“Do This In Remembrance Of Me.” (Short Story).

He for the moment was looking at the mess that the executioners had made in what was once a well used church at some time before the disappearances a few years ago. He was reading the wording on the wooden table and though he wasn’t ignorant of it’s meaning to the criminals it still somehow always made his uncomfortable? He knew what it meant to them as he had done his research on this cult that was finally being hunted down and either sent to the camps or well, the present situation of being shot; the bodies were still they were shot or tried to escape being shot. Messy business but it had to be done to remove these people who refused to bow down to the world leader in Rome. He tried to ignore the bodies and the blood. It was his job to hunt them down didn’t mean he had to like the after effect. He hunted them because that was his job and he of course did it well and yes there was a certain enjoyment to the hunting of these strange cultists and their refuseal to bow to the One-World Religion.

“Twenty-three.” The voice commented as he walked toward the man observing the mess.

“What?” He looked over at the shorter man with the unpleasant look, “What about twenty-three?”

Martin Little’s tone never changed, “Cultists executed. We found a few others hiding in the back room.”

He let the comment slide, “Well, what about the two that escaped?” He looked at the man with a look, “You are aware there are consequences to letting any of them escape.” The look he was getting back said much of the fear that failure would get him, “But I am sure they will eventually be caught. It’s becoming rather difficult for them to hide anymore as more and more loyal world citizens are getting tired of their preaching…their a strange cult that is for sure….and as I said it will be reported that two escaped.”

Martin knew what was coming but at the moment it wasn’t happening to him, “I’m sure we will find them.” Looking about the church for no reason other than to avoid the look he was getting, “We caught these cultists and dealt with them. Seventeen adults, six children all dealt with. Another cult meeting…”

He interrupted with a wave of his hand, “Funny, how this all started with those strange world-wide disappearances…”

“Don’t the cultists claim it was their Jesus that came for His true believers or something like that.” Mocking, “So why are they still here?”

“Don’t know and I don’t care, Martin. But what I do know is that their a problem. Look at this building. Just look at it and tell me what is the point?” Pointing angerly at the various point of the room as if the objects truly offended him, “Everything about these people are strange. They claimed to believe in a god who would come back but when He does come back He doesn’t take everyone?” He ealked up to the table and turned and faced Martin, “Look at this place, an alter to what?”

Martin learned a while back to allow the supervisor his little speech.

“I remember the world before the so-called as they call it the Rapture. I remember the chaos of the vanishings, and then Russia decides it’s a good time to invade Israel and some how lose…” He laughed at the thought, “And will someone please explain that and how Russia’s allies were also defeated. Don’t know how it happened and don’t care. But look at this place, Martin!” Looking about the room, “Look at them! Their blood is on their hands for refusing to accept the world is no longer interested in their cult…they should all be shot.” Though he didn’t like all the blood he did his job, “Look at them. Sitting in their pews dead as dead can be. Where is their god now?”

“I’ve heard ruins their planning on bring back the French version of executions, the guillotine…”

“Not a rumor, Martin. These cultists refusal to take the loyalty mark has got to end with the threat of the idea of being beheaded in the public. These people in this church got off easy.” He looked at Martin with a look, “I understand that some of the executioners decided to rape some of the women, is this true?” He waved away Martin’s beginning to answer, “It’s to expected, but still, we need to maintain some order in these cleaning operations. Those loyal need not know everything about what we do.”

“It happens sometimes.”

“I am aware it does but then again try to keep in people in line…the job is to destroy this cult of the cross, pews, and those stupid banners with pointless words on them…”

Martin wasn’t really sure where the supervisor was going but he was in charge, “We executed them. Isn’t that all that matters…”

“Except for two of them.” He again looked about the room, “Yes, with the law soon to make the mark of loyalty do it or die it’s felt that a far more harsher method to make people decide who they will be loyal to. These cultists got what they deserved. They claimed to believe in a god who simply forgot about them and then over-night they really believed in this absent-minded god!”

Martin stopped wondering where the guy was going, “Well, I’m sure there will still be a need of a execution of this kind…shooting cultists can be fun.”

Violently knocking over the table, “Do this in remembrance of me it says. I don’t disagree with you, Martin. Shoot them all. Hunt them down and let them understand their choice is either the loyalty oath or death…”

“You enjoy this far more than just hunting them down.”

“Yes, well, I have my reasons, Martin. They must be made to understand that they cannot serve their false god and be loyal to the World Government. They cannot walk some imaginary line and think they don’t have to make a descion on which side they really belong to.” Looking about the room again, “Look at them, dead for what? They didn’t really believe in their god in the first place, they got what they deserved…anyway, I’ve rambled on long enough.” There was much on his mind and this little clean up operation was just a minor problem. The fact was he didn’t really have to be there and knew the other guy in the usual uniform of a loyalty executioner. What a title he thought, someone had too much free time on their hands. It was a long-winded title of the self-important and it was obvious Martin took it all seriously.

“What about the bodies?” Martin wasn’t sure they supervisor was even listening.

