The Church

by Wisdom King

  “At this point, James probably already shooed away the police...or maybe they arrested him instead!” The thought excited Clarke. There was a huge possibility that James had already been taken away by the authorities, especially since he included the word “murder” in his call.

  He finally reached the gate and took out the key from underneath a rock beside it. He took a good long look at the image of Mary by the gate and smiled. He wasn’t afraid of their eyes anymore. There was no one watching him.

  He inserted the key and unlocked the gate, shutting it behind him without locking it. He placed his hand along the walls and started running. If he followed the walls, he’d eventually end up at the side of the private road beyond the gates of the estate, where Valdez said the cops were. Even if they weren’t there, he has a chance to escape and report them...and this time around, someone will believe him.

  He ran along the walls for a couple of minutes before resorting to walking. He was beginning to get tired. The adrenaline was still there but his stamina could not keep up with him. Finally, he reached the end of the East wall and he turned to his right. In the distance, he could see a clearing in the trees. He could spot the road from where he stood. It was still far away, but he was convinced he could see it.

  Then, in the distance, he saw something move in the trees. On the other side of the road, he saw the silhouette of a tall, pale man emerging from the forest. He was wearing a dark suit and he had light hair. He was staring at Clarke. He could see him.

  Clarke backed away into the shadows, praying that it was just an illusion.

  Suddenly, the figure broke into a sprint. It started running towards him at full speed,

  It took Clarke a moment before he realized that the figure was in fact, James running towards him. He had already entered the forest on Clarke’s side of the road before he realized this. In a panic, he turned around and ran back to the gate as fast as he could.

  “Please, Almighty Father, don’t let him get me....” He thought as he ran through the forest, “DON’T LET HIM GET ME, PLEASE!”

  “COME BACK HERE!” He heard James yell after him. They were near the gate now. Clarke could see the light pouring out from the bars, illuminating the soil in front of the gate. He looked back and saw that James was almost at his heel.

  Then, he felt his feet buckle under him.

  His foot got caught in a fallen branch, causing him to trip and fall. He hurriedly got up in panic and started running to the gate.

  But it was too late.

  James caught a hold of his hair and yanked him back, throwing him to the ground. He kicked Clarke multiple times in the chest before straddling him.

  “You’re a troublesome little kid, aren’t you?” He said as he panted. He took out something from his jacket and showed it to Clarke. He flipped it open for Clarke to see the blade. Clarke whimpered as he ran the cold steel down the side of his face. “There, there...I’ll make it quick and simple. You won’t even feel it.’”

  “Please ...”

  Before he could even finish, James buried the blade on Clarke’s stomach. He twisted the blade around, causing him to squeal. He made inhuman noises as he felt the blade carve through his belly. The pain was all too unbearable.

  Just when he thought he was done, he took the blade out again, and stabbed him straight through his liver, making him scream aloud once more.

  Finally, James lets go of his hold on the blade. He cupped Clarke’s face instead, making him look at him.

  “What did you die for tonight? Hmm?” James asked him, “People will die regardless if you run out the road or not. This is all part of a bigger plan – a bigger story. You’re just a pawn, Clarke. Nothing more. You’re going to die and no one will ever remember you. Your name will disappear.”

  Clarke watched his eyes as he said those words. A million thoughts ran through his head, none of them makes complete sense.

  “I wasted an entire lifetime inside this place...blinded by their ideas...” He thought as James’ deep green eyes stared at him with a spine-chilling murderous intent. He felt like he was staring into a void and if he doesn’t watch his step, he’d fall helplessly into the abyss, never to see the light of day again.

  Lord...forgive me.

  “And so will you,” Clarke said as he pulled the blade from his stomach and stabbed James in his eye.

  Blood poured out and washed all over Clarke’s face. The sounds James made were nothing human. He screamed from the top of his lungs, as he tried to pull Clarke’s hand away from his face. He rolled away from Clarke’s body and started writhing on the grass, trying to pull the blade away from his eye.

