Glasses clinked against each other as six friends sat around the table in the Iron Horse Hotel. They shared jokes to celebrate a week of holding onto the town. Drinking away like the world is theirs to control, and that their reward will soon be delivered.

But to Andrew, he only cared about the moment with his friends. He joined the Cult of the New Dawn when it first started three years ago. He didn’t do much beforehand besides living in his parent’s basement while unable to get a job. Andrew was like most who struggled to find employment, but after joining the cult he found a new sense of purpose in life. One that he would be proud of when it happened.

‘Ey, Andrew!’ Annable rubbed his short brown hair from behind. ‘Walter just set up the cameras, we can now cut down guard duty while Theodor does his thingie.’

Annable looked at the camera that faced the room, she waved at it, and in response, it moved up and down.

John raised his pint into the air, his cheeks bright red. ‘Hell yeah!’ He shouted in a New Yorker accent. ‘That means we can start poker night again. I miss poker!’

Andrew felt a sense of annoyance to see John that drunk, but it was almost midnight, so he let it slide for now.

Martha groaned which brought John’s ire. ‘I mean, poker is fun. But how about we do something else? Like Dungeons and Dragons. I’ve found an entire game set in one of the houses, and I want to give it a try.’

‘I didn’t know you’re a DnD fan.’ Andrew commented.

Martha shyly replied, ‘I have hobbies too.’

Annable chimed in. ‘Hell, I’m down for it. I call dibs on playing the Barbarian class!’

‘And for that, we should celebrate!’ John poured beer into Martha’s glass as he laughed away like an idiot.

Annable moved on and started to set up the pool table, even bringing a few of her friends to join her for a game. She always enjoyed those types of games, she might not be the best, but that never stopped her from trying.

Andrew sat back and relaxed, to him this was better than home. Before he had no friends, his family was absent, and disappointed in him, he couldn’t get a girlfriend as well. Now he was happy, with friends who cared about him and a loyal girlfriend who was helping Theodor perform a ritual.

He wondered how Beck was doing at the school, perhaps he should visit her in a bit. Maybe kiss her on the cheek as a little gift package for a hard day's work.

What more could a man ask for? He would think to himself.

Was there anything he regretted? To him, there was nothing regrettable that he’d done. With a sip of his beer, he chuckled as he remembered a time he stole candy from a baby. He watched it cry before he put his double-barrelled shotgun to its face and pulled the trigger.

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Was there a rhyme and reason for doing it? No, but it was funny to him.

Martha scooted over to Andrew, ‘so, uh… Andrew.’ She stuttered, a bit embarrassed about what she wanted to say. ‘After Theodor does his thing, I think we should organise a little surprise party for him. You know, to lift his spirits.’

Andrew liked the idea, a cute little party to end the year. ‘You know what, I’m on board! I’ll even get Beck on it so she can slow him down while we get things ready.’

Martha’s face lit up like a Christmas Tree as she proceeded to thank Andrew with a loving hug. ‘You’re awesome! You know that?’

As Andrew shared his drinks with Martha, she retold stories of when she used to cosplay in California.

John almost fell asleep after he chugged a bottle of bourbon. Annable, despite her best efforts, forfeited $50 after she lost a game of pool. Andrew knew that was the rest of her money gone. But, one of the perks of being in a cult is you don’t need money to survive or be a member. Just be kind to your fellow cultists, do what was expected of you, and maybe have silly fun along the way.

It was a good deal, it was a community everyone wanted. One that was fair and gave them a chance to be themselves and not fall in line with any societal norm. They were free to do as they pleased, even if it benefited the rest of the cult and Theodor.

A fellow cult member barged into the hotel. ‘Everyone! Someone is on the road!’

‘Okay? What’s the problem?’ Andrew said on behalf of everyone.

‘He is just there. We told him to leave, but he is just standing there.’

Andrew put his glass down and grabbed his shotgun. ‘Well, back to work I guess. Don’t worry, I’ll deal with this. Daniel, right?’

The young man nodded, ‘yeah that’s me.’

Andrew patted him on the back, sympathetic to him as he was new to the cult. ‘Don’t sweat it, we deal with this sort of thing all the time. Come, I’ll show you how to handle it.’

Andrew walked outside onto the highway. Some of his friends set up a machine gun's nest in one of the buildings facing the highway. Though what spooked him was the lonesome figure standing in the middle of the road. From afar, it seemed the figure wore a long trench coat.

Andrew couldn’t help but roll his eyes. It has to be a prank; the dude looks like some edgy cosplay. He thought to himself. ‘Alright Daniel, just watch what I do and take some notes. Trust me, it's easy.’ He said while he hid his shotgun under his jumper, though he thought he wouldn’t use it.

‘Careful!’ Annable shouted from inside the hotel. ‘Don’t do a John and trip while you approach them.’

John swore as her light teasing, Andrew couldn’t help himself but chuckle as he approached the strange figure.