Foxx spat at him, the man flinching as the spit hit him in the face. “I have no need for your redemption. Release me!”
The man slowly wiped the spit away, a grin slipping on to his face, his eyes raking down Foxx’s body. The look was…strange to him. “You do not know what you need, child. But you will find out. You will see the light. The folly of your choices. And eventually, you will be welcomed into God’s embrace, once we purify the evil inside you.”
Foxx scoffed.
“Take him to the purification room, bind him as you have done all the rest, and then leave the room.”
“Leave, Father Ayerst? Will we not be performing the rituals together?” the man on the right asked.
“No, this one I believe will take long term devotion to the task at hand. It is best if I handle it alone.”
“Understood,” they both said.
Foxx glared, refusing to show fear. He knew whatever was coming would hurt, but was he not used to it by now? Devotion and love from those who were supposed to care for you always seemed to be followed by pain. Or perhaps it was his own abnormal desires that had driven those who were supposed to love him to their horrible actions. Though these priests were neither family nor friends, so he feared the pain they intended to cause him would not have a single tether of broken affection.
Foxx fought as the two dragged him away. His eyes widened as they pulled him into an almost empty room, except for what looked like a torturer’s cross, bent in half and set up like a table on the floor. He struggled harder as they forced his upper body face down and bound his wrists. His lower body hung off the table. He kicked out, trying to stop them from binding his legs, but he failed in the end.
“Let me go!” Foxx screamed at them. But the two ignored him, and he heard their footsteps fade as they left.
It wasn’t long before the priest from before arrived. When the man walked in, he heard the door shut and a lock engage.
“Release me!” Foxx demanded.
“It is time to begin your journey to redemption, my son.”
Foxx flinched as the man brushed a hand down his back. “Don’t touch me!” he hissed.
“I knew…the moment I saw you that you would need special care.”
Foxx frowned at the words, and tensed at the cold press of metal against his neck. He jerked in his bindings, when the man sliced and tore his shirt to shreds. “Stop!” But the priest didn’t stop. A shiver of fear slid through him as his britches followed. “What are you…”
“You are temptation personified. The devil’s work. Know what I do next is not for pleasure or need, but for redemption.”
“Foxx,that’s enough. You don’t have to say any more,” Harlow hissed.
The words pulled him out of the memory. Foxx blinked, realizing he had a death grip on Harlow’s arm, and the appendage was in fact turning white from lack of circulation. “Sorry,” he said, releasing his hold.
“He raped you,” Harlow stated, but there was no emotions in his words. At least, not enough to determine what the human thought about it all.
“Yes. Repeatedly, for the whole ten years. He liked to set his cross in the middle of my back and yell scripture at me as he did it. Most of the time, the words he said blamed me for his own actions.”
Harlow let out a deep growl. “Pathetic.”
Foxx flinched, eyes widening. “I—”
“Fuck! I’m not talking about you. I told you, I’m not good at this.” Harlow cursed some more. “I was talking about that bastard. Both of those fuckers, really. Neither would ever admit they felt something towards the same gender, so they did all they could to hurt someone who bravely embraced who they were. Meanwhile, both used whatever they could to their advantage to still get what they wanted, while blaming you for it all. I like your ass. You aren’t a temptation… Well, you are, but not in the evil sin kind of way. Hell, I’m more monstrous than you could ever be… Fuck, I don’t know what I was trying to say…”
Foxx burst into a fit of giggles, and instantly regretted it. “Oh ow…oh, oh ow, that hurts,” he whimpered.
Harlow snorted. “Yeah, I wouldn’t suggest laughing. You literally had open heart surgery like six hours or so ago, and some broken rips on top of that.”
Foxx sighed. “I’m tired.”
“Sleep then. I’m not going anywhere. And that…priest won’t touch you again. I’ll shoot him first.”
He sniffed. “I find that comforting.”
Harlow grunted in response.
