Iniquity [HS]

Chapter II.

Celestria's presence next to her mother's grave was a view the young priest was already familiar with. Her mother loved the bloodlust color of roses, he figured. For everytime she came to visit, her hands were bleeding from thorns. She never seemed to care about it, Celestria just brushed her bleeding palms on her black skirt, leaving uneven red stains on it. Her knees were bruised and full of dirt. Sometimes even hot wax. He glanced at her every morning. Sometimes she noticed him, then would immediately point her eyes on something else. Sometimes she was profoundly drowned in pain.

However she managed to be absent a few days in a row. The graveyard was all grey and uncommon. Because it is a graveyard. His consciousness spoke to him. But no. It was her absence. It truly disturbed the holy silence of the church.

Another morning was about to pass by, and his hopeless thoughts were about to win and make him enter the church. He leaned his head backwards, sighing. His eyes were pointed directly at the sun, and it stung a little when he tried to open them. Then his back turned and his eyes were facing the enormous wooden doors. His head was now leaned forward. He was disappointed. Hopeless.

"I am so sorry mama."  A gentle voice made its way to his eardrums. He widen his eyes, hesitantly lifting his head and turning his body in the opposite direction. She was there. Her dark red hair was down. It was strange to see her like that, she always had her hair tied up with a black piece of silk.

But it was beautiful, the way her hair was carried by the gently ghostly breeze. The way she was brushing her fingertips against her cheek to place it behind her ear. The way little parts of her hair still remained beside, tickling her face. It looked exactly like the roses she brought for her mother. It looked like the most expensive red wine. Like it was smelling delightfully. He unfocused for more than a second, looking at her. Analyzing the sides of her face and how her eyes changed from brown to a foreign yellow when he was looking at her from where he was standing.

"Shit." She shouted. Her words made him frown. An odd impulse made him ran toward her. His footsteps were loud, and the leaves of the ground made it almost deafening. Her fingertips were clenched on her thighs so aggressively, making them a pale shade of yellow. Her nails were long and sharp. He could sense that if she would not stop, her skin could get stuck under the sharpness of her nails.

Celestria's eyes were nailed shut, she didn't feel his presence. It took him a minute to realize that there where holes in her tights. And not from her nails, but from the hot wax. It burned the skin from her knees. He hesitantly placed his palm on her hand. The coldness of her body shocked him a little. "Let me help you." She locked eyes with him. "At least with this." Celestria turned her gaze away, her hand slowly moving away from under his.

He sighed, annoyance and concern coming out of his mouth. "You burned yourself, don't be like this." He raised his voice a little. She shivered and his eyes caught that before he continued. "Let me help you." His voice came out firmly this time. He pressed his lips together and sighed. A beat. He was waiting for her words. But nothing came out of her mouth. "Please," He tried to spoke, but as soon as his lips opened her eyes darted directly at him.

Then her head followed along. Her eyes were unfocusing, moving up and down between his eyes and lips. Her lips pressed against each other, as if she was about to let out a long, heartbreaking cry. And so it was. She closed her eyes and placed her cold palms on both sides of her face. He looked at her for a second, trying to collect his thoughts. He extended both of his arms and moved them to cup her head. He hesitated, his hands were trembling. He placed the back of his hand on the side of her face and pulled her against his chest slowly. She did not stop him. He felt like his heart was about to get out through his skin any second. One of his deep, burning desires was right between his arms.