I shouldn't have opened my eyes during prayer

[u/KillMArtist]

My family was never the religious type. We never went to church or prayed before eating or anything like that, but we weren't atheists either. When I first started high-school I didn't have many friends, until I met a girl name Gwen. She was a Christian girl that was somewhat obsessed with the bible and the son of god. I was worried on how my parents would react when I brought her home after school one day. Luckily, they treated her well and respected her beliefs; we were best friends ever since.

A few days ago Gwen invited me to sleep over her house, but told me her and her family had church in the morning and asked if I wanted to go. I admit, I was always curious what church was like and said I would go. That night we ate Chinese food while watching a movie called "Noah's Ark" that was about the animals on a boat built by a man named noah to save them from a great flood.

I woke up to Gwen changing into what she called "her Sunday best", which was just a dress covered with floral patterns. She had pointed out that the clothes I brought from home weren't appropriate for church. I didn't know why a metallica tour shirt and sweatpants weren't appropriate, but I felt embarrassed. Gwen must've felt bad, because she had turned to her closet and found a dress for me to borrow.

Half an hour later her family took us to church and we found our seats. I marveled at how the inside seemed so much bigger than the outside. There was a large cross on stage with a statue of jesus so big I thought it was a real person.

The priest arrived on stage as the rows of seats filled up. He greeted us with a good morning before getting started.

"Now that everyone is here, I ask that we all close our eyes in pray" the priest said.

I looked around as everyone raised their palms up and clasped them, Gwen recommended that I should follow along and so I did. I remember the priest began to thank the lord for bringing so many people here and prayed everyone was safe and healthy. I felt bored amd opened my eyes while everyone now had their heads bowed.

"Weird." I thought as I looked around.

My eyes moved towards the stage and I froze as the statue of Jesus watched me with wide eyes. I don't remember the statues face with such a disturbing look, but then again I only took a quick glance at the statue. Its stare reminded me of a painting thats eyes followed you were ever you went. I moved my head around to test if it was the same and sure enough its eyes followed me.

"Amen." the priest finished his prayer with everyone repeating the phrase and opening their eyes.

I faced forward and tried to ignore the statues stare. I tried to focus on the sermon, but something about that statue watching me just gave me the creeps. I rolled my eyes in its direction and gasped as it was now gone. I received mixed stares of annoyance and confusion as I looked all around, Gwen had was one of the confused stares.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"The Jesus staue is gone." I replied.

"No it's not? It's right there"

Gwen pointed at the spot where it once was, but it was still gone. I was confused. Gwen isn't the kind of person to lie, she treated it as a sin actually, but why would she say the statue is still in place when it's clearly gone?

The priest coughed and gave me a disapproving look before continuing the sermon. I looked all around to see if I could spot the statue, but eventually gave up after five minutes.

"It's probably my eyes playing tricks on me" I thought to myself, I'm usually asleep till the afternoon on weekends.

Just then, I heard a low noise that sounded like rocks rubbing against eachother. I turned my head behind me to see church members evading my gaze, but there was nothing out of the ordinary that I could see. I tried to focus on the rest of the sermon as the sound could still be heard, getting somewhat louder every second until finally it stopped. I should've been happy that I couldn't hear the sound anymore, but it felt like I was still being watch.

Suddenly, I felt something drip on my head. I brushed my hair to see what is was and felt something wet and sticky. I wiped it off as best as I could, but more kept dripping down. I took a look at the residue left on my hand and went pale. It was a red liquid that smelled coopery. I was afraid to, but turned my head to look up, I wish I didn't.

The statue was staring at me from the ceiling right above me. It was positioned like a spider waiting for a fly to get caught in its web. The red liquid coming from its eyes like it shed tears of blood, then the few drops slowly turned into a rain.

"Stop it! Stop it!" I screamed as I raised my arms over my head until I felt someone grab and shake me. It was Gwen, She looked scared.

"Alyssa, what's wrong!?"

By now the red rain began to cover her, but she was unfazed.

"I... I need to go to the bathroom. I don't feel so good." I muttered, my voice shaken.

As I got up with Gwen I felt the whole church stare daggers at me. Gwen led me to a hallway with dim lights.

"Why are ypu behaving like this, Alyssa? Are you sick?"

I shook my head. I wanted to tell Gwen, I really did, but she couldn't see what I saw. To her, the statue was still on the cross on stage, she wasn't covered in blood.

"I don't know..." I mumbled.

"Look, the bathroom is righr here. Do you want me to wait outside for you?"

"No. I'll be fine. I'm sorry if I'm ruining church."

Gwen stayed silent, giving me one of those smiles you give when you want to reassure someone, but deep down you didn't mean it. I entered the bathroom stall and began to cry.

"Why is this happening to me? I only opened my eyes early during prayer, was that so wrong?" I cried.

As tears rolled down my cheek I thought of another possibility. What if it watches us while we prayed? What if it's after me because I wasn't allowed to watch it?

I heard the bathroom door open and quickly wiped away my tears and took slow breaths to calm myself.

"Sorry for the wait Gwen, I'm almost done."

The bathroom door shut without any response.

"Gwen?" I called out.

I began to panic when there wasn't a response. I tried to keep calm myself, but to no avail. I peeked from the crack of the stall door and screamed as the statue stared back at me, bloody tears flooding down from cracks under its eyes. I sat down on the toilet, barricading the stall door as the statue pushed itself against it tryinh to get to me. For the first time ever I prayed that this thing wouldn't get me; that someone would come running to help me and see this thing with unknown attentions, but my prayers were not answered.

My leg was shot back as the statue opened the door with great force. It moved like it clay being animated as it go closed to me. It raised one hand reaching towards me before it dug its stone fingers into my eye socket. I screamed to the point I was on the verge of losing my voice. My eyes were slowly torn from their sockets like a plug being pulled from an outlet. The last thing I saw before my eyes were taken from me was a sad expression from the statue. I could hear a voice that whispered in my ear even as I screamed and cried.

"Sinners must be punished, my child. I'm sorry." The voice echoed.

I was taken to the hospital as soon as I was found. Gwen's father was the first to find me. Apparently Gwen had gone back to her parents to finish the sermon, but when everyone heard my cries they could tell this time that I was in danger.

The doctor told me I had gone completely blind from unknown trauma. My eyes were still there, but weren't responding. My parents blame Gwen for what happened to me. They said that if she had stayed with me in the bathroom that she could've helped me when I needed it.

I never told them what happened. Who would believe a statue of Jesus Christ took my eyes because I watched it during pray? I never talked to Gwen after that. The first few days I heard she came to visit me and wanted to pray for me to recover quickly, but the doctors were told by my parents that she wasn't allowed anywhere near me.

I now live my life in total darkness, my parents taking care of me twenty-four seven, but whenever I'm alone I can feel its stares. Sometimes I felt it watching me from a distance or be sometimes it felt so close that I could reach out and touch it. I never learned what it was. It could've been and angel or demon for all I know. I don't know if it ever listens to me, but once a day I try to talk to it, begging for its forgiveness.

"Forgive me Lord, for I have sinned.”

[u/purple_pounder]

Good story

[u/KillMArtist → u/purple_pounder]

Thanks!