William peered into the next room. No one was in there, and nothing was in there that would suggest the room he was in belonged to Thaddeus. He investigated the room next to that one, and it was the same. Room after room. All the same. He surmised that where he was, was likely the housing for subjects of the church. Of course. Thaddeus, the leader of the bunch, wouldn't sleep in the company of people who were beneath him.

William reached the end of the hall and had no luck in finding Thaddeus' room. He guessed that his room would be much more elaborate, and then an idea crossed his mind. Thaddeus would not sleep in the area where his subjects do. He was far too important, too significant. He was Thaddeus Grimshaw the tenth, he would be near Syn, and Syn was kept in the chapel.

William spent the following day rebuilding a wall in the north part of the manor and painting it. This gave him a chance to think of a plan and how to execute it. Fortunately, there were many parts of the manor in need of care. This afforded him more time to think, but a particular rumor began to circulate among the cultists.

The newest recruit had yet to wake up. They speculated that he may have had a heart condition or some other medical condition that rendered him comatose. Either way, Thaddeus was fuming, as he had to make the decision to set a time limit for the recruit. If he doesn't wake up in four hours, he will be 'repurposed'.

William could only guess what repurposing someone actually meant. He drank Syn's Blessing when Thaddeus offered it, and committed to investigating the Chapel once everyone went to bed.

Thaddeus' devotion to Syn was immeasurable, and he knew that if Thaddeus were to sleep anywhere, it would be at the feet of his beloved god. He didn't know how, or when, or where Thaddeus will sleep, but, that didn't matter. The worst that could happen is Thaddeus' gives him a lethal dose of whatever he is already giving him, and perhaps succumbing would be better than living out this nightmare.

William considered the possibility that Thaddeus would call for aid when captured, but he reminded himself that the other cultists are like Marie. They live in a delusional drug-induced dreamlike state, and maybe they would stand with him if it meant waking up from their nightmare.

As the night fell upon them, William clutched his stomach and winced. He hasn't eaten in at least four days or drank water at all today. He has felt slightly better, but he fears the effects of the poison in his body will persist. The idea of eating anything here perturbs him, but as his hunger grew, the idea of eating whatever he could became more appealing.

He sat in the lobby area of the manor. Bookshelves were built into the walls, and the ceiling arched high. A fireplace crackled, and he sat reading a text printed by an unknown author. It is the Bible of Syn, and while reading, he learned that the name Syn originates from the family name Synclaire.

As he dug deeper into the lore of Syn, he read that the Synclaires immigrated from Scotland, and found America to be a new home for them in the year of 1633. The religion of Syn itself was no more than a family dynasty crafted for the sake of detaching from their Scottish roots and creating something new. As such, in 1652, the Synclaire became Syn, and the Theodores of the family became Thaddeus.

The first born of each generation must bear the name of Thaddeus, in honor of the family dynasty, and though the beginnings of this religion began in earnest and mirrored Christianity, the confederate war applied pressure to upheld beliefs which were no longer sustainable under the new land they found themselves in.

In this new America, they wanted to form their own church, teach their own belief systems, and institute their own form of Christianity. At first the religious beliefs of the Church of Syn were identical to their religion of origin. Be good to others. Follow the ten commandments. Uphold the beliefs the confederate people died for.

Once a pillar of the community, the Church of Syn was abandoned when the war was lost and became a family ignored, then pursued, and ultimately forced into seclusion and forgotten. They clung onto their Chapel and Manor, and due to hunger and desperation, the Church of Syn turned from hunting game to those who they felt oppressed them.

What they did was an act of revenge of the worst kind, and then, as the decades marched forward in time, those acts became religious beliefs. The name of Syn was lost to history as they continued their relentless pursuit and devolved into what they've become today. Each generation became more morbid than the last.

William sat the bible down and digested all he had just read. The door behind him creaked open, and passing through the doorway was Thaddeus.

He sat beside William and noticed what he was reading. He said, "that is a fine piece of literature."

William closed his eyes and looked down. He replied, "has isolation and fear driven your people mad?"

Thaddeus tapped his fingertips against his knee. He said, "mad enough to hide in the thicket of a swamp for centuries. There are plants here that have not been discovered by the outside world. No one has seen them because no one loves the earth as we do. We do not pollute it, or spill oil into the ocean. We do not craft gadgets, gizmos, or toys that distract us from conversation. We are a good people misunderstood by those who do not want to listen."

Thaddeus poured himself a glass of water and drank. Once the cup had been emptied, Thaddeus continued, "I know they call us the Gray Ghosts of Conecuh National Forest. I know that our ways are misunderstood, and I know that our history has been scrubbed from the records of Alabama. Who would claim a family as wicked as this? Let. Them. Die. The Gray Ghosts who ate your son, your daughter, their mother? Let. Them. Die. My mind is a prison I cannot escape from."

Thaddeus turned and faced William. He said, "I hope you understand that, Brother William. I will wait for you in the chapel, to release me from this wretched nightmare, and this pitiful church can die with me." Thaddeus stopped in front of the door and pulled it open. He said, "but, my grandson heard you. He heard both of you. Figure out how you will handle him." 

https://youtu.be/qaF6jtg1mGY