One
"Aaron don't go too far, okay?!" The priest called out from the church steps.
"Yes, Father!" I yelled back with a smile.
The children of the church would rarely be allowed to play outside, so we were all very excited. I was the youngest and smallest of them all, so the priest would keep an extra close eye on me, with nothing but worry and fear for my well being in mind.
I followed the rest of the kids into the forest that was held behind the church, and felt my heart beat rapidly at the excitement of it all.
The oldest of all of us was a tall eleven year old girl. She had a heavy country accent with doey eyes and orange hair that was always tied in two neat braids. She stood before us all with her hands on her hips, clearing her throat to announce the activity we would be playing.
"Ahem! Today we'll be playing hide and seek. One person will seek, and the rest'll hide." She said, peering over us with a smile.
"I'll pick..."
All the kids averted their eyes, not wanting to be responsible for seeking. I apparently wasn't fast enough, my confused six year old eyes locked with the sinister girl's brown ones.
She pointed at me proudly. "You! Aaron will be the one to find us!"
All the kids sighed in relief, and gave me sympathetic looks in return to my discouraged ones. I puffed my cheeks up in worry. I had never played hide and seek before, what if I didn't do any good?
Ally, a girl with a bowl cut and large glasses, who was just one year older than me, raised her hand in protest. "Isn't it unfair to have Aaron look? He's the youngest, and there's ten of us besides him."
"You want to look instead missy?" The eleven year old said sassily.
Ally pouted at her response. "You are being unkind Sid. You must set an example for the little ones as the eldest, and follow God's will." She said. Ally often used the Bible as a reference to remind people to uphold justice.
Sid rolled her eyes and shrugged. "Fine, I'll look with him. Is that better?" She tried.
Ally considered this before giving a smile and nodding, satisfied with the outcome.
"Okay, me and Aaron will count to 30. Find your hiding places...now!" She yelled, turning around and beginning to count.
I did the same thing, still not sure if I would do it right. The fading footsteps of flustered children sounded behind me, giggling as they chose their hiding spots.
Sid had supposedly counted faster than me, because she turned around after my twentieth second, bolting into the forest. "Ready or not, here I come!" Yelling out loudly, she didn't hesitate as her yellow skirt swayed back and forth against her hips.
I continued to count until my time was up, and walked my small legs through the forest, searching for my friends.
The trees seemed large compared to my petite figure, and it was terribly quiet. It was no wonder why the priest didn't want me venturing into it very often. The chance of me getting lost was high, me not knowing the way and all. But I thought it would be fine, I was with my friends and they would help me find my way back.
The church we attended was a cute, small one, but it was also strict. Of course the basic rules were in place; no swearing, be respectful, don't be too loud, pray to the Lord. These were all regular rules to follow for a Church, but there were some added one's. Don't talk too much unless necessary, no games or jokes of any kind, don't go outside unless given permission, and always, always, kiss the priest on the hand before leaving. It was a way of showing gratitude towards him for everything he's taught us.
I lived with my young father in a small village in the east of Rhode island. He and my mother had me when they were only seventeen. After they had me, my mother walked off, and I've never even saw her face. My dad devoted his life to God, hoping to atone for his sins of having a child so early in his life. And he's been happy, feeling like someone's always watching over us, always loving us.
Of course, he passed down his ideology to me, and made sure that I was just as devoted to God as he was. The priest was really strict, but friendly. He got along great with my dad, and made sure to take care of me when I was at the church. Every child at the church called the priest a father, but he was really like one to me, like a second one.
The whole village knew how kind the priest was, even the ones who didn't attend church. As a six year old, I didn't really know anything outside of christianity, and never really gave it any thought. It was unknown to me, and the unknown was scary.
The trees in the forest began to look the same, and the sun felt like it was getting hotter and hotter with it's summer heat. It wasn't until around seven minutes later that I realized I had gone too far into the forest. There was no chance of any children hiding out here.
My heart began to quicken and my lip started to quiver. I was lost, and I had no idea how to get back. The forest was too large, and it was too quiet, and frightening. But, with shaky legs, I walked slowly around, trying to find something I recognized.
