A creepy story I wrote...

[Cyclonus]

This isn't strictly horror, per se, but this piece I wrote is still a creepy tale about a bunch of wacko religious psychos. Is Christianity not the ultimate horror religion? I took all the stuff I heard about fundies and took it to their more extreme ends.

Now, keep in mind that I still plan to do some revisions, so what you see might be a bit rough in parts. I think my message comes through, nonetheless. Enjoy.


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The Religious Nuts

(First Draft)


The main antagonist of our story shall be called Thaddeus Ezekiel Dickerson. Before we proceed with the narrative, though, it is important for the reader to be acquainted with this curious man, especially in regards to his most peculiar beliefs and manner of living.

He was part of this small commune, which could best be compared to the Puritans of colonial America. It is difficult for the modern mind to comprehend the appeal of such a lifestyle, but this little group of men (thirty-six in number) took the concept to even greater extremes. They inhabited the darkest, most secluded area of a vast, lonely forest. While their settlement was located in a clearing, the tall, dark trees formed a thick bough with their long branches and wide leaves. Therefore, very little sunlight ever reached their cold, uncaring eyes, even during the brightest July midday. Regardless of how warm it was in the outside world, the village--as with the entire forest--remained cool and dry. This lack of sunlight, enjoined with the think leaves and dark trunks of the closely-cropped trees, made for a very gloomy, unfriendly environment. During the night, it was pitch-black, and the air was filled with the unearthly shrieks of small, nocturnal predators. Very few outsiders dared to venture into these parts, which suited this band of eccentrics just fine. They were free to live as they wished, without fear of interference. However, it was not unknown for some brave soul to attempt to penetrate their inner circle, and on occasion they ventured forth into the nearest town. Both of these points shall be further explored in a few chapters hence.

As I have previously indicated, these people could be compared to the Puritans, or perhaps the Amish in some respects, but their way of life made both groups seem downright liberal. These men resolutely shunned the slightest thing that could give pleasure by way of the senses. To begin with, they were clad in sober, dark gray outfits, something like a cross between the traditional Puritan garb and a mortician?s suit. They were deliberately designed to be stiff and itchy, so that the wearer might not even benefit from the simple pleasure of wearing a comfortable, well-fitting outfit. They all wore glasses, regardless of necessity, so that they may appear more serious and pious.

Their facial expressions were best described as "stone-faced." Never did they smile or laugh. To them, life was gravely serious in every respect, and was to be devoted solely to the pursuit of eternal salvation. Rarely did they betray even the slightest hint of emotion, other than cold resolution. For example, even when inflicted with pain, a member of this sect might display a mild grimace. Or, when mocked by an outsider, he might frown a bit, but that was about all one could expect to see from them. They had conditioned their minds to process information in such a rigid manner. Furthermore, they all spoke in shrill, high-pitched voices, in order to avoid giving any hint of warmth or humanity in their words. To boot, during their especially uptight days, they all used words like "thee" or "thou," as if the English language had not changed the slightest in three hundred years.

It is instructive to discuss the village itself, as well. Each person dwelled within a small wooden cabin, no more than twenty feet square. Each was furnished with only a stiff, lumpy little bed, a small table, a chair or two, and perhaps a cupboard. A tiny fireplace provided barely-adequate heating, so winters were most unpleasant.

The cabins were arranged in a concentric circle around the church house. Needless to say, this little building was regarded as the very center of the universe for these folks. But there was no warmth, no joy, none of that feeling of love and fellowship one would expect to find in a normal church. There was only the hushed silence of dreary men, huddled together in a dim, gloomy room, the air filled with the monotonous recitation of familiar Bible verses. It went without saying that almost all their waking hours were spent in this unappealing fashion, and exactly how their members were trained to embrace this sad manner of living was, even after the events described in this story, still a mystery.

Thaddeus himself would stand before his congregation, delivering some sermon or other about how evil the world is and how we all deserve to go to hell. On not a few occasions he read the entire text of Sinners Before an Angry God by Jonathan Edwards, which he argued was perhaps the finest piece of writing ever, next to only the Scriptures themselves. He was also fairly good at concocting his own "fire-and-brimstone" sermons, though they were inflicted with little more passion and urgency than his everyday speech. The words alone were expected to suffice for their intended audience. Otherwise, the usual routine was the endless recitation of Bible verses, often the entire gospels of Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John. Everyone had long since committed most of them to memory, so that they rarely needed to actually refer to the Good Book itself. It was just as well, since the room was so dim it would be hard to read anything. Windows were small, with smoky, opaque glass (stained glass was forbidden, since bright colors were regarded as one of Satan's many tools to tempt mortals). This had the effect of rendering the interior of the church as gloomy as a tomb. Any outsider would have wished to flee its oppressive, crushing atmosphere, but these odd individuals were right at home in these surroundings.

Finally, it is important to mention that there was not a single woman amongst them. They felt that not only was a woman inherently sinful (recall the story of Adam and Eve), but a woman was also a sin by definition. They were convinced that very few of them were destined to attain eternal salvation, but as it was they thought only a few thousand of the world's population would be able to escape the fires of hell. Hence, women were excluded from their sect, being the primary source of earthy temptation.

Having described this dreary commune, I shall attempt to relate what I know of its history. There is a great deal of mystery about the origins of its founders, since their true identities and histories are still not known. Each member had adopted a new name and identity upon joining the sect, so it is difficult to determine whom they were before. It is probable that its founder, the aforementioned Thaddeus Ezekiel Dickerson, began his career as a Southern Baptist minister of some sort. Experts have offered numerous suggestions as to his identity, based upon records of such individuals who seem to have dropped off the face of the earth. I shall not discuss any of that in detail, though, out of concern of protecting the innocent.

What we do know is that these people staked out a spot in the woods some years ago. Most of this land is wild and unclaimed, being unsuitable for development of any sort, so no one had any cause to bother them. The details of how they first set up house, so to speak, are still not clear, but what probably happened was that they enlisted the assistance of a nearby farmer, sympathetic to their cause. If that is the case, it would settle the question of where they obtain their nutrition, such as it is. But enough of that. We must get on with the story in question.

This chain of events began on a cold, dreary October afternoon. The dark clouds dominated the land like a blanket of solid lead. The forest, never particularly well-illuminated, was cloaked in twilight. To any visitor, it would have felt so alien and distant that the sight of a band of goblins or a coven of witches would have not seemed out of place.

But to the sect of religious eccentrics, this kind of weather was most ideal, as it matched their temperaments and outlook. It being the Sunday before Halloween, the church was abuzz with self-righteousness. As was custom, Thaddeus spoke in front of the congregation. After the usual Bible readings, he addressed the matter at hand, the issue that always concerned them at this time of year.

"I say! My friends, we must now focus our efforts upon what the Lord Jesus Christ always requires of us during this darkest of months. The Dark Lord, the Prince of Lies, that old devil, Satan, has chosen the month of October as the time of year in which to spread his evil and filth. As we all know, the thirty-first of this month is his birthday. Starting with the first day of October, he strikes blow after blow of godless immorality upon this wretched world, even more so than is typical, until it climaxes in an orgy of vileness on the final day of the month, which has come to be known as 'Halloween.' So it was in the days of the Druids and Warlocks, so it is now. And so it always shall be, until the Armageddon, a day that is thankfully not long in coming."

He did not waste time in getting to the agenda of the day. "As you all know, this place is located very close to what the heathens refer to as a 'small college town.' Satan loves these places. He has established them, so that his false teachings may contaminate the moral and spiritual fabric of men in all nations. He employs such perversions as homosexuality, feminism, atheism, pantheism, liberalism, and so forth to entrap the weak-minded, putting them into a snare that shall plunge them down into the fiery depths of hell!"

[to be continued]

[Cyclonus]

[continued]

When speaking these words, Thaddeus displayed somewhat more emotion than was the norm for those men, but being the leader, he had more leeway in these matters. Did God not instruct him to govern them all? Was he not wiser and holier than other men upon this earth? Besides, it was a time for righteous indignation. His Lord was angered at the ghastly sins perpetuated by men. Would any true Christian not share this anger? He was simply expressing the way God felt, and his mortal form was but a conduit for the power and glory of his Lord. And now, He had a special mission for him, it was certain.

It was very dark in the church. The outlines of the men were still visible through the penetrating gloom, but little else. It was certainly too dark to read Bible verses, but as I have previously indicated, they did not need to refer to them often. However, each member carried his leather-bound copy of the Gospels, as a show of fidelity to God. This time, Thaddeus wished to light candles to mark the significance of this occasion. First, he lit a candle and set it atop the podium. He presented the appearance of an angel in darkness, but a cold, uncaring angel.

He then delivered his next words. "My brethren, our time has come. Last night, God Himself spoke to me in a vision. He hath decreed that we shalt march into the town and bring His glory to the wretched sinners who inhabit this modern-day Sodom. On the morrow, we shall march into the university plaza, the center of this town's decadence and corruption, and call upon our Lord Jesus Christ to descend upon us and cleanse them of their sin! From that day forth, that institution will be devoted entirely to the glory of God! We shall use it as a base upon which to combat the Devil's machinations! Glory be!"

"Amen!" The congregation exclaimed.

He continued, "I must note that this year, Halloween falls upon a Sunday, exactly one week from today. It is therefore of the utmost importance that we act now. We have before us an extraordinary opportunity to perform the Lord's good work. The remainder of the day shall be spent praying to Him, begging for his blessings in vanquishing the powers of darkness. Praise the Lord!"

"Amen!" Everyone said once more.

At this point, candles were passed out to the entire group. For once, the interior of the church was allowed a respite from the unrelenting gloom. It actually looked fairly nice for once, though it was still an aggressively unfriendly environment. Thaddeus opened his prayer book. I shall not bore you with a word-for-word transcript of what was recited that night, but said prayers regarded how woeful its author was about the damnable sins of the world and how lucky a select few were to be chosen for salvation. There were also prayers about the responsibility of the Chosen Ones (namely this group of folks) to preach the Gospel to all creatures, no matter how badly they wished not to hear it. It was simply for their own good. The word 'amen' was uttered more often than one would care to consider. After the final prayer, everyone promptly retired to their cabins. A good night's sleep was necessary for the tasks that lay ahead.

