(Fair warning: This is easily the darkest story I wrote to date, even counting one’s that none have you have seen before – THERE IS NO SEX, just a conversation between a father and a Father.)

The Confessor kneels inside the Participant side of a Confessional. Monsignor O’Brian opens the slide, so they can converse.

Confessor: Bless me father for I have sinned ... it has been ... too long since my last confession.

Monsignor: Go ahead my son.

Confessor: Father, I killed a man!

Monsignor: When was this?

Confessor: Last night.

Monsignor: Please tell me whatever you want to say; our conversation is protected.

Confessor: Father I came home from work last night about 5 o’clock.

Monsignor: Go ahead you can speak freely.

Confessor: When I got home, the place was empty. Neither my wife, son nor daughter was there, and I was worried.

Confessor: After being upset for a while, I saw a note.

Monsignor: Yes! And what did the Note say?

Confessor: My wife had written it and all it said was come to the hospital, our daughter may not live.

Confessor: I was out of my head, with worry about what could’ve happened to my daughter.

Monsignor: And?

Confessor: I got to the hospital; I found out that my daughter was brutally raped, right to the point where she may not live.

Confessor: I was out of my mind with fear ... and love!

Monsignor: What did you fear?

Confessor: That I was capable of finding and killing the bastard who did that to her.

Monsignor: Settle down a little, please - And who did you love?

Confessor: My daughter very much, and my wife.

Monsignor: Go on.

Confessor: So they let me in, to talk to my daughter.

Confessor: Crying like I never have before, I asked her ‘who did this to you?’

Confessor: She wouldn’t look at me ... she was afraid to answer because she knew.

Monsignor: She knew what?

Confessor: That whomever she said, I would hunt down and murder him!

Monsignor: So, what is the status of your daughter?

Confessor: She survived, but she won’t be able to have children...

Monsignor: That’s so very sad.

Confessor: Yes, it is, Father.

Monsignor: So, did you find out who did it?

Confessor: Not right away, It took me a couple of hours to get to the bottom of it.

Monsignor: And?