"Bless me Father, for I have sinned," A whispered voice fluttered through the meshed partition as a shadowy figure moved, clothes rustling against the hard wooden chair, "It's been twenty five years since my last confession".
There was a slight pause in which the dull sounds of the children playing outside could be heard through the cracked window outside the confessional.
"Twenty five years? That's quite a long time, son".
"...What if I had a good reason?"
"The Lord will always forgive those who ask for forgiveness, you just have to open your heart to him."
The man sitting opposite the priest fidgeted again. He could feel the dark wooden walls pressing in on him, almost demanding he tell this strange man everything about his life. The story had to be told, though. Someone needed to hear it. He needed to scream it at someone. He had to shake them until they understood. The feelings he has been harboring have been eating away at him for far to long, clawing their way out of his body, searching for release.
"Son?" the voice prompted him softly, confused at the long pause.
"I'm...I'm sorry this just isn't easy for me to tell." the man mumbled quietly. His voice sounding muffled and contained inside the small box.
"It's alright, take your time, you're the last one for today."
The young man let out a shaky breath and bowed his head, still not speaking.
"Why don't we just..start with your name."
Wet stains started to appear on faded jeans as tears, glistening from the light coming from the window high above them, fell silently from the young man's face. He tightened his hands as they twisted around each other on his lap. Wrinkles were starting to lace his hands and he could see the aged color to his skin. Time was taking a turn for the worse, he wasn't going to last much longer. He could feel it in his bones.
The time has come.
The young man cleared his throat and attempted to sit up straight in his chair. His hair caught in the feeble ray of sunlight, showing off the strands of dirty blonde hair mixed with a peppering of silvery strands.
"Bless me father for I have sinned, it's been 25 years since my last confession. My name is Samuel Evans. I was the Priest over on Robins Hill about 30 years ago. And 3 days ago, on my 56th birthday, I killed a man".