To their satisfaction, the next morning was appropriately dreary and gloomy. Not as much as the previous day, but more than suitable for their tastes. After the customary breakfast of bread, oats, and raisins, they set out for town. They had five miles to go before reaching the end of the woods, so they made sure to set out early in the day. Such a journey meant several hours' worth of shadowy gloom as they as they hiked through the dense network of trees and undergrowth. Despite that, the pace was fairly brisk, as they were careful to take a route that was relatively free of obstacles. Each member of the sect knew the layout of the woods almost was well as the Bible. Any of them could probably make it back home from any random spot in the area, though even they would not be eager to make such a journey in the middle of the night.

The sun did not shine at all that day, which they all took as a sign of divine providence. They brought no food, as they were confident that sustenance would be divinely provided once they reached town. Along the way, they sometimes passed the time reciting familiar prayers and Bible verses. Otherwise, they simply traversed in complete silence, stopping to rest only twice. No small talk was made, as they reasoned that if you had nothing to say that pertained to either God?s glory or to immediate, practical concerns, then nothing should be said at all. They had no need to go over their plans, as their general course of action was already decided upon the night before. They trusted God to fill in all the bothersome details once it came down to it.

They reached the end of the woods without incident. Before them lay a grassy plain, with no buildings or people within eyesight. They knew precisely where to go, so they continued their journey without pause. Before long, they passed the occasional farmhouse or gas station, avoiding them so that a confrontation with the locals would not interfere with their quest.

At this point, it was well after lunchtime, so some members actually confessed their hunger. This was unusual in itself, but even such rigid, hardened people could not hike all morning without loss of energy. Therefore, Thaddeus decreed that the next order of business was to seek out a likely source of nourishment. A gas station lay directly ahead. He recalled that such places, though he found all technology spiritually abhorrent, were dependable sources of food and drink. At that point, only one customer was parked. They waited a bit, then he left. The departure of his vehicle--a bright red Sedan--was viewed with a strange mixture of distaste, curiosity--and even a little fear--as if they were looking at some piece of equipment from another planet.

[to be continued]

[Cyclonus]

[continued]

As soon as the coast was clear, they barged in, all thirty-six of them, the better to overpower anyone who happened to be unlucky enough to get this particular shift at this particular station. There was only one person behind the counter, a pudgy forty-year-old man with a craggy face. No problem for three dozen men.

"Can I help you fellas?" he asked gruffly. He did not seem to carry weapons of any sort, nor did he stand behind any barrier, as clerks do in some gas stations. Excellent.

"I say!" Thaddeus said in his shrillest voice. "We must have food and drink."

The clerk paused, hesitant to provide an immediate response. He must have been taken aback by the sight of such out-of-time individuals in a modern gas station. In a moment he recovered his composure and stated, even more gruffly, "yeah, we got candy, snacks, soda, beer, pizza, all kinds of things. I hope there's plenty of money in these fancy clothes to pay for all of you."

Thaddeus replied in a steely voice that made the clerk's heart stop. "We do not have money, nor do we require any. The Lord Jesus Christ shalt provide for us, from now until the end of the world, which grows ever near. He demands that you feed us immediately, so that we may grow in strength, and thus ably perform our divine tasks."

I can't believe I have to deal with these religious loonies, the clerk thought. Outwardly, he said, "sorry guys. If you can't pay you gotta take a hike."

"Thou hast been warned," Thaddeus stated. "Now, it is my sacred duty to administer the wrath of God upon you." With that, he motioned to his congregation and stepped aside. They promptly came forth and struck the clerk with their fists, lashing with surprising severity. He screamed at them to stop, but was told that "we are not hitting you. Jesus Christ is. We are merely a conduit through which he expresses His Holy Anger!"

Thus, the unfortunate man was soon beat into submission. It was then a simple task to bind him with rope and toss him into the back room. Having accomplished this, the sect members immediately began to gather food. They acted quickly, since there was an excellent chance of someone else coming by, and perhaps alerting the police. They got what they needed and ran out back, stopping to rest in a nearby grove of trees. Not all the food met with their immediate approval. Some of it consisted of bread and other wheat-filled foods they were accustomed too. There were also some nachos, chocolates, and other 'indulgent' foodstuffs in their possession. Given their hunger, though, they did not mind as much as they ordinarily would have.

Thaddeus promptly addressed this issue, stating that "I have proclaimed that God would provide us with food, did I not? Did that fuel-station not suddenly appear in our path? And does the road beyond not lead to our destination? Praise the Lord, for he has shown us the path and lit our way! If thou hast gathered certain indulgent foods in your haste, that shalt easily be made up for soon as you bring his Word to the land! Glory be!"

"Amen," they replied.

"Nonetheless," he added, "where the Most Holy Lord is concerned, one would be wise to err on the side of caution. Therefore, those of you who have transgressed must be punished."

He pointed his finger at these members in question, eight of them. "I say! Punish! That art thine holy punishment! Alas, alas!"

"Alas! Amen!" Each of them said in turn. Then they resumed their meals. In truth, their punishment would mean nothing more than an obligation to say a few extra prayers, recite a few extra Bible verses. Just the idea that they might have caused some offence to God, however trivial, was more than enough to frighten them, though.

Before long, they had finished eating. They immediately set forth down the road towards town. Behind them, a confused young woman ran in and out of the gas station, looking for a clerk. She just shrugged and sped off without paying a cent.

Andover Community College beckoned ahead.

[to be continued]

[Cyclonus]

[continued]

The sect reached town early that evening. By then, the dark clouds had already enveloped its inhabitants in a shade of dark, primeval gray. A sense of oppressive gloom permeated Andover, pleasing Thaddeus. The day had been spent making this journey, free of incident save for the gas station. The weather suited his vision perfectly. Were this a bright, sunny day, it would have had an adverse affect on everyone's morale. Truly, God had sent these storm clouds as a sign of his approval.

If God was on their side, they would be invincible. All powerful. Spiritually engorged with the sheer holiness of the Christ Child. The hour of reckoning was upon the sinners of this town. Thus emboldened, they marched ahead, envisioning themselves as Holy Jesus Warriors, prepared to slay demons, witches, and dragons.

Nothing would stop them. Nothing.

They saw a small, orange glow flickering in the distance. As they approached the source of the strange light on the side of the road, they saw that they had arrived at a two-story flat, rented by the local students. And it was immediately apparent where the glow had originated.

A jack-o-lantern. With a creatively grotesque face carved onto it.

The sect members reeled back in horror, aghast at the sight of this demonic abomination. Thaddeus quickly stepped in front of them. "My friends," he stated, "thou hast every right to be disgusted and terrified. Indeed, your status as a heaven-bound believer would be in question, were you not. For hundreds of years, pagans have carved unholy, satanic faces onto eviscerated pumpkins, so that they may attract demons, thus drawing on the powers of darkness for their vile rituals. Seances, fortune-telling, and other manner of witchcraft. The Old Testament explicitly states that this is not to be tolerated. Exodus 22:18 clearly tells us that 'thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.' Our spiritual forebears, the Puritans, and those who carried out the Inquisition during medieval times, did an excellent job in carrying out this commandment. It is unfortunate that the inhabitants of this dwelling art not home, judging from the absence of interior lighting, or we would carry on this most sacred tradition right this minute. But it would seem that the Lord hath chosen to spare them, at least for the time being. They shall be given a second chance. We shall attempt to convert them, and if they do not repent, they shalt be burned at the stake as an example to others. Thus, they shall involuntarily serve God by scaring others into worshipping him. Glory be!"

"Amen!" Everyone else exclaimed.

At once, they smashed the jack-o-lantern against the road. Then they scooped up the pieces and smeared them all over the porch. Upon these remains they scattered several Chick tracts. For the benefit of my readers who do not know what they are, I shall take a moment to explain. Chick tracts are small, card-sized comic books, about three by five inches square. They are authored by the infamous Jack T. Chick, a hardcore Christian fundamentalist who created this series as a means of converting unbelievers to the Gospel. They could be anonymously left in any random place, thus providing shy evangelists with a convenient way of spreading the Word of God. Regarding content, the traditional format is for a Christian named Bob (no doubt a stand-in for his creator) to shove the Bible down people?s throats and scare them into converting (sometimes at the very last minute). This is not the only format, but my point is aptly illustrated.

In any case, Thaddeus kept a supply of every tract, including the ones that have long been out of print. He said that there was no occasion where at least one could not be of use, and so far nothing he saw contradicted this outlook. For this particular night, he left behind two copies of every anti-Halloween tract, his favorite being 'The Trick,' (detailing how evil witches are fond of performing child sacrifices to Satan). He did not neglect to include 'Boo!,' 'Happy Halloween,' and the recent 'Devil's Night.' Satisfied with this arrangement, he moved forward, with his followers in tow.

As they traversed the road, they passed more and more houses, also inhabited by students. So far, they did not see anyone out and about. The oppressive gloom, while appealing to Thaddeus' men, encouraged most to remain indoors for the duration of the night. A bit further down, they would reach the more densely populated neighborhoods, where most of Andover's student community lived. But that would have to wait till tomorrow.

Having visited this town before, they knew of a house that had been vacant for some time. It was such an old, dusty place--its construction having predated the town itself, as a farmhouse--that no one wished to rent it. It stood there, boarded up, its vast yards choked with large weeds, cloaked in soggy leaves. Clearly, it had been deserted for some time. The building looked like a haunted house, from so many stories about similar ancient, deserted dwellings. But to the sect, it was perfect for their purposes.

All that was needed to gain entrance was to pry at some dusty boards and crawl in the back window. The estate's property values were so low that quite frankly, no one cared if the occasional squatter made himself at home here. Even they would have not preferred to spend a night here. The dark, rotting, dusty interior was bleaker than some basements. The dirty windows admitted very little light, even during the day, so it was now all but pitch black. But as always, Thaddeus preferred the bleak and gloomy to the bright and sunny. It was still too dirty and creaky for him, though. Nonetheless, it would be more than adequate as a temporary base of operations.

Lighting a candle, he led the group up to the attic. Innumerable creaks and groans expressed the house's protests as three dozen men were led up two flights of aging steps. Then, their leader opened a trapdoor into a vast, dark attic. It might as well have been a door into an infinite void.

A sharp, piercing screech startled everyone.

Thaddeus dropped his candle. The small flame-tip was instantly snuffed out. He experienced a brief but vivid moment of sheer terror before he realized that it was nothing more than a bat. He commanded his men into silence and paused to listen, opening his ears to their widest extent. Judging from the sounds, there were at least a few of them on the ceiling. Bats were vile, unholy creatures, one of many spawned from the devil's cesspool since sin imposed its curse upon this earth. Along with rats, black cats, and snakes--especially snakes--they were foul beasts, possessed by little demons. Not as bad as some, but a real nuisance at best. But certainly manageable with a minimum amount of faith. And he had more of that than any other mortal alive today.

