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“The Collapse is upon us my Children. He commands we save those lost souls, whether they want to be saved or not. Some wish to harm us. Some wish to destroy all that we have built here together. Some will betray us. Those in the outside world are blind. They do not believe. Have no faith. Shhh. But I will make them see” Joseph gently cups the man’s face. He who dared to impose on the sermon with a Greed for knowledge. The Father towers above the man bound on his knees before the congregation as humiliation. No - punishment. The rays of light cast through the glass like an angel descending from Heaven, shining upon the forsaken. Joseph places his thumbs over the man’s eyes and presses effortlessly into the writhing body, deaf to his screams and blind to his pain. He rids Himself of the body with a firm push to the now punctured eye sockets and His bloody hands are presented for all to witness.“Hey Rookie. Rookie, wastin’ your time, there’s no signal out here,” you glanced at the Sheriff and back to your screen. The glitching image confirmed his statement so you closed the video footage and secured the mobile device. It was 2:37AM and the moon cast shimmering light through the clouds, enough to illuminate the Warrant for Arrest sat in the Marshal’s hands. He studied it intently.“We’re crossing over the Henbane now,” the pilot notified over the radio. You all cast your gazes out of the left side of the helicopter as the marvel that was a statue of the Father passed by. Tall and impeding in stone as much as in the flesh. It gave you goose bumps remembering the footage of this seemingly calm and collected man with hands so easily capable of murder. It was only a matter of minutes before the Sheriff presented the Marshal with that ever important chance to leave as the helicopter lowered itself over the dark and sinister compound entrance.
“Last chance Marshal.” The Marshal released a deep sigh and psyched himself up for the encounter that would follow his decision.
“We’re going in,” he spoke confidently and the Sheriff threw a frustrated look.
“Set her down,” he instructed the pilot. As the helicopter lowered itself to the ground and the noise of the blades and trees rustling filled your ears, it slowly dawned on you that this really was a dangerous place and that these people, this cult were not to be trifled with. If the Sheriff was truthful in saying that previous encounters hadn’t gone to plan, perhaps leaving was the best action to take. As the Rookie, you were bound to follow orders and you were already unbuckling your belt when the Sheriff called in to Dispatch.
“Dispatch, you still there?”
“Yes, go ahead Sheriff,” came the answering voice.
“You don’t hear from us in fifteen minutes send in everyone. Call the Goddam National Guard if you have to. Over.” That order left you frozen on the spot. Fifteen minutes. Is that all it would take to have such a command to be executed? Such little time yet filled with silence it could imitate an eternity.
“Yes Sir Sheriff. I’ll be praying for ya.” To pray for someone. To clasp your hands together in a bond and to pray to God, to request, to beg. What man that walks this Earth is so powerful that the protection of God is needed? The answer is Joseph Seed.The journey from the helicopter to the Church doors was a blur. The rules of the Sheriff had passed through one side of you and out of the other. There were dogs prancing and jumping at the wire fences but all you could hear was the thumping of your heart. Each beat representing now and leaving you with the subconscious hope to receive another beat. You hadn’t spent the time to assess the environment, the people in your vicinity. All you were aware of was the gentle chorus of Amazing Grace as the Sheriff and Marshal argued amongst themselves, that distraction only broken at the sound of your name.
“Rookie, on me.” Hudson turned to approach her post outside the doors but not before offering words of comfort.
“You’ll be fine.” If only that were true. If only we had the gift to prophesise. To hear from God Himself the plans He held for us. The atonement for our Sins. The Church doors were opened and you approached behind the Marshal and Sheriff to fulfil your purpose.“Something is coming. You can feel it can’t you? We are creeping towards the edge and there will be a reckoning. That is why we started the Project. Because we know what happens next. They will come. They will try to take from us. Try to take our guns. Take our freedom. Take our Faith. We will not let them.” That dominating voice became louder and louder with every step. Like you were tiptoeing to a proverbial edge in this very Church. The moonlight shone through the cult crest, casting its glow against the leader of the cult. This man with such power that simply radiates from Him, it would feel so right to fall to your knees before Him.
“Sheriff, come on,” The Marshal interjected but the Father continued His sermon regardless of the chaos that stood before Him.
