Page 26 of Monster in Disguise

"I think so. I'm not sure if it was Claudia."

Desperate for any lead, I plead with them to tell me more.

"She was heading towards the chapel."

"Thank you!" Gratitude pours from me as I take their hands in mine.

As I approach the chapel, all is quiet and still. The wooden doors are unassuming, but as I push them open, they give way with ease. Inside, the atmosphere is hushed and reverent, like a miniature gothic church. Though it is spacious enough to hold all the nuns within the convent, by other standards, it is not particularly large.

The interior is adorned with two rows of pews on each side leading towards the ornate altar, and on the right is the confessional booth. Stained glass windows depicting scenes from the Bible line the walls on either side of the chapel.

Moving further into the chapel, I pass down the central nave towards the altar.

The only source of light in the dimly lit church comes from a few flickering candles at the altar. As I approach, my eyes gradually adjust to see two figures standing near the front. Oneis an adult, and the other is a small child. As I draw closer, their features become clearer...and so do their actions.

My heart stops as I realize what I am witnessing—Father Guerra's hand is up Claudia's dress. Without hesitation, I lunge forward with one goal in mind: to rescue my little girl from this man's grasp.

In that moment, they must have sensed my presence because Father Guerra quickly removes his hand and attempts to compose himself. Claudia turns towards me, her expression betraying a mix of fear and shame. But before I can even process what has happened or confront them both about their twisted relationship, something inside me snaps and I let out a guttural scream of rage and disgust.

My voice is stone, cold and demanding as I command Claudia to go to the room. Her shoulders tremble ever so slightly, whether from the recent events or the steely tone in my voice, I cannot tell. "Now!" I reiterate sharply when she hesitates.

"Mamma..." Claudia's whisper barely reaches my ears before she runs out of the chapel.

"Catalina, please understand, this isn't what it looks like," Father Guerra jumps to his own defense. His hands are raised in a placating gesture.

"Fixing her dress? Or her underwear?" My feet carry me swiftly towards him, a sudden urge to do harm overtaking me. How dare he touch my nine-year-old daughter? The thought alone makes me want to break down and cry, but I can't allow this man to walk away without facing consequences.

"Catalina, surely we can come to an understanding," he persists.

"What kind of understanding? That you're a disgusting pedophile?" My voice rises with each word, thick with disgust and rage. "Mother Superior will hear about this. You'll get whatyou deserve, you waste of a human being." There is so much venom in my words, yet it still doesn't seem enough for what I feel towards him.

Father Guerra chuckles. He actually has the audacity to laugh.

"And who do you think will believe you? You, who slept around and got pregnant by who knows who? Your own family didn't even want you." My face falls at his cruel words. "Oh, did you think I didn't know? You actually thought I was being nice to you? Whores like you have no place in a house of God." His mention of God only fuels my anger further. Without thinking, my hand shoots out and connects with his cheek in a loud slap.

My voice catches in my throat, unable to form words as I stare at him in disbelief. His hand quickly moves to his cheek, rubbing it slowly as if trying to erase the red mark that is surely forming.

"Fucking whore!" he yells before his hand wraps around my neck, cutting off my air supply. I stumble backwards until I feel the hard edge of an altar table against my back. Panic sets in as I struggle for breath, his grip only tightening with each passing second.

"No one would even miss you if you're gone," he sneers, his voice dripping with malice and contempt. In that moment, I realize my mistake. I should have listened to my gut instinct. Instead, I allowed myself to be lured here by him... and now who knows what he did to Claudia. The thought ignites a fierce determination within me, and I begin searching behind me on the table, desperate for something to defend myself with.

Seconds tick by agonizingly slow, and I can feel myself fading...until finally, my hand closes around something cold and sharp. With all the strength I have left, I plunge the knife into his neck. He stares at me in shock as blood gushes from the wound,his grip on my throat loosening as he clutches at the blade protruding from his skin.

Gasping for air, my lungs burn and ache as I stumble away from him. The metallic scent of blood fills the air, mixed with the sickeningly sweet smell of death. Father Guerra's shaking hand reaches for the knife protruding from his neck, his eyes wide with shock and fear. In a burst of crimson, blood gushes out in spurts, flowing like a geyser out of the wound and onto the floor.

His breaths come in ragged gasps, his face turning pale as he falls to his knees and then collapses on the floor with a heavy thud.

As my heart races and adrenaline courses through my veins, I slowly begin to comprehend the gravity of my actions. I...I killed him. The realization hits me like a ton of bricks, and I start to freak out. My hands tremble uncontrollably as I stare at the lifeless body before me, struggling to process what just happened. The weight of taking a human life is almost suffocating.

But then I remember why I did it. He touched Claudia...He was going to kill me... A fierce rage rises within me, warring against the guilt and confusion that threaten to consume me. I can't decide if I should regret what I did or not. Part of me revels in the fact that a monster is dead; but there is also another part of me that can't believe I've taken a life with my own hands.

I try to rationalize it. It's not the end of the world, right? He was a wicked man who deserved to die. Yes...He was an evil man, and the world is better off without him.

But what about me? What will happen to me when they find out? They'll probably send me to prison...No! That's not an option. Panic sets in as I realize the consequences of my actions. I can't leave Claudia. I can't leave my daughter alone to face the world without me.

Think, Catalina, think!

My resolve renewed; I go into fixing mode. I can't allow this to separate me from my daughter. He won't win!

---