ouse at 3:17 AM. Raw. Despera

s tangled around my legs which caused me to fall. For a

the sound of a bod

d. It wa

down the hallway, as it seemed like the electricity had powered down. When

yself but nothing changed. Anoth

u

coming from the candle lit by the bedside table. Daniel knelt beside the bed, one hand braced against the mattress and the oth

nie

espo

loser. "Hey

e wild, unfocused, dangerous, like he was hiding something an

le

screamin

witched. "My apologie

it?? No explanation, no vulnerability. The s

my arms. "

in

htly horror movie reenactmen

ack t

His fingers trembled against the mattress. I almost didn't see it because of how scared

ou want some

N

y hands up. "Right. Well, try not to die b

and padded to the kitchen. The house was silent except for the soft creak of his floorboards above me. He

o the sink, filling a glass of water. He did not tur

p either, h

le

and poured a finger into my coffee. "Sure you

stiffened. "

ng him. "You're always this chatty

s shadowed. Jaw set. "W

ur dream was about. I couldn'

king sure you are not goin

ed low enough that I a

t stab c

ords. First cr

a brow. "

nd set the glass down

ing to the storm outside soften into a drizzle. My mind replayed his tremor, the tight l

arrived, gray and he

tattoos, dark ink curling across his forearms in patterns I could not decipher. A priest with tattoos? Is God fuc

ing what I'm saying

mind was somewher

siona

's the occasion? Guilt over s

t for your

A whole pancake

cks and slid one

golden circles. "These

monastery. They t

ed a bite slowly, still a little skeptical about it.

toward mine. "Som

ther piece again. These are the best pancakes I

ng to his unreadable expression.

in as Daniel and I walked in silen

tight, I already braced myself for what was coming. "Father Daniel! I heard about the chu

e was cold. "

know, the rectory at S

ne wher

r. "Well. If you need a

y, Margaret. He sleeps

lowed us dow

harply. "That wa

her face, yet

g. Just a quie

hat?"

g about la

s. Flecks of gold caught in his dark

sil

st missed it. "It is not y

" I fi

tightene

pace. "Well. See yo

not lo