“We will not let their Greed or their immorality or depravity hurt us anymore. There will be no more suffering.” The Marshal chose his purpose.
“Joseph Seed. I have a warrant issued for your arrest. On the suspicion of kidnapping with the intent to harm. Now I want you to step forward and keep your hands where I can see ‘em.” From where you were stood, you could see that the Father cast no attention to the piece of paper in the Marshal’s hands. His face was full of a concerning expression. One that said you had all chosen the wrong purpose. The Father raised His hands calmly. Why was He so unaffected by this display or are you the reckoning He prophesised?
“There they are. The locusts in our garden. See they have come for me. They’ve come to take me away from you. They’ve come to destroy all that we’ve built.” A rage filled His voice that struck you to the core. The very same voice that had convinced the mob surrounding you to join His cause. The men and women surrounding you imitated that rage and even with your training, you felt that God would not protect you from the Father.
Joseph returned the silence with a simple touch to a man’s shoulder. Power in touch. You began to wonder what that man felt like. To have Joseph touch you and have you feel compelled to obey Him. Like He was God Himself.
“I knew this moment would come. We have prepared for it. Go. Go. God will not let them take me.” The congregation filtered out of the Church but you hadn’t failed to notice the new faces that had entered the altar. Two men and a female.
“I saw when the Lamb opened the first seal and I heard is it, were the noise of thunder. One of the four beasts say ‘come and see’-“
“Step. Forward.” The Marshal demanded but Joseph did not obey.
“And I saw.” He pointed in the face of the Marshal with conviction before looking to the Sheriff.
“And behold it was Whitehorse and Hell followed with it.” That was when He looked at you and His expression softened. He gazed at you as He uttered those words. He chose you. He held out His arms for you to take, His rosary beads wrapped in His left hand, full with the gems of His meditations.
“Rookie, cuff this son of a bitch.” There was your purpose. To arrest Joseph Seed, the man who was staring as if into your very soul. What could He see?
“God will not let you take me.” You stared at the man before you, more specifically His hands. They were outstretched as if willing you to place your own hands in His but orders are orders. You step forward and take Josephs’s arms, He does not resist. The handcuffs click into place and you feel a heat tickle your ear as you secure the lock.
“Sometimes the best thing to do is to walk away.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Joseph did little to resist you cuffing him and that unnerved you somewhat. Perhaps his prophecies had enlightened him to your choice and a reckoning was coming in retaliation to your actions. Like his words had insinuated, you were the Hell that followed. The church doors were opened by Whitehorse and Burke, the angered cries flooding the sanctuary as you presented their cult leader, bound and silent. Your grip on his shoulder did not falter however, your grip on reality was slipping with every step you took through the compound. The journey felt like walking through the Valley of Death only you were the one marked for demise. Navigation suddenly became tense as the abuse grew in threat from the mob surrounding you and your crew but Joseph remained silent. No words of courage or reassurance to his followers. Would God let you take Him?You silently glanced at each shed as it passed, acknowledging the Sins you were guilty of and whispering them to yourself. “Luxuria...”The rest of the world had faded away as if a simple aperture had washed over you and in this moment it was just you and Joseph Seed. He shared the same thought as your hand burned into his shoulder. Your skin reaching for His through the siege gloves you currently donned. As you walked slowly and cautiously, you saw how frantic your team were. Hands sat on their weapon holsters. Steps paced wide to cover more ground. Voices raised and quaking. In a matter of minutes this would be over. Target extracted, safely and quietly. You press on and let your eyes travel down the length of Joseph’s sculpted back. Evidence of abuse with scars that were angry lashings, never truly healed and exposed for all to witness. There were cuts that were young, the scabs still an angry red. They read Sins to be precise. Lust... Greed... Gluttony... Greed had been crossed out. You rounded the corner and saw the helicopter was ahead, the blades furiously rotating, blowing ripples in the puddles and sending leaves cavorting through the thick air and embers fluttering like butterflies. Joseph’s followers became more enraged and began throwing rocks, none made contact but the warning was threat enough and the Marshal fired a shot in response. You lost track of the last stretch, the next thing you knew Joseph was being dragged from your grasp and roughly buckled inside the helicopter with no mercy. His eyes found yours but you did not hold the gaze. Your attention turned to the cultists who began a suicidal bombardment, throwing rocks and torches, even