“I wonder what will be talked about this morning. I heard Priest Brown brought in a female guest speaker for today's chapel.”
I glance over at her, pinching my brows together. “Isn’t Priest Brown your father? Why do you call him that and not Dad or something?” I ask her.
She pales slightly and looks ahead as we step up the stairs into the church. “How did you know he was my father?” she whispers to me softly.
I stop, and she turns over her shoulder to look at me as she grabs my arm again, pulling me into the corner of the entrance. “No one knowshe’s my father. How didyouknow that?” she asks with a little more hostility.
I swallow and try to think my way out of this situation, knowing exactly how I know: I overheard them. “You both look similar; it was just a guess,” I try to amend, but she’s already shaking her head at me.
“We don’t look alike at all, Grace. Who told you?”
“Ladies.”
We both flip our heads to the side as we find Priest Brown smiling down at us with a sinister smile, his deacon close behind. “What do we have here? Is everything alright, Grace?”
I glance down at where Jocelyn’s hand rests on my arm, all while she leans into me…in a dark corner. I close my eyes at how this might look. I’m sure the tension he’s feeling is being mistaken as something sexual. We probably gave him enough proof just in this moment.
I glance up and spot a camera above us, and I roll my eyes. Of course, there’s a camera here recording this situation. I’m sure they would mute it, too, knowing my luck.
“You are aware, Grace, that this campus does not tolerate same sex indiscretions.” He starts lecturing me as I smile back at him.
“I would be more concerned about your daughter, Priest Brown.” I grab her hand, and she swings her head to me, her eyes bulging as she looks at my hand holding hers. “Josie was the one who made us all the best snacks last night for one-on-one time. She was even the one who pulled me into this corner. I’m sure the God you worship wouldn’t smite those based on who they love, would they? Especially your daughter Josie, she’s such a sweet girl.”
I look at her with fluttering lashes as she clenches her jaw. I glance back at Priest Brown and see his skin start turning an unruly red when one of the deacons approaches us. He drops his jaw as he sees Josie and me holding hands.
Josie looks back and forth, ripping her hand free of mine andholding it as if she had just been burned. “I swear, Priest Brown, it is not what it looks like!” She starts to panic.
They might have tried to set me up, to find proof for the clergy to let me be the scapegoat for the upcoming ritual, but they might have just found their second option—the priest’s daughter. Unless no one actually knows this.Fuck.Josie was shocked that I knew. I have a feeling that the clergy would be shocked by many things about this situation. Ironically enough, they would likely be more offended that the priest had a child outside of marriage than by the idea that he hasa literal demon possessing him. Wedlock would always be a top-tier church scandal.
My jaw drops as I start to think through the situation further. Could that be a reason why no one knows that information? I bite my tongue as I try not to laugh at the irony of the supposed most holy man on campus committing sins that weigh the same as others.
“Sir, what should we do?” the deacon asks as he continues to stare at the two of us with alarm.
Priest Brown clears his throat. “Send them both to the confessional. We must cleanse them immediately.” He turns away abruptly, heading out of sight. The deacon opens and closes his mouth before turning and starting down the hallway, stopping and waving us along with his hand.
“After you,” Josie glares at me.
I ignore her as I walk past and follow the deacon down the hallway to the stairwell. I hear Josie grumbling behind me, but ignore her. She got herself into this situation in the first place. She was trying to set me up; how could I feel pity for her? She knew what she was doing and what the cost would be. The cost being mylife. With her now being dragged into this with me, perhaps my life will be spared. There’s no way her own father would put her in the ritual. This might be my way out. I try not to get my hopes up as we descend the staircase.
It continues to get darker and darker until we reach the basement level, where a giant wooden door with the word CONFESSIONAL greets us. I glance over my shoulder at Jocelyn, who has become silentand far more pale than she was upstairs. I swallow my nerves, lifting my head as I open the door.
The room is huge. Massive candle chandeliers hung lit from the ceiling, and other candles were dangling along the wall between giant arched windows.Fire hazard much?In the back of the room, against the wall, is a giant crucifix with no Christ on it.Interesting. There are a few large chairs along the sides of the room with what appear to be barbaric metal shackles on the armrests.What kind of fucking confessional is this?There are rows of benches down the center, with padding on the ground for kneeling. It looks like a medieval, borderline demonic version of the chapel that lies directly upstairs. It feelswronghere. I turn back to the man as he follows behind Josie, slamming the door shut.
“Priest Brown will be with you ladies shortly. But, to ensure there is no temptation in this private space, we will bind you to opposite sides of the room. Jocelyn, please follow me to this side of the room.” He doesn’t wait for her to respond as he steps toward a large wooden chair.
She follows without fight as her body trembles with each step. She glances at me, fear radiating through her eyes, as she sits down and places her arms on the armrests. The deacon clasps the bindings closed on her wrists, and she closes her eyes as her mouth quivers.
“Grace, if you’ll please sit in that chair over there.” He points to the same chair on the opposite side of the room.
“What even is this place? This isn’t a normal confessional. There’s no way this is even remotely allowed at a school.” I step away from him.
“This is quite normal, Grace. We are ensuring there is no temptation between the two of you while you are down here alone. Religious interference is agreed upon when applying. Now, if you please?—”
“No!” I shout as I step further away from him. “You may not bind me to that chair. You will let me leave here. I did not consent to this, and I will not allow you to hold me down here for God knows how long.” I turn toward the door and run. I place my hand on the handle and push,but it doesn’t budge or turn. I shake the handle a few times as panic races through my veins. I’m fucked.
“Grace, please. Don’t make this difficult. It’s truly for your own good. You will be cleansed and find the right steps for your future through a rebirth in Christ.” He grabs my arms as I start to scream and thrash.
I elbow him aggressively, landing a hit on his nose as he shouts in pain. I continue to fight as he grips me harder, throwing me at the chair. I slam over the armrest and gasp at the pain that shoots through my ribs. He charges at me as I try to scuffle upwards, wincing in pain. He grabs one of my arms, trying to lay it in line with the binding. I scream and thrash, kicking him away with all my strength. But he latches the binding as I scream at the top of my lungs. He slaps me across my face, my voice silencing immediately.
