0:03

On the drive home for Spring Break, the very

0:05

first thing I saw of my town was an enormous

0:08

and many-spired church.

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0:53

There had not been there before. I

0:55

did a double take and drove by on my way

0:57

in. Each spire was formed

0:59

of six separate bands of crimson metal

1:02

spiraling upward in a motionless pirouette

1:05

that crested in a wicked point, slicing

1:07

the air sharply enough that little trails

1:09

of clouded moisture could be seen racing

1:12

from their trips in the humid Northern Carolina

1:14

afternoon.

1:15

The six spires along the front of

1:17

the otherwise bone-white church were

1:20

higher on the sides and lower in the middle,

1:22

forming the impression in my sight of

1:24

the bottom row of some set of horrible

1:27

demonic teeth.

1:28

Only the sheer mundanity of the surrounding

1:31

environment kept me from immediately labeling

1:33

the place as evil. Over

1:35

there was a wooded enclosure for dumpsters.

1:38

Nearer was a wide parking lot with a scattered

1:41

assortment of run-down, decade-old cars

1:43

typical of my small town, and

1:46

directly in front of my car, as I sat

1:48

staring at a garish, child-made sign

1:51

for a coming bake sale, I shuddered,

1:53

and decided I would never buy cookies

1:55

from such a horrifyingly poor choice

1:58

of architecture.

1:59

Well, unless they were really cheap

2:01

or unless they had the rare pistachio

2:03

flavor I loved. It was

2:06

just a building, I told myself.

2:08

Feeling strangely threatened, the next thing

2:10

I saw after I shifted into drive and

2:13

continued on was a raised axe chopping

2:15

down on something behind an approaching

2:17

row of bushes.

2:19

Watching intently as the green

2:21

angled past, I sighed with relief

2:23

and waved at old man Kern.

2:25

He smiled and waved back before continuing

2:28

to chop wood. A small pile

2:30

of split logs had already built up alongside

2:32

the house, and he threw another piece

2:35

on top as I turned and lost sight of him.

2:38

Numerous children were playing in the yards on my street.

2:41

I slowed to make sure I didn't accidentally

2:43

hit any as they ran this way and that,

2:46

throwing balls or screaming.

2:48

One was sitting on her porch looking downcast,

2:51

and I watched her as I passed. She

2:53

did not move. Frowning, I

2:55

pulled into the driveway of my home and got

2:57

out to begin grabbing my stuff from the trunk. Well,

3:01

what could I do? I carried my

3:03

backpack and duffel bag inside while bracing

3:06

against the inevitable family rush. But

3:09

it never came.

3:10

Wandering through the house in a daze

3:12

of remembrance and happiness at being

3:14

home after so long spent a college,

3:17

I smiled as I found my mom in the kitchen.

3:20

Hey, I'm back! That's great,"

3:22

she replied, her tone genuinely warm.

3:25

I'm making a pie. I'll be done in just a minute.

3:28

She kept her eyes on her work.

3:29

I watched her full dough with flower-covered

3:32

hands for a moment, surprised. My

3:34

mom had always been a rather hardcore

3:36

anti-traditionalist.

3:38

When did you start making pies? Well,

3:40

a lot of things have changed since you've left me with an

3:42

empty nest. She teased, still

3:45

focused on the crust she was making. I've

3:47

had to pick up hobbies to fill the time. Claire

3:49

doesn't keep you busy? I joked right back. She

3:52

didn't answer.

3:54

Moving on through the house, I called out from

3:56

my younger sister, but no reply

3:58

came. setting up stage. I

4:00

dropped my stuff off in my room, sat

4:02

on my old bed, gazed around

4:04

at all the stuff I'd partially forgotten about,

4:07

and generally took in a refresher of my

4:09

old life.

4:10

Nothing in this room had changed a single bit,

4:13

and it felt good to know that not everything

4:15

was constantly in transition.

4:17

Classes, friends, dorm rooms,

4:20

it all changed regularly, and even

4:22

that pattern would shift when I graduated.

4:25

Everything was solid, nothing felt real.

4:28

Nothing except this unchanging room.

4:31

Even my sister would be different.

4:33

I hadn't been able to make it home for winter break,

4:36

so she would be half a year older by now and

4:39

at that age half a year was an eternity.

4:42

Getting up and heading down the hall with a smile,

4:44

I carefully tapped on her door.

4:46

There was no response.

4:48

Claire, I'm coming in.

4:50

I called carefully. After another few

4:52

beats, I pushed open the door and gagged.

4:55

The smell was horrible. Her room

4:57

was cluttered nearly beyond recognition.

5:00

Food wrappers littered the floor like a thick carpet

5:03

of leaves in a forest. The stacked

5:05

piles of dirty clothing filled the corners

5:07

in far greater amounts than she ever had owned.

5:10

A few flies batted bodily at the window,

5:13

and I picked my way across the uneven

5:15

floor and opened it to let the fresh air

5:17

in.

5:18

What the hell was this?

5:20

There was no way my mom didn't know about this.

5:23

When I'd mentioned Claire's name, she

5:25

hadn't responded.

5:27

Were they having some sort of bitter teenage

5:29

parent conflict?

5:30

Rooting through the garbage, I found

5:32

my sister's well-worn diary.

5:35

Apologizing under my breath, I opened

5:37

it and leafed through it.

5:39

Summer, normal entries.

5:41

Fall, normal entries. In

5:44

October, the writing turned heavier.