themselves at the extraction and your heart skipped a beat in momentary fear. Joseph who was still watching you began to sing as He sensed your trepidation. That sweet tune that grabbed your attention, you stared at him and He stared back. There was no malice in His expression, only softness and for another moment it was just you and Joseph Seed.You all jerked forward in your seats with a sickening force and an almighty judder sounded from the blades as a cultist sacrificed themselves for the Father. The safety belt dug into your abdomen and you felt the skin heat up from the friction. Death and sacrifice to forgive us our Sins, was this God’s hand not letting you leave? Or was it the reaction of a psychotic cult following? The Marshal had shed blood with a bullet and the assailant had fallen back down to the Earth but the blood that was prophesised to be shed eclipsed it entirely. With the blades severely damaged, the helicopter was sent into a spin and gravity pounded at your head, pulling your body here and there. The only thing that was constant was Joseph’s stare and soft, angelic voice. “... that saved a wretch, like me.” The world began to blur as the rear blade controlled the descent.Hudson and Whitehorse screamed as their stomach’s flipped and the world turned to black.“... I once was blind but now I see.” When you came to, your body felt warm, hot even. Smoke filled your lungs and burned. Your eyes opened but your vision wasn’t clear, the salty water protecting them from the wreck you were trapped in. Your head was pounding and pain stabbed at your eyes, a concussion. Burke was unconscious in the seat opposite, his arms dangling above his head as embers touched his skin and disintegrated into black dust. You could hear a muffled voice somewhere. Hudson mirrored the Marshal when you checked to see her and you realised the helicopter was upside down when you saw the sky had fallen to beneath you.Are you there?” the voice snapped your head in the direction of it’s source. You let the woman repeat herself just to confirm that this wasn’t a nightmare. That this was real. Nancy.“Amazing Grace. How sweet the sound.” You reached for the headset that dangled like a carrot, tempting you. You couldn’t reach and your fingers brushing it aside. You waited for it to return to you like a clock pendulum before reaching again but a hand grabbed you firmly and a gasp escaped your mouth.“That saved a wretch. Like me...” He looked you in the eyes again but this time, you couldn’t avoid them. A part of you didn’t want to avoid them. He was comforting even with the glow of flames like you were walking towards the light that would bring you peace. Or was He the epitome of Hell on Earth? He released your arm, rosary beads dangling over you, His eyes flickering between yours and your trembling lip.“Is somebody there, please?” Nancy’s voice was breaking, desperate for a response but you both ignored the headset.“I told you that God wouldn’t let you take me.” Joseph let His eyes wander your frame and a smile touched the corner of His mouth when He heard your barely audible sob. “Please, I need to know what’s going on,” sobbed Nancy. It was then that Joseph reached for the headset. His eyes never strayed as He held the headset to His mouth.“Dispatch?” Your heart sank at the confidence in His voice. You knew what was coming and He knew too. He was the one who controlled your fate. He felt a flutter of excitement as He watched how helpless you were. Trapped.“Oh God,” Nancy sighed heavily with relief.“Everything is just fine here. No need to call anyone.”“Yes Father. Praise be to you,” By this point, your head was swimming as the blood rushed to that area, the heat beginning to become unbearable but His presence made it feel less impeding. Like He could protect you from your demise. He had let go of the headset and you watched the periodic shadow pass over His bloodied features. He leaned up so His face was inches from yours and whispered, His breath tickling at your skin like the breeze on a warm summer’s day.“No-one is coming to save you.” He prayed to God that He let no-one take you either. “Father!” a chorus of voices alerted Joseph to company and He took one last look at you before clambering out of the wreckage.“Everything is unfolding as according to God’s plans. I am still here with you.” He climbed atop the car His followers had arrived in to continue His address.“The first seal has been broken. The Collapse has begun but we will take what we need. We will preserve what we have and we will kill all those that stand in our way.” He pointed to the wreckage and the cultists’ gaze followed like a flock of sheep receiving their grain.“These harbingers of doom will see the truth.” Beside you, Joey had come to and was frantically looking around, her eyes wide with panic and her face a mural of purple and black.“We gotta get outta here,” you heard the Sheriff say but something was shouted and the cultists began to close in on the four of you, seething with anger. Joey had managed to unbuckle her safety belt but it meant that the cultists could easily drag her out. You tried to hold her but they were too strong. At the back of the riot, you could see Joseph stood watching you with a pained expression.