Page 141 of For I Have Sinned

“Sorry. That’s not how it works,” the other priest says.

Frustration and fear rip through his chest as he lets out a grunt. Turning us around, he rushes us over to another door on the left, but the priests that stand before it shake their heads, silently warning that there’s no point in trying to get past them.

I look up at Alex to question what we should do, but he is already scanning the room, his head turning back and forth in a rapid motion, until his eyes finally lock in on one place.

“The stage.” He turns us to face it, and I wish he didn’t.

My eyes fall to where Father Keaton stands inside the pool. He wears a disturbing expression that makes my body turn cold. I follow his eyes to find that it is directed towards the two men who are carelessly dragging Bekah’s lifeless body out of the water. Father Keaton is ruthless, and the look on his face as he watches them get rid of her body.

There is no remorse—only pleasure.

He then turns to the crowd and points to a woman at random. It only takes a few seconds before the men can fully grab her, and no matter how much she fights, they win.

Alex quickly ushers Esther and me to squat between the last two standing pews to stay out of Father Keaton’s sight.

“There is an exit behind the stage. It’s the best way out,” Alex suggests.

“How would we be able to get past Father Keaton? He’s standing right there,” Esther asks.

“We just need to be careful and not catch anyone’s attention,” Alex explains.

He looks over the pew at the stage, his face twisting in anguish at the sight of yet another woman being killed. The screaming in the background grows more frantic, and a terrifying screech echoes through the room, making me flinch.

Alex notices my discomfort as soon as he brings his attention back to us. He squeezes my hand, pulling me closer to his side, and gently rubs my back to calm me. His eyes meet mine to reassure me that everything will be alright.

I take a deep breath and turn back toward Esther, who’s biting her lip, clearly in deep thought. “There are too many of them.”

“We need to split up.” I blurt out.

“No, Celine. Not happening. I’m not leaving your side. We need to be smart about this.” He is trying to remain calm, but I can hear his voice shake as he attempts to take charge.

Esther pops her head up over the pew, surveying the room. “No, she’s right. Someone needs to distract them while the others escape,” she says confidently. “The stage is the only option. But we are outnumbered; someone needs to distract them while the others escape.”

“Yes, exactly! That’s a good plan.” I nod in agreement, my head slowing as I see the determination on Esther’s face. At her expression, I begin to realize what she is implying, and when it finally hits me, I shake my head in concern and say, “Wait⁠—”

“I’ll distract them,” Esther interrupts me, saying the exact thing I feared was going to come out of her mouth.

My eyes go wide, and Alex’s head shakes in refusal.

“Absolutely not. Now is not the time to play hero, Esther. We’ll find another way out,” Alex disagrees with her plan.

“What other choice do we have? You two are the ones that need to—” She gets cut off by two strong hands that grab her shoulders.

Her eyes expand as the man yanks her away from us, roughly pulling her from the comfort of being hidden behind the pew. As I watch them take her away from me, it’s like I can feel her fear as if it is my own.

She reaches out silently, begging for our help. Begging us to stop them from taking her. From killing her. My chest heaves, and my eyes are ripped from hers as Alex jumps into action. He immediately grabs Esther’s wrist and tugs her arm, causing the priest to stop mid-movement.

The man has begun pulling Esther to her feet, causing Alex to stand with them, and he tries to get a stronger grip on her by pushing the man away.

Help him.

In an instant, he loses his hold on her as another priest tackles him from the side. Alex gets body slammed into the floor, and a loud thud mixes with the haunting screams throughout the room. The priest lands on top of him and tries to pin him down, but Alex fights back.

DO SOMETHING!

“Let me go!” Esther screams at the top of her lungs.

Her voice snaps me out of whatever trance I was trapped in. When I look at where she is, I see her thrashing so wildly, desperate to be released. She moves so violently that another man has to come and help detain her.