The Alphabet Superset: Week 14: Nothing is the Same Anymore

Reference Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/12/us/southern-baptists-conservatives.html

    In movies, after the big bad explodes, all the fighting usually just stops and everyone celebrates. But in real life, that didn't happen. As Alexander sat on the floor, he tried his best to tune out the constant noise around him. People continued screaming and shouting out in the halls. Smoke and dust were thick in the air, despite the shattered windows nearby.

    

    Alexander welcomed the distractions around him. He coughed as he tried to ignore the gnawing thoughts in his head. The terror of the past couple of hours. The fiery explosion. The coerced deal. The 24 hours time limit.

    Blake and Kasen dashed into the room, their faces covered in torn cloth. Blake had another cloth and a partially empty water bottle in his hand. He looked around the room briefly before his eyes landed on Alexander. He nudged Kasen's arm before kneeling down in front of Alex.

    "Hey, buddy, you're back with us, right?" Blake asked cautiously, soaking the torn cloth in his hand before holding it out to Alex. Alex nodded before holding the rag over his own mouth and nose. It didn't completely stop the smoke and dust, but it helped. As he was about to ask where the rags had come from, he saw that Blake's t-shirt sleeves had been torn off at the seams.

    "Yeah, I'm back. You guys okay?" With Blake's help, Alex stood up and leaned against the wall. He knew the emotional toll the fighting had taken on him, but the many protest from his body reminded him that his body had been very active. Looking at his friends, he realized that Kasen seemed to trying his best to stay standing. Even Blake, the most athletic of the three, seemed to be covered in sweat and trying hard to breath.

    "Great. If you can walk, we got to move. There is too much stuff in the air in here and I think there are a couple of fires out there. We need to get outside where its safe." Alexander nodded before Blake patted his shoulder and lead the way.

    It had been bad enough seeing the carnage through his body's eyes while trapped in the Entity from the sky. It was even worse in person. The smoke was even thicker in the halls then it had been in the classroom. It was almost impossible to see, especially with half of the lights in the building smashed or off. He noticed bright yellow glows down some halls, halls that Blake refused to use.

    The people around them simply added to the chaos. While many people seemed to be trying to leave the building, there was some confusion about where to go. Alex distinctly heard someone rushing his friends to leave while running in the opposite direction. Another student seemed to be calling out a name over and over as they stumbled through the building.

    Alex felt like he was running through something out of a disaster movie. A girl sat in the hall crying her eyes out, her arms wrapped around her head as if trying to block out the chaos around her. A teacher stood at one of the closed doors, trying to convince someone on the other side to open it. She was met with defiant muffled yells. Whoever it was didn't trust her.

    When the trio finally made it outside, things weren't much better. The walkways between the schools were crowded with students. Most moved like a river, heading along designated routes that staff seemed to be yelling out. 

    But some were ignoring the staff. Alex watched as some students charged into buildings for one reason or another. Others sat or laid down near the buildings. Some students were helping each other out. Alexander watched one boy dump a bottle of water on another's face to clean it off. Another girl sat over someone laying down, her hands glowing as she concentrated.

    The trio followed the crowd to the nearest courtyard, where a crowd of people had established some sort of gathering area. Here, staff took charge, breaking students into two groups. Most students were sent to a waiting area. This is where the trio were sent with instructions to call their parents to retrieves them. Many students here were doing just that. Others slept. Others had silent, or not so silent, breakdowns over what had occurred. Alexander watched as a shouting match turned into a brawl that was quickly broken up by a couple of security officers.

    Those with injuries or certain types of magic were sent to another area. Alexander could see them on the other side of a crowd control fence. Groans and screams of pain filled the air. Staff and volunteers rushed about. Some used magic while others used first aid kits on the injured. Alexander saw an ambulance load up students on gurneys before rushing off, only for a new ambulance to appear minutes later.

    Alexander finally took a seat in an empty grassy area. The adrenaline was finally dying down and his bodies exhaustion was starting to catch up to him. Even the chaos of the courtyard began to feel somewhat normal. Unfortunately, this meant there was little to distract him from his more pressing problem.

