Good Friday
Church of the Holy Heart
Near San Antonio, TX[
Much to Angie’s shame, it had been a long, long time since she had stepped foot inside a church. During her youth, church had been at least a weekly obligation. Her upbringing had been extremely religious. And while she loved Christmas, Easter, All Saint’s Day, Ash Wednesday for what they were, Good Friday had always held a special place in her heart. Christmas was birth. Easter was resurrection. Both joyous occasions, meant to be celebrated with parties, and lights, and candy. But Good Friday was a day of mourning. A day where they remembered the crucifixion, torture, agony and sacrifice of the Son of God. It was a day for quiet reflection about the world. About the sins of Man.
The church itself was simple. The altar at the front was old and classic, but the rest of the church had clearly been renovated in the last decade. It wasn’t jam-packed, but there were still plenty of people around. It was a Who’s Who of the local community. The leader of the neighborhood watch. The high school football coach and his family. The principal of the nearby elementary school. The owner of the bakery that sold the best pretzels in all of Texas. Angelica felt a bit weird, plopping down amongst them during Mass, but none seemed to mind, or care. The more the merrier, in fact.
The Pastor in front, dressed in his purple clergy shirt, spread his arms. Angie clutched her purse a bit more tightly, remembering why she had avoided church for so long. The Pastor back home in Vancouver had been… less than kind. Judgmental and condescending, constantly reminding people that they weren’t good enough. And it was a message that her ‘father’ Richard Vaughn had been all too eager to repeat ad nauseam at home. It was no wonder she had run away from home to pursue her dream and fantasy of becoming a professional wrestler. In the end, it turned out that it had been in her blood all along. And the call of blood was something not so easily ignored. Her Savage opponent knew that all too well.
Father Hill: "And on this Good Friday, let us all remember the sacrifice that He made. Humans are sinful by nature, but through His sacrifice, the slate was wiped clean. In honor of that, we must all strive to live free of sin, and repent when we cannot. For now, I would like to invite you all to come forth and drink the Blood of Christ. The Blood he shed upon the cross. The Blood that will purify you from all sin. For Jesus said, ‘If you do not eat my flesh and drink my blood, you can have no life within you."
Angelica: "John 6:53…"
Angelica’s whisper went unnoticed by the rest of the churchgoers. There were many passages from the Bible still hardcoded into her brain, as a result of years upon years of forced study. In truth, she had never minded those countless hours with her nose in the Holy Scriptures. It was boring at times, to be sure, but at least it was time she was allowed to spend in solitude and was left alone. Studying scripture was the easiest way to get a sliver of approval back then.
As the Mass came to a conclusion, the people stood up and started to form an orderly queue towards the altar to receive the communion. Angelica let everybody pass her by until she was last in line. As she patiently waited, she looked to the side and saw her reflection in a ten-foot mirror that was put up near one of the walls of the church. An odd thing to put in a church, at first glance. But also, an opportunity for self-reflection.
As she looked at herself, she saw a tall, blonde woman on the surface. But as she gazed deeper into her eyes, the eyes of her father, she saw a childhood full of hurt, but also filled with hopes and dreams. She saw the desperation of a kid, eager to get out of a sad predicament, and the courage she had once found to try and make a life and name for herself. She saw her rise to the top, and all the glory and accolades that came with it. And deeper down, she could see the hunger for more. A hunger she still felt. A hunger that needed to satiate her desire to be the very best.
She wondered what Vita would see. Would she even see anything? If legends were to be believed, vampires had no reflection in a mirror. So how would Vita self-reflect? Maybe she just went off the opinions others had of her? Plenty of people seemed to like Vita. Ruby, who was generally a good judge of character, was bullish about Vita’s good nature. Even her sister, not the easiest person to impress, seemed more than willing to put both faith and stock into the girl once known as the Pink Mist. She had no doubts about her sister’s loyalty to her. Family, and blood, always came first. That was a solemn promise they had made to each other ages ago. And Vita was hardly the first one that Sarah had taken under her wings throughout the years. Still, there was something different about her relationship with Vita. It seemed more genuine. Much more symbiotic than parasitic. She wasn’t entirely sure what Sarah hoped to gain out of it, but she knew that her sister’s standards were so impossibly high that Vita meeting, perhaps even surpassing them, meant that she held her in very high regard. And it was easy to see why. Vita was dangerous. Durable. Dominant. And destined for living death. Vita had all of the traits needed to be a champion of champions for years to come. Knocking her off her perch was not going to be easy, and not just because she was probably hanging upside down from it.
Father Hill: "Ahem…"
As Angelica snapped out of her own self-reflection, she noticed a gap had formed between her and the rest of the queue. The Pastor’s gentle cough made her notice that it was her turn. She hastily walked towards him and got down on her knees. She stuck out her tongue, upon which a wafer was gently placed…
Father Hill: "Body of Christ."
