Fic: P Is For Popcorn (1/1)
Title: P Is For Popcorn (1/1)
Author: BradyGirl_12
Pairings/Characters: Kristen Bouchard, Father Kay, David Acosta, Leland Townshend
Fandom: Evil
Genre: Drama
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Spoilers: For E Is For Elevator (2x4)
Summary: Kristen's thoughts during David's sermon.
Date Of Completion: August 2, 2021
Date Of Posting: August 7, 2021
Disclaimer: I don’t own ‘em, Robert King and Michelle King do, more’s the pity.
Word Count:
Feedback welcome and appreciated.
“A sermon is just a speech with religious trimmings.”
Father Patrick O’Grady
1942 C.E.
Kristen settled back in the pew. Father Kay had just introduced David as the homily-giver today. She waited for David to begin and gave him an encouraging smile.
Being in church always caused mixed feelings. She liked the smell of incense and the burning og of votive candles, and the statues and stained-glass windows were always interesting works of art. She automatically dipped her fingers in the font of holy water at the entrance to the nave, made the Sign of the Cross, and genuflected before entering the pew. The Stations of the Cross were a familiar story.
She also felt guilty about not attending weekly Mass one minute and alienated the next. Women had no power here, and as a progressive, she disagreed with much of Church doctrine, yet sitting here at Sunday Mass felt comfortable.
You’re screwed up.
Well, that was true enough. She gazed at the statue of the Virgin Mary holding the Baby Jesus at one side of the altar. She felt a connection to Mary as a mother. She knew deep in her heart that Mary had loved her son with everything she had, and the Crucifixion must have been a nightmare.
She must have hated those Roman soldiers.
She had probably forgiven them, because they were just pawns, but that had come later. Kristen was sure of that.
As David began his sermon, Kristen observed the other congregants. If they were like her when she was still attending weekly Mass, they would have checked out. The homily was time for the mind to wander, review the grocery list, etcetera. Most of the elderly parishioners seemed half-asleep, but one woman was paying close attention. Whether she approved of David’s topic--slavery as America’s Original Sin--she could not tell.
She listened to David’s deep voice. It was a pleasing voice, gentle but strong. Despite his controversial subject, his voice was soothing.
He looked very fine indeed in his priestly garb. Best not go that route, she decided. Her sexual drive was already in overdrive lately.
Kristen frowned. Was someone crunching on...what, potato chips? No, popcorn! She shook her head slightly. No one would be eating during Mass.
Her hearing was acute lately, but was she really hearing actual sounds? She thought she had heard the clicking of the Elevator Girl’s fingernails on the wooden floor of her own home, and then that horrible encounter with that apparition between the 12th and 14th floors of the hotel…
Kristen pushed that memory away. It had just been a hallucination caused by powerful medication. Luckily the new meds prescribed by Kurt seemed to be working. And here in church, she felt safe, maybe odd for a lapsed Catholic, maybe not.
“...God wants us to look deep in our hearts…”
Kristen listened while she gazed at the statue of Joseph on the other side of the altar. The foster father of Jesus was often overlooked but safe, safer than looking at David.
“There is a darkness in each one of us. As modern, civilized human beings, we must acknowledge that darkness but strive to overcome it.”
David’s sermon was moving along. Thank goodness he avoided the mistake of so many priests: tiresome repetition. Most homilies could be delivered in half the time without that awful repetition.
One elderly man’s head bobbed and he came awake abruptly. She doubted it was an indictment of David’s sermon. The old gentleman probably had not slept well, maybe missing a long-gone wife or just trying to get through the night. She could empathize.
Where was Ben? He was supposed to be sitting here right next to her. Had he chickened out? Maybe she could sneak a peek at her cell phone for messages.
“...go deep down and rip that darkness out!”
Startled, Kristen looked at David, whose expression was stern now. Thinking of her own darkness, she shrank back in the pew. Everyone was awake now, and someone behind her chuckled.
Nothing like a little fire and brimstone to get the flock’s attention.
“We can be better, and will do better, with the help of God.”
Kristen felt like she was in a movie theater watching the earnest young priest shaking up the complacent congregation up on the big screen. Where was Pat O’Brien when you needed him?
*crunch, crunch*
Somebody is eating popcorn!
She turned around and saw Leland Townshend sitting several rows behind her, happily munching away on a big, yellow bucket of popcorn. He waved at her. Rolling her eyes, she turned back to face the altar.
David’s sermon was over, and as the congregation rose, she thought that for once Leland had a good idea: tonight she and the girls would watch a movie and nosh on hot, buttery popcorn. Maybe invite David and Ben to join them.
And where the heck was Ben, anyway?
This story can also be read on AO3.
This entry has been cross-posted from Dreamwidth. Comment on either entry as you wish. :)