.jpeg)
x
The horn of the train split the air at the busy Annapolis train station, individuals of all sizes, color, age and gender walked about the station, some passengers were returning from other parts of the country and others were jostling to get tickets to leave Annapolis, posters and display screens displayed the goat head of Baphomet, one of them especially read;
The Brotherhood cannot cleanse the filth alone, as Clifers it is also your duty to cleanse the filths in places we cannot reach.
Several Soldiers from the Brotherhood stood ground in and around the train station, watching the doings of the common civilians. “Hail Lucifer” could be heard a zillion times as people greeted each other. Hogan deftly adjusted his makeshift mask and parked his motorcycle, he walked towards the ticket stand where a long queue of passengers had already formed, he thought about staying in line but that might mean missing the train as the queue was more than the train’s capacity, he subtly beat the line and headed for the front but a cloaked brotherhood soldier tapped him on his arm.
“Hold there” the soldier oblivious to who Hogan was said, “What are you carrying? Please empty your possessions for inspection and remove the mask” he said, with a hand on the hilt of his sword.
Hogan hesitated, the scene already drew onlookers, hiding his identity was crucial for an undisturbed journey but the soldier was making that difficult at the moment.
“I said empty your possessions and remove the mask” the soldier said more aggressively this time, several other of his comrades walked to the scene.
Hogan was faced with a choice; allow a fight to ensue which will definitely lead to him hurting the Brotherhood soldiers or revealing his identity and diffusing the situation, either way he is bound to attract attention to himself, he lowered his make shift mask and the Soldiers immediately took a knee and onlookers gasped.
“We are sorry master Hogan” the previously agitated soldier said with a whimper.
Hogan readjusted his mask and headed to the front of the line, this was very easy as the travelers gave him much needed space now they knew his identity, and he purchased his ticket for three Lu coins.
Since the fall of the former world powers, and the reign of ‘the counsel of Lucifer’, the old world currency had been abolished and a common currency of the ‘Lu’ introduced as the only means of trade. Being caught with the bills of the old world is treason and punishable by death in the ‘Counsel code’. The Lu only exists in light weighted, well rounded coins that had the goat head of Baphomet on one face and the inscription ‘Lucifer gives riches’ on the other face. It has no denominations and its worth depends solely on its quantity.
Hogan walked back to the soldiers after getting his ticket.
“Take care of that” He pointed at his parked motorcycle.
“We will, Master Hogan” a Soldier replied.
He walked on to the rusty old train, the doors opened with a shriek of corroded iron and tacky upholstery, he headed straight for an empty compartment, he slid the door of the compartment shut and stashed his belongings in the overhead loading boxes, he leaned into the brown leather seat that had seen better days and looked battered, resting his feet on the opposite seat and shuffling close to the opened square window of the train compartment.
News of Hogan’s presence on the train must have travelled fast, several oblivious passengers made attempts to board his compartment but on seeing him, they retreat and politely close the compartment door, his mask had already lost its usefulness at the moment and so he had no qualms in lowering the black handkerchief. Moments later, it seemed his compartment was well marked by the passengers as no other person had attempted to board it for a good few minutes. A piece of paper which stuck out on the overhead loading boxes caught his eye; he reached and pulled it out before leaning back in his seat again. It was a newspaper dated about one week prior, he scanned the dusty pages for any worthy piece of news but most of its content were preaching about Lucifer, a few of them highlighted the need for non-Cifers to be cleansed, a particular one at page 26 caught his eye with a headline.
CHRISTAINITY IS THE ENEMY
He read the details;
My dear Cifer brothers and sisters, greetings to you all and hail Lucifer! In today’s section we shall talk about the garbage that continues to stench in our society called ‘Christianity’. Though the vast majority of these infidels have been cleansed off the face of the earth by the valiant instruments of Lucifer ‘The Brotherhood’, a few of the abominations still exist, in remote places across America and the world. Christianity is a barbaric faction that almost crumbled the old world, its teeth was sunk into the society of our beloved nation but ‘the counsel of Lucifer’ saved humanity from its chokehold, humanity was spared the brainwashing and brought to the limelight. Where was their god when the honorable men of The Brotherhood destroyed their shrines? What god leaves his followers to die out in hunger as they hid themselves in unspeakable places? Their book claimed that their god casted lord Lucifer to earth in defeat from a so called heaven but where is the god now? Where is he while the almighty Lucifer takes control of the earth? CIfers, we all must follow and look upon our lord, he protects us with sheer virtue, something the Christians could not boast of. I hereby urge you all, find the lasts of the Christians and cleanse them, help The Brotherhood in cleansing all infidels from the earth, they still pass their barbaric teachings from father to son and mother to daughter till this day, they still visit their shrines in secret places, they are still among us, open your eyes and cleanse them, Christianity is the enemy!
Howard Monroe
Chief Editor, Herald of Lucifer
Hogan returned the newspaper to where he had found it and leaned comfortably into his seat. His thought about the Christians he has been ordered to cleanse, how many of them were mere Children who did not even understand the happenings in the world? How many were women who did not want any trouble? Were they all guilty because of the sole fact that they were not Cifers, just like the civilians of Crofton? His eyes were heavy and he soon drifted into sleep.
***
“Are you my mummy!’ the girl shrieked and closed the distance between them with super speed, he awoke abruptly but much calmer this time, the train was already in motion, a thunderstorm raged outside the window and the rain splattered on the closed windows.
