I'm The Devil

“I'm the fucking Devil.”

If someone would've said this Father Priest Lee, he wouldn't give it a second thought. Normally he would ask them why they feel this way, what makes them say that, and offer his help. It's what he was trained to do. But this wasn't normal. After hearing everything he said, Lee believed him.

Sitting in the confessional, just on the other side of the screen from Father Priest Lee, was a local down on his luck man by the name of Arnold. Homeless and working odd jobs, Arnold came into church every Sunday. He often asked for advice after service concluded but today he asked if it was possible for a confession. Lee noticed he was more timid than usual. Fidgeting and picking at the frayed sleeves of his dirty shirt. Seeing his distress, Lee agreed and they went into the booth.

Taking his seat, Lee spoke in a clear and solemn voice, starting off with his usual prayer.

Arnold remained silent.

To his knowledge this was the first time Arnold ever confessed so he probably wasn't familiar with the procedure. So Lee spoke first to guide him through the process.

“What brings you in today, my child?”

“You do Father.”

What came from the other side wasn't the quiet, meek voice that he associated with Arnold. It was deep and gravelly. Lee tensed up as he responded.

“This confession is for you, my child. So please, state any sins weighing heavy on your soul.”

“Let's start with yours.” The voice cackled.

“This isn't a game.” Lee stated. Trying to hold back the weariness in his voice. “I want to help you so please, go ahead and proceed.”

The voice let out a deep sigh. “Where do I begin?”

He listed off various small petty acts: stealing, spreading rumors, lying, but then he got more specific.

“I battered a woman to death in Oklahoma and left her body in a ditch behind a trailer park.” Each word rolled off his tongue slowly, infecting its way into Lee's ear. “I stole a car after stabbing the owner and high tailed it to a backwater town in Kentucky, where I changed my name and joined a church.”

Lee's hair stood on end and gooseflesh formed all over his arms. He opened his mouth to speak but was interpreted.

“It seems these Churches background checks are very lenient these days huh? Now should I keep going, Father ‘Priest Lee’? Maybe talk about what I did to the poor children who volunteer?”

Lee's heart felt as if it was going to leap from his throat. “How do you know all this?”

“I've had my eyes on you for quite a while. Waiting for the perfect opportunity. I gotta say, joining a church, that's hilarious. I bet the old timers thought your cute name "Priest" was fate. That you were destined to be a man of God. But really, your soul is destined to be mine”

Lee stood up and shouted at Arnold through the screen. “Who are you!”

“I'm the fucking Devil.”

Lee quickly reached for the door, but his head fell from his shoulders before his finger tips could even touch it. His soul joined the many others claimed by the Devil.