    The Dealer had given him twenty-four hours to confess. Alexander wasn't sure what would happen if he missed that deadline, but after the display of power he witnessed earlier tonight, he wouldn't be surprised if the Dealer put the creature back in the sky. Even if he didn't, the Dealer had a lot power and had made it very clear that his debts were to be honored at all times.

    On a normal day, completing the Dealer's request would've been tricky. Alexander had no idea who to talk to about a confession. The school administration, school security, the Paladins. But on a normal day, he would at least have someone to ask.

    Today was not a normal day. It was likely the entire school had become a battlefield and all the staff had probably begun fighting each other. On top of that, now they would be swamped with getting things back under control. The school would likely be reaching out to the city itself looking for some kind of aid. The glow of fires and scattered emergency lights out in the city told him that things were probably as bad out there as they were in here.

    To add to the problems, Alex was sure that if he didn't confess tonight, he wouldn't get another chance. The school would be evacuated tonight and closed for who knew how long afterwards. Long enough for the Dealer to act for sure. So Alexander weighed his options.

    If he tried confessing to security or the school, he would probably be ignored and told to come back later. That was of course assuming that the buildings hadn't been completely locked down to prevent further attacks.

    That left the church where the Paladins were. This option made him the most nervous. Unlike the school, they had a vested interest in the fight that took place since one of their own was facing trouble and another had been nearly killed. A fight started because one of them suspected his powers had an evil origin. Alexander was not keen on finding out how they would react to him confessing that he actually had made a deal with a demon for his powers.

    Unfortunately, it was probably the only option that would still be open. The church frequently hosted events to help people in need and the Paladins were famous for protecting the innocent. They were the most likely to have their doors open right now. And Alex didn't have time to be picky.

    Alexander looked over at his two friends. Kasen was seated next to him, fidgeting with a lighter. Blake had told Alex some time ago that it was something Kasen did when he wanted to smoke a cigarette but wasn't sure if he would be allowed to. Blake was currently standing in front of them, his eyes looking over the crowd around them, although standing may not be the right word. Blake seemed to be anxious himself as he never truly stayed still. He was moving his arms and legs occasionally. The only other time Alex had seen him do this was when he was waiting for once of his matches to start. Except Blake usually seemed to be having fun at those matches. Here, he wasn't.

    Alexander took a deep breath before he stood up, trying to act as natural as he could.

    "Hey guys, I'll be back. I am gonna go see if there is a bathroom I can use." Blake turned to him briefly before rubbing the back of his neck and looking around again.

    "Alright, but be careful. Things are still pretty chaotic out there." Alexander nodded before heading over to the entrance. Alexander knew telling them the any part of the truth would only cause trouble and he wanted to postpone risking his friendship for as long as possible. The Dealer didn't say he had to tell his friends after all. Just the school and the Paladins. Maybe he could get through this without them finding out.

    Alexander told the staff at the entrance to the courtyard the same thing he told his friends. They pointed toward a quiet building nearby before returning their attention to the line of students in front of them. Alex was grateful yet again for the chaos around him. He slipped away quietly with no one noticing him not going to the bathroom.

    Things were quieter as he passed through the school. The staff seemed more coordinated then earlier and fewer students were scattered across the grounds. He could hear search parties inside the buildings, looking for students and other survivors still sheltering in place. The fighting had quieted down at least and there seemed to be fewer fires then earlier.

    As Alexander approached the church, he found his assumptions were right. Even from a distance, he could hear the same kind of chaos as he had heard back at the courtyard. The church was definitely open and acting as a shelter of sorts. But unlike the courtyard, the Paladins were decked out in their "Spiritual Armor." As he got closer, one of the guards raised a hand.

    "Stop right there. Hands where we can see them and keep your eyes open." Alexander did as he was asked though he was a little confused. One of the guards approached him while the other two seemed to brace for a fight. He thought the guard was going to frisk him, but as soon as he was close enough to see the whites of his eyes, the guards stopped and turned to his compatriots.

    "He's clear. Sorry for the scare kid, but we learned during the attack that those had weird eyes. We began checking everyone for that coloration during the fighting. Haven't seen anyone since the angel killed the creature though.

    "Angel?" Alex asked. He knew the Dealer had saved the school, so why were these men discussing an angel?

