✓ 𝐒𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐍'𝐒 𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄 | 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐡𝐞𝐰

4 | confessional

Celia didn't expect such activities from a Christian girl, but then again, it's the 21st century.

It just seemed so odd though. She had a great paying job already as a detective. Why would she need another job?

Celia decided to drive off, locking this information in the back of her head for a later date. She knew much more about this woman than she really wanted to quite frankly.

─┉┈◈†◈┈┉

She headed to the church, hoping she would run into Sister Megan. Thankfully, she did. Sister invited her to the back to chat in which Celia informally invited her to help with the case. She was simply intel, which meant nothing she said could be true, but she could relay it to the other detectives, which would then help with the case.

She decided to leave the last of her information for last, as if it was gossip to spill.

Sister Megan was shocked, to say the least.

"I've only had a few conversations with Ms. Cooper, but I never in a million years expected something like that from her."

Celia nods her head, shrugging her shoulders, "Shocked me too, Sister."

"Should I tell Father about this?" She says, backing her chair out.

"No," Celia says firmly, stopping her, "This is between you and I. Just friendly conversation. As girls do, you know?"

She nods her head, smiling, "Right. As girls do. Does that mean we are friends, Detective Collins?"

Friend was a strong word. But so far, Celia didn't really have any other close relationships in this town, so might as well have the first one be a murder-obsessed nun.

"I also wanted to thank you for trusting me," Sister starts, "I know this is a sensitive topic, but I wanted to help as much as I can. This is so interesting to me."

"I understand that," Celia says, "But now you must write about the case wisely. Obviously, there is going to be information that is strictly confidential and cannot be used to... further your website viewership."

She nods her head rapidly, "I understand, Mrs. Collins. I will not write about anything without going through you first. And.. the father too. He likes to read everything before publishing. To make sure it's okay for the website."

Celia really had no problem with that, and it sounds like a good deal.

Celia dismissed herself from the church a couple of minutes later. Heading back to her house so she could cook the chicken she had from the other day.

─┉┈◈†◈┈┉

A few weeks before

─┉┈◈†◈┈┉

The moon shone over the church brightly, its perfectly round face admirable. Suddenly, the doors of the church burst open and a girl, around the age of 20 came running in, her face stained with tears and her voice almost gone. In the middle of the room was Father Charlie in his robe finishing off some prayer from the day.

"I need to confess!" She yelled, her achy voice echoing off the walls. Charlie looked at her, dropping what he was doing to go tend to her needs. He steps into one of the closest confessionals and the girl joins him.

She quickly catches her breath as Father Charlie sits there quietly, waiting for the girls confession.

Finally, she says something.

"I have done something bad. Very bad and I feel so terrible."

"What is it that you have done?"

She inhales, as if the topic was like needles on her tongue. As if the words were injected with poison, "I've assisted in adultery. My professor..."

Father Charlie nods, absorbing the information.

"He promised my success in the class, but... I took his class 2 years ago. And he's retired now so I can't report him!"

Father Charlie furrows his brow at the odd details.

"I can't escape him, Father. He has me wrapped around his finger. He says that if I tell anyone what is happening, he will get me kicked out of University... all Universities."

Charlie nods, "And, I assume he is doing sexual acts with you?"

She nods, "At first, I was willing to do it, because it was for my class, but now. Now it's just... force."

He blinks rapidly, a sense of sympathy for the girl, "But... you know that's a sin right?"

She looks through the window, catching his eyes for the first time. But she jumped in fear. His eyes were dark, almost black, as if this information wasn't being relayed to God, but something else. Something darker.

"He is married, yes?"

"Yes," she says. She didn't feel comfortable answering his questions anymore, but for some reason she felt obligated too. It was as if she had been programmed to obey higher figures.

"That is a sin."

"I... I know! That's why I am here. I need to repent for my sins."

"Unfortunately.. I don't think God forgives you. I feel him, in my soul. He says that what you have done is beyond forgiveness. Your soul is black, and it needs to be cleaned out."

She blinks. It wasn't the answer she was expecting. She hurriedly exits the confessional, running out of the church. She didn't turn back.

─┉┈◈†◈┈┉

Celia was awoken in the middle of the night by a call from the police informing her that another murder had occurred. She hurriedly put on clothes and got into her car, following the address she was given.

She ended up in the middle of a field of long, dry grass.

She could see the smoke from a fire in the distance and she assumed that is where it had occurred. She makes her way through the grass, approaching the group of police and detectives surrounding the scene. She squeezes in, taking a look at the bodies.

They were kids. Maybe ages 12-15. It was a horrible, gruesome sight as all of the bodies were brutally mutilated and even a couple of body parts were thrown into the fire. It seemed as if the context of this was some kids playing around a fire. They were all dressed in white gowns, but underneath all of it, they looked like they were doing some sort of ritual around the fire.

Celia was disgusted, knowing that the kids were probably innocent, probably playing some stupid game to where they thought they were witches.

But no. In the killer's eyes. This was a sin. This was sorcery.

─┉┈◈†◈┈┉

Author's Note !!

Hi! So I wanted to start this thing where there's a question of the day for each chapter. I've noticed it's been a little quiet up in here.. so I wanted to spark some conversation. Obviously, if you don't feel comfortable answering the question, please don't, but I definitely encourage you to. This also helps me recognize all my readers!

𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐲:

If you were to be any fictional character who would you be and why?