To Ubermarine: I enjoy writing creepy stuff. Thanks for the comment!
To dot: I'm glad your enjoy this story. Thanks and enjoy the chapter.
I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin, Lawrence Welk quote, or any Bible verses .
Four: Church
~"A church is a hospital to sinners, not a museum for saints." –Pauline Phillips~
Gospel was heard across the large room, echoing into Mikasa's and Armin's ear. Mikasa had evented the doctor to go with her to the church next door to pray for the safety and health of the patients. Even though her demeanor was cold, her heart burned a passion of grace to all injured. Armin though he never spent much time ear a church due to his guilt ridden heart, he felt he would burst into flames entering the virtuous dome since he was the Devil in his own mind.
Today was different, though, he wanted to go and see the Virgin Mary stand above him with forgiveness held in her stone eyes. He gulped and kept his hands together, his eyebrows tight at the pressure of holiness placed over him. He, like Atlas, was balancing the sky on his shoulder and tried to keep it from crushing the world.
"Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. - Ephesians 4:31-32"
Armin's eyes shot open and stared at the nun in front of him. Beautiful blue eyes stared down at him with golden locks tucked behind her black veil. She wore black holy habit with a woolen belt tight around her slim waist and a gray rosary hung down her neck along with a same red heart necklace placed between her breasts. She grasped a Bible tight in her hands and she snapped it shut the sound echoing across the church.
"I believe," she said in a stern voice that frightened the man, "I said I do not accept workers of science." Mikasa slowly opened her eyes, staring at the woman who looked barely in her twenties. She stood up and moved towards the woman.
"Sister Charle," Mikasa said and stepped in front of Armin, "I see you are still a pure Fundamentalist of this era." Armin paled and stood up, knowing he shouldn't have come along with knowing the name Charle.
"How does this not surprise you, Miss Ackerman?" Sister Charle said and glanced back down at the Bible, "The Bible cures more sinners than science does. Science has proved more harmful to the heart than Bible. The Bibles shines the light down on those who have forgotten the light." She looked towards Mikasa and narrowed her eyes at this, piercing her lips in a thin line.
"Your friend is a man of science, he smells of blood and death lingers around him." She said and Armin looked away, standing up and apologized.
"I'm sorry if I tainted your church, Sister Charle." He said and she scowled, biting her lip in annoyance.
"You are a man of science but sin and lies cradle you in its web." She said and looked to the Virgin Mother above her, she smiled at it, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." She turned to the confession and raised her hand to it.
"You may have a confess if you wish, man of science." She said and he paled with his heart racing and gave her a fake smile.
"No, I am fine. I carry no sins, Sister Charle." He stated and she again narrowed her eyes.
"Proverbs 6:16-19, 'There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.'." she said to him and he bit his lip, ignoring her hate filled gaze, "If you do not consult with a confession, then you are not-"
Suddenly someone else stood in front of her, shorter than her but the two medical students knew had authority over the blond Nun. Although the taller had bright blond hair, this one had her blond hair cut in a bob with bangs hung over brilliant blue eyes with a small tight of amber in them. She wore a similar outfit to the other Nun but a black veil covered her mouth and yet a small smile was seen through the thin sheet.
"Hello, Mikasa!" the other Nun exclaimed and grabbed her hands, a warm feeling sent through them, "It has been a while since your last package. Do you still intend to help?" Mikasa gave the woman a small smile and nodded. Sister Charle scowled and glared down at her superior.
"Mother Superior Petra," Sister Charle said and the Superior turned to her, "Why are you here? I thought you had left for Trost." Mother Superior Petra glanced back at her and gave her a smile.
"I had and other Priests, Monks, and Nuns had been there. They told me they had enough help and sent me back but asked for some supplies from other churches." Petra told the Nun and turned back to Mikasa, "I heard you started your job as a nurse at the Hospital but gotten ill yesterday. Are you ok?"
Mikasa nodded and said, "I manage to get some pay and I knew some people there, like Armin." She pulled Armin back towards them who continued to wear a grim face. Petra's eyes widen at the sight of the man and grabbed him by the shoulders, her nails thought on his shoulders.
"Did you find Bishop Rivaille yet?" she asked him and he shook his head no, a frown sliding through the veil and moved her hands away, "I am sorry for my actions if they caused you stress, sir. It's is because…the others have been waiting for him to return and help us in the church again…Many are doubting that he has abandoned us…"
Armin blinked at the name Rivaille and did not know of the name but a different man shared a similar type of pronunciation of his name. He shook his head no and ran his fingers through his hair.
