Devil's Playground
by KarlOConnor
I hurt myself today ... to see if I still feel ... I focus on the pain ... the only thing that's real ...
Do onto others before they do onto you.
He trudged on through unending deluge in an utter daze, aware and unaware both at once. His white shirt anything but white, his jacket torn, and his collar loosened. There is blood on his clothing, most of which is not his own though he is responsible for some its existence. The end of the world has come, the end of his world. Everyone he knew is gone. Friends, family, parishioners, they are all gone and only he is left to walk a path, maybe the path to his own crucifixion.
Maybe he could just stay here, drop to his knees right where he is, wait it out in a peaceful wide open space. Peace can only last so long for they would come to him sooner or later then there will be no need to worry about survival, no need to wonder as to where he goes from here, no need to worry about managing from day to day.
Doing such a thing he feels he will let them all down, everyone who knew and trusted him, he knows they would not want him to give up no matter how strong his weakening faith may or may not be so he continues on, moving forward. His faith however may not be the only thing weakening.
Walking on for what feels like an eternity, what are the chances that when he feels as if he can walk no more that he has come to be on hallowed ground? A church stands whole and strong before him, the largest he has seen in some time, or at least this is what he believes. Has he been here before?
The day, this day so far is indeed peaceful, it is also quiet, bright and lonely. He hesitantly enters the building and it is soon clear that it is free of infestation so he walks up the centre aisle, genuflects and blesses himself, then moves inwards and sits. A moment or two passes before he moves to his knees. Clasping his hands he speaks out loud in the hopes that the little faith he does hold on to will show him the way forwards.
'Oh Lord, why have you forsaken me? Forsaken us? Your children who follow you to the ends of the world and beyond? Tell me who has opened up hell's gates and allowed the dead to come through and roam free? If you battle Satan then it would appear Satan is winning. For Lucifer himself has come above ground and he has brought an army with him.
I don't know how much longer I can go on oh Lord. Please show me the way, show me a sign that all will be well. Give me the strength to go on and not be tempted.'
He bows his head and prays in silence, initially not seeing the light that soon shines through the stained glass up high beyond and onto the alter not all so far away, but when he does see that light he can't help but stand and indeed take this moment as a sign. It may just be pure coincidence though he much rather take it as if his prayer has been answered. Maybe it has been.
From the back of the church, just inside the doorway a voice speaks ...
'Father ... are you alone?
He struggles and almost trips as he attempts to move out into the aisle and on to meet and make contact with the first sign of life he has come across in he doesn't know how long. Composing himself he answers the question asked of him in a manner that only a man of the cloth can, and of course his answer comes in the form of a question.
'How alone can one truly be within our Lord's house?'
A young lady had entered, shaking and clearly in distress. Perception may have slightly been lost. She may have been here more than a moment or two, so too he may be, having been lost in a moment with the lord. This is not a time to get philosophical. In a way Father Michael Anthony once again had a parishioner in his care and one who needed a moment of his time.
'You don't look well my child' he spoke.
Moments pass quicker than anticipated though a calmness has come over Cassia Ortiz. This calmness would not last for as soon as Cassia mentioned the name Rosario Fernandez that things would begin to not sit right.
'Who?' asked Father Anthony.
'Rosario ...' with the priest seeming quite confused Cassia would continue. 'You know, red head, army medic ... she sent me over here, said you would look after me ...'
'... She did?'
'Yes, why? Was she not meant to or something?'
The conversation would go no further for two children would enter the church, once being a little louder than the other.
'Settle down Zoe' speaks Dorian D'Orcot entering the church alongside Janalyn Hall who signs to young Catori to also settle down too. Settle the children do though that's most likely to the fact that each of them have been handed a tin of peaches.
'Excuse me ...' says Father Anthony wondering just what is going on.
***
Day has become evening and the church doors has been locked from the inside.
'He is getting worse' speaks Lennox.
Having returned from scavenging Rosario now sits alongside Cassia near the front of the church. Lennox is sitting level with the ladies across the aisle from them and close enough that he can be in on any conversation they may be having. The three look back towards the back of the church where Father Michael Anthony paces back and forth apparently speaking with someone who actually isn't there.
'He has been like this a couple times before but never like this or for this long' Rosario explains to Cassia.
'He is losing it' says Lennox, 'maybe I should go try and calm him.'
