The Church of Wrath - Intro

The old man inspected the three roads before him with undivided attention, just turning away enough to get a sip out of his corona bottle. The porch of his ancient home gave him a perfect vantage point.

“Oh stop lookin at me like that you stupid dog” He said to the old animal besides him. The dog moaned impatiently and pointed with its nose at the bottle of cold beer sitting at the small garden table. “ok, ok. Here you go you drunk bastard” Said the man as he poured some beer into a dirty bowl on the floor. “Hope it kills ya. Bah! Who am I kidding, you and I haven’t been sober in years and we’re healthy as goddamned horse” the old man said laughing and he returned his gaze to the empty roads. As the man started to nod with sleep a dust cloud appeared at the end of the only dirt road in front of him. The dog barked exited. “Eh? Who?... What? Oh shut up!” the man yelled startled. When the man finally saw the approaching car, his old glassy eyes filled with intrigue.

“What do we have here boy?” The dog gave him a puzzled look. “looks like a brand new Mustang don’t it?” he said as he scratched his dirty beard. “now what would a brand new mustang be doing in such a shithole as Oakdale Illinois?” The car turned to one of the paved roads, the one going into town. The dog barked doubtful. As the car passed by the porch the driver turned to look at the old man and his dog with cold indifference.

The old man grinned with amusement revealing the edge of his blackened teeth, and then he said quietly as so only the dog could hear; “Well , well, well, goddamned! that’s Reverend Anderson if I’ve ever seen him. He’s not looking very holly now, is he?” he finished his beer with a big gulp and immediately opened the stained plastic cooler besides him to get another one. “It appears things will get even more interesting now, aint that right boy?” he said laughing as he opened his bottle of corona. The dog moaned. “oh shut up drunk bastard, let me at least open it first”. Interesting indeed, the man thought as he poured more beer into the dirty bowl.



The bright orange mustang roared as it entered town trough the main road. It pulled over a small general store, Rony ’s Goods. James Anderson, a tall middle-aged white man dressed in completely black stepped out of the car with an air of uncertainty, he looked around Main Street; small business and a few shops, it all was exactly as he remembered, yet he felt something had changed, they air somehow seemed… heavier. After looking around curiously the summer heat finally convinced him to seek cooler air and he entered the store announced by a ringing bell. Unexpectedly the air inside the store was as hot if not hotter than the air outside. The sweaty store owner was sitting at the counter reading today’s newspaper, a small desk fan blowing at his corpulent face and entirely indifferent to the sound of the bell. “It’s hot in here” said James.

“yup, air is down, the technician will fix it next week, so you’re gonna have to deal with it buddy” the heavy man said with a grumpy voice and without taking his eyes from the newspaper. James smiled “hum you haven’t changed a bit Roni, no wonder this store hasn’t seen a customer in 12 years”

“what did you say buddy?” the store owner uttered obviously exalted. As he was about to start cursing left and right he realized who the man standing in his store was. “Rev… Reverend Anderson is that you?” James just stared and smiled gently. “I’m so sorry Reverend, I didn’t realize it was you, it’s so good to see you!” the man said exited, and ran out of the counter to hug James. He returned the hug forcibly trying to avoid getting sweat on his clean clothes. “Yes Roni its me, how’ve you been?”

“oh I’m ok Reverend, but it’s been so long. Everyone misses you here in town, you were the greatest preacher. What brings you back to Oakdale?.” Roni said fearful of screwing up as he rubbed his hands nervously.

“I came to see my mother, is she still in town?”.

“you… haven’t talked to her in all this time?” James didn’t respond, and when the silence felt too awkward Roni answered “yes, yes, she’s still in town, lives at the same place too” he said nervously. “good, I wanted to get her some of those candies you sell, the ones she used love” .The fat man pointed at a candy stack by the store’s entrance with a shaky arm. “Reverend, we’ve… we’ve heard you were sent to Mexico… as a missionary, we heard some things.” . “Yes Roni. But that was 11 years ago.” He said as he gazed over a news bulletin board posted by the door. Then he quickly changed subject “How’s the wife?” Roni’s face dropped and his voice softened. “She’s sick Father, cancer. She’s not the same anymore, not the same Ellen as the day you married us” he paused and sighed slowly. “But I love her more than ever Father”.

