Au Revoir Part Three The church doors were open as he walked up to them. It was a bright sunny day, the kind of day you almost hate to waste inside an old, dark building. But he felt as though he had to be here. He'd barely attended church since the wedding. Did he feel bad about it? Somewhat. The main problem was that he had told the priest that he would be here every week when he was interviewed before the wedding. That hadn't come true. He'd be married for over a year now, and yet he only managed to get here twice: Christmas and Easter. That was no excuse. He turned to his wife by his side and grabbed her hand. "Do you think he'll be mad at us?" "He's a priest.... they don't get mad." "Fine, but do you think he's disappointed in us?" "He understands John. I'm sure almost every couple stops showing up once their wedding is over." That may have been true, but it didn't make him feel any better about himself. He'd lied when he told Father Watkins that he would be here every week. Or had he? When he said it he has every intention of continuing to attend church, but those intentions were quickly and easily surpassed when the option of sleeping in and having a nice brunch came up. And that's pretty sad. Choosing food and sleep and comfort over God must lead to a guaranteed trip to hell. They walked closer. Father Watkins was standing at the door, greeting the parishioners as they walked into the building. The bells had started to ring now, signalling that mass was about to begin. Part of him hoped that there wouldn't be enough time to have a conversation with the Father on the way in, that he would need to rush inside to begin mass. Another part of him knew how wrong it was to be thinking that. "Good morning John! It's such a pleasure to see you here today!" He knew that the priest was being genuine. He's a good guy, very calm and not judgmental - well not judgmental considering he's a priest - and he's just a very nice guy. That's part of the reason Johnny was okay with going back to church after years of neglecting his religion. And that's the main reason he felt so guilty, not only was he letting God down, he was letting down Father Watkins, and it felt like a terrible thing to do. "Good morning Father. It's a beautiful day." "It definitely is. God Bless." "Thank you Father." John and Jessica shook Father Watkins' hand and walked into the church. It was a beautiful building. Sun shined in through the stained glass windows creating a beautiful array of colours that danced along the floor. Flowers flowed up the aisles, culminating with a miraculous display of bouquets at the front of the church. There must have been a wedding here yesterday. It was beautiful. They sat down in a pew towards the middle of the church. The church was filled almost to capacity, just like it was every week. Those more faithful than himself sat around them, quiety chatting with one another. For them the church was more than a place of worship, it was a meeting place, it was a key part of the social lives. They WANTED to be there. The organ started playing. Glorious music filled the building as the procession made its way down the aisle. The crowd stood, honouring those who have devoted their lives to God. The first few moments of the mass were a blur. John was more focused on those around him. Did they know that he was only paying lip service to God? Were they judging him? Or did they forgive him and turn the other cheek, as Jesus had done? Did they even notice he was there. Suddenly he realised how incredibly disrespectful it was to be thinking about himself during this occasion. He looked up just as the priest was speaking. "Let us now call to mind our sins." The congregation bowed their heads. "I confess to almighty God, and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have sinned through my own fault..." Johnny dropped his head towards the floor and closed his eyes. He thought to himself as the priest spoke. "Lord, please forgive me for my negligence in respect to my faith. Please understand that while I try to be a good person that is not always possible. I know that the best way to show your faith is to remain a good person despite how difficult it may be, despite how many others may stand in your way. And I know I have failed at that." "...in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done, and in what I have failed to do; and I ask blessed Mary, ever virgin.." "Also Lord, please forgive me for my thoughts and my actions with respect to my work. I know that I have not been behaving in a very Catholic way recently. I know that threatening others with death and humilation is not the right way to make a living. I understand that I should have chosen a better profession, one that allowed me to follow your path more closely." "..all the angels and saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God." "And Lord, please forgive me for what I am about to do at No Exit. This will be me at my most brutal, my most vengeful, my most destructive. This will be the last time my Lord. This will be my final sin. I do this to eradicate those who have taken your name in vain. Those who refer to themselves as Nightmares. Those who do not respect your ultimate authority over this world. It may not be the right method, but it is the only one I know. I do this for you my Lord. These sinners will not continue to run your good name into the ground. I will make them pay. I will unleash your fury onto those who have chosen to rise up against your flock. This will be the end of their blasphemous reign. I will make sure of it. I will do this for you my Lord. Amen." He raised his head and opened his eyes. His conscience was no clear. He knew what he had to do. FIN