He actually liked the effiency of the executioners. Kill everyone that doesn’t summit to the loyalty oath was their motto and philosophy. He took notice of the cultists killed. Some sitting in the pews with the look of those doomed to die, whiles others thought running would accomplish anything. Well, there was the two who managed to escape. Sloppy work and of course that will be reported. He knew the guy was waiting for an answer to his question.

“At the moment, Martin, I want those two who escaped found and executed.”

Uncomfortable, “Well, we know the direction they ran into…”

“I want them found in an hour, Martin. I want them brought back here and executed and then when that is taken care of burn this building down.” He again returned to his observations of the dead about the room, “To simpy give up your life for someone who didn’t take you the first time. There was a reason their god didn’t take them the first time….Look at them sitting there bleeding all over their gods holy place….they should have not played games the first time. They got what they deserve.” He knew he was talking too much and the to the wrong person. Martin wasn’t simply a grunt, a follower, someone who obeyed orders with complete blind loyalty, he was blind to the real threat of these cultists and their so-called god.

“We’ll find them.”

“I’m sure you will.” He noticed a book on one of the front pews; of course he knew what it was, to Martin who seemed uncertain or bored of him, “You ever read their book, the one they claimed was given to them by their god?”

Martin was growing suspicious of the question, “I did after the strange vanishings some years ago….”

He studied Martin with a look, “And what happened?”

He shrugged his shoulders, “For a whole I believed they were correct these cultists. But there seemed to be a strange unpleasant empitness to their new found faith they should have had before it happened. I think I simply grew weary of their talking about their Jesus, maybe the truth was I simply really didn’t believe any of it….so I walked away.” It was a simplistic answer and he hoped he wasn’t asked anymore about it. “I briefly believed it because I was afraid by all the chaos and then the war between Russia and Israel….”

He remained silent and allowed the man to talk because that was partly why he was there. If the man who stood before him babbling about his fears and why he ran to the cultists knew the other reason why the questions where being asked.

“….I know running to the cultists was a foolish thing as if they were left behind by this Jesus then maybe he probably just wasn’t coming back…”

“Yes, Martin, it was foolish.” He walked to where the Bible sat on the pew and picked it up, flipping it open but not really to read anything, “They believed so they claimed and yet they are here sitting in their blood soaked pews…Those words on that table have some strange blood loyalty meaning. Sick people. They were required to do something in their gods name….drink the god’s blood for salvation? I don’t know nor do I care. But they must be hunted down and corrected.” Looking at the page he had flipped open, “So, how long did you stay with the cultists?” He silently read the page while he waited for an answer; it made no sense.

“After that strange world-wide earthquake.”

“Ah, yes, the earthquake.” It was stated matter of fact, “You simply walked away as a result of an earthquake. Nothing else?”

“I simply found their cultist views too foolish or non-sense to believe anymore. I admit I tried to believe but it seemed I simpy really didn’t…” He was finding all this rather unpleasnt to the point of he felt he was about to be accused of being a cultist. He decided to be blunt, “Am I being accused of being a cultist?”

He simply dropped the Bible as he looked at Martin, “We are at war with these cultists, Martin. Their dangerous and need to be hunted down and killed for their crimes against the new society that doesn’t need them or their Jesus as you called this god of theirs….” He calmly looked down on the Bible and stepped on it, “They claim this Jesus will return, that is the problem with them now and that is simply what the war is about, Martin, we are at war with these cultists and their god…”

Martin remained silent as he felt it was best to let the man talk.

“We are at war, Martin. We are simply at war with a cult of extremists bent on making us believe in their god. They would force us to believe as they believe…” Looking at Martin a moment, “I know you don’t view it as a war but it is….”

Martin didn’t like the look in the man’s expression about their war against the cultists.

He smiled as the little play-acting was having it’s effect on the man, “We are at war, Martin. They are the enemy… anyone not on our side is on their side and will be hunted down and dealt with.” Looking about the building, slowly observing the dead and the bloody mess of the executioners, he returned to the man who stared back with the desired look of fear, “Just find those who escaped, Martin, and burn this building to the ground.” Kicking the Bible and laughing, “Kill them and their Jesus.” With a cold hard look at Martin as he walked passed the man, “Just find them and kill them!”

Only one of them was found and quickly executed; the church was set on fire. Martin was sure he would hear about his failure to find the other cultist who escaped. The supervisor actually acted like he was lookinbg forward to reporting him Martin had thought as he ordered the burning of the church.

She wasn’t sure how they didn’t find her but they hadn’t as from her hiding place as she watched the old church burn to the ground. The guy was looking right at her where she was badly hiding and trying to not cry. But it was strange the way he seemed to look passed her and see nothing. A miracle? Was the Lord blinding his eyes to her hiding place? If it was a miracle she was thankful for it. She held back the tears best she could as the terrible red-orange glow of the burning building lite of the sky as she vanished into the darkness of the woods. Hannah knew where she had to go and getting there would take time and much hiding during the day. She prayed silently as she thought about her long journey to safety? She only looked back once at the burning building and forced herself to not cry as she thought of her dead friends and family. The building was collapsing and she hoped no one was alive as she turned around and started running deeper into the woods.