The Redeemed Soul [Dorian Gray]

Confession

Dorian's eyes - that was what Rosemary was seeing everywhere she looked. She couldn't get over how immediate his response had been to her accusation. He was going to take the poor girl's virtue away and the way he had behaved....Rosemary shuddered in fright.

She didn't know if she had meant what she had said and her own words were ringing in her ears. "You told me that Kelso abused you because he blamed you for your parents' death? Well, you listen to me very clearly. You are a monster!"

She shook her head. The cold weather was getting to her, her face getting warmer by the minute, but was she feeling warm because she wanted to cry, or the weather was something that she didn't want to figure out at that point of time.

She stopped when she came in front of the familiar crossroads where she was supposed to walk straight ahead to reach her home. Instead, she rubbed her face and took a right turn and walked towards the sound of the ringing bells.

She reached the destination that was on her mind and opened the wooden doors with shaking hands. She sniffled as she entered the warm church and walked down the aisle towards the end, to meet her dear friend.

"Father Emmanuel?" She called out to him, her voice cracking up.

"Ah, Miss Hallward!" He exclaimed. "How are you, my child?"

"Forgive me, Father," She breathed out. "For I must take a confession right away."

"Rosemary, is everything okay?" He asked concerningly.

"No." She shook her head. "I have done something terrible to a horrible person. I don't think that I can go home and see myself in the mirror if I do not confess."

"Certainly, child." He guided her towards the confession box.

He opened the wooden doors and walked inside, indicating Rosemary to do the same on her side of the box. She sat down on the chair and closed the door, taking a deep breath before starting to speak.

"Forgive me Father for I have sinned."

"What is it that you want to confess?" He asked once again, knowing that he would be able to give his counsel in the safe quarters.

"I used physical violence against two people today." She pressed her bruising hand. "They had it coming if you ask me, but knowing who I am, I would never hit someone. And...I told a person that he was a monster today and that I wished him dead for his cruel actions, not more than an hour ago." She sniffled. "I cannot begin to think straight since then."

"Was this man that you talk about involved in any unusual pursuit?" He inquired.

"Yes." She nodded. "He was going to take away the virtue of a young girl right after she came of age." Talking about it made her mouth sour. She was trying her best to not be spiteful but nobody could stop themselves from doing so in that situation.

"Then why did you feel the need to come here?"

"Because I have...strong feelings towards this man." She admitted it for the first time.

He sighed. "That is a grave situation then."

"I know that you must know who I am talking about but Father, do you think that I've changed? I would never speak like that to anyone, not even my worst enemy for that matter." She fiddled with her thumb. "What has he done to me?"

"What society does to everyone at one point." He replied. "You fought back and although you felt the need to talk to me, the Lord is watching over all of us. He will not let any of us down."

"But isn't that it, Father?" She asked. "If the Lord is guiding us, why would the men in this society be as they are as of this moment?"

"Dear, it is for us to show them a better path." He revealed. "Only a few choose to take it but even in doing so, they can change into a better person." Then, he told her the one thing that he meant to tell her earlier. "You are the only person in this entire town that chose to give a confession volunteeringly at the age of ten, my dear girl." He chuckled.

"That was a necessary one though." She smiled, remembering that day vividly.

"I've come across a lot of people in my life and you yourself once told me about your first mistake in life when you chose to give me a confession, didn't you?"

"I did." She nodded, realising where he was getting at.

"Pardon me for making you relive that part of your life but you once told me that you hurt someone out of spite because they had hurt you. You needn't have walked all the way here, that too in the middle of a storm."

"I was feeling very guilty because I knew that I wanted to be a better person. I shouldn't have bullied my classmate because she started to ignore me. That wasn't who I was and hopefully, I'm not the same person. Even though we both knew our mistakes, we can never change the past."

"She did forgive you for what happened and so did you. That's the most important part. You forgave yourself and redeemed yourself." He said. "I was so surprised that you wanted to give me one today but Rosemary, love is a strong emotion that not everyone realises. If, whoever you are talking about has captured your heart, fight for him."

"I can't." She shrugged. "He has gone too far for me to help."

"Nobody ever goes too far. It is never too late to redeem your soul." He stated. "Although I cannot mention this person's name, even if he has committed mistakes in the past, don't you think that you should help him change?"

"People are capable of change." I said what he didn't.

"Can you help him see the better path?"

Rosemary didn't know that. How could she? She wanted to leave the city and if she took on the chances of helping Dorian, would she end up destroying herself? Could she help him go down the righteous path that he once was on?

"I'll try, Father."

She was going to try one last time. One last time to see the good in Dorian Gray, before she gave up all hope and never looked back.