As his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he noticed two pale, eye-shaped objects directly in his line of sight. His heart nearly stopped before he realized that it was a pair of windows that looked over the front of the house. He had seen them on his way in.

In the opposite direction was another, smaller window, obviously looking over the back lawn. Ordering his men to stand and wait, Thaddeus stepped up into the attic, muttering the Lord's Prayer. He walked right over to the window and kicked it open. Then he returned to his men, announcing that all they had to fear were a few bats, a few small, insignificant little devils.

As of one mind, they immediately sprang to action. They all filed into the attic, calmly but with determination. Each man lit his candle at the same moment. The effect was as if a light bulb had been switched on. Then all at once, they chanted:

"Shoo, demon!"

"Shoo, demon!"

"Shoo, demon!"

The sudden light and sound disorientated the small, harmless creatures, so they were all too hurry to flee the attic and the madmen it contained. Bats navigate by means of sonar, so it was a fairly simple matter to locate the nearest exit, namely the aforementioned back window. In a moment the room was silent, the animals having made their departure.

While momentarily frightened, Thaddeus and his men found this an ultimately heartening experience. Had they not turned back the powers of darkness with the power of light? Could their faith not vanquish any demonic foe, even Satan himself? Was the Lord God not leading them onto a Holy Crusade? Did he not personally arrange this to demonstrate this very point? Would they not march into glory on the morrow? This was so. God was at that moment directly telling them through Thaddeus.

They spent the night in that attic. For several hours beforehand, they sat there, as their leader lead them in prayer and delivered his sermons, just as he had done many times in church.

Anyone passing by on the road would have noticed the yellowish glow in the attic windows. They made the place look uncannily like the infamous Amityville house.

[to be continued]

[Cyclonus]

[continued]


Thaddeus dreamed.

The members of this group of eccentrics had dreams as normal men did. But their dream lives were as tightly controlled as their waking hours. Almost all of their excursions into the dream world were devoted to praising God. Even in their sleep, religion was their first priority.

This one night, Thaddeus' dream was much more specific and vivid than usual. He envisioned a vast plain. The grass grew tall and emerald-green. The sun dazzled bright yellow in an azure blue sky that was free of clouds. Unseen birds chirped happily. The people seemed carefree and happy. They walked, ran, sang, kissed, had lovely little picnics.

It distressed him. All that color and beauty overloaded his senses, as they were. He felt nauseated, sickened. These people might be happy now, he reasoned, but they were ignorant of the dreadful fate that lay ahead of them. Such beautiful weather would only serve to distract them from spending the day inside the walls of a church. They were weak. They deserved whatever they got.

Without warning--the sun turned dark. Pitch black. Darker than the darkest night in his home forest. The stars burned brightly. In any other context, they would have been beautiful. But there was that large, ugly...gap, void, blank area--he couldn't think of a word that would have been adequate, but there it was. The people gasped and murmured. Some horrible disaster had just happened, but they simply couldn?t process its significance. It was beyond all human understanding.

Thaddeus had a queasy feeling in his stomach. This was only the beginning, he knew. Something even worse was in store for these hapless folks. Then he realized why all this seemed familiar. He was dreaming about what he read in the Book of Revelation, the final and most controversial tome in the Bible. It detailed the return of Christ, the Judgment of sinners, and the end of the world.

His heart gladdened. Jesus had returned to judge these evil people who had spit upon Him, and kicked dirt in His precious face. And those who had done as much by rejecting His Word and focusing their lives upon sloth and gluttony, as these people had. They deserved to be cast into the Lake of Fire. It was good and right. It was Divine, Holy Justice. Eternal Justice. Holy Jesus Justice. He did not smile in life, but if it was in the land of dreams, no one would know or care. A wide grin held dominion over his face. An objective observer would scarcely have recognized him as the same individual.

He couldn't wait to see what happened next.

He was not disappointed.

The bright, silvery moon shone behind him. It should not have shone at all under these circumstances, and certainly not so brightly. It seemed more like a globe of translucent glass, lit from within. An eerie, unearthly light shone upon the land. A hushed silence descended upon everyone. Something dreadful would happen at any moment, but they had no way of telling exactly when or what.

Suddenly, the moon turned blood red. Deeper than blood red. It was the darkest shade of scarlet imaginable. Everyone and everything was drenched in its ghastly light, lit in this monochromic, hellish color. The moon shone down upon them like a cosmic, demonic eye.

Thaddeus would not have missed this for the world.

Next, the stars in the sky fell to the earth, like some terrible meteor shower. As he had always known, they were not large balls of gas, as was taught in secular schools, but just what they were escaped him just now. All he knew was that they were raining down upon the earth. The horizon was aglow with the fire of burning cities. Entire populations being destroyed by God's wrath, as with Sodom and Gomorrah. He only wished he had a closer view of such. And of the terrible plagues described in the Bible, which dwarfed those God had inflicted upon Egypt in the days of Moses. He would have to content himself with focusing upon this small group. After all, he reasoned, he would get to see the real thing in all its glory soon enough. Thus enheartened, he turned his attention back to his immediate surroundings.

The people below him gathered around, huddled in fearful anticipation. Foolish mortals. They could not hope to escape the wrath of God, no matter where they hid. No matter how much they groveled. He would enjoy their suffering. All the men, women, and children.

Without warning, the earth itself opened up. Like one enormous mouth, it swallowed the people that walked upon it. Thaddeus followed them as they descended into darkness. For a moment, he saw nothing but an endless black void, darker than a moonless, starless night. Heard nothing but the terrified screams of the damned. For the moment that was enough to go by.

It was cold before, but it gradually began to get warmer. Warmer still, more than was comfortable. Then--a vast lake of fire appeared below him. For thousands of miles around, he could see nothing but an endless sea of red flames. Throughout its length, width, and depth were more screams, moans, and curses.

Then he saw the people from the grassy plain. They all plunged downwards. Downwards. Downwards. Till they smashed into the lake. There was a sound like bacon on a girdle. More screams. More moans. More curses.

He watched with a mixture of fear, awe?and satisfaction. He was seeing justice being meted out. If this is how God had seen fit to punish these sinners, than it must be good and right.

He was floating above the lake. Now he began to ascend. Around him was thick, volcanic smoke. He could barely see anything now. Still higher. Now demons were flying around him. Dreadful, horned creatures, with bat wings and scorpion tails.

He had never been more relieved to be one of God?s chosen.

Then...a bright light washed over him.

A feeling of pure joy and happiness.

This feeling was only good and right if he was?

In heaven! With God! With the angels! With his fellow believers!

Before he knew it, Thaddeus was before God the Father, God the Son (Jesus) and God the Holy Spirit. He was gathered around their thrones with his brothers in Christ, and they were all worshipping him, as they would be doing for all eternity. Further out still, all angels and archangels were flying around them, in an endless cosmic ballet.

This is what he wanted. What he wanted to see. Since time immemorial. This and nothing else.

Well, maybe one other thing. Far below him, he saw the Lake of Fire. And the billions of sinners it contained. And their screams. And another sound.

Laugher.

The laugher of God. The laugher of the angels. The laugher of the saints.

All mocking the damned.

So this is what eternity was all about, Thaddeus realized. Endless praises to God. And for entertainment, forever looking down upon these vile sinners, forever cursed to endless woe and torment. He enjoyed their suffering. By laughing at them, he was just being as holy as God. What happened to them was absolute, holy justice. Everything was finally good and right.

Then, everything around him slowly blurred, faded. In a moment, everything was a white, amorphous void. The sounds dwindled to a whisper. All sensation had faded out.

He was waking up.


[to be continued]

[Cyclonus]

[continued]

That afternoon--after an interminable morning of prayer and fasting--Thaddeus and his followers made a beeline to the center of Andover. Before I detail their further misadventures, I will tell you more about the college itself, as well as the town in general.

Andover was one of these "small, liberal college towns." The campus itself only encompassed three large blocks, but the whole town was like an extension of such. The population consisted mainly of younger people, many of whom were Andover graduates, of course. Other individuals who wished to pursue liberal-minded scholarly pursuits often attended their special seminars and events, open to the public with a minimum fee, if not altogether free of charge. Both libraries--one on campus and one public library--carried an impressive variety of books on art, literature, science, and politics. Both enjoyed excellent patronage from young men and women of all nationalities and creeds.

This was one rare town where one could be openly gay without fear of reproof or discrimination. Sexual practices of every kind were not only tolerated, but encouraged to some degree (their openness and relaxed attitude towards such matters might be somewhat unnerving to even some liberals). The milder drugs, such as pot and ecstasy, were used by many students, though discreetly, so as not to attract the ire of the state police, though the local authorities usually turned a blind eye.

It was no wonder that Thaddeus was so eager to dump the whole place into the Lake of Fire.

Unless he could pull of a miracle and make it into Christ's representative city on earth. The idolatrous Catholics made such claims for Vatican City. He would show them.

There was a specific reason he had waited until late afternoon to march into town. It was around this time that the local theater started filling up. Well, one of three, including the campus theater. They just picked the closest and proceeded from there. As it turned out, they were presently screening two films. The first was a sneak preview (it would not be officially released for several weeks) of the new Liam Neeson film Kinsey, a biopic of the controversial but influential sex researcher. The second was the gay-themed romantic comedy Latter Days.

From Thaddeus' perspective, it could not have been a better opportunity for evangialism. Homosexuality and sexual liberalism were among his greatest hatreds. Perhaps even the very core of sin. Had Adam and Eve not been tempted by the Forbidden Fruit? Sweet, delicious fruit. Appealing to the desires of the flesh. The sinful flesh.

Sexual sin was much, much worse. And these movies were promoting them.

Luring these young people into the flames of Satan's foul abode.

Not on his watch.

Thaddeus was no stranger to Andover. On a few occasions, he and his followers had marched into town, preaching on street corners and handing out Chick tracts. They were generally regarded as an amusing curiosity at best, a nuisance at worse. But they were tolerated as long as they didn't hurt anyone. Was religious tolerance not a core principle of liberal colleges?

But this time, Thaddeus intended to be disruptive. Did he ever. For him, everything was rapidly coming to a head, and he had better win as many souls as was possible in the meantime. Jesus Christ would give him many crowns on Judgment Day. Perhaps not as many as Jack Chick. He simply had too much of a head start. But certainly more than just about anyone else. Certainly more than Thomas Gardner, author of the infamous CAP-alert website, which routinely condemns movies on Biblical grounds. He would do him better right here and now.

