I stepped inside the church, and chills crawled down my spine like cold fingers brushing against my skin. The air smelled faintly of wax and dust, the dim light from the candles flickering like dying breaths. Tears welled up in my eyes before I even reached the altar. My knees hit the cold marble floor with a soft thud.
"Abba Father," I whispered, my voice breaking. "I don't know what to do."
My chest heaved. Each word felt heavy, dragged out from the deepest part of my soul. "I don't know if I should stay away from him... or help him. Almighty Lord, he needs You. He's lost—lost in the devil's grasp. Please, have mercy on him, Lord Jesus Christ... forgive him for his debts."
My voice cracked as sobs rose up uncontrollably. "His soul can't bear it anymore, Lord. He needs You more than anything, Father. You said in Your word the enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but You came to give life ,eternal life. Lord, You didn't create him to be played by the devil. Just as You tested Job, I pray You'll spare his life, my God. Don't agree with his death, Almighty Father. All this I ask in Jesus' name."
By the end, I was shaking, crying uncontrollably.
I couldn't stop myself. I felt broken... torn between pity and love, between faith and fear. He was drowning, and nobody was there to pull him out of the dark. Nobody but me. I needed him. He needed me. That connection between us—it wasn't ordinary. When we touched, it felt like the world stopped breathing. When our lips met, it was like two souls trapped inside one trembling body.
He was my greatest sin. My temptation. And I... I was his.
The silence broke with a sudden vibration. My phone. My heart jumped as I saw his name Slavvy. My hands trembled as I answered.
"H...hello," I stammered, trying to swallow the tears in my throat.
"Hey, Testimony—it's Haze." His voice was low, tense. "I don't know what's going on with Slavvy, but I'm scared. Can I come get you?"
My stomach twisted. "Yeah... sure. I'll send you my location right now." My thumb hovered over the screen as I whispered, "Oh God... please have mercy."
Minutes later, the car screeched to a stop outside the church. Haze's face was pale, his jaw tight as he sped through the streets.
When we arrived, the house looked like hell itself had passed through it. The walls were dented, glass shattered, furniture overturned. It reeked of alcohol and smoke.
"I honestly don't know what's going on," Haze muttered, running a shaky hand through his hair. "He's locked himself in his room since he got back from prison."
My chest tightened. Prison. That word alone made my pulse race.
We went upstairs. Each step felt heavier than the last. Haze banged on the door. "Slavvy! Open up, man! You're stressing me out!"
Nothing. Just silence.
He tried again, voice cracking with frustration. "Slavvy!"
Still nothing.
I stepped forward, my voice trembling. "Slavvy... can you please open the door? I need to talk to you."
The lock clicked. Slowly, the door creaked open.
And there he was.
Bloodshot eyes. Hollow face. Empty whisky bottles scattered across the floor. He looked like a ghost still wearing his human skin.
"Slavvy," I whispered, barely able to breathe.
"I'll leave you guys," Haze muttered before walking away.
Slavvy's lips twitched, his voice breaking. "You're disgusted... aren't you?"
I shook my head, stepping closer. "No... I'm worried about you."
His gaze lifted, dark and wounded. "Why? I'm nobody to you... am I?"
That broke something inside me. My chest tightened. My eyes burned. "I'm going to die."
The words hung heavy in the air.
He froze then fell to his knees like his legs gave out. "What? No. No, no, no…" His voice cracked, raw and desperate.
"I only have a few months left," I said, choking on my tears. "I had cancer long before I met you, Slavvy. The day you took me to the hospital... I was dying. The doctor almost switched off the machines. And you left me... like I was nothing."
He fell forward, catching my hands in his trembling ones. "Forgive me, Tess," he whispered. "I thought I was the curse. I thought you got sick because of me. I put your life in danger and... it triggered everything. I was scared to lose someone I—" He paused, voice trembling. "—someone I love."
My heart clenched.
"I barely know you," he continued, his voice raw. "Yet I'm deeply in love with you. I've never loved anyone like I love you. I was scared to be broken again, so I pushed you away."
His words came out like confessions wrung from a tortured soul.
"I'm sorry, Tess. I'm so sorry for everything."
I knelt beside him. Our arms wrapped around each other as we broke completely. Tears fell, our sobs muffled against each other's skin.
"Don't leave me," he whispered, voice hoarse. "Please. I won't be able to breathe without you."
As I held him, I felt warmth seep through my fingers. My stomach dropped. I pulled back blood.
"Slavvy... what's this?" My voice trembled.
He turned slowly, shame painting his face. His back was covered in raw, open wounds. Some still fresh, others scarred over.
"Did the cops do this?" I asked, voice shaking with rage.
He nodded slowly, eyes low. "I deserved it," he whispered. "After all... I'm a monster."
A sharp gasp tore from my throat. "Oh God..." I covered my mouth, shaking. "Slavvy, why?"
He exhaled, broken. "They don't see me as human anymore. To them, I'm a psychopath. But I don't blame them. I've lost control."
Something inside me shattered. I reached for his hand, gripping it tightly. "Slavvy... I'm here for you. I'll always be here."
He looked up—eyes red, searching, pleading for something to believe in.
"I want to rest from it all," he said quietly. "I can't bear this pain anymore."
He drew in a shaky breath, voice cracking under the weight of memory. "You know, when you came into my life... it was hell. I grew up poor. My father would beat my mother beat me like we were punching bags for his anger. We'd go to sleep hungry for days. Then he joined the gang. Started killing for money. People feared him... and that's where his dirty wealth came from."
Slavvy's voice darkened, his jaw trembling. "One day, people had enough. They tied my parents up. I came home from school and... they burned them alive right in front of me. I heard their screams. My mother she was innocent. They burned them until they were nothing but ash. Then they made me eat those ashes... smear them over my body."
His voice broke completely. "That day, I swore I'd get revenge on every single one of them."
I froze. My blood went cold. His pain was raw, unbearable.
"I'm so sorry, Slavvy," I whispered. My tears wouldn't stop. "I'm so sorry you had to live through that."
He looked at me, eyes wet and haunted. "You're the only one who's ever shown me kindness, Tess. The only one who made me feel... human."
I reached out, taking his hand in mine. He didn't pull away he clung to it like it was his lifeline.
"I need you, Slavvy," I said softly. "I need you, and you need me. We need each other."
He looked up again eyes burning like dim coals ready to spark.
And for a brief moment, in that broken room filled with whisky and ghosts, I saw the truth: two lost souls trying to save each other from the fire that had already begun.