Chapter 3 – Reasons for Regret
The first place Vito goes to is a building near an alleyway. The building itself is condemned along with the buildings next to it. Someone screams down the nearby alley. This startles him for a second but then he automatically runs to help whoever is in trouble. This event reminds him of the time his father and he helped someone who was in trouble.
It was a closely held family secret that the father used to be a vigilante. He would help people on the streets who were being attacked by muggers, thieves, or sociopathic murderers. On one day while running some errands, Vito and his father heard someone screaming down a dark alley. They ran to see that a man was getting mugged. His father beat up the four muggers by himself while Vito stood there afraid of doing anything. After the four muggers were beaten down, his father turned to Vito and was about to say something before Vito noticed the man, who was getting mugged, ready to attack his father. Vito slips under his father and pushes away the man. Seeing that the man was bait, his father beat him up as well before calling the police to jail these criminals.
Vito’s said to his father, “I’m sorry for not helping you, dad.”
His father put his hand on Vito’s shoulder then said, “What are you talking about? You saved my life. I mean you could’ve helped me in the beginning, since you know how to defend yourself, but you made up for it. I’m proud of you, son.”
His father hugged him then took him out wherever he wanted as a reward. Once the shadow of the memory leaves Vito, he comes across an empty alleyway. The only thing that’s back here is a large trash bin that appears to be empty.
“That scream must’ve come from somewhere,” Vito says to himself as he looks around.
He looks around the trash can and inside of it to find nothing. A shadow in one of the windows above him draws his eyes to it. He sees what can best be described as a woman after a car accident with the hands of her child below her trying to lift itself up to see outside the window. Both look heavily injured with their skin cracked and leaking black fluids. A part of the concrete below Vito breaks and a small fetus reaches its hand out to him. Knowing what this is, he runs away from it and heads to the next location on the envelope. He’d figure that he would have to face his past, but he never imagined it would be like this.
The next area he’s at is a small park that appears to have been the place of a celebration. This reminds him not of a singular event, but multiple. The rest of his siblings have notable careers like; doctor, boxer, writer, and officer while he works as a car mechanic. Sure, his aunt gave him the job of also repairing and upgrading police cars, but he didn’t do anything else. Dozens of people including those close to him, always asked him why he didn’t choose a better career when he had so much opportunity. He could’ve had any kind of high paying job, but he chose the life of a simple car mechanic. Now, when people talked to him about this, they weren’t criticizing or putting him down, most of the time, but were just curious. This combined with the accomplishments of others being told to him made him feel incredibly guilty whenever he did something wrong or when he thought of something he could’ve done. Since he rarely brought this up or acted it out, no one really knew he has this problem.
The park is full of memories of people which cause this guilt.
“Why didn’t you become a doctor?”
“Why didn’t you choose the easy life?”
“Your brothers and sisters are doing so much more.”
“Why didn’t you do something more with your life?”
“You had so many better opportunities.”
“Don’t you want to accomplish more?”
“You could’ve done so much more with what you have.”
“Tell me why.”
Questions like these still haunt Vito’s mind. He told everyone this is the kind of life he wants to live and yet, he is unsatisfied with his own answer while being satisfied with his life at the same time. Again, he walks away from this area with no reward or idea why he was told to go there. He only has two more places to go. Both places are close to one another, which is good for him. One of the places not too far from the roads leading out of the town. When Vito gets there, he finds that the roads are normal. There’s no chasm or lights at the end of the road. The wall of fog at the end is also none existent. Curious, Vito walks out of the town and sees the fog and ash completely disappear around him and from the town. When he walks back into the town, the fog and ash come back. There’s nothing else around this area, so it appears that the only thing the letter wanted to show Vito is the clear exit, but he doesn’t want to take the easy way out, so he walks back into the town. He knows the horrible things he did, and he wants to pay the price in full and in the right way.
This next destination is a nearby bar. The sound of laughter and conversation relives Vito that he isn’t alone in town, but the people in the bar aren’t exactly people. The people in the bar have their faces and skin stitched together with their faces made into smiles and their eyes are slanted up in a smile as well. Various pieces of metal jut out of the bodies of some people while others are scantily dressed. Other people are fat blobs while others are seeping with black liquids. It’s as if the seven deadly sins were given human form. Everyone in the bar becomes quiet then snaps their heads to look at Vito as he approaches the bartender.
“I, uh. Was told to…”
Before Vito can finish talking, the bartender points his thumb to the back area of the bar.
“Uh, thank you.”
Everyone in the bar silent stares at Vito as he makes his way into the back room. As soon as he goes through the door, everyone starts talking again like normal. The room Vito is in is small and cramped. Being in this room makes him feel alone, isolated, and uncomfortable despite not wanting to be outside in the bar. He figures there’s something in here that he’s supposed to find so he looks through the room to find it. While looking through the room, a dusty book catches his eyes. It’s brown and appears to have been heavily used. Opening the book, the first page that he finds is a description of the town and its true purposes.
The book describes this town as a place that catches the guiltiest and guilt filled people in the world. It appears to be a haven for like-minded individuals before ensnaring them in its trap where they will pay the price for their actions by themselves. They will only be released if it is certain they will change for the better. If they don’t, they are thrown down into the depths of the town and used as living fuel for the town until the last day of judgment where it will be shown whether or not they take back their judgment. Vito ignores the rest of the details as he knows the important parts and puts down the book. Plus, the ceiling seems to be leaking a black liquid, so he exits the backroom. Again, the people in the bar stop talking and stare at Vito.
“Thanks for the info. Do you mind if I have a cold one?”
The bartender hands him a lite beer. It’s a beer that his father and mother let him drink even when he was sixteen years old as long as he didn’t let Aunt Harley know. Vito puts down a twenty.
“You can keep the change,” Vito says as he walks out of the bar while still being stared at.
Once he leaves, the bar completely empties and turns dark. He downs his beer to calm his mind then throws it away. Unsure about what to do next, Vito wanders the town until he reaches a church. In it, he finds lit candles and the church organs being played by an invisible figure. He goes to the candles, donates five dollars, and lights five candles for his family and the people he hurt. He then notices that the confessional booth light is open with the booth near it being empty. Seeing the opportunity to get rid of some of his sins, he goes into it and kneels inside.
Vito says, “Forgive me, father, for I have sinned. It has been…two months since my last confession and these are my sins. I uh…I’ve hurt people. I’ve hurt tons of people through my actions and lack of actions.”
“Could you be more specific? God needs you to tell Him in order for you to be forgiven,” the priest says.
“I let my family down when I wasn’t there for them. The things I could’ve done if I knew the details.”
“If you didn’t know what was going to happen, then you have nothing to confess. Being unaware of our actions save us from committing mortal sins.”
“But I know I’m guilty. I’ve let countless people die through my actions. Despite my best efforts, I haven’t been able to help everyone I set out to help.”
“We’re all guilty of that, but that’s a goal only God can accomplish, so it isn't a sin. The only sin I see on your soul is being too hard on yourself.”
“But-”
“You’re a good person. Reflect on what you’ve done and come back if you have even the smallest of regrets.”
“I…Okay. Thank you, father.”
“You’re welcome. Go in peace and take care of yourself.”
Vito exits the booth, but then the priest’s hand reaches out from his booth.
“Before you go, Vito, this letter came to the church for you. It’s from those people you talked about. I’m sure they’re eager to see you.”
Vito takes the letter.
“Thank you, father.”
Vito thinks to himself as he exits the church, “Oh here we go again. Hopefully, this will give me better answers.”
Another theme song I thought for this story. Bitter Roots - For Today.
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