"Papa! Look! I drew a butterfly!"

"....."

"Papa?"

"Marlon, take this trash away. I'm busy..."

"Yes sir."

"Papa? Wait, papa!"

"He never showed any love to me... nor anyone else. Ever since I was born, I was already a tool.

My father is the mayor of the town, while my mother was a bar hostess. She only seduced my father and had him drunk. My mother gave birth to me only because of my father's reputation. She wanted to use me as proof against my father and blackmail him to marry her for riches.My father is too overprotective of his reputation, and feared any form of controversy that may occur. In other words, my father was only forced to marry my mother, despite him having his own lover.

At home, there was never an ounce of love. My mother only focused on her jewelries, rich friends, and beauty, whereas my father doesn't even want to look at her in which my mother doesn't care. It resulted to him hating me in return. Because of his hate, he would scold me for almost anything I do, it was like I was merely an eyesore.

Neither my father nor my mother bought me any toys, in fact I didn't even know what kind of toys existed in the world. The only pass time I had was watching a bird's nest by the window in my room, no, it wasn't even a room. There was nothing else in it but a bed and a window after all. My clothes were only new if I needed to be outside when my father shows off to the people. Nobody came to visit me there. Not even the servants cared much, I can see in their eyes that their looking down on me, they won't even smile. They knew I'm only a whore's tool to use against my father. Their eyes told me how they despised my mother and me. Worst part is that to maintain the people's trust towards him, my father must show the people his affection towards me and my mother. It was the most painful times. In front of the people, I would receive hugs and kisses from them, which I accepted as real... Despite it being so fake, I thought of it as real...

I wasn't even able to attend school like other children passing by our mansion. I dreamed of at least having books to read, so I tried asking my father something for the first time and went inside his room where I found him resting. Yet, he did not even answer. He pretended I wasn't there. Then, when I asked a second time, he ordered the servants to take me away. The servants don't even handle me with care. They give me food only enough to stay alive and healthy. They would even sometimes push me away on purpose for no reason at all.

Once when I got sick, they weren't even careful in taking care of me. Medicine was being forced inside my mouth every time I take medications. If I get injured from accidents, I could hear them silently chuckle as I struggled to hide the pain.

When I had it of everything, I tried running away from the mansion but the guards and the servants won't allow me as it would ruin my father's reputation. That was when I received my very first punch on the face from my father. My face got swollen at that time when I needed to be ready for my father's speech. I was almost drowned in ice just to make sure the swollen won't be obvious from the people. Unfortunately, the other candidates managed to notice it and used it against him. A controversy rose about the mayor bullying his whore-born son. The people were almost taken by it, until I was forced to talk in front of a crowd saying that it was merely a misunderstanding. Forced to make up an excuse, I cleared my father's name for his sake. However, deep inside me at that time, I really wanted to scream everything but... I was so scared.

After I cleared my father's name of suspicion, I was punished to not get outside my room until he allows me to. And he never did. I was trapped inside that prison with only the window as my friend. I was ten years old at that time and for six years, I stayed in that prison without anyone to talk to, nor anything to do. I would only look at the sky and dream of angels coming down to rescue me. Soon eventually, they did...

There was a fire accident inside the mansion. It burst into flames starting from the outside, which was said to be done by the other candidate. With all the panic, one of servants managed to leave the door of my prison open. I hurriedly dashed outside of the mansion and quickly ran towards the forest for shelter, not from the fire but from the residents inside the mansion. I ran and ran without any destination in mind, I just wanted to survive. I didn't even know why I wanted to. I felt the need to be selfish.

That was when I didn't realize, I was already inside this church when I opened my eyes. The nuns were so shocked they thought I won't wake up anymore. I met the priest and found him to be so nice. They didn't know who I was since they, nor some of the people, don't often see the mayor with his son. At first I kept quiet of my past and was afraid to tell anyone because of the fact that one of them may tell my father I was here.

During that stay, I learned about the existence of the gods and the great god Jhurai. I was thankful for him, for giving me a chance to live my life anew. I was happy here living with the nuns and helping out in the best way that I could. That was when I realized I was quite different. I enjoyed watching the nuns and would imitate their movements, even their speech, their accent, I mimicked them whenever I was alone.

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Then came the time when soldiers were looking for the lost son of the mayor. Since they weren't able to recover a body from the burned down mansion, the public announced that I was kidnapped.

I confessed to the nuns my identity and begged them to help me hide. However, there were already reported sightings of an unfamiliar young boy in the church, which resulted to a thorough search inside the church. Therefore, to hide me from them, Mother Ashia decided to have me dress up as a nun until the soldiers would leave. Successfully they did, but I got attached to the clothes that I didn't want to take them off. Thus, I requested the nuns for me to wear it even for a while longer. Although they were doubtful, they agreed to go along for the sake of hiding my identity.

