Page 14 of For I Have Sinned

Where are they going?

“Your mother is only worried about you,” Father Keaton informs me.

“She has nothing to worry about,” I say, glancing back over my shoulder to the empty lobby.

“She says that you do not believe in God.”

His words pull my attention away from where my parents stood and to the side of his face. He stares straight ahead, that serene expression remaining in his features. I swallow hard at his statement because it’s one thing to admit that to my mother, but how do I admit that to a priest? Someone who devotes his whole life to God.

He glances over at me. “It’s okay for you to say it. I won’t take any offense.”

Licking my lips, I find the courage to be honest with him. “No. I don’t believe in a God.”

We round the corner, and the chapel comes into view. Standing in the hallway, just outside the doors, the same nun who gave us the tour last week waits patiently, her hands clasped in front of her.

“Hello, Father Keaton,” she greets him before smiling at me. “Hello again, Celine.”

“Hi.” The energy in the building has shifted drastically, from peaceful to unsettling.

There is a static charge of unease in the air that makes my skin crawl, and my chest tightens from the discomfort. I swear it has grown darker in the hall, even with the sun shining through the windows behind us. Whatever is going on is starting to set off sirens in my head, yelling at me to get the hell out of here.

Taking a step back, I hook my thumb toward the hall behind me. “I should get back to my parents.”

“They left,” Father Keaton casually tells me. That once serene gleam in his eyes has now vanished.

My feet stop moving, stuck to the stone floor beneath me, and I slowly lower my hand to my side. “What?”

“Sister Alice will show you to your room,” he states.

“My what?” I stare at him in perplexity.

Those who are confused about their faith, or who would like to have a closer relationship with God, come here to learn what it means to have faith and to serve. We have bedrooms for them to stay in while they spend their time here.

Her words from the other day ring in my ears when the realization hits. “As much as I appreciate the offer, I’m going to have to decline.”

I take another step back, inching closer to the hallway that leads to the lobby, but Father Keaton gently grabs my arm to stop me. “I fear that is not an option, Celine. You did sign the paperwork.”

“Paperwor—” My voice trails off as my eyes grow wide. “You had me blindly sign papers saying that I would attend your convent?”

“I’m sorry, but your mother said it would be the only way.” He gives me a look of remorse.

“So you lied to me?” I laugh in disbelief that my mother would do something this drastic, and I rip my arm out of his grasp. “Lying is a sin, Father.”

“And I will pray for my forgiveness later. For now, please follow Sister Alice to your room.”

My eyes dart from Father Keaton to Sister Alice, the latter looking at me with worried eyes. In that brief moment, I decide what I need to do. There is no way I’m staying in this place. I need to get out of here.

Without a second thought, I run.

I take off towards the lobby, sprinting down the hall as fast as I can, my breath already turning sporadic, making my chest hurt, but I don’t stop. I get halfway down the hallway and chance it, peering over my shoulder to see Father Keaton, not running after me but walking with a relaxed step.

Which makes this whole situation creepier.

Before I can turn my head back to continue my escape and watch where I’m running, I slam into a hard wall. With a grunt, I stumble backward, losing my balance, and almost fall to the ground when strong hands grip my shoulders to stop me from hitting the ground.

I rub a hand over my chest from the impact of crashing into someone, and then I look up to find confused golden-amber eyes staring down at me.

“Are you okay, Celine?” Father Alexander asks, his voice full of concern.