“- gettin’ the fuck outta here,” Burke commented as he released his belt. He slumped onto the ground and fled without so much as a glance in your direction. Breathing suddenly became difficult and you whimpered with the fear.A cultist was trying to reach for you across the seat but the fire caught the fumes and billowed outwards. The flames of your proverbial Hell had protected you. With fumbling hands you managed to release the latch and fell awkwardly onto your back, the metal bruising the skin immediately. With adrenaline coursing through your veins, it was painless and you scrambled from the wreck and ran into the forest.“Woah, woah, hey! They’re gettin’ away!” cried one of the cultists but you spared no second glance and only ran. God would not let you take Joseph and God would not let you leave. The Father was stood by the vehicle and sighed as He watched you slip out of sight. “God has made plans and they will come to fruition.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Joseph stared absentmindedly out of the window of the truck as He was driven back to the cabin He resided at. He watched the rows of trees blur past and thought back to the moment he lost you to them. How you fled into the waiting embrace of Mother nature instead of the reach of His followers. The flames of your Wrath prevented you from being together but Joseph accepted that. It was God’s will and He would be tested in patience.This minor hiccup however, would provide Him with time to contemplate and reflect on the events of the evening. God had sent down an Angel but you had slipped from His grasp and lost your wings. You were on the wrong path; the path of the Resistance and He would need to remedy that.He wondered what your new purpose would be. God did not let you take Him and God would not let you leave. Joseph had chosen His path and that was to save you but how would He do so upon finding you? Someone so beautiful and delicate as an Angel would need protecting. A safe home. Perhaps His brother Jacob? Jacob’s subjects were always safe within the realms of their strength. The weak were culled but the strong prospered. Aside from what was presumably your nickname, Joseph knew nothing about you. “Rook,” He whispered to Himself, enjoying the way it rolled from His tongue. How He could sing it as a Hymm for all to hear but moan it in intimacy reserved for private. Your blue eyes seemed endless yet when He stared into them, He saw the fear. The determination. The Wrath. He wondered if those eyes had seen true Heavenly beauty before. The fields of Bliss would provide you with a romantic stroll, arms linked together as you strode toward the Gates of Eden where His family would welcome you with open arms. How He would love to tuck a Bliss flower in your hair and let His hand fall down your cheek to replace it with a soft kiss.Joseph cast His thoughts back to that moment in the church. He gave you the option to walk away but you resisted and chose the wrong path. Your choice had been witnessed by His family. John. Jacob. Faith. They has seen you tempted by government, the ease at which they control the authorities. The Greed and ignorance that fuelled their existence. Perhaps if Joseph arranged for Faith to show you the path and for John to cleanse you and for Jacob to test your resolve, He could prove to them your worth. Keeping you alive was His new purpose and the Gates of Eden would be closed to any who failed you. The truck came to a gradual stop and Joseph climbed out. He looked to the sky and saw that dawn was slowly beginning to show itself to the world. He needed to rest in preparation for His morning sermon. Two followers positioned themselves outside of the entrance and Joseph stood breathing deeply before staggering against the kitchen unit. His hands gripped the edge, knuckles turning white. You wouldn’t leave His mind. Thoughts of you were becoming more frequent than the voice of God. Was this His insanity returning? Or did He Lust after you? Perhaps it was because of Greed that His visions were filled with a future shared by the both of you, with a family of your own at Eden’s Gate. He released a raspy sigh. He had been tested before and would pass again.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Since your escape, you had honed your skill of survival. Dutch had taken you in, wary at first of course but upon seeing how defeated you were on the Henbane riverbank, he knew. He had very quickly become a mentor, feeding you information about the region’s activities and the infamous Seed family of whom you had only met the one. Your thoughts occasionally drifted to that night when you wrapped the cuffs around Joseph’s wrists. The way His body was scarred and He openly wore His sins. It was as thought provoking as it was insane. It wasn’t long after your rescue that Dutch had presented you with the footage of John Seed the cult Baptist and had encouraged you to help liberate Fall’s End. There was a part of you that wanted to go but the coward in you yearned to escape in the forests of Whitetail Mountains. Of course, trouble had become attached and seemed to follow wherever you went like Mary’s little lamb and you found yourself in a firefight at a rudimentary roadblock surrounded by