CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Sheriff Cole made her way to the main street of Hershel chatting with Leland while she enjoyed the retelling of the town’s history. Her voice was pleasant, but irritating none the less to Leland. As she drove slowly, cautiously through town she pointed out many of the stores and shops that Leland had already visited.

  “ Now, over there is the oldest hardware store in town owned by Hank and Hazel Conners. They have lived well over fifty years and will be celebrating their fifth wedding anniversary within a month. It’s so sweet to know that there are still a few married folks that have managed to stay together no matter what. Nice right?” she asked looking at him with a very sweet smile.

  Leland looked back at her completely void of any concern about Hank’s and Hazel’s fifth anniversary. His first thought was “ What’s the point. They’re going to die soon anyway.” However, Leland faked a smile and answered,” I suppose it’s a nice thought to think of spending your entire adult life with another human being. I guess that sound reasonable to some.” He looked out the window not wanting to speak on the empty subject further.

  “ Are you married sir?” Shurley asked out of nowhere catching Leland a little off guard.

  Turning to stare at the sheriff he replied without any emotion at all, “ No, never. Not interested in that. I haven’t the time for such nonsense.” He responded very coldly.

  Shurley turned her head slightly towards Leland catching his expression out of the corner of her eye. She noted the sour, disgusting expression on his features as though she had insulted him in some way. Thinking to make it better she simply said,” Well, Marriage isn’t for everyone I suppose. I’m not married either, not anymore.” She let her voice trail off and chose to say no more about marriage.

  As the ride along continued Shurley received a call not from the station , but from her son Bret. “ Excuse me a minute, it’s my son calling me.” She said taking the radio mic in her hand and replying to her eldest child Bret. She talked for a few minutes then ended her communication and proceeded with her tour of the town and county.

  For the next two hours Leland would endure a long car ride with the chief of the sheriff’s department. He could have done without all the chattering from his driver, the sheriff, but he did however find out far more than he had expected to. He now knew where the churches were located and exactly which one of those structures he could incorporate into his plan.

  azel’s fithHa More and more of the plan he had created was coming into play within his mind. All he needs do was to begin to start the smoldering fire, let it build its roaring power by which the entire town would be consumed. He felt better on this day than he had any other day since his arrival.

  As he arrived back to the hotel and freshen up for dinner he took a minute to speak out loud to his master,” Highest of high all mighty master of all darkness and what’s to come, I bow before thee letting you see that soon my lord your day of reckoning will come. I will set this town on fire, sacrificing all who occupy this place for thy service and commands are all I live for. This day, everyday master of all darkness and lord of everlasting life I will bestow upon you the blood of the innocent, set free by jealousy, anger, hate and deceit. Let those who languish in lust become dust before your eyes. All hail the mighty power of Lucifer, master on high.”

  Feeling the power of his master fill him with renewed energy Leland readied himself for a meal and what would come next in his plans. He was rejoicing deep inside where his soul once was knowing that he would success in bring the next sacrifice to his master.

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  “The will of the darkness was upon them as they had no understanding of the power of the mighty dark Lord. There day of ending had been assigned and nothing would prevent to fire from burning all to ash.”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  The hotel restaurant was semi full at the time Leland made his way to his seat. He watched with curiosity as the simple town’s people gathered for their evening meal. He glanced at the menu hoping to find a great tasting steak and a side of potatoes and another vegetable with some bread. He looked at the local wine listings trying to decide which particular wine he might enjoy.

  As Leland waited for his server, he watched the customers that were already being served There was a variety of town’s people, a few visitors that had a need to stop for an evening meal while traveling onward afterwards to their destination. Finally, a tall mid-size woman with her piled up high on top of her approached Leland’s table with a pad and pencil in her hand. She smiles a very huge smile as she stood beside the table looking down at Leland greeting him warmly,” Good evening, sir. Welcome to our dining room. Are you ready to order?” she asked smiling wide enough that her deformed, crooked teeth was all that anyone could focus on.

  Without even titling his head upward to make eye contact Leland stated flatly to the woman whos’ perfume overwhelmed his senses,

  ” I’ll have a T-Bone, rare, with the roasted potatoes and carrots, and a glass of sweeten tea. No bread please.” He answered her.

  “Would you like a salad with that, sir?’ she asked politely feeling very unsure of whether or not she should speak again.

  “ No, thank you. That will be all.” Leland said wanting her to go away and leave him in peace. He found that these people in these small town were always overly joyful and he could never reason out why. The world was a mess every day. There was nothing but death, suffering, hate, and destruction everywhere you turned, not that that mattered to him. He let out a long, disgusted breath as he thought of how much longer he would have to be in this awful town before this mission was done. He longed to be on his way so he could be about his business of doing what his master had assigned him to do.

  Leland had long ago understood the role he played in his master’s game on the earth. How long how it been since he was actually still human, he thought. When was the last time that he had actually cared about any human being to any degree. Had he felt sorrow, or empathy in years past? How had he so easily given his soul to the master for this life as it was that rolled on and on, year after year, decade after decade with no ending in sight.

  Leland could no longer count the years or decades or even the centuries that had passed him by. He only knew that every mission was exactly the same with the same results, destroy the town, the people and their hope. When would this all be done and the finale was at hand was thought that drifted through his tired mind. He felt the long-term weariness of the life he was now confined to. Somehow, Leland secretly he longed for death.

  The next forty minutes were spent with Leland eating his dinner, watching all of those who sat in the dining room, mentally taking notes. He ran through his mind what he had collected from the ride along today. He knew that the Chief was divorced with two high school age teenagers. He knew that Hank and Hazel were about to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary and Hazel wanted out of this town, Hank did not.

  He thought about the Tasty Treats café where everyone loved to gather and swap stories about one another. He knew for a fact that Becca from the hotel had an insecure, jealousy streak regarding her husband of four years. All in all, he had a good bit of information to work with so far. The question remained where to start the embers burning so that the flame would build finally setting the whole town afire.

  At the end of his meal Leland paid his bill and left the dining room heading up to his room. He needed some time to meditate so he could clear his head and begin to put a plan in place. He didn’t want to move too quickly because if he did, he might miss something of value that would ensure the success of this mission. He decided that a good’s night sleep was in order. He would let all the information settle and, in the morning, he’d have a better idea of what steps to take next.

  There was really no need to rush death. It would come in its own time as it always did. Death had it’s on path even when there a plan to outline how it should flow. No one or nothing could change the direction of death, it was a beast with no master and it yield to nothing in the known universe.