I stay up all night, unable to sleep I hear the sounds of yelling outside. Rod and Angel are standing on top of something trying to speak to the crowd. I assume they are trying to calm them down, but it appears nothing is working. Looking over at Zack, he is still fast asleep his face pressed against the counter. No idea how he can manage to sleep through all of this noise. I walk up to the windows pushing my hands against the glass, I want to know what they are saying! I look around the room then my eyes catch the empty cup on the table. I run over and grab it pushing it then against the glass of the window with my ear to it like in a movie.
“People, please, calm down! I assure you the situation is under control!” Rod is yelling putting his hands in the air, giving the gesture of calm. Angel is standing next to him looking quite short since he is standing on a box. The citizens were still yelling, “We don’t want them here!”
“But they saved us!” Same thing over and over, but Angel looks to have had enough. “You should not be fearing the Demons.” She begins, and the people stop their shouting. If not fear us? Who should they fear? “Fear the Church.” She talks with such a plain and confident tone, I would say almost more than Zack’s. It’s honestly terrifying how easily they change their minds in her favor. “T-The Church?” One woman spits out, “But, they were helping us from the monsters before the Demons got here.” Another man added, Angel gives a sweet smile and tilts her head. “I have evidence that says they counted on the monstrous attacks, to hide their real objectives.” Low talking, I cannot make out from behind the glass starts up, but she cuts in again silencing them. “Would you like to know more? Or are you going to just stand there?”
“Tell us.” A woman’s voice speaks up I recognize, the mother of the child Zack saved. “Tell us, whatever this is maybe the others will get off the Demon’s backs.” Yes! Someone is standing up for us! Angel continues, “Within the attacks, there have also been people that have gone missing. Since the two Demons arrived, they were able to... Identify the creatures. Soulless Beings is what they are called. We have many missing persons, teenage girls to be exact, and what research I have done on my own has led me to learn they do not take prisoners. They kill on-site in search of a soul to replace what is missing, and they do not pick and choose who they attack. So, I have made a wild accusation, that the Church is to blame.”
An uproar comes from the crowd, I heard Rod’s voice ring loudly. “Settle down! We are going to send the two Demons on a rescue mission to recover those who were lost. If they succeed, then we know we can trust them. If they fail, or if we were simply wrong about this lead, then we will find another way to test them.” No one else said a word, “All right then!” Angel says, “I think we have all reached an agreement! I will alert the two.”
I step back from the window and set the cup down on a table. Zack walks up behind me rubbing his eyes and yawning, “What did I miss, Lil.” I look back at him, and the smile has returned to his face, while he sleeps his face gets to rest. “Something good, I think.” Zack smiles and pats my head, “Good, does that mean the others will be here soon?”
“Yes, I think it does!” Right after I finish speaking the bell above the front door rings loud, I look back and see Angel and Rod walking inside. Angel makes eye contact with me and immediately smiles, “I saw you looking through the window, you will be happy to know the people and I have reached an agreement.” I laugh scratching the back of my head, “Sorry about that, I couldn’t help but watch.”
“Nightfall is getting closer, which means the three of us to need to get ready to head towards the church. Angel made many heavy accusations on them, so we better bring back something real.” Rod cut in, looking to be very nervous. “The three of us?” Zack asks with a questioning tone, “I don’t think it is smart to bring a human.”
“Even if you two brought back proof of the church’s wrongdoings, the people may not believe you. If I come with, and back you up on top of that it may be a different story.” Rod makes a good point, but so many things could go wrong if he joins us. “The people hardly believe you enough as it is. What changes things?” Rod shakes his head and shrugs his shoulders, “I’m just hoping here, what other choice do we have? I don’t want them to kill you.” I look at Zack, I don’t know what he’s thinking. He just stares at Rod with that smile. He then glances down at me and nods slightly. I assume he means that we should listen, “All right.” I say, directing my attention back to Rod. “We will let you come with us.”
“You better get going now then.” Angel points to the glass door, “I don’t want any casualties between you three either. Now hurry along, it’s getting dark.” I find it funny how she talks to all of us, she acts like a mother even though she looks to be the same age as me. It’s her smile, the way she carries herself, and how she speaks, it’s sweet really. “Yeah, yeah, we are going!” I smile laughing and walk out the door, Zack and Rod following me close behind.
The three of us make our way down the street, heading towards the bridge connecting to the other side of the town. Rod had run ahead of us earlier so Zack and I are following behind. “The Church is on the living side of the town?” I ask, Rod looks back at us while he walks. “Yes, they moved into the old building. They all came in around the time Zack left to go find you. You see before it was only used as a mortuary, the cemetery being right next to it. But when they moved in, they seemingly rebuild the whole building overnight. It was amazing, to say the least.” I am amazed by the idea of this, but looking over at Zack he doesn’t look amused despite the smile. “Let me guess they moved in because of all the activity here?”
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Rod nods, “Yes, they said they would protect us from it. But it only got worse from the moment they settled in. I suppose Angel’s theories may be right. I have never seen any of their faces either, they all wear these big, hooded cloaks. They almost act more cultish than religious.” That’s strange, why would they be wearing that? From what I have heard, and I do know some things, is that they would wear more colorful, bright, inviting things. “How did they win the people of the town over if they acted so strangely?” I ask feeling very confused and having a terrible feeling about all this.
