The Angel Gabriel and Virgin Mary

Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum.
Benedicta tu in mulieribus,
et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus.
Sancta Maria, Mater Dei,
ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc,
et in hora mortis nostrae.
Amen.

I continued to pray, my head bowed, my tears running down my face. I shall not, I am not, never will be, in love with him. Not. In. Love. With. Him. He is sin. He is sin. He is sin. Save me from temptation, please, Lord, he is a murderer. He is evil. I am not in love with Van Helsing! Please Lord, save me!

I continued to cry. Why did I have to fall in love with him? I was a messenger of God, I abided by the rules of God, and yet when sin walked through the church, I opened my arms wide for him! Why?

My parent is the church, my closest father figure was a friar called Carl. They are my family. My only family, they raised me well and I try to please them. I am just nineteen years old, I am a priestess.

In Rome, in my church, there is an underground service called the Order that vanquishes evil monsters, evil beings and one man who goes out and destroys them…Van Helsing.

Even the name made my eyes brim with tears. If he even talked to me once more, I would tell him what I feel for him. Why did I fall in love with him? Perhaps I should just tell you what happened, how it got to this…

God forgive me.

The rain pattered down on the cobbled streets as I made my way to the church. I was late already, and I hoped that Sister. Ana would not punish me like last time, eating oats for a month was quite enough, thank you. I reached the stone steps of the church and I opened the grand wooden doors.

I was greeted by cold stares of people as I walked up the aisle and Sister. Ana frowned upon me and I sat down in the front row with the other priestesses. They all glared at me. I sighed, I was going to be in big trouble.

As the mass ended, I rushed outside to the orphanage so I wouldn't get punished.

"Maria! Do not run from a house of God!" a familiar voice said. It was Sister. Ana.

Damn! I thought. I cursed! Thankfully, it was in my head and I didn't say it out loud. Sister Ana would definitely punish me if she heard.

I had to turn back and walk up to her.

"Beg for my forgiveness, Sister, do you want something?" I asked.

"I see you ran in late for Mass, the third time this month, what happened now?" she said, her tone angry.

"I was at the orphanage, helping another child to read and I didn't realize what the-" I began.

"I'm glad you're helping at the orphanage, Maria, and I know you're sentimental about that place but your first priority is God! How else do you think you're going to be able to go to a convent like the other priestesses!" she interrupted rudely.

"Perhaps I don't want to serve God in a convent! Perhaps I don't want to be a priestess! Where has God been when I abandoned as a baby on this very step? Where was God when I found out my real parents were killed? I have never commited a sin in my life and yet I get punished all the time!" my temper rising so much that I was shouting at her.

She suddenly slapped me on the cheek. I reeled back nearly falling backwards.

"Do not blaspheme against God! You have already lost your parents you have done in the past life, do not make it any worse!" she shouted at me angrily.

"Follow me" she suddenly said, walking back into the church. What was my punishment this time?

"Where are we going?" I asked, as I followed her.

"To see Friar Carl" she huffed, as we went into the confession box.

Oh no. Anything but Carl. The worst thing about him, he wouldn't shout or hit me like Sister Ana, he would just look at me disappointedly, and I would feel guilt eating me up. He was like a father to me, and if he found out, well, I would have failed him.

"I beg forgiveness, Sister, just don't make me go to Carl, please" I begged.

She just looked at me and continued. She sat down in the priest's compartment and reached for a secret lever, and a door behind her suddenly opened.

I was confused.

Why would there be a lever to a door that I have never seen before?

"Umm. why-" I began.

"Shush. All will be explained. You have come to the age where things will be as not as it seems. Priestesses from here will not go to the nun convent. Here they will work in a secret group that kills monsters who threaten the Christian faith" she said.

I stood still. Sister Ana walked down the stairs leading underneath the confession box. What did she just say?

All I knew then was that my life changed that exact moment.