14.

In the coldest of endless winters even the most well-intentioned dreams freeze ... though in hell the fire always burns hot, and dreams only turn to ash.

So, what is the plan? Can there even be a plan? Can't stay in a church forever, why not? It is a town for starters. If it were to become overrun with the dead, then what? Supply runs too and scavenging can only go so far and last so long. Presumably a time to move on will come though it has been nice to have a home of sorts even with the church being what it is. Three weeks since the arrival of the priest, this church has provided shelter and rest bite, longer for the rest of them.

It had, at first, been thought of as divine that a priest should descend upon a group squatting in a place used for worship almost right at the moment they temporarily settle there, though Father Michael Anthony could no more take care of himself than be someone who could provide answers. The meaning of life ... huh ... for some time now it has been only one thing ... survival.

A new year has arrived, and the snow has subsided, still it is quite cold and there is still plenty of slush and ice around. As has been said before, churches naturally seem to be cold places, not emotionally of course but physically. And there are heaters here as well as electricity, so even with the arrival of a new year there are thoughts of a new start, move on to another town perhaps, and see what else may be available to aid this groups survival.

For the current moment however, there is worry, worry for where Jenny and the priest may have got to. It is a big church after all with many corridors and off shoot rooms, surely, they must still be nearby. Shawn and Amber do not have much time to dwell on their thoughts of where Jenny and the Priest are, and of their mother's final moment, for their attention is soon distracted. From beyond the far side of the alter Brad McGreevy stands having come to an end of a moment or two of meditation. While meditating he had not been within anyone's line of sight. His move into a standing position indeed changed that.

He slowly moves round the alter then onto towards that center aisle and then down along it, passing in between Shawn and Amber who both watch on as he does this. Once Brad has moved passed both Amber and Shawn, Father Anthony can be seen coming up the other way.

'What is up with you?' asks the priest as Brad passes right by him, asking in a manner which may suggest that there is something not quite right with this Brad fellow.

'You ask that of me all the time Father, it was not a nice question before, and it is still not a nice question now' speaks the one group member who can be thought of as being a loner despite the fact that he is as much a part of the group as anyone else and he speaks he keeps on moving without turning or stopping his forward motion.

Brad seems to be taking thing a little personally. It tries to act like everything is cool, like he is in total control of himself and that is not quite too. He has killed his fair share of the dead, he has toughened since coming into contact with Amber and Shawn, still that girl he had feelings for ... Sophie Arthur was her name. The chances too that she would be the first member of the dead he would come into contact with, then the subsequent moments following that first moment her saw her dead and walking.

It is a trauma, of course it is, thing is that every member of this group has had trauma, some more than others. The current climate of the world, one needs to get over said trauma as quickly as possible. Survival comes first. In saying that, Father Anthony takes a seat on the row directly behind Shawn.

'How are you feeling Father?'

'Fine, just fine ... err ...'

'It's Shawn Father ...' he says unsure as to what the priest may or may not have regained in the past few moments or so.

'I know that. I may be getting a little forgetful now and then. I am still here, like I have always been.'

Always been? Amber wants to ask; he has only been around for three weeks. 'Forgive me for asking but ...' speaks Amber 'but where is Jenny?'

Before the priest can even begin to answer he is stopped in his tracks by Brad returning back down the aisle.

'This is what I would like to know. I still can't find her or Leon, and the front doors are locked, she has to be in here somewhere?'

Father Anthony begins to stutter 'err ... err ... s-sh-she ...'

'C'mon Father, answer me.'

'She is ... is in a room.'

'Where?'

'Back of the church, to the left, down the corridor, third room on that left, Leon too.'

'Show me ...'

Shawn and Amber can do no more than watch Father Anthony join Brad and watch them both move away while still wondering as to where Jenny may have actually got herself to. And yeah, it has been a little while since they last saw the boy. Indeed, Jenny seemed to be right where Father Anthony said she was.

Such a strange situation too, Jenny seemed to be out cold, asleep in a makeshift bed. She had said nothing to anyone, least of all Jason who has caught up to the rest of the group wondering what is going on. He sees Jenny and thinks it strange that she would be sleeping at this time of day especially without even mentioning any kind of tiredness to him.

'Happy?' asks the priest.

'Do I look happy?' replies Shawn. 'And where is Leon?'

'You guys go check on Leon ...' Jason says, 'and I'll if everything is alright with Jenny.'

'Do you all not believe me?' asks Father Anthony.

A rhetorical question if there ever was one. From standing behind them all, Brad moves and goes on to head back into the main area of the church, and he is not looking too good in this moment. Father Anthony briefly wondered as to if there was ever a time that Brad looked happy. It's as if Brad carries the weight of the world on his shoulders and has taken on a personal responsibility to put things right. Maybe he feels as if he has a reason to be this way.

Jenny seems to have herself a moment of peace and Jason knows she needs it so for the moment Jason is content enough to leave her be right where she is for the time being. He shakes off the feeling that something is not quite right, choosing to believe that all is as it is meant to be. Jason begins to move towards the main church entrance and the priest moves to be with him.

'Has she told you we are expecting?'

Jason's moment of openness completely catches Father Anthony off guard; he in no way had expected to hear anything like what he had just been told especially with how the interaction of the last moment or two went.

'No, I had no idea ...'

'Yeah, our first obviously enough, and what a world we have to try raise a child in. Like what sort of chance has any child got in a world of which we have right now?'

The church doors are soon reached and opened, and a few seconds are spent in silence to look outdoors. Outside a number of living dead entities have gathered, more than has ever been near since this building became a base, and it is the priest who continues the conversation.

'You can feel them, right? You knew they were there before the doors opened?'

'I did. Ah, maybe I just have a well-honed sixth sense.'

Father Anthony may have his moments though there are times when he understands better than anyone else can. Maybe there is something divine or possibly not so divine guiding him. Hell may be as much in his DNA as heaven is. Being a man of the cloth maybe he is privy to some information as in somehow knowing that Jason has something on somewhat with which he has yet to discuss with anyone.

He grabs Jason's left forearm and Jason flinches. The two trade reactions before the priests asks, 'show me'.

'There is nothing to show ...'

'I know full well of my own limitations but don't take that for stupidity. Not all of my senses are lost ...'

Jason raises his sleeve to reveal quite the laceration and it doesn't look all so good. It is not bleeding but still ... The younger of the two may appear to be the healthier and the stronger of them both but that forearm ... it may just be affecting him in ways that can't be understood or spoken of. Will the priest keep what he sees a secret? Even if he chooses to not to declare what he has seen, when lucidity next leaves him he could be liable to say or do anything.