality to those far too sinful. The ghost among you is passionate, lustrous. We cannot risk that demon to latch on to a beloved brother or sister,"

You held his gospel close to your heart, and the words he spoke, you obeyed. You would do anything to rid of these thoughts, how your body ruptures into a course of adrenaline. It always happened during the sermons, when Eli's words coursed through your ears and sent vibrations down your core. While everyone obeyed and listened, your mind would drift elsewhere. You heard the gospel but couldn't listen; the word of God became nothing but a sound. And Eli's mouth brought focus on a specific that caused you to flare like a roaring fire.

It began at the sermon that was Daniel Plainview's first attendance, where Eli succeeded in curing Mrs Hunter's arthritis and casting the demon that riddled her into the dusty air. You watched the miracle happen, gazing at the grazes on Eli's hands as he held Old Mrs Hunter's stiff grip, coursing her hands through his face and into his hairline. His voice rippled through you, and you swallowed a lump forming in your throat. As you gulped, there was a buzz in your abdomen and the sensation lowered. Then, you felt dampness underneath your skirts, causing you to think you began your time of the month. Later, when you arrived home, you discovered you did not bleed. As if it became a phantom.

You arrived at the church as the day dawned, just as Eli requested. The wooden door creaked open as you walked inside, gazing around the candlelit room to see Eli's whereabouts. He sat by the front of the church, staring at the dark wood wall with a prayer book in hand. As he heard you enter, he beckoned you to sit next to him.

"Please, have a seat."

You sat next to him, wringing your hands from nerves. As he sensed your tense presence, he prolonged his gaze and welcomed you to meet his eyes. Due to your circumstance, you felt ashamed to look at him. To think his stare might be full of judgement because of your presence. This demon within you halts your chances of being respected. If the town were to find out why you are here, you knew the reaction. You would not be welcomed if Eli did not forgive you for your sins. You prayed to God that Eli would grant you forgiveness, that he would let you be closer to God.

"I can sense that your mind is troubled," Eli prompted quietly.

You nodded your head, your eyes trailing away from his gaze and shamelessly down at the floor.

"Tell me when you first felt this . . . evil presence within yourself," He asked.

A lump formed in your throat again, just like all the other times. As if the devil was clawing at your passages and causing you pain, reminding you that it is inside you. You contained its urges, swallowing hard and saying your peace.

"At your sermon last week, it nearly overtook me. I felt . . . something. I- I had never felt it before. I saw the miracle you performed, and my body responded. Yet, it did not feel holy,"

Eli paused in thought, his eyes peering before you, taking in every inch of your physicality. He knew of your family; your father worked in the oil rigs. You and your mother moved along with him as he worked. When your father worked long hours, you and your mother found refuge in the church and attended regularly. From his observations, he has seen you are domestically inclined. You give water to the workers during their long hours, and you knit them scarfs and hats during the winters. You tended to the animals and even helped his sisters on the goat farm. Eli found himself gazing at you in your daily routine in these settings. He liked to prolong his greetings to you when you were nearby, catching glimpses of how your hair framed your purified face. Or how your fingers looked so delicate when you cross-stitched. He was not sure if these thoughts were sinful, as you reminded him of the light of God, the innocence of the world.