Evil Mister Good by Anthony R. Vidal

Every spring four young women are sent to me. Damaged and hand chosen, they come to further their vows here within the walls of Mount Abby. It’s like a breath of fresh air. Its beauty and secrets hidden within the mountains of South Dakota, with nowhere else to turn but to religion. Flocking to faith like kittens to the tit. Hurt by love. Rejected and mistreated by a world they so desperately desired acceptance from. Broken by a society that devours them whole and spits out the pieces. Leaving whatever life they had behind for obedience, for discipline, for the Church. Hungry to serve. Thirsty for guidance. All looking to me to fill their emptiness. To bestow unto them some self-worth. Seeking salvation.

But I have my needs too. The need to feed my gluttony, to take a taste from the tree, to binge on the forbidden fruit, so sweet, so satisfying and oh so wrong. But it’s an unspoken agreement between God and me. It’s my reward for my declaration. My payment for my expense. They come like lambs and I am their shepherd, giving them the things that they only pray for in private. Forgiveness, passion, submission, acceptance, and more importantly what they yearn for the most, love.