'Nah, I'll do that' says Rosario as she gets up, feeling as if she has taken on a sort of a motherly role despite being so much younger than the priest. She takes a second or two to herself have a 'what would Buffy do?' moment then on she goes.
There is enough distance and words are spoken softly enough that neither Cassia nor Lennox can hear what is being spoken between Rosario and the priest. Rosario does indeed seem to have a hold on how Father Anthony is so attention upon them is deflected.
'It's sad to see' says Cassia. 'I'd expect a priest to be quite strong at times like this.'
'Yeah well he has been through a lot, we all have' says Lennox, 'though if talking to God helps him out then I'm all for it. Maybe I should try find my own spirit guide, it might help keep me sane.'
'So ... what's the plan? Is this place some sort of a base? Do you all live here? ...'
'We've been here a while now and will be here for the night, most likely will move on in the morning if everyone is in agreement.'
'Most likely?'
'Sure, we can't tell what each day is be like with ... ya know ... all we can do is assess each day as it comes and take it from there.'
'Hey, where did they go?' asks Cassia once again looking towards the back of the church.
Lennox also turns and does not see either the priest or Rosario. 'Ah ... it's a big church, they probably have just sat down somewhere together. Nothing to worry about I'd imagine.'
Once again attention is distracted. Dorian stands having completed meditating on the far side of the alter. In his seated position he had not ben within anyone's line of sight, standing changed that. He slowly moves round the alter then onto towards that centre aisle and then down it, passing in between Cassia and Lennox who both watch as he does this. Once Dorian has indeed passed both Lennox and Cassia, Father Anthony can be seen coming up the other way.
'What is up with you?' asks the priest as Dorian passes right by him.
'You ask that of me all the time Father, it was not a nice question before and it is still not a nice question now' speaks the shrouded one without turning or stopping his forward motion.
Father Anthony takes a seat on the row directly behind Lennox.
'How are you feeling Father?'
'Fine, just fine err ...'
'It's Lennox Father ...'
'I know that. I may be getting a little forgetful now and then. I am still here, like I always am.'
'Forgive me for asking but ...' speaks Cassia 'but where is Rosario?'
Before the priest can even begin to answer he is stopped in his track by Dorian returning back down the aisle.
'Where are the children?' demands the shrouded one moving right up to the priest and standing by him.
Father Anthony begins to stutter 'err ... err ... t-they ...'
'C'mon Father, answer me.'
'They are ... are in a room.'
'Where?'
'Back of the church, left, down the corridor, third room on the left.'
'Show me ...'
Lennox and Cassia can do no more than watch Father Anthony join Dorian and watch them move away while still wondering as to where Rosario may have got herself to. Indeed the children, Catori and Zoe were right where Father Anthony said they were. Such a strange situation too, Zoe the six year old was attempting to explain a piece of music to the ten year old Catori.
Catori knows what music was or is, she hasn't always been deaf. Still, from the cd next to the stereo playing music, Dorian could see that a particular tune is on the go.
'When I see Mommy I feel like a Mummy' by an act called Captain Beefheart.
This is definitely not the typical interaction between two children though this is not a typical situation and there is nothing typical about the times that are being lived in.
'Happy?' asks the priest.
'Do I look happy?'
A rhetorical question if there ever was one. Father Anthony briefly wondered as to if there was ever a time that Dorian looked happy. Surely he must have had at least one moment of kindness shown to him, there must have been at least one time that Dorian must have felt content, but who knows.
The children are happy enough for the moment so Dorian is content enough to leave them be where they are for the time being. Dorian moves towards the main church entrance and opens the doors. Outside a number of living dead entities have gathered.
'You can feel them, right? You knew they were there before the doors opened?'
Father Anthony may have his moments though there are times when he understands better than anyone else can. Maybe there is something divine or possibly not so divine guiding him. Two entities begin to move beyond the near-by parked camper van and then on towards the open door and it is almost as if Dorian does have some sort of power over them.
'Are they slow moving, chief?'
Another rhetorical question spoken out loud, yeah sometimes the right tool does fit the right job and sometimes it doesn't. One thing even Dorian could not have predicted was the sudden appearance of a member of the living dead, arriving all of a sudden from the left to be almost directly in front the most unlikely of duos. Without thinking Father Anthony grabs that cat and throws it right at the head of this intruder.
