Martha sits on the bed she woke up on, staring at the corner where the voice came from earlier. You could hear a pin drop in the room.
"Please?" Martha asks, not getting any kind of answer, then trying again, "Please, tell me what's going on."
Silence follows Martha's attempt at dialogue.
"Why do you think I need salvation?"
"We all need salvation." the voice declares.
"But... why me? You could've taken anyone, but you took me. Why?" questions Martha.
"Because you are the one."
"The one?" asks Martha, unnerved.
There's a silence for a while and the shadows start to move, "You know, I have to admit, I didn't understand it at first. But now I see it."
Martha tracks the moving shadows as best she can, "Understand what?"
The tension in the room is obvious as silence follows each of Martha's questions.
"Why I was sent to you. He asked me to go to you but it didn't make any sense. I didn't understand, but now I do. You will bring the savior."
Martha moves to the end of the bed she's on defensively as the shadows move closer.
"The savior?"
"The one who will save us all."
Martha looks confused, "Right... but isn't that what saviors do? Save people?"
"Not like this. They won't be like the charlatans who claim to fix you but don't do anything but take your money."
Martha watches the shadows move for a while, "What makes them different?"
"Because they will save us from the worst thing of all..."
"What's that?"
"Death..."
* * *
Lazarus pushes his way into a very small pawn shop limping on his cane as he goes. A customer on the way out shoulder checks Lazarus, forcing him to knock into some of the merchandise on the shelves and knocking it over.
He shoves the customer back, "Watch it, buddy."
The customer and Lazarus glare at each other before the customer walks away.
"Making friends everywhere you go like always, eh Russ?" the shop owner says from behind the counter.
"You know me Isaac, always the friendly one." Lazarus jokes back, limping his way up to the counter.
"So what can I do for you? Or are you here just to ruin my YELP reviews?" questions Isaac.
"I can't do both?" jokes Lazarus before adding, "I need a phone... a burner phone."
"And you came here? There's a phone store just down the street." Isaac says with a joking tone.
"I need one that's off the grid."
"Going undercover?" pushes Isaac.
"You know I couldn't tell you." Lazarus fires back.
Isaac watches Lazarus for a few moments, "What do you need?"
That makes Lazarus smile, "The works. I need encryption so I can't be tracked, but enough access that I can search for stuff."
Isaac turns away from Lazarus and goes into the back room.
"Phone calls?"
There's silence for a moment.
"It's a phone Isaac. Wouldn't be much of one if it didn't make calls, would it?"
More silence before eventually Isaac comes out from the back, brandishing a phone in one hand, waving it around.
"I guess I can expect the same payment as always?"
"Would you prefer to have me looking at little closer into some of your... less upstanding clients?"
Isaac sets the phone down on the counter in front of both of them before pushing it across so it's at the edge closest to Lazarus.
Lazarus looks at the phone for a while, then at Isaac, and picks it up, "And this has everything that I need?"
"Have I ever steered you wrong?"
Lazarus watches him for a few more moments before putting the phone in his pocket.
"Thanks again." says Lazarus with a slightly joking tone.
Lazarus turns and makes his way to the door.
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