The moviegoers consisted of young men and women. Some singles, some couples. Some gay, some straight. Some wore preppy outfits. Some seemed to have wandered off from a performance of some hardcore punk rock group. Some were black, some white, some mixed, and so forth. None of them were especially fond of Thaddeus' company.

Upon their arrival, the sect members were greeted with groans and incredulous laughs. Why do they even bother trying to change our ways, they wondered? Their kind faded away countless years ago, or so they'd like to think.

Thaddeus and his men silently gathered in front of the theater. This had happened before. They would give some narrow-minded speech about how evil and sinful the movies were, and everyone else would laugh and them and pay for their tickets.

He spoke at once. "I say! Why hast thou insisted upon seeing these filthy moving pictures? They are nothing but tools. Tools of Satan, the Prince of Lies. He wishes to indocrinate your mind with warped, ungodly teachings. Homosexuality is a vile, disgusting sin. As is every other sexual practice other than what is strictly necessary for the purposes of procreation. It is certainly not something we should enjoy under any circumstances. The pleasures of the flesh is a horrible trap to fall into. The devil has been most devious in constructing such snares."

He paused to consider the phrasing of his next words. What he had just said was only a warm-up, certainly not something they never heard him say before. He was prepared to take his ideas to their most extreme logical conclusions.

"Dost thou know what homosexuality is? Secular scientist and psychologists claim it is a perfectly natural thing, one we should accept. That is an abominable lie. Demons surround us, invisible, carrying out Satan's work in drawing men off the straight and narrow. And he has succeeded for the most part. These demons cling to you, invading your soul without you knowing it. They drive men into committing evil deeds, as a horsemen rides his steed over a cliff, only most are not aware of their presence. Some will even force men and women to pursue unnatural, fleshy sins of the flesh. Of the very worst kind. The only hope is to pray to Jesus and beg him to drive these little devils out of you. Only then do you have any chance of being saved from the foul depths of an eternal hell. Amen!"

"Amen!" His men responded, as they always did.

None of the students or other patrons said a word. They simply stood there, transfixed. Seeing a religious fanatic in this town was like seeing a caveman wander in through a time warp. As long as no harm was done, it was nothing more than a source of quaint amusement.

But this time, Thaddeus intended to do harm.

"Alas!" He proclaimed. "These films are abominations in the eyes of the Most Holy Lord. Hollywood, that modern-day Babylon of deceitful tricksters, is fond of taking the most vile, godless stories and wrapping them up in pretty packages. This is a deliberate tactic to make sin seem appealing. But let me tell you this: none of you here shall enjoy Christ's judgment. You will regret ever watching a single moving picture as your body is painfully and eternally consumed by flames and maggots."

He paused. "Or, to put in another way, if for reasons beyond my comprehension, I chose to see one of these films, I would vomit. Profusely. Moreso than the most physically sick man. One could take a motion picture camera and film this puddle of vomit. He could screen it for the same length of time as this movie. In terms of substance, there would be no difference at all. Except that such a film would be more honest about its true nature. Filth. Sin. Foul, vile garbage. And you are attracted to it as a moth is drawn to a consuming flame. The way a fly is drawn to actual vomit. You enjoy it in the way a maggot enjoys the consumption of rotting flesh."

The crowd was under a spell of tense silence. It had dawned on them that something dreadful was about to happen.

"Therefore," Thaddeus concluded, "the Holy Spirit, without Whom worship of Christ is an impossibility, has lit up my heart and soul with the message that I shall destroy this brothel of spiritual ruin. I do so out of love for the lost souls of this wretched earth, so that they may turn to God yet!"

[to be continued]

[Cyclonus]

[continued]

They must have been acting as a collective mind, everyone concluded. Every sect member immediately brought out his candle and lit it.

"Step aside!" Said their leader. "We must carry out Jesus' command to prevent these sin-peddlers from ever displaying another unholy moving-picture!"

He intended to march up to the projectors--both of them--and burn the reels of film. Then the building itself would be razed. The others in this town would promptly be treated in a like fashion. Christ the Savior had commanded it. Through Thaddeus and his men, He directly enforced His will. The Spirit coursed through their very selves. They would proceed with their tasks, and could not be stopped unless God himself choose to stay his hand. Anyone who stood in their way would have to be dealt with, even if it meant burning them with the theater.

Across the street, more onlookers had gathered to watch the spectacle. They cried in protest as everyone realized what this insane bunch was up to. But they also feared these strange men. They could be most violent and unpleasant when they saw fit. Only one person was brave enough to challenge them directly. Professor Anna Farwell, Andover's humanities instructor. She was a pleasant, fairly attractive woman who nonetheless possessed a keen, piercing insight.

Anna's heart skipped a beat as she stepped directly in front of Thaddeus. While inwardly quivering, her facade was the model of cool-headed resolution. He would either stop or sacrifice her to his tribal god.

Her gamble actually paid off. Thaddeus stopped in his tracks, his men immediately following suit. He experienced a rare moment of uncertainty as he regarded this stubborn woman. Was this a signal from God? Or a gesture of defiance from an increasingly desperate Satan?

"What are you trying to accomplish here?" She pleaded. "Do you really think this is going to win you any converts? If you burn down this theater, you'll be driven out of town. The state police are wary of you as it is, but they don't do anything because you haven't really caused serious trouble. But if you go through with this, they'll hunt you down like dogs and throw you in the county jail. Your sect will be disbanded, and that will be the end of your so-called Crusade."

Thaddeus' mind raced as he considered what to do next. Of course, it was impossible for mortals to stop them. If the police attempted to do so, God would inflict them with a plague, or rain fire upon them. Probably electricity, though. If for some incomprehensible reason they found their way into jail cells, no matter. The Christ Child would easily cause their walls to crumble. Or he would grant them the power to move through solid objects, as was done at least once in the old days. Either way, they would then be free to continue their Crusade.

The question remained: should they stop to listen to this foolish woman? Was it not a woman's place to be silent and serve men? Or was God signaling them to hold back? Until he was certain, it would be folly to move ahead. But he had to decide in a minute. His divine mission was too urgent.

Aware of Thaddeus' uncertainty, Anna quickly pressed her advantage while she still had it. "if you really want to get your point across, why don't you all come to my lecture tomorrow? I have a very large class, and if you talk to them--in a calm and patient manner--they may be willing to consider your perspective. More than they would if you burned down their theaters in front of them."

That settled it. Thaddeus and his men would cause no violence tonight. God had acted upon their souls only to test their eagerness to carry out his Holy Commandments. They had passed, so there was no need to do anything more for now. They would attend this woman's class and attempt to convert the student body through more accepted means.

"Very well," he responded. "Where and when is this designated meeting?"

"Tomorrow morning at ten. Hopkins Hall. You'll easily find the building on one of the campus' many guideposts. I look forward to seeing you again."

Thaddeus was not used to hearing these last words. He stared a minute before replying, "That is acceptable. We shall meet you tomorrow, then. Good night, and may the Lord grant you mercy."

At this point, he and his men all blew out their candles and marched back to the abandoned farmhouse. Walking back, Thaddeus was stricken with a most uncomfortable feeling. He could not immediately identify it, so alien it was to his normal perceptions. Then it hit him like a very large sledgehammer. He was having lustful feelings for this woman. Satan realized his time was nearly up, so he had pulled out all the stops to deter him from Destiny. God had allowed his nemesis to do this. It was a test of faith. And he had no doubt of passing with flying colors. The very idea of his falling to temptation was simply laughable. It took but a moment for him to regain his composure.

Still, he was relived that none of the men behind him saw the shocked, pained expression that had suddenly appeared upon his otherwise stony visage. Never again, he vowed.

[to be continued]

[Cyclonus]

[continued]

The next morning, Thaddeus and his sect members, all thirty-six of them, made an appearance at Hopkins Hall at precisely ten o' clock. As expected, finding it was absolutely no problem. The hard work would be performing the miracle of converting dozens of heathens to the Most Holy Lord in the space of one class period. If their faith was strong enough, it should be done without difficulty, with at least ten, fifteen minutes to spare. But, Thaddeus reasoned, any one of them had more spiritual strength than a hundred of these meek, "enlightened" pastors who would surely be judged for watering down the Faith. And in turn, he had more faith than all of them combined.

He revised his earlier evaluation of the task ahead of him. It would be no challenge at all. The town was his, for all intents and purposes. It was just a matter of going through a few chores to set his master plan into motion.

The lecture hall was more crowded than usual, well beyond its standard capacity. Thaddeus approved of the large, stony building. A worthy fortress for the representative of God. As he walked its halls, he had began to outline a mental map of how each and every room could be properly utilized for higher purposes. Though he still needed a more comprehensive look at the layout of the building, he saw enough to more than satisfy him. But that would have to wait a bit. He pushed this information to the back of his mind and focused on the task of getting these impressionable young minds to perform his bidding. God's bidding.

He and his followers were greeted with a hushed silence. They stood in the back of the room, waiting for Anna to introduce him. They did not approve of women speaking to large groups of people, but in this case it was judged necessary if anyone would be willing to listen to them. After all, God would have plenty of time to judge her later. Eternity.

With no sign of fear, Anna stepped in front of the podium. "Ladies and gentlemen," she spoke calmly but clearly, "I realize today's lecture deviates from our class plan somewhat, but in this case, we are faced with an unique situation. I'm sure by now you've all heard of yesterday's incident at the theater. I realize it's scary and confusing for many of you, but we must make an attempt to deal with it calmly and rationally. I think the only way to tackle it is to try to reason with these people (here she gestured at Thaddeus and his sect), try to understand why they act as they do. Only then do we have any hope of finding any common ground, of learning to coexist peacefully."

Inwardly, Thaddeus was amused at how naive and liberal she was. God could not be reasoned with. And as his earthly representative, neither could he. One could only tremble and kneel before the Lord, obeying his every whim, for fear of being destroyed by his righteous, holy anger. He looked forward to elaborating these points in a moment.

At the same time, he recalled these shameful, lustful feelings he had experienced the previous day, right after meeting Anna. Having been blessed with the opportunity to prepare himself this time, these feelings were still there, but much weaker. Yes. He was calm, prepared to face today's tasks. Just a few more seconds...

"I think it's wise to let these men give it to you in their own words," Anna concluded. "Everyone, here's Thaddeus Ezekiel Dickerson, their leader."

She stepped aside, cueing him to step in front of the podium. The students clapped respectfully, but very briefly, as if performing a distasteful task, and then getting it over with as soon as possible.