5:47

as if she was riding angrily. The

5:49

entries turned to talk of conflicts with

5:52

our mom, as I'd expected, but

5:54

one strange line caught me off guard. to

5:57

call Nathan, but mom took away my

5:59

fu- I swallowed unhappily.

6:02

That wasn't at all how our family usually operated.

6:06

Had my sister been suffering for months without

6:08

being able to contact me?

6:10

The last entries devolved into huge

6:12

angry script. Single sentences

6:15

took whole pages. I

6:17

hate her. I hate her. I

6:19

hate her.

6:21

But that had been three months ago on the

6:23

entry marked December 25th.

6:25

No more writing followed for nearly

6:27

the whole diary. The very

6:29

last page seemed to have something written on

6:31

the back, but it had been stuck to

6:33

the binding by small brown splatters

6:36

that I assumed were coffee stains.

6:38

I tugged at the paper a bit before deciding

6:40

not to mess with it, better not to leave

6:42

evidence that I'd read her diary.

6:44

Dropping the book, I headed downstairs

6:47

and stood with my arms crossed, watching

6:49

my mother working on a second pie crust.

6:52

Is something wrong between you and Claire? She

6:54

didn't respond. I took in a deep

6:56

breath. If you don't want to talk about it,

6:58

that's fine, but at least tell me where she is."

7:01

She just kept pulling and tugging the flattened

7:04

dough.

7:05

I was beginning to feel strange about this.

7:08

Seriously, where's Claire, mom? When

7:10

she continued to say nothing, I grabbed her arm.

7:13

At that, she finally turned and looked at me with

7:16

flaring anger. You mind your own

7:18

business, Nathan. I'm just trying

7:20

to hold this family together the best I know how

7:22

and right now I am making a goddamn

7:25

pie.

7:26

We'd never sworn at me before.

7:28

I pulled back in confusion. Things

7:30

have not been good with you gone. She

7:33

continued, turning back to the crust. Her

7:35

tone became almost sweet. I

7:37

know I'm not in the best mood right now. When

7:40

we go to church tomorrow, we can talk, all

7:42

right? Okay.

7:45

I backed away then and headed for the front

7:47

door.

7:48

We'd never gone to church before.

7:50

What had caused her to start going now? The

7:53

thought of my mother entering that bone-white

7:55

church with its teeth of red spires

7:58

made me sugar. I

8:00

wanted to find Claire, but that same

8:02

girl was sitting on her porch staring at the ground.

8:05

Cutting through the chaotic swarms of playing kids,

8:08

I approached cautiously.

8:10

She was a long-time neighbor, but she'd

8:12

been little last time we'd seen each other, and

8:14

I wasn't sure if she remembered me.

8:16

Hey, Madison, you alright?

8:18

She looked up in wonder from behind unkempt

8:21

brown hair. You mean,

8:23

me? Making a show of looking around,

8:25

I said, who else is there? Jumping

8:28

up onto her sneaker-clad feet, she grabbed

8:30

my wrist. Do you have any food? It

8:32

was pure instinct. I pulled back my hand.

8:35

Food? What?

8:37

I shook my head.

8:38

Uh, hold on. Leading

8:40

her back up her own porch, I knocked

8:42

on her front door.

8:44

After not getting an answer, I slowly

8:46

inched my way in while looking around. I

8:49

recognized the bald head in the living room. Approaching

8:52

the big soft chair with the girl in tow,

8:55

I coughed.

8:56

father continued watching television but

8:58

asked, What was that?

9:00

Um, it's Nathan, sir. Your next door

9:03

neighbor. Stepping closer, I moved

9:05

into his sight. He tilted his

9:07

head to look past me. Uh,

9:09

nice to see you, boy. Get out of the way,

9:11

though. Kindly. I

9:13

don't know if this is my place, I said

9:16

nervously. He was known to be a gruff

9:18

man and very direct about his views on

9:20

raising his children. But I

9:22

think your daughter's hungry.

9:24

He didn't respond.

9:25

Did you hear me?"

9:27

He said nothing.

9:28

I reached forward and poked his shoulder next

9:31

to the yellow stains in his A-shirt.

9:33

He snapped his head to look at me and growled.

9:36

Screw off! I'm busy! His

9:38

attention turned back to the television just

9:40

as quickly. Shaken, but unwilling

9:42

to leave the little girl hungry,

9:44

I led her into the kitchen while constantly checking

9:47

to see if her father was getting up.

9:49

At no point did he even so much as glance

9:51

at us.

9:52

The cupboards were empty of immediately edible

9:54

food, but there were still substantial

9:57

stores of goods that could be cooked

9:59

with amateur ha-

10:00

I got stuff out and made a meal, making

10:02

sure to show her how to do it herself in

10:04

case her father continued to neglect her.

10:07

She listened intently through each step of

10:09

the process, taking in every detail.

10:12

Once it was done, she began wolfing down

10:14

the food like she was starving.

10:16

Sitting awkwardly at her kitchen table while her

10:19

father continued to ignore us, I asked,

10:21

have you seen my sister, Claire?

10:24

Mouth full, she gave an exaggerated

10:26

nod. Where at?" After

10:28

taking a big swallow, she told me. "'The

10:30

school? That's where all the big kids

10:33

go.'" On a Saturday?

10:35

She didn't seem to understand the question. "'Well,

10:38

find me next door if you need any help, okay?'"

10:41

Her nod this time was small and utterly

10:43

relieved.

