Never Too Late
Chapter 2: Hand Of Sorrow
So many dreams were broken and so much was sacrificed
Was it worth the ones we loved and had to leave behind?
So many years have past, who are the noble and the wise?
Will all our sins be justified?
~ Within Temptation: Hand of Sorrow
Malachai paced his room more times than he dared to count. In all honesty, he was quite scared of what to expect from today. He paused, smiling and softly chuckling at that; he was the most loyal follower of their god, second to Isaac that is, and was the strongest of all the warriors but again, that was the honest truth.
"Samantha.." The old name of her's fell from his lips before he realized that it was tingling on his tongue. How long had he loved the girl? Surely it was before David's arrival.
Craig had came to see his grandmother, a less than religious woman who disapproved his parents overbearing ways. She was always loving and friendly, as oppose to his parents who were cold and unnatural, she told him about how she wanted to meet her new neighbors who had a daughter the same roughly age as Craig. Craig normally didn't care for girls, they giggled and squealed too much but, according to his grandmother, this little girl was different. She was described as a cute little angel with a bark just as bad as her bite.
So he joined the elder on the visit to the newcomers. When at the front door, they were greeted by a beautifully tan woman with a perfect figure. Her long curly brown hair was tied into a messy bun and boxes were still piled behind her.
"Oh hello!" the young woman smiled, "You must be our neighbors."
His grandmother nodded, "Yes, I'm the one over in the blue house. I'm Mrs Boardman and this is my grandson Craig." she patted his head as she spoke.
"I'm Michelle." she greeted while stepping aside, "Please come in!"
Craig's nose was greeted by the scent of cooking burgers and bacon. His mother never cooked nor did his father, they were regular costumers at the local cafe and diner for all meals of the day. Their house, painted white both inside and out, gave him a sense of comfort, like it was a home. His house always felt empty, no one lived in his house except for at night when they slept for his parents were always off working and Craig would be gone playing with friends or visiting his grandmother.
"Forgive me for the mess," Michelle said as she pushed some of the empty boxes to the corner of the room. "It's hard to get my boys to to help unpack when the little one gets mischievous."
His grandmother chuckled at that, "So I've heard. I've seen your little girl run around causing headaches for a young boy."
Michelle smiled sheepishly, "That would be my daughter, Samantha. She's quite the troublemaker thanks to her brothers."
Craig was about to ask about this Samantha, who she was and where would she be, when a small girl darted to her mother followed by a very angry boy, at least fourteen years of age. "Mommy!"
"Get back here!" the boy growled as he tried to grab the young girl. "Don't you dare try to use mom as a hiding spot!"
"Samantha!" Michelle grabbed hold of the small girl before turning her attention the older boy. "Angus! What are you two doing?"
The boy made an attempt at trying to grab her but the girl managed to duck, causing her brother to fall on his stomach. "She stole my survival book!"
"Did not!" The girl would have been more convincing in her lie had she not been smiling. Not that Craig was complaining; if anything he enjoyed the sight of Samantha smiling. This was their first encounter and certainly would not be their last. She was placed into the town's daycare, her brothers were already old enough to be sent to school and her mother was a grocery clerk leaving Samantha alone during the day. Craig would come over and pick her up, seeing as they both had to go, and he would take her to the abandoned barns and sheds to play.
When his parents found out about Samantha and her brother Micheal, the only full-blood siblings of the family, being bastard children they prohibited Craig from seeing her. Did that stop him? No, he would have his or her friends bring her to him, they'd hide out and play together then.
Then, David, a middle school boy, appeared. At first Malachai thought nothing of this odd newcomer, other than his hate for adults, David was no different from the other children. Until Malachai accidentally stumbled upon David praying.
He was only looking for Betsy, Samantha's two year old golden retriever, when he heard mumbling in an old abandoned barn. Thinking that it was just a kid trying to scare him, Craig wandered into the barn and stumbled upon a kneeling David.
"D-David?" Craig stuttered as he slowly backed into the wall.
The older boy stood from his spot and walked over to Malachai. "Craig, you know it's rude to interrupt someone's prayer."
"Y-you were praying?" Craig had never seen anyone pray outside the church, everyone prayed in the church. "Why aren't you praying in the church?"
David analyzed the small reddish blonde, he knew that Craig was special in a way that was more than just talents. Craig was one to give loyalty and give it with pride if given what he wants in return. "The church is too populated by those blasphemous adults, I like to pray where the presence of the real lord can see me."
Craig's young eyes lit up with curious interest, "The real lord?"
David smiled warmly, "Yes. The lord they tell you about isn't the true savior we seek. He Who Walks Behind The Row is and He is not pleased."
