Father James strolled through the empty streets, unsure about the hour. He hadn't been able to get home any other way, since he was hardly ever capable of keeping what little money he had. This time, though, he was pretty sure he had kept enough for the subway, but probably the kids in the shelter pickpocket him. The priest never understood why people steal... especially why people steal from *him*.
The night was particularly cold and the rain was rusting his already broken umbrella, but Father James kept his slow and peaceful pace, heading towards his little church. He knew he was going to find someone sleeping inside, since he always left the doors open. Of course his good intentions had made his poor church even poorer, but James didn't believe in closed churches, no matter how violent the city would get.
He was just about to turn the street to his little place when he was spotted by something cold and vicious. A murderer observed him and smiled to his luck. He stopped the car, still far away from his prize and stepped out carefully, measuring his distance from the old priest.
James passed the opened church gates and was just about to push the heavy wooden doors open when he heard fast footsteps behind him. The old man turned and his whole world turned dark.
The little boy knew his was going to be scolded by his mother; he should have been ready an hour ago. They were going to be late to his first day on Sunday school. But still, he was sitting on his bed, crossed legged, in his pijama. He didn't care about Sunday school, it was stupid and he wanted to see the cartoons! "Ian, we're late!!", a voice came from downstairs. The boy threw one of his boots against the door, showing his protest.
"I forgive you". The vampire heard someone say.
His father was outside the room, but Ian could still heard Diane crying. His mother's cold hand made him shudder and he looked her in the eye for the first time in that afternoon. She was very pale, her lips had lost all colour and she had several tubes and wires connected to her. She seemed so tired in the last days, as if she was only able to be awake when they arrive to visit her. His mother's hand started to shake strongly and the boy hold it, as a treasure, as she started to cough desperately. "Go outside!!". Ian was paralyzed, gripping his mother's hand firmly and calling, in a lost voice, for his father. A mechanical sound slashed the air.
"I forgive you" the vampire heard again.
The Doctor was running through the vampire's hallway in panic. He didn't understand anything! He didn't want to understand. His assistant was dead, with his throat cut by ... large teeth. And the thing was coming after him. He was going for the stairs. The vampire grabbed him, uncontrollably, just as scared as his doctor. He pressed the man his father asked for help against the wall and killed him. Ian let the doctor fall at his feet and backed away, panicking.
"I forgive you"
He had to drink blood. He could not hold himself. So he killed... until it didn't matter that much anymore.
"I forgive you"
He killed not just to feed, but in anger to.
"I forgive you"
Ian killed, because he wanted to.
"I forgive you"
Ian opened his eyes and looked at the priest still in his arms. He was dead... The vampire picked him up, carefully and entered the church.
Contrary to what father James had expected, it was empty, just with a couple of candles burning themselves away. Ian put the priest in one of the benches; he was sure someone would find him in the morning. Maybe he should get rid of the corpse, but it seemed such an insult to someone like that old priest, Ian would never do that.
The vampire approached the altar and kneeled. He was never a religious person, he never thought about God or about sin. But this time, he made the sign his mother thought him when he was boy and hoped it meant sometime. "Please help me find my way".
As Ian got up, he didn't have the heart to look to Father James. It had been a long time since he felt any remorse. Now this was the second death he mourned. The vampire closed the Church doors behind him and got back to his car.