I have been aeriously going through it lately. You probably know me as the girl who constantly complains about her autoimmune encephalitis and depression. Having breakdowns on Twitter last year and then being told Iām attention seeking in a nice veiled joke sort of meme way. Yup thatās me. Waiting on the *WONDERFUL* healthcare system of the Unhospitable States of America.
Anyway Iām sick as fuck again, bitchy, and hereās my new chapter of SEAGLASS. Couldnāt make a title pic like usual but I still gave it all my love. I lost a subscriber a couple hours after I posted it (UPDATE 4 total left!) so yes, Itās important to know that this is not an upbeat story. Itās a slow burn more than I thought and more plot with porn now. Itās pretty heavy and extremely personal. I have been Catholic my whole life with clerical members on both sides of family (lose some more readers and friends with that but nothing new. Kinda like being told I was evil/going to hell/shunned from evangelical āchristiansā living in the south states since I was 5. You would be very surprised if you got to know me singing Ghost, hugging my trans sister, hanging with my sweet atheist brother and Iām strongly pro choice. Also,ā¦.is that a priest kink?) Iām bearing my soul in this, Iām angry, but I love writing this. Sooo yea, mind the tags. Love to my readers and any new ones. Bye to the old ones!
(Thanks for the Haim fans who met our lovely man, supported him at his play, and shared their experiences and pics! Iām so proud and happy to know you.)
He closed his eyes to a sniffled smile and folded his hands in front of his paper cup and leaned forward across the table.
āĀ YoucaughtmeĀ ā¦ā He whispered completely normal but the laugh almost too bold as his eyes met hers. My stomach hurt. Was he flirting? My esophagus burned my throat.Ā
Midnight Mass - excerpt from the original 2010 novel
A few people have asked about Midnight Mass back when it was a novel. That was my first stab at telling the story of Crockett Island back in 2010. I made it a ways into the book before pivoting and trying to write it as a script, and then broke it again as a series in 2014, more half a decade before weād finally start making it for Netflix.
I dug up the old, unfinished manuscript from 2010 (some day I may try to finish it). Itās got some spelling and grammatical errors, but I was surprised to see that some of the early scenes made it all the way to the screen relatively unaltered. Hereās a little taste of what those pages looked like, and how at least one scene arrived in the series a decade later almost entirely unchangedā¦
I got half a sunstroke today and Iām a sadly moping at home so I thought of keeping myself entertained:
The Day Father Pruitt Took Up Running āļø
The early morning sun stretched its golden fingers across Crockett Island, casting a warm glow over the quaint, sleepy village and awakening its inhabitants to another day of secrets and whispers. Father John Pruitt, the Catholic priest with the air of mystery about him, was out and about, strutting along the beach like a man with a secret to keep.
I gotta spill the tea ācause I canāt keep this to myself any longer! Remember that mysterious Catholic priest you liked so much, Father Pruitt, here on olā Crockett? You kept saying no way heās a real priest heās too good lookingā¦Well, you wonāt believe whatās been going down lately. Ok, Iāll try to describe it the best I can:
In the hazy light of the dawn, the islandās secrets whispered softly as the ocean waves kissed the shoreā¦LOL I know you hate cheesy romance stuff, Iāll cut it short. Well, he is a tall drink of water, that Father Pruittl, remember? With a shock of raven-black curls that tumbled down his broad shoulders like a river of midnight. His honey eyes held a glint of mischief that made the ladies swoon and the men raise an envious browā¦.ok ok Iāll stop it.
And today, he was doing something unexpected ā he was jogging.
Now, let me tell you, that man could make a burlap sack look good, but this morning, he was sporting these green lycra shorts that hugged every inch of his sinewy legs like a second skin.
O-M-G
Heād clearly been hitting the gym or doing some secret ninja training because those muscles were cut like a goddamn Greek statue. The ladies and gents alike were getting an eyeful, and they couldnāt help but blush like school kids caught peeking through a keyhole.
But he wasnāt just flaunting his legs, no sir. Father Pruitt had decided to ditch the shirt too, revealing a chiseled chest that looked like it could bench-press a bull. And wouldnāt you know it, heād tied that shirt around his head like some kind of bandana-wearing Casanova. It was like heād gone from holy man to beach heartthrob in the blink of an eye. The ocean breeze carried a hint of salt, mingling with the intoxicating scent of his masculine cologne, leaving a trail of enchantment in its wake.
