Erosion of an Empire: Part 1
“He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”*
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And with those final words Alexander closed The Holy Bible and stared out at the congregation of nine ragged survivors.
They had gathered around his weather worn pulpit during his weekly public reading.
Panning the crowds weary faces, Alexander locked eyes with a young man that was new to this week’s sermon.
With a heart grown hard from the slew of false converts, Alexander reluctantly called out to the newcomer with the required, “Hello”.
In reply, he merely screwed up his face in response as if to say, “who me?”
The look was the customary one that Alex received when he welcomed the newly arrived.
Alex once again extended his opening remark in an attempt to draw him into a dialogue. However, this time it was received with an insolent remark.
“I’ve seen what has happened to you believer-types since the disaster and you expect me to consider that any of this nonsense you spew will change this bleak existence?” the young man responded.
Not easily dissuaded or shocked, Alexander merely smiled thinly and replied, “Let me start by saying my name is Alexander.”
As he did this he extended forth his right hand to shake and continued, “It is a pleasure to meet you.”
Skeptically, the dissenter grasped Alex’s hand and curtly replied, “Hasim.”
The two men gazed at each other as if they were trying to read each other's thoughts. They instinctively sized up their opponent.
“It seems to me, Hasim, is it?, that you have an astute awareness of the hardships we have been experiencing as of late.”
“And to be straight forward with you, I’d like to extend an invitation to you to join our endeavor.”
Hasim barely nodded as Alexander continued.
“I won’t waste your time be by being all touchy feely with you. This world we live in is one damn hard place to be and honestly I can’t fathom how we even make it day to day. But what I can tell you is as that as smart as we are, we need not worry, for God Himself is looking out for us even as we speak.”
“I tell you what,” Alex said changing his mind, “go on your way and seriously consider coming back next week to hear me out.”
Hasim, being wise beyond his scant twenty-six years, keenly retorted, “Why wait a week? I am prepared now to further explore the opportunity you have presented me.”
Alex reached out his right hand again this time finding Hasim’s offered in return.
“Why don’t we move this meeting of ours to a more secure location?” Alex suggested.
Hasim nodded again and followed Alex as he began leading the way.
They stepped over a pile of half-crumbled bricks and then turned right to round the corner of a burnt down wooden building.
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The two men reached an area that was once a more densely constructed city centre.
They turned down a thin alley as Alexander led with a brisk stride of someone who walks with a purpose and to not waste any time.
Soon enough they arrived at a stone building with an open archway entrance.
“Wait here,” Alex commanded.
A mild look of boredom began to surface on Hasim’s face as Alex slipped into the darkened interior leaving Hasim outside.
Moments later Alex returned with two other men, both taller than Hasim. One was about six foot four and had a well-toned and weathered look while the other was slightly shorter at six foot two and noticeably more heavy set.
The three men stopped short of earshot of Hasim and began whispering amongst themselves.
Every few seconds they would glance over in Hasim’s direction gathering all the visual information they could soak up.
Finally, Alexander caught Hasim’s eye and motioned him over to the group.
Hasim reflected on how he was thankful for his prior training in street fighting as he quickly sidestepped and then grabbed the right wrist of the heavyset man who took a swinging stab at him with a small blade as he approached the group.
In one continuous motion, Hasim twisted the man’s arm over his own shoulder and then used his free hand to dislodge the weapon. Hasim aptly clutched the blade as it was falling and then turned it back and placed it inches from its owner’s throat.
He then grasped the stocky assailant around his torso effectively pinning down the man’s arms in the process.
At this point the trapped man laughed.
“I like this one,” he chuckled. “He’s quick!”
Alex and the taller man watched as Jeffrey Whitehead continued his unorthodox introduction.
“Name’s Jeffery,” the fat man said over his should to Hasim. “Now if you’d be so kind to let me go, I promise to put away the theatrics.”
Hasim paused as he caught his breath.
He shot looks of anger towards Alex and the other man.
He was uneasy but not scared.
Alex nodded that Jeffery was telling the truth.
Hasim reluctantly let the offender go and carefully listened as he began again.
“As I was saying,” Jeffery proceeded as he brushed himself off and turned to face Hasim. “I’m Jeffery Whitehead, you’ve already met Alexander, and this fella here’s Tectamus,” he said pointing to the tall guy.
Tectamus heartily nodded as he was introduced and raised his hand in a brief wave of acknowledgement to Hasim.
Alexander then took the lead of the conversation and added, “We are the core triad of elders of the organization formally known as the Awakened Believers of the Enlightenment or ABE for short.”
“Your curiosity and intrigue has led you here thus far,” Alex continued addressing Hasim, “so allow it to persuade you to come inside with us for a more thorough disclosure of what will be expected and required of you in your participation in our congregation.”
Hasim slightly shook his head in assent.
With that the four men ducked through the stone archway and vanished into the darkness within.
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I saw your Part III posted in Fiction Trail Michael, and though I'd drop back to the start with Part I. I think this is well written and a great start to your story. I'm going to follow on with the next two chapters. One thing in this one that threw me, and it's just likley formatting, is the italics in one sentence. It threw me because some people use the italics as inner though, but in this case it's dialogure. “Why don’t we move this meeting of ours to a more secure location?” Alex suggested.
Yes, I should be more consistent with the formatting, thanks for the tip!