Angel's Blood and Demon Fire

The young woman walked around the church after the mass. She seemed very out of place in the small town church. Her clothing was more stylish than most here wore, for all it was still a T-shirt and jeans.
When was the last time anyone wore formal clothing to church? I wondered. Not that I’m one of the old timers who cared much one way or the other. I grew up not always dressing up for church. But than again I wasn’t yet thirty hardly old for a priest. I’d been with this parish for years, first as an assistant now the main priest and I have never seen the woman currently walking around the church. She had listened to my mass in a lot of intensity. Very few ever did that and new anyone younger than 60. Than after mass she didn’t just rush out instead she walked around the church, well flowed was perhaps a better term for she was graceful. She looked so peaceful, but strangely enough her peace almost seemed to clash with that of the church. She was still there when everything had been cleaned up and I had taken off my formal robes. I decided perhaps it was time to go talk to her.
“May I help you my child.” I asked although for some reason her presence made me very uncomfortable.
“No.” her reply was simple and she just watched me with a slight amount of weariness saying nothing for several moments. Then she looked up right as a dark cloud passed by. I shuddered for it was not ordinary. Today was supposed to be a clear day no sign for rain for weeks yet. I had spent my life around God and always felt his touch but recently what I have felt was an evil presence. The cloud merely another dark touch. Then the girl spoke again dragging me from the darkness the cloud seemed to inspire. “But I can help you.”
“What?” replied I confused by her sudden remark but also grateful to have been called away from contemplation of the dark cloud.
“Darkness and Light are both at play and both dangerous. I can put to a stop to the game that in being played.” She said very careful not to specify which side she would stop. The look of peace which had been on her face was gone, in it’s place a hard unreadable mask.
“I don’t know what your talking about my child.” I replied. I did not trust her. Unsure of what she was or how she new such things. She could just had easily be an agent of evil. Unsure of my next action I decided to give her a blessing. Such as what I did with the children to young for communion. According to my believes an agent of evil would not tolerate such a blessing. I waited for a response and got one just not the one he had been expecting. She laughed, it was a gently laugh but a true one.
“A blessing. I guess I should thank you for it. For all you beliefs are not my own any blessing is a gift. While I doubt it perhaps I am in the wrong place. I will look elsewhere for the moment. Before I leave I will give a gift of my own in return for your blessing.” The woman took my hand gently and kisses the inside of my wrist than walked away.
I stood watching as she left. Never before had I ever meant anyone like her and little did I know how much she would effect my life. To that end I stood simply rubbing my wrist until another voice jolted me back to reality.
“Father Eric, that wrist bothering you still. Well that just goes to show what happens when you try to place ball with kids. Shattering that wrist is the least you could have done those boys play rough you could have ended up with a broken neck.” Dr. Marker said from across the room. “Know come on kiddo can’t have those little old ladies wait for ever. Since your to young for them to flirt with you know they need a son faun over.” He continued.
I cringed in many ways he was right. The elder parishioners in my church really seemed disappointed when I was assigned as full priest here. The old ladies hid there disappointment admirably trying to kill my with kindness and an overabundance of food, instead of simply asking for an older priest. It was the worst when I had been playing basketball with some of the teenagers behind the church one evening. I had ended up in the hospital for a few days. The doctors had needed to put two pins in my arm, it had taken weeks to heal, in that time I think every one in this community had baked me something and they had all told me to call if I needed more. While it was annoying at time it was the best place I could be, people in small communities tended to listen more to there priest and were less likely to brush then off. I felt like it was the best place for me to make a difference
“I’ll be there in a moment Doc, but to be honest the wrist isn’t hurting me today.” Suddenly I realized that was not true. It had been hurting almost constantly since I shattered it two years ago until that girl, no young woman she was to old to be just girl had kissed it.
“If you said so father just don’t play the martyr.” Doc Marker replied with a wink before heading off to the coffee hour. Ah, the wonderful coffee hour it would have been so nice to just retreat into my office today and think about what had happened, but duty calls.
I flexed my wrist and turned it. I pushed on it everything that had been causing me either discomfort or pain was simply gone. With a grin on my face I waved to Doc Marker as he left the building. She hadn’t been wrong about a gift I thought. This was such a relief and it shouldn’t be possible. Came the logical voice in my head. She healed my hand with a kiss no one can do that. Were my thoughts as I headed over to mingle. It was hard to keep my mind on what everyone was telling me. I hated being clue less. Everyone always thought being a priest meant believing without questioning but it isn’t true. Everyone I know has gone through at least one point in there life were that lost faith to regain it requires answers. Perhaps not the type that make sense to anyone but yourself, but it is still answers. I listen while the alter society hashed out the next courtiers budget before claiming fatigue and retiring early. I needed to think and to get that girl out of my head. Wow I thought to myself. It’s been years since I last obsessed over a girl. Last time being a bit different in that I was a teenager and it was more what I could do with the girl than the girl herself. This time it was just mystery I wanted to know what was going on and for some reason I think that girl has the answers. For some reason people always seem surprised to realize that priest could think along those lines. I came to terms with entire celibacy things years ago but come on I’m still human I still have a past. Why is it so surprising that a memory or two of sex could be part of that past. That wasn’t what was getting my tied up in knots though not that the woman wasn’t pretty enough she was, but so are paintings, when it comes to both I think I’ll admire them from distance.