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The original was posted on /r/nosleep by /u/HorrorJunkie123 on 2024-10-09 23:59:25+00:00.

When my girlfriend told me that she still hung out with her ex from time to time, I was shocked. Who wouldn’t be, right? I mean, we’d been dating for a whole month and a half before she decided to drop the bomb on me. It obviously stung, but honestly, knowing what I know now, part of me wishes that I’d never found out. 

We were lying in my bed when she told me. I had my arms wrapped snugly around her waist, while some cheesy romance movie that I can’t remember the name of droned on in the background. I don’t know what made her think to tell me at that moment, but it put a damper on things, to say the least. 

“Joey, I have something that I need to tell you,” Allie said, rolling over to face me. 

“Yeah? What’s up?” I replied, staring deeply into her eyes. 

I was head over heels for that girl. I was fresh out of high school, and the way I saw it, Allie was my first real girlfriend. The only one worth putting in an effort for. So, I never could have anticipated what she told me next. 

“You remember my ex-boyfriend, Luke, right?” A pang of jealousy jolted through my chest upon hearing that name. 

“I think so. What about him?” 

Allie sighed, averting her gaze momentarily, before locking eyes with me once again. “I’ve kinda been meeting up with him. Like, sorta regularly.” 

I bolted upright, my mouth involuntarily falling open. My heart shattered into a million pieces, and I instantly assumed the worst. 

“Joey, please, let me explain. It’s not what you think.” 

“Allie, don’t you think this is something that you should have mentioned sooner? We’ve been going on dates and shit for four months at this point, and you didn’t think that was something you should have told me about?” 

She sat up to face me, her cheeks blossoming with color. Her bottom lip began to tremble, and I could see tears welling in her eyes. 

“This is why I didn’t say anything. I knew you’d get all heart-broken and want to dump me. Just give me a chance to explain, please!” 

I reluctantly glanced at her. The utter hurt and betrayal that I was feeling still hadn’t completely dissipated, but the logical part of my brain had started to function. Maybe she really did have a good reason. 

“Okay. Tell me. But I want the truth, alright? No more games.” 

Allie vehemently nodded her head, wiping a stray tear from her cheek. She took a deep breath before responding. 

“So, lately I’ve been getting more into my religion. I decided to start going to church to get right with the Lord, but… Luke is the pastor’s son. I couldn’t avoid him with how small this place is.” 

I mulled it over for a moment. That wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. From the sound of it, they weren’t seeing each other one-on-one. At least, not with the way she’d framed the story. 

There’s something else, too. Allie’s hometown has a population of thirty-two people. I’d never really considered it, but being that small, it would probably be nearly impossible to stay under the radar. 

“So, you only see one another when you go to worship… Like, in a group.” 

“Yeah. That’s why I didn’t tell you sooner. I didn’t think it was that big of a deal,” she whimpered. 

I pursed my lips, continuing to think on it. If it wasn’t a big deal, then why did she keep it from me for that long? If Allie didn’t have anything to hide, then wouldn’t she have wanted to tell me in order to avoid problems down the road? Her reasoning didn’t make much sense. But either way, if something fishy was going on, I was determined to get to the bottom of it. 

“Alright, I believe you,” I said. Allie instantly loosened up, and she released a breath. “But, I want you to do something for me.” 

“Anything for you, b-”

“I want to go to church with you,” I blurted out, completely cutting her off. 

Allie’s mouth was still agape, the remainder of her sentence dying on her lips. “Uh… really?” 

“Yeah. I’ve been a dirty sinner, and it wouldn’t hurt to make amends with the Big Man Upstairs,” I replied, a grin inching across my lips. I was a staunch atheist, and Allie knew that, but hey. It’s not like one visit to a chapel would cause me to burst into flames or anything… right? 

Allie giggled, her worried demeanor melting away. “Okay. You can go with me to the Wednesday service tomorrow night, if you’re free, you filthy heathen.” 

***

Before I knew it, the time had arrived. I met Allie at her place, and we made the fifteen-minute walk down to the chapel. I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t a tad bit nervous. A small, crowded room with dozens of people who would immediately recognize me as an outsider didn’t sound very appealing. But, I’d gotten myself into that mess. It was up to me to deal with the consequences. 

