Down By The River

13

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕒𝕨𝕗𝕦𝕝 𝕔𝕠𝕤𝕥 𝕠𝕗 𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝕨𝕖 𝕝𝕠𝕤𝕥𝔸𝕤 𝕨𝕖 𝕝𝕠𝕠𝕜𝕖𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕠𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕨𝕒𝕪

Charlotte had no idea why she was doing what she was doing. She wasn't sure why she still thought that Zach was maybe innocent and why she couldn't just let it be. Maybe it was the look in his eyes when he had told her that he thought it mattered what she thought of him. Maybe it was the silent desperation with which he had been trying to talk to her and get her to believe him. She wasn't sure what exactly she was hoping for here - after all, there was no way that Zachariah Wright would like someone like Charlotte, not the way she found him attractive at least - but she just did what he told her. She almost felt like she didn't have any other choice. She had tried to just get the idea out of her head and forget about it all, but she couldn't stop thinking about him.

And that's why the next morning she was on her way to church. She had told her mother she was going to confession, which wasn't a complete lie, but she wasn't going to confess any sins. She was going there, so she could talk to the priest in private and with the same confidentiality she'd have during a confession. She wasn't really sure what he might be able to tell her, but if Zach thought that he might know something more than anyone else... Maybe it was worth a try. Not that Charlotte knew whether any of this was worth anything. What was she even going to do after she found out the truth? Carry all of this around with her her entire life?

She had no idea and she was a little scared of actually finding out what happened to Grace back then. But for now it was much easier just not to think about it at all. She'd figure it out when it was time for that. If she thought about it too much, she might never want to find out and right now she was already in too deep. If she didn't do her best to figure out what happened, then this would stay with her her entire life. She needed closure. She needed to know.

She finally snapped back to reality when she saw the door of the confessional opening. She didn't even notice who was in there before her, because she was so nervous. She had no idea what to say to Father Lawson, she had no idea how to even bring the topic up without being suspicious. Then again, he was bound to keep anything said in the confession booth a secret. Even if she told him everything truthfully, he wasn't allowed to say anything to anyone... but him not sticking to that was what Charlotte was hoping for after all. It was nerve-wracking. Charlotte went inside the confessional and made the sign of the cross as she sat down.

"Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. It's been three days since my last confession." she said and then her mind drew a blank. What was she even going to confess? She had barely done anything the last three days, because all she was trying to do was avoiding Zach. She should have thought about this before she had come to the church, but she had been so nervous that she completely forgot that she should have a sin or two ready, just to be inconspicuous.

"What are your sins, daughter?" she heard the slightly shaky and hoarse voice of Father Lawson.

"I... I was lying and I disrespected my parents..." she said quickly. She had been lying to her mother about her reason for going to confession so soon after her last one and lying to her parents also constituted disrespect, so it made sense.

"Are those all your sins?" the father asked. Charlotte shook her head and took a deep breath. There was only one way she could think of that might make it possible for her to broach the subject of Zach...

"I was having impure thoughts." she replied, gulping and blushing a little. There was a long and embarrassing silence, before the priest cleared his throat.

"Impure thoughts?" he asked. From the sound of his voice he seemed to be just as embarrassed as her.

"I... Since Zachariah Wright is back, I just... I can't stop thinking about him. I know everyone says that he is a murderer and I believe it, but... it's just so hard to imagine that he's a bad man. I can't help it... I feel like there must be something else to the whole story..." she told him, hoping he would take the bait. There was another silence, before she heard the priest sighing.

"I was wondering when something like that would come up. Zachariah Wright... it would have been better if he had never come back into town. I told him as much when he came to me for advice, but... whatever his plan is, it won't be good. You'd do better to stay out of it, unless you want to risk your life." he whispered. Charlotte raised her eyebrows, trying to think carefully about her next steps.

"You told him to leave town? But... But Father, if he really murdered that girl... why did you do it? Why did you tell him to run away?" she wanted to know. She wasn't sure whether she had interpreted what he had said right, but judging from the way he was staying quiet, barely even breathing, she must have hit a nerve.

"I knew I shouldn't have said it to you. I knew I shouldn't have told you. You're too smart for your own good sometimes, Charlotte." he said with a melancholic tone to his voice.

"So... what does that mean? Did he kill her or did he not? I just... I need to know. I need some closure or this whole thing will never leave me alone... please, Father, can't you tell me anything?" she pleaded. Secretly she was delighted that he had called her smart. She knew that it was probably going to be her downfall some day, but she liked when people told her she was smart. It made her feel like she was at least good for something, unlike what her parents kept telling her.

"Charlotte, you know I can't tell you anything people tell me during confession." Father Lawson replied.

"But Father... whether he is innocent or not... it's not something that he would have told you during confession, is it? Can't you give me a hint at least?" she wanted to know. She knew that she would have to get back home soon, if she didn't want to raise any suspicion, but she needed to know this.

"I... Fine. He didn't do it. He didn't kill her. That's all I can tell you. Now you'd be better off just forgetting about it. I'm telling you, it's not something you want to get involved in." he told her. Charlotte could feel her heart beating faster. If the priest was convinced that Zach was innocent and if he had told him to run away... things were looking a bit better than before. He knew something else, Charlotte was sure of it. She just didn't know how far she could push him.

"Who was it then? You don't think she... you know...?" she asked carefully.

"No, I don't think so. Again, I can't break the seal of confession. I can't tell you. And you probably shouldn't ask so many questions, either." the priest answered. Charlotte sighed and shook her head. So he knew something. Someone must have confessed to it then... just who could it be?

"So it was someone else who killed her then? That's what you mean, isn't it? Someone confessed it to you and you can't tell me, but you know that Zach didn't do it!"

"I can't tell you that."

"That's okay, I'm sure there is some sort of gossip around the place. Maybe if I just ask around the town, see if maybe someone knows something... of course, I wouldn't want to tip off the actual murderer, but if you can't tell me who it is, then... well, that's a risk I'll have to take." Charlotte said and stood up to leave. She was bluffing of course. There was no way she could do any of that without raising suspicion.

"Please don't do that. You have no idea how dangerous that might be." the priest said. Charlotte stopped in her tracks, a small smile on her lips.

"Then why don't you tell me who to talk to if I want to know more?" she asked. She could hear him sighing.

"You're forcing my hand here. Whatever you say to them, don't say that you were speaking to me. I have nothing to do with any of this. Is that clear?"

"Of course, Father."

"Talk to Grace's family. You might find out more from them."