DUSK 2
Leonard Reed had been kneeling before the glass case, waiting for a miracle for the last twelve hours. He had been watching the body of his fallen messiah and waiting for days at a time since the messiah had been murdered. There were trials ahead, but he needed guidance.
Inside of the transparent cassette, the messiah rested. There was a hole in his head from the bullet Reed fired when the messiah arose as a ghoul. Reed had committed a grievous sin by shooting the body, but he believed the messiah would forgive him. It was the girl who shot him, and the weak willed elders who now wanted to seize power.
In the absence of their leader, the elders had become a liability. Some were even questioning the holiness of their leader. They were nothing but faithless savages. Reed was an unworthy sinner. With leadership like that, he wondered how his sheep would eve reach heaven.
The messiah. He was the answer. He was always the answer. And he was sure to smile favorably upon Reed, for Reed was loyal to the messiah and only the messiah.
The traitorous girl had escaped with two invaders by taking one of the elders hostage. It was then that Reed had decided that they had outlived their worth. If the worm had any courage, he would have fought to his freedom or death so the heathens could be captured. When the heathens were out of sight, Reed scouted the base for any sign of the worm’s return. When he did reach the perimeter of the base, Reed shot him once in the head and hid the body in an abandoned alley, where the evidence of his betrayal would be devoured by lepers.
He did not care if his followers discovered the killing, but he did not want the enemy to know. He would need to be cunning if a war erupted between those who were loyal to the messiah and those who would rather follow the snakes.
All Reed needed was a sign and he was prepared to wait by the messiah for as long as it took to get it.
Reed rubbed the scar on his face and thought about the messiah’s last days. He thought of the attack on the armory, and the girl’s betrayal. All of the pieces seemed to fall into place. Everything led up to the death of the messiah, as he always said would come. There were trials ahead, and the land had to be cleansed, but a war within the compound was predicted. Reed just did not know when.
A week ago he would not have known who the war was to be fought against, but now…
He needed a sign.
The body in the glass case moved. It’s head slid towards Reed, and looked right at him. The head wounds was still there but the eyes were no longer distant or vacant. The messiah’s mouth opened and closed.
Reed’s jaw dropped to his chest.
“My lord,” Reed whispered, “You have risen?”
The mouth opened and closed again. A haggard breath was forced out.
Reed waited in anticipation.
“Leonard Reed,” the messiah said, “you have always been loyal and true.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“There are many trials before I may rise again,” the messiah said, “the people need leadership. They need you.”
“But I am not worthy, I failed to capture your assassins so they could be put on the cross.”
“They were not meant to be captured, just like I was not meant to be saved. You will meet them again, but there is a more urgent matter. There are those who would openly doubt my power and try to damn the rest of our people with their lies!”
“The council.”
“Yes. And there are those who would follow them into hell. A war is coming, and you will have to be cunning. Be careful who you trust, for their influence is everywhere. Even in the most elite of my holy army.”
“Then I will tread lightly until it is time to strike.”
“The time will be soon.”
“Then I will be ready.”
“I know you will.”
The messiah turned his head to the heavens and fell silent.
Reed stood up and looked around the room to be sure nobody had heard his conversation with the fallen messiah. Since Reed had ordered the rooms to be locked, and nobody was to enter Reed was certain that he was not being observed, but there was no such thing as being too careful.
The messiah had said satanic snakes would be everywhere, so prudence was a virtue. The time to strike would come soon, but first Reed needed to gather those he trusted for a meeting.