"Val?" The younger woman mumbled her inmate's name through ticking, plump, naturally roseate lips, partly blinking her hazel orbs, darted to the dim light ceiling as her eyelids were heavy, accumulating its weary ounce.

"Mmm?" Valerie turned to Sally, playing with her manicured in charcoal black nailed fingers, folding her fists as she was swaying carelessly her hips as the long gown revealed her as long as Eiffel tower legs, tanned, lean.

"Have you ever been in prison before?" The  oracle enquired with immense inquisitiveness, vomiting in her undertone.

"No, I have never been." She slapped her thigh through the gown's cotton fabric, gasping. "It's my first time." She confessed truthfully. "What about you too, Sally?" The maid inquired in return, pursing her lips as she nervously incessantly rapping in playful manner her thigh, showing signs of distress for being locked up in a miserable, almost pitch black chamber.

"Me too! I was never in the cops' paws until this attempted assault and menace towards this rapist." The brunette retorted, clearing her throat as she flipped back her glossy, unkempt chestnut hair, losing its spruceness. "I wish the Salem authorities were aware of this monster instead of ignoring the truth."

"I cannot disagree with you!" The housekeeper stated through a sigh of relief, an infectuous, sarcastic smile honing on her lips like razors with double edges. "They should visit Boston one day and ask a few Bostonians who he is actually and they will deliver them immediately the answer they're looking for."

"That's right! But I doubt it they will believe the Bostonians."

"If they don't since they are so blind or I don't know what else, thus they are as the same cuckoos as him." The redhead scoffed in taunting manner, wiping her temple with a forearm. "Singing the anthem of the cuckoos that he's their hero and he means no harm at all." The maid chanted in desirive manner as the both women couldn't suppress a cackle, omitting it fluently. 

"Val, you are killing me!" Sally evoked through a settled grin, crawled on her face as joyous tears pooled the oracle's eyelids, gushing down her cheeks as her stomach hurted, lowering one of her hands, massaging it on circles. 

"I can't complain. Probably my sense of humor is too sassy."

"It's doubtlessly! But I like it. "

"Thank you! The first thing I thought was...you won't like it." Valerie expressed her gratitude as a vivid, contagious smile bloomed across her lips. "Sally?"

"Yes, dear?" The oracle questioned through buzzing.

"I know it might be awkward but what's your actual sexual orientation?" The older single mother posed the question as her face flushed as she felt agitation vomiting from her voice.

"My sexual orientation?" The younger single mother enquired unsure. In the interim, Valerie hummed, nodding her head, rapped her thigh. "Urm, I am a bisexual. I have preference for both genders though I am quite unsure for which one more."

"That's interesting. You didn't seem hetero from first sight." The redhead confessed firmly, drifting her hand from her thigh to her hand, playing with her fingers. "I didn't mean you alook like lesbian but everyone is different, you know." She kept on though the rosy tint peppered her face especially her cheeks were targeted.

"Yeah, it's okay to be whether a bisexual, hetero or even a lesbian." The brunette murmured softly, narrowing an eyebrow. "I bet you aren't a hetero either too."

"Hey! From where do you know, Sally?" The housekeeper rose her hands in defeatist manner, giggling inwardly as a grin flashed on her face.

"I know everything. You don't need to ask right away."

"I know you are an oracle and you are supposed to have knowledge about everything that surrounds us." Meamwhile the younger lady nodded her head, agreeing with her inmate's utterance. "And you are correct. I am lesbian. I have never been attracted to males with one exception."

"Oh, Val! It's okay to be whatever you are. You don't need to be specific in what are you saying." Sally reassured her with soothing voice, a charming smile honing in the corner of her natural, untouched lips. "At least, you are so wise to be protective when it comes to men and boys." The maid understood momentarily what she meant.

"I don't want them as lovers even... to tell me what to do and I cannot stand them." She exhaled dramatically. "Of course, I can trust few of them even if they are wee quantity." She gestured with her fingers, her forefinger being a handful of centimètres away from her thumb.

***

The young priest has arrived in front of his house as he remembered it ideally each detail about the mansion where he used to live. He reshuffled his shoes, coughing dramatically as he cleared his throat, tapping on the front door as Alexander stepped on the stone threshold, hence, waiting patiently for somebody from the McKenzie's aristocratic family to arrive and embrace him with open arms. 

He felt somewhat uneasiness and turmoil, due to the fact he hasn't seen his family for years and little did he know what impression they will imprint from him a couple of years later, inking their memories. 

All of a sudden, he heard footsteps and variance of voices, sailing inside the three story's mansion walls.

"Yeah, I will serve the roasted chicken on the dining table while you can take care of to check who's on the front door." Laura clarified as her footsteps aimed to the kitchen, wearing slippers. 

