Chapter 2

(Where in the shit hits the fan and our soon to be hero begins his journey. Also I amused as all get out that this song came up on Pandora as I began this chapter.)

Depeche Mode Blasphemous Rumours.

We all walked to the hall of the sanctified as families. The kids were quiet and doing their best not to get the attention of any of the adults. All of whom looked like they were bracing themselves for some coming storm, which to be honest had been something we had all been doing since we knew enough to know the end times were here.

We all filed into the hall as Elder Clayton walked to the podium at the front and pulled out the great book. The book was very important. Apparently there were only 7 copies in the world. Every chapter of the New Dawn had their own copy. Each copy passed to the new elder when the previous one passed.

The hall itself was the one place on the island that was ornate. The elders had spent the last 60 years building the place and then doing their best to add more and more to it over the years. The interior was all a kind of grey, with gold and silver designs flowing over the walls. Later someone said they looked like tribal tattoos. No actual images of any sort were allowed, as God had commanded their by no idols present in the of the Chosen. God was a thing to not be experienced in some paltry statue or picture.

The pews were all made from felled local trees. Some of them so large that the first five rows were made from single trees. Their excess carved away and sanded until they made the shape the elders desired. The wood was left unpainted and instead a varnish was added to it to preserve it over time.

The process of people walking in was orderly and deathly silent. No one dared speak as Elder Clayton looked over the assmbled throng. Dad Mom and I took our usual seat toward the back. Dad had joked that we had that spot so often that the wood over time would meld itself to our bodies.
Sitting next to the aisle I kept my eyes forward and tried hard not to meet Elder Clayton's gaze. Behind me I heard the rest of the Chosen taking their seats.

Meanwhile I had no idea what to think. This was it, the end of the world, or at least the beginning of the end of the world. How was I suppossed to feel at a time like this? Happy? Soon God would descend and take us all to our reward for fighting on it's behalf. Sad for the outsiders? I had met them from time to time, when the state would send someone to inspect the schools and our living conditions. Or when Dad would go on a trip to get supplies we couldn't find or make for ourselves. They were people too, not chosen by God, but yet I heard them Laugh and talk and such just like my own people.

Scared? I mean Let's face it God and I had what could only be called a strained relationship at the time. Maybe I among the Chosen would be left behind to fend for myself as the world collapsed.

From behind me I heard something familiar. "Mew?"

I didn't look behind me. I knew if I did Elder Clayton would see it and bring me up as an exercise in discipline for the rest of the kids. But if Mew came in right then Elder Clayton would lose his temper. A year ago he had grabbed Terry Morris's cat in front of all the assembled Chosen.

Leaning over I whispered to Mom. "Mom I need to pee."

She rolled her eyes. "You cannot be serious, why didn't you go before we left."

"I didn't need to pee then." My eyes were desperate. "Mom please."

"Sigh you would be the only child to show up to face the end with his pants all wet." She shrugged. "Go but hurry."

I got up stiffly and walked calmly to the door and turned toward my house. Mew was sprinting there. "Ohh God please Cat." I thought. As I ran after her. I had to get her in the house so she wouldn't interupt the Service of the end times.

She ducked into a drain pipe, and I reached in to get her. My fingers just barely touching her front paws. I could hear her hiss from inside the pipe. A rare sound, Mew was usually a very even tempered cat.

"Mew please not now, I need to get you inside." I said quietly. She hissed again, and at about that time Something happened. The sky had darkened.

Turning my head I looked up and gasped.

Storm clouds were forming over the hall of the Chosen. Not like they usually do, rolling in over the horizon. These were appearing from the sky right over like they were pushing out through a hole in the blue sky. As the cloud spread out it began to be internally lit with a green glow.

I sat back in utter awe of what I was seeing. My jaw on the ground my hand came out of the drain  and a second later Mew followed. She looked at the sky and hissed.

Meanwhile I sat there, torn. It was obvious it was happening, the apocalypse was real! God was coming to us. Somehow though it all felt wrong. The sight over the hall was less an appearance of angels and more the announcement that something very bad was coming. I felt my skin crawl as the whole of the clouds turned a near sickening shade of green. As it did it looked like something was fluttering down from the clouds.

Surely this would be the mana that Elder Clayton spoke of so often. The food that God provided the faithful that would fill our bodies and souls.

As it landed though I could see each piece was like a piece of black grey ash. Were it landed the plants withered and died. Slowly all of the years crops began to crumble in front of my eyes.
Mew climbed into my lap as I took it all in. I scooped her up in my hand and stuck her in the breast pocket of the jacket Mom had made for me.

With her safely with me I ran to the hall.