Chapter Twenty-Seven
1
Pastor Samuel Rodgers stood in front of the Anderson Baptist Church congregation. They were people that he hadn’t seen since he left home when he was eighteen. He was to take his dad’s place as their pastor.
“It’s good to be here,” Pastor Rodgers said. “It is also sad to be here.”
The congregation seemed to understand what he had meant. They all shook their heads in agreement and said amen.
“It’s sad to still be here on this earth,” he said. “They ones we have lost are the lucky ones.
They all said amen and put their hands in the air. Some people were praying.
Trevor and Terry were sitting were Patty Olsen would have been sitting. Terry was the only unmarked person in the church.
“People tell me that we should remember my dad.” Pastor Rodgers looked at amongst the people. “Pastor Charles Rodgers, my dad. I say that you, the people of Anderson, have already done so. You have done so by putting back up the church that he loves do much.”
Amen swept the room. Some people even got up to their feet.
“I remember what my dad taught,” he said. “I will do my best to do the same. We shall all people rejoined in Heaven.”
2
The sheriff walked through the house with something on his mind. Sweat covered his body. His left hand trembled.
The sheriff knocked on Robert’s room’s door. It only took a moment for the door to open. Robert was alone.
“Can we talk?” The sheriff asked.
“Well,” Robert started. He could tell something was bothering the sheriff. He wasn’t in the mood to talk to him. “You weren’t this nice in the past. You never gave me a chance to talk.”
“I was only doing my job,” the sheriff said. “Come on, I’m serious.”
“You’re a dirty sheriff,” Robert said. He chuckled under his breath. “You always have been and always will be.”
“Forget that for now,” the sheriff said. “Are we really going through with this shit tonight? Are we going to keep doing what that man says?”
“Yes,” Robert said.
“Really?” the sheriff replied. “Do you really believe that man?”
Robert looked deeply at the sheriff. “What makes you think that he’s a man?”
“This is going too far,” the sheriff said. “I know there’s some messed up shit associated with that man. I don’t believe in god or ghosts.”
“That’s the point,” Robert said. “We have to take it farther than ever before. I don’t care if you believe in God or not. But…You better start believing in the devil.”
Bella walked into the room. She acted as though the sheriff wasn’t even there. She sat down by Robert and put her hand between his legs.
“It’s time for you to leave,” Robert said.
3
Night had fallen and the streets of Anderson were empty. At midnight a glow of light seemed to approach the town. Robert and his followers were approaching.
There was a line of cars coming down the main road. The sheriff’s department’s cruisers lead the way.
The cars had stopped on the edge of town. They all had gotten out of their vehicles and walked the streets. Robert was in front of his followers. He was carrying his son.
The sheriff was following behind Robert. He wasn’t in uniform. He hoped that no one would point him out in the crowd. After this night, it was going to be hard for him to remain the sheriff of Anderson or anywhere else.
Robert looked down at his son. “This is all for you. Soon, this town will be yours.”
His followers started setting abandoned houses on fire. They burnt down every house of the ones who disappeared before people were marked. They were running and yelling.
Robert and his son walked the whole town. He was amazed at the site. He thought that it was beautiful. The sky was lit up by fire.
“You know?” the sheriff started. “We are actually bringing hell to everyone. No matter what happens, we’re going to burn in hell forever.”
“That’s the beauty of it,” Robert said.
The sheriff gave Robert a funny look. Robert just kissed his son on the forehead and walked away. The sheriff stood and shook his head.
It didn’t take long before Anderson Fire department starting getting calls. There were too many fires for them to handle. They had called other surrounding fire departments for help. It was a battle that they could not win.
The town had received their message. They knew that Robert and his followers had done it. They also knew that the sheriff and some deputies were involved.
Some of the fires would burn for days. Anderson was on red alert.