"Of course, mom!" One of Father McKenzie's siblings responded diligently as he walked up to the front door, unlocking it until the door opened by itself and for his surprise stood his slightly younger brother.

"Oh hello, Jemery!" Alexander greeted through a cocky smile, formed on his youthful face.

"It's has been years since we have seen each other." The both brothers couldn't help as Alexander stepped inside, throwing his arms circa Jeremy's shoulders in a tight, warm embrace. 

Seconds later, they broke off the hug as Father McKenzie's older brother announced him:

"Come on, Alex! Let's go in the dining room as I will take care of the front door." 

Alexander just smiled mischievously as he strolled up to the dining room in the long hallway with a couple of doorframes with doors, leading to different rooms such as the kitchen, bathroom, dining room and living room. 

"Hey, look who's there, Helga!" The second older brother of Father McKenzie, Charles exclaimed in taunting way as he was sitting against his youngest sibling Helga. In the meantime, Helga, Charles, Arthur, the third older brother and Michael, the father in the family, turned to the invited guest who moved up inside the dining room with the richly ornamented grand dining table with opulent empty plates of the family members, followed by filled glasses with Bordeaux, hypnotizing fragrance toying with the juvenile priest's tender nostrils. 

"Alexander!" The five adults said jubilantly in unison. "We are so happy to see you!" they carried on as they couldn't contain a blossoming content smile, saturating their glee. They fixed their eyes on the priest.

"My lovely family! Hi!" In this moment, Michael got from his chair as he zinged up to his youngest son, throwing his flabby, thick and fleshy arms around his shoulders, pulling him in a short, loving and warm embrace, embodying nostalgia, the years of absence and unshared love.

"Father!" Alexander whispered between the hug.

"My son! Alex!" The elder man patted in amiable, platonic way his son's shoulder whilst earning the rejoiced gapes in awe of the priest's siblings. Shortly after they broke off the hug as they locked up their astonished gazes.

"It has been years when we saw each other the last time." Father McKenzie stated mirthfully.

"Hi Helga, Arthur and Charles!" He waved at them, offering them a genuine, rare smile he has given to certain people who deserved his benignity.

"Hey Alex!"

"Have a seat, my dear son." The much older man ordered as the youngest man seated next to Helga, pushing the chair towards the grandiose table. Consequently, Michael sat in the left end of the table.

They chatted usually for personal stuff the siblings as Father McKenzie received affluence questions even by his father until Laura arrived in the dining room with the plate of roasted chicken as she was prone to be mildly sluggish and postponing, due to her age.

Alexander was always excellently getting along with his family especially his mother, his younger and sole sister Helga and third older brother Arthur.

Helga was a young woman in the beginning of her 20s with medium bob dark blond hair, peaking to the nape of her neck, intelligent azure blue eyes, pale skin color and always dressed up in variety of green hues garments as she was tending to wear more conservative clothes. Her height was short as she was approximately 5'3 tall with petite body structure.

Arthur, the third older brother in the McKenzie's family, was circa 29 years old with tall and lean body, fair skin tone, dark blue eyes and shaggy chestnut hair, hatting his head. He always was clothed in lighter garments, matching contrast with his deep blue eyes and chestnut hair.

Whereas Charles was in the beginning of his 30s, slightly shorter than his youngest brother with a few inches behind, besides his skin is olive tanned, faintly highlighting his sapphire eyes and light chestnut hair. Further, he was prone to wear contemporary outfits.

All of a sudden, Laura arrived in the room with a plate of roasted chicken as she placed it in the middle of the table, announcing proudly:

"And here comes the chicken!"

She drew promptly the others' attention as they glanced at the meal, whilst Jeremy entered in the room as he sat against Alexander. They poured themselves variety of drinks in their glasses as they commenced with alcohol and when it was turn to pour in Father McKenzie's empty glass, he shook his index finger, shaking his head, rejecting the offer:

"No, no! I cannot drink alcohol."

"Why, Alex?" Michael questioned skeptically, arching an eyebrow in perplexion as it was oblivious for him his son was a priest and man of the cloth. Little did he know how much it might influence his vows- negligently breaking them. 

"I am a priest. You haven't forgotten that, father?" The holy man responded courageously, smirk spreading across his lips. 

"Oh! Pardon!" The elder man scratched his head in quizzical manner. "Pardon me but we drink wine almost on every dinner there." He explained as the brunette nodded his head, paying attention to his exclaimation. "And I almost forgot you are a priest."

"It's alright, father! At least, I warned you."

After their glasses were filled with alcohol even non-alcoholic beverages, everybody else with exception of the member of the clergy, toasted with their glasses of wine as they raised a toast, clinked with their glasses and sipped a few sips red alcoholic beverage, eventually leaving the glasses of wine aloof. 

