by J.R. Bowles
CHAPTER 45
The Reverend Thomas Lamb paced around the couch staring down at Bernie's sleeping body.
Thank God, he thought, Bernie had ordered the coffee and took the stuff with cream and sugar. That had just what Thomas had needed to put the ground up sleeping pills in.
He certainly didn't want to do this but he didn't know what else he could do.
He stared at the steak knife still lying on the table where they had eaten. He had hid it when Bernie had gone to the bathroom. That was the same time he had added the pills to the coffee. He put the pills in the entire pot so he had nothing to drink but what was a little thirst when you were doing the Lords work.
“Lord help me”, he prayed aloud. Could he really cut Bernie's heart out? “If thy eye offends thee cut it out.” He recited.
Bernie had been asleep for over an hour now and he kept putting it off. He glanced at his watch it was almost eleven. He had to do it before twelve.
His stomach growled and he patted it. Another small sacrifice for the Lord, he told himself. After he had hid the knife he didn't want to ask Bernie to use his knife so he had pretended that he had lost his appetite and just ate the potato and broccoli.
“Take this cup from me, oh Lord.” He prayed. “Thou shall not kill,” he whispered.
“Is it not better to enter the kingdom of heaven without an eye, or heart,” he added, “than to not enter at all.” Surely God would have mercy on their souls. Bernie for being the sacrificial lamb. Sacrificed to stop the Beast. And surely he would have mercy on him for this murder he was about to commit.
He kept pacing around, and around Bernie. Watching him sleep so innocent so unknowing of what would happen.
He picked up the knife and felt the blade. It wasn't all that sturdy but it was sharp. If he stabbed him before he cut his heart out would Bernie wake up before he died. He didn't know if he could stand to see Bernie's eyes as he did the deed. What if he cut his throat first would he still wake up?
With knife in hand he continued his mental turmoil and paced around and around.