Thaddeus spoke, making a conscious decision not to talk in such a high-pitched voice. Most outsiders, as he had learned, did not respond favorably to that. Better to present the appearance of at least being semi-normal. Relatively speaking.

"I say! Class, as your teacher has just stated, my name is Thaddeus Ezekiel Dickerson. I am the leader of these men standing behind me. Together, we comprise Christ's True Church on Earth. There are, of course, other worthy believers in Him, but not as holy as we."

He paused to permit the class to absorb this information. There was an uncomfortable silence, but nothing else. What was important was that he had their attention.

He continued, "we realize that you are certainly curious, even frightful, of our presence on campus. But fear not! We have come to save you. Save you from the clutches of sin. From the devil's shackles. For this so-called school (here he gestured with his hand) was established by the forces of darkness. It promotes everything God hates. Homosexuality. Liberalism. Pantheism. Hedonism, certainly. The point is that they all distract you from serving the Lord, from focusing all your thoughts upon attaining salvation. That is all we do. No earthy pleasures or distractions. No false teachings. Just the Bible. Fasting. Prayer. Sobriety. All that will help you get into God's Kingdom. But what this school teaches will drag you into the dark, foul pit of hell. Screaming. You may think you are 'free' from religion, but in reality you are chained. Chained in sin. Moreso then the most oppressed earthy slave. Spiritually bound head to foot. But with Christ, you shall be set free of demons. Free to enter God's domain. You will have to obey more rules and restrictions upon your activities, but it shall be for your own good. It is the will of the Lord."

If there was a stunned silence before, the entire class looked on with open-eyed shock. Even the teacher. Yes, this was exactly the response he desired. The truth was often shocking and unpleasant. He must say more immediately, while they were still easily manipulated.

"This is precisely what we are here to do. To tear down Satan's ungodly institutions. Set up holy, devout houses of prayer in their place. Turn the hearts of heathens and barbarians to God. Even put the filthy evildoers to death, should they refuse to repent. As the Old Testament commands."

That got a reaction from the class. Thaddeus was greeted with boos and hisses. An outraged murmur swept through the crowd. A few students stormed out of the lecture hall.

Fearing a breach of peace, Anna stepped in front of the class and motioned for silence. "Keep your cool!? She pleaded. I know you don?t like a word this guy says. God knows I don't."

How dare she blast the Holy Name in this manner? Whilst turning down such goodly teachings! She would be made to pay for this.

All in due time.

Yet, a part of Thaddeus' stony heart yearned for her.

"But we have to stay calm if there's any chance of getting along with them. Why don't we open the floor to questions and comments?" She asked.

"That is acceptable," he said. "This will give us a chance to better explain our views."

Questions were in ready supply. Every hand was raised. Good. They were playing into his hands. And those of his Master.

"Could you tell us more about what you believe," asked one curious young man.

"I shalt do so happily," Thaddeus replied. "The extent to which modern man has been corrupted by unholy teachings is nothing short of astonishing. Nowadays it is a miracle to find but one truly righteous person on any street. To begin with, there is this curious, and absurd, notion that…the earth revolves around the sun. Nonsense! The earth is located in the very center of the universe. God established it as the most important part of all creation. Aside from the heavenly realms of course. First, the moon orbits it, then the sun, then the planets. Finally, the stars. And stars are not vast balls of gas, but tiny, bright little spheres. Only the sun could fit that description. And it is no larger than the moon. The earth is therefore the largest solid object in this realm. Satan has indeed been crafty in deceiving men's minds. In fact, science is actually a very subtle form of Satanism, devised in order to make secularism seem good and reasonable. Evil men like Galileo, Newton, or Einstein are filthy liars, the lot. All condemned to hellish torture devices for eternity. There is only heaven and hell. Then earth and its immediate neighborhood. Not some vast universe teeming with wonder. For that you must look to heaven itself. God and his angels. The true believers. That is the only point of anything. Praising Him for Eternity."

He decided it was wise to leave out any mention of his dream of laughing at the damned. The real thing would come no matter what.

"Then there is the question of the world's diverse religions. Satanic creations, the lot. Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, Voodoo. Anyone who conducts adequate historical research will realize that they are all hollow, false constructs. No salvation can come from any of their strange teachings. The only faith that can rescue you from the clutches of eternal hellfire is Christianity. Protestant Christianity, to be precise. Reading the Holy, King James Bible, the unaltered Word of God. Roman Catholism is just another clever fraud. Merely a dressed of version of pagan worship. Indeed, very few people will ever be saved, and not by their merits, but through the sheer mercy of God. That is a miracle by itself. Otherwise, everyone deserves eternal torment in His presence, and in the presence of the angels."

To put it mildly, Thaddeus was on a roll. He was absolutely convinced that the power of the Holy Spirit was flowing through him. It was the spiritual equivalent of standing in the midst of a deep, raging river, being empowered instead of swept asunder by its awesome strength.

[to be continued]

[Cyclonus]

[continued]

He imagined that at any moment, the Holy Spirit would descend upon the students, perhaps in the form of small flames over their heads, as had happened once in the Bible. Then he would lead his new converts on a Holy Crusade to wipe the campus free of sin! Glory be to God on Highest!

Amen, Amen.

Then, a perky young female student spoke up. "Excuse me sir. But I'm a history major, and I can tell you that these religions you mentioned have rich, complex histories, there's much more to them than your superficial interpretation. Hinduism, in particular, is the world's oldest living religion. Its teachings have influenced mankind since earliest times. I also know that Christianity is just another product of history, no more, no less than any other religion. You mentioned that Catholism is pagan-inspired. Well, so is Protestantism. It's just not as overt. And may I add that it was created by Catholics who wished to reform their church, but eventually separated? Admittedly, it's not that different from the Catholic faith in a lot of ways. Just more simplified, more straightforward, without the familiar papal hierarchy. But it can be just as dogmatic and restrictive. Forgive me for being so bold, but your particular sect, as unusual as it may be these days, proves my point."

She paused. "And this isn't my specialty," she concluded, "but I can safely say that your views on astronomy are no less misguided."

She suddenly sat down, flustered, as if embarrassed by her speech. But her eloquence and good common sense won applause from the assembly. In their eyes, she had already won the war.

For Thaddeus, it was like being hit by sledgehammer. He was convinced that winning everyone over would be such a simple matter! Yet, no one seemed moved towards his cause in the least. He would have to resort to other measures.

But not now. He could feel swarms of demons closing in on him. They had lured him into a trap and were moving in for the kill. He had to vacate immediately and switch tactics.

"Alas!"He shouted. "The Holy Spirit of God hath not seen fit to convert thee to His bosom at present. But he shalt soon. Whether or not any of thee like it. God's might descends upon us. May he have mercy."

He stepped back from the podium, confronting Anna. "I say!" He proclaimed. "Punish! That art thine holy punishment! Alas! Alas!"

"Alas! "Alas!" Thaddeus' followers repeated!

"Amen!" They all exclaimed.

With their characteristic single-mindedness, they all swiftly exited the room. Just outside were several chairs and tables, frequently used by students relaxing or studying between classes. The men promptly dug out all the Chick tracts that remained, throwing them upon the largest table. Then they went straight back to the farmhouse.

It had begun.

[to be continued]

[Cyclonus]

[continued]

All of Wednesday night and all of Thursday was spent in fevered prayer. The familiar Bible verses and quotes were used, as they always were, but this time there was an air of desperation and urgency. A few sect members may have privately harbored doubts about the wisdom of this mission. Thaddeus had called this a “Holy Crusade,” but at least one person there had some familiarity with history, as it was properly taught at universities. If he recalled correctly, the First Crusade was the only successful one. All the others were complete failures. He did not wish to ponder the futility of the strange, tragic Children’s Crusade. But he know that expressing the slightest dissent would mean excommunication. Exile from salvation. So he remained silent save for his prayers.

But Thaddeus himself felt uneasy about his prospects. He had been convinced that a miracle was due, that God would show these students the way. Instead he was met with laugher and mockery. He still shivered at his recollection of thousands of demons and malevolent spirits, invisible, swarming upon the room. Satan’s grip upon Andover was even stronger than he ever dreamed.

Yes. Of course. This is what God wanted him to realize. That the stakes were very high indeed, and that it would take a mighty, profound burst of Godly power to sweep the demons free. Moreso than even the most pious man. At least, on his own. Alone, Thaddeus reasoned, his faith could easily take care of the minor spirits, as it had with these bats earlier. But the only way to cleanse Andover would be for God Himself to shine his light upon the town. Through Thaddeus of course. Through all his men, not just him. Very well, then.

Tomorrow, they would all march to University Square, Andover’s geographic center. Together, they would call upon God to pour his might on the heathens, and the prophecies would be fulfilled. This is what Thaddeus had originally planned to do, but he had strayed from this course of action. That was his mistake, he realized. Not tomorrow. Tomorrow would be the Day of Reckoning.

He told all this to his men. Now they were free of uncertainty. They finally knew what they must do. Their fate was now sealed.

What he did not tell them was that he planned to take Anna as his bride. By force.

The Friday dawn did not quite present itself quite as they would have liked or expected. For the most part, the sky was as gray and cloudy as it had been all week. However, the easternmost portion had opened itself up to present the rising sun. Its blood-red rays touched the entire land and the clouds themselves.

This color mixture made for an eerie scene, perhaps more oppressive than a normal overcast day. The sect members were not sure whether or not to take it as a good or bad omen, but they knew it meant something. Thaddeus simply stated that it was a warning from God to get things right this time, as well as a sign that His Glory would soon burst through the clouds. To him, this was their “Good Friday,” the day that their holy existences would finally be rewarded.

On the way to University Square, Thaddeus’ mind danced with visions of angels raining fire upon the earth, just as a child dreams of candy canes and toys on Christmas Eve night.

By the time they arrived, it was closer to noon, therefore the sun was higher up in the sky, beyond the gap in the clouds. The strange lighting effect they had seen earlier was lost, but if they hurried up and did their job right, a far more splendorous sight would soon greet them.

They did not arrive in town in a group as usual. Instead they scattered and arrived at their destination individually, so as not to attract attention. Thaddeus was well aware that their presence was more likely to be met with open hostility. In the very recent past, he would not have taken this precaution, as he was always convinced that no one would be allowed to bar their way if God was with them. However, this time, he realized that the Lord was allowing them to encounter difficulty on their Crusade, as a test of faith. Of course, nothing would stop them from accomplishing their Holy Mission in the end, but before that, any number of obstacles could make things inconvenient. Surely God would not mind if he took steps to avoid them. It was a very good use of the brain He gave him. Nonetheless prayers were uttered just in case it could possibly be construed as defiance of some sort, though no divine signal whatsoever was given.