Eventually, I saw hope. Through the cracks and slips of the leaves, I saw some wood that clearly belonged to a building. The frown and tension I had soon faded away and was replaced with a wide smile. I ran towards the building, expecting to be greeted by the priest.
But instead, it was something that brought me back down to the pits of despair. The building was not the church, but a small, old building, seeming to be some sort of shrine. It was definitely abandoned, with grass growing out of the well in the corner, and the statue of some creature having dirt all over it.
I stepped back in fear of the place, not wanting to come any closer. I clutched the cross necklace in my hand and rehearsed the prayers I had memorized to calm me down. That was until, I saw something in the corner of my eye.
There was a boy, bleeding from the head, and motionless. I scurried over to him quickly and crouched down to him, checking to see if he was awake.
Thankfully, the boy lifted his head slowly to meet my eyes. He had floppy, black hair that covered one side of his face, and large grey eyes to match. He looked at me intensly, with a thin lipped mouth. Looking closely, he had a medium sized cut on his forehead above his eyebrows.
"Are you okay?" I asked hesitantly, in a low whisper. He didn't answer me, and just continued to stare. "I have a handkerchief, it'll make you feel better okay?" I said.
The boy paused, and blinked at me for a couple of seconds. But eventually, he nodded and let me continue. I pulled the handkerchief out of my pocket, and dabbed lightly on the cut.
"Does it hurt?" He shook his head, not even flinching at the handkerchief. The entire time I was helping him, I made sure to always ask him if he was in pain, but he would always shake his head no.
"Do you have any more cuts?" I asked. He nodded his head and pointed to a large cut on his knee. I gasped lightly and frantically thought of what to do. The small handkerchief I had was definitely not enough to help him, and it was already soaked in blood! "I should take you to the church! They can help you over there." I said, getting up.
The boy grabbed my shirt and tugged, not letting me go any further. I turned around and saw him shaking his head. "Why not?"
He stared deeply into my eyes, and bit his lip nervously. "Not...hurting." He mumbled.
I sat back down in front of him, excited to hear his voice for the first time. "Oh, it doesn't hurt?" I asked.
He shook his head, and continued to pull on my shirt. As a child, I didn't question this, and just thought that if he said he wasn't hurt then he really wasn't.
I continued to ask him questions and talk to him modestly. He only shook his head and nodded a few times, not saying much to me. He sometimes laughed quietly, and smiled a little at my speech.
He had a very nice voice for someone so young, and it was very soothing and smooth. That must've been what had gotten me caught up in the moment for so long, because by the time I looked back around, the sun was already setting.
I frantically got up and clutched the cross in my hands again. "Oh no, it's getting super late! And I don't even know where I am..." I quivered, feeling like I was about to cry.
The boy got up with me and tilted his head in confusion. "I have to go back to the church! The priest will scold me if I don't hurry back!" I explained.
He frowned at my statement of the priest and grabbed my hand. He pointed into a direction of the forest and began walking, guiding me with him.
"Hm? You know the way back?" He nodded, squeezing my hand as to not let go.
I never asked him how he knew where to go, I just trusted him to take me there. In fact, I never said anything to him after that, and just kept my mouth shut.
For some unknowingly quick reason, we made it back to the church relatively fast. The priest and the children were on the back steps, frantically trying to explain where I had went. Father looked livid, worried, and saddened at the same time. I made my way over to them, until I felt another tug at my shirt.
The boy who led me here was biting his lip, as if wanting to say something. "Do you want to come with me?" I asked.
He didn't answer me, but pulled me into him closely, hugging me by my sides. "What an intimate gesture!" I thought with a smile, hugging him back.
He pushed me towards the church with a force, sending me straight under the eyes of everyone panicking over me. They rushed towards me and scolded and hugged and dawned over me.
"Where in heaven's name were you?! You had us scared to death!" Father said with crossed arms.
"I got lost, but I found a boy in there, he's right over-" but when I turned around to see him, he wasn't there. Not a trace of the boy was left. The children looked at me confused along with the priest, but he shook his head.
