To be appointed your communities Sin-eater was a fate worse than death.
It meant a life being alone, shunned, not allowed to communicate, interact or touch another human being. Forgotten and ignored for the most part, only remembered at times of need. Only then are they called upon to perform the sacred ceremony of the burial rights for the recently deceased in the accustomed manner, the consuming of the ritual meal of bread and beer. By doing so the sin-eater magically takes on the sins of the deceased person, absolving their soul, freeing it and allowing it to pass through the gates of Heaven unencumbered.
Having eaten the sins of the dead the sin-eater becomes the living embodiment of those sins, and are forever cursed. Their rights to salvation are revoked, with their souls never allowed to pass through to the blessed realm.
This was the fate that befell Molly Hooper.
Molly finished eating the meal, and gave her blessing to the body.
"I give easement and rest now to thee, dear man. Come not down the lanes, or in our meadows. And for thy peace I pawn my own soul. Amen."
Having performed her duty Molly withdrew.
Even as she made her leave she was aware that those who had turned their backs to her, disturbed and afraid by the very sight of her, were now in the process of burning the wooden plate and goblet she had used. The ashes to be sprinkled over the body as it lay in the ground.
Briskly she made her way back to the only shelter the community had allowed her, a cave dwelling deep within the surrounding woods.
The burial ceremony was always held in the dead of night, another way to ensure that no-one could see the wretched sin-eater.
After a year since her enforced banishment Molly knew her way through the woods, and would be able to find her way to her abode blind-folded if necessary.
Usually she would take her time, admiring the changes to her surroundings brought about by the silvery influence of the moon as it passed through its various celestial stages, or the sparkling stars that stretched out for eternity. But winter was making its presence felt as the end of the year fast approached. There was already a faint dusting of the first snowfalls upon the ground. She needed to reach the relative safety of the cave and the meagre warmth and comfort it offered.
But as she neared her destination, she found her way blocked by a magnificent black horse.
It watched her, assessing her with intelligent eyes before coming to a decision, as it knelt down before her. When she didn't immediately move, it swung its head to indicate that she should climb upon its back.
This she did without a second thought.
As soon as she was settled it got to its feet and set off with a brisk, high-stepping trot that caused its thick mane and tail to sway gently. A short period of time later Molly found herself deep within a part of the wood she had no idea existed.
Eventually they arrived at a line of ancient trees, their branches intertwined so as to create an impenetrable wall. But as they approached, the trees drew back their branches, allowing the horse to pass, and they entered an enchanted glade, untouched by the snow or the cold.
When Molly looked back, there was no sign that the trees had ever existed.
The horse carried on at pace, and shortly after they arrived at an abandoned church. Without pausing the horse entered. It was clear that the church was under some enchantment, the floor was covered in grass and moss, while the sun shone through the broken windows, illuminating the interior in a warm and welcoming glow. The horse didn't pause until it reached where the pulpit once stood, and what Molly saw there made her gasp.
He was a beautiful specimen in all his near naked glory, with only a brief loincloth preserving modesty. His body was muscular, but not overwhelmingly so. His chest was broad as were his shoulders. While his hips were slim, his legs were long and his thighs powerful. His hands and fingers were slender and elegant, while his feet were big but narrow. But his wings, his magnificent black wings were completely shredded, lying in tatters around his sorrowful form.
And her heart cried out to him.
As though he had heard her, the angel raised his head.
Sherlock could not believe his eyes, a short distance away from him was a young woman. She was small of stature, with long dark brown hair, and eyes that were large, intelligent though sad. Her clothes were made from animal skins, as were the moccasins on her feet. It was only when he spotted who she sat upon that his surprise quickly turned to annoyance as he demanded. "Goliath, what have you done?"
The horse bent down his head to nuzzle the angel's mop of wayward curls. "Brought you someone, obviously," it appeared to be saying.
"Send her back from whence she came," Sherlock ordered brusquely. "I am fallen, doomed for eternity as penance for my many sins."
He looked so defeated and resigned to his fate that it broke Molly's heart to see such a splendid being laid so low.
With determined resolve she slipped off Goliath's back and walked right up to the angel. "I can heal you," she said.
"No, you can't," he snapped, his aqua coloured eyes turning sea tossed and stormy.
