The Power of Jewelry (PG-13) Champagne Challenge #136
Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2012 1:51 am
I do not own any recognizable characters no copyright infringement is intended.
Beth was very content in Mick’s arms. She kissed his hand and was rubbing his fingers.
“Mick how long have you had this ring?”
“A long time.” He said quietly.
“I was thinking of buying you a ring for your birthday but you never take this one off.”
He looked a little uncomfortable. “No. You can buy me a ring, I’ll wear it on another finger.”
“Did Coraline give it to you?”
Mick laughed. “So that’s what’s bothering you. No. I didn’t get it from Coraline.”
“Is it vampire ring?”
“You mean like a decoder ring to get me into the clubhouse? No, it’s just…..I got it at a very difficult time in my life.”
“Okay, never mind it’s not important.”
“You’re going to be thinking about it for weeks now aren’t you? “
“Yes, but you don’t have to tell me. She kissed him lightly. It’s not like we’re married or I’m a vampire or anyone special.”
Mick sighed. "I can never keep a secret from you. “Beth, I got it the day after I rescued you.”
Beth tilted her head, willing him to go on.
“After I was turned I was extremely depressed. I was on suicide watch the first five years.”
“Huh? You’re immortal.”
“It’s rare but if a new vampire is unhappy the sire keeps them on a very short leash to keep them from driving into the desert or setting themselves on fire. I soon figured it out so I started pretending to be happy, slowly Coraline let me spend more time by myself. One day I drove to St. Mary’s Church and I went into the Confessional. I told the priest what I was and I let him open the screen and see my eyes. I asked him if I would be damned if I killed myself considering I’d already been murdered.”
“What did he say?”
Mick looked away. “He didn’t get to answer. Back then Confessional had two sides with the priest in the middle. Coraline broke in through the other screen and tore his throat out.”
“Oh my God.”
“She told me she had to do it to save me. That it was a crime against the tribe to tell outsiders about us. I never entered a church again until 1985.”
“What happened then?”
“I went back to St. Mary’s, by then the old boxes were taken out and they had a Confessional room. You opened the door and there was kneeler behind a screen or you could walk around it and sit in a chair face to face. I sat face to face.”
“Weren’t you afraid to let him see you? I mean he probably would have thought you were crazy but what if he told anyone?”
“Beth the Seal of the Confessional has not been broken since the Catholic Church began. I knew he would keep my secret, I just didn’t know what he would say.”
“What happened?’
“I showed him what I was. He wasn’t surprised.”
“Whoa! How could he not be surprised?’
“He shook my hand when I sat down. Priests know about vampires Beth. It’s part of their seminarian training. I confessed to everything I had done since I was turned, up to murdering Coraline. I told him I didn’t want to hurt people anymore, I wanted to help humans. He absolved me of my sins but for my penance he asked me to return to the Confessional two weeks later at 5P.”
“Did you go back?”
“Yeah, you don’t go to Confession and not do the Penance. They go hand in hand. I showed up and sat in front of him and he handed me a box and in it was this ring.”
“Why?”
“He said I had been in darkness a long time. Jesus died on the cross for our sins. When you look at the cross remember that you need to work for God now not yourself.”
“I told him I wasn’t going to join the priesthood and he laughed. “He said we all work for God or the other team. I tried to give it back to him and he put it on my finger. I haven’t taken it off since.”
“I’m surprised a priest could afford that.” Beth said. “It’s platinum isn’t it?
Mick laughed. “You know what he told me?’
“What?’
“He said it didn’t cost a dime. He had a jeweler as a parishioner and he made it for free.
“Wow. I wonder what kind of jeweler could afford to give something like that away even to a priest.”
“A vampire jeweler. As a matter of fact the same one who made this.” He reached into his pocket and handed Beth a small box.
She gasped “Is that what I think it is?’
“Will you marry me?
Beth was very content in Mick’s arms. She kissed his hand and was rubbing his fingers.
“Mick how long have you had this ring?”
“A long time.” He said quietly.
“I was thinking of buying you a ring for your birthday but you never take this one off.”
He looked a little uncomfortable. “No. You can buy me a ring, I’ll wear it on another finger.”
“Did Coraline give it to you?”
Mick laughed. “So that’s what’s bothering you. No. I didn’t get it from Coraline.”
“Is it vampire ring?”
“You mean like a decoder ring to get me into the clubhouse? No, it’s just…..I got it at a very difficult time in my life.”
“Okay, never mind it’s not important.”
“You’re going to be thinking about it for weeks now aren’t you? “
“Yes, but you don’t have to tell me. She kissed him lightly. It’s not like we’re married or I’m a vampire or anyone special.”
Mick sighed. "I can never keep a secret from you. “Beth, I got it the day after I rescued you.”
Beth tilted her head, willing him to go on.
“After I was turned I was extremely depressed. I was on suicide watch the first five years.”
“Huh? You’re immortal.”
“It’s rare but if a new vampire is unhappy the sire keeps them on a very short leash to keep them from driving into the desert or setting themselves on fire. I soon figured it out so I started pretending to be happy, slowly Coraline let me spend more time by myself. One day I drove to St. Mary’s Church and I went into the Confessional. I told the priest what I was and I let him open the screen and see my eyes. I asked him if I would be damned if I killed myself considering I’d already been murdered.”
“What did he say?”
Mick looked away. “He didn’t get to answer. Back then Confessional had two sides with the priest in the middle. Coraline broke in through the other screen and tore his throat out.”
“Oh my God.”
“She told me she had to do it to save me. That it was a crime against the tribe to tell outsiders about us. I never entered a church again until 1985.”
“What happened then?”
“I went back to St. Mary’s, by then the old boxes were taken out and they had a Confessional room. You opened the door and there was kneeler behind a screen or you could walk around it and sit in a chair face to face. I sat face to face.”
“Weren’t you afraid to let him see you? I mean he probably would have thought you were crazy but what if he told anyone?”
“Beth the Seal of the Confessional has not been broken since the Catholic Church began. I knew he would keep my secret, I just didn’t know what he would say.”
“What happened?’
“I showed him what I was. He wasn’t surprised.”
“Whoa! How could he not be surprised?’
“He shook my hand when I sat down. Priests know about vampires Beth. It’s part of their seminarian training. I confessed to everything I had done since I was turned, up to murdering Coraline. I told him I didn’t want to hurt people anymore, I wanted to help humans. He absolved me of my sins but for my penance he asked me to return to the Confessional two weeks later at 5P.”
“Did you go back?”
“Yeah, you don’t go to Confession and not do the Penance. They go hand in hand. I showed up and sat in front of him and he handed me a box and in it was this ring.”
“Why?”
“He said I had been in darkness a long time. Jesus died on the cross for our sins. When you look at the cross remember that you need to work for God now not yourself.”
“I told him I wasn’t going to join the priesthood and he laughed. “He said we all work for God or the other team. I tried to give it back to him and he put it on my finger. I haven’t taken it off since.”
“I’m surprised a priest could afford that.” Beth said. “It’s platinum isn’t it?
Mick laughed. “You know what he told me?’
“What?’
“He said it didn’t cost a dime. He had a jeweler as a parishioner and he made it for free.
“Wow. I wonder what kind of jeweler could afford to give something like that away even to a priest.”
“A vampire jeweler. As a matter of fact the same one who made this.” He reached into his pocket and handed Beth a small box.
She gasped “Is that what I think it is?’
“Will you marry me?
He played Beth so beautifully into his hands (and fingers! 
)
Sounds familiar. 
Nicely done!