However, I kept on wearing it for almost a year. Believers began to think I was a new nun and were warm to me. But after a long time of keeping quiet, the priest finally scolded me that I should stop pretending to be a nun. But I didn't want to. I believe the great god Jhurai saved me from that prison of a mansion to be his chosen servant. At least that was what I believed. Some of the nuns began having private conversations where I would here my name being mentioned. Amongst them all, only mother Ashia treated me with kindness. She was the one who encouraged me to be expressive as a human being, and that we may all be born different, but what mattered was our purpose. Yet, that was not what was on the minds of others.

One of the nuns, the new recruit, exposed my secret in front of many people at the time of a great gathering. She humiliated me by removing my clothes in front of all the people to see. That became the reason for all the believers to make the assumption that the great god Jhurai has left this church, which allowed a demon to enter. The priest, whom I believed to be with the nun, threw holy water at me as he called the name 'demon' all over again...

It was the most humiliating day of my life. Since then, people never came back. Mother Ashia blamed herself and left the church. Eventually so did the priest, and the other nuns left one by one. That was why this church was named the Damned Church, because the great god Jhurai left it, allowing sin to live within its walls..."

"Ah, I'm sorry. I think I spoke too much," Nicole then wiped some tears in his-her eyes. "That must've been pretty boring of a story..."

"It wasn't at all," I said. "For me, true stories from true people are always interesting."

"Hmmm... So what your saying is that people hate guys to be a nun?" an obviously confused Felgard asked. "Then why don't those children do?"

"They don't know yet," Nicole hugged her-himself. "I'm afraid if they do, they might leave me too. It was them that came to this church when I was alone. One by one they came on a rainy day looking for shelter. I took care of them on my own and treated them the way I wanted to be treated by my parents long ago."

"This means the nuns, or highly likely the priest, told your father that you were here," I said while in thought. "That's why he immediately sold this place to that Mr. Noore filth. To rid you off his life once and for all."

"Possible," Nicole said.

"What about fighting back?" Felgard asked.

"Indeed," I smiled. "I may not be a genius in these things but I have an idea!"

"Really?" Nicole asked.

"Yep! Although, this idea will require one great thing from you Nicole," I gave him/her a serious look with a grin on my face.

"Oh, what would it be?" she/he asked with a confused face. Felgard too came in view as he sneaked his confused, no, doubting face next to Nicole, anticipating my answer.

"Courage!" I raised my head in pride.

"Courage?" the two blinked their eyes twice altogether before looking at each other.

"Indeed," I nodded. "Based on what I see, you Nicole, are too soft. It's time for retaliation against your father!"

"R-retaliation? Against my father?" he/she looked puzzled before grasping my intention. "Ah! No! i cannot do that! if you mean blackmailing my father or anything regarding his political power, I cannot do anything about it!"

"Why? If you tell the public the truth, I'm sure plenty will believe you," I persuaded. "But since he loves his position very much, we could use it against him. We'll have him hand you over some kind of contract or something, that will give you authority over this place at least."

"But my father... I'm afraid," Nicole lowered her/his head, facing the cold hard ground.

"I don't really get it but," Felgard spoke. "Why won't you fight back? I think your father can do nasty things to you because he's looking down on you. You don't fight back. You just ran away..."

Nicole was silent, but I could tell she/he was listening.

"...But right now, there are those who need you. You can't just run away, even if its for their sake! They'll just become like you... A coward...."

"Hey Felgard..." I tugged his sleeve.

"It's okay," Nicole said. "It's really okay. The truth doesn't hurt, because I have accepted it. I am a coward..."

"Nicole..." I let go of Felgard's sleeve.

"...But, what I won't accept... Is those children becoming a coward like me," Nicole raised her head with a sincere look. "Thank you, you two. Specially you Felgard."

"Hehe!" Felgard rubbed his philtrum with his pointy finger and smiled.

I looked up and stared at he ceiling, "You know, for me this isn't a Damned Church..."

"What do you mean?" Nicole's eyes somehow brightened.

"Just like you, homeless children came here looking for shelter. Without any destination, nor purpose, just those who wanted to survive, and here you all are, happy with each other," I looked at Nicole and smiled. I may despise churches but this one, is different. "This is the Church to be Blessed, or something..."

Nicole began tearing up again. She tried wiping them off but it just poured down unintentionally from her bright eyes (in the end, I used the she and her).

"O-oi! Friesha made you cry!" Felgard stood up and shouted which made me punch his air-filled head.

"I guess your right, Friesha," Nicole then gave bright teary smile. "Thank you."

Felgard and I gave her a smile, although Felgard's was more like a prideful grin.

"I'll do it," Nicole faced me. "I am still his son after all, and I'll use it against him. If he won't give me my right, I'll take it from him!"

"That's the vigor!" I placed my hands on my hips.

* * * * *

"Friesha, let's go back..."

"Give me back my praise!"

Nicole and I were currently outside her father's humongous mansion. Felgard was left in the church to look after the kids. Until now, I could still hear his "Oi!" resonating inside my mind.

"Friesha, I'm really scared," yes, I can tell from those sweat forming on your forehead and shivering shoulders.

Perhaps this was a bad idea after-all...