Churchly Murders

𝓕𝓲𝓯𝓽𝓮𝓮𝓷

ꜱᴏ ᴡᴇ ᴅᴏ ɴᴏᴛ ʟᴏꜱᴇ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ. ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜ ᴏᴜʀ ᴏᴜᴛᴇʀ ꜱᴇʟꜰ ɪꜱ ᴡᴀꜱᴛɪɴɢ ᴀᴡᴀʏ, ᴏᴜʀ ɪɴɴᴇʀ ꜱᴇʟꜰ ɪꜱ ʙᴇɪɴɢ ʀᴇɴᴇᴡᴇᴅ ᴅᴀʏ ʙʏ ᴅᴀʏ. ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜɪꜱ ʟɪɢʜᴛ ᴍᴏᴍᴇɴᴛᴀʀʏ ᴀꜰꜰʟɪᴄᴛɪᴏɴ ɪꜱ ᴘʀᴇᴘᴀʀɪɴɢ ꜰᴏʀ ᴜꜱ ᴀɴ ᴇᴛᴇʀɴᴀʟ ᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛ ᴏꜰ ɢʟᴏʀʏ ʙᴇʏᴏɴᴅ ᴀʟʟ ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴀʀɪꜱᴏɴ, ᴀꜱ ᴡᴇ ʟᴏᴏᴋ ɴᴏᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʜɪɴɢꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴀʀᴇ ꜱᴇᴇɴ ʙᴜᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʜɪɴɢꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴀʀᴇ ᴜɴꜱᴇᴇɴ. ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʜɪɴɢꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴀʀᴇ ꜱᴇᴇɴ ᴀʀᴇ ᴛʀᴀɴꜱɪᴇɴᴛ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʜɪɴɢꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴀʀᴇ ᴜɴꜱᴇᴇɴ ᴀʀᴇ ᴇᴛᴇʀɴᴀʟ.

2 ᴄᴏʀɪɴᴛʜɪᴀɴꜱ 4:16-18

Oliver woke up on Sunday. He saw the sun shining in his window. "No, I can't get uppppppppppppppppppp!" he groaned. The sun shined brighter. "Fine, God, I'll get up,"

He got up. He opened his closet to find clothes. He found a shirt and pants. He stated, "Perfect."

Margo was awakened by nothing. She wasn't used to not hearing Mavis and Tucker. In a way, she missed them. They were cute. She kind of loved them.

She got up and went to her closet. She had many new clothes. She picked a nice black dress and a red veil. She put her hair in a bun, put and rouge lipstick on.

Cahya sat in a different pew than Margo, Oliver, and Jane. Cahya was holding a diary. Margo looked at it. Cahya was in writing it.

Later, while walking, Cahya dropped it and didn't notice it. Margp picked it up. "Hey, Cahya!" Margo said. "No, Margie," Cahya said. Margo decided to look into it.

Dear Diary,

Me and Robbie did it! We tricked Margo Benett! Let me explain:

Three years ago, me and Robbie were besties, but er went to different schools, so Margo didn't know 'bout me. Then one day, Ma told me I was coming here. I was sad. But then Robbie says she would try to get her parents to let her go here. It took three years, but still.

Then we made a plan for Margo being disrespectful to the queer kid.

So I bought a Buddhist thingy. Then I told Robbie to break it.

And Margo fell for the trick! Ha! Idiot!

But now that the trick is done, I kinda of want Margo back.

She was kind and sweet and a really good friend.

I'm sure she's nice enough to let me back into her life

–and dumb enough.

–Cahya Beam

Margo slammed the book shut in her hand. Though she was respectful enough to not show anyone else.

She knocked on her door. Cayha came out. "Oh, hey, bestie-"

"Take your damn diary back, and no, I don't want you back," Margo told her. Cahya looked shocked. Margo stalked off.

Margo was with Jane. Jane was on her phone. "I thought you were Amish?" she said. "Oh, my parents are, but I'm Mennonite," Jane told Margo. "Oh, nice," Margo said.

Oliver was sitting in his room. He saw Jane and Margo sitting on the tree branch. Jane was chatting with Margo. Just then, Jane slipped. She fell off the branch. Margo grabbed Jane's hand to keep her from falling. Margo fell too. They laughed as they came back to the surface.

"That was fun!" Jane said. "I know right!" Margo said.

Oliver was taking a video. He sent it to Margo.

"OLIVER!"

Margo, Jane, and Oliver played Truth or Dare. "OK. Margie, Truth or Dare?" Oliver asked. "Dare," she said. "Hang upside down and sing your favorite song," he said, pointing to the branch. Margo went to the tree. She hung upside down.

"Then she said," Margo sang. "I like your confidence, but you're not the 1975."

"Oliver, Truth or Dare?" Jane asked. "Dare," he said. "Kiss your crush," Jane told him. Oliver's eyes averted to Margo. "Can't," he said. "Why?" Jane asked. "She's hangin' upside down." He pointed to Margo. Jane snickered. "Interesting," she said.

"Hey, Oliver, Margo, wanna see Mavis and Tucker?" Hazel asked. Margo and Oliver nodded. Margo saw Mavis sleeping. She hugged Mavis.

"They're very cute," Margo said. Oliver nodded. "Can I have them in my room tonight?" she asked. Hazel nodded.

"Thank you!"

"'Course, dear."

Oliver woke up to a text from Margo.

I can't sleep wanna do something?

Sure

He headed down to her room. Margo was sitting up in her bed. "Oh hey, Ollie!" she said when she saw him. "Hey, Margie!" he said. The babies were sleeping. Oliver sat on the bed with her. Margo used a towel under her bed to make a baby hammock. Mavis and Tucker were lying in it.

"I have an idea," she said. "Shoot," Oliver said. "You know the forest near the pond?" she said, pointing out the window. He nodded. "Well, I wanna explore it," she told him.

"Is this a bad die, Margie?"

"Yeah probably."

"Do you think we should listen to that gut feelin'?"

"Hmm, nah!"

"Nice."

She carried a lantern as they explored the forest. She held Oliver's hand. It was kind of cold. She wore a swear crop top. He had a flashlight.

Oliver and Margo walked in the woods. They were kind of scared. She put little markers as they walked.

Margo and Oliver stopped.

She looked ahead. There was a house up ahead. Her eyes opened wide. "Cool!" she said, running to it with Oliver. "Should we go in there?" he asked.

"Fuck yeah."

They climbed up the stairs in the house. When they got inside, they saw something in the corner. They walked in, and the "thing" turned around. Margo almost cried.

"A cat! A puppy!" she said, hugging them. "Don't touch the- Margie!" Oliver said, flashing the flashlight at her. She was hugging them tightly. "We need them!" she said. "Agreed, to be honest," he said. He grabbed the puppy. They suddenly heard a crack in the woods. "We should go," Oliver said. Margo nodded.

As they walked back, Margo decided to look back. A person was standing. She gasped. "Oliver, don't turn back. Run!" she said.

He did, no hesitation.

"It was a dream!" she said, walking up the next day. Oliver was leaning against the wall. He was silently laughing. The kitty crawled on her lap. "It wasn't a dream, was it?" she said. He smirked. "Nope."