…before drinking from a golden goblet.
Father Hill: "Blood of Christ."
Angelica tried not to think about how she’d much rather have an appletini right now. The Mass wine was sour and unappetizing. Although enjoying it wasn’t really part of the idea behind it, obviously. It didn’t feel particularly purifying either. Especially because it made her think back of that one time back in high school when she and a friend had stolen a few bottles of Mass wine from the church and had drunk them in the bushes of the local park afterwards. That had been her first hangover. Not something to be proud of, but it was definitely also her first moment of rebellion. Something that had led to her finding the courage inside of herself to start a new life as a professional wrestler.
As she got up, she looked at Father Hill, who seemed ready to depart, as proceedings had ended. She gently tugged on his purple sleeve. He looked at her, a frown etched into a face that might’ve been handsome twenty-five years ago.
Angelica: "Excuse me, Father?"
Father Hill: "My Child? I do not recognize you. Not that that’s a problem of course, all are welcome inside the Church of the Holy Heart."
Angelica doubted whether that was true for her Scientology buddies Roxy and Kenzi, but she wasn’t going to mention that, of course.
Angelica: "It’s true, this is my first time in a long, long while. I’ve been a bit… lost, recently."
To his credit, Father Hill showed genuine concern. He didn’t try to blow her off or feign curiosity.
Father Hill: "How so?"
Angelica: "I…"
Angelica wasn’t sure if she wanted to let loose out here in the open. She looked over her shoulder at a confession booth. Father Hill seemed to take the hint. He nodded.
Father Hill: "I have quite a few commitments on Good Friday, but I can always spare some time for a soul in need of guidance. Give me a few minutes. I’ll meet you in there."
Angelica nodded and slightly bowed her head in gratitude. She made her way to a booth, and walked by a statue of Jesus on the cross. She stopped momentarily and looked up. She saw the wound on his ribs, blood pouring out of the wound. The crown of thorns digging itself into his skull. Nails struck through his hands and feet. And yet, he seemed at peace. Because he was unafraid. Because he had faith.
She wondered how it would be, not having to fear death. Vita was already undead. Barring any accident, she would live for millennia. It made Angelica’s head spin. Not that she, too, wished for the curse (or gift?) of vampirism. There was something to be said for finity giving meaning to one’s life. But it was hard to grasp how, ultimately, it wouldn’t fundamentally change you. And as much as Ruby seemed to have faith in Vita’s good nature, the vampire would still be here, unchanged after Ruby’s grandkids’ grandkids had died of old age. A lot could happen in that span of time. And that was the force of nature Angelica was going to be up against tomorrow. Even if that force of nature resided inside the body of a teenage girl, it was hard to not be intimidated just by the mere thought of it. Angelica knew she was going to have to be at her very best to even stand a chance. To hold nothing back, practice caution, be smart and well-prepared. Or Vita was going to make quick work of her. The dominant tear she’d been on as of late was not going to be easily broken. But she also wasn’t going to use her disadvantages as an excuse. Excuses are the nails used to build a house of failure, and self-doubt provides the rotten wood.
She quickly fled into the booth, and it wasn’t long before she was joined by the Pastor when the tiny door that she’d forgotten the official name of slid open.
Angelica: "Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned. It’s been… 1632 days since my last confession."
Father Hill: "That is… Quite some time. How come? You mentioned you’ve been feeling lost recently?"
Angelica: "Indeed. Change is always an opportunity, isn’t it? But sometimes I doubt if I’ve made the right move. I was thriving in an environment I was used to, but I made the switch. You could say I am a big fish that moved to a bigger pond. And in this pond… There be monsters."
Father Hill: "Monsters… Figuratively speaking?"
Angelica: "Yes. But also literally. You see, Father, you will probably not believe me, but tomorrow I will be facing a… Creature of the Night."
There was a slight pause, and Angelica sensed the Pastor’s discomfort at the turn this conversation had taken.
Father Hill: "By that, you mean…"
Angelica: "…yes…"
Father Hill: "A… prostitute?"
Angelica: “What? Ew! No. At least, I don’t think so! No no, a vampire!"
Father Hill: "Oh good, what a relief. I was worried there for a second."
Angelica: "For a second? How is *that* what shocked you? Did you not hear the V-word?"
Father Hill: "I most certainly did. It sounds a bit… incredible, to be sure. But you’re not the first one to come to me with stories of demons, or vampires. But these unholy abominations can be conquered, with the right tools. They are threats to be taken seriously. But they are not invincible. Even if they believe they’ve cheated death."
