7 Temptation

Father Mathew knelt alone in front of the altar, his hands tightly wrapped around the rosary. The hard stone floor pressed painfully against his knees and the cold crept into his legs. But he did not abandon his prayer. His voice was a soft murmur, barely more than a whisper, which was lost in the vastness of the church.

He had grave worries and sought answers in his prayers that would not come. He cared deeply about his congregation. He would do anything for them. But what could he do? The difficulties and problems that were weighing down the village and the surrounding farmsteads were beyond his means.

The harvests that year had been disastrously bad. The grain had been depressed by storms, the fruit trees had been deprived of their yield by frost and the crops had been spoiled by rot. A bad winter was looming. Some of the villagers were thinking of moving away. And those who wanted to stay did not know how they would see spring.

Daylight had given way to night and darkness crept in through the windows. Only the faint glow of the eternal light above the altar provided just enough brightness to make out the outlines of the first few rows of pews. Outside, the wind was picking up, scraping the gnarled branches of the leafless trees against the wet walls and the leaden gray windows, as if **** itself were seeking entry.

Mathew tried to concentrate on the prayer, but his thoughts kept wandering. He was filled with a premonition that tightened his throat and made his heart pound. From wherever it came, there was a certainty that something would happen tonight that would turn his life upside down. Whether for good or for bad, he couldn't say. He only knew one thing: his life could not go on as before.

A gust of wind smashed a branch against one of the panes and the loud bang made him flinch. A vague fear gripped him and he looked around fearfully. He had the feeling that he was no longer alone in the spacious nave. The doors were closed and he hadn't noticed anyone coming in. Was someone there? He imagined he saw a movement where the shadows were the deepest. He narrowed his eyes and squinted into the darkness.

“Anyone there?”

His voice sounded weak and broken even to his own ears.

Instead of an answer, he heard footsteps, the sharp clacking of high heels on the bare stone. They were getting closer. A silhouette peeled out of the darkness, little more than a black shadow in the gloom. But her eyes, or two dots where her eyes should be, twinkled like bright stars. Their light was white and cold. It gave no comfort, but cut into his soul like icy frost.

“Who are you? What are you doing here?” he croaked in a hoarse rasp.

The figure came closer and Mathew recognized a woman. He had never seen her before. And she didn't fit in at all in this rural area with its down-to-earth, conservative inhabitants. As far as the pastor could tell, her clothes were modern and stylish. An elegant, tight-fitting suit with a slim pencil skirt. Underneath she wore a dark red blouse that was unbuttoned just wide enough to give more than a hint of her ample bosom. Her face was framed by wavy, jet-black curls. Astonishingly, her look combined childlike naivety with seductive refinement.

“I'm here to help you.”

The sound of her words was sweet and melodic. Sweet as sin, Mathew thought. And yet he couldn't help but answer her.

“What makes you think I need help?”

“Oh, Mathew. Your situation is too serious that you should be playing games. If you want me to leave, just say so. One word from you and I'm gone and I will never return. So if you think you're letting the only chance that you have of solving your problems slip away, then keep pretending you don't know what I'm talking about.”

How did she know his name? But that was probably of secondary importance at this point. He had to admit that she was right. He couldn't afford to turn down help to save the village, even if he couldn't currently imagine what this mysterious woman would have to offer. But if she really was able to alleviate the plight of his community, then he owed it to his flock to listen to her. No matter what it might cost him. For he was certain that this help would come at a price. And he was prepared to pay it.