The inevitable would no longer be put off. He mounted the steps to the Church's platform, delicately opening the cathedral's door to be astounded by an array of choral singing. Angelic voices rivaling what the angels themselves would produce blasted out with no use from electrical enhancers.
Conversations conducted by a composed arrangement as these little boys and girls gave sanctity to The Lord and His followers on this eve. All the positions for the performers were filled by nervous grips, even the instrumental portion with the trumpets and bells at a ready position hung crowded. Yet, the piano was left closed and unguarded awaiting for its owner to return.
Kage wished that today would be one to enjoy thoroughly, but the children…
Their faces… began to burn.
Snapshots shifted veiling the norm to a distorted difference that he could not change no matter how much he focused. In fact, by focusing the faces merely burned quicker, raising the urge to vomit.
Maggots writhed on top of centipedes which crawled up nostrils then out ears. Smiles cut short by a heated iron melting the skin to a paste of ash. Before he knew it, this was his new vision. The new scenery that would not leave him.
Dead, dead, and dead. Death crept in his shadow no matter the choice he was to make. It had all come too fast for him to sense any real unease from this.
The visage began when he left the hospital. Kage encountered the homeless as well as other shapeless figures who had not made it as he had. All were burned due to their low status. Poor or unidentified there was simply no room for so many burials in this age.
Sad. But burials were pointless anyways. A way to only make the unbelievers address a soul long gone to good or better.
Sometimes, Kage thought he saw the shifting of the children's face to resemble some in that bunker. But that couldn't be the case, could it? They were gone, unless they had become an Evolved able to withstand the pain. An impossible feat only possible in picture books or reincarnation.
They were not real. Even if they were, ignoring them would be all it would take to scramble their presence. Kage did not need some figment of protection to weep into hiding from such ideas. This was his life, thus were the consequences.
The usher at the front, a pale faced demon with nothing in his sockets, pulled Kage into a hug. "It's good to see you again Tesler boy. Father is in the back having some coffee, you should go and join him."
He held off from the hug, placing both hands on the usher's shoulders and giving that masking smile. "Thank you, Mr. Tannerhasse. Merry Christmas to you and your family."
"That's nice of you. I'll tell Sherry that I saw you, she's always been practicing that piano of hers to show off whenever you were to come again." He rubbed at his collar jiggling out some parasites plowing through his veins.
Kage nodded away passing by columns of benches, each of which holding families and many others basking in the hot air complemented by good virtues from the singing. It was the most packed this place had been since Kage was baptized.
A few others acknowledged him with a Sister or two welcoming him back, but most looked to be new volunteers or simply forgetful of his face.
Father Bentley had shrunken away from the crowd to take some time to himself. A short alcove in the break room remained his home as he straightened up his attire. He sat alone scrolling through news stories on his tablet. Young he was, but the slight graying of his hair and deterioration of his sight made him acknowledge setting the font to a larger print. Sooner or later, he would require a larger screen if he was to continue his absent behavior of reading late into the night.
As the Church's singular priest, it was a difficult job bringing with it many stressors. There was Sister Maria, Casey, and Jenn but they were close to their wits end dealing with the increased service membership.
They had begun arriving as soon as the government provoked a series of protests leading to eventual riots. More died every day in their attempts to rouse a conscience from the Military Police hidden by their glowing eyes and large carbine rifles. Then, the majority pranced on dying not just due to criminals or poor conditions, fear and worry were manifesting in everyone even those at the top who evidently noticed a rise in unfavourability to their reign.
"WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING! Nothing will happen with us acting like cowards in the dark! God wouldn't want His people suffering like this, He would strike out just as He had before."
Father Bentley arched a hand to mush up his brow. "Ugh, I don't need him popping up at this point anyways." Always the most inopportune time did his prior actions come and prevalently stay in place warranting introspection.
'Knock! Knock!'
"Yeah, come in." Father Bentley called absentmindedly. Instead of seeing any of the Sisters, he was greeted by the very man's imposing build. The priest hastily pocketed the tablet while trying his hardest to erase the annoyance that stood a moment earlier. "Hello, Mr. Tesler."
Kage walked into the cubby of a room admiring the slowly spinning fan that dried the beads of sweat on the priest's forehead. Ancient and barely functionable just like the man it halfheartedly aided.
"I heard from my sister that you wanted to talk with me."