  He twisted and turned like a worm dancing on the salt. He flailed his arms around, hitting and grabbing the dirt with his shaking hands as he writhed in pain. Clarke shut his eyes and turned his head away from the horror and let his tears pour out. The pain in his gut was becoming unbearable and he slowly felt himself losing control of his breath.

  “Oh my God...”He heard someone say. His vision was starting to become blurry and his head was beginning to feel light. A few feet away from him, he saw three figures standing by the gate. One of them approached him.

  “Clarke, are you okay?” Kane said as he knelt by his side. Clarke was curled up, desperately clutching onto the hole in his abdomen, trying to stop the bleeding, but it was no use. Blood poured out in a steady stream and soaked through his shirt.

  “I’m getting out, right?” He whispered. He started coughing out blood and face contorted in pain. Still, his eyes looked hopeful as he looked up at Kane. “I am, right?”

  Kane looked at his deep blue eyes. There was so much hope and pain in there that couldn’t bear to look, so he averted his gaze and looked at his stomach. He was trying so hard to breathe. His chest dropped and raised weakly as he tried to speak.

  “You are, buddy,” Kane said, trying his best to keep a straight face. “So you have to get some rest, okay?”

  “Okay...” Clarke whispered, “Hey, Kane?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I did well, didn’t I?” He asked. There was blood along the sides of his mouth now. It was astonishing how the dark red looked against his pale face.

  Kane paused for a moment before looking at him straight in the eyes.

  “Yeah, buddy.”

  Clarke gave a weak laugh and smiled. Kane smiled back at him.

  “Thanks.” He said before closing his eyes.

  Blood kept pouring out of his stomach, but his chest never rose again.

  “Clarke?” Kane said, lightly shaking his body. A wave of emotions washed over him as he looked at Clarke’s face. All he wanted to do at that moment was kick and scream until he breathed again, but sadly, as he pressed two fingers down the side of his neck, he didn’t feel a pulse.

  Remorseful, he gave him a gentle hug. He didn’t exactly know why but he just felt like he needed to. He didn’t feel sad for the boy. He felt overwhelming pity. He pitied him for being a coward – for not being able to stand up when he had the chance. Still, he felt proud that for the last time (and maybe for the only time in his life,) he finally fought back.

  As he hugged him, he saw something slide down from his pocket. He reached out a hand picked it up.

  It was a phone.

  In front of him, James was still breathing lightly. Blood covered his face, rendering him unrecognizable. Faint moans of pain could be heard coming from his half-opened mouth.

  Kane dropped the body gently and got up from the dirt, tucking the phone in his pocket. Freddy was standing a safe distance away from the two bodies on the floor along with his mother who buried her head in Freddy’s shoulder. Kane walked over to the body of James Gardner twitching on the dirt. He crouched by his head and looked down on his face. If you listened closely, you could still hear him wheezing and struggling to breathe.

  “You brought this down on yourself, old man.” He looked down at the gushing wound on his right eye. Blood covered half of his face. The
expression forever etched on his face was the look of pure, excruciating pain.

  “If hell exists, that won’t be the last of your suffering.” Kane thought to himself before getting up from the ground. He walked over to the pair and gave his mother a warm bear hug. He buried his face deep into her blood-matted hair and let himself relax, something he hasn’t done for a while.

  “The worst is over now...” He said as he ran his hands up and down her back. He felt a sharp pang in his chest as she winced at his touch. He looked down and saw that there were huge red spots on the areas of her dress that lay above her open wounds. A wave of anger suddenly washed over Kane, knocking him back to focus. His job was still not over.

  “How long have you been here?” He said, gently pushing her away. Seeing her tears, he hastily wiped them with his hands and made her look him in the eye.

  “A while...” She whispered back in tears.

