Thoughts in a Confessional

Soft lightness fading to softer shadows, grayscales on the wall.

I flop across a priest to cease sad sin. He looks at me with loving eyes, tells me I'm mature, I'll be an adult soon, I'm right to worry about life outside here.

I just look down, nod, and say thank you.

My mind races as he talks, too fast for me to filter what runs through. He seems so simple in his speech and me so tortuous and complex I can't stand sitting here silent.

And maybe I'm wrong, maybe he, too, is corrupted with vileness and malevolence and is condeming me as he sits there telling me how much I'm loved.

I'm not sure what I want. I don't want others to go through this but I don't want to be alone.