Theo Meets The Witness Again

Theo swallowed heavily as he watched the catering vans pull up once again.

He wondered if they had done enough.

Confessions had been performed, on those that he could. Blair was agnostic, and Irene claimed to be pagan throwing a few wrenches in the plan to fortify them against what ever the evil was.

Or so he thought, little did he know about the fierce sessions she spent pleasuring herself in the shower eager for her wait to be over. To finally be taken, the hellfires that had burned at her soul when Podrick's soul was taken on holy ground had given her a brief taste of what could sully her beyond the property line. A line so near yet so far from reach, between the vigilant guard, and her sensing a greater reward for her wait.

Irene had spent some of the time seeking solace from Matthew, resisting the inclination to do more than accept the comforting hug so far. o one suspecting she had been as near to Podrick as she had when he burst into flame.

All in all the inhabitants despite not sleeping well, felt safe and secure as the luxury SUV pulled up, the same driver letting the same business tycoon looking man out, the arrival of which started Theo and Fred walking across to the property line.

“Good afternoon!” The First Witness joyously declared smiling broadly at the two priests as they began blessing the assorted platters ignoring the jubilant presence carefully greeting them from across the property line. “I trust you all slept well, safe and secure in an unviolated sanctuary.”

Theo cut him a tired angry glare.

“Up all night hitting the books I take it.” The First Witness replied to the glare, his voice growing **** and hinting at empathy as his tone was now sapped of its previous energy. "I do hope you have appreciated not only my gesture of good faith, but also counsel to help you further ward yourselves against undue influence."

With a nod to Fred Theo watched as a caterers cart was hijacked and the trays placed on it to roll back to the church.

“What do you want?” Theo asked, his voice betraying the wear of exhaustion on his elderly body from the strain of the predicament around the church.

“To discuss salvation. Not just of souls, lives, or from sins. But of society as a whole.” The First Witness responded, his voice sounded earnest and concerned as he gestured towards the table he had sat at the day previous, frowning and sullenly walking back and seating himself as Theo frowned upon the gesture.

“I am not of this era. Nor the one, before, or the one before that in which I have…” The First Witness’s voice trailed off as he tapped his chin thoughtfully, seeking the appropriate word for the circumstance he was trying to share. “Experienced.”

Theo questioned what sort of mad man was talking before him for a moment before remembering that this was no man, but a demon in a man’s body. Just as all the people present on the street were.

It was difficult to remember that when bestial variants of what had been men and women came out during the night to frolick and fuck along the property lines. Theo and his fellow souls compelled to watch, for fear of threat, for fear of not watching, for fear they were watching for less sincere reasons.

For that very last reason Theo and Fred had tried to do much of the night watch themselves.

“You expect me to sit civilly with you and talk whilst you hold us penned in. Your beasts emerging at night to.. to… FUCK LOUDLY all around us.” Theo felt the energy drain out of his rage as he thought about just how much sleep some of them had been having. Just after dawn Felix, Blair and Irene had nodded off with Matthew.

Fred and Theo struggled to keep awake, marvelling at the quiet ease Gregory seemed to come by with it.

“My apologies, those that have given themselves over so completely aren’t fond of self restraint. The feral ones doubly so. Its probably has to do with the sudden freedom from a life of inhibiton and restraint. If you want a night of restful sleep then have it.” The First Witness agreed with a genuine and chipper attitude full of all the platitude of life long politician.

Theo's eyes narrowed, his frowning lips about to part as the First Witness raised their hands and resumed.

“No catch, I assure you. We only want to settle this peacefully. My faith isn’t the one with a history of not co-existing with others. Quite the opposite, a truly devoted follower could become a God in their own right..” Theo felt incredulous at the raving heressy being casually sputtered in front of him. “My God doesn’t hide their true acts.”

Theo scoffed, scowled, and turned to walk away.

“I can see, even feel our followers sharing their faith. Right now a girl who ran in fear is having the greatest sex of her life. Gifting herself to the homeless encamped in a park so they too might embrace the relief from their daily suffering. That is the work of my god.” Theo turned to stare slack jawed at the allegation. “Another sits eagerly watching the tracking on packages they have sent to share the gift of our Lord. A diner downtown hasn’t billed anyone for a meal in a whole day, all are welcome, and fed to their contentment. Our flock shares eagerly.”

“They share sin, and taint. They weaken character by offering today without the work and sacrifice to earn tomorrow. They are bereft of truly helping people stand, instead binding them dependently without opportunity for recourse.” Theo cursed pointing aggressively to his host, offended that the acts of sluts and harlots be compared to the hard work of missionaries.

