The Death of 1977 (Book 3)

Chapter 19

"As you can see behind me, Sunday mornings are all the rage here in this lively Protestant church of 98 men, women, boys and girls! Pastor Junto Bena, who has pastored here for exactly 22 years, is the backbone of not only this very church, but also of this community in which he and the other parishioners inhabit!

Look around you; this is the joyous celebration of worship that these good people indulge in! Children in the choir clapping and singing. Instruments being played by even the elders of the church! Soon, there will be a baptism of a little girl here this morning, something that even I have yet to witness in my life!

Yes, the heavens even shine down on this very church today. Look outside at the glowing sunlight that...that...I can't do this anymore!" Silas gritted his teeth at Rebecca who was steadily holding her microphone up to the man's mouth.

"What's the matter?" Rebecca said aloud amidst all the noise of the choir and instruments in the church.

"I can't even hear myself think, let alone speak!" Silas griped. "How did I let that man talk me into this?"

Smiling, Rebecca patted Silas on the shoulder saying, "Don't worry, it'll only be two more hours!"

Silas dropped his shoulders. "We didn't come all the way from Scotland just to take part in a church service! I need a drink!"

Silas and Pastor Bena for a moment connected eyes. Silas immediately waved and smiled at the man before turning back to Rebecca and Robbie.

"Two more hours, huh," he haplessly snickered. "Can I at least have one smoke?"

Rebecca just pinched Silas' right arm before motioning to Robbie to continue filming the joyous service.

"They're good people," she whispered in his ear.

"I wish they were good to me." Silas kept his ingratiating smile glued to his blushing face.

The children's choir on the stage was singing 'A Mighty Fortress is our God.' They were all dressed in white tunics with red collars along with the pastor who was steadily leading a little girl up the steps that ended at a small pool. The congregation was still singing as the child shuddered while keeping her eyes on the three foot deep, clear water in the pool. To her, it might as well have been as bottomless as the sea.

The entire church was bathed in a coating of fresh white paint from corner to corner. On the four walls was only a portrait of Jesus looking upwards while a medium sized cross clear on the other side of the room hung next to a window where the sunshine blasted its way right inside. The song that the choir was joyfully singing was drawing to a close. The pastor, with the child standing in front of him, patiently waited until the very end before he began speaking. Robbie pointed his camera at the pastor while Rebecca made sure to keep her microphone positioned to where she could gather every word that was coming from the man's mouth. Meanwhile, Silas managed to sneak himself to a nearby, shadowy corner, away from the event that took years off of his life.

"Today, we give dis child over to de Lord, dat her life may be washed anew in de holy water of baptism!" Bena announced to the attentive crowd before him.

The children in the pews beside the pool all sat and watched in bated anticipation. Some snickered and giggled at the girl who was about to be doused. There were adults in the audience who were sobbing, praying or simply watching as the pastor slowly turned the little girl around to face the still, pool water. The girl, who couldn't have been no more than nine or ten years old, stood before the shimmering pool with jittery eyes just wondering how deep the pastor would dip her and how long he would have her under. As many times as she had been swimming with her family and friends at the beach, for some

odd reason standing at the baptismal pool seemed to cause her to forget how to hold her breath underwater all of the sudden.

"Good morning, dear friends!" A young looking, auburn-eyed Arthur boisterously exploded through the double doors of the church.

Everyone, including Silas and his camera crew, all stopped what they were doing at that moment in stunned awe.

Arthur was wearing a pristine white undershirt and matching white pants with sandals. The scraggly, grey haired old man that had been wandering about for the past few months had all but become a memory. His head was completely bald with only a black goatee being the only hair present. His muscles behind the sweaty undershirt he wore bulged making them appear as if he had just left a gym after two long hours.

The man strolled down the aisle with a courteous grin plastered all over his face. From pew after pew he studied each and every parishioner until he eventually made his way to the very front. Even the camera crew didn't know exactly what to make of him. All three just stood and watched Arthur present himself as though he were a remarkable guest.

"I see all are here today to praise Jesus." Arthur smiled ever so graciously. "Even de little ones are here." He then pointed behind him. "I too, at one time praised your God. But dat was a long time ago."

"Sir, we are here giving a baptism." Pastor Bena came down from off the altar.

Appearing surprised, Arthur turned to the pastor. "I am so very sorry for interrupting your ritual. I just came to give a testimony dis day. If you will take a moment to indulge me, den I shall be on my way."

The pastor glanced over at the camera crew who was steadily filming away before looking back at Arthur once again.

