Apocalypse Burning by Mel Odom

Author:Mel Odom
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook, book
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Published: 2011-04-06T16:00:00+00:00

9

Church of the Word

Marbury, Alabama

Local Time 1011 Hours

The creature wore the visage of a young man. He was black this time, wearing black motorcycle leathers and wraparound sunglasses. A pencil-thin mustache and a goatee framed his mouth. Rastafarian dredlocks covered his head. Gold hoop earrings dangled from his ears and two gold teeth gleamed in his mouth. When the dappled sunlight fell on him, reptilian scales showed shadowy images.

Beyond the creature, Walter stood outside the cruiser talking on his handset. He gave no indication he saw the creature.

The creature smirked as it examined the front of the church. “Well, this place has certainly seen better days. Guess nobody around here even believes in paint.” He peeled a long strip of paint from the doorframe. “So how you feelin’ today, Preacher? All rested up?” Even its accent was changed, but it was the same creature.

Delroy didn’t speak.

“So, you gonna buy into Deputy Dog’s little pep talk? Take a walk down memory lane and get your religion back? Is that what this is all about?” The creature shook its head. “You’re still looking for that quick fix, Preacher. Still looking but not finding.”

The mocking words ate at Delroy’s confidence. How was he supposed to know what to do if God kept allowing this creature to dog his steps and undermine every advance he made toward getting himself back together?

The creature shook its head again. “I have to tell you, Terrence is plenty upset with you. He’s still lying in that coffin when you could have at least freed him.”

Delroy turned away, closed his eyes, and told himself he would ignore whatever it said.

“Don’t turn away from me, Preacher,” the thing ordered. “If you don’t listen to me, maybe I’ll walk out to that deputy and slit his throat ear to ear while he’s talking on the walkie-talkie. He don’t see me now; I can promise you he won’t see me then.”

Trembling with rage and fear, all but exhausted even after the sleep he’d gotten the day before, Delroy faced the creature, fully expecting it to walk into the church and start closing in on him.

Instead, the creature remained at the door. “What is it with you, Preacher? Are you just too dumb to give up? or too prideful? Neither one of those qualities is exactly something God treasures now, is it?”

Delroy peered past the creature, wondering how Walter Purcell hadn’t noticed it standing there. Instead, the deputy stayed on the radio, gazing around the neighborhood as if nothing was going on.

“He can’t see me,” the thing said. “I’m here just for you.”

Delroy felt broken and humbled, but he remembered his daddy’s words. “Are you here to tempt me?”

“With what?” the creature asked, smiling. “What have I offered you?”

“Doubt,” Delroy said. “And fear.”

The creature grinned. “You’re fooling yourself, Preacher. You’ve already loaded your own cupboard with those things. And you’re not as important in the grand scheme of things as you seem to believe you are. You’re just an amusement.” It stepped forward, hesitant for the barest moment till its foot touched down on the other side of the threshold.

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