Born on a Different Cloud

It's a Sin

I felt someone pulling on me, forcing me awake, dragging me out of bed with all their strength. "Wake up. Get up." They ordered with a stern voice.

"I'm up!" I whined looking out of blurry eyes as I stood shakily on my own two feet. "Where's the fuckin' fire?"

I rubbed my eyes and saw with more clarity. He was dressed in brown robes with a hood draped over his face, as a monk. I didn't know his voice and I couldn't see his face to recognise his features.

"What the fuck? I said no stag do." I groaned before trying to turn back to my bed.

The wedding was tomorrow, I wasn't risking getting wasted, left attached to a lamp post in the middle of nowhere in only my boxers when I was meant to be getting to church on time. I wanted to get some shut eye, ready for the big day.

He grabbed my shoulder, keeping me in my place. "You are not to swear, swearing is a sin."

"I'm a great big sinner then, send me to hell." I jokingly held out my hands expecting him to cuff them with fluffy handcuffs being it was my stag do.

"You'll see the error of your ways before the night is through."

"I know it's the last night of freedom and all that but the wedding's tomorrow so I'd rather just get some fucking sleep. Any other night I'm mad fer it, not tonight, lad."

"You have taken your vows, you can not marry."

"What?!"

I suddenly noticed my clothing wasn't comfy it was itchy, really fuckin' itchy. I looked down and saw I was wearing the same as him with a cross hanging from my neck. Chains secured my hands and my feet.

The room was dark, lit by candles and the only furnishing was straw like the room was meant for an horse.

"You're one of us, you must live without sin, boy."

"No, what are you on about? I don't even believe..."

"Blasphemy!" he snapped.

"Sorry, I'm not slating your beliefs, it's just not for me." I didn't understand one little bit, I knew the fake police routine but not the fake monk routine one they were taking far too seriously for a party I didn't want.

He led me (yanking the chains) out of that room and into another, a cold, dark, stone room with rows of pews like a Catholic Church, huge stained glass windows depicted Jesus and the mother of God and scenes from the Bible.

I was made to sit with the other monks who were singing a hymn, I was expected, pressured to join in but it was in ancient Latin or summat so I mouthed along copying their sounds until they dropped silent.

A Mother Superior appeared at the altar and started to read from the Bible.

"Mam?!" I recognised her but everyone around harshly shushed me while she spoke.

She didn't sound like herself, she had a deep, harsh monotone that echoed through the room but I knew it was her.

She finished the passage and looked forward at her congregation. "And so young William will not marry, saving himself from a life of sin. Instead he devotes himself to the church, to his family and to our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. Amen."

All of the monks repeated "Amen" as she stared directly at me, looking fiercely into my eyes.

I jumped to my feet. "NO! This is all fuckin' wrong, I love him."

The chains held my hands together with my fingers interlocked as though forcing me to beg for forgiveness, I couldn't do it. They couldn't force me to denounce my feelings.