James could see he was close to crying out of the corner of his eye, but still he pretended he was reading the bulletin board. “Don’t call me father” He said with no trace of emotion. “I’m sorry?” a drop of sweat ran from the fat man’s balding head down to his wrinkling face.

“don’t call me father Roni, I’m not a priest anymore, so do not call me father or reverend.”

The man stood in awe not able to respond to that. After what seemed like an age he finally said “But… Why? How?”

James still read the board dedicatedly. “It doesn’t matter, how much is it for the box of candy Roni?”. Hiss eyes filled with disappointment and his voice became less vulnerable. “It’s three seventy-five” James paid without making eye contact and after he received his change and counted it carefully he spoke. “that thing on the bulletin board, the “Church of the Cleansing Light”, what is it?”

Roni, very protective now answered as coldly as he could. “Some new protestant crap, probably one of those religions from the south” .

“huhm… I see.” He said and began walking towards the door but just before he opened the door back to the domain of the blazing sun he turned and looked at Roni.. “Roni, I’m very sorry about Ellen, I truly am” He said with sincere compassion, and his eyes reminded old Roni of a priest he once know, but had died somewhere inside the man exiting his store. “and Roni” he said as the door closed behind him. “Get the damned air fix’t”







As James Anderson left Roni’s Goods, somewhere else in town a man awoke in darkness.

The first thing he felt was cold, absolute cold that embraced his entire body. Then he felt pain, his head, and his limbs. The room was humid and a grotesque stench loomed in the darkness He tried moving and he felt a strange sensation of panic, as the time his brother convinced him of skydiving and he jumped for the first time. He was suspended, bound in the air by his wrists and ankles with some sort of wire. His wrists burned horribly with every movement and even though it was completely dark he knew he was naked. Fear crawled through his spine and overpowered him; he couldn’t see a roof or floor. Oh god how high am I. He thought and that’s when he started yelling. “Help!!” “PLEASE HELP ME SOMEONE!” “Im trapped! I cant see anything” “God please, SOMEONE HELP!” His pleads futile on the vast empty void of that room. He tried to free him self by reaching his left hand with his right, but it was impossible, he was suspended in an X shape with his limbs very far apart from each other. Nevertheless the man continued to try desperately until the pain was unbearable and he felt blood run from his wrists down his arms. His throat burned from yelling and his strength was drawn. “help… somebody please help” he said almost whispering now. The cold of the room penetrating his bones and crushing his lungs. He tried to recall why he was here on this godless room but all that came to his mind was going to bed the night before. That’s it, this must be a dream, a nightmare. But deep inside he knew it was real. Yet he tried to wake up just to feel some hope once again. “wake up Dave, please wake up”

Abruptly, out of darkness a light emerged. It was weak and yellow but it still took his eyes a moment to adapt. Then he saw the room, it was black, some sort of dark stone. He saw his naked body dripping with blood and hanging from some wires like a piece of meat. The room was empty except for a candle in front of him, and behind the candle a robed figure standing still, a wooden cross hanging from its neck. Panic froze his spine as he saw the man standing by the candle. His face covered with the black hood of his robe and in his hand a large silver knife. GOD! Please wake me up! He thought, his mouth frozen in fear.



“Oh Mr White, I assure you, this is quite real” The man said lifting his head slightly so the candle light illuminated his macabre smile. The man walked towards him and slowly and lifted the knife still holding to that grin. “no, please don’t, I’ll do anything”



“I know, Mr White, I know” the obscure man said as he caressed his victim’s skin with his blade.





Mr. White’s shrieks were maddening. But no one in town could hear, a mustang was blazing through Main Street, and its roar was the only thing the town could hear.