coniferous trees and thick foliage. The Peggies already stationed at the roadblock had taken you by surprise and it showed on your body as a crosshatch of cuts and grazes that coloured the grass and flowers a sickly hue. The adrenaline that coursed through your veins deafened you to the offensive screams. Numbed your limbs to the piercing bullets and spurred you on until no foe stood before you. Time was irrelevant in moments like this and the hot pink of the Montana sunset illuminated your skin in a satisfying glow. Of course, the whole ordeal had been fed back to Jacob over radio transmission, a brother you had not met nor understood his influence over the mountainous region. The ex-veteran was disgruntled to say the least and was preparing a cage to begin your conditioning upon capture but Jospeh envisioned another plan. It came in the form of a high caliber round that threw your body into an eternal state of pleasure. Your skin sensitive and every nerve tingling with sensation. You felt free. Free of your Sins. Free of your burdens. Free of your misgivings. Even as the world fell to black, all you felt was heavenly bliss. Time did not pass. The bliss was a state of eternal peace. To capture a moment and treasure it. Pull it apart. Scrutinise it. Adore it. Your eyelids were heavy but you fought regardless to open them. The world was bright. Too bright. Like an angel had spread Her wings and left you blinded by Her majesty. You shut your eyes and enjoyed the soothing way your hair was stroked. “Hush my lamb...”Time did not pass. The bliss had provided you with a Gift. A moment to scrutinise, pull apart and adore. You opened your eyes to find a pair of blue ones gazing back. Your hand shakily rose to reach for the face that offers you both comfort and fear.“Father...” you whisper and He cannot help the overwhelming desire to answer to your call. He places His hand over yours, gently touching His lips to the knuckles. His beard tickles and a shy giggle escapes your lips. The Father grins, pleased that in this moment you are no longer repulsed by Him and His beliefs. That in this moment, you relish in His touch. You smile softly and tilt your head as if expecting Him to continue. He clears His throat and stands, your hand in His.“Please, walk with me Child,” he offers and you agree with no hesitation.You smile and laugh absentmindedly as the ground beneath your feet feels soft and inviting. Like you’re walking on a cloud, you lose yourself in this moment and occasionally skip, arm linked with Joseph’s until you reach a river that flows slowly and glistens with Bliss that fills your nostrils. An immense wave of Pride swells within Joseph’s chest and He clenches the Rosary beads in His fist as a reminder to atone for His Sin, for this is not His moment to drown in but yours. “Joseph?” your voice echoes in the ethereal forest and the Father joins you as you step unto the waters until the waves gently lap at your waist and His upper thighs. “Yes my Child?” He answers and in that moment you felt you could request anything and He would answer. “Will God offer me salvation? To be cleansed of my Sins and to atone for my ignorance?” Joseph’s heart skipped a beat even though He knew this moment for Him was a false vision. The Bliss has provided you with the means to become an angel. His angel and in this moment He will indulge in His Greed. “My Child only you can offer yourself salvation but my brother John can cleanse your soul upon hearing your confession. I believe you are worthy of atonement no matter the weight of your burdens.”You shy away at His kind words and watch as the light reflects in the water. Joseph tips your chin to meet His gaze and slowly leans to press His forehead against yours in a symbol of trust and unity. One He shares only with His family. His hands rest on your shoulders and you hadn’t realised you were wearing a white ceremonial dress until Joseph reached behind to slowly undo the zip. His fingers touched your vertebrae on the way down and it sent electricity through your whole body. The material pooled around your waist as Joseph revealed your upper body inch by inch.After releasing a shaky breath,Joseph summonsed the courage to place His lips over yours and kissed you with the delicacy you deserved in this moment
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Joseph’s lips were oh so gentle against your own but the serenity of the moment shattered when a flock of birds flew suddenly from the lone oak tree. You tried to pull away, to break the kiss but Joseph only deepened it, tracing his tongue along your lips, pleading for entry. You hesitantly granted Him that pleasure and he moaned greedily. The vibrations that resonated from his chest should have set something alight within you. Instead, an unpleasant wave washed over your body and you felt your stomach drop as Joseph’s tongue locked itself with yours.The butterflies that fluttered amongst the grass and flowers fell to dust and blew away in the breeze that whipped against your skin. Your blissful moment was slowly disintegrating, like a disease claiming its vector. Joseph’s hands locked around the small of your back, pulling your hips against His and a feeling of utter repulsion almost caused you to