The Closed windows!
He had left them open, he vividly remember, he glanced across the compartment and discovered he wasn’t alone. He avoided sudden movements and watched his companion from half open eyes. She was a woman, sitting on the opposite seat, closer to the compartment doors and adjacent to his feet which he rested on the seat. She wore a bright red dress, designed with small circular white spots, she wore a brown boater on her head, her brunette hair crashed on her shoulders, she had wolfish amber eyes, an aquiline nose and heart shaped lips that were unpainted.
Hogan continued his covert watch of the woman who had dared to enter the compartment, who was she? Could she not have known who he was? Perhaps she hadn’t heard the gossip of his presence on the train but the fact remained that she must have crossed over to close the windows and must have seen his unmasked face. She was engrossed in a small brown book and looked very calm, soon her right hand moved to touch her forehead, then her mid chest, her left shoulder and right shoulder, she then revealed what suspiciously looked like a cross, hung around her neck and safely tucked in her dress. She kissed the object and returned it to its hidden position. Realization hit Hogan; she was a Christian, his training as a soldier of The Brotherhood urged him to act but another side of him could not and did not want to, that side of him was fascinated by the stranger who did not recognize him as infamous as he was, and was bold enough to carry a symbol of her religion around her neck. Hogan decided to end his covert watch and talk to the woman; he feigned waking up and dropped his feet back on the ground.
“Good evening, you’re finally awake” the woman said with a radiant smile that revealed perfect white teeth, just after she tucked away the small book in her purse.
“Good evening ma’am, I’m sorry I didn’t know when you came in” Hogan said.
“It’s okay, I saw you taking a nap and thought I shouldn’t disturb you and if you don’t mind, I closed the windows, the rain was creeping in.” she said.
“No, I don’t mind at all, thank you for that” Hogan flashed a smile.
“I’m Ann by the way”
“I’m…Bernard” Hogan lied.
“Nice meeting you Bernard”
“Nice meeting you too, Ann.”
The next few minutes that followed were in awkward silence.
“I’m sorry for this and I hope you won’t be offended, but I couldn’t help but notice your clothes and a certain possession of yours you have there?” Ann pointed to the loading boxes.
“Nothing to be afraid of, I am a blacksmith and I make weapons as that to make ends meet, and as for the clothes, I bought them off a street market for six Lu” Hogan even surprised himself by how fast he could come up with a well structured lie as that.
“That’s a relief” Ann said, visibly relaxing her shoulders.
Curiosity filled Hogan, he felt a strong urge to know more about Ann and he couldn’t help it.
“Where are you headed?” he asked.
“Denver” She replied.
“I go through there myself; I’m headed towards Santa Fe”.
“No direct train rides there, you would have to make a stop at Denver.” She smiled.
“So I was told”
“So it’s a delivery?” she asked.
“Hmm?” Hogan was confused at the question.
Ann pointed at the loading boxes and he swiftly remembered his makeup story.
“Oh, yes! I have to deliver that to one of my customers” He said.
“Nice, well I am heading home” she said.
“Denver is home?”
“Yes, I just visited Annapolis to get the last of my late husband’s things” Ann said a little sadly.
“I’m sorry, how did he die?” the curious Hogan asked.
“Killed by soldiers of The Brotherhood, he was working over here and joined a group of rebels along the line, this was five years ago.” Ann said.
The very same guilt Hogan felt in the barn at Crofton washed over him again. “I’m sorry Ann”.
“Thank you, it was a really sad time for me but thanks to G… thankfully, all is well now.” She said.
“Do you have other family?”
“If you mean kids, no. we couldn’t have any due to the distance and as for other family, dad and mom lived a long life and are no longer with me, I am their only child, so no, no other family”.
Hogan felt something new, he could not pinpoint it but it was there and warm.
“How about you?” she asked.
“What about me?”
“Well, any family?”
True case scenario, Hogan had never met his family since he was given away as an instrument of service to Lucifer at the age of ten, he does not even know their whereabouts. This was customary for every soldier of The Brotherhood who must be completely detached from their family in service of Lucifer.
“Never been married, parents are long gone, no siblings either” He added to the already tall heap of lies.
“Just like me then, except the marriage part.” Ann beamed.
Her smile intoxicated him in a mesmerizing way. “Yes”, he replied.
Ann pouted her lips, visibly keeping something to herself.
“What is it?” Hogan asked.
“Are you a Cifer?” she immediately blurted out as if waiting for the permission to do so for a long time.
“I am, to remain alive” this might be a lie but to an extent Hogan felt it was true when he remembered the words of Groth, the train station posters and Newspaper print, being a non-Cifer is living dangerously.
She nodded and sat back on her seat. Hogan felt that asking her about her faith would put her in an uncomfortable position and so he avoided the question altogether.
“You would be very tired when you arrive Denver, if it’s okay with you, you can have a stop at my home, freshen up yourself before beginning the journey to Santa Fe.” Ann said.
“That would be nice, I might take you up on that” Hogan smiled.
“Nice” she beamed back, “If you don’t mind I will like to take a little nap now, I’m very tired”.
“Of course, the seat is free” Hogan gestured at the space beside her.
“Thank you” she said.
She took off her strap shoes and lay down on the seat.
Hogan watched her back in awe and soon drifted into his first dreamless sleep in a while as the rain continued to batter the moving train.
445Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCY0nCp85HE
