Novena
By: Angelus Erreare
A/N: Please note that this fic contains strong religious themes and references in the Catholic faith. If you are offended by that, PLEASE TURN BACK NOW.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. All belongs to ATLUS USA.
WARNING: COMPLETELY AU, GORE, LANGUAGE, SUGGESTIVE THEMES, LEMON, RELIGIOUS THEMES and THEMES of ABBORTION and HUMAN ORGAN TRAFFICKING.
Chapter 1: Tainted Blood
In the name of the Father, of the Son and the Holy Ghost…
Amen…
The woman clutched the rosary in her hand firmly as she rose from where she knelt. She looked through the stained glass window of the church and knew that the sun was about to set. She had better get home.
She arranged her white thin scarf and veil that was wrapped loosely over her head and hair, adjusting it gently as she took her steps towards the church's doors.
Upon reaching the outdoors, the woman turned her face and headed for the Virgin's Grotto.
'I…I must light a candle for mother.'
Having thought so, she proceeded and bought one single white candle. Closing her eyes, she once more invoked the Holy symbol of Holy Cross and said a small prayer.
'May your soul be saved from eternal damnation…'
In the name of the Father, of the Son and the Holy Ghost…
Amen…
Finishing her small and humble prayer, she turned and headed for the main exit. She looked up and saw the dimming skies…She blinked and looked at the different hues almost with rue…
Sighing, she pressed for home.
She would close her eyes every so often as she took her gentle steps, still clutching her rosary in her left hand. She fought the urge to bite her lips as she often did as she heard the barely inaudible whispers of the bystanders around her.
"Leper…"
"A beggar I tell you…"
"Hn…born without a father you say…"
"That one's mother…disease…"
"Tainted…"
"…violation of God's house…"
She sighed softly. She had been hearing that ever since she had had the ability to comprehend language. Her heart suddenly felt heavy.
She had always been different.
She had had no friends. People had viewed her as strange…and hence, she had been ostracized.
Her mother had passed on when she had her tenth birthday. She had no siblings and no relatives. At that moment, she felt her world crumble around her. She had wondered on what had become of her…
As she had grown, so did her village's dislike for her.
She had always heard of how vile everyone had regarded her mother…or how they would ask her of what became of her father, knowing full well that she hadn't an answer for them.
"…"
And she still didn't have one.
As she had thought that despair would claim her, it was then that her savior had revealed himself to her…in the form of a symbol.
'The Holy Cross…'
She smiled to herself at that.
"Lord would not abandon me…"
That was what she had thought then and it was what she had thought now.
Her meandering mind's thoughts had been cut short as a sharp pain suddenly hit the back of her head.
"Ugh…!" she exclaimed as she suddenly lost her balance and landed on the muddy ground. She fell uncouthly, landing on her belly painfully, heavily staining her light blue shirt and pure white long skirt.
"Watch where you're going…! Daft idiot…!"
She frowned and slowed her breathing. She had expected that. After all, it had been the same. She would find herself on the same muddy ground every so often that she had gotten used to it.
In one form or another, someone would always find some way to hurt her.
And that day was no different.
However, this time though, it had been a rock that had collided with her head. Although pebbles and stones had been there, a rock was a first-timer in her case. Still not abandoning her undignified posture on the muddy ground, she looked onward and saw the object that had inflicted pain upon her.
She had been right; it had been a rock at the size of her fist.
She sighed; well, there really was no point in contemplating about that any further…
Things, she supposed would never really change.
"Miss, are you alright…?"
She suddenly froze.
That, though, had never happened.
Upon instinct, she turned around as she was lifted off the ground and made to stand. Silver met red and she was stupefied.
xxxx
She sat there at the bench in a park, her eyes dead, staring at the grass.
"What happened out there?"
That was the voice of the young man that had aided her.
She did not speak to him and had walked away from him as soon as she had been on her feet, muttering a low "thank you", ignoring her bleeding her head and sauntered off.
It was much to her misfortune that the red-headed stranger had followed her. She had persevered and ignored him…but his vigilance only mirrored hers.
