Sinner's Place {h.s}

twenty-six.

The clock ticked back and forth, the only noise that was flowing through the small office. I sat at my desk with my notes and a pen that rested between my thumb and index. My eyes were burning from all of this reading and taking notes. I had been here for sometime now, my mind was slowing down and I couldn't help but feel insanely tired from being here all day.

'And in God we trust, the only one that can save us from ourselves. Damned to those who turn away the word of God, may their souls be sent to eternal damnation and a fiery pit of hell for the rest of the afterlife.'

I blinked hard, my grip on the pen tightening before letting it drop to the desk. These words were not something I could stand by and Angela was giving me little to no freedom in what to say. My mind had been racing since this book has been placed into my hand, and I knew what I was doing wasn't right, but I was a little hesitant in leaving the church. This was my only job, one I enjoyed, one that I felt had purpose.

I just wanted to do the right thing, was all. I just wanted to lead people in the right direction. I felt like I was doing the right thing by being a priest. Showing people that they can be led to eternal happiness without being scared of God's words. I knew most churches really exaggerated things, and that's where I came in.

But unfortunately, I was able to do that now that Angela was breathing down my neck. It was pretty clear now, that we were in a cult. That, I couldn't deny any longer. The words in this makeshift book were proof of that.

"To those who have sex must confess on their knees in the glory of god for committing a heinous sin. Having sex is punishable by death, unless married. By God's words, those who have premarital sex may burn in eternal hell for all of their afterlife."

My brow quipped as I read over the paragraph once more, tilting my head slowly at the words. This sounded exactly as what the church had told my father before he killed himself. I straightened my back up, averting my gaze from the book as my fingers slowly shut the book carefully.

Could it be that they are melting together into different areas? There couldn't be a way. Just the thought of it made my body start to sweat and my skin crawl. I felt more nervous than before. I stood to my feet hurriedly, taking the bag off the back of my chair as I swung it onto my desk. I had to be somewhere else, other than this church. I needed to study this alone, where I felt like I wasn't being watched.

A sudden knock on the door echoed through the room, my head popping up quickly. My eyes switched towards the clock as it showed that it was nearing eight o'clock at night. I pursed my lips as I shoved the book into my bag, then closed it quickly.

"Come in." I said sternly as my hands quickly fixed the coat that hung on my shoulders. I fixated on the door as it slowly swung open with a small creak to it. Angela appeared in the doorway with a small smile on her lips. Small strands of her hair poking out from her tight bun while her tight white dress hugged around her body.