10:44

I still felt the urge to stay, but

10:47

the need to make sure my sister was safe

10:49

was stronger.

10:50

With a pain sigh, I headed back out

10:52

into the afternoon heat,

10:54

but the swarms of children were all gone. The

10:57

neighborhood was deathly silent, no

10:59

buzzing mosquitoes, no birds, no

11:01

lawn mowers.

11:03

The symphony of a normal Carolina

11:05

afternoon had abruptly ended while I had

11:07

been inside. As I stood

11:09

looking around in tense confusion, I

11:12

sighted a small boy hiding in a deep

11:14

bush staring at me in fear.

11:16

Before I could ask him what was going on, I

11:19

heard a footfall. But this was

11:21

no normal footfall.

11:23

I was outside on a hot and humid summer

11:25

day, near a wide lane flanked

11:27

by houses, yet the echo was that

11:30

of a formal shoe hitting polished marble

11:32

between high pillars in some vast cathedral-like

11:35

space.

11:36

The slow and measured step and

11:39

their following echoes seemed to be coming from

11:41

down the street.

11:42

I began to see something moving past

11:44

the bushes and trees.

11:46

To my right, the hiding child gestured

11:48

frantically.

11:50

Wary, I moved out to the sidewalk

11:52

where I could see a distant figure walking

11:54

down the center of the street.

11:56

Whoever it was, they looked to be wearing

11:58

white robes with a- red

12:00

hood that obscured their face.

12:02

Behind me, the boy in the bushes began

12:04

sobbing, and I had the sudden instinct

12:07

that he was not afraid for himself, but

12:09

for me. Looking up, I

12:11

sighted a horrified teenage girl hiding

12:14

in the thickest parts of a nearby tree.

12:17

Her eyes shifted rapidly from me to

12:19

the approaching, robed figure and back,

12:21

and she repeatedly tilted her head forcefully

12:24

away from the stranger as I stared at her. All

12:27

right, I could take a hint.

12:29

Full of apprehension, but not sure

12:31

why, I began to run.

12:33

If the robed figure had spotted me, it

12:35

gave no indication. Its

12:37

eerily echoing footfalls continued

12:40

at the same measured pace as I fled

12:42

down the other end of the block, heading for the school.

12:45

Distance did not dim the sound of the hard shoes

12:48

slapping on marble. One block

12:50

away, then two, then three,

12:53

I still heard it as if it was right on top of

12:55

me. And still, as if we were

12:57

in a temple-like space together. Only

13:00

when I reached the chain-link fence surrounding

13:02

the school's football field did it stop.

13:04

And even then the cessation was completely

13:07

abrupt.

13:08

The last footfall echoed in my ears,

13:10

with the sibillion undertone of a toothed

13:13

and confident grin unseen behind

13:15

a red hood.

13:17

I didn't wait or look behind.

13:19

I ran for the gymnasium. Bursting

13:22

within, I ducked as a basketball arced from

13:24

my head. I tumbled on the

13:26

smooth floor and held up my arms as a

13:28

figure rushed at me. A

13:30

female voice shouted. It was familiar,

13:33

but older somehow.

13:34

Clamoring up, I stared

13:37

around at the population of what might have been

13:39

a school dance in another set of circumstances.

13:42

Half a high school of kids, all

13:44

along the range of teen years, stood watching

13:47

me in return.

13:48

Sleeping bags and low cloth barriers

13:50

had been erected in some sort of refugee

13:53

camp,

13:53

and massive stockpiles of supplies

13:56

lined the back walls underneath our school's

13:58

sports victory banners.

14:00

From near these stacks came

14:02

my sister, thinner yet fuller

14:04

a face somehow. She

14:06

hugged me tightly and a surge of pent-up

14:09

worry flooded through me. Claire,

14:11

what the hell is going on here?

14:13

She asked desperately. Did

14:15

you bring rescue? Rescue. I shook

14:17

my head and gazed at the dirty and distressed faces

14:20

beyond hers.

14:21

Rescue from what? An older

14:23

boy stepped forward. So

14:25

nobody knows what's happening here? No. all

14:29

deadly serious.

14:30

Claire let go of me and turned to the others.

14:33

She spoke loudly so that everyone could hear

14:35

her. Then

14:36

that means the rest of the world is safe.

14:39

We should make a run for it. She

14:41

shivered mightily with hope as she turned back

14:43

to me with wide eyes. Do you have your

14:45

car? What had happened here? To my

14:47

family in this town. Claire

14:50

you have to tell me what's happening. I

14:52

just got here and I don't understand. He

14:55

looked to the older boy who had spoken, and

14:57

he grabbed me by the arm and led me roughly

14:59

towards the doors back to the football field.

15:02

Cracking open one, he pointed.

15:04

''That happened.''

15:06

A sourceless, chill breath rolled

15:08

across the back of my neck as I spotted

15:11

the white-robed, red-hooded figure

15:13

standing on the other side of a chain-link fence

15:15

watching us.

15:17

It made no move to enter, yet

15:19

did not retreat. ''Who is

15:21

that? More like what?'' The

15:23

boy shook his head. He was the priest

15:26

at the new church. Nobody sure what it

15:28

was built. Sometime near the start

15:30

of the school year it was just there, but

15:32

a lot smaller than it is now. Only

15:35

a few people were going? I asked,

15:37

staring at the distant figure with horror. Well,

15:40

yes, but that's not what I meant. The

15:43

church itself was smaller then. Finally

15:45

breaking my gaze away, I studied his

15:47

face for sincerity. What? Is

15:50

it being added to? What is the construction

15:52

equipment?

