"Can't you read the signs? Evening service is closed! We ended an hour ago so please come back tomorrow when we're open."
"Pastor, would you really turn down two wandering travelers in seek of a new Light; all because we arrived two minutes after...closing!! Hey, you're not the pastor. You're too young to be the pastor."
"Who are you to tell me what I can and can't be?"
"Get me the pastor, Water boy, or else. My business doesn't contend with you."
""Ooh, but Shadow; I am your business. I am the pastor of this church which means that whatever business you have with the pastor….you have with me!!"
"Shadow, calm down. Do not turn to rage."
"Zeke, shut up. This aint no pastor. Now I asked to speak to the pastor."
"Put me down! Put me down!! I told you I am the pastor…honest."
"How old are you?"
"I'm twenty five."
"When were you first baptized?"
"I was baptized on my birthday at age nineteen."
"Hmmm. That would mean you have been a Child for six years. The first three years you went around giving your testimony and then the way you preached and how smooth it rolled off your tongue…people decided to promote you. Six years is a little young in my opinion but I'll let it slide. Who ordained you? Which Priest do I need to speak to?"
"It was my dad. My dad ordained me."
"Did you go to school to become a Scholar or at least get some more knowledge at a Bible training school?"
"No!"
"WHAT!!"
"No. But I do read my Bible everyday. Is that not enough? When I was baptzied, I dropped out of school to continue my walk with the Lord."
"Did He tell you to leave; or did He tell you to stay?"
"Shadow, do you not see? If only you could've known what I've done for this town. I have helped revive it from the fire that you left behind. Christians are no longer scared to pray out in public or preach His name to the assembly. I will not let you take that back."
"Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Greater is he who prays in secret then the Gentile who prays in front of everyone. Greater is He who praises me humbly instead of shouting it from Synagogues. Now I'll ask you one more time. What did Jesus tell you to do?"
"He told him to stay in school, but I thought it best that he leave. He is way more valuable here than dying in school wasting away."
"Wasting away in school? Let me get this straight. Your boy here gets baptized, speaks an entertaining powerful testimony and then gets ordained by you. On top of that; the first time Jesus comes to him and tells him what he should do; not only him but you as well publicly go against God's judgment just because you in your tiny minds think that he will be more valuable if he drops out now instead of gaining the proper knowledge he needs. I am ashamed. No! I am in shock at you two. Where is your patience? As far as I'm concerned…none of you ever will be worthy to be called His Child and should henceforth be stripped away from His family and have this whole assembly burned to the ground as an example of what you've done."
"Please. Just drop him and walk away. There is no need for anybody to get hurt."
"Fine. Take your pathetic son. He means nothing to me. I am here for the pastor anyways and I hear that that is you."
"I..I was the pastor, yes; but not anymore. What my son says is true. He holds the keys now and I and everyone else proudly will stand behind him in whatever he does."
"Shadow, don't do this."
"Zeke, go secure the doors so that no one can leave and no one will enter."
"But!!"
"Now!!"
"Yes sir."
"Now where was I? Oh yes. On the outside; this church looks like a calm, peaceful, honest to good organization, but deep down inside…it's just like any other charity. All of you reel us in by telling us these sweet messages/Sermons…then once we are hooked; you tell us to generously give out of the abundance of our heart so that we may support you. We generously give because we think we are doing right, but truth be known; both places have no right. They waste the money and squander it.
I came here seeking forgiveness because I thought it was the right thing to do, but I can clearly see that the only forgiveness that truly needs it is again….yours!!!!"
"Shadow please!! We know what you did to the last church that you didn't like. We are a church just barely sprouting. We don't deserve this. We'll do anything."
"All I want is for you to bless me and forgive me. Must I have to fight you for my blessing just like Jacob did with the angel before his name changed? Don't worry though. I promise that our fight will not last till dawn to daybreak. This will be over quick. Don't bother reaching for your phone to call help. You know what happened last time. Shouldn't you call your Jesus instead?"
"Sir, there is someone at the door! I can't hold back much longer."
"You did call for help didn't you?"
"It wasn't I, Shadow?"
"Me neither. Whoever it is is not with us."