His skin, kissed by the sun and glistening with a sheen of sweat, invited the gentle caress of the oceanās breeze. A small, silver crucifix dangled at his neck, an alluring contrast against the expanse of his smooth, tanned skin.
I need a pause. Brb shortly.
Back with some cold tea
And that wasnāt even the best part. Oh, no! He had this brand new contraption strapped to his hip ā a walkman! You would think is was impossible, right? A priest! Well, he had one, and he was jamming out to God knows what, but you could see the rhythm of the music in the way he moved. It was like he was dancing to a beat only he could hear, and it was damn hypnotic.
The whole island was buzzing with rumors and gossip, like a bunch of hens in a henhouse. Everyone was wondering what had gotten into Father Pruitt. Some said he was possessed by the spirit of an ancient warrior, others thought heād joined some kind of secret cult. But truth be told, no one really knew the manās secrets, and he wasnāt about to spill the beans.
As for me, I couldnāt stop watching the show. There was something magnetic about the way he moved, like a predator on the prowl, and I found myself drawn in like a moth to a flame. But as much as I wanted to get closer, I couldnāt help but feel a sense of trepidation.
Let me tell you: there is a darkness lurking beneath that charming exterior, and I wasnāt sure I wanted to delve into that murky territory.
So here I am, torn between desire and caution, watching from the sidelines as Father Pruitt struts his stuff on the beach like a man with the devil in his pocket. I reckon Iāll keep my distance for now and let the island gossips do their thing, but who knows what the future holds? One thingās for sure ā Crockett Island aināt never been the same since our enigmatic priest took up jogging.
2.
Well, let me tell you, the enigma of Father Pruitt only deepens with every passing day. It seems that behind those honey eyes and that mesmerizing charm lies a man wrestling with secrets and desires that even the island canāt decipher. The walkman he carries? Its melodies secreted in his ears, only adds to the mystery. What does he listen to as he runs, I wonder? Perhaps music that matches the pounding of his heart, the rhythm of his desire, or perhaps even the yearnings of his own hidden soul andā¦andā¦
See, Iām turning into a goddamn romance chick already. Shush me. But now, the gossip:
You see, for the past (few) year(s?), Father Pruitt has been caught in the clutches of an unrequited (we think) love. Nobody knows who this mysterious āsomeone specialā is, but the island is rife with rumors. Some say itās a long-lost love from his past, while others whisper that it might be an otherworldly muse that has captured his heart. Whatever the case may be, itās clear that this unrequited affection has left him moping and maybe indulging a bit too much in thatā¦ homemade wine.
But while his heart may be heavy, his sermons are nothing short of divine. The island treats him like their āspecialā person, all brawn and no brains - you know weāve never been really *churchy* here beside one or two devoted families - but they canāt deny the wisdom that flows from his lips. He may be easy on the eyes, but heās got a soul thatās as deep as the ocean, and the island canāt help but keep an eye on him.
Beverly Keane, the woman who handles everything for him, from keeping the church clean to managing his appointments and finances, thinks sheās got him wrapped around her finger. And truth be told, she wouldnāt mind getting a little more than she bargained for from the handsome priest. After all, heās a snack, and who could resist a taste? Mehā¦
But thereās more to Father Pruitt than meets the eye (and thatās a LOT!). He may be a bit slow on the uptake when it comes to romantic advances (duh, priest), but heās fiercely devoted to two things: God and his secret love. And let me tell you, itās a secret thatās locked away tight.
With the emergence of his morning jogs, a new facet of Father Pruitt has come to light. Not only is his our prohibited heartthrob, but heās also taken up carpentry like a man possessed. After his invigorating run, he spends the rest of the day fixing things around the church. From patching up the rooftop with the help of some local boys to mowing the yard shirtless when no oneās watching (sure man), heās become a man of action, a handyman who can make even the toughest task look like a breeze.
The island may see him as a bit of an oddity, a priest who spends more time outside fixing things than he does inside praying. But let me tell you, thereās a profound beauty in the way he connects with the world around him. He may be a man of God, but heās also a man of the earth, working with his hands and pouring his heart into every task.
I think they want to put him on Crockettās brochure and promote it as a local attractions on the mainland.
Iām not saying I was the one who suggested it.
So, my dear friend, the mystery of Father Pruitt continues to deepen with every day that passes. Love, desire, and devotion swirl around him like a tempest, and the island canāt help but be drawn into the storm. But one thingās for sure ā whether heās jogging along the beach or mending the churchās rooftop, Father Pruitt has become more than just a priest; heās become a force of nature, and Iām truly happy to witness this miracle.