"I'm sorry to inform you that we have received no patient by the name of Levi." He said with sincerity and Mother Superior Petra took on a gloomed face, nodding sadly as a light faded from her eyes. She took a step back and glided towards the confession stand where many waited to tell their sins for beg of forgiveness from God.
"Many are appearing at the confession stand," she said and gave a quick smile to Mikasa, "May good fortune smile upon you, Mikasa and you, doctor, if you ever wish to talk, the church doors are always open to those who wish for forgiveness." Armin nodded at her and started out with Mikasa following him until Sister Charle clamped a hand on her shoulder. Mikasa paused and glanced back at the stern Sister.
"Be careful, Miss Ackerman." She said and Mikasa nodded, "There is another reason why I dislike hospitals besides its work against God, Miss Ackerman. I hope you do not find that horror like I have seen." Mikasa stared at Sister Charle's dreadful eyes and smiled at her, hoping to give her hope.
"Do not worry, Charle. I knew what I was getting into before I signed the contract." She said and Sister Charle slowly nodded, accepting her reply but worry knit its way into her heart. A flash of memories sprawled across her head when she imaged a boy with a cross scar over his eyebrows, playing with her hair as a child.
"See you later, Sister Charle." Mikasa called as she left and Sister Charle turned to Mother Superior Petra who talked with those who confessed. Petra glanced over at her, her eyes narrowed and anger burned through them.
Only after the door of the church was closed, Mother Superior Petra along with Sister Charle walked down the old wooden staircase that creaked under their steps. Petra held a flame to the wall didn't bring much light to the place. Sister Charle clutched her knuckles tight in her hand and glanced at the cobwebs forming.
"Charle, do not hurt yourself." Petra said with a dull voice, "God does not forgive those who hurt themselves." Sister Charle's eyes widen then nodded, continuing their way until Petra stopped and raised the lamp up above them.
A large cross hung above their head with a man being crucified like Jesus had been oh so long ago with blood dripping down onto the ground. Sister Charle winced at this and stared at the man's shorted black hair was crowned with thrones. His darker skin glistened in the light of candle and his hazel eyes closed to the pain and he bared a white linen cloth wrapped around his waist. Petra narrowed her eyes at this and suddenly the man's eyes shot open, screaming.
Petra sighed and muttered Latin words under breath. She clasped her hands together and stared down at the bottom of the floor where a picture of Jesus being crucified was painted against it. The man stared down at the two and snarled at them. Petra pulled out a Bible and cross, holding it up to the man.
"Silence, Demon," she said with hatred and turned to a certain page of the Bible, "You have dared enter the Church in a time of lost hope. 'For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.'"
The man growled at him and Mother Superior Petra scowled at him, anger lit in her eyes.
"Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil." She hissed and the smell of palm licked across their noses, "They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might! The Lord preserves all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy."
"Thou, wickedness Demon, I shalt destroy thee betwixt the Heavens! Thou shalt perish and dive down into the pits of Hell!" she exclaimed and the man laughed at her, pulling his bloody hands toward her and the bleeding spilled more down his muscular body.
"Sin! Sin! Sin!" he cried in a different voice then suddenly tears blossomed in his eyes, his expression changing to horror.
"And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name." Sister Charle said and the man started to cry, tears glistening his eyes and washed away the blood from his body.
"If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." Petra said and the man nodded at this.
"Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation." The man cried out and Petra smiled at him, the man stared at her with joy in his eyes.
"Forgive me, Mother Superior Petra! Forgive me for I have sinned! Hear my plea and hear my confession!" he begged and Petra turned to Sister Charle. She walked over to a pulley and started to slowly unwrapped the rope, letting the man down. Petra walked over to him and gave him a small blessing, allowing the man to continue his crying as she pulled the nails out from his hands and bare feet.
"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." He stated again and hushed him as she placed her hand over his eyes.
"Shush, oh, wounded soul, God has shined His light on thee. Thou hast been forgiven by God and the Church. After thou crucifixion, will thou cometh as a follower of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?" she asked and he nodded, tears continuing to flow down his face and his crown of thrones falling onto the floor where Jesus's face was looking down at Mary and some apostles.
Sister Charle winced at Mother Superior's hoping eyes on the man and remembered the feeling that she wanted her to join the Church in hope of finding-although she already knew where he was-the person she had searching for nearly half her life.
"Never trust anyone but God. Love people but put your fill trust only in God. *" she mumbled to herself, knowing it was a lie she was told to remember every day of her life in the church. The church was always to be followed but she followed her own rule and would get him and escape from Shingashina; no what the cost, even sacrificing her own life or others to fulfill her desire of having him safe from the men of science and the workers of church.