The intruder is knocked over at the cat bounces right back inside the door, that cat, Felice, even knows as to where it belongs, and it ain't outside. The church doors are once again locked.
'You are not right. You do know that don't you?'
'Father?' questions Dorian.
'He has told me, you are too much like them.'
'Who are you talking about, Father?'
'You, I am talking about you and I know what I must do ...'
***
'I haven't seen Timothy in a while ...' says Lennox.
'Who?' asks Cassia.
'Tim, or Tommy or whatever it is he is calling himself.'
'This is a rather large church, looks big enough for someone to actually get lost in here. I have noticed that there are a few corridors and a number of rooms about the place. I'm sure if anyone fancied a bit of alone time there would be plenty of places they could go.'
Suzie Q is up close to the alter with headphones on, using the loud music to distract her from her thoughts, distracting her from thinking about the animals she had cared so much about and at this she is singing too and singing louder than she realizes. Off to the right of the alter there is another corridor, a corridor within Suzie's line of sight from where she dances. Something else is about to distract her, or rather someone else is about to distract her.
Someone exits one room, slowly moves down and across the hall and then into another room. It is someone Suzie thinks she knows but she can't be sure. There is something not right. Surely she has come to know all who now reside within the church. The movement is slow, hampered almost; the person looks darker than what they should do if indeed it is who Suzie suspects it to be. This is definitely not right.
'Janalyn?' asks Suzie thinking that this is who she sees though strangely enough she cannot be sure of that.
Suzie now has to at least go investigate. Lennox and Cassia are near; no need to involve them as there is no danger for all is surely well. Well all may appear but appearances are all too often quite deceiving. Suzie makes it to the room she is sure Janalyn or someone not all to unlike Janalyn had entered.
There is someone within that room, on their knees facing away from the door and still the identity of this person is not completely sure.
'Janalyn' Suzie asks once again.
There is no immediate reply so Suzie takes a couple of steps into the room, then the head turn comes. Suzie is taken completely off guard. So used to dealing with all kinds of creatures, big and small, and so used to living within the world as it is today, nothing could have prepared her for this moment.
Her eyes open wide, her heart beat quickens and she falls over in her attempt to move backwards out of the room. A reanimated Janalyn is who Suzie shares the room with and not only that but Janalyn is feeding off from a rather large rodent. The rodent is soon discarded as a much larger feast has presented itself.
Not going to lay down for anyone or anything Suzie quickly makes it to her feet. She moves out of the room closing and locking the door behind her. Still caught in disbelief Suzie returns back towards the alter. Lennox, seeing her distress, quickly moves towards Suzie.
'You alright? What's wrong?'
Suzie simply points to where she had just come from.
'What's down there?' Lennox continues his attempt to find out what has spooked Suzie.
'De-dead ... there ... s-s-he ... d-d-d ...'
'Alright ... try calm down. I'll go and have a look.'
'No ... don't.'
''It's OK, I have this.'
Lennox grabs the closest machete to him and heads down where Suzie had been only moments ago. He knows something spooked Suzie, and he is about to head towards whatever that is. He would be in no way ready to see what he is about to come into contact with no matter how much he may think he is ready. Slowly he turns the handle on the first door he comes to then pushes it back and hard while raising the machete high.
Nothing there so he calms his panic and moves onto the next door, the door Suzie had locked. Lennox turns the key and then turns the handle, once again raising the machete as he pushes the door open wide, she immediately comes at him. At first Lennox is ready to take care of business then realization hits. It ain't just any reanimated corpse coming at him. It is of course Janalyn.
With the initial shock Lennox doesn't realize that he has dropped his machete. He backs up a step or two then he trips and drops to the ground too. She keeps coming, being so stunned his reactions aren't what they should be and fairly soon she is almost atop of him. Suzie at this point is more all in a tizzle than what she had been a moment or so ago.
Thank heavens for those who pay attention for Cassia has indeed paid attention, for in these less than ordinary times something most definitely did not come across as ordinary. She had not hesitated with bringing the second of the groups machetes with her as she also did not hesitate with removing the head of she who was getting the upper hand.
'Sorry ...' Cassia soon speaks, aiding Lennox to his feet.
'Don't be ...' he says. 'You have nothing to be sorry for. In fact I should be thanking you.'
'I done what needed to be done, I'd hope if the roles had have been reversed ...'
' ... Of course. What the hell happened to her though?'
'What? Besides the decapitation?'
