The Lost Souls

2

The city. It's gray and silent, usual. The classroom was gray and silent. The only sound was when the teacher wrote instructions on the board. We didn't talk in class, but at lunch, we whispered. The neon lights were bright today, just like every day.
    "Read chapter 21" the teacher wrote on the bord. I opened the textbook to chapter 21. It was titled "The Lost Souls." I've heard about the Lost Souls before, but didn't understand it. No one really knows much about them.
    "The Lost Souls. The Great Tragedy of Dema. The Lost Souls left the sanctuary of Dema for the barren wasteland outside of the walls that protect us. There was a small tunnel that the nine bishops used to leave the city in search of souls to be saved, but never found anyone outside of Dema. The Lost Souls used this tunnel to leave Dema in the middle of the night along with one other that we shall not name. Clancy drew attention to himself and others who helped him leave this wonderful city. The other Lost Soul's name shall not be said. The bishops sent a search crew to Clancy's house to look for any signs to where he was. Search crews found a series of journals and pictures. These journals and pictures can be found in the Dema Files located in the Great Hall. This is not necessary to complete the assignment. These journals depict the horrific tragedy in detail. Discretion is advised and you must obtain permission from your Bishop to get access of these documents."
The assignment was interesting. It was one question: "Would you want to follow Clancy?"
    This answer should be obvious. To most, it is. It's not that easy, though. I took out a piece of paper and wrote down the question I wanted to ask the instructor, "May I see the documents?" The teacher was shocked and wrote a pass for me to see the principal. I walked to the office. The principal read the note from the teacher. Her emotionless stare was frightening. She wrote me a note, "Talk to your Bishop after school. Use this pass to get into the Great Hall." With that, I left the question unanswered and left after the end of the day.
    I went straight for the Great Hall as instructed. The Watchers kept an eye on me, I was out of place. No one is meant to go to the Great Hall today. The doorkeeper looked at my note and opened the door and pointed to the stage at the back of the Hall. Keons was standing there, almost like he was waiting for me. I've been seeing him a lot recently. The school believes that I'm strange, different. I must apprentice the Bishop at least twice a week, but it's been almost every day for the past month. We've been spending so much time together that we've begun to talk in words.
    "What is it this time?" Kenos asked.
    "Chapter 21 in school," I began, "with the documents in the Dema Files. Clancy?"
    "Ah," he said, "Let me guess, you'd like to read them."
"Yes."
"You see," Keons said, sitting next to me on one of the pews, "You're a-"
"High risk case," I said, "I know, but why?"
"You can't know yet," he said, "not until you're older."
"You always say that. When will you tell me?"
    "You're high risk," Keons began, "because of your ability to think differently than the rest. You don't just accept things as facts. You need to see why things are true."
    "That's it?" I said, "Really? That's it?"
    "Not all of it," Keons said, "Your father... I shouldn't tell you this, I really shouldn't."
"Please tell me, I know nothing of my family," I said.  
"Your father had the same way of thinking as you. He saw things differently, but instead of using his thoughts for the good, he confined himself with his thoughts and led another astray."
"The Lost Souls," I said softly.
"Yes," Kenos said, "Your father is one of the Lost Souls."
"I want to see them," I said, standing, "The files."
"I do not advise that."
"I don't care. I need to learn something about my father. This is the only way that I can. I need to know something, anything."
"I can't allow you," Keons stood, "I can't risk a third under my care."
"What?"
"Clancy and Tyler were under my care when they-"
"Tyler?"
"I didn't mean to say that."
"Tyler is the unnamed one?"
"Walk with me," Keons said, walking to the stage, "I must keep you safe. My responsibilities are vast and I cannot be expected to live forever. I must choose a successor. The successor must be able to think as I do, be as I am. I share your thought process. The two were candidates for my successor. Now, that falls to you."
"You want me to be a..."
"Yes, I would like you to be my successor, and one day, take my place as the first Bishop of Dema."
I stared at Keons. We stopped at a door behind the stage. A doorkeeper stood in front of it. The Bishop nodded to the doorkeeper who then opened the door. The Bishop gestured for me to go before him. I was hesitant, but went in. The doorkeeper closed the door behind us and turned on the lights. The neon rushed through the glass tubes. It hit the glass wall and bounced off, trying to find an escape. The white neon was bright and glowing. The room was bigger than it appeared from the outside. There was a small staircase leading down to a large library. Most of the shelves were devoid of books, instead, there were boxes containing artifacts and trinkets.
"What is this" I asked in wonder, and confusion, "I shouldn't be here."
"You will be one of us one day. No more secrets, that is, if you agree."
"To be a Bishop?"
"Yes," Keons said, gesturing to the room, "Anything in this room is meant for Bishop eyes only, but I believe you can see it now."
"Really?"
"I will tell the Doorkeepers to let you in any restricted sections as you wish without question, but please, do not abuse this privilege. I hope this gives you the answers you are searching for," he looked at the window at the top of a fifty-foot ceiling, "I must prepare for this evening. Be in your seat before the doors open today."
"Thank you," I said, Keons left.
Things were in alphabetical order. There was a small file over the Lost Souls that was the same as in the textbooks. Maybe the documents were under their names. There's hardly anything under "Tyler."

Name: Tyler Joseph
Age: 43
Specialties: abnormal thoughts, candidate of Keons, Lost Soul
Achievements: X
Location: Trench/Unknown
Birth: December 1, 1988
Death: X
Attachments: X

There wasn't anything else. Nothing. Tyler was a ghost. No achievements and what is Trench? There has to be more. There was more to Clancy's file.

Name: Clancy
    Specialties: abnormal thoughts, candidate of Keons, Lost Soul
    Achievements: problem-solving
    Location: Trench/Unknown
    Birth: Unknown
    Death: Unknown
    Attachments: Clancy's Journal

The folder had other papers in it. I took them out. They were letters and pictures. I couldn't read the letters very well, but luckily, someone else typed them for the ease of the reader. I just skimmed them.