"Today I stand before you to give praise to the Beholder." For we his chosen flock, we who are beholden to him have been granted a gift for our never ending servitude. My flock many of you came to me lost, weary, confused, and beaten by a society that no longer speaks to you such as the Beholder, and I as his chosen messenger am here to tell you today, that our salvation has finally come. The Beholder has sent us a gift whom will lift us up into his loving embrace! Two robed men bring forth a woman, and place her on the alter. "Please don't kill me" she cries repeatedly begging for her life. My lord we offer the blood of this infidel as tribute to your divine wisdom, may it deem us worthy to be filled with the power of your spirit. "Please god please I beg of you I will do whatever you want." The woman is sobbing uncontrollably as the preacher grabs hold of a ceremonial knife. "My child" he says " Your god is powerless here, only praise to the beholder shall grant you never ending salvation." You should be happy he tells the woman grinning ear to ear "you are about to be seated with the Beholder" the preacher plunges the knife deep into the womans chest, as she gives her final gasps her blood begins to pool in the crevices of the alter showing the sign of the Beholder.

3 weeks later

June 14th, 12pm West Virginia, I am on my way over to the site of the Keepers of the Beholden compound, some new "church" if you can call it that located in the woods along the Appalachian trail. They claim to be a Christian organization dedicated to the one true god known as the Beholder. 4 months ago Yolanda Galvez was reported missing, her last sighting was a few miles away from where the compound is said to be. My client is Yolandas Mother Ruby Galvez the queen of the Galvez clothing empire. I am on my way to meet my guide Tyrese a local who I've been told by my Mrs Galvez, can lead me to the Keepers compound. As cliche as it sounds I feel like this can be the one big break I needed. Find the spoiled rich girl, phone her rich parents and get paid tons of money, she promotes the buisness, and money problems solved. Im sure she probably ended up joining up with these freaks. Kids these days will follow any group as long as it serves their social needs. The compound is located roughly an hour outside of civilization. Yolanda was backpacking with friends of hers until they lost her while hiking . A separate group of hikers whom were on an excursion of there own claims a woman of her description at one of the many checkpoints with a hooded man not far from where the compound is said to be. 

As I pull up to the location I am supposed to meet with my guide, this sense of dread overwhelms me. Something isn't right in these woods, and I'm sure I will be finding out what that is sooner or later. "You Coleman?" A voice calls to me from behind, a tall older man approached my window the smell of sweat and oil is waving off him as if he just sprang from the oil fields. "Depends" I said staunchly, "Are you Tyrese?" "Tyrese Robinson, at your service." He smiles and extends his hand, his hand calloused and covered in grit a true working mans hand "Nice to meet you detective." He takes a cigarette from his pack and offers me one before lighting up his stress away. "No thanks, I quit 3 years ago." " Well you may wanna think about picking the habit up again, dying from these is better then dying in there thats for sure." He motions his hand pointing up the dirt road that sits before us, I'm guessing Tyrese is a direct to source guide not like discretion would be welcome in exposing a potentially violent cult. "The back entrance to the compound is up this way, I've seen them leave and enter through here before." He spits on the ground leaving a small black pool, Tyrese might want to consider quitting, cause if "they" don't get him the lung cancer certainly will. "Are there any vantage points to the compound nearby, may want to get a scope of the land before we just show up knocking on the door." He sighs very loudly and reaches into his back pocket and drops a packet on the hood of the car. "Thats all you need and thats all I can give, the rest is up to you." Some guide he is, "So I should assume you won't be coming with me then. "Well I think it'll be best if I didn't, someones gonna have to make the phone call if you don't come back." Well thats reassuring to hear. "Of the 50 people that have gone missing, none of come back." "For all we know they could be still alive, but I doubt anyones that fortunate." 50 missing people but only 1 reported in the past 2 years, definitely isn't all that reassuring. "The compound is about 4 miles up this road." "Park the car when you hit the 2 mile marker and walk the rest of the way" Tyrese takes a long drag of his cigarette and flicks it onto the road, something about his demeanor has led me to be suspicious of him, I think he knows way more than hes letting on but none of that can be proven now. " They have their faithful all over the place so be careful once you are in there and don't trust a fucking word they say." "I'm sure they'll be more than accommodating after seeing my badge." I responded sarcastically, Tyrese didn't seem to like that though. "Detective I can assure you these ain't the regular run of the mill our god is the absolute cultists who do funny rituals."His left hand begins to shake, showing that my that even this rough and rugged looking man is nervous about being any where near these people. " The look on Tyrese's face changes from his rugged demeanor to one of a man that is truly frightened by the subject at hand."They don't take kindly to outsiders however if you show them you wish to be come faithful they might make an exception." While the rest of us would settle for Sunday morning singing and kneeling, these church folk seem to be the type to expect more from their followers if you can call them that" Seems like Tyrese is trying to talk me out of going there. "If thats the case why haven't the police been called about all of this." Tyrese lets out a brief chuckle before saying " Like those lazy fucks would do anything," Hes right though, cops around these parts barely get calls for anything remotely serious, however considering how rich and powerful the Galvez family is you'd think they'd be forced to put more effort into the search for Yolanda"I guess I am your only option then" Tyrese scoffs again "Option? More like the only one dumb enough to hear the plights of that girls family." "Detective do yourself this one favor, really think about this before you go up that road, because the man that comes back IF you manage that will not be the same man who entered." Tyrese with keys in hand begins to walk back to his rundown pickup truck. "Good luck detective, and if you need anything, don't call me" Tyrese then waves goodbye and drives off. " Well that was reassuring." I said to myself dreading what Im about to get myself into, but I need a break and the Galvez family needs answers, no point in turning back now.

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