Read Sanctity for Free Online

went.  A few moments later he made his
way toward my bed and took a seat on the very end.
    “So, Elayna, did you get in trouble today?”
he asked me in a voice that put me completely at ease. He patted
the bed motioning me to come back. 
    I climbed up and propped my pillow before
sliding my legs under the covers. “No,” I said, “but my mom told me
not to do it again.  She said that I need to be careful
because it is very scary for her when she doesn’t know where I
am.”
    He nodded in understanding.
    “She said that there are lots of nice people
in the world, like you but sometimes they look nice on the outside
but are not on the inside.  She said sometimes someone might
look bad but is really, really good.”
    “Your mother sounds very wise.”
    I liked the way he said it and I smiled with
pride.
    “How do you know I am a nice person,
Elayna?”
    My heart sank and I instantly realized that
I might have misjudged him.
    “You’re not so sure, now are you?  What
if I told you that I am not a nice person, that I am not a good
person?”
    I had wanted so very much for him to be a
good person that I never considered he might be someone dangerous,
someone I should be afraid of.  I tried to think of a reason
why I knew he was a good person. 
    “Well,” I cautiously said,
“my dad once told me that no one is really  bad .  People just make bad
choices.” 
    “Interesting,” he tilted his head
thoughtfully, “but not enough.”
    It sounded like he was saying my dad was
wrong.  Suddenly I felt very defensive, “Well, why do you
think you are a bad person?” 
    He wasn’t expecting me to respond that way
and seemed taken aback.  He took a long moment to answer and
turned away when he finally replied, “Because of what I am, because
of what I’ve done,” his voice was less than a whisper.
    When he turned back he looked very
distraught.  I felt like he had just confided in me and I
regretted the harsh tone I had questioned him with.  I tried
to sound apologetic, “If you have done something wrong you should
say you’re sorry and try to make it right.”
    “That’s not possible.  I can’t change
back and I can’t undo what I have done,” his voice cracked and
again he looked shamefully away.
    I couldn’t imagine what he meant but after
hearing the regret in his voice I began to feel very sorry for him
and I desperately wanted to make him feel better, “If you have
changed, maybe it is just because you have given up too
easily.  Were you a good person before?”
    “Yes, I tried to be,” he lifted his head up,
“but now…”
    “When I am about to do something I know I
shouldn’t, I try and think of something that will help me make a
better choice.  Maybe you could too.”
    The sad expression on his face deepened,
“Please don’t cry,” I whispered and inched toward him.  This
was new; I had never seen a man cry before.  In my experience
the grown-ups had always comforted the children not the other way
around.  I put his head on my shoulder, hoping it was the
right thing to do, “Why do you feel so bad?”
     “I came here tonight to take something
from you,” he mumbled. 
    I could feel his breath against my neck,
“You mean to steal from me?”
    “Yes, something like that, yes.  Would
you still say that you think I am a nice person; that I can be a
good person?” He pulled back curious to hear what I had to say to
this.
    “I would say that it is wrong to take things
from people and that you shouldn’t.”
    “What if I can’t help myself, what if I
can’t stop myself from,” he paused, “from taking.”
    It reminded me of something I had done a
year or two before and I decided to tell him the story.  I
chose my most solemn voice, “When I was little,” he chuckled
finding the humor in this declaration.  I cleared my throat
and began again, “When I was little, my mother brought some cheese
home from the grocery store.” 
    “Cheese?” this time he actually