Runaway

A Glimmer of Kindness

Jess pushed through the heavy oak doors of the church, her feet scuffing quietly on the aged marble floors. She blinked as she stepped from the harsh morning light into the cavernous, dimly lit interior. 

Ornate stained glass windows filtered rainbow streaks of colors across the vaulted arches and weathered wooden pews. The combined smells of must, polish and burnt wax hung heavy in the air. An eerie silence blanketed the sanctuary, broken only by Jess's tentative footsteps.

She felt profoundly out of place in her grimy clothes and disheveled state. Places like this were meant for the devout, well-heeled worshippers - not runaway delinquents like her seeking shelter.

Suddenly feeling self-conscious, Jess lingered in the back, not daring to go any further into the heart of the immense nave. What was she doing here? This was surely not the haven she'd desperately hoped for.

She was about to turn and slink back out when a door off to the side opened and a wizened old priest emerged, robe swishing around his slippered feet. Jess froze, caught like a deer in headlights, bracing for the inevitable scrutiny and reproach.

But instead, the elderly man's face broke into a warm smile, his wise eyes crinkling at the corners. "Well, good morning, my child," he said in a soft, grandfatherly voice. "What brings you to our humble chapel on this beautiful day?"

Jess opened and closed her mouth, suddenly feeling very small and overwhelmed. How could she even begin to explain or ask for the help she so desperately needed?

The priest seemed to sense her hesitation and inner turmoil. He slowly made his way towards her, moving with a slight stoop.

"Now, now, no need for such apprehension," he soothed, raising a gnarled hand. Up close, Jess could make out his kind, crinkly face, the wispy white hair ringing his bald pate. "This is a place of sanctuary, for all of God's children. You look weary - perhaps I can offer some guidance?"

His gentle demeanor disarmed Jess, prompting her to finally find her voice again. "I...I don't really know," she stammered, looking anywhere but at the priest's caring gaze. Tears threatened to spill over her cheeks. "I ran away from home a few days ago. My parents, they were...and I had nowhere to..."

She trailed off in a choked sob, her shoulders slumping beneath the weight of her backpack and the sheer hopelessness that had settled over her.

"There, there, my child," the old man murmured, placing a comforting hand on her arm. "Why don't you come have a seat with me and we'll see if we can't find a solution together, hmm? I may be just an old soul, but I still have a few wise tricks up my sleeve."

He gently steered Jess towards a side room, a small office or study lined with bookshelves and a heavy wooden desk. It smelled even more powerfully of dust and candle wax in the intimate space.

Gesturing for her to take a padded chair in front of the desk, the priest eased himself into a creaking wingback chair with a soft groan. He steepled his gnarled fingers and peered at her over his half-moon glasses.

"Now then, my child...where shall we begin?"

Jess felt her lip trembling as she clutched the straps of her backpack in her lap. This was her first true act of opening up, of reaching out for help. For so long she'd been alone, overwhelmed by the darkness encroaching at every side.

But maybe, just maybe, there was a flicker of light and kindness in this humble priestJess took a shuddering breath, mustering her courage to finally unburden herself.  a glimmer of hope in the most unexpected of sanctuaries.

"I'm...I'm not sure where to start," she said in a small voice, finally meeting the priest's patient, grandfatherly gaze. "But I'll try..."  to find her way back from the path she'd strayed down.

Jess took a deep, steadying breath, feeling the weight of the last few traumatic days heavy on her shoulders. But something about the priest's patient, grandfatherly presence put her at ease, giving her the courage to finally unburden herself.

"I came from a nice home, a good family..." she began haltingly. "But things have been so hard between my parents lately. They fought constantly, screaming at each other over anything and everything."

Jess stared down at her hands, twisting the hem of her grimy shirt. "The tension, the sadness, it was suffocating me. I thought if I could just get away, run away from it all, I could breathe again."

She risked a glance up at the old priest, who simply nodded, his expression neutral and non-judgmental as he listened intently. Encouraged by his silence, the words began tumbling out in a rush.

"I didn't plan ahead or anything. I just stuffed a bag and snuck out one night, like an idiot. But being alone on the streets..." Jess shuddered, feeling her eyes well up again at the memories. "I had nowhere to go, no money for food or anything. This woman, Rhonda, she took me in for a few days but...but then she..."

The girl's voice caught in her throat as the awful events came flooding back. Rhonda's slurred suggestions, the repulsive man leering at her, the sickening proposition that made Jess finally flee in terror.

"I can't...I don't want to go into details," she managed in a small voice. "Just know that I realized my mistake too late. The shelters, the kind people out there, they're not to be trusted. Not by kids like me with nowhere to turn."

Jess looked up at the priest imploringly. "I don't know what to do. I've got no one, Father. No family who could possibly understand. I'm just...lost and alone out here."

She fell silent, fresh tears streaking down her hollow cheeks as she waited for the clergyman's judgment, his inevitable dismissal. Surely she had sinned greatly by her reckless actions and didn't deserve any compassion or aid.

But instead, the old priest simply reached across the desk and enveloped Jess's small, grimy hand in his own withered one. His eyes shone with deep empathy and warmth.

"My child, you have been through an incredible ordeal, one no young person should ever have to face," he said, his voice gentle but laced with steel. "To find yourself cast out into the harsh realities of the world, exploited and preyed upon by those with wicked intentions...it is a tragedy."

He gave her hand a paternal squeeze. "But you are not alone, nor beyond redemption in the eyes of the Lord. He watches over all of His children, even when we stray from the path."

Jess felt her breath hitch at the unbridled compassion and understanding in his words. This wise, spiritual figure seemed to hold no condemnation towards her, only a desire to help and heal.

The priest continued, his eyes holding Jess's with an intense but caring focus. "You have suffered more than enough, my child. But if you have the courage to face the light once more, I believe I can help guide you towards safe harbor, towards internal healing and sanctuary."

His wrinkled face crinkled into an reassuring smile. "You have found your way to the doors of the church. Perhaps it is time to let faith illuminate your path anew, to release the burden you've shouldered for too long."

Jess stared at him, hardly daring to hope yet feeling something loosen in her chest. A sense of peace and security she hadn't felt in so long. She managed a small, tremulous nod.

"Yes...yes, Father, I'd like that very much."

If she could endure just a bit longer, perhaps this gentle soul held the answers to finding her way home.