Glancing at the congregation, Arthur stated, "You see, someting was taken away from me some time ago. I was a fallen sinner in my ways. My god punished me for my sins, and I suffered greatly. But now...now my god has given back to me what was once mine. He has given me a new life."

"No...no, dis man is evil!" An old woman struggled to get up from out of her seat. "I have seen him before!" novelbin

The pastor motioned for someone in the congregation to quiet her down before Arthur resumed his speech.

"I am far from it, my friend! In fact, I am about as far from what you tink as humanly possible. I will admit dat I have done wrong in my time. But den again, who hasn't?" He shrugged as he began to stroll about the sanctuary.

"I see him before!" The old lady continued to rant.

Arthur stood and observed the woman before walking to the center of the sanctuary where the woman was fighting in her pew. He then scooted past one person after another on his way towards the lady. Once he was right next to her he pressed his right palm against her forehead and whispered into her face, "You shall be at peace with me, my love."

The woman's eyes opened as wide as they could before she slumped down into her seat and remained perfectly quiet in a trance-like state.

Arthur then came from out of the pew and began back down the aisle once more. "Dere was once a song dat I enjoyed some time ago." 'I'm not scared of dying, and I don't really care. If its peace you find in dying den let de time be near.' "My mother, my father, my brother and sister have all been taken from me. But I...I shall go on and on because I believe. And when I do eventually leave dis world, may I not scream when I die."

"Well...dat is a very good testimony, my son." Bena cautiously approached Arthur. "We are very glad to Christ Jesus dat you are saved. Have you been baptized yet?"

Arthur looked down at the small man and simply grinned before stepping past him on his way towards a closed door where the three person camera crew was standing in front of steadily catching the man on film.

Silas stood in wonder at Arthur who was possibly the most fascinating thing he had laid eyes on ever since arriving on the island.

Arthur paused for a second and shined his teeth into the camera before opening the door, going into the room and shutting the door right behind him. Everyone, rather than going back to what they were doing before, all stood or sat in quiet astonishment at what had taken place. Even Silas, who for once didn't seem to have a word to utter, just stared oddly at his friends with his mouth hanging wide open.

"What...what do you think the lady meant when she said that she's seen him before?" Robbie whispered while putting his camera down.

Silas just shook his head and said, "Who knows? But whoever he is, he just—

But, something began to occur. Without any sort of warning whatsoever, a groaning noise from the other end of the door shot out. At first it sounded as if Arthur were in pain. He could be heard pounding on the walls and writhing about.

"Maybe we should see if he's alright." Rebecca stuttered.

But Silas just kept her in place before taking her microphone and shoving it against the door in the hopes of getting as much sound as possible.

"Perhaps we should call de police." One of the men in the congregation approached the pastor.

"Yes...yes, do that." Bena's voice faltered.

At once, the man raced out of the church, but that was when Arthur's groaning came to an end, and another sound erupted. The new sound no longer resembled that of a man in agony, but an animal squealing before the squeals turned into growling.

At that very instant, Silas, with his microphone trembling in his hand, began to slowly back away from the door. "Tell me there was a dog already in there." His voice stammered.

Everyone else inside the church all began to stand up. The pastor managed to corral all of the children off the stage before standing directly in front of them.

"Let us leave!" Someone from within the congregation desperately shouted.

But everyone remained and listened as something from the other end of the door began trampling about, sounding as if it bore the same mass as an elephant.

The thing snarled and growled about in the room before approaching the door and sniffing. "What in the hell is that?" Rebecca breathlessly whispered. "C'mon, you two, before it gets out of there!"

"No, no, just wait!" Silas urged.

"Wait for what, man?" Robbie continued to scoot back. "It sounds like a nightmare!"

"Leave now, children!" Bena implored while shoving the kids towards the front doors.

Right then, nothing but fur exploded through the door. Silas couldn't even move, he just stood in absolute fear as the beast rampaged towards him before using its powerful jaws to bite into and tear out his neck. Everyone else inside burst out into screams of horror as they all scattered to and fro in an effort to get out of the church. Rebecca and Robbie tried in earnest to melt in with the rest of the crowd,

only to be trampled in the melee. The beast managed to grab a hold of Rebecca and toss her clear to the other end of the church, while Robbie was clawed to bits and pieces.

It was such a furious outburst of fear, hollering and violence that just trying to move was nearly impossible. The more people that were gathered at the doorway trying to escape was all the more the demon managed to destroy. Whether it was men, women or even children, if it was able to get a hold of them, the beast had its way.

Still seated in her pew, with her eyes stuck wide open, was the old woman. She watched silently everything unfurl right before her eyes, and not once did she even scream or blink.