"That's where you're wrong," Molly countered. "I am a Sin-eater. It is my task to remove the sin of others."
"And your reward?" the angel asked.
"Eternal damnation," she responded.
Sherlock sighed. "Then it would appear we are similarly cursed," he remarked bitterly.
"Except that I have the means to remove that which afflicts you," she reminded him.
A small sad smile blessed the angel's cupids bow lips as he considered her words, and the indomitable spirit she showed in her earnestness to heal him. After some thought, he resigned himself to her care.
"What name were you once called by little sin-eater?" he asked.
"Molly Hooper," she replied.
"I am Sherlock," the angel responded as he took her hands in his. "And I leave my soul in your capable hands."
Taking care of Sherlock's sins had been easy. But healing his wings was proving more difficult. Healing herbs had absolutely no affect on them, but Molly continued to persevere.
Then one day as she carefully bathed the fragile, hollow bones, still jagged and splintered, she noted that as she brushed her hands along the damaged wings, the bones began to repair themselves and the feathers started growing back.
Sherlock got to his feet, and tentatively stretched out his restored wings. Satisfied that all was well, he flapped his wings a couple of times before taking flight, flying out of the church and taking to the skies.
Molly and Goliath followed him outside. Molly looked on in wonder as Sherlock swooped down among the trees, and then heading back up to the clouds, before returning to land where they stood and swept Molly up in his arms to twirl her around and around. His pure joy and exuberance contagious as the air filled with their delighted laughter.
Although Sherlock was ecstatic to be fully healed, there was a downside. It meant he could delay his return home no longer, and that meant that the time had come for him to leave Molly.
Something he found he was loathed to do.
Molly knew of course. She smiled at him bravely, even as tears began to roll down her cheeks.
Gently Sherlock enfolded her petite form in his arms. They stood there clinging to each other, desperate for this moment to never end. But eventually the time came when he had to release her.
He took a step back, before leaning down to press gentle kisses to her forehead, cheeks and finally her lips.
Sherlock then turned to Goliath, walking over to the horse and reached up to rub his neck. "I'm relying on you to take care of her, my friend," he instructed softly.
Goliath nodded.
Satisfied Sherlock turned back to Molly, cupping her face in his hands he looked directly into her eyes as he declared with fervour. "I will never forget you Molly Hooper."
And then he took to the air, and was soon out of sight.
Over the years Sherlock continued to keep a close eye on Molly, who had returned to her role as sin-eater.
It pleased him to know that for a number of years she had Goliath as a companion to keep her company. That ended when the magnificent beast finally passed, leaving Molly once again alone.
Not long after Sherlock returned to Earth one last time.
Gathering her body up in his arms, the angel reverently bore her body skyward.
"Molly, open your eyes for me," a familiar, never forgotten and beloved baritone entreated.
Molly eyes slowly opened. "Sherlock?" the uncertainty she felt written on her face as she looked around her in astonishment.
"Yes love, it's me," Sherlock reassured her.
It was only as Sherlock reached out his hands to help her get to her feet that several things became apparent.
They were standing on a big white fluffy cloud.
She was no longer old, but young once again.
She was wearing a sleeveless, cream-coloured tunic, her feet were bare. And she possessed a pair of the most wonderful grey and black wings.
"But..." she began in confusion. "How is this possible? I was a Sin-eater..."
"You were, but your willingness to defile your soul further for me was a selfless act that could not go unrewarded," Sherlock explained, his voice vibrating with pride and admiration. "So when your time on Earth was nearing its end, I partitioned, on purely selfish grounds, for you to be allowed to join me here in the heavens that had been denied you."
Molly felt her eyes once again fill with tears, but this time they were tears of joy. Reaching up, she wrapped her arms around Sherlock's neck, pulling his head down so that she could reach his lips. When they pulled apart, both were breathing heavily.
"I love you," she whispered happily.
"As we love you," Sherlock responded, as he indicated the familiar figure of Goliath who was frolicking among the clouds. Taking a firm hold of her hand, Sherlock indicated her wings. "Shall we?"
From the lower levels of Heaven, those for whom Molly had defiled her soul looked on as the two angels took flight in the full knowledge that they would never be afforded the right to ascend to such wondrous heights, not while their salvation had been guaranteed at the expense of another.