  “She’s been in town for nearly two weeks...I got here about four or five days ago...I can’t really remember.” Freddy said, running a hand down his face. “I haven’t heard from you in days and with the results of Marisol’s autopsy, I couldn’t help but worry about you.”

  “How did they get you?” Kane said, eyeing his friend. He looked beyond tired and ravenous. Just like his mother, he suffered the same amount of torture.

  “You told me to go to the church in three weeks’ time if I don’t hear from you. When I got here, I couldn’t find you, so I talked to him.” He said, pointing towards Clarke’s dead body. “I recognized him from the picture so I decided to talk to him and see if I can get to you somehow. Bad idea. The other guy – Dennis, I think was his name - overheard us and decided to butt in the conversation. He said he’d take me to you. Instead, he took me to the forest and after that...it gets all blurry.”

  “Why didn’t he tell me?” Kane thought as he looked back at Clarke’s body.

  “Kane...while we were there...we heard screams...” Freddy whispered. Kane’s ears perked up and he listened intently to what Freddy had to say. “The first night, I heard someone screaming. I could hear them beyond the walls. It was really dark and I couldn’t see a thing...but it felt like they were right next to me. They were moaning and screaming. It was fucked up.”

  “There were others?”

  “They got me when I was in your house...” His mother suddenly said.

  “You were at my house?”

  “After you left, Freddy called me and I was so worried so I decided to drop by. When I got there, there were two people...they were wearing masks and they were looking for your stuff. Next thing I know, I found myself blindfolded at the back of a car.” She burst into tears after her account. Her hands were shaking in trauma and Kane once again took her in his arms and let her soak his shirt with her tears.

  Kane stood there, appalled. Suddenly, he remembered the words Father Dennis had told him the day he invited him over for an interview.

  “First we need to do a couple of background checks on you, but that’s already being taken care of. All you have to do is come here tomorrow with your suitcase and we’ll get you ready.”

  “That’s their background check?” He whispered. When his mother asked him what he meant, he merely shrugged it off. He gently placed his hands over her arms and pushed her away, making her look up at his dark, worried eyes. “Listen, my job’s not done here yet. I want you to go out on the road and get the cops. Tell them where we are. You have to hurry.”

  “No...I won’t leave you here...please, Kane...” She protested, “What if they take you?”

  “Then you’ll have to tell the cops to get here fast.” He said before turning to Freddy. “Go with her. I’m sure you guys have seen enough bullshit here.”

  “Do you really think you can get rid of me?” Freddy said with a lopsided grin and a fiery look in his eyes. Kane always knew he was stubborn and he didn’t put much faith into him leaving in the first place. Kane threw him a small smile and turned back to his mother.

  “I need you to go now, mom. I love you.” He said, urging her. He gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead and pushed her gently. “Go.”

  She backed away a few steps, never taking her eyes off Kane. Her heel grazed the foot of James’ body and nearly tripped. Her eyes drifted back and forth between his body and Clarke’s before running away as fast as she could.

  “Come with me,” Kane said as he walked back to the gate. “I have some questions that need answering.”

  Quietly, the two snuck back inside the estate, taking the same path they ran through before. The place was even quieter than before. All the lights were dimmed and the guards that were no longer in their stations. The whole enclave was empty. All that could be heard was the steady howling of the cold wind.

  “Kane, where the hell are we going?” Freddy whispered when they made their way at the back of the warehouse where Kane got shot.

  “Back to the lab.” He said, peeking from behind the building. Again, he saw no one. “It’s clear. Let’s go.”

  He sprinted towards the lab; ignoring the sharp, mind-numbing pain that shot through his head every time his foot hit the ground. Behind him, Freddy struggled to keep up. He was a few feet behind him and was having a hard time catching his breath. When Kane finally reached the other building, he looked back at Freddy who was slowly jogging towards him.

  “You tied him to the pole, right?” Kane whispered.

  “Yeah...knot and everything.” Freddy heaved. Kane gave him a light pat on the back before walking towards the door. “Wait wait wait...we’re going back in there?”