"H-how do you know that?" Craig stuttered, he knew that David could be cruel when he felt like it but that wasn't totally the reason why he felt afraid.
David, a smirk firmly in place, turned around and eyed the roof of the barn. "It's obvious to the most sensible of eyes. Haven't you noticed the corn hasn't be doing well?"
"It hasn't?" Craig asked though he had noticed that something was wrong with the corn. His parents had been frantically praying for the past week and that just hinted at trouble. The last time he saw them pray like that, his grandmother was on the verge of death last Christmas.
David chuckled, "Yes Craig, the corn is failing because of the adults. He does not want them here anymore."
"But they can't just leave." Craig argued, "Where will they go? And plus, how are you going to make them leave?"
David glanced at the sky and sighed, "There is one way but I do not know for sure." He glanced at Craig and then asked, "Where is Samantha?"
"At home, I was looking for her dog Betsy because I saw her running down the streets." he stated with some worry toward the small boyish brunette. "Why?"
David started walking toward where Samantha lived and said over his shoulder, "e wishes for me to talk to her. She is the key to our future." With that David disappeared into the surrounding corn leaving Craig all alone.
The next day, Sunday, Craig quickly headed to the tent before his parents could force him to go to church. He knew that David was going to reveal something important today, he just knew it! And let him be damned if he allowed his worthless parents prevent him from being a part of it
"Craig!" the redhead turned and saw Samantha's best friends, Angel and Maria, arrive. They too were dressed in their best Sunday clothes, just like all the other children. "Hi Craig!"
He smiled a bit and nodded at them, "Hello girls, where's Samantha?"
Angel shrugged, "Don't know, David did tell her to come though."
Craig felt his spirits falter a bit, he had hopped she would come this one time and sit with him. Samantha never attended David's sermons, she was too young to travel alone so she was always under the guardianship of her mother or brothers. Even when her third brother, six year old Micheal, came last Sunday she did not follow.
Taking a seat among those of his youth, Craig waited eagerly for the sermon to begin while also hoping that Samantha would come. Unfortunately, she never did.
"Today children," David started with eagerness and pride, "I bring great news from our Lord, He Who Walks Behind The Rows!"
"Praise God! Praise The Lord!" they chanted loudly.
"During this week He has come to me," David walked in a circle, looking and observing every child in the tent. "He has told me that the corn will perish should the adults continue with their sinning and tainting, they need to be eliminated!"
The children grew quiet, this was not what they expected but no one questioned much other than a few hows and whys.
"He told me, told me and I listened despite my own doubt, that so long as they, the sinful and blasphemous adults, continued to live among us we, His children, would perish." Now that he had answered the whys he moved onto the hows. "A girl, born in California and sent here to us, has foreseen the future, her dreams predict our new life."
A sudden outburst came over the children, who was this girl? What did she dream? Can they believe her fragments of sleep? Craig cringed under they excited roars, there was only one girl who came from California and that was his beloved Samantha.
"Hush!" David commanded and they obeyed without a single complaint. Once his desired silence fell upon the youth of Gatlin he smiled and continued, "The girl, who is not present sadly, is our dear little Samantha." Whispers now sounded, doubt rang thick in the air but they still listened. "He has told me that she, and she alone, has a strange aura to her, making her sensitive enough to receive upcoming events. He has chosen her to be our Seer, our eyes of the future."
Craig felt his stomach turn a bit; he wasn't really sure how he felt about Samantha being their Seer. He knew she was horrified by her nightmares, she's told him that much about them. Now he was beginning to understand a bit as to why she may not have shown up. Even though he could mainly blame her mother and siblings for her absence, he knew she was wary about these sermons; he wouldn't put past her to purposefully ditch.
"Her dreams, you ask," David stated loudly, "tell of a place where no adults lives, where their blood has been spilled in His name, where their ashes are as water to the Earth. And who leads this cleansing? Yes, that she saw too!" David smiled and announced, "I, myself, and a Malachai, a boy of her youuth. This Malachai, for this is his new name to our Lord, is none other than our young Craig Boardman."
Gasps and wide eyes, Craig sat still in shock while David stood in front of him. His pale and cold hand stretched out to him. "D-David?"
"Come young Malachai, your destiny awaits you." he smiled, "For Samantha has foreseen you to be one of our most loyal and strongest warrior. You will defend the corn and His children."
Craig took David's hand and stood beside the middle school aged boy. He was given a knife, the knife she predicted he'd wield.
"We will slay our elders!" David said, "Send them to their judgment and resting place while we will prosper. He will take us at the eve of our nineteenth birthdays, take us to a paradise that cleanse us of any and all sins. That was what she saw and that is what He wants."
