They Burned Our Churches, They Banned Our God And Stole Our Faith.
A New Era
Gusts of wind were swirling around me. Soothing and relaxing it was, as the warm wind was lightly touching my bare back. As one with nature, we were. Lying in the warm green grass of spring. But I could feel shivers through his body. Goosebumps all over his skin. I watched the hair of his arm rise and fall again. Rise and fall. All I felt was bliss when he touched me. Even now, as we were doing nothing. Nothing, except for his shivers, our breathing, and him stroking my back unconsciously. This small gesture, made me feel like I was flying.
We had won. He was no longer in the heads of the people.
The old wooden doors opened. Jared stepped in, his grin plastered on his face. Oh how he loved this. This was his drug. His hard work was paying off at last. We would be able to see the red and orange sweeping across the pews in a matter of minutes. All we had to do, was taking over the service. It was all too easy. Who were they going to suspect? It was all too easy.
“Ladies and gentlemen. If you would please be so kind and get off your lazy asses, and calmly walk out the doors.” He was grinning madly behind his mask, I could feel it. Just by the confident way he was standing, he was making people panic. All were scrambling all to their feet at once. Jeffrey and I took our places at the doors, closing them swiftly. Jared fired one shot, making them all stop at once. Silence came, and he took the opportunity to speak. “I said calmly, didn't I? We don't want anyone to get hurt! We're in no hurry, here. Please leave your cellphones with the young lady by the door, just drop them in that big bag. You'll get them back in one piece,” he said sweetly. He paused, as no one were moving, and shook his head. As if he was disappointed by our newly found Christian friends.
“People, did you hear me? Outside, now! Don't worry, you'll meet another group out there. Friends of ours. Do what they say, and they won't hurt you.” He grinned madly again, his eyes were flashing. No wonder even the preacher looked extra worried. “Oh, scared you now, did I? Don't worry. Just don't try anything. They have guns. Bigger than mine, even. Oh, and before you go; Buddhism is the way to go, my friends. Won't put you in awkward situations like this.”
The first man stepped towards me. He was old, in his seventies. His face was calm, even his eyes, unlike the rest of the crowd. Jeffrey, knowing well that he could have hidden his cellphone, checked him, before opening the door and letting him through. One by one, people came towards us. But these weren't as confident as the old man. They were scared. Proved how much they believed in their God. If Heaven was such a great place, why were they afraid of us? They were scared. Every one of them. All liars, lying to us, and to themselves. God did not exist. And they knew it, we just proved it.
“You're thinking of the day it started,” he whispered. I merely nodded, closing my eyes and breathing. We had brought chaos, but also peace. Peace in people's minds. People were allowed to do what they wanted, without being looked down upon by the believers of God. Because God didn't exist. He never had. He was merely a spirit who had ruled lives of millions of human beings. The only sin that existed now, was believing he was there. Dancing on a cloud. I chuckled. It had always been so obvious, and we had made them realize it.
“Remember how I told them they'd get their cellphones back in one piece?”
“Yeah?”
“Well, I wasn't lying. They are getting their cellphones literally back in one piece.” I looked at him confused, and he grinned madly at me again. This time, his mask was off. There were only us three in the whole church. Everyone else were lined up outside, almost held hostages. Only they would return home with no harm done, except for a little scare. And we would have accomplished our mission, in just minutes.
“What do you mean?”
“Watch.” Jared poured gasoline over the bag that contained the cellphones. Then handed Jeffrey the other can, and they split up and started pouting the easily lighted fluid across the pews. I grabbed the final can and headed towards the altar, pouring some across the floor. Not a minute later, the altar and the pews were soaked, and the three of us were standing in the middle of the aisle, right in front of the wooden doors, admiring the work we had done.
He was trying to be cheesy, as he lit the match and held it up for me and Jeffrey to see. Without warning, he pulled me in and kissed me like he'd never kissed me before, the exact same split second he threw the match towards the wet floor. The flames rose with a force that pushed the three of us to the floor, making Jared bite my lip so hard he drew blood. I cussed under my breath, before I was pulled off the ground.
“Sophie, staying here any longer isn't exactly a good idea.”
He was smirking, it was clear that he was thinking of that day himself. I'd always known he wanted to set a church ablaze, but I never thought he would go through with it, or that I would take part of anything like that. But these days, it was a fond memory. It was the start of a new era. Where people believed in themselves, and not in fairytales of a man who could walk on water.