She was convinced that he would follow her home…and so, she had instead walked towards a nearly abandoned lonely park and sat at the nearest bench…
And she wasn't wrong either for there he sat, beside her…tending to her wounds.
The man looked at the young girl curiously. She hadn't said a word to him with the exception of her thanking him for helping her stand up from the ground. He appraised her silently and saw that the scarf and veil that she had been wearing had fallen from her head and face that she now held it in her hands…And upon her hands, did he see something else.
A rosary.
'She had been coming from the church…?' he thought with disbelief.
Suddenly, anger rose within him. How could people hurt such a young and helpless woman…? And from the looks of it, a religious one at that.
He looked at her with sympathy, "Hey…I don't mean to intrude or anything like that. It's just that…" he trailed off. How was he to say what he wanted to say without sounding intrusive…or worse, dirty and perverted…? He knew that he meant well and had nothing but good and clean intentions for the girl. However, being a man and her being a petite young girl, within a seemingly backwater province, he knew that he must be very careful in his choice of words and especially his gestures and body language.
"It's just that…your head's bleeding on its left side and…it could get infected." he told her truthfully, eyeing her head with sincerity. He let out a deep breath as he folded the white handkerchief that he took out from his pocket, watching the trail of blood on the side of her face.
"Here, let me clean it up for you…" he said, bringing the cloth over to where the crimson liquid was but suddenly stopped when his ruby eyes were met with a pair of cold and piercing silver orbs, "Why are you helping me?" the girl asked unfeelingly.
He was taken aback by her response.
But when he really thought about it, perhaps he really shouldn't. After all, different places had different subcultures.
He opened his mouth to speak but her words that were equally sharp as her cold and dead eyes beat him to the finish, "I am not in any position to be of…any use to you." she spoke with malice, emphasizing on the word "use".
He was surprised at her blunt response but he was equally astounded at her quick wit. 'Definitely not a typical provincial airhead.' he thought with a smile.
But all the same, he was a bit offended that she thought that of him.
"What? No! I'm sorry ma'am. I didn't mean any harm." he told her, explaining himself as sincerely as he could.
She looked at him skeptically before standing.
He followed her.
She made a face, "I need not your help…" she said as she turned and took her steps.
He could allow her to leave. He could. But he just wouldn't. He supposed that he felt somewhat responsible for the girl. After all, it had been him who had offered her his help; the least he could do was finish it.
"Wait!" he called on after her but stopped as she spoke again, "Don't follow me anymore or I'll inform the village chief and the authorities that you are…harassing me."
Hearing no response from the man, she turned around to face him. What he saw in her probably frightened him for she could smell fear in him.
'Just like the rest…' she thought to herself.
He didn't know why he stood there as awkwardly as he did but for some reason, as his eyes had met hers…
For some odd reason, he felt the wind change around him. As the second ticked by and he continued to stare into her deep pools of silver did he feel the chilly air penetrate his skin and had settled down within the very marrow of his bones.
'This girl…' he internally stammered.
There was just something about her…
Something about her that just didn't seem right.
The girl narrowed her eyes and furrowed eyebrows and said nothing, turning once again and left altogether.
The man didn't know how long he had been standing on his spot, completely frozen until the squawking of a nearby bird brought his attention back to reality. He blinked and looked up and saw that it had been a crow that caught his attention.
He raised an eyebrow. He didn't know that crows also lived in this village…
But that was beside the point!
He immediately darted left and right and saw that the girl had completely disappeared! Wasting no more time, he dashed on after her, "Hey! Wait! You should get that wound treated at the hospital!" he yelled on as he lightly ran, hoping that she had not gone too far and that the possibility of him catching up to her was still a feasible one.
He stopped though as he found no trace of her and saw only endless tress and shrubs. Looking at the sky, he saw that the sun had set.
Well…it was suffice to say…that he had lost her.
'Take care…' he thought absentmindedly, confused at himself as he found himself thinking of the girl even to that extent…
He then shook his head. This was nonsense!
Of course he would admit that the girl was…strangely alluring and she had a charm of her own…However, he reasoned that it was insufficient for him to harbor thoughts about her that remotely transcended that of an acquaintance's!
