13: Sinister

Henry, the priest, stood near the altar. As his gaze swept over the shadowy landscape, he caught sight of a figure approaching. He noticed a silhouette of a lady entering the dimly lit church. A lady was wearing a flowy red maxi dress paired with white flat sandals; such a silhouette was quite familiar to him. 

He squinted to confirm the identity of the lady, which turned out to be Khana, the woman whose unexpected presence both bewildered and alarmed him. With each step she took towards him, his confusion deepened, mingling with a sense of foreboding.

His heart was heavy with concern and apprehension. The night air was thick with an uneasy stillness, broken only by the distant hoot of an owl. He thought the guy who warned him in the confession room would have followed the lady. 

His thoughts were consumed by the anxiety of Richard's imminent arrival, and the havoc it could wreak upon the tranquility of the night. The priest knew trouble may come whenever the lady came near the church or him.

Henry smiled as he greeted the guest, "Good day, lady." 

"Good day as well. Father Henry, can I have a moment with you?" Khana asked while looking straight into the eyes of the priest, who was hardly standing firm with the lady's gaze.

"What brought you here at this late hour, Lady Khana?" Henry's voice carried a note of urgency as he addressed her, his eyes searching her face for answers. 

"You sounded like you don't want me here. Why... Am I not worthy to be here? Is it because I'm such a shame?"

"Oh! No, child. It's not what I meant. I beg your pardon if it sounded rude, but it is truly not what I meant. I am only concerned since you came here alone at this hour," the priest replied.

He added, "You should not roam around at this hour. It's too dangerous outside. Please think of everyone who'll be worried if you ever get harmed. Especially your groom-to-be."

But Khana's response only served to deepen Henry's perplexity. Instead of heeding his words, she stepped closer, a bitter smile played on her lips.

"Will you be worried too if I get hurt?" she countered, her voice laced with defiance.

Henry's heart sank as he struggled to find a response. He will be the most worried, but telling such a response will only stir another meaning. Thus, he simply replied, "Who wouldn't be worried? So, please, go home now," he pleaded, his tone tinged with desperation.

He knew the danger that lurked in the darkness, and he could not bear the thought of Khana falling victim to it. Moreover, he couldn't bear stepping into a fire that would burn him alive if he did not put his heart in the bar. The more his eyes see her, the more it gets hypnotized to approach her. It's better to ask her to leave at this rate before anything slips out of their hand.

But Khana remained unmoved, her determination unyielding. "No. I'll stay here and stare at your face until you melt," she declared. 

Her words sent a shiver down Henry's spine. A sense of unease settled over Henry as Khana's words echoed in his mind. The anxious priest could feel the weight of her gaze upon him, a silent challenge that he could not ignore. With a heavy heart, he took a few steps closer to her, his mind racing with conflicting emotions.

"I don't know what's gotten you to come at me with that absurd idea stuck in your head. Your head must have been badly damaged by that accident for you to act crazy inside the sacred place. Please, go home now." Henry implored, his voice tinged with frustration. 

"I'm trying to prevent chaos by avoiding you. I beg you not to get me into trouble anymore. I've suffered enough," he added.

Khana smiled mischievously as she replied, "Do you wanna know what's even crazier?"

But before Henry could comprehend the gravity of the situation, Khana's actions took him by surprise. In a sudden and audacious move, she reached out and pulled him close. Khana must've really lost her mind. She suddenly pulled the collar of the priest and kissed him torridly. On the other hand, the priest was too dumbfounded to react in her lips meeting him in a passionate embrace.

Henry's mind reeled as he struggled to make sense of what was happening.  His mind was in chaos as Khana's lips touched his lips. His mind wants to push her away, but his body says otherwise.

His instincts screamed at him to pull away, to resist the temptation that threatened to consume him. But as Khana's kiss deepened, Henry found himself unable to resist, his body betraying him in the face of her undeniable allure. His arms wrapped around her waist as the kiss deepened. He was swayed by her lustful eyes and her tempting kiss. He closed his eyes and let the spark of the moment steal his sane mind.

In that fleeting moment, Henry was lost in a whirlwind of confusion and desire, his world spinning out of control. As Khana finally pulled away, leaving him breathless and bewildered, Henry could only watch helplessly as she vanished into the night, leaving him to grapple with the aftermath of their unexpected encounter.

Henry's mind raced his thoughts into a tumultuous whirlwind of confusion, guilt, and desire. The weight of his position as a priest pressed heavily upon him, conflicting with the primal urges that Khana's kiss had awakened within him. Henry's heart pounded in his chest as he struggled to reconcile his vows with the undeniable attraction he felt. 

Khana led him to the long wood bench on the first row, left corner, next to the aisle. The priest was seated on the bench as the lady pushed him without breaking the kiss. Even if he closed his eyes, her captivating eyes and soft lips still flashed in his mind as he stuck his tongue in her lips.

His whole body is burning...