15:53

He just shook his head and backed away.

15:56

Claire rushed close and pulled at my pockets.

15:59

cell phone She got it out of my

16:01

pocket and frantically tapped at it before handing

16:03

it to me. Open it! We have to call someone!

16:06

Unlocking it, I gave it back, and she frantically

16:08

began dialing. She paced the gymnasium,

16:11

while the large number of other students watched

16:13

her hopefully.

16:14

It seemed each of them had their own corner

16:17

among the sleeping bags and short cloth cubicles,

16:20

and they had all become very used to remaining in

16:22

place. Peering back outside

16:24

at the roped figure, I asked the older

16:26

boy,

16:27

What does he want? if we

16:29

know, but any kid he captures

16:32

never seen again." He responded, holding

16:34

his hand forward. I'm Marcus. Gripping

16:37

his hand, I told him, It's good

16:39

to meet you, Marcus. I don't know

16:41

what's going on here, but we're going to put

16:43

a stop to this.

16:44

He pursed his lips, but said nothing.

16:47

On the other side of the gymnasium, Claire

16:49

began sobbing. Leaving the door to

16:51

jog to her, I accepted both her sudden

16:54

intense hug and the phone.

16:56

it to my ear while she remained wrapped

16:58

around my midsection, I listened. There

17:01

was a strange background clicking noise

17:04

and a haunting whisper. They

17:06

then. I gulped. Yes.

17:10

You are nearly of

17:12

age. You are

17:14

invited to attend the Church

17:17

of the Sacred Way. Partially

17:19

dragging my sister along with me, I

17:22

moved to a window and looked out.

17:24

The robed figure moved slightly with

17:26

the words being spoken, indicating

17:29

that it was him talking,

17:30

but his white-clad arms were by his sides.

17:33

Did he have a cellular device under his red

17:35

hood?

17:36

How had he intercepted her call? How-

17:40

Only adults may attend the Church of the Sacred

17:42

Way.

17:43

I hope you realize what an honor

17:45

this is.

17:47

I do, I told him. Just

17:50

to keep him talking while I tried to figure

17:52

out how that distant figure was speaking to

17:54

me.

17:55

What do I have to do? Simply

17:57

come to the cathedral tomorrow at

17:59

noon. All will be

18:01

revealed to you, child." Where

18:04

was his goddamn phone? I could

18:06

see his hood shifting with the movement of his

18:09

mouth. Child, I

18:11

thought you said only adults were invited. All

18:14

the uninitiated are children.

18:17

The sacred way is how you become

18:19

an adult. You must witness

18:22

the truth and accept your

18:24

holy responsibility in this

18:26

life.

18:27

Will you be there, Nathan?" My

18:30

fingers had become ice cold around the phone.

18:33

Sure. The strange, uneven

18:36

clicking in the background continued for a moment,

18:38

and then the phone went dead.

18:40

Bits of frozen moisture had formed

18:43

around the screen, and I carefully placed

18:45

it on the floor and backed away. Many

18:47

of the students had their heads in their hands and

18:50

sat hopeless, while others had gotten

18:52

up and were discussing plans for escape.

18:55

Let go of me and bitterly joined

18:57

these discussions,

18:58

but much ado was made about the other

19:00

students that had set off for nearby towns

19:03

without results. When they asked

19:05

me if I had heard anything from anyone about

19:07

the situation here, I had to tell them

19:09

I hadn't.

19:11

Surely, if a terrified teenager had

19:13

shown up warning of a strange threat back

19:15

home, someone would have done something. Are

19:17

you safe here?

19:18

I asked them.

19:20

Marcus nodded. It doesn't come on the school

19:22

grounds for some reason. He looked over at

19:24

those talking about running. It's not going to

19:26

work. Trying to run is stupid.

19:29

Nobody's made it, and that thing is always out

19:31

there. I think we should fight.

19:34

Fight? Yeah, follow me. He

19:36

took me deeper into the school through halls

19:38

lit only by afternoon sunlight.

19:41

The complex was quiet and empty,

19:43

save for one room that held a man drawing

19:46

equations on the walls.

19:47

Numbers and signs covered the entire

19:50

room floor to ceiling, and he

19:52

had begun again, the nonsense

19:54

math and science into oblivion.

19:57

Marcus took some food out of his pocket and

19:59

threw it in.

20:00

before closing the door and moving on.

20:02

Leading me into the science lab, he showed

20:04

me an array of prepared bottles. We've

20:06

had months to figure this out, but we can't get close

20:09

to the church. At my approach, he stopped

20:11

me with a hand. Careful, it's

20:13

more or less napalm. Ooh, stepping

20:16

back, I held up my hands. I

20:18

don't know. Did it invite you? He

20:21

glared at me intently. I'm

20:23

not. Did it invite

20:25

you? I gulped again. Yes.

20:28

With masked fury, he said quietly,

20:31

''Then

20:31

I think you should put these under your jacket

20:34

and take the priest up on his invitation.

20:38

When you get inside, burn that godforsaken

20:41

place to the ground.'' He

20:43

was serious. Joining the others

20:45

in the gymnasium again, I told them, ''I'm

20:47

going to go get my car and look around. I

20:50

can outrun the priest, yeah?''

20:52

They nodded, and others agreed to

20:54

act as a distraction while I slipped out. Claire

20:57

clenched her hands. And then we make

20:59

a run for it?" Marcus watched me

21:01

from behind the crowd.