“So, like, is there anything I should know before we go in? It’s been years since I’ve set foot in a church,” I admitted, turning to my girlfriend for comfort as we approached the nearly empty parking lot. 

“Nope, not really. Just sit there and enjoy the ride,” Allie replied, winking at me. My heart fluttered. She was drop-dead gorgeous. Her makeup looked amazing, her hair was curled, and she wore a white, frilled dress that was a great match for her aesthetic. I was one lucky man… Or so I thought. 

Once we finally reached the wooden double doors leading inside, I was a bundle of nerves. Sweat began to bead atop my brow, and my hands were getting clammy. I reached for the door handle to pull it open, but before I could, Allie grabbed my arm. 

“Joey, it’s all going to be okay. No need to worry. I’ll be with you the entire time, alright?” she said, flashing me a warm smile. That was one of the things I adored about my girlfriend - she always knew how to calm me down. 

“Right. Thanks babe,” I said, swinging open the door and holding it for her. 

From the moment I entered the chapel, I could tell that something was off. Everyone in the room snapped their heads towards us and immediately directed their collective attention to me. My blood turned to ice, and my stomach twisted itself into knots. No one uttered a word. Their prying eyes just followed me around the room the whole way to my seat. Allie and I chose to sit in the back, for obvious reasons. 

I was immensely relieved when the parishioners directed their attention back to the preacher, who stood at the helm of the congregation. “What the hell was that?” I hissed under my breath as Allie settled into her seat. 

“Oh, don’t mind them. Just small town drama. You know how that goes,” she whispered into my ear. 

She did have a point. While Allie’s town was microscopic, mine wasn’t much bigger. A population of two hundred fifteen isn’t that big of a leap. In a little backwater town like that, gossiping was most people’s favorite pastime. 

I directed my attention back to the podium, where the preacher had been joined by a young man, clad in a white robe. As he was the only other one remotely close to my age, I assumed that was Allie’s ex. 

As much as it pains me to admit, the guy was handsome. He had a chiseled jawline that looked sharp enough to cut glass, his wavy, dirty-blonde hair was cleanly cropped, and his deep blue eyes seemed to pierce through me every time they made contact with mine. I didn’t hold a candle to him. 

Allie interlaced her fingers with mine and gave my hand a light squeeze. I found it comforting. “Don’t worry about him, okay? Just sit back and relax.” Her voice was silky smooth. I turned to her and nodded, gripping her hand a bit tighter. 

“Good evening everyone,” the preacher said, snapping my focus back to the altar. 

“We will begin the service momentarily. But first, it appears that we have a guest. My name is Father Abrams. Welcome, young man.” 

To my utter horror, the congregation again turned to face me. Their cold expressions sent a chill running down my spine. No one but Father Abrams was smiling. 

“And now, if you will kindly make your way to the front, we will start with the offertory,” he said, taking the focus off of me. 

I breathed a sigh of relief. That relief was short-lived when I had a chance to soak in what he’d just said. The offertory already? I thought that was supposed to take place toward the end of the service. 

“Why are we doing this now? I thought we were going to have to sing hymns and stuff first,” I whispered as Allie and I rose from our seats. 

“My church is different. Just go with it,” Allie replied, tugging me into the aisle. 

I won’t lie - I was mortified walking up to there. Dozens of people were crowded around a plate with a single loaf of homemade bread, their dead, unforgiving stares stabbing through me like daggers. Every instinct told me to run from that place and never look back. But, I loved my girlfriend, so I stayed. 

Now, I wish I would have listened to my gut. 

“Let’s begin. Everyone bow your heads.” I did as I was told, eager to shake the feeling of being watched. 

“Dear Heavenly Father, I humbly ask that you bless this bread and cup with your divine strength, so that we may better serve you. Let us walk in your holy light, and live by your teachings. Amen.” 

Amen. The congregation chanted in unison, startling me. I anxiously glanced up, only to find that all eyes were on me, once again. The whole thing felt wrong. The prayer was too short. The people were too harsh. This didn’t feel anything like a church should. But, I foolishly told myself that I just needed to stick it out a little longer. 

“Young man, come. Guests go first,” F…

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