"Praise God! Praise the Lord!" They chanted wildly, minus Craig. He was busy looking at his reflection in the knife, the knife she saw him wield. The knife he knew she would grow to hate, just like its wielder. He just knew it.
Craig, as well as the others, hurried back into the town just before the services ended. He would have gone with the others, gone to where he could easily slay his first adult but, he had a young love to attend to.
"Angel?" Craig caught up with the two girls, both carrying small blades. "Angel can you do something for me?"
The girl turned and smilingly nodded, "Sure, what?"
"Tell Samantha to meet me in the shed behind the cafe. I need to talk to her." he was afraid that Angel or Maria would say no, say that his parents' rules no longer with hold him from the girl he loves but luckily they didn't.
"Okay, I'll try." she nodded and walked toward the cafe, the normal hang out after church.
He felt worried, millions of questions haunted him. His main fear, however, was what if she doesn't come? She knew he would be the main figurehead, next to David, what if she hated him despite the fact he has yet to do anything?
He waited, hoping she'd come and show him some form of care. Plead that he not do this, beg him to run away with her, something! He froze when he heard the shed door open and slightly close, she came.
"Hello?" she hadn't seen him as he was hidden behind a small pile of tires. "Craig?
Feeling relieved, he made himself known by touching her small shoulder. When she turned toward him, he smiled, "Samantha you came."
"I always come." she said softly, almost afraid. "Why did you want to see me?" her head moved down a bit and he knew she recognized the blade he had, "Craig?"
He felt so in control of the situation, here the girl he loved feared him and while he would rather have her love him, this would do for the time being. "David has told us about your gift." he took a step toward, his intent was obvious even to the small girl. "We were sad when you didn't show up but David insisted that since you're so young, your mom was probably dragging you to church again."
"Craig?" He saw the fear and hesitation, he felt his anger flare when he realized that she wanted to return to her mother.
"It's time Samantha." Craig cupped her cheek and smiled warmly, "it's time we saved Gatlin from the blasphemous adults!"
Malachai glanced at the roses he took from her old garden; they were a secret present for Ruth when she and he are finally joined. Why she loved the overly used and yet highly romantic flower was beyond him, but he didn't care. She agreed to be his wife, his lover and his alone. That was all he ever wanted.
With a sigh, Malachai went over to his mirror and made sure he looked decent. All he had was black work shirts and black trousers. Nothing special. Ruth wore only a black dress, he brown hair was long but she never bothered to tie it back. He too had long hair but he always cut it so that it came to his ear lobes, maybe longer. As a child, his hair was more red but as he grew, and Ruth did tell him this, he became more of a blonde.
Walking out of his house, which he shared once with a former warrior who passed on a year ago, Malachai wandered to the church to see Isaac. The nine year old boy, surprisingly mature for his young age, waited for the teen to come and give his doubts.
"Welcome Malachai." Isaac greeted with his back the the older boy. "Still doubting your marriage?"
Malachai shrugged, "Not as much as I was the day I proposed." he knew that Isaac saw through the lie but the younger did not question further.
"Your ceremony will be tonight." Isaac turned and nodded at Malachai, "She did not tell her brother about this, otherwise he would have raise quite a ruckus over it."
Malachai nodded, he knew Micheal disapproved of Ruth and him still seeing each other. The fact that Malachai did not face the older and protective sibling of his young love gave way to only one reason; he was in the dark.
"I will speak to them today after the preaching." Isaac approached Malachai and suggested that he have the boys help him take Ruth's personal belongings to his house. "Save her the work and save us all the violence."
Malachai nodded. "I'll do that when they are with you."
Isaac gave a short nod, " Go check the border and make sure that no one has come through last night."
"Yes Isaac." Malachai turned and began his trek to the road. His daily walk around Gatlin was always something he had done since the purging. Gatlin, a small and isolated community, was something that was a mere overlook, hardly a soul knew of the town's existence and those who did never left when they came. They were sacrificed, their blood was water to the Earth and their bodies were burned and tossed into the abandoned shops that were already thick in dust and others' ashes.
Taking a walk around didn't really calm his annoyed nerves, they were merely forgotten for the time being. Right now, he was like a predator. He was looking for an Outlander, his prey. He knew he could easily just ask Ruth if she predicted an Outlander coming or already there but he did like the killer feeling of hunting.
Isaac had the silver tongue, he could persuade anyone and manipulate anyone if he so joyously chose to do so. Malachai had the knife, he was quick to kill and killed quickly or slowly, which ever he joyously chose to do so. This was what Ruth, no, Samantha predicted. Yes, Ruth was the girl who followed orders but only so she would live. Samantha was the girl who loving and playful and she, the small brunette he fell in love with, predicted his future as the most loyal follower of He Who Walks Behind The Rows. And the most feared warrior in Gatlin.