Angelica: "Well, it’s not like I have to kill her. I just have to beat her. Which is a lot more difficult, axly. And the weird thing is,… I don’t think she is the unholy abomination that you make her out to be. She drinks blood, but… Did we not just drink the Blood of Christ to purify ourselves? I am so confused. What is right, and what is wrong? Our natures aren’t what defines us. It’s what we do, isn’t it? …Isn’t it???"
Father Hill: "That depends. Not everybody can overcome their nature. But if you follow the teachings of Christ, everything is possible. Still, vampires are a perversion of everything He stood for. They drink blood for sustenance, not purification. Only Jesus’ blood will never fail you, my Child. For he loves you."
Angie sighed and hung her head.
Angelica: "I want to believe you’re right, but… If the time since my last confession has taught me anything, it’s that the world isn’t always that black and white. Because when I look at this girl, I see so many similarities between us. We were both runaways from home. We both wanted to become wrestlers more than anything, only to be let down by the mentors we trusted to guide us into the future we always dreamed of. We were both underestimated all of our lives until we proved all of the doubters wrong. I know she can’t hear us right now, but if she did, I would tell her that…"
The blinking brooch, a ‘gift’ courtesy of Roxy, pinned to her breast pocket started blinking even more ferociously…
Angelica: "I may not understand her in the way I would want to, but I *see* her. I know she’s had a rough time, and I admire her efforts to be great. And I very much hope that she will extend the same courtesy to me. You see, Father, it was always going to be inevitable, but ever since I switched jobs, people have done one thing: compare me to my sister. My sister, who I’ve beaten on numerous occasions, but who is also absolutely formidable. Yet, people see me as a Lacklan-light. Everywhere I go, I hear the whispers, I hear the mocking tones. ‘Angelica will never live up to the standard her sister set’. Well, guess what? I don’t mind being compared to her. I love her with all my heart. But do yourself, and me, the courtesy of not thinking I am any less ferocious and hungry and successful inside of the squared circle. I know you’re a vampire, which means you’re basically a human bat, and like a bat you communicate through echoes, but echoing the whole ‘Angie is Lacklan-light’ rhetoric will make you seem silly in the future. Don’t be a part of the echo chamber, Vita."
Father Hill: "Ironic, isn’t it, that she be called Vita, when she lives a living death? Maybe we should take pity on her, for…"
Angelica: "Pity? She doesn’t desire my pity, Father. In fact, I think she’d be offended by the mere suggestion. Recently she conquered a bona fide superhero, and she felt slighted, because she believed the hero hadn’t given everything to put her back in her casket. Pitying her would only infuriate her. No, I shall treat her in the way I wish to be treated. Respectfully. Putting my best out there. And with a few tricks up my sleeve, maybe?"
Father Hill: "Well, if you can’t use wooden stakes, I’ve heard Holy Crosses and garlic can be very effective countermeasures."
Angelica: "Hmm, interesting,… I guess those wouldn’t count as illegal weapons. I just hope she won’t try to bite me. See, I have this amazeballs finisher that consists of me putting my hand down someone’s throat and cutting of their oxygen supply… But what if she snaps out her fangs? I tweeted at her with a friendly wave and she bared them like she wanted to sink them in my jugular! By the dubs, I always wondered… Are vampire teeth hollow, and do they pierce your vein and then suck the blood THROUGH the teeth that have tiny holes in them at the bottom? I should ask her…"
Father Hill: "I feel like we’re going a bit off the rails here… Also, that seems like a very personal question to ask a vampire."
Angelica: "Right! Right! I’m sorry. I tend to lose focus from time to time and get carried away. But I’m going to make sure that doesn’t happen during our match. I have a lot to prove. I may have beaten The Chameleon, of which I’m very proud all things considered, but I dropped the ball against Jenny Myst."
Father Hill: "You are an intriguing young woman. I am not sure whether your faith in both Christ and yourself is unshakable, or if one or the other is as rickety as the knees of a ninety year old. But I do know one thing. Unless you *believe*, in whatever way that is, you will not overcome this challenge."
Angelica took a deep breath, and then looked through the tiny holes in the booth.
Angelica: "I believe. My faith is unshakable. I can do this. I can beat her, even if everybody else has given up on me already. I will take the fight to Vitamin V, and show her exactly what I’m made of. I will kick her and twist her until she’s a… kicked-up twisty turny thingy!"
Father Hill: "Amen! By the way, you never told me what your actual sin was?"
Angelica: "Oh! Right! Err, is that the time? Good gosh golly, sir mister Father Pastor, I’ve got to get going! My kitties need feeding. See you!"
Angelica made a cross sign and quickly exited the booth and church itself. This had been… purifying. And with renewed confidence and vigor, she knew she was going to give a true nosferatu the fight of its death.
![[-]](https://xwf99.com/images/portal2/collapse.gif)
The following 5 users Like Angelica Vaughn's post:
