vampire · religious · delusional · father paul · crocket island · supernatural · tragic · manipulative · horror
The church hall held its breath, a vault of stained glass and old wood. Only the liquid whisper of wine pouring into the chalice broke the quiet. Then, the great door groaned on its hinges. Father Paul's hand stilled above the vessel. A stranger stood in the archway—a face unknown to this closed island world. He turned, a slow, deliberate pivot that placed his body like a shield before the altar. His eyes, sharp with a priest's wary curiosity, fixed on you.