He throws her a look and realizing that her timing isn't always spot on she continues 'sorry, that wasn't so nice of me.'
'...She was perfectly fine not all that long ago.'
Lennox and Cassia begin to head back to the main body of the church where Suzie had settled somewhat, sitting on the steps just below the alter though something gets Suzie going once again and seeing her getting back to her feet and becoming unsettled Lennox and Cassia begin to move all the more quickly.
Another moment of shock was about to take centre stage. Lennox and Cassia would see it as soon as they came out of that relatively short corridor, believing it, well that would come with a great deal of difficulty.
In the centre aisle, close to the top of the church, with his back towards the alter stands Father Michael Anthony. A few feet in front of and facing him is another reanimated corpse. As with Janalyn this resurrected creature is also somewhat recognizable.
'I don't believe this' says Lennox being stunned for a second time in less than a minute.
Moving down the aisle closest to him to stand one aisle over and across from the priest Lennox cannot refrain from speaking.
'What the hell is going on here?'
'Ssshush' says the priest.
'Don't shush me ...'
'See how she recognizes me? It's really something, isn't it? Dead, yet not dead at all.'
A reanimated Rosario stands feet away from the priest. She reaches out a hand as he calmly stands in amazement.
'What did you do Father?'
'I've done what was asked of me, everything the lord has asked of me.'
'The lord? ... The lord? This is the devil's playground and you are following the wrong lord.'
'Hush now' says the priest. 'You're upsetting the dead.'
'You killed Rosario here didn't you?' asks Lennox. 'You were the last one with her. You killed Janalyn too right? Where is Dorian? Did you take him out too? ... And Taylor or Tylor, whatever his name is? What about the kids? Oh my God, where are the kids? ... Answer me Father, where are the children.'
'Do not worry; the children are where they have been for the last while. They are listening to their music in a room down off to the side.'
'What's that smell? ... Is there something burning Father?'
'We are full of questions today, aren't we?'
Indeed something is burning, Lennox can see it now. The flames are beginning to become visible. The front doors, the wooden front doors of the church are on fire. Lennox's first instinct is to go and get the kids and this is what he does. Seconds may only have passed but by the time he has returned to the main body of the church, those doors are seriously burning, the flames are strong and the smoke it releases is backing up into the church.
'C'mon' he says guiding the kids away from the smoke.'
From here things really head south. Suzie is on the ground by the alter. She is not moving. Is she hurt? Rosario reanimated is still in the centre aisle but the priest s not. Cassia also cannot be seen. Rosario is heading his way so he tells the children, both of whom are screaming, not to look. They hold onto him and look away. With one swipe of his machete Lennox makes sure Rosario moves no more.
'Cassia' Lennox calls out'. 'Cassia come on now, we need to get out of here.'
There is no response. Having move up the alter it is clear that Suzie is indeed dead, she even looks as if she is already beginning to turn. Where did the priest go? More important, where did Cassia go?
They fire is spreading inwards. There are wooden stands holding pamphlets and the likes and they too have caught fire as has carpeting in the main entrance walkway. Frantically Lennox begins looking for an alternate way out of the church as he keeps the kids close.
There is one other set of double wooden doors. They are locked, chained and padlocked for good measure. The machete in this instance is gonna do no good. There must be somewhere else. There has to be another exit. Keys? There must be keys somewhere too. Have to find them.
Time is running out. Fire is burning heavy and the smoke is making it oh so difficult to breathe. Weakening, the kids can't hold out much longer. Their screams are subsiding and their tears cannot quell any fire. It is only a matter of time until the church is left in ruins.
Fire runs its course and eventually takes itself out but not before everything else is snuffed out first. That would include Tim or Tommy or whatever his name is if indeed he were within this building. It also would include Cassie if she had not made somehow made it out and it also includes Lennox and two little lost souls.
As for Father Michael Anthony, well he once again trudges on through unending deluge in an utter daze, aware and unaware both at once. His white shirt anything but white, his jacket torn, and his collar loosened. There is blood on his clothing, most of which is not his own though he is responsible for some its existence.
... The end of the world has come, the end of his world. Everyone he knew is gone. Friends, family, parishioners, they are all gone and only he is left to walk a path, maybe the path to his own crucifixion ... a broken man definitely more unaware than he is aware.
I hurt myself today ... to see if I still feel ... I focus on the pain ... the only thing that's real ...