21:02

I glanced at him, then at my sister.

21:05

Sure.

21:06

Evening was coming on as the other students

21:08

made noise and I ran towards the opposite

21:11

side of the school.

21:12

I'd attended this place for four years and

21:14

now it all seemed so alien. I

21:17

recognized some of the stuff on the walls and

21:19

there was even a photo of the soccer team that

21:21

had still had me in it from our local championship

21:24

year, but without electricity

21:26

and by the orange evening light, all these

21:28

reminders of my life at home were twisted

21:31

and off-putting.

21:32

Bursting out into that familiar front

21:34

parking lot, I aimed for a wide

21:36

arc around the priest's assumed location. It

21:39

was only a few blocks, but my heart slammed

21:42

in my chest throughout. Was something

21:44

supernatural really going on, or

21:46

had everyone just breathed in fumes or chemicals

21:49

and lost their minds?

21:51

All I knew for sure was that my little sister

21:53

was scared, and that I had left her here

21:55

in the clutches of danger for half a year. I

21:58

would not leave her again.

22:00

I was the man of the family. It was up

22:02

to me. As I completed my wide circle,

22:04

I saw the axe again, this time

22:07

glinting yellow and gold. Old

22:09

man Kern smiled and waved as before.

22:12

I approached, thinking he might be unlike

22:14

the others who hardly responded to me and

22:17

nod at all to younger kids.

22:19

As I neared the corner of his house, I

22:21

saw what I had missed before and I ran

22:23

away as fast as I could. Pushing

22:26

into my house, covered in sweat and full

22:28

of terror, I stomped into the kitchen where

22:30

my mom was making pie crusts. "'Stop!'

22:33

I shouted at her, grabbing her arms.

22:35

She screamed and fought violently against

22:37

me, pushing me off.

22:39

When she grabbed a knife, I packed off and

22:41

she returned to her activity immediately.

22:44

I felt like sobbing, but I only let a few

22:46

tears fall.

22:48

There was no time to lose it.

22:50

The next room held evidence of her madness.

22:53

Old Man Kern's backyard had been filled

22:55

to the brim like a lumberyard and

22:57

similarly, the next room beyond the kitchen

22:59

was piled high with thousands of pie

23:02

crusts.

23:02

Why? Why are you choosing this

23:05

monotonous, repetitive nonsense over your

23:07

own kids? I must remain worthy,

23:10

she murmured back without looking at me. Working

23:13

hard means you're worthy. But

23:15

it's pointless, you're not doing anything,

23:18

she hummed a little tune before saying.

23:21

The world needs its pie crusts." Vahamut

23:24

now, I spat. machines

23:26

make pie crust, mom! You're not accomplishing

23:28

anything! If you don't work hard,

23:30

you're garbage. She whispered, kneading

23:32

dough. Useless flesh to be discarded.

23:36

Full of fear and pain, I ran

23:38

out into orange-gray fading

23:40

twilight.

23:41

My car was right in the driveway, but

23:43

I ran next door and entered without waiting.

23:46

The neighbor girl's father sat watching television,

23:49

and she was in the kitchen, having middling

23:51

success at cooking another meal. At

23:54

seeing me,

23:55

her jaw trembled. Come here. I

23:57

told her we're getting out of here. Something's

23:59

horrible

24:00

wrong with this town."

24:01

She nodded and took my hand.

24:03

What about my dad? Putting her

24:05

behind me, I approached the bald man

24:07

in the chair. What to say to

24:09

him? If you don't work hard, sir,

24:11

you're garbage. Useless flesh to

24:13

be discarded, right?

24:15

He glared, but kept his gaze locked on

24:17

the television.

24:18

I do work hard. It's my patriotic

24:21

duty to watch and listen. We

24:23

gots to stay in the know. Got to

24:25

stay vigilant.

24:26

For the first time, I actually looked at the

24:29

screen.

24:30

I had assumed he was watching a show or the news.

24:33

No, not at all.

24:35

The images on that lit screen were

24:37

at first nonsensical, but

24:39

then, as my brain began to make sense of

24:41

them, I started to parse the moving

24:43

shapes and blood and bone landscape

24:46

upon which they moved. Upon

24:48

hills of quivering flesh, a

24:50

white-robed and red-hooded figure

24:52

walked, talking calmly and consistently

24:55

about truth and the sacred way.

24:58

These words simultaneously made no

25:00

sense and yet were almost understandable.

25:03

I've tried to listen to it. It's just random

25:06

noise. I don't understand it at all, Madison

25:09

said. But I almost could.

25:12

I was nearly an adult.

25:14

Come on, let's go to my car.

25:16

Running outside, I kept her hand held

25:19

tight, curving around the bushes to my

25:21

car at top read, but white

25:23

and red emerged from behind green and

25:25

Madison was slower to stop than me. As

25:28

I stumbled and fell roughly to the side

25:31

of the pavement of my driveway, I heard

25:33

her scream in abject terror. I

25:35

saw white robes open to reveal gore-covered

25:38

bones in front of a vast valley

25:40

of living grotesqueries. The

25:42

landscape from her father's television was

25:45

inside that entity, behind

25:47

blood-dripping bone, a gateway

25:49

to nightmares

25:49

revealed itself until those robes

25:52

closed once more as she was gone. up

25:55

I saw six spiraled sharp

25:58

crimson teeth set in a

26:00

white bone jaw, just barely

26:02

visible under the hem of that red hood. The

26:04

priest was grinning.

