Devotion (John Seed)

19. The Sermon

Amelia followed John past the pews and to the back of the church. The church was dimly lit, reminding Amelia of her first time in these walls, and the only sound was the muffled voices from outside. John stopped just in front of the raised platform. Amelia kept walking and stepped up onto the raised platform, to get rid of some of the height difference between her and John, before turning to face him.

"So why am I here?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest. Unfortunately, she was still looking up at John slightly.

John smiled a little to himself, at her attempt to even the playing field. "Joseph requested your presence" John stated simply.

"You do what ever he says, don't you? With out question or anything" Amelia asked, looking at John a little confused. How did Joseph earn so much power over his siblings?

"Stop questioning everything deputy. It's just the way things are and you just have to deal with it" John growled slightly, suddenly grabbing her arm tightly. She knew that his family was pressure point for John but she could help how interested she was in John and his behaviour.

"John. That is no way to treat our guests" a smooth voice rang through the church, accompanied by the sound of the church doors opening. John and Amelia instantly turned their attention to the doors, both of them tensing when they saw Joseph with the door closing behind him.

"I am sorry Joseph" John apologised and hung his head slightly, Amelia stepped down from the raised platform and stood beside John.

"No need to apologise to me, brother. But we must love them John" Joseph smiled at his younger brother as he walked towards them. Once he reached the pair, Joseph placed his hand on the back of John's head and rested their foreheads together. "Loving them is the only way" the preacher reminded him.

"Yes, Joseph" John spoke asked Jospeh released his head and pulled away.

"He didn't hurt you, did he?" The Father asked Amelia, moving to stand directly in front of her.

Amelia knew that if she said 'yes' then John would probably be punished in some way, and she didn't want that for some reason. "No, he didn't" she shook her head.

Joseph smiled before placing his hands on her shoulders. The deputy instantly stepped away from him. "Brother, I thought you said that she was here willingly?" Joseph questioned.

"She is...some adjustments still need to be made" John assured his brother.

"Adjustments? What do you think I am? I am a person, you can't adjust me" Amelia scoffed, raising her eyebrow and crossing her arms as she turned to face him.

"I am sure that John meant no offence" Joseph assured her, trying to defuse the situation.

"John can speak for himself" she snapped slightly, raising her eye brow at John again to tell him to explain himself.

"Deputy, I told you to be on your best behaviour" John hissed quietly, looking down at her sternly.

"Please, do not argue, there is no need. The sermon starts in a few minutes, please make yourself comfortable" Joseph smiled before walking past them, taking his place in the centre of the raised platform.

John took ahold of Amelia's wrist and pulled her into his side, walking with her towards the pews. "Deputy...just be quiet for the rest of the visit, shout at me when we get home but I really need you to just relax" John leaned down and whispered in her ear as they headed towards the front pew.

"Fine" she whispered back, glancing up at him and making eye contact.

John smiled slightly at her before sitting her down on the left pew, front and centre. He then sat beside her. "Usually my siblings and I stand at the side during Joseph's sermons, but he wanted you to be comfortable" John told her but she didn't respond.

Jacob and Faith then walked in, accompanied by their 'pet projects', and sat down on the front right pew. Amelia couldn't help but wonder if that's all she was to John...a project...a pet like Pratt is to Jacob...

It wasn't long before other members of the cult began to pile into the church, filling up the pews except for the front two. Once the church was full and the doors were closed, Joseph started his sermon. Amelia couldn't really keep up with the metaphors, she wasn't religious in the first place and she just wasn't interested in what the Father was saying.

"Pay attention" John lent down to her ear and whispered. Amelia couldn't help but smirk, she felt like her parents where telling her off for not listening in church. John shook his head before returning his attention back to Joseph, if he was being honest most of his attention was on Amelia.

Amelia sighed and tilted her head back, trying to keep herself awake. "Something exciting has happened, my children. Today we have a honor of sharing our faith with the deputy" Joseph announced and held his hand out towards Amelia, as if to present her to his flock.

Amelia realised that all eyes were on her and she subconsciously slumped down in her seat, looking down at her lap and letting her hair fall in front of her face. She knew that she shouldn't be here. Once again she zoned out, ignoring Joseph's preaching.

Finally, the service was over and the cultists began to leave the church. The Seed siblings all stood and walked over to Joseph, talking about something that Amelia couldn't quite hear. Pratt and Burke remained in their seats. The deputy stood up and walked over to her colleagues, sitting beside Pratt. The dark haired man looked at her with hopeful eyes. "I am going to get you out of here" Amelia assured him, knowing that Burke wouldn't want to hear it.

"Deputy" John called out to her. She groaned before standing up, walking over to him while grumbling. John gave her a disapproving look so she just shut up and stood by his side.

"What finally convinced you to join us?" Joseph asked with a smile.

"John told me that I didn't have a choice" Amelia smiled back, a sarcastically sweet smile.

"Well I am glad that you joined us" Joseph continued to smile, unfazed by her hatred. Jacob, on the other hand, glared down at her. Faith didn't seemed bothered either.

Amelia crossed her arms over her chest and kept a stern gaze on Joseph, just because she had a strange relationship with John didn't mean that she had to be friendly with the cult or his family. Everyone on the church could sense the tension in the room, John decided to put them all out of their misery and place his hand on the deputy's shoulder. Nobody else thought anything of it but Jacob  noticed that she didn't flinch away from his younger brother at all.

"We should be going" John stated and turned Amelia around to face the front doors. John said his goodbyes to his siblings before returning to the deputy, he placed his hand in between her shoulder bladed and led her out of the church. Amelia looked over her shoulder and managed to get one last look at Pratt and Burke before the door closed. Pratt looked scared and broken but Burke looked happier than Amelia had ever seen him.