Mordechai's voice came to me, saying that everyone should leave, that I wasn't going to show. "No." I heard myself say. I walked forward. "NOO. Do you think that it was all Isaac's doing Jedediah? Do you? Who here thinks this? Hmm?" No one moved. "Were we not given signs, was that not enough?" Jedediah then made some stupid comment about how the adults had been our parents, but it didn't matter. I was on a roll. "There is a power, greater then all, and it is within us. But we know it not. We have eyes, but see it not, and ears but hear it not." I went on, vaguely aware of what was going on. It was like I wasn't myself. I didn't know where the speech was coming from.
We, the children parted, and went our separate ways. As we walked, I was aware that they were treating me as if I was their leader. It confused, scared and excited me all at the same time. I ran into Danny as I walked, and we had a meaningless (at least to me) chat about a girl, and walked through the corn toward Angela's house. nothing came after us or bothered us at all.
Later, as I lay in bed, I felt normal. I realized that what I had felt before was gone. I was myself. I tried to get up, but couldn't move. nothing moved, except my eyes, and all they could do was blink. I couldn't even speak. As I lay awake, thinking it hit me. He Who Walks Behind the Rows hadn't intended to kill me, but like Isaac before Him, he had made me his puppet. So in a way, I was the leader, but I could only do what He Who Walks Behind the Rows wanted. I couldn't think, move or act for myself. I was a prisoner in my own body.
The next morning, I awoke when He did, and walked down the stairs to the kitchen. Angela, Danny, and john were all there, and I heard my voice say "Hello. Good Morning. How are you?" After breakfast, I went outside, and looked for my friends. We wandered around till we found ourselves out in front of Mrs. Burke's house. The mark of He Who Walks Behind the Rows was by her door.
"Let it begin."
I gave the Children their orders, and set off toward the church. I didn't know what was going to happen until I saw the Voodoo doll and knife that had been in my pocket. The first person that looked my way was Mr. Simpson, and at the moment, I knew that he was my 'target.' Forgetting everything else, I concentrated on him, smiling only slightly as he fell to the floor, bleeding profusely. I had never seen so much blood. Calmly, I stood up, and walked out of the church, dropping the bloodstained knife and wooden doll, that now looked like nothing more then a carved up stump.
My next stop was back at Mrs. Burke's house. The deed had been done. I was pleased, but the inner me felt sadness. Then, walking over to Danny, who looked how I felt inside, I was somewhat released. I felt compelled to tell him the story about my father's "vigorous sinning." When finished, Danny asked me if I was glad when my father was killed, and I lost control as my body was possessed again. "The Bible also teaches that um, for everything, there is a season." I walked off, leaving him confused and thinking.
Later that night, we met in the fields to perform a ceremony joining Gatlin and Hemmingford by way of Jedediah and Ruth. That girl seemed to have a crush on me. As I stepped foreword and raised the knife, I noticed that her eyes never left me, and seemed to be looking at me like a girl looks at a guy when they get to be around our age. Oh well. the ceremony must go on. The knife fell, and deep cuts appeared on each persons palm. "Now, let Gatlin, and Hemmingford be joined forever," i said, filled with a great power, "WE ARE ONE. WE ARE ONE." Just then, I saw Danny standing on the edge of the clearing, and called him over. "This is Danny." I said to my friends. " He too has found PROBLEMS among them" When faced with the decision of becoming one with us, he made his choice. It may have saved him from execution that night, but I didn't know how long that would last. He was one with us.
The next afternoon, I was in town playing with my next 'target.' See? I wasn't all bad. I had fun sometimes too. the children were standing around me giggling as I led the wheelchair of Mrs. Burke's sister into the middle of the road. Well, needless to say, she certainly crashed that afternoon's Bingo party. We headed back, so that I could give out the next instructions for the next sacrifice. Task: burning down the Town Hall. Wait, I probably should mention that there was going to be a town meeting with all of Hemmingford's adults present going on while it burned. Again, sweet revenge on the adults who had poisoned our world.
Meanwhile, after sending Ruth to get Angela and Danny's little girlfriend, Lacey, who had a different fate coming to them, I went looking for Danny himself.
" It's time Danny. The soldiers of the Lord are ready to march."