"Well then. Whoever it is will not be with anyone much longer….and neither will you."
"FIRE FROM THE DEPTHS OVERTAKE MY BODY."
"Get down!!!!"
"Stay still!!! I don't want to burn this whole church to the ground, but I will if I have to."
"Get behind the altar and stay quiet."
"Dad, I won't leave you."
"Do it!!"
"Haa!! I see…a tail!!"
"Dad!!!"
"It's okay son. Just stay there. I'll get to you somehow. The Lord will protect us."
"I smell….fear."
"Shadow nooo!!!!!"
"That's a pretty statue hanging on the wall. Can you carry this for me please!!"
"Dad, look out. Get out from behind there nooooooo!!"
"Sorry kid. He was old and deserved to die anyway. Look on the bright side. He got to meet Jesus early. Oh wait; nevermind, He's a Mist."
"You'll pay for this!!"
"Ah aa!! FREEZE!!"
"Shadow, I can't hold it anymore. Whoever it is is not giving up."
"KNOCK! KNOCK!!"
"Uuuugh. I should've known."
"Hello Shadow!!"
"Did Sixth Star send you?"
"No one sent me."
"If nobody sent you then why are you here? Your family does not live here."
"Oh, but Shadow you're wrong there."
"Huh?"
"Wait, where do I recognize you from? Who are you?"
"Eli, it's me! It's me, Willow, your grandmother."
"Grandmother!! My Grandmother is dead and you are too young to be mine. My testimony resonates around you. It is because of you and my mom's death that I struck a low and God came and rescued me. Now you come back and tell me that you weren't dead but just away. If you are my Grandmother then where'd you go and why have you not aged?"
"This may sound a little complicated and it's hard to explain, but yes I was dead."
"Then…huh? How?"
"The place where I came from prevents aging. The age that you first came in is the same age you go out…if you ever do. Where…where is my son?"
"Hey, don't point at…"
"Shadow!! Where is he?"
"Dead."
"Did he deserve it?"
"Umm….in my best judgment I think he.."
"Silence!!"
"Shadow, why are you shaking? She's just a girl. Strike her down now and let's get out of here."
"Shut up Zeke. Do you not remember how powerful she was when she was inside Dandellion? She's just like Dragon. When he was in me; he was powerful, but once he was freed; he was ten times more powerful on his own than with my help. It would be futile and stupid to ever challenge any Mist."
"Shadow.
Zeke."
"Yes maam!!"
"Get out of here before I put you in the ground like your sins deserve."
"Yes maam. We're leaving right now."
"Zeke. That was…mhmhmm….that was close."
"Does repenting really mean so much to you that you would wrestle and fight in order to have it?"
"Zeke, I'd wrestle and fight anyone who stands in my way, but no church here will ever accept me. They still hate me for what I've done; and for that no one will ever rise."
"Can you blame them? Wait!! I got something. A thought bubble just went off in my head. There is one church that although they may not accept you; they definitely are not afraid to rise."
"No! I know what you are thinking and I am not going there. There has to be another place."
"Why are you so scared? They may be big in numbers, but I promise that you are less scared of them then they are of you."
"That's the problem. I'm not fearing for myself but for them."
"Come on. Would you rather walk back in there and face Willow even with the certainty of death near, or try to reason with the Resistance where death is still high but not as likely?"
"Fine. I'll go with you but only in disguise."
"Disguise? What use would that offer? In fact, once they found out who you are then they would hate you ten times worse."
"What do you suggest we do then? You really think we can just waltz in through the front door and say hi!!"
"Yeah!! What's the worst thing that could happen?"
"Ummm, Zeke; what is it you said? We should just waltz in through the front door and nothing bad will happen!! Do you regret those words now?"
" Uhh, maybe a plan would have been better."
"You think?"
"I know!!"
"Hands up…..both of you! We got you surrounded so there is no place to run."
"Welcome….to the Resistance."
"Pleasure to finally meet your acquaintance, Shadow!!!!!
(This marks the end of section 4 out of 6. Man, this book is taking a while. Don't worry. Please hang on till the end with me and I promise that the final battle that takes place in the Amphitheater will be awesome.)