“Is that not the same as your Lord? There was many a fish, and loaf given. But little talking or teaching to fish or bake. If it weren’t for a fear of some holy crusade being waged against us I could let you all go. But I don’t have that choice, we are a returned faith in hostile occupied lands. Where the sheep fear the gifts of an active and present Lord.” With that last word as Theo stuttered to spit a venomous response as the witness's watch alarm went off.

“Look at that, out of time again. Still need to do my day job after all. See you tomorrow.” The Witness remarked with a patronizing tone of ****.

Theo glared at the business man as he walked away. Storming back to the church Theo contemplated the words he and Fred shared during the night. Hoping it might also provide some insight.

Fred fidgeted with his fork watching as everyone engorged themselves cheerfully thanks to the small gift of their catering. It was the one nice things about the current ordeal. A nice, solid, well cooked meal. With left overs a plenty should there not be another.

It was perhaps even easier for them to think lightly of these things, the lone tv sequestered away where only Fred or Theo dared watch it. The radios were kept to playing CDs and cassette when used, helping to insulate against the lies, and irony of what the world had been reporting about the refugees shuttered away in this sanctuary.

There were terrorists, holed up with hostages in a church they would hear.

The hotel where the attack had taken place was a temporary hospital, most of the victims of the terrorist attack fortunately recovering thanks to the due diligence and quick response of the hotel staff. Many were expected to be able to go home shortly.

What they would bring with them was the question Fred tried not to wonder about. He had no clue really, sparse were the details uttered by any who had escaped the hotel.

A chain of uninvited thoughts welcomingly broken as Theo stormed in in a huff. “The audacity, and hypocrisy. If he expects to go on like that EVERY single time we meet why I…”

“Will prove him woefully wrong by turning the other cheek.” Fred interrupted sarcastically gesturing to the quieted room now deprived of what positivity they had going.

Letting Theo grab a plate of food Fred joined him in another room so as to allow the rant to continue, to have Theo share what was exchanged while fresh, and emotionally raw. Truth be told Theo's patience was unusually frayed, the lack of sleep and disturbing acts in the shadows along the edges of the churches property.

As Theo vented about the audacious claim just why they were all being kept contained Fred bit his tongue as he considered the truth of the matter. The claims weren't entirely wrong.

Even if the church itself didn’t call for the persecution of the demonically enthralled souls at the Vatican level, some priest, some evangelist, some mob would somewhere. The facts of how people were physically changed by this faith, and their God’s irrefutable influence in this world would see to it. Too many would not want this faith to have a chance to truly shift the balance of power.

Too many would be truly fearful of how powerless their religions might appear in the face of it.

To convert endless masses through not just conversation, but some other more nefarious undermining of free will. How many would join this faith for the vanity it seemingly generously fulfilled?

“Theo, we should put this aside. We still have two souls that have conducted no ceremony of repentance. Not sure we could even find one for either of them.” Fred remarked trying to redirect Theo’s train of thought after the second lap of his ranting about their interaction.

“I don’t know what to do to fortify them! Pagan isn’t even a proper faith! It’s a catchall term for all the non main religions.” Theo shook his head pausing from pacing his uncounted umpteenth lap of the room. “And a damn agnostic! They’ve seen inexplicable transformations and the evidence of a malevolent God who does care and is changing the course of lives. Short of them both changing religions, AND meaning it with a crash course of faith they're potentially lost causes!”

“Maybe we need to let him say his peace. Let him preach like any other faith would. Then use those people choosing t0 keep in isolation here as leverage for their freedom.” Fred remarked reluctantly.

“And let that thing spread its lies!” Theo angrily replied gesturing aggressively towards a wall before pausing and turning sheepish in his body language. “I’m sorry Fred, he’s just getting to me. I know some of the things aren't untrue it’s just. How it feels he skews them.”

As night fell the residents of the church failed to sleep. The loud sounds of rampant rutting were absent from the night, the unnatural still and quiet allowing soft distant moans of pleasure to reach the priests and survivors so faintly they had to question if they were imagining it themselves, or simply some how the wind.

As the night dragged on eventually the different people retired to entropy leaving Theo alone with Gregory.

“You handle this well.” Theo commented for no other reason than to break the hours long silence as the sun rose and cast its light across the dewy cemetery.

Gregory grunted.

Theo sighed, the quiet of the night felt almost more disturbing. Aside from the police visibly patrolling the road, there seemed to be no sign of the creatures containing them. The occasional shadow seen taking flight, or rustle in the brush completely absent.

Just the police façade that nodded to any media that showed up, perfectly in place to convey the story of the terrorists and the hostages in the church.