"C'mon, let's get you tidied up, you're not thinking straight." He led me towards the inside of the church.
"But he was right there..." I trailed off.
After the encounter, I realized that I had never even asked his name. I never saw him again, even if I tried to go back into the forest, the priest would never let me go too far. Eventually, I forgot all about it, since I was so young, it was easy to forget something so trivial as a small meeting with a boy.
"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Aaron...happy birthday to you!" They all sang with a cheerful tone.
I blew out the candle on the loaf of sweet bread I was given. I was eighteen now, and had finally caught up to the rest of my friends who had already turned way passed eighteen. Over the years, kids came and went, but a lot of them stayed because it was like a big family. The priest was old and retired, but still came to the church more than often.
Ally, of course, was still ever loyal to the church she grew up with. And, now, at nineteen she decided to become a seamstress. Sid, the oldest one of us all, left the church when she turned sixteen, not giving any reason as to why. The priest was disappointed, he had favored her over most because of her outgoing attitude. It was such a shame that she decided to leave so young.
The new priest was kind, and followed the same rules and regulations as our first father. He was younger, and was still learning, but everyone liked him just as much.
I took the first bite of my bread loaf and moaned. Sweet bread was hard to come by, and was terribly expensive. But everyone at the church pitched in, and spoiled me rotten for just one day.
"What did you wish for, Aaron?" Ally asked, taking a bite of her slice.
"I wished for a happy life, and a new statue for the church." I beamed.
"You always ask for that." She laughed, shaking her head at me.
"Well, it would be nice to see a proper statue. The one we have is beautiful, but it is so old." I giggled in a whisper, not wanting the priest to hear me.
"Oh you!" She teased, slapping my arm playfully. Ally looked up suddenly and tugged at my shirt. "I think the priest wants to see you." She whispered, nodding her head behind me.
I turned around and saw the young priest gesturing me to come over. I got up from my seat and excused myself from the table.
"You wanted to see me, Father?" I asked, hesitantly. Did I do something wrong? He never came to talk to me directly.
"Happy birthday Aaron. Are you enjoying yourself?" He asked, patting my shoulder.
I nodded quickly. "Yes sir, I appreciate everything you've done for me. And I thank God for giving me such a wonderful family." I smiled.
"That's excellent, I'm glad." He paused, looking down for a moment.
I looked nervously up at him and shifted in place. "Is there anything else you wish to speak to me about Father?"
"Ah yes, of course." He laughed at himself. "Aaron, you are now at the appropriate age of marriage. Are you thinking about proposing soon?"
My face heated up at his statement, and I froze, not knowing how to answer such a question. "M-marriage?! Proposing?! I-I've never even considered it father!" I exclaimed frantically. But I quickly shut my mouth, and apologized for being so loud.
"I see, that's a shame." He sighed, drooping his head down to the floor. "I want you to marry Ally." He said bluntly.
I gasped loudly and blushed even harder than before. To do such a forward thing with Ally! One of my closest friends? I had known her since we were mere toddlers! And now talk of marriage between us was arousing? I didn't know if I was prepared for such a thing!
"You have noticed right? She seems rather fond of you, and you seem to feel the same. It would be a blessed thing to have you two married right here in this church." He smiled warmly.
This was all moving far too fast, I couldn't even wrap my head around it. "S-sir with all due respect, I believe that it would be too much to..." I trailed off.
"Oh? Am I wrong? Are you not as fond of her as I presumed?" He asked curiously.
"N-n-no! Of course I am fond of her! It's just..." I glanced over at Ally. She was smiling with the rest of the church members. "I've always seen her...as a friend. Or rather, a sister." I remarked to him, hoping he would understand.
He widened his eyes and made an 'oh' sound at my statement. "I see..." He said, disappointment leaking in his voice. "That will make Ally very upset, I'm sure." He shook his head.
I gulped and thought about it more carefully. "Will Ally really be upset?" I thought. I didn't wish to hurt her feelings, especially if she really did feel this way about me.
"Just give it some more thought will you? I'm sure that you will have a change of heart after much consideration." He said, rubbing my hair playfully.