Their immediate destination was the Andover College bookstore, right outside University Square. With their stealthy approach, no few saw them in time to issue any warning before they swarmed into the store. Needless to say the manager and cashier were taken by surprise, though they should have expected to be on the top of Thaddeus’ list of targets.

The sect members grabbed up as many textbooks as they could carry and ran out of the store, to the middle of the plaza that was the center of the Square, and of the town. Thus, the books were dumped into a pile. Thaddeus and his men lit their candles all at once, as they had done numerous times before.

A sizable crowd gathered. After what had transpired during the week, everyone was curious to catch a look at these strange men. They were arranged in a circle, and Thaddeus noted with satisfaction that they kept a respectful business. Because they feared him. They feared the Lord Jesus Christ. And to love God, you must fear him. You must cower and grovel before His awesome majesty.

He scanned the crowd. Was she here today? Yes--Anna, by divine providence, had made an appearance. Excellent. God’s plans for them were being fulfilled. Just as he had told him in countless visions. It was time for him to begin.

At his signal, Thaddeus’ men used their candles to set the pile of textbooks ablaze. He focused his own attention on the crowds, noting the looks of shock, fear, and anger on their visages. Just as it should be. It was for their own good.

He stepped forth and spoke. “I say! My friends, fear not! For your hour of liberation is at hand. We, God’s humble servants, are doing His Holy Work by destroying these filthy, Satanic tomes. For too long, these lies of liberalism, evolution, and other vile philosophies I do not care to recount have been possessing your minds. Like demons. Luring you away from Christ and into Hell. I could not allow that to happen.”

A thick smoke arose from the bonfire, swirling up above the plaza. Thaddeus knew the police or fire department would try to disrupt their activities. He must get to the point immediately, he realized.

Thaddeus stepped forth, as was his custom. He raised his arms and spoke in his sharpest, shrillest voice. “I say! In the name of the Father, of the Son, of the Holy Spirit, of the Alpha and the Omega, of all that is sacred and holy, I pray to the Lord Jesus Christ that he shall now work his miracles upon this filthy town! May it now be a fortress from which your Word spreads! May those you have chosen see the light, to become Soldiers of Christ! And may everyone else immediately be struck down!”

He took a deep breath. “And may Professor Anna Farwell assume her rightful place in this new hierarchy! May you transform her into my new Bride! She shall be a faithful, demure, and obedient woman whose only desire will be to serve her masters!”

At this, even some members of Thaddeus’ sect were taken aback. They tried very hard to suppress the shocked expressions that threatened to overcome their visages, and not quite successfully.

“Now!” Thaddeus concluded, “may God’s will be fulfilled!” He looked up and stretched his arms to the heavens. “Amen!”

His men did the same. “Amen!”

[to be continued]

[Cyclonus]

[continued]

Thaddeus was on a roll. All his past doubts were long gone. At any second now, he was convinced, the clouds would burst open, revealing the glory of Jesus Christ, descending upon the earth. He would ride upon a mighty, pure white steed, leading his finest battalion of angelic warriors. The chosen ones would fall to their knees and beg for forgiveness. Everyone else would be consumed by fire, destroyed by lightening, or be otherwise punished by whatever horrible thing God’s infinite imagination could cook up.

Then Anna would be transformed into Thaddeus’ humble, obedient bride. All for the Glory of God.

Any moment now.

Any second now.

But nothing happened. The sky remained steadily overcast. The earth did not shake up. No one was consumed by fire, nor did a soul kneel and beg for forgiveness. Instead, everyone booed and jeered.

Anna finally marched up to him. “That’s it,” she snapped. “We’ve done our best to put up with you, but this has just gone too far. The campus police are on their way to detain you,” and the state police aren’t far behind. This nonsense has to end right here, right now.”

She paused. “I can’t imagine how you could think that I could ever have feelings for someone like you. You must be the…creepiest, most repellent individual I have met in a long time.”

Then she dropped the bombshell. “I don’t even feel attracted to men. I’m a lesbian.”

Thaddeus could not immediately process this new, unexpected piece of information. Then another woman, slightly younger than Anna, stepped out of the crowd and put her arm around her waist.

“This is Marie,” Anna stated. Once our state’s marriage laws are properly liberalized, we shall exchange our vows. I do feel pity for you, since I can’t imagine you properly opening your heart to anyone of either sex. But that’s not my problem. I’ll just let you sit here and think about it before the authorities arrive.”

Then they walked away, hand in hand.

It is difficult to express to the reader how Thaddeus must have felt at this time. But we are all in agreement that this was the point where his perceptions of the universe were completely shattered. Imagine if you saw the moon suddenly drop out of the sky and plunge into the ocean like a great stone. Or suppose before doing so, it crashed into the sun and forever snuffed out its warmth. If that was indeed the case, you might feel more or less as Thaddeus did. For his part, he stood in the middle of the plaza for what felt like hours, even days.

After what seemed like forever, he finally regained his composure, giving the order for his men to scatter and immediately return home. It was painfully apparent that the Hour of Glory was not immediately at hand.

Thaddeus and his men all wandered back to the commune, in a markedly different manner from which they had departed earlier that week. Whereas they had been a single, cohesive group, acting of one mind, they were now scattered, wandering home individually, sneaking through fields and behind trees, as thieves in the night. Whereas they had marched forth in determination, they were now frightened, confused, burdened by doubt.

Being superstitious men, each and every one of them wandered through the dark woods, their fevered imaginations inflamed by each strange noise or moving shadow. They imagined that the forest was haunted by demons and countless other evil spirits. Now that their faith was shaken, they had detected the scent of spiritual death and decay. They swarmed through the trees, circling above them, much as vultures and buzzards anxiously observe the death throes of a dying, wounded animal.

In the end, though, they all made it back safely. More than a few of them suffered scratches and bruises from their tumble through the twilight gloom. One man broke his leg and had to be supported by two of his fellows for the remainder of the journey.

As soon as they arrived, the first thing they did was gather in front of the church. With a start, they realized that the door remained locked. That meant that Thaddeus had not yet returned, since he was the only one with the keys. They could have retired to their cabins, but despite everything, they still believed in the wrath of God, though they weren’t sure of his love anymore. Therefore, they decided to wait for his return. Till daybreak, if needed.

The village was now virtually pitch black. The night air was filled with the screeches, growls, and hoots of nocturnal forest animals. The sect members continued to stand in front of the church, fearful and shivering. They did not dare to move, speak, or even light their candles, lest some predator or demon take a sudden interest in such easy prey. Some of them imagined that they were already beginning a slow descent into the abyss, and that a look down would reveal the distant glow of the Lake of Fire. God was angry at them for failing their mission, though just what they did wrong no one could be sure of, and presently they were too frightened and tired to think things through.

After a time--they had no idea if it was hours or minutes--they spotted a tiny, flickering light in the distance. Everyone held his breath. It could be anything, from an angelic messenger to a crazed murderer to a demonic apparition. As the light grew closer, they finally saw Thaddeus’ face in its meager glow. The demons had not ensnared him after all.

Upon setting foot in the clearing, he did not say anything, but went directly to the churchhouse. His men instinctively stepped aside to let him unlock the door. Once gathered in the small building, they all went to their places and lit their candles, without even being told to do so.

As he had done many times before, Thaddeus stepped in front of the podium. He was no longer able to conceal his troubled expression, and that frightened his men even more. Before speaking, he paused for a full minute to regain his composure, then he took a deep breath (another uncharacteristic expression of emotion, in their view) and finally spoke.

“I say! My friends, I share your sorrow, fright, and confusion. We have utterly failed in our Crusade, having fled in shame and disgrace, like frightened, witless curs. Andover remains a fortress of evil and perversion, with its inhabitants continuing to live in sin! And we did nothing to stop Satan‘s foul doings! Indeed, the Lord Jesus Christ is angry with us! We all deserve to be immediately stricken from the face of the earth? Amen!”

“Amen!” The congregation stated in return.

“But all is not lost!” He continued.

Everyone immediately pricked up their ears.

“The fact that we have not been consumed in a rain of fire,” Thaddeus proclaimed, “is because Jesus Christ, in all his mercy and love, has chosen to spare us. It would seem that we have been given one last chance.”

His men leaned forward expectantly.

“As we all know, the day after tomorrow is Sunday. Halloween Sunday. Satan’s vile counterfeit, one of the darkest days of the year. His sorcery and deceit shall fall upon the world, as a tidal wave falls upon unsuspecting sinners on the shores. Our methods have proved inadequate to prevent him from carrying out his plans. Therefore, a much more drastic course of action is desperately required of us.”

He paused to note the effect his words had on the congregation. They were hanging on his every word, thirsting for anything that may yet lead to their spiritual enlightenment and salvation.

“On the long, dark journey back, I have offered many prayers to Christ. He has yet to give me a clear answer, but His works are mysterious, for even now fragments of what may be His solution are congealing in my mind and soul. Tomorrow morning, we shall meet at the usual time, so that he may finally give you his Word through my lips! Amen!”

“Amen!”

It was then that Thaddeus led the church in a recitation of the Lord’s Prayer and three of King David’s psalms. All dutifully participated, but instead of more prayers and sermons, as was expected, he dismissed everyone for the night.

“I need time to offer additional prayers in my sleep,” he explained upon seeing their bewildered expressions, “and if I am sufficiently persistent, the Lord will speak to me in a vision. Only then can I be sure of how we can still appease Him in our struggle against the powers of darkness. In the meantime, all I ask of you is that you pray, and humble yourselves before God to the best of your ability.”

With both hands, he gestured towards his faithful listeners. “May Jesus Christ, our Most Holy Lord, spare us this dreadful night and spare our souls. May He stay His all-powerful hand and give you poor, undeserving mortals an opportunity to satisfy his righteous anger, and find a place, however humble, in His Heavenly Kingdom. Amen!”

“Amen!”

[to be continued]

[Cyclonus]

[continued]

The sermon thus concluded, Thaddeus dismissed his men and ordered them to immediately return to their cabins. None of them were pleased with this unfortunate turn of events, but they all held faint hope that they might yet be able to reverse the situation. Despite their exhaustion, they would have been prepared to remain in the churchhouse a while longer, so that they may offer still more prayers and listen to still more sermons. Nonetheless, they were quite relieved to finally be back home in any case. Thus, they were prompt in carrying out their leader’s instructions.

