Description
My breath catches in my throat when the cathedral doors creak open. I feel him before I see him. I feel him before he cruelly whispers my name. I feel him before his fingers graze my goose-pebbled flesh. He is my affliction--the dark vision of my dreams that taunt me with promises of pleasure if I simply give in. My sisters are starting to suspect that something is off. They murmur when I pass them in the halls, and I fear I can't hide it any longer. I need divine intervention. The soles of his boots are deafening across the marbled floor. The closer he gets, the further I want to run, but I can't. My feet are planted to the floor like magnets. Lightning streaks across the sky, illuminating the ostentatious stained glass window behind the pulpit. Thunder cracks so loudly that the church shakes, and I'm convinced it's all because of him. He stops merely a few feet behind me. I hyperventilate as my fingers clutch my rosary beads. I want to pray for my protection, but the words-- What are the words? "Sister Claire..." I'm too late. "Sister Claire...are you ready for your cummunion?" The remaining chapters of The Defiled can be found on Kindle Vella. The link is in my bio.
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