  Kane rolled his eyes and looked at Freddy.

  “Why do you think we came back?” He whispered before taking out Dennis’s card and placing it over the scanner. The door clicked and he opened the door with ease. Before stepping inside, he takes out the phone and unlocks it before switching to the recording application. He pressed the record button and tucked the phone back inside before pushing the door open.

  Inside, Dennis was sitting with his eyes staring straight at Kane. His eyes were full of nothing but anger. His bloody face was stuck in a scorn as he sat there, tied up helplessly against the pole.

  “I never thought I’d see you again,” He said, calmly. His scorn gradually turned into a mean smile. He grits his blood-stained teeth and spat out a blob of blood on the floor beside him. “Look what you did to me – to your own priest. How shameful.”

  Kane kept a straight face as he got inside the room and let Freddy in, shutting the door behind him. Deep inside, Kane was shocked. Even as he sat in the same place where he shamed two innocent people, he was still as proud as a lion, never daring to show his weak side.

  He walked over to where Dennis sat and stood just a few inches away from his feet. He looked down at Dennis on the floor. For a brief moment, he thought of nothing but hurting him. Kick him, smack him – any way that would make him scream was all he could think of for one brief, miserable moment.

  He walked over to where Dennis sat and stood just a few inches away from his feet. He looked down on the proud man on the floor. As he looked at him, all he truly wanted to do was beat the living hell out of him and gut him like a fish.

  “Calm down...we need answers...we need answers...”

  He looked down on his blood-soaked garments and the fresh bruises and open wounds on his face. His eyes focused on every gory detail and for a moment, he thought of his mother. Anger coursed through him. Hate flowed through his veins, and once again, the urge to inflict pain on the smiling priest on the floor was getting stronger.

  “Kane just get it over with please...I just want to get out of here,” Freddy said. Kane snapped back into reality and looked Dennis straight in the eyes – unblinking and full of hate.

  “Why?” Kane asked, never taking his eyes off of Dennis. Dennis simply looked at him with the same sly, unyielding grin.

  “What do you want to know?”Dennis mumbled in reply. He gave a small cough, spewing blood over lips
.

  “Everything.” He whispered, “Why you did what you did.”

  Kane watched Dennis’ eyes search him. Those orbs looked him up and down, studying every detail before finally lingering on the folder tucked under his shoulder.

  “I think you already know.” He said, never taking his eyes off the folder. Kane followed his gaze and took the folder. He listlessly flipped through the pages before tucking it back in.

  “These are cold, hard evidence. What I want to know is why.” Kane walked around him in a slow, menacing pace, looking over every inch of his broken body. He stopped in front of him and looked at his face one more time.

  “A few nights ago, I found your little hiding place. I saw things that you never wanted anyone to see,” Kane said, never taking his eyes off of Dennis’ face. The sly grin on his face never wavered but Kane swore he saw a glint of anxiousness flicker in his eyes. “I already know what kind of person you are. What I don’t know, however, is why a person like you would want to spew ruins in a whole damn community all for the sake of what? Anarchy? Fanaticism?”

  Dennis shifted in his seat and chewed nervously on his lips.

  “Now we’re getting somewhere.”Kane thought.

  “This,” Kane said as he raised the folder, “is not enough. No. Not for me.”

  Dennis gave him a smirk and rolled his eyes. He stared into Kane’s eyes, amused and still very proud of himself. Kane tried his best not to plant his fist in his face as he watched his mouth move.

  “You’re a curious boy, aren’t you, Kane?” He said, “That’s a dangerous path you're walking, son. You shouldn’t meddle with things that you shouldn’t even be meddled with. Bad things happen to people who break the rules.”

  Kane scoffed and crouched in front of him, just a few inches away from his feet.

  “You’re a little curious too, aren’t you, Father?” Kane said. “The only difference between us is that you’re curious about the bad things and I’m curious about the people who do bad things.”