26:06

See you tomorrow,

26:09

Nathan. I screamed incoherently

26:11

in rage and sorrow, but Madison

26:14

was gone, and the robed entity began

26:16

walking away down the street with those

26:18

same eerily echoing footsteps

26:21

on unseen marble.

26:23

For the moment, I was exempt from its hunt,

26:25

for I was already slated for another fate.

26:29

I screamed angrily after him before

26:31

leaping up and getting in my car. I

26:33

would run that demonic thing down with the

26:35

weight of mankind's machinery, and

26:37

it would become bloodied bone dust under my

26:40

wheels. I turned the key in the

26:42

ignition, but nothing happened.

26:44

For a time, I was nothing but screams

26:47

of rage and fist-pounding on the dashboard.

26:50

Under the shroud of night, in a town that

26:52

no longer had electricity to hold back

26:54

the darkness I resorted to bitter

26:56

walking now that I knew I would not be

26:58

captured directly.

27:00

I had no idea what I would find, given

27:03

that my car did not work and my phone

27:05

had literally frozen over. But

27:07

the satisfaction of being right was little

27:10

consolation. The road

27:12

I had come in on now ended in a wall

27:14

of slowly glowing crimson mist that

27:16

smelled of iron and pain.

27:19

In a way, this made some of the older

27:21

denizens of our area correct.

27:23

There was nothing outside of our town.

27:26

The rest of the world was just a concept

27:28

and our local community was all that mattered.

27:31

Walking back to the school took time, but

27:34

I had no thoughts. Just hollow

27:36

hurt.

27:37

Something had crept upon my home like

27:39

a cancer,

27:40

and it now had all of our elders in

27:43

its grips.

27:44

We were alone and I was next.

27:46

The younger kids had done well in surviving

27:49

this long, but it was all inevitable.

27:51

There was nowhere to go and no escape.

27:55

Time would march forward and age all the

27:57

remaining children into adults, and

27:59

then it would have a

28:01

I entered the gymnasium to find Claire,

28:03

Marcus, and three others awake and on

28:05

watch.

28:07

Claire was relieved to see me, but

28:09

to Marcus I said,

28:11

We fight. He did not smile, he

28:13

simply nodded.

28:15

Our fires were already matched in fury.

28:18

My sister was finally able to sleep now that

28:20

I had returned,

28:21

and I sat watching over her through the dark

28:24

hours of the night.

28:25

The kids had done well in the business of stockpiling

28:28

food and maintaining some semblance of order,

28:31

and I was impressed that teenagers had done all

28:33

this without guidance.

28:35

Claire had told me while falling asleep that

28:37

before it had gone down permanently, the

28:40

internet had filled their heads with random knowledge,

28:42

and together they'd collectively been able to

28:45

cover the range of necessary skills and plans.

28:48

That was their defense, she reasoned.

28:51

allowed independence, and

28:53

independent thought was somehow the enemy

28:55

of that creature that stalked them. While

28:58

guarding her at night, I thought long and hard

29:00

about that.

29:01

Would I have enough independent will to choose

29:04

differently than my elders?

29:06

From my mom's mention of going to church tomorrow,

29:08

they expected me to join them,

29:10

and I'd seen more than a little bit of a violent

29:13

reaction when I'd attempted to go against

29:15

their set minds.

29:16

This was scary, but the thought

29:18

of my sister being taken into that place

29:20

of suffering I'd seen was too much. I

29:24

was walking there now,

29:25

half in its world, half out.

29:28

The sloping hills squished and oozed

29:30

bile under my bare feet, and

29:32

the air was fire and agony. The

29:35

disjointed bones of ancient beasts

29:37

protruded as mountains on the horizon, and

29:39

a river of blood flowed past as I

29:41

stumbled toward a closed, grey eye

29:43

in the sky. It began to

29:46

open, the slightest glare searing

29:48

my very spirit with the infinite tortures

29:50

of a massive eternal mind gone mad,

29:53

and I opened my mouth to scream but found

29:56

that I had no lungs. Marcus

29:59

shook me awake.

30:00

Don't sleep. On the verge,

30:02

you'll dream. Poorly." Still

30:04

shivering, I said. Poorly?

30:07

Christ! He nodded. It's

30:10

beginning for me, too. I'd have

30:12

been next if you hadn't come back. So

30:15

your plan? Yes. The

30:17

morning light was streaming in through the windows

30:19

of the gymnasium. I won't let you down.

30:22

I looked at Claire's face, peaceful in

30:24

sleep, still older than I remembered.

30:27

If I don't come back,

30:28

I'll take care of her. You should go

30:30

before she wakes up and tries to stop you."

30:33

Yes, that was a good idea. I

30:35

wasn't sure if I could leave if she was screaming

30:37

and crying for me to stay.

30:40

Wordlessly Marcus and I went to the chemistry

30:42

lab.

30:43

I donned the heavy jacket he'd picked for

30:45

this occasion, and we carefully stocked

30:47

pockets he'd sewn inside with a dozen

30:49

bottles of pseudo napalm.

30:52

Feeling terribly like a suicide bomber,

30:54

I steeled myself and began walking towards

30:56

the ghastly church on the horizon as

30:58

the sun rose in the sky.

31:01

Mixing with streams of blank-eyed

31:03

adults as they made their pilgrimage, I

31:05

tried to control my breathing.

31:07

The stress felt nearly overwhelming,

31:09

and I worried there was a real risk I would

31:11

pass out.

