For They Shall Inherit the Earth
by
Graeme Winton
© copyright Graeme Winton 2018
The large Gothic church of St Ignatius stood in its ancient, snow-covered graveyard in the borough of Lambeth. The dark spire pierced the frozen star-lit sky as a chill wind swept around the headstones
Father Kennedy threw his cigarette butt out into the dark and watched the wind create a flurry of sparks, then closed the heavy front door. He shuffled along the central aisle of the dimly-lit church past rows of empty pews. Suddenly he stopped and felt a shiver run down his spine as he spotted a dark figure through the gloom kneeling before the altar.
The figure rose with blazing red eyes and turned toward the priest and said: "Do not be afraid Father, they have sent me here to prepare the way.”
“You're a demon! You shouldn’t be in here!” said the trembling, holy man.
“A demon in a church,” said the figure with a chortle.
“Prepare the way! What do you mean?”
The distant sound of a phone ringing distracted the priest and he turned his head toward the sound. When he looked back the figure had gone and the large Bible, which normally lay closed on the altar, was open at The Revelation of St John the Divine.
Meanwhile, in the New York City borough of Queens a boy child was born to single parent Mia Baumann. She named the child Thomas.
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