heave. Your hands pushed against His chest and he leaned back, eyes half-lidded with Lust. Your fingers traced His tattoos and scars that litter His body and you remember everything. Your moment was being destroyed and you were the destroyer. The water impeded your ability to run and Joseph gripped your wrist tightly with a soft smile across His face. You used your free arm to clench your fist and drive it against His chest. Over and over and over again. He simply smiled, heart racing at the strength within you. You were special. You were Chosen. He faded to ash.When you regain consciousness, your eyes open to bars and the stench of burning flesh. Realisation dawned on you that Jacob must have found you and taken advantage of the situation. You were scared to look at yourself. The stories you had heard were enough to put anybody off. When you opened your eyes, you found yourself fully clothed, be it your old denim shorts and knotted shirt. With a shaky breath you attempt to stand but stumble clumsily towards the cage door, you give it a firm pull to confirm that it was locked. You look around and your heart skips a beat when your gaze settles on Joseph. He sits a few feet away from the cage, silently staring with His fingers laced together and elbows resting on His knees. His eyes are still half-lidded but now He has a clean shirt and vest on. For what feels like an eternity you simply stare in silence and before too long, that silence becomes deafening. Jacob hadn’t been too keen on lending Joseph a cage. He knew that the Father felt you were special and so he knew immediately that it did not matter whether you were weak or strong. God had apparently chosen and that was enough for Joseph. It had been an entire night that the Father had sat watching you in the cage. He watched as you stared back at Him. He watched as you became restless and paced the cage. He watched as you became tired and sat in the mud. He watched as slumber eventually took you and peace finally claimed you.Now He stood before you, eyes intense as ever but His smile was uncertain. He occasionally averted His gaze, like a young boy and you felt your hands shake with fear you wished to conceal from Him.In His hands He held a small wooden box. It looked worn and the corners were soft from age. His eyes met yours again and you couldn’t look anywhere but at Him.“You do not wish to join the Project. To join our preparations against the Collapse which I assure you my Child, it is coming. You did not embrace your moment with me.” As He spoke, He gently wound the key to the box, His eyes never leaving yours.“I hope this will make you see...” He opened the box and every chord the music box chimed struck a harsh blow inside your head. Your vision turned red and breathing became shallow. The tears were hot against your cheeks as they fell uncontrollably and you did not spare a second to care.The pain that throbbed in your mind finally ceased and you were left with a pleasant silence. No screams of agony from neighbouring cages. No stench of burning flesh. No fear of Jacob conditioning you. This moment felt as dreamy as the Bliss. It felt like you were in Heaven without being able to see it. Then He spoke and you listened.“The Collapse is God’s cleansing fire. It will choose those who are worthy to march unto Eden’s Gate to build humanity anew. Don’t you wish to be a part of that? To walk beside me as my Eve? To join my family? You were not sent to us out of coincidence. God sent you to us for us to show you your purpose. You have already walked the fields of Bliss with Faith. You must let John cleanse you and show you your path of Atonement. I can help you. We do not hurt people, we are saving them. Those who join us have accepted God’s decision to cleanse the Earth. They will be granted access to the Gates of Eden for they have seen the Light. Do you see the Light? Will you walk by my side to Eden’s Gate?” “Yes,” you whispered and His lips met yours and you opened your eyes to finally see.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Your body felt like it had grown wings, as if by some miracle the Father had transformed you into an angel and let you take flight through Heaven. Perhaps He had made you His angel, shown you the Light and the true path to salvation. You were blind but now you see. You give silent permission for your eyes to open and you find Joseph’s staring back at you, not filled with the usual disappointment but glee and everlasting love that His Lamb is no longer lost. You glance at the fields surrounding you and breathe lungfuls of the sweet Bliss. The motes of light dance around the two of you, blanketing you in a protective bubble that separates you from those who do not believe. Joseph’s chest swells with Pride at how pliant you have become. It fills Him with relief that He does not require Jacob to condition you. You were His lost Lamb and you returned to Him willingly. It stirs a Sin deep within Him. One that He had ignored since the loss of His wife, since God’s first test. But God was presenting Him with a new test. To choose whether He ignores His ultimate purpose or embraces it to prepare for the Collapse. He tilts your chin up and smiles softly, studying you as if you are a walking miracle.
