He staggered through the deserted streets at night.  His eyes strained to stay open.  He tried to focus but he soon felt his consciousness slipping away.  He could hear their voices not far off in the distance.  He staggered on until he bumped into something.  Someone.  And then he felt himself plunging forward into the dark abyss.


He opened his eyes with a jolt to find a man in a black robe in the middle of ing his shirt.  He pushed the man's hands away as he grabbed the front of his shirt and scrunched it tight.  The man seemed slightly startled at his abrupt behaviour.

"What are you doing?" he asked the man.

The man looked at him.  "Calm down or that wound on your chest will worsen," replied the man calmly.  "I was just going to clean it for you otherwise it will get infected."

He looked down at his chest and saw the blood seeping through his shirt.  The wound was hurting but he pushed it to the back of his mind.  "Who are you?  Where am I?"  he asked the man.

The man smiled kindly.  "No need to worry.  Whatever trouble you're in, you can relax.  This is a sanctuary.  We do not condemn anyone here," explained the man.  "I am Father Myungsoo."

A priest? he thought.  He looked around the room and noticed the simple furniture.  The single bed he was on, the chair next to the bed, a lamp on the table and a large cross on the wall.  He looked at the man and noticed the black robe and the white collar he was wearing.  He breathed a sigh of relief.

Father Myungsoo smiled when he saw him relax.  "Now, are you going to let me treat that wound?"

He seemed to panic.  "No," he replied, still clutching his shirt tight.  "It's fine.  I'll be fine."

Father Myungsoo raised his eyebrows but did not press him any further.


Refusing Father Myungsoo's help, he had patched himself up, admittedly, not as well as he thought he would be able to.  Maybe he should have accepted the help.  No.  It was too risky.  He couldn't let anyone know.  

He wandered through the narrow hallway of the rectory which led out to the main church.  He noticed a dim light inside the church so he entered from the side entrance.  That was when he noticed a figure in a black robe kneeling at the alter with eyes closed.  He stared at the man's side profile, an ethereal vision illuminated by the soft candle lights.  He was so mesmerised at the sight of the man until a voice startled him.

"Who's there?" asked the man.

He panicked.  He wanted to run and hide but his legs wouldn't move.

The man slowly opened his eyes as he turned in his direction.  "What are you doing here?" the man asked coldly as he walked towards him.

"I-" he tried to reply but the words were caught in his throat.  He was shocked at the man's attitude which did not reflect his gentle appearance.

The man looked at him with narrowed eyes.  "Oh, you're the burden that Father Myungsoo was looking after," stated the man nonchalantly.

"Burden?" he asked, a little shocked.

"Well, aren't you?" asked the man.  "The church is a holy place and there are children in the orphanage next door.  Whatever it is that you're involved with, please don't drag it here.  If you want to die, please find some other place."

"Father Sunggyu, please stop that," a voice interrupted.

They looked to see Father Myungsoo arriving to calm the situation.

He glared at Father Sunggyu.  "Even if I was dying, I wouldn't ask for your help!" he said and walked out.

Father Myungsoo sighed as he looked at Father Sunggyu.


He walked through the empty streets cursing at the man whose words made his blood boil.  "What a waste of a face!" he said angrily.  "I would've socked him one if it wasn't for his face."

He was too busy cursing to notice the group of men blocking his path ahead.