“Well, they are holy, they possess holy magic. I suppose you don’t know much about that well-“ Zack cuts Rod off, “It means they have the ability to heal the sick and injured. So, no matter how weird as shit they might be, the people here need them, right?” Rod looks to be slightly annoyed, “Yes, Zack, your right.”
They stop talking after that, and we continue walking now through the homes of the townspeople. They look quite nice, very warm and cozy. The houses are all made of wood and have large chimneys at the top of the buildings. I can see smoke coming from the tops of some of the homes, and they all look to be fairly new houses. The dirt road we walk on gets thinner and thinner as we go further in. Eventually, the road becomes nothing, but patches and we left the houses behind us.
I look up at the large building in front of me, now finding myself in a small graveyard. This looks to be the oldest building in the whole town, made of stone and grey brick. It doesn’t look very welcoming like churches are said to be, but then again, Rod said it was a morgue. “This place is for lack of a better word, spooky,” Zack says snapping his fingers, and a small purple lantern appears in his hand. The lantern doesn’t have a flame in it but a bright orb of violet light, it is beautiful. Rod looks at Zack, grabbing the lantern with both hands and smothering the light. “Good thinking to have some light, but we aren’t being very sneaky with that.”
Zack looks at him and shrugs, “Who said we were going to sneak in?” I roll my eyes, “Angel said.” Zack’s smile widens more, “Why should we listen again? We want those teens back, right? I say we go in and get them. I’m strong enough to take them all down.” Rod groans and takes the lantern from his hands, then the lantern vanishes to a mist as soon as it left contact with Zack’s hands. “We still don’t know if the accusations are true! Even if they were, don’t you think the girls would be hidden somewhere we couldn’t find? We need to find out if we are right and get someone alive.”
Zack puts both of his hands up and sighs, “Fine, fine, we will go with your plan.” His smile then grows wider yet again, “What about Miss Lilly over here? You got any plans?” Me? Huh? I shake my head, “No, I have no plan. Although I think Rod’s is good.” I look up towards the top of the massive building. I notice a broken window and point up at it. “Can we get up there?”
Rod and Zack look up, “No.” Rod said shaking his head quickly. Zack laughs and gives a double thumbs up, “Sure we can! Good thinking Lil!” Rod looks appalled, I’m just happy I gave a good idea. “How the hell can we manage that, Zachary!” He asks, looking panicked. Zack laughs again, “Very easily!” Well, I doubt very easily but I’ll hear him out, “What do you mean ‘very easily’?” I ask, Zack just grabs my hand, and Rod’s arm. “Just trust me, and don’t let go.”
Huh!? What? Don’t let go!? What is this guy planning!? “What are you talking about!” I yell, “No funny business Zachary!” Rod joins in, but Zack just laughs away quietly.
I suddenly feel weightless, and panic grows within me, the same look Is on Rod’s face. I see my feet, but I don’t see them on the ground, up, up, farther! WE ARE FLYING! I hold onto Zack’s hand tightly, and he looks down at me hanging down under him. I feel him pull me upwards and let go of my hand. I fly up and then feel his arm around me and his hand under my leg, “Don’t worry I won’t drop you.” He looks at me with that smile, and I hold onto him tightly. Rod scoffs holding onto Zack’s arm for dear life. “Of course, she gets the better treatment.” Zack looks away from me, and slightly down at Rod, “You want me to carry you like a princess too?” I laugh to myself covering my mouth with one hand, Rod just glares. “No, I don’t.”
Before I know it, we have reached the window, and conveniently inside is a hall. But not what I would think a hall would be. There wasn’t a staircase leading up inside but a latter to the left. The entire floor was open to the church at the bottom. With of course the large cross on the back wall, the stand where a preacher would be, and the pews all in rows. We had a perfect view of everything that would happen inside. Rod quickly lets go of Zack and dusts off his trench coat. He doesn’t seem so happy about the sudden ride upward. Zack gently lets me go, setting me on the floor.
“Looks like we got ourselves front-row seats.” Rod says crossing his arms, “We aren’t going in?” Zack asks, “No one is here to stop us.” I stand in front of them both putting my hands on my hips. “We have to wait! We can’t go barging in we will have learned nothing if we do that. We need to bring those girls back, and we need to prove these guys are at fault. Now sit down both of you and wait.” Zack stares at me with wide eyes and his stuck smile. He looks surprised about the way I spoke to them. He then looks at Rod, me again, the ground, and sits. Rod just shrugs and sits down next to him and nods at me, “I agree with you, Zack here just wants to rush everything.”
Zack growls and throws up a hand like he was going to hit his shoulder but, decides against it. “Whatever you say, no-arm.” Rod doesn’t give him the satisfaction of paying the nickname any attention. Instead, he directs his attention at me, “It may be dark out but it’s only early evening, they must be arriving soon. Let’s keep quiet and wait, as you say.” He smiles and pats the spot next to him. I nod and walk over sitting next to him, Zack on the other side of Rod. I lean against the wall behind us saying, “Let’s get ready, it’s going to be a long night.”