31:13

I had an apalm strapped near my chest, and

31:15

I was walking toward a monstrous, otherworldly

31:18

church among a river of fanatical believers.

31:21

What hope could I have?

31:22

What chance was there to survive this?

31:25

The bone-white, red-spired church

31:27

loomed even larger than I'd remembered it.

31:30

This time I could see that the vehicles

31:32

in the parking lot were run down and unused,

31:36

and the dumpster hosted a thick cloud of flies

31:38

on what looked like discarded flesh. The

31:41

building might have once started out legitimate,

31:44

but something had overtaken it and corrupted

31:46

its former use. The white-robed,

31:49

red-hooded priest stood outside the church,

31:51

both nodding at its incoming flock and

31:53

guarding against any possible action by

31:56

the children from the school.

31:58

seeing me, it stepped forward.

32:00

and I feared I had been caught, but

32:02

it just raised a blood-dripped skeletal

32:04

hand and drew a hot liquid symbol

32:07

on my forehead. Welcome, child.

32:10

Shaking badly, I automatically

32:12

said, thanks. Don't

32:14

be nervous. All will be

32:17

made clear inside. Okay.

32:20

Stepping past, I continued on with the

32:22

stream of believers and approached the wide

32:24

and tall doors.

32:26

They were white, but at this distance

32:28

I could see off-colouring, like teeth

32:31

in a gunless mouth they waited to swallow

32:33

us.

32:34

I held my breath as I crossed the threshold,

32:37

and my instinct was correct.

32:39

The air on the other side held subtle

32:41

fire and agony like it had in my

32:43

dreams.

32:45

I knew that this was a pocket of hell, and

32:47

judging from the inside, it was growing.

32:50

The corrupted approximations of a

32:52

church all existed within, but

32:55

in unholy form.

32:56

Long red dripping bones

32:59

formed pews.

33:00

The walls were fleshy and had human

33:02

skin and patches, and the windows

33:04

were instead hundreds of little eyes

33:06

that constantly turned this way and that,

33:09

studying the patrons below.

33:11

The light came from small floating

33:14

flames,

33:14

and a closed grey eye rested

33:17

on the far wall above an altar of

33:19

filth and the priest's waiting podium.

33:21

Where I might have expected a cross below

33:24

that grey eye, instead there'd

33:26

be a tremendous heart.

33:28

The church was alive. Too

33:31

scared yet to make my move with the napalm,

33:33

I found my mom and sat next to her. I'm

33:36

glad you came. She told me, giving

33:38

a genuine smile for the first time since

33:41

I'd come back.

33:41

Oh, I hope they don't discard your flesh.

33:44

You're a smart boy with great potential.

33:47

I've told everyone that a hundred times."

33:48

Skin crawling as

33:50

the wetness on the bone pew worked

33:52

its way through my genes, I said,

33:55

Um, thanks mom, I guess.

33:58

her eyes lit up.

34:00

The priest stood

34:02

starkly for a moment inside the doors, which

34:05

closed like a jaw behind him. Then,

34:07

moving forward, he held both the

34:09

eyes of the congregation and the eyes of

34:12

the walls.

34:13

I watched, heart pounding as he

34:15

ascended to the podium and said, We

34:18

have a new member today, Nathan.

34:23

Approach. Smiles and cheers arose as I stood

34:25

and began carefully stepping along the

34:27

intestinal lining that formed the center

34:29

aisle. I stood at the front

34:32

and the priest approached.

34:34

Looking back, I saw my entire

34:36

adult community present.

34:38

They were all there, and all exuberant

34:40

for me to join.

34:41

And up on the balcony overhead, I

34:44

saw a choir of missing children. Madison

34:47

stood among them, her eyes wet from

34:49

tears, but her mouth open to join

34:51

in their horrific song. She

34:53

wasn't dead, part of me was relieved.

34:57

The priest was talking, but I'd taken

34:59

too long. A small sliver of

35:01

light appeared from behind me, and I knew

35:03

then that the grey eye was opening.

35:05

That leathery hemisphere of flesh was

35:07

parting. I turned to face it,

35:10

and the light reached my face. To

35:12

say that I screamed then would be an understatement.

35:15

Every single neuron in my mind flared

35:17

with the truth, and I could suddenly feel

35:20

my soul. I had one. It

35:22

was real, and it was screaming with every

35:24

fiber of its existence. While my

35:26

mind burned and my soul screamed, every

35:29

cell in my body rejoiced. This

35:31

was from whence they had come, these

35:34

trillion little animals that formed every

35:36

tissue and internal liquid, and

35:38

like recognized like.

35:40

If heaven was a place of spirit, hell

35:43

was a place of flesh,

35:44

and humans were the unlucky minds

35:46

caught between. The pull began

35:49

to rip me apart. But

35:51

the imagery of my sister sleeping on that hard

35:53

gymnasium floor, hungry and

35:55

scared, blocked out the pain.

35:58

I'd seen her as a baby.

36:00

seen her take her first step.

36:02

We fought at times, and been friends at

36:04

others.

36:05

When my father had died, it'd been up to me

36:07

to fill the role for her,

36:09

and I felt I'd failed that by going away

36:11

to college.

