Universe (Part 10) (FINALE): Final

Chapter 96

The flames crackle and the sound have gone to utter silence, it was completely dark everywhere around and there was only light coming from the flames. The flames roared and bodies came flailing out trying to put the flames out but they could never put the scorching hot flames out in time. The sky was black and lit up by stars and there were the clouds that were dark and almost completely black that were seen, they were massive and whirling in shapes of eldritch beings as the smoke form the fire went up into the sky and went to the clouds like a funnel going up. Piete stops there were blood stained all over his body, completely bathed in blood and he was glistening from the blood and moonlight that shines on him. His entire face was wrapped in bandages including his arms and legs and all around hi that were underneath his clothes. It was like a scene of horror, seeing him as he looked away from the flames and yet the flames looked at him, knowing what was going on. His eyes were mesmerized on the night sky and finally people all showed up. Brick than finally showed up on horseback and the people all quickly surrounded Piete.

"What have you done?" Brick had asked the man.

"There is no God, and I know there is no such thing."

"You-"

"I lied." Piete said. There was a silence right there at that moment.

"Why would you lie?"

"To live. If I didn't agree with your terms you would surely have killed me."

"Than you never understood anything."

"There is nothing to understand. Don't you all get it? We have free will. And my will is to be able to believe what I want."

"Than why lie to yourself?" Again there was silence between the two.

"I already told you, you'd kill me!"

"I would've never killed you. You realize I forgave you? I knew you could change. I know everyone here can change! And you can still change!"

"Change? It is too late. I don't want to change, I don't want to be held down by rules from God. Life is boring without being able to do everything I want. I don't want to be restricted."

"There's more than this world. Why would you want a just a while of gratification when you can love forever in heaven?"

Piete got angry and he raised his weapon. He fired into the crowd, shooting someone and another person fired back at Piete. The shot lands on his head, taking out a large chunk of his head completely off, but still he remained somehow standing, "COME OUT!" Piete yelled, shooting again and the people run into cover. The shootout went on, Brick hiding behind cover as Piete yelled and cursed at the world. He was angry and somehow still living, it took several men to fire him down with multiple holes on his torso before he finally fell down, having. Left multiple men dead before he was finally taken down. Brick walked up to the body.

"You didn't have to do this..." He looked down at him, upset.

"Curse God... He isn't real.. he- he-" Piete suddenly stops, his pupil visibly dilating and than turning into a large white sphere in his eye. His expression changed for a moment, regret across his face as he died. He reaches out, "HELP! HELP!" He yelled at the top of his lungs.

"Why... Why did you do this? Why!"

"GOD HELP US ALL! GOD- GOD-" His eye revert to normal, "I... SEE ONE THING. BUT WHO, WHO IS THAT?" He closes his eye, putting down his arms.

Zio comes in a horse, shooting Piete in the face, mangling his face completely. The blood spouts out everywhere and Zio quickly gets off his horse, "I knew it. I mother fucking knew it!"

"Why would you-" Zio grabs Brick by the collar and drags him across the ground.

"I knew it since the damn beggining! And now I found it out! Now I'm going to show everyone what kind of man you are!" He drags Brick out in front of everyone, throwing him to the ground, "Everyone look at this man! This is the man you all followed! You followed his beliefs! Look at him! He did this! He killed your people! He brought that psychopath into our community and knew what was wrong with him, and we foolishly trust him! This man made us trust a psychopath! He is not leading us, he is a cult leader! What kind of man would lead a psychopath to his own people‽"

"I believed he had changed... I believed in God!"

"God dont exist, and if he did he wouldn't be on your side. Because you are no different from that man!"

"I never said I was any better than that man!"

"You've been hiding something from us, you bastard! And now I figured it out! Now you're done!" Zio drags Brick, taking him straight to the church. The people all followed behind, looking at the situation in agreement to what Zio is saying. Finally they reach the church and Zio drags Brick to the front. Zio goes into the church and they wait outside for a minute, and he finally comes outside the church. He held the body fo Conry out, "This man was found underneath the church! This man is Conry! And I knew this man every well! Y'know how I know Brick killed Conry?" Zio looks at Brick, "Conry always tells people he's heading out West. And that's what Brick told me, but he never truly goes out West. He has that as a measure of safety so whoever he told he went West to would likely be the killer! Meaning, Brick killed Conry and he tried to cover it up from me! But I knew, I knew something was up! Just had to go out and dig it up!" He pushes Brick to the ground. The people all look at him in anger and disbelief.

"What have you done... I thought- I thought you were a man of God. So than- how? Why? And how?" Laz clenches his fist, walking towards Brick.

"I changed since that time! I have!"

"But you are a fool!" Laz punches Brick across the face, "You are to leave now. You are not welcomed here!"

"Why.. why would you shun me away? You all act as though you've never done bad! We are all sinners, we all are!"

"Out of here with that! You clearly have tricks up your sleeve! What else are you hiding? And what other psycho's you gonna let in with our group? Get out of here now!" Laz yelled.

Brick falls back, and he crawls back before getting up and walking away. The crowd cleared away from him, yelling at him in anger and some throwing rocks at him. Brick walks through the city and it's burnt ruins in defeat. He heads out towards the very edges of the city, looking back at what he had created. He sees that he had created a place originally of nothing but worship and love for God, but it became a community with people and slowly started from God. A community that was once dependent on God became independent from God, leading to a downfall. Before he left the city a woman approached him on a horse, "Come on." She said.

Brick looked up at the woman, she had on a headscarf, it was Marilyn, "I remember... You were there when I first preached. You were always there."

"And I'm still here. Let's go, away from this place which doesn't see God anymore."

"We're going to abandon so many people."

"You told them time and time again, let's go. Maybe one day will be the time, but now is not the time."

"I understand." He says, going up on the horse and she takes the horse away. They began to head out West, the moonlight facing them directly as they moved through the dark and cold plains. The plains were desolate and cruel, they once were beautiful but have always been cruel. But it seemed now the plains were lonely and that now that the world has advanced it had strayed away from the most important of all, God. They both look forward, in silence except for the sounds of the horse galloping across the grass fields and Brick catches a glimpse at the stars. He thinks about Futuri, and that his son, than that leads him to about Christina, and quickly he thought about everyone else. He wonders still about those times, and he deeply misses those times and the people from those memories. And he knows this people are in pain, but he could never do anything and he feels terrible. He feels a feeling in his chest and gut, but they continued riding on. And so they did, they rode on and on, going towards the West with the moonlight shining towards them both.