Crimson Queen

Sin

"Lucinda Rosewater," I replied.

"Name your sin," the Priest said. He picked up the cup and took a sip.

"I didn't catch your name," I said.

The Priest looked at me over the rim of his cup. My skin erupted in goose bumps. I was completely frozen by his gaze. Cold sweat rolled down my face. His brown eyes were so intense. His presence was suffocating. My chest felt tight. He blinked and the presence vanished. He placed the cup back down.

"My name is David," the Priest said. He looked me straight in the eye. "I command you in the name of the Lord to speak your sin."

I flinched at the sudden volume of his last statement. Father David wasn't someone I could convince easily. This wasn't at all going according to plan. Maybe outright saying that I killed Kate wasn't going to help me in the least, even if I did say she was a familiar. There wasn't any proof that she had been a familiar to begin with except my word. I had to play this safe. I took a deep breath.

"I found how the children and the other residents were disappearing," I told him.

Father David narrowed his eyes. I could feel the presence again. I curled my hands on my lap. The pain was keeping me focused. I couldn't waiver. My life depended on it. I couldn't afford to be intimidated by him.

"Your sin," Father David said in a low tone.

"I saved two men from becoming victims of the vampires," I said.

"Your sin," he said. "Tell me your sin."

My mind raced. Having blood all over me wasn't enough to condemn me. I was surely the prime suspect but there hadn't been any witnesses. How did the Sheriff know it was I who had killed Kate? Someone must have told him. But who was it? The way things were going, I wasn't going to be able to ask the Sheriff those questions. He had a right to tell me who had seen me.

"Your sin," Father David repeated.

"I defended myself against a monster," I said showed him my injured wrist. "I struck it with my fist."

"Your. Sin." His words were curt and could slice through steel.

"I beheaded a monster," I said lowering my hand.

"YOUR SIN!" the Priest yelled.

I swallowed. It was useless. He wasn't listening to me. I knew what he wanted me to say. If I uttered those words then it was all over. There wasn't anything I could do. I narrowed my eyes at Father David. At a closer look he was paler than I first thought and he was sweating. I wouldn't say it. I wouldn't say those words.

I jumped at the sharp knock on the door. It opened and the Sheriff walked in. He ignored me and focused his attention on the Priest. What was going on?

"The sinner has confessed," Father David stated.

I gaped at the Priest. My mind had gone blank. W-what - ?

"N-no!" I protested jumping to my feet. "I have done no such thing. The only thing I killed was a monster wearing a woman's body."

"Aha," Father David said rising to his feet. "You heard it with your own ears. The truth!"

Speechless, I looked from Father David to the Sheriff. This couldn't be happening. My heart was racing. I couldn't catch my breath.

"What proof do you have that I have killed someone?" I asked.

"Your clothes are soiled with the blood of another," Father David proclaimed.

"How do you know this isn't my blood?" I asked. "How does anybody know that I killed Kate? Who saw me?"

The room was silent except for my heavy breathing. The odds were against me but I wouldn't go down without a fight. I turned to the Sheriff.

"Sheriff," I said. "You don't honestly believe I would kill someone, do you? You and I both know that people are disappearing. The familiar knew something. I was forced to defend myself. Sheriff you know me. You know I wouldn't lie."

I was pleading. Everyone knew it but this couldn't end so simply. The Sheriff looked down at the floor. My stomach dropped. He looked up at me with hollow eyes. Truly, for the first time I was seeing how much this world had affected him.

"Lucinda," he said. "I don't know anymore. You've changed. You make dolls from hay and strike them with a wooden stick. You live alone without a husband."

"This isn't about me," I protested. "This is about vampires and people disappearing. We all have a duty to perform."

The Sheriff shook his head. "You've become obsessed with all of this," he said. "People disappear all the time. We have to cut our losses and move forward. It was bound to happen sooner or later. Some people are just unlucky."

I was shocked. "I can't believe it," I said. "I can't believe that you of all people would say that. Remind me again who it was that said we should band together against the vampires?"

"That was a long time ago," the Sheriff said with a sigh. "Times change. The truth of the matter is that you killed someone and I won't let that happen."

As if on cue, two officers opened the door wider and walked in. This time one of them carried iron shackles. My heart squeezed.

"You're bound to the stockade," he said, "and I've been instructed by the Mayor to give you fifty lashes. It's better if we get this mess cleared up before it becomes scandal."

My blood ran cold. Usually, a criminal would be on display for the entire day including the night. When I was in the market place I could see them. All the prisoners would be worn out. Their clothes would be soiled and they would have dried blood on them and bruises under their skin. Their shouts and pleads would echo when the sun went down. So far, no one had survived for their trial the following morning.

The officers moved quickly. Before I knew it, the iron shackles were on my wrists. I gritted my teeth against the pain. My right wrist hadn't recovered from the punch last night. As it was now, it would probably be damaged for life. However long I had left.

It was hell when I was escorted out of the building. There were spectators everywhere. They crowded the street. Their stares wee menacing filled with hatred and disgust. Stoic, I took it all. I wouldn't show them my fear. I couldn't. They wanted to take their anger, fear and frustration out on someone and for that reason I wouldn't waiver.

My legs were already shaking and my palms were sweating. I couldn't stop my body from trembling. My eyes were all but burning. I had to endure this . . . this fear. I couldn't afford my resolve to waiver. Then I saw it. It was just for an instance. Something red flashed through the air. The tomato slammed into my face. The juices ran down my face. I couldn't move.

My feet were rooted to the ground. Something slammed into my back. I stumbled forward and somehow managed to keep my balance with the excessive weight on my wrists. I was glad my legs hadn't been shackled as well. I would have fallen and that was the last thing that I wanted.

Then they were all flying through the air; tomatoes and cabbage. They struck against my body with full force. I wanted to turn my body away. I wanted to flinch. It was so hard to endure it all. I took a shaky breath, exhaled and started walking down my path of shame.

I would be strong. I wouldn’t show fear and I would not waiver because even for a second of a glance, not every pair of eyes had contained hatred. They were strong stares giving me hope and for those few people I would remain strong.