Chapter 1~ A man bleeding on the altar

Chapter 1

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Elizabeth

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There is a man bleeding on the altar.

I blinked—once, twice, to be sure I wasn't seeing things.

I'm not, because he is still there and he's bleeding quite a lot. There's blood all over the floor that I have to force myself to breathe… and not throw up.

My eyes dart across the cathedral, but there is no one here but him… and me—an ordinary nun who is yet to take her vows.

What should I do?

I can't just run and leave him here…

The only reason why I'm up at this ungodly hour is because I couldn't sleep. I've been having trouble sleeping this days and I only needed fresh air. Maybe Mama was right—where ever I go, bad things tend to happen.

Take a deep breath, Liz.

Take. a. deep. breath, Liz.

Exhaling deeply, I walked towards him, clutching my rosary like it was meant to protect me from him.

He could be a bad man. What if him bleeding on the altar is an act? What if I get there he’ll grab me and—

Oh. My. God.

He's looking at me now. He's really looking at me with eyes so dark that I could have sworn—if nuns are allowed to swear—that there's something dangerous about him.

“Come here,” he commanded, in a deep and raspy voice that does something to me that I can't explain.

My heart skittered to a stop.

The way his voice comes out makes it seem like he says that to a lot of women and they listen immediately. And I had an awful, awful impulse to listen.

With an erratic heartbeat, I took sure steps towards him. As soon as I reached him, he grabbed me by hand, pulling me onto him. One moment I was standing and the next moment am on him, my entire habit is stained with blood now.

What will I tell Mother Superior now?

He tilted my chin up to meet his gaze, studying me like he’s trying to uncover if I'm a threat or not. His eyes stopped on the rosary around my neck, his gaze softening right after.

We're too close to each other so I rocked back, not fighting him because I'm afraid that if I do, I might end up worsening the injury—a bullet wound at his side. I pulled back again and for a man who is bleeding, his grip is surprisingly tight and I'm already shaken with the lightening bolt exploding in my chest and fizzing through my veins.

My breasts are pressed against his hard, warm abs and a shiver rolled through me.

He's a dying man, Liz.

Control yourself!

“Y-you're really hurt. I'll have to go find help,” I told him, trying to get up because the position we were in was not one I needed someone else to walk into. A lot of things could be misread, and as it already is, I'm not really in the good books of many. But he dragged me back before I could succeed in rising up, hauling me back onto him.

“Don't call anyone, Angel…”

Angel?

Angel?!

Is he seeing angels already?

Oh my God, this man is going to die. Mother Superior always says that when people are close to death, they begin to see ghosts, visions of their loved ones who are dead and most importantly, angels who have come to take them.

But if I can't call anyone, how am I supposed to save him? We tend to the sick, wounded and those dying in the convent. Well, exclude the latter part because this is the first time am this close to a dying man who is bleeding this much.

If I don't save him, the Lord will never forgive me. I can't let him die. I won't.

“But…”

“Take me to your room,” he asked in the same voice as earlier that I'm beginning to hate, it does things to me that I shouldn't like.

To my room?

Does he not realize who I am or is his brain so fuzzed up that he can't think properly? If anyone sees a man in my room, I'll be kicked out of the convent for sure.

No man should even be on the monastery grounds at this hour, let alone taking him into my room.

I'm just about to tell him that but he repeated the words again,

“Take me to your room.” His tone more firmer than before, with added force than necessary.

Taking a deep breath, shutting all the screaming voices in my head, I manage to lift him up, although I don't do it on my own. He helped by trying to get up as well. I guess he understands how huge his body frame is.

With slow steps, we make our way out of the cathedral, heading to the convent and specifically to my room. Luckily, the rest of the sisters retired early today, so it's just me and a man twice my height beside me.

I'm not going to lie, I'm panicking.

What if someone sees us?

What if he dies and am accused of murder?

I hope he doesn't. I just want to help a man… an innocent man perhaps.

Please, Lord… help me this time. Help me pass this test, please.

With a little push, my room door opened and we stepped in. After helping him onto the bed, I quickly rushed back to close the door, locking it after me.

A low ragged groan erupted from him, dragging my attention back to him, then I realized his eyes were closed now.

I don't have much time.

“Please don't die,” I whispered, almost crying now. “Please, stay alive for me. Please…”

He didn't respond. Rather, he was mumbling something under his breath, something I couldn't quite hear. Opening my closet, I grabbed the first aid kit, blowing off the dust scattered all over the top of the box.

Clutching it to my chest, I walked towards the bed, sitting beside him and dropping the box next to me.

I inhaled.

I exhaled.

You can do this, Liz.

Just don't kill him and you'll be fine. I took one look at the door again, listening for footsteps before returning my eyes to him.

Lord, I should have stayed in my room today.