Seth Astill: Church without the pope

Not so abandoned powerhouse

They both went back inside the church together and then Xenia went outside to look around. Seth stood in the middle of the room facing the raised platform, he now knew that there was nothing wrong with the Jesus statue as well as all the paintings. The room didn't have many things, the statue and the painting were the only places that a person could use to hide any machine.

Except for the stage, he thought. There could always be a probability that there might be a secret place there on the stage, why didn't he think of this before. He quickly moved to the stage and started inspecting all its sides.

He started tapping from the front and gradually made the progress to the sides, he couldn't hear any sound, indicating that the stage was solid from inside too and that there was no hollow space there, he checked the other side as well, only resulting disappointment. Now only the back was remaining he went to the back and started tapping the stage.

There still was no noise indicating that it was hollow, he moved forward and he has reached the end there, he knocked on there not expecting much but, to his n, the sound reverberated there indicating a hollow space behind it.

He was overjoyed to find something at last. He controlled his happiness and concentrated on the task at hand. He had found the hollowed-out space, so there must be some way to open it. He couldn't find any tempering there, meaning the place was made in the renovation. And somebody who knew about that place is using it now to hide the thing that has started the rumors.

He looked around to see if he could find any switch or lever that might be used to open it, he only saw an electrical socket at the corner that was all. There was a pattern that was decorated around the edges of the stage.

Maybe the switch is hidden in the pattern he thought. he started going through the leaves pattern above the hollow area. He tried pulling the leaves and pushing them, he also tried to rotate them like a liver but it was all futile.

He slumped down defeated, he knew now that there was a hollow space but, how was he going to open it. maybe he could try and break it, the idea was tempting but, he knew better than defacing a church. Maybe I should ask Xenia's help, she would know better than me he thought.

So, he went outside and started looking around for her, not seeing her in the front, he went to the backside still he didn't find any traces of her, assuming that she might have wandered deep inside the forest, he went to the forest behind the church.

It was a dense overgrowth, with various shrubs blocking the path, there wasn't even any proper road there not even a dust trail, walking carefully, so as not to step on anything harmful he moved ahead. He wasn't able to see much ahead as the view was blocked by the leaves, it was a slow and painful walk but, he managed it and emerged out into the open on the other side.

he got out from the overgrowth, outside a building, it had wired fences all around it and only the top of the building was visible. What was such a building doing here he thought moving around the place, to look for its entrance.

He walked around to the opposite side and the steel gates, barricading the building came into view, there in front of the gate was Xenia bent down looking for something.

"Zee, what are you doing here" Seth shouted from behind, startling her as she got up and looked at him.

"Seth, I was looking for the holes, that you told me to find out," she said as he reached her.

"I also told you to find something that would resemble a machine and that was suspicious too, I think the building qualifies. You should've come and told me about this place.

"What is suspicious about this powerhouse," Xenia asked genuinely confused.

"No jokes now, I am serious. You should've called me"

"I am not joking, I don't get what is suspicious about the powerhouse"

"Zee, what is a powerhouse doing such high up here in the mountains and that too just behind the church, this all is pretty suspicious, don't you think"

"No, the powerhouse was here for ten years, if you are thinking that the renovation team made it for the prank then you are out of your mind"

"You are right but, I am not saying the renovation team built this powerhouse. What I meant was they might be using this abandoned powerhouse to their benefit and they might've tempered with the place so that the people might think that the church is haunted" Seth explained.

"Who said anything about the powerhouse being abandoned," Xenia said much to Seth's confusion.

"What do you mean," Seth asked confused.

"I mean that the powerhouse is still working" Xenia explained a little exasperated.

"I get that. What I don't understand is what is a working powerhouse doing here away from the place, how does this thing even supply the power"

"This thing supply power alright, as for what is this doing away from the place, have you ever seen a nuclear power plant between the city"

"You mean that this powerhouse uses nuclear energy to generate power," Seth asked incredulously.

"Nope, but it was supposed to," Xenia said much to his relief.

"Okay so, how is the power being generated if it's not using any nuclear source"

"It uses solar power as well as wind power, to generate power. There is a huge solar panel and various wind turbines for this" Xenia explained.

"I get it now but, you told it was originally made to house nuclear power. Why did they change the plans"

"They stopped it because the people opposed the idea of having a nuclear plant here, they thought that it would destroy the beauty of the place. The only problem was that by the time people came to know about this, the construction was almost done......"

"So, they changed the idea and thought of making use of solar energy" Seth interrupted.

"Yep, pretty much," Xenia said with a sigh.

"Well, who has the keys to this place now" Seth asked interested.

"Nobody knows, probably the mayor or an officer. Why do you want to know"

"Just curious, guess there is nothing to find here, let's go and look at the church," Seth said.

"How come a small powerhouse like this supply energy to the whole town"

"There are a few more but they aren't powerhouses, they are a few conductors all over the town"

"I see," Seth said turning to go back to the overgrowth.

"Where are you going," Xenia asked doubtfully.

"Back to the church"

"Are you serious, that is not the way to go to the church, that is the way" she said pointing to the other side.

"Really. Man, why do I always have to do the things the hard way" Seth groaned and Xenia couldn't help smiling.

Xenia lead the way and Seth followed, they took a dirt path that he hadn't seen before, there was dense overgrowth on both sides.

"Zee, doesn't the mountain has any wild animals," Seth asked "This is such a dense forest, there should at least be some wild animals"

"There is. but, they dwell in the inner parts and rarely come out here in the outskirts"

"What type of wild animals live here," Seth asked.

"You might find badgers near the riverside and mostly foxes but if you are unlucky then you might even come face to face with a wild boar"

"Hasn't there been any incidents between the animals and human life"

"Not that I know of any" Xenia said as they reached just behind the church into its garden. The gardner was watering the plants, seeing this both of them went to him.