The dinner, itself, passed beyond serenely and trippingly in the same time. There weren't any heated debates between the family members as well. Father McKenzie received opulent of questions not only by his parents, moreover by his siblings from Helga to Jeremy. The track of slaps and rosy tints abided oblivious and unheeded by the others, fortunately. If they questioned the hypocritical priest about it, otherwise he would prefer to talk in private about it especially with the people he loved mostly and trustworthy ones. 

After they served in their plates the dinner such as the roasted chicken with salad and potatoes, they began eating in silence, without interrupting one another. It was a tradition in McKenzie's family during the dinners, nobody to speak as the heirs of the aristocratic family were trained and extraordinarily disciplined to to not speak, or on the contrary, that's against their domestic constitution and it's deemed as particularly manerless. 

In the middle of the dinner, Laura gestured with a hand as she raised it, pointing directly at her youngest son to get from the dining table as they flee the room and talk in privately as soon as possible. He followed her instructions obediantly and meekly, neither whining, nor squealing crudily. 

Helga and Michael goggled their eyes into Laura and Alexander as they aimed to the hallway as they didn't want to be disturbed. The both adults raised eyebrows in bewildered way, incapable to detest what was going on, whereas Jeremy, Arthur and Charles were eating peacefully, without prying in nosy manner.

"Hey, Father?" Helga questioned through a whisper as she leant her face against his ear.

"What's it, sweetheart?" He inquired in return, muttering. 

"Why they are leaving in the dinner process as we are in the middle?"

"I don't have any clue. It's not part of our business to pry, Helga." He retorted inwardly as they resumed to finish their meal. 

"So what's that on your face, sweetie?" The elder lady scrutinized her son's face as she noted from far away the sanguine tints and track of fingers, imprinted on his young-looking face, her fingertips caressing the bruised marks as she fixed her azure eyes on them.

"It's not important, mother. Everything is alright!" The juvenile holy man lied, justfying childishly as his mother wasn't that indecesively empty-headed to disregard the remarkable marks which made her even more dismayed.

"Come on, son! Spit it out. I am your mother," She paused as the both adults exhaled in unison as the priest casted a glare on his mother, dissatisfied with her inquistiveness to inspect the backstory of his face's suspicious marks. "You aren't supposed to lie me in such coward manner."

"Oh okay! I will confess." He riposted through an irritated voice undertone as he felt ounce in his heart after the attempted assault, sensing the urge to share it with the most beloved person who supported and loved him to death. "Two insane women clugged me to a tree, slapped me and threatened me, besides they accused me in saying words which I have never said." 

He went in further details, telling his mother as he clarified her who are they and their friends who were after him, even he didn't forget to inform her about the entire situation in Boston, the rape case, Briarcliff's exposion and the aggravate conditions which were caused by him. Laura listened to him attentively, affirming his words. She couldn't be more than dumbfound by what he revealed about himself rather than before it was too late, as a result of somebody else to leak information about his wrongdoings, deeds and crimes even his foes. He earned her forgiveness for what he did, of course.

"Son, it's okay to be a sinner and imperfect!" His mother replied optimistically, dangling her arms around Alexander's upper back, pulling him in a tighter, warmer and more affectionate embrace, comforting him after he exposed and opened himself in front of her. Her chin rested on his broad, muscular shoulder, sensing underneath his suit's extravagant fabric. "But you have no right to call them insane women. They have their own reasons why you are actually wrong." Laura whispered between the hug as she rubbed his back, opting to reassure him as he tried to catch his breathing.

"They try to ruin my life...to doom my career and reputation. I am not supposed to pay for their sins." He mouthed as he clutch his eyelids, shutting his eyes. "For women who hate men and don't attend a church."

"Everybody has their own right where they want to attend, Alex." The middle aged lady answered wisely, shortly after breaking off the hug as they looked up at one another's light eyes, gleamed by the well-lit hallway.

"Nevertheless no one has the right to control my life if everything depended of me." A mischievous smirk distorted across his plump, subtle lips. "If you spread the word about what I told you in the entire family or somebody else," He paused as his tone drastically changed. "I swear to God, somebody will be harmed with no guarantee!" He menaced through clenched teeth, patting faintly Laura's shoulder. 

In the interim, the older woman swallowed hard after hearing her son's imminence, omitting it right away like a stormy wave in the abysmal sea. Silence arched between them as they just looked up at each other's faces, without peeling a word afterwards. Suddenly the silence's bell tolled at last.

"Deal, mother?" The juvenile, aspiring, manipulative priest of the Roman Catholic church inquired, feeling relieved after he lifted the weight off his shoulders. 

"Deal, my heart!" She evoked sternly, their pinkies hooked as they lifted their hands up, locking his eyes up. 

To be continued...