    "Yeah, when the creature died, an angel appeared out of nowhere with a fiery sword and killed it. It was a modern day miracle."

    Alex realized this conversation was going to get tricky if he tried to discuss this here. "I need to see the preacher in charge here."

    The man who checked him turned back as if surprised by the request. "Kid, do you realize what happenings around you? The preacher can't drop everything he is doing to talk to one student."

    "Please, I have information on the thing that saved the school."

    "The angel?"

    "It wasn't an angel, it was a demon."

    "And what makes you think that?"

    "Because I made a deal with it to save the school." The guards' faces were a mix of disbelief, annoyance, and anger. Finally, the guard spoke up again.

    "Alright, I will get you to the Preacher, but you better be telling the truth. Every second the preacher spends with you is a second he isn't spending helping other people." With that, the guard led Alexander into the Church.

    Alexander was left in the waiting area outside the Preacher's Office. The secretary was his first clue that things were going to take a while. She had been in the middle of a call when they arrived. She barely had time to hear them out before the phone rang again, leading her to signal that Alexander should take a seat. Alex spent the next half-hour listening to her answer one call after another while waiting for the preacher to return to his office.

    When the preacher did arrive, he didn't even slow down before heading into his office. It would be another forty minutes, before the preacher exited his office. He took a deep breath before looking at Alexander and then to his secretary.

    "I know your busy, Mr. Martin, but he says he has information on the one who defended the school." The secretary explained quickly. She rushed to type up something on her computer, as if trying to race the phone before it rang again.

    Mr. Martin turned to Alexander and gestured for him to come into his office. Alexander took a deep breath and then did as he was told. He was now at the point of no return. He was about to confess and would have to deal with whatever fall out followed.

    Mr. Martin took a seat and gestured for Alex to do the same. From his face, it was almost impossible to tell that his church had become a refugee center just hours ago. He gave Alex his full attention as he spoke.

    "I am Mr. Martin, the preacher and leader of this holy church. What is your name?"

    "Alexander, sir."

    "So then, Mr. Alexander, please explain to me what you know about the angel?"

    Once Alexander started talking, he found it hard to stop. He wasn't sure if it was relief from the months of secrecy or if his adrenaline was throwing his mouth into overdrive in an effort to get things over with. Regardless, the whole story poured out of his mouth.

    Mr. Martin's face never changed nor faltered. He never interrupted or asked questions. When Alexander was finished, he waited for just a moment. Once he was sure Alex was done, Mr. Martin leaned back in his chair and folded his hands in his lap.

    "So, just to be clear about the current situation: You made a deal with someone who refers to themselves as 'The Dealer.' You later realized what this dealer was when one of my students attacked you, but promptly refused to divulge the information to anyone out of fear of the consequences. Then, tonight, in exchange for your overdue confession, this same dealer agreed to kill an Eldritch abomination that appeared out of nowhere and wreaked havoc on this school. Now, here you are, confessing in order to honor a deal with a literal demon." Mr. Martin was calm, but his points cut right through Alexander. The boy simply nodded, too scared to speak.

    Mr. Martin nodded and leaned forward on his desk. "I appreciate your honesty young man, given the great personal risk to yourself it poses. I will pass your admission on to the school once this crisis has passed. You will likely be called in to face the aftermath of your choices. Until then, I will pray for you in hopes that this situation leads you closer to God, the only one who can save you from your sins now. You are free to go." Mr. Martin rose from his seat and gestured toward the door.

    "Wait, your not going to punish me." Alexander asked hesitantly, slowly standing up.

    "My boy, I suspect the coming weeks will be punishment enough. I don't need to take any such actions myself." Mr. Martin said seriously. "Additionally, while this conversation was important, I do still have an entire church in desperate need of my attention right now. So I graciously request you now depart my office." Alexander all but fled the office, refusing to look back. Something about Mr. Martin's reaction rubbed him the wrong way.

    Mr. Martin waited till he was sure the boy was out of earshot before turning to his secretary. "Mrs. Carrolton, kindly inform the others that I will be making a formal announcement on the current situation this coming Sunday. Judging from the many reports I am getting tonight from Sir Marshall and the confession of that young man, our righteous brothers and sisters will be very eager to hear my announcement this Sunday."