36:12

But the independence I'd found there was

36:14

just the sliver I needed. I

36:16

pulled out the bottle of napalm and hurled it

36:18

at the grey eye above. The

36:20

entire church trembled from its very foundation

36:23

as the eyes shrieked an earthquake and closed

36:26

in response to the shards of glass and a man-made

36:28

form of fire. I pulled another

36:30

and threw it at the heart below, flames

36:33

boiled up, bringing a wave of horrific

36:35

stench. The priest reached for me,

36:37

but I ran with eyes streaming along

36:39

various organs, throwing napalm this

36:42

way a mat. The congregation reached

36:44

for me, but I kicked and punched and bit against

36:46

their weight and did my best to hurl the bottles

36:49

away from them. The jaw-like

36:51

front doors opened reflexively in pain,

36:53

and I paused on the other side to throw my

36:56

last mate palm up into the glands above.

36:59

The crowd followed me, yelling and shouting,

37:01

but more to throw their flaming clothes on

37:03

the ground rather than chase me. Looking

37:06

back, I saw the priest standing stock

37:08

still beneath the boiling grey eye,

37:10

now in ruins. That

37:12

red hood slowly lifted under a bloody

37:15

boned hand, and it revealed

37:17

its familiar face to me. He said, you

37:19

should have joined us. It whispered

37:21

with the voice of my father. You

37:24

could have had him with you again,

37:26

but now, never

37:29

foolish child.

37:31

Under the noon sun obscured by

37:33

a towering pillar of smoke, I fell

37:35

to my knees, crying for more reasons

37:38

than I could process.

37:39

Could it really have given us our father back? I

37:42

would never know.

37:44

Men and women tumbled around me on

37:46

fire for my actions.

37:48

Had I lost my mind? Had

37:50

all this been a delusion? Had I thrown

37:52

napalm on innocent men and women?

37:55

I stumbled away from the ghastly, deflating

37:57

pile of organs that had once been a church

37:59

as it. I

38:00

burned and smoked like seared meat,

38:02

and I did not stop running or crying until

38:05

I reached my home.

38:08

This time, the car

38:11

turned on, and the music on the radio

38:13

revealed the rest of the world was connected

38:15

to us. Driving frantically

38:17

towards the school, I crashed right through

38:19

the chain link fence and yelled, Claire,

38:22

it's time to go!

38:23

Marcus appeared first, practically

38:25

dragging her. The other students were

38:27

slower, and after Marcus pushed Claire

38:30

into the car, I pulled away. I

38:32

was too panicked to wait. Go! Marcus

38:35

shouted. Now! We'll send

38:37

someone back for the others! The best way out of town was

38:39

past the burning church, and I wanted

38:41

my mother to take the fourth seat in the car.

38:44

Terrified, but pulling up to the spot

38:46

I'd first stopped at upon my return, I

38:49

watched the crowd there looking at each other in confusion.

38:52

The adults seemed to have no idea what

38:54

was happening.

38:55

Is Mom there? Bear asked, staring

38:58

out the window. I turned to Marcus.

39:01

Keep the car on.

39:02

He nodded and climbed into the front seat, and

39:04

I dashed out towards the burning monster that

39:06

had now stopped shrieking and grown quiet.

39:09

Nathan? My mom asked as I pushed

39:11

through and approached her.

39:12

Nathan! Oh, Lord,

39:15

Nathan, you're safe. Yeah.

39:17

On guard, I studied the confused faces

39:20

all around. Mom, you need to come with me right

39:22

now!

39:23

Oh, I can't leave. Look.

39:26

Last year, the crowd had begun gathering

39:29

around the fly-dominated dumpster. It's

39:31

not the best quality, obviously,

39:35

since it was discarded. But

39:37

it'll have to do. She moved

39:39

off to join the thickening circle. I

39:42

stared in horror as grown men and

39:44

women began cutting off limbs with

39:46

sharp fragments of the old church. The

39:49

flesh from these limbs curled away and

39:51

their bones began germinating into the

39:53

white foundation of a new church. Their

39:56

blood began hardening and spiraling up

39:58

into small delicates.

40:00

spirals at the top, and

40:02

teeth being freshly pulled started

40:04

growing into a new door. I

40:06

backed away slowly. Their truth

40:08

still burned in me, but it was not my

40:11

truth.

40:12

Once I climbed back into the car with the

40:14

haunted look, Marcus asked, Did

40:16

you find her? Claire watched me with

40:18

fear and hope. I could only

40:21

shake my head.

40:22

She's gone. That's not our mother

40:24

anymore. Just go. He

40:27

nodded and shifted the car into drive. On

40:29

the road, the Crimson Mist was gone, at

40:32

least for now. For the

40:34

next hour, we drove in silence, and

40:36

I saw Marcus hold my sister's hand at times.

40:39

We would find someone. Together,

40:42

we would convince someone.

40:44

The police, the military, it doesn't

40:46

matter.

40:47

Someone had to be told.

40:49

We just had to reach the internet and spread the word.

40:51

Knowledge and independence, right?

40:54

We had that.

40:55

We would win.

40:56

would come back here and torch that

40:58

abomination to the ground.

41:00

Claire and Marcus still have that hope now

41:03

that we've reached a big city, but I

41:05

no longer do.

41:07

I've seen their truth.

41:08

I've seen the awful inversion, seen

41:11

the reality of it,

41:12

and worse, I've been looking to the

41:14

sides rather than ahead like the two of them.

41:17

I didn't say anything, but we

41:19

passed three small towns on the way, and

41:21

each one of them had crimson spires rising

41:24

above the treetops in the distance, like

41:27

the bottom half of a a jagged and grinning

41:29

mouth.

41:58

you

42:00

you