Two weeks later....

Ichimatsu pulled his favorite purple hoodie on over his head, shuffling uncomfortably about his bedroom. Just down the hallway, he could hear the unsettling sounds of his perturbed father. Wine and beer bottles were being broken again.

Ichimatsu grimaced as he pulled at the ends of his black, ratty, 'bird's nest' hair. Guilt crept through the twelve year old's veins at a constant rate, recalling the day the town's priest had appeared on their doorstep.

He had had such a warm, loving smile. A smile, one of which Ichimatsu had never known to exist, that caused one to feel blankets of comfort wrap around their heart.

"I was wondering if I could take custody of your child..." Ichimatsu repeated, remembering the priest's words. He tugged on the ends of his hair even harder, shaking his head in confusion.

"I don't care what you do!" Ichimatsu's father bellowed, as the sound of yet another beer bottle followed. "Just get rid of it!"

Ichimatsu shuddered, his hair standing on end. Chills ran down his spine as he listened to his mother's screaming, crying, and pleading.

"Blood?" Ichimatsu's father scoffed, as a harsh slap resonated throughout the house. "As if!"

"I need to do something!" Ichimatsu's legs began to tremble as he opened up the window to his bedroom. He noticed several people walking down the street, all headed towards the general direction of the church.

Cautiously, Ichimatsu climbed right out, landing directly in a rose bush. Though the thorns ripped through his clothing and pricked his skin, the boy's longing for his mother's safety seemed so much more important.

After pushing himself out of the bush, the young boy staggered after all the people, who were going to Karamatsu's evening service at the church.

"For my mother...for my mother..." Ichimatsu thought, kicking up dust in the streets as he stumbled about clumsily. "My mother needs me...she needs me...she..."

Ichimatsu stopped himself, only moments before he would have potentially crashed into another boy, who seemed to be around his age.

The boy held his head high, his nose turned up at Ichimatsu in an extensively snobby manner.

"And who are you?" the boy snorted. "The church is that way." The snobby child motioned to a small building, which was only a few feet away. "You have no business being over here."

Ichimatsu, not knowing how to respond, simply gazed at his surroundings. Before him stood a chain-link fence, hundreds of ribbons of various colors, swaying gracefully in the sea breeze. The ribbons themselves appeared to be an ocean of color, little hands waving a melancholy farewell to one another. These were goodbyes, which seemed to be cut short. Partings that shouldn't have occurred, yet they couldn't have been prevented.

Tears welled up in Ichimatsu's eyes. He squinted them closed, inhaling deeply as the wind ruffled his hair about.

"I don't even need to be told what those ribbons are for," Ichimatsu thought to himself. And for a split second, he felt as if he could hear desperate children of all ages, crying out to Father Karamatsu for his love and compassion, longing to gaze upon his warm smile, just one final time.

"Weirdo," the snobby boy snorted, kicking Ichimatsu in the shin. "This area is off limits. If you're attending the church, you should just go inside. The service has already started, you dummy."

Ichimatsu opened his eyes slowly and sadly, nodding his head. He didn't long to cause conflict with the other boy, considering he was most likely the only survivor of the town. Plus, having to survive with his own father was difficult enough. He didn't want to create any more enemies.

Only moments later did Ichimatsu find himself pushing open the heavy, old doors to the church. A voice kind, like that of an angel, echoed throughout the entirety of the building.

"I don't care where you've been in life," Karamatsu spoke gently at the wooden church, cross-shaped pulpit. "I don't care what you've done in the past, in fact. I care only about where you are going in life. So many people in this world are constantly looking down on themselves nowadays...thinking that they aren't good enough, and that life itself is just pointless."

The priest gripped both ends of the podium, squinting his eyes closed with grief. "Tonight, I know you'll all probably forget these words I've spoken to you, but please, whatever you do, please remember this one key point."

Ichimatsu widened his eyes in awe as he nonchalantly slid into the very back pew in the church.

"My point is..." Karamatsu exhaled deeply. He banged a fist on the pulpit as he thumbed through pages in his Holy Bible. "Our Father in Heaven sent His only Son so that such issues may be resolved. We no longer walk alone in this life. All the pain, hurt, and shame- it is washed away by Jesus Christ. We are no longer slaves to the curse on our fallen earth. We have been made new. We are restored. And you matter so much to someone. Jesus loves you."

Ichimatsu, without realizing it, had tears flowing down his cheeks like a river. Never once had anyone told him that he mattered. Not old friends, not family, and certainly not one of the church, whom his father despised so much.

Not long after, Karamatsu ended the sermon, the people immediately exited the church. Nobody felt the need to tell the priest what an outstanding job he had done. There was no need to, really. The priest was only doing his job, and thus, nobody was expected to show gratitude towards his life sacrifices.

Ichimatsu, on the other hand, was still wiping away his tears with his purple hoodie sleeves. Sniffing softly as people passed by, the young boy was unaware of the priest approaching him.

By the time the church had grown silent, Ichimatsu looked up, realizing he too, must take his leave. Going home was the last thing he wanted to do, unfortunately. Yet when he found the priest standing in front of him, he had the original desire to flee. Though, this changed within a split second.

"Child," Karamatsu spoke gently, smiling kindly at the young boy. The priest offered out his hand, wiping a tear away from his own eyes with his other hand. "I didn't expect to find you here. It's been a very long time."

Ichimatsu nodded his head, accepting the priest's hand without a second thought. Though he was unsure what Karamatsu meant by, "a very long time", he felt safe in this man's presence.

"Please, what made you come here all alone tonight? I see that your parents are nowhere in sight," Karamatsu asked, the two walking together out of the auditorium.

The priest led the young boy down the small hall, which led to his office. It seemed like a more appropriate place to speak with the child, than in the large room, which echoed with every little sound.

"Please, take a seat," Karamatsu offered out to Ichimatsu as he let go of his hand, shutting his office door behind them.

Ichimatsu stumbled over to the chair, which sat in front of Karamatsu's large study desk.

"There's something we need to talk about," Karamatsu spoke seriously.