“Do you ever feel like we stole something from them?” Jared asked. His hands were around me and his face was buried in my hair.
“Like what?”
“Their lives.”
“We didn't take their lives,” I whispered as realization hit me like a wave. “We only took away what made their lives worth to live. Their faith.”
We had won. He was no longer in the heads of the people.
The old wooden doors opened. Jared stepped in, his grin plastered on his face. Oh how he loved this. This was his drug. His hard work was paying off at last. We would be able to see the red and orange sweeping across the pews in a matter of minutes. All we had to do, was taking over the service. It was all too easy. Who were they going to suspect? It was all too easy.
“Ladies and gentlemen. If you would please be so kind and get off your lazy asses, and calmly walk out the doors.” He was grinning madly behind his mask, I could feel it. Just by the confident way he was standing, he was making people panic. All were scrambling all to their feet at once. Jeffrey and I took our places at the doors, closing them swiftly. Jared fired one shot, making them all stop at once. Silence came, and he took the opportunity to speak. “I said calmly, didn't I? We don't want anyone to get hurt! We're in no hurry, here. Please leave your cellphones with the young lady by the door, just drop them in that big bag. You'll get them back in one piece,” he said sweetly. He paused, as no one were moving, and shook his head. As if he was disappointed by our newly found Christian friends.
“People, did you hear me? Outside, now! Don't worry, you'll meet another group out there. Friends of ours. Do what they say, and they won't hurt you.” He grinned madly again, his eyes were flashing. No wonder even the preacher looked extra worried. “Oh, scared you now, did I? Don't worry. Just don't try anything. They have guns. Bigger than mine, even. Oh, and before you go; Buddhism is the way to go, my friends. Won't put you in awkward situations like this.”
The first man stepped towards me. He was old, in his seventies. His face was calm, even his eyes, unlike the rest of the crowd. Jeffrey, knowing well that he could have hidden his cellphone, checked him, before opening the door and letting him through. One by one, people came towards us. But these weren't as confident as the old man. They were scared. Proved how much they believed in their God. If Heaven was such a great place, why were they afraid of us? They were scared. Every one of them. All liars, lying to us, and to themselves. God did not exist. And they knew it, we just proved it.
“You're thinking of the day it started,” he whispered. I merely nodded, closing my eyes and breathing. We had brought chaos, but also peace. Peace in people's minds. People were allowed to do what they wanted, without being looked down upon by the believers of God. Because God didn't exist. He never had. He was merely a spirit who had ruled lives of millions of human beings. The only sin that existed now, was believing he was there. Dancing on a cloud. I chuckled. It had always been so obvious, and we had made them realize it.
“Remember how I told them they'd get their cellphones back in one piece?”
“Yeah?”
“Well, I wasn't lying. They are getting their cellphones literally back in one piece.” I looked at him confused, and he grinned madly at me again. This time, his mask was off. There were only us three in the whole church. Everyone else were lined up outside, almost held hostages. Only they would return home with no harm done, except for a little scare. And we would have accomplished our mission, in just minutes.
“What do you mean?”
“Watch.” Jared poured gasoline over the bag that contained the cellphones. Then handed Jeffrey the other can, and they split up and started pouting the easily lighted fluid across the pews. I grabbed the final can and headed towards the altar, pouring some across the floor. Not a minute later, the altar and the pews were soaked, and the three of us were standing in the middle of the aisle, right in front of the wooden doors, admiring the work we had done.
He was trying to be cheesy, as he lit the match and held it up for me and Jeffrey to see. Without warning, he pulled me in and kissed me like he'd never kissed me before, the exact same split second he threw the match towards the wet floor. The flames rose with a force that pushed the three of us to the floor, making Jared bite my lip so hard he drew blood. I cussed under my breath, before I was pulled off the ground.
“Sophie, staying here any longer isn't exactly a good idea.”
He was smirking, it was clear that he was thinking of that day himself. I'd always known he wanted to set a church ablaze, but I never thought he would go through with it, or that I would take part of anything like that. But these days, it was a fond memory. It was the start of a new era. Where people believed in themselves, and not in fairytales of a man who could walk on water.
“Do you ever feel like we stole something from them?” Jared asked. His hands were around me and his face was buried in my hair.
“Like what?”
“Their lives.”
“We didn't take their lives,” I whispered as realization hit me like a wave. “We only took away what made their lives worth to live. Their faith.”