"Oh, yes I did… months ago. But it seems you took your time getting here."
Kage took a seat in the chair opposite of Father Bentley. "Well, I was busy." Father's face was not one of maggots but human. Perplexing as it was, only new faces or those of people Kage did not care for appeared dead. At the realization he shook his head in disgust. He dared not believe that this person across from him was one to care for. He couldn't.
"I don't doubt you were, but at least you're here now."
An awkward pause was punctuated by the spin of the oscillating fan blades. "Do you really have something you want to talk to me about, or can I leave?"
"You need to remember that I'm a man of faith, but even before that I'm your guardian. As your guardian I find that every so often we should all speak to each other. Lisa comes every Friday and Sunday. Meanwhile, I haven't seen you since that time."
He didn't bear the non-judging glare from the man. It was a situation Kage found uncommon for himself. This person stayed a sore point as he was difficult to deal with. Someone bound by their beliefs to a fault yet willing to be malleable only to conjure a pleasing response. A character all too similar to him.
Kage crossed his arms, leaning back into the chair which forced the front of its legs to rise into the air.
"Furthermore… you don't seem well Kage."
"What do you mean? I'm as healthy as can be."
"Not that type of health."
The bloodshot eyes gave it away, no matter how much he tried to ignore the dreams or facts they never gave up and came with a vengeful spirit once the day fell.
"You've done something amazing. You saved lives, but there were horrors in that hole, weren't there?" Kage grunted, not allowing for any words to prove the man correct or not until a question fell forth.
"How did you know?"
All that Kage saw was the man's lips perked into a soft smile. One easily contrasted by the coldness in his eyes.
Kage coughed. "Fucking Lisa."
Father sipped some coffee wetting his lips and tongue for a potential lashing. "I don't recommend seeing a counselor but saying those thoughts out loud can have profound effects. God will protect your soul and forgive your sins but only yourself can follow His guidance. I'm here right now, with nothing on the docket. It is you and I in this room with a plethora of excuses to run or hide. You may hate me for my values but there is only a profound WEAKNESS that chokes you to silence."
A clock far from the room ticked by without a care in the world. All these ticks did were to progress the day. The ticks showed the crumbling stare that Kage possessed. A gnashing of the teeth and scrunching expression compared to the blank slate that Father Bentley maintained. This wasn't his first time dealing with a reserved teenager. But never had he dealt with one having such strong virtues. They were stone solid, maybe even more so. Delving deep into them would snarl a man into a trap to be torn to shreds.
The beady redness of Kage's eyes was what the priest had invested in. He thought that this awareness would mellow but here he sat with such attention thrown to him.
Father Bentley still was able to mentally draw the image of the brother and sister he had first met. They wore strangely exotic clothing demonstrating their well-upbringing. The real father lurked behind while the mother at the windowsill staring deeply away, lost in some fantasy. There was when he saw kindhearted children and when they ate, he found the son making great talk to lighten the mood of the low ceiling surrounding the pending divorce.
It would be weeks later that he discovered the news surrounding their adoption. Compelled, he took them leaving every other waking thought to their well-being. The state and himself paid for their living arrangements coupled to attendance at the academy. Then, he found himself giving ever more to sustain them. Father was hypnotized by the two children as he had longed for a couple for so long but was given them instead. God had shown him his way in life once more. He would not fail to follow unlike the last.
Then, he could fulfill a promise. An oath he made long ago that recently bright him to the edge of oblivion. Her face still hung still in his vision as he spied the disgruntled look of her child. They shared as many similarities as they did faults.
The clock chimed the hour and out came the molasses of dense thickness from Kage's mouth.
Father Bentley recognized how he held back at points but didn't comment. It was a start. A start to rebuild what had been thought lost.
No interruptions came or sticks to poke a wonder. Just the silent intake of information. Then, at the end. Father Bentley did not speak nor did Kage, who was now out of breath.
The two stood up in congruence. Kage stepped toward the door but stopped. "Next week, coul-
"Anytime. You are welcomed as much as the worst of the world into this building."
"See you later… Father."
Father Bentley clicked his tongue on Kage's way out, "I want to see how bad your piano skills have gotten, make sure to be ready next time."
He swore he saw the edge of a smile as the door shut closed. There was hate still buried deep for the man that once called him a fool. Yet, Kage could not muster the resolve to remain so.
Afterall, he had made a promise to Lisa.