Thaddeus himself remained in the building for some time after his congregation’s departure. Only then, when he had finally calmed himself, was he able to sift through the details of the day’s events. Then the day before that, and so forth, till his memory was stretched to the preceding Sunday. He even jumped back the day before, just to be on the safe side.

If there was any one thing that could have evoked God to turn His back on them, he could not recall. He had wondered if it was a mistake to go to the classroom instead of immediately calling upon God the previous night, but that was probably not the case. As he recollected, the Lord had given him considerable leeway to choose upon a method for his Crusades in Andover, as long as it ended with sinners being destroyed and converts being enlightened. Backing down from destroying the theater was not an issue, as the Holy Spirit Himself had spoken to his heart and commanded him to turn away. It must have been something too subtle to immediately identify. He would have to rely on the divine vision he was due to receive tonight.

While he was pondering this, he remained in front of the podium, from whence he had not budged since the sermon. The only source of light in the church was his candle, resting upon a wicker attached to the front of said podium. Thaddeus gradually became aware of the deep, dark shadows that enclosed the entire church save for the immediate vicinity.

He imagined movement in the shadows. Demonic creatures lurking in the corners, on the ceiling, in the pews.

Thaddeus shivered and decided to take refuge in his office, directly behind the podium. As he approached the door, he imagined that demons fled his path as the way was lit with a candle. Meaning they had been waiting to ambush him all this time. Which also meant that even now they were gathered behind his back, moving in for the kill.

He hastily unlocked the door and stepped in without looking back, silently giving thanks for the small favor of being permitted not to drop his keys. Once he was safe, his first act was to light the much larger candle atop his crude desk, which was probably the closest thing this village had to a modern piece of furniture.

Thaddeus’ office made up the entire rear portion of the church house. Its tall, narrow confines were dominated by bookshelves, filled with numerous copies of the King James Bible, as well as various other “heretical” editions that he retained for study. There were numerous hymnals, books of sermons, of religious writings, and other things of that nature. It goes without saying that there were at least a few boxes of Chick tracts stashed away somewhere.

The only natural source of light in the daytime was a small, narrow window just below the ceiling, which necessitated the use of the aforementioned candle no matter how bright it was outside. At night it could feel like a tomb. Which it very may well become if he was indeed besieged by Satan’s minions. They were directly outside his door, he was certain.

He sat down in front of his candle, taking several minutes to clear his mind, staring directly into its soothing flame. Once he felt relaxed enough, he decided to chance a return to his cabin. His faith could protect him.

Exercising great caution, he opened the door with the psalms of David upon his lips. He half-expected to see the loathsome physical manifestation of a hellish demon, complete with glistening fangs and glowing red eyes. And he would have completely deserved it. He would have acknowledge divine justice even whilst being torn asunder. He was relived to find nothing once he opened the door.

But there were still shadowy, demonic presences lurking in the church, though they seemed fainter and more ill-defined. The only thing to do was make a beeline for the cabin. He locked his office door and swiftly moved down the aisle, small candle in hand. Then he locked up the building and rushed to his cabin, as fast as he dared without risking the candle extinguishing itself.

The villiage was so dark that a thousand demons could be standing around without him knowing it. He kept whispering “shoo, demon!” till he was safely in his home, door securely locked.

Never was he more relieved that his cabin was closer to the doors of the church that anyone else’s.

In a moment, he was under the thin, scratchy covers of his hard, lumpy bed. His candle burned atop the table, and so it would remain all night. The demons could still slip in the house, so he did not want to take chances. Though it suddenly dawned on him that no one else’s cabin had a lit candle, that he could see. But was he not more important that anyone else? Would angry, hostile demons not make him a priority as a target?

Thus, he remained so all night.

It was now past midnight. Thaddeus, exhausted, finally began to doze off. Then he fancied a faint noise just beyond the bare walls of his dwelling. Was it his imagination, or had the demons returned for another round?

The sound repeated itself, much louder. No, it was genuine. He lay there still, pricking his ears in an attempt to determine its most likely source. He wanted to think it was one of his own men, but they were strictly forbidden from venturing outside. If it had been an emergency he would have already heard them knocking on the door. Perhaps it was some prowler, but that was highly unlikely in this place, at this time of night. Though on occasion they had to deal with intruders in their forests. That they did well enough, he thought grimly.

But Thaddeus had to come to terms with the fact that this particular intruder was most likely a demon.

There was the sound again, the small but distinct noise of hooves. Much too quiet for a horse, but certainly loud enough for something human-sized.

Perhaps…Satan himself.

Thaddeus just about lost it there. He almost rushed out the door in hopes that screaming God’s rebukes at the Dark One would drive him off. More likely he would be impaled with a pitchfork on the spot.

So, he quietly slipped out of bed and crawled over to the table upon which his candle rested. With the wick nearly burned down to its tallow, the tiny flame flickered, as if it struggling against its impending end. Like some sort of dying animal.

Dying…that was the first thing on Thaddeus’ mind. He hope that he would meet his doom with relative dignity, if it came down to that. Not wishing to dwell on this, he promptly blew out the candle and crept towards the window.

For several minutes he could see nothing, so dark it was. Gradually, he was able to make out hazy, indistinct shapes. Even in a place such as this, there was usually a bit of stray light. The hoofbeats stopped for a few minutes. Thaddeus futilely hoped that it had gone away, but he soon heard it again.

Then…his heart stopped as his eye was caught by movement. A small creature was indeed lurking between the cabins of this commune. Satan had finally made his incursion upon this sanctuary of True Believers.

The shape stopped. He imagined that it was staring directly at him. In his eyes. Through the window.

Then it sped out of sight as fast as it came. The hoofbeats continued…

Thaddeus just jumped in bed and wrapped himself in the covers, as a frightened little child would. That cursed sound continued to torment him.

Gradually, they grew fainter and fainter until they disappeared entirely. He waited for a time, expecting them to return as suddenly as they did before. After a while, he was finally satisfied that there was no immediate danger of such a thing.

He fell asleep fast.

[to be continued]

[Cyclonus]

[continued]

At promptly seven in the morning, Thaddeus addressed his legions in the church house. He announced that God had indeed sent him a vision. “The Most Holy Lord hath commanded me to venture forth in His sacred forest to capture a beast. We shalt then proceed to offer Him a blood sacrifice, as it was done in the glory days of the Old Testament. Only then can we be forgiven for our transgressions. If the Holy blood of Jesus Christ, who was all man as well as all God, could cover the sins of the world, then surely another flesh and blood creature will be adequate for our purposes.”

Someone asked him exactly what kind of animal they were looking for. Thaddeus’ reply was that God told him he would recognize it when the time came. After the usual prayers and such, they immediately made preparations for their journey. Thaddeus choose ten men, besides himself, to accompany him in his search for a suitable animal. He told the others to prepare the sacrificial alter and wait there. The hunt began shortly before nine o’ clock.

Thaddeus could have not chosen a more suitable location upon which to establish his commune. It was set in the dead center of a forest that was so dark and foreboding that very few individuals, even avid hikers, ever cared to venture. But the sect members believed that God himself had prepared the forest specifically for their use. Every now and then, their members would embark on a stroll through its deep shadows, enjoying the surroundings as a normal man enjoys taking in the sights upon the most beautiful beaches in California or Europe. It was the closest thing to recreation that they would allow.

Therefore, this posse walked beneath the thick leaves in relatively good spirits. That is to say, they no longer felt that God was liable to smite them on a whim. For a time, they passed through all the familiar parts of the forest, as each of them had done several times before. As they walked on, though, the ground became even more rocky and uneven. The trees, though they were normally thick and gnarled in this corner of the world, were now downright twisted and ugly. A good many of them were petrified or rotting from the inside out.

Very few animals inhabited this area, and the sect members themselves typically avoided it, except when it suited their purposes. They were now on the far side of the woods, directly opposite from where they had originally traversed on the way to Andover. On its furthest edge, it was bordered by a short but very steep cliff, virtually unconquered by any living creature without the power of flight.

It was well known by Thaddeus and his cronies, and even by some in the outside world, that this part of the woods was haunted all year round. Goblins and spiteful little elves lived in the tree trunks, they were certain. They resolved to find an animal in the greatest of haste, for they did not wish to be trapped here after nightfall.

But beasts were few and far between here. If they were to capture any that were suitable for their purposes, it would be provided by God himself. Presently they came to a small clearing, providing a respite from having to stumble through the many branches and other obstacles that otherwise threatened to bar their passage. Thaddeus then commanded that they would sit and rest for a time, until God delivered the creature into their hands. Perhaps it would even turn out to be a unicorn. Did the Bible not make mention of them, despite the ignorant denials of deluded secular scientists?

Exactly how long they waited is not certain, but it was long enough for them to begin worrying about the coming of night. With the time and effort it would take to carry a dead animal back, they might yet find themselves at the mercy of the dark forces in this barren wilderness. They knew of a place that was so dark and dense that none of them had ever dared to penetrate its boundaries. It was almost certainly the home of a forest witch, Satan’s main ally in this part of the world. Chances are she had a hand in all of this, but they did not wish to confront her directly. A Godly sacrifice, in the best traditions of Moses, Abraham, and Isaac, was one of the surest weapons in this ghastly spiritual war.

Therefore, they sat and waited. If they had to pass the night here, God would protect them, for He would not lure them in the woods only to meet their deaths.

Sure enough, the silence was soon interrupted by a noise. A chill ran through Thaddeus’ blood as he recognized the sound of hooves. This was the same creature he had encountered last night, no question about it.

The creature came closer and closer. Soon it would be apparent whether or not this was one of the Devil’s. Perhaps he was making a mad rush to attack his enemies now.

Suddenly, it burst through the branches and stumbled into the clearing. The men all jumped up, but they saw that it was no demon, but a perfectly ordinary deer.

They were secretly disappointed. They wouldn’t have minded having a chance to fight Satan.

Nonetheless, it was clear to them that God had given them this animal for their sacrifice. It was an old buck passing through the twilight of its existence. Its hind leg bad been wounded, for the frightened animal limped badly. Despite this, there was a shadow of grace and nobility that remained in this once-proud creature. There was no difficulty in imagining how magnificent it must have been during its prime. But that was so long ago. Now it belonged to God.

Thaddeus and his men were soon lugging the carcass homeward. The buck had thrashed about madly, putting up a relatively good struggle, but it was no match for nearly a dozen healthy men with large stones.

The entire forest was sacred and holy, even this troubled portion. For God, in his wonder and glory, had shown these men how they might use it. This issue had troubled them for a while, until a freelance reporter had stumbled in, daring to question their presence there.

