Caught in Limbo

Sunday came around pretty fast. All the mundane tasks at the lab actually sped up time rather than slowed it down. Noah looked through his wardrobe to see what to wear, he knows church is usually formal. Fortunantly Noah has a large collection of suits to wear, being a scientist and all he wears suits more than regular clothes generally. He finds a simple brown suit and matches it up to make a reasonable outfit for church. Mikey insisted on picking him up today. Noah knows Mikey thinks he will ditch but he doesn’t confront him on it. Noah gets in the car and they head off. Mikey is cheerful and slightly obnoxious as usual on their drive there. He drives a convertible which doesn’t help, as well as makes his earth-shattering laugh hear-able everywhere. As they get into the church and pull into the parking lot Noah feels a cool chill across his body. He considered taking his jacket off but he leaves it on, assuming it’ll storm. They walk into the church, once again, unaware that there is not a single cloud in the sky. As they get through the front gate they are greeted by two gentlemen. The one on the left, dressed in simple white robes hands them both a pamphlet.
“Welcome to the church of the light, his radiance Bastilla welcomes you as well”
“Bastilla founded this place right? Is he here?” Mikey says abruptly.
Noah scowls at him “Don’t be ridiculous this place is ancient, sorry for my friend good sir he didn’t understand your context.”
“Oh it’s no trouble sir, Bastilla is always smiling down upon us, the light will always welcome anyone”
Noah looks at him strangely, it’s almost as if he is scripted to say that.
“Right this way, my brother will show you inside”. The man on the right stares at them both and makes a slight gesture for them to come forward. His robes are the same white but with those creepy adornments sown onto them.
Noah whispers to Mikey “It’s like his entire body is staring at me.”
“Shhh he can hear you, have respect for what they believe in”.
Noah scoffs at the idea of Mikey telling him to respect something. The strange man motions to two booths they can sit at, they choose the one in the middle and take a seat to the edge. The man stares at them both for almost too long and then walks away.
“What the hell is his problem” Mikey whispers.
“Did you really just say hell in church?”
“It’s non denominational Noah”
“It’s still rude, and I still don’t think that there is such thing as non-denominational.”
The two men stop their conversation as a loud organ begins to play. The people around them stand, and they do the same, a little embarrassed from standing about 5 seconds too late. Lights begin to cover the front of the church, it’s quite a grand scene. A white altar is in the middle, a choir is places in what looks like bleachers to the left, and the organ is on the right. A frail looking shadow begins to shamble forward, the lights are still too strong to see who it is. Noah covers his eyes, he glances at Mikey who is fascinated by the spectacle, which, I suppose could almost emulate a concert. Noah looks at his pamphlet and winces; a very boring, one hour concert. As the lights fade the figure reaches the front of the stage, it is a man, dressed in gilded robes, with those, eye-like adornments sown in. Kind of like if the pope was a boy scout who stalked people on the side. The organ stops playing, Noah looks at the man very closely. He looks like he’s in his 90‘s, very wrinkled, very feeble looking. It’s a wonder he is even able to walk. Noah looks around him, no microphone, no headset, how the hell is he going to give his sermon loud enough?
“CITIZENS OF OUR GREAT NATION”
Noah is almost startled by his voice, it carries all the way to the back, must be the acoustics Noah thought.
“Today is a great day, do you know why?”
“We are bathed in the light” The audience around them answers without hesitation, the men in robes stand in the back, in an orderly manner, almost too orderly, like a military line. Noah feels awkward, Mikey tries to repeat what they say around the same time, and slouches when everyone gives him a strange look. Bastilla continues, Mikey seems relieved, afraid that he was going to be pointed out as a “newbie”.
“That is right my brothers and sisters, the light is always watching us, guiding us as we face the challenges this world has brought upon us, please, stand as we celebrate the light, together.” Noah and Mikey are on time with the audience this time as they stand. Words are projected onto the wall behind Bastilla to help the crowd. Mikey sings, but Noah simply lip-syncs, deep in thought. What the hell is the light, can it really be considered non-denominational, is it even a thing? Noah thinks all this as he looks around, mindlessly moving his lips, no books, no statues, I guess that’s to fit in with the “non-denominational” shtick. Shouldn’t there, however, be some motivational posters or something? Like the one with the cat and the tree? The songs sounds like cheesy “you can do it” songs that were put together by a Greenpeace garage band. The music stops, thank god Noah thinks, and everyone sits down. Bastilla looks around at the crowd before speaking again.
“I hope the light has now fully entered your hearts, here at the church of the light, we accept all people, all race, all previous, or current religion. All we ask is that you do not block the light from your life”. Noah rests his hand against his head, Mikey seems so involved in this, eyes wide every time Bastilla speaks. Noah wonderes how anyone can sit through this, it’s so boring, his sermon isn’t very original either. By the end Noah is ready to cut and run from the place. Bastilla stands a little taller, “Now I would like to welcome someone very close to my heart, she has accepted the light into her life completely, and become a priestess of our church, please welcome, my own granddaughter, Angela.” A woman dressed in purple robes steps forward, she has long black hair, and dark eyes, her robes have the same adornments as Bastilla sewn in, only white in color. She has several gold bracelets around her arms, she reminds noah of an Egyptian goddess. However, she looks very dejected, walking forward, she stops next to Bastilla and waits quietly.
“I will allow her to end today’s program, Angela?”
Angela has a perky voice, that is deepened by how, almost depressed she speaks.
“The light is in all of us”
“May it shine bright, may it never fade” The audience finishes what she says, Mikey tried to chime in but gets hurtful looks again.
Noah is ready to go, Mikey makes him wait, they talk as everyone leaves, Noah gives up trying to resist, thinking it would be easier not to push through the crowd anyways.
“So what did you think?” Mikey says excitedly
“Honestly? I was kind of bored”
“Ohhhhhhh come on bro, that was awesome! All the lights and sounds and everyone around you is like one big family!”
“It’s honestly kind of creepy how everyone is so uniform”
“NO-AH” Mikey starts to pout “This could be really good for you, it is almost all about how to live a life of joy and cast away sorrows, isn’t that what you wanted?”
“Well, yes but-”
“But nothing, you can learn something here, about yourself or life in general”
Noah nods in agreement, giving up, Mikey was right, Noah was quick to shut this place out and ignore most of the sermon, maybe if he gave it another chance.
Just then they as they leave they are greeted by Bastilla and Angela, Bastilla speaks, shaking their hands.
“I can recognize new members from a mile away, welcome”
“Actually we aren’t offic-”
Mikey cuts Noah off “Yes thank you sir, great sermon”
“Thank you, it is not often I have new members who are so, energetic, well, I have business to attend to, Angela, see these men off proper”.
Angela motions to the front door, she lets Mikey out, when she gets to Noah she stops him, and takes his hand. She then reaches around him, whispering in his ear “Let the light come forth” and waves goodbye to him. Mikey is trotting along, unaware of what just happened, Noah was sure that he saw her eyes flicker red for a second.