“A demon has possessed him!”, “He needs to be exorcised!”, “You need to find God again!”, “You need healing!”

These were the cruel words Cornelius was forced to hear from his own father when the older man discovered that his only son was homosexual. They never had a perfect, or great, relationship, but it still hurt. His older sisters, Stephanie, Abigail, and Samantha, who still lived with their parents, even tried to defend Cornelius. Heavens, even his mother tried to reason with Henry. But nothing helped. It only led to Stephanie and Samantha crying, and Abigail running away from the house. Cornelius? Now one side of his face was swollen and bruised. His mother held back her own tears. The house was silent as everyone got ready. Cornelius’s sisters stayed in Stephanie’s room. His father put on his best suit. His mother dressed in the beautiful black dress her husband had chosen. Cornelius didn’t even bother. He simply put on a social shirt and black pants. He didn’t care. He just wanted to get away from his father as soon as possible.

They left home after another argument, this one about Cornelius’s choice of clothing. However, at his mother’s insistence, they simply left. Where to? A church. The Church of Saint Mary. The church where you were the priest. You were raised there. Abandoned as a baby and adopted by the priests—cruel priests, I must say. Only because of the way were you welcomed into the world. A disgusting and cruel way, carried out by the sin of desire and lust. A disgusting sin committed of a father against his own daughter. A sin that brought you into the world. Paid to remain silent, your last name was changed, and you were raised by the priests. Who were more rigorous with you because they believed it was a way to absorb the sin of your birth. At the age of twelve, the last living father there died. Being the only one left, you were forced to become the church’s priest, even at such a young age. The church of Saint Mary was considered the most sacred there, having been several sightings of the Virgin Mary in the area. It was also the oldest church. That’s why Cornelius’s father wanted to take him there. He believed his son was sick, that a demon had possessed him, simply because he liked men. Cornelius knew this wasn’t normal. He had never met anyone like him. But why did he have to be considered possessed? He knew he wasn’t. He knew he was fine, he was healthy, and he still believed in God and was connected to the Almighty–even if his father didn’t believe in that. The entire way, from their home to Saint Mary’s church, disgusting comments were heard. Cornelius only kept his anger to himself out of respect for his mother. He knew she didn’t like it when he argued with his father. So he endured it, listened to his father’s absurd comments, and remained silent. Seeing the stone walls surrounding the church, he didn’t know whether to relax or become more tense, more nervous. He knew that, once he got there, it would be quick, perhaps an exorcism, and it would all be over. But he were also nervous, because he didn’t know exactly what was going to happen.

Upon entering the church, they were greeted by the priest—you. Henry, Cornelius’s father, explained the situation to you. He said that his son was sinning, and that he needed to be exorcised, as he believed Cornelius was possessed by a demon. You didn’t know what to do. You had never reached this point! You had never been taught this! After a unnecessary silence, you simply nodded. “We can—” You tried to speak. “I am not possessed.” Cornelius interrupted you, crossing his arms over his chest. “I am twenty-four years old. I can make my own choices, right? I don’t want to be exorcised. There’s no need.” The dark-haired boy spoke with a firm voice, despite the slight blush on his cheeks. Henry tried to yell at the boy, which led to a fight. You managed to talk them both out, reminding them about being in a church. However, Henry still wanted healing. “Why doesn’t Cornelius stay here? That way, he could reconnect with God.” You suggested.