A good journalist will risk his life for a newsworthy story, he had said, and so he paid the consequences of his actions. Therefore they had hanged him from a tall tree and left his body there. Thaddeus recalled that they had carried out God’s justice very close to where they walked even now.

Indeed, they shortly came across what was left of him, still hanging from the tree. The thick leaves of the forest had banished the rain and moisture from its domains below, so the mummified corpse was reasonably well preserved. As Thaddeus led the way for his party, he glanced at its hollow, eyeless sockets and at its eternal grin. He knew that his tormented spirit would be cursed to wander these trees till Doomsday, where Jesus Christ would finally throw him into the Lake of Fire--after declaring that Thaddeus had done the right thing by justly executing the fellow.

A bit further on, he recognized a grove of trees just to his right. In its depths a second intruder lay in a shallow grave. After that there was a third intruder put to death, his execution being the most satisfying to carry out.

Not long after that, they reached the more familiar, less foreboding parts of the forest. Thaddeus abrupty made a left turn and marched his people towards the sacrifical grounds.

Just under half a mile away from Thaddeus’ commune, towards the dark side of the woods, was a deep riverbed that had long since dried up. It was hidden from prying eyes by a thick grove of bushes and trees that cut it off from the rest of the area, save for one narrow pathway that had been cut through. Almost no one ever came to this forest in any case, so they did not fear discovery, though perhaps they should have.

Thaddeus and his party brought the deer carcass down to the barren, stony riverbed. This was no easy task, since on top of dragging it through the bushes they had to get it down the steep slope without allowing it to touch the ground, thereby defiling it in God’s presence.

They had established this place for use in emergencies, when they believed themselves to be under some grave spiritual danger, or if they were convinced that God demanded a sacrifice. They were fully aware that such a thing was uncommon since the days of the New Testament and beyond, but just because the Lord established a covenant with mankind did not mean he was any less angry and vengeful since more ancient times. Jesus just prevented us from seeing much of that side of him these days, but the Father still saw fit to strike mortals with some plague or natural disaster whenever He was especially angry. Most did not recognize them as divine acts, but that is what they were nonetheless, Thaddeus was convinced. Therefore, he concluded, it was good common sense to sacrifice the occasional animal just to calm Him down. And it wasn’t bad for old times’ sake, either.

[to be continued]

[Cyclonus]

[continued]

Now that the carcass was safely down, it was an simple matter to place it on the sacrificial alter. Before it was burned, numerous prayers need to be recited, so the sect members gathered round said alter. It had been used before, though rarely. Around it, the stones were covered in dark, bloody stains. Directly underneath it were the charred bones of previous animals that had been roasted in this spot.

Among them were the remains of a man who had done nothing more apart from choosing the wrong place to wander in. They all hoped that more would be forthcoming in the near future.

Soon, the beast was lit aflame. In earlier times, God would have demanded a live sacrifice, but these days He was just happy to get fresh meat whenever someone went to the trouble of offering some. And so it was done. Smoke drifted up, but was prevented from escaping the confines of the forest by its thick bough of leaves. Therefore, a little cloud settled over the sacrificial area, where Thaddeus and his men had covered their faces with charcoal and fell upon the ground, wailing.

Their voices echoed throughout the woods in an eerie manner, not that there was anyone to hear them. No one alive, at any rate.

Thaddeus and his followers remained there, prostate upon the stony, blood-stained ground, until the dead of night. No great revelation from God came. His angels did not descend from the Heavens to carry them into Glory. Nor was Satan stricken down, it was certain. Some had passed out from stress, exhaustion, and smoke inhalation, but none had anything but troubled, murky visions in their dreams.

Reluctantly, Thaddeus ordered them to proceed back. This proved fairly inconvenient, given that at least one person had previously suffered a broken leg. They silently trudged ahead in the inky darkness, their candles betraying openly pained expressions. An air of melancholy and quiet desperation was upon all of them.

When they reached the village, no one really had the heart to step in church for once. They did not object when Thaddeus told them to go back to their cabins, wash up, and go straight to bed. Even when they were informed that church services would be postponed till at least mid-afternoon, nothing was said beyond a few hushed whispers.

Soon, Thaddeus alone remained standing in the middle of the dark village. He headed straight for his office in the church house. Walking down the isle, he still imagined that demons lurked in the shadows, but they were fewer in number, and those that remained were only faintly interested in him. He imagined that as he stared at them, they would yawn and stretch, like these other demonic creatures, also known as housecats.

In a moment he was hunched at his desk, candle extinguished. Sitting in the darkness, he felt a level of despair and emptiness that had once been completely alien to him. Truly, God had abandoned them. God the Father was not even interested enough in them to be angry. God the Son (Jesus Christ) no longer considered them worthy of salvation and love. God the Holy Spirit certainly couldn’t be bothered with helping them gain converts.

Thaddeus just broke down, right there and then. He sobbed as desperate, anguished prayers went heedless by a distant, uncaring God.

How long he sat in the darkness, he did not know. Time had lost all meaning. But he gradually became aware of a distant point of light, far across an endless abyss. It could only be God himself, reposing upon His Heavenly throne. Thaddeus immediately ran towards the light, but it only receded even further from him. Then it blinked out like a light bulb.

Thaddeus was now utterly alone in an infinite void. He was very cold all of a sudden. Then there was an evil smell. Raspy, unpleasant voices could be heard somewhere below him, certainly closer than God was now. Then, he looked down. Several pairs of red, glowing eyes appeared, distant, but gradually approaching.

Thaddeus let out a flood of tears. All hope had now completely abandoned him. Then he felt the familiar texture of wood under his face and hands. His desk. He realized he had dozed off without realizing it. The next thing he knew though, was that his tears were real.

His watch revealed that it was now four in the morning. The outdoors were still dark, but he had not too long to wait before the glow of dawn struck the eastern horizon. Before he knew it, night would once again fall upon them.

Halloween night. Creeping ever closer, like some loathsome, venomous insect.

He realized that there was a fair chance that Satan would choose that time to descend upon Thaddeus and his followers. Despite their current spiritual status, the Dark Prince surely had not forgotten how strong they once were with his nemesis, the King of Kings, the Lord Jesus Christ. There was certainly the threat of them once again having the Holy Spirit with them, a possibility that he could not tolerate. Therefore, the Devil would attack them and drag them into Hell, just to be on the safe side.

Perhaps he should have been encouraged at even the remote chance of once again finding favor with God. But by then he was too far gone. Before that would be allowed to happen, the ground would be torn asunder under Thaddeus’ feet, and he, his men, and the entire forest, would take a spectacular dive into the Lake of Fire. And God would not care then. He had more important things to worry about than a handful of sad, pathetic little men wailing to the sky.

Suddenly, it was clear that only one option remained open to them. Normally, he would have made a full announcement to his men, and they would have followed through, no matter how insane his ideas would seem to most people. But in this case, he was not fully confident they would not rebel against him at this point. Then the group would break up, and Satan’s victory against them would be permanently sealed.

He must act at once, before anybody had a chance to stop him.

Lighting his candle, he opened a small hatch in the floor. Rarely used, it revealed a ladder that led to a tiny cellar. A whiff of musty air met his nostrils as he descended, as no one had stepped into it since the day the church was first built. Its very existence was based upon an emergency contingency plan, only to be used as an extreme last resort. So confident was he afterwards, though, that its existence had been all but forgotten. Yet, this was where it had come to.

So it was written, so it would be done.

In a few moments, he had bought the contents of the cellar out of the church and onto village grounds.

They consisted of a large container of gasoline and a box of matches. The sturdy, wooden kind, not the cheap cardboard type.

Thaddeus opened the container of gasoline. Catching its scent up close was very strange to him to say the least, since he had not used any in many, many years. So unfamiliar as the smell to him at this point that he nearly fainted. But he pressed on. Soon, its contents enveloped every surface in the village, on the cabins, upon the ground, and especially on and in the church house.

All of it was to be one great, glorious sacrifice to God. Thaddeus’ steps quickened as he realized that very soon, he and his men would now be worshiping Jesus Christ at His precious feet.

The stench of gasoline nearly overpowered him now. He had to breathe through his mouth, and even then he threatened to collapse.

It must be done immediately, he decided. The question was whether he would burn here, or in the fires of Hell. He knew that only one of these would be pleasing to God.

He lit a match and threw it against the walls of the church house. That, perhaps, was a sacrifice even more important than anyone there. Maybe even himself, though that was somewhat of a stretch.

In a moment, the entire village was a sea of flames. Perhaps someone might be wakened by the crackling of timber as the cabins were consumed. He might even try to escape. But that was impossible. Thaddeus had spread the gasoline so that would be the case. He had made certain of that.

Thaddeus himself collapsed in seconds, consciousness slipping away as the flames engulfed him.

Surely God was smiling upon him even now…

He saw nothing but darkness. Though he called out for his men, only silence greeted him in return.

But surely, they were even now ascending to Heaven? Would the Light not burst upon them at any second?

He realized with horror that he was falling. Sinking?

An eerie glow met his eyes as the Lake of Fire became visible below.

He fell into it with alarming speed, and continued to do so, till he reached the bottom, many miles down.

Spasms of pain wracked his body one final time before everything suddenly winked out into darkness once more.

This darkness was absolute in its purity. More so than a moonless, starless night. Even more so than the darkness he had witnessed in his other dreams.

This was not possible. If he had indeed descended in to the fires of Hell, then there he should remain, throughout eternity till the end of time. It could not be a dream, because he should be dead by now. Surely no one could have known what he was doing in time to call for help.

The only logical conclusion was that he was indeed dead, but his spirit was heading towards a fate that was as yet unknown.

That meant there was no heaven or hell as he knew it. All that he had believed was utterly false.

He would almost have preferred being in hell to dealing with the idea that he was wrong about his faith. At least it would have been familiar.

But whatever the truth was, he would know soon enough. And it may not be much more pleasant to deal with.

Thaddeus Ezekiel Dickerson waited anxiously for the next revelation that lay around the corner. If indeed such a thing was ever forthcoming.

The End?

[concluded]

[mindkiss69]

Whooah that's pretty long, I'm going to have to check this out when I have the time.

[Cyclonus]

It's been quite awhile since I posted this. I thought at least a few people would have read this thing by now.

[adamjohnson]

You mean creepy BOOK.

[Cyclonus]

Originally posted by adamjohnson
You mean creepy BOOK.

It was only like 30-odd pages long when I originally wrote it. Hardly a full novel. But if you don't want to read the whole thing at once, the first one or two postings should give you an idea of what I'm trying to do here.