I laughed awkwardly, not wanting to say any more. The priest walked off back to the table with a carefree smile on his face. Was I wrong? Do I really need to have some sort of attraction towards Ally? Is it strange that I don't?
I fiddled with my fingers in bashfulness, still feeling a little taken aback. From the corner of my, I saw Ally approach me. "Oh no! Did the priest tell her what we talked about?"
She skipped over with a small smile. "Aaron, I'm sorry for asking something so formal of you on your birthday but..." She started, making my heart rate speed up in anticipation.
"Will you please lock up the church tonight? I would do it myself like I always do, but I have to start preparing the materials for tomorrow's opening of my shop." She pleaded, giving me a guilty look.
A wave of relief passed through me and instantly calmed my nerves. "Of course, not a problem Ally."
She smiled brightly at me and held my hands in hers. "Thank you so much Aaron!"
She dashed back to the table, continuing whatever conversation she was having. "How could I see her as anything other than a sister...?" I mumbled to myself.
After the celebration had concluded, everyone went home with goodbyes and smiles.
"Oh do be safe Aaron! Your father is out getting food for the winter correct? I would hate for anything to happen to you!" One of the older church ladies said, hugging me tightly.
I hugged her back warmly and giggled. "Don't worry Judith, I will be extra careful walking home tonight." I said.
After a few more sentences and exchanges, she finally left with her husband and let me lock up the church.
I twisted the door key shut, and placed them under the rock that was under a nearby tree. The night was dark, and the roads were quiet. The only thing that was illuminating the darkened streets were the lamp lights aligned with the small houses.
I tucked my red scarf over my cheeks, trying to get a little warmer. "Marriage with Ally?" I thought once more. It was truly a foreign subject for me, I had never experienced anything remotely close to something like that.
I was completely naïve in the subject of love, I've never even seen someone kiss another. The mere thought of something so intimate made me shy and embarrassed. I remember walking through the town to the market with my dad, and saw a man and a woman holding had lovingly. It was such a sight to behold that I couldn't help but look away bashfully.
The streets began to feel colder, and the night had become scarier than before. I sped up my walking towards my house, just wanting to get home.
"I've finally found you."
A deep voice from the darkness sounded out through my ears, and it made me pause, almost on command. A shiver ran down my spine at the rippling deepness of the chocolatly voice.
My heart rate quickened immensely, frightened and terrified at the same time. "I-Is someone there?" I stuttered, my legs shaking and still caught in place.
"I've finally found you." The voice said again, as if more confidently. My head dashed around, looking for the source of this darkening voice.
Suddenly, a tall figure appeared from the edge of the street. Their eyes glowed a bright color, but the rest of their body was was completely shrouded in black.
I coward back in fear, afraid to even come near him. I clutched the cross necklace I had worn for all those years and held it close to my chest.
He chuckled lowly at my actions and stepped towards me slowly. "Adorable." His laugh sent another chill down my spine, and it felt as if I could feel his voice coursing through my body.
"C'mere." He said simply, with a small gesture of his hand.
Soon after, darkness consumed me, and I could feel myself falling deep into a hot embrace.
I woke up in a daze, feeling strange and, oddly warm. "Was it just a dream?" I thought, not thinking much of it.
My heavy eyelids parted slowly, and revealed a blurry image. I blinked twice, then three times, until my surroundings became more clear. "Huh...?" My voice rasped.
I was in a large room with pink walls and a red floor. The bed I was on was a maroon color with a black blanket. Bed...wait- bed?! I widened my eyes and looked to my left and my right, my hands were chained to the head of the bed frame with grey bracelets.
"What on Earth?!" I exclaimed in my head, struggling on the chains.
"Oh, you're finally up." A familiar voice said. I swept my head in it's direction in panic, and felt my heart drop. "Man, you are a sight for sore eyes." He grinned, placing his hand on his cheek.
I stared at him confused and terrified, until he pointed down at my body suggestively. My eyes slowly glided down to my body, and finally saw what he was referring to.
"What in God's name am I wearing?!"