'I really should get back to town…' he told himself.
After all, getting lost in the forest in the middle of the night was an idea that didn't really tickle his fancy at the moment…
As he turned around and faced the direction from which he came, his eyes suddenly caught something shining on the ground. As if being led by an invisible force, he walked over it and knelt to pick it up…
It was a shiny silver rosary.
'Its hers…' he thought.
xxxx
The sun had completely gone down. She was glad that she had made it in time. She hurriedly closed her home's front door and leaned back on it, sighing.
That cannot happen again she mused.
Upon instinct, her hand suddenly tightened itself to a ball, expecting to feel something when all it felt was its own skin…
She gasped.
"No…! My…My rosary…!" she exclaimed in half fright.
She bolted upright from her position and there turned around and looked everywhere; letting her eyes dart here and there.
Her heart raced as she came to the conclusion that she had dropped it.
'No…! I couldn't have…!' she thought frantically within herself.
She reached out for the door and opened it, rushing outside, looking at the soft earth for any sign of her most precious trinket.
In her crazed flight, the woman lost her balance and altogether fell upon the soil. The impact of her fall not only affected her body but her mind as well.
The rosary was gone.
'It's not here…I…I lost it.' she thought with a sob, not caring that the dirt had gone to her face and clothing.
A few moments later, with the same unfeeling and cold expression that she had lavished upon the redheaded man, the girl rose from the dirt and sat up, gently dusting herself.
Where had she dropped her rosary…?
At the church…?
No…She had had it even after they had thrown a rock at her…
At the park…?
Her eyes suddenly gleamed in the moonlight in realization.
The redhead.
It was with him, wasn't it…?
She suddenly stopped all movement and perked up her ears. A twig had been snapped. The tiny hairs on her body all stood.
There was someone in the woods…
xxxx
He walked through the town with a smile on his face when he was met with the disapproving look of the old mayor of the town, "Mr. O'Brien! Do you have any idea what time it is?!" he asked with wide eyes.
"What?" the young man asked in confusion.
He looked at the mayor in front of him and noticed the worried expression on his face. He raised an eyebrow at that, "Why are you so worried?" he asked the mayor.
The old man merely shook his head and put a hand on the redhead's shoulder, "Just come on inside. It's not safe..."
He chuckled under his breath, "Alright. Just lead the way."
It wasn't that he believed the old man. How could he? What perils could there be within that small town? A town filled with simple religious folk?
"Besides," said the old man, interrupting the redhead's thoughts, "I promised your mother that I'd keep an eye on you."
He let out a breath, "Gramps, you don't' need to do that. I'm not a kid anymore."
The old man smiled warily at seeing his grandson's semi-pouting face, "You'll always be a child to me Heat."
xxxx
She sighed; it was a much-needed bath she wagered. Today had been an especially messy day…
She was glad though that the intruder in her property had left…
Feeling a slight throb on her head, her hand instinctively went up to her head where her wound lay and touched it.
Again, her thoughts had meandered over to the redheaded man.
That was the first time anyone had ever tried to help her…
That was the first time that she had laid her silver eyes upon a human being…that had innocence in his eyes.
She looked at her altar and gazed at the statue of God and let a small smile escape her lips. Was God finally opening His windows for her…? Did He finally see her suffering? Did He finally hear her cries of anguish…?
Did He finally realize that she too…was one of His own children…?
'Did He finally accept me and become my savior…?' she thought ecstatically, hope overflowing within her being.
At that question though, a flash of the man's face appeared in her mind.
Her smile suddenly disappeared.
Although he had tried to aid her…there was one ingredient that allied him with the rest of her village.
Fear.
She saw fear in his eyes.
Did he fear her…?
'Just like the rest…' a voice in her head taunted her, making her chest feel tight, making her unable to breathe.
She bit her lip and shook her head; balling her hands into fists.
She walked over to the altar and fell to her knees, her palms pressed together, her eyes pleadingly gazing at the lifeless statue before her.
Perhaps it had been too early to assume things about God…and saviors.
For as far as she was concerned, she was still cursed on that wretched land.
xxxx