“My Child, my little Lamb. You have found the true path. You have embraced your purpose. You have embraced me. Let me show you how divine your purpose is and together we shall march to Eden’s Gate and after the Collapse, we shall emerge as the Prophets who created and protected life.” With a sweet smile He sweeps His arm out presenting a beautiful girl in a dress similar to the one you find yourself wearing whenever you are in these fields. The girl’s barefeet danced along the grass and she takes Joseph’s hand as He guides her to stand before you.
“My sister Faith, she will guide you along your purpose. She will be your pillar when I can not. Let her help you and your path shall be divine.” Fairh released His hand and took both of yours, her smile wide and eyes glistening. “I have waited so long for the Father to find His purpose. You are His purpose and He wants me to guide you. All you need is to have faith and God will shower you in glory!” She laughed gleefully and spun on the spot, the Bliss flowers parting in her wake. Joseph was gone but only for now. Faith calling you divided your attention and you chased after her into the clearing.Your new life seemed so peaceful and desirable, it was hard to comprehend why anyone would not have faith in the Project. You aired your thoughts to Faith as she wound flowers into the braid she had tied in your hair. The soft smile across her face left you wondering if she was even listening. Your questioning glance left her giggling.
“Now I see why the Father loves you, you are devoted. You have faith and in return we shall offer the same.” Her words didn’t make too much sense in that moment but you smiled in acknowledgement and continued to play with the blades of grass that tickled between your fingers.
“Tonight you will attend a sermon with the Father and brother John will baptise you as a member of our family!” She leaned forward and blew the motes of Bliss into your face. Like a breath of fresh air you were transported, whisked away like dandelions in the wind. The choir was already singing and you could hear the joy in their voices as they sang a song dedicated to the Herald due to cleanse your soul.
Oh John, bold and brave, he’s finding us a family, he’s teaching us the faith.
You slowly stepped forward towards the church doors and let your hands hover over the handles. You could hear your heart pounding in your ears.
Oh John, keep us safe, he’s gonna march us right through Eden’s Gate.
“I look forward to your confession,” came a blunt voice from behind. You gasped and spun to face the perpetrator - a handsome young man with blue eyes you could lose yourself in for days.
“M-my confession?” your stutter earned you a smirk, one you would never wish to wipe from the man’s face. His smile only grew as he studied your form.
“Yes, your confession. One you must give to me before I can cleanse your soul. To truly allow you onto the path of atonement.” He stepped closer and closer with every word until he had your back pressed against the doors. The wood creaked under your weight and you silently prayed that no-one try to open them.
“John,” you breathed as you realised that he was the Baptist. Joseph’s Herald of Holland Valley.
“The pleasure’s all mine,” he purred as a surprisingly calloused hand took yours and raised it to his lips. A soft kiss was pressed to your knuckles as blue eyes stared at you. He raised his head with that smirk and tilted towards the doors.
“Shall we? I would hate to keep the Father waiting.” He opened the doors for you and Joseph smiled widely when he recognised you both.Your smile dwindled as John’s hand ventured to the small of your back, guiding you into a pew. So much contact and you barely knew a thing about this man. You picked up a Book of Joseph and rested it beside you but couldn’t help but be fully aware of John’s hand resting atop your thigh. You eyed it cautiously and John seemed to notice but decided that a wink should suffice.
He’s gonna march us right through Eden’s Gate.